Rancho Mirage - Gastrodiplomacy and flora

Visitors to Southern California's Palm Springs area often make a quick trip to Sunnylands. After all, it's a gorgeous complex of gardens and trees, with an art center, a historic house, a cafe and other features. And it's free and easy to get around, and the tree-lined walkways provide enough shade on hot days, while on cooler ones, there's plenty of lawn space to laze on. I wasn't familiar with Sunnylands, but spent the time to tour the center and learn about its history. For decades, U.S. presidents have met their foreign counterparts there for high-level meetings, and it has become a place for serious political events over the years. They often involve meals, and there's an exhibit around the intersection of fancy dining and big-leader political events, hence 'gastrodiplomacy,' a term new to me. The labyrinth itself is interesting, with concrete paths surrounded by shrubbery. It's set back from the main path but worth walking around on a visit to the center.