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The Stars at Night Are Bright in Texas – Big Bend Dark Skies, The Best Place to See the Milky Way

“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas”

I knew that when my 3 1/2  year old son came home from preschool singing these lyrics from the song “Deep In the Heart of Texas” that he had acclimated to our move to Houston. Six months after we moved to the Lone Star State, we took a trip into the heart of Texas and discovered the truth behind the Texas dark skies in Big Bend National Park. The Big Bend dark skies were the best place to see the milky way in the lower 48 states.

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PhotoPOSTcard: Seeing to Infinity and Beyond in Big Bend

Big Bend National Park is not just a beautifully scenic park in the traditional sense with the Rio Grande cutting grand canyons through the desert landscape. The area is also designated an International Dark Sky Park with one of the best, biggest and darkest night skies in the lower 48 states of the US. On a cloudless night during my recent visit, I was able to clearly see the milky way arc from horizon to horizon. Such an amazing sight for someone who lives on the East Coast of the US where I can barely see the big dipper.

Thanks for visiting

Rose

Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.

 

PhotoPOSTcard: A Perfect Big Bend Sunset Windows View

One of the easiest and most rewarding trails in Big Bend National Park is the 0.3 mile Windows View Nature trail.  The best and most popular time to walk this easy trail is at sunset – and you can see why. Benches along the paved walkway let you sit and enjoy mother nature’s show.  In this photo, I’ve included a silhouetted of one of the many desert plants in the park, a common sotol with its  mound of spiky leaves and its tall flower stalk.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.

 

The Best Little Quilt Show in Texas – Marathon, Texas That Is

It was the best little quilt show in Texas. The little old grandma standing in line ahead of me was clutching tightly to her large stack of quilts. Her adult grand daughter was carefully unfolding each one so that it could receive its random number tag for judging in the Marathon Quilt Show. Every once in a while, grandma would correct her grand daughter on which part of the quilt was up. It was clear that grandma was unabashedly proud of all her hard work and was eager to show it off.

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Photo Inspirations

Photo Location –  The vistas in Big Bend national Park, Texas. go on forever  – until the road takes you into the wind sculpted Chisos Mountains. Like many of the most spectacular US National Parks, Big Bend takes some effort to get to, but the journey to get there is indeed part of the reward. The scenery is spectacular both day and night, and the crowds are re few.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

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The journey is the reward

PhotoPOSTcard: Prague Sunset View from the Old Town Hall

Prague’s Old Town Hall is best known for its elaborate astronomical clock. Most people don’t go beyond standing in front of the clock at the top of the hour to watch the various pieces go through their motions. But you can also take a guided tour of the inside of the Old Town Hall and learn about its history and architecture dating back to the 16th century. My favorite experience was climbing to the top of the tower and getting this beautiful sunset view of the Prague skyline and the castle.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

Please note that my Old Town Hall tour was sponsored by the Prague City Tourism office, but all content is my own.

PhotoPOSTcard: Looking Down on Stramberk

Surrounded by wooded hills and sitting in the shadow of a castle tower,  picturesque Stramberk in the Czech Republic is best known for the  gingerbread snack called Stramberk Ears.  This thin, cookie-like treat is made exclusively in this town by bakers who need to have a special permit and who carefully guard the recipe.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

Please note that the visit to Stramberk was hosted by Moravian-Silesian Tourism  but all content is my own.

PhotoPOSTcard: Romantic Sobotin Castle

The Sobotin Castle was completed in the late 19th century by the Klein brothers who also owned the nearby ironworks factory. Today, the castle is called Hotel Klein and is the romantic and luxurious component of the Sobotin Resort complex that consists of three hotel buildings catering to varying budgets. The resort also has a wellness spa and indoor pool, a restaurant and its own brewery. The resort is a perfect home base to explore the surrounding outdoor and historic activities in this less touristy Jeseniky Mountain region of the Czech Republic.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: The Fountains of Olomouc

Walk around Olomouc in the Czech Republic and you can’t help but notice the many large fountains decorating the squares of the old town. There are six large and old Baroque fountains that take their inspiration from the heroic characters of ancient mythology like Hercules and Neptune. There are now also two newer modern fountains. This one, the Arion fountain completed in 2002, also takes its inspiration from the ancient legend of the Greek poet, singer and kithara player Arion, who was rescued from the sea by a dolphin attracted by his singing.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose