We finally did it. We got sick of winter and went back to the tropics.
No more blankets of white or spiny branches dripping melting ice. No. We have green!
And, yellow! Look at the size of those lemons!
My favorite was the cacao plant (above), where I drifted off into chocolatey dreams.
But, the tropics weren’t enough. So, we decided to take a jaunt to the desert as well.By now you can probably tell this was all indoors. You could feel and breathe the thicker and drier air in each location.
If there is one thing I miss about living in Florida, it’s going to the State Fair every Valentine’s Day. Back home in Chicago, the wintery weather makes for difficult outdoor activities. So a greenhouse conservatory journey was a nice alternative.
No making reservations, packing of bags, or hassle of the airport. Nope. Our wheels took us on a forty-five minute road trip, for a half-day’s getaway, to the tropics, and the desert southwest. This short trip even cost less than the State Fair, because it was free!
I hope you all had a nice Valentine’s Day. Spring is almost here! Right? Right??
I love a botanical garden! Kew Garden in London is magnificent.
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The indoor garden was a nice break to hold us over until spring. Thanks for stopping by, Abbi. 🙂
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RIGHT! It’s almost here. It’s the “almost” that is hard to bear.
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“Almost” is taking too long. 😉 We got another 5 inches yesterday. This stretch of winter is trying.
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It sure is!
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For a minute there, I’d hoped you had escaped, especially on a day like today with more snow. Conservatories are so lovely (whenever the warm temperature isn’t fogging up my glasses). What lovely photos. I feel warmer already. (And how nice to come in from the cold and snow to see these photos.)
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Hi L. Nope, only escaped for a few hours and I’m back here getting snowed on. The conservatory was in Oak Park. A bit of a drive for us, but it was a nice, brief getaway.
Stay warm and safe.
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It must have been nice to have a little break from the snow Lori but to still have the seasons to go back to!
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Hi Andrea. We’re still seeing no signs of this winter breaking, so yes, it really was a nice little break. Thanks for checking it out. 🙂
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It does look like a warm trip for you. Lovely shot of the cacao plant. So many cacao treats come to mind. Here in Australia it is still summer. Hoping it lasts for a bit more 😊
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It’s been a pretty rough winter here, so it was a nice little break for a half-day. Thanks for checking out my photos. Enjoy the rest of your summer, Mabel.
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What a perfect Valentine’s Day getaway! I’ll bet it was warm, toasty and tropical like inside. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos, Lori! Yes, spring is around the corner!
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Hi Jill. It was a nice change of pace to go to the conservatory. Thanks for checking out the photos and for the nice comment. Hope your eyes are feeling better. Have a great weekend.
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That’s one of the great things about living in an area such as Chicago…so much to do that is often for free (especially on ‘free-days’!).
Happy for your fun ‘trip’!
🙂
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Hi Laura. We live way west of the city, and this conservatory was in Oak Park, which is basically city living. It was a bit of a drive, but well worth it. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my greenery pics. Have a nice weekend.
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That’s a great relief in the winter! So nice to just have a breather, pretend that you’re in the south or that it’s summer – great! I think the groundhogs predicted an early spring , so maybe it’s not far away. 🙂
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Yes, I heard the groundhog predicted an early spring. I don’t know how you do it up there in the arctic. Thanks for checking out my greenery photos, Lynette. Have a nice weekend.
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We live near Longwood Gardens and it’s wonderful. Huge conservatories for the winter and beautiful grounds during the summer! Right now it has spring flowers in the main conservatory (they also have the tropical one too). Looking at anything blooming lifts my spirits. Your getaway looks wonderful!
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Longwood Gardens sound fantastic. If we had a conservatory nearby, I’d go there once a week at this point in winter. The one we went to was a bit of a drive and was very small. I’ll have to see if I can find any closer.
Thanks for checking out my greenery pics. Have a great weekend, Kate.
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