ianuarie 2021 – Unlimited Possibilities

Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the US

” A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its own dimensions”

Niagara Falls is a stunning stretch of clashing and colliding land and water, lying on the border of the US and Canada. Shared by the state of New York and the Province of Ontario, this gorgeous natural wonder is arguably one of the most well-known tourist destinations in North America. Niagara Falls is made up of 3 large waterfalls that generate hydroelectric power, and also give us an unbeatable background for any traveler’s photo album. With over 28 million tourists every year making their way to these powerful waterfalls, we know it can’t just be a clean source of energy and a good view. The Falls are much more than that, with numerous activities offered from zip lining to cave explorations. Any journey to these roaring droves of water encapsulates a massive area beyond the Niagara Gorge and through the neighboring lakes and cities. Let’s take a look at some of the sights you’ll see on this journey, starting with the three formidable but stunning waterfalls.

The view of American Falls from the Maid of the Mist – by Billy Hathorn, Wikimedia Commons

I myself visited this gorgeous national park with its magnificent waterfalls, it happened a long time ago, as far as I remember, back in 2012. I was simply amazed by it, I had never before seen such a beautiful, impressive place.

The Maid of the Mist VI, in Niagara Falls, New York – By Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons)

Indeed, in the middle of the water, on board of „The Maid of the Mist” you feel like engulfed in the midst of the mist, incapable of seeing anything. Soon it dissipates and one can admire the magnificent scenery.

Pedestrian bridge to Green Island over Niagara River near the American Falls – By Lucas Cobb, Wikimedia Commons

Prospect Point Observation Tower – By 林高志, Wikimedia Commons

Horseshoe Falls, in Niagara Falls, Ontario – By Thomaswm, Wikimedia Commons

Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the three, lies on the US-Canada border, mostly in Ontario. The smaller two falls as well as Goat Island and Luna Island, which separate the falls, are situated in New York. Cruise boats are operated on either side of the Niagara Gorge. The best-known tourist attraction of the Falls, the Maid of the Mist cruise is operated from the American side, while its counterpart Hornblower Cruises is available in Ontario. These cruises take you right under the falls, and many also offer tours through the islands and their attractions.

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Horseshoe Falls at night By Dsdugan, Wikimedia Commons

American Falls, in Niagara Falls, New York – By Sixlocal, Wikimedia Commons

Moving across the border, we can approach the Falls through Queen Victoria Park, which offers paths through observation rooms that give you a dreamlike view of the two larger falls. For the avid hiker and history buff, the Niagara River Recreational Trail is a must-try 35-mile adventure, peppered historical treasures, and towns like Fort George and Fort Erie. Of course, the cream of the crop is the Skylon towers, the highest vantage point any traveler can get of the falls.

Niagara Falls is currently being reopened in phases to maintain safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re planning to make the trip, make sure to reach out to Niagara Falls USA and Niagara Falls Canada to determine the precautions and procedures in place for visiting so you can enjoy your travels with absolute safety! If you liked this article, why not share it?

the source : my own memories and the internet

Cristina David

The Point Where the Two Largest Oceans of the World meet

It is so good (at least that’s how I feel) when I find out new and interesting things about the world I live in. It is so rewarding whether it is achieved by reading or travelling. It’s always new knowledge. Useful, helpful, beautiful.

A fifty-mile waterway, connecting canals, rivers, and lakes with locks, was built through the narrowest part of Panama.

The cost was astronomical, but the end result was the realization of a dream. For, at last, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans were linked by a waterway. It was opened in 1914.

Now, ships could use the canal to shorten travel from New York to San Francisco and from Europe to the ports of Asia.

We all should know that despite an earlier failure by the French, in 1904 the U.S. began work on the Panama Canal, one of the modern world’s most ambitious engineering schemes.

The difference in density and salinity between the two oceans

Is it true that the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans don’t mix?

While we’ve given our planet’s oceans separate names, in reality there’s no border between them, and currents continually flow between them and mix their waters. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans ‘meet’ at the southernmost tip of South America. In this region, a strong current carries water from west to east, sweeping water from the Pacific into the Atlantic. The Straights of Juan del Fuego, at the tip of South America, (South of Argentina and Chile) is where the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean meet without mixing.

Salinity—the amount of dissolved salt in the water—is critical to so many aspects of the ocean, from circulation to climate to the global water cycle. … As oceanographers have known for many years—but now can “see”—the Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The videos you may have seen online showing two different coloured bodies of water drifting alongside each other are actually showing light-coloured, sediment-rich freshwater from melted glaciers meeting dark, salty ocean water in the Gulf of Alaska (and over time, currents and eddies cause these to mix, too).

Watch the first video that shows it to you. Why do these waters not mix? Because there is a huge difference in salinity between the clear water that comes from melting glaciers, which is cool and low in salt, while the water from the second ocean has a high salt concentration. Therefore, the two oceans have different densities, which makes them almost impossible to mix.

Also, a picture from the Gulf of Alaska that has been making the rounds on the Internet for the last few years – shows a strange natural phenomenon that occurs when heavy, sediment-laden water from glacial valleys and rivers pours into the open ocean. For reasons of security I could not post it. There in the gulf, the two types of water run into each other. Isn’t it awsome?

