Tag: Four Faces

Tremblant In Canada

Tremblant is based in Canada and has over 90 runs servicing millions of skiers each year. With 13 state-of-the-art ski lifts and a selection of choices for both snowboarders and skiers Tremblant attained its reputation through daring, varied runs catering for a selection of abilities and preferences. With its longest run being 6km long, you cannot help but picture Tremblant as the skiing capital of Canada.

Tremblant has also recently had 18 acres of quality, freestyle snowboarding playground custom built. With jumps, rails, ramps and half-pipes those who are familiar with this should be sure to check it out should the visit. With 94 slaloms, the Tremblant management team have been sure to cater for all levels with 31 intermediate slopes, 17 slopes for novices and mountains worth of expert, countered terrain.

Standing 870 metres tall, and with snowboarding and skiing facilities on all four faces, it is no wonder the 628 acre facility is considered the home to Skiing in the area. The facility allows for natural snow between November and April however this does not set anyone back for the other months of the year. The revolutionary Avalanche system actually turns water into snow in an instant.

So how does the system work? In Tremblant there are 885 guns, that spray a cooling gassy chemical onto the snow and the coverage is able to not only turn water into snow in minutes, but also maintain organic snow forever. The amazing system ensures that the temperature is just right: not turning the snow to ice. The revolutionary system is also used to alter the temperature of snow for big events, however its main advantage is 365 day snow, for the people of Tremblant.

The Tremblant Lift system can carry over 27,000 snowboarders and skiers per hour, whilst the Gondola and quads also aid the in the massive effort of lifting millions of people up the mountain each day.

For those of you who get hungry there are also great accessible eateries available at the top of the 870 metre mountain. Whilst most holiday makers will experience the Tremblant as experienced skiers, there are also many options available to the beginners and intermediates choosing to visit Tremblant. With over 40 beginner slopes and over 50 multi-lingual skiing instructors you really have to visit Tremblant to understand its sheer scale. Learning to ski in Tremblant is not only a great idea because of the experience of the instructors, but also because your choices are not restricted at all.

During my first visit to Tremblant I was a keen skier but I had never had the opportunity to snowboard before. During my time in Tremblant I was taught how to snowboard in one day, and by the end of the vacation I was able to attempt challenging runs on the intermediate circuits. Although my experience in skiing was helpful, I felt a lot of this came down to the dexterity of the instructors.

The accommodation in Tremblant is amazing, with 6 hotels all with excellent service and offering amazing luxury to their guests. In a hotel, where you see amazing views onto the massive mountain, you also see firework displays that they put on for the tourists each evening. In case that puts you off, I was assured the fireworks do not make any noise, apart from at the weekends. The amazing Tremblant skiing resort has never hosted a large event, and is firmly known for its ability to cater for tourists, however that has not stopped it, in its quest to host the 2009 open. Having placed a bid, we can all wait and see if Tremblant is successful.

Ski Press Weekly voted Tremlant the best skiing facility for tourists in North America and this is hardly a surprise. With accessible pricing, a massive selection of runs and a lift that can carry over 25,000 people an hour it is hardly surprising.

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Four Faces

There is a hidden treasure in this country. It is a vacation spot that has amazing mountains, lakes for fishing and boating and something very special to top it all off as well. That hidden treasure is tucked in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

For most people, when you think of great sightseeing vacation spots, you might think of New England, California, Florida or Colorado. And too be sure, those are outstanding American sightseeing locations. That is why this hidden treasure is such a gem. The Black Hills provide all of the pleasure of mountain relaxation but without the crowds that you will run into in Colorado or one of the major tourist destinations like Yellowstone. The Black Hills have ample sites for camping, lakes for fishing or boating and trails for hiking so you can commune with nature to your hearts content.

Moreover, you may find the Black Hills to be even more rustic than some of the better known vacation locations. Dont be surprised as you drive along on your way into those beautiful mountains when you find yourself in the middle of a large herd of buffalo or elk roaming free in the wilderness of South Dakota. That kind of face to face contact with wildlife and nature is quite common in these scenic hills.

But of all the hidden treasures that these beautiful hills hide, one magnificent national treasure stands out as a location that every family will want to visit at least once if not many times. And that is the famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial. This memorial to the leaders of this great nation in its first 150 years is famous for its power, its elegance and what it says about greatness in America.

When you first walk out on the visitors center plaza and glimpse these magificent memorials to Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, your reaction will be typical if you cannot help but say wow. Part of it is the sheer size of these amazing works of art. We, as Americans, are always in awe of the talent that God gives to great artists. But when the outcome of the artistic vision results in a memorial that is the size of a mountain itself, that is a sight that leaves a lasting impression on the heart and on the soul.

We wont give away any secrets but be sure you watch the film that gives the story of the creation of these amazing sculptures of the heads of four of our greatest presidents. With most works of art, we see the skill, talent and effort of one inspired artist working to complete his vision. But when you look at Mount Rushmore, you have to notice that this kind of tremendous work of art could only be the result of the work of an army of workers along with the legislative skills of Congress to approve the project and the tenacity of a team of designers and visionaries to see the project through the many years that Mount Rushmore was in the making.

Many movies have been made at the site of Mount Rushmore and it has been depicted often in photographs and engravings showing the great patriotic locations around the country. Truly, Mount Rushmore ranks right up there with the great statues on the Washington DC mall, the historic sights in Boston or New York or any of the great architectural wonders around this great land of ours.

The simple elegance of those faces will make you want to draw closer than is humanly possible to bond with this art in a greater way. But the park officials are wise to keep the eager crowds back to the observation deck because not only is it possible to get hurt coming too close to these great statues, you really cannot truly appreciate their grandeur and beauty except from a distance of almost a mile away.

As you and your family leave the Mount Rushmore National Monument, you will all have different impressions and inspirations that come from viewing a work of art of this scope and magnitude. Take advance of this moment of quiet reverence to reflect together on how the impact of Mount Rushmore inspires greater patriotism in all of us and a call to great achievement in even the most average of Americans. If that is your inspiration, the creators of the Mount Rushmore memorial will feel like they have done their jobs well.

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