THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
May Day.
More than 60 countries around the Northern Hemisphere celebrate May 1 as the beginning of spring, planting, light, etc.
The last snow (hopefully) has come covering the early flowers and is now only a memory.
Temperatures are rising, and even short drives tempt you to crack the window on the car.
The mind starts channeling summer vacation.
Ancient custom says August is the month the family must move herd-like to the waterfront or national park.
But what about July and June? They are summer too. What did they do to get the short end of the stick?
We will look at both of them in weeks to come.
Right now, we need to concentrate on May.
May Flowers.
In a normal year, people might be thinking of a trip to Holland to see the Tulip fields.
Unfortunately, the major blooming takes place from mid-April to early May. So unless you are reading this while sitting in an Amsterdam “coffee shop,” that’s probably out for this season. But put Keukenhof in Lisse, the Netherlands, on the should-see list.
In Giverny, a little over an hour’s drive north of Paris, you can see a garden pretty as a picture. Open from April to October, Claude Monet’s Gardens is the inspiration for many of his most famous paintings. These include his iconic water lilies. Did you know this is his backyard?
Unfortunately, in the spring of 2021, both these gardens remain closed.
Closer to Home.
From the mountains to the oceans, there are numerous places in North America to enjoy large-scale gardens.
Canada has a multitude of gardens. The Montreal Botanical Garden hosts gardens from around the world. On the west coast, Victoria’s Butchart Gardens shows you what you can do with a rocky backyard.
Both are currently open in April-May 2021.
April Showers May Come Your Way.
The United States offers incredible opportunities to see color after a winter of gray and white.
The Texas Bluebonnet season is typically from late March through early April. This year, Texas has had many cold temperatures, which tend to postpone the season. If you are nearby, you may still be able to catch some. Ennis, Texas, just south of Dallas, is the official Texas Bluebonnet City. But you can find Bluebonnets from Ennis to Burnet, northwest of Austin, and beyond.
The Arizona Sonoran Desert usually blooms from late February until mid-April. The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix is home to more than 17,000 desert plants.
But further north, many of the national parks are just opening. Spring wildflowers are pushing up through the last bits of snow.
In the cities, botanical gardens are welcoming blankets of color.
Northwest of Philadelphia, Chanticleer is the once private 40+ acre garden of the Rosengarten family. The family summer home is also open for tours. Avoid Mother’s Day, one of their busiest days of the year.
In the midwest, city botanical gardens are blooming.
Cherry Blossom Time.
In Kyoto, Japan, the cherry blossoms usually bloom the last week of March through the first two weeks of April.
At the Portland Japanese Garden, the cherry blossoms (the national flower of Japan) and camellias have come and gone for this season. However, you may still be able to catch the Andromeda, azaleas, dogwoods, and rhododendrons in bloom.
The cherry trees in Golden Gate Park’s Tea Garden are done blooming by mid-April. The Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden is also past its peak. However, the Rose Garden and the Fuscia Dell in this San Francisco should-see destination are just blooming mid-May.
May in the South.
Parts of Florida are already in the 80s, but spring is still happening between Kentucky and Southern Georgia.
Azalea season at Callaway Resort and Gardens, just over an hour south of Atlanta, is over mid-April. With over 20,000 azaleas, that is something to see.
Golf enthusiasts can only think of one thing when they hear Azalea, the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Due to a colder than usual winter, the blooms are lasting into April this year. Some varieties only bloom in April, and you can see the end of them right about now.
The Dogwoods, Redbuds, and Azaleas are in full bloom along Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail this week. I know because I am just returning from drinking my way, errr, drinking in the sweet aroma for myself.
A Drive May do the Trick.
The Blue Grass Parkway is approximately 70 miles of highway running from Elizabethtown, Kentucky (I-65) to Woodford County, Kentucky (Lexington). In addition to flowering trees, there are bucolic towns, horse ranches, and bourbon distilleries to explore. You can even visit the Old Kentucky Home of Stephen Foster fame.
By late March, flowers begin blooming along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It stretches more than 460 miles through Virginia and North Carolina. It’s not unusual to find different plants and flowers blooming at either end.
In Indiana, not only should you see flowering trees in bloom, but the morel mushrooms cannot be too far behind. Check out places famous for their fall foliage. They may surprise you in springtime.
Type your state’s name and follow it with “scenic drives.” You may surprise yourself with what is in your own backyard.
Celebrate May.
The middle part of the country is perfect for celebrations in May.
It is already getting too warm in the south, and the mountain passes in the west may still have snow. Check the National Park Service website for road closures before visiting.
But smack in the middle, festivals are starting to bloom.
Holland, Michigan, begins getting tulips blooming in April. But it is the first week in May that they celebrate the tulip. With over six million tulips, the city takes great pride in this spring spectacular. Check out their Tulip Tracker.
Pella and Orange City, Iowa, also have Tulip festivals in May.
Flower festivals are not the only celebrations going on in May. Google your state and add “May Festivals,” and see what comes up.
In Florida, we have our Strawberry festival in March. But what may be ready for harvest in May near you?
Mushrooms, asparagus, rhubarb, garlic, onions, and others are just some of the spring produce ready to harvest. Do they have a festival near you?
Other May Events.
Maybe not an “event,” but get out and see the sites before the families descend.
Early May can be a great time to visit popular amusement parks between the spring and summer vacations.
May in Alaska may be a little too early for many of the bears coming out of hibernation. However, mountain tops still have snow, and flowers are just beginning. Crowd-wise, this may be an incredible summer to visit before the cruise ships return.
Many large cities are opening but with restrictions. New York, Las Vegas, Branson, Nashville, and others have hotels but no shows.
Parts of Europe may open by mid-June but also with restrictions.
Why not see America the beautiful before it gets too hot and too crowded?
Maybe far away, or maybe real nearby, May has many things to offer.
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.