The Badlands (0)
Posted 26 February, 2008 in USA travel
If you’re a geologist, a naturalist, or just someone that’s interested in a place a bit off the beaten track, then The Badlands, South Dakota is the place for you.
A mixture of spires, valleys, buttes and sharply eroded sandstone, this mixed prairie grass preserve is a great place to go whether you’re a fossil hunter, or just interested in natural beauty.
Badlands National park is a gorgeous place - with unique and unusual sandstone rock that layers in ways that has to be seen to be believed. The spires, and erosions formed over several thousand millenia make for a unique skyline. Vegetation and fauna sprinkle crevices and valleys, making for interesting walks, and of course, the badlands are home to all kinds of wild animals, from Bison that graze by the side of the road as you’re driving through, to Prairie dogs, Elk, Coyotes, and wild Horses.
Bents Old Fort, Colorado (0)
Posted 12 February, 2008 in USA travel
Bents Old Fort is a reconstruction of a 1840s trading post. Now under the watchful eye of the National Parks Service, the original adobe fort was one of the few white settlements on the Sante Fe trail west of Missouri.
Although the Fort may not be worth a detour to many people, if you are in the area, and have any interest in 19th century US frontier history, Bents Old Fort not only shows the physical layout of how such an establishment was run, but also gives a good indication of the kind of natural elements the people who managed and traded at the fort lived with. With summer temperatures that can go above 100 F, and winter ones that can drop to 0 F during the day, the very brief quarter of a mile walk down the path from the arrivals area, to the fort gates, is a good indicator of how tough people had to be to cope with weather extremes.
The Napa Valley, California (0)
Posted 22 January, 2008 in USA travel
California is usually synonymous with beautiful beaches, beautiful people and the glitter and glitz surrounding the movie world, but there’s another side to this beautiful state, a gentler more natural side. The Napa Valley is within easy driving distance of San Francisco and offers a tranquil alternative to the bustle of the city.
One of the fun things to do in the Napa Valley is to take a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train. As one of the top train rides in the world, you’ll enjoy a relaxing journey in lovingly restored carriages all dated pre-1950. Whether you enjoy a romantic evening meal in the dining car as you travel through the valley’s beautiful countryside, or you take the daily tour that allows a stop at two of the local vineyards, this is a local attraction that shouldn’t be missed.
Florida Sailboat Charter! (0)
Posted 16 January, 2008 in USA travel
“Waterway Adventures Sailboat Vacations” star attraction is “In Our Dreams” a corporately owned private luxurious sailing yacht with more amenities than you would ever expect, many not found in other sail charter boats.
The vessel’s Captain is ready to take you offshore on a personalized Sailboat Charter of your choosing. You can, for example, take a beautiful and romantic sunset sail in St. Petersburg or even set sail for the Florida Keys, or maybe the Gulf of Mexico, or perhaps take in the Caribbean, Bahamas or even the Virgin Islands.. the choice is yours with this amazing Florida Sailboat Charter company.
Visit Yosemite National Park in your California Vacation (1)
Posted 5 December, 2007 in USA travel
Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful natural parks in the United States. With its abundance of diverse sights, from the impressive granite cliffs, to the spectacular waterfalls, there’s nature at her best everywhere you look.Â
One of the best known must see features of Yosemite National Park is Glacier Point. This isn’t open year round, but usually between June and November you can guarantee access up to enjoy the magnificent views from the top. There are many waterfalls in the park, with Yosemite Falls being the highest at just under 2,500 feet. The best time to see the waterfalls is early summer. Whilst some of the falls are easily accessible; others take more time and effort in order to be able to appreciate their beauty.Â
Visit Charming Historical Springfield, Illinois (0)
Posted 9 October, 2007 in USA travel
When you first arrive in this city, you could be forgiven for not realizing that this is actually the state capital of Illinois – it lacks the hustle and bustle usually associated with most state capitals, and certainly lacks the energy of Illinois’s most famous city, Chicago. However, the gentle sereneness of Springfield are in keeping with its history, for this is Lincoln’s town. He was part of the group of people responsible for making Springfield the state capital, and this is his final resting place.
