Superman has the Fortress of Solitude.

Batman has his Batcave.

And Lawrence Police Capt. Ed Brunt has his backyard.

“When you get there, you let everything go. You’re surrounded by color, you’re surrounded by the smell of the flowers, and there’s just a dropping of the cares and responsibilities of the world,” says Brunt, 49.

“One of the things that I noticed about the backyard when I moved here was that it had the potential to be a very serene place, and over the last three years we have worked diligently to make it that way.”

Brunt and his girlfriend, Lori Owens, who also works at the police department, have transformed the expanse behind their home into a tranquil, garden paradise filled with colorful plantings, gently bubbling fountains and a gazebo where Brunt likes to play guitar and practice violin.

For the couple, it’s a place of peace and restfulness, a retreat from the stress of their demanding jobs and the daily frustrations of life.

In short, it’s their sanctuary.

Brunt and Owens are among many Lawrence-area residents who’ve fashioned similar spaces for themselves, whether it’s a special room in their home, a carefully cultivated garden or a favorite place in nature.

Lawrence police Cpt. Ed Brunt finds peace playing his violin in his backyard. He and his girlfriend, Lori Owens, have transformed the space into a tranquil retreat for relaxation and meditation.

All of us, it seems, have a need to get away to a refuge of some kind in order to calm our thoughts, catch our breath and simply rest a spell.

How often do Brunt and Owens seek sanctuary in their backyard?

“Every day,” Brunt says. “I’ve even planted flowers in the rain. It’s neat to do stuff like that.”

Some people venture a little farther into nature to find an island of calm amid the stress of hectic lives.

For Judy Kellas, that means a short walk to the thick woods just south of her home, located on five and a half acres in Jefferson County.

Kellas and her husband, George, who retired a year ago from his position as a Kansas University professor of experimental research psychology, have lived there 15 years. Their home is six and a half miles north of Lawrence.

Several years ago, Judy, 65, had a rustic bridge built over a wet-weather creek that trickles through the trees and lush foliage that cover the sloping landscape.

The short bridge, made of Osage wood and bound with vines, was originally built to provide a handy shortcut to the home of a neighbor whom Kellas visited often.

Charles Gruber's outdoor garden scene continues on the side of his home in painted form in east Lawrence.

“She’s moved, and we have other neighbors there, but it’s still a place that I like to go and contemplate. There’s just a kind of peace to be surrounded by nature,” says Judy, a painter.

During her visits to the bridge, her only companion is wildlife – birds singing in the trees, squirrels rustling in the branches.

“There’s a railing on one side of the bridge, and I lean against that and watch the world. If I’m very quiet, sometimes I see deer,” she says.

Meanwhile, Lawrence residents Matt and Judy Veatch don’t even have to leave their home to reach their private getaway.

They’ve turned the third floor of their 1894 Victorian house into a space for yoga and meditation, as well as a master bedroom.

“There’s just a sense that once you go up the narrow stairs and past the exposed chimney, you’re in a place that nobody can get to you,” says Judy, 42.

The bedroom is painted in dried parsley and deep mulberry tones, and fabric is suspended from the sloping ceiling, creating a tent-like atmosphere.

“That’s really our spot,” she says.

Judy is a mechanical engineer in Overland Park, and Matt is the assistant state archivist, based in Topeka.

“I would say my job is stressful, his job can be stressful, and commuting takes up time during the day,” she says. “It’s really nice to come back to that space and just be able to hang out together.”

No need for vacations

Judy Kellas frequents a rustic bridge to find sanctuary and inner peace. She crossed the bridge Tuesday along her property in rural Lawrence.

Charles Gruber’s sanctuary is less private than those of some other Lawrence residents.

In fact, people driving along 15th Street near Sunrise Garden Center can catch a glimpse of it, in the form of a mural that covers the south side of his house.

Gruber, 60, hired Lawrence artist Missy McCoy to paint the mural – called “Spring Garden” – in July 2003. It’s dominated by wispy clouds drifting across a powder-blue sky.

The mural sets the mood for the longtime real estate agent’s backyard, a space featuring a large pond built of limestone and filled with water lilies, lotus plants and reeds.

The pond, with its 14 miniature waterfalls, is home to 30-40 fish and half a dozen frogs. Three families of squirrels also make Gruber’s backyard their home.

He and his wife, Khabira, spend time every day by the pond. She works in the nearby flower garden, and he simply enjoys the setting.

“To me, sanctuary is a sacred space that offers protection, nourishment and inspiration. This area is my place that I come when I need to get away from the world and just be with the elements,” he says.

“To stay healthy, I need to stay balanced, and to stay balanced, I can either pay lots of money and go on exotic vacations, or go out my back door. This is the most nourishing spot that I’ve ever found myself.”