Wednesday, January 30, 2013

San Jose Travel - California

The city of San Jose is the 3rd biggest city in the state of California.  It ranks 10th biggest city in the entire US.  San Jose California is known as the central hub of Silicon Valley.

The popular tourist attractions in San Jose are the following:

a. Museums

1.  The San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA) - SJMA offers free admission to the public.  It displays excellent works of art particularly modern artworks.  It is situated in the Silicon Valley. This museum has displays of artistic excellence.

2. San Jose Museum of Quilt & Textile - a museum established in 1977 by Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association.  in 1977.  The goal of the museum is to advance the use of quilts and textiles in arts and crafts.

3. Tech Museum of Innovation - the museum supports technological creations by ordinary people.  It stresses the importance of technology in man's life.  It features the internet and the human body.  It holds an annual competition for student innovative designs called the Tech Challenge.  They also hand out the Tech Museum Awards which recognize people who advances the cause of technology to benefit humans.

4. Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose - the museum focuses on children and families.  They provide educational programs for children. They intend to develop the child's latent talent and skills.

5. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum - This has the biggest collection of Egyptian artifacts in western North America.

b. Winchester Mystery House - The Winchester Mystery House is a Victorian-inspired house known for its grandeur and oddity.  The mystery as to why the house is eerily odd remains unsolved.  You can see staircase leading to nowhere. Or, a staircase that descends for 7 steps and then rises for 11.
A number of people surmised that Mrs. Winchester wanted to befriend the “good spirits” and lose the “bad” ones.  The house at one had 500 to 600 rooms but the constant renovations made to it reduced the number to 160 rooms.

c. Raging Waters - this is the largest waterpark in Northern California. It has an area of 23 acres with various family rides and recreational facilities fit for families.

d. Happy Hallow Park and Zoo - this is a park that provides recreational fun in an eco friendly atmosphere.

e. Mexican Heritage Plaza - this is a cultural arts facility that provides gardens, theaters, art gallery and as a venue for art performances.

In the city of San Jose, being the hub of Silicon Valley, you will experience how technology interacts with tradition.  The various technological marvels you will see at this place is tempered by its preservation of tradition.  The city is a place like no other.

Attractions in Costa Rica

From pristine beaches to wonderful national parks, there are plenty of tourist attractions in Costa Rica. Every year, over two million visitors from different parts of the world come here for vacationing, which makes it the best tourist stop in the Central America. Eco-tourism is one of the major attractions in this country.

Canopy Tours All over the place, there is a rich diversity of stunning natural life, which the tourists can explore from a bridge, tower, tram, or a zip-line. The Canopy is home to a wide array of plants, monkeys, and birds. In particular, the panoramic postcard views of volcanoes, mountains, and beaches are simply exhilarating to watch from bridges or towers. If you want to fly over the landscape like superheroes, you can consider zip-line canopy tours.

Museums Museums are also some top tourist attractions. Besides historical museums, there are numerous art and nature museums across the country. Located in an old Civil War fort, the National museum features contemporary exhibits, Spanish religious artworks, and other ancient artifacts from the native cultures.

Likewise, you can also explore a large collection of American jade in the Jade Museum, which is located in San José. Besides that, the museum houses exhibitions of artworks made of gold, stone, and bone from Mayan and pre-Columbian cultures.

Volcanoes Millions of visitors come to Costa Rica every year just to experience the exhilarating view of volcanoes. The country is home to over 100 volcanic structures. One of the most active volcanoes is located in the Arenal National Park. That is why it is also commonly referred to as Arenal Volcano. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Costa Rica. The park is located in the north of San Juan. Other popular volcanoes include Miravalles, Tenorio, and Cacao.

