The Arboretum

4 days ago I had no idea what an Arboretum was, so when I heard that our English class was taking a trip to The Arboretum on Thursday I was very confused.  For the second time this year I have made a trip to a place that I have never been before, the first was the Palmer Art Museum and the second was The Arboretum.  Trugging along the cold pavement in my work boots at 8 o'clock in the morning to a place that I had no idea what it was was not the way that I wanted to start my day on Thursday.  I made the turn onto Park Ave. and to my pleasant surprise there was a big fountain and elaborate agricultural piece sitting in front of me.  I can't believe I had never seen this masterpiece sitting in front of me before.  Am I the only one that had no idea this place existed?  My pace quickened, I had to figure out what this was.

I wish I could of seen the look of my face as I walked through the gate into The Arboretum.  The sheer awe, confusion, and excitement on my face must have been very funny.  I love gardens. One of my favorite places at Disney World is the gardens that they have.  Unfortunately most of the stuff in The Arboretum was dead because its cold out but I could only imagine seeing it in the spring time when everything is in full growth.  I walked aimlessly through all the different gravel paths and just took everything in.  I must have walked past the same place like ten times.  It was kind of like a maze, or maybe I was still just half asleep.  As you walk around the art jumps out and strikes you with you having to look for it.  Everything around you is art.  All of the plants, flowers, and trees are strategically placed in order to provoke emotion from those who see it.  Walking through the garden I kept noticing more and more forms of art.

My favorite aspect of The Arboretum is the fountain in the front.  I love fountains, ever since I was a little kid whenever my mom took us to the mall I made her take me to the fountain so I could throw change into it and make a wish.  Water fountains are a brilliant example of art.  The way that the water sprays in all different directions is elegant.  There are also different colored chairs in a sitting area in the middle of one of the garden areas.  This is art because of the different colors of the chairs.  They were red and orange and yellow instead of just plain wood.  A few steps down the path there were dozens of pumpkin and squash in a big pot.  The way all of them sat in there in no particular order was very artistic.

Penn State never ceases to amaze me you learn something new everyday.  Last week I had no idea there was an Arboretum and now I have had the pleasure of walking through it.  There are not many places where you can go to an Arboretum whenever you want, especially at your school.  Penn State is perfect because of the city downtown feel and the country north campus aspect.  It is a beautiful campus and it is quite evident in The Arboretum.