EDMONTON

Alberta's capital city has become widely known as  Canada's festival city. Every summer an array of colourful, exciting festivals fill the streets and parks. It is a vibrant urban centre in the heart of the wilderness, the largest northernmost metropolis.
West Edmonton Mall is the world's largest shopping complex with over 800 shops, eleven major department stores, 110 restaurants and 14 movie theatres. Of course, you can enjoy eating well anytime of the year in one of Edmonton's 400 restaurants specializing in over 25 different types of cuisine!

Edmonton skyline with Muttart Conservatory with Canada Place in the background

Edmonton offers many more attractions which are a "must see" while visiting. A laser light show and planetarium at the Space Science Centre. The historical exhibits at the Provincial Museum. And don't miss the Muttart Conservatory, futuristic glass pyramids which house flora and fauna of the world's four climatic regions! 

Edmonton has more green space per capita of any city in North America with biking, cycling and walking trails winding through its massive river valley.

EXPLORE EDMONTON

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Located in central California, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890. Almost 95 percent of the park’s 747,956 acres is classified as wilderness. The Valley is a 7 mile wide canyon with incredible rock formations, including El Capitan, the world's tallest granite monolith and one of the world's top rock climbing destinations. It attracts rockclimbers, who spend days on its sheer face to reach the top. Yosemite Falls is the largest waterfall in North America with breathtaking views. Peak visitation at the   is in the spring as it is comprised entirely of melting snow. The park is also known for its Giant Sequoia trees, which are estimated to be over 3,000 years old.

On the left Elt Captain, the world's largest monolith of exposed granite, rises over 3,600 feet above the valley floor. To the right Bridalveil fall drops over 600 feet into Yosemite Valley's Merced River

Soaring cliffs, rugged canyons, valleys, gigantic trees, and waterfalls all combine to lend Yosemite its incomparable beauty. Each season offers a different experience, from the swelling waterfalls of spring to the russet colors of fall.

OXFORD

Oxford is ninety kilometres from London and only sixty kilometres from Heathrow Airport. The River Thames runs through Oxford, and the River Cherwell joins it there. The land is low, but there are hills to the west. One of the most peaceful ways to enjoy Oxford is by walking along the riverbanks, watching the rowing eights at practice and occasionally glancing up at the "dreaming spires" on the skyline. 

Oxford spires from South Park

The city is an important centre for work, shopping and nighlife. But people from all over the world, come to Oxford to see the fine buildings, the museums, and the parks and gardens. Much of the city is old and very beautiful. Oxford is a very interesting city, and many visitors fall in love with it.

Radcliffe Camera

More than 110,000 people have their homes in Oxford. But in some months of the year there are a lot more people in the city; thousands of students come from other towns for parts of the year.

The Sheldonian Theatre (1664)

Designed by St Christopher Wren, where degree ceremonies are  held

The College of St Mary Magdalen 

The college was founded on St Swithun's Day in 1458 by William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VI. Today, Magdalen is one of the largest Colleges in Oxford both in student numbers and also ground area. From  the top of the building  there is singing  at dawn (six o'clock ) on May Morning each year.  A few students make the dangerous jump from Magdalen Bridge into the river below.

Magdalen College Tower from the Botanic Garden

PORT VILA

Located in the Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu is made up of more than 80 islands and islets. Pacific islands of extraordinary beauty and fascination. Fragrant blooms of the tropic abound. Fringed by tall palms, white sand beaches remain unspoilt and uncrowded. The tourquoise waters of lagoons sparkle under a warm sun. This is the home of a proud people who still honour and nurture culture rich in age-old traditions and ceremonies. 

Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, projects the image of a very cosmopolitan town with its mixture of European, Vietnamese, Chinese and Melanesian cultures. Alongside the modern two or three-storey buildings, the large colonial houses are reminders of a none too distant past. Not to be missed, the big market on mornings. 

 

Another heritage of those times, the bustling Chinese district, where you can find everything you could imagine "made in Hongkong" at very reasonable prices. Most of the commercial life is in the main street (Kumul Highway), with duty-free shops, coffee shops, restaurants, fashion boutiques, travel agencies, but also the banks and many other establishments.

LOS ANGELES

Since its founding on September 4, 1781, Los Angeles has grown into a dynamic metropolis with its eye on the future, while preserving its extraordinary cultural heritage. LA is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, making it a truly global city. The city of Los Angeles covers a total area of 1,302 km2, comprising 1,214 km2 of land and 88 km2 of water. The city extends for 71 km longitudinally and for 47 km latitudinally.

 

Aerial view at night of the LA skyline and LA Live, Nokia Center and Staples Center in the foreground

The City of Los Angeles holds many distinctions. LA is the entertainment capital of the world, a cultural mecca boasting more than 100 museums, and a paradise of good weather. From tourist attractions like the Walk of Fame’s collection of stars (numbering 2,576, and growing by one or two a month) to career opportunities like those presented in the expanding tech industry, Los Angeles is the place to be. It is the only city in North America to have hosted the Summer Olympics twice. Downtown LA is the largest government center outside of Washington, D.C. 

