Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Garden – Japanese Spring

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This page last updated on 03/20/2018

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Background: Envisioned by designer Ed Libby and Bellagio’s Horticulture team, the display channels Japanese culture, utilizing a variety of beautiful symbolic elements to honor the dawning of a new season. One of the most treasured elements is also one of the most celebrated in Japan: the spring blooms of cherry blossoms, which are symbolic of the brevity of life and beauty. The Japanese-inspired display contains 65,000 fragrant flowers and botanical materials. 900 flowers were used to create the turtle alone. There are 9 cherry blossom trees, 13 Japanese festival lanterns, three overhead flycatchers, a 12 foot high tea house, several tranquil waterfalls, a koi pond and the 26 foot high sculpted female character covered in 5000 square feet of moss. It took a team of 125 members to create and assemble the display.

Visit Notes: Today our friend Jim Herring, Connie and I visited the Bellagio's new spring exhibit. Guests enter the gardens through two 25-foot Torii Gates (Fig. 01) that are adorned with pink and white flowers on both sides of the pathway (Fig. 02). The pathway is lined with eight of the exhibits' cherry blossom trees flourishing with their beautiful delicate pink flowers. On each of the four corners of the East Garden’s edge are four potted bonsai trees (Fig. 03). There are two brightly colored paradise flycatchers that soar above each side of the display (Fig. 04). Representing a time of new life and renewal, the West Garden features a whimsical woman rising out of the water. that reaches its peak at 26’ in height and approximately 48’ in length (Fig. 05). The outer layer is covered in approximately 5000 square feet of moss and natural materials. These materials are 100 percent recycle Alderwood fiber. The extraordinary water feature portrays a woman rising up from the pond while gazing into a pearl held in the palms of her hands. The sculpted pearl is 12’ in diameter and is fabricated of eps foam and hard coat with an artistic finish to resemble the pearl. Her hair encompasses the perimeter of the back and sides of her head (Fig. 06) and cascades down into a curtain of water encompassing her entire head, which is adorned with Kanzashi, a formal ornamental hairpin. Made from two sticks and flowers, the hairpin is worn in Japanese culture as a good luck charm and wards off evil spirits. Wisteria, an ancient vine representing immortality and longevity, surrounds the majestic figure. (Con't below)
                                               

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Notes Continued: On both sides of the central passageway there are two large steel bird houses (Fig. 08) containing dozens of colorful finches (Fig. 09). In the South Garden, left of the central passageway, passersby encounter a 10-foot-tall stone Japanese lantern, traditionally used to line and illuminate paths (Fig. 10). The lantern rests upon a waterfall cascading into a shallow pond. Floating atop the water are multiple blooming pink lotus flowers. The flower is honored throughout Japanese culture for its ability to bloom from the mud of a murky pond – a process which symbolizes attaining enlightenment. Thirteen hand-painted festival lanterns illuminate a soft flickering glow over the garden when dusk arrives (Fig. 11). Just pass the waterfall there is a large turtle covered with yellow roses and other flowers (Fig. 07) totaling more than 900. In the North Garden, right of the central passageway, a traditional Japanese house (Fig. 12) sits on the edge of a pond showing a tea ceremony that honors  grace, etiquette and hospitality that dates back to the ninth century. The 12-foot-tall house is made of bamboo and other natural materials. It is framed by pond filled with koi (Fig. 13) and ornamented with mineral copper accents (Fig. 14). Sitting on the branch of the cherry blossom tree is an additional paradise flycatcher watching its reflection in the pond below (Fig. 04). Behind the woman rising out of the water there is a beautiful urn covered with thousands of hand painted white petals (Fig. 15). In front of the woman there are two beautiful trees on both sides (Fig. 16). The final picture is a shot of Connie in front of the turtle. We all agreed that this was one of the best we've seen. Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is complimentary to the public and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This exhibit ends April 4th.

