Explore a Luxurious Lifestyle With Flats in North Kolkata

North Kolkata and luxurious lifestyle? They are not quite synonymous to each other, right? Are you sure about this outlook? Well, the reality is based on a different story altogether.

North Kolkata essentially represents the vintage charm of the city. There is something unique about the region. While walking down the lanes of this region, you'll come across homes which were built during the British era or even before. The lanes are narrow where you'll find children indulging in playing 'gully cricket'. You'll come across the traditional shops selling fried eatables or as the Bengalis call it 'Tele Bhaja' along with some iconic sweet shops. However, luxurious lifestyle calls much more than such features. It calls for modern features that will upgrade your living standards and simplify it as well.

Hence, things are changing for North Kolkata. The small shops, old vintage houses and narrow lanes are getting replaced by contemporary facilities and modern living spaces. However, does that mean this place will provide you with a luxurious lifestyle? Let's delve into the blog to familiarize with the truth.

Luxury Living & North Kolkata- Do they Go Hand-in-Hand?

Modern Residential Projects: Luxury starts with residential complexes defined by opulence and style. The housing complexes in North Kolkata will provide you the same. Most of the projects in this region are stunning defined by comfort, luxury and modern-day conveniences under one roof. The residential complexes are wrapped in the pure essence of nature backed by modern features, bringing you the best of both worlds.

Most of the projects are spread across a huge acre of land with 60-70% open spaces defined by lush green foliage. Such projects also consist of landscaped gardens, ponds, pocket gardens, children's park and the likes to provide one with well-rounded lifestyle amidst a stunning milieu.

Upgraded Living Spaces: With modern housing complexes, you'll also get the advantage to live in fine living spaces which will essentially improve your living standards. Constructed using cutting edge technology, the projects consists of comfort packed rooms, quality apartment specifications (like bathroom & kitchen fixtures) and an amazing city view. What's more? The modern luxury apartments in North Kolkata are open on 3-4 sides and are Vaastu compliant, thus bringing comfort and good vibes in your new home. Some projects will also provide you with duplex living spaces within a price range of 30 lakhs to 40 lakhs. Isn't that incredible?

Excellent Amenities & Facilities: In today's world, it is mandatory for a residential complex to provide the residents with a remarkable set of amenities and facilities. Understanding the significance of the same, the developers are making sure to provide the residential complexes with clubhouse amenities and residential project facilities that will enhance the living standards a step further. Luxuriate with residential complexes in North Kolkata consisting of features like:

  • Rooftop swimming pool.

  • Adda Room

  • Pool Table

  • Modern Gymnasium

  • A Multi-Purpose Grass Court.

  • Landscaped Green Areas

  • Reflexology Park, etc.

Apart from these three primary features, connectivity quotient in North Kolkata has improved as well. The region has seen an increase in local train routes, buses, auto-rickshaws, call cabs and even metro links, easier simplifying the daily task of traveling to various parts of the city. For example, if you buy flats in Barasat, you'll stay considerably close to the airport, local railway stations and upcoming metro link for an easy traveling affair.

With connectivity, the region has also seen an improvement in commercial facilities. The region now consists of popular schools, health care centers, malls, departmental stores, entertainment zones, etc., thus meeting your requirement for a well-rounded lifestyle.

Hence, does luxurious lifestyle and North Kolkata goes hand in hand? We can say without any second thought they do go hand in hand. Hence, North Kolkata is becoming a hub of high end residential projects to provide you with a posh living standard. Are you planning to buy a new home? Why don't you check out the residential complexes in this region? Your dream home is probably hidden here.

Source by Jems Hug

Scenic Drives of North America

My wife and I just returned from a vacation in the Canadian Rockies; in particular, Banff and Jasper National Parks, where they promote the Icefields Highway as one of the most spectacular drives in North America and the world. Their proclamation made me think of the best scenic drives that I have taken in North America.

Here is a description of five of my favorite scenic drives in North America, followed by a list of several others.

I invite you to send your thoughts and comments, whether you agree or disagree. If you have a favorite scenic drive that I did not mention, then I would love to hear about it. Here goes:

1) Big Sur, Highway 1

Many people consider the 100 mile drive through Big Sur the greatest drive in the world. The Big Sur road, too spectacular to be called a highway, is the crown jewel of the famed Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), many sections of which qualify for outstanding scenic status. Every mile allows you to experience the ocean crashing against the bottom of the cliffs a couple hundred feet below you or, on the other side of the road, the bright green fields of grass. If you cannot travel in both directions, then I recommend starting the drive from the north end; you will be next to the ocean for the entire drive. The northern end of Big Sur, between Carmel and Carmel Highlands and 2.5 hours south of San Francisco, has one of my two favorite traffic signs: it shows the snakey line, indicating curvy road ahead, with the text "Next 84 miles." The road passes Point Lobos (one of California's best state parks), Carmel Highlands, and soon crosses the Bixby Creek bridge, one of California's most photographed spots. Many people consider the view from Rocky Point restaurant, a little further south, as the greatest sunset in the world. In between here and Cambria, the southern end of Big Sur, you will pass Nepenthe (another world class viewing spot), Hearst Castle (the most expensive home in the US), and countless breathtaking photographic opportunities. The entire shoreline of Big Sur is a National Marine Sanctuary (sea otter refuge). The fog in the middle of the summer surprises most visitors. The temperature rarely rises above 70 degrees and most often is around 55. The best weather occurs between November and April, when you can see migrating whales from the road.

