We had absolutely superb weather this weekend. With crisp, blue skies and cooler temperatures, we couldn’t help but spend as much of our free time outdoors as possible.  This gorgeousness really couldn’t have come at a better time either as I found out this past Saturday was going to be my LAST free Saturday afternoon for six weeks! *GASP*  Alas, I’ll be teaching a six-week speech and writing class on Saturdays from 2pm-4pm, starting this week. It’s not actually that bad, but it does make it difficult to take weekend trips and whatnot. So what did I want to do on my last afternoon of freedom? Why a picnic at Green Grass Lake of course. With such spectacular weather how else would I have wanted to spend it?

Green Grass Lake was our destination, and it turned out to be the perfect picnicking venue. Surrounded by a walking path and large, grassy patches, we quickly found a quasi-secluded perch on which to enjoy our wine, cheese and crackers. We got a couple of stares from people walking by, and even a Gambe! (cheers) from one woman, but it seemed no one had a problem with our picnicking activities. If eating outdoors isn’t really your thing, there are also a few coffee houses and restaurants surrounding the lake, of which the pricy Lakehouse Restaurant is the most popular.

After taking in the scenery of the lake, we made our way to nearby Gu Chi Feng. What is Gu Chi Feng, you ask? It’s a place to see some crazy—and at times a bit creepy—statues. For starters, there is a massive replica of the deity Guang Gong, making this place a bit difficult to miss. The red-faced giant is seriously huge, towering above all the buildings nearby and boasting nine floors inside. But while this guy is amazing due to his sheer scale, the truly crazy stuff comes by exploring what’s beneath the temple.

The Statue of Liberty, The Thinker, and Napoleon are just three of the hundreds of statues that can be found on the nearby park grounds. The whole place gives off a sort of abandoned and eerie feel, especially if touring the area during sunset, but it is also wicked cool and unlike anything we had ever seen before. We only scratched the surface of the area as it was quickly getting a little too dark (and a little too close to Halloween) to comfortably meander among giant statues.  Here are a few of our favorite snapshots:

Pretty unique, right? From what we’ve heard, these statues are the private collection of a rich Taiwanese man, although we haven’t heard that information from any credible sources. What we do know is If we ever need to film any horror movies, this will be the place we go.