Rev your engines . . . these all-American road trips are primed for summer adventure

With summer around the corner, the open road beckons. In that spirit, we present our favorite American road trips from the West to the East. Some are well-known destinations and others are off the beaten path. Several are steeped in history, while a few pursue remote, wild beauty. Best of all, most of these routes make for splendid drives all year long, so you can get out and explore their bounty whenever the mood strikes. So rev your engines . . . and hit the road.

Big Sur, California

Iconic Route 1 extends almost the entire length of California, but our favorite stretch for road trips is through Big Sur, which comprises 90 or so miles along the central coast from San Simeon to Carmel. Big Sur’s beauty is not overrated: Sandwiched between the Santa Lucia mountains and the Pacific – redwood groves on one side and rocky beaches with sea lions on the other – it’s remarkably unspoiled, partly because the only access is via the two-lane Route 1, or Cabrillo Highway. Devote a long weekend, ideally in May or September for fewer crowds. Start out in San Jose, which has the closest major airport, and head south 74 miles on U.S. 101. Merge onto Route 156 and pick up Route 1, cruise through Monterey and Carmel, and then enter Big Sur proper. There are no big towns, only small clusters of roadside restaurants and stores, so fill the gas tank in advance. The road twists along precipitous cliffs and it can be a relief to stop for impromptu hiking, picnicking, or beachcombing (try Jade Cove for its namesake stone). A bohemian Eden in the 1960s, when Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller spent time here, Big Sur is an area where their free-spirit vibe still lingers.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia

Although old-time Appalachia has been immortalized in song, these days it can be difficult to locate that haven of rolling hills and wildflowers. The Blue Ridge Parkway, which stretches 469 miles along the southern Appalachian Mountains and links two national parks – Virginia’s Shenandoah and North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains – hits all the right notes. Drive the entire length if there’s time (but remember the speed limit is 45 mph in most parts). For a shorter jaunt, fly into Asheville, N.C., and follow the parkway north for about 2 hours to Boone. Not a single interstate crosses the parkway. Instead of gas stations and motels, it’s flanked by picnic areas and hiking trails lined with dogwood, tulip trees, and red maples, with the mighty Appalachians as the backdrop. Highlights include Grandfather Mountain, a U.N.-designated International Biosphere Reserve, and the gardens and winery of the magnificent Biltmore Estate, a 19th-century Vanderbilt château near Asheville. Most sightseers do this road trip in spring and fall for the wildflowers and foliage, but the summer brings fewer cars, and the breezy, dry weather is near perfect.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana

In an epoch of climate change, it’s more satisfying than ever to make a pilgrimage (albeit by car) to witness the awesome beauty of glaciers in idyllic northern Montana. In Glacier National Park, the Going-to-the-Sun Road runs east to west for 50 miles. Take at least half a day to drive it in early June or just after Labor Day for the most unencumbered backcountry tour. Although the park stays open year-round, parts of this road trip route close from mid-September to mid-June. In July and August, when the route is beleaguered by traffic and maintenance work, jump on the free and eco-friendly shuttle bus. The Sun Road, as it’s also called, crosses the Continental Divide at a breathtaking elevation of 6,646 feet (keep an eye out for mountain goats and bighorn sheep) and passes by Jackson Glacier Overlook, which, as the name suggests, is a good place to spot glaciers. A huge feat in engineering when it was created 76 years ago, the parkway includes portions carved into a sheer vertical cliff known as the Garden Wall. On the side of the road, the valley lies thousands of feet below.

Hana Highway

Hana Highway, Hawaii

Driving Maui’s serpentine Hana Highway on the rural east side of the island provides a feel for Hawaii’s early days, when wild beauty and sleepy surf towns ruled. The famous road, also called the Road to Hana, starts in the town of Paia (about a 40-minute drive from Maui’s more developed southwest area) and wiggles east along the coast for more than 60 miles. The road trip’s entire length can be traveled in about 3 hours but it’s better to allot at least a day to take in the rain forest setting (and allow for traffic). Rent a convertible, slather on sunscreen, and start before dawn to catch the sunrise. With the route incorporating some 600 hairpin curves and dozens of one-lane bridges, the driving is as taxing as the sights are stunning. Leave some time to check out a few of the following: Keanae Arboretum, with an exotic botanical garden; Waikani Falls, a trio of crashing chutes; and Ka’eleku Caverns, an ancient site created from lava flow. Turn around at the peaceful village of Hana or, for the real finish-line reward, continue further to Haleakala National Park to camp among vegetation that grows nowhere else in the world.

Million Dollar Highway (Silverton)

Million Dollar Highway, Colorado

Near Telluride but worlds away, a 24-mile stretch of U.S. 550 takes visitors back in time to when the West was still wild (the road trip conditions are not for the faint of heart). Connecting the old mining towns of Silverton and Ouray in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, the Million Dollar Highway traverses the Uncompahgre Gorge to the summit of Red Mountain Pass, where a series of hairpin turns – sans guardrails – flank stomach-churning vertical drops. The countryside, decked in wildflowers during the spring, sustains elk, mountain goats, black bears, and deer. In the tiny towns of Silverton (a National Historic Landmark) and Ouray, Victorian buildings from the 1870s evoke the frontier era. Although the Million Dollar Highway is short, budget a day for it – all those twists and turns take time.