2. The Overseas (Florida Keys) Highway, US 1

This drive is outstanding if only for the fact that it extends 100 miles into the Florida Straits, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The Keys Highway leaves the Florida peninsula just outside the Everglades, an hour south of Miami, and immediately takes you through the city and island of Key Largo. The road then continues 100 miles to the southernmost point in the continental United States, Key West, only 90 miles from Cuba. You seem to spend half the drive over water and half the drive on several small islands, with names such as Duck Key and Pine Key (or Big Pine Key and Little Pine Key). One of the highlights of the drive is crossing the seven mile bridge, featured in the movie "True Lies," and inevitably wondering if hurricanes can suddenly appear out of the blue (ocean) like their tornado cousins. Otherwise, the drive is so soothing and calming. Unlike Big Sur, you almost must drive this road in both directions, so you might as well take at least a week. Don't forget to try the conch fritters and key lime pie!

3) Tioga Road, highway 120

At 9,945 feet, Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park's eastern entrance, is California's highest automobile pass. You cannot enter this area of ​​the park during the winter and should be able to see snow in places during the middle of summer. This year, the campground at Tuolumne Meadows, less than 5 miles west of Tioga Pass, did not open until July or August due to extra winter snow. Tuolumne Meadows is a beautiful alpine wonderland with wildflowers during the spring and summer. Tioga Road passes Tenaya Lake and Yosemite Creek along the 40 mile drive into Yosemite Valley. By far, the most spectacular scenery, however, is between Tuolumne Meadows and highway 395, near Mono Lake.

4) Trail Ridge Road, highway 34

Trail Ridge Road offers a convenient way to experience Arctic tundra conditions without traveling to Northern Canada or upper Alaska. This road, in Rocky Mountains National Park, is above 11,000 feet for at least 10 miles, reaching a peak of 12,183 feet near the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass. The road crosses the Continental Divide four miles west of here at Milner Pass. I like to enter at the Fall River Ranger Station entrance, near Estes Park. Almost immediately, you will come to Sheep Lakes and, hopefully, see some bighorn sheep.

5) Teton Park Road, Grand Teton National Park, US 29

The Tetons are different from other mountain ranges, because they rise straight out of the ground and have no foothills to diminish the view. From the southern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, take US 29, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway into Grand Teton National Park. You will go past Jackson Lake and Colter Bay Visitor Center. Take Teton Park Road at Jackson Lake Junction. A special side trip is the turn off to Signal Mountain with a vast panorama of the entire park. The three tetons (Grand, Middle, and South) dominate the view as you drive south. In addition to the craggy, steep mountains, you may see moose, elk, coyotes, or deer.

Here are some lesser-known scenic drives that represent the beauty of North America:

Canada

Icefields Highway (Alberta)

North Vancouver to Whistler (British Columbia)

United States

Skyline Drive (nicer than the Blue Ridge Parkway)

highway 101 through Northern California and Southern Oregon

drive around Crater Lake, Oregon

Chain of Craters Road and Crater Rim Drive in Volcanoes NP, Hawaii

highway 462, Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Natzhez Trace trail (Columbus, TN to Natchez, MS)

Wolf Creek Pass, highway 160, Colorado (best continental divide crossing)

Durango to Silverton (Southwest Colorado)

Million Dollar Road outside Ouray, Colorado

drive around Lake Tahoe, California / Nevada border

US 1 along the Maine coast (and highway 3 into Acadia Nat'l Park)

Mohawk Trail, Massachusetts

Kancamagus Highway (highway 112), New Hampshire (Conway to Lincoln)

highway 82, J. Davis Memorial highway (Tifton, GA to Columbus, MS)

highway 191 around Moab, Utah and Arches National Park

Portuguese Bend, California

Interstate Highways (here are some particularly scenic portions):

I-10 west of New Orleans (through swampland)

I-15 Arizona (beautiful canyons)

I-24 Western Kentucky (beautiful landscape)

I-25 Cheyenne to Denver (incredible sunsets and scenery)

I-80 Truckee, CA to Reno, NV (Donner Pass)

I-84 Columbia Gorge, Oregon

I-90 Missoula to Billings (city dwellers should try this one)

I hope this inspires you to drive on some of the scenic roads and byways in North America on your next vacation.

Source by Charles McCool

A Condensed History of the North American Fur Trade

The evolution of cooking has come a long way since since the heydays of eating when possible of the French Canadian Voyageurs and the American Mountain Men who served as the early work horses who bore both the burdens and the dangers of the early Canadian and american fur trades to eating when convenient made possible by contemporary, well equipped high tech kitchens.

