Where are you going this summer?

I just came across a really cool website. Where are all of my Texas friends? I’m sure you guys can vouch for everything here. There is this place in Orange, Texas called Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center. (Check out the pictures here).

Since we celebrated Earth Day this past Wednesday, and all the major television networks have changed their logos “GREEN” this is the perfect time to tell you all about this place. They were the first project in Texas to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum Certification for LEED®-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – New Construction). What this means is that this is a very eco-friendly and have received the highest rating possible for green building and performance measures.

For those of my friends who have not been to Texas, the city of Orange is located in the southeast corner near the Louisiana border along I-10 which makes it easily accessible. The city itself is a “preserve city” which makes it a perfect location for the Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center. One of the really neat things, among many, that you will learn while you are there is how plants actually filter pollution from water when you visit their water demonstration center. However, one of the highlights, and probably most fascinating elements, is a 1200 year-old pond cypress tree they’ve named “The Survivor” that is located in their Nature Center. Think about that for a second…that tree has been around since the early 1800’s! This tree, alone, has survived many hurricanes and other natural disasters that have hit near that section of Texas/Louisiana.

School is about to come to an end very soon and many of you might be planning your summer trips right now. Go check out the website and see everything they have to offer, then make sure you add the city of Orange, Texas and the Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center to your trip itinerary.