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