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Visit to Gold Butte National Monument - Trip Notes for 03/14/2018

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This page last updated on 03/18/2018

(Fig. 01) Whitney Pocket

03/14/2018 Trip Notes: On this day, Harvey Smith and I took Bob Croke and Jim Herring to four sites that neither of them had ever been do in Gold Butte; Devil's Throat, Mud Wash Petroglyphs, Kirk's Grotto and Little Finland. The map in (Fig. 02) shows the roughly 40 miles miles we had to travel in order to reach these locations. Before we can ever get to take any of the beautiful pictures in Gold Butte, such as the landscape taken at Whitney Pocket in (Fig. 01), the parking lot and staging area for our day of off-roading, we have to 'load up' all the equipment (Fig. 03) needed to get to some of the desolated sites scattered around the Gold Butte National Monument. Referring to the map, we departed from Whitney Pocket and headed south on the graded dirt road the Devil's Throat. This spot was very disappointing due to a four and a half foot high chain linked fenced, several feet back from the edges of the 'hole' that prevented anyone from taking into the hole. Even though there was a fence the last time I was there, it was much closer. For pictures, see my previous page for this site ... Devils Throat - Gold Butte. From here we traveled west to Mud Wash Road. From this intersection we headed southwest for a few miles to the site of the Mud Road Petroglyphs. The picture in (Fig. 04) shows the five panel locations of petroglyphs. I think Bob Croke figured out why I hadn't noticed one of these on my previous visit (Fig. 04a).  For more pictures, see my previous page for this site ... Mud Wash Road Petroglyphs. After leaving this site we continued down and around the corner of the wash until we came to a road the left the wash and switched back its way up to a mesa that overlooked Mud Wash Road. Looking northwest is showed a good view of Bitter Ridge in the distance. (Fig. 05). This road followed the wash for a while and then turn to the west (refer to the map) until it intersected Backcountry Byway. We then turned to the left and then veered to the left and headed southeast to Kirk's Grotto. (Con't below)

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Trip Notes Continued: Once we reached the parking area and trailhead for Kirt's Grotto (Fig. 06), we hiked down the fairly steep road that leads to the area below. On the way to the actual grotto area, we passed several petroglyph panels on the cliffs on the right that I'm not sure I noticed on my previous trip here (Fig. 07). For more pictures and detailed description on Kirt's Grotto, see my previous page for this site ... Kirt's Grotto. After a picnic lunch in the shade of the grotto we spotted a large Chuckwalla Lizard climbing way up on the side of the cliff (Fig. 08). After touring this area we retraced out tracks back to the Backcountry Byway. Before heading northwest up the byway towards the Mud Wash Road and the road to Little Finland, we stopped to capture this shot of the landscape vista ahead of us (Fig. 09). Finally we reached Little Finland, probably one of my most favorite spots in all of Gold Butte. We climbed up onto the mesa that stretches for nearly a half mile. Unfortunately, by the time we reached this area the winds picked up considerably; the blowing dust and the late time of day forced us to cut short our photo taking opportunities. In spite of this I was able to still capture dozens of outstanding pictures (Figs. 10 - 14). For more pictures and detailed description on Little Finland, see my previous page for this site ... Little Finland Gold Butte. By the time we got back to Whitney Pocket, reloaded all the equipment and drove home, it was nearly 7:00 pm. Even though it was a long day, everyone really enjoyed.

                                   

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Return to the Gold Butte summary page ... Gold Butte National Monument - Summary Page.

Daytrip - Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Garden

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Connie and I recently I made another pilgrimage to Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Garden, titled “Chinese New Year, Year of the Dog”. The Conservatory at the Bellagio Casino starts the 2018 season with the Chinese New Year exhibit featuring traditional designs of the celebration, even though the actual Chinese New Year doesn't begin until Feb. 8, 2016. In addition to many of the normal Chinese New Year items such as I-Ching coins, Ding pots, hanging Chinese Lanterns, figurines of Chinese children and the ever gorgeous flowers, there are 18 beautiful dogs celebrating the "Year of the Dog".

Daytrip - Kingman, Arizona

On 01/25/2018 Bob Croke, Jim Herring and I took a trip to Kingman, Arizona. Though it is impossible to see everything in a single day, we did visit some of the more popular places of interest: the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, the Arizona Route 66 Museum, the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum, Locomotive Park, the Amtrak Depot, the Model Railroad Museum, and Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner. Here are links to the places we visited. Hope you enjoy.

The Powerhouse Visitor Center and the Route 66 Electric Car Museum
The Amtrack Depot and Model Railroad Museum
The Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner

This page provides information on the town of Kingman -  Kingman Arizona - Summary Page

Jim Herring's Dog - Scooter

Whenever Jim go's away we "house sit" Scooter. This is where he sleeps at our house.