Morning photo: Architecture

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

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All of Old Town Corfu nas been designated as a world heritage site in large part for its architecture.

All of Old Town Corfu nas been designated as a world heritage site in large part for its architecture.

FRISCO — Another fun theme for my favorite Twitter chat this week, as travelers and photographers from around the world are sharing images focusing on architecture. Starting off my #FriFotos post with a couple of pictures of arches seems appropriate, since arches have been, well, a keystone of architecture ever since people started laying one stone atop another. Join in the fun by uploading some pics with the #FriFotos hashtag — it should be a good one!

An arched opening in a thick stone wall in Hallstatt, Austria provides cover from a summer thunderstorm.

An arched opening in a thick stone wall in Hallstatt, Austria provides cover from a summer thunderstorm.

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Global tourism revenues set record in 2012

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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Tourists from Asia exploring Hallstatt, Austria.

Travel and tourism a key driver in world economy

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The global tourism economy hummed along at a record pace in 2012, growing by 4 percent and generating a total of $1.3 trillion when international passenger transit revenues are included in the equation.

“It is encouraging to see that the growth in international tourist arrivals was equalled by a comparable increase in spending in spite of continued economic challenges,” said United Nations World Tourism Organization secretary-general Taleb Rifai. “Considering that tourism is a key export for many economies around the world, this result is good news as it provides foreign reserves to destinations, and contributes to job creation in tourism as well as in related economic sectors,” he added.

By regions, the Americas recorded the largest increase in receipts, plus 7 percent, followed by Asia and the Pacific ( plus 6 percent), Africa ( plus 5 percent) and Europe (plus 2 percent). Receipts in the Middle East were down about 2 percent but improving compared to the double-digit decline recorded in 2011. (more…)

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Morning photo: Americana

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Roadtrip rehash

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Chugwater, Wyoming.

FRISCO —Re-editing some pics from a big summer road trip two years ago — two dogs, three people, a beat-up 1998 Nissan Pathfinder and about 6,000 miles through Wyoming, South Dakota, then down the Mississippi all the way to the mouth of the great river, and finally, southwestern Florida … fishing, fried pickles and an awesome dog beach where both the dogs enjoyed their first (and so far only) swim in the ocean.

Back along the Gulf Coast, San Antonio, west Texas during big summer heatwave and drought of 2011, with temps in 100-and-teens, and into New Mexico just in time to watch the Las Conchas Fire erupt north of Santa Fe. All that’s left now are some pretty amazing memories, and, of course, a LOT of photos. (more…)

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Morning photo: Horizons

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Ever onward …

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The horizon over Dillon Reservoir is sandwiched by clouds.

FRISCO — Most of us know how important it can be to have strong lines in an image to help guide the eye toward the subject. But often, the most common line — the horizon — is the focal point of an image. Our eyes are automatically drawn toward that distant threshold, beyond which is, well, the rest of the world. Horizons in the theme of this week’s #FriFotos Twitter chat, with wonderful images streaming in from all corners of the globe. Join the fun by uploading your own pics and tagging them with #FriFotos.

Sunlit icebergs gleam on the horizon in the Antarctic Sound.

Distant icebergs float on the horizon in the Antarctic Sound.

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Travel: Popular Grand Canyon trailhead gets a makeover

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

National Park Service touts expanded parking, better visitor service

The Bright Angel trailhead at the Grand Canyon has had a big makeover, with more parking and an expanded view area

The Bright Angel trailhead at the Grand Canyon has had a big makeover, with more parking and an expanded seating area.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — One of the most storied trails in the country has seen a partial makeover, and the National Park Service will celebrate the new look of Grand Canyon National Park’s Bright Angel Trail with a May 18 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The renovation encompasses a 3.5 acre area at and surrounding the Bright Angel Trailhead. The work focused on creating an accessible and comfortable area for visitors that complements existing historic buildings including the Bright Angel Lodge and Rim Cabins designed by Grand Canyon architect Mary E. J. Colter.

