The Galapagos Islands are not the typical vacation for most, but they can offer much to it's visitors. Because of all the different species, the islands are commonly used for educational purposes. The beaches or the SCUBA diving seem to be the main attractions to the rest of the visitors. If you are interested in visiting these islands, Jeopardy is currently doing a sweepstakes so you can spend a couple weeks with Alex Trebek.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are not the typical vacation for most, but they can offer much to it's visitors. Because of all the different species, the islands are commonly used for educational purposes. The beaches or the SCUBA diving seem to be the main attractions to the rest of the visitors. If you are interested in visiting these islands, Jeopardy is currently doing a sweepstakes so you can spend a couple weeks with Alex Trebek.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Istanbul
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Crater Lake National Park
Mont Saint-Michel
Friday, April 10, 2009
Egypt
Patagonia
There are seven regions within the larger geographic region of Patagonia. I am just going to highlight a few of them that represent the area well. The first is called Chubut and is located primarily in Argentina. This region is primarily used as farm land and is particularly known for the quality of wheat. But this is not the quality of the region that attracts the visitors. There are numerous lakes scattered throughout the region especially on the eastern side. These lakes are surrounded by small mountains, creating a most surreal environment. These lakes also attract 1000's of fly fisherman every year. There are a couple regions that are similar to this one.
Patagonia has one of the best variations of geography in the world. From mountains, to plains, to lakes, to oceans, to glaciers this region has something for everyone. This is the place for any adventurest to have the time of their life.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Yosemite
Friday, March 13, 2009
Dubai continued
- The elevators have evacuation procedures (so you can use them in emergencies)
- The concrete in this building could make 1900km (which is 1180 miles)
- The conrete weighs as much as about 100,000 elephants
- The rebar used end-to-end would make it a quarter way around the world
- It was made to withstand the worst storm Dubai has had in over 100 years
- It is as tall as the Sears Tower with the Eiffel tower on top of it
So besides this ridiculous building, there is another feature of the city that will immediately catch your eye. The Palm islands are man-made islands that are made just of the coast in Dubai in the Persian Gulf. There are three different islands that were designed with the Palm Jumeriah as the only one completed. Each of the islands are in the shape of palm trees, and will have an area large enough to house many people. The Palm Deira (which was started in 2007) is supposed to be able to house over 1 million people on it.
There is so much architectural feats to see in this city. Between the tallest building, the two tallest hotels, the biggest water fountains, the largest man-made islands, largest indoor skiing mountain, the longest bridge (in plans), this city will put you in amazement. However, with the recent economic problems, this may not last for long. Most of the things listed are still under construction, and probably won't be finished until the economic problems are solved.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Portland, Maine
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Alps
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Vienna
Monday, February 23, 2009
Grand Tetons
So once you get past the initial perfect view and hike in, there is even more to awe about. If you go in the summer or fall, the lakes and the sunsets should be more than enough to get you there. The water is so clean and pure that, as you can see, there is a nearly perfect reflection. And because of the lack of foothills, the sun hits directly on the mountains pointing out every perfect detail. In the picture you can see just how perfect the scenery can be.
The wildlife in the Tetons is also fascinating. There are tons of deer, moose, birds, and fish. I am not into hunting, so thats not why I like it. But you get to see the animals raoming around without a care in the world. They don't always notice you or know that you are "bad" so many times they won't run away. I feel like there is know way I can explain this to give it any justice. This is a MUST SEE for anybody who might consider themselves as an outdoors person.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dubai
Monday, February 16, 2009
Madrid
Then there are the cultural things of Spain to bring another twist. Madrid has the largest Bullfighting ring in Spain and is said to be the world center of the sport. Seating over 25,000 people, there is some space for you to get to see the action. Fights are held everyday for a couple months, and every sunday for six months of the year. If bullfighting isn't your cup of tea, you could go to a football (as in soccer) game. These games are CRAZY. Football in Spain is the equivalent of American football plus baseball plus basketball in the United States. Madrid is home of the team Real Madrid and has hosted the FIFA World Cup before. Just be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for tickets.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Loire Valley
After you have spent multiple days looking at the creation of kings, you can enjoy a peaceful day in the countryside trying some of the most famous wines in the world. Some of these wines include Sancerre & Pouilly-Fume, Anjou-Saumur, and Chinon. Most wineries in the Loire Valley are still family owned giving the vineyards a very homey and safe feel. When you watch movies that have the traditional, dreamy vineyards in them; they are most likely from this region.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Belize
The Mayans lived in Belize for an estimated 2400 years and are the originators of the name. The Belize River was named because of the “muddy waters.” Since the Mayan culture was prevalent for so many years, there is a multitude of ruins (many still uncovered). The country is mostly flat. But if you drive down the road you will almost always have in sight a place where there is just a tall patch of land covered with trees. Each one of these is a piece of history after the world has worn on it. Of course there are some spots that have been uncovered and attract surprisingly few visitors each year for the magnitude of its presence.
