The 19 Most Beautiful Places In The World Are Hidden In America

These hidden places prove you don't need to spend big bucks and make a transatlantic trek-- the world's most beautiful wonders have been here all along, right in your American backyard.

Skagit Valley tulip fields in Mount Vernon, Washington
You don't have to schlep to Amsterdam for fields that burst into bloom-- there's more serenity and space at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which locals celebrate each April.

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Fur trappers stumbled upon this "boiling lake" less than 200 years ago.

Kilauea Volcano and Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Kilauea has been spewing lava without stop since 1983 in what is one of the longest-lived volcanic eruptions of modern times. Below it snakes a complex cave network that was carved from a river of lava 500 years ago.

Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
George Washington himself oversaw construction on this lighthouse, which originally burned lamps made with whale oil.

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Snuggled on the tip of Alaska, this Arctic Amazon is bursting with caribou, raptors, wolverines, and... wait for it... baby porcupines. 

Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah
Like at other Latter-day Saints temples, you'll need to get baptized and meet with a bishop before you go inside. Once you do, 10 acres of one of Brigham Young's first churches are yours to explore.

Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado
We think the indigenous Ute tribe is responsible for the cryptic etchings we've found on this park's red rock walls. We've also found carefully-built fire rings from 3,000 years ago. 

Gila Cliff Dwellings in Catron, New Mexico
Scholars are fairly certain these intricate caverns were home to American Indian families over 700 years ago. From them, we've unearthed a mummified infant whom researchers call Zeke.

Palouse Falls in Franklin/Whitman Counties, Washington
In 2009, kayaker Tyler Bradt ran his kayak -- on purpose -- down the 180-foot drop.

Windsor Ruins in Claiborne County, Mississippi
A wealthy landowner used slave labor to build this expansive plantation house in the 1800s. He died a few weeks after moving in, and a freak fire later burned down the building. All that remain are 23 crumbling, solitary columns. 

Painted Hills in Wheeler County, Oregon
The different-colored bands represent the hills' slow growth over 30 million years. Archeologists have found remains of primitive camels and rhinos here. 

White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, New Mexico
This flat is incredibly rare because it's made of gypsum, which is usually dissolved by rainfall.

Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona
Grand Canyon looky-loos forget to seek out this funky-shaped bend in the Colorado River, which is "nearby" in Arizona terms. 

Castle Rock in Gove County, Kansas
Eons ago, an ancient sea covered the Midwest. This chalk deposit 11 miles off the freeway is our souvenir.

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon
Home of the real Oregon Trail.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, California
You've always thought "Star Wars" was filmed in a galaxy far, far away. It wasn't.

Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, Connecticut
This estate belonged to actor William Gillette, famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes onstage in the 1900s. Gillette named his cobblestoned castle Seventh Sister and installed a series of hidden mirrors to monitor guests at all times.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Apache County, Arizona
According to Navajo tradition, Spider Rock's second spire is home to Spider Woman, the creator of the free world.

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/most-beautiful-places_n_4173652.html

Did Cleopatra Commit Suicide???

She was not only the last Pharaoh but also a just and famous ruler. She had fought for survival all through her life. Yes, we are talking about Cleopatra. She was a symbol of beauty and stamina. But when we consider the circumstances of her death, they do not match with her character. Let us go through the description of Cleopatra’s death in details. One night after the Roman capture of Egypt, Cleopatra was sitting in her Golden Chamber with veils, fine silk and pillows beside her. She has a tightly woven basket placed beside her. She runs her hand over this basket and opens the lid. Then she pulls out a black cobra from inside. Cleopatra looks into the eyes of the cobra and asks the snake to take her to Isis. The snake rears its head and strikes the Queen making two bloody marks just above her breasts. Octavian arrives inside the chamber and finds Cleopatra; he dismisses his guards and whispers in anguish “you have won Cleopatra”.

How Cleopatra Might Have Looked

According to the records, Cleopatra died on August 12, 30 B.C. after Octavian the grand nephew of Julius Caesar had conquered Egypt. History books claim she had committed suicide by taking in venom of the black cobra. But why would she commit such an act, which was very uncharacteristic of her? Some historians have suggested that Cleopatra committed suicide to avoid humiliation at the hands of Octavian. Octavian had claimed he will drag Cleopatra through the streets of Rome tying her behind his chariot, after the conquest of Egypt. May be this great queen wanted to have control over one thing, that is her death. There are some medical facts that contradict with Cleopatra committing suicide:

Painting of Octavian and other Roman Guards Watching Cleopatra Dead

• People commit suicide when they are in great pain, or can’t stand being alive, or they would gain something after death. There is nothing in Cleopatra’s story that matches any of these motives.
• Suicide is generally committed by people having a family history of suicide. There is no such instance in Cleopatra’s lineage. They rather took lives.
• Only mentally fragile people commit suicide. Cleopatra fought all through her life. She overcame every loss with grace, so why would she break down?

