Visiting Daytona Beach, Florida, not only offers what is claimed to be the world’s most famous beach, but also provides an opportunity to visit one of the world’s best lighthouse and museum complexes.
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Light is a lighthouse and museum located at the mouth of Leon Inlet in Florida. It was first established in 1885 and the current structure dates back to 1936. The lighthouse is owned and maintained by the United States Coast Guard. The Ponce de León Inlet light stands 175 feet in height and is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest in the United States (the Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina is the tallest at 207 feet). The lighthouse was erected to warn ships away from offshore shoals and to help guide ships and boats through the narrow inlet channel.
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station is widely considered one of the most authentic and complete historic lighthouse facilities in the country. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1998 this important site has been managed and operated by the non-profit Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Society. The grounds includes the lighthouse, the light keepers house, the assistant light keepers house, the generator building and five additional out buildings. Featured are numerous exhibits on the services that kept the light working along with the history of the U.S. Life Saving Service and the area around the lighthouse.
Very little is as romantic in this world as leisurely strolls along the Seine River in Paris. Known for its picturesque views, iconic bridges, and charming floating cafes and restaurants. It’s a perfect way to soak in the beauty and charm of this remarkable city.
The River Seine has also been the backdrop for dozens of fantastic movies in the past like AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, CHARADE and SABRINA. Often featured prominently are walks along its banks or dining in those romantic floating restaurants.
While those images may still be there some new problems may be found on the banks of the River Seine. On our most recent visit we found numerous bicycles that had been dredged out of the river just sitting on the banks?? There are now homeless tent encampments spotted along the Seine and it is no longer recommended to stroll there after dark.
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If you’re spending some time in Sydney Australia and you’re looking to get some good hiking in, there are a lot of great options. The region has some great public transportation that allowing you to get around the city as well as reaching some points well outside of Sydney for very little cost (see the Opal Card link below).
Sydney itself is a great city for walking, featuring gardens, parks, beaches and harbors well worth exploring. For a really great hiking beach there’s Bondi Beach with its Coastal Walk an easy hiking trail along the cliffs above the beach for a several of miles down the coast. Bondi Beach is within the Sydney metropolitan area and can be reached by public transportation in about 40 minutes from central Sydney.
Another opportunity with great hiking trails is a day trip (or two) to the Blue Mountains. The trains to Blue Mountain are part of the Opal Card system so they are easy to use and are reasonably priced. A trip from the Central Station to the main Blue Mountain station of Katoomba takes a little over an hour. To make the most of the day, right across the street from the station is a hop-on, hop-off trolly service that can get you to most of the sites and trails in the area.
Three of the most worthwhile easy walking trails in the Blue Mountains are:
KATOOMBA FALLS ROUND WALK
A circuit track to Katoomba Falls brings you to one of the most impressive waterfalls in the Blue Mountains. It’s a short and relatively easy walking trail for all ages and fitness levels, but it’s rated easy to moderate because there are some steeper sections to climb.
The trail starts at Scenic World and guides hikers dense rainforest to Katoomba Falls, with its panoramic views of the valley below. The waterfall drops descends about 450 feet into the Jamison Valley.
The start of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk is the parking lot at Scenic World, on Violet Street off Cliff Drive.
Distance: 2.5 Miles (circuit)
Time: 2 hours
Grade: Easy / moderate
ROUND WALKING TRACK
Distance: 0.75 Miles
Duration: 0.5-1 hour
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
If you are limited by time one hike to do is the Round Walking Track of the Katoomba escarpment. The trail is reasonably short and provides great views of the Three Sisters rock formation and Katoomba Falls. It travels through a lush rainforest and includes numerous lookouts offering panoramic views of the area.
LEURA CASCADES FERN BOWER CIRCUIT
Distance: 2.75 Miles
Time: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
The Leura Cascades Fern Bower Circuit travels along the imposing cliff line that rings the Jamison Valley. The trail travels through a stone arch and crosses several streams on footbridges before reaching the clifftop with a beautiful lookout stop above the Bridal Veil Falls. From here the track descends steeply into the rainforest, then climbs back up the slopes of the valley via steep steps.
When taking the train from Sydney, one stop beyond Katoomba Station is Lawson Station and a short walk to Echo Bluff trail.
ECHO BLUFF, DANTES GLEN AND ST. MICHAELS FALLS TRAIL
A 3.1 mile loop trail located near Katoomba Blue Mountains, that feature a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is accessible year-round.
Blue Mountains Transit is a local bus service near Katoomba Railway Station. The bus stop is across from the train station at Katoomba Street before Bathurst Road and the trip to Lawson Station takes about a half hour for about US$2.25. Buses run every 2 hours.
A hundred miles from land sailing from Alaska to Hawaii we pass a small commercial fisherman. Maybe it’s all part of the job but that’s a little too far for me.
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A short trip out of Barcelona, Spain is to the mountain of Montserrat. It is a mountain famous for rock climbing, great hiking trails, grand vistas and is a religious site with a Basilica, monastery, convents and a number of shrines.
Getting To The Mountain From Barcelona
From Barcelona it is not difficult to plan a trip for a day on your own. Start at the Plaza Espanya train station in Barcelona. The train station is in the same building as a metro station so it’s easy to get to from anywhere in the city. Follow signs for the R5 train which runs about every fifty minutes. The train will take you to stations at the foot of the mountain but, before buying tickets, you will need to decide whether you would like to travel up Montserrat Mountain by Cable Car or by the Rack Railway. There are agents selling these combination tickets who can help you decide, so ask for advice. You will also need to confirm which station to exit based on your choice.
Cable Car
Montserrat mountain is a collection of massive rock formations, miles of great hiking trails and remarkable vistas. The mountain would be worth a visit if it was only a geological spectacle and that alone draws hikers and rock climbers from all around the world. It is also a religious site dating from the days of the Roman Empire with a temple to Venus having been built there more than two thousand years ago. Since 888 AD there has been the Christian sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Montserrat and, in 1025, Oliba, Bishop of Vic, founded a larger monastery at the hermitage of Santa Maria de Montserrat. The monastery received pilgrims and visitors who contributed to the spread of stories of miracles and wonders performed by the Virgin. In 1409 the monastery of Montserrat became an abbey and from 1493 to 1835, the monastery underwent numerous improvements, expanding and increasing in splendor.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Monastery of Montserrat became a cultural centre with The Montserrat Music School producing a number of significant composers. From the early nineteenth century on, the Monastery was abandoned, rebuilt and restored a number of times because of the French War and the Spanish Civil War. Today, Montserrat is again a cultural and religious center playing host to pilgrims and tourists alike.
If you find yourself spending time in Barcelona we recommend setting a day aside for a trip to Montserrat Mountain.
A pair of Zebra graze in Kruger National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa, covering an area of over 7,500 square miles. Park guides push the search for the “big five” (elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and giraffes) but there are plenty of antelope, wart hogs, zebras, wildebeests, water buffalo and more to keep you constantly searching.
I still can’t believe that I’m awake at this time of the morning
We’ve just returned from a couple of weeks in South Africa and are still finding it hard to believe all that we saw in this remarkable country! The landscapes were amazing and the animal life was everywhere!
Come along as we visit historic treasures, natural wonders and vibrant cities set against backdrops that are endlessly changing and visually magnificent.
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