Friday, June 12, 2015

Chinese Lanterns Redux

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is once again playing host to the Chinese Lantern Festival for most of the summer.  If you love color and light, this is for you.  If you were lucky enough to visit in 2012, go again.  The displays are all totally new.

This is the link to the Garden.  I was lucky enough to go with part of my family this past weekend.  It is not free, but well worth the price of admission.  Make sure that you check it all out online as they have limited days until August.

For those of you who love to shoot, sorry, but you are not allowed to bring in a tripod or monopod. This is actually a good thing because there are tons of people walking about.  Brush up on your settings before you go so that you  know what you need to do to get the best shots.  I was unaware that the Festival was in town, so I got caught with just my kit lens.

We ate at the little cafe in the main building and it was yummy.  I had mushroom and pesto flat bread pizza.  OK.  Now I'm hungry.



A couple of tips:
  • Make sure you bring a stroller if you have young children. You are there for a bit.
  • Make sure that you bring bug spray.  They have great mosquitoes in St. Louis.
  • It is heat and humidity that define St. Louis in the summer. Hydrate while you are there.  There are concessions around the Garden, including alcohol.
  • Plan on spending a few minutes in the adorable gift shop and the Chinese marketplace.  You really need the entire 4 hours.
If you decide to go down, don't forget to visit the St. Louis Zoo. They just opened a new polar bear exhibit.  This is one of the greatest zoos around, people.  Don't miss it.





 This is part of the fabulous multi-media center display!  Lots of horses, music and fire.


 Kids and adults took advantage of this fountain!


 A pagoda made entirely of china!  So cool.




 The center display at night.




Dandelions!  I believe they were made from cut up water bottles.


See.  Fire!


This was so cool.  An elephant display made entirely of china.





Peacock made of glass medicine bottles.


No comments:

Post a Comment