2023 April 29, Decatur Historic Homes and Garden Walking Tours

April 29: Garden Tour, led by the Historic Decatur Association 

The public is invited to a peak into some of the residents’ private gardens. The tour begins at Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at 801 Jackson St, SE.

 We had a large crowd for the Garden Walking tour in Decatur. 

Large Crowd from different towns

Everyone met at the Westminster Presbyterian Church 801 Jackson St SE. Decatur.  

Westminster Presbyterian Church 801 Jackson St SE. Decatur.

We learned the history and architectural structure of several different homes.

We finished our walk at Delano Park where there were beautiful roses in bloom.

After the guided tour everyone disbursed.

Pink roses at Delano Park 

 

This young girl set up a Lemonade Stand.
 It was a hot day and we purchased a glass. 

From 11-3PM, we tour 9 personal gardens. 3 Gardens were on Sherman St., 2 on Gordon Dr, 1 on Jackson St., and 1 on Cherry Street. 1 on Line St. and 1 on Oak St. There was someone at each location to greet us and tell us about their garden.

On the first garden tour, we saw these beautiful red lilies.

Fish Pond 

Beautiful Yellow Flower

This garden was like having a forest in your backyard.
There was a Bird Feeder, a greenhouse, walkways and so much more.

There was a story about how this statue came to this garden but I don't remember 

After the Garden tour, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Mellow Mushroom in Decatur. We ordered a small Maui Wowie on Stone Ground Crust Pizza. It was delicious.

A small Maui Wowie on Stone Ground Crust Pizza.

2021 Aug 10, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens Nashville, Tennessee

Hubby and I traveled the backroads to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, TN via Natchez Trace getting off at the Leipers Fork exit. Hubby parked the car near the entrance and showed the girl at the ticket counter our online tickets.

Pink LEGO Dog 

The first thing we saw as we entered the gardens was a big pink dog made out of Lego blocks. We walked down a long winding sidewalk down several sets of steps to the Train Exhibit, inspired by the Little Engine Who Could.

In front of us was a couple with a very independent little girl with a head full of curls, who was about the age of 2 or three years of age. What a magical place as you enter the land of trains and Fairy mushroom villages. The train exhibit was built of rough timbers and five train tracks totaling over 800 feet of track. As we walked through we saw trains going over bridges and through tunnels, we were in a magical land of trains.

We saw beautiful yellow lilies floating in the lily ponds. We saw pink, orange, white, and red roses busted with life in the Rose Study Garden.

Roses

We saw art pieces made of musical notes made of wire. We saw many Yellow and Black swallowtails on the butterfly bushes.

Yellow Swallowtail 

We saw a red lion, a zebra, a blue bear, colorful birds, a red turtle, a green lawnmower, and a man working in the garden, all made out of Legos. Also, LEGO rabbits were spotted throughout the Bradford Robertson Color Garden. We walked around the mansion, but not inside. Workers were repairing the pool in front of the Mansion in the Martain Boxwood Gardens.

Cheekwood Mansion 

There were waterfalls, ponds, and creeks running through the gardens. We did visit the Art Bark exhibit, which was crayon sculptures by Nashville artist Herb Williams. Inside the visitor center were restrooms, drink machines, and a beautiful rose LEGO sculpture. We took a break to cool off, drink a soda, and use the restrooms before beginning our journey home, We did not walk the entire gardens but had a wonderful time. We traveled home along the backroads this time taking a different route. We came out in Columbia, TN. We got a late lunch of fish at Long John Silvers and took it home.

2021 April 17, Mooresville Walking Tour and Huntsville Botanical Gardens

It was a great turnout at Mooresville for I had to park along the side of the road and walk several blocks.

 We began at the Post Office which closed at 10 AM so if you wanted to go inside you had to be there by 9:45 AM.

 We saw a couple of churches, a tavern, and several homes, and our guide talked about the history of the small town. 

We saw a beautiful little cottage that is now Lyla’s Little House of Mooresville. “All the sweet that’s fit to eat!”

Stage Coach Stop 

Lyla’s Little House of Mooresville

Brick Church

The brick church had been owned by several different denominations but was now owned by the town and used for weddings and town hall meetings. We walked inside the Brick Church the Post Office and the Tavern. Our guide passed out several booklets on Historic Mooresville's Bicentennial Est 1818 but ran out. It was a nice day for the tour a little cool but warmed up quickly. I left before it ended because I couldn't hold it in any longer. I stopped at Cracker Barrel in Madison to use the restroom. 

 My next stop was the Botanical Gardens. I first went to the Butterfly house and saw one butterfly, a few turtles, and several children. I was so thirsty that I bought an orange crush drink and finished it off before I left the gardens. 

 Walked through the Children's Garden to the newly built Birdwatching building. Meet a man there who was building a new home and was getting ideas for his lawn. (shrubs, flowers, and such). Had a nice relaxing visit to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens?

