#north valley new mexico

[mauldinsflowers1]

The 5 Best Hotels in North Valley NM

The most exciting and memorable part of a trip to North Valley NM is having a full itinerary that allows you to make the most of your visit. After a long day of sightseeing, dining at the finest restaurants, and strolling through the streets to take in the beautiful views around town, you deserve to unwind in a comfortable and relaxing space. We've compiled a list of the 5 best hotels in North Valley NM that offer top-quality accommodations and a welcoming atmosphere, ensuring your trip is an unforgettable experience!

Loba Luna Bed and Breakfast Loba Luna Bed and Breakfast takes your stay in North Valley NM to a whole new level! Having served the city for years, along a leafy residential street, this breezy B&B is 2 miles from Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, 7 miles from Rio Grande Nature Center State Park and 3 miles from Interstate 25. Offers you a taste of the good life in North Valley NM. Simply give us a call at +15055255764 and check in at 414 C De Baca Ln NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114, United States for the best experience in North Valley NM. https://maps.app.goo.gl/kxX7CFxwK3Xozpvx6

Hilton Garden Inn Albuquerque North/Rio Rancho Perfect for history buffs and travelers alike, Hilton Garden Inn Albuquerque North/Rio Rancho showcases the rich history and fascinating traditions of North Valley New Mexico. Across the street from the Intel Corp., this straightforward suburban property is a 5-minute drive from the Cottonwood Mall, located in the heart of the city at 1771 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124, United States, provides a unique experience. Call us at +15058961111 to book your stay and enjoy exceptional accommodations! https://maps.app.goo.gl/H8kkAPRVxij2BtAg8

Quality Inn & Suites Downtown - University Area Both travelers and locals agree that Quality Inn & Suites Downtown - University Area is one of the best places to stay in North Valley NM. Off I-40, this functional hotel is 3 miles from Old Town and 2 miles from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, offers a friendly environment and ultimate relaxation. Give us a call at +15053450010 and check in at 1315 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107, United States. Get the well-deserved rest and relaxation you need at Quality Inn & Suites Downtown - University Area so you can recharge for the rest of your adventure in North Valley NM. https://maps.app.goo.gl/XKrCmeCpPSKNmy9L6

Quality Inn & Suites Albuquerque North near Balloon Fiesta Park With a wide selection of spacious rooms and suites to suit your style, Quality Inn & Suites Albuquerque North near Balloon Fiesta Park is perfect for all your travel needs. This charming Off Interstate 25, this straightforward hotel is a mile from the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum and 4 miles from Cliff's Amusement Park, located at 5601 Alameda Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113, United States, is close to some of North Valley NM's most famous landmarks and must-try restaurants. Book your stay by calling +15056169230 for guaranteed comfort and convenience during your visit to North Valley NM. https://maps.app.goo.gl/bHiwjxLF6ZHrX8NQ6

Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Albuquerque North Treat yourself to effortless luxury, excellent dining, and beautiful amenities at Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Albuquerque North. This modest budget hotel off Interstate 25 is 3 miles from Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum and 10 miles from Albuquerque International Sunport. Promises a relaxing retreat. Contact our friendly staff at +15057965928 and visit us at 5101 Ellison St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, United States. Experience a welcoming escape at Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Albuquerque North and make the most of your trip to North Valley NM! https://maps.app.goo.gl/6WgjbEkawttcN2pK7

Traveling to North Valley NM doesn't mean you can't feel at home! Whether you're looking for a family-friendly destination that everyone will love, a romantic getaway for you and your special someone, or a private retreat for a solo vacation, these local hotels offer the very best of North Valley NM.

More about Places to Visit in North Valley NM.

[vylewa]

Over the last few weeks, I have been spending my time working on my save file because I'm gearing up to start a Let's Play series on Youtube. As I've been building the stories for the characters in my save file, I started thinking about the Sims universe as a whole and how I want my Sims to travel between worlds. It got me thinking that some worlds feel like they're just a short 4-hour car ride away, while others feel like you'd need a plane to get there.

So, I decided to map out my sims universe. I got a lot of inspiration from different Reddit posts as well as the EA descriptions of each world. This has been so helpful for me as I plan out the buildings I want to place in each world. It has been so helpful with finding inspiration for creating builds. I hope you can find this helpful too.

I'm really happy about my Sims universe turned out. I'd love to hear what you think about it! Are there any worlds you disagree with me on? Also, when are we getting an African world, EA?

North America

New Crest reminds me of suburban New York, mostly because you can still the city skyline from there.

Brindleton Bay reminds me so much of New England.

San Myshuno is quite obviously New York.

Willow Creek gives me a New Orleans vibe.

Magnolia Promenade is somewhere in the south because of the name (magnolias grow in the mostly in Southern United States - Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina). I placed it close to Willow Creek for story telling purposes.

Chestnut Ridge gives me a strong Texas vibe.

Del Sol Valley is undoubtedly Los Angeles.

Oasis Springs I think of as Palm Springs with the desert and all, also the Langraabs live there.

San Sequoia I think of as San Francisco mainly because of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay area, I have all my tech gurus living up there.

Strangerville is straight up Area 51 with all the weird stuff going on there.

Granite Falls gives me a National Park vibe, so I chose my favorite, Yellowstone which is mostly in Wyoming.

Copperdale seems to be in the rocky mountains, I placed it in Montana because of the old mining town description. Butte, Montana used to be a huge mining town.

