Natural Landscape- Delaware Water Gap

The Delaware Water Gap , located along the sate boarders of Pennsylvania and New Jersey along interstate 80, is the perfect place to go to see a natural landscape!  There has been a lot of effort put into the park to preserve the resources the park has to offer.  The park is mainly used for an outdoor recreation area, but still works to conserve the park with many of the surrounding communities.

This recreation area is the largest natural are in the entire National Park System “between Virginia and Maine and one of the largest protected natural areas in the metropolitan corridor extending from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Massachusetts,”  according to the National Park Services website.   http://www.nps.gov/dewa/parkmgmt/index.htm.  This website gave insight on how the park is maintained to keep up with its original look, as well as animals, plants, and environmental factors that affect the park.   The park states, “Visiting Delaware Water Gap, one feels as if time has stopped.  Historic farmhouses and agricultural fields keep the landscape looking as it might have looked in the 1800s.”

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu

This quote by Lao Tzu is a perfect example of how the Delaware Water Gap remains.   Not everything has to become modernized to still have appeal.  The Water Gap to this day attracts many visitors to see the amazing views of the water and the beauty of the natural landscape.

Awe-Inspiring from Negley Park

Back at home living near the city of Harrisburg, PA, as a child and even growing up, parks were the perfect place to go and play on the playground and as I grew older to go and talk to friends and have more respect for a landscape.  Back in Lemoyne, PA there is a park called Negley Park.  This park has views over the Susquehanna River and over into the city that will just take your breath away.

I have gone to this park a lot ever since I was a young girl, but now that I am old enough to appreciate it more if I could just build my house on top of this hill, believe me I would!  On top of the hill there are tennis and basketball courts as well as many sandboxes and playground equipment to play with.

 

On the opposite side of the play area and down a steep hill is a walkway with seating for many to sit and look out on the amazing view.  The park really gets packed when there is a baseball game going on in an island between the city and the park.  You can hear all the noise from the game and when there are fireworks after the game Negley Park is the perfect place to watch!

 

History Through Gardens – Colonial Williamsburg

Over the summer my mother and I decided to take a trip to Virginia and see many historical places and gardens as we could fit into our three-day trip.  One of these days was spent at Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Colonial Williamsburg is spread out over 301 acres filled with original buildings and gardens that recreate an account of what life back in the 1770’s was like.  Even down to the long hoop skirts the women would wear although it was one of the hottest days of the summer!

One of the buildings we enteredwas the Governors Palace where previous governors lived up until Thomas Jefferson was governor when the capitol was moved to Richmond.    In 1781 a fire destroyed the Palace and gardens surrounding the building.   Fortunately the Palace was rebuilt and was furnished with British and American antiques and artifacts that replicated the interior of the 18^th century.

On the inside I found interesting how different furniture has changed throughout history and how much wood was used throughout the buildings from the desks to it all on the walls.  Another thing that caught my eye was how Virginia used to be laid out as a state.  The state was much larger and covered much more to the west.

The gardens around Colonial Williamsburg could be used for many purposes such as vegetable, herb and even formal gardens.    The formal garden located behind the Palace is very geometric with the walkways all-leading to different parts of the garden and around the Palace.

Boxwoods lined many of the paths and other plants are trimmed into works of art.   There was pops of color in the gardens in between the rows of shrubs, which I became very fond of.   I liked the surprise pop of bright reds and oranges when you walk up close to it but from far away I did not notice that plants were in the middle of the shrubs.

“Landscape is history made visible.” – JB Jackson

JB Jacksons quote “Landscape is history made visible” can be see all throughout Colonial Williamsburg and all that has been maintained and preserved to what it would be like during the 18^th century.  The landscapes are not what I would normally see as a landscape of the 21^st century just driving around and looking at buildings.  I could feel the history when walking around the gardens.

Most of my time was spent in the formal gardens because it was the main garden that is in Colonial Williamsburg.  Unfortunately I did not get a chance to look at the other gardens because it was so unbearably hot out that day and it ended up storming after being there for two hours.  I defiantly will be returning one day in the future to share with others how amazing these gardens are and how well Colonial Williamsburg history is well preserved throughout the place.

Spirit of Home

Over the weekend of September 16 through 18, 2011 I went home to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania which is about 10 minutes from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

It is always relaxing going back home to me and just get away from reality for a little while.  It is almost like having a mini-vacation.   The town of Mechanicsburg always brings back memories over the many years of living there as a child.  Whether its spending time with my family in the house, watching my uncle, who is also my neighbor, build his house right next to mine from the ground up, going past the high school I use to attend, or seeing old friends.  The landscape of Mechanicsburg, PA holds many memories in not only my mind, but in my heart.

Home to everyone brings back memories that can last a lifetime.  Some might always be as good as others but all still holding a special place. Over the weekend I had the time to see what around the area has changed from construction and also from Mother Nature.  Having major flooding around Central Pennsylvania two weeks ago cause many roads to flood many buildings were destroyed and tons of trees in my backyard and around the neighborhood have been uprooted because of the extreme amount of rain.  It is strange to see all that can be changed in a short amount of time.

Henri Frederic Amiel, a Swiss philosopher, poet, and critic, stated that, “Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.”  I agree with Amiel seeing how just going back home to me brings back memories of times once spent there. The spirits on the people I use to play with and family members that are no longer alive all have spirits that remain in these landscapes.   It might not be home for others to get this feeling of spirit; it might be a park that has always been visited as a child or maybe even a place of vacation.  Every landscape in the world has some meaning to someone; it is just going and finding the spirits that have made the landscape meaningful for someone or maybe even yourself.