Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens, Portland Oregon

Come walk with me through Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens in Portland, Oregon!  I've never been good at taking a selfie, need more practice, but was trying to show you how pretty the gardens behind me are.

Let's Walk

Across the street is Reed College where my daughter was touring for her job as a college counselor.  So, I occupied myself by enjoying the gardens.  Luckily, we happened to be there on a Monday........and Monday is free!

The location of the gardens is listed as between Reed College and East Moreland Golf Course.  Has 9.49 acres, and 2500 plants of Rhododendron, Azaleas and companion plants.  Many donated, and many purchased with proceeds from entrance fees, which is usually $5.00.  Summer hours are 6 am to 10 pm, from April 1st through Sept 30th.  And while I lucked out and hit it on a free day (just happened, we didn't know), it's well worth the $5.00 fee the rest of the week.

The oldest Rhododendron planted in the garden was planted back in 1917!  The land was originally owned by William S. Ladd, a 2 term major back in the 1800's.  He called it Crystal Springs Farm.  

Students at Reed College historically referred to the area as Shakespeare Island, because college performances of Shakespeare took place there.

It's quite pretty, serene a wonderful place to walk, or have a picnic or just sit in the shade and enjoy the beauty.

There are handicap accessible walkways.

While I missed the prime blooming season, it was still a very enjoyable visit.  Prime blooming season is Late April to mid May.  

PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me. AND remember, leave your name and url and not your google+ profile link or your blogger profile link. Name and url takes me right to your blog post so I can reciprocate the visit. Profile pages do not.

Vacationing Could be a Walk Away.

 Been ages since I've posted on this blog, life has been entirely too busy.  A little kick start from a mini type of travel.  Over The Labor Day Weekend we attended the annual UA Arts Festival.  Spotted this unusual flower that requires no watering, no fertilizers, and no weeding!  AND it's made of re-cycled stuff.  Click to enlarge and take a look.  I love how at a time when things are turning drab in the yard with flowers gone I can still have a flower blooming.

Last year, at the same Arts Festrival I added the little bird sitting on a robin blue egg, and the year before that....my Martini Drinking Toad.  These are positioned such that I can see them well from my kitchen window over the sink so I get lots of enjoyment from them.  One lone yellow Stella De Ora trying to photo bomb my yard trash...lol

There are many different types of travels, some are close at hand, right in your own neighborhood.  Look up your cities calendar of events and take in these little mini vacations.  This art festival is within walking distance to our house, so we got exercise (anyone else a fitbit junky like me?), saw neighbors, supported our local arts department and brighten up our garden.

Seeing Beauty when you Travel

Looking through Rose of Sharon Bushes enjoying nature can be almost anywhere you travel.
Rose of Sharon's are an old time flower, that attract birds and bees. Some are white as above, some lavendar and some are a rosey pink.
A large deep red Mallow, in the same family as the above Rose of Sharon's. They get so large sometimes a foot in diameter, they almost don't look real.
Maybe you'll see Lilly's in your travels. They are hundreds of colors, hundreds of varieties, all pretty.
An attempt to be artsy here, shooting through the bush as the wind was blowing.
Some Lilly's hang almost upside down. I'm carefully lifting it up to get the photo for you.

Sometimes travel isn't just about the destination, it's about the travel and what you see, smell along the way. Take time and enjoy it.

Traveling your BackYard

Traveling doesn't have to mean buying a plane ticket or packing the car. Turn on your sound and travel with me around my back yard.

Well, phooey, I can't seem to upload the movie I made for you all. So will post separate pictures. My suggestion is to take the kids around and identify the flowers in your yard. Then go for a walk around the neighborhood and see if they can find the same types of flowers as yours. Let them color a picture, take a photograph, then look up the flower they like best on the computer and learn something about it. That could be a good days activity.




Do math, by counting and adding how many varieties you have, how many of a certain color, add to that what they see when you go for your walk. Do spelling with the names of the flowers (not the scientific names, heck most of us adults can't spell those). Make a word puzzle with the words. Everyday can be an adventure, and a learning opportunity.

St Louis Botanical Gardens

**click on picture to enlarge**

Henry Shaw's dream lives on 150 years later. This year, 2009 marks The Sesquicentennial of The St. Louis Botanical Gardens. The words, awesome, incredible, magnificent, beautiful, and wow all come to mind when I think of the visits we've had there. An Englishman, Henry Shaw felt there was more then just beauty to flowers and plants. He understood their importance and felt the science of, the study of to be necessary. His home was the beginning of this dream. He had an exotic orchid collection.

The St. Louis Botanical Gardens covers 79 acres, is opened all seasons with a wide variety of activities for all, regardless of age and interest. You can purchase your tickets on line, park free and rent a motorized scooter if walking presents a problem. The entire garden acreage is disability friendly, accessible for all to enjoy. Ticket prices vary based on age, whether or not you're a member, and a St. Louis county or city resident.

