Indian Rock Nature Trails Salina Kansas USA

Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA
Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA beautiful hidden lake at the bottom

Indian Rock Nature Trails has a lot to offer for short trail. Everything from steep slopes, huge rocks, trees, lake and a beautiful view overlooking Salina. Great place to chill and take beautiful photos of Sunsets.

Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA
Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA Shady Trails In The Woods By The Lake

Indian Rock is located right by the Smoky Hill River. There are spots from the Indian Rock where you can see the Smoky Hill River channel blasted out by the Corp of Engineers. The Corp of Engineers built a levee around the City of Salina for flood control. This has resulted in couple of small waterfalls on the River.

Map of Indian Rock Nature Trail Salina Kansas USA
Map of Indian Rock Nature Trail Salina Kansas USA

Bill Burke Park Salina Kansas

Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA
Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA trail goes right up from Bill Burke Park

You can also access Indian Rock from the adjacent Bill Burke Sports Complex. There are walking and biking trails right along the Smoky Hill River that connects the park the levee system. You can walk along the levee all around Salina. You can walk South to the Soccer fields South of town and beyond. You can walk North past the old Marymount College as well.

Walking and Biking Trails from Indian Rock Connecting to the Salina Levee Trails
Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA
Indian Rock Salina Kansas USA Overlooking Bill Burke Sports Complex
Old Smoky Hill River Channel Salina Kansas USA
Old Smoky Hill River Channel Salina Kansas USA

The Old Smoky Hill River Channel separating Bill Burke Park from Indian Rock Park. City of Salina has a water well located right where the new Smoky Hill Channel meets the old.

Smoky Hill River Salina Kansas from Bill Burke Park
Smoky Hill River Salina Kansas USA
Smoky Hill River Salina Kansas USA from Bill Burke Park

Little Pyramids Kansas USA


Located South of New Jerusalem State Park and North of Lake Scott , Kansas is a beautiful rock formation called Little Pyramids.

Little Pyramids Kansas USA

Directions to Little Pyramids
Take the country Gold Road headed West (same road to enter New Jerusalem State Park) off US-83. Then go South on country 390 road to Elk Road and you can’t miss the Pyramids. If you head South on the 390 road, it will eventually join 400 road which enters the Lake Scott State Park from the North. Stay on the right side of the road to give room for any oncoming traffic especially from the Fairleigh Ranch nearby. Roads can be really dusty most of the time. Do remember though, when it rains, it can be muddy!

Beautiful and Rugged Country Drive
You can see cattle from the Fairleigh Ranch grazing nearby or more rocks or even farmers harvesting crops as you drive to Little Pyramids and on to Lake Scott. Enjoy some beautiful rugged country driving in Western Kansas.

Western Kansas is not always flat!
Fall Harvest Kansas USA
Fall Harvest Kansas USA

Local Flowers For Your English Cottage Garden

Local Flowers For Your English Cottage Garden

Covid19 and Gardening

Your travel experiences may be virtual, real or both. Gardening can be a good therapy. It is amazing how by growing local perennial flowers you can bring back those good travel memories. The English Country side is breathtaking. You may not have the beautiful Cotswolds Walls in your backyard. And you may not have the sheep grazing in the pasture. Create your own garden paradise!

American Cottage Garden in Kansas USA

English Cottage Garden in Kansas USA

Cottage Garden In Your Backyard
Surrounding yourself with nature and enjoying God’s creation is rejuvenating. The idea is to maximize the flowers with curvy paths and herbaceous borders. There is balance between Garden and Wilderness. The look is entirely up to the individual gardener. Create your own garden space that reflects your personality and invite the butterflies, birds and pollinators to share it with you.

Lilly Tree

Flowers that go well in your American Cottage Garden
Plant flowers that keep coming back year after year or perennials for your climate zone. Let the breeze blow through your Cottage Garden.

Yarrow
English Cottage Garden

You can relax and watch the flowers dance in the gentle breeze. For an instance you can choose flowers such as Roses, Penstemon, Hollyhocks, Lillies, Mexican Fleabane, Clematis, Hardy Geraniums Coneflowers and Yarrow. Peonies and Irises will keep coming back year after year with beautiful blooms. You can even create a meadow space in your garden with wildflowers. You can choose to plant from seed. If you are planting from seed, choose the meadow wildflowers and not the annuals. Annuals prefer rich soil. And it will attract pollinators to your meadow!