City of Los Angeles

Received from Jennifer, LA resident

 

GARDEN STATE ARTS CENTER

  New Jersey is known of being the home of the famous PNC Bank Arts Center. This venue is ranked in the top five amphitheaters in the country and ranked in the top two outdoor arenas within the New York Metropolitan area Originally called the Garden State Arts Center, this venue opened its doors to the public in 1968, after 4 years of making this amphitheater. It hosts a numerous summer concerts at the uniquely designed amphitheater and illuminates the grounds every December for the annual Holiday Lights Spectacular.

 

THE GARDEN STATE ARTS CENTER at Telegraph Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey, is a 5,058-seat amphitheater for the performing arts conveniently located at Exit 116 of the Garden State Parkway

In 1996 PNC Bank purchased naming rights to the venue changing the name from the Garden State Arts Center to the currently PNC Bank Arts Center. Amphitheater seating; contemporary, classic rock, dance and opera summer concert series. 

Holmdel Township is a picturesque agricultural community rooted in a contemporary suburban setting. Parks and recreation are an integral part of the enriched way of life in the community. The township’s 565-acre centerpiece, Holmdel Park, is home to 11 trails for walking, hiking, biking and horseback riding.  

BERKELEY

Berkeley is a city with a small population and a big reputation. The town of Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, and Berkeley became an official city in 1909. And so Berkeley was, from the beginning, a college town, with all the amenities and spirit of innovation and exploration that influence a great place of learning. It was named for Bishop George Berkeley and inspired by poetry specifically his allusions to ancient Greece, the original model for the University of California as envisioned by its founders. 

University of California campus in foreground, City of Berkeley

The University of California was formally founded in 1869, in Oakland, and moved to its current Berkeley location in 1873. It has at least ten Nobel laureates among its professors. There are many museums, cultural amenities, and noteworthy buildings to visit. The University Art Museum includes works by Piccasso and Cézanne among its exhibits. The main campus landmark, the 307-ft (94-m) Sather Tower, and the splendid Lawrence Hall of Science are both outstanding.

Postcrossing Postcard US-1404774 received from Jillian

WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS

 In 1933, the first National Historic Park in America was established in Morristown. It anchors the New Jersey section of the Crossroads of the American Revolution. Revolutionary War encampment site of 12,000 plus Continental Army soldiers. The park also maintains a museum & library collection related to the encampments & George Washington, as well as items relating to pre- and post-Revolutionary America.

The Ford Mansion, located in the Morristown National Historic Park, served as home to General and Mrs. George Washington from December  1779 to June 1780 during the Revolutionary War. This large Georgian style home was built in the early 1770's. Today the house is furnished to reflect how it might have appeared during Washington's stay. 

WAWA

The township of Wawa is located in the Algoma District on Wawa Lake, just east of Lake Superior. The name means "wild goose" in Ojibwa, and refers to the thousands of geese which rest on beautiful Lake Wawa during migration. A fur-trading post before 1700, later the site of three gold rushes, Wawa now thrives on iron mining and tourism-related business.

A landmark sculpture in steel, the Wawa Goose has achieved worldwide publicity. It's one of the largest symbols of its kind, measuring 9 m high, 7 m from beak to tail, with a wingspan of 6 m, and weighing two tons.

Greetings from Wawa

Ontario, Canada

Scenic High Falls are 23 m high, 38 m across, and equally impressive in winter, when frozen solid. Just south of Wawa, on the Magpie River. Accessible only by snowmobile or skis in winter.

Today, Wawa attracts visitors for the stellar fishing, amazing kayaking on Lake Superior, endless snowmobile trails and (of course) for snapping a selfie with the Wawa Goose, one of the most photographed landmarks in North America.

Destination Ontario: Wawa

SOUTH GEORGIA

South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Stunningly beautiful and rugged, this island wildlife sanctuary, once visited, is not easily forgotten. Its snow covered peaks, blue glacier ice and emerald green bays are breathtaking sights.

Grytviken Church

The whalers church at Grytviken is a Norwegian Lutheran church, pre-fabricated in Strommen, Norway, then shipped down to South Georgia and erected near to the whaling station. It was consecrated on Christmas day 1913. The church is still in use having been repaired and restored in the 1990's though it hasn't had a pastor since 1931.

King Edward Point lies at the entrance to King Edward Cove, a small bay within Cumberland East Bay. Located midway along South Georgia it is approximately 1,400km (860 miles) from the Falkland Islands. Access is by boat or ship-based helicopter. The station focuses on applied fisheries research and supports the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Typically King Edward Point station has 22 people living on station during the summer months and 12 people on station throughout the winter. 

Received from King Edward Point Research Station thanks to Ann