Fascinate Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in California

The fascinating California poppies bloom all over the state, except the western side of Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County is the steadiest poppy-bearing land, protected from grazing and other human interference. Every spring, this desert like vicinity comes alive with millions of bright orange poppy flowers. The wildflower season normally lasts from as early as February through May, and also heavily depends on the amount of rainfall during the winter to early spring seasons. This region is now protected and called the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. The Antelope Valley is situated in the western Mojave Desert at an elevation ranging from 2600--3000 feet, making it a high desert environment. Until the early 1970's sheep grazed the buttes, but park management has excluded sheep, and Pronghorn Antelope grazed long before then, but the railroad of the 1880's brought recreational hunters that abridged the numbers of the species to naught. Within the reserve, there is 11 kilometer of trails, as well as a paved section for wheelchair access, which traverse from side to side the poppy fields. Benches positioned along the trails make good places to sit quietly and look at for wildlife, such as singing meadow larks, lizards zipping across the trail, gopher snakes and rattlesnakes. 

In order to keep the fields in a strictly natural state, California State Parks does not water or stimulate the flowers. The park service also excludes sheep and cattle from grazing the hillsides. Poppies aren’t the only wildflower growing in Antelope valley. Owl's clover, lupine, goldfield, cream cups, and coreopsis, to name a few, share the desert grassland to generate a mosaic of color and fragrance each spring. The Antelope Valley contains the western tip of the Mojave Desert, opening up to the Victor Valley and the Great Basin to the east. Lying north of the San Gabriel Mountains and southeast of the Tehachapis, this desert ecosystem spans about 5,698 km2. Precipitation in the surrounding mountain ranges contributes to groundwater recharge. As volatile as nature the intensity and duration of the wildflower bloom varies yearly.

Bali's spectacular bamboo village sets to create million dollar luxury villas

Bali nestled between the lush forests is one of most remarkable village near the hill town of Ubud. These Green Village is constructed almost entirely from Bamboo.  The designs are more similar to luxury mansions than jungle huts. The exclusive abodes are part of creative masterplan for sustainable luxury living. The director Elora Hardy’s (daughter of John Hardy) set up Bali’s green school to educate a new generation of environmentally responsible. The initial step taken by her and team of designer and architects is to create sustainable luxury living and changing common perception of sustainability means, and setting the different mindset.  The villas are open to feel the sense of space and light and managing awesome views of the surrounding forests, communal area and discreet gardens. It is unpolluted architecture to breathe fresh air and touch nature. Some homes are extremely luxury can cost around $500,000 and $2million. 

The newest and largest structure lies on the other side of the river with its five stories towering on top of the forest canopy. Fortunate guests traverse a glass and bamboo bridge to reach the villa's front door, itself a revolving glass oval. Intelligent design and roll-down shutters assist protect those inside from rainstorms, whereas banana paper for interior walls and a few aluminum for roofing are usually the only concessions to non-bamboo materials. However; simplicity is a key design element but it hasn't restricted some non-organic basics, with electricity and high-end kitchen fittings standard throughout the buildings. This is pure future architecture to breathe fresh air and feel real nature. 

The chief builder of a bamboo factory believes; these structural bamboo logs could last a lifetime. Bamboo each pieces with a mixture of boric acid and water to protect from fungus and insects. If the process do not done, then bamboo structure last only seven years. Bamboo logs are 25 meters long and take three years to grow, and for that purpose almost 200 farmers across the island are paid to grow bamboo on areas of their land not for agriculture. The direct sun and rain can weaken the structural logs, so angle of these logs are most important. But the splendid designs show another side of bamboo that those connected to the project, like Operational Director Patrick How, hope will be a greater legacy. Several people still believe bamboo is low-priced and only for small buildings, but we're showing it can be used to make high houses and really redefine how the material is used.

