Spook Hill is located on the Lake Wales Ridge, (about 50
miles south of Disney World) a geologically significant range of sand and
limestone hills, which were islands from two to three million years ago, when
sea levels were much higher than at present. The Legends abound regarding this
landmark, and famous as a magnetic hill, anti-gravity location or simply a
“gravity hill” a car, placed in neutral, will appear to roll uphill Spook Hill is an optical illusion where cars appear to roll
up the spooky hill. Spook Hill is located directly across the street from Spook
Hill Elementary School, which conveniently adopted "Casper the Friendly
Ghost" as their school mascot. The Friendly Ghost as their school mascot. Before
the age of automobiles, horses would supposedly struggle to go downhill. The
town embraces and officially recognizes the hill’s curious properties.
A compendium of interesting places, hidden wonders, Beautiful Places, strange travel destination, tourist attractions.
Monday 19 February 2018
Spook Hill ! Florida's
Wednesday 31 January 2018
The Scared Devils Tower
Devils Tower National Monument, a
unique and striking geologic wonder steeped, is a modern day national park and
climbers' challenge, one of the most remarkable natural creations. Devils Tower
is a laccolithic butte composed of igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Mountains near
Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming. The Devils Tower is also
called Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Lodge”. The scared devils tower is an astonishing
geologic feature that protrudes out of the prairie surrounding the Black Hills.
Numerous ideas have evolved since the official discovery of Devils Tower.
Geologists came to the conclusion that the Tower was indeed formed by an
igneous intrusion. Other ideas have suggested that Devils Tower is a volcanic
plug or that it is the neck of an extinct volcano. Though there is no evidence
of volcanic activity - volcanic ash, lava flows, or volcanic debris - anywhere
in the surrounding countryside.
Devils Tower is 386 meter above
the surrounding terrain and the summit is 1,558 meter above sea level. The
1.25-mile Tower Trail encircles the base. Geologists have faith in that the
tower is the eroded remains of a large mass of igneous rock poking through a
layer of overlying sedimentary rock beds. Devils Tower is considered sacred by
Northern Plains Indians and indigenous people. Hundreds of parallel cracks make
it one of the finest crack climbing areas in North America. Devils Tower is US first
national monument, as most of peoples have gazed at the Tower and wondered,
"How did this amazing formation form?" This self-guided hike offers
close-up views of the forest and wildlife, not to mention spectacular views of
the Tower itself.
During rain and snow continue to
erode the sedimentary rocks surrounding the Tower's base, and exposed more. Although
Devils Tower has been eroded over the ages, and portions, or even entire
columns, of rock are continually breaking off and falling. But at the same
time, the Tower itself is gradually being eroded. Rocks are continually
breaking off and falling from the steep walls. Rarely do entire columns fall,
but on remote occasions, they do. Piles of rubble, broken columns, boulders,
small rocks, and stones, lie at the base of the Tower, indicating that it was,
at some time in the past, larger than it is today.
Moreover the piles of scary devils
towers are broken columns, boulders, small rocks, and stones lie at the base of
the tower, indicating that it was once wider than it is today. The Ladder at
Devils Tower was first constructed and used in 1893 by William Rogers and
Willard Ripley to publicly ascend Devil's Tower. Devils Tower entices traveler to
learn more, explore and define place in the natural and cultural world.
Tuesday 30 January 2018
Wave Rock, Australia
Wave Rock is a strange natural
rock formation located east of the small town of Hyden in Western Australia. Wave
Rock name derives from the fact that it is shaped like a tall breaking ocean
wave, composed of granite and the total outcrop covers several hectares. The wave
rock is about 15 meters high and about 110 meters long. Wave Rock is a remarkable
example of what geomorphologists call a "flared slope". A flared
slope is a concave-upward or -inward bedrock surface that is naturally found
around the base of inselbergs, bornhardts, and granitic boulders and also on
their higher slopes. Wave Rock is 27 million years old and made up of grey and
red granite strips, is quite a formation aboriginal rock paintings can also be
seen at nearby Bates Cave.
