The Krohn Conservatory is located in Eden Park, which I wrote about for my "E" post. The building itself is interesting, as it was built in 1933 during the Art Deco era. The Conservatory contains more than 3,500 plant species from all over the world.
When I visited Krohn a few weeks ago, they were finishing up a special exhibit called "Sparkle and Bling," which featured colorful beads and glass displays in addition to the flowers. The exhibit room was filled with displays of lilies, which are probably my favorite flowers.
I also loved the creative mobiles that hung from the ceiling.
One of my favorite things about Krohn is the permanent rainforest exhibit. One room is devoted to a recreation of a tropical forest, and I would imagine it's as close as you can get to a jungle without actually being there.
The sounds of the waterfall, and the steam surrounding it, merely add to the atmosphere.
Dogs aren't permitted in Krohn so Clancy couldn't go with me on that visit, but he did come along on my next trip, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail.
The Little Miami Trail is more than 78 miles long, and runs through five southwestern Ohio counties. It follows the old railroad lines, and is used for walking or running, biking, and horseback riding. It is the longest paved trail in the United States.
Clancy and I decided to pick up the trail in Loveland, which is a small city about 15 miles northeast of Cincinnati. As we drove into Loveland, we saw a sign that said "Welcome to Loveland: The Sweetheart of Ohio." It made me laugh, but it also seemed appropriate, as the town is very charming.
I loved this sign next to the lot where Clancy and I parked.
The trail follows the Little Miami river, and it wasn't long before Clancy and I were completely out of earshot of any traffic or city noise.
The only thing we could hear was a woodpecker, who was furiously pecking a tree and driving Clancy crazy because he couldn't figure out what was causing the noise. I know the woodpecker was in here somewhere, but I never did spot him.
Clancy and I didn't have enough time to do much exploring on the day we visited the trail, but I'm definitely planning to return and check out other sections over the summer. I'm not sure if we'll hit all 78 miles, but we'll give it a shot.
Hope everyone has a great weekend coming up! :)
That rainforest exhibit looks amazing! And I love the idea of that trail. We have one like that nearby and a few other similar type paths not too far away. Thanks for the reminder to take advantage of them. :)
ReplyDeleteI am so inspired by those flower pots and that mobile! Beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteThe rainforest room is really cool!
ReplyDeleteBeautful pictures! I also really like the rainforest exhibit! Hope you feel better soon Julie!
ReplyDeleteYou have two sanctuaries so close to the city. Very beautiful. I bet both places inspire you in many ways.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, those photos are so beautiful. I love that indoor rainforest. Great place to visit on a dreary day.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm right there with you on being sick. Brought home a lousy cold from my trip. Blah.
I love lilies, too. Too bad they don't last longer, though. We have a bunch of scarlet day lilies blooming in our back yard now, but in a couple weeks, they'll be done.
ReplyDeleteThat rainforest is amazing. Especially the waterfall. I've been to an indoor rain forest before, but it didn't have a big waterfall like that.
Get well soon.
Hope you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post and the picture are awesome.
Take care.
Yvonne.
Great post Julie. I especially liked the tidbit about the Little Miami being the longest paved path in the US.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better.
First time I've ever seen horse trailers that looked like bikes :)
ReplyDeleteLove all the flowers!
Had to laugh at the “horse trailers” too !!!
ReplyDeleteLovely post. Hope you are feeling a lot better soon, Julie xx
Love the mobiles. I hope you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love the photos! I have not been on in a while. Great to be back!
ReplyDeleteTwo gorgeous places! I love how they combined the artwork with the botanics. I hope you're feeling better!
ReplyDeleteShannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the 2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z
Hi Julie - sorry you've been sick, hope you feel better .. love the Krohn Conservatory .. the exhibition looked as though it'll be amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to have a jungle exhibition too ..
Then your walk through Little Miami .. what a fabulous area to be near enough to access - that looks stunning ..
Look after yourself .. cheers Hilary
@Madeline, you're welcome, I need to remind myself of that too.
ReplyDelete@Johanna, I thought so too, I couldn't stop looking at the mobiles, I loved them.
@Alex, it is, I love going there.
@Julie, thank you!
@Susan, they are definitely both inspiring, thanks.
@LG, oh, I'm sorry you caught a cold, hope it doesn't put a damper on an amazing trip. Feel better soon!
@Susan, oh, I don't think I've seen scarlet lilies, they sound gorgeous. Thanks for the get well wishes!
@Yvonne, thank you!
@Tim, thanks, finally starting to feel a little more normal.
@Carol, LOL, I noticed that about the bikes too. There was a bike rental shop right next to the sign, but it still seemed funny.
@Carolyn, thank you! I'd never seen a horse trailer sign before LOL.
@Tonja, thanks!
@Adrian, oh, it's great to see you, thanks!!
@Shannon, thank you, I appreciate it.
@Hilary, thanks so much, I am starting to feel better. Just being very lazy!
I hope you're feeling much better now, Julie. Those are some impressive display. Love the flowers!
ReplyDelete@JL, I am, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous photos! I hope to walk more trails this summer. Might not be fast walking with a toddler, but definitely more walking than last year.
ReplyDelete@Christine, thank you! I hope you and your little one have a good time walking this summer. :)
ReplyDelete