CHICAGO

The American spirit has long felt at home in Chicago. Steeped in the motto, “I Will,” Chicago reaffirms America as a land of endless possibilities in ways most cities can only imagine. It’s a city that reversed the flow of a river. Gave birth to the electric blues. And rebuilt itself toward the heavens after a devastating fire — inventing the skyscraper along the way.

John Hancock Center 

Today, Chicago greets you with a sweeping skyline punctuated by the tallest building in America. A bold first impression to a world-class city rich with unexpected surprises. Chicago is well known for its architecture and tall buildings. The 100-story John Hancock Center is a self-contained world of apartments, restaurants and shops. The 94th floor observatory offers a breathtaking view of Chicago's spectacular lakefront and the city spread along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Wringley Field 

Baseball is a popular American sport. Chicago has two professional baseball teams. The Chicago Cubs play at Wringley Field. Built in 1914, Wringley Field is the second oldest major league ballpark in the country. The stadium first welcomed the Chicago Cubs in 1916 and the two have been synonymous ever since. Wringley Field is the nation's most picturesque ballpark with its ivy-covered brick outfield walls and the manually operated scoreboard.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

British Columbia is Canada's most westerly province. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Coastal and Rocky Mountain ranges. It is a neighbour to Alberta on the east and to the USA on the south.

Beautiful British Columbia

British Columbia, with its varied landscape, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Mighty rivers and ocean shoreline, fishing lakes and sandy beaches, wild flowers and old-growth forests, comprise the 952,263 square kilometers of "Beautiful" British Columbia. The entire province is four times the size of the United Kingdom and yet has a population of just over 3 million people. With over 400 parks, and numerous mountain ranges, there is no shortage of wilderness area offering opportunities for everyone from the casual walker to the adventure enthusiast.

Farm near Fort Steele

Historians are fascinated by the wealth B.C. has. Throughout British Columbia traditional cultures continue to thrive and one can see huge totem poles in their original surroundings or retrace the 1870's Gold rush and early settlers. The climate varies throughout as much as the landscape. Variety is the key to British Columbia's popularity.

STREAKY BAY

Streaky Bay is a picturesque coastal town and the hub of the rural and fishing community. It is situated on Flinders Highway on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, in South Australia and, with 366.15 kilometres of the most spectacular coastline on the Great Australian Bight.

The small town of Streaky Bay proclaimed in 1872 is 727 kilometres north-west of Adelaide on the western coastline of Eyre Peninsula. The town is on a stretch of fascinating coastline changing between long pristine sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. Streaky Bay was originally named Flinders, but in 1940, after continued local usage, the name of the town was offcially changed to Streaky Bay.

Streaky Bay and districts offers three breathtaking scenic drives on the Great Australian Bight: Westall Way Loop; Cape Bauer Loop and, the Point Labatt Conservation Park/Murphy’s Haystacks Scenic Drives.

BLOUBERGSTRAND

Holiday resort with a spectacular view of Table Mountain and Cape Town. Wild flowers abound in spring. A clear day affords a view of Robben Island. 'Ons Huisie', a restored fisherman's cottage, and a national monument, now a restaurant. Safe swimming opposite lifesaver's club where a lifesaver is on duty. Fishing is good, as is surfing and swimming, despite the cold surf. A small beach (Little Bay) for swimming, sunbathers and families; a large one (Big Bay)for angling, surfing and paddle-skiing competitions. Braaing permitted on grassy verge behind car park. International windsurfing competitions are held here annually.

The beach from across the waters of Table Bay - with magnificent panoramic vistas of Devil's Peak, Table Mountain and conical Lion's Head

Received from Lynne, Cape Town

THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Though a separate county since 1974, the lozenge-shaped ISLE OF WIGHT still has difficulty shaking off its image as a mere adjunct of rural southern England - comfortably off, scrupulously tidy and desperately unadventurous. Yet the island, which measures less than 23 miles at its widest point, packs a surprising variety of landscapes and coastal scenery within its bounds. 

North of the chalk ridge that runs across its centre, the terrain is low-lying woodland and pasture, deeply cut by meandering rivers, while southwards lies open chalky downland fringed by high cliffs. Two Heritage Coast paths follow the best of the shoreline, and a splendid array of well-preserved Victoriana provides added interest. It is a popular opinion that among the best things on the Isle of Wight are the Downs. They command wonderful views, and the air, which comes straight from the sea, is most invigorating.

Postcrossing Postcard: NL-805107

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Come North, for the experience of a lifetime!