Moonwood Mill reminds so much of the thick woods in the Pacific West somewhere Washington or Oregon.

Glimmerbrook I imagine is close to Moonwood Mill and the witches and the werewolves are always beefing.

Evergreen Harbor gives me a strong Pacific West port city like Vancouver (I know Vancouver is not in the US, but you get the drift).

Sulani reminds me so much of Hawaii, the beautiful beaches, volcanoes, and mountains and the culture portrayed by Sulanians.

Ciduad Enamorada reminds me so much of Mexico City, Mexico.

South America

Selvadorara gives a strong Amazonian vibe so I placed it in Brazil.

Europe

Britchester because of Britchester uinversity reminds me of Universtiy of Oxford, or University of Cambridge so I placed it in the UK.

Henford-on-Bagley gives off a strong English country vibe so I placed it South Central England.

Windenburg gives off a German vibe because of the style of buildings placed in the world.

Forgotten Hollow I think of as somewhere in Transylvania so I placed it in Romania.

Tartosa is undoubtedly mediterranean so I placed it in Italy.

Asia

Tomarang with the tuk tuks and the tiger sanctuary reminds me of Indonesia.

Mt. Komorebi, my absolute favorte world, is Japan. I can't wait to visit someday.

P.S. Batuu is not included in my sims universe because it is in space, I don't anticipate my sims ever traveling there, but if I ever feel otherwise, I will include it in here.

[queer-media-tourney]

Here are all 64 round 1 polls:

Rent vs Orphan Black

Heartstopper vs Orange is the New Black

Carol (2015) vs Bugsnax

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern vs Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Fienburg

Red, White and Royal Blue vs This is how you lose the time war by Amar el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Our Flag means Death vs Always human by Ari North

The last of us two vs On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

Heartbreak High vs Shameless

Undertale vs The Handmaiden

Young Royals vs Revolutionary Girl Utena

Sens8 vs Carry on by Rainbow Rowell

Bee and puppycat vs The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Yuri on Ice vs Ranma ½

Q-force vs Feel Good

Torchwood vs The interview with a Vampire (2022)

Homestuck vs Good Omens

Some like it hot vs Killing Eve

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off vs Bound (1996)

It's a sin vs Magnus Chase by Rick Riordan

Doctor Who vs Portrait of a young lady on fire

Steven Universe vs Saltburn

Xena Warrior Princess vs Cyberpunk 2077

Welcome to Nightvale vs Schitt's creek

Night in the woods vs A league Of their own

Lisa Frankenstein vs The boys in the band (1970)

Black Sails vs Owl House

Hannibal vs The Traitor Baru Cormorant

Bottoms vs The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir

The picture of Dorian Grey vs Adventure time

The Sandman (comic) vs Supernatural

Maurice (1987) vs Hazbin Hotel

Nimona vs Love Simon

Epithet Erased vs What we do in the shadows

Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs The Other Two

One Day at a time (2017) vs Falsettos

She-ra and the princesses of power vs Dykes to Watch Out for

Celluloid Closet vs Harley Quinn

But I'm a cheerleader vs Vida

Angels In America vs Glee

Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur vs They both die in the end by Adam Silvera

Will and Grace vs Paris is Burning

Sanders Sides vs The Magnus Archives

The L word vs Goncharov

Queer as Folk vs Paper Girls

Boys don't cry vs Dracula

All of us strangers vs Yellow jackets

The Song of Achilles vs D.E.B.S

Brokeback Mountain vs Dead end: paranormal park

Carmilla vs Pride (2014)

The Bifrost Incident vs Pink Flamingos

Call me by your name vs Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Grishaverse vs Roswell New Mexico

Riverdale vs We Know the Devil

Stardew Valley vs Pose

Disco Elysium vs Different For girls

Banana fish vs my own private Idaho

Celeste vs Tales of the City, by Armistead Maupin

Everything Everywhere all at once vs Outer Wilds

To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar vs Victor/Victoria

Moonlight vs Stranger things

The birdcage vs Midnight Cowboy

The Watermelon Woman vs The Ritz

The haunting of Bly Manor vs Epic of Gilgamesh

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel vs How to survive a plague

[mutant-distraction]

The Sandhill Crane. . .

The sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) is a large crane species found in North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. Sandhill cranes frequent the edges of bodies of water, including marshes. Sandhill cranes are incredibly social birds. When migrating, they form flocks that can be as large as tens of thousands. Their distinctive rolling cries fill the air during these impressive gatherings.

During migration, they travel to areas in New Mexico, Texas, and other parts of North America. The central Platte River valley in Nebraska serves as a crucial stopover area for the great sandhill crane, with up to 450,000 birds passing through annually.

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Image credit: Shane Kalyn

Text credit: Earth of Wonders

[whencyclopedia]

The River of Separation, a Navajo Creation Story

The River of Separation is one of the many versions of the Navajo creation story detailing how the people first came up from below the earth, learned to live on its surface and, just as importantly, learned to live with each other. Versions of the story, with the same title, are told by many of the Pueblo peoples.

Navajo Hogan in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

Dsdugan (CC BY-SA)

The title of the piece refers to the river that comes to separate men from women, in the early days of the world, after First Man and First Woman argue over whether one could survive without the other. The first part of the story emphasizes the harmony that comes from people working and learning from each other; the second focuses on how people suffer when that kind of balance is lost.

