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Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday

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Thomas Jefferson 1

Thomas Jefferson (born: April 13, 1743  died: July 4, 1826) was one of our most famous Presidents of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence.  He was a member of the Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia, U.S. Minister to France and the first U.S. Secretary of the State under President George Washington and he also served as Vice President under President John Adams.

Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia and his father was Peter Jefferson, a planter and surveyor and his mother was Jane Randolph, the daughter of a ship’s captain.  When a friend of his father’s, William Randolph, died in 1745 his will stipulated that Peter Jefferson be appointed guardian of the Tuckahoe plantation located near Charlottesville, Virginia.  The Jefferson family lived at Tuckahoe for seven years before eventually returning to Shadwell.

While the Jefferson family lived at Tuckahoe, Jefferson began his formal childhood education at the age of nine with a Presbyterian minister who taught him Latin, Greek and French then later he studied history, science and classic literature.  At the age of 16, Jefferson enrolled at the College of William & Mary located in Williamsburg, Virginia where he continued his education and studied mathematics, metaphysics and philosophy.  While he was at college, Jefferson met a law professor, George Wythe who was to become a major influence in his life and a mentor.  Jefferson was an excellent student and graduated in only two years, afterwards he went to work as a law clerk for Wythe while he studied law was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1767.

Sadly, a few years before he went to college, his father died in 1757 and according to the terms of his will, Jefferson inherited approximately 5,000 acres of the former Tuckahoe tobacco plantation.  So, at the age of 26, Jefferson began making plans for his home and since he had independently studied the principles of architecture, he based the design on a neoclassical style developed by Andrea Palladio who was a popular Italian Renaissance architect in eighteenth century Europe.  The home was to be built on the top a mountain located on the property and Jefferson named it Monticello which was an Italian word meaning “little mount”.  (Please see this month’s Travel Post for more information regarding the history of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home)

As the building continued at Monticello, Jefferson worked as a circuit court lawyer and in 1769 he began his political career when he represented the county of Albermarle in the Virginia House of Burgess.  During this time he met and married Martha Wayles Skelton in 1772.  The Jefferson’s marriage was a happy one and they shared many common interests.  Both loved to read and enjoyed music, Jefferson played the violin and cello and Martha played the piano.  Jefferson and Martha had six children during their short ten year marriage and only two of the children survived to adulthood.  (Martha, known as Patsy, was born in 1772 and Mary, known as Polly, born in 1778.)

During their marriage, as the British colonies began to fight for their freedom from England in the American Revolutionary War, Jefferson served as a Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress and he soon established a life-long friendship with a fellow delegate from Massachusetts, John Adams.  In 1776, when the Congress began to consider the resolution of independence, Jefferson was appointed to the committee and he was given the task of writing this important document.  With minor changes the Congress voted to approve the final draft and the Declaration of Independence was signed by the delegates on July 4, 1776.

Jefferson with Franklin and Adams

Near the end of 1776, Jefferson returned to Virginia to continue his political career and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.  While serving on various committees, Jefferson helped draft the Virginia state constitution, the Bill for Religious Freedom in addition to 126 bills within three years.  In 1779, Jefferson was elected the Governor of Virginia and a year later he moved the state capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. During the Revolutionary War Jefferson was ineffective as a governor in coordinating the Virginia militia and the British troops lead by General Benedict Arnold captured the city.  Later, when General Cornwallis failed to capture him at Monticello, Jefferson retreated to his other plantation in Poplar Forest, his actions were deeply criticized at the time and consequently he was not re-elected to a third term as governor of Virginia.

Throughout the years as Jefferson was establishing his political career, first as a Virginia delegate for House of Burgess in Williamsburg, in Philadelphia for the Continental Congress and then in Richmond as the Virginia governor, he frequently returned home to see his wife and children.  In 1782, Martha, who was now suffering from diabetes, died shortly after the birth of the couple’s sixth child, she was only 33 years old.  While on her deathbed, Martha told Jefferson that she could not bear to have another woman raising her children and she pleaded with him to solemnly promise never to marry again, Jefferson was to honor that request and he never married again.