The Northwest Territories encompasses a third of the land mass of Canada, some 3,300,000 square kilometres. It stirs the soul and captures the imagination; vast, unspoiled, diverse, and unforgettable. The Northwest Territories is a land of geographic wonders and infinite naturalist opportunities. It is a remarkable area some 1.3 million square miles in size that can, happily, still boast of clean air and pristine waterways, wide open spaces and an abundance of extraordinary wildlife and unusual plant life. This massive region has come to be recognised as one of the last great refuges left on this planet.

Caribou number in the hundreds of thousands in the Northwest Territories and provide a mainstay in the diet of the local people.

Few memories can compare with your first view of a herd of caribou. A sense of unreality prevails as you realize their sheer numbers. The land itself seems to move, a tide of life flowing across the tundra. And they do flow, moving at a fast walk, occasionally breaking into a trot, grazing briefly here and there, then marching on.

CALIFORNIA

Greetings from California! 

Nickname: The Golden State. 
Area in Square Miles: 158,297. 
Population: 25,000,000. 
Entered the Union:  September 9th, 1850
Endless sunshine, amazing cities, best-in-class theme parks, incredible natural treasures. From beaches and deserts to 14,000-foot mountains, from ultimate cities to its broad heartland, the Golden State invites you to play all year long.

The land of movie stars and make believe, California occupies the imagination of the entire world. Dreams of swaying palm trees lining manicured Beverly Hills boulevards with enormous mansions, sunny beach boardwalks with fun fairs and rollerbladers, scenic highways skirting dramatic coastal drop-offs, and secluded paths meandering through groves of giant redwood trees are all part of the magic of this wildly popular state.

But far from the bustling streets of the big cities, the stunning landscape of California offers scenic photo opportunities ranging from the giant redwoods of Sequoia National Park, to the twisted branches of Joshua Tree. Travellers can ski or swim at Lake Tahoe, and cavort with dolphins on Catalina Island… leading many to wonder if there's anything you can't find in California!

Read more: visitcalifornia.com

MUIZENBERG

At the north-west end of False Bay, cradled between the sea and high mountains, this famous seaside resort boasts a magnificent 35-km stretch of beach and a relatively warm surf. This sea is shallow, and bathing safe. The beach is distinctive with its rows of Victorian bathing boxes. Popular amongst families and young surfers, the pavilion at the beach also offers great fun and entertainment.

Cape Peninsula. A scene of the pavilion at this popular holiday resort.

Places of interest include:

1. De Post Huys. The original garrison building, one of the oldest surviving structures from settlement days. Built as a lookout post and signal station in 1673.
2. Rhodes Cottage. The cottage in which Cecil Rhodes died in 1902, maintained as a memorial museum. Contains many of his possessions and photographs.
3. The Natale Labia Museum contains fine furniture and works of art. 

Received from Lynne, Cape Town

SOUTH DEVON

With its rolling meadows, narrow lanes and remote thatched cottages, Devon has long been idealized as a vision of preindustrial, "authentic" England. But while many of its cosy, gentrified villages are inhabited largely by retired folk and urban refuges, having little common with its county's strong agricultural, mercantile and maritime traditions, at least the stereotyped image has helped to preserve the countryside and coast in the undeveloped condition for which they are famous, and the county offers an abundance of genuine tranquility, from moorland villages to quiet coves on the spectacular coastline. The south coast's traditional resorts are at their liveliest along the English Riviera around Torbay. The coastline is at its prettiest around the Darmouth and Kingsbridge estuaries - both yachting meccas - while the best of the beaches are at Bigbury Bay.

Postcrossing postcard: GB-174366

ADELAIDE

 The South Australian capital of Adelaide is a most attractive city, and unusual in that it was carefully planned from its beginning in 1836. Surrounded by parkland, bisected by the River Torrens, and with an orderly grid of central city streets, Adelaide was the vision of surveyor Colonel William Light. The city's one million residents enjoy a Mediterranean-style climate and a relatively peaceful lifestyle. The inner city of Adelaide is best explored on foot; it is compact, well laid out and flat. The balmy climate and excellent local food and wine have given rise to an abundance of streetside restaurants and cafés.

 

 Adelaide O'bahn. This card shows 'O'Bahn' track that buses go on and off of to travel faster

 

The South Australian capital was founded by free settlers and Adelaide prides  itself on its convict-less history. Surrounded by the gentle Adelaide Hills and the gulf, this is perhaps the nation's most attractive capital. Adelaide has a multicultural population of of just over a million and the city has gained a reputation as an important centre for the arts.

Read more: City of Adelaide

 

 

Received from Rosemaree