meet me in...

 Todd and I recently went away for a long weekend...

...to St. Louis!  Because I knew we were in for hot weather and lots of walking, I opted not to bring my good camera and had to rely solely on my terrible cell phone camera.  The pros outweighed the cons, though.

First, to Tower Grove, considered the largest 19th century "Gardenesque" park in the United States.  It was gorgeous, full of shady paths, lakes, and flowers.  I am a sucker for water lilies and lotuses.  It's always blooming around our anniversary and that makes them extra special.  

Keeping with the theme, we headed to the Botanical Garden next.  It was the Tower Grove Park, expanded!  So much to see.  

The next day, we hit up the Science Center and Planetarium...

...and headed over to the Anheuser-Busche factory for a long tour.  I'm not a beer person, but the factory was amazing!  The complex covered over 140 acres...beautiful brick buildings...

...the assembly lines, the Clydesdale stables, and the brewing area.  These tanks were massive...25 feet tall and wide, and over 60 feet long...and there are dozens and dozens of them!  

We had to squeeze in the zoo...of course.

We walked miles, ate tons, and enjoyed ourselves greatly!  It's only a 3.5 hour drive and I have a huge list of things that we didn't get to see.  I think we'll be going back again.

Have a great week!  

Bottoms Up!

We went away for our anniversary this weekend.  No more August beach trips for us!  We went to Highlands, North Carolina...a temperate rain forest tucked away in the mountains.  We stayed at a kitschy '60s style mountain lodge and did a lot of relaxing.  It's been so hot and dry in South Carolina that any flowers that survived are basically singed, but oh, everything was in bloom there!

We did a little hiking...

...but we spent a lot of time at the nature center.  Botanical gardens, big pond, lovely shaded walking trails, and, of course, our anniversary just happens to coincide with the bloom time of my beloved water lilies.

We spent at least an hour watching 4 ducks feeding there.

How low can he go?

After a hearty meal, they pushed a path through the lilies...

...and had a nice bath.

So wonderful to see insects again.  It's just been too hot in South Carolina to get outside, even for insects!

So much vibrant green!

I love getting away with my special guy to celebrate our relationship.  He makes marriage pretty easy!

Have a great week!

High Over Highlands

I've just come back from a trip to a rainforest!  The lichen and salamander capital of the world!  Well, it's not as exotic as it sounds, although it was incredibly beautiful.  Todd and I made the 90-minute trek to Highlands, North Carolina, for our anniversary.

The first day we hiked.  First we did the Whiteside Mountain trail (elevation 4900 feet).  Beautiful vistas!

Many exposed granite rocks faces, too.

We saw lots of lichen, which is expected in the world capital...

...but also a wide variety of really beautiful mushrooms/fungus...

The moss was a vibrant green and so velvety.

Ferns everywhere!

Lots of flowers.

The trails were rocky, and sometimes people decorated with the excess ones.

We were surrounded on all sides by rhododendrons, some still in bloom.  Perfect weather - sunny and 75 degrees.

The night day we decided to go canoeing.  We found a pretty lake...

...with lots of narrow passages, perfect for a canoe.

We even had a swan escort!

 

We were able to canoe by some of the area's famous waterfalls.

 

We saw a lot of wildlife, both insect...

...and of the four-legged variety.

At another location, one of the lakes we saw had some narrow inlets full of lily pads.  Love!!

 

I've always thought that water lilies looked like they were lit from within.  I just love them.

 

Several years ago, I was kayaking at Yellowwood Forest in the Bloomington, Indiana area.  I found a narrow passage though a sea of water lilies and lotus flowers.  They were taller than my head, and the smell was intoxicating.  It was like kayaking through a fairyland!  It's always a real treat for me when I get to see them.

Todd didn't quite make it, though.

Vacationing is hard work!  :)