Featured image: Daffodils (photo by Cheryl Landes) The 84th annual Daffodil Festival is in full swing in Pierce County, Washington. Today, the grand floral parade visits four cities. This year's parade features more than 180 entries of floats dressed in fresh daffodil petals, bands, and mounted units. Here's the parade schedule: Tacoma – 10:15 a.m. Puyallup – 12:45 p.m. Sumner … Continue reading Celebrate the return of spring at the Daffodil Festival in Tacoma

Photos by Cheryl Landes Updated March 5, 2020 Winter’s record rainfall brought one of the largest desert superblooms in recent memory to southern California. Thousands of flowers started appearing in March at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California’s largest state park covering 640,000 acres northeast of San Diego. Although most of the flowers are tiny, together … Continue reading Winter showers bring spring superbloom to southern California desert

Photos by Cheryl Landes For coffee and cat lovers, the latest rage in the United States is the best of both worlds. Order your favorite caffeinated beverage and carry it into a room that’s best described as a playground for cats. Shelves with pillows and blankets, attached to window sills, give curious cats a panorama … Continue reading Sip coffee, play with kitties in downtown San Diego

Featured image: One of many cute alpacas at the 2017 Alpacapalooza in Ridgefield, Washington this weekend (photo by Cheryl Landes) Alpacas are cute and irresistible. Their big, brown eyes, soft wool, and endless smiles can melt anyone’s heart. This weekend, get up close and personal with these gentle creatures at Alpacapalooza at the Clark County … Continue reading Let the alpacas melt your heart this weekend at Alpacapalooza

Featured image: A giant pillow fight at Columbus Circle in New York City (photo source: International Pillow Fight Day) No foolin'! April 1 is International Pillow Fight Day, and everyone is invited. View the list of cities participating. So, what's this all about? It's part of the growing urban playground movement, where people can gather, have … Continue reading Pillow fight on April 1!

Featured image: A Sumatran tiger enjoys splashing in the pool. (photo courtesy Point Defiance Zoo) Today and tomorrow, the animals at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma are getting special nutrient-rich heart-shaped treats and toys in celebration of Valentine's Day. You're invited to watch and share the love. Here's the schedule, followed by the locations … Continue reading Share the love at Point Defiance Zoo this weekend

Featured image: A leopard at the Oregon Zoo in Portland (photo by Cheryl Landes) According to an article in The Columbian this morning, the Oregon Zoo is offering free admission tomorrow. The Oregon Zoo is located at 4001 SW Canyon Road in Portland. Zoo Lights is open 5-9 p.m. from the day after Thanksgiving through … Continue reading Free admission to the Oregon Zoo on Super Bowl Sunday