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.
Nancy
Highland is an Olmsted park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, in Rochester. Every year, the Lilac Festival brings crowds. The park is designed so that visitors are not smushed together except at the food trucks and beer tents.
The park is situated on a hill with winding paths and surprising vistas. The city’s water reservoir is on top of the hill.
My cousins came to visit. Seeing through the eyes of visitors awakened me to the beauty of a place I often take for granted.
I’m going to allow the images to speak for me.
Lilacs
More lilacs.
Lilac in the singular.
Rhodendrons.
We kept finding surprises.
At the end of the day, the columbine were blooming at my house.
Tuesday’s Jan6 Committee Hearing Open Thread: Early Notes
debbie
Beautiful, every single one!
Benw
Nice! Such a fun part of spring when the lilacs and azaleas are going bonkers
eclare
So lovely! Great images to wake up to when the high for today is *only* 93.
Betsy
Olmsted. No “a”.
Rusty
The Lilac Festival is not only a visual wonder, but the scent of hundreds of lilacs in bloom is amazing. It can take an hour to walk through just a small part of the park because of the need to stop and look, and inhale the beauty of the incredible variety of lilacs. A true wonder.
stinger
I think I like the columbine photo best! The angle of the sun on the flowers — chef’s kiss.
Also the dark evergreen backed by the palest of new green leaves and anchored by the rugged tree bark — the flowering plants in that shot are just a bonus!
You are lucky to live near such a beautiful park. The very existence of lilacs, rhodies, azaleas and daffodils is a NECESSITY at the end of winter.
Madeleine
I’m from a small town near Rochester. My birthday is in mid-May. When I was a child, my parents took my sister and me to Highland Park one year for my birthday. The sight and scent of lilacs that evening—just after rain—have been a life-long memory. Thank you.
wenchacha
We used to live a couple blocks downhill from the park. It’s a treasure, year-round.
Thanks for the lovely pictures!
Eric NNY
I’ve been to the Lilac Festival once and it was amazing. Unfortunately, living just a couple hours away, we just can’t grow the rhododendrons and azalea you guys can.
Wag
I love lilacs. Possibly my favorite flower. Smells like Spring.
WaterGirl
Lovely photos, Nancy, just so beautiful! I absolutely azaleas and rhododendrons, but those are the only two kinds of plants that apparently don’t like me.
@Wag: Lilacs smell like spring and childhood for me!
MelissaM
Lilacs are my favorite shrub. I’ve daydreamed about owning property large enough that I could go crazy with the lilacs. I’ll have to put this festival on my list. Thanks for taking me today.
J R in WV
Wonderful photos of a beautiful park ~!!~ Amazing flowering shrubs. What was Grandview State Park, now part of the New River National Park, has huge natural groves of rhodos, amazing in the spring! We spent a lot of time at Grandview when I was a kid.
dyspeptic
Lovely. AS someone who lives in a village designed by Olmstead, I can appreciated his genius for naturalizing
BruceFromOhio
Thank you, Nancy! MrsFromOhio and I were married in that park. My daughter and her fiance live nearby and visit often. My parents took the family there frequently when I was a wee lad. When the lilacs are at full power, it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in this life.
Even when the blooms are gone, it is a beautiful place. Highly recommended.
Nancy