Blue Ridge Mountains is named after the province in the Appalachian region where is found. The northern and southern regions are divided by the Roanoke River while to the west of the mountains is the Great Valley. With this natural wonders, you’ll truly have a lot to see while you are in Blue Ridge.
Blue Ridge got its name from its color appearance that appears when it is being watched from a distance. Credit of this color is due to the fact that trees surrounding the mountain emits hydrocarbon that produces a distinct color. You can find the Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains national parks when you are in Blue Ridge. It has long scenic highways that stretch 755 km, connecting the two parks and offer visitors ravishing scenery and a breath of fresh air.
The Blue Ridge Mountains is spectacular for all seasons. Indeed, every guest enjoy their stay here for there are a lot of activities that you can enjoy while you are here. And to complete your stay in Blue Ridge Mountains, stay at the cozy Blue Ridge rentals and Blue Ridge Vacation rentals. These accommodations will offer you a fresh view of the mountains as well as the surrounding lakes and parks.
Enjoy the Appalachia with your Vacation in Blue Ridge
One of the largest, most populated, and most visited state in the United States, California is the most identifiable state whenever we talk about United States. California’s different climates (obvious whenever you travel from north to south of the state, or vice versa), makes an ideal favorite to many tourists who come here every year.
There are a lot of places to go and see while you are in California. Surely, a week – even a month – is not enough to completely tour around California. So if you plan to make a visit California, better for you to plan your trip and to identify what places to go.
California is very big to travel, thus, plan for the place where you will visit and stay. Then, narrow down to the exact place that you really want to see. Don’t forget to pick one of the California rentals if you want to look for a place to stay while you are vacationing in California.
Northern California is famous for its wine country and genteel rolling hills while Southern California is popular for its theme parks. Here, you can see Disney Park, Sea World, and Legoland. There can be no other way to enjoy your American vacation than to visit California and stay at the California vacation rentals.
One of the New England state, Connecticut is known for its genteel countryside and laidback lifestyle that you can have while you are here. Connecticut is situated west of New York and north of Massachusetts. To the east, you can see Rhode Island.
The Location
Connecticut has 3.4 million inhabitants, making it a densely populated state, noting its small land area. It is the 29th most populated state in the country and 48th is terms of land area. Known as the Constitution State, Connecticut has a very long, checkered, history since the colonial times. It has also contributed a lot to the government in the early years of the United States.
Connecticut’s climate is humid most of the year, with the exception of the southwestern area, which is subtropical, thanks to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Winter is very harsh here and the temperature can go up to -5 degrees with snowfall can be very thick.
Visit and Enjoy Connecticut
Connecticut is lovely all year round. It is favorite of vacationers who want to lay back and relax. It’s red, orange, and yellow foliage makes the place colorful and beautiful to look at. You’ll really enjoy Connecticut during this time as you go boating, biking, or simply walking. But if you want to see Connecticut on top, try riding a hot air balloon.
And if you want to see Connecticut in full bloom, make sure to have your vacation in Connecticut. Stay at the Connecticut rentals and Connecticut vacation rentals for an unforgettable moment.
It is indeed horrendous to hear about the maritime tragedies that so often dot the Philippine seas and news of victims that suffer from catastrophes like these. These tragedies often leave an impression that traveling in the Philippine water is not a safe thing to do.
For years now, the Filipinos continue to face alarming concerns about the marine tragedies in this country. The latest of these strings of disasters is the sinking of the M/V Princess of the Stars, another of the Sulpicio line ships that sank amidst a heavy storm. Up to now, it is still an issue as to who will foot the responsibility of the said catastrophe.
Indeed, to analyze the marine tragedies that have come and gone in the country takes a little look at some of the worst maritime disasters that occur in the annals of the Philippines.
Sinking of M/V Doña Paz (1987)
The sinking of Doña Paz was considered by many as the worst marine disaster to occur not only in the Philippines but in the whole world- worse than that of the HMS Titanic in 1912.
The said disaster took place after the M/V Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker M/T Vector. Instantly after the collision, the two ships were burned. The International Maritime Society revealed that the said marine tragedy killed more that 1, 800 people, though it was alleged that the casualties reached 4, 000.
The sinking of M/V Doña Paz marked the beginning of the side by side marine tragedies that Sulpicio Lines, which owned M/V Doña Paz, had endured for the past decades. The incidence of M/V Doña Paz was only the beginning and the worst was yet to come until 2008.
Sinking of M/V Princess of the Orient (1998)
The sinking of this passenger ferry owned, yet again, by Sulpicio Lines sank on September 18, 1998 near Fortune Islands in Batangas. Sulpicio’s M/V Princess of the Orient, bound from Manila to Cebu, sailed while there was a typhoon. The passengers on board were 388; around 150 of them perished. The surviving passenger waited for 12 hours to be rescued.
The M/T Solar I and the Oil Spill
The sinking of the oil tanker had spewed 190,000 liters of oil into the once-pristine water of Guimaras which nearly covered their waters leaving marine species homeless and aquatic ecosystems distorted. Indeed this incident had threatened the neighboring provinces in the Visayas, considering this as one of the most disastrous marine accidents in the history. Attempts were made to salvage Guimaras, but it was to no avail.
The tanker was believed to carry more than two million liters of oil when it sank due to bad weather on August 11, 2006. The local government has appealed to the national government for international help to clean up the oil spill. Some foreign funds from different organizations gratefully responded to this request specifically the Greenpeace considering this event as the worst ever to hit the Philippines
M/V Princess of the Stars
The tragedy that occurred in the M/V Princess of the Stars had once again brought Sulpicio Lines to the spotlight. The ship sealed her fate while sailing off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon at the height of the typhoon Frank on June 21, 2008.
The number of casualties of the said disaster bordered between 700 and 800. Together with these are the estimated 300 crew members, making their population reach around a thousand. Only few had survived but many were dead and left unsaved and still missing. Among this number were the helpless children and the elderly left at the mercy of the rambling. Navy vessels were dispatched and rescuers responded but most of them aborted their mission because of the huge waves pushing them back towards the shore. The rain was so strong and waves were so big that few of them could have possibly survived. Bodies were found on nearby provinces including, reaching the coast of Albay, Masbate, and Cebu. Some said that the vessel experienced technical problems but the survivors stated that the ship encountered no mechanical trouble, but only slowed down its speed as it encountered big waves off the coast of Romblon.
Hundreds of people went to the office of the Sulpicio Lines and to the Philippine Coastguard claiming that the accident was due to their fault for letting the ship to sail despite the bad weather. Many were trapped inside the ship as rescuers found bodies inside wearing life jackets. Furthermore, recovery efforts were halted when pesticide endosulfan spread in the sea and was discovered to have been illegally transported by the vessel.
Mishaps on Philippine seas were often caused by human ignorance resulting to countless damage on the part of the victims. These incidences do not only affect the victims but also even the unaffected Filipinos. What we need is a total change in the present navigating system and the rules that run it. Thus, thinking of the safety of passengers should be put forth first before anything else.
Accidents like these are lessons that leave us lessons, serving as wake up call to the business sector and the government to act upon in disasters, and if possible, avert these disasters.
We should not wait for more lives to be sacrificed before we take things seriously. Move now, make a change for tomorrow!
