Category: Photos

Fall Begins ~ Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, WA ~ Sep 2022

Fall Begins ~ Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, WA ~ Sep 2022

Journeys with EileenDiane

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

September tries its best to have us forget summer ~ Bernard Williams

September is the month of wonderful weather ~ Anonymous

Nostalgia ~ that’s autumn, dreaming through September. Just a million lovely things I will always remember ~ Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

September ~ where fall and summer meet ~ Will Wallace Harney

There is a time in late September when the leaves are still green, and the days are still warm, but somehow you know that it is all about to end as if summer was holding its breath, and when it let it out again, it would be autumn ~ Sharyn McCrumb

Armchair Traveler ~ Two Favorite Books ~ Photos ~ September 2022

Armchair Traveler ~ Two Favorite Books ~ Photos ~ September 2022

Journeys with EileenDiane

Two of my favorite books to peruse when being an armchair traveler are “Culture Trails” (Lonely Planet, 2017) and “Secret Journeys of a Lifetime” (National Geographic, 2011). Each book has beautiful photos plus marvelous descriptions of specific areas. The books easily evoke wanderlust dreams.

It’s great fun to browse and look at the many photos and descriptions or just open one of the books to any page and if I really like it, start looking on the web for more information. Because both of the books are several years old, there will be changes and when looking at the web, it can become an adventure as one spot invariably leads to another.

To me, it’s a good way to either relive great memories or start planning my next adventure. Find what you want to use to be an armchair traveler — photo books, fiction works or dvd/movies set in nearby or exotic locales, restaurants with ethnic cuisine … you get the idea. Use your imagination and start exploring.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Savor your journeys… real, imagined or virtual, near or far

A Favorite Poem ~ The Road Not Taken

A Favorite Poem ~ The Road Not Taken

Journeys with EileenDiane

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost

Summer Memories Last Forever ~ Photos ~ Quotes

Summer Memories Last Forever ~ Photos ~ Quotes

Journeys with EileenDiane

In the summer, we write life’s summary with the slow waves of love flowing over the sandy beach. The slow breeze and the warm sun write our memories  ~ Debasish Mridha

Some of the days in November carry the whole memory of summer as a fire opal carries the color of moonrise ~ Gladys Taber

every summer has its own story ~
the tan will fade but the memories will always stay ~ Kiara Harris

To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures – if not happiness – its hopeful pursuit ~ John Updike

I pray that the life of this spring and summer may ever lie fair in my memory ~ Henry David Thoreau

Summer Flowers ~ Quotes ~ Photos ~ August 2022

Summer Flowers ~ Quotes ~ Photos ~ August 2022

Journeys with EileenDiane

The smallest flower is a thought, a life answering to some feature of the Great Whole, of whom they have a persistent intuition ~ Honore de Balzac

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way ~ Walter Hagen

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change ~ Buddha

Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful ~ Jim Carrey

A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms ~ Zen Shin

Earth laughs in flowers ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Edison & Ford Winter Estates ~ Favorite Restaurants ~ Fort Myers, Florida ~ Photos

Edison & Ford Winter Estates ~ Favorite Restaurants ~ Fort Myers, Florida ~ Photos

Journeys with EileenDiane

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page ~ St. Augustine

A neat place to visit in the Fort Myers area is the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. They date from 1885 and in addition to the winter homes there is an historical museum, a 21 acre botanical garden plus a gift shop and a garden center where guests can purchase plants and trees. Plan on spending several hours as you explore this beautiful area ~ Check out the web site for additional information. www.edisonfordwinterestates.org

Favorite Restaurants ~ Happy Hours

Matanzas ~ the main restaurant has a fabulous Happy Hour, with good drinks and super appetizers ~ plus a fabulous bartender. The restaurant has a very good lunch & dinner menu ~ best Key Lime Pie! ~ eat inside or outside ~ or choose Petey’s Upper Deck ~ also a marvelous place to relax and enjoy the ambience. The restaurant is located at Matanzas Inn, where I stayed for several days and highly recommend ~ great location ~ short walk to the beach and next to the marina.

Matanzas on the Bay | Waterfront Restaurant on Fort Myers Beach

Matanzas Inn | Fort Myers Beach Bayside Resort & Marina

Courtney’s Continental Cuisine ~ mouthwatering menu, including many terrific Italian entrees and Key Lime pie for dessert ~ the food definitely lives up to your expectations (or surpasses them!). Bon Appetit!

courtneyscontinentalcuisine.com

Lani Kai Island Resort ~ the bar on the top floor has a fabulous Happy Hour ~ terrific drinks and a special menu ~ plus a spectacular view of the beach

Fort Myers Beach Resort | Lani Kai Island Resort | Book Today!

