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Artists and photographers have been drawn to Zion for the past 100 years in an effort to capture its infinite variety of moods. The incredible landscape of Zion is a magnificent display of beauty that is a perpetual source of inspiration and renewal for us all. Zion is a spiritual experience that will forever move you. A hundred million years ago the Virgin River started cutting its way through the sandstone of southwestern Utah. Now, if you listen closely, you can hear “You’re welcome” softly echoing through the canyons of Zion. Zion National Park is a nature preserve distinguished by Zion Canyon’s stunning rock formations it’s multitude of colors and steep red cliffs. Zion Canyon’s Scenic Drive cuts through its main section, leading to forest trails along the Virgin River. The river flows to the Emerald Pools, which have waterfalls as well as a wonderful hanging garden. Zion National Park is like the set of a movie that’s so grand you know it must be a painted backdrop, but you don’t care because it’s delicious to look at; the kind of flick where the art director was given carte blanche and didn’t worry about believability. Zion is both the oldest park and the oldest National Park in Utah. It was opened 1919 and shows off the oldest geologic layers this side of the Grand Canyon (150 million years old). It’s also Utah’s most visited national park with more than 3 million visitors each year. Zion means “the heavenly city” and although there are no churches in Zion Park, there is much to inspire reverence.
Shearwater is a classic Newport-style schooner yacht, only recently recognized as a national landmark in 2009. The vessel was built by Rice Brother Corporation in East Boothbay, Maine, back in a time when yachting was a rare combination of elegance and adventure; Rice Bros. were well known for building luxury pleasure yachts and produced some 4,000 hulls over a period of 64 years. The keel was laid down on January 4, 1929 and a news clip from the Boothbay Register reflects alongside a photograph "Tyler Hodgon at the old Tide Mill is getting out timbers for the schooner to be built at Rice’s. Vessel to be built of native white oak." Traditionally built from hand-hewn native white oak, she was the last boat to be constructed at that yard - likely due to the ensuing Great Depression brought on by the Stock Market Crash that occurred later that autumn. East Boothbay was a small coastal town with shipbuilding being its only industry. About 40 workmen were employed for the construction of SHEARWATER. Her designer Theodore Donald Wells was born in Hudson Falls, N Y on October 22, 1875. He was a naval architect and marine engineer, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and also the Institute of Naval Architects London. His education included post-graduate work at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He began his career as a member of the firm Herreshoff and Wells, N. Y. City in 1902. Working with Herreshoff no doubt had an influence on his designs, which bear similarities to many of the famous Herreshoff designed yachts of that time. From 1903 to 1907 he worked for Wintringham and Wells and then began practicing his profession under his own name. Mr. Wells joined the Navy Department in March 1917 and became Superintending Constructor of the Baltimore District U. S. N. Notable yachts designed and constructed under his supervision are "Viking" a 272 foot steel motor yacht built for George F. Baker in 1929 by Newport News and "Karina" a three masted schooner built for Robert E. Tod in 1932 by Staten Island Shipbuilding. Mr. Tod was a well-known offshore yachtsman as was his former yacht ‘Thistle", which competed in the Emperors Cup ocean race. SHEARWATER was launched on May 4, 1929 and photographs in the Boothbay Register reflect her graceful and elegant lines. Her first Captain, Leon Esterbrook of Edgarton, MA, arrived to take charge of the fitting out. Her owner Charles E Dunlap was a member of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY and this became SHEARWATER’s first homeport after her completion in late September 1929. It was there in Oyster Bay that she first started to thrill those who sailed in luxury aboard her and those who were privileged to crew her on race day. Since her launching and documentation in Lloyd’s Register of American Yachts in 1929, she has had a colorful history and has been carefully maintained and restored to standards that few contemporary vessels are able to match and is truly a piece of American Maritime History. On November 7, 1942 SHEARWATER was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and became a member of The United States Coast Guard’s Coastal Picket Patrol during World War Two. She was painted gray and bore the numbers CG67004. Based at Little Creek, Virginia she patrolled the waters east of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and south towards Cape Hatteras. Her skipper during that period reflected on how they used their free time while out on submarine patrol to