Because I never got around to a proper newsletter last spring, I have a lot of catching up to do, in terms of the trips we took this year.
Last winter, we briefly visited our beloved Savannah and Darien, GA. Like 2015, we attended the bluegrass festival again in Asheville, NC, an area we’ve come to love. After the festival, with no real itinerary (our favorite way to travel is to wing it), we drove around the curve of the Southern Appalachians to Chattanooga, TN, then straight down I-65 in Alabama, a state I had never visited. I was surprised how hilly it is, even as far down as Montgomery.
In Birmingham, we stopped for the night and called my friend, Steve Bender, the garden editor at Southern Living magazine. As luck would have it, Steve was in town and graciously gave us a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the corporate offices and test kitchens. It was a highlight of our trip.
On the road again, towards Mobile, we decided to take a detour. Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, had just passed away, and we wanted to pay our respects, so we drove over to Monroeville, her hometown, to check it out. She had just been buried the day before, so after some internet research (while in the car, in the middle of a pouring rainstorm), we found the location of the graveyard and drove through it several times, having a hard time finding the grave and almost giving up—then, on the last loop we were giving ourselves, we found it. I’m glad we were able to put a stone on top of the Lee family gravestone.
Mobile was next. It’s a beautiful city, much like a mini New Orleans (and the home of the first Mardi Gras, we were told), and a good place to stay for a few days and explore. I would say the highlights for us were Bellingrath Gardens (I’ve always wanted to visit, as I believe my grandparents sent a postcard from there, when I was a child, and I remembered it), the Firehouse Museum (fascinating), and the seafood.
After our Alabama trip, it was back to Wilmington, NC, my winter hangout, until it was time to come home for spring season.
Summer brought an educational and delightful tour of Richmond gardens, with my colleagues from the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers. I love these tours, because one of the ways we designers hone our craft is by visiting other gardens (something which I do constantly, throughout the year, as you all know very well).
In August, we visited California. Our first week was spent in San Diego, with our dear Aubrey and Jorge, and their two children, Julian and Avery. We hung out, went to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, the waterpark…it is so much fun to be with little kids, because you get to see things through their eyes and remember how you once saw things, too.
On our way up the coast, we stopped for one night in L.A. to attend a concert by Gregory Alan Isakov. It was heartfelt and moving performance. Later, as we walked along Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, looking at the stars on the pavement, we ran right into—literally, yep, you guessed it—Gregory Alan Isakov. It was fun to chat and see the artist off-stage and outside his element. What a talent.
Hearst Castle was our first stop up the coast. We were lucky—a few days later, it was closed to prepare for the possibility of a fire, which was burning close-by. The fires in California were dreadful this year. We saw them burning in Big Sur, off to the east of the Central Valley, and east of L.A., towards San Bernardino.
No drive up the California coast is complete without a stop to see the sunset, Carmel, and Monterey, and we saw all three.
Two nights in San Francisco were next on the itinerary. Since Steve hadn’t visited San Francisco, I gave him the penny walking tour—11 miles in total, in a day!!—from the Marina, down Lombard Street (the “Crooked Street”) to Coit Tower; through North Beach and Chinatown to downtown; then up Market Street, up and down the hills and through the neighborhoods, including The Haight, to Golden Gate Park. After a drink and dinner in the Castro district, we took an Uber ride back to the hotel, and slept early and well that night!
Our next adventures were in three national parks (to celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary this year). We stayed for a night and hiked in Yosemite National Park—magnificent!!!—then went on down to King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, to commune with the giant Sequoias. There really are no words to describe the trees (other than they are the size of buildings!)… you really have to see, feel, and experience their majesty in person.
I never realized the extent of the agriculture in the Central Valley, which we experienced as we drove back down to L.A. For miles, as far as the eye can see, are groves, fields and vineyards. Once we arrived back in L.A., we spent a week with our dear and old friends, Jeff and Kathy, who both showed us a week of the best a host and hostess can offer. It was back to D.C. and the real world from there, after our spectacular West Coast trip.
This fall, I got to witness the marriage of our dear friends, Zach and Carrie (they own our favorite guesthouse, Open Gates, in Darien, GA). They know how to throw a party!! Seems like the entire town turned out, and it was great fun.
The highlight of this fall was my 40th high school reunion. As many of you know, I attended T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA (“Remember the Titans”). I was able to reciprocate to my friends, Jeff and Kathy, their gracious hospitality in Los Angeles (Jeff and I grew up together and have been best friends since; we graduated from T.C.W. together). I knew the reunion would be fun, but I had no idea it would be as fun as it was—three days of renewing old friendships, reminiscing, and sharing the lives my classmates and I have lived for the last forty years. What a weekend.
On top of it all, we were lucky enough to be able to welcome guests from Darien, Los Angeles, and Hampton, VA, this year, and look forward to many houseguests next year.
2017 brings my participation in the International Garden Bloggers Fling—my garden will be on the tour next June. I have already starting preparing my garden. I am looking forward to it!
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