Tag: Lotusland

4 Garden Getaways in Full Bloom

It’s spring, so garden blooms are getting underway and things are greening up around the country. If you’re looking for inspiration for your own garden-to-be, check out some of these great public gardens in the country.

Thousand Trails Rancho Oso Cabin
Thousand Trails Rancho Oso Cabin

Lotusland (Montecito, California): Stay at Thousand Trails Rancho Oso and take the trip into Montecito to visit the 37 acres of lush gardens that were part of Polish opera singer Madame Ganna Walska’s residence. Walska purchased the estate in 1941 and lovingly created and curated the gardens for the next 43 years. The different gardens showcased here are definitely unique and include the Bromeliad Gardens, the Aloe Garden, and the Cactus Garden. The best time to visit Lotusland (lotusland.org) is summer for the lotus flowers and April through June for the roses.

Cabin at Spring Gulch Camping Resort
Cabin at Spring Gulch Camping Resort

Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania): From formal gardens to open, forest meadows, Longwood Gardens would be the choice when planning a stay at Spring Gulch Resort Campground, our Pennsylvania Dutch Country location with great glamping choices that include lodge, chalet or cottage accommodations. Longwood Gardens was originally a Quaker farmstead and later the estate of industrialist Pierre S. du Pont. There are over 1000 acres of outdoor gardens here, plus centuries’ old trees, scenic vistas and the Italian Water Garden designed by du Pont himself. Crocus and tulip blooms welcome visitors in the spring while the Norway maple trees blaze brightly come fall. For information and special event details, visit longwoodgardens.org.

Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden (Key West, Florida): Book a Keys glamping at adventure Encore Fiesta Key or Encore Sunshine Key and head to Key West to take in this 15.2 acre native garden and forest complete with boardwalks and nature trails nestled in the sunny Florida Keys. What makes this native plant botanical garden unique is that it is the only frost-free, subtropical, natural conservation habitat with three fresh-water ponds in the continental United States. Plus, dogs are welcome here! In addition to the “champion trees” found here, the garden is all great for birding as well as butterflies and blooming flowers. There are two butterfly gardens plus a waterfall wall where you can see turtles in their natural habitat.

Cottage at Greys Point Camp in Topping, VA
Greys Point Camp in Topping, VA

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Henrico, Virginia): This beautiful garden in Virginia is celebrating 40 years this year and to recognize that milestone a special program, “Flourish: 40 Years and Growing” will feature events all year long which include concerts and children’s and adult activities. Plan a glamping getaway at Grey’s Point Camp and you are less than 70 miles from the Gardens. Visitors will enjoy a dozen themed gardens plus an historic domed conservatory when exploring Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden that guarantees blooms all year!

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Five Things To Do In…Santa Barbara

Scenic Santa Barbara offers beautiful landscapes, magnificent sunsets and many great things to do while visiting the “American Riviera.”

Santa Barbara, California, is rich in history – from the Chumash Indians who inhabited this coastal area more than 6,000 years ago, to the Spanish soldiers and missionaries who came in the 1700s, to the silent film industry that made Santa Barbara the hot spot for film production in the early 1900s. (Humble brag: many silent film stars frequented Rancho Oso, including Charlie Chaplin! Rancho Oso features teepees, safari tents, covered wagons, and cozy cabins.)

Today, Santa Barbara remains a hot spot – but now its about the beautiful landscape, the magnificent sunsets and all the great things to do here in the “American Riviera!” Here are just five don’t miss things to do in SB:

  1. Visit Chumash Painted Cave Historic Park: At this small park outside of Santa Barbara, visitors can view actual cave paintings created by the Chumash Indians thousands of years ago using a palette created from earth pigments including charcoal and limonite. Located inside a cave in the Santa Ynez Mountains, the drawings are protected by a grate so viewing may be during daylight hours.

    Chumash_PaintedCave
    Chumash Painted Cave Historic Park outside of Santa Barbara.
  2. The Old Mission in Santa Barbara was founded in 1786 and is one of the longest, continuously operating missions in California. The church that currently stands is actually the fourth built here and was constructed between 1815 to 1820. Its classic Greco-Roman design is said to be taken from the style of the architect Vitruvius, whose Roman structures date to 27 BC. Several different tours of the Mission can be taken that include both self-guided and docent-guided – check out santabarbaramission.org for details.
  3. Bask in the beauty of the gardens of Lotusland – a 37-acre estate of the late opera singer Madame Ganna Walska that contains 25 distinct gardens open to the public. The gardens were designed to always have something in bloom year-round, but if you’re specifically interested in the lotuses, visit in July and August. LotusFest! 2020 is currently planned for June 28.

    Water Garden at Lotusland
  4. Does anyone remember the 2004 Oscar-nominated film Sideways about a guys’ road trip to Santa Barbara wine country? If you’re a fan of the film, or a just a fan of the wine, you can follow the itinerary of the film’s main characters by downloading “Sideways-The Map” from santabarbara.com. Or, you can just choose to take one of many wine tours offered in Santa Barbara that include a Cupcake and Wine tour (our favorite!), a Wine and Bike Tour, or the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Tour. Visit www.winetours-santabarbara.com for all the fun details.

    Wine tours are a popular choice across Santa Barbara vineyards, along with hiking trails along the Santa Ynez mountains.
  5. Get Out and Hike: the weather is almost always accommodating for a lovely day hike in Santa Barbara and planetware.com has very nicely put together a quick list of 10 Top-Rated hikes (www.planetware.com/california/santa-barbara-hiking-trails-us-ca-72.htm) for some ideas. Inspiration Point, while rocky and steep, is considered a moderate hike, and hikers say is worth the view. If you want a glimpse of the harbor seals at the Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary, consider hiking the flat trail at the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve. A pup-friendly trail would be Rattlesnake Trail. Shaded, thanks to the oaks and sycamore trees, the trail provides great views and is also popular with birders!

Western cabins at Rancho Oso in Santa Barbara, CA.

While working your way through this list of things to do in Santa Barbara, be sure to double up on fun by staying in a teepee, covered wagon, safari tent, or cozy cabin at Rancho Oso! You’ll also have the opportunity to do some horseback riding, right onsite.