Thus there is a lot to research about this history’s mystery, the death of Cleopatra. There are only two written sources depicting the death of Cleopatra. The prominent historians of the times Cassius Dio and Plutarch have written records on this event. Both these historians agree that she was imprisoned in her mausoleum on the night of her death. What they disagree on is the way snake was smuggled in. While Plutarch says it was brought in a basket, Cassius Dio writes it was brought in a pitcher. This again intensifies the mystery of Cleopatra’s death.

Graphic Representation of Cleopatra's Mausoleum

3D images of the underwater city of Cleopatra reveal another startling fact. The distance between the mausoleum (place where Cleopatra died) and the palace (where Octavian was) is only a few metres and it would take only a few minutes for Octavian to walk to the mausoleum. According to the account of Plutarch, Cleopatra sent a note to Octavian and when Octavian hurried to the mausoleum with his guards he found Cleopatra lying dead. So could snake venom be so potent enough to kill a full grown adult within few minutes? Snake experts feel that the venom of black cobra causes paralysis, it takes about 2 hours to kill a full grown human. So how could Octavian find Cleopatra dead with a few minutes? It is seen in most cases of suicide the weapon, which in this case will be the black Egyptian cobra, should be found on the spot. But the black cobra was found nowhere when Octavian and his soldiers came into the mausoleum.

If it was not suicide then what was it? Researchers have pointed their fingers on Octavian. So let us consider the intentions of Octavian from a crime investigator’s perspective.

Ancient Coin Bearing the Image of Cleopatra

• Opportunity: Having captured Egypt Octavian was the supreme command. He had the guards and palace premises under his command. Thus the crime scene was under his control.
• Ability: The Roman guards were always ready to follow his orders. Both the accounts of Plutarch and Cassius Dio were taken from Memoirs of Octavian. Thus he even had the power to control written records.
• Motive: Cleopatra was a popular ruler in Egypt. She was the bellowed of her people. Even after her defeat the people were not ready to give up. The news of her suicide would discourage them and make it smooth for the Roman Empire. Cleopatra also had a son with Julius Caesar. As Julius Caesar had no other direct descendant thus Cleopatra’s son was the legal heir to the throne. Many facts claim that Cleopatra’s son was later murdered by Octavian.

So there are enough evidences that suggest that Cleopatra was indeed murdered by Octavian with the help of his guards. Whole story was later made up to benefit Octavian. She might have been cheated or forced to consume the poison.

Read More : http://annoyzview.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/did-cleopatra-commit-suicide/

The History of Kohinoor

Kohinoor or the Mountain of Light was the first word that escaped the mouth of Nadir Shah when he saw the diamond. In fact the Kohinoor has a spell binding aura and the Iranian invader could not avoid its charm. It is one of the heritages of India and it is a pity that our rare gem now decorates the crown of the Queen of England. The original shape and size of the Kohinoor have also been lost. The diamond was cut into two pieces – while one part is placed in the Queen’s crown, other part lies somewhere within the British treasury.

Kohinoor embedded in Queen of England's Crown

The history of Kohinoor is shrouded with deep veil of mystery. Kohinoor exchanged many hands before it landed up in the hands of the Brits. Though Kohinoor is known as Mughal Diamond, but one theory suggests it was found near River Godavari during the times of Lord Krishna. It belonged to the Mahabharata character, warrior Karna. But contradicting theories state that this diamond was found in the mines of Golconda while others feel Kohinoor came from the Kolar mines of Karnataka.

Kohinoor is the most coveted gem stone in history

The story of the Kohinoor is very marvellous too. The Kohinoor was possessed by the Rajas of Malwa for many centuries through their lineage. It passed on to Allaudin Khilji when he became the Emperor of Delhi in 1304. Kohinoor belonged to the following rulers of the Tughlaq and Lodhi dynasty. After the heydays of Delhi Sultanate the diamond was grasped by Timur in 1339 who took it back with him to Samarkhand. It remained nestled there for three centuries, until it was brought back to India by Babur who was a descendant of Timur. Some other records from those times suggest that the diamond was with the Raja of Gwalior who had managed to get it from the Delhi Sultans. He presented it to Humayun in 1526 after the Battle of Panipat. Another set of documents suggest that Kohinoor was with a diamond merchant named Mir Jumla who had discovered it from the Kolar mines and later presented it to Shahjahan in 1639. Though this theory is largely debunked.

