Author: Spence's Girl

Retired and exploring things that interest me as well as falling in love again with books, extreme gardening, gourmet cooking & dining, travel and photography.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

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Having been a lifelong resident of Michigan, I’ve traveled all over the state but had never visited this amazing park until recently. With 158 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens featuring over 200 sculptures, we walked for hours enjoying the fall colors, capturing photos of the beauty along the way.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened in April 1995 after 13 years of planning and fundraising by the West Michigan Horticultural Society. In 1990, Fred & Lena Meijer were asked by Betsy Borre for their support, and they embraced the concept of a major cultural attraction centering around horticulture & sculpture. The original vision has turned into a top cultural destination in the Midwest, known internationally for the quality of the art and gardens. Excerpt from Meijer gardens.org

KA, a Cirque du Soleil Show

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Last month on the last night of my trip out west, I got to see KA at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. A perfect ending to a trip packed with so many fun activities, this was spectacular.

Kà is a show by Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kà describes the story as “the coming of age of a young man and a young woman through their encounters with love, conflict and the duality of Kà, the fire that can unite or separate, destroy or illuminate.” Wikipedia

Photos or video of the performance are forbidden and fine by me as I wanted to experience it fully, not through the lense of my iPhone. The photos shown here were taken pre or post-show.

Michael Carbonaro at the Penn & Teller Theatre in Las Vegas

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On the first night of my recent trip to Las Vegas, my sister and I saw Michael Carbonaro’s show.  I knew a bit about him as I’d seen a few episodes of his TV show, The Carbonaro Effect. I’d never seen him in person and was in for a treat.

I couldn’t have imagined what I was about to see…

Michael is both magician and comedian and is so engaging from the moment he appears until the end of the show. We were a few rows back, right in the center – perfect seats. His illusions are lightning fast and it’s such a clever and well-crafted performance. There were more than a few collective gasps from the audience as he performed. He is funny, charming and sincerely loves what he does – and his show is family friendly – not true of all Vegas entertainment.

 I’m now a Michael Carbonaro fan and have found seasons 2-5 of the Carbonaro Effect on MAX streaming. It’s totally unique – think magic, illusions plus a hidden camera with unsuspecting “participants.”. Each episode features several unique scenarios and has me laughing out loud while thinking “how did he do that?” I’m hooked!

LOVE, a Cirque show

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While in Vegas I saw LOVE and it didn’t disappoint. Several years ago we went to a “Behind the Scenes” event at this theater giving us insight to the complexity of the production and how the show was written with input from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Until this trip I hadn’t seen the show.

This time I got to see LOVE and it was a rollicking ride from the first bars of “Get Back” and the non-stop theatrical experience of this Cirque du Soleil show. It is a theater in-the-round and we were in the first row. I must give credit to my sister who shared her photos as most shown here were taken by her.