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Battleship Wisconsin

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:51:09 +0000

USS Wisconsin is an Iowa-class battleship, the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Battleship Wisconsin is berthed at Nauticus Maritime Science Center & Museum in the city Norfolk, Virginia. It is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. You can explore its deck through a self-guided or audio tour.

Some of the Permanent Exhibits of Nauticus museum include The Jamestown Exposition & Launching of the Steel Navy, SOS Station, Aegis Theater, Horseshoe Crab Cove, Design Chamber: Battleship X and so on.The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is owned and operated by the United States Navy and located on level two of Nauticus and houses a rich collection of authentic uniforms, weaponry, underwater artifacts, detailed ship models and artwork. On the third floor of Nauticus, guests can enjoy a variety of science and maritime exhibits, including: aquaria, a horseshoe crab touch tank, shark lab, Science On a Sphere, interactive theaters, and a weather station.

Visit the Official Website of Nauticus for information regarding Admission & Tickets. Here are some photos from our Trip to Nauticus. We visited Norfolk as part of our Trip to Virginia Beach.

Time Square New York

admin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:30:50 +0000

Time Square is a major commercial intersection in Manhattan, New York City. It was named after the Times building which was the former office of the “The New York Times“. Times Square, nicknamed “The Crossroads of the World” and “The Great White Way“, has achieved the status of an iconic world landmark and is a symbol of New York City and the United States. It is well known for the huge number of neon and LED digital advertisements and looks fabulous in the night. Times Square has become popular to tourists, locals and Manhattan business community. Times Square is the site of the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop.

Here are few pictures from our Night Visit to Times Square.

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

admin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:59:24 +0000

Moses Cone Memorial Park is a historic attraction on Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It is located between Mileposts 292 and 295. The Park includes a Manor House called Flat Top Manor and 2 lakes - Bass Lake and Trout lake. Flat Top Manor is a gleaming white 23-room, 13,000 square foot mansion.The manor is now home to the Parkway Craft Center, a craft shop of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, exhibiting works by artisans from nine Appalachian states. Fishing is permitted at both the lakes. The Park also has various trails for hiking and horse back riding. The Park is open year-round. and the Manor House is open spring through fall. The town of Blowing Rock is located 2 miles away from the Park.

Here are some photos taken during our trip.

Pisgah National Forest

admin — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:25:47 +0000

Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. The Pisgah National Forest covers 510,119 acres of mountainous terrain in the southern Appalachian Mountains, including parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Balsam Mountains. Elevations reach over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) and include some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. Mount Mitchell, in Mount Mitchell State Park, is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River and lies just outside the boundary of Pisgah National Forest. The forest also includes tracts surrounding the city of Asheville, the town of Brevard and land in the French Broad River Valley.

The Cradle of Forestry (Biltmore Forest School), located in the southern part of the forest, was the site of the first school of forestry in the United States. There are numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, camping sites, and waterfalls in the forest. There are so many waterfalls in this area that Transylvania county is nicknamed as “Land of the Waterfalls”. Pisgah National Forest is extremely beautiful in Fall.

These are some of the attractions of Pisgah National Forest. You can easily spend a day or 2 enjoying the attractions of Pisgah National Forest.

Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway (NC 276) - Traversing the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania and Haywood Counties, the 79 mile loop winds its way through areas of outstanding natural beauty rich in forest history. You can read more about this scenic byway here.
Looking Glass Waterfalls – A beautiful 60 foot high waterfall that can be seen from US 276.
Moore Cove Falls – A 50 foot free-fall in front of a deeply recessed rock cliff, that allows you to walk behind the falls.
Sliding Rock – A 60 foot natural Waterfall slide where people can slide down the gentle slope of the smooth rock into the pool below. Bathrooms and showers are open during the summer swimming season.
Cradle of Forestry - A 6500 acre National Forest Historic Site in North Carolina. America’s first school of forestry known as Biltmore Forest School was established over here in 1968.
Sycamore Flats Area – A large picnic area named for the numerous Sycamore trees that grow along the banks of the Davidson River
Pink Beds Area - Picnic area located in a high mountain valley. The valley gets it’s name from the beautiful rhododendron, mountain laurel and azalea that bloom in the spring and summer
Davidson River Campground – A popular campground where you can relax and enjoy the National Forest. There are hiking trails, fishing streams, evening programs and even warm showers.
Looking Glass Rock – A monolithic piece of exposed Whitesides granite that rises from the valley floor in the midst of the Pisgah Ranger District. There are trails which lead to the top of the rock.

Here are some photos taken during our trip to Pisgah National Forest during Fall 2009. We drove the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway stopping at different attractions like waterfalls and picnic areas.

List of Attractions in North Carolina

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:13:59 +0000

: Beautiful North Carolina

North Carolina is a state on the East Coast of USA. It is the tenth most populous of the 50 states of the United States of America. Its capital is Raleigh and the largest city is Charlotte. North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east

North Carolina is a very beautiful state. It is blessed with scenic mountains, breath taking beaches, wonderful state parks and more. North Carolina has a wide range of elevations, from sea level on the coast to 6,684 feet (2,037 m) in the mountains. The coastal plains are strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical zone.

North Carolina consists of three main geographic sections:

The Coastal Plain, which occupies the eastern 45% of the state
The Piedmont region, which contains the middle 35%
The Appalachian Mountains and foothills, western North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most scenic Fall Parkways, starts from Virginia and covers miles of North Carolina. Fall is the best time to visit North Carolina. The Fall Color Change is marvelous. These are some of the beautiful places in North Carolina. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and get started.

Attractions of Western North Carolina

Charlotte and Piedmont Area Attractions

Lake Norman State Park
Hanging Rock State Park
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Festival of Lights at Tanglewood
Carolinas Aviation Museum
Carowinds Theme Park
Lazy 5 Ranch
Charlotte Motor Speedway (Lowe’s Motor Speedway)

Coastal North Carolina Attractions

Battleship North Carolina at Wilmington
SouthPort Fort Fisher Ferry
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Brunswick Plantation and Golf Resort
Southern NC Beaches

Fall Highlights

Information Tidbits

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:43:28 +0000

South East USA has lot to offer to visitors. South Eastern United States include Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Here a few interesting things to know about South East USA.

Beautiful South East

Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit among all units (parks, historic sites, scenic byways, forests, recreation areas, seashores etc.) of the US National Park Systems managed by the National Park Service (NPS).
Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Tennessee and North Carolina is the most visited national park in the United States. It outnumbers other parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite.
Cradle of Forestry in North Carolina is home to America’s first school of forestry known as Biltmore Forest School.
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia is the world’s largest aquarium and features more animals than any other aquarium in more than eight million gallons of water.
Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina is the first public sculpture garden in America and has in its collection more than 1,200 works by 350 sculptors.

South Carolina Beaches

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:03:06 +0000

Beaches of South Carolina

South Carolina is bordered by Atlantic Ocean on its east. The climate is humid and sub tropical. The major cities of South Carolina are Charleston, Greenville and Columbia. South Carolina’s beaches are among the finest in the US. The Coasts of South Carolina are classified from North To South as follows:-

Myrtle Beach and The Grand Strand
Historic Charleston
Low Country & Resort Islands

Myrtle Beach and The Grand Strand Beaches
The Grand Strand is home to an array of tourist attractions, and the area receives a large influx of visitors during the spring, summer and fall months, and “snowbirds” in the winter. It spans 60 miles of white sand beaches. The area’s attractions include its beaches and many golf courses, as well as a number of amusement parks, an aquarium, many restaurants and shopping complexes.

Garden City Beach – has access to both Ocean and inlet. It is great for fishing crabbing and water sports. The majority of vacationers stay in beach houses or condos, and the community offers a marina, amusements, restaurants, a fishing pier
Litchfield Beach - quiet and reserved when compared to Myrtle Beach. It has world class golf courses.
Little River – It is a unique town offering slightly slower pace than rest of the Grand Strand.
Murrells Inlet - historic fishing village and is known as the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina”. Murrells Inlet offers many recreational activities in a breathtaking inlet setting, including deep sea fishing charters, boat tours, individual boat rentals, scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing and jet skiing.
Myrtle Beach - The Hub of the Grand Strand and the Golf Capital of USA with over 250 golf courses.
North Myrtle Beach
Pawleys Island – heavily developed with 4 miles of beach and has classic style beach homes available for rental.
Surfside Beach – lovely residential community and thriving vacation destination. There are beach houses, condos, restaurants and a fishing pier along the ocean front.

Charleston

The Historic city of Charleston has lot of charm and beauty. It is well known for it’s tranquil beaches

Folly Beach – closest beach to Charleston and is a great place with a Fishing Pier and Light House.
Isle of Palms – Wild Dunes Resort is on the northern tip of the Island. Rest of the island is accessible to public and there are many sea side hotels and vacation rentals.
Kiawah Island – Kiawah Island is a beach and golf resort located on a barrier island. It is a major tourist site and has expensive villas, premier golf courses and beautiful beaches.
Seabrook Island - Private Beach and is accessible by Island Resorts.
Bull Island – It is part of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. It is accessible by Passenger Ferry.

Lowcountry Beaches

Lowcountry is located along the southern most region of Coastal South Carolina. It also includes the Sea Islands of South Carolina. Sea Island are barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean. The evolution of the modern day resort community was pioneered at Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island in the 1950s. The area is well known for golf, tennis and beach vacations.

Edisto Island – Edisto Island is home to Edisto Beach, and Wyndham Timeshare resorts.
Hilton Head Island – 12 miles of beach with many private resorts and public access to beaches.
Hunting Island - 4 miles of beachfront along the Atlantic. It is the most visited State park in SC. Accommodations are available for Recreational Vehicles and Tent Campers.
Fripp Island – 3 miles of beach front along Atlantic. It is relatively uncrowded in comparison to Hilton Head Island. It is a private, gated community.

Beach State Parks

There are 4 State Parks in South Carolina that are ocean front.

Edisto Beach State park
Hunting Island State Park
Huntington Beach State Park
Myrtle Beach State Park

Places to Visit in Atlanta

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:48:15 +0000

: Amazing Atlanta

Atlanta is a beautiful city, and is the capital of Georgia State. It is a major business center and is equally famous for tourism. These are some interesting places to visit during your trip to Atlanta, Georgia.

Beautiful Places in Charlotte

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:39:23 +0000

: Beautiful Charlotte

Charlotte – the “Queen City” is a beautiful place in North Carolina. Be it summer, winter, spring or fall – Charlotte is special during all seasons. There are lot of places in and around Charlotte for visiting like State Parks, Botanical Gardens, Aquariums and so on.

Here are some places you can visit when you are in Charlotte.

Lake Norman State Park
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Carolinas Aviation Museum
Lazy 5 Ranch
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Carowinds Theme Park
Uwharrie Vineyards
Belmont Abbey
Billy Graham Library
Hilton Lake Charlotte University Place
Festival of Lights at Tanglewood

Seasonal Photos

Beautiful Fall Colors Charlotte
Snow in Charlotte

Waterfalls of North Carolina

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:22:34 +0000

Waterfalls of North Carolina

North Carolina is home to many beautiful waterfalls. Since North Carolina receives rainfall almost throughout the year, most of the waterfalls look beautiful all round the year. Fall is the best time to visit these waterfalls as the brilliant leaf colors add to the beauty.

These are some of the waterfalls we have been to:

Pisgah National Forest

Sliding Rock
Looking Glass Waterfalls

Dupont State Forest

Hooker Falls
Triple Falls

Nantahala National Forest

Blue Ridge Parkway

Linville Waterfalls
Crabtree Falls

Chimney Rock

Hickory Nut Waterfalls

Hanging Rock State Park

Hidden Falls
Window Falls
Upper Cascades
Lower Cascades

Most of these waterfalls are in Western North Carolina, the mountainous region. These waterfalls can be reached in 1-3 hours drive from Charlotte, Raleigh and other major cities.