There’s a destination town in central Florida named Mount Dora that’s known for its art galleries, The Modernism Museum and Mount Dora Center for the Arts. The town also hosts various art festivals throughout the year attracting visitors who stroll its streets, shop its boutiques for gifts and fashion. Mount Dora also is home to a number of highly rated restaurants and wine bars. Oddly in the center of town is a closed movie theater that looks abandoned for some time with a movie poster for Back To The Future still on display. Research has failed to find anything more about this cinema…
It might not be the tropical Caribbean and the water trends to the cool side but in Ireland if you fancy a few days by the sea, Dunmore East is a great option. Cliff top hiking, pocket beaches, great golf course, a number of B&Bs and good restaurants…
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People, places and captured moments selected from The Intentional Travelers photo collection. Marksburg Castle on the Rhine River Marksburg Castle, a majestic fortress located above the town of Braubach in Rhineland, Germany. This castle holds the unique distinction of being the only hilltop fortress on the Rhine that has never been captured or destroyed. Originally…
The History Behind The Celebration Of Easter Without question the holiest site in all of Christendom is located in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. It represents the location where Jesus was crucified and where his body was laid to rest. Today there is a high level of certainty that the location has been actually identified.…
with From Cartagena, Columbia to Ushuaia, Argentina the South American continent is an amazing land of natural wonders and human accomplishments. Explore the islands of the Galapagos or hike around Iguazu Falls, climb up to Machu Picchu or cruise through the Panama Canal. You can even cast off for a trip to Antarctica or walk…
It seems so other worldly, like Mars or the Moon but it’s right here on Earth. It’s so alien that the NASA space program uses it to test rovers and other equipment. Find the answer HERE. Here Are A Few Of Our More Recent Postings You might Find Interesting…
Known in ancient times as the Pillars of Hercules, the twin mountains of Gibraltar in Europe and Monte Hacho in Africa mark the entrance to the Mediterranean. The Atlas Mountains stretch across northwestern Africa ending at a narrow straight that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea known as the Strait of Gibraltar. On the northern side of the straight sits a massive geological formation known as the Rock of Gibraltar. From on top of the Rock one can look south and see the Atlas Mountains and to the north stretches a long, flat expanse in Spain.
The geology of Gibraltar suggests that it has more in common with the Atlas Mountains than Spain. The Rockis mostly made up of Jurassic limestone and dolomite, which was formed over 200 million years ago. Inside the Rock of Gibraltar are large caves that have been eroding from seeping water for millions of years. The mineral-rich water dripping from above inside these caves, leave behind deposits of calcium carbonate. Over time, these deposits build up and harden into the cone-shaped formations called stalagmites.
Another oddity that suggests the connection of Gibraltar to the Atlas mountains is a colony of apes believed to originally being from the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains of Morocco, the Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population in all of Europe.
St. Michael’s Cave is a large limestone cave system with impressive stalactites and stalagmites, known for its natural beauty as well as its historical significance. The limestone also contains fossils from marine life, providing insight into the region’s ancient environments.
In addition to the caverns the Rock has also been excavated for fortifications. Due to its strategic location overlooking the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, the Rock of Gibraltar has played a significant role in military history. Large gun installations located in those caves provided commanding control over the passage of ships through the Strait of Gibraltar.
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Visiting Kruger: The Ultimate Safari Experience For The Trip Of A Lifetime Rated as one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences and reported to be the number one African safari destination, Kruger National Park is not to be overlooked when considering your travel plans. Larger than many countries and containing mostly undeveloped land, Kruger is…
The Iconic Windmills Of Mykonos. Traditionally, these windmills are heavy, three-story buildings made of stone, are circular in shape, reflecting the simple yet functional design typical of the Cycladic islands. They were primarily built by Venetians in the 16th century and continued to be constructed into the early 20th century for milling wheat. Mykonos is…
What country claims this baked treat as its own? This is a traditional European pastry made from sweet yeast dough. This unique treat is crafted by wrapping strips of the dough around a conical baking tube, which is then grilled usual over coals till it achieves a golden brown color and crispy exterior. Answer •…
These interactive Google maps can be enlarged, reduced and the location moved in real time like most Google interactive map formats.
Many of our destination and cruise port articles incorporate interactive maps using Google My Maps. After a number of inquiries it seemed people might like some information on how these maps work.
We’ve been creating and using Google My Maps (edited, saved and shared) for several years on The Intentional Travelers. We’ve also been updating old articles by converting old static maps to the dynamic Google My Maps. While this process does have some limitations it is still a great way to provide location context for places of interest in travel posts with the added advantage of allowing visitors to explore beyond the original location.
For an introduction to using Google My Maps startHERE.
One of the major limiting factors with Google My Maps is they cannot be used for real world navigation. While you can research an area for attractions, restaurants, shopping and more and save the map to share on a number of media and devices it will not display your current location or provide navigation directions.
Google has an incredible suite of apps and features for free, but most were created for a specific purpose like Google My Maps. This feature was specifically intended to add a map to a web site or listing to show the location of a specific address and it’s used all the time. No matter what you do with them they cannot however be used for showing your current location or for real-time navigation.
Another Google option for maps is to use google.com/maps for navigation and searching an area (stores, restaurants, directions) and save it to your google account to call up later or share the page address with others. But it doesn’t allow a lot of customization and will not readily display on a web site. Following is an example of that for restaurants near my home.
We’re asking for your opinion… I think Clint Eastwood said it best; “If you’re looking for a guarantee in life, buy a toaster.” We have, over the years, visited over one hundred countries and on a few occasions we’ve found ourselves in some touchy situations, but we have always been cautious in selecting when and…
Download Today For Free! Over the past few weeks we’ve been working at updating our popular CRUISE CONTROL a guide to cruising, but we’ve run out of time as we are soon leaving on an extended trip. We also realized that while our cruise ship listings are a bit out of date*, generally the guide…
While walking through Passau, Germany one afternoon we passed a square with an ominous looking building at one end. The sign shows a hooded character holding an ax with the inscription in bold red letters of “Scharfrichter Haus”. A quick translation provided us with executioner’s house. While I was taking a picture a local walked by and simply said “it’s a comedy club” and moved on. 🙂
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This Intentional Traveler features thousands of pages of information on destinations, great maps, amazing images, detailed travel help and just a few stories for the fun of it. Chance are we’ve got what you’ve been looking for, so take a moment and explore this incredible world with The Intentional Travelers. CLICK FOR GREAT TRAVEL IDEAS!…
A Few Attractions Well Worth Your Time There was a time when small roadside attractions where the highlight of family road-trips to Florida. Today they have been overshadowed by the mega-parks and major resorts, but there are still a number of roadside gems that you should explore – amazing little pieces of history encased in…
Just the other day I found an article about a continuing garden exhibit of Chihuly glass sculptures in Seattle, Washington and that had me remembering our visit to Fairchild Gardens in Miami some twenty years ago.
If you live near Seattle or are visiting put this garden on your list of must see attractions.
Chihuly has exhibited his glass sculptures in gardens all over America and some twenty years ago we visited Chihuly at Fairchild an exhibition featuring the stunning glass artworks of Dale Chihuly displayed throughout the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida. The intricate and vibrant glass sculptures complemented the lush botanical surroundings, creating a unique and unforgettable experience.
Dale Chihuly is an American glass artist and entrepreneur. He is well known in the field of blown glass, “moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture”. His innovative glass sculptures push the boundaries of traditional glassblowing. Chihuly’s vibrant and elaborate creations often draw inspiration from nature and are exhibited in both indoor and outdoor environments.
The Intentional Travelers 