In popular folklore, the fur trade of the American Far West generally is viewed to have begun with John Colter, a member of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition. As they were returning to St Louis, Missouri from their winter quarters at Ft Clatsop on the south shore at the mouth of the Columbia River, their nearly two year sojourn into the unknown western wilderness close to its end, they arrived in the spring of 1806 at the Mandan Villages near present day Mandan, North Dakota.

There, they encountered two frontiersmen who were traveling to the upper Missouri River to hunt furs, Forest Hancock and Joseph Dickson. Colter approached the captains, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and asked permission to join Hancock and Dickson as the only man allowed to leave the expedition before its completion. Due to his exemplary service throughout the ordeal, the captains granted his request and thus began two extraordinary years of adventures and wanderings during which, among other accomplishments, Colter "discovered" Jackson Hole in present day Grand Teton National Park and "Colter's Hell", commonly believed to be the geysers basin of what now is Yellowstone National Park. In fact, it more likely was an area later referred to as the "Stinkin 'Hole", a similarly geothermally active region of the Shoshone River just east of Yellowstone Park near today's Cody, Wyoming.

But Cody's most well known, some might say misadventure, occurred in 1808 as he and his trapping partner at the time, a man named John Potts (also a Lewis & Clark Expedition veteran), were canoeing up the Jefferson River in what now is southern Montana south of Three Forks, when they encountered a large band of the hostile, notoriously ferocious Blackfoot tribe. The Blackfeet demanded they come ashore. Colter complied and as he did so, was disarmed and stripped of his clothes. But Potter refused and was shot and wounded. Potter returned fire and promptly was dispatched after being riddled with Blackfoot bullets and his body hacked apart.

The Blackfeet then held a council to determine Colter's fate, after which Colter was summoned and told in Crow to begin running. Thus began a most remarkable sequence of events. Stark naked and realizing he literally was running for his life, pursued by a pack of young braves, each eager to capture the honor of claiming his scalp, after several miles of very fast running (note this, all you marathoners!) Colter, utterly exhausted and nose bleeding profusely, turned his head to see all but a lone brave had dropped far back in the race. The remaining would be assailant soon overcame Colter. What happened next best is described in the immortal 1817 words of John Bradbury, a Scottish botanist who traveled extensively throughout the American West in the early 19th century:

"Again he turned his head, and saw the savage not twenty yards from him. Determined if possible to avoid the expected blow, he suddenly stopped, turned round, and spread out his arms. The Indian, surprised by the suddenness of the action, and perhaps at the bloody appearance of Colter, also attempted to stop; but exhausted with running, he fell whilst endeavouring (sic) to throw his spear, which stuck in the ground, and broke in his hand. Colter instantly snatched up the pointed part , with which he pinned him to the earth, and then continued his flight. "

Colter also grabbed the unfortunate aspiring hero's blanket and continued his flight toward ultimate escape and freedom until he reached the Madison River whereupon, with incredible presence of mind, he jumped in, spied a nearby raft of fallen trees caught against the far bank, grabbed one of the reeds growing alongside, then dove and hid beneath the raft, using the hollow reed as a straw through which he could breath as he felt the vibrations of the Blackfoot braves as they scampered to and fro across the raft searching for him the rest of the day (note this, all you snorkelers!).

As night fell, the Blackfeet, believing he had escaped, withdrew to their encampment at the beginning of that improbable foot race many miles away, and Colter cautiously emerged, alive but cold and sore, from his hiding spot and began his long trek across the intervening mountains and plains back to the Missouri River and on to St Louis. Soon after retreating to St Louis, young (but by then considerably aged!) Mr Colter found himself besmitten by a lovely young lass and before long was bound by the bonds of wedded bliss which entrapped him just as surely as his own traps had ensnared unsuspecting beavers in his previous life. Within a few short years of his betrothal and new life as a farmer on nearby land he had purchased with what remained of the proceeds from selling his pelts of fur, John Colter passed into Eternity. It never has been determined whether John's premature demise was the result of shock caused by the sudden transition from his storied wanderings through uncharted and unknown lands to a life of domesticity or whether the extreme hardships of that strenuous life finally caught up with him and exacted their ultimate toll in the form of his succumbing to an unexpectedly premature expiration.

In truth, the North American fur trade was founded early in the 17th century (1608) by New World French Canadian settlers who initially were bonded indentured servants who served at their sponsor's pleasure for a fixed period of time in return for their passage from Europe to North American shores. In effect, they were slaves to their masters until their commitments had been satisfied and their masters were financially astute businessmen. (There actually existed a small number of equally astute businesswomen in French Canada back then who were no less conversant with the riches to be gained by exploiting the high European demand for the vast wealth of fine furs that the Interior was known to produce and leveraging the labor of their indentured "servants", ie slaves).