race against other yachts and in his own words "sailed in tandem with the schooner Lord Jim, racing in and out of port, up and down the east coast and winning." She was designed and built as a gaff rigged schooner but during this period was changed to a Marconi rig. She carries over 2,550 square feet while under full sail. A true veteran world cruiser, she first transited the Panama Canal in July 1946 and in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s completed a two and a half-year global circumnavigation. In December 1971 Mrs. John B. Thayer of Rosemont, wife of a former trustee and treasurer, donated SHEARWATER to the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. She was used by the university as a laboratory for research on physiological responses to the stresses of living and working underwater. Captained by James Shearson, she was fitted with compressors, generators, monitoring instruments and a small decompression chamber. She has participated in many Ancient Mariner and Classic yacht races in U S waters as well as racing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand while on her circumnavigation in the early 1980’s. It is rumored she was once dismasted in the famous Newport to Bermuda race. She was last raced by the current owners in San Diego in May 1995 in the American Schooner Cup and finished second overall. She entered the yacht charter industry in 1966 whilst on the West Coast sailing to the Channel Islands and was again used to generate income to keep her shipshape while owned by the University of Pennsylvania. During the chartering industry’s infancy in the Caribbean, SHEARWATER was known as the " Queen of the Fleet". Today she continues this tradition offering the most unique sailing experience and has passed rigid Coast Guard inspections and can carry up to 49 passengers. We welcome you to join us for an excellent opportunity to experience the ambiance of a vintage sailing vessel while delighting in the splendors of The Manhattan sky-line, the Statue of Liberty or the beauty of the oceans beyond.
Going on a canal cruise through Amsterdam is even more fun when you know what you’re looking at. That’s why the central audio system on board the Canal Boat tells you which of the city’s highlights you’re passing by and you’ll know straightaway when to hop off. You may make use of the Wi-Fi network at the piers Rijksmuseum and Leidseplein without cost. This has been made possible by ZapFi. All Canal boats offer full toilet facilities on board.
Our on-line prices vary by time of year and not all dates are always available, select date above for specific pricing. Rides and Shows: Face heart-pounding rides and shows that put you inside some of the world’s biggest movies. Attractions Overview Only Universal Studios lets you ride the movies and go behind the scenes of a real working movie studio. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ Now Open! Explore the mysteries of Hogwarts™ castle, visit the shops of Hogsmeade™, and sample fare from some of the wizarding world's best-known establishments. Plus experience Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ and Flight of the Hippogriff™ that transport you into a world of magical thrills and excitement. The Walking Dead Attraction Coming to life July 4, enter the post-apocalyptic world of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” in an all-new year-round attraction. Studio Tour Go behind-the-scenes on the legendary Studio Tour to explore Hollywood’s most famous backlot in the world’s largest working movie studio. Fast & Furious – Supercharged Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the world-famous Studio Tour and hold on tight for the all-new grand finale, Fast & Furious – Supercharged! King Kong 360 3-D Don’t miss the award-winning King Kong 360 3-D created by Peter Jackson – The world’s largest 3-D experience, only on the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. Nighttime Studio Tour Experience Hollywood’s most famous Backlot like never before as you explore the magic of filmmaking by moonlight aboard the new Nighttime Studio Tour. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem Join Gru, his daughters and the mischievous Minions on a heartwarming and hilarious 3-D ride. Super Silly Fun Land Super Silly Fun Land is an all-new elaborate play zone adjacent to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. Transformers™: The Ride-3D Transformers™: The Ride 3D is an immersive, next generation thrill ride that blurs the line between fiction and reality. The Simpsons Ride™ The Simpsons™ are visiting Krustyland and you are there right alongside Homer, Marge, Bart… Jurassic Park® — The Ride Come face-to-face with ‘living’ dinosaurs, a 50-foot T-Rex, and a treacherous drop straight down an 84-foot death-defying raft plunge. Revenge of the Mummy℠ – The Ride If you dare, face heart-pounding special effects and unexpected twists at every turn as you escape the Mummy’s revenge in life-like horror. WaterWorld® A Tidal Wave of Explosive Action Shrek 4-D™ Take adventure to the