The Alice in Wonderland exhibit features 38 large sculptures grouped in seven installations. We were greeted with the white rabbit and his hat (27 feet tall) as we descended the stairs from the building that holds the orchid permanent exhibit as well as the rainforest space. Of course we had to take some pictures next to it and the size of this sculptures was impressive. We were then greeted by the queen of hearts chess set army. These were really fun to look at and to notice all of the details that are involved in the creation of these living sculptures. As we visited, we noticed people trimming the different…

One of the things I enjoy about botanical gardens is that they often have a couple of different exhibits each year, which makes your visit more interesting. While seasonal plants and flowers do catch my eye, some of the different exhibits that come to the botanical gardens can be really impressive. One year, they had these giant trolls (read post here), another year, it was giant origami sculptures (read here). This year, in addition to the Alice and Wonderland exhibit which I will share next week, there was a display of 11 “Enchanted Trees”. The trees range for 9 feet to 17 feet tall and on a sunny day reflect…

Last week, I went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with two of my running friends. I really wanted to see the Alice in Wonderland exhibition before they took it down (mid-September) and wanted to plan one fun outing a week till my birthday. We stopped by the French bakery for some breakfast and then decided to get some sandwiches to go too! We took advantage of a Groupon for our admission to the gardens which saved us $10. One of the things that I enjoy at the botanical gardens is that you see something different each time you go. Tulips and roses in the spring, there is usually an amazing…

I cannot help myself: each time I have visited Arizona (now 3 times in 5 years I think), I have to take pictures of cacti! I am not sure what it is about them that I find so cool and interesting. Maybe it is just the newness, the originality: when you live where there are only hardwoods and pine trees, a cactus is exotic! I enjoy my morning walks at home, but morning walks in Arizona are even more fun. Apart from all of the cool cacti, yard decorations are unique and then my favorite, bunnies and quails abound! We even saw some coyotes on our last walk! This year…

I typically have our vacations pretty well planned out, but for this vacation, I had a list of possibilities and chose and adapted our schedule with visiting with my father in law and wake up time of the rest of the family. So while I really wanted to leave for NYC earlier, we didn’t get to the train station till 10 AM which put us in the city around 12:30 since we took the train from Port Jefferson and took a subway from Penn Station to Central Park.  In the past, I had a great fold out map of the city and I really wished I had it this time:…

My father in law has lived on Long Island as a monk in an Orthodox Monastery for probably the last 18 years or so. We used to visit frequently when our oldest was younger, but actually had not gone back to NY in the past 13 years. This year was the year and I am already thinking a short trip at Christmas might be nice! We visited with him, but also visited Long Island showing the boys some of the places we had visited in the past and discovering new spots. We’ve visited Port Jefferson before, but we had never taken the ferry there. It goes to Connecticut and back…

Our first full day outing took us to Montauk, a small town at East end of Long Island. It is know for fishing and its state parks as well as this 1796 lighthouse which houses a museum that includes documents signed by George Washington who commissioned the light house in 1792. Since it was foggy, you could not see far, but I loved how everything was shrouded in the fog. It was very windy at the top of the lighthouse which is a short 137 steps. The lighthouse was the first in NY and is the 4th oldest working lighthouse in the country. The light flashes every 5 seconds and…

While I do not like pollen and how it takes over our lives for a few weeks mid to late March here in Georgia, I do love the beauty that springs brings as well as the days with mild temperatures and blue skies. I took some time last month to take pictures of the beauty around us because the blooms do not last long. I learned something new this year, there are 2 types of wisteria. One is native to Georgia and one is an invasive species. I am not sure which this one is, but I was so glad to be able to take a picture of some blooms…

I thought that it would be nice timing to share the pictures I took of the local iron butterfly Trail. The weather has been cold and the outdoors are not always enjoyed as much as on warmer days. Butterflies are symbols of transformation, rebirth and new beginnings. They are often symbols of hope and love. Many of us have spent some time in January planning some changes for our year or wanted to start something new, so these butterflies are fitting to close out this month. The trail allows different local businesses to sponsor different artist to paint the butterflies. The project began in 2021 and connects the community through…