“Each flower is a soul opening out to nature.” -Gerard De Nerval
All photos were taken at The National Botanical Garden in Washington DC.
Category: United States
A snowy day
The Snowy Day is a 1962 children’s picture book by American author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats. Keats received the 1963 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. It features a boy named Peter exploring his neighborhood after the first snowfall of the season. The inspiration for Peter came from a Life magazine photo article from 1940, and Keats’ desire to have minority children of New York as central characters in his stories. Source: Wikipedia.
The Wreaths of Willaimsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is renown for its beautiful, traditional Christmas decorations and is a perfect place to take a stroll back in time to admire the wonderful wreaths of the past.
Here are some of my favorites.
Snow!
I woke up this morning and something felt different. I felt lighter, airer and when I opened my shades there it was….crisp, light, flaky SNOW!!!!
My favorite street in Chicago: Armitage
One of the most quintessential streets in the entire city of Chicago is Armitage Avenue. Located in the historic heart of trendy, urban Lincoln Park, Armitage is most known for its gorgeous tree-lined streets and classic, colorful Victorian row houses. Upscale boutiques and restaurants pepper the avenue making it a must-see place on any visit to Chicago.
A walk down Armitage Avenue is certain to leave you spellbound. The architecture is striking, the street is bustling and the sound of the passing “L” train (short for elevated train) cannot be missed. A leisurely afternoon stroll through the quaint, picturesque street and surrounding neighborhood is a great way to experience one of Chicago’s premier neighborhoods.
Midtown Mania
During my three day trip to New York City for the BlogHer ’12 conference we stayed at the Hilton New York (the largest hotel in NYC) in vibrant, fast-faced Midtown. As a travel blogger, I found it irresistibly hard to be trapped inside the jam-packed hotel in sessions all day long with 5,000 fellow bloggers. My curiosity and desire to explore got the best of me so I snuck out during the live Katie Couric interview and hit Midtown.
Thinking the coffee line at Starbucks would definitely be better across the street of our hotel, I crossed the famous Avenue of the Americas to yet another Starbucks, equally full with a queue of at least 20 deep. Wow, Starbucks must really rake in the money and I don’t even like their coffee (it is bitter, expensive and reminds me of a coffee shop version of McDonalds).
Hike along the Split Rock Lighthouse Coastal trail
The dramatic view of Lake Superior at the end of the Split Rock Lighthouse Costal Hike
Back in early June, my family and I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend along Minnesota’s sensational, untouched North Shore of Lake Superior. I’d written quite a few posts about the gorgeous hikes we did in this area (to read them click here) but never had a chance to write about our final hike along the Split Rock Lighthouse Coastal Trail.
May I never miss a sunset because I’m looking down
“May I never miss a sunset or rainbow because I am looking down”. –Sara June Parker
One thing I’ve learned is there is nothing like a gorgeous, undisturbed, peaceful sunset. Sunset has always been a celebrated, magical event. For who doesn’t love a beautiful sunset?
I believe, to witness a sunset in a place where no one else is around makes it even better. To indulge in the beauty of our planet and its inexplicable wonder never ceases to stir a wondering soul.
Kitschy Grand Marais
Only a hop, skip and a jump from the Canadian border lies kitschy, whimsical Grand Marais, a small, historical town in northeastern Minnesota along a double harbor on Lake Superior. Over the years the town has been used for many things yet recently has become a destination in itself with shopping, art, a few fancy restaurants and hotels and of course, as the jumping off point to the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Canoe area (a remote 1,090,000 acre/4400 km2 wilderness area within the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota).
One of many kitchy shops that can be easily found in Grand Marais.
Leave no trace behind except your footprints and your memories
Jacksprinter’s Sunday post is valuable. Something we find and hold near and dear to our hearts. It could be money. It could be land. It could be freedom. Or it could be memories. For me, there is nothing more valuable than my childhood memories of our annual fall trip to climb Eagle Mountain. A tradition that started a lifelong love of nature, togetherness, family, and hiking.
Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota, will always hold a special place in my heart. Located in the northeastern part of Minnesota at the start of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Wilderness, it is one of the best kept secrets in the Midwest. Pristine forests, magical untouched lakes and impressive wildlife are all the wonderful things you will find along the trail.
Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons
As a child, I hiked this trail every single fall with my family, until I moved away to college. It was a family tradition that I will never forget and is held deep within my most precious, sacred memories of childhood. The fall colors once we reached the top were an artistic tapestry of brilliant hues of pumpkin orange, golden yellow and crimson red. If I close my eyes, I can almost see it now. Almost.
Destination North Shore: Our first stop along the way of Lake Superior
The state of Minnesota may have some severely cold winters, yet one thing that makes up for it is the fact that we do have lakes. Lots of them. Recent estimates have put Minnesota’s lakes in the 11,000-13,000 range, depending on what you count as a body of water. Lakes not only provide us with water but with everlasting, pure beauty and recreation. You can hardly drive anywhere without seeing a lake.
A three generational ski trip
As you have probably gathered from my last few posts, I did something very special over the last few days. Me, my father and my five-year-old daughter Sophia took a three-generational ski trip to Taos, New Mexico. It was the first time (except when Sophia was a meager four-months old) that I had ever truly traveled alone with my daughter and it also was the first time the three generations got together for a weekend away. My son and husband were off on their own adventure thus it was just me and Sophia this time.
We picked Taos for many reasons. First, it is relatively easy for us to access. It is a non-stop flight from Tucson where my father lives as well as from Minneapolis (where I live). Second, it is really a cool little trendy ski town. Nothing at all like the big ski resorts in Colorado or even Utah. Taos is tiny, tough and has a unique southwestern style and flair that quite honestly can’t compare. Finally, for some reason New Mexico is the only place in the country this winter that actually has good snow. Colorado, Utah and Northern California are struggling with terrible snow. Meanwhile relatively untouristy, trendy Taos has plenty of snow. That fluffy, powdery, heavenly snow that skiers dream and drool about having.