“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.” – Bern Williams, author

A work trip up north gave me a second chance at Spring…and I felt so, so lucky and hopeful. As if one spring isn’t cause enough for gratitude, I got to experience it twice this year. It was like getting a do-over. How often do we get that? The blooming season up north is several weeks behind ours here in St. Louis, so it was a show of redbuds, dogwoods, crabapples, cherry blossoms, tulips, daffodils, lilacs, and more. In addition to beautiful scenery along the drive, I made quick visits to three gorgeous places.

Day 1: Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Madison, Wisconsin

Day 2: UW-Madison Arboretum
Madison, Wisconsin

(Isn’t this the most magical tree? It’s like a storybook tree.)

 

Day 3: Anderson Japanese Gardens
Rockford, Illinois