• Tagged environment, erupt, eruption, Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, National Park, nature, phenomena, photography, photos, pics, places, UNESCO World Heritage Site, volcano, volcanoes

Volcanic activity is spiking in Hawaii and people are flocking there to see the spectacular show. Visitors, both regular folks and scientists, to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are able to witness the active volcanic personality and the formation of new cinder cones, glowing pit craters, rivers of lava and fountains of spatter. This volcanic paradise shows off 70 million years of volcanism, but was only established as a National Park in 1916. It stretches over 333,086 acres (505.36 square miles) and has two active volcanoes. While Kīlauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and has been in nearly continuous eruption since 1983, Mauna Loa is the world’s most massive volcano. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has seven ecological zones, was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and became a World Heritage Site in 1987. Welcome to the Big Island and volcanic paradise! We love these pics! [48 Photos]

• Tagged art, bizarre, culture, Dante, Dante's Inferno, Italy, odd, photos, pics, places, sand castle, sand sculpture, sand sculpture festival

Dante’s Inferno – welcome to hell, a mixture of culture and amazingly intricate and evil sand sculpture art. Dante Alighieri wrote the 14th-century epic poem in which Inferno, meaning hell in Italian, is the first part of his Divine Comedy. The International Sand Sculpture Festival was held in Venice, Italy, on the beach of Jesolo Lido. The Sultans of Sand Worldwide brought together 18 incredibly talented master sand sculptors from 9 countries. 2,000 tons of sand were used to craft 24 different scenes from the 9 circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno. Some of these wildly wicked sculptures stood over 4 meters (13 feet) high and were built in only 10 days! While professional sand sculptors can carve out both amazing and sometimes bizarre creations, the intricate designs of these giant sand demons make this one of the most mind-blowing, bizarre, and unforgettable International Sand Sculpture Festivals ever. A very special thank you to photographers Marco Rizzetto and Gael Reignier for granting me permission to post their copyrighted pictures that show off all 9 circles of Dante’s Inferno. Get ready to traipse through the nine levels, “circles,” of hell: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. [46 Photos]

• Tagged abandoned, archaeological, Hiram Bingham III, Inca, Inca Empire, Incas, Machu Picchu, nature, people, Peru, photography, photos, pics, places, rock-cut architecture, ruins, Seven New Wonders of the World, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Peru is celebrating 100 years since the rediscovery of Machu Picchu by Yale professor Hiram Bingham III. On July 24, 1911, the American, who some believe was later the “model” for Indiana Jones, stumbled upon jungle-and-vine-coated ruins during an expedition to find an ancient Inca Empire in the Andes mountains. Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. In 2007, it was crowned as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World via a worldwide Internet vote. To mark the Machu Picchu centennial celebration, here is a collection of pictures from the “Lost City of the Incas.”
[46 Photos]

• Tagged America, celebration, fireworks, holiday, Independence Day, July Fourth, military, military photographers, people, photography, photos, pics, places, soldiers, transportation, troops, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, USA

Happy Birthday America! We had hoped to show you something a little bit different than the same old firework display photos you see all over cyberspace. Military photographers have captured some very cool, unique, and patriotic shots of our troops and how they celebrate Independence Day. Most of their shots below are tagged with the military photographer’s description of the scene. From picnics to parties, Americans celebrate the nation’s birthday in many different ways. Are you small town or big city July 4th firework celebration type person? How do watch the firework displays? On your back on a blanket? Sitting in chairs or stadiums? Near a body of water, or are you the “official” lighter of family fireworks? However you celebrate America’s Independence and birthday, please spare a happy thought in support of our troops and their families. Have fun! Enjoy the fireworks! This our little patriotic tribute. We love the USA and we love these pics! [46 Fantastic Photos]

• Tagged moss, mountains, National Park, nature, Olympic National Park, photos, pics, trees

Olympic National Park in Washington offers a bit of everything for nature lovers, hikers and adventurers like Pacific Ocean beaches, rain forest valleys, glacier-capped peaks and a dazzling diversity of plants and animals. 95% of this park is still wilderness, making Olympic Wilderness one of the wildest places left in the lower 48 states. The National Park Service says, “This year, nearly 40,000 people will camp in the Olympic Wilderness and several hundred thousand people will take day hikes and walks. Olympic is fragile. But if we care for Olympic, we can preserve its wildness and grandeur for future generations.” In this awe-inspiring national park, visitors can go from glacier, to marvelous moss-draped wilderness, to the sea in one amazing day. [36 Photos]

• Tagged Argentina, cave, Chile, environment, General Carrera Lake, labyrinth, lake, Marble Cathedral, marble caves, nature, Patagonia, phenomena, photos, pics, pictures, South America

In Patagonia, South America, General Carrera Lake is shared by Argentina and Chile. But on the Chilean side of the beautiful emerald-green to turquoise-blue waters, there are breathtakingly beautiful marble caves carved into passageways and caverns. These amazing marble formations were sculpted by erosion into three main marble formations: La Capilla (the Chapel), El Catedral (the Cathedral), and La Cueva (the Cave). The impressive labyrinth of marble caves are large enough for a small boat to glide into. Here are those magnificent marble caves. [35 Photos]

• Tagged Black Forest, environment, Germany, nature, New Seven Wonders of Nature, photos, pics, places, Schwarzwald, travel

