June, 2012 Archives

Adrenaline Junkies Cave Diving Vortex Spring [Pics, Videos]

June 28th, 2012 Permalink

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]

Friendly fish at Vortex Springs

When you think of Florida and diving, “freshwater” might not be your first thought. But Vortex Spring is a popular diving area for professional, experienced and even beginning divers. It offers training classes for scuba diving as well as being a top ranked spot to become certified. The water is cool, a constant 68° and does not become stagnant due to the constant flow of water that also helps keep it clear. The photographer called this ‘Larry’s pets.’ Photo #1 by © Barry Shively

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Stunning Star Trails from Space & Incredible ISS Astronaut Photography [27 Pics, 2 Vids]

June 22nd, 2012 Permalink

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

More timelapse star trails as seen from ISS Expedition 31

This is stargazing mixed with stunning long exposure photography while orbiting the Earth at about 17,000 miles per hour. These star trails from space were captured by astronaut photographer Don Pettit. This is a composite of a series of images photographed from a mounted camera on the Earth-orbiting International Space Station, from approximately 240 miles above Earth. Photo #1 by ISS Science Officer Don Pettit

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Urbex: Abandoned, Burned, Semi-Demolished Emge Foods Meat Processing Plant [72 PICS]

June 16th, 2012 Permalink

Emge Foods Plant in Fort Branch, Indiana, is listed as “Emge Foods Plant: Tourists’ most wanted hotspots on Google Maps …” on Wikimapia. I was looking for urban decay, but discovered a previously burned and partially demolished Emge Food Processing Plant where an adventure included a little climbing and even a bit of caving . . . urban exploration is after-all a type of ‘extreme sport‘ and adrenaline rush. On Memorial Day, when it seemed most unlikely anyone would pay double-time for a security guard, a trip for an urbex adventure sounded fun. Once I got there, come to find out, it’s in the midst of being demolished. Just the same, I’d made the trip so little things like ‘no trespassing,’ security cameras and danger zone weren’t going to stop me. I spent the next three hours inside the place, armed with my camera, probably the very last urban explorer to go inside. I’ve done a lot of adrenaline rush adventures and urban explorations, but nothing abandoned, burned, flooded, and a pile of wreckage being demolished. It caught fire yet again a few short days after this trip. It smelled terrible in spots, old burned asbestos, and then stagnate flooded areas down below. Fairly treacherous. Good times. Had fun and wanted to share the abandoned slaughterhouse tour. [72 Photos]

Burnt time clock and phone time clock at abandoned and semi-demolished Emge Food Processing plant

Burnt time clock and phone at abandoned and semi-demolished Emge Food Processing plant. Before this urbex adventure of an abandoned and partially burned Emge meat processing plant and slaughterhouse was posted, the building caught fire. Again. It caught fire in 2009 as you can see by the toasted time clock — and the walls were partly missing in that room due to the wrecking ball. Knew I was the last urban explorer to go inside the place, but didn’t anticipate the fire. Photo #1 by Love These Pics

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Majestic Zion National Park: Angels Landing, The Subway, Cliffs & Canyons [45 PICS]

June 7th, 2012 Permalink

Zion National Park in Utah came in as the 7th most visited national park in the USA during 2011. You stand in the wide open surrounded by massive cliffs, or you can hike into the narrow slot canyon. The 229-square-mile park offers mild ‘leg-stretcher’ walks or seriously strenuous adventures. The majestic natural beauty calls out to nature lovers and adventurers alike for rock climbing, canyoning, rappelling, backpacking and hiking. Where else can you see both a place for Angels and a subway created by nature? [45 Photos]

On Angel's wings --  Angels Landing trail of Zion National Park is something to behold

‘On Angel’s wings.’ The photographer wrote, “I’ve done my share of gruelling hikes, long monotonous, twist your ankles hikes, but this one stands out on it’s own though it was a short 5 mile hike. Angels Landing trail of Zion National Park is something to behold. Aptly named so because when Zion was initially explored, no one belived they could get to there unless it was an Angel on his wings. Then the demons made a trail to the top of it. And us urchins scrambled along to the holy sanctuary.” Photo #1 by Joseph Dsilva

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Lost Underwater Lion City: Rediscovery of China’s ‘Atlantis’

June 1st, 2012 Permalink

Once upon a time, an ancient city in China was named Lion City because Five Lion Mountain loomed large behind it. The city, also known as Shi Cheng, has been buried beneath the water for 53 years. Like the lost Incan City of Machu Picchu was ‘rediscovered,’ so was this lost underwater city that had been founded about 1,300 years ago. Lion City is now located about 85 – 131 feet (26-40 meters) beneath the gorgeous Thousand Island Lake (Qiandao Lake). This valley was submerged when a dam was constructed and a lake was needed. The lake and thousands of islands were man-made. Shi Cheng ‘defied’ the Chinese norm since 5 gates and 5 towers were built into the city instead of 4. Lion City is about the size of 62 football fields. International archaeologists and a film crew recorded the amazing perservation of the lost ‘ruins.’ [23 Photos, 2 Videos]

Lion City, lost underwater Shi Cheng, dubbed China's Atlantis rediscovered

More than half a century ago, the Chinese flooded Lion City, also called Shi Cheng. Recently Shi Cheng was explored by archaeologists who dubbed ‘Lion City’ as China’s ‘Atlantis rediscovered.’ Photo #1 by Chinese National Geography via Cheer All

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