field trip — pleasure in simple things

Tag: field trip

harkness memorial state park

August

Today, I am sharing a few photos from my walk around Harkness Memorial State Park. The park is the home of Eolia, the former summer mansion purchased in 1907 by the Harkness family, set on over 230 seaside acres in Waterford, Connecticut.

Never having been to the park, my goal for my first visit was to explore the gardens on both the east and west lawns as well as the Alpine rock garden.

And, as it happened, the facility was being set up for a wedding on the afternoon I chose to visit, so I did not venture inside the mansion itself.

I hope you enjoyed a few photos of my walk around Harkness Memorial State Park. If you should be in the area, it is definitely worth a visit and the park is easily accessed from I-95.

The 200+ acres were left to the state of Connecticut in 1950; becoming a part of the state park system in 1952. The park is open from 8:00 am to sunset all year long and entrance only requires a minimal parking fee.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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shakespeare’s garden in brookfield, ct

June

My friends have been holding out on me! They have just recently shared what is currently one of my favorite nurseries!

Shakespeare’s Garden in Brookfield, Connecticut now joins a list that includes places like White’s Flower Farm and Terrain.

What makes a great nursery? For me, three important criteria! First, and foremost, creativity! The plants need to be presented in a beautiful way…with creative, imaginative, and even innovative added to the mix!

Of course, plants can easily be purchased at a local grocery or warehouse store. So, for a nursery to become a favorite means the plants aren’t just offered for sale, but are displayed in a creative way.

The second way to become a favorite is to have plenty of unique containers for plantings. Vintage pieces or repurposed items used as planters are an example. I’m looking for containers that help create an organic look or enhance the beauty of the planting it contains.

The third criteria is for the nursery to employ a knowledgeable staff. I want to be able to ask a question about caring for a particular plant or about the habit of a perennial I am purchasing and be confident I am getting an educated response.

Those are my top three. The bonus number four for me is a great gift shop! Finding some unique and aesthetically beautiful items for sale is always a plus!

Because Shakespeare’s Garden checked all the boxes for me – including the bonus item (!) – I am including some photos I took on my visit for today’s Friday field trip.

I hope they have inspired you in some way! Shakespeare’s Garden is worth a visit if you are in commuting distance.

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember take pleasure in simple things – like visiting a favorite nursery! xo Jackie

P.S. If you go, remember to say hello to Romeo – the resident cat.

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an alligator encounter

March

A recent work trip to Florida gave me the opportunity to see an alligator close up! I have been to Florida before, but never really got the chance to check one out.

The first one I saw in the wild looked like this:

Creepy looking, isn’t it? Then, I got the chance to hear a little about alligators and their habits at a sanctuary from someone that actually handles the alligators…and, this was one of the monsters he handles!

I found this guy really fascinating! He looked so prehistoric! Look at the surface of his body up close!

Now, look how ‘up close’ the handler got!

Yikes! I would never get close to that one! But, I did touch one of the smaller ones…of course it wasn’t possible for the one I touched to open his jaw the way the big one did!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my first alligator encounter on today’s Friday field trip!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pippi longstocking house

February

You heard my recent trip to Amelia Island left little leisure time. But, I did get to see 3 items of particular interest while I was there. The first was the oldest lighthouse in Florida. Granted, I saw it from a distance, but I DID see it! I wish I had the opportunity to visit it, but tours were not offered on a daily basis and, even if I had the free time, the tour wasn’t available on the day I spotted the lighthouse from afar.

The 2^nd item of interest was the oldest bar in Florida. I can’t say I went inside, but I did see it! I heard the Bloody Mary’s were quite a spectacle – adorned with a skewer that included a shrimp and a hush puppy!

Lastly, and the most interesting to me, the third item of interest was the Pippi Longstocking house. In 1988, the original Pippi story by children’s author Astrid Lindgren, was made into a movie, “The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking” which was filmed entirely on Amelia Island, Florida.

Most of the movie was filmed on Centre Street, in the quaint historic downtown Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island’s only city. The ice cream shop in the movie was actually the oldest saloon in Florida that I mentioned above!

The setting of much of the book and the movie was in Pippi’s dilapidated fictional house, the ‘Villa Villekulla.’ Though in the movie the house looked unkempt, disheveled, and badly in need of a fresh coat of white paint, the present state of the movie house looked a little different. You can see that the weathered white clapboards so prominently featured in the film are currently an olive green siding!

Even if you hadn’t been a Pippi fan, the 146 year old house was something to see – known for having a wider variety of gingerbread motifs, such as sunbursts, fish scales, clovers, brackets, globes, scallops, circles, diamonds, and Maltese crosses than any other in Fernandina Beach, according to a historic museum tour guide.

If you have an interest in the Amelia Island or in the book Pippi Longstocking, you may want to watch the 1988 film “The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking” described as a fantasy musical with a cast that included Eileen Brennan, Dick Van Patten and John Schuck.