These incredibly strong and hardy men (many of the more legendary ones today would be labeled as "Super Men") bore the back breaking work and long, arduous days of carrying trade goods from Montreal via canoe upon first breakup in the spring to places as far flung as the Northern Canadian Rockies (think Edmonton and Jasper), before returning with hundreds of 90 lb bales of fur at the end of the summer, reaching Montreal just before freezeup. Throughout the extensive lake routes of the Quetico in Southern Ontario and the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, many grueling portages were required in which each man, who generally was of small stature, carried two 90 lb packs on his back for the duration of the portage . Documented instances of some men carrying three such packs exist in the literature of the times and traditional tales speak of at least one 6 '8 "giant who reputedly once carried seven of those packs.

In practice, few of these Voyageurs, as they generically have been known through the ages, made the entire journey from Montreal to their cargo's destination, and those who did wintered there. Before long, that custom spread to include some who chose to brave the demanding winters of the intermediate country. (Temperatures at Minnesota's Lake of the Woods weather station sometimes have been known to plunge to -60âÂ�Â� comparable to today's deep freezes at Fairbanks, Alaska at the bottom of the Cheena River Basin, where the average temperatures have warmed measurably over the past several decades). The standard practice was to break the journey in half, with the western and eastern crews meeting to exchange hundreds of tons of cargo at the annual rendezvous in Grand Portage on the shore of a small bay on the north side of Lake Superior in the far corner of Northeast Minnesota. Those who chose to withstand the harsh rigors of Canada's Interior winters were referred to as hommes du nord (northern men) or hivernants (winterers). They often took native wives, had children and raised families with them, in the process spawning an historically underprivileged, unrecognized class of citizens called Metìs who tended to congregate in their own small settlements along Manitoba's Red River. They eventually were destined to play a significant role in expanding the western fur trade south to the Louisiana Territory of the United States.

The eastern crews were called mangeurs de lard (pork eaters) because their diets consisted primarily of salted pork, which was produced in Montreal and provided to them by their masters. The western crews tended to rely mostly on pemmican, the drawn and dried meat of fresh game that initially also came from montreal but as the trade matured, began to be manufactured in grand portage for distribution to the western crews. The rendezvous served a dual purpose – providing at the same time a venue for the formal exchange of cargoes and the occasion for a couple days of raucous, bawdy debauchery before resuming the arduous treks of the oppositely departing canoe fleets powered by the once again sober Voyageurs .

In 1670, the King of France granted an exclusive royal charter for the North American fur trade to the Hudson's Bay Company. Over the next twenty years, policies changed and restrictions eased, allowing the formation of its new arch rival, the North West Company. The two companies engaged in a vicious, cut throat competition for men, resources and native alliances to lock down their sources of furs since, unlike the later American Mountain Men, the Voyageurs rarely engaged in the practice of hunting and trapping themselves, preferring to leave that task to the native peoples they encountered and to barter with the natives for their furs. The appearance of the Hudson's Bay Company on the scene in 1770 imposed organization and structure upon an industry which until then mainly had been composed of a relatively informal, loose confederation of individual masters and their indentured servants. With the advent of the severe competition heralded by the rise of the North West Company, all semblance of independent fur operations was extinguished and the two companies battled it out until the toll grew so great after twenty years of fighting and stealing each other's resources, they finally were forced to merge in 1821.

The merger also signaled the end of the Voyageur as a generic waterborne adventurer. In reality, these men actually formed a ranked class of specialized adventurers. Voyageurs occupied the highest pecking order and specifically were employees of the combined HBC / NWC venture who possessed the highly prized skills and physical abilities of traditional Voyageurs. As such, they rarely strayed far from their water craft and routes. The original, independent (after satisfying any prior indenture obligations) Voyageurs became known as coureur des bois who generally traveled about New France unimpeded and at will. Their numbers diminished as HBC / NWC business flourished. Finally, there were the engagés, roughly common laborers accustomed to outdoor living and skilled in frontier craft who put themselves at the disposal of whomever needed their services to do whatever was asked of them.

The birth and subsequent growth of the American West Fur Trade followed quite a different path. Its nascent beginnings, certainly when formalized organization and structure are considered, can be found in the establishment, under the consent of Thomas Jefferson, then US President, of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company in the spring of 1808, even before the triumphant return to St Louis of the pioneering Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition. and it was a trader named Manual Lisa who, in that same spring of 1808, fostered the fateful encounter of John Colter with two of his men, Forest Hancock and Joseph Dickson, on his way upriver to establish the first American trading post west of the Mississippi River at the mouth of the fabled Yellowstone River where it empties into the Missouri near what now is Williston, North Dakota.

In 1810, Astor mounted an overland expedition to Fort Astoria, which he founded in 1811 with a group of men he had sent around Cape Horn on the American merchant ship Tonquin to compete against the NWC interior posts. By 1813 he had enough and, alarmed by the unexpected appearance of the British warship HMS Racoon during the War of 1812, in 1813 agreed to sell his Astoria assets to NWC, which renamed the outpost Fort George.

The following years were up and down for Astor's American Fur Company until 1822, when William Henry Ashely, in partnership with Andrew Henry, formed the very successful Rocky Mountain Fur, Inc to compete with Astor's AFC. The intense competition which followed paralleled in ferocity, though later in time, that of the earlier HBC / NWC contest for power in the fur trade. The discipline it imposed on the up to that time fiercely independent streak of American Mountain Men resulted in a system of scheduled rendezvous's at specified places and times each summer, when trappers who wintered in the remote wilderness, both independently and under the direct employment of one of the two companies harvesting furs would meet at the appointed time and place to exchange their furs for the next year supplies they required to see them through the winter.

