Tag: Nature

Post author By pn9477jr
Post date November 18, 2021
No Comments on Franconia Sculpture Garden

If you are a fan of art and nature, then I have the perfect place for you! Franconia Sculpture Garden is a fifty-acre outdoor museum located in the Saint Croix River Valley. Their main focus of art revolves around unique sculptures and outdoor exhibitions. Their mission is to help people create and contemplate contemporary art inspired by nature and our evolving world. Franconia offers more than the sculpture garden. They also offer spaces to rent for all types of events.

Franconia Commons offers a cafe as well as three rentable locations. Those locations include the Driscoll Education center, the back patio, and upper balcony, and the outdoor garden space.

This robotic/astronaut-looking sculpture is one of my favorites. It was sculpted by Amy Toscani. In the description of this art piece, she describes it as “Dwarfing the viewer while still being approachable.”

"Parade" -Mike Rathbun — “Parade” -Mike Rathbun

This is Parade, made by Mike Rathbun. While it looks simple, it was not as simple to sculpt due to its massive size! With this picture, in particular, the sun really showed off Parade’s beauty.

The doghouse -Jeffery Kalstrom — “The Doghouse” -Jeffery Kalstrom

Jeffery Kalstrom says that this sculpture was his vision of the perfect tiny house for an artist who is obsessed with dogs. He included the tiny house because he believes that people use too much energy and we should resort back to simpler, less energy wasteful living.

Got the Power: Minnesota -Bayete Ross. — “Got the Power: Minnesota”-Bayete Ross.

This is my all-time favorite sculpture. Two of my biggest passions are music and art. This sculpture merges the two into something beautiful. Art and music go hand in hand.

Lorrain Motel sign -Chris Laron. — “Lorrain Motel sign” -Chris Larson.

This sculpture is a replica of the Lorrain Motel sign that was located in Memphis TN. That motel in Memphis was replaced with the National Civil Rights Museum. “The Lorrain Motel sign continues a conversation of growth” -Chris Larson.

"Skallagram" -Peter Lundberg — “Skallagram” -Peter Lundberg

This massive sculpture is visible throughout the entire grounds. With its height, it is impossible to miss no matter where you are walking!

alternate view of Skallagrim — An up-close look at the massive Skallagrim!

Franconia Sculpture Garden is the perfect mix between nature and art! I found myself at peace as I walked through. I was able to simply stroll through while taking everything in, both visibly and audibly. The fact that the museum is outdoors adds an entirely new aspect. Hearing the birds and the trees and grass blowing in the wind was quite magical. I highly recommend making the trip!

If you would like to learn more about the sculptures and the venue in general, follow the link below!

https://www.franconia.org/current-exhibition/

I have been to Franconia Sculpture Garden twice now and I plan on visiting many times again. The first time was right when the COVID-19 pandemic started to really hit the world hard. I went with my family and we enjoyed a beautiful night out. My second trip was a solo trip. I was happy to experience the garden on my own. It was peaceful and felt like the definition of tranquility. The fact that I had decided to go mid-day on a weekday afternoon made it feel special as I was one of the only people throughout the entire fifty acres. There is something eerie yet comforting being alone in such a beautiful place.

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Tags Franconia, Garden, Nature, outdoors, Sculpture

Casey Lake Park

A sign to know you have arrived. — Casey Lake Park

A simple park can be the best park. Casey Lake Park is a 33-acre park located in North Saint Paul Minnesota, right off of Mcknight on 17th Ave E. It offers a beautiful walking trail, four baseball fields, 3 separate playgrounds, a great in-door gathering space, an ice hockey rink, a volleyball court, as well as a breathtaking dock view of the lake. (A perfect place to fish.)

Showing the walking path — Take a stroll on the walking path.

Walking the path at Casey Lake Park is refreshing. Each step brings something new. You will see nature, you may see a baseball game or four, people barbequing, kids playing at the playground, the possibilities are endless as there is so much to do at this park!

Showing how the fall weather has enhanced the park. — Casey Lake is beautiful in the fall!

The fall weather really brings out the best in nature, Casey Lake is a perfect example of that, with the change of color on the fallen leaves.

