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The Mountains are Calling & I Must Go.  John Muir protector of Nature in the Sierra Nevada, California - John Muir Beschermer van de Natuur in the Sierra Nevada, Californië John Muir, Protector of the Sierra Nevada / Photo Wikipedia Tomorrow 21 April 1838,  180 years ago, a man with a heart for nature was born and due to this special man we are able to visit  Yosemite National Park  &  Sequoia National Park . Those who have been to California have heard the name of this special man, maybe because you have visited John Muir Wilderness or Muir Woods National Monument. Being only a part of the full quote: “The mountains are calling & I must go & I will work on while I can, studying incessantly”, many know John Muir for the expression: “The Mountains are Calling & I Must go” Many, from all over the world, have used this quote to expresses their love for wilderness . Yosemite Valley seen from Tunnel View...

The Netherlands, A Tiny Country Rich in Castles - Nederland, Een Kikkerlandje Rijk aan Kastelen The Netherlands is a small country, has many inhabitants and we do often speak before we think, but what the Netherlands also has is a lot of history and many castles. And yesterday I was able to get acquainted with one of those castles during my bike ride. One of the most beautiful castles in the Netherlands:  Het Muiderslot The castle was built at the entrance of the river Vecht in the Zuiderzee, where nowadays the IJmeer lies. Immediately at the castle lies Muiden with its harbor. Little is known about the very beginning of the castle and it is suspected that the spot where this large square water castle was built, has been a toll booth where tolls were levied on ships that made use of the waterway that connects Amsterdam to the east of the Netherlands. . The history of Castle Muiderslot goes back to the end of the 13th century. The castle is a...

Hit The Road Jack!!! De Grote Dolomieten Weg. Andiamo!!! Voor ik weer naar mijn geliefde Dolomieten afreis, wilde ik jullie aandacht vragen of attent maken op een van de mooiste routes in deze omgeving.  Hij heet dan ook toepasselijk “The Grande Strada delle Dolomiti” of op zijn Nederlands De Grote Dolomieten Weg. De weg was de eerste vakantieroute voor de ontwikkeling van de Dolomieten, die werd geopend op 13 september 1909. Hij heeft een lengte van zo’n 110 km, hij loop van west (Cardano/Kardaun) naar oost (Cortina d'Ampezzo). Daarmee doorkruist hij drie provincies in Italië, namelijk Bolzano, Trento en Belluno.  The Route: The Grande Strada della Dolomiti. Stukje Historie. De gedachte achter de aanleg van de weg, was om bergliefhebbers makkelijker toegang te geven tot de Dolomieten. Twee initiatiefnemers uit Merano en Bolzano wilde de weg in 1898 ter ere van het 50ste jubileum van Keizer Franz Joseph openen met de naam Kaiserstraße maar dit p...

Katmai National Park & Preserve: 100 Years Protected Wilderness Area  Katmai National Park & Preserve: 100 Jaar Beschermd Natuurgebied Let me start with to apologize for the quality of photos as these were taken in the for me non digital timezone (2000), so I scanned the photos in but the time definately has damages the photos. But nevertheless I wanted to put in a couple to show what you can expect. One of the most beautiful things I've seen during my travels in North America lies in Alaska and if I'm honest I think that my round trip in Alaska was one of the most beautiful trips I've made thus far. This year, in September, Katmai National Park & Preserve exists 100 years. Although it was only recognized in 1980 as National Park, the protected state of National Monument exists since 1918. The park is mainly known for its "Alaskan Brown Bears" and "Valley of The Ten Thousand Smokes". Katmai NP is an Am...

Donjon Den Ham: An Iconic Landmark - Woontoren Den Ham: Een Iconisch Orientatiepunt. For years I cycle through Vleuten and I see the Hamtoren but due to the new bike path you see the Hamtoren in a different and more impressive way. The Hamtoren is the remainder and I can say an impressive remainder of  Castle Den Ham in Vleuten in the Province of Utrecht. In the Province of Utrecht there are many  Ridderhofsteden as they where called in the past.  (See  my blog  about Kasteel Loenersloot and the explanation of Ridderhofsteden). It is mentioned for the first time in 1325 and it is assumed that it was built around 1260 as a residential tower (donjon) and in the following centuries wings were built, until there was a castle with an area, about six times larger was the current Hamtoren. A pen drawing from J. de Beijer: Castle Den Ham around 1750 It was strategically chosen at an inlet of the old Rijnloop because it was better defens...

Loenersloot Castle, Dutch Heritage and Worth a Visit. - Kasteel Loenersloot, Nederlands Erfgoed en een Bezoek waard. Castle Loenersloot is a castle and former  “Ridderhofstad” in Loenersloot, located on the western bank of the river Angstel. Ridderhofstad is the name for a historic estate (house and grounds) whose origins go back to an owner who was a member of the knighthood in the province of Utrecht. 1258: the castle is mentioned for the first time in history and then probably only consisted of one            defense tower (donjon).  1435: Van Loenersloot family sold the castle to the Van Swieten family 1516: then sold to the Van Amstel van Mijnden family. 1707: the castle came into the possession of Diederik Johan baron of Stepraedt 1766: Hendrik Willem van Hoorn becomes owner. He started with the demolition, but went            broke four years later and the property was sold t...

Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstrasse / Passo Rombo! Een Weg die je Gereden moet hebben als je in de Buurt bent. Haarspeldbochten op de Timmelsjoch  Hochalpenstraße / Passo Rombo Inleiding Aan het einde van het  Ötztal  bevindt zich de “Diamant der Alpen” of te wel het ski- en wandelgebied  Obergurgl-Hochgurgl .  Obergurgl  (1.930m) ligt aan het einde van het dal en is zowel zomers als ’s winters een uitstekende plek voor buiten vertier.  De weg naar  Hochgurgl  (2.150m) buigt, een kleine 2 kilometer voor Obergurgl af en daar is alleen ’s winters het echte vertier. Een echte wintersportplaats met nagenoeg alleen maar luxehotels die op een enkeling na zomers niet open zijn.  Zomers is het hier wel “TOP” voor de motor-, fiets- en autorijder, want  De Essentie  van dit BLOG begint hier met de aanwezigheid van de Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstraße. De  Timmelsjoch  of zoals de Italiaanse naam luidt  Passo   Rom...