Following victory against the British in the Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States of America created a new government and Jefferson was once again appointed a Virginia delegate.  After Martha’s death, a severely depressed Jefferson needed to distance himself from Monticello, so he eventually left the country to take a position as the Minister to France.  Serving as minister (1785 – 1789), Jefferson enjoyed his time in Paris and was greatly influenced by the culture, arts, architecture and cuisine of France.  In regards to his political position, Jefferson worked closely with Marguis de Lafayette to establish trade agreements between the United States and France to pay off the considerable debt incurred by the United States during the Revolutionary War.  On a personal note, Jefferson arrived in Paris with his oldest daughter, Martha (Patsy) and several of his Monticello slaves, his other children remained in Virginia.  By 1786, Jefferson had met and fallen in love a young married woman named Maria Cosway who was an artist and musician, after a short time she returned to England but they continued their lifelong friendship over the years through their correspondence.  After Jefferson’s daughter Lucy had died in 1785, he sent for his youngest daughter Mary (Polly).  She arrived in France accompanied by a young slave named Sally Hemings and it was during this time that Jefferson began his controversial relationship with her.  After a five year stay in Paris, Jefferson returned to America shortly before the French Revolution started.

Upon returning to the United States in 1789, Jefferson took the position as the Secretary of State (1790 – 1793) in the cabinet of the newly elected President George Washington.  Jefferson soon developed a contentious association with the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, and they found themselves with increasingly opposite views regarding the consolidation of the federal government debts and the location of the capital.  In addition, Jefferson worked diligently to secure first an admission from Great Britain that they had violated the Treaty of Paris, second that they vacate their military posts in the Northwest region of the United States and thirdly that the American slave owners be compensated for the loss of their slaves at the end of the Revolutionary War, he failed to achieve any of these goals and resigned his position at the end of 1793.  Even though Jefferson had returned to Monticello temporarily ending his political life, he continued privately to oppose the policies of President Washington and specifically Hamilton.

In 1796, after President Washington decided not to return for a third term, Jefferson re-enter politics in a bid for the presidency but lost to his friend, John Adams.  Jefferson became Vice President (1797 – 1801) and over the following years there were many political disagreements between the Federalist Adams and the Democratic-Republican Jefferson.  But Adams was destined to serve only one term because in the 1800 election Jefferson challenged and defeated Adams by 73 to 65 electoral votes.  Jefferson became the third President of the United States and he took the oath of office on March 4, 1801 in Washington D.C.

By the time of Jefferson’s Presidency, the United States had relatively few problems both domestic and foreign but many changes in the federal policies were to come during his administration.  He first set out to immediately change Hamilton’s federal fiscal system which always went against Jefferson’s political beliefs.  He began the process by eliminating several federal internal taxes, starting with the whiskey tax, and then he closed numerous unnecessary federal offices, drastically limited military expenses during peacetime and reorganized the national bank system.

During Jefferson’s first term as President (1801 – 1805), he negotiated the purchase of approximately 827,000 square miles of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 which almost doubled the size of the United States.  In 1804, he appointed his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis who joined with William Clark to lead an exploration into the newly acquired territory.  Known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the journey of the 45 men that would be called the Corps of Discovery, was important to Jefferson because it was meant to establish an American presence across the country and hopefully finding the infamous Northwest Passage through to the Pacific Ocean.  Jefferson was very specific in his goals for the expedition and he personally tutored Lewis on such topics as cartography (map making) and astronomy to add navigation, natural history including botany and mineralogy to aid in documenting new discoveries and Jefferson also gave Lewis access to his extensive library of books located at his home in Monticello, VA for further preparation for the expedition.  The Corps of Discovery assembled outside of St. Louis leaving in May 1804 to travel across the country with the assistance of various Native American guides, the most famous one being an Indian woman known as Sacajawea, to finally reach the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast in November 1805 and successfully returning by September 1806.  The Expedition not only established the United States claim to the territory but they were able to fully document and map the area and returned with numerous animal specimens and fossils as well as seeds and plants samples.  (In the Entrance Hall at Jefferson’s Monticello home are displayed many of these items acquired during the Lewis and Clark Expedition)