Navajo Beliefs & Importance of Balance

The name Navajo was applied to the people of the regions of modern-day Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and surrounding areas of the present Southwestern United States by the Spanish in the 17th century. The Navajo knew themselves by the name Dine (Dene, pronounced DEE-nay), "the People", the term they still identify themselves by today. They learned farming from the Pueblo peoples and the "Kisani" referenced in the story below are understood as Puebloans. Scholars Alice Marriott and Carol K. Rachlin comment on the culture and history of the Navajo:

To many non-Indians, the Navajo are what their own name for themselves, Dene, implies – they are The People. Isolated in the desert regions of the Southwest, the Navajo have survived draught and famine, the white man's diseases, and his government's boarding schools, to become the largest single ethnic unit of North American Indians and a synonym for haughty independence.

(90)

Today, many Navajo live on reservations, though they may live wherever they like and in any kind of dwelling. Historically, the Navajo lived in homes known as hogans, which were constructed of logs and mud-lathe and could be conical, rectangular, or square (for men and families), while an 8-sided (octagonal) hogan was specifically built for women. The home was understood as sacred because it had been given to First Man and First Woman by the divine in the early days of the world, and so, even today, a hogan is regarded as a holy place. This understanding is especially important in the following story as the argument between First Man and First Woman disrupts the harmony of their hogan, and that imbalance then affects all the other homes in the village.

The importance of balance is also suggested by the characters of the Twins in the story, who are "half men and half women" and define the roles of the sexes early on. As they are neither male nor female, they are also able to act as mediators once the rift occurs between the men and the women: they are the only ones able to cross the River of Separation. As such, they stand as representatives of the Holy People – those of the Above who serve the will of Johanoai, god of the sun – who expect the Earth People (the Navajo) to work with them in maintaining balance. The Twins never choose a side in The River of Separation but allow the people to work out their conflict on their own and so learn a lesson they will not soon forget.

The story develops themes and characters featured in the Dine Bahane (Navajo Creation Story) but is only one of many variations of such tales. As such, it is referred to as a Navajo creation story, but not the Navajo Creation Story. As noted, Navajo spiritual beliefs focus on the importance of balance in one's life and encouraging that same harmony throughout the earth. First, one centers and balances oneself; then one is better able to help others find their own as well as encourage balance in the wider world. Since the concept of balance is central to The River of Separation, it is easy to see why the story remains so popular in Navajo communities.

The serious themes of the tale aside, the story serves as entertainment, and the comical motif of a married couple's argument spiraling out of all proportion has been featured in stories around the world for thousands of years. This Navajo version of the "battle of the sexes" motif plays off the same arguments as the many others in world literature and is as popular among the Navajo today as, presumably, it was in the distant past.

Continue reading...

[tanadrin]

sensible political borders in the contiguous US are of course hampered by the fact that the US's north and south borders are insane. really new england should be in the same superregion as the maritimes, cascadia should extend up to vancouver, the whole rio grande valley should be united, and the southwest should be part of a cross-border region with northern mexico. but until the evil UN overlords forcibly implement the Amero and the North American Union, there are certain arbitrary geographical barriers we must put up with.

[pinesfamilyguidetotheweird]

Brit Gravity Falls AU: Gravidale Falls

Despite the tie, I am leaning more towards Victorian era.

(and if you wanna get technical, @dreamondelphinus broke the tie in the tags)

And so...

Welcome to Gravidale Falls.

The AU takes place in the 1880s of the Victorian Era of the United Kingdom.

As for the town (village, really) itself, its located in the northern area of Cumbria, North West England. I wanted to give the village a name that fit the country because...I don't know, Gravity Falls didn't ring well for me for the UK setting. It's all good though, as Gravidale can mean 'Valley of Gravity' and using the -dale suffix was perfect as Gravity Falls was set in a valley back in Oregon.

And given the time period, Gravidale Falls is a little more isolated and not a lot of people would even heard of this village except for those who lived there or came across it on accident or by chance.

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Residents' Nationalities

One of the craziest facts to learn about the UK is that...it contains about three countries plus the northern portion of Ireland, but the UK as a whole is small compared to the USA. In terms of length, the UK matches Texas but with half (maybe less than?) its width.

The reason I bring this up is because I want some of the characters to have different nationalities.

I will say that the majority of Gravidale Falls is English, but you also have Scottish, Irish, Italian, American, Spanish, and maybe a smidge more.

Now, as for the main crew (plus the Zodiacs)...

The Pines Family -- English

Soos and his Abuelita -- Spanish (I was thinking Mexican, but Mexico, as an established country, was relatively new as it was founded in 1821, so I wasn't sure)

Wendy and her family -- Scottish (if this is stereotypical, I apologize. I love the Scottish culture and I can't cannot hear Wendy or her dad with a Scottish accent. And hey, flannel. Or targan, really. That's the actual term for the pattern)

The Northwests -- English

The Valentinos -- Italian

McGucket -- American

Gideon and his family -- French

As of now, I can't think of the nationalities for other characters...except for Candy, because she is Korean.

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Social Classes

Like anywhere else, (and honestly in any time period), there are social classes. In the Victorian era, there were four: Upper (royals, nobility, and tycoons), middle (administrative and/or managerial workers), working (manual labor; typically the majority of population), and under (the poor and prostitutes).