Field of Wildflowers

Squirrel

I strolled through the wooded area along the paths less taken. I saw several Robin Redbreast, rabbits, and squirrels. As I was walking near the pond I saw lots of turtles sunbathing. Yellow and White Wildflowers were blooming everywhere they were so pretty. I also walked through the herb garden.

 I had a great day but was tired from all that walking and I still had to drive an hour or more home.

✈️✈️✈️2019 Mar 24-30, Trip to Naples, Florida

Sunday, May 24, 2019

Southwest Airlines Flight 1066 

Leaves BNA at 10:15 at Gate C19 boarding group B. Position 3 arriving at FLL at 1:25 AM 

Hubby took me to Nashville airport. We ate dinner at Red Robin Spring Hill we split a hamburger and fries at 6:55 PM

Monday, March 25, 2019

It was a one and half hour's drive to Naples so it was early morning when we arrived at Lora’s apartment. We both slept late.

For breakfast, I ate a slice of raisin bread and a banana. 

Lora had an infusion in Fort Myers that day so I rode with her. We stopped at Bass Pro Shop just off I-75 address 10040 Gulf Center Fort Myers.

At Bass Pro Shop we saw river fish, ocean fish, raccoons, black bears, waterfowl, alligators, and Everglades.

The bartender said I could come inside and take pictures of the tropical fish and coral reefs in the aquarium. Hanging on the walls we saw Southern Stingrays, Great Hammer Head Shark, Sailfish, yellow tuna, and black-tip sharks.

Outside we saw an old blue Red Head Pickup and a Great Gray Heron Bench where people could sit.

Red Head Pickup 

coral reef in the aquarium

I bought a pair of sunglasses to block out the sun for my eyes were giving me a fit. 

Lora gave one of her Zyrtecs for allegories and some saline to wash out my eyes. 

She also gave me one of her steroid tablets for infection. 

At lunch, we stopped at Chick-fil-A Lora and I split a salad and each ordered a chicken sandwich with water to drink location 5825 Airport Pulling Rd Naples, Fl 

I was so tired from the day's adventures and not getting enough sleep that I fell asleep on the sofa while Lora and Jackie went shopping.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 

Lora had an early morning infusion so I watched TV until she returned. I ate a banana and a slice of raisin bread for breakfast. 

Lora made a ham, cheese, avocado spinach sandwich on toasted bread, and fruit salad for lunch. 

We rode to Clam Bay Beach 410 Seagate Drive Naples, Fl 34103, where we took the trolley down the walkway to the beach.

Clam Bay Beach 

Pelican at Clam Bay Beach 

The Park consists of 35 acres of mangrove forest, coastal dunes, and 3200 linear feet of beach on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a boardwalk, which provides access to the beach through a mangrove forest. The boardwalk is about three-quarters of a mile long and can be walked or you can catch a ride on a free tram that runs continuously throughout the day.

We saw several people on the beach, boaters, and people fishing. We saw waterfowl flying overhead and in the water. A dolphin and manatee were spotted.  We saw children playing in the sand. We saw a couple of children fishing and catching fish.

We saw a sign that said Welcome to Clam Pass Park. A sign that read Shells of Paradise Coast, which included worm shells, Calico Scallops, Mon Snail, Olive shells, fighting conch, Sandollar, Lighting Welk, Starfish, and Horse Conch. There was a sign about Palmetto and Fakahatchee grass.http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/fakahatchee.html

All-day parking was $8.

We rode back to the apartment and walked around the lake where we saw a few birds. 

At 7:30 we rode to Vanderbilt Beach on Pelican Bay to watch an amazing sunset. 

Sunset on Vanderbilt Beach 

Located at 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road Naples, FL 34102 at the end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, Vanderbilt Beach County Park borders the Gulf of Mexico near plenty of hotels, shopping, and restaurants. 

We met Jackie and Geo on the beach along with hundreds of people watching the sun melt into the bay.

What a way to end the day! We ate pizza for supper. Jackie’s boyfriend spent the night.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Lora and I spent the day at Naples Botanical Gardens 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112 1-4:40PM Cost $19.99 each.💐 🌷

We browsed in the Chabraja Visitor Center.

Irma’s Garden was full of charismatic plants such as the screw pines.

Katharine’s Garden was a lush tropical landscape.

LaGrippe Orchid Garden was full of colorful, fragrant orchid species from around the world. 

Botanical Garden 

Orchid Garden

Lea Asian Garden had a Southeast Asia Javanese temple, an ancient blaze landscape filled with Bayan trees, a bamboo grove of established fruits, a lotus pool, stepping stone path through the garden that led to the Balinese Shrine.

Kapnick Brazilian Garden was a garden of people of great diversity and color with a very colorful wall.

