Living in the greater Sacramento area for most of my life means I've always had plenty of choices for day trips: Lake Tahoe, the historic sites scattered through the Sierra foothills, the museums and parks of the San Francisco area, even the occasional mini beach trip. There is a lot to see within just a couple of hours of home, and Sacramento has its own charms too, with plenty of trails, museums, and parks of its own. So it's a little surprising that in the middle of all that, I had never heard of, much less visited, the Filoli Historic Estate, just a couple of hours away in San Mateo County, traffic depending.

I took the day trip with my close friend and her daughter, and we told our husbands we'd probably be home around dinner. I don't think either of them really believed us, which says a lot about how well they know us both.

Filoli got its name from its original owner, William Bowers Bourn II, who combined the first two letters from each phrase of his personal life credo: Fight for a just cause. Love your fellow man. Live a good life. As soon as I learned that, I knew I was in for a treat.

Gardens

You may know that formal gardens are not my style, but the gardens at Filoli pleasantly surprised me. There were several distinct gardens: a sunken garden with a pond and garden house, a walled garden, a cutting garden, a vegetable garden, and more. It was all truly wonderful and even incorporated a few drought-tolerant and native plants here and there. I'm not sure how many acres the gardens cover, but it's several, and we walked nearly all of it.

One of my favorite discoveries came as we rounded the pool house - yes, there's a swimming pool too - and found a pair of beautifully twisted, bowing elm trees. Walking under their canopy felt like stepping into a secret, mystical space: birdsong, dappled shade, branches that seem to bow as though listening. We learned they are Camperdown elms, and that both trees are genetically identical, cloned from a single mutant tree discovered in Scotland in the 1830s. The original owners planted them as part of their European garden vision, and nearly two centuries later, they're still standing, still drawing eyes and hearts.

*Catching a shot of one of the beautiful views, inside looking out.*

House

The gardens stole my heart, and if I'm being honest, the house itself was a little less exciting for me. My friends were fascinated by the multiple kitchens, pantries, and all the cooking and dinnerware on display. But in the dining room, a piece of artwork caught my eye, the spoils of a garden hunt, including a rabbit and a bird, which felt surprisingly familiar to my own work. There were parlors, a man-cave, and a ballroom with genuinely impressive murals. But my favorite things inside were the views looking out. A good view through a window will always get me, no matter what room I'm standing in.

Nature Trails

We visited Filoli for one very specific reason, but reaching it meant walking the nature trails first. I walk trails all the time, but I found things here I never find along the creek back home. Through a section called the Short Cut, I was enchanted by a series of colorful birdhouses mounted on the trees, leading to a charming little structure called the Bird House, an interpretive exhibit about local birds geared toward children, but thoroughly appreciated by this adult.

We also encountered several large sculptures by Jayson Fann, his Spirit Nests, architectural works built from natural wood that honor and explore our collective past, present, and future. They're designed as community spaces for healing, reflection, and storytelling, woven with the rhythms and language of nature itself. Walking in and around them, I understood exactly what he was going for. There was an unexpected sense of healing and restoration in just being inside one.

*Up close and personal with Rose Wonders.*

Troll

The whole reason we made the trip was to see "Rose Wonders," a magnificent troll built from reclaimed wood by world-renowned artist Thomas Dambo, and she did not disappoint. Originally built for Burning Man, she stands 27 feet tall and can hold up to eight people at once. There is something about climbing up into her, settling into her cupped hands, that brought out delighted, childlike wonder in each of us. She's called a troll, but I have never met a more enjoyable one. If only all trolls were this good for the soul.

Just past Rose was a sweet little gift shop and the Spring Creek Trailhead. Naturally, I had to take a walk along the creek. Thankfully it was a short loop, because the time had gotten away from us by then. On the way back we saw more of Jayson Fann's sculptures, a deer, and a gopher snake. One last dip into the very tempting gift and garden shop, and we finally headed home, much later than we'd planned.

*The gopher snake we saw, slowly making its way across the pathway.*

Traffic Home

We left for Sacramento just before 6 p.m. on a weekday. My phone map promised the quickest route but delivered instead the worst San Francisco traffic I have ever experienced. We had good company, at least, and after stopping for gas and a quick bite, it took us four hours to get home.

It was a long day. A really long day. But Rose Wonders was worth every minute of it, and so was the gopher snake, if I'm being honest. Next time, dinner first. Lesson learned, again.