• Tagged animals, celebrate creative commons license, military, Norway, people, photographers, space, transportation, Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year, World Photography Day

August 19, 2012, is World Photography Day. This is great opportunity to say thank you to photographers. Without photographers licensing their awesome captures as Creative Commons, we wouldn’t be able to share so many awesome works of art. Once upon a time there were not nearly so many quality images licensed under Creative Commons, but that continues to change. We wanted to celebrate World Photography Day by showcasing the Wikimedia Commons Pictures of the Year, decided at the last part of June 2012. There were all sorts of categories in this Sixth Annual Wikimedia Commons POTY Contest, so here are extremely varied subjects that were declared Picture of the Year winners. Congratulations! [31 Photos]

• Tagged architecture, art, beaches, bizarre, culture, nature, sand, sand art, sand castle, sand sculpting, sand sculpture, sand sculpture competition, sand sculpture festival, sandcastles, travel

When a person builds a castle, it’s a strong fortress meant to last hundreds of years. Yet some people build temporary, fragile castles of sand. In fact, most sandcastles are not castles at all but, amazing works of sand sculpture art. This is a mixture of nature, of art, of science. Physicists theorize that even more massive sand castles could be built underwater. While that would be cool, it would be much harder for the masses to enjoy the sandy works of art by masters of sand sculpting. We really liked these and imagined what it might be like to walk along the beach, enjoying nature, but taking in giant cultural pieces of sand art at the same time. While it’s still summer hot in the USA and some “kids” will soon start school, let’s globe hop and enjoy a summer day on the beach and these sensational sand sculptures. [47 Photos]

• Tagged adrenaline rush, architecture, Bjoeks, climbers, climbing, climbing tower, Excalibur, Excalibur climbing wall, extreme sport, Groningen, Kardinge Groningen, Klimcentrum Bjoeks, Netherlands

The area around Groningen, Netherlands, has been described as “flat as a pancake” which leaves climbers with nothing to climb outdoors . . . that is until the massive climbing tower Excalibur was built. Klimcentrum Bjoeks is considered one оf the best Dutch Climbing Centers. It has a boulder area both outside and inside, as well as 18 meters (59 feet) high indoor climbing walls for route climbing. Outside Bjoeks looms the mighty Excalibur, a spectacular and curved climbing tower that is over 121 feet high (37 meters) to reach the thrilling peak. The overhang curves 36 feet out from the base and offers numerous routes up, from the slabby side, to the “steep” side that requires some thought and climbing muscle. Being adrenaline rush fans, we thought it looked pretty cool. Even if it’s not made by nature . . . climbing to the top would allow adventurers, adrenaline junkies and extreme sport participants to see for miles. It would surely feel as if you reached the summit of Dutch mountain. [21 Photos, 2 Videos]

• Tagged celebration, fireworks, Fourth of July, Happy Birthday USA, holiday, Independence Day, July Fourth, military, people, transportation

Happy Birthday America! As you celebrate Independence Day, spare a thought for our troops and for their families. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

• Tagged adrenaline rush, adventure, cave divers, cave diving, caverneers, dive, divers, diving, eels, extreme sport, fish, Florida, freshwater diving, nature, people, travel, Vortex Springs

Vortex Spring produces 28 million gallons of crystal clear freshwater, not saltwater, and holds at a steady year-round temperature of 68 degrees. It’s located right outside Ponce de Leon, Florida. Yet instead of the famed Fountain of Youth, the commercial dive location is famous for teaching people how to cave dive . . . and a bit infamous for all the cave divers who have died there. We had not heard of this unusual yet beautiful piece of paradise, but we hope you find it as fascinating and mysterious as we do. From professional cave divers to curious adrenaline junkies, adventurers travel far and wide to dive the Vortex. There are more than 1,600 feet of underwater passageways. At 310 feet down, there is a locked steel gate that bars the way into the cave so the inexperienced and uncertified will not risk the underwater grim reaper. Sometimes even qualified divers get lost; sometimes they dive into the Vortex but they don’t come out. [32 Photos, 5 Videos]

• Tagged Astronaut André Kuipers photos, Astronaut Don Pettit photos, ATV, Aurora, comet, dragon, ESA, International Space Station, ISS, lightning, lyrids, NASA, space, star trails, stargazing, stars

ISS astronauts continue to shoot spectacular images and send them back to Earth to share the stunning sights. [27 Photographs, 2 Videos]

• Tagged holiday, memorial, Memorial Day, military, military families, Navy SEAL, people, seals, tribute, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy

In 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, it was decided to decorate the graves of those who died in the war. Although it wasn’t yet called Memorial Day, it did begin with the idea of remembering and honoring soldiers. Americans do still visit graves and attend Memorial Day services, but over the years Memorial Day has morphed into a three day weekend of barbecues, boating and the opening of city swimming pools. We wanted to show our appreciation of the people in the military who put their lives on the line for America. Like in hug a soldier, these photos certainly don’t include everyone, but we liked them. This tribute is our way of saying thank you to our troops for all that you do and thank you to military families for the sacrifice and separation you endure. We appreciate you and Happy Memorial Day! [43 Photos]

• Tagged abandoned, adrenaline rush, architecture, art, bizarre, film location, ghost hunts, haunted, paranormal, paranormal phenomena, people, phenomenon, senior citizens, urban exploration, urbex

