Tagged With "Sand forest"
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Re: Portland, Maine: A Big Little City
It's about 30 miles north of Cabot's Cove, which is near Wells, Maine. Which is at one end of the excellent Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, which combines forest and shore habitats and makes a wonderful walk. It was featured in a couple of Pictures of the Day, and was the scene, back in 2013, of Where in the World is TravelGumbo #5
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Re: Art and Survival in the Tassili Plateau
Beautifully written - an absolute joy to read. Thanks!
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Re: Art and Survival in the Tassili Plateau
Excellent ! Like a fascinating novel I had to keep reading, then looking back and reading it again.
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Re: Art and Survival in the Tassili Plateau
Really glad it's gone down well with you George; I only do factual stuff though, I haven't got the deviousness of a good novelist 🤣
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 23, 2013: Iceland's Black Sand Beach
The mist ads a great effect to your photos, PHeymont!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 23, 2013: Iceland's Black Sand Beach
Beautiful Photos indeed Paul. I often think travellers who choose the best weather for a vacation miss out on moments like these. I blame the TV weather forecasters who always call a Rainy Day "Bad Weather". If you don't get rain then you wont get Rainbows !
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Re: A journey around Iceland: 3) South Iceland
Undeniably Iceland is the most stunning place on earth and you will truly be fascinated by the clear blue lakes, natural geysers, rolling meadows, volcanic craters and abundance of wildlife. I have been lucky to have vacation in this beautiful spot when we have visited this place by the help of KosherTravelers. This place is rich with culture and history, having lots of eye catching sightseeing to visit that has truly become the amazing trip of my lifetime.
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Originally Posted by EyeWonder: Thanks everyone. I have to ask you more questions! My friends have come up with two more suggestions. One is Sedona, and the other is the Navajo reservation that Tony Hillerman wrote all his books about and that has some big canyons. Is that area too far north for warm weather? Navajo country is too far north and too high up for a warm winter break. But if you bring a warm jacket, it will be magical that time of year. Sedona will be nice, but with cooler days...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #37
I can't make up my mind whether it is a watch tower (forest fires?) or part of a modernistic church...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo, #60
Hmmm, I thought Scotland, Ireland...definitely NOT in a forest; trees too spaced, road too visible. In a park, perhaps? How clever of the puzzlemaster to find a picture with the flag furled to prevent an easy guess...
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Re: Taos NM - Indian, Mexican, and Yarn
Historydigger, That is very interesting. We were in Taos this time because I was dropping my wife off at a writers retreat/workshop at the SMU campus in the national forest outside of town.
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Re: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
Some beautiful photos, Ottoman! I'm fond of black sand beaches because you only find them in places with active volcanoes, and I love volcanoes. White sand beaches are generally formed from the breakdown of coral (often by parrotfish, who eat it and clear the fine particles out the other end). This beach isn't that large, but the black sand is striking. And the turtles -- how lovely they are. They look soooo relaxed. Makes me want to take a nap in that warm sand, too!
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Re: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
You'd love the Canary Isles. Volcanic islands off the north west cost of Africa. Its a winter hotspot where the islands belong to Spain. Its party time all year and a favourite with the younger set. Its famous on Tenerife for young men to drive up Mount Teide in winter and collect snow from the peak in Cooler Boxes. Drive back down to the 77'f / 25'c beaches and throw snowballs at the topless sunbathers. Might be a bit too much for non-Europeans !!
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Re: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
GarryRF -- I think non-Europeans can also enjoy the sight of sunbathers being pegged by snowballs! The first hit, especially, must be quite enjoyable as the injured party wonders "where did that cold hard thing come from"?
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Re: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
Hi DrFumblefinger and Garry RF Thanks for the feedback. DrFumblefinger, you are so right about the relaxed turtles. If time would have permitted, I would've joined them for a nice nap. GarryRF, I have copied and pasted your comment into my "things to do" folder. I think I'll fit in quite nicely at Tenerife, for living in the Great White North (aka Canada) has given me a lot of practice at becoming a snowball sharpshooter.
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Re: Monterey Bay Aquarium: Oceans Apart
There's lots of fun aquariums around the country and planet, but this is the finest aquarium I've ever visited. I'm especially fond of the jelly fish exhibits, the Kelp Forest tank, and the large tank that features animals from the ocean's depths (like the strange looking sunfish). Nicely done, Lester. thanks for sharing this.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 16, 2015: Coffee & Dessert in North Beach
Precisely. But I am also easily distracted in a bakery such as this, so I might just let that almond croissant slide by as I reach for a slice of black forest cake!