Again, just focusing on the main crew (and Zodiacs), but in order of class (plus job if they have one):

The Northwests -- Upper Class (Nobility)

The Gleefuls -- Middle Class (Church owners)

McGucket -- Middle Class (Engineer); born from a working class

The Pines -- Middle Class (Ford is a doctor/scientist, Stan is a business owner, and D&M's father has a job fitted for the class); originally a poor working class

The Corduroys -- Working Class (Woodcutters and Icecutters)

The Valentinos -- Working Class (Undertakers...I think its working class)

Soos and his Abuelita -- Underclass (Poor; However, they are hired as domestic servants in Ford's home)

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If you wanna hear more, feel free to send an ask!

[jackhkeynes]

what are/were the main colonial powers in the novomund? i remember morrack in the arcabil, vascony in ambrosia, provence in new provence and britain in british mendeva. but i don't think we know much about cappatia yet

Thanks for the great question! I'll take this opportunity to compile a bunch of the placenames I have for Mendeva and Cappatia [the Americas]. I'll go roughly from north to south.

The Novomund (briefly)

This term Novomund for the great landmasses of the western hemisphere is attested from the early sixteenth century, reflecting a univerbation of latin novus mundus "new world".

Mendeva [North America]

The name Mendeva was formed backwards from Latin Mendevalēnsis "from Mendeva", attested already on the maps made during the 1471 Landfall (the demonym was later rederived as Mendevānus "Mendevan" from the placename). This comes from Vask [Basque] mendeval "west", itself likely a borrowing from Vascon vent de val "valley wind".

Ambrosia [~Quebec, the Maritimes, New England] is a Vascony-settled polity named for King Ambrose III of Vascony (r. 1456–1518).

Zangathy [~the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Winnipeg, Ontario] is a landlocked polity occupying the upriver Bahassassin [Mississippi] directly west of the Five Seas [Great Lakes]. Its name reflects Daccotan [Dakota] zaŋathi "flint region".

New Provence [~New England, New York, and south as far as South Carolina] is a coastal polity extending westward to the Sturgovan Mountains [Appalachians] which grew from a series of trading post established by Provence merchants.

Hasiny [~Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma] is the largest polity in so-called British Mendeva, a few states along the Gulf settled by the Kingdom of Britain [~Wales, etc]. It takes its name from the Ractish [Caddo] name Hasíne "our people" for one of the previous nations the modern polity is descended from.

Taisha [~Texas, Coahuila] is a minor polity of Gulf Mendeva at the crossroads of British and Morrack [Moroccan] influences. Its name comes via Arabic Tayisha' from Ractish taísha' "welcome".

Mivock [~northern California] is a minor coastal polity on the Lovaqua [Pacific] known for its congenial climate. Of exceedingly sundry influence, its name reflects the name miwoc of the local Mendeva peoples and languages.

Mashick [~Mexico, southern California, New Mexico, Arizona] is the largest polity in Lower Mendeva, the descendant of the Mashick [Aztec] Empire with heavy Morrack influence. Its name derives via Arabic from the Nawat [Nahuatl] meshi'ca' "Mashick people".

The Arcabil [~the Caribbean] are a collection of islands in the Atlantic, east of Mashick. They have a complicated history of influences from various Vetomundine powers. The name probably comes via the Arabic cognate of "archipelago".

Cocain [~Cuba] is the largest of the islands of the Arcabil. Its name comes from the European folk tradition of a "land of plenty" (compare pays de Cocaigne, país de Cucanna, paese della Cuccagna).

Cappatia [South America]

European languages take the name Cappatia of this continent from Latin Cappātia, which comes via Arabic from Run'allo [Quechua] cappacha "this world".

Tavancy [~Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Boliva, northern Chile] is major polity on the western coast, descended from the Tavancine [Inca] Empire. Its name comes from the Latin imperium tavantīnum, which was borrowed via Arabic as a partial calque from the Run'allo tawantin-suyu "the quartet of provinces".

Staddomains, rather small polities, dot the eastern coast. These grew out of individual trading posts and have many different influences. Examples abound from Dutch influence in Neuwillem, Parnaven and Waronøu to Borlish influence in Monçating.

Dowahine [~southern Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego] is a minor polity at the southern tip of Cappatia. Its name comes from the Arabic word for "smoke", after the smoke-towers sighted there by Captain al-Casmi in 1513.

[districtfourmermaid]

Do you have specific locations in mind when you write about Panem? For example, is 12 in a particular part of Appalachia for you, etc? I can't tell from Katharsis (which, don't worry about that, because trust me, it says way more about my geography skills than your writing skills lol) so I was curious!

Ahoy, sweet reader!!! Thank you so much for asking this, because it touches on something I have been thinking about more this year. And bear with me, I'm gonna go off a minute, and it will veer more towards Four.

First, let's look at the movie!official map.

Something that has always bothered me about this is the size and proximity of the Districts. There are some, particularly Nine, Ten, and Eleven, that we can infer or were described as taking up more land. For their industries, they must. However, it is noted that most Districts' populations and economic centers are concentrated in singular towns. In those geographically larger Districts, workers may be shuttled between home and work sites, but there is a limit to how far that can stretch. Two is noted to be the odd one out with its multiple villages. So, given that we know the Districts do not actually take up this kind of space, that there are miles and miles of wilds between their borders, it is really just a display of potential ranges.

