Treehouses anyone......

We are visiting Tennessee right now.  Yes again....Daddy is down here for work, and we are visiting a few places around the area again.  We visited the coolest display today at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Art.

When we were here last September, we saw the coolest train display....but this year.....it's TREEHOUSES!!!  And the kids could climb and play in them!!!!

Cheekwood chose seven designers for this annual event.  These are what were chosen:

Rainbow Fish.....
"The Rainbow Fish shared his scales left and right, and the more he gave away, the more delighted he became. When the water around him filled with glimmering scales, he at last felt at home among the other fish." – Marcus Pfister, The Rainbow Fish, 1992 

Inspired by a simple, beloved children’s story about sharing, this treehouse creates a friendly space for children and adults to play. Guests can peer out of the fish’s mouth see their own reflection at the water’s edge.

 Yes the scales are recycled dvds and cds

The creation based on : The Giver by Lois Lowry

"Things could change... Things could be different. I don't know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors.”  – Lois Lowry, The Giver, 1993

The entrance of the structure starts out plain and unadorned. As the visitor journeys further through the house, the space fills with color and life, ending with a joyful slide through a colorful wall.

Walden Treehouse...This was very cool inside.  But smiles were getting lower as I was snapping pics of the kids along the way (trying to get some portraits) and it got HOT....Fast!

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau,Walden, 1854 

This back-to-nature treehouse takes its visitors high up into the tree canopy to a fairytale retreat where they will find the perfect setting for daydreaming. 

Conch House.....

"His ordinary voice sounded like a whisper after the harsh note of the conch. He laid the conch against his lips, took a deep breath and blew once more. The note boomed again: and then at his firmer pressure, the note, fluking up an octave, became a strident blare more penetrating than before." -- William Golding, Lord of the Flies, 1954 

This structure encourages children to assemble before entering to create rules for their own “tribe”. Once inside, the first child to reach the top platform will blow the horn and become “chief.” 

The Jolly Roger.....

“One green light squinting over Kidd's Creek, which is near the mouth of the pirate river, marked where the brig, the Jolly Roger, lay, low in the water; a rakish-looking craft foul to the hull…She was the cannibal of the seas, and scarce needed that watchful eye, for she floated immune in the horror of her name.”  – J.M. Barrie, Peter and Wendy, 1911

Visitors of all ages will be invited on a high seas adventure through Neverland on board the infamous ship of Captain Hook. As children assume the roles of Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell, the century-old story of Peter Pan and Wendy, this treehouse invites hours of imaginative play.

Up and Down Again, A Hobbit's Tale....

"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something." 
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, 1937   

A true feast for the senses, guests will delight in climbing, sliding, and discovering a secret passage as they experience both the underground world of the Hobbit’s hole and the beautiful view from the top of the treehouse. 

Ocean of Notions......

“He looked into the water and saw that it was made up of a thousand thousand thousand and one different currents, each one a different colour, weaving in and out of one another like a liquid tapestry of breathtaking complexity; and Iff explained that these were the Streams of Story, that each coloured strand represented and contained a single tale.” -- Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, 1991 

As visitors explore this structure, they will find a giant, twisted ball of vibrantly colored ropes, representing stories flowing together in different streams. 

Cheekwood is a wonderful place to visit if you are in the Nashville area!!!  There is an extensive gardens to explore, which we didn't get to do since the kids were exhausted.  But we have been there before and loved them!  We didn't get to visit the home with the artwork though our last visit, so we took advantage of the air conditioning and explored the halls of art.  We were mesmerized by the size of this home!!!

There were many wonderful works of art, which we could not photograph...so you will have to visit the Cheekwood Gardens website to see more...lol.

There was lots of fun and whining from the heat....but everyone gave 5 thumbs up for the Treehouse exhibit!!!  The kids even enjoyed seeing the various materials used in the paintings on exhibit.

 They were also amazed that the art museum was actually someone's home for about 40 years.  I could handle this view from my breakfast area.

I took this picture, and took a few steps and heard Caty scream....she fell into the creek in her picture clothes...lol.  So we had to change....it was a bit comical because I warned her.

It was a 5 thumbs up field trip for us!!!