Orange | Blue Eyes and Bluebonnets

Beauty, Peace and Enlightenment at Shangri La Gardens in Orange, Texas (Part 3)

April 21, 2009 By Blue Eyes and Bluebonnets

Flowers, Wildlife and Lunch at Shangri La

Flowers

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center boasts more than 300 plant species. Walkways flow through beautifully manicured multi-color flower beds. By visiting Shangri La in April, we missed the azaleas. I had read that the sight is not one to be missed, so we will return to Shangri La next year in March when they are in full bloom.

Iris

Shangri-La features beautifully manicured lawns and flowerbeds.

Wildlife

With an abundance of wildlife at Shangri La, we saw something different around every corner.

We saw three brown rabbits near the boat house.

This small 5-7 foot alligator was sunning on a boat ramp on Adam's Bayou

This "small" 5-7 foot alligator was sunning on a boat ramp of a home along Adam's Bayou

Lots of flowers at Shangri-La attract lots of bees

Lots of flowers at Shangri La Gardens attract lots of bees.

Turtles sun themsleves in every source of water

Turtles enjoy the sun in every source of water.

Lunch at the Star and Crescent Moon Cafe

After the sunny cruise down Adams Bayou, we were thirsty and hungry. Fortunately, there is a cafe on site. The innovative and healthy vegetarian-friendly menu at the Star and Crescent Moon Cafe was a wonderful surprise. The menu features a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches. The hubster ordered a Reuben sandwich with turkey pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. Mom had the veggie quesadillas (pictured below) — grilled portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, avocado, cheddar and mozzarella in a flour tortilla — served with a spicy sour cream sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed the vegetarian salad (pictured below) — grilled portabella mushroom, avocado, feta, parmesan and candied walnuts on a bed of baby field greens with a creamy balsamic dressing. Yummy!

Veggie Quesadilla

Vegetarian Salad

Next Year

As I said above, we plan to visit Shangri La Gardens next year in March so that we can see the azaleas in bloom. There are also other areas of the Gardens that we did not see this visit, such as the Frog Ponds, the Pond of the Blue Moon, the Water Wall and the Hanging Garden. We are really looking forward to next year!

Entrance to Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center

Visit the Shangri La Botanical Gardens web site to plan your visit.

Filed Under: Sightseeing, Texas Sightseeing Tagged With: alligator, bee, Crescent Moon Cafe, garden, Lutcher Starks, Orange, rabbit, Shangri La, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Southeast Texas, Texas, travel, turtle, vegetarian

Beauty, Peace and Enlightenment at Shangri La Gardens in Orange, Texas (Part 2)

April 15, 2009 By Blue Eyes and Bluebonnets 5 Comments

An Oasis for Birds

Green Heron

Many birds flew high above our pontoon boat as we slowly cruised Adams Bayou. We were lucky to spot a Green Heron perched in a tree along the bayou.

Ruby Lake Heronry

The Ruby Lake heronry is home to thousands of nesting birds, including Egrets and Cormorants. A state-of-the-art bird blind allows visitors to enjoy the spectacular view while ensuring the safety of the birds. Knowledgable Shangri La volunteers hand out binoculars and answer any questions. From the blind, we saw Great Egrets, Cormorants and one Roseate Spoonbill. The volunteer said that there were fifteen Spoonbills at the heronry earlier in the day.

Egrets

There were nesting Great Egrets as far as the eye could see around and in every tree. This majestic white bird can have a wingspan of over 50 inches. We watched in awe as the Egrets built their nests, fed baby birds and sat on their blue eggs.

Filed Under: Sightseeing, Texas Sightseeing Tagged With: Adams Bayou, Anhinga, bayou, Bird Blind, Cypress trees, Egret, garden, Great Egret, heronry, Lutcher Starks, Orange, Ruby Lake, Shangri La, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Southeast Texas, swamps, Texas, travel

Beauty, Peace and Enlightenment at Shangri La Gardens in Orange, Texas (Part 1)

April 15, 2009 By Blue Eyes and Bluebonnets

Inspired by the 1933 book Lost Horizon, Texas timber baron and philanthropist Lutcher Stark had a vision of creating his own Shangri La — a place of beauty, peace and enlightenment — in his hometown of Orange, Texas. That vision became a reality in 1946 with a 252-acre oasis in the middle of Orange that featured breathtaking azaleas, a swamp and abundant wildlife. In 1958, a freak snowstorm in Southeast Texas destroyed most of the plants in Shangri La, including Stark’s beloved azaleas. Stark closed the gardens to the public and they remained that way for almost 50 years.

After decades of neglect, the foundation that bears the Stark name opened a revitalized and restored Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in 2008. I recently experienced the magic that is Shangri La and spent a wonderful day strolling through colorful gardens, exploring the cyprus swamps along Adams Bayou and photographing nesting birds in the heronry.

Boat Tour of Adams Bayou

When we purchased our entrance tickets, we were assigned a time for the boat tour. We had plenty of time to tour the Visitor’s Center and watch a short film explaining the history of the gardens. TIP: Be sure to make the film your first stop at Shangri La – there is a surprise ending that you do NOT want to miss.

Pontoon Boat tour of Adams Bayou

After the film, a boardwalk led us through the swamps to the breezy screened boat house. Along the way, we saw a snake, some colorful lizards and two rabbits. After a short wait, a guide fitted us with life jackets and welcomed us aboard a small pontoon. The hot sun on this day in early April made me wish I had remembered to bring a hat with me.

The boat tour, which lasted around one hour, included a stop at an area used as an educational facility. A narrow wooden boardwalk cut through a green algae-covered swamp full of Cypress trees to a wooden building powered by solar panels. NOTE: There are rest rooms in the facility.