Is This How You Imagined Shangri-La?

We all know Shangri-La is a fictional place*, yet it brings to mind a blissful, mysterious, locale. One man, however, had a more specific vision of Shangri-La and spent years turning that vision into reality.

The man was Henry L. Warren, a tobacco farmer from Prospect Hill, NC and the result of his vision can be enjoyed by travelers to this day. His Shangri-La was created from local stone and found objects and the 'town' grew to include 27 buildings - each featuring a unique design.

I first saw Shangri-La about twenty years ago and when a recent trip took me past it, I stopped to take photos to share with you. If you're ever traveling between Hillsborough, NC and Danville, VA you can stop and experience it for yourself!

You'll be amazed at Mr. Warren's ingenuity and dedication. He died in the late 1970s and, yet, his work lives on in this magical little town.


If you visit, don't miss the walkways embedded with arrowheads - hundreds of them, in varying patterns.

This quote from Sam Walter Foss' famous poem sums up this little Shangri-La . . . and I'd say Henry Warren embodied it!

*We're not counting Camp David, which was originally named Shangri-La by FDR

Join me in Botswana, Ma (or Ra, as the case may be)

Okay, we're talking about the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - if you've read the books you know I really mean Mma and not Ma, but since watching the great television adaptation I just think of it as Ma. And who hasn't read at least one of the books? For a while they were a staple of every book club and always on the best seller lists. And there are lots of them, so if you get hooked on authors or series (as I often do!), Alexander McCall Smith is a great choice for you.

If you don't subscribe to HBO or have access to BBC programming, you possibly missed the fabulous TV version - but it's available on DVD, so add it to your must-watch list! It's one of the best adaptations I've seen on the big or small screen. Jill Scott is perfect as Mma Ramotswe - yes, I said perfect!

And as you expect from the BBC, the production is first-rate. The cast and locales are exactly as you imagine when you read the novels - right down to the ubiquitous bush tea! But, not to worry if you haven't read the books - they aren't a pre-requisite for enjoying the show. And, the series has two advantages over the books: a great soundtrack and cheery and clever animated titles. Airside designed beautiful opening / closing titles that reflect the action and characters in each episode. Click here for their website or here to see the titles complete with music.

So, if you're looking for a good book or show - check out the No. 1 Ladies. If you're a fan of the books or television series, I'd love to hear from you!

Put your little grey cells to work on this mystery . . .

Three years ago at an auction of items belonging to Agatha Christie, one lucky lady paid $150 (100 British pounds) for an old leather trunk. The trunk bears the initials CMM, which the new owner now knows are those of Christie's mother - Clara Margaret Miller. Wouldn't you love to own an item like this from the estate of Dame Agatha? Perhaps she traveled with it on the Orient Express or kept manuscripts for new novels in it while on working on digs in Iraq with her husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan . . . or, oh! the possibilities are endless.

The owner of the trunk must be a patient person - the trunk was locked and, though she suspected something was inside, she did not force it open until recently. Could you stand to wait three years? When it was opened it revealed another mystery - a locked strongbox.

And when it was opened, it revealed true treasure, and not just the 'valuable to a fan' kind of treasure. But, the treasure of legends - gold, silver, diamonds!

The box contained 50 gold coins and the jewelry seen above. The ring is thought to be Christie's mother's engagement ring. What a marvelous surprise! And for those of us who think all the great antiques have been discovered - here's proof we're wrong. So, find an auction near you and look for hidden treasure . . .

Click here to read the entire story or click here for details on visiting Agatha Christie's home, Greenway, seen above (including the mural painted by an American GI during WWII).

As for me, I'm off to look for treasure of a smaller kind . . . my well-read copy of 4:50 from Paddington.

Camellias: Coming to a Town Near You

What do gardeners do during the months of winter? Read garden catalogs and books, of course! And make garden plans . . . new plants to try, old plants to remove or relocate, a larger compost pile and fewer weeds, these are the winter dreams of gardeners (or at least this one!). There is another activity to get gardeners through the cold months - garden shows. And this winter, I'm stuck on shows devoted to that beautiful winter-bloomer: The Camellia.

The American Camellia Society has a great website which includes a list of Camellia Shows around the country. Imagine tables of the best camellias on display. The show season has a few more months and there are lots of upcoming shows, including three within a short drive of me!

