When I am traveling I still make an effort to work towards meeting my exercise goals. Therefore, I always hit the road and walk for an hour. While walking last month, I was entertained by these guys, I call them my walking friends. I am always amazed at what they do. For instance, I have been as close as a foot or two from these Sandhill Cranes and they never seem bothered by my presence. Of course I also saw one on top of a roof, he just looked down and perhaps though; oh just another human down there. Sandhill Cranes are large birds that live in open habitats, therefore, they’re fairly easy to spot if you are in the right place. They can walk on any neighborhood street, stop by your lawn or garden and often fly over your house. I have never seen one alone. They usually walk in pairs and sometimes I see more than two, I suppose they are a family. Finally, around the corner I found my favorite, the cows and their babies, I simply adore them. I couldn’t get closer though. The bull was nearby watching me closely. LOL. Overall, I met my goal and had an amazing time enjoying all my walking friends.
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While visiting one of my lovely twins in Minnesota, I took a walk around her neighborhood and was in love with the lakes surrounding her home. I am sure you will agree with me. They are Free-to-Enjoy! Smile. Not many people get to see and enjoy sunrises often. Why? Simply because they occurred early in the morning, when most of us are still sleeping. Smile. I was lucky to capture these shots early on, since I was already on the road traveling. Nature always brings the A-Game to please us. If we just cooperate by getting up earlier, then we will be able to enjoy these special moments. I visited this park recently and I was very impressed with the variety of things to do while enjoying nature. It offer visitors a pleasant combination of gardens, sculptures and arts museum with a collection of modern and contemporary art. I was also fascinated with their underground water system that keeps more than 4 million gallons of runoff out of the storm sewers each year, thus reducing pollution in the Mississippi River basin. Sweet! You want to set aside a few hours with comfortable shoes to take a stroll through the acres of Biltmore gardens and pathways. Is just like being at Disney, except that it feels much better without the millions of people fighting to get in line for a ride. I assure you that this walk will be stress free and you will remember it for quite a while. Nothing beats the beauty of Mother Nature. Good reason why you should schedule a trip to enjoy this place as well as I did. Smile. Just like anything else, Mr. Vanderbilt vision for his estate did not stop at the castle. The gardens are another master piece that cannot be ignored. When I toured the gardens in late April, they were not 100% at their peak; however, I was still hoping that I had more time and the day had more hours. So sit back and enjoy the view of what I wish I had in my backyard, smile. Not only this property is tucked in the middle of spectacular Blue Ridge mountains but the many acres of the estate include multiple gardens and water features to enjoy. There is a shrub garden with at least 500 different varieties of shrubs, trees and other plants. A rose garden, not your everyday roses are there. Every two years they include new varieties and test them for resistance to diseases, bloom length, and fragrance. The Spring and the Azalea gardens, well, self-explanatory. Also they have an Italian Garden which I believe was designed for quiet moment where you can see Koi fish and goldfish swimming in quiet pond’s. (We all need that kind of garden in our backyards now, since we are all stressed out, smile). There is also a Bass Pond and a Boat House in the property, were the family and guests were fortunate to jump on a rowboat to explore the pond or to fish. If I can only have a mountain in my backyard…L No, I am not greedy, I just adore nature, don’t you? Smile. I already talked about the unbelievable amenities that Mr. Vanderbilt built in his castle for his friends and family to enjoy. They include a 70,000-gallon indoor pool, a bowling alley, a gymnasium, kitchen pantries, walk-in refrigerators, an elevator; well, too many amenities to mention, especially, when we are talking about a home built in 1895 that took six years of construction. Years later, in 1985, the Biltmore Winery opened up. In 1979, his grandson, William A.V. Cecil, following his grandfather passion for fine wines, contracted a sixth generation French winemaster, Mr. Phillipe Jourdain to help him bring to life his vision of a fine winery in Ashville, NC. Their partnership was so successful that the winery continues to be one of the top wineries today. I had an amazing day touring the facility and the winery. Travel with me through my slide show. When you tour indoor the Biltmore mansion, you will see how they staged a number of costumes from 13 movies throughout the different rooms of the house. Not only the costumes on display reveal the detail involved in costume design during that period, but also the work of costume designers. These are elaborated costumes from recent films such as Sherlock Holmes, Anna Karenina, and finally, Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite movies of all times. Mr. George Vanderbilt’s love of literature, showcases more than 40 award-winning movie costumes in the castle from films based on favorite books in his collection. His personal library is said to include more than 22,000 volumes. I continue to be amazed at how ahead of his time Mr. George Vanderbilt was and I feel blessed to be able to enjoy the beauty of that Era in that mansion today, when life has turned to so much violence and craziness. Thanks so much Mr. George Vanderbilt. MY TRIP WITH FAMILY TO ASHVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. Few weeks ago I went to visit my son and daughter in NC, the Durham-Raleigh area. Then, I was thrilled when the whole family drove about four hours west for my grandson’s 2-day soccer tournament in Ashville, a quaint city in western NC’s Blue Ridge Mountains. (By the way, my baby scored the winning goal, J.) George Vanderbilt loved the NC mountains and after a visit, he began to purchase land. In 1895 he created this castle as a retreat similar to several castles in France and Britain. The Biltmore Estate is perhaps, the only “castle” in the USA. The total building has four acres of floor space holding 250 rooms of which 35 are bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, with indoor plumbing, an elevator and electricity. But get this about electricity; Biltmore Estate had underwater lights in its indoor 70,000-gallon swimming pool at a time when most homes in USA were still lit with candles, gas lamps and oil. The estate continues to be owned by Vanderbilt descendants and operates as a self-sufficient for-profit, meaning no federal or local dollars are used to operate it. Finally, to this day, the castle is still filled with the original furnishings, and other pieces collected by Mr. Vanderbilt, including an impressive art collection. I can only imagine the grandeur of that era, been invited to tea, to wear my hats, or a party or even Christmas, since they continue to decorate the place as the owners did back in those days. I invite you to visit the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, NC to experience what was like living back in those days. I was transported back in time to 1895. Charming. Therefore, stay tuned for my Biltmore Series, you will not regret it, smile: PART 2: THE INDOOR LIVING PART 3: THE WINERY PART 4: THE GARDEN PART 5: THE MANY PATHS This Spring, I took a long 2-day drive trip from the east coast to the mid-west. The trip took me through many states; VA, MD, PA, West Virginia, OH, Illinois, WI, and MN. For whatever reason, the trip awakened in me a profound interest for what I saw and have been taking for granted; the American farms. These farms are so beautiful; there are so many of them, and they are so different from one another. I don’t quite know what they produce; however, I appreciate their effort in contributing to our economy probably by producing meat product, grains, or poultry to mention few. I also saw pine tree and sod farms. Some of these structures looked relatively new or are kept in top shape. You can tell by looking at my photos. The remains of others buildings just triggered my imagination about their prime years; what their role in the community was; what they produced or how beautiful they were back in those glorious days. Today the ruins still stand proud of what they did so many years ago. Overall, I enjoyed what I saw and I feel grateful that the hard work of these farmers is helping me, you and our country to live a better life. |
ABOUT THE AuthorI am a blogger, a photographer, a jewelry designer, a gourmet cook, and a recipe book writer. I am also a flea market flipper, an avid gardener, an interior/ outdoors designer, an avid golfer and traveler. Archives
January 2024
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