Rocks at Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a beautiful spot to stop and visit as you travel in Nevada or California. The calm water and stunning sky will make your stop or detour worth it.

 

We visited Crystal Bay where there is public beach access. There is a small fee to park in the official parking lot, but you can also park in the little community too.

The water was cool and refreshing during our visit in May. I imagine it feels even better during the hot summer months! Most of the beach is rocky and you can find interesting wildlife among the large rocks. We saw many birds and even a tiny snake when we moved one of the rocks.

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Stone Lantern at Japanese Gardens

While visiting Japanese Gardens in Portland, Oregon you will not only walk through lovely landscaped areas, you will see stone pieces, waterfalls, a tea house, and you can learn about the Japanese history in the Pacific Northwest.

 The peaceful beauty of the Portland Japanese Gardens is wonderful to enjoy in the spring and summer. Flowers will be in bloom as you walk through the garden along the paved or stone paths. There are benches throughout the gardens where you can sit and rest every so often during your exploration of the gardens.

Make sure to take a look at all the pathways. This stone lantern was tucked away on a little short path that I saw some visitors pass by. Take your time and enjoy the fresh air, sound of flowing water, the greenery surrounding you. It's almost as if you have been transported to a different environment, tucked away in the big city.

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Wishing Well at Point Defiance Gardens

 If you visit the beautiful gardens at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, make sure to stop by the flower filled wishing well. It's a lovely spot to rest or take a photo.

The public gardens at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington are so beautiful. You will see many different local flowers, bushes, and trees; as well as a lovely rose garden, a herb garden, and the ever beautiful Japanese garden.

If you have an hour of free time, take the opportunity to visit the free gardens in the North End of Tacoma. You won't regret stopping to smell the roses. 

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Anna Ruby Falls

Lush greenery surrounds the cascading water at Anna Ruby Falls.

In the mountains of  Northern Georgia, you may want to take the time to visit Anna Ruby Falls. There is a nice little visitor center before you take the easy, paved trail to the falls. You will be able to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature around you as you walk to the falls. On our walk, we saw multiple groups of butterflies among the flowers.

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2020 Free Entrance Days to National Parks

Want to practice your photography skills in a beautiful setting? Take advantage of the 2020 fee free days at our US National Parks.

On these five days throughout the year, you can visit any of the National Parks, National Monuments, and National Forests without having to pay the entrance fee. So if you live in Maine, Florida, Alaska, California - or somewhere in between - take the opportunity to visit these protected lands in our nation.

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Ashton Gardens Tulip Festival

Early Spring is such a beautiful time. Everything goes from brownish-gray to deep green with splashes of color from the newly opening flowers. Colorful tulips are one of the first of the flowers to appear in gardens here and I love the different varieties that can be found.

At Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah you can find Ashton Gardens - a 55-acre oasis in this mountainous desert. We have visited in all the seasons and it is always pretty, but during the spring it is extra beautiful while they are having their tulip festival. They have hundreds of varieties of tulips to see as you walk along the path by Monet Lake, through the Secret Gardens, around the Waterfall Amphitheater, and through the rest of the 15 tranquil gardens.

The design of the tulip groupings throughout the garden change each year, so it is like you are visiting a new garden each time. Every time we have gone it has been amazingly stunning to see the variety of color and type of tulips.

We have visited both during nice weather and on a rainy day. The beauty of the flowers doesn't change, but the crowds are definitely less during the overcast or rainy days. Here in Utah you really have no idea what weather you will have in April and early May, so make sure to chech the weather forecast for Lehi since there is so much variation in different parts of Utah and Salt Lake counties.

Plan on spending hours at Ashton Gardens so you can see as much as possible. It's always smart to pack snacks and water. There are quite a few scenic areas where you can sit on benches, next to ponds, or on the lush green grass and rest your feet while you stay hydrated and renew your energy with a treat.

Make sure to check the Ashton Gardens website to see what upcoming events will be there to enjoy.

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Colorful Barn in the Snow

Brightly colored barns stand out so nicely against the fresh, white newly fallen snow. Driving through the countryside on a winter day can be so peaceful. The crisp air, quiet farms, fresh blanket of snow, beautiful animals, majestic towering mountains, and colorful barns combine to create a relaxing excursion.

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Snowy Wasatch Mountain Landscape

Winter has arrived in Utah and the mountains along the Wasatch Front are beautiful. This photo was taken in Brigham City, Utah after a fresh snowfall.