The annual supply train of pack mules which returned after each rendezvous was organized every spring in St Louis by a famous Great Plains trader named Bill Sublette and his four brothers. The timing was intricate for its day, as that entire distance had to be traveled at a pace carefully calculated to arrive at the agreed time and place of that year rendezvous. As they began to pour in from every corner of Americas vast western wilderness, The Mountain Men would dispatch riders to the east until they spotted the distant dust cloud of Sublette's slowly approaching mule train, upon which they would wheel the mounts around and make a headlong dash for a camp desperate to hear the first sounds of whooping and hollering "He's almost here, he's almost here!" For in addition to the multiple grains and various tools of the trade they would need, plus the varied assortments of gadgets which each mountain man chose to fill his "possibles pouch" and vital gunpowder, musket balls and beaver traps, Bill was known to pack prodigious quantities of whiskey of which no canister ever was known to leave the rendezvous with so much as a drop of fire water left in it, meaning the next fifty weeks would be dry as a bone teetotaling weeks for the Mountain Men.

The result was a colorfully raucous, bawdy, brawling event which consistently exceeded even the exaggerated standards of the infamous Voyageurs' Grand Portage rendezvous's. The rendezvous's usually were held in locations convenient to Sublette traversing South Pass, the great, relatively easy passage across the Continental Divide at the southern end of Wyoming's rugged Wind River Range which later facilitated the passage of most of the West's pioneer wagon trains first to Oregon , then to California, beginning in earnest in 1840. Places like Ham's Fork on the Green River running through the valley on the west side of the Wind Rivers, or Bear Lake in Utah.

Many of the Mountain Men who were the American version of the French Canadian hivernants, like their counterparts took native wives and raised families with them, often holing up in remote Native villages while trapping streams in the vicinity and moving with them as they migrated any conditions demanded. They typically would bring their spouses with them to the rendezvous's, then carry on as they rowdily pleased. The rendezvous's frequently also were attended by many braves, warriors and young, unattached native maidens, the maidens mostly for the beads and trinkets they knew Sublette to pack along, the braves and warriors mostly for the whiskey and games of strength and agility which characterize those gatherings. For the most part, enmities were sidelined for the duration of those celebrations, but not always. There is a little known term of the Old West called "Up to the Green River". Legend has it that this term was coined during an incident, possibly at a Ham's Fork rendezvous. Green River knives were highly prized, heavily sought Sublette specialties for their unusual sharpness and toughness. The story goes that one night, after draining the contents of a jug of "Green River Whiskey" (ie whiskey that Sublette, seeking more profitable returns, often watered down with Green River water before selling it to the trappers), two trappers who supposedly were not on the friendliest of terms outside of rendezvous, became quarrelsome and one stuck his Green River knife into the other up to its hilt, killing him instantly. Such drunken violence hardly being uncommon among those gatherings, the term "Up to the Green River" stuck.

There exists evidence that, even prior to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Metìs traders had blazed trails south from Canada into the United States, initially following the Red River south as it ran along the border between present day Minnesota and North Dakota to its source at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between Minnesota and North Dakota. There is some indication that they may have made it as far as the Yellowstone and Teton areas of Wyoming's northwest corner and possibly over Teton Pass at the southern end of the Teton Range into Idaho's Snake River Valley. The latter claim appears to be based primarily on speculation that the Grant Teton derives its name, at least in part, from the striking resemblance of its skyline to an exceptionally well endowed woman's breast, or "teton" in colloquial French, when viewed from the west.

Out of this unique period of American history emerged some of the larger than life figures of uniquely American legend and mythology. Men like Jim Bridger, universally considered by his peers of that special time and place to be the Ultimate Mountain Man among many truly great mountain men. Kit Carson, Joe Meeker, Mike Fink, Hugh Glass, Jed Smith, California Joe Walker, Tom "Broken Hand" Fitzpatrick, "Old" Bill Williams, Jim Beckwourth (who, it might be noted, was unique as being part Cherokee and part African American) to name but a few. Let's have a look look at one of their most outstanding leaders.

Jedediah Strong Smith was born to Jed Smith and Sally Strong in 1798, one of the foremost of the mountain men of his era. Known as a fearsome but strict God fearing, teetotaling exception to the otherwise universal code of mountain men, Jed was as widely respected as he was feared. He usually was depicted as riding through the wilds toting a bible in one hand and his musket in the other, equally ready to employ either as the situation demanded. Rough and tumble trappers quickly learned to mind their tongues when in Jed's presence.