At a quick glance, California seems to have the most shows in the coming weeks, so check out the schedule if you're on the west coast. Larger shows, like the one at California's Descanso Gardens, include many fun activities like Tea Tasting Workshops (after all, tea comes from the Camellia) and guided walks through the Camellia Forest. You can also find a list of international camellia groups on the Camellia Society site.

If you're antsy waiting for spring, check out a flower show near you. You're not limited to camellias, there's a show for almost every kind of gardener . . . and you may get some great ideas for your 2010 garden!

All photos from the sites mentioned in this post.

Lighthouse Fever - Day Two

What's on your travel agenda this year? You know where I'm headed with this as we're still on the subject of lighthouses, but, it may surprise you to know that you can plan a whole vacation around lighthouses. The obvious method is to visit one or more lighthouses while vacationing, but you can take it a step further if simply visiting isn't enough . . .


In Michigan you can actually live in the Tawas Point Lighthouse (above) for a week. Wow! You pay a small fee and agree to guide tourists who visit and spend the week enjoying the great views of Lake Huron. What a wonderful change of pace - well, unless you already live in a lighthouse. The link above will take you to the application form - hurry, you don't want to miss out . . . Other lighthouses in the great lakes area have similar programs for one or more night stays - find out more here.

Maine's Whitehead Light Station also offers rentals, including seven bedrooms. This historic light was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson in 1803 - so while Lewis & Clark were heading west, the first light was established here at the mouth of Penobscot Bay. Now your family can have its own adventure on this spot. Check out the variety of programs and rentals here and you could soon enjoy this view.

To search for the perfect lighthouse for your next holiday, check out this link. There are listings from across the globe - perhaps you're interested in Norway?

Or Germany's famous Roter Sand?

And if you're more of an armchair lighthouse tourist during the winter months, there are lots of great books that will satisfy you until the weather warms up. Just Google lighthouses or lighthouse keepers and you'll find lots of fun reads. Or, click here to read the story of a retired lighthouse keeper who's in the news today. Or rent the PBS special Legendary Lighthouses - it has a beautiful companion book as well!

Finally, watch this amazing footage of lighthouses withstanding some very rough waters. Warning: if you're planning an overnight stay in a light house, watch this afterward!

Lighthouse Fever - Day One

I've always loved lighthouses; of course, you're probably thinking "who doesn't love them"? Well, I don't know who doesn't love them - this probably falls into Rumsfeld's 'not knowable' category. What is knowable is that lighthouses are loved throughout the world and many countries have lighthouse societies, publications, tours, etc. Lighthouses adorn everything from jewelry to clothing to home furnishings. I've been thinking about lighthouses after having a close encounter with one over the holidays and seeing the sad news about the recent vandalism of the Cape Meares Lighthouse in Oregon.


Is there a lighthouse in your neighborhood? I grew up in northeastern North Carolina and so had several great lighthouses within a two hour drive - the most famous being Cape Hatteras which was actually moved a few years ago. My mom was able to visit during the move and watch this amazing process.

The Cape Hatteras Light weighs 4.8 tons and the move was an engineering marvel - the lighthouse was actually raised and then rolled to the new location. According to How Stuff Works, it's the third largest building ever moved. But, Cape Hatteras wasn't the lighthouse I stumbled during Christmas. Rather, it was this lesser-known light shown below. Can you spot the problem with it?

Maybe this will help - it's a picture of the lighthouse when it was active (circa 1900).

As you can see, this design is more house and less light than most famous lighthouses. This gives us a clue to its original purpose - obviously it wasn't intended to warn large ships at far distances. Rather it helped mariners navigate the Albemarle Sound around Plymouth, NC. It's one of the last surviving inland waterway lighthouses in the state. It's known as the Roanoke River Light and the photo below reveals the problem today - it's not only in disrepair, it's in search of new digs.

After being decommissioned in the 1940s, it was barged inland and converted into housing in the mid '50s. When the owner/occupant died it was abandoned and subsequently suffered storm damage. Many feared it would be lost altogether, but it was rescued and in 2007 moved to its current location in the colonial town of Edenton where it awaits a facelift. Hopefully in the near future you can visit it when it's all spic and span and perched on new pilings!

If you're in the region in the meantime, stop by the Roanoke River Lighthouse & Maritime Museum to visit this lovely replica of an earlier Roanoke Light. Tomorrow we'll look at lighthouse vacations - now is the perfect time to book for summer!!

