11-2-17 Gibbs gardens with Angie:

For awhile Angie and I have been talking about getting back up to Gibbs to see the Fall colors.  With time running out for this year, we finally decided on going today.   I've been getting emails from the gardens about the fall festivals going on now and the wild flowers and colors in the Japanese Gardens.  So I was anxious to go.
Heading in!

 one of the many statues in the gardens.

We didn't even make it to the Japanese Gardens before we started seeing the Japanese Maples in their vibrant red fall color.

 Still on our way to the Japanese Garden.

 This was a new guy to the garden!

 Still in the lily/sculpture/Van Gogh bridge garden.

 Just past that area is this area with sculptures of children.

 Just a couple of the sculptures here.

 More maples--- in brilliant yellow color.

 Finally in the Japanese Garden.  Is is definately one of if not the prettiest Japanese Garden I've ever been to---and I've been to quite a few of them.

 The colors were amazing!

 a couple of the statues here.

 looking back on one of the walk ways in the Japanese Garden.

 close up of the maple leaves.

 one of the many Japanese statues

 Every where we looked was awesome.

 even reflections adding to the awesomeness.

 one of the sitting areas in the Japanese garden.

 There were even a few flowers still blooming (or blooming early because of the unusually warm 80 degree weather in Nov.?). 

 another Japanese statue

 I was also anxious to see the Wild flower garden.  It was up hill from the Japanese Garden.

 one of the few wild flowers there.

 mostly it was a field of Staghorn Sumac?--- with paths mowed into it.

 We did find a wild flower here and there, but were really disappointed that it wasn't really a "wild flower garden"

 lots of bugs here!

 it was pretty, just not what we expected.

 these guys flowed really pretty in the sunlight.

 another "wild flower"?

 ok, I would consider these wild flowers, but these were the only ones of them that we saw.

 the wild flower garden.

 more of the bugs in the garden.

 We did walk all the way up to the top thinking that maybe there was a garden up there.

 Nope---just more mowed paths

 So we headed back to the Japanese Garden---passing this Magnolia "seed?"

 Looking back on the Wild Flower Garden one last time.

 back to the Japanese statues.

 So lush and beautiful!

 many different kinds of foliage and trees.

 someone sure knew what they were doing when they created this garden.

 I could sit there and gaze at this for ever.

 lots of little Japanese statues throughout the garden.

 making our way back to the entrance.

 a few more statues

 even the color of the water was striking.

 back through the childrens sculpture garden.

 back through the water lily garden.

 even a hydrangea or 2 still blooming.

 looking back from near the entrance to the gardens. 

 another area along the way---great place for weddings.

 don't remember seeing this guy before, either.

 more flowers.

 more gorgeous leaves.

 The sitting area by the cafe.  We even bought lunch and had a picnic here.

 After about 3 hours, we decided it was time to head back to our homes.

 Although we did try to go to a waterfall along the way.  We found the parking lot, but there were signs on the path that said it was a paid trail only. 

 so we looked at more colorful leaves.

 love the way this vine spiraled up this tree.

 gazed awhile at Amicalola River.

 Amazing how much bigger the river looks here then over by the falls.

 a stairway to nowhere.

 the bridge we drove over.

 one of the many ferns

 nice bit of color here, too!

 one last look at the river.

It was another great mother/daughter excursion.  Beautiful day, beautiful scenery, beautiful time!