MFA Boston Japanese Garden

If you are in Boston and in need of a little serenity and beauty, the Japanese Garden at the Museum of Fine Arts is a perfect spot to rest for a bit, away from the busy world. I can imagine a half hour of reflection and relaxation, sitting on a bench while eating lunch in the peaceful garden.

As you enter through the kabukimon-style gate, take a deep breath and let your worries drift away for a while. Enjoy the karesansui garden, the beautiful plants that bring color to the landscape, the dry waterfall, and the stone lanterns (toro) found on the Japanese Garden grounds.

Another name for the MFA Japanese Garden, Tenshin-en is "Garden of the Heart of Heaven". As you walk or sit in the contemplative garden, you will feel how apt the alternate name is. 

To learn more about this beautifully peaceful garden, visit the MFA Boston site by clicking this link 

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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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Arched Walkway in Washington DC

 Do your eyes ever get attracted by the stunning architecture around you? Sometimes we go through our days with a destination in mind and forget to take a moment to look up around us.

A few years ago, I took a short trip to Washington D.C. I mainly visited the monuments and museums and stayed in the same area. One day I planned a lunch away from the monuments and walked the few blocks away from the sightseeing area. I turned my head as I was walking along the sidewalk and saw this arched walkway.

I loved it! The stones, the archways, the hanging lights, the windows, the sunlight shining as I was in a recessed darker area. It all combined to take my breath away for a moment. Ah, what I would have missed out on if I had kept my head down and looking straight ahead.

So in your daily life, remember to take those brief moments to look at your journey, not focus just on the destination you are traveling toward. You never know what everyday simple beauty you might experience.

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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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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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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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Misty Spray at Narada Falls Mt Rainier National Park

When visiting Mt Rainier National Park, take the time to venture down the path at Narada Falls. You will enjoy a shady walk through the trees, then come out near the bottom of the falls and be cooled by the fine mist spray from the water hitting the rocks at the bottom.

I grew up visiting Mount Rainier National Park every summer, but this was the first time I remember taking the short trail to the bottom of the falls. We walked through the shady woods, past a few small streams, listened to birds in the trees, then emerged into the sunlight at one of the scenic spots. There was a shimmery rainbow where the mist hit the rocks, which unfortunately didn't translate well in the photo.

Have you ever been to Mt Rainier? What is your favorite spot to take photographs there?

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Yellowstone River at Fishing Bridge

When traveling through Yellowstone National Park, there are so many wonderful places to stop and take photographs. We stopped at Fishing Bridge near the East Entrance of the park to enjoy a bit of the natural beauty.

We went down to the river and walked along for a while, looking at the flowers blooming and we even saw pelicans swim from one side of the river to the other. I had read that it was a good spot to look for otters, but unfortunately they weren't there that day.

When going to National Parks, make sure to stop at the lesser visited areas too. You never know what beauty you are going to see!

When we got in the car to head further into the park, we were stuck on the road while a herd of buffalo (bison) crossed the road. We were able to enjoy seeing one buffalo dance around in the dirt and have a bit of a dirt bath.

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Lobster at Cabrillo Beach California

Last fall my family took a trip to California. We visited Cabrillo Beach in the LA area. We pulled into the parking lot and got ready to head down to the sand and waves.

On our walk to the beach, two surfers asked if we wanted to see something cool. We headed over and one pulled this lobster out of the back of their truck! They had been over by the pier and caught this guy and a fish. How cool!

This lobster was still moving around and it was so neat to see. He kindly let me take a photo, which was wonderful because I didn't want to forget this unique experience!

To see more photos from our Day in Los Angeles - visit here

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