Azalea Festival - Tyler, Texas 2012

OK... I need to find a photography class.  Got a great new camera last summer - and if I leave it on P (for program) then its great.  Photos are wonderful... take it off of P and it's over.  Well...  not OVER but kinda blurry.  :-(  Very disappointing.  My 'close-ups' turn out OK but I think that's because it's programmable.  Phooey... had a fabulous day in Tyler, TX on Sunday but my photos leave a lot to be desired.  Still, I've posted them below for your viewing... uhm, pleasure?

If you love flowers and wonderful historic homes, take a trip to Tyler for the Azalea Festival.  Its beautiful!!  But don't go on a Sunday - all the 'quaint' restaurants are closed, all you'll get are chains.

I apologize now for the poor quality - maybe the small photos won't look so bad.  I'm bummed...  sigh.

Wisteria growing in trees

Broadway - Downtown Tyler

Mar 25 - Azalea Trails and Dogwood Days

March 25 - April 10 is the Azalea Trails and Dogwood Days in Tyler, Texas.  Other small East Texas towns are also hosting azalea trails.  East Texas, aka the Piney Woods, is prime azalea country they are absolutely beautiful and several large old homes dating from the early 1900's provide fantastic backdrops to the blooms.  Most of the blooms are along the city streets of Tyler and thus can be viewed from the comfort of your car.  Some home owners have graciously opened their gardens to the public during this time and allow you to roam around and photograph the blooms up close.

The yards are meticulously kept...  I'm very jealous and it makes me want to come home and tear out my weedy lawn and have it sodded, then sit out with a bottle of Round-Up and a hoe and dare a weed to grow!

The dogwoods are also in bloom at this time.  I love these trees, so beautiful.  There are several religious legends that surround the dogwood tree and you can read one of them here.  The trees here in East Texas are smaller than the two we had in Maple Valley, WA - those were large like oaks.  I'll have to look through my flower notes but I think I decided the ones we had were Japanese Dogwoods but don't hold me to that.  Dogwoods are used as focal points in the gardens but they also just grow wild. As you drive down the country roads and highways, you can catch a glimpse of their blooms lighting up a dark corner of the woods (Texan for forest).

But the most amazing plant/flower we saw this weekend was the wisteria.  It's a southern staple, of course.  We had one growing up, that eventually strangled the tree it was in... but that's another story.  They are beautiful, their fragrance can't be matched and in East Texas they can take over a forest!!!  Seriously, I have never-ever seen wisteria like this.  I wish I could have gotten better photos but the lighting was never good enough, but trust me - it was an amazing site to look into the woods an see an acre of purple blooms hanging from the trees.  And the scent... it was heady!  I'm sure the people there may not hold the wisteria as fondly as I do, since it seems to be a bit of an invasive weed there and I know you are not to have it growing close to structure you want to keep as it can be destructive... and you know the fate of our poor tree.  But I don't care, they quickly became my favorite flower of there weekend!

Below are some photos from our azalea trail tour.  Hope you enjoy and to check more professional photos check out the official Tyler Azalea Trail website.

Dobbs Street gardens

Azalea blooms

Lady Banks Rose

One of the historical homes along the trail

Some kind of lily - I think I had these in WA

Dogwood along the sidewalk 

(and a drop of something on my camera lens, ergh!)

Japanese Maple, Dogwood and Azaleas

Wisteria in a tree - thesse photos DO NOT 

do this flower justice!

No idea what this is but I want one!

**Update: this is a Leatherleaf Mahonia**

Dogwood

Dobbs Street Gardens

Dobbs Street gardens

Tyler historical marker on the square

Tyler courthouse & Tyler square

Campus lawn at Tyler Junior College 

- not a weed to be seen. 

Mar 25 - Tyler State Park, Texas

Thursday we loaded up the camper and headed east to Tyler, TX for the weekend.  Much like WA and the tulips, this time of year is azaleas and dogwoods in East Texas.  I haven't been in years and thought this would be a great 'shake-down' camping trip to get us back in the groove.  (Although, seriously, I think that camping will most likely end in May and will resume again sometime in September - too damn hot!)

I knew it would be warm so I wanted to take the hard-top off the Jeep but needed something to keep the dogs in while we stopped to look at the sights.  So, I bought a 'cage' from Safari Straps - EXCELLENT product - I have a couple of things I'd improve on (better/quicker buckles for easier access) but otherwise they worked out great.  I did buy the divider, that goes between the back of the Jeep & the front seat (which if you have a 75# dog that wants to ride on the itty-bitty console the whole time, this is the thing to have!).  Below is a couple of photos reflecting just exactly how Hannah (said dog that wants to sit on said console), I think her expression tells it all.

Hannah wanting to get on console.

Waiting on our return

We stayed at the Tyler State Park (which I mistakenly thought it was ON Lake Tyler but isn't, although it is situated on a small lake).  It is a beautiful park, very wooded and green.  Throughout the forest of pine and deciduous trees are beautiful dogwoods.  They just light up the forest.  Hard to get a good photo due to lighting but take my word for it - very spectacular!

The lake, while small, was very pretty too.  The setting I guess is what made it so nice.  Surrounded by hills and forests right down to the bank.  We found a couple of secluded spots where the dogs could swim and they loved it.  You can rent paddle boats, jon boats, & something called a bicycle boat at the park store.  When we arrived Thursday night (its about a 2-2.5 hr drive from Dallas) the park was empty as it was most of Friday but by Friday evening - it filled up.  However, as full as it was, it was still a very, very quiet park.  Surprisingly quiet - No one really stirs until after 8:30 - no screaming kids at 6 AM, wonderful!  

When we got in on Thursday, you could see all the stars, and lightening bugs (I haven't seen lightening bugs in YEARS!!).  But by Friday, everyone had their party lights out.  It looked like a block party, I mean REALLY?  You got out into 'nature' and bring 4000 watt party lights and string them between all the trees?  Isn't that what the stars are for?  It's a bit annoying to have your 'space' lit up with purple, blue, red, green, white, yellow... lights!  Oivee, no more stars.  I know the 'tent people' will roll their eyes because we 'camp' in an RV but at least we don't bring outside patio lights.  Why not just stay in your backyard if you are going to light it up like one?  Ok... so, enough of the rant.  Other than the lights, the people were very courteous of the other campers.

There are miles of hiking/biking trails throughout the park and one that circles the lake.

Big Pine Loop, #47

Big Pine Loop - all RV sites with water/elec/sewer

The lake at Tyler State Park (not to be confused

with Lake Tyler)

Looking back toward the park store and swim beach