To see in color is a delight for the eye but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul ~ Andri Cauldwell
The simplicity of black and white is the complexity of the extraordinary ~ Vikrmn
The beauty of the world in black and white is a whisper to the heart and a call to the soul ~ Anonymous
With black and white, what you get is a timeless capture that doesn’t lean on colors but the pure essence of the subject ~ Anonymous
Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined
It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important ~ Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Truths and roses have thorns about them ~ Henry David Thoreau
The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is ~ Paulo Coelho
If the rose puzzled its mind over the question of how it grew, it would not have been the miracle that it is ~ J. B. Yeats
The art of stone in a Japanese garden is that of placement. Its ideal does not deviate from that of nature. ~ Isamu Noguchi
In order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand – or at least to learn to understand ~ the beauty of stone. ~ Lafcadio Hearn
No one will understand a Japanese garden until you’ve walked through one, and you hear the crunch underfoot, and you smell it, and you experience it over time. Now there’s no photograph or any movie that can give you that experience ~ J. Carter Brown
The beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden, located on the Snake River, has a traditional Japanese garden gate, a viewing platform, a “Dragon Path” across a pond and a deck plus many water features. It was developed to celebrate thirty years association with their sister city in Japan, Tokai-Mura. It’s a marvelous place to spend time with nature prior to walking further to explore the Green Belt and the falls of Idaho Falls.
I’ve always wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park and finally got there. It is spectacular and I understand why people make more than one visit and/or stay for longer than a few days. I planned to travel prior to Memorial Weekend and waited until the snow season was over (though there was snow on the ground in the higher elevations).
My route from western Washington started with the I-90, stopping in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I had time to visit a favorite book store (“The Well Read Moose”) before heading to Butte, Montana to break up the drive. Leaving Butte, I went over Homestake Pass (6,329 feet, the Continental Divide) and then local Montana highways to West Yellowstone.
Yellowstone National Park has 5 entrances. I chose the West Entrance as the town is very close to the park. My favorite part was the Canyon area. And I mentally made a note to return to see more of the northern part of the park. Should you travel to this area, definitely check online or guide books for valuable information.
West Yellowstone has a fabulous Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. And while I saw magnificent bison in the park, I am glad I visited the Discovery Center to see the wolves and bears.
Leaving the park, I traveled via the South Exit, noting that the restaurant at Grant Village was closed but would open Memorial Weekend. The South Exit took me to the gorgeous Grand Teton National Park. It was an easy drive to Jackson, then over the Teton Pass (connecting Wyoming and Idaho, 8,432 feet; very steep, 10% grade but very beautiful) towards Idaho Falls.
I stopped in Idaho Falls to break up my trip as I headed to Boise. The falls and the Japanese garden are quite stunning and there is a nice green belt to walk along.
It was terrific revisiting Boise as I love the Rose Garden, Green Belt and the downtown area.
My last stop was Hood River, on the Columbia. Beautiful, windy area.
Below are some favorite photos. I will have additional posts with information about the areas, including favorite restaurants, and more photos.
Would I go back to Yellowstone? Most definitely … it is a treasure and should be on everyone’s travel list!
Savor your journeys, near or far, real or imagined
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
The smallest flower is a thought, a life answering to some feature of the Great Whole, of whom they have a persistent intuition ~Â Honore de Balzac
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
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:
Journeys with Eileen Diane 