This is one of the popular spots at Casey Lake Park. When you walk out into the center of the dock, you feel as though you are standing on the water. There is beauty in all directions when you stand in the center of this octagon-shaped dock.

the bridge that connects upper and lower Casey. — Cross the bridge.

This bridge allows you access to the older half of Casey Lake Park. Across this bridge are the old wooden playground and two of the baseball fields.

this playground emphasizes the age of the park. — Old wooden Jungle Gym

This was the first playground that was at Casey Lake Park. It looks quite simple now compared to the usual playground in this day and time. It seems more of an obstacle course rather than a playground.

Showing another activity that can be done at the park. — Enjoy a game of volleyball or badminton!

Another great addition to the many things to do at Casey Lake Park!

Casey Lake Park is a wonderful destination. There is so much to do at this park. There is something for everyone from sports fans to nature walkers and everything in between, this park offers everything! If you get the chance to visit, do not hesitate to do so!

If you would like to know more about Casey Lake Park, follow the link below! https://www.northstpaul.org/557/Casey-Lake

Growing up only a block away from Casey Lake Park has been a blessing. I spent much of my childhood there, playing baseball and having football practice. My mother also used to run a daycare and living so close gave her the opportunity to get all of those kids outside. Casey Lake Park will always have a very special place in my heart and the memories will live there forever.

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Tags beautiful, fishing, Minnesota Parks, Nature, outdoors, playground, sports, volleyball

Normandale's Japanese Garden

You don’t need to go to Japan to visit a Japanese Garden

Post author By pn9477jr
Post date September 22, 2021
No Comments on You don’t need to go to Japan to visit a Japanese Garden

Want to visit a Japanese garden? No need to worry about a plane ticket or passport! Just visit Normandale Community College in Bloomington Minnesota! Minnesota has plenty of hidden gems when it comes to the great outdoors, but one of my favorites that I was lucky enough to visit has to be the Normandale Community College

The first thing you will see when you walk in is this structure. In there, you will find the history of the garden. The creation of the Japanese Garden started in 1967. This was before the campus was even completely built yet. The architect responsible was Takao Watanabe. With the help of him, the Japanese Garden was made into a reality.

Nothing is more calming than the tranquil sound of moving water. The soothing sound travels throughout the entire grounds making this a perfect place for meditation and relaxation.

Benten-dō is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten, goddess of wealth, happiness, wisdom, and music.

Take the opportunity to feed the Koi fish!

The Koi fishes are a great attraction during the warmer times of Minnesota weather. When Koi food is thrown into the water, all of the fishes come that way. You can feed them yourself for only fifty cents!

The Japanese garden is filled with lush plant life and greenery. Unfortunately, plant life is not what you would see in a traditional Japanese garden in Japan. The plants that go in a traditional Japanese garden would not survive the cold Minnesota Winter. Even with this being the case, the garden is beautiful and a one-of-a-kind experience. If you would like to see what the garden is missing, here is a link to “10 flowers you can only find in Japan.” by Bipasha Bhatia https://www.thetravel.com/flowers-only-find-japan/

The Japanese garden is a beautiful place to visit. It creates the perfect environment to meditate, relax, and reflect. They have a path to walk at your own pace or plenty of places to sit and just take it all in. They also have reservation hours available for events and gatherings. If you get the chance to visit whether you are in the area or are going through, I would highly recommend stopping by!

If you would like any more information on the garden, please follow the link below!

https://www.normandale.edu/community/japanese-garden

Getting to know the author of this blog — Get to know the Author!

Seth Rought is a student at St. Cloud State University. He grew up in Maplewood Minnesota. At 22 years old, a passion of his was found during the Covid-19 pandemic. He realized this is the perfect time to be outside. There are so many places to explore in Minnesota, some easy to find, some hidden gems. Being outside is not only a fun activity, but it also has great health benefits both physical and mental! With this blog, he hopes to motivate readers to explore Minnesota. If you would like to see more content, Twitter and Instagram links are listed below!

https://twitter.com/gr8_mn

https://www.instagram.com/greatmnoutdoors/

Tags Garden, Japanese, Minnesota, Nature, Out-Doors