merry christmas

One from the old days! Merry Christmas to all.............

priceless

Thought this one should be good for at least a chuckle.

(www.pricelesspostcard.com)

coming soon........

.............to a table near you!

winter vacationland

If you're looking to head up North for your winter vacation, look no further than Cross Lake in Minnesota, a part of the Brainerd's Lakes Area . The entire Brainerd Lakes Area is the perfect destination for ice fishing, with many popular lakes renting fish houses to anglers. Visitors can also bring their own fish houses, or choose to brave the elements on their own while hooking northern pike, walleye, crappie, and more. The area is also a great destination for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing. If you want to enjoy the beauty while relaxing, there are multiple sleigh ride services in the area.

(www.familiesonlinemagazine.com)

original daytona speedway

The following is the exact caption narrative from the back of this 1950s era card: "The World's Most Famous Beach" has the distinction of being the only natural speedway where man has repeatedly broken speed record after speed record. Such drivers as Vanderbilt, Keech, Burman, Don, Oldfield, DePalma, Lockhart, Segrave and Sir Malcolm Campbell, raced against time and each other on this "greatest of all speedways."

halloween - 2011

icebox of the nation

International Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota. The population was 6,703 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the Rainy River directly across from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. International Falls long promoted itself as the "Icebox of the Nation", however the trademark for the slogan has been challenged on several occasions by the small town of Fraser, Colorado. After several years of legal battles, the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially registered the slogan with International Falls on January 29, 2008, Registration Number 3375139. Only a few days after announcing its success in the trademark battle, International Falls had a record low temperature of −40°F, beating a previous record of −37°F. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

utah resort

Deer Valley is an alpine ski resort in the Wasatch Range in the Park City area of northern Utah. and is for skiers only, as it prohibits snowboarding. During the 2002 Winter Olympics Deer Valley hosted the freestyle moguls and aerial, and alpine slalom events. Deer Valley Resort was named the #1 ski resort in North America in 2007 and again in 2008 by Ski Magazine. In its 26 years of existence, Deer Valley Resort has become a favorite for skiers and is one of only four skier only ski resorts in North America. Deer Valley is known for its amazing amenities such as free parking lot shuttles, ski valets, gourmet on-mountain cuisine, uncrowded and immaculately groomed ski slopes, a friendly staff, ski lessons, rentals and child care and complimentary ski storage.

(courtesy: Wikipedia)

jerome, arizona

In 1883, a mining camp named Jerome was established on the side of an Arizona hill called Cleopatra. The United Verde Mine would produce over 1 billion dollars in copper, gold and silver over the next 70 years and the population would boom to well over 15,000. Feast to famine was to follow. By the late 1950s with the last of the mines closed, the population had dwindled to less than 50. Modern day Jerome with a population of 350 has made a rebound of sorts, becoming a tourist destination with many of the abandoned and refurbished buildings from its boom town days being converted to serve new purposes.

grand canyon mule mail

Phantom Ranch is a resort village within (and at the bottom of) Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The ranch's elevation is 2,400 feet; that is about 4,600 feet lower than the South Rim and about 5,800 feet lower than the North Rim. The average daily high and low temperatures in Fahrenheit are 106/78 during July, and 56/36 in January. The ranch continues to be one of the most popular destinations in the national park system; its accommodations are often sold out for two years in advance. To hikers and rafters, it is an oasis of cool water, greenery, and comfort. Phantom Ranch also holds the distinction of being the one of the only two places left in America whose mail is still delivered by mule, the other being Havasu Falls, also located on the Colorado River in Arizona

home of dollywood

Pigeon Forge is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,083. Situated just five miles north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon Forge is primarily a tourist resort. The city's attractions include Dollywood and numerous outlet malls and music theaters. Attractions and events in Pigeon Forge include the Dollywood theme park, the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame, the award-winning Country Tonight Theatre, the Comedy Barn, the Miracle Theater, Dixie Stampede, Zorb Smokey Mountains, Flyaway Indoor Skydiving and many other entertainment venues. (Courtesy: Wikipedia

four corners

The Four Corners is a region of the United States consisting of southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico, northeast Arizona and southeast Utah. The name comes from the Four Corners Monument, located where the four states touch — the only location in the United States that is on the boundaries of as many as four states.

autumn colors from outer space

Ever wondered what........ the autumn colors look like from space? NASA’s MODIS (for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) site downlinked this photo of the Great Lakes September 23, 2007 from the Terra satellite. (courtesy: www.henrykisor.com)

modern alaskan log cabin

Colorful view of a typical Alaskan modern day house. many Alaskans cling to the tradition of the log cabin plus the construction is strong and rugged and still well suited to the sever Alaskan climate and snow conditions. Courtesy: www.cardcow.com

black hills.south dakota

The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of trees in a sea of grass." The hills were so-called because of their appearance from a distance, covered in trees.