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Re: Places where nature has taken over
Walking through wooded areas in rural New England (including in park land), it's not uncommon to come on foundations or other evidence of human occupation, and we're not talking paleolithic! Industrialization, urbanization and westward expansion lowered population levels in rural New England in the later 1800s, and today more of New England is covered in forest than at the time of the American Revolution! Old farmsteads, mills, even villages just disappeared.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#124)
More good guesses, but Gumbo is not on a school campus. The picture below is of the river that runs next to our building. The river is the reason why this building was built here. Also, the building sits adjacent an area of first growth forest, a rarity in this part of the country.
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Re: Celebrating Nature on 7 Continents: Encounters with an Arabian Oryx (Asia Pt 1)
I think of most antelopes as being docile or at least wary of humans. One of the South African guides at the lodge there confirmed that this is generally true for African oryx, but that he'd been surprised by the aggressiveness of the Arabian oryx. Maybe it has something to do with being brought back from extinction?!
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Re: The Lucky Chair in Victoria by the Sea, P.E.I.
Interesting! Did the chair bring you luck yet? ;-)
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Re: Celebrating Nature on 7 Continents: Encounters with an Arabian Oryx (Asia Pt 1)
What an adventure! My heart was pounding just reading it!
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Re: Celebrating Nature on 7 Continents: Encounters with an Arabian Oryx (Asia Pt 1)
A great adventure, and with great photos! I'm don't know much about the temperament of the Oryx. Gentle creatures? Cocky? Aggressive?
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Re: Celebrating Nature on 7 Continents: Encounters with an Arabian Oryx (Asia Pt 1)
Fantastic! (and a bit scary, even on screen...)
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Re: Flying Emirates Business Class: a review
A small taste of self indulgence. Reminds me of a TV ad. "Because I'm worth it" On a First Class BA flight from London - San Francisco the only problem I had was staying awake. Not paying all that money for a good sleep ! OK - I paid for a Round - the - World Ticket but the first flight was overbooked. It pays to be well dressed in economy. But I would have enjoyed the Black Forest Gateau you had instead of my French Champagne.
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Re: An English Garden Gallery: Hidcote
They are delicious. The most memorable single dish I've ever had was forest ferns, far out into the Chinese countryside near the Burma border, cooked for 3 of us, the only other people for miles I think, the lovely taxi driver who knew the place, my friend and me. Other things, too, but it's the ferns I remember.
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Re: Name Your Favorite Restaurants for Atmosphere, Past or Present
For the sake of the memory I'm going to add another place here where I had possibly the best meal of my life. I cannot tell you the name of it or if it had a name or even where it is exactly, somewhere along the country road between Jinghong (Yunnan, China) and the Burma border. I'd hired a guide/driver to take me to the tribal market, famous in those parts, and on the way back suggested we stop for lunch. I'm one of those who believe regional Chinese is the best food in the world and this...
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Re: A Visit to the “Spine Garden:”Cactus in Arizona’s Sonora Desert
As it snows and storms outside, a welcome diversion! I find all cacti interesting but there's something captivating about the saguaro forest around Tucson. While visiting Saguaro National Park (years ago, before it was a national park), I remember a newspaper clipping tacked onto the park's information board. The headline read something like "Saguaro cactus involved in double homocide". Seems a drunk yahoo with a shotgun drove out to the desert to kill himself a giant saguaro. He did, the...
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Re: A Visit to the “Spine Garden:”Cactus in Arizona’s Sonora Desert
I love the Saguaro forest around Tucson. Especially in the spring when the cacti are in bloom!
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Re: From Where I Sit: A Gallery of Benches
I thought for sure there would be a bench with Forest Gump sitting on it holding a box of chocolates. "You never know what you're gonna get". Nice piece, PHeymont, thanks!
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A Remote Canadian Village offers Indescribable Natural Discoveries
As I left the hotel in Winnipeg I was outfitted in all my brand new cold-weather gear headed for the airport and a two hour flight to the remote village of Churchill. I prayed my preparation for facing the sub-zero temperatures and brutal...
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Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall
I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world. Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting. Given a spare day or...
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The Valley Island of Maui: 3) Central, Upcountry and South Maui
The largest stretch of (relatively) flat land on Maui is the valley between the two volcanoes, Haleakala and the West Maui Mountains. This area is commonly called “Central Maui” and it’s here most locals live....