Working Remotely due to Coronavirus

Some travelers who are either self-quarantined or unable to make it home may consider using technology described in the link shared below. Thank God we have technology that allows us to communicate during this difficult time. Borders may be closed but if you have Wi-Fi or smartphone you can still work and communicate with your family and co-workers.

Please click to find out details about Globalink Virtual Office.

Jackson Lake Lodge
Jackson Lake Lodge Wyoming USA

Beautiful Patagonia!

Some of the world’s most beautiful places are located in Patagonia. Explorer Ferdinand Magellan called the Southern region of Chile and Argentina “Patagonia” which means “big feet”. This region is sparsely populated and offers miles and miles of pristine beauty.

Parks to explore
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina
Perito Merino Glacier, Argentina
Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, Chile

How to get explore Patagonia
You can fly into Santiago International Airport, Chile (SCL) or Buenos Aires International Airport, Argentina (EZE) to start your journey to Patagonia. You may wish to fly into one country and fly out of the other. If you can spare the time, fly into Santiago, Chile. Go down to the Valparaiso, Chile on the Pacific Coast of Chile. Enjoy some time on the beach and then get on a Patagonian cruise down to Punta Arenas in the Straits of Magellan (which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean). If you do not have the time, fly from Santiago,Chile to Punta Arenas, Chile. You can make Punta Arenas, Chile your base in Patagonia. Take your time to to discover the Chilean side of Patagonia. Cross the border over to Rio Gallegos, Argentina and take Ruta 40 that runs along the Andes Mountain Range to explore the breathtaking Patagonian region of Argentina. You can make your way North to Buenos Aires, Argentina if time permits.

Antarctica
Do you know that Chile has its own Chilean Antarctic Territory? Chilean Antarctica is a territory claimed by Chile across from Patagonia. Puerto Willams (Cabo De Hornos), Chile would be your starting point to Antarctica. You can also cross from Puerto Willams, Chile over to Ushuaia, (Tierra Del Fuego) Argentina which many consider the end of the world. You are pretty much in the bottom of the world here! It is an experience of a lifetime! You can fly from Ushuaia, Argentina to Buenos Aires, Argentina to connect to your international destination.


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Kerala, land of coconuts and curry!

Kerala is located in the West Coast of Southern India. The climate is excellent for growing spices such as cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and peppers.

Cochin (Kochi)
The beautiful beaches of Cochin (Kerala), with graceful coconut trees must have been a welcome sight to weary European sailors. Cochin became a very important trading post settled by the Portuguese. Cochin’s history goes further back. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Jews and Chinese have all traded in Cochin and along the Malabar Coast. Its natural harbor and trade made Cochin to become the Queen of the Arabian Sea.

Take a houseboat cruise through the calm backwaters of Kerala. The lush greenery is breathtaking.

Or visit Cherai Beach with beautiful coconut groves in Kochi (Cochin), Kerala.

Kerala Food
Seafood is abundant here and many dishes include coconut. Freshly grated coconut has a delicious taste. It is not the same as what we get here in the US in the frozen section. Fresh coconut makes delicious chutneys and coconut oil is used to cook pretty much everything in Kerala.

Try some Kerala Karimeen (local fish) and huge Kerala prawns (shrimp) cooked with local curry leaves and spices. This region of India is a paradise for food lovers. You can find tasty vegetarian and also a variety of delicious meat dishes in Kerala.

Getting here
Now you can fly in style into the green solar powered Cochin International Airport (COK). Cochin International Airport has grown quickly to become the 4th busiest airport in India.

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Christmas in Lalibela Ethiopia

Christmas is celebrated in January in Ethiopia. An exceptional place to celebrate Christmas is in the ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia. This place is also known as the “New Jerusalem”. There are eleven ancient churches clustered together. Pilgrims clad in white come from all over to celebrate Christmas. Eat some wat (thick spicy stew) on a Ethiopian sourdough bread (injeera) which looks similar to Indian dosas.

