Discovering places to experience new sights, hear new sounds, and taste new treats…
Whether traveling to a world-class city or visiting a small town in my own backyard, I can’t help but feel exhilarated by a change in the scenery and the opportunity to find something to treasure. I’d like to share with you some of my favorite adventures, and I invite you to share some of your own!
Chicago’s Millennium Park
What you’re looking at is a fantastic sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor. It’s called Cloud Gate. Millennium Park is wonderful place for people to enjoy a variety of cultural events and to experience an attraction like Cloud Gate. I love how it captures the tall buildings, reminding me of where I was in the city that day. If you look closely, you can see my husband and me – we’re at the spot where there’s a little white dot. We hadn’t realized that the camera’s flash was on, so it was reflected. If you get to Chicago, I hope you’ll get to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate for yourself!
Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA
This is an unusual, painterly photo that I took. It’s a reflection (is that a theme for my photos?) of flowering plants on a wet floor. There is so much to see at Longwood, it’s surprising I was looking at the floor. Longwood has 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens spread over 1050 acres! The garden displays change often, so there’s always something new to see. We attended Longwood for a summertime fireworks display with a light show from the five-acre fountain garden – truly spectacular!
Sunny Jim Cave, La Jolla, CA
A natural cave opening, it was given the name Sunny Jim by Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz) because he thought it resembled the cartoon mascot for Bristish Force Wheat cereal products in the 1920s. Can you see Sunny Jim’s profile? This was an interesting place to visit. We entered at street level into the La Jolla Cave Store (yes, a store!) and then walked down 145 steps (at our own risk) to come to a platform to experience this view. I think it’s one of those things you must do if you come to La Jolla. Sunny Jim is unusual in that it is the only cave on the west coast that can be entered from land access. There are other caves that can be accessed from the sea, but not the land. Sunny Jim’s manmade entrance took two years work, with pick and shovel, beginning in 1902. You really have to appreciate that!
Simple Pleasures 