SAN DIEGO

The city of San Diego lies in the southwest corner of California, 120 miles (193 km) south of the city of Los Angeles and 20 miles (32 km) north of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. With its great weather, miles of sandy beaches, and major attractions, San Diego is known worldwide as one of the best tourist destinations. San Diego is also a location for cutting-edge businesses for telecommunications, biotechnology, software, electronics, and other major industries.

San Diego is renowned for its idyllic climate, 70 miles of pristine beaches and a dazzling array of world-class family attractions. Popular attractions include the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Sea World San Diego and LEGOLAND California. Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in the U.S., is home to 15 museums, numerous art galleries, beautiful gardens, the Tony Award-winning The Globe Theatres.

Received from my penpal Eileen in Philadelphia

PISMO BEACH

Pismo Beach is in the heart of California’s scenic Central Coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s legendary Pacific Coast Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 101. Pismo Beach is a classic California beach town with traditional seaside activities and 21st-century amenities. It offers small-town charm, Mediterranean weather, clean air, friendly residents and miles of pristine, uncrowded beaches. It’s a great place to get away from the crowds and relax at a leisurely pace.

Looking south toward Pismo Beach, you can also see the great dunes that march for miles to Pt. Sal

Pismo Beach in a Clamshell

• Walk on the historic Pismo Pier
• Lunch at a casual clam café
• Explore Pismo Beach on surrey bikes
• Relax on the beach while Matthew and Kaci ride the waves!
• Wine tasting at a downtown tasting room
• Dinner at a seafood restaurant with fantastic ocean views
• Watch live theater and vaudeville acts at the Melodrama (we can cheer the hero and hiss the villain!)

For more information visit Pismo Beach, CA Official Website  

NOURLANGIE ROCK

Kakadu National Park is a World Heritage-listed national park covers almost 20,000 square kms and is 253 kms east of Darwin the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. More than one-third of all bird species recorded in Australia live in Kakadu National Park; as do more than 60 mammal species, 117 reptile species, 1,700 plant species and at least 10,000 insect species.
Nourlangie Rock is a looming ancient escarpment of slowly eroding red rock creating sheer cliffs rising above the Kakadu wetlands. The sacred site is the keeper of one of the best local collections of Aboriginal rock art and a gateway to some of the most amazing views in Kakadu. The paintings provide a fascinating record of Aboriginal life over thousands of years. With paintings up to 20,000 years old, this is one of the longest historical records of any group of people in the world. Nourlangie Rock is significant to Aborigines as home of the Lightning Dreaming.

Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia 

Private swap with Gloria from Northern Territory

DOLORES RIVER

 The Dolores River flows for more than 200 miles through south-western Colorado, starting high in the San Juan Mountains and descending to its confluence with the Colorado River near the Colorado-Utah border.Dolores River was named “El Rio de Nuestra Senora de Dolores” when a Spanish trader encountered the river in 1765. But in many ways, the only sorrowful thing about the Dolores River is that like so many rivers in the West, it is, perhaps, too well loved. With headwaters at 14,000 feet and a nearly 230-mile run, the Dolores is a gateway to truly world-class scenery.

The autumn blaze of gamble oaks and narrow leaf cottonwoods bring glorious color to the banks of the Dolores River in San Juan National Forest

 

The San Juan National Forest encompasses about 1.8 million acres in the south-western corner of Colorado.  Terrain ranges from high-desert mesas to alpine peaks, with thousands of miles of back roads and hundreds of miles of trails to explore. Visitors can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, alpine and nordic skiing, horseback riding, and camping.

Received from my penpal Diane in California

NEW JERSEY STATE CAPITOL

 New Jersey’s capitol is the most historic building in NJ state. The term “State House” harkens back to the time of its origination and remains as its popular name. THE STATE HOUSE is located in the heart of New Jersey's capital city, Trenton, situated on a bank of the Delaware River. This gilt-domed building, constructed in 1889. Second oldest capitol in continuous use in the U.S. (Maryland has the oldest), houses the NJ executive and legislative branches since 1792. For more than 200 years, New Jersey Senators, Assemblymen, and Governors have been making the laws of the state in this building. Today the State House continues to serve New Jersey as both a historical monument and a place of work. It's located in a beautiful area and holds so much of the state's history. And both the interior and exterior design and architecture of the building are absolutely jaw-dropping.