Getting to Lalibela, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa International Airport (ADD) is the international gateway to Ethiopia. Addis Ababa means “new flower”. Ethiopian Airlines flies into the local airport in Lalibela. Lalibela is situated in the Northern part of Ethiopia in the region of Amhara, South of neighboring Eritrea.

Attractions
If you have time visit ancient Aksum, Gondar (Camelot of Africa), Lake Tana and the breathtaking Simien Mountains National Park.

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South Africa’s Wild Coast

South Africa’s Wild Coast (Transkei) is fascinating. How many places in the world can you find cows relaxing on sandy beaches? Wild Coast is a stretch along South Africa’s Eastern Cape’s Northern Coastline. Here you can explore the Xhosa local culture and the natural beauty of South Africa. If you can spare the time, linger a little longer here. Hiking is a good way to soak in the natural beauty of the Wild Coast. There are beautiful seaside villages you can visit as you explore the Wild Coast. Start from East London and head towards Port Edward, South Africa.

Flying into South Africa
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is the main gateway to South Africa. Since South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons will be opposite of the Northern Hemisphere. So for an example, Christmas will be in the Summer just like Australia! So if you are coming from the USA in December, pack for the Summer! If you live the Northern Hemisphere, you may consider South Africa as a good winter getaway.

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Georgia, The Hidden Gem of the Caucasus!

The country Georgia is located in the Caucasus. Caucasus is the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Georgia has a rich Christian history. Both Armenia and Georgia are the only Christian countries in this part of the world. You will find some ancient Christian monasteries in both neighboring Armenia and Georgia. A branch of the Silk Road went through Georgia. Georgia has the most diverse grape varieties in the world. Some consider Georgia and the Caucasus, the birthplace of wine.

Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) is the gateway to mountainous Georgia. Tbilisi is a modern city with a lot to offer. From Tbilisi you can launch your trip to rest of the country. You can explore everything from cave cities to ancient churches while enjoying some lovely Georgian cuisine, hospitality and their wine culture. You should try the Georgian Supra (feast). Supra is a multi course meal with multiple wine toasts.

Georgia is truly a hidden gem in the Caucasus and has so much to offer! The people are warm and friendly. Georgian hospitality is hard to beat!

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The New Old Silk Road

The Old Silk Road is being revived with modern infrastructure and technology. The New Old Silk Road is being built and extended from places like Shenzhen, China (Silicon Valley of China) to Duisburg, Germany (strategic river harbor with access to the Atlantic). Now you can travel on paved roads and high speed trains instead of the camels of old on China’s New Belt and Road. Marco Polo would be impressed!

Uzbekistan
However it is still the ancient charm of places like Bukhara, Khiva, Tashkent, Samarkand, Uzbekistan that draws tourists to retrace the steps of ancient travelers on the Silk Road. Ideas, food, goods and culture were exchanged between the Far East and the West on the old Silk Road. You could say this was the “interstate” or the “internet” of the old. Things sure moved more slowly then. Timur or Tamerlane of the Mongol Empire invested in building up Samarkand which is now in Uzbekistan. Amazing cities on the old Silk Road!

Nowruz (new day) marking the beginning of Spring is a good time to visit to soak in the Uzbek culture and warm hospitality. Enjoy some Uzbek Plov (Lamb Pilaf) and Samarkand bread.

Fly Uzbekistan Airways to Tashkent International Airport (TAS) which is the largest airport in Kazakhstan. You can get to Samarkand via train from Tashkent.

Kazakhstan
Almaty, Kazakhstan is another one of those cities that has grown and thrived! Imagine what the travelers on the Old Silk Road would have felt when they saw those beautiful mountains! In modern Almaty, Kazakhstan, you can find both the Russian Orthodox Ascension Cathedral and the Muslim Central Mosque. You can also try some great Central Asian cuisine influenced by the Great Steppe and nomadic life. You can try some Kazakh Cuisine such as Beshbarmak and Sirne.

You can fly into the Almaty International Airport (ALA) to begin your journey.

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