Beaches During your visit, you just cannot afford to miss exploring the countless beaches. There are several fun beaches, such as Playa Grande, Playa Tamarindo, Corcovado, and many others. The dark sands of the Corcovado beach make it highly exotic. The Corcovado beach is also popular for boating trips. At Playa Grande, it is great fun to see leatherback turtles making their way to the water after laying their eggs. November and December are the best months for surfing at Jaco and Playa Tamarindo. You can catch the biggest waves on these beaches during these two months. Montezuma on the Nicoya peninsula is also one of the popular tourist attractions in Costa Rica.

Other attractions include Cano Island and Biological Reserve and national parks. There are several national parks in Costa Rica that include Corcovado National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park, Tortuguero National Park, and Arenal National Park.

Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest but the most popular park. Fishing, hiking, rafting, canopy tours, scuba diving, and surfing are some of the best vacationing activities, which you can enjoy during your trips to the various tourist attractions.

Fairbanks Alaska

Fairbanks AK is the biggest city in Interior Alaska.  This is the second biggest state next only to Anchorage.  The city is only 125 miles south from the Arctic Circle. Of the 97,970 population in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, a fifth or 20 percent of the population is made up of military personnel.

A. Tourist Attractions

Every summer around 325,000 tourists flock to Fairbanks AK.  The sled dog racing is one of the biggest tourist draws to the place.  The old frontier charm of Fairbanks is another.  You can still see gold mining camps in the area.

1. Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge – is one the landmarks in Fairbanks.  It is a 1,800 acre bird sanctuary.  It has forests, wetlands, fields and a farm which used to be owned by Charlie Creamer hence the name.  Creamer was a dairy farmer who feed migrating birds with waste grains.  After he died, the farm became a sanctuary by the state.

2. El Dorado Gold Mine – is  a gold mine that draws tourists to Fox near Fairbanks.  It was a functioning mine in the early 1900s, the El Dorado was later transformed into an informational mine and a tour place with train tours a number of times everyday from May to September.  It is owned and operated by Alaska Riverways Inc.

3. Fairbanks Curling Club - is a non-profit organization run by volunteers that offers recreational facilities for curlers.  Curling is a sport where players slide stones on a sheet of ice to a targeted place.  The club helps promote the sport and offer fun to families in the Fairbanks Community.

4. Georgeson Botanical Garden – is a botanical garden inside the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The garden is utilized for research and display.  Public viewing is allowed during the day from May to September. It houses more than a 1,000 of trees, shrubs and perennials every year such as Alaska native plants and plants from Russia, China and Iceland.  The garden was named after Charles Christian Georgeson, a USDA Special Agent in Charge of Alaska Investigations in 1899.

5. Gold Dredge No. 8 or Goldstream Dredge No. 8 -  is a ladder dredge that is declared in 1986 as a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark  by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  It has a 4.5 miles track that produced 7.5 million ounces of gold. In summer, the dredge is open for tours and gold panning.

6. Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station – this is a facility used for research.  The main subjects are colonies of muskoxen, reindeer, and caribou.  The researchers study the nutritional, physiological and behavioral aspects of the animals. Visitors can join a summer tour and talk to the guides.

7. Pioneer Park –  is a 44-acre (109-ha) city park in Fairbanks.  Its former name was Alaskaland.  The park houses several museums and recreational facilities. It is open the entire year.

8. Sternwheel Riverboats – the Riverboat Discovery  operates these boats.  They can provide a tour on the Chena and Tanana Rivers on these boats.

9. University of Alaska Museum of the North – located in Fairbanks campus.  The museum aims to acquire and analyze specimens that relate to Alaska’s heritage and the  Circumpolar North. They do research and public exhibits.
July's Golden Days Parade – this is a multi-day festival that honors the history of the city of Fairbank. The overriding themes for the parade are "goldrush", "Alaskan pioneers", and "early Fairbanks history" (founded in 1901).

City of Fresno Travel - California

The city of Fresno is located in San Joaquin Valley California.  This was the agricultural hub of California due to its fertile soil ideal for vegetables and fruits.  The tourism industry is a growing sector of the city.  Its superb attractions and yearly festivities offer tourists great reasons to come back over and over again.

