More than 250 million years ago the Carlsbad Caverns of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park were formed as part of a huge inland sea that ran up the middle of what is now the North American continent. They were a part of a massive reef complex that now sits deep under the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert. A winding road wraps around the hills of the mountains in a small valley as it makes its way to the visitor center and entrance to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Several stops along the way offer an insight into the surrounding ecosystem, and are definitely worth the time to learn more about what so drastically shaped this area during the Permian time in history. ...
Over the last couple years, volunteer travel has become extremely popular among college grads and young travelers. Much of this has stemmed from the dissemination of information the Internet provides, making people aware of the volunteer needs and opportunities in other cultures. Such as the case, many people have quickly jumped at the opportunity to travel the world, while also volunteering. One of the most well-known organizations is the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF); also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Although volunteerism has only gained significant momentum in the last few years, WWOOF has actually been around for almost 40 years, being established in England in 1971. It began on a small tract of land with just one woman who wanted to ...
The Mist Trail, which takes you to the top of not one, but two waterfalls, is one of the most spectacular day hikes at Yosemite National Park in California. The day begins at Yosemite's Curry Village, where a park shuttle picks you up and deposits you at the Happy Isles trailhead. From this point, you will follow a gently rising trail for about a mile. This section of the hike, called the John Muir Trail, is easy and usually crowded. You first sight Vernal Falls from the footbridge which crosses the Merced River. At 317 feet tall, Vernal Falls is truly spectacular. Take the time to snap a few pictures from the bridge, then continue on your way. This second leg of the hike is ...
Walking the dry, empty streets of the ancient Roman town of Volubilis, your feet will kick up dust and ghosts. Volubilis, once a Carthaginian trading post and then a remote outpost of the Roman Empire, has been abandoned for more than 1,700 years. The ruined city was been proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage site to safeguard its amazing structures — some of the best preserved in North Africa — and especially its stunningly well preserved mosaics. Once the administrative centre of a Roman province called Mauretania Tingitana, Volubilis may have once been home to as many as 18,000 to 20,000 people, all of whom were exempt from Roman taxation because they were so far away from the centre of power. Traces of the city’s inhabitants ...
The temple Pura Ulu Watu sits perched on a cliff top on the Bukit peninsula of Bali, with the blue waters of the Indian Ocean crashing against the rocks far below. Peering down over the cliff drop, looking out over the endless expanse of ocean in front of you and the lush green forest behind you, it feels like you’re on the edge of the earth. Within the grounds, ancient stone walls, archways, and statues are draped in traditional Balinese black-and-white checkered cloth. Behind one archway, an inner courtyard reveals tables covered with offerings of fresh fruit and flowers. It’s a popular tourist spot, but despite the crowds, it’s peaceful. The jaw-dropping view and sense of religious serenity that hangs over the area leaves it ...
France’s Loire Valley is a beautiful landscape of historic towns, wineries, and stunning chateaux that recall the days of the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. The area is known as “the Garden of France,” and considered to be the cradle of the French language. The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that they say is “an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments - the Châteaux - and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself." And it is all best seen from the seat of a bicycle. The Loire Valley came to life in the 16th Century as several ...
Every year around Memorial Day Weekend, crowds flock to Charleston, South Carolina. Yes, for the beach; but more importantly, for one of the largest art festivals in the U.S., known as Spoleto Festival U.S.A. The 17-day Charleston festival that kicks off Memorial Day Weekend features two and a half weeks of the best theater, art and music the world has to offer. Started in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize composer Gian Carlo Menotti, the Charleston festival is the U.S. version of the "Festival of Two Worlds", which incidentally takes place in Spoleto, Italy. Why Charleston? Organizers wanted a U.S. city that would best embody the charm and ambiance that made the Festival of Two Worlds such a success in Italy. The cobblestone streets, antebellum homes and ...
Every national park needs a crown jewel. Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park has it's red-ruby Kilauea Volcano, Malaysia's Kinabalu National Park has it's green-emerald Mount Kinabalu, and Taiwan's Yushan National Park is beautified by it's lofty Jade Mountain, so named because of her snow-capped peak which glistens in the sun like white-jade. Many of us picture high-rises and concrete madness when we think of Taiwan. After all, it made its place on the world scene in the 1990's as one of the "Four Asian Tigers." But with over 79,000,000 acres of Taiwan's landmass set aside and preserved as National Parks, this Asian province is as much a mecca for campers, hikers, adventure trekkers and nature lovers as it is for world-class business men. One of Taiwan's ...
The Eisriesenwelt Werfen Ice Caves are an extraordinary spectacle mother nature has created and hidden high up in the Austrian Alps. Located just outside of Salzburg, it is often overshadowed by the famous Oscar winning film, 'The Sound of Music', which was produced nearby. It was in 1879 that Austria's claim to fame was discovered. To this day the Eisriesenwelt Werfen Ice Caves are still the largest caves of their kind in the world. This discovery was made by Anton Posselt, a scientist from Salzburg. Although his discovery was published in 1880 the caves remained widely unknown until Alexander von Mörk, a speleologist or cave scientist, read about the caves and along with others increased it's popularity. In 1920, the Forscherhütte or discoverer’s refuge was ...
The white cliffs of Dover have been as important in literature as they have been in history. Significant in the Napoleonic wars and World War II, they have represented England's last line of defence in poetry and literature. In Matthew Arnold's poem, Dover Beach, it's the tide ebbing away from the cliffs that have the significance in terms of a loss of faith. The cliffs of Dover also symbolize England itself, for which Rudyard Kipling is so homesick in his poem “the Broken Men.” Regardless of the symbolic value of the white cliffs of Dover, it happens to be a great place to while away an afternoon. With the Dover castle as a backdrop, you can feel nature take over as you explore the interesting ...