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Split Rail Fence

As the sun shone on the golden grass, I couldn't help but see beauty in this fence on a peaceful farm. The weathered wood has such an interesting texture after all the storms and sun baked days it has been through.

I wanted to walk through the field with my fingertips grazing the grass, letting the sun shine down on an autumn morning, listening to the lowing of the cattle in the field.

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Payson Temple Cloudy Sky

"As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world." ~ President Thomas S. Monson

I love the feeling of peace I have when visiting the grounds of LDS temples.

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Red Tractor in Barn

I'm not sure what it is about farms and old barns, but I'm drawn to them. Maybe it's that from my side of the camera, farms are peaceful. The tractors making long lines back and forth through the growing hay, animals grazing in the fields, the wind softly blowing through the golden grasses, the sun shining down to make everything golden.

All I know is when I drive through the countryside, I long for the peace that I feel there to be in my daily busy life in town.

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Line of Autumn Trees

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.”

― John Burroughs

This autumn the trees have seemed extra beautiful. Each day the leaves change a bit more, some falling to the ground so people can shuffle through the crunchy leaves. I'm going to enjoy the colors before the last remaining leaves fall as we head into the coming winter.

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Colorful Fall Trees in Provo Canyon

Red, yellow, orange, and brown speckle the trees during the autumn. The canyons were beautiful to travel through. I'm so glad to live so close to beautiful nature.

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Sunset Palm Trees at Cabrillo Beach

Sunset is always a beautiful time of the day, but add in the beach and it is just a bit more special. Walking along the soft sand and listening to the waves crash as the sun sinks lower is amazingly peaceful.

When we visited California last November, we took a trip to the beach at sunset. We visited Cabrillo Beach in the San Pedro area. The beach was emptying for the day and we had the harbor side and ocean side to ourselves.

What is your favorite beach to visit in the Los Angeles area? To see more about our day in LA, click here.

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Sunburst Through the Trees

While walking along the river trail in our town, I took a moment to look up through the trees. The sun was shining down through the leaves and I loved the sunburst that came through in this photo.

Take a moment in your busy life to find the sunshine!

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Red Wishing Well in the Countryside

What a quaint place to make a wish. As I was driving through the peaceful countryside near my home, I came upon this little red wishing well. I captured the image with my camera, then thought of what my wish for the future would be. What wish would you make?

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Bridal Veil Falls in the Autumn

A visit to Bridal Veil Falls up Provo Canyon is always very pretty. I've taken the quick drive up the canyon during every season and haven't been disappointed by the view.

There is something special about visiting Bridal Veil Falls when the trees start to change and wear their autumn colors. The mixture of red, orange, brown, yellow, and green is amazing against the gray rock of the mountain and the running water.

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Fire Hydrant Overgrown

Sometimes while enjoying nature, you come along a unique sight. This fire hydrant is slowly being taken over by overgrown bushes. It struck me as interesting to see nature overcoming the man made items placed nearby. the bright red it striking among the green leaves.

What nature have you seen trying to claim its rightful place?

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Fall Folliage

The fall season has arrived, and with it the promise of cooler days and the beauty of the changing colors of leaves on the trees.

Taking a drive up the canyon is a peaceful, relaxing, and enjoyable way to spend a fall day. Seeing all the different shades of colors that the trees are wearing while enjoying the crisp air can be invigorating. You can pack a picnic lunch, find a quiet spot to eat, and enjoy the beauty of the wonderful world we live in.

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Red Rocks of Pioneer Park

Utah is such an interesting place to visit. Depending on what part of the state you are in, you can see red rock formations, canyons, waterfalls, snow capped mountains, flower filled valleys, dry deserts, lakes, colorful fields, and star filled skies.

When you are in Central and Southern Utah, you will see red rocks start to join the natural landscape. In St George, the city sits in the valley and there is a breathtaking backdrop of red rock cliffs.

Visit the city run Pioneer Park and you will have a morning/evening of adventure and fun. Notice I didn't say day....it's HOT in St George. We went at 10 in the morning and had a wonderful time. Take plenty of water to stay hydrated.

The red sandstone rocks have such interesting features. There are small eroded circles, larger ones that children can climb into, and even small tunnels to walk through. You can hike/climb through the different formations for hours.

You can climb onto the top of the rocks to get an amazing view of the city down below. My husband took this panoramic photo with his phone and I love how it turned out.

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