How do you tell grandma or grandpa that you love them? Certainly not by putting them in a formerly abandoned and haunted hospital! Facepalm, you’ve got to be kidding me? That is just so wrong in so many different ways! The six-story Linda Vista Community Hospital, which has been abandoned since 1991, is an infamous Hollywood favorite for filming super scary movies. It also has a notorious reputation for all kinds of paranormal phenomena. After some serious renovations, the supposedly haunted hospital will be revamped into about 100 single-bedroom ‘affordable housing’ apartments — Linda Vista Senior Apartments. Do you still dispute it’s haunted after viewing the 70 photos and 5 paranormal investigation videos as ‘proof’? Even skeptics, would you want your grandma to live anywhere within the top 5 floors of these future senior living apartments? About 42% of the U.S. population admits to believing in ghosts and the decaying and creepy hospital is a hotspot for urban explorers, paranormal investigators and the curious in Los Angeles. And then there’s all those animal sacrifices and allegedly satanic rituals which leave some people asking does the devil live inside Linda Vista Hospital?

While HDR sparked epic complaints on the illegal Six Flags tour, it is an art that we especially appreciate when it comes to enhancing extremely eerie, abandoned places . . . especially ‘haunted hospitals.’ If you’d rather see an abandoned place without HDR, here is Nara Dreamland, a derelict knock-off Disneyland in Japan. Otherwise, photographers, paranormal investigators and urban explorers take us on an urbex tour of this creepy ‘haunted’ hospital. Welcome to Linda Vista, future housing for grandpa and grandma. [70 photos and 5 paranormal investigation videos]

• Tagged adrenaline junkies, adrenaline rush, canoe, extreme kayaking, extreme sports, Great Falls National Park, kayak, kayakers, kayaking, Oregon, rivers, waterfall, whitewater, whitewater kayaking, whitewater river rapids

There are many types of kayaking which can include paddling down gently moving water, but these kayakers are into demanding, dangerous whitewater. If trapping your legs into the cockpit and kayaking over insanely treacherous whitewater river rapids is not enough of an extreme adventure sport, then how about going over a waterfall in a kayak? Professional kayakers drop hundreds of feet going over falls. Extreme sports photographers captured these whitewater kayakers river running, rolling, creeking, playboating and during other extreme kayaking. We’re not quite sure if these kayakers are on drugs . . . or need to be. Or maybe all these adrenaline junkies need is the natural drug, an adrenaline rush? [45 Photos & 5 Videos]

• Tagged animals, architecture, Blossom Kite Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival, cherry blossoms, DC cherry blossom photos, DC kites and cherry blossoms, District of Columbia, Jefferson Memorial, kites, National Mall, nature, people, places, season, Smithsonian Kite Festival, Spring, Tidal Basin, travel, Washington D.C., Washington Monument, White House

Ah beautiful cherry blossoms, kites and love is in the Spring air. It’s that time again for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. It would be a great time to see DC since there is also a Blossom Kite Festival, previously called the Smithsonian Kite Festival. An estimated 1 million people will come to witness the events while the cherry blossoms are blooming. With the cost of gas astronomical, here are 44 fantastic photos, a tour for those of you who won’t be able to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival and Blossom Kite Festival this weekend. [44 Photos]

• Tagged architecture, architecture for love, art, castles, castles built for love, castles love built, haunted, holiday, love, odd, places, travel, Valentine's Day

Love is the most powerful force that exists. In the throes of love, your feet are nowhere close to the ground but floating in the clouds. Love has inspired all types of art, poems, novels, plays, music and paintings. After Cupid shoots an arrow through the heart, some people are so inspired as to erect architecture. We’re not talking about building a Love Shack, but of big-scale and divinely romantic architecture such as castles built for love. Margaret Anderson once said, “In real love you want the other person’s good. In romantic love you want the other person.” Castles built by love seem like both. There are many examples of architecture built for love, but to celebrate Valentine’s Day we wanted to hone in on castles love built. While this amazing architecture seems like something out of a fairy tale, and a wonderfully romantic way to say I Will Always Love You, not all end with happily ever after. The irony is that almost all of these grand displays of love ended in tragedy. [15 Castles presented in 83 Photos]

• Tagged bizarre, celebration, Chinese Year of the Dragon, dragon, dragons, holiday, Lunar New Year, Year of the Dragon

A dragon — the most powerful and revered of the Chinese zodiac signs — is just what the world needs while Mayan predictions for 2012 are all gloom and doom. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and the Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year, kicks off with parades filled with dancing lions and dragons. The parades start on Lunar New Year’s Day and continue for the next fifteen days until the festivities end with the Lantern Festival. Some dragons are as long as 100 meters and require 50 people dancing in sync. The Dragon is regarded as a sacred creature, symbolising power, courage, righteousness and dignity. The Dragon Dance originated in China during the Han Dynasty (180-230AD) and every Chinese New Year parade ends with a mighty and colorful Dragon Dance. The Dragon is the only animal of the Chinese zodiac year that is not real; it is all powerful, breathes fire, can travel on land, fly in the sky, or dive and swim in the water. Dragons bring good luck. Welcome Year of the Dragon! [36 Photos]