Photos by Cheryl Landes Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood is a beautiful retreat any time of  year. It's a small garden filled with pagodas, bamboo, maple trees, ornamental cherry trees, peonies, and other flowers. All of these surround a pond with lily pads in the center of the garden. I enjoy … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland

Photos by Cheryl Landes I discovered the Yakima Area Arboretum during a travel writing conference two years ago in Yakima, Washington. This 46-acre arboretum on the eastern side of the city has more than 2,000 plant species. It's a nice place to go for a walk, picnic, or to simply relax and enjoy the scenery. … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Yakima Area Arboretum

Photos by Cheryl Landes The Sierra Nevada and and El Paso Ranges converge at Red Rock Canyon State Park, on California State Highway 14 north of Cantil. The park is a colorful, picturesque desert with cliffs, buttes, and rock formations. During a trip to the Antelope Valley to see the California poppies bloom in the … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Red Rock Canyon State Park in California

Photos by Cheryl Landes Old barns and other abandoned buildings are among my favorite photo subjects. The weathered walls, fading and flaking paint, rusty metal roofs, window reflections, and doors create interesting, captivating compositions. While driving in the Antelope Valley to see the California poppies bloom in the spring of 2017, I spotted Bob's Hi-Way … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Bob’s Hi-Way Service

Photos by Cheryl Landes In the spring, about a 90-minute drive northeast of Los Angeles, a thick carpet of California poppies brightens the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Beavertail cactus bloom and Joshua trees bloom in front of the reserve’s visitor center, as well as the Acton encelia and buckwheat at the Kitanemuk Vista Point. … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

Photos by Cheryl Landes Some of the sparsest deserts can have a fantastic show of color in the spring, especially after a winter with enough rainfall. In 2017, the Southern California deserts received record rainfall—a welcome change after five years of drought throughout the state. In March, thousands of flowers started appearing at Anza-Borrego Desert … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Ranunculus in full bloom at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California Photos by Cheryl Landes I discovered The Flower Fields at the Carlsbad Ranch while searching for places to see flowers during the superbloom in Southern California in 2017. Fifty acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers in 13 colors, including a variegated variety called picotee, … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: A stroll through The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California