Apart from the limestone built capitol building from where Abraham Lincoln gave his “House Divided†speech, there’s also a Lincoln Home Visitors Center which shows a short movie on the Springfield that Lincoln loved, and where you can obtain free tickets to take a walk around the restored Lincoln home on 8th and Jackson Street. As a visual lesson in how people lived “back then†the home is an interesting place to visit.Â
Experience Nature inExperience Nature in the Everglades National Park, Florida the Everglades National Park, Florida (0)
Posted 2 October, 2007 in USA travel
As the 3rd largest national park in America, the 1.6 million square miles of the Everglades National Park is teeming with natural beauty. Its swamplands are as familiar a sight as the alligators and airboats used to promote the area. The ecosystem of the park is what draws many of the visitors here. Although there’s plenty of waterways, swimming isn’t an option because of the unfriendly wildlife who live there, but canoeing is one way of enjoying the water from the relative safety of a vessel.Â
There are guided tours around the park by staff who will talk about the wildlife of the park, and the various sites to see within it. These tours can be on foot, or by a regular tram, or even by boat – obviously one of the best ways to see the Everglades which are noted for their grasses which grow up through the shallow waters in much of the park.Â
When Evening Falls on New York, it’s Time to Visit Times Square and Broadway (0)
Posted 18 September, 2007 in USA travel
Although you can just as easily visit both Times Square and Broadway during the day, you won’t experience the magic of those world famous neon signs until darkness falls and they light up the night sky.Â
Times Square has been upgraded in recent years. The seedy reputation it had in the 1990s has gone, and new legislation has meant the adult industry has had to make way for more family familiar franchises. That doesn’t mean the adult industry has gone altogether, but it isn’t as prominent as it once was in this area. Today big name stores and restaurants vie for space beneath the giant billboards and tourists flock here to stand in the famous square and have their photos taken to show everyone back home that they’ve been to New York!Â
Discover the Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado (0)
Posted 21 August, 2007 in USA travel
Divided between two states, with Colorado having the majority holding, Dinosaur National Monument is a “must see†park for anyone interested in Dinosaurs, and especially any family with a budding paleontologist in their midst.Â
Before entering Dinosaur National Monument, remember that you are in a desert area and stock up accordingly! Although you may be able to purchase refreshments within the park, this isn’t a theme park and so there may be quite a drive between the visitor centers. Also ensure that everyone in your party has a hat and that you leave an itinerary of where you intend to be exploring in the park with someone who will raise an alert if you don’t return by nightfall. Also observe all safety recommendations that are posted by the park personnel.  This is especially important if you intend to be hiking in the park.
Having observed the safety requirements, visit the visitor center and find out what activities are happening in the park that day, and pick up a map so that you know what there is to see and the best way to get there. If you are just passing through the area, you could leave your proposed itinerary with the center staff so that they know where you are heading.Â
Zion National Park (0)
Posted 31 July, 2007 in USA travel
Zion National Park in Utah, is a naturalist’s dream. Containing some 290 or so species of distinct animals it is an amazing place of sandstone red and deer tan contrasts sharply against the coniferous trees, cottonwood, Cacti, and willow. Its a diverse, and unique area of the world with an abundance of plant and animal diversity.
The plant and animal life in the park is partially due to the diverse merging distinctly different areas – the Great Basin, the Mojave desert, and the Colorado Plateau, its filled with close to 300 bird species, 20 types of bat, more than 30 reptiles and seventy five different mammals, including the Mountain Lion, The Golden Eagle and the recently reintroduced California Condors.
The most prominent feature, cut by the Virgin River, is the 15 mile long canyon, the Zion Canyon.Â
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