A perfect day in Riga, Latvia, in pictures.

A spontaneous half day off leads to a peaceful walk through Kleb Woods Nature Preserve—a quiet, restorative escape filled with birdsong, wooded trails, and a touch of Texas history.

Hyde Park never disappoints. On my springtime trip to London, it offered flowers, stillness, and—just outside its gates—a perfectly iconic London moment.

I’d stayed in London’s Holland Park neighborhood for years without ever exploring the actual park. That changed on our 15th anniversary trip—and what a discovery! With a Japanese garden, hydrangeas, a strolling statue, and a showy peacock, Holland Park became one of the most surprising and joyful highlights of our journey.

The Brits are smart, with their multiple-personality parks. There’s something for everyone in Hyde Park, even the birds.

Everything in nature this spring seems brighter, fresher, more vibrant than usual. Like these turtle pals.

I think a group of swans did a performance just for me. As I stood and watched, they changed direction, got in position, and swam by in a line. MUST.WRITE.HAIKU.

An Earth Day celebration of nature-filled Butler Shores Metropolitan Park along Ladybird Lake in Austin.

Cline Ranch Wildlife Area in Colorado presents the awesome majesty of Tarryall Creek; a video provides 17 seconds of pure wonder, the sights and sounds of an indomitable creek that flows beneath the frozen surface.

Some days exceed expectations: Hyde Park, Picasso and me.