I always imagined Twelve in the northern Appalachians, a little east of this map, since I wasn't accounting for as much sea level rise. I like having Thirteen further north, nearer old Canada, to incorporate a wider range of North America, and a Twelve in the northern part of the mountains lets us have that without them being too far for the commutes in Mockingjay. In Ch. 16, I said Buttercup "trekked hundreds of miles," and to get that, I mapped West Virginia to New York. Not super precise. When she gathers herbs in Ch. 9, I did double check their current ranges and preferred growing habitats to try to be accurate. Northern creep explained by climate change. Coming up, they will eat some wild boar. Feral swine are a big nuisance in the south, and they can get up to the range depicted for Twelve. May even spread further with such a decrease in urban environments, but I'm not a terrestrial biologist. Here, the range for Twelve is smaller than the other Districts, and I don't have a more specific headcanon aside from being biased for the bit closer to Pennsylvania.

Now, being a Chicago gal, I do appreciate its inclusion at the tip of District 6. It's where the transcontinental railroad connected and has historically been the intersection of many a terrestrial trade route--and big about trains--thanks to the Great Lakes! To me, Six is there, and they still use old railway paths and the lakes for moving things, even if there isn't much in the direction the lakes lead anymore. No idea why Three would be there; I used to headcanon that as somewhere in California like Silicon Valley or wherever those people moved after it was eaten by the sea. Three should be closer to Five, which is very appropriately placed where solar panels will get a lot of action.

So, about District 4. When I first read the books, if I thought about seafood in the US, I thought about Bubba from Forrest Gump and all the glorious ways he enjoyed shrimp. This led my first thought about District 4 to the Gulf of Mexico. Later, the West coast grew on me, but Southern Four will always have a place in my heart. And that connects to my next point. Let's talk about Aquaculture!

This figure represents world-wide industry and our current environment, so we must take it with a grain of salt to extrapolate to Panem. That said, I do believe that Four does a combination of wild capture and aquaculture. Wild fisheries could be completely depleted for all we know! Aquaculture is the way of sustainability, and I can go on about that for hours. BUT do you know what the top-cultured aquatic species in the US is today? Catfish!

This map is shows the profit of catfish and other freshwater species like bass and tilapia in the South. If we roll with Four being on the West coast, then I will always put it in the northern part of that. Note the shade of Washington. That's salmon and trout! Salmonids and other prized seafood species are cold water animals! They also do a fair amount of salmonid aquaculture in Idaho. I do not buy a Californian District 4. Not with the way the waters are warming. There is so much salmonid aquaculture up that coast into Canada, too! And the "Yellow Death" that Four's trout hatchery scientists make a new vaccine for in Katharsis Ch. 11 is a Flavobacterium sp.

Anyway, thanks for asking!!!

[nmnomad]

Located just four miles west of Carrizozo, Valley of Fires is one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States, the second youngest in New Mexico behind the McCartys flow in the El Malpais National Monument.

Volcanic vents on Little Black Peak starting oozing lava about 5,000 years ago, filling the northern end of the Tularosa Valley with streams of molten rock for about 30 years. The volcanic field is associated with the Rio Grande Rift, a part of the Earth’s crust that is being gradually pulled apart. This creates faults, which provide paths for magma to reach the Earth’s surface. Whereas most of the volcanic activity has been steady seepage, the last eruption, about 1,500-2,000 years ago, was more explosive.

In total, the Carrizozo Malpais lava flow is 4-6 miles wide, 44-miles long, and approximately 160-feet thick, covering 125 square miles of the Tularosa Basin. The view from the top of Sierra Blanca is outstanding on a clear day. Valley of Fires lava flows extend from the north end of the Tularosa Basin to 14 miles north of the gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park. Dark and light. The geologic contrast is striking enough, and large enough, to be seen from space.

[myemuisemo]

Suddenly, Letters from Watson dumps us in the middle of the Great American Desert (part 1 of "On the Great Alkali Plain," 2/7/24). This is not anywhere I expected to be transported from London, and the contrast makes the Mountain West feel exotic for a minute.

The Great American Desert -- stretching from about Grand Island, Nebraska to the Sierras and pretty much the entire north-south length of the U.S. -- had become a thing of legend since explorers' accounts in the 1820s. When Dad and I drove across it in 2022, we talked about how incredibly daunting it must have been for emigrants seeking their land of milk and honey on the Pacific coast.

The way we went, out I-80, Nebraska shifts from green to gray as it rises toward the Rockies. After a while, the wind picks up as you go uphill into Wyoming. There's a lot of Wyoming, and after Cheyenne and Laramie (both of which would be small towns in most states), it's very, very empty. When we finally started the descent toward Salt Lake City, and the little valleys beside the road turned green with running water, it was truly like entering paradise.

Of course, in 1847, Salt Lake City was just barely being settled, as Brigham Young led his Latter Day Saints west from Council Bluffs, and its location wasn't part of the U.S. yet.

The Mexican-American war had started the prior year, 1846, and was still going. Spring-summer of 1846 saw the Bear Flag Revolt in California, followed by the U.S. just annexing the state. Gold wouldn't be discovered at Sutter's Mill until 1849, so while emigration to California happened -- the Donner Party made their ill-fated trip in 1846-47 -- it wasn't anything like the scope of movement along the Oregon Trail.

As far as I can tell, "Sierra Blanco" is not a real place. There's a Sierra Blanca in New Mexico -- which would fit with all the specific landscape, plus White Sands National Park in New Mexico specifically has alkali flats. Last time I drove through New Mexico on I-40, in late 2018, it was delightfully desolate, so I can buy that in 1847, it seemed completely empty, with even the native peoples avoiding some stretches.