Red Rock Scenic Byway

Red Rock Scenic Byway, Arizona

While the city of Sedona’s growth may have resulted in a bit of a commercial sprawl, its captivating rock formations still stand guard right outside town on the Red Rock Scenic Byway, a 7.5-mile little slip of road trip heaven. Also known as Route 179, it starts in Sedona and runs south, ending at Interstate 17 near Rimrock. Clearly marked trailheads and off-road bike paths are scattered along the way, so bring hiking boots or a mountain bike. Spend at least half a day exploring the red rock formations (many named after objects they resemble, like Bell, Cathedral, and Snoopy), which seem to change shape and color with every shift of light. Most of the drive cuts through the diverse Coconino National Forest, full of hills and washes covered in yucca, juniper, cacti, and piñon pines. Hawks and eagles swoop overhead and elk, deer, coyotes, and quail roam the terrain. Look familiar? In the 1940s and ’50s studios shot many Westerns here, including Broken Arrow with Jimmy Stewart.

Sea Islands (Jekyll Island Bridge)

Sea Islands, Georgia

Island hopping along the Georgian coastal barrier islands provides a glimpse at historic blue-blood enclaves that also beckon birders and naturalists. Over a long weekend, gain an introduction to intriguing island outposts, connected by causeways and bridges, and, in some cases, only reached by ferries. Start this road trip in Savannah and head about 2 hours south on coastal Route 17 to Brunswick, the area’s gateway. Drive over the causeway to St. Simons, one of the four Golden Isles along with Little St. Simons, Sea Island, and Jekyll. The largest of the populated islands, upscale St. Simons is known for its golf courses and historical sites and a long, white-sand public beach. Bird watchers should head to Gould’s Inlet on East Beach for sightings, in season, of laughing gulls, royal and caspian terns, red-throated loons, or painted buntings. Sea Island, accessible by car from St. Simons, is synonymous with the Cloister resort, the ne plus ultra when it comes to Southern luxury. Even if you’re not staying at the resort, it’s worth visiting the island to cruise Sea Island Drive, lined with impressive Spanish Mediterranean-style mansions. To reach Jekyll, return to Route 17 on the mainland and turn east on the Jekyll Island Road (Route 520). Once a playground of Rockefellers and Pulitzers, Jekyll today is the stomping ground of leisure travelers who frequent its pristine beaches and golf courses, as well as marshes and maritime forests. Head to the south end for the best birding, or take a guided walk to view nesting loggerhead sea turtles.

Seward Highway (Turnagain Arm)

Seward Highway, Alaska

An easy way to enjoy a cross section of Alaska’s massive beauty is to traverse the 127-mile Seward Highway that links Anchorage to the tiny portside town of Seward on magnificent Resurrection Bay. This compact swath encompasses boreal forests, mammoth glaciers, and majestic fjords. Starting in Anchorage, where it’s easy to rent a car at the airport, the road leads south across the Kenai Peninsula, hugging the base of the rugged Chugach Mountains and overlooking the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet as it winds past waterfalls and wildlife. Try to spot grazing Dall sheep on the cliffs, beluga whales in the waters below, and eagles and numerous seabirds above. The road trip can be done in 5 hours, but take two leisurely days and stop en route at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center or pan for gold at Crow Creek Mine. In Seward, tour the nearby Kenai Fjords National Park, a singular wonderland of fjords and glaciers.

Sonoma and Napa Valleys (Clos du Val winery)

Marvin Collins/Clos du Val

Sonoma and Napa Valleys, California

Road trips through the neighboring valleys of Sonoma and Napa can be an entirely chichi experience, but there are also historic spots and quiet nature alongside the luxury standouts. To combine the best of both worlds in one long weekend, rent a car in San Francisco and go an hour north on U.S. 101 to Healdsburg, a sophisticated Sonoma hub brimming with tasting rooms and top restaurants (for a splurge, try Cyrus). Next, head further north on 101 to Lake Sonoma for a leg-stretching hike. Then take Route 128 southeast into Napa Valley and stop in Calistoga, to soak in a mud bath or check out the Old Faithful Geyser of California, which shoots up water every 30 minutes. From Calistoga, cross over to the Silverado Trail, a lovely meander south (roughly parallel to Route 29) past some of the area’s most notable wineries including Phelps, Mumm, Stags’ Leap, and Clos Du Val. Take Route 29 at Oakville (procure picnic supplies at the gourmet Oakville Grocery Co.) or in the restaurant mecca of Yountville. Further on, merge onto Interstate 80 and return to San Francisco.

