A Longwood Christmas a' la Francaise!

 

It has been few years ago when Longwood Gardens celebrated Christmas with a French-inspired holiday display...every time we see the photos we took, we feel so nostalgic. (This was our visit in 2017).

The gardens were decorated with a French royalty-inspired floral symbols such as fanciful topiaries, ornate mirrors, imaginative wreaths and sparkling crystal ornaments on more than 50 trimmed trees.

My favorite was the intricate mosaic in the grand tradition of a French parterre garden at the Fern Floor Exhibition Hall inside the Conservatory!

The green apples and gold walnuts go perfectly together and arranged in a pathway design that lead towards the fountain at the center, while apples and cranberries arranged in symmetrical flanking spaces create an abstracted fleur-de-lis patterns on the floor. The sunken floor where the fruits was arranged helps people to appreciate the design best seeing it from above angle.

A Christmas tree near the green wall shimmers in reds and golds. Hanging close to the tree on a wall is a Eucalyptus wreath with yellow sugared fruit.

The Music Room is decoratively inspired with "The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, France. 

At the outdoor patio extends the grand and festive view of the Music Room, with arc-dried branches.

Eucalyptus garlands which also hang on the wall leading to the Potting Shed is a living fleur-de-lis wreathe decorated with yellow kalanchoe, bird's nest fern and red ribbon.

At night, outdoor light displays become a wonderland of a half million lights making the gardens so magnificent!

Organ sing-alongs are fun way to enjoy Christmas at the Conservatory Music Room. It's also a good resting place to sit and enjoy the Christmas carols with all the others singing with the pianist! Songs are family-friendly holiday sing alongs (the traditional way) as the Longwood organ music fills the air! 

Here is the sample: :)

Longwood Organ and Me: 

This is the Longwood Organ at the Music Room in the Conservatory composed of  10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks. It is considered to be the largest Aeolian organ ever constructed in a residential setting. In 1930, this became as a replacement from the original organ with a much larger, custom-designed Aeolian model that remains in the Conservatory up to this day. It took 7 years to restore this organ back t its 1930 original state beginning in 2004; - completely rewired, repainted, releathered and refurbished!

The Historic Penn's Cave & Wildlife

 

If you love gazing various animals enjoying their natural habitat, it's time to step up to the wild. And if you like exploring limestones in caverns or adore the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites, it's time to step down underground.

"Where can I do all that?", - you might ask!

Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park is worth visiting for activities mentioned above. You can enjoy farm, nature and wildlife tour all-in-one! 

The park is located in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, nestled on the scenic Lion country. It has 1,600 acres of forests and fields providing a lush habitat for birds, plants and other animals. Depending on the season, you can also witness acres of sunflowers. 

Taking the cave tour is a must too! The cavern was discovered centuries ago by the Seneca Indians in the Valley of Karoondinha (Penn's Valley) and became open to the public in 1885. it's now considered as the only cavern in Pennsylvania on the National Register of Historic Places.

There are interesting mysterious shapes that you can even see underground such as the famous Nittany Lion, colored lights and even the statue of Liberty if you can let your imagination run wild!

Other activities you can enjoy at the park site as well are the cave rock mountain tour, a tour off-road by jeep (needs advance reservation) and the Prospector Pete's Miners Maze located near the end of the Visitor's Center. This would be fun for the kids!

There's also a gemstone panning site on the front plaza of the Visitor's Center if you are interested trying your luck to look for real gems. Or visit the gift shop for anything you might wanna buy.

Please observe their schedule for tours and opening. They can easily be located online if you want further info.

"Summer of Spectacle" at Longwood Gardens

The late spring of 2017 was a great time for Longwood Gardens, the fact that the Main Fountain Garden has made its grand return to the public for a more and better spectacular presentations and performances when it comes to colorful fountains and fireworks that light up the sky up to the summer months!

It now has a revitalized garden, including the Grotto which features a cascading water, surrounded by natural stones and plants, - making it a cool, quiet place to relax for guests who enjoy tranquil environment in the garden.

Behind the Scenes Tour schedules are posted on their website 4 days a week. It's interesting knowing all about the fountain garden above ground to the huge tunnel system underneath. (i haven't done this yet as of this writing)....a good reason to always go back! 😉👌

Malibu Dude Ranch New Year 2017 Experience

We traveled 4.5 hours with couple of friends to spend our New Year's Eve there. Our friend did the checking about the resort, their offers, activities that can be done, deals and the reviews of customers. It sounded positive, so we were inspired to go.

