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Author: matt

Christmas Valley Oregon

Christmas Valley Oregon

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For people who enjoy deserts and sage – Oregon’s Christmas Valley has some really cool adventures.

  • Fort Rock – Fort Rock is on the western side of Christmas Valley and is a naturally occurring tuff ring, a kind of volcanic crater that forms when hot magma meets cold groundwater. It’s also the site of a cave where archaeologists unearthed several pairs of sagebrush sandals confirmed to be about 10,000 years old – providing some of the earliest evidence for human occupation in North America.
  • Crack-In-The-Ground – An ancient volcanic fissure, Crack-in-the-Ground offers one of the most fascinating slot-canyon like hikes in Oregon. A dirt trail leaves the sagebrush behind and descends into the fissure, which measures two miles long, 15 feet wide and up to 70 feet deep.
  • Hole-In-The-Ground – Another volcanic landmark with a literal name, Hole-in-the-Ground is a big explosion crater (known as a maar) in the middle of nowhere, measuring nearly a mile across
  • Christmas Valley Sand Dunes – When thinking of sand dunes, Oregonians tend to think of the Oregon coast. Way out in the desert of central Oregon is another set of dunes, covering 11,000 acres of land and reaching up to 60 feet high
  • Fossil Lake – Fossil Lake is dry lakebed on the southeast side of the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes, well known among paleontologists as a site for fossils. The ancient lake that once filled the area is thought to have been 200 feet deep, but over time it slowly dried up, leaving behind the remains of many prehistoric animals that visited its shores.
  • Lost Forest – Lost Forest is what remains of an ancient forest of ponderosa pines, which once covered much of the region
  • Glass Buttes – Glass Buttes is one of Oregon’s best places to find and (legally) gather shards of obsidian
Evolution of Disney’s Haunted Mansion

Evolution of Disney’s Haunted Mansion

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I LOVE classic haunted house stories and attractions. I’m not talking about modern ones that appear in every major city at Halloween – where actors try to gore you out or have people jump out screaming while dressed up in leatherface costumes or as zombies. And especially not ones that submit you to highly questionable experiences.

My favorites ones are dark rides. I got addicted to spooky rides as a kid going to Indiana Beach. They had 2 major rides I would take as many times as I could. First was Dr Frankenstein’s Castle and the second was the Mystery Mansion dark ride.

Later in life I got to visit the spiritual father of them all – Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride. I loved that ride and did it too many times. Turns out, Park Ride History has done a great job on how the attraction evolved. I had no idea there were so many amazing ideas – I wish they could even do another or expand the mansion further to include some of them.

There’s lots of interesting other YouTube videos about the Haunted Mansion – including the reason the stretching room exists. Give them a go.

Going to the best amusement parks in the world – during the pandemic

Going to the best amusement parks in the world – during the pandemic

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COVID has ended almost all world, domestic, and even local travel. This means we have to get creative. I started touring the world – but virtually. One of the things I found is that dedicated fans have made extremely high quality 4k recording of almost every major amusement park and ride around the world.

I recommend a good number of the rides at Tokyo Disneysea in Japan. But maybe you’d like some Star Wars, or Indiana Jones, Beauty and the Beast, or one of my favorites Expedition Everest.

Go on youtube and explore all the amazing adventures around the world you can have in 4k video for free.