The shape of the rock is not
caused by a wave phenomenon, rather its rounded wave-like shape was formed by
subsurface chemical weathering followed by removal of the soft weathered
granite by fluvial erosion, and therefore the weathering occurred below ground
level before it was exposed. The end result is an undercut base, leaving a
round overhang. Further, in the spring season, water running down the rock
during wetter months dissolves minerals adding to the coloring of the wave. Moreover
the other aspect of Wave Rock not often shown on photographs is the retaining
wall about halfway up the rock. This follows the contours and lets rainwater to
be collected in a storage dam. It was constructed in 1951 by the Public Works
Department, and such walls are common on many similar rocks in the Wheat-belt
region of Western Australia. You will find interpretive signage around the rock;
enlighten you on the history of the rock and surrounding areas. In the spring,
one can find many orchids and other flowers growing around the base in the
Sheoak trees.
Friday 26 January 2018
The Floating Golf Course of Idaho
The incredible world’s only floating golf green that can only
be reached by BOAT at Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. Every year, more than 30,000 balls are
retrieved from the water at the bizarre course in Idaho. Golfers have to strike
the perfect shot at the 14th hole because it's on a man-made green on the
water.
But the unusual hole proves too much of a challenge for many
taking on the course. The golf course consist of 200 acre property opened the
world renowned course back in 1991 and since then it has been voted in the top
100 greatest courses in the world. The famous 14th hole is one of the most
unique and recognizable golf holes in the world' according to the resort. This
majestic floating, movable golf green should be on every golfer's bucket list.
Amazingly land on the island, and you're a hero, otherwise, your ball will be
one of thousands fished out of the water by divers every year. Whichever way,
it's a one-of-a-kind golf hole and a golf experience like no other.
Over 22,000 tonne Island is able to move along thanks to an
intricate underwater cable system to varied distances from the tee. Each day,
the par three distance changes to play anywhere from 90 yards all the way up to
220 yards from the championship tees. Moreover, the standard tee will typically
play from 140 to 170 yards. The 18-hole championship layout is lined with red
geraniums and other colorful plants and is annually ranked among the
well-manicured golf courses in the world.
Monday 22 January 2018
Ausangate Mountain, Peru
Ausangate or Auzangate is a
stunning mountain of the Vilcanota mountain range in the Andes of Peru.
Ausangate has an elevation of 6,384 meters, situated around 100 kilometers
southeast of Cusco in the Cusco Region, Ocongate District. The mountain has great
significance in Incan mythology, every year the Quyllur Rit'i festival, which
entices thousands of Quechua pilgrims is celebrating festival which took one
week before the Corpus Christi feast. This area is inhabited by llama and
alpaca herding communities, and constitutes one of the few remaining
pastoralist societies in the world.
Moreover, high mountain trails
are used by these herders to trade with agricultural communities at lower
elevations. Currently, one of these trails, "the road of the Apu
Ausangate", is one of the most famous treks in Peru. The area has four
major geological features, the Andean uplift formed by Granits, the hanging
glaciers and glacial erosional valleys, the Permian formation with its singular
colors: red, ochre, and turquoise and the Cretaceous, limestone forests.
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Oymyakon: The World’s Coldest Village
The world's coldest village
“Oymyakon” Siberian outpost reaches near-record cold temperatures as
thermometer breaks after recording minus 62C. This is the coldest village on
earth where the average temperature in January is -50C and inhabitant's eye
lashes freeze solid mere moments after stepping outside. The remote Siberian
village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world.
It was so icy in the Russian
village that a new electronic thermometer conked out after recording a
bone-cracking minus 62C. The official
weather station at the 'pole of cold' registered minus 59C, but locals said
their readings were as low as minus 67C - less than 1C off the lowest accepted
temperature for a permanent settlement anywhere in the world. And that record
breaking recording was taken in the town back in 1933. One villager in Oymyakon
recorded a temperature of minus 67C, while others agreed that the official
reading of minus 59C did not tell the full story. In 1933, a temperature of
minus 67.7C was recorded in Oymyakon, accepted as the lowest ever in the
northern hemisphere. Lower temperatures are recorded in Antarctica, but here
there are no permanently inhabited settlements.