Malibu Dude Ranch is located in Milford, PA situated in the scenic Pocono Mountains, northeast of Pennsylvania. The resort proudly offers ranch activities such as horseback-riding rodeo, volleyball, basketball, indoor pool, etc...for an all-inclusive package price, meals included. The package amount we paid was $250 per person per night with a minimum stay of at least 2 nights.

Their website proudly says they have luxurious cabins.

Fast forward.....

We checked in to our so-called rustic, luxurious cabin room that was not! The room's carpet floor looked old, faded and dirty with a moldy smell. NO TV, with only just a dim light. Bath and shower rooms are decent and clean though, but tight.

A luxurious room, no matter how rustic the style, is NOT luxurious without a TV, don't you think?

The meals were all free of course, including horseback riding, skiing and snow tubing. Remember, it's winter season! ;)

What was confusing was that about them saying that amenities of the resort are all free with the package deal...it was NOT! The pool (billiard) and game room were not free! Snowmobile and ATV we believed were part of the resort's amenities  but they would ask you to pay $100 extra of your stay per activity. There is an additional fee for every activity except horseback riding, skiing, snow tubing and use of indoor pool. We were not sure about the ball games since they only offer them in warmer months.

We managed to at least enjoy the indoor pool and it was a good thing there was nobody there except us. :)

It was a good New Year's Eve party experience though! Hors d' oeuvres were complimentary, with good music and dancing during the party!

Overall, the fun and experience was just okay, but I don't agree with the idea of the price package deal which was too expensive for the activities and the room was not worth it!

One Liberty Observation Deck - A Must See!

See Philly from the top as you travel 883 feet above street level for an extraordinary 360 degree view of the City of Brotherly Love!

Once you're on top, there is an interactive environment that serves as your guide as you view from each direction which also provides a comprehensive educational experience.

The deck is located on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place in downtown Philadelphia. This is the best place to discover the stunning view of the Philadelphia skyline.

They offer guided tour as well if you prefer to get a more detailed information or if you have queries in mind you might want to be answered.

One stunning view

Cruiser Olympia & Becuna at Independence Seaport Museum

The Independence Seaport Museum has two floors (st and 2nd) and mostly contains galleries and exhibits. The first floor has a theater and it is where the gift shop is located, while the 2nd floor has the galleries and exhibits with a playhouse, an education center and a library.

Part of the museum are two historical ships few meters from the museum towards the dock; - the Cruiser Olympia and the submarine Becuna!

Top deck of Cruiser Olympia

Getting down inside the submarine Becuna

Entrance going inside Cruiser Olympia

The museum is located at Columbus Blvd. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Cruiser Olympia, the oldest steel warship in the world was launched in 1892, and the only surviving naval ship of the Spanish-American War. Its role in the battle of Manila Bay was so vital because of its victory over the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, making the US's emergence as a world naval power, which was commandered by Admiral Dewey.

Its last naval mission was its transport of the body of an unknown soldier from France to the US in 1921. In 1996, it become part of the Independence Seaport Museum and became a National Historic Landmark.

Here are some photos inside Olympia:

Another historic ship worth visiting is the submarine Becuna. It was launched in 1944 and served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was decommissioned in 1969 and became a National Historic Landmark and part of the Independence Seaport Museum in 1996.

Just a heads up if you want to explore the submarine on the inside. It doesn't have any AC and is not recommended for people who are claustrophobic.

For those who are interested and quite more adventurous, don't miss out the opportunity to visit the torpedo rooms, control and sonar rooms.

Sight & Sound Theater - "SAMSON"

The Sight & Sound's Millenium Theater has once again touched the hearts of the public portraying the life of "Samson" - one of the Bible characters' first superheroes; - the strongest man who ever lived.

He was not only considered a hero because of his physical strength, but also because of his faith in God.

Samson's life is one of the most captivating stories in the Bible. You can read his story beginning from the book of Judges chapter 13. His father is Manoah from the tribe of Dan.

The play was filled with colorful characters with amazing special effects that you will always love. You will witness the peak excitement when Samson stands between the two colossal columns and started to push, - showing the audience an immersive scene that literally brings the house down!

The life of Samson conveys a message of hope for the wayward, comfort for the weary and the incredible grace of God that enables each person to become truly be strong in Him.

Me and my husband