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.All Trips / Central USA / North America / South Dakota
Dinosaur Park, Rapid City
A good family travel destination in Rapid City is Dinosaur Park. It was one of the first free tourist attractions in the Black Hills region, opening in 1936. The park was designed to divert travelers traveling to and from Mount Rushmore into Rapid City.
The dinosaurs in the park were designed by Emmet Sullivan, who also created the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Dinosaur Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1990.
Dinosaur Park is located at 940 Skyline Drive, high on a ridge overlooking Rapid City. On a clear day the park provides views that extend for dozens of miles east to the Badlands. When we visited it …
Tagged Dinosaur Park, dinosaurs, Park, Rapid City
.All Trips / Central Canada / North America / Saskatchewan
“Pic of the Week”, February 24, 2023: Regina Lace, Saskatchewan
An interesting piece of art is Stephan Braithwaite and Douglas Bamford’s Regina Lace. It was completed in 2009 as part of a public artwork project and is a two-part sculpture celebrating the immigrant history of Regina.
1) On the east side are nine bronze figures cast from residents of Regina, representing a variety of backgrounds symbolizing the mixed cultural diversity of the city. Part of this is show in the photo above, with more detail views attached.
(West portion of Regina Lace)
2) The west facing portion is a monolith that appears to be a massive pamphlet filled with stories. The piece is actually steel plating, a lace pattern worked into its borders. Sitting at its base is a young African immigrant.
I thought it …
Tagged art, Regina, Regina Lace, street art
.All Trips / Europe / Malta
A Stay at the Hotel Phoenicia, Valetta, Malta
My wife and I visited Malta several years ago during the winter months. It was a nice time of year to visit as the weather was very pleasant, hotels were offering discounts, and it wasn’t hard to get a table at a restaurant.
We decided to splurge a little and stayed at the Hotel Phoenicia, a five star accommodation just outside the gate of old Valetta in Floriana, near the Triton fountain. This was both a good and bad choice. The location, facility and grounds were terrific. The food and service were below par for a hotel of this quality, and I’d not stay there again if we ever return to Malta.
(The Hotel Phoenicia, Valletta)
That said, I thought I …
.All Trips / Europe / Spain
The Critters of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Gaudi’s fabulous La Sagrada Familia cathedral is well known for its innovative architecture. Gaudi was a fan of nature and tried to incorporate elements of it in his buildings.
While visiting La Sagrada Familia, I notice a veritable zoo’s worth of animal designs incorporated into the structure. Some, like a turtle bearing a pillar or reptiles crawling the exterior of the building are quite obvious. Most subtle and interesting were the insects and other small creatures incorporated into some of the metalwork around the doors.
(Exterior detail of lizard, La Sagrada Familia)
Look carefully at the images below and see how many different types of critters you can see in and on the great …
Tagged animals, architecture, Barcelona, Gaudi, La Sagrada Famlia
.All Trips
“Pic of the Week”, February 17, 2023: Some Peaks in Kananaskis Country
There are lots of beautiful mountains in the Canadian Rockies, many of them recognized by millions of people or even known by their name, like Crowsnest Mountain or Cascade Mountain.
These peaks caught my eye when I was driving across Highwood Pass, southeast of Banff. I don’t know their names but thought their shape and colors to be of interest.
(Click on thumbnais to enlarge photos)
.All Trips / Europe / Italy
Sicily’s Colorful Cart Art
Sicilian carts have a long history, dating to the time of Greek occupation when they were used to haul goods inland. They were especially popular around a hundred years ago, until they were all but completely replaced by automobiles and trucks in the 1950s.
What makes these carts unique is their colorful decorations. Some carts have carvings, some have have paintings, all of which tell stories about Sicilian history and folklore.
We came across this collection of carts and related art while walking in an alley in Palermo. I thought it interesting that even three-wheeled trucks had decorations similar to the carts.
(Carretto_Siciliano. Courtesy of Filippo Piazza and Wikimedia)
I found the photo above on Wikimedia, which shows how lovely the carts and horses …
.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
Hiking to Lake Annette, Banff National Park
Banff National Park, on a usual summer day, has many areas that are quite busy — even crowded. I’m thinking particularly of Lake Louise and the Banff townsite, places I avoid until the off season. But there are lots of places in Banff National Park where you can go to enjoy spectacular mountain scenery, have a nice hike and nature experience, and see almost no people.
The Lake Annette trek is one of these spots. My oldest nephew and I did this hike a few years back and I don’t think we encountered more than 10 people in a half days’ worth of hiking.
(Paradise Creek and Paradise Valley)
The hike starts at the Paradise Creek parking lot, not far from Lake Louise. …
“Pic of the Week”, February 10, 2023: Flutist, Yak & Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu
The Yak & Yeti Hotel was, and remains, one of the premier hotels in Kathmandu. It’s the hotel most people heading to the Khumbu and Mt. Everest stay at when their plane lands in Kathmandu.
Breakfast was outside ever morning and we were serenaded by this talented musican. The beautiful music added to the enjoyment of our meal and of our stay.
Feb 9, 2023
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