• Tagged National Forests, National Grassland, National Scenic Area, National Volcanic Monument, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Northwest Region 6, US National Forests, Washington

Let’s take a majestic, if not also magical, trip to Oregon and Washington to an area called “Region 6.” That might not sound overly impressive, but “the Pacific Northwest region is host to a number of outstanding National Forests,” said the US Forest Service. Outstanding is an underestimate, since that area within the USA is sometimes called God’s Country. “The Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6) of the US Forest Service contains 17 National Forests, two National Scenic Areas, a National Grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments, all within the states of Oregon and Washington.” Each one is stunning with so many varied landscapes that you might not see all, even if each was a post on its own. From wonderful waterfalls, wilderness areas, lakes, mountains, volcanic monuments and national recreation areas, here’s a broad overview of the unrivaled beauty of Pacific Northwest Region 6. [48 Photos]

• Tagged animals, bizarre, cats, dogs, dogs in wedding costumes, Festivals of Numerical Coincidence

Happy Festival of Numerical Coincidence! In the United States and Belize, we do dates differently than the rest of the world by using a month/day/year format. Believe it or not, there’s a mad rush to get married on 11/12/13. For example, San Francisco City Hall is all booked up. David’s Bridal compared the date to the Superbowl but for weddings. There’s a psychology surrounding numerical sequences, other than setting a wedding anniversary date that neither couple should forget. For couples who desire such a date, the next sequential date will be next year in December 12-13-14. Since it’s a big day for marriage-seekers, we thought we’d look at weddings featuring dogs and cats while discussing magical calendar dates that set marriage records. [25 Photos]

• Tagged art, forced perspective, Lego, military, military quotes, military transportation, quotes, tribute, US Military, veteran quotes, Veterans Day, WWII

How do you say thank you to a U.S. veteran? For starters, being thankful for our vets one day a year is not nearly enough. We wanted to honor veterans this Veterans Day with a Lego-like military tribute. It seemed to us that the creators and photographers of these tiny military masterpieces were showing their appreciation of our veterans through art. We mixed in some of the photographers’ description with some quotes to honor veterans, some words of wisdom from Combat for Dummies and some Murphy’s Laws of Combat. So if you are veteran, then kick back, relax and hopefully be entertained by this unique expression of our appreciation. If you know a vet who you’d like to thank, maybe share this with him or her? Happy Veterans Day! [52 Photos]

• Tagged autumn, environment, fall colors, Fall colors in the Smokies, fall foliage, fall season, Great Smoky Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Land of Blue Smoke, nature, North Carolina, Smokies, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

Between North Carolina and Tennessee is a spectacular chain of mountains known as the Great Smoky Mountains, commonly called the Smoky Mountains or simply the Smokies. Although they are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Smokies encompass over 500,000 acres of beautiful scenery and are the home of America’s #1 most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. People travel from all over globe to the Smokies during autumn to see ridge after ridge of forest bursting with fall foliage. There are 16 peaks that rise more than 6,000 feet, more than 270 miles of roads, and over 800 miles of maintained trails were visitors can see lush forests, breathtaking waterfalls, rushing streams, and abundant wildlife. Due to the different elevations, the fall leaf colors can last for weeks, meaning the Great Smoky Mountains are especially beautiful in autumn and extremely busy during the last three weeks of October. Here’s a look at the fantastic fall season in the Smokies, the Land of Blue Smoke. [38 Photos]