With some beaches, they are clean and the water is blue, but there is only one thing to make it perfect; coral reefs. Belize is perfect in that it has all of this! There are many species of fish and coral that live within swimming distance to the seemingly perfect beach. But this is not the main attraction. The best part of Belize diving is the Great Blue Hole. This is a gigantic sinkhole about 60 miles off the coast. It was made by a limestone cave system collapsing when the water depth was shallower many years ago. You can tell that it was formed long ago because there are shifts in the hole which means that the tectonic plates have moved since then. Then there is the wildlife. To put it plainly, the fish are spectacular! Sharks are a regular sighting, including; nurse, hammerhead, blacktip, and bull.
Then there is what seems like the most perfect flowers and waterfalls you will ever see. The Big Rock Falls are an example of that. These falls are on a river that is very popular also for the white water rafting and kayaking available. The flowers could not be more colorful or diverse in their shapes and sizes. This makes the hiking even that much better. You could be walking through a rain forest and see color dispersed the whole time.
Belize has to be the most under-rated country. It offers everything that a tourist could possibly be looking for. There is history, beaches, and scenery. Yet there are less than 1 million visitors a year. Making it more ideal yet, nobody in the way.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Maui
Monday, February 2, 2009
Prague
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon has to be the most beautiful natural wonder of the world. With over five million visitors every year, this canyon is also one of the most visited.
This masterpiece surrounds the Colorado River in northern Arizona in the Grand Canyon National park. The canyon is about 277 miles long and ranges from four miles across to 18 miles across. It also has a depth of just over a mile. This leaves a huge area for the adventurer to explore.
I was lucky enough to spend spring break backpacking in the canyon during my freshman year. We stayed in the canyon for six days, and explored as much as we could during that time. On a normal day we hiked about eight miles, so that we could reach our destination point, the Royal Arch.
With all of this area, there are so many hidden jems to be found. Some include Eagle Rock, or the Royal Arch (as seen below). The Royal Arch takes about three days to hike to and is located just above Elves Chasm. Just before the Arch, there is the only clean water that was found during the entire trip. The Arch was breathtaking, and just beside the arch was a "pin needle" that was just as tall as the arch (you can see how small the people are in the picture). I am convinced that being near that arch is the closest I will be to heaven until I die.
Another highlight of The Grand Canyon has to be the views. In the morning, we would wake up near the edge of either a cliff and the most beautifully carved wall. During the day we would hike for hours and never see the same scenery twice. After we would go around a bend, there would be an entirely different backdrop. Also, the view of the stars at night was breathtaking. The canyon is located in the desert, so there was not a chance of rain the entire time we were there. So we were able to sleep under the stars every night. I was so clear that you could see the milky way. We would fall alseep every night just counting the shooting stars.There are so many places to explore in this national park. I know I didn't even scrape the surface of this magnificent place. The Grand Canyon will forever have a place in my heart.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Dominica
The most common way for people to visit the island is by cruise ship. There is a new pier just recently built which brings in three to four ships a week. There are many options from the cruise lines for excursions to do while on the island. Some of the more common ones include; hiking, exploring waterfalls, nature walks, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, or a visit to the sulphur springs.
When I visited Dominica last year, I LOVED the diving that we did. There were sulphur bubbles that came up from the ocean floor for the fish to swim through. We also saw a school of sea horsed playing in those same bubbles. The water was warm and incredibly clear, perfect for looking around.
The other highlight from our day there was the nature hikes. There are quite a few waterfalls all around the island just waiting to be explored. The waterfalls are near the top of the multiple peaks with an elevation of over 3000 feet. On the hikes, besides the landscape, there are a variety of plants and animals to awe over. One of the animals that I enjoyed the most was the land crab. While going for a hike, these animals would join you on the trail.
Overall, Dominica is a beautiful island known for its natural features. It is great for any adventurest or SCUBA diving enthusiast.