Why anyone would be crossing New Mexico is a mystery, since neither Arizona nor southern California were much settled by Americans. There was some sort of wagon route across New Mexico used by U.S. soldiers during the Mexican-American War, so if I'd expect anyone to be about, it'd be the U.S. Army.

Utah, now, is downright famous for its salt flat, but that's west of the site of Salt Lake City.

Regardless, parties screwing up their trip to the west by taking an imprudent shortcut or mistaking the route was definitely both a thing that happened and, thanks to the Donner Party, a trope. Our haggard and starving traveler sounds about right.

Then he reveals a Plucky Innocent Victorian Child.

That "pretty little girl of about five years of age" is the absolute ideal of Victorian childhood, being perfectly behaved, utterly imperturbable, determined to see the best in all things, sweet, trusting, and looking forward to being reunited with her mother in heaven.

This kind of child is why Louisa May Alcott was seen as innovative for writing Little Woman about girls who worked on their character flaws. (This is also the ideal the March girls were being aimed at. Polly in An Old-Fashioned Girl comes closer, but even Polly would have been upset about being hopelessly lost in the desert with no water.) Contrast this with the street urchins that Holmes employs in his investigation, who are good enough sorts but scrappy, resourceful, and street smart.

Ordinarily, a Victorian child who was utterly sweet and pious would be a cinnamon roll, literally too good, too pure for this world, and thus would die beautifully but tragically before long. Being lost in the desert seems ideal for this, but --

She turns to prayer, and since someone must survive in order for this scene to be relevant,

Yes, darn it, I am on the edge of my seat to know what happens. I'm also grateful that crossing the Great American Desert in 2022 was a quicker process. I've been reading Carey Williams' old-but-interesting California: The Great Exception, which has a lot to say about how 19th century isolation shaped California's economy and power structure, not always for good. But that's neither here nor there -- I don't think we're headed to California.

[cowboyhatesithere]

1. Acadia National Park, Maine

2. American Samoa National Park, American Samoa

3. Arches National Park, Utah

4. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

5. Big Bend National Park, Texas

6. Biscayne National Park, Florida

7. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

8. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

9. Canyonlands National Park, Utah

10. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

11. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

12. Channel Islands National Park, California

13. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

14. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

16. Death Valley National Park, California & Nevada

17. Denali National Park, Alaska

18. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

19. Everglades National Park, Florida

20. Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska

21. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

22. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

23. Glacier National Park, Montana

24. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

25. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

26. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

27. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

28. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina

29. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

30. Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii

31. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

32. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

33. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

34. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

35. Joshua Tree National Park, California

36. Katmai National Park, Alaska

37. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

38. Kings Canyon National Park, California

39. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

40. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

41. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

42. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

43. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

44. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

45. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

46. North Cascades National Park, Washington

47. Olympic National Park, Washington

48. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

49. Pinnacles National Park, California

50. Redwood National Park, California

51. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

52. Saguaro National Park, Arizona

53. Sequoia National Park, California

54. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

55. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

56. Virgin Islands National Park, United States Virgin Islands

57. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

58. White Sands National Park, New Mexico

59. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

60. Wrangell—St. Elias National Park, Alaska

61. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana & Idaho

62. Yosemite National Park, California

63. Zion National Park, Utah

[rabbitcruiser]

Alberta's Rockies (No. 1)

The Canadian Rockies (French: Rocheuses canadiennes) or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part of the Canadian Cordillera, which is the northern segment of the North American Cordillera, the expansive system of interconnected mountain ranges between the Interior Plains and the Pacific Coast that runs northwest–southeast from central Alaska to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico.

Canada officially defines the Rocky Mountains system as the mountain chains east of the Rocky Mountain Trench extending from the Liard River valley in northern British Columbia to the Albuquerque Basin in New Mexico, not including the Mackenzie, Richardson and British Mountains/Brooks Range in Yukon and Alaska (which are all included as the "Arctic Rockies" in the United States' definition of the Rocky Mountains system). The Canadian Rockies, being the northern segment of this chain, is thus defined as comprising the central-eastern section of the North American Cordillera, between the Prairies of Alberta and the Liard Plain of northeastern British Columbia to the east and the Interior Mountains/Plateau and Columbia Mountains to the west. It is divided into the Northern Rockies (which is further subdivided into the Muskwa and Hart Ranges) and Continental Ranges, separated by the McGregor River valley, the McGregor Pass and the Kakwa River valley.

Source: Wikipedia

[tryshredder]

The 7 Most Affordable Ski Resorts in The United States

Resorts across the United States are starting to open up for the 2023/24 season.

The seven most affordable ski resorts in the United States. | Image: Brian Head Resort, Edited By Alfred Arnaud

Despite the anticipation for the upcoming season, nobody looks forward to opening up their wallets for all of the expenses of the ski and snowboard season. With inflation on the rise and many resorts jacking up their lift ticket prices, finding an affordable spot to book your next ski or snowboard vacation can be a challenge. To help you and your wallet out, we narrowed down the seven most affordable ski resorts in the United States.

Whitefish Mountain Resort | Image: TripAdvisor

#7 Whitefish Mountain Resort, MT

Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Montana, just south of the Canadian border.

