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.
PaulB
Welcome to part 2 of stage 12 of “Washington’s Ultimate Road Trip,” the Cascade Loop. We’re still visiting Meerkerk Gardens in this round of photos. I had too many good pictures to share to settle for just one set of pictures.
Note: You can see full-size versions of these photos here.
For several of these pictures, I don’t have any particular insights to share, so I’ll let them speak for themselves.
A group of amateur artists were scheduled to visit the park that day, and two instructors were setting up in the pavilion when I approached. Given that it was a rather drizzly day, I’m not sure how many of the group eventually showed up. As you can see, the gardens are on a bluff overlooking the coast, so there was a good view of the surrounding territory from this vantage point.
Some of the rhododendrons were massive, 20 feet high by 30 feet wide.
Little nooks and benches were scattered throughout the park.
A hidden pond just off the path.
A yellow rhododendron reflected in the pond.
I love the delicate shadings of the flowers in this picture: yellow, cream, pink, magenta. The rhododendrons in the Gardens were every shade you can imagine.
HinTN
I live rhodies. Whidbey seems like a magical place. Thanks for taking us there
I can’t resist. I’ll never do it again.
Foist !!!
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
Loved Washington state when I was stationed there in 89/90 we did the Cascade loop once and I would love to go back. Whitbey island was soooo gorgeous. I wanted to live there. Thank you for your gorgeous photos!
HinTN
@HinTN: Wow, that was a real thread killer. Let us now forswear all harkening to the once beloved Fire Dog Lake and revel in the transformative powers that brought the proprietor of this here top 10,000 blog to this new place of relevance and engagement.
OzarkHillbilly
To repeat myself from yesterday: Dreams I’ll never see… Not in my garden anyway. Thanx Paul.
JPL
What gorgeous pictures, and thank you for sharing them.
WaterGirl
Only one more day of your set. :-(
CaseyL
I think I did the loop way back in the early 90s, when my Florida friends used to come out every year for a couple of weeks in the summer. Since then I’ve only been on parts of it, when I was en route somewhere else.
I really need to do the loop again.
Thank you for this series and these photos, reminding me of the treasures in my state.
PaulB
Aw, shucks, WG. Thanks for the compliment. There will be another set in a year or two, I’m sure; maybe a grand tour of the San Juan Islands next. And certainly no shortage of marvelous photos from the other jackals.
What I love about these OTR posts, from all of us, is how much we learn about our fellow inmates here, and how they can inspire vacation ideas in those who view the photos and commentary.
KatKapCC
I want to sit in that gazebo and drink tea and think deep thoughts.
Or just wonder how many different flower scents I could identify while blindfolded.
pieceofpeace
@PaulB:
I love the sharing of photos, and yours are inspiring and tempting me to take a road trip north.
And I would def like to see views of the various San Juan Islands.
StringOnAStick
I’ve only seen rhododendron that big on Gardeners World, when they toured an amazing garden dedicated to them.
The photo of the gazebo view just thrilled me, I can’t wait until we go there next month, even if bloom season is over! Thanks for the entire Cascade Loop series, we’ll be doing a good chunk of it on our trip and it’s been very useful to our planning.