next dimension in Shrek 4-D™ — the attraction that puts you in the action with hair-raising, eye-popping, butt-busting effects so real, all your senses will be on ogre-time. Special Effects Show Don’t miss our enhanced Special Effects Show, where real Hollywood stuntmen and cutting-edge technology come together to recreate scenes from your favorite blockbuster movies! Universal’s Animal Actors Witness Tinseltown-trained critters putting pet tricks to shame with their animal antics! Characters in the Park Kids of all ages love meeting our characters. CityWalk Overview Universal CityWalk Hollywood is a Three-Block Entertainment, Dining and Shopping Promenade Where is LA’s best place for unexpected excitement? Universal CityWalk. Live music, movies, clubs, great food and always something new to discover. More than 30 places to eat, 3 hot nightclubs, 19 screen theater with state of the art IMAX® and more than 30 unique shops. It’s LA’s favorite place to play. Check out 5 Towers on Universal CityWalk, state-of-the-art concert venue. Experience a jaw-dropping explosion of over 5,000 LED lights and a sound system that will blow you away. CityWalk. Always Unexpected. CityWalk is located directly next to Universal Studios Hollywood. Terms and Conditions Ticket valid on your selected date only Ticket is non-transferable and non-refundable Ticket may not be copied, transferred or resold. Ticket is only valid for the person named on it Ticket cannot be combined with other offers, separately ticketed events, discounts, Halloween Horror Nights or sightseeing tours All or parts of Park subject to change or closure without notice. Parking not included Early Park Admission begins 30 minutes before the Theme Park opens and is subject to availability, cancellation, and change.
The building that today houses the Museo Nacional del Prado was designed by architect Juan de Villanueva in 1785. It was constructed to house the Natural History Cabinet, by orders of King Charles III. However, the building's final purpose - as the new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures - was the decision of the monarch's grandson, King Ferdinand VII, encouraged by his wife Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza. The Museo Nacional del Prado, opened to the public for the first time in November 1819. The Museum's first catalogue, published in 1819, included 311 paintings, although at that time its collection comprised just over 1,510 pictures from the various Reales Sitios (Royal Residences). The exceptionally important royal collection, which represents the foundation of the Museum's collection as we know it today, started to increase significantly in the 16th century during the time of Charles V and continued to thrive under the succeeding Habsburg and Bourbon Monarchs. It is down to them than nowadays we can contemplate in the Museum as greatest masterpieces as The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch, The Nobleman with his hand on his Chest by El Greco, Las Meninas by Velázquez and The Family of Carlos IV by Goya. The visit will take place in chronological order, starting with the exhibit hall where the masterpieces of J. Bosch (El Bosco) (1450-1516): The Table of the 7 Deadly Sins, The Hay Wain, The temptations of San Antonio, The Stone of Madness and The Garden of Delights, to continue with the rooms devoted to the Greco (1540-1614): The gentleman's hand on his chest, The Trinity, Christ embraced the cross and The Annunciation. Velázquez (1599-1660): The Worship, Drunkards, Equestrian Portraits, the Forge of Vulcan, The Christ, The spinners, Spears and Las Meninas, ending with Goya (1746-1828): The family of Carlos IV Pictures, The Shootings of May 2nd, Pestles and Black Paintings.
Your entire experience will be approximately 1 hour which includes check-in, safety briefing, and 15 – 17 minute helicopter flight. The customer experience center includes; a Chicago history exhibit, flight simulator, helipad viewing lounge, interactive games, and snacks & refreshments available for purchase. Chicago Helicopter Experience operates a fleet of Airbus AStar helicopters. The aircraft accommodates up to 6 guests plus a pilot per flight and is climate controlled. You will enjoy unobstructed views of the sights with spacious seating and listen to the live tour narration through Bose noise cancelling headsets. All tours depart and return to Chicago Helicopter Experience Downtown Heliport; 2420 South Halsted St. Free Parking on site. Roundtrip shuttle service is available from downtown hotels for an additional charge. Ticket Terms Maximum weight per passenger is 250 lbs (113kg) Children 3 years old and above Check-in time is 30 minutes prior to schedule tour departure time Passengers under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be permitted to fly – no refund will be given for the cancellation All flight times are approximate and are susceptible to current weather conditions. In the event your flight is cancelled due to inclement weather, your ticket can be rescheduled or refunded for the full amount