U.S. Route 1 (Home on Kennebunkport shore)

U.S. Route 1, Maine

In August, when the masses descend on Vacationland, Route 1 is a parking lot winding through a million small towns with schizophrenic stoplights. But in early summer and fall, road trips here offer an unobstructed front-row seat to the state’s hardy coastal beauty. Start this weeklong tour of Maine in its south, in the town of Kittery. Drive north through laid-back, gay-friendly Ogunquit before reaching posh Kennebunkport and its seaside mansions (for an unforgettable meal, try the renowned White Barn Inn). Then head to foodie-friendly Portland and eventually Freeport, home of quintessentially Northeastern clothier L.L. Bean (open 24 hours). Further north – or down east, as they say – the landscape turns desolate within the blueberry barrens of Washington County and the sights become more ruggedly striking. Don’t miss the reversing saltwater falls, a natural wonder that results from the area’s strong tides, near West Pembroke. Sometimes this can be observed in utter solitude. The trip ends in the tiny city of Calais at Canada’s border.

Often referred as the “river of five colors”, “the river that ran away from paradise,” and “the most beautiful river in the world.” A unique biological wonder Caño Cristales is one of those places you have to see to believe.

For most of the year, Caño Cristales is indistinguishable from any other river, with a bed of rocks covered in dull green mosses and a cool dark blue current.

During Colombia’s wet season, the water flows fast and deep, obscuring the bottom of the river and denying the mosses and algae that call the river home the sun that they need. During the dry season there is not enough water to support the dazzling array of life in the river.

However for a short period of the year the river blossoms in a rainbow of colours. During that span between the wet and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the many varieties of algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colours. Blotches of yellow, blue, green, black, and red and a thousand shades in between, coat the river.

Caño Cristales is located in quite a remote, isolated area and is not easily accessible by road. Adventurous tourists can now fly into any of the four nearby towns within “The Sierra or Serrania (mountain) de la Macarena”, one of Colombian Natural Reserve National Parks, which is the home of the river.

Caño Cristales is a succession of rapids, waterfalls, and manholes with a water of such purity that allows see the bottom easily. The Macarena Reserve which is about 130 kilometers long by 30 kilometers wide is also home of a rich and large variety of flora and fauna and a scientist at the Smithsonian Institute in the U.S., argues that the Serrania de la Macarena is one of the richest place in the world in forms of animal and plant life.

The site was effectively closed to tourists for several years because of guerrilla activity in the region along with concerns about the impact of unregulated tourist traffic. However, the site was reopened to visitors in 2009.

Today a number of many Colombian Tourist Agencies will fly travelers to La Macarena and from there, they would make their way to the river site on foot, horses or donkeys as part of guided tours. The tours will follow four clearly marked and authorized paths and one is no longer permitted to stay overnight or cook.

Photography at the right time

Interesting picture of the amount of sugar in food

The new product of Lamborghini which has been inspired from Batman’s car is designed and is considered as the improved version of Lamborghini reventon.

Squirrels are familiar to almost everyone. More than 200 squirrel species live all over the world, with the notable exception of Australia.

The tiniest squirrel is the aptly named African pygmy squirrel—only five inches (thirteen centimeters) long from nose to tail. Others reach sizes shocking to those who are only familiar with common tree squirrels. The Indian giant squirrel is three feet (almost a meter) long.

Like other rodents, squirrels have four front teeth that never stop growing so they don’t wear down from the constant gnawing. Tree squirrels are the types most commonly recognized, often seen gracefully scampering and leaping from branch to branch. Other species are ground squirrels that live in burrow or tunnel systems, where some hibernate during the winter season.

Ground squirrels eat nuts, leaves, roots, seeds, and other plants. They also catch and eat small animals, such as insects and caterpillars. These small mammals must always be wary of predators because they are tasty morsels with few natural defenses, save flight. Sometimes groups of ground squirrels work together to warn each other of approaching danger with a whistling call.

Tree squirrels are commonly seen everywhere from woodlands to city parks. Though they are terrific climbers, these squirrels do come to the ground in search of fare such as nuts, acorns, berries, and flowers. They also eat bark, eggs, or baby birds. Tree sap is a delicacy to some species.

It comes from fossil-rich amber deposits discovered in the Aragon region of northeastern Spain about seven years ago .
According to the authors, the new find is not only the oldest but also the first known substantial fossilized section of spider web.
The partial web includes 26 strands of silk, some of them joined by cross links, Grimaldi says, which are typical of orb-weaving spider webs.
The only sample comparable to the find is a piece of Lebanese amber 130 million years old that holds a single strand of spider silk.
Both specimens formed during the early Cretaceous period, a time when creatures such as iguanadons were on the scene but well before the arrival of Tyrannosaurus rex.
While there was no spider present in the latest find, the amber did contain a mite, a beetle, a leg from a wasp, and a fly caught by the spider’s silk.
The discovery, Grimaldi says, helps researchers understand the evolution of both spiders and their prey.
For example, a long history of hanging webs would mean spiders have been influencing the evolution of flying insects for millions of years.

Tsunami Survivor

NAIROBI (AFP) – A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa , officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed ! Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean , then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

“It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a ‘mother’,” ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP.

“After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together,” the ecologist added.

“The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother,” Kahumbu added.

“The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender! age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with t heir mothers for four years,” he explained.