florida everglades

Wetlands reappear in a river floodplain. The Kissimmee River forms the headwaters to the greater Everglades ecosystem. This project is a forerunner to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which is restoring the famed River of Grass along with other federal and state efforts. When finished, the current project will restore more than 40 square miles of river-floodplain ecosystem, including almost 20,000 acres of wetlands and 46 miles of historic river channel. (Courtesy: CERP Newsletter)

ketchikan, alaska

Ketchikan is the fifth most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska and the southeastern area's most sizable city. The economy is based upon tourism and fishing, and the city is known as the "Salmon Capital of the World." The Misty Fjords National Monument is one of the area's major attractions. The city serves as both an air and marine transportation hub for southern Southeast Alaska. A bit of trivia: Ketchikan's post office zip code, 99950, is the highest zip code ever assigned in the United States.

autumn on the way

Autumn Color, Baxter State Park, Maine

(courtesy: www.wallpaperme.com)

outer banks of north carolina

Sandbars swirl beneath Oregon Inlet in Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Waves driven by ocean winds can cause the sandbars here to shift and change literally by the hour, making conditions hazardous for boats. The Outer Banks are a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast that cover approximately half the northern North Carolina coastline. The islands are home to colonies of wild horses, sometimes called "banker ponies", which according to local legend are descended from Spanish Mustangs washed ashore centuries ago in shipwrecks.

acadia national park

Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. Traditionally inhabited by Wabanaki Indian hunters, fishers, and gatherers, the area includes mountains, an ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes. The town of Bar Harbor is located on the northeast corner of Mount Desert Island. The park is home to some 40 different species of mammalian wildlife. Among those are red and gray squirrels, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, porcupine, muskrats, foxes, coyote, bobcats, and black bears. Many marine species have been observed in the surrounding area and waters.

connecticut river valley

This grand view of out New England countryside in vivid colors shows a typical 1960s era village and tobacco farms bordering the lowlands of the Connecticut River Valley. A group of businessmen interested in promoting tourism gave the name Pioneer Valley to the region in 1939.

arizona's painted desert

A vividly colored mesa, the Painted Desert, with its buttes and ridges, can be seen for miles along the Little Colorado River in Northern Arizona. It is a portion of the Petrified Forest National Park which was established in 1895, some 17 years before Arizona became a state. The area is noted to be especially beautiful at sunset and sunrise when the land appears to glow in hues of violet, blue, red and gold. Other key features include the many mesas and buttes that rise sharply from the desert floor. Sparse desert flora and fauna can also be found.

crater lake national park

Crater Lake National Park is located in Southern Oregon and whose primary feature is the lake itself. It was established on May 22, 1902, as the fifth National Park in the U.S. The park encompasses Crater Lake's caldera, which rests in the remains of a destroyed volcano posthumously called Mount Mazama. The lake is 1,949 feet deep at its deepest point which makes it the deepest lake in the United States and second in North America. The lake's water regularly has a striking blue hue and the lake has no inlet or outlet and is filled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and rain.

okefenokee swamp, georgia-florida

The Great Okefenokee Swamp, one of America’s most fascinating natural areas is the largest Swamp in North America. "Okefenokee" what Seminoles called "Land of Trembling Earth" is approximately 700 square miles located in the southeast corner of Georgia and extending into north Florida. Most of this Eco system has been officially protected since 1937 as the OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE and in 1974 a portion was designated National Wilderness Area. Two rivers have headwaters in the Okefenokee, the Suwannee, flowing south through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico and the St. Mary's forming the eastern boundary of Georgia and Florida on it’s way to the Atlantic Ocean.

flagler college - ponce de leon hotel

Flagler College, formerly the Ponce de Leon Hotel was built in 1888 by Henry Morrison Flagler, oil magnate and railroad pioneer. Made of poured concrete, the interior is decorated in marble, carved oak, and extensive murals. The stained glass windows were made by Louis Tiffany. In 1968 the hotel was converted to a four year liberal arts college, with its campus said by many to be "the most beautiful in the United States." The historic campus now consists of 15 buildings scattered around downtown St. Augustine, Florida, with the focal point being Ponce de Leon Hall.

mackinac island

Mackinac Island (pronounced: MACK-in-aw) is a Michigan island covering 3.8 square miles in land area and is located in Lake Huron at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac. In the late 19th century, the island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony and is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park. Travel on the island is either by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage. Island access is available only by boat and small airplane, or in wintertime, by snowmobile.

great goosenecks

Thought this was a very intriguing name in addition the spectacular view. Situated near Mexican Hat, Utah, deep in the uranium country of Monument Valley, and part of Goosenecks State Park, the canyon formation is over a thousand feet deep and was hewed by the erosive effects of the San Juan River. For an even more stunning view, go to Wikipedia and click on Goosenecks State Park as seen from space.