Kapnick Caribbean garden was full of towering palms, tropical fruit, and vegetables

Smith Children's Garden was full of vibrant flowers, vegetables, and butterflies a landscape for children. We saw a bicycle, a hand pump, and a toilet decorated with flowers. We saw Flo and Joe flower people working in the vegetable garden. A large turtle made of seashells. 

Scotts Florida Garden was full of trees, palms, a cascading stream, Lake Topkie, and Deep Lake. Florida was once an ancient seafloor.

There was a 90-acre Nature sanctuary boardwalk which we did not take.

Water Garden with a lily pool full of lily pads and a boardwalk. 

On exhibit, in the gardens, you will find Reflections on Glass: Frabel in the Garden features diverse and complex sculptures that at times mimic the plants within the garden. If you look you may find parallels between Frabel’s pieces and the natural shapes of plants in forms and towering cube structures, each piece inspires viewers to discover the wonders of our living collection.

For supper, Lora and I split a chicken and shrimp Carbonara, breadsticks, and salad at Olive Garden, 1565 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102 we had leftovers. I used my Christmas gift card to pay. $23,37.

That night Lora and I met several of her friends at the Comedy Club, a two-drink minimum.

I ordered two bottles of glasses of water for @2.50 each. I was too full from supper to drink so I brought my water home. 

The show was bashing ex-spouses which I did not think was too funny.

I enjoyed spending time with Lora’s friends.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

I ate leftovers from Olive Garden for breakfast and lunch.

We rode to the Naples Preserve Boardwalk corner of U.S. 41 North and Fleischmann Boulevard where we walked along the boardwalk looking for box and gopher turtles. We talked with one of the park rangers walking on the bare ground looking for turtles to make sure they were okay.

Inside the center we saw signs telling about Naples Botanical Gardens,  Delnor-Wiggins Pass,  Rookery Bay, Collier-Seminole, Shy Wolf, (Cardinal, Mocking Birds nests), boat Tailed Crackle nest) Natural Communities of Naples Preserve, Turtle Shells, What's in bloom, butterflies, bugs, Collier County, and Myrtle Oaks.

Tucan Statue

Penguin 

Seal

Our next stop was Naples Zoo 1590 Goodlette Rd Naples Florida 34102.

Displayed throughout the zoo was Art to Save the Sea, artwork made completely from garbage collected from beaches. 

The art we saw was Natasha the turtle, Priscilla the Faust Fish, Lidia the Seal, Rufus the Tiger Fish, American Sea Star, Daisy the Polar Bear, Grace the Humpback Whale, Gertrude the Penguin, and Chompers the Shark.

We stood in a long line to ride a slow-moving, tour-guided, ferry around Monkey Island.

Very cool, enjoyable, and informative ride about Madagascar Animals

There were signs located under a thatched roof telling about Monkey Island: they were trees like nowhere else, the island of Lemurs, Bigger than any dinosaur egg, the Madagascar Ferna group helps preserve the wonders of a fragile island nation.

We saw signs about Invisible Geckos, Abundant Chameleons, Madagascar burning, and living wonders. 

We saw American Alligators, Giant Anteater, Cotton-top Tamarin, Aldabra Tortoise,  Slender Horned Gazelle, Mt Bongo, Sulcate Tortoise, Gopher Tortoise, Clouded Leopard, and others.

We watched the feeding of the giraffes and alligators. Dr. Henry Nehrling the founder of the Botanical Garden, Henry Badger, Plains Zebra, Feeding the Alligators, Cheetah, Why the Railroad Trestle? The famous toucan sign, Dead Trees Help the Living, and Marvelous Marsh make for fabulous filters A swamp mystery, planting helps with trees for the future, Shade-grown coffee helps farmers, birds, and the land, and can you find all these birds.

Friday, March 29, 2019 

We stopped at Dollar Tree for sunscreen, and snacks to take to Delnor-Wiggins State Park beach.

Located 11135 Gulf Shore Drive Naples, Fl 34108

One of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples, the mile-long stretch of white sugar sand at Delnor-Wiggins has been rated as one of the best beaches in the nation. 

We saw Gray Pelicans perched, swimming, and flying overhead. 

We saw a Fish Hawk Osprey perched in a tree holding a fish.

We saw seagulls and white egrets waiting for a free fish from a fisherman.

This beach was more secluded than the other beaches that we had visited. 

We rode to Naples Municipal Beach and walked out on the long pier to watch the sunset, with lots of people waiting for the sunset.

 Naples Municipal Beach Sunset

Address 25 12th Av S Naples Florida 34102 

Built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock, The Naples Pier stands as a community landmark

We rode to historic downtown Naples, Lora and Michelle waited in a long line of people to order our ice cream at Kilwins 743 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Lora had an infusion that morning so I spent the morning with Jackie and Geo. We went to North Collier Regional Children’s Park 15000 Livingston Rd Naples, FL.

