This was one of those moments you remember. How often do you get to sit on a hill, on a farm, at a huge table with strangers and eat really good food? I’ll have a few more photos once I get my other roll developed, but for now, I hope you enjoyed these.
It seems Summer is in it’s full fury. Fourth of July came and went. Now it’s visits to the pool, mixed with the library, morning schooling sessions and whatever else we can cram into a day. The weather has been hot this year. I feel like I continually smell of chlorine and my hair is blonder in spots than ever before. My skin is dry and scaly. I’m not one for being tan all the time. But my tan lines are in their glory. If you train outdoors, it’s inevitable you will be very dark. A 17-year-old me would love this. But the almost 36-year-old is cringing. I keep thinking, “what will this do?” I don’t want to look like the grandmother in “What About Mary” when I get older.
We celebrated the Fourth at Longwood Gardens. Last year we went for Mother’s Day and I can honestly say, this is a favorite place for all of us. It’s amazing what someone will do to save trees. Mr. du Pont didn’t want the land to be developed, so he bought all of it. You can read the history here. The trees are amazing. There are so many varieties and species of everything, the gardener in your family will be in heaven. And the fireworks were crazy. I am pretty sure the ground moved during the show. The one building that amazes all of us is the conservatory. It’s like the most extreme greenhouse you could ever walk through. The place is also kid-friendly. There are huge treehouses and a water garden, a guide book called “Scent Seekers,” as well as open fields when your children feel like running. Plus, it’s a photographer’s dreamland.
Where to start. Joshua Tree National Park is a wonder. There, that about sums it up. On the day we visited, we entered the park through the West entrance. I recommend entering there because eventually the park changes and the Joshua Trees are not everywhere within its 800,000 acres. I noticed as we ventured towards the East entrance, it became more deserted, more barren. So there is only a certain amount of distance one will be able to enjoy these funky trees.
There are also amazing boulders. When you enter the park, you receive information about how the boulders formed. I will spare you the geology lesson and tell you they are awesome. And how children of any age, like to climb and scour the surface area.
Now I think it’s time for me to be quiet and let the pictures speak for themselves.