hells canyon

Hells Canyon, home of the mighty Snake River, is the deepest gorge in North America. Marking the border between Idaho and Oregon, Hells Canyon plunges to depths of nearly 8,000 feet between the Seven Devils range to the east and Oregon’s rim country to the west. The area offers scenic vistas of mountain peaks and cascading waters, and glimpses of abundant wildlife in a remote wilderness setting. Prehistoric tribes roamed the area and artifacts from these earlier inhabitants as well as the colorful ruins of early miners and settlers are visible. The area can be experienced by land, trail or boat.

chesapeake bay bridge

Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Connecting Eastern and Western Shores of Maryland. Completed in 1952, this magnificant structure represents the fruition of the dream of generations of Marylanders of a permanent bay crossing. Length of suspension span - 2,922 feet, Overall length - 7.727 miles. Roadway is about 200 feet above water at highest point. A parallel span was added in 1973 giving rise to the bridge's current dual-span nature.

South Padre Island

South Padre Island is a resort community in Cameron County, Texas with location on a barrier island along the Texas Gulf coast accessible via a causeway from the town of Port Isabel. South Padre experiences a humid subtropical climate, similar to that of the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. Fishing, watersport and normal beach activities are prevalent, along with horseback riding, ecological tourism and just plain strolling. Subsequent to rebuilding from Hurricane Beulah, the island became a popular spring break destination for college students and other tourists.

siesta beach, #1

Siesta Beach is the No. 1 beach in 2011 best beaches in USA list. It is located in a city of Florida, U.S.A., named Sarasota, and is famous for having.... arguably the whitest sand in the whole world. Siesta Beach is a warm water beach, considered by most, to be the best for sunning and swimming. This beach is very wide and is ideal for playing Volley Ball and other fitness games. This beach is very busy and you should arrive by 10:30 AM on most days to find decent public parking. Parking in the streets is not allowed. This area as a whole is absolutely ideal for the complete fun and sun, year-round vacation.......

collectors

Did you know that us little postcard collectors had a fancy high dollar sounding name? Sure do .... not sure how to pronounce it, but we have our own certificate as proof positive. The above facsimile “Graduate Deltiologist” chrome card was published in 1959 by Dexter Press, and shows the names of postcard clubs of the time around the border.

credits: www.cardcow.com & me

jekyll island

Jekyll Island is an island off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia, in Glynn County, midway between Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of Georgia. The city of Brunswick, Georgia, the Marshes of Glynn, and several other islands, including the larger St. Simons Island, are nearby. The island measures about 7 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, has 8 miles of wide flat beaches and lots of tidal marshlands.Its beaches are frequented by vacationers and guided tours of the Landmark Historic District are available. Bike trails, walks along the beaches and sandbars, and Summer Waves, a water park, are a few of the many things vacationers can do. The district consists of a number of buildings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The island is also full of wildlife, consisting of many different mammals and reptiles living in the island's inland marshes.

golden gate

The Golden Gate Bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay onto the Pacific Ocean - San Francisco, California. Somebody, somewhere, sometime, said that this was by far the prettiest bridge in the world. Think I might agree, at least, of those that I have seen............

atlantic city boardwalk

Scene of the original Atlantic City Boardwalk, vintage around 1900-1910. Quite a lively promenade scene. Note activity right up under the boardwalk..............

rustic restroom

From the Tastefully Tacky Collection, vintage 1930's thru 60's. Original caption: HE AND SHE AT GRUNDY'S REDWOOD TERRACE. This unique structure is found on the Redwood Highway at Grundy's Redwood Terrace, 22 miles south of Garberville, California. Credit: www.postcardy.com

overseas highway

Known to be by far the worlds longest island hopping highway, the Overseas Highway is a 127.5-mile highway carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys; and over often lengthy open-water spans lying between the major cities of Key Largo and Key West. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of- way of an overseas railroad completed in 1912. The Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and never rebuilt. The original construction of the Overseas Highway used many of the bridges of the former railroad and had its official opening on March 29, 1939. Following many upgrades through the years the entire roadway was substantially rebuilt in the 1980s. Due to their tropical climate, the Florida Keys attract several hundred thousand tourists annually with the Overseas Highway receiving a substantial share.

savannah riverfront

View of departing containerships from historic River Street in downtown, Savannah, GA. The Savannah Waterfront Association promotes the eclectic vitality of shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels that create the one-of-a-kind, family-friendly experience found nowhere else in the world than Savannah’s historic riverfront. For more information on the Savannah Riverfront, (Bay Street, Factors Walk, River Street, Hutchinson Island), please visit at www.RiverStreetSavannah.com

summertime 2011

Seems an appropriate image with which to welcome ourselves back to Blogger after a two plus year absence......ah!, the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer when the livins' easy!!!!!!!!