North Collier Regional Children’s Park

Geo enjoyed playing at the Can U Dig It state-of-the-art playground that looks like something from the future with a colorful, modern design.  

The sleek look packs a lot of play value. The playground includes slides, swings, and climbing apparatus, but takes play a step further.  Kids can spin themselves dizzy on squiggly poles, climb on boulders that look like they came from the Monument Valley, or become junior archeologists in the covered fossil dig area.

When we got ready to go Jackie realized she had locked her keys in her car. She called her boyfriend and he brought her a spare set.

We rode back to the apartment by this time Lora had returned. 

Lora, Michelle, and I rode to Fort Lauderdale to spend the rest of the day before my flight. 

We Stopped at Quarterdeck Restaurant 300 N Beach Rd Dania Beach, FL where we ate dinner.

Quarterdeck Restaurant

Quarterdeck Restaurant

We ordered three tacos, smoked shrimp, and smoked fish with French fries and we all drank water with lemon.

We saw British Airways, & Southwest jets fly over so we knew the airport was close by.

You could see several towering buildings in the downtown area from Dania Pier.

We saw several cruise ships leave so Fort Lauderdale must be a hub port for cruise ships.

There were a lot of people sitting on the beach a few in the water. The beaches were full of seagrass, more turbulent, and not as clear as the Naples Beaches.

We watched and waited for a lift bridge to let a sailboat through. The traffic was heavy in the downtown area so I told Lora to take me to the airport and they could do some sightseeing.

I boarded the flight at 9:30 traveling Flight 4145 Boarding group B 23 one hour and a half flight.

Arrived in Nashville around 11:30PM, hubby picked me up and we rode home.

We stopped at the gas station picked up some snacks and rode home we arrived home around 1:30AM. 

Had a great visiting my daughter and all the places we went to,

2019 May 8, 💐 🌷Visiting the Memphis Botanical Gardens Memphis, Tennessee

Hubby and I had a great time at the Memphis Botanical Gardens.
We did not see a lot of blooming plants, but we saw a lot of interesting plants and animals.
In the Japanese Garden, we walked across the half-moon bridge where we saw turtles and goldfish swimming in Lake Biwa and  Canadian Geese strolling along the banks

Half Moon Bridge in Japanese Gardens 

One of my favorite places was the Prehistoric Plant trail, where we saw a couple of stone dinosaurs in a sandpit where children could climb atop them.
Dotted along the path were signs about Primitive plants, Prehistoric Memphis, Stories in Stone, Flying giants, and Some things change and some things stay the same.

Dinosaur in Sandpit 

In the Urban Garden, we saw the chicken coop, that housed the Blue Buff Columbian Brahmas hens and a rooster.
Also in the Urban Garden were vegetables, blackberries on a trellis, grapevines, and Espalier Fruit Trees (the technique of controlling the growth of trees and shrubs.

Urban Garden

There were booths set up for school children to make things from the countries of  India, China, and Africa.
We saw a mother bird feeding her babies.

Mother birds and babies 

There were many fragrant plants to attract butterflies in the Butterfly Garden with not a butterfly in sight.

Butterfly Garden 

There were orange and red azaleas, blooming Camelias, and purple hydrangeas.
The daffodils were sleeping waiting for next spring.

Dogwood trees in full bloom, huge giant trees reaching for the sky, and small trees where birds could nest.

Bird hiding among leaves

There were water fountains and air-conditioned restrooms throughout the Garden.
We stopped several times just to cool off but hubby was still dripping wet when we arrived at the car.

2018 Dec 4, Trip to Nashville to see Grinch Ice, Gardens Opryland Hotel, & Opry MIlls Nashville, Tennessee

Hubby and I ate lunch at Cracker Barrel Spring Hill.

Hubby ordered a Hamburger, coleslaw, and pinto beans

I ordered a kid's shrimp tarter sauce, and fried apples with cornbread. 

Before entering Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The ice display includes over 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures. 

Everyone must line up to get a blue coat to wear inside because the rooms are kept at 9 degrees Fahrenheit. I wasn't going to get cold! The coat I am wearing here I wore under the blue coat, along with gloves and boots. It was still cold inside, you could not stay long inside.

The Grinch and his sleigh and I bundled up 

Me and the Grinch 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Opryland Gaylord Hotel stopped for a quick picture in front of  Sleigh and Christmas Tree

A quick picture with Trace Adkins

bird of Paradise 

Red Poinsettia 

Purple Orchard

Lots of beautiful flowers throughout the three gardens at the Hotel.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. 

We took our time at Grinch Ice, Three Gardens at Opryland Gaylord Hotel,  and we walked around at Opry Mills.
We ate dinner inside Opry Mill and we did not run into the work traffic on our way home.
We arrived home around 9:30PM.