In early August of 1826, Smith and a party of fifteen trappers departed the second rendezvous at Bear Lake in the corner junction of North Central Utah with Southeast Idaho, bent upon finding a route around the forbidding Sierra Nevada Range between California and Nevada to what at the time was known as Spanish Alta California. Traversing through present day Utah and Nevada, they eventually found their way to a crossing of the Colorado River between Southern California and Central Arizona. Fording it, they sheltered and recuperated for a couple days in a friendly Mojave village near what today is Needles, CA, before being guided across the Mojave Desert via the Mojave Trail by two errant mission deserters. Upon reaching the San Bernardino Valley, Smith and his interpreter left for the local mission, whereupon he presented himself to its padre. The next day the rest of Smith's men arrived, at which point all of their weapons were confiscated by the garrison. Smith soon was summoned to present himself before the Governor of Alta California in San Diego who expressed alarm at his unauthorized entry to the Spanish Territories and ordered his detention while demanding that Smith remand his map and journal. Smith responded by asking permission to travel north along the coast to the Columbia River, where there was an established outpost and access to a well known route back to the United States Territories. The Governor replied, ordering Smith and his party to leave California the same way they had come while giving ground in allowing them to purchase the necessary supplies for their return to American held lands.

In early 1827 Smith finally obtained his exit visa, but upon clearing the settlements he turned north, exploring and trapping his way up California's San Joaquin Valley as far as the American River, which joined the Sacramento River near present day Sacramento. Upon reaching it, his party attempted to find a route across the Sierra Nevada by following its canyon upstream but was forced back. Realizing it was too late in the year to make it to the Columbia River, Smith led his party pack to the Stanislaus River, where they established a winter encampment. Smith then picked two men an forced a difficult crossing of the Sierra Nevada Range, eventually descending to the vicinity of present day Walker Lake from which they took the quickest possible route to make the third Rendezvous at Bear Lake. After a terrifying crossing of the Great Basin Desert during which they nearly expired from dehydration under the merciless sun of an early summer onset, they made Bear Lake in early July just as rendezvous was beginning. Long given up as hopelessly lost in their meanderings or dead by then, the men were overjoyed at the apparition of the three trappers and explorers which had unexpectedly descended upon them and greeted them with cannon fire.

Smith immediately left with eighteen men and two French Canadian women, traveling the same route as the previous year in order to pick up the men he had left behind. This time, however, the Mojave had turned hostile after a clash with Taos trappers and a firefight ensued when Smith attempted to cross the river during the course of which ten of Smith's men were killed, one was badly wounded and the two women were captured. The eight surviving men retreated and crossed the Mojave desert on foot before reaching the San Bernardino Valley, where they were well received. Smith then proceeded up the San Joaquin Valley until he found his previous year group and together they traveled to Mission San Jose, where they were received with reserve and suspicion, before proceeding to Yerba Buena (now San Francisco) and finally Monterey, then the capital of Alta California where the Governor happened to be residing at the time.

The Governor again arrested Smith, together with his men, and held them until several English speaking residents vouched for him, whereupon they were released and again ordered immediately to leave Alta California by the most expeditious route possible. Once again out of sight, Smith and his party instead lingered around the Sacramento Valley trapping and hunting for several months. Upon reaching its head, after scouting it they determined the northeast route afforded by the Pit River was impassable, so they struck northwest toward the Pacific coast, renewing their commitment to find a way to the Columbia River for their salvation and along the way became the first men to cross into Oregon Territory along the coastal route, reach the Columbia River and return to the Rocky Mountains.

Under the Treaty of 1818, Oregon Country was under joint British and American occupation. Smith and his men soon encountered the Umpqua Tribe which was wary of their presence. When one of them stole an ax from Smith's party, he and his men treated them quite harshly in order to force its return. In mid July, on a night when Smith had taken two men to scout a trail leading north the group left behind was attacked while encamped on the banks of the Umpqua. At the end of the first week in August, one of them showed up at Fort Vancouver on the mouth of the Columbia badly wounded and in tatters. He reported to the Factor that he believed himself to be the sole survivor but did not know the fate of Smith and his two men. Two days later, they also showed up, reporting that having become aware of the attack, had returned, climbed a nearby hill and witnessed it. A relief expedition was organized and dispatched to the scene but all were found dead and decomposing, and were buried on the spot. Smith remained at Fort Vancouver until 1829, during which time the Factor, Dr. John McLoughlin, treated the survivors, replenished their supplies in exchange for the furs that were retrieved from the massacre site and restored their health to where they were fit for the long journey back to Bear Lake, which they completed without incident.

Smith returned to St Louis in 1830 and decided to abandon the northern fur trade, which already had begun to taper off due to a combination of beaver depletion caused by heavy over trapping and a slackening demand for beaver fur caused by fashion changes in Europe that spread to North America, and try his hand at the Santa Fe and Taos trade. In late May of 1831, Smith was traveling with a supply train to trade in Santa Fe when he left the train to scout for water and never returned. The train continued, believing Smith would catch up with them. He never did. After reaching Santa Fe, they encountered a comanchero who was in possession of Smith's personal belongings. Upon interrogation, the comanchero confessed that Smith had encountered a band of Comanche warriors and after being surrounded, he attempted to negotiate with them and talk his way out of it unsuccessfully. The Comanches then attacked Smith and dispatched him, but not before he had killed their chief. It was an ignominious end for such a bold and courageous trail blazer.

