TravelswithCharie

It was challenging to rewrite this children's rhyme so I could allude to the glass pumpkins.  It was worth a try: Peter, Peter pumpkin eater Found a pumpkin but couldn't eat her Ripe and luscious Oh so sumptuous But alas Peter had to pass The squash was made of glass!!! Thousands of glass pumpkins were on display at Rinconada Park in Palo Alto for the 16th Annual  Great Glass Pumpkin Patch. What a delight to see the unique artistry in each of these fragile pieces neatly arranged in rows. There were baby pumpkins. And there were see through and candy striped pumpkins. A pumpkin teapot.  Don't you wish you had one of these? Alas, October 2nd  is the last day of the exhibition and sale. Don't miss it! The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch is at Rinconada Park, 777 Embarcadero Avenue, Palo Alto.  Go to this link for more info: http://www.greatgl...

Outdoor Dining Nothing beats outdoor dining when the weather cooperates. We've been having warm and sunny days lately so when our office staff had the opportunity to eat lunch together, I suggested we go to the Empire Tap Room in Palo Alto where we could sit outdoors in their beautiful patio and enjoy Indian summer temperatures. When you enter the main door of the restaurant, you are immediately confronted by the shiny and well polished bar which extends the length of the dining room.  Then your eyes are directed to the patio where vines cover the walls, trees and white umbrellas provide ample shade and the drip drip of water from the fountain complete the relaxed ambiance. It feels like a mini getaway to sit in this patio. Dungeness Crab Cakes It's been awhile since I've had crab cakes. Very few places around here have my favorite crab cakes on their  menu.  How terrific that they serve them at this restaurant!  The red bell pepper sauce heighten...

I often travel to distant lands to see the world when I have a beautiful world waiting for me to discover right here at home. So this week I embarked on a journey to explore my "backyard". And was I surprised to find three exceptional gardens which I hadn't visited before! The first of these is the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden in Palo Alto. Elizabeth was the only daughter of the co-founder of Procter & Gamble. She bequethed her estate to the City of Palo Alto which together with the Garden Club of Palo Alto maintains the property with the mission of providing horticultural and environmental education to the community as well as the historical preservation of this 1902 estate. The Gazebo The Gazebo is not original to the garden. It was added in 1996. In the photo above, late afternoon sun casts a rainbow over the vine covered Gazebo lending it a magical presence. California Style...