Photos by Cheryl Landes I discovered the Santa Ysabel Asistencia during a trip to see the superbloom in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in 2017. It's an hour's drive northeast of San Diego (53 miles). The original mission was founded nearby on September 20, 1818 as a outpost for the Mission San Diego, when Padre … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Santa Ysabel Asistencia
Photos by Cheryl Landes Joshua Tree National Park, about an hour's drive from Palm Springs, California, spans two deserts: the Mojave and Colorado. It's a stark landscape carved by strong winds and occasional heavy rainfall. Despite its location, the deserts are full of life. Grasses, cactus, yucca, lichen, and other plants thrive, as well as … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Joshua Tree National Park
Photos by Cheryl Landes The San Diego Botanic Garden is one of my accidental discoveries during a business trip to San Diego. While driving I-5 South, I saw an exit sign for the garden and stopped to explore for a few hours. The San Diego Botanic Garden opened in 1970 in Encinitas, California, a half-hour … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: San Diego Botanic Garden
Photos by Cheryl Landes A drive to the Oregon Garden takes some effort, but the fifty-minute drive south of Portland is worth it. On the way, you'll see the farmlands of the Willamette Valley and the bountiful variety of crops that grow there. The 80-acre botanical garden, located at a luxurious resort, is open to … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Spring at the Oregon Garden in Silverton
Photos by Cheryl Landes Kubota Garden, a hidden gem of beauty and history in of South Seattle, is my favorite garden in the city. It's the work of Fujitaro Kubota, a self-taught gardener who immigrated from Japan to Seattle in 1907. He dreamed of creating gardens that showcased the Northwest in a Japanese manner. In … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Spring at Kubota Garden in Seattle
Photos by Cheryl Landes The 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum is on the shore of Lake Washington in Seattle's University District. The arboretum is managed by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the City of Seattle. Trails wind through seven themed gardens, from Azalea Way to the Japanese Garden. On today's tour, we'll spend the … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: A spring walk in Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle
Photos by Cheryl Landes Lakewold Gardens in University Place, south of Tacoma, is a horticulturist's haven. A historic estate, the name of the gardens originate from a Middle Eastern term meaning lakewoods. The estate overlooks a lake and is a beautiful place to wander rain or shine. Unlike many gardens in the Pacific Northwest, Lakewold … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Lakewold Gardens
Shemekia Copeland sings at the 2019 Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon. Photos by Cheryl Landes So many festivals are cancelling or postponing this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm now seeing cancellations through July. The Waterfront Blues Festival was among the first July events to cancel this year. Organizers announced the move shortly … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland
Photos by Cheryl Landes Hendricks Park, Eugene's oldest park, is a beautiful retreat at the northern end of the 12-mile Ridgeline Trail near the heart of the city and the University of Oregon campus. This 80-acre forest of Douglas fir trees contains world-renowned rhodendron and native plant gardens. Trails wind through the gardens, attracting walkers … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Hendricks Park Rhododendron Garden in Eugene
Photos by Cheryl Landes Art is everywhere and can be created anywhere. Take the beach. The sand is like one giant canvas waiting for someone to create. It could be a human drawing an image, someone writing a message, or a dog making a trail or other patterns with her paws as she runs and … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Circles in the Sand
Tabby Cat's Pawprints 