The list of activities to enjoy there is long. You can walk for exercise from 7-9 am, tour on your own, join a guided tour, line up a birthday party, take an educational class, experience special festivals; or summer evening concerts.

Every year 100,000 new specimens arrive at the gardens. The scientific exploration, preservation, and identification that Henry Shaw started so long ago has grown to a global effort. A temperature controlled vault and complete catalog of plant species is something the casual visitors doesn't see, but one that carries forward the importance of Shaw's dream. Plants and flowers provide more than just beauty for our eyes to behold, they improve the air quality we breath, provide medications, keep our soil from eroding. They sustain us in many ways.

I encourage everyone to put this on their list of things to do. I plan to return again, and again.

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No packing Day of Vacation...come and see

Sunset in my backyard. Thats right, good for the budget you can make a vacation day at home. Fix a nice meal, sit outside take in the smells, sites and feel. It's like being on a balcony. Enjoy the gardens the yard staff has worked hard to make them beautiful for your enjoyment.

I've ordered a vodka and tonic here, nice to sip as I view or walk among the gardens. No TV, no cell phones folks. Sit and enjoy...you'll be surprised how much like vacation it can be. This activity is probably more adult, though you could make it a family vacation. Put out the sprinkler and let the kids run through it. Get finger paints, a pick sheet of paper and let them paint with their bare feet.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Is it possible to travel to Williamsburg and not have one of these pictures?



With snow on the ground, thought we could all enjoy seeing a beautiful flower from one of the many gardens there. This is just one of the many benefits of traveling.



Tips/facts for traveling to Williamsburg
Food is scarce and expensive, take your own (pack a picnic and leave in your car). Water is a must (bring the small bottles, though less than standard 8 or 9 oz.
You are unable to take any water bottle into the buildings with you when your tour, thus the small bottle that can be put in your purse/travel bag, and or consumed and pitched prior to entering is a must. The food being scarce is a bit of a timing issue. The few eateries in the historic area close up shop EARLY...some as early as 2, so our thought of touring while others ate, eatting later didn't work. One can't even find a place inside to cool off with a cool drink in the historic area. Many places require reservations, and even then people wait in lines. The down side to food in your car means extra walking on your part to get back to it. And by all means, if your traveling with a pet, make other arrangements for the cat or dog; as it's not wise to leave them unattended in the heat.

You must be organized, scheduled and know well ahead of time what you want to do and see, and where things are located.
I personally dislike being scheduled on vacation, I go on vacation to relax and like to do things spontaneously. That mode at Williamsburg simply will not work. I purchased our tickets ahead of time on line...great idea, right? Well, not really. Though you can decide what type of a ticket you want and pay ahead it does not mean you don't wait in line for your ticket. Having purchased tickets on line for several other vacation areas as we were traveling, this was a big surprise. Most encourage you to print your ticket ahead. Williamsburg doesn't permit that. You must pick up your ticket in a will call arrangment; however will call is the same line as those buying the tickets who've not yet decided what type of ticket they want. Futher complication, there are only 3 locations through Williamsburg where the one person maned booth's exist, to pick up your tickets.........AND thats where you get the maps to show you were the booths are located. We lucked out in that we walked down a street where one such booth was. But, the person ahead of us had many questions and we waited in line 20 minutes to pick up the tickets we had already purchased. The only way to avoid this is to lodge right in the Williamsburg vacinity, a few of those hotels provide the tickets in house. We were traveling Marriott facilities due to points earned off site.

My last major tip for traveling to Williamsburg is, you MUST go early. We purposely took our time arriving, feeling those with the young children would go early and leave early and we'd be able to tour more leisurely. The flaw in that plan is, Williamsburg shuts down early, and there are many events and happenings that only take place once a day, in the morning. So, you must join the herd and fight the crowds if you want to experience these events.
*I don't think it's a place well suited for small children in stroolers or babies, seems everyone is miserable in those situations. Parents have to lug kids in and out of the strollers as they can't go in the buildings in them, that makes the kids irritable and while they're being irritable the rest of tour group are unable to hear the guides. Kids 3rd grade and up probably actually get something out of it.
**Comparing this last trip to one hubby and I took there years ago, I don't believe it's a nice as it used to be. You must wait everywhere for a guided tour now, previously you could tour some of the areas on your own. The tours are very robotish and you're not really given time to look, and enjoy.

I probably would not go again, nor do I recommend it as relaxed vacation destination. I believe it is well suited for large school groups who get special considerations when traveling as an educational-school trip.
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However, if at the end of the day you want a quiet, peaceful adult atompshere to enjoy a nice drink, I highly recommend The Williamsburg Hotel. Be sure and take your traveling visa though, it's pricey!