Easter Eye Candy

In support of my ongoing goal not to become a grad school hermit, I stopped grading for a few hours today and we went to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Here's what I love about Denver; there's still snow on the ground in some places, yet it was a completely clear and sunny day, warm enough to wear shorts.

There were mostly outdoor "exhibits" (if you will). We walked through a succession of themed gardens: Japanese Bonsai, American Woodland, English Gardens, etc. The landscaping and showcasing of plants was well done, and every now and then we'd come across statues, columns, and sculptures.

The winding paths include hidden inlets with benches, as well as some cafes along the way. We only roamed around for a couple of hours, but if you're a plant or nature nerd, it would be easy to spend the entire day here.

Being contemplative

There were several indoor exhibits, too. There's apparently an entire child center on the periphery (we didn't come across it), a science center, a tropical greenhouse, a cactus building, and an enormous regular greenhouse where they nurse the plants as they grow.

A Hawaii shot! Just kidding - it's only the tropical greenhouse. Felt like home, though. :)

OMG the orchids were amazing. They are so colorful and intricate, I can't get over it. They reminded me of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, except the temperature here was/is about a thousand degrees cooler. I remember us dragging our guide into some kind of cool (temperature-wise) mushroom/fungal plant room over and over again. He thought we were overly interested in the plants; we really just needed to cool down. I'm starting to sweat just writing this.

OK, back to grading.

HAPPY EASTER TOMORROW, PEEPS!