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Even the least intrepid shoppers will delight in Copenhagen’s offerings

Overview

Overview

A weekend in Dallas offers the perfect city basecamp to explore the Dallas Forth Worth area. Once your bags are dropped off at your hotel of choice, head off to visit a selection of Dallas neighborhoods--don’t miss Deep Ellum or the Bishop Arts District. As you wind your way around the city, take in the Dallas Arboretum, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Square, and all the shopping you can handle. Keep your energy up by stopping for some Tex-Mex, a barbecue meal or two, and some of the city’s fine dining spots.

Arguably the best way to explore Zurich is by walking along its lakefront or through its enchanting cobbled streets. Strolling along the serene Limmatquai offers spectacular views of the Limmat River and Lake Zurich is best seen from the Arboretum. Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse is one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world and will take the fancy of any fastidious shopper, but don’t forget Einzigart in Zurich West and Limmatquai for equally desirable boutiques.

With three days in D.C., you can get a heady dose of history, culture, and good eats. Devote the first day to national treasures and museums by the Capitol. Next stroll around Georgetown and the Arboretum and catch a Nationals game. Cross the Potomac into Virginia for day three at the gorgeous Mount Vernon Estate and hallowed Arlington National Cemetery before toasting your trip with rooftop drinks overlooking the city.

When I want to experience nature and get away from the city, I head to Davis, just 20 minutes from Sacramento. Davis is home to University of California at Davis and the university’s 100-acre arboretum. I love walking the winding paths of the arboretum and wondering what interesting plants are waiting around the next turn. Some of my personal favorites are the huge collection of California oaks at the far end of the arboretum, the lake, the desert collection, and the redwood grove. Pack a lunch to eat at the picnic tables or on the grass around the lake. The 3.5-mile loop through the arboretum may be too long for a quick visit, but maps are available for you to choose which areas interest you, or you can join a guided tour. Maps and a tour schedule are available on the website (link below). They are also available at the arboretum headquarters, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Arboretum on the western side of Lake Zurich is a perfect place for a stroll, rain or shine. You can buy a brat and have a beer or watch the sailboats and ferries making their way across the lake.

You can easily spend a day exploring the history, gardens, and animals of the arboretum. Visit the food garden and meet the chickens, and then walk the grounds to view the different areas organized by geographical location and sprinkled with art and sculptures. The rose and herb gardens are delightful, and the peacocks, ducks, turtles, and huge variety of birds that populate the trees, lakes, and waterfall area offer their own forms of entertainment. Be sure to visit Queen Anne Cottage, the beautiful Coach Barn, and the Santa Anita Depot. They also have workshops, camps, classes, concerts, and many other events, so check the calendar to find your favorite activity.

An hour east of Phoenix, or just 90 minutes north of Tucson, is the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Arizona‘s oldest and largest botanical garden. No matter which city you might be visiting, this desert oasis is one of the best day-trips you can take. (My wife and I made a day of it from Tucson, first visiting the pre-Columbian ruins at Casa Grande Nat’l Monument, then continuing through the Old West town of Florence before ending up here at the Arboretum.) In addition to native Sonoran Desert vegetation, the gardens feature specimens from deserts all over the world, making this a truly ‘international oasis.’ It’s jointly run by the state as a state park and also by the University of Arizona. Founded in the 1920’s, this is one of the best places to be outside in Arizona... (For more information: http://cals.arizona.edu/bta/about_us.html and http://azstateparks.com/Parks/BOTH/index.html)

The North Carolina Arboretum is located in Asheville, NC and offers some scenic strolls through gardens and wooded trails. The bonsai exhibit garden takes an unexpected twist on the traditional Japanese art form by interpreting it with a Southern Appalachian voice. It’s a unique, unexpected display that follows bonsai’s traditional and contemporary roots (no pun intended).

Set on the banks of White Rock Lake, this 66-acre sanctuary offers scenic trails, blooming gardens, and peaceful green spaces for when you want some quiet time with nature—plus kids’ areas, holiday events, and a packed calendar of festivals and concerts for when it’s time for something a bit livelier. Take in the vibrant hues of the Jonsson Color Garden, Crape Myrtle Allee, and gardens dedicated to roses and camellias, or do some contemplating in the Palmer Fern Dell or the McCasland Sunken Garden. Opened in 2017, A Tasteful Place is a 3.5-acre garden focusing on fruit, veggies, and edible herbs and flowers; tastings, demo, nutrition sessions, and cooking classes are held throughout the year. Don’t miss some of the main section’s events, too, such as the annual Dallas Blooms fest and summer concert series.

Whether you have a green thumb or just love to bask in nature, you’ll want to check out the National Arboretum before you bid D.C. adieu. Spring is one of the best times to visit, when the azaleas, rhododendrons, and native trees are in full bloom. Summer visitors will enjoy beds of colorful annuals and perennials. And any time of year, be sure to stroll through the Bonsai Pavilion, where you can see an amazing collection of Japanese and Chinese bonsai plants, some more than 400 years old. Bring along a picnic lunch and head to the spot where the original columns from the U.S. Capitol are located—you’ll never forget the view.

Located about 20 minutes from downtown Montreal, on the western tip of the island in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the Morgan Arboretum is a must-see spot for those curious about indigenous plant and animal life. The 245-hectare site is thoroughly protected from outside influence – even visiting dogs must first pass tests to make it to an exclusive annual list – so that the experience of hikers and snowshoe aficionados is as close to undisturbed nature as can be. As part of the McGill University Macdonald Campus, it is a place for botanical studies, birding (over 170 native species call it home) and general contemplation. The paths among the fir, oak, birch, maple, linden, spruce and flowering trees are beautifully wild yet carefully tended, and there are just enough benches to invite quiet reflection. http://morganarboretum.org/

The Hoyt Arboretum is 200 acres of local, national, and international trees. The park has a network of trails that are thematically named by the species you’ll find along the way. From the holly to the white pine, the redwood to the oak, the trails are well marked and maintained over varied terrain. When you stand at the apex of the park looking down toward the zoo, you’ll notice the remnant geography of a par-three golf course, a park feature decades ago. There is an interpretive center with a gift shop near the top of the hill, too. The trails take you to the Japanese and International Rose gardens to the east. The Oregon Zoo, Forestry Center, and Children’s Museum is to the south with the Vietnam War Memorial to the west. The Hoyt is a central point for exploring all of Washington and Forest parks. It’s part of a greenbelt that is the longest urban park in the country. With 1,400 species to explore, plan to pack a lunch. I run in the park and have no trouble getting in eight miles, but that pales compared to folks I meet out on the trail who are doing 30 miles in the woods. The Wildwood Trail is the centerpiece of the system and traverses the West Hills parks. Take the Max from downtown west to the zoo stop and see if you can find the monkey puzzle trees. You’ll have no problem wandering off and getting lost in the middle of town.