With little work on the trailhead in the past 100 years, the National Park Service said visitors were having a hard time finding the trailhead, and there was no convenient or comfortable place for people to sit to either enjoy the view or prepare for hikes.  The renovation will greatly improve conditions at and around the trailhead, providing a much better experience for park visitors. (more…)

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Skiing at the Oasis

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Backcountry paradise in the Canadian Rockies

Our camp at around noon on the day we flew in.

Our camp at around noon on the day we flew in to the Oasis Lake area in the Selkirks.

By Stan Wagon (All photos by Stan Wagon unless otherwise noted.)

After 23 years of skiing in British Columbia, either visiting a nice lodge (with many comforts) or doing a ski traverse (camping, and traveling with heavy packs), we tried something new this year — a week-long base camp at a single location. We chose Oasis Lake in the Selkirks southwest of Golden, a spot we had passed through on a traverse on 2004. To our group of six Coloradans we added a guide, Pierre Hungr, who last year led us on a hut-to-hut trip near the Lyell Icefield.

We used a Bell 212 helicopter flown by Alpine Helicopters in Golden. It is a powerful and spacious machine, but it cannot fly in low visibility, and we were delayed a day going in (and the same going out). Speaking of delays, the drive up was a bit of an adventure as I-25 was closed at the Wyoming border and we had to make a complicated detour via Highway 14 through Cameron Pass in whiteout conditions, and then use a route through Idaho. This added eight hours to what is already a long 1.5-day drive.

The view from near camp of the Wrong icefall and the descent route at looker's right. This picture proves that there was more snow here this year than in April 2004, where more rocks were showing.

A view of the Wrong icefall from near the camp, with the descent route at looker’s right. This picture proves that there was more snow here this year than in April 2004, where more rocks were showing.

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Morning photo: Cityscapes

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Euro-mania …

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Centuries-old castle walls serve as a backdrop for river runners in Český Krumlov.

FRISCO — I usually try to keep the intros for the daily photo essays pretty short and let the pictures speak for themselves, and that works pretty well for this short set with some of my favorite European city scenes. (more…)

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Travel: U.S. Senate acts to avert more airport delays

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
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The U.S. Senate wants to keep air traffic moving.

Budget shuffle could enable FAA to avoid furloughs

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — With the busy summer travel season already winding up, the U.S. Senate acted to try and prevent more delays at U.S. Airports. The bipartisan deal to give the FAA more budget flexibility was led by Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

The Reducing Flight Delays Act gives the U.S. Secretary of Transportation the flexibility to transfer discretionary funds into the FAA’s operations budget to prevent essential employees, such as air traffic controllers, from being furloughed.  (more…)

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Travel: National Parks visitation surges in 2012

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Rocky Mountain National Park is fifth-most visited

Great Sand Dunes National Park may not be one of the most-visited, but it's definitely one of the most intriguing. Bob Berwyn photo.

Great Sand Dunes National Park may not be one of the most-visited, but it’s definitely one of the most intriguing. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Even though Hurricane Sandy forced the closure of some popular national parks in the Northeast late in the year, overall visitation to national parks surged to 282 million in 2012. National Park Service officials said it was the sixth-highest total ever, even though the agency estimated 2 million fewer visitors as a result of park closures caused by Hurricane Sandy. (more…)

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Morning photo: West!

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

It’s not ALWAYS wild …

Looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge makes you realize you're about as far west as you can be in the U.S.

Looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge makes you realize you’re about as far west as you can be in the U.S.

FRISCO — When I saw this week’s #FriFotos theme I was pretty excited. After the West is where I first really spread my photography wings and learned to fly. In the early days, it was all I could do to hold the camera steady and straight while taking in those jaw-dropping vistas. Today, places like the Golden Gate Bridge still make my jaw drop, but thanks to digital photography and a slightly more sophisticated approach and technique, I do manage to capture a decent shot every now and then. Join in the Twitter chat fun by uploading your favorite west-themed pics and tagging with #FriFotos and posting them to Twitter. (more…)

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