WW: Murals at Springfield, Connecticut

Some #throwback edition fo this week's (almost) Wordless Wednesday.

the lovely carousel in Springfield, CT

We were visiting Springfield, Connecticut and went to Dr. Seuss Museum.

Read the complete story at The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss 

Then before heading back to New York City, we stopped at the Court Square Historic District and enjoyed beautiful murals of celebrities, musicians as well as the characters from the Wizard of Oz. Some of them are painted on the wall, doors, and windows.

We also enjoyed the lovely red bricks buildings around the area.

One lovely corner

Here are a few snaps from there.

Can you guess who they are? 

I bet you can :).

Do you like taking pictures of the murals and buildings?

Where is your favorite place for that?

Join us on  (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the link party!

A Walk in Muir Woods National Monument

A Walk in Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods National Monument

It is still winter in NYC as I post this, but remembering our walk in Muir Woods National Monument makes my heart feel warm.

 

Those huge, old trees with plush green leaves, ferns, flowers and fresh air surely provide great refuge for me and my family.

Do you like walking in a park like this?

Which one do you like better, nature or cityscape?

Join us on Skywatch Friday and have fun enjoying the sky!

The Amazing world of Dr. Seuss, Springfield, Connecticut

Oh the places you’ll go!
The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss, Springfield, Connecticut is indeed amazing.

***

"So, I'm going to pick-up the bike at Worcester." My hubby said that night, while we were having dinner.
"Where is it exactly? Still in New York?" I concentrated on my sashimi plate which was so good. I was thinking of getting more.
"No, it's almost three hours drive from here. It's in Massachusetts."
"What? That far?." I stopped dipping that piece of  salmon and paid more attention to my hubby.
"Yuuup...we'll stay overnight in one of the surrounding cities. Either Hartford in Connecticut or  Springfield in Massachusetts. They have Dr. Seuss museum in Springfield." He checked on the map at his phone. "Bo and Obi will love it", he added.
"I 'd love that, too! So, let's go. Get everybody ready! It will be our early Thanksgiving trip."  
Springfield, here we come!

***

It was one cold weekend when we decided to drive to Worcester, stayed overnight in Hartford,CT and visited Dr. Seuss museum in Springfield, MA.
We booked the car and the hotel (thank God I have extra points to use in Starwood Group hotel) and packed our bags and some food for the trip. It would only be one night stay and already we planned so much including some swimming and trips to the museums.
I still have my mom here so it was a great opportunity to take her out and see more of the country as well. 

When I head Springfield, my mind directly goes to the Simpsons place.
You know, the cartoon :).
But this city of Springfield is the one in Massachusetts, which happens to be the hometown of one of the most beloved kids-book authors, Dr. Seuss.

The Amazing world of Dr. Seuss.
That's the name of the place.
Familiar with Dr. Seuss and his books?
I do love him!
And so do my kids.
I have to admit I read those books as an adult.
Well, foreign books are expensive so I kind of getting to know his works a bit late.
But I love his books. I really do.
I have been teaching Obi, my daughter, how to read using One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish from Dr. Seuss.
Bo was enjoying the Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, Happy Birthday to You, ABCD, Oh the Places you'll Go, and more.
So, when we found out that Dr. Seuss' hometown is not too far, only approximately 3 hours drive from New York City, off we went!

We stayed the night at Hartford, Connecticut after visiting Yale, New Haven on Saturday and continued driving to Springfield, Massachusetts for about 20 minutes.
The museum opened at 11 AM on Sunday and we went directly here.
The ticket is USD 25 for adults, USD 16 for seniors, and USD 13 for kids.
And we can visit 5 museums with one ticket.
Amazing, right!

say hi to the Lorax :)

As we didn't really have much time, we first visited the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss.
Perfect choices indeed, as the place is very interesting.
It's like pages from the books.
Colorful and entertaining as well, with all those characters and quotes from the books.

Obi literally grew up with this :)

The amazing world of Dr. Seuss is uber awesome! 
My kids, love it so much and so does mama Bo et Obi 😇😇😇
We got soooo excited when we met our fave, the Cat in the Hat :).

We are exploring the colorful world of the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, Horton the elephant, Thing 1 and 2, Thidwick the big hearted moose, the Grinch who stole Christmas, Yertle the turtle and more  at Dr. Seuss’ hometown Springfield, Connecticut.

On the first floor, we have drawings and excerpts from the books, while the second floor has the exhibition about Dr. Seuss' stories and life.