Thanks for stopping by Friday field trip to Villa Villekulla!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things…like reading a favorite children’s story! Jackie xo

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the woman behind the man

October

A recent work trip to Texas gave me the opportunity to visit the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum in Austin.

I had never before been to a presidential library and always thought of them as archives and not necessarily something I wanted to visit. I found out in Texas that I was wrong on that thought. The LBJ library was not just archives – though there was plenty of that, all stored neatly and expansively in red covered boxes.

In addition to the traditional archives, the building is a storehouse of memorabilia and artifacts, interactive displays, replicas, and presidential telephone recordings – all exquisitely displayed. Quite honestly, regardless of party affiliation or political beliefs, this historical record of Lyndon Baines Johnson, our 36th president, is fascinating!

lbj-white-house-pleasure-in-simple-things-blog

The Oval Office from 1963 to 1969, when LBJ served as president.

I enjoyed my entire visit, but my favorite part of my tour was the top floor where all the former first lady’s artifacts were on display. Mrs. Johnson – Lady Bird – was an amazing woman.

portrait-of-lady-bird-johnson-pleasure-in-simple-things-blog

A portrait of Lady Bird Johnson at the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin, Texas

On Friday field trip today, I am sharing a couple of my favorite photos from my visit to the museum. The trip created a new motivation to try and visit all of the presidential libraries! I even picked up a ‘passport’ that I can use to document my visits to each of the 13 libraries!

lady-birds-office-pleasure-in-simple-things-blog

Lady Bird’s office during the time she worked on the LBJ Library & Museum.

If you want to learn more about Lady Bird, I highly recommend a great recent nonfiction book (that reads very much like a fiction) titled Lady Bird and Lyndon: The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President by Betty Boyd Caroli.

Another recent title you might also enjoy if former first ladies are of interest to you is First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower.

The outside of the LBJ Library and Museum on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a marvelous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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laguna beach!

June

I recently made my first visit to Laguna Beach! It may have been a brief encounter, but it was a fabulous one! I am sharing a few photos today on Friday field trip.

I was in awe of this iconic beach and I had to be sure and document my visit with a few photos. I hope they inspire you to take a trip to a beach – no matter how brief – on one of these marvelous summer days!

I didn’t do any shopping that afternoon in Laguna, but I did bring back a valuable memento. Holding the papers on my office desk is a smooth, pale gray, heart shaped stone that I have marked very carefully in white permanent marker with the letters L-A-G-U-N-A.

It is a reminder that I will be back someday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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lunch with a view

June

I showed you the fabulous hotel I visited in California recently. But, I didn’t show you the fabulous restaurant I visited IN the fabulous hotel! For today’s Friday field trip, we are visiting Raya!

I almost didn’t make it to Raya (the fabulous restaurant) because I was on a work trip and I didn’t have a speck of free time. But, you know what? When the assignment was completed, I had about an hour to spare while I waited for my transportation to arrive. I decided to use that time to grab a pre-flight snack at the restaurant I had wanted to visit the entire time I was at the hotel!

soup at Raya pleasure in simple things blog

Poblano, garlic, goat cheese, and white soy – the start of my Zucchini Flower Soup served tableside at Raya in the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

I wasn’t even really sure if the food was any good at this restaurant – which I assumed it was based on the rest of my experience at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. But, what I did know about this restaurant was that it had an amazing view! I had walked past it (usually, very much in a hurry) so many times while at the hotel!

I just wanted to sit in Raya at one of the tables with the ocean view! And, that is exactly what I did on my last day at the Ritz, minutes before I was set to leave my new favorite hotel!

You can see more photos of the fabulous Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by for today’s Friday field trip!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. The food was good and I was also able to share the experience with two great people! Enjoy your weekend!

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ice cream & liquid nitrogen!

May

A new ice cream shop called Milkcraft opened last Monday in Fairfield’s Brick Walk in the center of Fairfield, Connecticut. An ice cream shop may not sound all that exciting, but there was quite a buzz going on about this place. I really wanted to see first-hand what made the place unique, so I made a trip over and I am sharing with you on today’s Friday field trip. I knew there would be a long line, so I planned my trip on a rainy evening figuring an ice cream shop would not be as crowded on a rainy night…poor assumption on my part! Indeed, the line was long! But, since I went with a friend and we were busy talking – mostly about the amazing popularity of Milkcraft – the line seemed to go pretty quickly! Most of the line was occupied by teens and it was apparent why – social media! The owner of the shop did a great job of using social media to get the hype going about the place.

The unique part of the store was the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze each customer’s made-to-order ice cream batch in a mixer. This process creates a super creamy texture to the product by eliminating any formation of ice crystals. It is also really fun to watch!

Milkcraft boasts the use of locally sourced ingredients and fresh milk base from local farms. The menu, which is said to be updated seasonally, features sustainable and organic ingredients and delectable flavors such as roasted banana PBJ, Vietnamese coffee, cookie butter Speculoos and strawberry balsamic. I have to admit though, I did have trouble figuring out what organic ingredient created the brilliant green and blue colors on some of the ice cream I saw served!

