A Day With Chuck and His Family

Making friends in Los Angeles is pretty easy, but keeping good friends is a feat within itself. I have been fortunate to make some good friends over the years while living in LA. Chuck is one of my good friends from UCSB. I have been fortunate to have him as a friend. He is good hearted person and ever since he got married and recently added a son to his family we have been able to connect in many different levels of our lives. This past Saturday Chuck, his wife...Eun Shil, and his son...Nicholas were able to spend a beautiful afternoon with Nancy, Justin, Dylan, and I in Arcadia at the Arboretum. If you have never been here I definitely recommend it as a good family outing. That is if you have young children. I know that I am getting older because when I was younger in my twenties I don't think I would really care to walk around a nature park, but in my thirties with a family I found it to be soothing and beautiful. The Arboretum is essentially the estate of one of the first families of Arcadia...Lucky Baldwin. He imported in all these trees, plants, and flowers to create one of the most beautiful arboretum and botanic gardens in Los Angeles. Here is Nancy, Justin, and Dylan sitting at the front entrance waiting for my friend Chuck and his family to arrive. It turns out that this is where they shot the show "Fantasy Island". Here are the boys posing in front the building that was always in the beginning of the show as the plane would fly into Fantasy Island. Here are the boys fearing for their lives from the friendly geese that hang around the area.Here is another shot with Nancy and the boys.And a family photo with the "Fantasy Island" building. You can see the water area behind us. This is where the plane would land with the guests. Another shot of the Fantasy Island with Nancy from a different angle. Another popular tourist attraction are the peacocks that roam around the park. Here is a picture of one of the peacocks that we saw. Another good thing about the place is that they do have a small cafe with food and drinks to accommodate the hungry needs of a family. Though like any amusement park or tourist attraction spot the price of the food is outrageous. Expect to spend at least $40-$60 to feed a family of 4. Here is my friend Chuck with his new son Nicholas. You can tell in his picture that he is a very proud father. Nicholas is a great kid. Very calm and cordial. Here is Dylan giving a big smile and being his goofy self. Here we are all posing for a group photo at the end of the day. This last photo is of Dylan running down a path. I was trying to make it one of those artistic photos that you might see on a card or a framed picture at a store. My partying days are over, but days like these make it all okay. Family outings such as these and BBQs with family friends are what the future has in store for me. If any of you are ever looking for honest reviews about restaurants around Los Angeles or even around the United States...you should check out my friend Chuck's website http://www.feedmytummy.com. He travels a lot and loves good food. He writes very candid reviews of the restaurants he eats at. I definitely give a thumbs up on visiting the Arboretum in Arcadia as a family or even a 1st date for you single people. I hope this blog is helpful and brings a smile to your face.