The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of nature’s great wonders. The scenic drive starts from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. We began our journey through the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville, North Carolina. The city of Asheville is central to the many scenic lookouts of the Blue Ridge Parkway including the many forests and mountains that surround Asheville like Pisgah National Forest, and about an hour and half from the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains in Cherokee, North Carolina which is where the Blue Ridge Parkway ends. This part of the Blue Ridge Parkway offers many opportunities to see wildflowers in the mountains depending on the time of year of your visit.
photography
An Architectural Wonder Amongst Nature: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater House in Mill Run, PA
If you’re familiar with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, you have already gotten a taste of one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpieces. Fallingwater House in Mill Run, PA, about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh is one of the most serene of his houses. The house is like pieces of Jenga (game of wooden blocks) put together ever so carefully on top of a 30-ft mystical waterfall. Built in 1937, the house was for Mr. and Mrs. Edgar J. Kaufmann, and purposely placed in the forest location over the waterfall because Frank Lloyd Wright wanted his occupants to be close to nature.
Sunset Skyline Photography and Artisan Ice Cream near the Brooklyn Bridge
The neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights is located in South Brooklyn between DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and Red Hook. The harbor front, a photographer’s delight, offers spectacular views of the lower Manhattan Skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. From there you can watch the sun slowly disappear as the sky turns various shades of orange and yellow behind the iconic skyline, and set against the sparkling lights of the high-rise buildings getting ready to greet the dark, night sky.
East Harlem Graffiti Artwork
East Harlem (Spanish Harlem or El Barrio) is known for its famous graffiti artists and their art is displayed in almost every block in this neighborhood of the upper-eastern part of Manhattan. One of the most popular spots is the Graffiti Hall of Fame at the Jackie Robinson Educational Complex playground on East 106th Street and Park Ave. The complex is usually closed except for special events, but you can take pictures from the street level through the fence looking into the playground.
Portland’s Famous Gardens: Rose, Japanese, and Lan Su Chinese
Roses are my favorite flowers and there’s no other place in the United States that you will see so many varieties than in Portland, Oregon (better known as the Rose City). The best way to experience these elegant flowers in all their glory is to take a trip to the International Test Rose Garden. Other famous gardens in Portland include the Portland Japanese Garden and Lan Su Chinese Garden, all which offer great, natural beauty for outdoor photography.
The International Rose Test Garden is the most famous garden in Portland and the best part is it’s free. The garden is located in Washington Park and has approximately 550 varieties of roses. The classic, elegant beauty of the rose comes alive as you take a stroll in this fragrant garden right outside of Portland city. The International Test Rose Garden is also a photographer’s delight with rows and rows of roses of all colors planted in different patterns.
Thuya Garden – Mount Desert Island, Maine
Most people go to Mount Desert Island in Maine to see Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. If you venture out 20 minutes away from Bar Harbor, hidden in Northeast Harbor lies Thuya Garden, a peaceful flower and butterfly sanctuary. The flowers include huge dahlias, sunflowers, and the best part are the butterflies and hummingbirds that fly throughout the garden stopping here or there making you feel like you’re actually in a serene, lively field of green and color somewhere across the world instead of a garden in the middle of Maine.
Easy Trails and Sights of Acadia National Park
I’m not much of a hiker, but if you’re visiting Acadia National Park in Mount Desert Island, Maine you have to do a couple of hikes to see some of the main sights. We chose four of the easy trails: Shore Path, Ocean Path, Jordan Pond, and Cadillac Summit.
La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Animal Eco-Sanctuary – Alajuela, Costa Rica
Just an hour from San Jose, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Animal Eco-Sanctuary is set amidst a lush, tropical rainforest at the foothills of the Poas Volcano in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The natural wonders, flora, and fauna of the eco-park offer lots of photographic opportunities.
La Paz Waterfalls Gardens Waterfall from the Trail (left), La Paz Waterfalls Gardens Flowers (top-right), La Paz Waterfalls Gardens Butterfly Conservatory (bottom-right)
Amalfi Coast Drive (Positano and Pompeii)
I saw pictures of the Amalfi Coast drive, but nothing can prepare you for the views when you are there looking out at the cliffside villas and towns jutting out to the sea. The town of Positano is one of the many towns on the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy, and a few hours from Rome. We were staying in Rome for a few nights as part of our Italian dream vacation, so we thought the best way to squeeze in Positano and the ruins of Pompeii in our itinerary was a one day trip with Walks of Italy.
Vineyards and Monks in Tuscany
When we went to Italy with Grandpa decades ago, we had never heard of Tuscany. During those days, in India we all thought the main tourist cities in Italy were Rome, Venice, and Florence. Of course, now many years later, I was well aware of the famous rolling hills of Tuscany, the region’s food, and the famous wines. Since our Italian dream vacation was for a mere 8 nights during which we were staying 5 nights in Rome, I decided to book a day trip from Rome to Tuscany with City Wonders.
Travel Muse Moumita 