The digital thermometer was
installed last year to help Oymyakon market itself to tourists, but it gave up
the ghost at minus 62C. It broke because it was too cold. The village is home
to around 500 hardy people and in the 1920s and 1930s was a stopover for
reindeer herders who would water their flocks from the thermal spring. This is
how the town got its name which translates as 'the water that doesn't
freeze'. The Soviet government later
made the site a permanent settlement during a drive to force its nomadic
population into putting down roots.
The people daily problems are that
come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to
people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars
running all day for fear of not being able to restart them. Rock solid earth
makes burying the dead a difficult task. The earth must first have thawed adequately
in order to dig, so a bonfire is lit for a few hours. Hot coals are then pushed
to the side and a hole just a few inches deep is dug. The process is repeated
for a number of days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin. However,
in summer the town can get up to 21 hours of light and temperatures can rise to
an average of 73 degrees Fahrenheit in July.
Friday 12 January 2018
The Incredible Rainbow Mountains of Peru
One of the most wonderful geologic features in
the world is the Ausangate Mountain of the Peruvian Andes. The mountain is
striped with colors ranging from turquoise to lavender to maroon and gold.
However, this "painted mountain" is notoriously difficult to find and
get to, requiring several days of hiking to reach its peak deep within the
Andes by way of Cusco. The mountain sits at an elevation of 6,384 meters and is
located approximately 100 km southeast of the major city Cusco. The local area
is rich in geology, from uplifted granitic cliffs to glaciers which have eroded
large valleys and the cretaceous limestone "forest" nearby. Rainbow
Mountain Peru turned out not to be the beautiful natural wonder that you see on
the tourism posters in Cusco.
It was quite the opposite. But we’ve made it
back in one piece to now provide a warning to other travelers considering a
Rainbow Mountain day tour. Rainbow Mountain is a colorful mountainside in the
Andes of Peru. In short, the colors you see were formed by sedimentary mineral
layers in the mountain that have been exposed by erosion. The Rainbow Mountain
trailhead is located a 3-hour drive from Cusco, where day trips have recently
grown quite popular. Rainbow Mountain turned out a true natural wonder, also
known as Vinicunca, has become a major touristic attraction. The painted
Ausangate Mountain is also considered to be holy and believed to be the
deity of Cusco by local Peruvians. It is a site of daily worship and offerings
by local citizens.
Every year thousands of Quechua pilgrims visit
the Ausangate Mountain for the Star Snow festival which takes place a week
before the Corpus Christi feast. The Andes are an incredibly complex mountain
chain that extends along the western edge of the South American continent. The
subduction of the Nazca plate underneath the South American plate initiated
mountain building and uplift of the mountain range. This produced significant
volcanism and the introduction of rare and varied mineralogy to the Andes
Mountains. The reason we see the rainbow coloration in the stratigraphic layers
of the Ausangate Mountain is mainly due to weathering and mineralogy. Red
coloration of sedimentary layers often indicates iron oxide rust as a trace
mineral. Alike to how a nail will rust and turn red when oxidized, sediments
that are iron rich will change when exposed to oxygen and water. This, in
combination with uplift and tectonically driven crustal shortening has tilted
the sedimentary layers on their side exposing stripped stratigraphic intervals.
The different coloration is due to diverse
environmental conditions and mineralogy when the sediment was originally
deposited and subsequently diagenetically altered. Moreover, introduction of
goethite or oxidized limonite will introduce a brownish coloration to
sandstones. Thus, the bright yellow coloration could be due to iron sulphide as
trace minerals within the pore cement. Further, chlorite will often color
sediments varying shades of green dependent on diagenetic history and
concentration. What was simply a calm mountain in the Andes is now inundated
with hundreds of tourists who all ascend in droves from Cusco to get their
Instagram able shot of the colorful mountain. Though Rainbow Mountain may look good-looking
in the photos, we recommend NOT pursuing this hike if it’s been raining and/or
until trail improvements are made. It’s not just a strenuous trek. It can be
downright dangerous, as evidence by the numerous people witnessed hobbling back
to their tourist shuttle.
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