Cristina David

Visiting the Pennsylvania Amish in Lancaster County

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”

The Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County are America’s oldest Amish settlement, where thousands still live a centuries-old „Plain” lifestyle. Arriving in Amish Country allows you to step back in time to enjoy a slower, more peaceful pace – one where the horse & buggy remains a primary form of transportation, and where windmills dot the landscape, providing power harnessed from nature. There is no such thing as television, radio, cinema theatres, or other entertainment means.

Always a vital part of Lancaster County culture, the PA Amish are involved in agriculture as well as an array of businesses and cottage industries. They opened stores where they sell their excellent produce and food. These stores are to be found not only in Pennsylvania, there are two of them not far from where we live, in New Jersey.

Amish women typically wear solid-color dresses with long sleeves and a full skirt, covered with a cape on the bodice. Some less conservative groups allow the women to wear short sleeved dresses but never sleeveless. Clothing is fastened with straight pins or snaps, stockings are black cotton and shoes are also black.

To be Amish means more than just slow-paced and hardworking. In the course of time I visited several Amish farms and had the opportunity to talk to some of them. They lead a very interesting life that reminds us of very old times. Those we talked to speak of a more relaxed way of living, but a strong work ethic. The visitors can go into the Amish homes and see for themselves their life style.

If you notice, you’ll find that no Amish men wear belts. It is a prohibited accessory — they’re just too flashy. Amish men wear suspenders, sometimes two, or, in certain villages, no suspenders at all. But never belts.

The Amish people wonder what the impact of fewer farmers and more “Amish businessmen” will be, especially if people become “too well off?” They think “prosperity” is the biggest threat to the Amish way of life, although some of the Amish would put cellphones (“the world in your pocket”) at the top of the list.

The more curious tourists meet local Amish families for a sit-down home-cooked meal, where they can find out lots of details about what means to be Amish nowadays. For some of us, staying at an Amish Bed and Breakfast or guesthouse is a simple way to step away from many of the technological distractions that seem to dominate our lives. It certainly is a worth living experience. For instance, to avoid idolatry, the Amish do not have mirrors, nor do they allow photographs or pictures of images in their homes. In the Amish community, divorce is forbidden and not sanctioned in the Amish church. The decision to marry a person outside of the Amish church is one that comes with a decision to be made by the person in the community, but before they are baptized by the church.

A few more things: in the Lancaster county, PA, the visitors cen enjoy, if they so desire, bus tours through the County’s backroads and so they learn about Amish traditions while riding in comfort. Have fun while learning something new with the area’s only authentic Amish lessons, taught in their one-room schoolhouse. During the summer, an actual Amish schoolteacher will share her wisdom along with a real Amish lesson. As winter arrives and Christmas nears, see how the Amish decorate for Christmas in the one room schoolhouse and enjoy the Amish Holiday Tradition Tour. Take a guided tour of an authentic 1840’s Amish farmhouse and learn about today’s Amish lifestyle.

You could visit other Amish communities in the states of Ohio or Indiana.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

I wish you an enjoyable day!

Cristina David

The Great Lakes National Parks

National parks offer an unparalleled experience for watching wildlife and appreciating the interconnected network of life in and around parks.

“A normal lake is knowable. A Great Lake can hold all the mysteries of an ocean, and then some.” — Dan Egan

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, on the largest and deepest Great Lake, includes cliffs, beaches, waterfalls, and forest for outdoor adventure.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore encompasses over 40 miles of Lake Superior shoreline. Situated on the largest, deepest, coldest and most pristine of the Great Lakes, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore derives its name from the many sandstone cliffs that dot the shoreline. In addition to the sandstone cliffs, the park includes beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes and forest.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

As old as continental ice sheets and as young as the 1970 Establishment Act that set aside the lakeshore for preservation and public use, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers countless opportunities for discovery. The naturally elevated dunes along Lake Michigan offer visitors spectacular views, all-season hiking trails, pristine rivers for paddling, and a wonderful array of wildlife to explore.

The most prominent features are the dunes above Lake Michigan, perched atop the already towering headlands. The dune overlooks at the Sleeping Bear, Empire, and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet above Lake Michigan, and with 65 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water oriented.

Isle Royale National Park

Surrounded by Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park encompasses 850 square miles of natural wilderness, spacious lands, and aquatic life.

A cool climate, crystal-clear waters, and the wild North Woods forest characterize Isle Royale National Park. The park encompasses a total area of 850 square miles including submerged lands which extend over four miles out into Lake Superior, and 99% of the land mass is federally designated wilderness. The archipelago is composed of numerous parallel ridges, the result of ancient lava flows which were tilted and glaciated.

Isle Royale has 165 miles of scenic hiking trails and 36 campgrounds for backpackers, paddlers, and recreational boaters. There is excellent fishing, historic lighthouses, and shipwrecks, ancient copper mining sites, and plenty of spots to observe wildlife. Isle Royale is accessible only by boat or float plane.

While enjoying a Venturing Crew backpacking trip two of the boys decided to sit quietly on the rocks at Sisskiwit Bay on Isle Royale. Even the roudiest of boys can find a little quiet for introspection while on the Island. It is good to see them deprived of their handheld devices for more than a day.

My advice: take some time, relax and plan a 2 week vacation to spend in the picturesque spots I described above. You won’t regret it! And try to remember:

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

Cristina David