California May 2012 - Loving Newport Coast!

We spent a glorious week at the Marriott timeshare resort at Newport Coast, located between the beach communities of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Larry and Elaine joined us for the week. How we love to travel with them!!

When we opened the drapes and windows of our villa, this was our view!!! Actually saw the blue sky and ocean only on first/last days as it was "June Gloom", low clouds, fog,overcast the rest of the week. Go inland a short distance and it was back to sunshine. LOVED the cool temps!!!

Views from our room.

A view from the kitchen of our villa; living room, dining area. Also had two lovely bedrooms/bathrooms. This is a perfect arrangement - breakfast here in the morning and then Elaine and I each cooked in one night. We make a good team and felt right at home! :)

I say this is as close as you can get to going to Hawaii, without getting on an airplane. It truly is lovely!

To nurture our souls we went to Roger's Gardens the day after arriving. We've been there before, but it NEVER fails soothe and fill our hot, dry, drought-filled bodies and hearts!

I've tried my hardest to get the following photo to portrait orientation, but to no avail. It was a garden at the entrance and being a lover of all things blue, it grabbed my heart, and so I include it anyway.

Rich, Larry and Elaine. Seems like we get to travel together once a year, sometimes twice. They are such dear friends!!  We go a looong way back - to their wedding in 1971 when Rich was Larry's Best Man. The guys sort of "threw Elaine and I together", but we have so much in common and really are each other's "other sister".

I love sweet peas. My wedding bouquet was white roses and sweet peas. It's also the flower for my birth month. They are so fragrant and these colors were gorgeous!

Even the succulents were abundant and very interesting.

I love heart-shaped things. Aren't these pots cool?!! Would have loved to bring some home, but in the hot Kansas summers, plants would dry out faster than you could shake a stick.

My favorite rose, "Double Delight". Sweet and spicy!

This tree had the most unusual bark. It felt just like paper.

Interesting potting containers.

The coastal climate is perfect for bright, vibrant colors and plants of every type! How many ways can I say that we love this place!???

More fun to come!