Jurassic Trees
Feb 27, 2025
Although I live in a major city, I grew up in a very rural are and I love the beauty of nature. I rarely pass up a chance to see a botanical garden. Today we were headed to see Kauai’s botanical garden.
On our way, we stopped at the Paradise Café where they have wonderful Malasadas. At times island traffic can move at a snail’s pace. I always give extra time and when I find myself traffic that isn’t moving, I remind myself that there are worst places to be sitting in traffic. We hung out at Spouting Horn before heading over to our tour.
I had booked the best of both worlds which meant we were going to see two gardens – the Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden. To be honest, I didn’t do any research. I knew that I wanted to see the botanical gardens and knew that the Allerton Garden had been used in Jurassic Park as well as in many other movies.
As we entered the gardens, the guide talked about how that most of the plants that we see today are not native. It started with the Polynesians who brought plants and seeds. Captain Cook introduced European plants. I found myself wondering, what did Hawaii look like 100 years ago and what did it look like 150 years ago.
As we progressed into the Allerton Garden, I became more intrigued, Allerton was obviously extremely wealthy when he purchased the land in 1938. He was an art collector and he and his lover set up garden rooms where they hosted lavish parties. I found myself trying to picture what those parties would have looked like. Was there electricity or was it all done by fire? I kept thinking there is a movie here, but when we got back to the hotel and I started googling and was surprised at the lack of information.
As we walked through the garden, our guide pointed out where Johnny Depp was tied up to a tree and where, in Jurassic Park, they realized nature had found a way and dinosaurs were breeding. I really got a kick out of that part of the tour.
The tour guide asked if they wanted to have a picture in that exact spot and where they found the eggshells and then had them pose, he then said “Look Up! Act like you are frightened” and when they did, he pulled a puppet dinosaur out of his pocket to make the picture look like they were being attacked by dragons. I laughed when the people looked at their cameras and saw the picture of the dinosaur attacking them.
Overall, a great tour!
The visit to Kauai’s botanical gardens was truly fascinating, especially learning about the diverse plants brought by Polynesians and Captain Cook. The Allerton Garden’s history of lavish parties hosted by its wealthy owner added an intriguing layer to the experience. It’s interesting to imagine how these gatherings were held—were they illuminated by electricity or fire? The connection to famous movies like Jurassic Park made the tour even more memorable. How did the Polynesians decide which plants to bring to Hawaii, and how did they adapt them to the local environment?
Although I live in a major city, I grew up in a very rural area and I love the beauty of nature. I rarely pass up a chance to see a botanical garden. Today we were headed to see Kauai’s botanical garden. On our way, we stopped at the Paradise Café where they have wonderful Malasadas. At times island traffic can move at a snail’s pace. I always give extra time and when I find myself in traffic that isn’t moving, I remind myself that there are worse places to be sitting in traffic. We hung out at Spouting Horn before heading over to our tour. I had booked the best of both worlds which meant we were going to see two gardens – the Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden. To be honest, I didn’t do any research. I knew that I wanted to see the botanical gardens and knew that the Allerton Garden had been used in Jurassic Park as well as in many other movies. As we entered the gardens, the guide talked about how most of the plants that we see today are not native. It started with the Polynesians who brought plants and seeds. Captain Cook introduced European plants. I found myself wondering, what did Hawaii look like 100 years ago and what did it look like 150 years ago. As we progressed into the Allerton Garden, I became more intrigued, Allerton was obviously extremely wealthy when he purchased the land in 1938. He was an art collector and he and his lover set up garden rooms where they hosted lavish parties. I found myself trying to picture what those parties would have looked like. Was there electricity or was it all done by fire? I kept thinking there is a movie here, but when we got back to the hotel and I started googling and was surprised at the lack of information. As we walked through the garden, our guide pointed out where Johnny Depp was tied up to a tree and where, in Jurassic Park, they realized nature had found a way and dinosaurs were breeding. I really got a kick out of that part of the tour. The tour guide asked if they wanted to
The beauty of nature truly shines in Kauai’s botanical gardens. It’s fascinating to think about the history of these plants and how they were introduced by the Polynesians and Captain Cook. The Allerton Garden’s connection to Hollywood movies adds an extra layer of intrigue. What did these gardens look like before all of these plants were introduced?
Comment in English: Exploring botanical gardens is truly a unique experience, especially when they hold such rich history and cinematic significance. It’s fascinating how much these gardens have evolved over time, influenced by different cultures and people. The Allerton Garden sounds particularly intriguing with its lavish past and Hollywood connections. I can only imagine the grandeur of the parties hosted there. What other hidden stories might these gardens hold beyond what’s commonly known?