On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
UncleEbeneezer
While visiting my sister in Denver in 2018, we decided to do something fun for my Birthday (12/23) and all drove out to the Denver Botanical Gardens to see the “Blossoms of Light” installation. It was really neat, but FREEZING COLD!!! I am neither a landscape architect nor a lights artist so I don’t have a whole lot of commentary to add to the pix aside from “look at the pretty lights!” Enjoy! -UncleEbeneezer
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
Denver Botanical GardensDecember 23, 2018
?BillinGlendaleCA
They do something similar here at the LA County Fairgrounds and the LA County Arboretum, of course not this past year.
JPL
What a fun way to celebrate your birthday.
NeenerNeener
Oooo, pretty! And a lot of work for the Botanical Gardens staff to install all those lights.
MazeDancer
How pretty! What fun, even if cold.
Wag
The Botanical Gardens does a phenomenal job each year. Great photos!
SiubhanDuinne
In December 2019 I visited a similar display at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. My pictures didn’t come out nearly as well, though.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
I live 5 blocks away, well, from the western edge of City Park.
I run really early in the mornings by the Zoo so get a fair chunk of this 5-6 mornings each week when they’re up. It’s spectacular and they’ve managed to do it again this year despite the plague.
Palindrome
Pretty! Hope you had a great birthday.
SkyBluePink
Thanks for sharing! Winter, nature and lights- 3 of my favorite things!
Mom Says I*m Handsome
I might have been at the Botanic Gardens on the night these were taken! I have a shot from underneath that blue tree in photo 5 of my eldest, gazing up in wonder; it’s one of my favorite shots of this kid. (They’re on the spectrum and hates crowds, so they kept splitting off to get away from people, so we barely saw them during our entire visit.) (And yes, pronouns, for those who are paying attention. Life’s a rich tapestry…)
Elizabelle
Great photos, Uncle Ebeneezer.
I remember flying into Phoenix/Sky Harbor on December 26 a few years ago. Arrival path took us right over their lighted holiday display, and it was magical to see from the air.
In Richmond, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has Gardenfest, through January 10th. Smaller than previous years, and harder to get tickets, since they’ve greatly reduced capacity, but so worth seeing. (Maybe 2 years ago, they had flying pink pigs in the trees; theme was “flight.”)
We need light and sparkle and bling at this time of year. I love the winter festivals and traditions.
UncleEbeneezer
Thanks everyone. Glad you enjoyed the pix. Sorry they aren’t the best clarity. My iPhone struggles a bit with night time pix. And looking back at some other pix I’ll be submitting to On The Road soon, it’s rather remarkable how much better phone cameras have gotten in just the past couple years. Happy New Year!
UncleEbeneezer
@?BillinGlendaleCA: We went over to the Arboretum on Thanksgiving to try and catch some last traces of Fall Color but it had pretty much already passed and the high wind had just knocked most of what remained, down.
UncleEbeneezer
@Mom Says I*m Handsome: Do you remember the cold? I think it was in the teens, which for my 20 years in SoCal ass, was quite a shock.
PS- Love that you respect and make people aware of your child’s pronouns. :)
Zee Lizzee
So pretty!
Is it a law that every Botanical Garden have a Chihuly?
Miss Bianca
How cool! I’m going to have to go see this one of these years!
Elizabelle
@Miss Bianca: Did you see that we were discussing your deplorable gun bunny congresscritter on an Adam thread last night??
Mom Says I*m Handsome
@UncleEbeneezer: Yes, it was BFC that night. (Balls-Freezing Cold, that is.)
We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of my kid’s announcement that they’re trans, so it’s been a year of discovery for everyone. Not everyone is privy, but the Jackaltariat have earned my trust — youse guys are all right.
WaterGirl
@Zee Lizzee: Welcome! Your first comment has to be manually approved, but after that they should go right through.