Fresno, with its temperate climate, provides a number of fun outdoor activities for the guests.  It has a number of parks, museums and other recreational facilities.

A. Tourist Attractions

1. The Woodward Park – this is located in Northern Fresno.  It provides a 10 acre park for biking.

2. The Sierra Nevada Mountains – this is another outdoor destination that is excellent for trekking and hiking.
Sequoia National Forest, Wonder Valley Ranch and Resort, and Huntington Lake – these three destinations have one thing in common which is horseback riding.  Enjoy touring those places while riding a horse.

3. Kings River and San Joaquin River Parkway – do not only provide scenic views but they are also great venues for kayaking and white water rafting.

4. The Brighton Crest and Copper River Country have golf courses that provide perfect view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

5. Blackbeard's Family Fun Center – this has 3 miniature golf courses for little children.  Kids can also indulge in water slides and a game of basketball.

6. Wild Water Adventure Park – is a 52 acre water park that provides thrilling rides.  The park also has facilities for little children such as the Rotary Storyland and Playland.

7. Millerton Lake State Recreation area and Pine Flat Lake – these are great venues for boating and having family picnics.

8. Hume Lake and Woodward Park/Jensen Sports Complex – are great places to do some hunting and fishing.

The African American Cultural and Historical Museum and the American Historical Society of Germans are all found in the city of Fresno, California. They display various artworks and artifacts about the history of early settlers in Fresno.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

San Jose Costa Rica Travel

San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica. It serves political, commercial and cultural center of the country.  San Jose Costa Rica is where the guests will make a short stop before proceeding to the rest of the countryside.

A. Tourists Attractions

Touring the city before you visit the other places is a great idea.  This will allow you to make maximum use of your time. Traveling from San Jose and visiting its various attractions on your way to your desired destination will make full use of your travel time.

The place has various types of accommodations that can fit any budget.  It is known for its amazing cuisine, affordable and upscale restaurants, exciting nightlife, shopping destinations and unbeatable recreational facilities such as parks, theaters, art galleries and museums.

The city is known for various beautiful spots that the guests should see:

1. Instituto Nacional de Seguros houses the famous Jade Museum or Museo de Jade which boasts of the biggest collection of jade in Americas.  It also displays archaeological findings particularly ceramics and stonework during the pre-Columbian era.

2. Museo Oro Precolombino (Gold Museum) has some 1,600 gold artifacts dating to as early as 500 AD to 1500 AD.

3. National Museum or Museo Nacional is located in the old Bellavista Army Barracks. The bullet holes that bore a hole through the south wall serves as a grim remembrance when the country was embroiled in an internal civil strife in 1948.

The museum has an excellent division reserve for archaeology. In the history section you will find a vivid account of the total eradication of indigenous people.

4. National Theater is the most fascinating building in the entire city.  The architectural design is simply impressive.  Marble combined with glasswork, frescoes and murals make it a truly stunning structure.  Performances are held in this theater frequently which will further enthrall the visitors.

5. Other popular theaters in the city are : The Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (National Theater of Costa Rica), the Cathedral and the Melico Salazar Theatre.  These theaters provide various cultural presentations such as concerts, stage drama, operas that show the old and new cultures of Costa Rica.

6. Central Market – this is a popular shopping destination in the city.  The marketplace provides a glimpse of the daily life of the people in Costa Rica. All kinds of goods and even live animals such as turkeys are peddled here.

7. Poas Volcano which is an active volcano with a dense forest in the middle crater is one of the most sought after tourist destination in the country.

8. The Insect Museum located in the Universidad de Costa Rica houses some of the biggest collections of rare and exotic insects.

9. Lankester Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden that houses different varieties of plants and flowers.

10. Pueblo Antigo is a theme park that is perfect for family fun.

San Jose Costa Rica is an exciting destination that offers the best of Costa Rica - amazing museums, fine dining, great recreational facilities.  Its temperate climate all year round makes the place even more enticing.