Timur took Kohinoor out of the country to Samarkhand

Whatever might have happened before, it is confirmed that Kahinoor was a part of the loot that Nadir Shah took to Iran from India in 1739. He gave the diamond to his son Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan. It remained out of the country till Shah Shuja, the king of Afghanistan passed it over to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1813.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh received the diamond as a token for rescuing Shah Shuja

There is a whole new story about how Kohinoor got to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ahmed Shah Abdali had three grandsons – Shah Zaman, Shah Shuja and Shah Mahmud who dreamt of becoming the next Emperor. But upon Abdali’s death the reigns passed over to his Shief Minister Wazir Fateh Khan who favoured Shah Mahmud. Mahmud in his turn blinded his brother Shah Zaman. Shah Shuja took over his blinded brother’s responsibilities. Soon he ousted Shah Mahmud and became the king of Afghanistan. But Fateh Khan was able to regain power and put Shah Mahmud back upon the throne. Shah Shuja lost his power but kept the Kohinoor and gifted it to his wife Wafa Begam. But Mahmud wanted the diamond and Shah Shuja was imprisoned in Kashmir. In her bid to rescue her husband Wafa Begam sought help from the Sikhs. She promised Maharaja Ranjit Singh that she would present him with the Kohinoor if Shah Shuja was returned safely back to her. Sikhs managed to rescue Shah Shuja albeit at the loss of many lives. After a little reluctance Kohinoor was handed over to Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Lord Dalhousie confiscated Kohinoor after victory in Second Anglo-Sikh war

After the annexation of Punjab following the second Anglo-Sikh war in 1849 Lord Dalhousie confiscated the property of the Sikh Empire. The Kohinoor fell in the hands of the British East India company. The diamond was sailed to Britain, never to return again, and presented to Queen Victoria.

Since then the Kohinoor has stayed in Britain despite of many claims by Indian government to hand over this rare diamond.

Read More: http://annoyzview.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/the-real-history-of-kohinoor/

Why Birds Commit Suicide

Jatinga is a small village situated in the north-eastern state of India, Assam. It is located amidst the hills in the district of Cachar. The place has damsel like beauty with scenic mountains surrounding it and an ideal. But Jatinga is more popular among the tourists for the birds committing suicide then its natural beauty. Yes, it is an mysterious phenomenon as birds are not known to have suicidal tendencies. There are certain criteria for this phenomenon to take place; there should be fog, cloud and mist. It happens in the late monsoon months between September and November and ideally the phenomenon is seen between 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Earlier it was held by the villagers that the evil spirits flying in the skies are responsible for bringing these birds down. And only some species of birds that offend the spirits are brought down.

Birds Attracted to Light Sources

But in times of science, many ornithologists have dedicated their time in research of this unnatural phenomenon. They have found that there are many species of local birds such as Kingfishers, Pond Heron, Black Bittern, Tiger Bittern, etc. are subjected to such strange behaviour. Studies have also revealed that the birds commit suicide in Jatinga during the late monsoon as most of the water bodies in Assam are flooded by that time. The birds lose their natural habitat. They have to migrate to other places. Jatinga falls in their migratory path. In 1988 when Assam faced severe floods maximum number of bird suicides was reported in Jatinga. Some of the long distance migratory birds are not affected by this phenomenon.

Beautiful Village of Jatinga

According to the researchers, the birds look dazed and half dead not moving, when they are attracted by the lights placed by villagers. But contrary to the popular belief the birds do not commit suicide. The villagers usually hunt these birds with a bamboo swing. Some birds even die while rushing towards the light sources. On their way they collide with the branches of trees and die. Some scholars feel that the birds behave abnormally because of the peculiarity in the weather conditions. Late monsoon also coincides with the breeding time of the birds.

Watch Tower at Jatinga

Though most people around the world know that this bird suicide phenomenon happens all through Jatinga but that is not the reality. It happens only on specific strip 1.5 km long and 200 metres wide. When the light sources were placed on the southern side of Jatinga the birds were not attracted. Some researchers have also contributed magnetic behaviour of the subterranean water as a reason for this phenomenon. Leading newspaper, Statesman has a different take on bird’s suicide. They feel that the birds are naturally attracted by light sources when they are travelling long distances in cold weather. The strategic location of the light sources coupled with the burning torches of the villagers attracts the birds which are then hunted by the villagers.

Real reasons behind the Jatinga bird’s suicide phenomenon cannot be confirmed as there are different reasons cited by the researchers. But Jatinga is not the only place in the world where such weird behaviour of birds is noticed. This phenomenon is also seen in Philippines, Malaysia and another state of India Mizoram.

Read More: http://annoyzview.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/why-birds-commit-suicide-at-jatinga/