Due to his successful first term and immense popularity, Jefferson easily won a second term during the 1804 election winning by an overwhelmingly 162 votes to 14 votes for the Federalist nominee, Charles Pinckney.  Jefferson’s second term (1805 – 1809) had numerous problems and the United States political relations with Great Britain, which were never good, severely deteriorated while France, now under the leadership of Napoleon, became more aggressive in commerce trade negotiations with the United States.  Another important issue during this time was the international slave trade; following the American Revolution all the states had informally abolished the lucrative international import and sale of slaves.  Although Jefferson owned slaves on his Monticello plantation, he always treated them fairly but in general he felt that most owners treated their slaves cruelly and in response to South Carolina reopening its international slave trade Jefferson publicly denounced slavery as the violation of human rights.   Then in 1807, Congress passed the Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves and it was signed into law by Jefferson in 1908, officially putting an end to the international slave trade but the United States domestic slave trade was still allowed and it continued to dominate commerce in the southern states.

When Jefferson’s presidency ended in 1809, he returned to his beloved Monticello.  Fully retired from a political life, he still remained active in public life.   Although he spent most of the remaining years pursuing his varied personal interests in the arts and science, Jefferson had always believed that education was the key to achieving greatness.  By 1819, his plans to create an institution dedicated to higher learning were founded in the University of Virginia.  His goal was to have the school free of church and religious influence and he also felt it was important to have it paid for by the general public thereby allowing poor students the same education as the wealthy ones.  Jefferson planned the campus layout creating each individual academic department building organized around a central quadrangle.  The buildings, which he personally designed, had multiple classrooms, faculty offices and student residences, even the landscape of the campus was also beautifully designed to include grass lawns and flower gardens.  The University of Virginia was very important to Jefferson and he considered it his greatest achievement.

University of Virginia

Although Jefferson enjoyed a relatively calm and peaceful life at Monticello with his family he also extensively and lavishly entertained visiting friends and political dignitaries with excellent food and drink.  Toward the end of his life, Jefferson spent many hours going over his personal finances and tried to make arrangements to reconcile his massive debts.  Sadly, Jefferson died in his bed at Monticello on July 4, 1826, he was 82 years old.  The date also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the day that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, a document that Jefferson is credited for writing, which officially marked the former British colonies freedom from England.  On the same day, miles away at his home in Massachusetts, John Adams died five hours later.  These two men, friendly adversaries and former Presidents, were the last surviving members of the Continental Congress to have signed the Declaration of Independence. Before his death, Jefferson had stipulated in his will the wish to be buried at the family cemetery at Monticello and a large stone obelisk marks the site with the inscription, “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson the author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom and father of the University of Virginia”.

Thomas Jefferson 2

Travel – Fort Sumter, SC

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Fort Sumter sign    Fort Sumter

It has been over 150 years since the first shot was fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 marking the start the Civil War between the North and South.  Our family travel loves taking summer vacations or weekend day-trips to see historic sites and during our travels we have been very fortunate to have visited a few Civil War sites.  Several years ago, during a summer road trip to Pennsylvania, we visited the Gettysburg National Battlefield which was the location of an intense three day battle between the Union and Confederate troops.  On another road trip through Virginia, we visited the site of an earlier battle of the Civil War, the Manassas National Battlefield located near Washington, D.C.  On that same trip we visited Appomattox, the location where General Grant and General Lee meet to negotiate the terms of surrender between the Union and the Confederacy.  Since visiting the location where the Civil War officially came to an end, we decided that we eventually needed to see the site where the Civil War began.  So, last summer on a road trip to Florida, we stopped in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina which is the location of Fort Sumter.

