joshua tree : take one

I finally made my way to Joshua Tree National Park and wow, is it something to see!  I am not really a fan of the desert or the desert landscape (I'm a city girl for sure) but I do enjoy venturing out to see if I can find some beauty and inspiration when possible!  I am always open to new places on this amazing planet!! We had a perfect day in California - 68° in the valley!  Took the trip out to Joshua Tree for sunset - the colors were stunning!  And holy smokes is that park huge!  We never even made it to the cholla cactus garden because it's 34 MILES into the park!  Given that we had no idea where we were going, GPS is non existent there and the sun was setting fast, we decided to stick to the Joshua Trees and a few of the rock formations.  (side note: I had to pick up a sweatshirt because it was a good 30° cooler in the higher elevation - felt like a total rookie!)

Snapped a few photos, but to do this place right, I'd need a lot more time and gear! Really enjoyed it and the warm glow of the sun setting over the desert landscape! 

cloudy magnolia

I spent a day and a half in Charleston before heading to Columbia on business.  Each trip I make I take in a little bit of King Street and a plantation.  This trip was Magnolia Plantation! It's a huge property!  I can't imagine how this place looks in the spring and fall - amazing, I'm sure!  Despite the wintery conditions, I had a great time exploring the grounds.  The house is lovely and I just love how it's positioned within the property.   Hard to believe, but there were still a good number of flowering plants with blooms and berries!  A few statues - though not as many as you would think for such big gardens and a little gazebo. Because every plantation needs a gazebo!

We took a tour that drove us all around the property  - loved our driver, had a very dry sense of humor and would toss out a real zinger that you'd miss if you weren't really listening.  Saw lots of birds, and only one alligator ... only.  Apparently there a LOT on the property (eek!). I'm OK with just one, really OK! Did you know they build those platforms for sunning gators?

They have two lovely bridges - apparently very popular with the weddings they hold on site.  Wouldn't it be lovely to be out there feeling a little Scarlett O'Hara? 

But the MOST impressive part of the plantation are the trees.  H U G E oak trees.  With enormous branches dipping down into the ground and then back up again creating the most graceful arches and leafy canopies.  The trunks of these trees are massive!  

moody skies

I got another row to myself on the plane tonight!  Snapped a few photos as the sun was going down - loved the colors - almost a rainbow at the horizon.  When I was playing with presets in VSCOcam, I went black and white and love how soft the horizon looks that way... what a difference! 

I fly swa

A rare opportunity at having a whole row to myself on todays flight gave me a beautiful view above the clouds!

Lake Murray

Had a client take us out on their boat on Lake Murray tonight.  Man is it beautiful!  Surrounded by pine trees, you can actually smell them after a hot day like today.  Incredible. And they have the perfect lake house - the view from the living room is unbelievable!  So thankful for these kind of opportunities! 

saint louis art museum

A few weeks ago I was in St. Louis visiting my friend Jennifer where we spent the day taking a few of the touristy things I had not done on previous trips.  First up was the Saint Louis Art Museum. They have this beautiful new wing that was just added and house a pretty darn good collection of art! Funny thing when I was telling someone I had been there, they commented on how bad the signage was... Well you know that made my ears perk up.  Come to find out, not the wayfinding signage, but the information about the works of art.  They are very low contrast and are often on backgrounds that match the paint color of the wall.  Now, I know this is because they want to keep from distracting from the art, but it does pose a problem for legibility.  Jennifer and I had spotted magnifying glasses in each of the rooms and thought it was funny ... guess we know what we were supposed to use those for now huh..

coming and going

by train

Have you ever taken Amtrak? I embarked on my first US train trip this past weekend from Chicago to St. Louis - the Lincoln Service.  I was very excited for the adventure - something new and different.  It's about the same amount of time to drive, but so much cheaper!  The price of the round trip ticket is the same as ONE tank of gas in my car.  And, I can get up and move around, read, watch movies and surf on the free wifi!  Win win, right!?!

I took the Metra commuter train from Evanston downtown - stopped in the French Market for yummy snacks.  This was only my second ride on Metra - I would totally take it if I had to commute downtown daily, so much nicer than the L - minus the somewhat bossy ticket guys.  

Walked a few blocks over to Union Station - it's such a beautiful building, but just not well kept.  I feel like it could be so much more!  They have this big amazing grand hall with a few benches in it - nothing else.  It's kind of an appendage to the area where the trains actually queue and depart.  Once you get into that area it's a hot mess!  People with all of their luggage all crammed into one small room with a few super crappy seats.  You REALLY have to listen for your train to be called and they try to pull some folks up first (seniors and business class) and there is no PA system - it's just a guy standing in a door yelling above the crowd. I have to say I was kind of surprised by this whole process.  Train travel has been around for so long, you'd think they would have a perfected system in place.  

I chose to pay for the upgrade to business class ($20 more each way) and I am SO glad that I did.  The business car is spacious, quiet and you get a free USA Today and beverage.  Now that's all superb till there's a delay on the train and the run out of water. So get your beverage early!  And since the car is the first car behind the drive car, you really hear the whistles.  And they are required to blow that thing anytime they cross a intersection.  It's much louder than I would have ever imagined.  

What I did love about train travel is the view!  I sat and took a ridiculous amount of photos - if only the windows had been clean.  I loved seeing little kids standing in their back yard waving at the train, buildings painted with  memorials, corn fields and industry.  

We rolled into St Louis just shy of 11 PM - right on time.  Would I take the train again, yes, I suppose I would.  But still don't think I'd love it for long trips.  It will not replace my air travel, but it was a fun adventure and great alternative to driving myself!!

california bloomin

Some lovelies soaking in the Sonoma sun.

sonoma

We spent our second day in wine country in Sonoma.  I had heard it is far more laid back, but didn't really know what that meant till I got there.  It is far more casual, smaller wineries, less manicured, but just as good!  We shopped in Sonoma Square - adorable shops and tasting rooms all along the square.  Shop.  Taste. Chocolate.  Shop.  Taste.  Lunched at the Red Grape (yummy pizza!) and then over to Ravenswood for another tasting.  And finished with dinner at The Girl and the Fig.  Perfectly lovely day!