Travel Adventures and Photography
My recent visit to the Galapagos Islands allowed for a couple of free days in Ecuador's Capital city, Quito, which proved to be an adventure in itself. Not to tarnish the idea of what was otherwise an interesting historic colonial city, safety for a single white female with a nice camera quickly became my biggest concern, culminating with some guy trying to steal my phone—he didn't succeed because luckily I was bigger than Read More
"Visiting The Carlsbad Flower Fields early in the bloom season instead of at 'peak bloom' made for a far more memorable experience." Each year in Southern California I look forward to the fifty acres of ranunculus flowers reminiscent of the Land of Oz. In fact, the Carlsbad Flower Fields is home to one of the largest flower displays in the world drawing more than 160,000 visitors in their eight-week bloom season. Like many Read More
Flower fields are the stuff of my daydreams and so I seek them out almost everywhere I go. Wild or commercially grown, I don't discriminate. If you're like me you could be destined for Santa Barbara, California where the Lompoc valley has numerous privately-owned fields of flowers including Larkspur, Delphinium, Bells of Ireland, Queen Anne's Lace, Stock, and Sweet Peas. The bloom season is from April to the end of September Read More
It's hard to believe that the beautiful fall foliage I experienced in northern Vermont was second-rate to that of just one week earlier. I was there for location scouting, but instead I was hard at work soaking up the Vermont lifestyle--you know, maple bacon can do that to you. They really take pride in sourcing their food locally, something I got firmly behind the minute I tasted a local burger with maple bacon and Read More
Tales of fragrant citrus orchards have drawn me to citrus towns around the world such as Sorrento, Italy and Mallorca, Spain but it was in my home state of California that the city of Redlands delivered on the promise. Did you know that the city of Redlands was once the hub of the largest orange-producing region in the world with over 15,000 acres of citrus groves? Upon stepping out of my car in 'Early Redlands Historic Read More
Light and delicate, sweet pea flowers (Lathyrus odoratus) were discovered in the 17th century by Italian monk Father Francis Cupani who was traveling through the Sicilian countryside. Sweet pea flowers' pronounced yet delicate fragrance means that they are excellent for perfuming a room, and are often prettiest when placed in a simple mason jar. If you had any wonder of their scent, just think of honey sometimes with a dash of Read More
Palos Verdes in Los Angeles is home to a lesser-known botanic garden that is quite the hidden gem, especially in spring and summer. The 87-acre property with 2,500 species of plants from all over the world particularly excels in California native plants, many of which have colorful blooms year-round. The most notable highlights of a day at the South Coast Botanic Garden include: Small but stunning Dahlia Garden with an Read More
What an incredible display of California poppies at Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore! I arrived early in the morning with only a few people in sight and the poppies mostly closed. Scattered patches of tiny blue and purple wildflowers found their home among the poppies, which really made it feel like I had stepped into a Monet painting. With the sun bearing down as I made my way up into the hills, the poppies began opening before Read More
One could say that visiting Kauai is a spiritual experience. Just being on the island really is a breath of fresh air for the mind, body and spirit. Among Kauai's abundant hidden gems is a (very) quietly tucked away Hindu Monastery and for me, no Kauai trip is complete without a morning there. While it's not a touristy place, all visitors are welcome to benefit from the peaceful and spiritual settings whether for reflection, Read More
Tucked away in Los Angeles is the dreamy 150-acre public botanical garden known as Descanso Gardens. Their famed Camellia collection is the largest in North America and the gardens are also home to the remainder of a magical oak tree forest that once consumed the entire region. This spring their Japanese Garden offered cherry trees in full bloom and a sprawling lilac garden with amazingly fragrant blooms. I thought you'd enjoy Read More
I recently visited the San Joaquin Valley in Central California (near Fresno) to photograph the hundreds of acres dedicated to fruit orchards known as "The Blossom Trail". Other than a small pack of adorable little 'watch dogs', the only company I had was the chirping birds and industrious bees. It was one of the prettiest mornings I can remember... the fragrance of honey in the air and flower petals covering the floor. Not to Read More
If you've spent any time in Chiang Mai, your visit was undoubtedly memorable. Though the city has an incredible amount of things to see and do, trekking is the number one thing that draws visitors. You'll find tour companies on almost every corner who offer multi-day trekking tours into the mountains of northern Thailand for a chance to experience authentic hill tribe cultures. There are some things I wish I had done Read More
I recently visited the lotus flowers at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, a place I have happy memories of as a kid. For those of us who love flowers this is a bit of a dream come true, especially in such an accessible and non-exotic location. The flowers are so beautiful, it's a bit surreal. Hundreds of blooms in white, pink and yellow frame your view of the lake in every direction with ducks and paddle boats providing that Read More
This spring I made it to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington state, a must-see experience for anyone who loves nature. If you are doing a road trip in April, make sure this is on your list! Important note to Vancouver residents: it's only a 2 hour drive from Vancouver and is well worth the trip. Keep reading, because this isn't just a springtime getaway. I arrived there on a Friday afternoon in mid April (zero Read More
An unforgettable getaway from Tokyo that offers stunning views of Mount Fuji, this destination is an exceptional one. The town is Hakone (haw-cone-ay) and its centuries-old hot springs (onsen) are located in the volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Onsen are very popular across Japan and are a longtime fixture in Japanese culture. The number of Hakone visitors continues to grow while the number of visitors to Read More
The Hawaiian island of Kauai bears some of the most lush and vibrant surroundings in the world, which is the main reason I visit as often as possible. While the island's south shore is home to the popular and gorgeous McBride and Allerton Botanical Gardens, I wanted to share a secret about some lesser known gardens. Ones which I prefer because nobody else is there and I can make believe that they are my own secret Read More
Located in Vancouver's Chinatown, minutes from the hustle and bustle of downtown, is an oasis that is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Gardens. Local residents are lucky to have such a gem nearby. Classical chinese gardens in history have been a place for reflection and escape from the outside world, and this garden is no exception. Why Visit the Garden? Named after the first President of the China Republic, the garden was built Read More
The Manoa Falls Trail will take you through dense jungle that is lush with a shady canopy, bamboo forest and huge trees that will make you feel like you are in a jurassic park movie (minus the dinosaurs). The movie Jurassic Park was actually filmed in this area! Just 1.6 miles up you'll see Manoa Falls, a beautiful 150 foot waterfall and pool (no swimming allowed). The trail has a slight incline and can be muddy, so dress Read More
Kinkakuji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen Temple in the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto whose top two floors are entirely covered in gold leaf. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and is one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage Site. The view was perhaps the most awe-inspiring sight on my visit to Kyoto. Beyond that is an education and immersion into one of the world's best Read More
Having just returned from Japan, I was pretty excited to show you some amazing cherry blossom festivals around the world. But who says there has to be a festival?! Check out Smithsonian's list of where to see the best cherry blossoms around the world. Vancouver B.C. Cherry Blossom Festival The celebration runs through the month of April and it's hard to go anywhere in the city without seeing some of their 40,000 ornamental Read More
