The blossoms of spring beauty, or Claytonia virginica (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)
April showers do spring May flowers. Here are places where you and your family can find the blossoms and encourage an appreciation of nature.
1. Blooms and bikes, Fort Collins, Colo. Take a self-guided tour of this northern Colorado city's many public gardens. Hop on your own bicycles or borrow from the cycle-friendly town's Bike Library. Two-wheeled transport, including children's bikes and tagalongs, is available at no charge for as little as an hour or as long as a week. Don't miss the annual Flower Trial Garden, a colorful spread of blossoms tended by Colorado State University students involved in plant research.
Contact: www.visitftcollins.com; www.fcbikelibrary.org; www.flowertrials.colostate.edu.
2. Ohme Gardens Park, Wenatchee, Wash. Appreciate poppies, columbines and cornflowers as you meander through this lush, nine-acre alpine garden created as a sanctuary for the Ohme family. Now managed by Chelan County, the park offers families waterfalls, pools, more than 120 plant species and 35 types of birds. Stroll the milelong stone pathway and take in the view of the Columbia River and the valley below. Later, picnic in a shaded area near the garden entrance.
Contact: 509-662-5785; www.ohmegardens.com.
3. Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, S.C. See camellias, daffodils, azaleas and scores of other species in spring bloom within America's oldest public garden. Open for visitors since 1870, the expansive and historic plantation offers guided tours of the gardens as well as the plantation house. Nature tours by boat and tram showcase the landscape. New is a 45-minute tour detailing Magnolia's transition from slavery to freedom. Kids will love the petting zoo and nature center where they can encounter white-tailed deer, pygmy goats and other small creatures.
Contact: 1-800-367-3517; www.magnoliaplantation.com.
4. The Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Ill. As winter melts away, residents and visitors to the Windy City thrill to see thousands of colorful tulips along this famed stretch of Michigan Avenue. In May, hotels, restaurants and retail stores in the area will again honor this symbol of spring by offering tulip-themed contests, giveaways and discounts. Watch for the tulip created for the First Lady of Chicago. The pink "Tulipa Maggie Daley" will be part of the springtime celebration.
Contact: 312-409-5560; www.themagnificentmile.com.
5. Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa, Canada. Visit the tulip capital of North America through May 6 to celebrate colorful flowers and international friendship during the world's largest tulip festival. Amid 3 million tulip blooms, find family activities such as the LEGO community garden where youngsters can help build giant tulip bouquets and a LEGO garden. Stop by the International Pavilion for food, an outdoor stage and displays provided by embassies and cultural groups. Most activities are free.
Contact: www.tulipfestival.ca. Tulip-themed lodging packages: www.ottawatourism.ca.
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Lynn O'Rourke Hayes is editor of FamilyTravel.com: lohayes@familytravel.com
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(c) 2011, The Dallas Morning News.
Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
1. Blooms and bikes, Fort Collins, Colo. Take a self-guided tour of this northern Colorado city's many public gardens. Hop on your own bicycles or borrow from the cycle-friendly town's Bike Library. Two-wheeled transport, including children's bikes and tagalongs, is available at no charge for as little as an hour or as long as a week. Don't miss the annual Flower Trial Garden, a colorful spread of blossoms tended by Colorado State University students involved in plant research.
Contact: www.visitftcollins.com; www.fcbikelibrary.org; www.flowertrials.colostate.edu.
2. Ohme Gardens Park, Wenatchee, Wash. Appreciate poppies, columbines and cornflowers as you meander through this lush, nine-acre alpine garden created as a sanctuary for the Ohme family. Now managed by Chelan County, the park offers families waterfalls, pools, more than 120 plant species and 35 types of birds. Stroll the milelong stone pathway and take in the view of the Columbia River and the valley below. Later, picnic in a shaded area near the garden entrance.
Contact: 509-662-5785; www.ohmegardens.com.
3. Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, S.C. See camellias, daffodils, azaleas and scores of other species in spring bloom within America's oldest public garden. Open for visitors since 1870, the expansive and historic plantation offers guided tours of the gardens as well as the plantation house. Nature tours by boat and tram showcase the landscape. New is a 45-minute tour detailing Magnolia's transition from slavery to freedom. Kids will love the petting zoo and nature center where they can encounter white-tailed deer, pygmy goats and other small creatures.
Contact: 1-800-367-3517; www.magnoliaplantation.com.
4. The Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Ill. As winter melts away, residents and visitors to the Windy City thrill to see thousands of colorful tulips along this famed stretch of Michigan Avenue. In May, hotels, restaurants and retail stores in the area will again honor this symbol of spring by offering tulip-themed contests, giveaways and discounts. Watch for the tulip created for the First Lady of Chicago. The pink "Tulipa Maggie Daley" will be part of the springtime celebration.
Contact: 312-409-5560; www.themagnificentmile.com.
5. Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa, Canada. Visit the tulip capital of North America through May 6 to celebrate colorful flowers and international friendship during the world's largest tulip festival. Amid 3 million tulip blooms, find family activities such as the LEGO community garden where youngsters can help build giant tulip bouquets and a LEGO garden. Stop by the International Pavilion for food, an outdoor stage and displays provided by embassies and cultural groups. Most activities are free.
Contact: www.tulipfestival.ca. Tulip-themed lodging packages: www.ottawatourism.ca.
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Lynn O'Rourke Hayes is editor of FamilyTravel.com: lohayes@familytravel.com
------
(c) 2011, The Dallas Morning News.
Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.