Kids & Family
A Love Story Hidden In Palisades Park
Thirty-five years before The Children's Tree of Life in Palisades Park became famous, it was the spot where one couple wed.
For this month's Love In A Small Town feature, we asked Patch readers to tell us the story behind a specific spot in town where they fell in love. For Jerry Rubin, this spot is the Children’s Tree of Life in Santa Monica’s Palisades Park. Here is his story:
“The Children’s Tree of Life in Santa Monica’s Palisades Park is my favorite local love landmark. You see, that’s the tree where my beautiful wife, Marissa, and I were married as ‘peace partners’ at our public ‘Peace Rally Wedding’ on June 12, 1983.
Marissa and I had planted the baby New Zealand Christmas tree in the park just north of the Santa Monica Pier a few months earlier on April 22,1983 at an Earth Day peace celebration.
Santa Monica’s late mayor Ken Edwards in 1984 officially proclaimed via City Council proclamation that the Children’s Tree of Life be designated 'a living monument to world peace.' The City of Santa Monica recently designated the tree as one of the first in the city’s new Heritage Tree Program.
Marissa and I visit and hug the tree (and each other) often. We even hold our annual Tree Hugging Day public celebration encircling this wonderful tree.
And, of course, we will be celebrating our upcoming 35th wedding anniversary at this special ‘love landmark’ tree!"
— Jerry Rubin
See all Patch reader love stories here.
For next month's Love In A Small Town feature, we want to know: Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone that led to love? Email your story to locallove@patch.com for the chance to be featured. Get more details here.
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