May | 2024 | Jeannie's Travel Addiction

BUTCHART GARDENS is INCREDIBLE!! Located in BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

13 May 2024 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: Butchart Gardens, flowers, tulips

May 13, 2024

Butchart Gardens is one of the top 10 gardens in the world. It is located 30 minutes outside Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. The Gardens originated when Jennie Butchart decided she wanted to beautify the worked out limestone quarry that had supplied her husband’s cement plant. Jennie took 55 acres and years of collecting plants , trees, bushes, statues, fountains and flowers from their travels and turned it into the most incredible garden I have ever seen. Jennie’s gardens evolved into seven different categories: the Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Star Pond, Italian Garden , Piazza and Mediterranean Garden. By the 1920’s more than 50,000 visited every year. Today it is still owned and operated by the original family. Butchart Gardens celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2004. It is visited by almost one million people every year. Since I was visiting the Gardens in April, the most abundant flowers blooming were tulips – millions and millions of tulips along with many other kinds of flowers. It was absolutely spectacular !!

“Surely the flowers of a hundred spring are simply the souls of beautiful things!” – L.M. Montgomery, “The Watchman and Other Poems”

Hope you enjoyed!! Thanks for reading!!!

WE WERE ROBBED!!!!!

02 May 2024 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: Jackson missouri train ridess, Jesse James Gang, robbed by Jesse James Gang, St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, train robbery

May 2, 2024

One day last summer, my family and friends all drove to Jackson, Missouri for a nice afternoon train ride. The passenger cars were all made in 1926 and it was like stepping back into time. We were all enjoying the scenery as the train rambled down the tracks through an old forgotten town. Then, all of a sudden, we heard an argument outside of the train. The ruckus was between the Sheriff and the Jesse James Gang. The sheriff, unfortunately, was unable to stop the Jesse James Gang from robbing all of the passengers on the train!!!! Jesse himself refused to be photographed but I managed to take some other photos of the train and the town:

Now in all seriousness, this entertaining and fun filled train ride and robbery is all run by volunteers. Everyone is there to have fun! After the heist, we had some free time to get off the train, meet the sheriff and the bandits, investigate the old town and even enjoy some freshly made smores!! Then we were all safely returned to the train station. If you are interested in an afternoon of fun and outlaws, you should contact St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railway in Jackson, Missouri. Hope you enjoyed!! Thanks for reading!!

“If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.” – Dr. Seuss

FUN in BRANSON, MISSOURI, SUMMER 2023 Seeing: WONDERS of WILDLIFE MUSEUM and AQUARIUM, SILVER DOLLAR CITY, DOLLY PARTON’S STAMPEDE and TOP of the ROCK

02 May 2024 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: Branson, Dolly Parton's Stampede, silver dollar city, Top of the Rock, Wonders of wildlife museum and aquarium

May 1, 2024

Last summer my family and I took a long weekend to partake in the activities in Branson, Missouri. There is SO MUCH to do in Branson, you really have to prioritize and plan your time well. We successfully squeezed in as much as we possibly could, starting with Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, MO. On our way, we passed through Springfield so it just made sense to stop and see the Aquarium first. There is a lot to see here! The following photos are just a sneak peak.

Obviously the fish were my favorite at the aquarium. : ) Our next full day of entertainment was spent at Silver Dollar City. Silver Dollar City is , and has been, a delightful vacation park for people of all ages for 64 years . It is set in an 1880’s atmosphere and is filled with entertainment, rides, food and shopping. There are also many seasonal festivals. It is located in the Ozark mountains in Branson, Missouri and is open 10 months out of the year. Here is just a brief peak of the activities…

We were a little tired after Silver Dollar City, but not too tired to see the Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner show. It a huge hit with everyone!!!! We had lots of great food while watching a spell binding evening of entertainment!!!! I highly recommend It!!! Our last day’s adventure was the Top of The Rock. Top of the Rock is an fun attraction on The Big Cedar Lodge property. Your transportation mode is a golf cart to venture out on paved paths and enjoy a nature trail, the area’s table rock formations, waterfalls, drive through a cave and over a bridge. Stop along the way anytime for photos. Once you reach the top, there is a museum, dining choices and a general store. A very unique experience and a great way to connect with the great outdoors! I took lots of photos, but these were my favorites:

At the end of the trail we choose to eat at the Mexican restaurant (the food was superb !!) which is in Arnold Palmers old barn. The barn was moved from Pennsylvania to the Big Cedar Lodge property and reassembled by the Amish. I might add – Arnie’s “old barn” was the nicest old barn I have ever seen!!! What a great getaway!!!! : ) Hope you enjoyed!! Thanks for reading!!!

“Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures.” – Lovelle Drachman

Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis 2024

01 May 2024 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: dollhouse, miniature museum

April 15, 2024

The Miniature Museum in St. Louis is amazing !!! It has 2 floors and 6200 square feet of space packed full of doll houses, room boxes, and many other items of “miniature” interests. As I understand it, most of the dollhouses were projects of families through the years and then later donated to the Museum. Anyone who has been a kid, or if you have children or grandchildren – it is a must see !! You will not be disappointed !!! The following photos are just a snippet of what the Museum has to wow you!!