Simple and Small: Gettysburg's Land of Little Horses

Gettysburg is J's favorite history site, of course.  G, however, adores being outside on a battlefield but doesn't quite have historical tourism down yet.  We're still teaching her, but in the meantime, it's sometimes effective to explore in other ways.  On a recent trip to Pennsylvania, G and K were inspired to visit Land of Little Horses, a family farm attraction in Gettysburg's countryside, accordingly to indulge G's enjoyment of animals and the outdoors.  The farm is celebrating its 45th year!

K had always been curious about this attraction, a great place to spend a morning or afternoon. Famous for miniature horses as the name implies, Land of Little Horses is a simple, peaceful farm on which at least 20 or so friendly mini horses reside by our count.  The park has special times during which one can groom and interact with the horses daily.  Other special events include simple animal shows during which select horses and other animals including dogs and pigs perform cute tricks.  The performances, low-key and in a covered arena, are a nice way to take a break on a hot day.  The information is also inspiring--many of the animals are rescued and all are cared for by the family that owns the farm (the dogs even go home at night with them).  The show demonstrates kindness towards the animals as well--a far cry from a rigorous "animal trick exhibit."  A semi-famous horse will even do math for you--addition through division and including number recognition.  Nifty.

The park is a pretty place to walk aimlessly on paths, venturing barn to barn and showing up for hourly special events like the animal show.  There are rabbits, turkeys, goats (twins born on K's birthday, actually), a "racing" tortoise, and more.  Yes, you can buy food pellets for them, but we opted not to.  There's also a small park, a snack bar with indoor seating (we had ice cream), places for picnics outside, a "wild west" village with props for imaginative play, and a gift shop (of course we bought a Christmas ornament--as well as a fancy pink cowgirl hat).  G's favorite experiences?  Saying hello to the rabbits, brushing the horses during the grooming event, climbing on the playground, and riding the saddle swings in the wild west village.

This farm park has no amusement rides and put me in the mind of the type of pleasant family/friends outing one can have at a fall pumpkin patch in Virginia.  If you go, dress for the weather outdoors, and know that closed-toed shoes are optimal.  Search online for deals (try sites like Groupon, Certifikid, and Living Social as well as coupon sites like Val-Pack).  We enjoyed eating just ice cream at the park, enjoying an air-conditioned break at the snack bar, and then meeting our family for a bigger dinner at Blue and Gray Bar and Grill, one of our favorite local restaurants.  Management makes sure you are aware the park does not offer pony rides (apparently, they did before an insurance increase).  The park is open, weather permitting, select days April to October with season passes available and makes a perfect trip for preschoolers and young kids who enjoy animals.

Desert Refreshment: Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ

K was not always a fan of botanical gardens, but of late, she's had several occasions to visit them.  Turns out that she's found new treasures in all of them and plans to be a more consistent garden explorer.  There was the special Lantern Asia exhibit at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, there were fantastical sculptures at Airlie Gardens, and now, there were beautiful cacti aplenty at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ.

Simply put, if you want to see stunning desert landscapes, this is the place for you.  The cacti are beautiful, and in various seasons, there are plenty of flowers and butterflies.  Within the garden, there is a "desert living" home decorated with opulent landscaping for the arid climate.  The paths encourage wandering and the "finding" of such fun treasures.

Various areas of the garden depict different desert areas around the world, and we saw a fair amount of small wildlife, including numerous birds.

Was it hot?  Well, yes. It was Phoenix in July. Bring water and sip it constantly--there are plenty of water bottle refill stations, and garden employees were even driving about with trucks that could refill your waterbottle. The gardens are open relatively early and late if your schedule can so accommodate.

Be alert for special events.  A Bruce Munro lighted art exhibit had left recently, and while we snagged gift books picturing it in the gift shop, we missed it by some weeks.  Our understanding is that the garden is a fantastic venue for special events that include open-air concerts.  On this trip, K stayed late, hanging out near closing.  A special night walk event was planned, and we were able to enjoy parts of it, including conversations with great volunteers who were very welcoming locals who gave great dinner recommendations, just because we were in the right place at the right time.

