Longwood Gardens 2012 Orchid Exhibit

To complete my hat trick of flower shows, I went to see the 2012 Orchid Exhibit at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. Unlike the Philadelphia Flower Show, Longwood Gardens was a very relaxing experience with a much smaller group of people in attendance.

Orchids dominated the displays, but there were other plants and flowers to be seen. One room looked like a rainforest, complete with natural looking water features. Another room was filled with different succulent plants. Yet another was decorated like a children's fantasy garden, with whimsical fountains and secret passageways.

I'm posting a few pictures from the trip, but more may be seen at my website on my Longwood Gardens page.

I'm hoping that by the time I go back to Longwood Gardens again, more of the outdoor flowers will be in bloom. We did see some tulips, but many were not yet open. I'm glad we at least got to see some of the trees in bloom.

Philadelphia International Flower Show

Jay and I went to Philadelphia on Friday, March 9 for the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show. It was everything I hoped it would be. The theme for this year was Hawaii: Islands of Aloha. Since we visited Hawaii in 2010, I was very excited to see how that state would be recreated in Philadelphia.

The biggest, most popular display was right by the main entrance into the exhibit hall. It had a stage in front of a volcano covered in flowers and native plants where dancers entertained watchers as the volcano 'erupted.' It was hard getting close enough to see the dancers because of the huge crowd at the show. Fortunately, there were many other displays worth looking at.

I've picked out just a few of my favorite pictures from the show to include in this post.

A post about a flower show has to have a few pictures of flowers. As might be expected, orchids were among the most represented flowers at the show.

More pictures are available on my website. While I had a wonderful time at the show, I'm not sure if I'll want to go again. It was very crowded and hard to take pictures.

My next 'flower' event will be a visit to Longwood Gardens, and maybe Morris Arboretum later this month.

Lehigh Valley Flower and Garden Show

In spite of how it looks in my blog, I do try to spend some time visiting local places that aren't restaurants. Last weekend I went to the Lehigh Valley Flower and Garden Show held in Allentown at Ag Hall. I didn't take a lot of pictures, mainly because the emphasis seemed more on selling gardening supplies than on displays of flowers.

Pictured: water feature

Pictured: miniature train and village

Pictured: display by local group
There were some beautiful flowers at the show. I took a bunch of pictures. These were among my favorites.

Pictured: tulips

Pictured: crocuses

Pictured: daffodils
I'm not sure if I'll go again next year. Given that the Philadelphia International Flower Show happens around the same time, I'd rather go there. This kind of show was more for people who are looking to do landscaping, which I'm not. I just want to see pretty flowers.

Logan's Roadhouse

Allentown's Airport Center Shopping Plaza has added a number of different restaurants to the Lehigh Valley. The latest addition is Logan's Roadhouse, an American style eatery, located next to Panera Bread.

The interior of Logan's Roadhouse is very similar to another local roadhouse-style restaurant, but with a lighter, less cramped feeling. I wanted to take pictures, but the restaurant was too busy to be able to take pictures without being in someone's way. Instead, I took a photograph of the outside of the building.

Pictured: friendly staff member standing in front of restaurant
My husband, who is not watching his calories, ordered a huge steak. He also ate both of the dinner rolls, which is probably why he brought most of his steak home. The part of his meal that looked best to me was the grilled vegetable skewer. I'm going to have to try that next time I go to Logan's.

Pictured: steak, vegetable skewer, mashed potatoes and gravy
One of the main reasons I was interested in trying Logan's is the fact that they have one section of their menu dedicated to people who are watching their diets. The 'Health Nuts' choices are all very tempting and under 550 calories when served with broccoli and a salad. I decided to try the pork chop, since I usually order chicken when I go out to eat, and I wanted something a little different.

Pictured: grilled pork chop and broccoli
My meal was perfect and it fit into my calorie budget without leaving me hungry. Next time, I'll ask if I can switch my plain side salad (with fat free dressing) for one of those vegetable skewers. It may be a few more calories, but it'll be worth it. I also want to try both a steak and a chicken entree in the future. Judging by the number of people who were at Logan's at 11:30 last Sunday morning, the restaurant should do very well.

Nonna Lia Italian Ristorante & Pizzeria

Thanks to a tip from a local newspaper, I checked out Nonna Lia Italian Ristorante & Pizzeria, formerly Pizza Chef, on William Penn Highway. I was very pleased to see that the restaurant is no longer a place where I'd only order takeout. The redesigned dining area welcomes patrons with a warm and cozy atmosphere, largely due to the stone fireplace against one wall.

Pictured: kitchen, as seen from dining area

Pictured: dining room

Pictured: closeup of fireplace
The menu had a great selection of Italian dishes, making it difficult to choose. In the end our party of three all ordered a different variety of personal pizza. Naturally, we all had to sample each one.

Pictured: Monte Bianco personal pizza

Pictured: pepperoni personal pizza

Pictured: Tutto Abbondanza personal pizza
My pizza was the Monte Bianco, a white pizza with provolone, mozzarella and pecorino romano cheeses. Of the three, it was my favorite. I plan to return to try both the Margharita and the Broccoli Floret pizza. With so many delicious options, this restaurant is likely to become a favorite of mine.