ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them. Giants. The world's most colossal fish is a shark. The only whale sharks in U. S. captivity live in the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Despite their membership in the shark family, they are filter feeders that eat plankton. They're rather harmless to humans, which still doesn't lessen their... Continue Reading →
I thought I'd seen almost all the interesting orchids there were to see. I'd been to several world-class botanical gardens, each with very fine orchid specimens. When I walked into the Fuqua Orchid Center of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, I knew from the outset that the collection was exceptional. What I saw was only a portion of... Continue Reading →
In the shady part of the Bellevue Demonstration Garden is the frame of a chair that adds a little unexpected whimsy. And, right around the corner is the children's garden featuring a small plot fit for tiny—really tiny—people. Elves?
While no one would ever mistake the climate in the Seattle area for Mexico or the Southwest, or eastern Washington even, King County Master Gardeners are intent on proving that chiles can grow quite successfully in our climate. True, they will never develop the legendary heat of Hatch chiles, but it is possible for our gardens to produce... Continue Reading →
The day was perfect for exploring at Cape Kiwanda. From the rocky shore, it's natural to look out to sea.
Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose has found a home in the most unlikely of places in McMinnville, Oregon, housed in the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, having made its way from southern California. Originally built as a World War II transport aircraft, made entirely of wood, it retains the record of having the longest wingspan (almost... Continue Reading →
Along the Grove of the Patriarchs in Mount Rainier National Park, there is a fallen old growth Douglas Fir that is easily hundreds of years old. To me, its most remarkable characteristic is a fantastic burl that looks very much like a bubbling mud pool.
The North Cascades Highway has many jaw-dropping spectacles, but none more dramatic than the glacier-carved Liberty Bell pinnacle that anchors the hairpin turn on Washington SR 20. This photo was taken from the Washington Pass Overlook.
The first time my wife and I stayed at Sun Mountain Lodge over a decade ago, there were abundant wildflowers on the trails nearby. In spots, they were so profuse that the ground was covered with them. It was an experience that stayed in my memory, one only matched by the wildflower displays on the Big... Continue Reading →
With their reddish and crackled bark, ponderosa pines are easy to identify in Eastern Washington. There are many along the hiking trails around Sun Mountain Lodge, up in the mountains above Winthrop. Normally growing straight and tall, this one, on what I believe is called One Tree Hill, has been subjected to the punishing forces... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 