Thirteen days, four flights, three rental cars, fifteen hundred road miles, three states, two dozen friends and family, eight beds, and countless bathrooms. Some trips are short. This one wasn’t.
Bob began planning our time out west last year, and I started training immediately. In the past, travel zapped me royally, but this time I was determined to return home unscathed.
On day two, after a good night’s sleep, we picked up our oldest daughter, Emily, said hello to her cats, Rufus and Cortado, and drove down to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Just the three of us on a brilliant day.
The air was as crisp as a fall apple with a full-throated “Colorado Blue” sky, a color we call “Carolina Blue” back home.
Many of the plants in their tropical collection felt familiar, reminding us of our summers with the girls in Belize, on Guam, and Hawaii twenty-plus years ago.
I cannot think of a better way to refresh and connect than a stroll among oxygen-exhaling eye candy.
Naturally, we lingered over the orchids as Bob identified species in his private collection.
We encountered a giant picture frame, and I saw how it made me both focus and detach.
We were drawn to a massive sculpture which I initially mistook for a real flower. When I realized it was made of glass, that only made it cooler. It shone brightly even after ten years outdoors, making me wonder how you would clean such a thing.
A bench—cleverly constructed of woven branches—beckoned, but we resisted and kept on moving.
These Dr. Suessian flowers reminded me of vintage hats.
We encountered dahlia blooms as big as Emily’s head.
By the end of the day, I felt calm and energized, and I knew this trip would be different. Here’s the formula I came up with for stress-free travel:
Always get a good night’s sleep
Walk around outdoors as much and as often as possible
Eat real food, staying away from sugar and processed food
Pace yourself socially, detach when necessary
Avoid screen time
And it worked! I returned home nearly two weeks later, aglow with memories and no worse for wear.
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4 replies on “Denver Botanic Gardens with Emily Jane”
You’ve got it down pat now! You can go anywhere without fear of exhaustion or your social battery draining. I’m proud of you!!
Yes! I believe sleep is the only non-negotiable. I can navigate any terrain on a full tank.
As we sit in Angel Fire and take in our view of Autumn , I so enjoy reading your message. What a fabulous show of Mother Nature you shared. There is nothing more beautiful and relaxing. We send you thanks for sharing and love. Take care our friends and carry on 💚. Jane and Charlie
Thank you, Jane and Charlie. We are also getting a taste of autumn—waves of oak and crepe myrtle leaves blowing lazily across the still-green lawn.