Hershey Gardens: The Beautiful Place We Explored in 2015

One of the most memorable place we  explored during our  summer road trip in Hershey PA was the beautiful Hershey Gardens.  According to the history of this garden, Milton Hershey  requested to  create a nice garden of roses which led to its opening in 1937.  Over the  years, the small rose garden has blossomed into 23 acres of botanical beauty that offers the  visitors  a very  satisfying experience.

 I can remember how hot it was when we  spent our last day of vacation at this garden but it was relaxing at the same time.  Hershey Gardens features a breathtaking assortment of flowers and shrubs, a stately collection of rare, signature trees, and various programs designed to delight visitors of all ages.

 You will sure feel  indulgent as   your senses explore the different  colors and variety of their  brilliant seasonal displays.  I love the  themed gardens which includes the indoor, tropical Butterfly Atrium and the  the hands-on Children’s Garden.

 I love gardening so I could never get enough  looking at each  flowers and plants that they have there. 

 The Children's garden has a lot of  beautiful displays.

 The garden of roses smells so good and it was beautiful as every rose were in full bloom.

 The water fountain in the middle of the garden is a great feature too.

 I also love that  when they cut this tree, they did not dig out the roots but used it instead as a planter.

I enjoy our time in the gardens more than  the time we spent in the Hershey Park.  I thought it was the great way to end our short weekend getaway in Hershey, PA.

Ships and Aircraft Display at Buffalo and Erie Military Park

Everyone has a preference when it comes to parks and recreation.  We specifically like military parks like the one we  we went to in Pensacola Florida and Corpus Cristi, Texas.  The recent one we visited is the Buffalo and Erie Military Park in Buffalo, New York.  Among the ships that were on the display include the  USS Little Rock, USS The Sullivans, and USS Croaker.  The ships in the park remain property of the United States Navy which inspects them annually.

Along with the ships, there are variety of smaller vehicles, vessels, and aircraft that are also on display at the park. These include the following:

1. Gyrodyne X-Ron 1 Rotorcycle one-man helicopter used by the US Marine Corps in the late fifties and early sixties,
2. An Army M41 Walker Bulldog tank used in the Korean War,
3. A Marine M-84 Armored personnel carrier,
4. A UH-1 Huey flown in Vietnam,
5. An Air Force F-101 Voodoo flown by the New York Air National Guard's 136th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
6. A Nasty-class Fast Patrol Boat (PTF) used by the Navy in Vietnam,
7. A Navy FJ Fury (FJ-4) jet (equivalent to the Air Force's F-86 Sabre), and
8. A USAAF P-39 Airacobra manufactured at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo which saw service in World War II.
9. The sail and rudder of the submarine USS Boston are also on display here.

In 1976 the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency and the Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park requested the United States Department of the Navy to supply a decommissioned naval vessel to construct a naval park. The Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock and the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans were part of the original display. In 1988 the Gato-class submarine USS Croaker was added. In 1989 Croaker underwent a refit. - 

On December 16, 2017 USS Little Rock (LCS-9) was commissioned at the park alongside its namesake USS Little Rock (CG-4). The commissioning was the first time a United States Naval vessel was commissioned alongside its namesake. 

Pictures were taken by me.  Information source is wikipedia.org

I wish we have a big military park like this in our area. The only memorial park dedicated to the service members here is a display of old equipment but then again, our  city small.  We do however a lot of veterans that came from this area and we have so many display of their names on designated places.

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Had a mini date with my husband. I appreciate every little things we do together, it’s hard to find time but we take every opportunity we are given. Even just walking in the park, working out in the gym, or have a dinner together when the kids are with their friends, is precious to me. #relationship #marriage #CoupleGoals💑 #Dating

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jan 7, 2019 at 9:48am PST

How To Plan A Weekend Getaway

Stress is almost guaranteed in life, but too much of it can have serious negative effects. A weekend getaway may be just the thing you need to reduce tension and recharge so that you are ready to face the next work week. Arranging a mini-vacation, however, may not be as easy a task as it seems on the surface. Here are some tips to make sure that the getaway doesn't become just one more stress to add to your list.

Set a Budget

Your trip shouldn't break the bank. That certainly won't help you relax! Before you start planning, you need to know how much you can spend. As you make decisions about where to go and what to do, decide how much you want to spend on each item as well. There are several online travel budgeting tools that help make sure you're not forgetting anything.

Choose a Destination

Decide where you want to go. What scenario do you picture when you think of relaxation? Is it Beavers Bend Broken Bow Cabins in the woods? Is it a bungalow on a beach? It may be helpful to consider how you would like to spend your time while you're there. If, for example, you want to commune with nature, consider the season and choose a destination where the weather is likely to cooperate with your plans.

