Ruby Falls

Ruby Falls, a thundering 145-foot waterfall is located on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. On your fun-filled and educational tour you will delight in viewing intriguing formations and have the opportunity to walk behind the sparkling waterfall. Millions of visitors thrilled for 75 years.

Ruby Falls Cave, unlike Lookout Mountain Cave, had no natural openings and could not be entered until the 20th Century; it therefore does not have the various artifacts which are often associated with caves in the southeastern United States. In 1905 the natural entrance to Lookout Mountain Cave was closed during the construction of a railway tunnel. In the 1920s a chemist and cave enthusiast named Leo Lambert thought that he could re-open the cave as atourist attraction, and formed a company to do so. He planned to make an opening further up the mountain than the original opening and transport tourists to the cave via an elevator. For this purpose, his company purchased land on the side of Lookout Mountain above Lookout Mountain Cave and in 1928 began to drill through the limestone. In doing so, they discovered a small passageway about 18 inches high and four feet wide. Exploring this opening, Lambert discovered the formerly hidden Ruby Falls Cave and its waterfall. On his next trip to visit the cave, Lambert took his wife Ruby, and told her that he would name the falls after her.


Tourism and Advertising

Lambert decided to open both caves to the public, although Lookout Mountain Cave was closed in 1935 since it was not very popular with tourists, who were much more impressed with the upper cave. Public tours began in 1930. Electric lights were installed in the cave, making it one of the first commercial caves to be so outfitted.[8] Motorists travelling on I-75 in the 1970s were subjected to dozens - maybe hundreds - of billboards along their route with the words "SEE RUBY FALLS" beginning hundreds of miles north and south of the falls itself. Ruby Falls remains a staple ofChattanooga tourism, operating daily. Ruby Falls is owned by the Steiner family of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Ruby Falls and the larger Lookout Mountain Caverns complex have been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is often associated with the nearby Rock City attraction, which lies atop Lookout Mountain.

Lake Sorvagsvatn in the Faroe Islands

Lake Sorvagsvatn in the Faroe Islands

Located on the island of Vagar, in the Faroe Islands, Lake Sorvagsvatn (also known as Leitisvatn) is an amazing lake. What makes the lake interesting is its two different levels. Covering an area of 3.4 square kilometers, it is the biggest lake of the Faroe Islands. Faroe Islands is a group of 18 islands that make Faroe Islands Archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. The lake is located about 30 meters above the sea level.

There are very good opportunities for fishing on the lake, where you can catch Brown Trout.

How this lake got it's name?

Among the locals, there is a debate regarding the name of the lake. The inhabitants of Sørvágur take pride in the fact that the lake is named after their village. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Miðvágur want to name the lake "Leitisvatn", since, on their side of the lake, the land alongside the body of water is called Leiti.
Though the village of Miðvágur is situated closer to the lake than Sørvágur, the lake is named for the latter because the faroese Landnám Sørvágur was settled before Miðvágur. Sørvágur—alongside Bøur and Sandavágur—is considered to be one of the three original Landnámsbygdum (original settlements) on Vágar. The three Landnámsbygdir divided the land on the island among them into three equal sizes of 60 marks. A division of the island into three equal portion will bring Sørvágsvatn firmly inside the boundaries of Sørvágur and therefore the lake has been named after this village.
The locals mostly refer to Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn simply by calling it 'Vatnið' (the Lake). Among the inhabitants on the island everyone knows what "the Lake" is, and it is mostly when people from other parts of the Faroes refer to the lake—either by calling it Sørvágsvatn or Leitisvatn—that the debate will occur.

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore (Rimazùu in the local Ligurian language) is a village and comune in the province of La Spezia, situated in a small valley in theLiguria region of Italy. It is the first of the Cinque Terre one meets when travelling north from La Spezia.

The village, dating from the early thirteenth century, is known for its historic character and its wine, produced by the town's vineyards. Riomaggiore is in the Riviera di Levante region and has shoreline on the Mediterranean'sGulf of Genoa, with a small beach and a wharf framed by tower houses. Riomaggiore's main street is Via Colombo, where numerous restaurants, bars and shops can be found.

The Via dell'Amore is a path connecting Riomaggiore to its frazione Manarola, also part of the Cinque Terre.

Riomaggiore is the most southern village of the five Cinque Terre, all connected by trail. The water and mountainside have been declared national parks.

Riomaggiore inspired paintings by Telemaco Signorini (1835-1901), one of the artists of the Macchiaioli group.

What a balance: "Balanced Rock in the Garden of the Gods – Colorado Springs, Colorado"

Garden of the Gods 

Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971.

History

The Garden of the Gods red rock formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago. Archaeological evidence shows that prehistoric people visited Garden of the Gods about 1330 BC. About 250 BC Native American people camped in the park. They are believed to have been attracted to wildlife and plant life in the area and used overhangs created by the rocks for shelter. There are many native peoples who have reported a connection to Garden of the Gods, including Ute, Comanche, Apache, Kiowa,Shoshone, Cheyenne, Pawnee and Lakota people.

Ecology

The Garden of the Gods Park is a rich ecological resource. Retired biology professor Richard Beidleman notes that the park is "the most striking contrast between plains and mountains in North America" with respect to biology, geology, climate, and scenery. Dinosaur species Theiophytalia kerriwas found in the park in 1878, and studies of the skull in 2006 reveal it to be a new species. A honey ant never before recorded was also discovered in 1879 and named for the park. Mule deer, bighorn sheep, and fox abound in this area. The park is also home to more than 130 species of birds including white-throated swifts, swallows and canyon wrens.

Visitor and nature center

The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center is located at 1805 N. 30th Street and offers a view of the park. The center's information center and 30 educational exhibits are staffed by Parks, Recreation and Culture employees of the City of Colorado Springs. A short movie, How Did Those Red Rocks Get There? runs every 20 minutes. A portion of the proceeds from the center's privately owned store and cafe support the non-profit Garden of the Gods Foundation; the money is used for maintenance and improvements to the park.

Natural history exhibits include minerals, geology, plants and local wildlife, as well as Native Americans who visited the park. Programs include nature hikes and talks, a Junior Ranger program, narrated bus tours, movies, educational programs and special programs.