I Hear the Train a comin’….. Images of the White Pass and Yukon Railway

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Around this time of year, a few years back, we had the pleasure to ride this narrow gauge railroad, tracing the path of the Great Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. From the Sea Level town of Skagway, Alaska, to nearly 3000 ft (915 m,) this unique experience features  tunnels, “steep grades and cliff hanging turns,” followed by serene meadows; clear, icy lakes; and the snow streaked peaks of Canada’s Yukon Territory.

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To get there from the lower 40 US States, you either have to drive a thousand miles or so along the ALCAN Highway, and then the Klondike Highway; or take one of these awesome vehicles. In our case it was the latter, The Princess Sapphire! – Awesome indeed! 

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 As usual, click on the images for higher resolution. And… Thanks for viewing!  

D-Day – Normandy Beach – 70 Years Later

June 6th 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the liberation leading to the end of World War Two. On the northern coastline of France in Normandy, nearly 4500 Allied troops lost their lives this first day among 12,000 casualties, – 2000 on Omaha Beach alone.

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A while ago we visited the region, including Omaha Beach, shown here. Peaceful, reflective… tourists mostly walk silently on the sands and among the memorials. These images seemed to support the long healing process and recovery these sands have seen – including the gulls above, the shells in the sand…

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The monument…

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But the exoskeleton below was hauntingly reminiscent of a skull… numbing!

Perhaps,  it was a sign… that the beach remembers!

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 Click on Images for larger view, and as usual, Thanks for Viewing