Writing My World

We only had a short weekend but what a great trip! We had three fun experiences - each worth a repeat performance. Union Station Saturday we visited the Old Market District ( https://oldmarket.com ) in downtown Omaha. Since this was our grandson's trip, we visited the important things - an old time candy store and the old soda fountain at the Durham Museum ( https://durhammuseum.org ) in the old Union Station. While he enjoyed the goodies, my son and I explored. We visited several art galleries and small shops as we walked around. We had already eaten lunch so we'll have to save the restaurants for another visit. The outdoor dining looked inviting! An interactive exhibit at Union Station In the old Union Station, we spent time at each of the interactive statues recreating the era. At its height in 1946, 64 steam locomotives brought up to 10,000 passengers a day in and out of Omaha. The building is magnificent, an Art Deco treasure that is on the National Register

If you need to de-stress or you simply want to stop your crazy days long enough to enjoy some peace and quiet, you'll find the soul-nourishing beauty you seek in an arboretum. I recently spent an afternoon at the Overland Park Arboretum in the Kansas City metro area, and for a few hours soaked in the quiet beauty and stunning colors of the diverse plant life, sculptures and walking trails. My favorite was the Monet gardens. Surrounded by the lush flowers and plants, it's easy to imagine Monet at work, creating yet another nature-inspired masterpiece. Most cities can boast of botanical gardens or an arboretum. Take advantage of someone else planting and/or maintaining beautiful landscapes for your enjoyment. The Overland Park Arboretum is located just off US Hwy 69 at 179th Street.

For years, my sister-in-law and niece have raved about the Lilac Festival held each May in Rochester, NY. 2019 is my lucky year! I was in town in May and the festival truly was as spectacular as they had promised. One of my earliest memories is the spring smell of lilacs. When I was young, we had one big lilac tree (as least it seemed really big at the time) at the back corner of our house. Nothing says spring to me more than that heavenly smell. I'd open the back door and there it was! It's as much in my memory as the smell of my mother's apple pie and fried chicken. That fragrance enveloped me again as we walked around Highland Park in downtown Rochester. According to Highland Park's website ( https://www.highlandparkconservancy.org/lilacs ), the park's twenty-two acres is home to 1,200 shrubs with more than 500 varieties of lilacs. John Dunbar planted the first lilacs at Highland Park in 1892. Since the first lilac celebration in 1905, hundred