It's an US day. I love these days when we just get out and about. Our destination today is Tyler, TX. They have a rose garden there that I have wanted to see for quite awhile and even though I know it is past peak, I still want to enjoy.I'm driving and Mister locates a coffee shop for us in Tyler. Strada is a cute shop with a great patio area, which we take full advantage of as the morning is cool and dry. It's almost empty but I bet at times the hub of conversation is filling the space.
Yummy.
Just down the street is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and I really want to peek inside. It's Sunday so the building is open and between services.
Let's go inside - oooooh. The wood --- it's grand! I love the simplicity of this building inside.
A couple more pictures as we leave -- one inside the door and the pass-through outside. So glad we stopped.
There's a museum inside, but since it's Sunday . . .
The Rose Garden is about to open and we have now arrived. There are several other gardens in the area as well and we begin in the Shade Garden.
Next is the IDEA (Innovate, Demonstrate, Educate, and Apply) Garden.
Such a great statue. Reminds me of a friend.
In the arbor over the walkway, a bird has a next with little ones inside and is busy feeding them. We couldn't get a good picture, but watched for quite awhile.
Magnolias!!! I love these huge white flowers so much.
I can see the Rose Garden Center in the background, but we are still working our way around the grounds. The garden includes over 600 varieties and 32,000 bushes. Wow.
The Meditation Garden is simply lovely. I would come here often if I lived here -- guaranteed.
And now for the roses. I'll just let you enjoy the pics and remember that they are almost done until fall, so sad.
More fountains off to side.
This arched yellow wall is the original entrance to the Rose Garden and is thought to have been constructed during the WPA era. The plaque to the side reads: "The property that is now home to the Tyler Rose Garden was first purchased by the City of Tyler in 1912 for the construction of a park and fairgrounds. After many years and at the urging of the former American Rose Society President Dr. Horace McFarland, an application to the Works Project Administration (WPA) was made in 1938 to fund the construction of a municipal rose garden. The $181,255 federal grant was thought to be the largest municipal park and rose garden project approved by the WPA in that era. The funds were used to construct a stone picnic pavilion, balcony, stairs, and other garden features. Keith Maxwell, the SPA landscape architect, drew the plan for the park and rose garden. The plan was ultimately revised by Henry Thompson, a local nurseryman, who laid out walkways and planted trees and shrubbery. Thompson would later be killed while serving as a fighter pilor during World War II. The garden would eventually be dedicated in his memory. Following the war, Robert Shelton Jr. became the Superintendent of the Parks and Recreation Department and made it his top priority to complete the garden. In 1952 the Tyler Rose Garden was officially opened. The roses in the first garden were donated by local nurseries with the intent of creating a living catalogue of roses produced by the Tyler rose industry. Nearly 3,000 rose bushes were used in the first planting."
Now, I stole this picture from the rose gardens page so you could see how it looked at peak. I really want to come back this fall. Can you imagine the aroma? It was strong today, but oh my.
Mister wants to check out the museum in the center but it doesn't open yet, so we wander through the gardens a bit more. Such serenity. Fountains everywhere.
Love this one so much.
GREAT sign. I wish I could have been tall enough to get even with it and capture all the distances.
One last look back and it's into the center for us.
Now, I don't think this museum is quite what my sweetheart envisioned. I think he was looking for information on planting and roses and stuff like that. Nope, it's pretty much dedicated to the Rose Festival Queen. These dresses are crazy.
Last years winner --- at least the dress has roses on it --- most don't.
Gold roses, I guess that works.
Hidden at the very back of the museum --- a little info on roses. Very little, but it helped.
And some information I just didn't know. Isn't that what a museum is for? "For over two hundred years the United States of America did not have a National Flower. It had a National Bird, the mighty Eagle, but unlike most countries, it could not claim a special flower as its emblem. Controversy had surrounded this issue for decades. Different groups had tried on many occasions to submit legislation that would declare various flowers as the "Official National Flower", but all attempts had fail for lack of support and agreement. In 1983 Senator J. Bennet Johnson of Louisiana introduced a Bill into the Senate proposing the adoption of the Rose as the National Flower. Mike Edwards, DJ of a local radio station, picked up this information from a wire line, and immediately contacted Larry Burks. Time for action was at hand! Burks went to the Tyler Chamber of Commerce for support. Soon Burks, Mayor Charles Halstead, Chamber Executive Paul Bendel and his wife, Rebecca, and representative members of the American Rose Society left for Washington with cut roses and rose bushes to lobby members of Congress to gain support and co-sponsors for the "Rose Bill". Other groups were also hard at work to have other flowers proclaimed as the National Flower, with the Marigold and the Corn Tassel among the top contenders for this great honor. Efforts to promote the Rose continued for three years. Congressman Ralph M. Hall, 4th District of Texas, worked tirelessly and was instrumental in persuading colleagues to sign as co-sponsors of this legislation. Tyler Junior College Apache Belles traveled to Washington to celebrate the Rose and each month Burks made the trip to the Nation's Capital to publicize the Rose. By the Spring on 1986, the efforts of Burks and others were recognized when over half of the members of the House signed as Co-Sponsors to force the "Rose Bill" out onto the Floor for a vote. The Senate had already approved the Bill. Success came on October 7, 1986, when President Ronald Reagan signed the Bill into law, proclaiming the Rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States of America." Pretty interesting huh?
While at the museum, my friend Sherri calls and invites us over for a boat ride this evening. She lives just down the road a bit in Athens and I'm certainly up for a night on the water. Plus -- Sherri and Kevin are great to hang with. There's a brewery in Athens and it's open. Late lunch, early dinner sounds great.The food is GREAT as is the beer. I want to come back here time and time again.
Mister is in heaven with this salad. Yep, the carbs are mine and I didn't expect such a large pretzel to go with my dog.
A pair of Canadian Geese parents stop by with their goslings. Treats are coming your way.
We're off -
The sun is moving down behind us, just not quite fast enough. Oh well.
Why didn't I grab Sherri for this picture?
Well, I have this one that she will give me grief over. That's what friends are for. Love ya so much girlfriend. Can't wait for a return trip. I'm working through the calendar already. And that's it for our day --- time to point the car back to Dallas as tomorrow is a work day. Great memories made.
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