Noguchi Garden — Attraction in Costa Mesa

Noguchi Garden is a place that feels unreal. I wanted to get away from studies for a while and go somewhere far, a place where I can forget it all. After looking through the maps for a while, I find the Noguchi Garden. After reading a bit of its history behind the art, I realize that it could be a nice place to visit. I got to the garden through the bus south and then walked on foot towards the garden. It was a little awkward since I was a casual student with a huge backpack walking down business buildings with people in fancy attire walking down and lightly staring. After a bit, I made it. It felt so unreal, something about the environment was so soothing to me. It may not be for everyone, as it can be boring for some people. But for other people like me, just sitting on the bench and staring at the whole landscape is just, serene. I loved it and I’ve visited two more times after school. Nobody was ever really there, it always felt like a safe haven. A place to get away from the metropolitan city and scholarly...

This is a small but beautiful work of art that I fear is often overlooked. It's a fascinating display of seven large sculptures set on a wide plaza. Each sculpture represents a different part of California, from the desert, to a river, to a redwood forest. Because it's overlooked, there aren't many people there, so it's very peaceful. I couldn't understand why one of the sculptures represented The Spirit of the Lima Bean, but learned that the businessman who developed the South Coast Plaza complex built it on his family's lima bean farm. This sculpture display is tucked amid tall office buildings and parking is limited. But it's worth the drive, and a good place for photos. I noticed one couple taking engagement...

Created out of the powerful collaboration between the late, renowned sculptor Isamu Noguchi and SCP developer Henry Segerstrom, the California Scenarios sculpture garden reflects the unique alchemy that occurs in the relationship between artist and patron. The "garden" is more courtyard than plant life, but the forms that Noguchi created tell distinct stories about California. His "Spirit of the Lima Bean" is a joke on Segerstrom's family history, before they turned their acres of lima bean fields into a legendary retail and real estate empire. But once you get past the joke, it's still a beautiful piece, as is the water feature running through the courtyard that mimics the vast aqueduct of the...