The mountain boasts over 3,000 acres of terrain and receives nearly 300 inches of snow each year. The resort offers night skiing and has terrain for all different ability levels, making it a very family-friendly resort.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $97

Megapass: None

Vertical: 2,353 feet

Skiable Acres: 3,000

Lifts: 12

Closest Airport: Glacier Park International Airport

Website: https://skiwhitefish.com/

Palisades Tahoe | Image: Palisades Tahoe

#6 Palisades Tahoe, CA

Palisades Tahoe, located on the Sierra Crest in California, receives more than 400 inches annually and has fantastic skiing throughout the entire season.

Situated about 20 minutes from Truckee and about an hour from Reno International Airport, Palisades Tahoe is a great mountain to go chase a powder day or enjoy the groomers with the family. Although the ticket prices start at $179 per day at Palisades Tahoe, the resort is on the Ikon Pass, which allows unlimited days for skiers and riders who have the pass.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $179

Megapass: Ikon Pass

Vertical: 2,850 feet

Skiable Acres: 3,600

Lifts: 29

Closest Airport: Reno-Tahoe International Airport

Website: https://www.palisadestahoe.com/

Bridger Bowl | Image: Visit Bozeman

#5 Bridger Bowl, MT

Bridger Bowl, Montana, is located just outside of Bozeman and is a small but impressive mountain.

The mountain gets around 300 inches of snow each year, and when it does snow, it is low-density blower snow, what many Montanans refer to as “cold smoke.” Bridger Bowl is a locally owned, non-profit ski area that places emphasis on providing locals with fabulous but affordable skiing.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $77

Megapass: None

Vertical: 2,700 feet

Skiable Acres: 2,000

Lifts: 8

Closest Airport: Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

Website: https://bridgerbowl.com/

Arapahoe Basin | Image: Evo

#4 Arapahoe Basin, CO

Arapahoe Basin is your best bet if you are looking to ski affordably in Colorado.

Arapahoe Basin’s base area has activities and terrain for the whole family, but head up the mountain a bit and you will be instantly immersed in challenging terrain. Located just over 60 miles outside of Denver, the Colorado Arapahoe Basin is a popular Colorado ski and travel resort.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $79

Megapass: Ikon

Vertical: 2,530 feet

Skiable Acres: 1,428

Lifts: 9

Closest Airport: Denver International Airport

Website: https://www.arapahoebasin.com/

Mt. Baker Ski Area | Image: awalkandlark.com

#3 Mt. Baker Ski Area, WA

Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington receives on average over 600 inches per year, which is the highest average snowfall in the United States.

Situated approximately 130 miles north of Seattle, the mountain provides skiers with the quintessential features expected from a locally owned and private resort.

Adult Lift Ticket: $91

Megapass: None

Vertical: 1,500 feet

Skiable Acres: 1,000

Lifts: 10

Closest Airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Website: https://www.mtbaker.us/

Taos Ski Valley | Image: Ski New Mexico

#2 Taos Ski Valley, NM

When most people think about New Mexico, skiing is not the first thing that comes to mind. Taos is located just 72 miles north of Santa Fe and offers some of the most challenging and intense terrain.

Over 40% of the marked terrain is expert terrain. The Blake Hotel is a great place for out-of-town guests to stay. The hotel has 80 rooms and is well-known for its excellent spa services, impressive art collection, and reasonable prices.

Adult Lift Ticket: $95

Megapass: Ikon

Vertical: 3,281 feet

Skiable Acres: 1,294

Lifts: 13

Closest Airport: Santa Fe Regional Airport

Website: https://www.skitaos.com/

Brian Head Resort | Image: Brian Head Resort

#1 Brian Head, UT

Brian Head, located in southern Utah, takes the top spot on our list of the most affordable ski resorts in the US.

With lift tickets as low as $29 and located within close proximity to major cities and states (four hours from Salt Lake City, Utah, and three hours from Las Vegas, Nevada), the resort is the perfect destination for those looking for a weekend excursion out of the city.

Adult Lift Ticket: $29

Megapass: None

Vertical: 1,548 feet

Skiable Acres: 650

Lifts: 8

Closest Airport: Cedar City Regional Airport

Website: https://www.brianhead.com/

[mariacallous]

Jonathon Azzopardi, the president of the auto parts manufacturer Laval Tool, can see clear across the US-Canada border from his desk in Windsor, Ontario, just 4 miles from Detroit. This week, that view started to look much more expensive.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the US would begin to place 25 percent tariffs on goods imported across the Canadian and Mexican borders, a stunning reversal of decades of free trade across North America. Both nations threatened to retaliate with their own tariffs. Then, a last-minute reprieve: Late Monday, Trump said tariffs against both nations would “pause” as both nations pledge to boost their border security. The president has also suggested that Canada might avert tariffs by becoming the 51st state, a suggestion that has horrified Canadians.

Should that 25 percent tariff go through, coupled with retaliatory tariffs from Canada, it would add near-unmanageable costs to the firm, Azzopardi says, in part because some of its products cross the US-Canada border up to seven times during production.

Even with the pause, the future is still murky—and frightening.

“The uncertainty is actually a bit worse, because we don't know what's going to happen,” says Azzopardi.

The company’s predicament demonstrates the difficulty of many in the auto business, as the Trump administration’s scattershot and threat-heavy approach to foreign policy jeopardizes the complex—and expensive—supply chains that create the vehicles Americans drive every day.

In one example from Laval Tool, US-made steel comes from Pennsylvania and is used to make components that eventually become molds for car parts, which then gets sent back to the US for processing, which is then finished back in Canada, which is then used to make a car component like a hood, which is then sent back to the US to get added to other components in a specific order.

Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could affect some $225 billion in auto-related imports, according to the consultancy AlixPartners. A quarter of the 16 million vehicles sold in the US annually come from Canada or Mexico.

Tariffs could also substantially inflate the cost of manufacturing a new vehicle—by up to $6,250, according to S&P Global Mobility. Firms will have to decide which of those costs they can bear themselves and which they’ll pass on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

The tariff pause doesn't mean the auto industry’s headache has ended. Analysts say manufacturers are responding to the uncertainty around duties by buying ahead and by moving goods across the border while they’re still tariff-free. Companies on the other side of the border are reacting to an influx of orders by cramming and paying workers overtime, and fearing that doing work now will mean less to do in the future.

Getting those products to the US quickly is more expensive right now because many companies are moving goods at once, says Paul Isley, a professor of economics at the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University who forecasts business conditions in Western Michigan, where many auto suppliers and automakers are based. Then, storing that extra inventory incurs holding costs. In the US, local companies are also responding by holding off on hiring, Isley says.

“Often, uncertainty is worse than a bad plan,” says Isley.

Azzopardi says Laval Tool is trying to decide whether it should change its prices, scramble to open some kind of US subsidiary that will help it avoid some tariffs, or absorb 100 percent of the tariff costs in the hopes of maintaining relationships with major automaking clients. “For a short period of time we could stomach a couple of blows, for a couple months,” he says.

The confusion is particularly taxing for the auto industry, whose complex supply chain spans not only continental borders but the globe. Widgets are added to gadgets are connected to wires are attached to sensors, all in a specific order, all coming together to create just one component—an instrument panel, a window switch, a camshaft, a valve—that then needs to be attached to thousands of other components. Some 18,000 suppliers contribute to one auto manufacturer’s vehicles, the consultancy McKinsey has estimated.

Mexico is home to major auto manufacturing and assembly plants from most major automakers, including Volkswagen, BMW, and Ford. (Chinese automakers are also reportedly looking for factory locations in Mexico; US automakers fear they will try this backdoor to enter the American market.) It is also a hub for the assembly of labor-intensive auto components, including wire harnesses and vehicle seats. Canada, meanwhile, produces some of General Motors’ most popular trucks. It’s also the home of many tool and die operations and some of the largest auto suppliers in the world, including Magna and Linamar.

Automakers are likely spending time calculating what it will cost to move supplier, assembly, or manufacturing operations back to the US. This is not just a matter of swapping one widget for another, which means responding to tariffs could take automakers months, if not years. Any component change requires testing and calibration, says Dan Hearsch, who leads the US automotive practice at AlixPartners, an industry consultant. “Vehicles carry people’s lives,” he says. “These things have to work, and they have to last. That’s what’s at risk when [automakers] don’t do the right thing when moving production or shifting supply.”

“This is a very tough spot for the auto industry,” Hearsch says. “Other industries can move production far more easily than we can.”

In Windsor, Azzopardi feels that Canadian suppliers are, for some reason, being punished for following the free trade rules established during President Trump’s last term. “Who’s to say if this is the new normal?" he says. “It’s changing how we do business with our biggest trading partner”—the United States.

[whencyclopedia]

First Agricultural Revolution

The First Agricultural Revolution, beginning c. 12-20,000 years ago, was characterized by the emergence of different agricultural systems in different parts of the world, whose common trait was the use of native species. Although agriculture is commonly believed to have originated in the Near East between 12,000 and 8000 years ago, agriculture actually developed independently in several regions, stemming from their respective native species.

The Emergence of Agriculture

The shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more settled existence supported by agriculture happened over a few thousand years between c. 12,000 and 20,000 years ago. At that time, the overall population of the planet may have ranged from four to eight million, scattered all over the continents as a consequence of migrations caused by glaciations and the reshaping of the continents at the end of the Ice Age.

It appears agriculture arose independently in different areas of the world. Main regions include:

the Indus Valley in India

two centers in eastern Asia: in the Yangtze Valley and along the Yellow River further north and eastwards

the Andean plateau in Mexico

the Near and Middle East

the eastern coast of what later became the United States

sub-Saharan Africa

In each of these areas, agriculture developed in close connection with plants and animals native to those regions. The earliest evidence of humans cultivating plants comes from Papua New Guinea, a geographical area between the Far East and the Australian continent, which is difficult to explore even these days. Some 20,000 years ago, maybe even earlier, in this remote region, people began cultivating bananas (Musa sp.), taro (Colocasia esculenta), and possibly yams (Dioscorea). As for this species of banana, it would be hardly palatable nowadays, being small and containing plenty of seeds wrapped up in a fibrous tissue. Nevertheless, they were bananas.

As native plants offered different opportunities in each region, the peoples of southern China domesticated rice, while those in northern China cultivated millet. In the Middle East, emmer, wheat, legumes, dates, figs, and possibly carob were the first plants grown by humans. In the Americas, agriculture started in different areas with the cultivation of beans and maize on one side, potatoes on another, and later on sunflowers and pumpkins, respectively. In Africa, red rice, sorghum, and millet were the first plants to be cultivated. Little is known about the agriculture of the Indus Valley Civilization as many major Neolithic sites are yet to be thoroughly excavated, however, ancient sources suggest that Alexander the Great (r. 336-323 BCE) may have come across the cultivation of sugar cane for the first time in India.

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