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida ~ Photos ~ June 2022

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida ~ Photos ~ June 2022

Journeys with EileenDiane

The universe is a continuous web,

Touch it at any point

And the whole web quivers.

Stanley Kunitz, Poet

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

For information about hours, special exhibits, directions, etc:

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – The Living Museum

St Petersburg. Florida ~ Dali Museum ~ June 2022 ~ Photos

St Petersburg. Florida ~ Dali Museum ~ June 2022 ~ Photos

Journeys with EileenDiane

I do not bring back from a journey quite the same self   that I took ~ W. Somerset Maugham

A highlight of my recent journey to Florida was a visit to the Dali Museum in beautiful St. Petersburg. It was a short walk from my hotel (The Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown St Petersburg, which I recommend) along parks and the waterway.

I met a friend at the Museum and it was great fun exploring it with someone who had already visited this impressive museum. After a delicious cappuccino at their café, we downloaded the free Dali Museum app for a self-guided tour and set off to explore. https://thedali.org/ .. check for hours and note that at this time, advance tickets are required.

Let me share a few of my favorite Dali paintings (Photos below):

  • Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea, Which at 20 Meters Become the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (1976)
  • Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire (1940)
  • The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (1952-54)
  • The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus (1958)

The app goes into marvelous detail about all of the exhibited artwork and after touring the Museum, we explored the enjoyable and very well stocked gift shop where you can purchase guide books (which give detailed information about the collection), clothing, magnets, jewelry, puzzles, etc.

Then we walked about the avant-garden, including the wish tree, from the admission bands given when entering the Museum.

Afterwards, we walked back to the town, checking a few restaurant menus and settling on one that is now one of my favorites.

Favorite Restaurants:

St. Petersburg, with its beautiful beaches, parks, terrific restaurants and shops plus the Dali Museum, is certainly on my list to revisit.  

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined

Journey to Fort Myers, Florida ~ June 2022 ~ Photos

Journey to Fort Myers, Florida ~ June 2022 ~ Photos

Journeys with EileenDiane

Who lives sees much, who travels sees more ~ Arabian Proverb

Last month when I flew to Tampa, I liked the area so much I decided to fly to Florida again, this time to the Fort Myers area. I had to connect in Charlotte, NC and two of the four flights I took were delayed. Fortunately, I made my connection going to Fort Myers (after running thru Charlotte Airport – why are connections so far apart when there is little time?) and coming home, while missing a shuttle, there was another an hour later.

Travel Tips:

  • Always try to get a non-stop flight (earliest in the day) and if connecting, always opt for the earliest flight.
  • Check with friends or travel advisors about which airline offers best connections to where you are traveling.
  • Download the airline’s app to keep up to date re flights.
  • If you HAVE to get to your destination (a wedding, cruise, etc.) perhaps book your arrival for a day or two in advance.
  • Be patient and keep your sense of humor as plane travel will not be “fun” this summer.

I spent several days in beautiful Fort Myers, seeing friends, enjoying the beach, Happy Hours and some terrific restaurants plus one of the best Barnes and Nobles that I have ever visited. Since this is Florida’s rainy season, I witnessed some spectacular thunder/lightning storms in the evenings.

Then I drove north to St Petersburg, stopping at Punta Gorda for a terrific lunch at Fishermen’s Village, at the Village Brewhouse. It was fun exploring all of the local shops. Village Brewhouse | Fishermen’s Village | Punta Gorda, Florida (fishermensvillage.com)

After visiting St Petersburg (the Dali Museum is a must!) for a few days, I headed south staying in Sarasota for a few days, loving Siesta Key Beach. It is ranked as one of the best beaches and I definitely would agree. Also in the area, are the beautiful Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

I drove south to Naples for lunch, then headed back to Fort Myers. This time, instead of a chain hotel, I opted for a local hotel near the beach that a friend recommended. Great recommendation!

I’ll have several more posts and photos about St. Petersburg, the Dali Museum, the Botanical Gardens in Sarasota plus some favorite restaurants, especially in Fort Meyers and St. Petersburg.

Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined