Jun
28
Palm Beach Fallout Shelter
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It may not be everyone’s idea of a great time, to come to Palm Beach and pay a visit to a fallout shelter. That makes good sense, really, considering that Palm Beach has some of the most lush surroundings anyone could ever hope for. Beautiful ocean, wonderful nightclubs, and the coveted Palm Beach luxury hotels all add up to a rather marvelous time. There are also plenty of fine attractions to keep every member of the traveling party in a state of near-bliss throughout every step of the journey. It is a resort town, after all, and making people feel free to enjoy the perfect moments is a specialty.
However, if there is any interest in seeing some of the more educational offerings, the Palm Beach Maritime Museum is definitely an education. It’s also an awful lot of fun. There’s plenty of information about the natural reefs, and the crystal clear saltwater is absolutely something to behold. One of the big attractions here isn’t related to the water at all, but marks a very tense period in the history of the world.
The nearby Peanut Island is itself an interesting phenomenon. It looks like a natural island with its own fauna, but it’s mostly comprised of drudged material, and is currently under renovations to restore it to a natural state. It also played host to JFK’s Fallout Shelter . It was constructed during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1961, and was a five-minute helicopter ride for the President. The tour of the shelter is fascinating, offering a small portrait for one of the most difficult moments of his administration, and a difficult time for the world in general.
The attraction offers a rather interesting, if not a bit unusual, blend of nature and military history. Palm Beach was one of Kennedy’s favorite haunts, and the museum shows some of his footsteps, but the visitors get to return to a very spectacular place at a spectacular time, the present.
Jun
26
The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC
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The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC is an incredible complex of structures that honor and respect the soldiers and military staff who served and died in this horrific war. It is most famous for the Memorial Wall, which is part of it and is frequently considered to be the entire memorial, though there are actually three separate sections to it. When it was originally designed and built there were some controversial aspects that led to additions to the complex. The memorial remains one of the most visited and moving honorary complexes in this country. The main part of the complex was complete in 1982 and every year the memorial receives over three million visitors.
The three main sections of the memorial are the Wall, the Women’s Memorial and the Three Soldiers Statue. The Memorial Wall was designed by Maya Lin and was constructed of two black granite walls that meet on one end to form a 125 degree angle. At the highest point, where they come together it is just over ten feet. From there, the walls taper out in both directions. The wall contains a list of the names of servicemen who were confirmed to be either killed or missing in action at the time of the wall’s construction. The names are listed chronologically and are inscribed in Optima typeface.
The Three Soldier’s Statue was designed by Frederick Hart and portrays three US soldiers in action and in full combat gear. The statue was added to the complex to offer a more traditional memorial element to its features. The Women’s Memorial is dedicated to the women who served in this war, and they did so primarily through nursing services. It is a strong reminder of the efforts and impact of the services of women. The statue was designed by Glenna Goodacre and it was added to the complex and dedicated in 1993. The Memorial complex is one of the top attractions for the tourists staying in one of the luxury hotels DC .
Jun
23
Museums in Hilo
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Hilo is one of the beautiful coastal cities and towns and is also the second largest settlement in the state. All of the coastal towns and areas in Hawaii are beautiful and attractive to people, however Hilo stands out among the others for a few different reasons. It is located in a position that allows it to overlook the Hilo Bay and it is also near two shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea which are in the area of some of the best ground based astronomical observation centers. It is also known as one of the largest macadamia nut producers in the world and the distribution company Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation is located there.
These are just few of the surrounding geographic features that are unique to Hilo and attractive to the numerous tourists who visit it every year. However, there are also some dynamic and impressive cultural attractions that captivate the guests in the hotels Hilo . The Lyman Museum is one of the attractive cultural establishments and is a natural history museum that dates to 1931 when the Lyman family founded it. It exists in the family home that originated in 1838. During the 1960s architect Vladimir Ossipoff designed an addition, which constitutes the bulk of the museum and now exists next to the mission house. The Lyman Museum offers a great insight into the cultural history of the region and Hawaii.
The Hilo Art Museum is one of the main attractions for people, and this is stated with the acceptance that almost everyone who visits Hilo and the rest of Hawaii is interested in the beaches and exploring the geographic features. The museum is also pretty new. It was charted by a group of art loving and art appreciator residents in 2007 and it became a non-profit organization that year. In addition to the great collection and touring exhibits that pass through, the museum offers a variety of studio classes and workshops. One of the most intriguing permanent exhibits is the Art of the Holocaust and Genocide, which includes a rare lithograph by Picasso and pieces from Chagall and other major artists.
Jun
18
Early Works of Michelangelo in Florence
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Florence, Italy is almost synonymous with art and beauty. It is located in the beautiful Tuscan region of the country and played an extremely prominent role in the Italian Renaissance. In fact, many scholars place it as the birthplace of the Renaissance and its incredible progressive artistic heritage is evident throughout the city. The great artist, actually great doesn’t begin to describe his abilities and perhaps there isn’t an adjective equipped to, regardless Michelangelo was from Tuscany and much of his work took place in Florence. There is art all through the city and reproductions as well as originals of some of the greats are hanging on walls throughout its streets. You may even find a great item hanging on the wall of your room in the hotel. Florence is proud of its artistic heritage and places great importance on art to culture. It remains one of the most beautiful cities in the world and this is due to the geographic elements as well as the amazing architecture and works of great art that are part of it.
Michelangelo studied sculpture under Bertoldo di Giovanni and attended the Humanist Academy, which had been founded by the Medici family. The young artist’s mind and artist ideas were formulated by the great philosophical thinkers and artists of his time. During those years he completed the sculpted reliefs Madonna on the Steps and Battle of the Centaurs. Madonna on the Steps is currently located at the Casa Buonarroti . This museum was once the location of a property owned by Michelangelo though he never lived there. The Battle of the Centaurs is also housed here and the museum is one of the first stops for many of the people who visit this incredible Italian city. The house was converted into a museum by the artist’s great nephew.
Jun
15
Dallas and Nature and Science Go Together
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Dallas is the perfect place for a summer vacation, especially if you and your family are scientific oriented. The Museum of Nature and Science, located at 3535 Grand Avenue, well at least the Nature Building is; the Science building is located at 1318 S. 2nd Avenue; and the Planetarium Building is located at 1620 1st Avenue. The Museum of Nature & Science is the result of a merger in 2006 between the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place and the Dallas Children’s Museum, which are currently located in Dallas’ Fair Park, not far from any of the five star hotels Dallas has for its vacationers.
The Museum will let your entire family experience exciting, engaging and innovate exhibitions. The collections and research programs for children, students, families, and teachers are all welcome, because the mission of the Museum is to inspire minds through nature and science. The permanent exhibitions include science and wildlife interactive learning centers, like the NetWorks, the Texas wildlife dioramas, the Paleontology Lab, and real life dinosaur fossils. You’ll get to see creatures such as the 32 foot long reptile, a life sized robotic Glyptodont, which is an extinct relative of the modern armadillos and you’ll see giant sea turtles.
Your children will get to actually dig out replica fossils at the Dino Dig. The Museum is a perfect atmosphere where families and children may learn and explore together. It’s safe, self-paced, individualized, spontaneous, non-linear and plenty of exploratory spaces that any child can learn to understand the nature of things by touching, exploring and dreaming. In the science building alone, there are over 200 permanent hands-on exhibits on astronomy, physics, health, nature, robotics, and a special young children’s venue.
The Museum of Nature and Science is better than camp any day, so book a room now, you won’t want to miss the installation: ‘Water’, which runs till August 22, 2010, and takes a look beneath the oceans, above the clouds and all around the world to discover the amazing things that water can do such as shaping the canyons and peaks of tomorrow, or sustain life here and now. Your children can explore the over sized interactive globe, see how animals have adapted to deal with water challenges or walk through dioramas that mimic the effects of erosion. You may find it hard to pull them away, but that’s okay, because there’s always the next day to come back and explore some more.