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Washington State’s Long Beach Peninsula
For most travelers, the southwestern corner of Washington state is easy to bypass. It lies well over an hour’s drive from the busy I-5 Interstate Freeway. The broad mouth of the Columbia River limits access from the Oregon...
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Washington state's Wild Horses Monument & Gingko Petrified Forest
The Columbia River is one of the most interesting and beautiful geographic features of the Inland Northwest, from its headwaters in British Columbia to the dramatic Gorge just east of Portland, Oregon. When...
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Colorado National Monument
While many of the units of the US National Park system are frequently visited and very busy, there are also a few less crowded places. Colorado National Monument (known to locals as " The Monument" ) falls into the latter category....
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Monterey Bay Aquarium: Oceans Apart
Located directly on the Monterey Bay just south of Santa Cruz is a sprawling complex of nearly 200 exhibits of more than 550 species in a 2 storey building nearly 30 years old: the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA). Started in 1978, and open to the...
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Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
I love visiting the state of Hawaii. Although I have enjoyed all the Hawaiian islands I have visited (Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island), my favorite island would be Hawaii Island (aka the Big Island). The diversity of the Hawaii...
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El Yunque: A visit to the rain forest
When we began planning a trip to Puerto Rico, and planning to include our 14-year-old granddaughter, we sent her some of the material we were gathering and asked her what her priorities were. She, and we, both had El Yunque right near the top of the...
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Road Trip, Day 2: Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden
March 10, 2015 I woke the first morning of my visit along the Northern California coast at a friend’s house in the village of Elk. I was alone, the kitchen toasty warm from the fire Jane had made for me before leaving...
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Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
The book I always think of in this regard is ‘The Sheltering Sky’, by Paul Bowles. And the subsequent movie, with the devilish John Malkovich as, guess who, Port Moresby. It inspired me to take the plunge and travel outside Europe, to Morocco, a place I’ve returned again and again, sure that would be so as soon as I read the book. But there have been others - ‘The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong’, by Edward Gargan, added Yunnan Province in China to my first round-the-world destination...
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Skedans, Haida Gwaii, British Colombia (Where Gumbo was #106)
Gumbo was visiting the "misty isles", Haida Gwaii, in British Columbia. Specifically, the remnants of the Haida village of Skedans. Sadly, not much remains of the village, captured at its prime in the above image (1878), rich...
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Route 66 - Pasadena to Needles
Last summer I had the opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do - drive a significant portion of Route 66. Having spent 4 days in LA, I started a drive to Albuquerque to meet up with The Amazing Ms. D. Instead of rushing down the...
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Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Toronto
One of Toronto’s newest big attractions is Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada , with underwater creatures and habitats from across the globe. It's in a fabulous location, on the harborfront adjoining the CN Tower, Rogers Center and...
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A Place of Fairy Tales & Magic – The Biltmore Estate
By JP Chartier NUZZLED SNUGLY, DEEP WITHIN THE PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST AND ENCIRCLED BY MOUNTAINS THAT BREATHE BLUE SMOKE IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THIS PLACE OF FAIRY TALES AND MAGIC. The opulent and somewhat imposing French Renaissance,...
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Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve
My adventure in Kenya begins in Maasai Mara, widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. With more than 200 square miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest, the Mara is joined by privately-owned...
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Underground Puerto Rico: The Camuy River Caverns
If Old San Juan and the El Yunque rain forest and the beaches have been drawing visitors for hundreds of years, that's certainly not true for this hidden attraction: a vast, and still-not-fully-explored system of caves, carved out by the world's...
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Strasbourg: Self-service tour of Alsatian food
PHeymont tries something new: A self-service gourmet food tour, organized by the Strasbourg Office de Tourisme.
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Five outdoor activities to enjoy in Rajasthan
The monotonous routine life is full of boredom and stress. Outdoor adventurous activities are ultimate stress busters and fill your life with fun and excitement. Just slather your skin with a suntan and enjoy the out life under the open sky and sun. Rajasthan is a popular outdoor activity destination, and the major attractions are hot air balloon rides, paragliding, water sports, desert and camel safari. A few favorite destinations are: Desert safari at the Thar Desert The sand dunes in...
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Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage (Part 1)
Lisa Day presents the first in a two part series on hiking and experience the Kumano Koda, a pilgrimage trail in Japan.