Get Out! And Get thee to a garden, an air conditioned theater or to the ocean. Pirate battles, giant monsters and beautiful plants await at every turn today. Independence rules.

The Huntington’s annual Cactus and Succulent Show is popular with desert plant lovers, and with good reason.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens on Saturday will open a new education and visitor center, restaurant and more than 6 acres of newly landscaped gardens.

Escape the desert heat and explore the changes to the Huntington, garden and family estate.

There are many botanic gardens in Southern California – the Los Angeles Arboretum, the Theodore Payne Gardens in Claremont, the grand dame of all in the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino.