First impressions as we fly in our Petroleum Airlines Embraer en route to Abu Simbel airport from Aswan. The Nile was impounded first in 1902 by the British, whose history in the Middle East have volumes to lead one to dismay. Displacements to locals at that time were one thing but with the development of the High Dam in 1961, they became totally another thing. Nubia was gone, drowned beneath the Lakes of Lake Nasser. Egypt finally gained its revenge for the 25th Dynasty.
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At the southeastern base of Deacon Peak, a crevasse in the rocks reveals the water-filled opening of a cave. Divers have descended to over 400 feet yet still have not discovered the cavern’s bottom. The water temperatures at the surface register a constant 92° F. Just below the water surface on the south end of the cave opening lying about one foot underneath is a rock shelf. The shelf measures 11.5 by 16.6 feet with the pool above measuring 11.5 by 42 feet. Welcome to the world of the Devils Hole pupfish – Cyprinodon diabolis.
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What to do in Las Vegas when the sensory impact of the Strip begins to wane? Glitz and glamor are all on conspicuous display as fountains dance in the face of ever disappointing water stores behind nearby Hoover Dam. Visiting cities in the American Southwest can be a jarring experience in water terms – golf courses and man-made party boat lakes speckle the seemingly never-ending urban sprawl.
Away from the lights, noise and costs of the Strip exist a plethora of outdoor activities – Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Red Rocks, Valley of Fire, Mt. Charleston but a few options. Today’s post concentrates on some of the unique species of life to be found in the various oasis springs found 1-2 hours west of Vegas among the desert basin area of the Amargosa Valley. In some of these springs, various species of pupfish live, their only home in the world. These fish include some of the rarest found today. The fish, like other animals and plants found around the oases, are survivors. One has to, in order to survive the climate and environment in which they call “home”.
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Cranberries have slowly pushed onto the food and drink stage beyond the Thanksgiving dinner table. The little edible berries probably will not replace other berry cousins like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries or even currants anytime soon as mouthwatering magic anytime soon. That said, the cranberry industry has helped pushed the tart treats beyond the side helpings next to the late November turkey dinners, where the little berries gain much of their fame from.
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Three federally funded lock systems developed in Oregon with only the one at Willamette Falls remaining in some sort of functional capacity today. Cascade Canal and Lock -1878-1896 – submerged by Bonneville Dam; Dalles-Celilo Canal – 1905-1915 – lies under water from The Dalles Lock and Dam since 1956. Yamhill Locks closed in 1954. Gates and dam removed leaving the lock walls in place. The move to build the lock took over forty years. By the time of completion, time moved on, and the lock served little purpose for most of its fifty some year lifespan.
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The United States and United Kingdom came to an agreement in 1818 in which they would share sovereign rule over the Oregon Country. Oregon’s borders came into reasonable shape in the next couple of years with an agreement between Russia and the US followed by one between Russia and England demarcating the northern border to be at the point of 54°40’ latitude.
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High in the southernmost reaches of the French Alps, lies the small slot-like canyon of the Vallée des Merveilles – the Valley of Marvels. The name came about from the many thunderstorms ranging through this uppermost section of the Maritime Alps which contain the last of the alpine peaks in France reaching up to 3,000 meters in elevation heading south through the range towards the Mediterranean Sea. Those same ‘marvels’ led men centuries ago to create marvels of a totally different sort, literally thousands of pictographs allowing us a small peek into life during the Bronze Age.
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Hilltop villages, while picturesque in the extreme, offer up a window into a very uncertain past. One such village is Sainte-Agnès sitting high above the cities of Menton and Roquebrune-Cap Martin in the far southeastern corner of France. Proclaimed as the highest lying coastal village in France, the village also belongs to the unique group “Plus Beaux Villages de France” – the Most beautiful Villages of France. Set 760 meters above the Mediterranean, the view over the towns of Menton and Cap-Martin-Roquebrune are magnificent. Walking through the narrow medieval alleys is a treat onto itself.
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Corinth, Mississippi is all about railroads. Transportation – just like with its illustrious namesake in Greece – constitutes Corinth’s raison d’être. Two main rail lines intersected here. One set of rails went east and west – Memphis & Charleston, while the other line oriented itself in a north and south direction – Mobile & Ohio. The two lines made up very important transportation routes linking major parts of the Confederate South together. These railroads, because of the paucity of such roads available to the Confederacy, took on an even greater importance during the American Civil War.
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The massif of L’Authion separates three valleys from each other in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the southeastern corner of France. Located at a strategic location, the peaks of L’Authion figure in history over the centuries as armies have clashed here high in the mountains.
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