travel
-
The Rain Brings out the Mushrooms
Last week, my brother and I visited the nearby Indian Mounds and I couldn’t believe the number and variety of mushrooms we saw. I started taking pictures and then decided it would be fun to share those pictures. I used my google feature to identify the mushrooms so hopefully it is fairly accurate. These are Lepiota, a gilled ground dwelling saprotrophs that enjoy rich, calcareous soils. Here is another shot of them. It was interesting to me to see where the mushrooms chose to propagate as there were some species at the base of trees, some in piles of mulch. and of course in the middle of decomposing piles of…
-
Booth Western Art Museum
On Monday, I share an outfit that was inspired by my cowboy boots and Pinterest and since it was the end of summer, I decided that the perfect location and outing for me and the boys would be the Booth Western Art Museum. We have visited several times but still enjoy the couryard with the large sculptures, the museum with the visiting exhibits as well as the permanent ones. Anytime I visit an art museum, I am just in awe of the talented artists! Whether is is clay work, wood art, paintings, any media from used has my appreciation! The museum’s permanent collections include a presidential gallery, a cowboy gallery…
-
A Visit to the Georgia Aquarium
The week before the boys went back to school, we decided to have a couple of day adventures so the day following our trip to the Atlanta Zoo, we went to the Georgia Aquarium. It had been several years since our last visit so we were excited to go back. Admission is $36.95 for ages 3 and up but it does include the different shows and 4D theater. I originally just bought our tickets (with timed entry) but while we were there I decided to go ahead and get the family year membership since I figured I could take my brother and family as well as at least go a…
-
Zoo Atlanta: the Elephants
We ended our summer with a bang: the last week before school started I took the boys to both Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia aquarium. We have been to both before but it had been probably 2 to 3 years since we had been to the zoo and longer for the aquarium. We did not pack our lunch this time, only snacks and waters but I did buy the membership since it was only 15 dollars more than the price of admission for the 5 of us. The main thing that has been added in the past few years in the African Savanna area where the elephants have a bigger…
-
Odysea Aquarium, Scottsdale, AZ
Well, this is the second time if not the third I am writing this post! My internet went out the first go around and I hadn’t save anything past the first picture and then I am not sure what has happened to my post when I finished writing it. Did I not save it at all? Who knows? Anyhow, when we were in Scottsdale, we decided to visit the Odysea Aquarium since it was an indoor activities and our family love animals! The globe tank below is one of several that welcomes you at the entrance of aquarium. I was prepared to be wowed since the price was pretty steep…
-
McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trail
While on a walk in the condo’s neighborhood, a lady who saw me taking pictures of the cacti suggested going to the nearby Gateway Trail. We would then get a taste of the desert without seeing all the neighborhood houses and without having to go on a long drive since it was only 5 minutes away. When we arrived at the the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trail, we saw right away that we would enjoy this walk despite our late start. I didn’t realize how close the hills were from the neighborhood. I really wished we had left earlier though as the sun was already high in the sky! We…
-
Scottsdale, AZ: Cactus Walk in the Suburbs
One of the things I loved the most from our visit to Arizona (apart from spending time with my brother and family) was how we were able to take some walks and enjoy the beautiful scenery that is particular to that part of the US. We took a total of 4 walks, each about 2 miles long and this one was introduced by my brother. It was a paved trail that took us from his neighborhood, through a community center area and bordered another couple of neighborhoods. The key to a walk in Arizona in summer is to choose the right time of the day to go: right around 5…
-
Scottsdale, Arizona: the Flora at the Meridian Condo Resort
On our weekend trip to Scottsdale, AZ, we found that it was cheaper and more comfortable to rent a 3 bedroom condo at this condo complex instead of staying at a hotel especially that we were out of hotel points and our family of 6 needs two rooms. The condos at the Meridian Condo Resort have access to several pools and the landscape is very pretty and for someone from the south, very appealing and exciting: cacti everywhere, pretty bushes and flowers and an abundance of rabbits! We also saw quails daily as well as some desert iguanas. We really enjoyed our stay there. The views of the sunrise were…
-
Downtown Bike Ride
Our activities this summer have consisted of a lot free outdoors activities apart from two weekend trips. One of the new to us activities and riding our bikes downtown. We park at a nearby park as the hill to our neigborhood is not fun at all especially after biking and we typically pack some water and snacks or lunch. After doing it with just our oldest, we took all of the kids on our last expedition. From where we park, there are side walks the whole way as well as crosswalks which makes us feel safe. A large part of the ride is also in the shade so a late…
-
Old Fort Jackson, Savannah, GA
Our last adventure on our mini vacation to Tybee Island took us to Old Fort Jackson. The fort is right off the road you take to the island so after reading a brief description, I decided it would be a fun outing for us and it did not disappoint. “Georgia’s oldest standing brick fortification perches on the banks of the Savannah River so its guns could fire on any vessel coming into Savannah. Chances are good that you will get an up-close view of an oceangoing ship during your visit. Walk on the parapet of the fort and investigate the structure’s many nooks and crannies. Two powder magazines and most…