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With so many high-tech attractions and modern destinations any tourist can go to today, why do many travelers still choose to pay a visit to and spend time in the old-fashioned gardens of the world?

Once you have stepped foot inside the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden and experienced its natural beauty and refreshing atmosphere, you would easily know why.

The Botanical Garden inside the University of California campus was established in 1890 and boasts of 34 acres of plants sourced locally and from all over the world. The garden offers a variety of tours to suit different types of visitors and their levels of interests.

The tours for children are usually organized by theme and age or grade level. Since these tours’ primary audiences are young students, they’re designed to be fun and educational and are aligned with the California State Education Standards.

For instance, the “Awaken Your Senses” tour lets small ones know more about plants from around the world by letting them not just look at, but also touch, listen, smell and have a taste of the garden’s treasures. Meanwhile, the tour “Evolution: Plants through Time” will have the kids feel as if they were travelling through time by learning about plants and animals from billions of years ago.

Adults can go on the “Plants of the “World” tour, which takes participants to a trip around the world via the rich plant life from the six continents. The tour “Beautiful Mediterranean Gardening” is designed like a workshop, where you can learn gardening tips from the experts that you can apply at home.

One of the much-awaited events in the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is the blooming of “Trudy the Titan” – the corpse flower, nicknamed for its unforgettably pungent odor and its gigantic size. When the flower starts to show signs of going into full bloom, the Garden makes day-to-day announcements on its progress and updates eager fans and the general public about the perfect times to visit.

Trudy’s smell was once described as being “like mega dirty socks wrapped around a rotting steak,” which endeared him (the gardeners says it’s a male) more even to people who are not so much into flowers. The much-awaited event happens very quickly; after a few days, Trudy will start to wilt and die, so enthusiasts make elaborate plans, from schedules to parking and even to accommodation, just to witness the one-of-a-kind phenomenon.

But Trudy and the Botanical Garden are just two of Berkley’s many beauties. The city’s counter-culture, bohemian spirit still lives and continues to enrich the community’s culinary and cultural travel scene. To truly experience the best of Berkeley, make sure to book DoubleTree Berkeley accommodations and experience the city in full bloom.

For more information and attractions in an around Berkeley be sure to visit our Berkeley Area Attractions page.

*Image courtesy of Botanical Garden at Berkeley