The Pierre's Hole (in Southeast Idaho jest west of the Tetons) Rendezvous of 1832 widely is regarded as having marked the pinnacle of the American West fur trade era. As previously noted, already the fur trade was beginning to taper off. By 1838, the last great rendezvous was held near present day Riverton, Wyoming. In 1840 the first outliers of the Oregon Migration appeared at Jim Bridger's Fort Bridger near today's Laramie, Wyoming and most of the active Mountain Men by then had read the inevitable handwriting on the wall. One by one, they abandoned the free wheeling Trapper's life which they so long had led and hired their badly needed skills, knowledge and services to the hordes of greenhorns bent upon crossing the vast barren wastelands between South Pass after traversing the formidable Great Plains for the lush Willamette Valley with its fantastic soil of Oregon Territory before the onset of the winter snows.

In 1837, a talented young American artist named Alfred Jacob Miller, while visiting New Orleans, attached himself to the exploring / sporting expedition of the Scottish Nobleman, Sir William Drummond Stewart, who had hired Miller to accompany his expedition to the Rocky Mountains as his official artist, charged with creating accurate renditions of everything they encountered along the way. Together with the German artist Karl Bodmer, who preceded Miller while accompanying the German Prince Maximilian's exploratory expedition to the Upper Missouri during 1832-1834, they are the only two artists known to have competently depicted the daily activities and environments of the various Plains tribes before massive corruption was introduced by fulfillment of America's Manifest Destiny doctrine.

Of the two, Bodmer only made it within eyesight beyond the horizon of the peaks of the "Shining Mountains", as the easternmost chain of Montana's Northern Rockies was known to its early penetrants. Miller, in contrast, penetrated the Rockies, enough so to attend and record the 1837 Green River (Siskeedee-Agie) Rendezvous near present day Daniel, Wyoming. While both left priceless sketches and paintings of great historical interest to the American Fur Trade Era, Miller's were more accurate, detailed and better defined. Furthermore, Miller's are the only on the scene recordings we have of Mountain Men in action. In 1838, he returned with Stewart, paintings and sketches in hand, to Stewart's Scottish estate, Murthy Castle, where Stewart took possession of Miller's precious recordings and stored them there. They never were heard of again until shortly after Word War II ended, when they were discovered hidden in a Dutch attic to keep them from the plundering hands of their Nazi conquerors. Returned to the United States, most now are preserved in a carefully controlled environment of the Smithsonian where they remain as one of our greatest American treasures.

This, then, is a brief history of the backdrop against which modern cooking and eating practices can be assessed. Replacing the black kettles, iron skillets, fresh shoot skewers and open camp fires that characterized the earliest explorers 'and entrepreneurs' outdoor kitchens which traveled wherever they wandered and were set up any conditions permitted are today's marvels of high tech home kitchens featuring electric grinders, choppers, slicers, graters, blenders, grillers, deep fryers, pressure cookers, food warmers, casserole pots, broilers, convection ovens, griddles, frying pans, microwave ovens, coffee/espresso/latte makers, bottle coolers, ice makers, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, trash compactors, and yes, even home breweries.

In the coming weeks we'll begin discussions of these, dissecting their various uses and capabilities plus throw in some novel recipe ideas as well via our blog series. We'll transform the art of cooking from a necessary chore into an exciting and enjoyable hobby with everyone's participation.

Source by Peter G Brabeck

Discovering the Tourist Destinations of North India

A traveler's introduction to North India

North India is a region of bountiful landscapes, cultures, religions, heritage, historic stories, architecture and wildlife. The region does not have one single definition. The Government of India defines it as consisting of the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the territories of Chandigarh and Delhi. Delhi, which includes the national capital city of New Delhi, is also called the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Best time to travel around North India

The climate varies drastically, due to the extremely varied topography of the region. In fact, it is one of the most climatically diverse regions in the world. On one hand, the bone-chilling winter in the Himalayas can witness temperatures of -40 degree Celsius, while the arid desert of Rajasthan can heat up to 50 degree Celsius. Extreme weathers in winter and summer leave autumn and spring as the ideal seasons to travel around India. The monsoon season, which marks an end to summer, is not the best time for trips, as landslides and flooding are unfortunately common phenomenon during this time.

The heritage of North India

This region is a melting pot of cultures and heritage. This region was the seat of the throne of many dynasties that conquered India. The Maurias, Guptas, Rajputs, Mughals and the British Empire among many, have left indelible marks of their reign that are scattered across this region. Royal palaces, impregnable fortresses, intricate tombs, remembrance monuments, administrative homes that look like museums, mosques, temples, churches, etc. are some of the remnants left left by erstwhile rulers that have shaped the cities and people of this region over the years. North India festivals have also been inspired by both religion and cultures – visiting India during the festive season will be an experience to remember.