Fort Sumter 3    Fort Sumter 2

Fort Sumter, which was named after the Revolutionary War General Thomas Sumter, was one of several defensive sites located along the eastern coast of the United States.  Construction began in 1829 and continued for over thirty years until it was finally completed in 1861.  Fort Sumter was built on a sand bar located at the entrance to the harbor in the Charleston, South Carolina.  Several thousand tons of granite were used to create a five-sided 170 feet by 190 feet long structure made with walls that were five feet thick, it was an impressive fortress and an effective first line of defense against attacking forces in the region.

In the mid-1880s tensions between the northern and southern regions of America began to escalate over several important political and social issues and this lead to the state of South Carolina becoming the first state to succeed from the United States in December 1860.  In response to this action, Major Robert Anderson made the critical decision to close Fort Moultrie and move the U.S. Army troops to nearby Fort Sumter.  He felt that Fort Sumter would provide a stronger defensive position against the South Carolina militia despite the fact that construction was still not fully completed and the fort was armed with fewer than half of the cannons that should have been in place.

After South Carolina, several additional southern states quickly succeeded from the United States and formed the Confederacy of the South.  The U.S. Army of the North, now known as the Union, prepared to send additional troops to defend Fort Sumter.  As tensions continued to increase over the next few months, the Confederate General Beauregard demanded that the Union troops occupying Fort Sumter surrender, but Major Anderson refused and his troops continued to defend their position.  By the time the “Star of the West”, an unarmed merchant ship carrying Union soldiers for reinforcements at Fort Sumter, arrived off the coast of South Carolina on January 9, 1861 the Confederate troops fired the first shot of the Civil War to prevent the ship from entering the Charleston Harbor, they were successful.

After a few more months the situation was becoming desperate for the Union troops at Fort Sumter and they were running out of food and other supplies.  In early April 1961 newly elected President Lincoln dispatched more ships to the Charleston area with reinforcements, military equipment and supplies.  When the ships arrived off the coast of South Carolina, General Beauregard sent his aides to Fort Sumter to demand a surrender but Major Anderson refused once again to negotiate.  On April 12, 1861 in the early morning hours the Confederate troops opened fire on Fort Sumter and the bombardment continued non-stop for the next 34 hours.  The citizens of Charleston watched from the verandas of their homes overlooking the harbor throughout the day but when the night came the battle was finally over.  The next morning, April 13, the Union forces surrendered to the Confederates and left Fort Sumter.

Battle of Fort Sumter - Currier and Ives lithograth

Throughout the Civil War, the Confederates occupied Fort Sumter and as Union ships repeatedly attempted to access the Charleston harbor the Confederates would fiercely defend their position and many Union ships were sunk near the entrance to the harbor.  Under the cover of night, Confederates forces stationed at Fort Sumter would salvage the military canons of those ships and move them to the fort to increase their defensive arsenal.  Finally in February 1865, as the Union forces were gaining an advantage in the war, the Union General William Sherman successfully invaded the region and was creating a path of destruction across the south as he made his famous march to the Atlantic and by the time he reached the coast of South Carolina, the Confederate troops had abandoned Fort Sumter.

After the Civil War had ended with the surrender at Appomottax, extensive work was needed to repair the severe damage caused by the numerous military battles and attacks on Fort Sumter.  The battered walls of the fort were rebuilt and eleven of the original gun rooms were restored.  For the next 30 years after the war, the facility was only used as an unmanned lighthouse.  Then in 1898, Fort Sumter again became an important defensive site along the coast of the United States during the Spanish-American war and reconstruction was needed to fortify the fort and a large concrete blockhouse was built within the walls of the original structure, it was named the “Battery Huger” in honor of the Revolutionary War General Isaac Huger.

