Travel theme: Benches

Every park bench has a story to tell and when I see one, I can’t help dreaming up a history; a first date, a stolen kiss perhaps, an argument, tearful goodbyes, old friends laughing, children feeding birds or a couple sharing a picnic. Here are a few benches with stories to tell.

Walking through the University of Washington campus in Seattle, I spotted this great stone bench against a bloom-filled hedge, with a drift of fallen cherry blossom on the ground. What an idyllic spot to cram for finals.

university of washington, uw, seattle, washington, us, usa, travel, ailsa prideaux-mooney

A bench with a view at the Snug Harbor Botanical Gardens on Staten Island, overlooking the Healing Garden; a living memorial to the Staten Islanders lost on 9/11.

snug harbor staten island bench botanical gardens travel us usa america

Manhattan‘s Battery Park wins my vote for the comfiest and most beautiful benches I’ve found to date. I’ve whiled away many a happy hour here, watching the world go by.

new york battery park bench city us usa america travel

I was stopped in my tracks along the Jersey Shore by this startlingly beautiful wreath and dedication on a bench looking out to sea.

new jersey boardwalk bench us usa america travel

These are my favourite benches in Central Park. There’s something so elegant about their simplicity, and a dusting of snow makes them look even lovelier.

snow bench new york central park us usa america travel

I usually try to find an empty bench I can have all to myself, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. This little guy didn’t even bother wiping the remains of his lunch off his whiskers before getting all up in my personal space.

squirrel bench new york city us usa america travel nature wildlife

Now it’s your turn while I take a back seat. If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:

  • Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Benches
  • Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
  • Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
  • Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see what you come up with!

xxx Ailsa

Unknown's avatar

About ailsapm

Hi there! I’m Ailsa Prideaux-Mooney. I’ve lived in many places, and travelled to many more. I had a lot of fun getting there and being there, wherever there happened to be at the time. I climbed a castle wall in Czesky Krumlov, abseiled down cliffs to go caving in the west of Ireland, slept on the beach in Paros, got chased by a swarm of bees in Vourvourou (ok that wasn’t fun, but it was exciting), learned flower arranging in Tokyo, found myself in the middle of a riot in Seoul, learned to snowboard in Salzburg, got lost in a labyrinth in Budapest and had my ice cream stolen by a gull in Cornwall. And I’m just getting started. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read so far, I’d love you to follow my travelogue - wheresmybackpack.com - and remember, anyone who tries to tell you it’s a small world hasn’t tried to see it all.
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267 Responses to Travel theme: Benches

  1. Pingback: TRAVEL THEME: BENCHES | Francine In Retirement

  2. fgassette's avatar fgassette says:

    BEAUTIFUL BENCHES! Here are mine, a little occupied. http://wp.me/p23TG1-2vQ

    BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!

  3. restlessjo's avatar restlessjo says:

    Love this post, Ailsa. That first bench and the photo are absolutely the business!

  4. Pingback: Travel theme: benches | fractionsoftheworld

  5. Here’s my very first entry to your weekly challenge, Ailsa! Benches from Curaçao to Canada… http://fractionsoftheworld.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/

  6. yourkinkywedding's avatar vastlycurious.com says:

    The cast concrete bench sit]tting in the pool of floating petals takes first place amongst all of the bench’s I have seen. I wish I could find more time to do these Challenges!!

  7. Pingback: Park it Here | The Palladian Traveler

  8. DagEnDauw's avatar DagEnDauw says:

    You show a fine collection of benches here, Ailsa!
    Can’t say which one I like the most this time.
    I also have a crush on the item, so the only problem that occured to me, was to decide which image I was going to start with. Probably I will come again with some more pictures of benches one of these days.
    Enjoy the weekend, everyone!
    Here ‘s my first entry for this theme 😉
    http://dauwpics.blogspot.com/2013/04/doel-loos.html

  9. Pingback: Travel Theme: Benches | Across the Bored

  10. ideflex's avatar ideflex says:

    Something bright to remind me there is a summer – please have a look at

    Travel Theme: Benches

  11. These benches are usual and very cool. The squirrel is starring at me, though ;-). Hope to be back…

  12. Pingback: Travel Theme: Benches | The Retiring Sort

  13. Pingback: Ailsa’s Travel Theme: Benches | Stephen Kelly Creative

  14. Hey Ailsa … wow! LUV that shot of the benches in the snow!!! SCHWEET!!!
    Anywho, here’s my take on this week’s Bench Theme:

