Norfolk Botanical Garden | Summer 2017

Hello Everyone!
   The first post of the summer and I went to the Botanical Garden in Norfolk, VA. The day was super hot and unfortunately I got a sunburn on our visit. Plus a few mosquitos had a great time eating my legs...but we still had a great time!
   We started in the rose garden, the largest rose garden on the east coast, 3 acres big, there was so many colors. Running along side the roses was a small river and a pretty stone bridge with vines.

The rose garden

   We made our way down a wood planked path, running along the lake, that had native plants and tons of lillies. It was a short walk till we arrived at the butterfly house. At the botanical garden they are breeding many types of butterflies that they plan to release later this summer.

The butterfly house

   Everywhere you go in the garden is surrounded by water. We took a small detour, while in the azalea forrest, and found the cutest little pink flower growning on the edge of the lake.

   After our long walk through the forrest we finally made it to the Japanese garden. The Japanese section was my absolute favorite part, I've never been to one, and the lotus plants were gorgeous! We took a small break at the cafe and had a smoothie, before seeing the tropical greenhouse.

Huge staghorn ferns!

Crab apples

Raspberries

   Surprisingly there are a lot of fruits at the garden: blueberries, raspberries, limes, pomegranates, strawberries, and crab apples.

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D.C. Food and Fall Leafs

Hi Everyone!
   What does one do while exploring D.C.? Eat good food obviously! From donuts to breakfast banh mi sandwich, my mom and I had a lot of delicious treats :)

   On our first day we had a cup of chedder broccoli soup and a buffalo chicken sandwich from Potbelly's.

   I was craving a donut, so we went to District Donut! A hipsterish donut shop located in Georgetown, across the street from Georgetown Cupcake. I had a apple cider donut, my favorite, and my mom had a vanilla donut. I also had a cup of lavender earl grey tea to accomplany it. Since it was later in the day, they gave us a donut for free during donut "happy hour" :)

"Show us your dough face!"- their hashtag

   We ducked into an Italian grocery store, just for fun, it had some really cool things and beautiful cookies.

Macarons for days!

Wax sealed fudge! Super cool!

   Right next to our hotel was an amazing bakery called Bread Furst. This place was the deffinition of what a bakery should be. It was full of freshly baked sweets, a varitey of different breads, special breakfast foods and LOTS of hungry people! We ordered a brakfast banh mi sandwich which was one of the best things I've ever eaten, seriously, it was that good. And of course some loafs of raisen walnut bread and mini apple pies to take home. I got a pumpkin muffin with actual huge chunks of pumpkin in it! The best pumpkin muffin ever ;)

The pumpkin muffins!

   And lastly. look at these super vibrant fall leafs! lol. I collected a few leafs while we were at the park ;)

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United States Botanic Garden!

Hi Everyone!
   It's been awhile, since summer actually, but I have a lot to show you. My mom just visited me for a week and a half and we went on so many adventures. Again I went back up to Washington D.C., my 4th time since moving to Virginia, it was my mom's first time exploring the city. Besides checking out the monuments we really wanted to see the U.S. Botanical Garden! I took a lot of pictures. Everything was so beautiful, like, extremely beautiful.

The garden is sectioned into different climates and regional plantlife. The largest room is the Tropics: full of plants with gigantic leafs. There is a canopy walk that circles around the upper level of the room. My camera started to fog up instantly because of the humidy and I needed to take off my jacket!

The canopy walk

My momma!

The desert room

a starfish?

bananas!

There was a lot of art students drawing there and I was so jealous lol. I really wanted to sit and draw too but we had limited time and a lot more planned to see! Next time for sure ;) 

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Grandview Nature Preserve

Hello Everyone,

   I was doing some research of the beaches in my surrounding area, trying to find a nice place to hunt for sea glass. My husband and I drove about 20-30mins to a beach that was located on a nature preserve. Upon arriving, we parked by the entrance for the trail that leads to the beach, which is actually in a residental neighborhood! The trail cuts right through a swamp marsh, with lots of tall grass on either side and a few wooden sitting benches. In the morning heat the cicadas were already humming and chirping, singing, as dragonflies darted about. 

The trail had lots of small rocks!

   Eventually the trail became more sandy as we got closer to the ocean :)

The first glimce of the ocean!

   You can't tell by the pictures but the beach was covered in sea shells! I collected some really beautiful shells and a passing stranger asked if I was collecting sea glass, which I responed yes and she handed me some pieces she found! Amongst the sea shells, other forms of sea life can be found: jellyfish, horseshoe crabs, and some red spieces of algae(I think).

Be careful where you step! 

Not coral. The texture is very soft and flexiable.

   It was one of the most beautiful, private, beaches I've ever been too and I can't wait to return :)

   And on a side note, that same stranger from before gave me more sea glass as we were leaving! So nice of them.

    Thanks for Reading!