Serendipity | Winterthur | Day 7

Serendipity
(n.) Finding something beautiful without looking for it.

This had to be one of the greatest days I've had in a very long long time.
I can't ever recall being in so much bliss and just being purely happy and amazed by what God could create and how it could be so stunningly beautiful.
These past couple years have been so hard to get through and the fact that I got to experience something like this the way I did, I wouldn't change a single thing that's happened.

Today we headed off to Winterthur (pronounced winter-thor) Museum, Garden and Library. This is Henry Francis du Pont's 1,000 acres of meadows and woodlands home that he opened to the public. 

We got there and signed up spontaneously for a tour on a trolley. It was pretty exciting. #travelnoobthings

They also had a cafe with a bunch of treats and drinks. We grabbed a drink to go.

We then went on a tour of the DuPont 175 room home, which was pretty cool. However, they are super strict when it comes to drinks/gum/cameras/stayingIMMEDIATLYwithinthe group. If you were two steps back in the previous room you got told to keep up because 'we have to stick together'. Two steps isn't that far away. But oh well. It was interesting to see regardless.
 

This was my favorite place. The Enchanted Forest. It had a fairy home.

I really wanted to get a picture of the bees on the flowers, with the way the sun was shining with the pollen falling it was just so cool, but a picture didn't capture the beauty of it. It didn't do it any justice.

When you discover serendipity.  This is truly my favorite picture. (Thank you again, Aunt Tracy!!!!)

There was also a koi pond!!!

Well two, if you have to be technical ;]

I sat down for a bit of a rest.

Still breathtaking.

Still being a kid, I picked up the frog. He was a great frog. He was in the same place I sat him down when we came back a hour and some later.

 Lady-beetle Larvae! Aren't they cool? They turn into a ladybug, if you didn't know [:

 It was starting to get dark, and thunder was brewing so we detoured back to the cafe through the fern garden. This picture doesn't do any slight bit of justice but it was just beautiful. The perfect place to sit and read a book.

We ended up hiding out in the cafe in the middle of a downpour and hided out till it lightened up and got a very not-so-careful bus back to the visitors center. i don't think the driver touched the breaks and had the peddle down to the floor. Oh dear.

Starbucks & Longwood Gardens | Day 6

When it comes to spending time outdoors, it never seems as busy and hectic like it does indoors. Okay, let me take that back some. It's different depending on how many people are around, but the fresh air certainly does help.

We got out early and headed to Longwood Gardens. I think this is what my Mom was most excited for. My Aunt hasn't been here either, at least I'm pretty certain that's what she said, neither had my friend or I.

Of course, started the day out with Starbucks. I think we went there almost everyday. No shame.

I got peach green tea to lay off so much caffeine. It was a good pick-me-up without the crazy.

For those who don't know. Longwood Gardens has over 1,077 acres of gardens, meadows, and woodlands. It's absolutely stunning.

My pictures didn't come out as well as I had hoped, but some are okay.

#Photographerposes

You know that show Treehouse Masters? They built this. We got to go inside! It's so cool. If only I could squeeze one of those in my backyard.

(Than you Aunt Tracy for these pictures!!!)

Places like this is what makes me so happy. There are no words once so ever to describe how gorgeous and beautiful it is. There is just something about walking through some sort of woodland that gets me hook-line-and-sinker. Every. Time.

The things you find when you look closer [:

This is how we travel. Walk a while, snack, repeat.
My mom isn't a a chocolate person unless it's white chocolate. So I took her chocolate covered almond from a trail mix and she ate everything else. The sacrifices I make for her :P

This spot was pretty cool. It was a good area to just sit and listen to the water running.

This was one of my favorite rooms. It felt jungle like with all the ivy and how they had the plants hanging from the ceiling.

We walked about five miles total. We didn't go everywhere, but we covered a good hunk of ground. If you're a runner, this would be an amazing place to go if you had a pass to go through the summer. Even if you only go to walk the trails it would be worth it without a doubt.

Chuckles & 5 Floor Book Store | Day 5

Today was much more relaxed and much needed. It can be tiring running around a lot of the time. 

Started the morning off with fruit. How I missed fruit. The pears were sooo good there.

I may have dipped into my candy from the Village...

 

I'm a sucker for gummy candy, especially fruit flavored things.

It never tastes as good as it looks though, I always end up being disappointing by it. It just doesn't measure up to real fruit. I took a small bite of each, but finished the cherry, don't know why. The lime one was the best. Grr Amber!

 Early mornings + reading outside + quiet =  bliss

Me and my friend got a surprise to a book store. My Mom and Aunt told us that it was a very small place that could only hold a few people so we'd have to be right in and right out in about 20mins. That seemed completly unrealistic. 20 minutes in a bookstore? Is that even possible?

When we pulled up to the house it was kind of in the middle of nowhere and older, with stone walls, and it when you walk in the front door it was so hard not to grin. It was not small at all. It had five floors of new, used, and rare books.

The bookshelves are made of wooden crates stacked on top of each other. Throughout the store they have little hooks of paper bags. So sly.

And they have a black cat. 

She/he helped me out in the music room. Sweet as pie [:

After, we went into town to see if any of the other bookstores were open but they were all closed due to it being a Sunday, sadly. 

We stopped at a coffee shop named Philter and I got an iced mocha, which was ssuuupppeeerrr strong.

They also have gluten free choices too. The apple loaf is really good. I should've got something else though, I didn't think that there'd be cinnamon in it. Oh well.

After that we hit the park. I love this place so much. It was a goal to run there, but never managed to make it happen unfortunately. It's absolutely stunning though. Everything is just so green and beautiful. If I lived there I would walk there every day multiple times a day, without a doubt.