The ice cream is served in two ways. The most popular seemed to be the Bubblecone. This is a Lego-like patterned bubble-waffle cone. The Milkcraft website lists addresses in California and in Shanghai, China, so I have to think the origination of the concept must come from one of these two locales. And, the Bubblecones are definitely inspired by similar ones found in Hong Kong.

The second way the ice cream is served is called Creameebun. This is a glazed donut used as a bun and the ice cream is tucked inside.

I chose the Bubblecone option and split a strawberry balsamic with my friend – she got the short end of the split! I also tried the cookie butter Speculoos (the bright green one). Both were really good with a wonderful texture. They were very creamy and dense.

A fun trip! If you decide to visit, I would chose a time during the day when the teen set is still in school!

It is interesting to note that the owner of Milkcraft is also the past owner of one of Fairfield’s former Brick Walk restaurants – Spazzi – one of my favorite places to eat back in the 1990’s!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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visiting bass pro in ct

January

The destination for today’s Friday field trip may seem an unusual choice, but if you consider how much I love a good theme, it makes perfect sense.

We are visiting a place where an outdoor sportsman theme is running in overdrive – Bass Pro Shop.

crosswalk at Bass Pro pleasure in simple things blog

The crosswalk leading into Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport, CT

Growing up, I was exposed to hunting, fishing, camping, and a variety of outdoor sports at a young age because my dad was a big sportsman and lover of the outdoors. And, I certainly am no stranger to boat shows. It seemed natural I would want to check out the new Bass Pro store where they specialize in all these areas.

But, once I got there, it was not the merchandise that grabbed my attention, but rather, the décor surrounding the merchandise – the place is like Disney for the outdoorsy set.

light fixtures at Bass Pro pleasure in simple things blog

One of my favorite details at the Bass Pro in Connecticut are the hand painted light fixtures on the second floor.

In Fish Bowl Bowling Alley and Uncle Buck’s Grill, there is dramatic lighting and plenty of props to help simulate an under-the-sea ambiance. Details like a school of fish above the bar and alligator eyes painted on bowling balls are sure to grab attention. I’m pretty sure any kid would gladly trade some of his toys or give away Halloween candy (that’s serious biz) for a chance to bowl in the Fish Bowl bowling alley!

The store is worth checking out, even if you aren’t currently in the market for a fishing pole or a firearm! I guess many others think so too since people are traveling great distances to visit. The Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport is only the second store in New England and the first in Connecticut. It is a great spot to stop and check out if you are driving along the Connecticut coast because it is super easy to access off I95.

Dad, if you are listening; I sure wish you could have seen this place! And, they even sell live bait!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a visit to ben wolff pottery

May

Because I am so enamored with his handcrafted pots, I have wanted to make a visit to Ben Wolff’s studio for a long time. Even though it is located right here in Connecticut, the studio was one spot on my ‘to visit’ list that never seemed to get crossed off.

That changed this past weekend when my son asked what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day. I decided I could pass on a meal and, instead, we aimed to get Ben Wolff’s pottery studio crossed off my list of places to visit- yippee! It was a great day for a drive and the ride provided some great alone time with my son – catching up on what was going on with him.

If purchasing flower pots were my goal, it would have been easy enough to just order them online. I’m not saying I didn’t want any pots, but that was not my main reason for the visit. I wanted to see the studio and meet the artist. As luck would have it, I was able to do both.

Ben and his wife, Corinne, were both in the studio when we arrived. I knew Ben was a third generation artisan and he was happy to share his history and explain how he got started learning his craft at the age of two!

It was a great visit and it turned out my son’s gift also included a few of Ben’s pieces! As a lover of neutral color schemes, the pots Ben creates in white clay are my favorite! I carefully picked out a few; choosing ones with Tuscan rims.

They are just so gorgeous! It is hard to imagine using a terra-cotta pot after you have seen Ben’s work. (If you read this blog, you probably have already figured out that I don’t use terra-cotta pots because of my aversion to the color and that my passion in the garden is for all white flowers!)

With pieces starting as low as $8, they are affordable pieces of art – each signed by Ben.

I haven’t yet planted in my new pieces, but for Friday field trip today, I hope you enjoyed sharing some of Ben’s works of art – a few from the thousands of flower pots he creates each year on his potter’s wheel in Goshen, Connecticut. I photographed them with some of the early bloomers from my garden.

I hope you are enjoying some of your own garden flowers. If you follow my Instagram, you know I have been enjoying mine!

Ben Wolff Pottery Studio pleasure in simple things blog

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Tag: field trip

harkness memorial state park

shakespeare’s garden in brookfield, ct

an alligator encounter

pippi longstocking house

the woman behind the man

laguna beach!

lunch with a view

ice cream & liquid nitrogen!

visiting bass pro in ct

a visit to ben wolff pottery