    Ailsa’s Travel Theme: Benches

  15. What a fun topic – and what an interesting selection you found – all lovely! That curved one is really something. I never realized I had pictures of so many… I actually had to weed some out! Here’s my post – http://theretiringsort.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/

  16. Alisha,

    I didn’t think I’d be able to participate in this week’s theme … turns out, I enjoy taking pictures of my husband (sometimes without his knowledge) while he is “people watching” on benches…. does that mean I am people watching him, even though I know him? 🙂

    Anyway, check out my take at http://www.wifewithbaggage.com/

    Enjoy,
    Diane

  17. Pingback: Travel Theme: Benches | alien shores

  18. Pingback: Benches… Ailsa’s WTT | Ouch!! My back hurts!!

  19. Pingback: 4-12-13 Travel Theme: Benches (Road To Nowhere Edition) | The Quotidian Hudson

  20. Loving the benches and the squirrel is so cute, will have to see what I can come up with 🙂

  21. Pingback: Travel Theme: Benches | Edge of the Forest

  22. Rosemarie's avatar Rosemarie says:

    Very photogenic benches. Here’s my offering…

    Travel Theme: Benches

  23. Pingback: Weekly Travel theme: Benches « Lagottocattleya

  24. I must admit I don’t have that many pictures of benches…wonder why, because I do love them. These are some odd ones, though
    http://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/weekly-travel-theme-benches/

  25. Oh, dear…the link doesn’t seem to work, sorry – try this one!

    Weekly Travel theme: Benches

  26. Pingback: Travel theme: Benches | ILEANA PARTENIE

  27. Pingback: Travel Theme ~ Benches | Coffee With Yer Buccaneer

  28. That first picture of yours is wonderful – others very nice too…Cornwall, beautiful .. http://coffeewithyerbuccaneer.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/travel-theme-benches/

  29. ginnietom's avatar ginnietom says:

    …huh…I looked at Marion’s benches, as well as your’s, each of them with deep interest…but if the day will come to post something about “dumpster, rabbish skip or some else container” – I will post my personal container, modified as winter panorama, highly precessed in warm lightened lightroom 4 processing, assisted by color-efex NIK filters, in twilight (!!!) – please give me a chance …(in peace)
    I beg fore, plzzzz….:-D …:-))) *lol*

    cheers, werner

  30. Pingback: Mosaic benches in Barcelona | Travel with Intent

  31. Debbie Smyth's avatar Debbie says:

    2 benches came to mind immediately I read this latest post from Ailsa. The one, I couldn’t find a digital photo of, so it just had to be the beautiful mosaic benches in Barcelona for me. http://travelwithintent.com/2013/04/13/modernist-bench-barcelona-falques/

  32. dadirri7's avatar dadirri7 says:

    well, not to be outdone, i love them too ailsa, so off to look at the photos in case i have any benches to share …

  33. Pingback: Benches- a travel photo challenge | pdjpix

  34. pdjpix's avatar pdjpix says:

    Keep those great themes coming Ailsa. Here’s another effort from me. Gotta go… “squirrel”.

    Benches- a travel photo challenge

  35. Globe Runner's avatar Globe Runner says:

    Love this travel theme…here is mine

    Travel theme: Benches

  36. Pingback: Travel theme: Benches | tahira's shenanigans

  37. Tahira's avatar Tahira says:

    Absolutely lovely benches, Ailsa! Great theme. Here is my submission: http://tahira007.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/travel-theme-benches/

  38. Pingback: Travel Theme: Benches | A year in the Life

  39. livvy30's avatar livvy30 says:

    Great theme Ailsa. Lovely shots, but you know I’m partial to a squirrel shot myself! Here are mine for this week. http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/travel-theme-benches/

  40. Pingback: travel theme: benches | bob's wife

  41. Pingback: Travel theme: Benches (Benched) | humanTriumphant

  42. I spent time searching this one out last night, as it’s been a few years since my fella’ was this small! He fairly well fills that bench out these days! http://humantriumphant.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/travel-theme-benches-benched/

  43. Pingback: Weekly Travel Theme: Benches | wordsvisual

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