Elizabeth's Secret Garden

The Fruit and Spice park is unique place to visit in Miami with its wide variety of specimens located on 37-acres. The parks climate is of a tropical natural which allows the growth of over 500 varieties of fruits, spices, herbs, and nuts. My favorite thing about this park is that you can sample different fruits as a guide takes you on a tram through the area. Another bonus feature is the Mango Cafe where visitors can have lunch. You can visit their website at: http://www.fruitandspicepark.org/     The Annatto or “Lipstick tree” is a unique tropical species which has a purpose that makes it fun to come across. It was nice to see it again since it reminded me of my trip to Costa Rica in 2010 (pictures below). The Central and South American natives use the seeds to make a body paint and lipstick.  In our modern day, it is more common to see it on product labels from natural food companies who use the reddish or yellowish powder to dye butter and cheese. This a good alte...

The National Mall is one of the monuments that comes to mind when I visualize Washington D.C. Many more agree that this is a famous landmark and it becomes even more evident when you consider that as many as 24 million visit it each year! The U.S. Capitol is probably on most visitors “top things to see” list. Yes, I’ve passed by it before, but this trip our family was fortunate enough to arrive just as a tour of the Capitol was starting! You can see the tour in one of my past entries. http://elizabethssecretgarden.blogspot.com/2011/11/standing-in-front-of-u.html The National Archives and Records Administration deals with preserving and documenting historical records along with educating the public on the history behind many of the documents. This is where the documents we treasure most are held. (This was also one of the main buildings to be featured on the movie “ National Treasure”). The most famous articles housed there are the Declaration of Independence, the Constituti...

The memorial is located in Alexandria, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. If not traveling by car, you can take the metro. The monument is dedicated to our first president, George Washington. It is 333 feet tall and overlooks the Potomac river. It was patterned after the Lighthouse of Alexandria. A 36 acre plot of land was originally purchase by Masons. The first cornerstone was laid in 1923. Its winter hours, October 1 through March 31, are 10:00am with closing at 4:00pm. On Sunday it is open 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Website: http://gwmemorial.org/    This room is a replica of the Alexandria-Washington Replica Lodge as it was back in 1802. It is now a museum room where visitors can see original furniture and paintings from that time period. This chair is one of the antique furniture pieces in the room. As you enter the Masonic Memorial, several colorful stain glass windows embellish the walls. From Benjamin Franklin to General Lafayette, each window h...

      The National Air and Space Museum has the largest historic collection of aircraft and spacecraft and in addition to that it is the second-most popular of the Smithsonian museums! It is easy to believe that the space reaches an area of 161,145 square feet when it is taken into account that full size aircraft are suspended from the ceiling and displayed on the floor level. This museum is a great place to brush up on aircraft history. Wikepedia was helpful in supplying facts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Air_and_Space_Museum Also visit the official website: http://www.nasm.si.edu/   The interactive exhibits make a visit to the Air and Space museum more exciting. This exhibit allows visitors a glimpse of the inside of an aircraft.   The Spirit of St Louis hangs suspended from the ceiling of the National Air and Space Museum. The aerial view provides a different perspective. It can be viewed from both the first and second floors. Bef...

The National Gallery of Art was our next tour during our family journey in Washington D.C. It was created in 1937 for the people of the United States by a joint resolution of Congress. It was made possible through the gift of financier and art collector Andrew W. Mellon. Now, join me, as I take you through this unique collection of sculptures. The “ Spider ” by Louise Bourgeois, reminds me of a Daddy Long Leg on the prowl! Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about my paths crossing this large specimen. Only in the movies would I worry about that sort of occurrence. This is my favorite sculpture and is called “Thinker on a Rock”. It was created by Barry Flanagon. It is a nice twist to the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin called “ The Thinker” which is located in Paris. The Pavilion Cafe is becomingly placed amidst the sculpture garden. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, pizza, and beverages. It is a nice place to rest and relax while you get a bite to eat. As a bonus,...