BEST PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL

Finding solace in this bustling metropolis isn't easy, but there are a few nooks where peace and quiet prevail. With more than 50 types of plants, 1,500 tons of handpicked rock, a 12-foot waterfall, a koi pond and meandering streams, the Japanese Friendship Garden, officially named Ro Ho En, is our choice for a getaway when we can't really get away. Ro is the Japanese word for heron, the bird symbol of our Japanese sister city Himeji. Ho translates into Phoenix, and En means garden. While its effect gets lost in the translation of its name, there is no lack of beauty to this 3.5-acre hub of harmony. We're relaxed just writing about it.