But Fort Sumter was never to be involved in another battle and over the following decades it remained abandoned until the National Park Services took over its management and maintenance.

Fort Sumter Travel Information

Today, the Fort Sumter National Monument includes the restored Fort Sumter located in Charleston Harbor and two additional sites, the Fort Sumter Visitor and Education Center located at Liberty Square in the city of Charleston and Fort Moultrie located on Sullivan’s Island.

For most visitors, access to Fort Sumter is restricted to special ferries that depart from Liberty Square to Fort Sumter; the ride is approximately 30 minutes and a convenient car parking facility is located at Liberty Square.  Please be advised that there is limited parking available in downtown Charleston for over-sized vehicles, such an RV or bus.  It is recommended that visitors traveling to see Fort Sumter in larger vehicles take the ferry from Patriots Point where there is ample parking for oversized vehicles with no height restrictions.  For more information and directions to Fort Sumter, please see the NPS website at www.nps.gov/fosu  (There is additional access to Fort Sumter by private boat or other water vehicles and for more information and restrictions check out the NPS website)

Advanced ticket reservations for the ferries to Fort Sumter are highly recommended prior to the date of your visit especially during the busy summer months when tickets can sell out quickly.  For more information regarding prices, hours of operation and departure times, please check out www.FortSumterTours.com

Fort Sumter Visitor Center

The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center located at Liberty square offers a museum featuring exhibits about the history of the Civil War and Fort Sumter for visitors to view while they are waiting for their ferry departure times.  The ferries to Fort Sumter are very comfortable and there is ample passenger seating available both inside an air conditioned cabin and outside on deck.  Be sure to take in the wonderful views of the city of Charleston during the 30-minute ferry ride from the dock at Liberty Square to Fort Sumter.  (During our trip we were able to see dolphins in the harbor!)

Charleston, SC from the harbor

Once visitors arrive at Fort Sumter, there are NP rangers available which provide visitors with a brief history of the battle of Fort Sumter and there are also several interpretive exhibits located throughout the grounds.  There is also a small museum on site featuring information about Fort Sumter’s involvement in the Civil War and some interesting exhibits featuring the original flag used at Fort Sumter and other Civil War artifacts.

Fort Sumter's original US flag

Important Travel Note:  Please be advised that there are safety restrictions at Fort Sumter, such as climbing on the canons, and it is important if you are traveling with small children to watch them closely to avoid injuries.

Fort Sumter canons

Jane Goodall’s Birthday

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Jane Goodall with chimp 1

This post today is in honor of the world famous primatologist Jane Goodall who was born on this day – April 3, 1934.  When I was a child I remember watching the 1963 National Geographic documentary about Goodall and the wild chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania.  I enjoyed the story of this young woman who bravely travels from her home in England to conduct an interesting research project involving the social behaviors and family interactions of the chimpanzees.  Over the years I have read many books regarding her research in Gombe, such as “My Life with the Chimpanzees” by Jane Goodall, and I also read her interesting biography, “Jane Goodall – the Woman Who Redefined Man” by Dale Peterson.

Jane Goodall and Cassandra 2When I was watching the documentary and reading the books all those years ago I never realize that I would have the opportunity to actually meet Jane Goodall.  In March 2008 I saw a notice in our local newspaper about her upcoming appearance at Purdue University and we decided to attend the event. When she walked onto the stage to begin her presentation I thought to myself, this is the woman I have admired since I was a child and here I was sitting in the audience alongside my husband and daughter listening to her tell her wonderful stories about her life living among the chimpanzees.  After her presentation we were so excited to be able to go backstage to meet her, she was so kind to my daughter and even took a picture with her.  It was definitely a day our family will remember for a long time!

Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall was born in London, England.  Her parents were Mortimer, a local businessman and Margaret Joseph, a novelist and she has one sister, Judith.  Her lifelong interest in animals began when she was a child and received a chimpanzee toy as a present from her mother which lead her to reading “The Story of Doctor Dolittle” and the “Tarzan of the Apes”.  Then, years later on a trip to Kenya in 1957 to visit a friend, Goodall was to meet a man who would change her life.  Louis Leakey, an archaeologist and paleontologist, was studying the great apes and he believed that their behavior was an indication of how early man had developed.  Goodall took a job as his secretary and the two developed a good working relationship.  Then, in anticipation for a proposed wildlife project, Leakey sent Goodall back to England to get her personal affairs in order as preparation for a study that would involve extensive research in a remote area of Africa for a period of several months or possibly years.

National Geographic 1In July 1960, Goodall returned to Africa, with her mother as chaperon, and they went to the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.  Without any formal education, Goodall began her observations of a group of chimpanzees and their social behaviors and family interactions.  (Later Goodall was able to study for a PH. D degree in Ethology from Cambridge University. She completed her thesis, “Behavior of Free-Ranging Chimpanzee” in 1965, writing about the first five years of her study of the animals at the Gombe Reserve)  Unlike any previous scientific research Goodall took an unconventional approach during her field observations and she named the chimps instead of giving them numbers.  In the past, numbers had been assigned to animals to keep a neutral perspective and avoid an emotional attachment toward the animals being observed.  Gradually her presence in the field was tolerated and accepted by the chimps and she was soon able to identify the various chimps determined by their distinct personalities.  Goodall also noted the special bonds between the chimps and she documented how they showed numerous signs of emotions such as joy and sorrow, feelings that were previously thought to exist only in humans.

Goodall’s groundbreaking research went on to prove other animal characteristics previously undocumented.  The first remarkable behavior was that the chimpanzees were capable of using tools.  This skill was previously thought to be a unique characteristic that only humans had and originally this is how we distinguished ourselves from the animal kingdom and how humans were defined by their intelligence.  Through Goodall’s field research she was able to observe and document a chimp feeding at a termite mound and using a stalk of grass as a tool.  The chimp repeatedly inserted the grass stalk into the hole of the mound effectively removing the termites.  Goodall also observed other chimps taking twigs from the trees, stripping off the leaves and using them to extract the termites from the mound.  This modification of an object was a definitive sign of a primitive form of making tools.  In response to these remarkable findings, Leakey called for the science community to redefine the definition of human.

Goodall’s field research also proved that chimpanzees, which previously were thought to have a strictly vegetarian diet, occasionally supplemented their food supply with meat.  At Gombe, Goodall observed that the chimps displayed an aggressive behavior toward the colobus monkeys which also lived in the area.  The chimps would work in groups isolating a single monkey, blocking their escape, and then they would capture, kill and eat the monkey.  This behavior was a major scientific discovery and determined that chimps can be carnivorous animals that showed aggressive behavior.

After spending several years of observing the chimpanzee’s relatively peaceful and ordered existence at Gombe, Goodall witnessed a very disturbing behavior of a group of dominant females that deliberately killed the young chimp of a weaker female of the group.  These unprovoked acts of aggression and random violence continued periodically over the years but it is hard to determine if these attacks were a means of maintaining dominance toward the vulnerable female chimps of the group or if the killings were provoked by jealous emotions.

In 1977, after Goodall’s initial time contracted by Leakey was over, she established the Jane Goodall Institute which has gone on to support further chimpanzee research in Gombe.  Goodall herself has become an important global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats.  Then in 1991, the Roots and Shoots program started as a simple meeting between Goodall and local teenagers in Tanzania.  The group discussed concerns and ways for children to become more involved and experience animals and nature while also protecting and preserving their wild environment.  Since that first meeting the Roots and Shoots organization has grown into 10,000 groups in over 100 countries.