Speaking of the right place at the right time, head to the Sonoran Desert area at sunset--specifically the seating area known as Pratt Ramada.  You won't regret it.

If you go, check Groupon and similar sites for possible ticket discounts.  The Desert is also near Scottsdale, AZ, and it would be easy to head there for dinner after a visit.  We recommend Olive and Ivy near Scottsdale Fashion Square, an upscale mall.  The mall area is open late, but many of the shops in "old" Scottsdale are regrettably closed in the summer "off season." In the garden itself, there's also a cool gift shop and an esteemed restaurant.  Park for free onsite, but reach the area by driving if at all possible (public transportation would have been much more complicated).  Plan to spend several hours.  In our 2+ hour visit, we estimate we saw around one-third of the garden.

Red Rocks: Stunning Sedona

K was told not to miss Sedona while in Arizona--and that turned out to be exceptionally good advice! After a long day of conference sessions in Phoenix, K and some colleagues were determined to find the McDonald's with the turquoise M...and of course, enjoy views of the Red Rocks.  We stopped at Bell Rock--no, we didn't climb it, but it was still a great stop.  If we had more time, we may have done the hike or found a local canyon, too, in a nearby state park...but driving and hiking distances would have required more time.  Nonetheless, sunset visits to the area are spectacular--even with some clouds.

Views were so breathtaking that this is how we behaved, everywhere...

We also learned that wrong turns into neighborhoods bring solid views, too, including this awesome one of the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

We ate a leisurely dinner in one of the Gatlinburg-like small roadside mini shopping areas--substantially more upscale than Gatlinburg, but with similar parking challenges and quirky architecture.  We found lots of quirky outdoor sculptures and grand views.  Shops close down early, but the boutiques in several places we walked made for delightful window shopping. We particularly enjoyed wandering through Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, even if everything was closed for the evening.  In case the last shopping area you visited didn't resemble some opulent version of a Spanish mission...

If you go, the drive from Phoenix to Sedona is a treat for East Coasters--you take in some views of changing desert topography.  In the summer, you also experience a substantial temperature drop...we went from 106 degrees F to the 70s.  We know summer is not high tourist season in Sedona, but in K's humble opinion, it's still not a bad time to travel there.  You will find good overall travel rates--if some closed attractions and early closings on others.  Just take plenty of water.  When driving in the desert, keep your tank full--we found that our car's "miles remaining" decreased rather oddly and rapidly, probably due to the driving conditions, and this made for a little adventure in an area where service stations are few and far between and most apparently close at 8 PM.  Our night was a bit cloudy, but stargazing in the area is described as generally spectacular--even on a cloudy night from a car, a sense of grandness is apparent.  There are even stargazing tours--but they are best taken outside of July/August monsoon season.  And there really is a McDonald's with a turquoise M...

Roanoke's Tiki Landmark: Fiji Island

In college, K visited the Roanoke, VA, Fiji Island Restaurant with friends.  She had a great time, but for whatever reason, had not returned.  Recently, it was high time to do that for a little dinner party with friends from church.  Our large party was easily seated in the classic, dark dining room, a throwback to a different era and a bit of transport to another world.  Red carpets, dark walls, no windows, Tiki decor, seats on different platforms, glowing wall hangings...the setting had been so spectacular that E was shocked it was still daylight when we emerged outdoors. Plastic leis at each seat add a good deal of fun.

The menus are a classic, too, with pretty classic typesetting and prices.  K had a bowl of savory hot and sour soup for $1.50; many at our table enjoyed egg rolls at a similar price.  Pu pu platters are available and fun, as is a solid selection of various Asian foods.  There's more standard fare for interested kids--ours ate mac-n-cheese and chicken fingers.

The longtime restaurateurs are retiring, and the restaurant property remains for sale as we understand it.  We also hear it will close at the end of August 2016, so locals, you need to go!  Take a look at this institution's own photos, too.