For more information visit: www.njleg.state.nj.us

THE PRAIRIES

Spreading over the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the vast lands between Ontario in the east and the Rocky Mountains in the west are commonly called “the Prairies”. They constitute the great wheat-producing region of Canada and are a major source for petroleum, potash, and natural gas. With British Columbia they form the Western Provinces. The Prairies are Canada's breadbasket, three geometrically-shaped provinces which in addition to the wide-open expanses of flat prairie land also collectively include mountains, hills, lakes, shoreline, and metropolitan cities. 

Prairie rainbow

The prairie experience can be unforgettable. Here brightly-painted grain elevators dot distant horizons and mile-long trains can be seen  rushing their loads to market. Everywhere you look, you are reminded that this is grain country. A visit for the first time is to be overwhelmed by the expanse of both earth and sky.

This postcard received from PC user Pat

MT. RAINIER

 Mount Rainier, highest mountain (4,392 metres) in the state of Washington, U.S., and in the Cascade Range. It lies about 64 km southeast of the city of Tacoma, within Mount Rainier National Park. Rainier is sometimes referred to by its Native American name, Mount Tacoma, or Tahoma. The mountain has three major peaks: Liberty Cap, Point Success, and Columbia Crest. 

Mount Rainier looking over the serene Northwest landscape 

The English explorer George Vancouver sighted the summit on May 8, 1792, and named it for fellow navigator Peter Rainier. Rainier is noted for dense stands of coniferous trees on its lower slopes, scenic meadows (with a profusion of wildflowers during the warmer month) waterfalls and lakes, as well as an abundance of wildlife. The summer draws hikers, mountain climbers, and campers; the winter lures snowshoers and cross-country skiers. No trip to Washington State is complete without a Mount Rainier experience.

Visit Rainier, the Official Site of Mt. Rainier Tourism
 

WILDLIFE AUSTRALIA

A trio of Australia's fascinating wild creatures: 

• The termite-eating short-beaked Echidna. It is  among the few living representatives in the world of mammals that both lay eggs and suckle their young. Due to their small size and slow speed, the echidna protects itself by either hiding, or curling into a ball being protected by their spikey exterior. Sometimes called the porcupine of Australia. 

• The platypus lives in an aquatic environment like a fish, suckles its young like a mammal, lays eggs and has the bill of a duck! Platypuses are carnivores. They hunt worms, shrimp, insect larvae, and crayfish at dawn, dusk, and night. They live along streams and rivers in eastern Australia, including Tasmania.

• The Blue-winged Kookaburra, a giant kingfisher. Nielsen Park is inhabited by the kookaburra, easily identified by its call, which sounds like laughter. Kookaburras are very efficient breeders: one of the young birds is kept on in the nest to look after the next batch of hatchlings, leaving both parents free to gather food.

(left to right): Short-beaked Echidna; the Platypus; the Blue-winged Kookaburra

SANTA MONICA

Santa Monica, California offers more than its beach and year round warm weather. Its proximity to the greater Los Angeles area makes Santa Monica the perfect base for vacationers and business travelers alike.
The palm tree-lined avenue and views overlooking the Pacific Ocean make the Santa Monica Pier area and Ocean Avenue one of the most iconic locations in Santa Monica. Ocean Avenue is famous for the gem located at its southern end. Just down from Ocean Avenue is perhaps Santa Monica’s most famous attraction, the Santa Monica Pier. This attraction dates back to 1909, and features a solar-paneled Ferris wheel, amusement park, aquarium, and live concerts and movies during the summer months. 

The large pier with many attractions and the wide, clean beach draw visitors from all parts of the world to Santa Monica 

For Santa Monica nightlife, the Third Street Promenade is the place to be, bustling with activity from moviegoers, party animals, nightlife and bars, and talented street performers. Santa Monica is also known as a walkable town, though many choose to strap on wheels or pedal their way around the 22 miles of bike path’s the area has to offer. 

SANTA MONICA TRAVEL & TOURISM

AFRICAN WILDLIFE - CHEETAH, LION

The cheetah is the world's fastest land mammal. With acceleration that would leave most automobiles in the dust, a cheetah can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey. Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa.

 Kenya's Pride

Living in the grasslands, scrub, and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, the lion is the second largest cat in the world. Lions have been celebrated throughout history for their courage and strength. 

Size: Head and body, 1.4 to 2 m; Tail, 67 to 100 cm
Weight: 120 to 191 kg
Group name: Pride
Protection status: Vulnerable

Stamp: red-and-yellow barbet

The red-and-yellow barbet is about 8 or 9 inches long. It has a long, strong, pointed red bill. It has red, yellow black and white upper parts and yellow under parts. It lives in eastern Africa, in woodlands, scrubland and savannah, where it usually forages on the ground near trees or bushes. The Masai use the feathers of red-and-yellow barbets as clothing decorations.