Road Trip…College, Tiny Town and Containers

We are more then half-way through our road trip and are having a fabulous time.

We have encountered great food, not so great food, interesting tourist destinations, beautiful plants as well as some over-hyped destinations.

Our typical road trip day begins with breakfast at the hotel and then we head to our car, turn on the GPS and get on the highway.  We have brought some audio book CD’s which are fun to listen too.

We try to stay off of major highways because you cannot see much besides trees on either side of the road.  To experience more of each area we visit, we travel on minor highways.  BUT, our GPS is always trying to get us back onto the major highways.

We visited Washington Jefferson College in Washington, PA – the second oldest college in the US, after Harvard.  

interesting tourist destinations

 Both my grandfather and great-father attended this college.

After visiting the college, we walked up and down the main street of Washington.

interesting tourist destinations

There was some pretty Clematis growing underneath a Gingko tree…

Roses were in full bloom as well….

Before we left Washington, we drove up to my great-great-great-grandfathers farm.  Or, where it used to be.  It is now filled with beautiful homes.  I tried to imagine what it used to look like and felt a connection to standing on land he used to farm.

Later, we headed up to New York state.  On our way, we stopped by the tiny town of Volant, which is located in Amish country in New York.  

Don’t you just want to sit on this porch?

I found an antique colander, which I will turn into a planter.

The weather has been warm….in the 80’s.  I must admit that it is a bit too warm for me. I know, I know….I live in the desert.  How can it be too warm for me?

Well, I am a wimp when it comes to humidity – I like dry heat 😉

This tiny town was hosting a progressive tea party.  Each store was hosting part of the meal.  Over a thousand people were expected.  Thankfully, we came the day before.

Blue Lobelia, White Bacopa, Sweet Potato Vine, Geraniums and Marigold.

Spring has arrived and colorful containers are filled with beautiful flowers.

Lupine

I fell in love with the Lupine, above.  

 Guess where we went the next day?

We visited Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side, which has a better view.

Tomorrow, I’ll share with you our visit to the falls and then our travels to the Finger Lakes region with its wineries and hidden garden I found.  

Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a author, horticulturist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her consulting services, her online class Desert Gardening 101, and her monthly membership club, Through the Garden Gate. As she likes to tell desert-dwellers, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard, but it is different."