Lake Mývatn a Natural Wonder of Iceland

In Iceland there are some places that can boast from mountain scenes such as one Myvatnssveit area. Toruists are most likely to enjoy the Myvatn scenery and mountains in the neighborhood of Myvatn Lake which were formed in result of glacial eruptions thousands years ago. The view from mountains peak is awesome. The Myvatn lake is one of Iceland most famous tourist destination and popular for its natural beauty. This supernatural area with its magnificent landscape and rich animal and bird life makes people wants to visit it, observe and explore. Lake Myvatn is the Iceland 4th largest natural lake, and abounds in lake char and is netted by the farmers during summer and ice fishing is practiced in winter. The lake area is famous worldwide for its exceptionally many breeding duck species and the profusion of other avifauna. 

Myvatn Lake surroundings display a large variety of landscapes and wonderful geological formations that the visitors have to spend several days there to enjoy them fully. This is highly volcanic area, as 9 eruptions had took place during 1975-1984 period, and continental drift was measured about 4.8m. This immense nature powers offering scientist real opporotunity to research the plate tectonics on dry land. Therefore; two hamlets on the Lake Skutustadir and Reykjahlid, which provides quality restaurants, accommodations, rental bikes & cars, grocery shops, petrol stations, swimming pool, car washes and number of other sightseeing opportunities. After the establishment of Europe's largest national park, Myvatn became one of its visitors' centers. Indeed this is a breath taking place with lots of rock formations. Bring your camera, because this is absolutely out of this world. One of amazing sights travelers must see on a sunny day,  absolute beauty surrounded by a number of features worth your time to see. From amazing lava fields to unique rock formations, Myvatn is a 'must not miss' part of your travels.

About 10,000 years ago Myvatn Lake was surrounded with glaciers, and was considered wasteland. But after eruptions beings, and glaciers becoming disappeared and vegetation established in the area. In a result of great eruption occurred in the east of Blafjall mountain a crater Ketildyngia was formed. The molten lava took place to lowland and covered the countryside. The low flow cut off every stream and river so a stunning lake was formed in the middle of black desert that followed from eruption. However, abundance of water caused vegetation caught roots and flourished once again. After that catastrophic volcano Hekla erupted violently and spwed ash more than 100 KM radius and area was again covered in white ash.  

After that Myvatnssveit and Hverfell (Hverfjall) formed in result of explosive eruptions again only lasted few days. A hefty material came from the crater that mounted the opening and formed 150 meter high volcanic cone. After five hundred years a gigantic eruption began which countryside literally was ripped apart, and molten lave streamed all over the area in one place, which formed a molten lava lake, which partially hardened the rest of molten magma was flushed out and magnificent Dimmuborgir formed. The region took numerous millenniums to form the vegetative status it’s in today and all travelers have a high regard for and love, though there have been eruptions in the area in recorded history and most recent are the Myvatn fires from 1724-29 and the Krafla eruption 1975-84.

There have been several fun walking paths in this area. In 1860 a heathen grave was discovered near Myvatn lake in Baldursheimur, several artifacts were discovered in that grave, and remains of Viking buried there, was the skeleton of his horse, a sword, a spear, an axe, a shield along with an ancient chessboard and carved likeness of a man. The lake is fed by nutrient-rich spring water and has a high abundance of aquatic insects and Cladocera. Moreover thirteen species of ducks nest here, which composition is exclusive in the mixture of Eurasian and North American elements and of boreal and arctic species. 

The Tufted Duck, which immigrated to Iceland at the end of the 19th century, is in large number, while the Greater Scaup is the 2nd most common duck species. A silica based algae was being formed from the lake and exported from 1967-2004, when they quit production. Today local people have been attracting tourist to their area using the healing powers of their natural geothermal baths and silica based bud baths, containing a unique blend of minerals, silicates and geothermal microorganisms. It offers you to lose track of time while admiring the beauty of the landscape and abundant flora and birdlife. Places do not missed include Hverfjall, Dimmuborgir, Grjotagja, Skutustadagigar, Hofdi, Lofthellir, Leirhnjukur, Krafla and the hot springs east of Namskard, not to mention the craters of Ludent and Viti(Hell).

Most importantly NASA scientists predicting that an 11-year cycle of solar activity will peak this winter, for the first few months of 2014 the Northern Lights are expected to put on their most fantastic display for the next decade. However viewing of the aurora borealis can never be guaranteed, you can boost your chances by heading to the beautiful and more remote areas such as northern Iceland so that you are well away from light pollution.