On a personal note, in 1964 Goodall married Baron Hugo van Lawick, a Dutch nobleman and wildlife photographer that worked with her in Gombe.  The couple had one son, Hugo, born in 1967 but then they divorced in 1974.  Within a year, Goodall married Derek Bryceson, who was a member of the Tanzania parliament and director of their national parks.  In his service to the country, Bryceson was able to implement an embargo on tourism at Gombe and thereby protecting Goodall’s research of the chimpanzees.  He died of cancer in 1980.  Since that time, Goodall has gone on to become a successful public speaker traveling around the world giving presentations about her experiences in Gombe including her chimpanzee observations and research as well as the importance of saving wildlife and the environment.

Jane Goodall with chimp 2

Decor – Framed Floral Shadowbox

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Framed florals - finalWe are a family that loves to travel and see different parts of the United States, hence the numerous travel posts on this blog.  We enjoy finding historic or scenic destinations to experience and learn about both local sites and locations in other states.  Whenever our family travels on local weekend day trips or longer road trips that last for a couple of weeks at a time, we always try to take fun photos to remember those happy times.  In this post I will discuss two special travel photos that were framed in shadowboxes and combined with artificial flowers to create wonderful mementos of our travel experiences.

The library room of our home is filled with our numerous family travel mementos and it gives us great pleasure to look at them and remember fun times at some great places.  Having these travel items displayed in the library has also proven to lead to great conversations with family and friends that have visited our home.  (For more information and decorating tips on displaying travel photos and souvenirs, please click on the Décor Post – Displaying Travel Souvenirs)

The first step to creating the travel-themed framed floral shadowboxes discussed in this post is finding the appropriate frame with some space between the photo mat and the glass front.  This is very important because the artificial flowers that are being used for the project need to have some enough room to be displayed without being flattened against the frame’s glass.  Craft Tip: Sometimes finding shadowbox frames that fit the project size and color specifications might not be available, so when I see shadowbox frames on sale at our local craft stores I always purchase extra ones to have on hand for future craft projects.

Another key element in creating the framed floral shadowboxes is the selection of the photo.  When selecting a photo chose one that has something of interest – it could be a person, an animal or maybe a building such as a barn.  Then, using a computer with a photo application (I use Picasa) crop the photo so that the focus of the picture is slightly offset to the opposite side that the flowers will be display within the frame.  When you are happy with the cropped version, print a copy of photo selecting a size that would fit into the frame.  Next, disassembled the frame, cut the flowers stems to fit the size of the frame and then inserted the flowers off to one side fitting them between the frame and the glass.  When you are happy with the placement of the flowers, insert the photo into the frame and reassembled the backing.

The final element is the selection of the floral items to be displayed within the shadowbox frame.  In the two examples shown below, I tried to color coordinate the type of flower with the photo that I selected.  Another thing to keep in mind when choosing flowers is the size or scale of the flowers should be in proportion to the size of the photo and frame.  Larger photos and frames would require larger flowers while smaller photos and frames would require smaller flowers.  Also in the two examples I used artificial flowers but dried flowers can also be used.

First example of a travel-themed framed floral shadowbox –

During one of our weekend day trips back in 2005 we visited the California Poppy Reserve located near Los Angeles, CA where we took several photos of the beautiful scenery that sunny spring day and one of those photos was a cute picture of our daughter wearing a yellow shirt and crouching behind some orange poppy plants.  Using this photo I wanted to create a shadowbox to display in our library home.  Taking inspiration from the colorful flowers that we saw during our visit to the reserve I found some artificial flowers that looked very similar to poppies.  I was very happy with the result of this easy craft project and the photo is now displayed on the shelf in the library of our home.  (For more information about our trip to the reserve which we highly recommend if you are in the area during the wildflower bloom in early spring, please check out the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve travel post)

Framed florals - poppies - supplies    Framed florals - poppies - final

Second example of a travel-themed framed floral shadowbox –

In 2006, our family took another weekend trip to the Lompoc Flowers Fields located in Central California.  It was another beautiful and sunny day during our visit and the fields of flowers were beautiful.  One of the photos we took that day is of our daughter wearing a purple shirt standing in front of rows of colorful sweet-peas.  Taking inspiration from her purple shirt, I used a few stems of artificial lavender that coordinated with the colors of the pale pink, purple and bright red sweet-peas.  I think the framed floral looks great displayed in our home.