Then we got out to Dr. Seuss’ National Memorial Sculpture Garden 💜

Say hi to all these famous characters from Dr. Seuss’ great books! 

Dr. Seuss

Again, here we met the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, Horton the elephant, Thing 1 and 2, Thidwick the big hearted moose, the Grinch, Yertle the turtle and more!
Those bronze sculptures are incredible.

The Grinch is here :)

Looking at the details, it feels like those characters just spring out of the books.
Well, for us, Dr. Seuss was not only telling us the children stories with his unique imagination, but there are so many important messages about love, life, friendship, respect, harmony, and more on each and every story.
And we are so blessed to have the opportunity to know that :).
  

So, what's your favorite Dr. Seuss' favorite character?
Do you like them as well?

Clear Blue Sky at Lovely Town of Hartford, Connecticut

How about clear blue sky at lovely town of Hartford, Connecticut?

Another wandering around with my family this Fall.

We briefly visited Hartford, Connecticut and had a nice walk near the Bushnell Park.
I took it as our pre-Thanksgiving trip.
You know how busy and crazy Thanksgiving break is, with many people are traveling at the same time or shopping at the same time at those shopping malls and factory outlets :).
So we learnt our lessons and decided to explore more cities in the surrounding before those hectic week.
And there we were... driving approximately 3 hours from NYC and arrived at this wonderful city of Hartford.

 

Fall is still here and it is beautiful although cold :).
As we arrived in the afternoon, we didn't really have much time before the sun set.
So we strolled around the Bushnell Park. 

 

The Memorial Park at the Trinity Street near the Bushnell Park is beautiful.

The gate is standing tall elegantly, erected in honoring those who have fallen for the country.

Really love this gate!

Its famous carousel is also lovely.
Although my kids didn't manage to try it as they were sleeping after spending the whole morning at the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss in Springfield, Massachusetts.

I have always been a great fan of carousel.
So I was really enjoying the ride here :)

Will get back for more stories on our trip for sure :)

Join us on Skywatch Friday and have fun with the linky party :)

Happy Thanksgiving

"Keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracle of your life"

Khalil Gibran 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Aren't we all blessed?

With every tiny sparks of joy and content fulfilling our heart.

With every drop of sweat and tears marking our illustrious lives.

With every breath freely taken and every smiles of your loved ones.

Those miracles of life keep our heart beating and our soul revived

We have a small celebration at home.
Enjoying precious time with our loved ones over wonderful meals and tons of laughter. Plus a bit shopping in the evening.
Obi and I, with the help of my hubby and Bo, finished decorating this cute Turkey Kit we got from Trader Joe's.
With less than 10 dollars and 
How's  your Thanksgiving? 
I hope it was as colorful as ours.

Happy Thanksgiving and stay blessed, people!

Flatiron in Black and White

I got a chance to stroll around Flatiron at Lower Manhattan last weekend.
I haven't been there for a long time indeed.

Then I got so tempted to snap this famous NYC landmark and edit it in black and white.
Even though the sky is blue.
And cold.

It was cold...yet busy Sunday for New Yorkers.

And tourists.

Like me :).

Do you like Black and white sky...or the original blue?

Join us on Skywatch Friday and have fun looking at those magnificent skies from different corner of the world.

WW: Unisphere at Corona Park, Flushing Meadows, Queens, NYC

A quick gateway to our beloved Queens neighborhood, with a visit to one of its jewels, the Unisphere, or a giant steel globe built for 1964 New York World's Fair. 

Beautifully located at Corona Park, Flushing Meadows, Queens, NYC, I got a chance to unwind a bit with my family. It was such a beautiful day, so I made sure I took some pictures there :)

We were lucky we still have some colorful flowers and shrubs near the area, adding some beautiful touch to this complex.

 

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the links

WW: A Short Visit to US Capitol

 A Short Visit to US Capitol, Washington D.C.

It was a bit of 'mixed' day in terms of weather, a few hours of hot, sunny day, followed by rain.

All pictures are happily taken with iPhone 7.

Join  us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have linking up :)

WW: The Morgan Library and Museum

One of the most beautiful libraries I have ever visited!

The Morgan Library and Museum is the home of various antiques and rarities that you can find in New York City.

Its beautiful interior, stunning collections, and incredible taste of Pierpont Morgan are joyful to see.

Here are some of the pictures I took.

Will surely come back with more details.

one lovely corner!

welcome!

the Holy Quran that I found in one of the collections

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the linkies :)