A traveler's delight

The region has some of the most popular destinations for trips in the world. New Delhi, the capital of the country, is usually the entry point for most international travelers, and most holiday packages start with a tour of Delhi. With ancient fossils and tombs, relics and palaces standing side by side with world class cells and rapid transit systems, Delhi is a land of intriguing contrads. Travel in North India can not be complete without a visit to one of the Wonders of the World – the iconic Taj Mahal. To complete the accused Golden Triangle, a Rajasthan tour is mandatory. Travel to Rajasthan will include trips to magical cities such as Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Udaipur, which exude romance, beauty, and royalty.

Source by Rakesh Kr.

A Deeper Look at North Dalmatia

North Dalmatia in Croatia is an ideal vacation spot that many simply overlook. Do not make that mistake, because this area has a lot to offer in history, beauty, and fun.

North Dalmatia includes the city of Zadar, the coastline from the Kvarner Riviera to north of the Split, and many islands in the Zadar archipelago. Below are the top places to visit to make your holiday to Croatia complete.

  • Zadar, the capital city of North Dalmatia, is an ancient city. The old town walls that formerly surrounded the town are still standing. There is a lot of history to explore, including many impressive ancient buildings, such as the Church of St.. Donat, built in the 9th century AD by Byzantine emperor Constantine.
  • Unlike other towns along the Adriatic coast, the town of Sibenik is not a result of Roman or Greek influence. It dates back to around the 11th century and is the oldest Slavic town on Croatia's coastline. Be sure to visit the Cathedral of St. James. This stunning structure was built from limestone and marble and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
  • The Kornati Islands are made of about 147 isles, many of which are uninhabited. The archipelago has been pronounced a National Park because of its wild beauty and pebble beaches. Exploring the area via yacht charter will provide you the best opportunity to see all that the Kornati Islands have to offer. Be sure to view the numerous lighthouses, the amazing bridge that connects the isles of Ugljan and Pasman which is often referred to as the gateway to Kornati, and the hidden healing lake on Dugi Otok, near the Telascica Bay.
  • The Krka National Park has an amazing seven waterfalls, including the popular Skradinski Buk Falls. The park includes two-thirds of the river, which runs through a canyon and forms into lakes, areas of rapids, and the picturesque waterfalls.
  • The Paklenica National Park offers a beautiful backdrop for hiking, cycling, or climbing. Manita Pec cave and the Marasovici Ethno House, which is a preserved ancient house, are two places that are worth a visit.
  • A holiday to North Dalmatia would not be complete without a visit to the Island Pag. This isle, the second longest in the Adriatic Sea, is known for the strong winds, lace making, and paski sir (sheep's cheese).

When you're planning your next holiday, do not overlook the splendor and romance that is North Dalmatia.

Source by Laurie L Harley

North India Tours: 5 Most Visited Destinations

The Northern part of India is one of the most visited tourism zones of the country for it is also the most captivating of them all. Diverse terrain ranging from snowy peaks to flat plains, a horde of cultures, astonishing historical heritage and more, and the region is highly intriguing to a variety of travelers. While on North India tours one can explore a world full of charming historic heritage and awe inspiring cultures and geographical treasures. There is a variety of sites to choose from for tours to North India each with a distinguishing character which adds charm to these North India tour packages.

Amongst the best below are mentioned 5 of the most visited destinations on North India tours:

Delhi: Delhi is the national capital of India and that is an important political center of the country. With a long history of mighty kings and prosperous dynasties, Delhi today flaunts its historical monuments. At the same time with technological advancement the city has also evolved as a glitzy metropolis with new hotel, infrastructure, restaurants, pubs, educational institutions, IT companies etc. Its popular markets are slowly picked up by sprawling dogs, but people still love to gorge upon food at street side vendors. Thus a mix of paradoxes, Delhi is intriguing in its own unique way.

Varanasi: Charismatic and spiritual bathing ghats of Varanasi are lining the banks of holy River Ganges. One of the holiest places in India, Varanasi is where Hindu pilgrims come to take a dip in the Ganges to wash away their sins and to cremate their loved ones. This magical land where intimate ceremonies of life or death take place are best looked up from a boat ride on the river.

Agra: One of the must visit places for all those on North India tours, Agra acquired world fame for its terrific architecture. The city is most renamed for housing one of the Seven World Wonders, Taj Mahal and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.

Shimla: Located amidst the mighty peaks of Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, Shimla in all its ways is a quintessential hill station. Both domestic and international travelers flank the soothing hilly retreat to have a breath of fresh air and to escape summers in the mid of a charming English ambiance with towering Victorian style edifices at the backdrop.

Ladakh: Made of mountains and sheer walls of rock, Ladakh is a barren land located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Narrow strips of greenery are where its populace resides while rest of the mountains and glaciers and barren landscape has been home to one of the last undisturbed Buddhist populations. Ladakh gives way to some of the most breathtaking and challenging trekking routes and is also particularly famous among biker groups who love to travel the indefinable Ladakh.

Each of the above mentioned regions comprises of a unique character which identifies it from the rest. These diverse facades of North India tours are both bewildering and inspiring in their own ways and thus are loved by a horde of travelers visiting the region each year.

Source by Surya Prakash Mishra