Travel Time!
12 States, 17 Days and a bundle of fun. That’s what is in store for me on my Spring Trip 2026 starting Saturday, April 30.
Along the way I will be stopping at lots of beautiful Botanical Gardens and Arboretums, taking hundreds of pictures to share in the travelogue and blog. I am very excited! Of course, there will be other stops too. Regional food, parks, off beat museums and a few Naional Parks.
I left my car with my daughter in New Hampshire over the winter, so will start out in the south-west corner of the state after getting a new set of tires and some maintenance done. These long driving trips wear down the rubber and drain the liquids! Luckily, its a Toyota so will keep going as long as I do!
This year I am taking a route that winds though Vermont, Upstate New York and Pennsylvania going south, where I will take a detour along the Blue Ridge Parkway. A friend had told me how gorgeous it is and in spring it should be verdant and have wildflowers- Yay! The route runs along the base of the Appalachian Mountains- never seen the area, but have read and heard stories for so many years that it is one of the core regions of America in my mind.
I am hoping to see some of these beauties blooming in the gardens and mountains- Azalea, Rhododendron and Dogwood
At Roanoke, Virginia, I will head west through some of the southern states. Very excited to explore the highlights of Tennessee by spending some time in Gatlinburg, Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. Wow! Music, distilleries, southern comfort food and U of T Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Arboretum are on the list plus many impromptu stops and the Great Smokey Mountains!
Then it’s off to Little Rock, Arkansas to stroll along the mighty Arkansas River and see the sites around town. Little Rock has an interesting Federal Reconstruction Square and is the Home of the William Clinton Library and Museum. My daughter did an internship at the Little Rock Zoo and I had the luck of visiting her there a few years ago. To be in the south is to immersed in a humid, mossy air where snakes swim the waters of the river and grits are a staple on the menu. We had so much fun exploring and I got to see her feed the bears down in the bear cave! That was quite the memorable experience. Lots of science goes into making their meals.
You can’t get back to LA too easily, on the southern route, without crossing some part of Texas. This time I am staying in Amarillo and visiting the Amarillo Botanic Garden- sure to have some real survivors there! Booked into an old time hotel to break the monotony of chain hotels. They all blend together in my mind.
I have some stops planned at Desert Botanic Gardens so will study up on the many forms of barrel Cactus. May is a great time to see some blooms on the cacti.
This trip I get to visit my cousin and her family- a rare treat to find family on my explorations. Best to visit now before we all get so old we can’t remember each other! Just kidding.
She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which has a wonderful old town square in the adobe southwest style. I love it. Going up to Santa Fe too, which is a great town. Probably much changed from the visit that I had there as a child! We took the train and had a sleeper compartment- pretty cool!
Couple of stops in Flagstaff and Lake Havasu then a grand drive through Joshua Tree National Park heading home to the land of concrete, palm trees and rampant bougainvillea. Oh yes, and barking dogs. Will enjoy the peace of the parks while I can. The happy smiling faces of my kids and grandkids, when I return is always the best finale for any trip. Phew! Now to do it all!
Talley Ho and will post some pictures on my return!