Tie Up Loose Ends

You don't want to spend your whole weekend thinking about that report due to your boss on Monday morning. Finish everything you can before you leave for your trip. Answer all the important messages in your inbox. You may even find it helpful to tidy up your home a bit so that you can rest knowing you're coming back to a clean house. Do your best not to leave with a pressing to-do list.

Leave Worries at Home

Once you've cleared out your scheduled tasks, it's time to clear out the things that weigh down your mind. The whole point of a getaway is, in fact, to get away. This includes a preoccupation with any ongoing worries. If you try to leave them at home while you take your trip, you may be surprised to find that they have disappeared completely when you return.

You don't always need a two-week vacation to refresh. Planning a fun weekend away in a relaxing location can help you relieve stress and return to your daily life with renewed vigor.

Garden Of Africa at Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park

I promised to  feature the rest of the European garden  at the Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park on my next post, so here it is.  Although the park is long and narrow, you will notice as you go on from the parking lot to  the main park that this ain't your ordinary park, it will lead you to different worlds and cultures. The park has different areas that represent each of the continents, I did not see Antartica but I must have missed it if there is. Each continent’s section has sculptures and live plants that represents that area of the world.

The funding for this park  is well worth it for  generations to enjoy.

All of the areas gives a person or families to enjoy a  summer picnic.  Whether you plan to just go for a walk, jog, or enjoy an afternoon stroll with your dog, this area is perfect for all of that.  I think the most fascinating feature of this  park is the Mirrored German Sculpture, it is really a must see.

The most relaxing part for me was  this grassland area surrounded by tall blowing grasses reminiscent of the African Savannah. 

This area reminds me of my childhood.  We have a similar grass which we called "talahib", a grass that was used initially for roofing and  broom back in the day.

Places like this really bring joy to my heart.  I remember how happy I was exploring the Spring Garden at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.  I find it fascinating to learn the different uses of plants.

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Once again I can boost that the Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park is a great family friendly place to go. It doesn't cost you anything to explore as it  is free and parking is available in an adjacent lot.  It's an educational place to explore with the whole family.  You get to learn  some parts of the world by reading all the infos available in the park.

In with New and Out with Old

The weather temperature has reached 2 degrees this morning.  Our car's engine would not start  so my husband was not able to go to work.  I am glad that my kids are off from school in lieu of the  Martin Luther King's day.

I was able to do some cleaning done early this morning and replaced some of the old throw pillows with the new ones in our living room couches.  Hubby thinks I am obsessed with pillows since I always buy some whenever I see something that I like.  Anyway, I put away some of the old ones that I use during holidays. 

 Our family room's theme is Asian so to tie it with the  living room look, we bought this accent chair.

 Last year's winter affected some of my indoor plants but this year, they seem to be doing  alright.  Some of them are well-established  now that even though the heater is on, the plants doesn't mind.  The big window in our living room  helps the plants to catch some sunlight.

 On another note, I finally succeeded in growing  orchid.  I have been trying for years  but it always end up dying.  Orchids reminds me of my Mom because  she has different varieties of orchids at her home.  I wanted to grow some so I could  look at it every time I miss my Mom who live so far away from me.

I bought the orchid above last summer and I am so happy to see it bloom this winter.  I also found the one below on clearance at Lowe's a couple of weeks ago.  It was wilted already and very dry but I though I could give it a try since it was only $3 so if it dies, not a big loss.  The cashier  even asked me if I have a green thumb, she didn't think this will survive.  I'm happy to say that it is alive and looking very healthy, it just need some watering and of course TLC.

I think my indoor plants have finally adopted to the  temperature, all of them are looking good.  Daughter accidentally dropped this succulent and the pot broke so I used the chipped tea cup for it.

 Another plant that I am obsessing is succulents but so far I have no luck with it.  The only one that seems to do good and like my care is the jade, it never disappoint me.  Everytime, I do some cutting and plant it in a new pot, it continue to grow.

 This zamioculcas plant was also on clearance at Lowe’s. It’s normally more than ten bucks so I don't buy it but I got it for $3 so let the fun begin, hopefully it survive.

 Most of my indoor plants are purchased on sale.  I love the satisfactory feeling when I can revive a plant that is almost dead like this mini palm.

 This peace lily is now blooming.

 I bought different kinds of succulents last summer but this is the only surviving one.

 Mighty pineapple is standing tall and proud, hopefully it blooms soon so I can show my children how the crown of the pineapple that we planted becomes one new plant like this.

 My calamondin tree wilted  a little bit when I brought it inside the house but glad it is now slowly coming back to life.