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.

0

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.

0

Colorful Wildflowers in the Garden

 Add some bright color to your garden or yard with a pretty mixture of wildflowers. You can buy the see packets in the spring and sprinkle them in the empty spaces in your garden. 

When you plant wildflower seeds, it's always a fun surprise waiting to see which flowers will bloom in your garden. There are even bee and butterfly mixes that you can buy to help encourage pollination in your area.

 Most of the seed packets say that they are annual (meaning that you will have to plant seeds each year), but I have found that each spring we have 3 or 4 plants that come back from the previous year.

0

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.

0

Raindrops on a Spiderweb

When you look at a spiderweb, what do you see? Evidence of a pest that you don't want in your home or garden? Or do you notice the intricate workmanship of the web and wonder how long it took the spider to make the thin gossamer threads intertwine?

When I saw this delicate spiderweb that had droplets of water from a recent summer storm, I marveled at the sun shining on the raindrops. I loved seeing the drops suspended on the network of the finely made web.

I'm so thankful I took a moment to appreciate the simple beauty found in nature. What is something in our natural world that you have found stunning recently?

0

Evening Sun Sunflower

This time of year the sunflowers are opening their petals and showing their bright and beautiful faces. There are so many different varieties of sunflower that you can plant in your garden or even see on the roadside.

My favorite has been the Evening Sun Sunflowers. Their vibrant petals that mimic the color of the setting sun add a depth of richness to your garden once they bloom. 

What are your favorite sunflowers? I'm already thinking about the ones I want to add to my garden next year!

0

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.

0

Prickly Thistle Opening

When thinking of pretty summer flowers, I'll have to admit that the thistle doesn't come to mind first. There are roses, dahlias, marigolds, lilies, and peonies that bloom with lovely colors and heavenly scents.

Beauty can be found in different ways though, as long as we are willing to look at them in a different way. I was out for a drive last week and pulled down a side road that had quite a few thistles blooming.

This one that was just begining to open caught my eye though. The thick green layers of leaves with the bright purple inside starting to open up was stunning. The first layers of the flower opening mimic the pointy green outer leaves. While not traditionally beautiful, my nature loving eye couldn't look away.

In a day or so, the prickly but beautiful thistle will open up fully and become a puffy purple flower you can see as it holds it's head up tall over the grass fields.

0

White Spring Blossoms

Spring blossoms have come to the trees and they are so lovely to look at. Delicate white and pink flowers dot the trees and remind us of the beauty that can be found in the beautiful world around us.

0

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.

0

Sunflower in the Snow

The snow falls softly on the sunflower which bloomed so prettily last autumn. Not a normal sight that you expect to see....a flower from the fall and winter season weather clashing in a stark difference. While my garden could use some clearing, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to capture this beautiful moment.

0

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.

0

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.

0

Wildflower Bouquet

This week, we picked the last of the wildflowers from our garden. While it is a bit strange to have flowers still blooming in November, they have been a beautiful addition to the fall landscape. The lovely colors have brightened our days as they intermix with the orange and brown of the fallen leaves.

0

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.

0

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.

0

Autumn Pumpkins on the Porch

Pumpkins come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Each one is beautiful in its own way...just like each of us. Hope you enjoy the journey of finding beauty in the everyday.

0

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.

0

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!

0

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?

0