Travels and Visits: September 2012

Monday, 17 September 2012

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress: is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States of America, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in four buildings in Washington, D.C., as well as the Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia, it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and number of books. The head of the Library is the Librarian of Congress, currently James H. Billington. The Library of Congress was instituted for Congress in 1800, and was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th century.

The Library of Congress, United States

The Library of Congress Books Room

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress National Library of the USA

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress Wallpapers

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando: is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. When combined with its neighbor Discovery Cove and the Aquatica waterpark, it forms a larger entertainment complex devoted to Earth's oceans and the array of life that inhabits them. In 2010, SeaWorld Orlando hosted an estimated 5.1 million guests, ranking it the ninth-most visited amusement park in the United States. However, SeaWorld's owners have challenged the estimated figures in the past; in 2007, the estimate was 5.8 million guests, while the park's internal data, normally not released to the public, was closer to 6.2 million guests.

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando, Florida

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando Theme Park

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando Wallpapers

Thursday, 13 September 2012

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Clearwater Marine Aquarium: is a non-profit organization in Clearwater, Florida, United States. It is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured marine animals, public education, and animal-assisted therapy and research. Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened in 1972 at its current location on Clearwater Beach, a former water treatment plant (the large tanks being well-suited for rehabilitation operations). Numerous forms of marine life reside at the aquarium, some temporarily until they can be released, while others have serious injuries which do not permit their return to the wild, and thus become permanent residents.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Florida, United States

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Florida

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Dolphins

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Wallpapers

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Abandoned Walmart Library

Abandoned Walmart Library: The design won the International Interior Design Association’s 2012 Library Interior Design Competition. MSR stripped out the old ceiling and walls of the building, gave the perimeter walls and bare warehouse ceiling a coat of white paint, and set to work adding glass-enclosed spaces, bright architectural details and row after row of books. With each store taking up enough space for 2.5 football fields, Walmart’s use of more than 698 million square feet of land in the U.S. is one of its biggest environmental impacts. Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle transformed an abandoned Walmart in McAllen, Texas, into a 124,500-square-foot public library, the largest single-floor public library in the United States.

Abandoned Walmart Library Building

Abandoned Walmart Now America's Biggest Library

Abandoned Walmart Turned Into Giant Public Library With Gorgeous Interior

How an Abandoned Wal-Mart Became an Award-Winning Public Library

2012 Library Interior Design Competition award

Abandoned Wal-Mart Became an Award-Winning Public Library

Sunday, 9 September 2012

Amazon Rainforest

Amazon Rainforest: Also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America. This basin encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.7 billion acres), of which five and a half million square kilometers (1.4 billion acres) are covered by the rainforest. This region includes territory belonging to nine nations. The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. States or departments in four nations contain "Amazonas" in their names.

Amazon Rainforest

The Jungle of Amazon

Ferrari World

Ferrari World: is a Ferrari themed amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The central park is situated under a 200,000 m2 (2,152,782 sq ft) roof making it the largest indoor amusement park in the world. Ferrari World officially opened on 4 November 2010. The theme park is home to Formula Rossa, the world's fastest roller coaster. In late 2005, it was reported that Ferrari and Aldar Properties signed an agreement to build the world's first Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi. At the time, it was expected that the park was to open in 2008, however, delays saw it bumped back until 2010.

Ferrari World

Ferrari Theme Amusement Park

Ferrari World

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Ferrari World

Ferrari World Wallpapers

Saturday, 8 September 2012

Big Ben Clock

Big Ben Clock: is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower (officially known simply as Clock Tower) as well. The clock tower holds the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world and is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower. It celebrated its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The tower was completed in 1858 and has become one of the most prominent symbols of both London and England, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.