The Black Forest in Germany is so dense with pine trees that it blocks out most of the light in the woods and that’s how “Black Forest” got its name. The German name for the Black Forest wooded mountain range is Schwarzwald. Like the Halong Bay, gorgeous jewels in an emerald sea, and Volcanic JeJu, Island of the Gods, the Black Forest is one of the elite 28 finalists in the competition to name the new 7 Wonders of Nature. The beautiful Black Forest is a gigantic nature park, calling to nature lovers and adventurers . . . and for those with an active imagination, it’s said that Germany’s Black Forest possesses a “rich mythological landscape. It is said to be haunted by werewolves, sorcerers, witches who haunt the darkness, and the devil in differing guises, so watch out. Fortunately, there are dwarves that live within the woods who like to help people and try to balance the scales.” [33 Photos]

• Tagged Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Lower Antelope Canyon, Native American nations, Native Americans, nature, Navajo Nation, Navajo Tribal Park, people, photography, photos, pics, places, The Corkscrew, The Crack, travel, Upper Antelope Canyon

The mysterious, magnificent colors of Antelope Canyon make it the most photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. This masterpiece of color is located near Page, Arizona, and the Lake Powell area. We’ve looked at Canyon de Chelly National Monument and magnificent Monument Valley, but in Navajo Nation tribute part 3, we’re looking at Antelope Canyon. This is actually made up of two slot canyons. The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means “the place where water runs through rocks.” Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdeztwazi which in Navajo means “spiral rock arches.” Antelope Canyon was formed mostly by erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding and water rushing through the rocks. The risk of flash floods is but one reason Antelope Canyon is not accessible without a guide. Yet people come from all over the world to visit the Navajo Nation and to try out this photographic extravaganza. [30 Photos]

• Tagged Ha Long Bay, Halong Bay, New Seven Wonders of Nature, photos, pics, places, travel, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wonders of the World, World Heritage Site

In northern Vietnam, east of Hanoi, is a gorgeous gem of nature which is famous for its stunning rock formations. Ha Long Bay translates to mean Descending Dragon Bay. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of 28 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. It’s certainly not hard to see why with these breathtaking images. Ha Long (or Halong) Bay has a magnificent collection of 1,969 limestone monoliths that are dotted with jungle vegetation. The core of the bay has 775 islets. There may be 3,000 or more incredible islands of all various shapes and sizes rising up like jewels from an emerald sea. It would be easy to imagine pirates hiding behind the massive and sometimes hollow monoliths that hide gigantic caves. Birds can almost always be heard singing and monkeys can be seen playing on these monolithic islands that feature secluded beaches, grottoes, caves, and lakes. Welcome to Ha Long Bay, one of nature’s paradise locations! [40 Photos]

• Tagged adrenaline junkies, adrenaline rush, BASE jump, cliffs, extreme sports, insane roads, Kjerag cliffs, mountains, nature, Norway, photography, photos, pics, pictures, places, Preacher's Pulpit, Preikestolen, Pulpit Rock, The Troll's Tongue, travel, Troll Mountains, Troll Wall, Trollveggen

Norway has absolutely beautiful landscapes, including crazy cliffs that call to people to climb up them and then BASE jump off the top. Here’s a look at some of those incredible cliffs as well as insanely dangerous switchback roads to get to those amazing cliffs in Norway. Thrillseekers, photographers, hikers and climbers take in these majestic views of nature. And then, there’s BASE jumpers who have a much more extreme need for adrenaline. Charles Lindbergh once said of his adrenaline rush, “It is the greatest shot of adrenaline to be doing what you have wanted to do so badly. You almost feel like you could fly without the plane.” Here in Norway, as if they’ve turned into Superman, some adrenaline junkies do fly without a plane.
[33 Photos]

• Tagged adrenaline rush, bizarre, Chuuk, diving, Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon, haunted, island, Micronesia, nature, photos, pics, pictures, scuba diving, shipwreck, shipwreck diving, Truk, Truk Lagoon, undersea wonder of the world, underwater, wreck diving

Truk Lagoon, known as Chuuk – a group of tropical paradise islands in the Federal States of Micronesia – offers adrenaline-junky scuba divers a cool yet creepy underwater adventure in shark-infested Pacific waters while wreck diving the mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. More than 50 major shipwrecks from WWII litter the seabed, making the undersea wonder of the world the best shipwreck diving destination on the globe. In 1944, Americans launched Operation Hailstone, which has been called the Japanese Pearl Harbor, and the bombardment lasted for three days. The attack wiped out 60 ships and 275 airplanes, sinking them to the bottom of the lagoon, so that now it is the biggest ship graveyard in the world. Most of the wrecks were left untouched for nearly 25 years since people feared setting off the thousands of sunken bombs. Many of the shipwrecks in the scuba diving paradise have full cargo holds full of fighter aircraft, tanks, bulldozers, railroad cars, motorcycles, torpedoes, mines, bombs, boxes of munitions, radios, thousands of various weapons, human remains, and other artifacts. More than 3,000 people were thought to have been killed and some divers swear that the wrecks in Truk Lagoon are haunted. Destination Truth conducted an underwater ghost hunting expedition in Truk Lagoon. While diving at the Hoki Maru, the divers recorded sounds of running engines in the cargo hold full of trucks. Here’s a virtual adventure with wreck divers who explored and photographed the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. This is underwater awesomeness! We love these pics! [33 Photos]

• Tagged Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, desert, National Park, nature, photography, photos, pics

Death Valley is a desert valley in California and Nevada, within the Mojave Desert which makes it one of the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Most of Death Valley National Park is located southeast of the Sierra Nevada range in the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert. All of these photos are of lonely yet exquisitely beautiful Death Valley and Death Valley National Park landscapes. [40 Photos]