GPSMyCity Walks Archives - Page 2 of 15

Lisbon in 36 Hours

History of Lisbon

Lisbon, also known as the City of Seven Hills, is the capital city of Portugal. Located at the mouth of the Tagus River, it is also mainland Europe’s westernmost capital. It’s strategic location for seafaring and being a gateway to Europe for South America and Africa has led to its cultured history.

It has been influenced by the Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and Christians. Between the various rulers and the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 that virtually razed the city, Lisbon features layers of heritage and architecture.

Each of its neighborhoods, some atop hills and others at sea level have their own vibes. During our visit to Lisbon, we spent most of our time in the Baixa, Alfama, and Belém neighborhoods. We also took several walks along the Avenida da Liberdade, due to our hotel location (more on this later).

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Things to Do in Nazaré

Nazaré is a popular seaside town on the Silver Coast in the Oeste region of Portugal. It is most famous for its giant waves which attract world renowned surfers during November, though the historic fishing village offers many other interesting things to do.

The Nazaré Canyon

One may wonder how the quiet surf of the summer turns into monstrous 100-foot waves in the winter. It is due to the Nazaré Canyon. The Nazaré Canyon, some 16,000 feet deep and Europe’s largest underwater canyon, is located just a few hundred feet offshore.

Several elements combine to contribute to the big waves in Nazaré. The canyon’s depth causes waves to move toward shore with more speed than the waves on the shallow continental shelf. Some of the fast-moving waves surge out of the deep canyon and combine with waves on the shallow continental shelf. The result is a section of the wave which is effectively two waves stacked on top of each other.

The huge amount of water brought to shore is sometimes sucked back into the combined wave increasing its size even more. Adding Atlantic storms and wind patterns to the mix, Nazaré ends up with some of the largest waves in the world.

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A Day in Óbidos

History of Óbidos

Óbidos, located about an hour north of Lisbon off the Silver Coast, is one of the most well preserved and picturesque medieval villages in Portugal. Its castle walls encompass a labyrinth of narrow roads which wend between whitewashed homes with red tiled roofs.

Over the years, Óbidos was famous among royals. In the 13^th century, King Dom Dinis gifted the village to his wife, Queen Isabel. The tradition continued for centuries. Additionally, King Alfonso V and his cousin Princess Isabella of Coimbra married here at the ages of 9 and 10. Consequently, Óbidos earned the nickname Village of Queens.

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Things to Do in Buffalo

The small town of Buffalo, Wyoming is located nine miles east of the Big Horn National Forest in Johnson County, Wyoming. It is just large enough to provide all the amenities when exploring the area. Buffalo features a historic downtown as well as a slew necessary travel businesses on Hart St which intersects with I-90.

Buffalo’s colorful history includes Indian Wars, Cattle Baron Wars, and outlaw activity. Though it might be best known as Durant in Absaroka County in the Longmire Series written by Craig Johnson, who lives on a ranch in nearby Ucross. A&E and later Netflix aired a combined six seasons of the Longmire mystery series based in Buffalo and Johnson County.

Things to Do in Buffalo

There are many things to do in Buffalo, from visiting outlaw hangouts, to fishing, camping, climbing, horseback riding, and strolling through the quaint Buffalo Historic District. Below are a few things you will find when visiting Buffalo.

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Places to Eat in Dominica

Have you worked up an appetite after hiking to Boiling Lake or SCUBA diving in Dominica. Fear not, there are many excellent places to eat in Dominica. The water is drinkable, the food is fresh, and there is quite a variety from local cuisine to fancy French. Just beware that most places are closed on Sunday and Monday, so plan accordingly.

Below is a list of places to eat in Roseau that we enjoyed while visiting, some popular among the locals and some catering to the tourists.

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Things to Do in Pátzcuaro

I had never heard of Pátzcuaro, Mexico until I traveled to the area to watch the monarch butterfly migration, which is a remarkable phenomenon. I didn’t know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by all that Pátzcuaro had to offer.

How to Get to Pátzcuaro, Mexico

Pátzcuaro, Mexico is a 1 hour 30 minute drive southwest of General Francisco Mujica International Airport which is located just outside of Morelia. Our tour company, Mexico Specialists, sent Maria and Juan Carlos to pick us up.

They met us outside of immigration and after a stop in Morelia to see the cathedral and a few other places near the main square, we made the easy drive to the charming town of Pátzcuaro, situated at 7,000 feet on the southern edge of Lake Pátzcuaro.

Upon our arrival, the bustling community of 50,000+ was actively preparing for a Fat Tuesday celebration the following day. A variety of hearts, remnants of Valentine’s Day from a few weeks past, dotted the Plaza Grande, at which our hotel, Hotel Casa del Naranjo, stood on the corner.

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Things to Do in Butte

History of Butte

I feel like I have visited mining towns all summer and Butte, Montana is another interesting one. Established in 1864 as mining camp, Butte was the first major city in Montana. It straddles the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains is located on the “richest hill on earth”.

Butte once had a population of 100,000 with 20,000 miners and many immigrants. In fact, today, Butte is home to the largest Irish American population per capita in the United States. Now, with a population of approximately 35,000 Butte is the 5^th largest city in Montana.

Butte once supplied 25% of the World’s copper and 50% of the United States’ copper. Through its history, it has produced more than $48 billion worth of ore, mostly copper, but also silver and gold. As a result of the mining, Butte is the largest superfund site in the USA.

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Pintler Scenic Byway – Phillipsburg to Anaconda

So, I camped off the dirt road going to the Glacier Lake Trailhead for few nights while I hiked in Flathead National Forest. I had little shade, but great cell service which was a pleasant surprise in the wilderness. A car coming down from the Glacier Lake Trail stopped to warn me that a bear just ran by VANgo! Ugh, I’m so sad I missed it!! Annie growled at something, but I did not see a thing. It’s amazing how quiet they can be.

Anyway, from Condon, I took the scenic route to Butte in Southwestern Montana. I passed by Seeley Lake which I visited on my road trip across the USA 11 years ago and then dropped down into Drummond where I picked up the Pintler Scenic Byway.

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Things to Do in Wallace, Idaho

The City of Wallace in Idaho’s panhandle might be one of the most interesting small towns I have ever visited. I later read; it is rated the Best Small Town in Idaho by Discoverer.

History of Wallace

The City of Wallace was founded in 1886 (sort of) by Colonel R Wallace, a civil war veteran. I say sort of because Wallace and Richard Lockey bought Sioux half-breed scrip from a bank to purchase an 80-acre townsite. The scrip entitles the owner to claim unoccupied and unsurveyed public lands. Wallace filed an application to secure the townsite with the General Land Office, but the GLO denied it due to the scrip being reported as lost.

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Things to Do in Lander

Lander is a small city located in West central Wyoming near the Wind River Mountain range and less than three hours from Jackson. The city of Lander is an outdoor mecca. In fact, many state and federal organizations as well as private and non-profit outdoor organizations such as National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Wyoming Outdoor Council, the Wyoming office of the Nature Conservancy, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation keep their offices in Lander.

While Lander is internationally known in the climbing community, I believe this city of 7,500 has been flying under the radar when it comes to attracting other outdoor enthusiasts. In ten years, I expect it will be the next Moab for summer adventures.

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