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.