Window Shopping

Did you ever dream about owning a little shop? Maybe an antique store that sells primitive furniture or Art Deco furnishings? Or wonderful stationery with custom-designed letterpress invitations and classic calling cards? Or maybe an old-fashioned dress shop with comfy fitting rooms that have flattering lighting? I would love to own a cute little shop - I'm not even picky, it can specialize in books, antiques, housewares . . . it doesn't matter, the idea is just appealing. But, it's like the appeal of owning a Bed & Breakfast - even in an unrealistic moment you know the fun parts are 10% and the drudge parts are 90%. So, you have to really love it for it to work and I don't think I would - so it wouldn't.

Having said that, it's still a fun daydream and I am always very impressed when I see a good window display. It makes me think "that's the kind of shop window I would have" - which is the great thing about daydreams, you can believe you would have enchanting displays when in reality they would be very pedestrian. Recently I saw two charming windows and I hope you will like them, too.

This one is a small shop in Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem, NC. Not only is the stone work stunning, but the Tiffany-blue boxes mixed with the white cake stands is amazing. Doesn't this look like a place where you could happily spend an afternoon?

This window with the teapots is in Old Salem - the shop with the pumpkins featured here a few days ago. I like the simplicity of this - and also the symmetry. As the holidays approach, there will be lots of opportunities for window shopping . . . I'm ready, are you?

One Last Look at Chinqua-Penn - The Gardens!

Well, I'm back home after a really fun conference that included: lots of candy corn, a really sensitive wireless microphone, hours of standing and walking, a bustling trade show, lots of friendly faces, and tired feet from the aforementioned standing and walking.

To round out the week, here are a few more more snapshots from Chinqua-Penn. The gardens are not of the rare botanicals variety, but they are lovely and in keeping with the house (don't you love the massed containers in the photo above?). They make a wonderful backdrop for weddings and other special occasions. If you're interested in visiting, check their website for upcoming events, like the Great Gatsby weekend or outdoor concert series.

There are several large Osmanthus trees in the gardens. They were in full bloom and their wonderful scent wafted through the gardens and the open windows and doors of the house.

Interesting containers filled with ordinary plants, like this asparagus fern (which isn't a fern at all), add great color and interest to walls, steps, and patios.

The walkway leading to the house carries you through a wooded area complete with water features and unexpected plants and statuary.

One of the features for which Chinqua-Penn is noted is the pagoda. The Penns were inspired by pagodas they visited on trips to China and hired the New York architectural firm Harry C. Ingles to build one based on authentic designs. It served as a pool house and is located by the large swimming pool. Both the pool and pagoda are closed for refurbishment (and the pagoda has a large metal cover protecting it), but you can glimpse the lovely red roof and outline of the pagoda in this photo taken from the wooded area.

Once it's restored, this will be an even lovlier vantage point as the pagoda is filled with Rangoon temple bells that chime with the passing breeze. What a tranquil setting - the dappled light, lush plants, flowing water, and the tinkle of the bells . . . I'll leave you on this peaceful note.

Pathway to Blue Skies

I'm still on the road and have had a long, but very nice, day. I wanted to quickly share some more pictures from Chinqua-Penn - here are two of the cosy paths that circle the house and gardens.

I really like this one made from mill stones.

In this area, mill stones are a popular garden feature - you can find them at antique shops and sometimes garden shops, but you have to be careful because there are reproductions (aka fakes) that sometimes look pretty convincing (which is okay, as long as you aren't paying for the real thing).

This path lined with boxwoods is very inviting - you just know something good awaits at the other end. Plus, I love the smell of boxwoods - do you? It's like candy corn, people seem to either love it or hate it.

And finally, here's a lovely vine silhouetted against a perfect blue October sky. The vine is growing on the gate that you see in the picture above. The white tent was being raised the day we were visiting, in preparation for a wedding a few days later.

That's all for tonight - tomorrow a look at the gardens of Chinqua-Penn and on Friday a new series for the weekend (here's a hint: R). Wishing you blue October skies . . .

Welcome to Chinqua-Penn Plantation

If you're ever in the Greensboro, NC area, take a few hours to pop over to Reidsville and visit Chinqua-Penn Plantation. Not a plantation in the ante-bellum sense, this property was developed by Jeff & Betsy Penn in the 1920s. The house sits on 22 acres today and is open to the public Wednesday-Sunday. The grounds are lovely, beautiful without being manicured. The Penns had travelled extensively and their house is filled with treasures from around the globe.

Here are some pics from around the property. As you can tell, I love the stone work:

Come back tomorrow for more Chinqua-Penn!