Framed florals - lavender - supplies    Framed florals - lavender - final

(For more information and decorating tips on displaying travel photos and souvenirs, please click on the Décor Post – Displaying Travel Souvenirs)

Travel – Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

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Seeing the fields of the California poppies, those delicate orange flowers which bloom in the early spring, is truly a wonderful sight to see.  (After this harsh winter in the Midwest, I am definitely missing the sunshine and scenery of the state of my birth!)  The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a great place to see an abundance of the colorful poppies.  The reserve is located in the western Mojave Desert, 85 miles from Los Angeles, and it is known for the beautiful fields of poppies that cover the surrounding gentle sloping hillsides.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe California poppy (eschscholzia californica) is a flowering plant native to the United States and Mexico.  The flowers bloom annually and the plants can range in height from 5 to 60 inches tall with blue-green leaves.  A single flower grows on each stem and each flower is made up of four orange petals that can measure almost inch or two inches long.  The early Spanish settlers of California called the poppy by the name of dormidera, which means drowsy one, because the petals of the poppies close at night opening again with the morning sunshine.  The poppy petals also close in cold weather or cloudy days.  The poppies normally bloom from mid-February to late May and the date can vary from year to year depending on the amount of rainfall prior to the blooming season.

The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a protected area of the Mojave Desert and is administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.  The reserve offers a great viewing area for the colorful poppies that grow with a mixture of other wildflowers that cover the gentle hillsides each spring.  The California State Park leaves the flowers in their natural state and does not water the flowers.  Also in order to protect and regulate the growth of the poppies, the California Poppy Reserve prohibits sheep and cattle from grazing on the surrounding hillsides and since 1994 controlled fires have been used to clear dead brush and invasive plants within the reserve.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve – Travel information and tips

  • The Jane. S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center is a great place to start any visit to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.  The center is opened seasonally and visitors can watch a short video, see several the displays on wildflowers, plants and wildlife or pick up maps and other information.  Also on display in the center are the wildflower pencil drawings and watercolor paintings of Pinheiro, she was a local artist who was involved in the civic affairs of the Antelope Valley and instrumental in establishing the California Poppy Reserve and the center is named in her honor.
  • There are over seven miles of hiking trails at the 1,760 acre reserve.  The Antelope Loop Trail covers some of the area portions of the trail are easy gentle slopes and some are more steep climbs over the hills.  Before starting out on the trails, check with the park staff for the best hikes for your abilities.
  • Picking or destroying the poppies in the park is a violation of the California State law.  Please do not collect any items; all natural elements of the reserve are protected including other plants, rocks and wildlife.
  • Please be aware that rattlesnakes are present in the area.  If you see one on the hiking trails, they are not normally aggressive and will not attack unless threatened. The rattlesnakes are important to the natural environment of the desert and are needed to keep the rodent population down because the animals would consume and destroy the poppies.

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  •  The desert weather can be very unpredictable and temperatures can vary or change throughout the day.  Be sure to wear sunblock and bring a light jacket depending on the weather conditions.
  • Please do not bring dogs or other animals to the reserve with the exception of service dogs.  Horses and mountain bikes are no allowed on the trails.
  • For the Antelope Valley California Poppy Center location or directions, please check out the Antelope Valley California Poppy Center website through the following link, www.parks.ca.gov
  • For the current season’s poppy/wildflower bloom information call the Poppy Reserve Wildflower Hotline at (661)724-1180 or the Theodore Payne Foundation Wildflower Hotline at (818) 768-3533.

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