I have been working in Denton, TX since two years and now since the past nearly six months I have been living close to the city also. Couple of weeks ago I got the opportunity to visit the square and walk around the old courthouse, now a museum and take some pictures of the grand building. Walking through the court house square, watching the groups of picnicking youth, families and couples was interesting. How these open spaces are available for general public to enjoy and spend time at. Here are few pictures of the stately courthouse in Denton, TX.
Facade of the Courthouse
The Courthouse Another View
Section enlarged - the stately pillars around the windows add grace to the architecture
The Courthouse's crowning glory
One of the entrances to the Courthouse - arched and flanked by pillars, impressive indeed
I had the opportunity to revisit Downtown Dallas and take in some of the sights it has to offer. Of course the Old Red Museum which used to be prison is one stately building that everyone should take a look at. Here are some pictures of the museum as it stands. I like the way it has been maintained with public funding. It is interesting to note that national and state pride makes these people spend enormous amounts of money to showcase their history and heritage to their own people and visitors alike.
The main signage for the Old Red Museum
Interior of the Museum - iron stairs leading to the main galleries
One of the exhibit halls of the museum
Dallas Love Field airport Showcased in the Museum
The representation of the General Store that existed in Dallas a century ago
One of the old attractions in the downtown area of Dallas, the Old Red Museum continues to draw crowds of tourists and locals alike. It used to be a prison in the past and then became a court house and now it is a museum. Presents a stately look amidst the usual pale colored concrete and glass buildings.
Modern day life is heavily dependent on science and technology. Without technology it is impossible to lead normal life in America. One not only needs to have the relevant technologies at home, but also have access to the latest science and technology news to be able to constantly improve quality of life. For example our gadgets, appliances and other tools around the house need to be upgraded or replaced depending on modern innovations in science and technology.
Working in the healthcare industry I am intimately aware of the need to keep abreast/ updated about what is happenings in the science and technology arena. One of the most reliable sources of my information is the online portal of science and technology news.
I am also interested in this website because apart from providing news the portal is also a source for amazing coupons that enable me to save on my travel, hotel accommodations, flights, etc. The portal features a separate section on Expedia coupons in which there are fantastic discounts to be availed. Then the Travelocity coupons give me an opportunity to buy flight tickets at a low price.
That is not all there are coupons of several online stores that enable me to save. In short this website is a one stop shop for science technology news, coupons and discounts. Stop by and take a look, I am sure you will be impressed.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the ancient Nanjundeswara temple at Nanjangud, Karnataka, India. The temple was undergoing renovation and hence looks a little odd, with newly painted upper part and ramshackle lower portion. Nevertheless the temple presents an impressive vista and evokes devotion and respect from the devout visitors.
Mysore city Road
Street scene in downtown Mysore
View of the Entrance to Nanjangud temple
A view of the pillars that support the entrance to the Nanjangud temple
Bhutan ranks among the smallest nations in the world. Sandwiched between India and China, Bhutan is a mountainous state with a majority of its land area covered by forest. This richness in nature is what makes it one of my favorite locations in the world. Like most other nations in the Eastern Part of the world, Bhutan also has a rich and vibrant history, colorful culture and amazing architectural marvels.
Arizona in the US is quite similar in terrain to the cold Himalayan desert region of Ladakh in India. One national park I particularly liked in Arizona is the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest national park. This is one place where nature's beauty and power of transformation along with the human destruction can be seen vividly. The park features colorful hills formed by flooding, then we can see trees turned into stone of myriad colors and textures. Then lastly we can also see how humans have destroyed several of the natural heritage by cutting them and carting them off for private and commercial uses.
Colorful hills in the Painted desert
Cross section of a petrified wood block
Blocks of petrified wood strewn around in the desert
I recently blogged about having compiled a tourist guide book about my home state of Karnataka. The creation of the Karnataka guide spurred me on to create similar publications for other places I have visited. As a result I created one more guide for one of my favorite places in India.
One is about Rajasthan the royal state of India, which attracted me to its rugged beauty of deserts, forts, and large lakes. Rajasthan has a special place in my heart because this is one state where I can get to see the stark contrasts of nature. We see the city of lakes in Udaipur and then the harsh waterless desert in Jaisalmer. We see the royal splendor of majestic palaces, which have been converted into luxury hotels, museums and schools. Then we see the abject poverty in the villages and urban slums right there.
Rajasthan is also one of my favorite biking destinations. The state's highways and roads are beautifully paved and flanked by vast expanses of rugged landscapes. There are rocky fortified hills, majestic temples, rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see, and most of all colorful friendly people.
If there is anything that I don't like about this state is the piercing heat and harsh sunshine that beats down onto the earth. The days are extremely hot and the desert cools down drastically in the night making it agonizingly cold in the night. I would rather prefer a stable mid-way temperature but then it wouldn't be a desert state with its rugged beauty would it?
I hope you would be interested in taking a look at the guidebook and possibly use it if you are visiting this part of the world. If you do read the book do let me know your feedback and how I could improve it suit your needs better.
Couple of days ago while browsing through my old articles and pictures I decided to put everything together in a thematic fashion and make it some sort of a book. I started off with my home state of Karnataka and I compiled only a few articles I had written for EducationWorld and the result is a 54 page book. Having done that I decided that I must share the information with others who might be interested in visiting the various tourist attractions of my home state. I have put up the guide for sale as a PDF download on Guidegekco an online travel site which helps travellers become writers.
Here is an image of the coverpage if any of my blog readers are interested I'd be glad to share the guide with you all. If you are feeling generous you could buy it online at Guidegecko. If there is suitable number of requests I might even consider offering a print version of the book.
Since starting this blog I have received tremendous response, both applause and brickbats. One of the biggest achievements was the pictures on this blog getting selected for a photo feature on the Neighbors Go supplement of the Dallas Morning News. Close at heels to that comes another achievement. One of the pictures I had shot in Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, has been featured in an online tourist guide known as Schmap Gudes. Do take a look at the guide whose interactive version is placed in the form of a widget below. It would be great to hear your encouraging words, which make me strive towards making my blogs better.
Another view of the courthouse from the corner
