This slender little deer was nibbling on the vegetation as we drove up into the gardens.
Hakone gardens is the planned first stop. oochmpgnoo did a review on this site and so we feel it's well worth seeing.
After leaving Casa de Fruita it was only about forty-five minutes before we were into Saratoga, where the weather has changed totally. Dark grey clouds and soon light misty rain. As we reach Hakone Gardens, our first real stop of the day, it is raining enough that windshield wipers are on full. This is a record for the area. Never has it rained at all in any part of the San Francisco bay area on July 18th since records have been kept. In a few areas it was only .01 inch, but in others it was four or five times that much. Not a lot, but a record none the less.
A very thin deer is nibbling on vegetation as we turned in. Poor thing looked so slender.
Only two other vehicles are in the parking lot when we got to the top of the hill. We grabbed our umbrella and went into the gift shop where you pay your entry fee and the lady offered another umbrella for us to use. Even with everything wet it was still pretty and worth the entry fee. We took many pictures and had only a few not turn out. Usually the ones I tried to get artsy with.
It was definitely an hour well spent.
Several TravBuddy members have already done blogs and reviews on this very nice Japanese Gardens. We just happened to be there on a record setting day. It was raining. Did that a difference to me or my wife.? Not one bit. We just opened our umbrella and even accepted the use of one that they offered. We strolled thru, taking our time to snap many wonderful pictures at the outstanding gardens. There are four sections, The Hill and Pond Garden, The Tea Garden, The Zen Garden, and Kizuna-en (Bamboo) Garden, and each is well kept, neatly manicured, and treated with the respect it needs. If you enjoy serene, beautiful, Japanese Gardens, this is surely one not to miss if you are in the area. There is a small fee to enter the gardens (see the internet site for prices ) and you purchase the entry coin in the gift shop which has many wonderful items available. There was no charge for parking.
