When skiers think great slopes, they think Oregon. And when skiers want a great place to stay while skiing in Oregon, they choose the Timberline Lodge.

Timberline Lodge is more than a great place to ski; it’s a lodge with history. A master craftsman built Timberline Lodge during the Great Depression. It’s a majestic building that many will recognize from the movie “The Shining”. Many of the outdoor scenes from the classic film were shot at Timberline Lodge in Oregon.

The lodge was completely built by hand, and remains very well preserved. Hand-woven draperies and hand-hewn beams create a rustic charm that beautiful reflects the history of this stunning building. The lodge itself sits amid 1400 acres of land. Thirty-five trails have been created for beginner, intermediate and expert skiers. Timberline Lodge’s top elevation is 8504′, with a vertical drop of 2501′, and six chair lifts are available.

A unique feature of Timberline Lodge in Oregon is that it’s the only lodge in the United States to offer year-round snow skiing. There is an area of Timberline Lodge called Palmer Snowfield that is permanently covered in snow. Beginners are not always allowed on Palmer Snowfield; the conditions are evaluated each day, and the staff determines who will be allowed access to the area.

Skiing, snowboarding, show shoeing, hiking and lodge tours are main attractions at Timberline. Powder is King here, so all activities are snow-related. Mount Hood, where Timberline is located, is an active volcano considered to be dormant. Tremors are occasionally felt, and steam vents are often visible. Skiers and non-skiers alike must visit the Magic Mile for an unmatched panoramic view of the Cascade Mountains.

Timberline Lodge offers guests a selection of dining options. The Cascade Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, however hours of operation do change depending on the season. Guests can also choose to dine at the Blue Ox, Ram’s Head, Market Cafe, Wy’East or the Mount Hood Brewing Company.

Skis and equipment is not available to rent at Timberline Lodge. It is essential that you bring your own equipment, but you can buy smaller items like goggles and gloves at the lodge. Some clothing items are also available for purchase. There is a ski and snowboard school on the premises offering private instruction and group lessons.

The historic Timberline Lodge in Oregon is a great choice of skiers looking for a rustic getaway. There may be more luxurious resorts out there, but if your idea of the perfect vacation is pristine slopes and very cool old resort lodge, you can’t beat Timberline.

Fort Lauderdale is a nice vacation spot for all those who are looking for an action packed vacation and also for those who want a leisure holiday. There is plenty to do in this seaside place, and the recommended transport would be a Fort Lauderdale car rental. You can easily find one which suits your budget needs.

A historical city, no doubt has plenty of museums to offer. Infact you can spend days browsing through all of them. A few museums that you can’t afford to miss are the Museum of Discovery and Science Stranahan House, Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale historical Society, Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum and many more.

If you have had enough of the museums head to the nature trails and air boat rides at the Hugh Taylor state park and the Everglades holiday park. You can enjoy the wild fauna and flora of these places.  You can discover the hidden pleasures on the banks of the water ways as you sail and cruise in various boats. Have fun riding in historical river boats like the Jungle Queen. For all those who love to indulge their taste buds, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes dotting the banks.

Have a great holiday in Fort Lauderdale. To make it more convenient book your Fort Lauderdale car rental on line well before you embark on your trip. You can choose from a wide array of rental choices to suit your budget and requirements. Plan in advance to get bargains and have a great holiday.

EPCOT Center, which was rebranded as simply “Epcot” in 1996, is one of the most iconic creations ever conceived by Disney engineers and is as well-known as a part of Walt Disney World as Cinderella’s Castle. It opened to much fanfare in October of 1982, and remained the largest of Disney’s various theme parks until 1998 when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened nearby. Epcot was designed by Walt Disney himself as one of his greatest creations, though unfortunately he did not live to see its construction or the changes that were made to his original plans.

Envisioning EPCOT

EPCOT, which is an acronym that stands for, “Experimental Prototype Community (or sometimes City) Of Tomorrow”, was originally conceived by Walt Disney during the 1960’s while he was developing plans for Walt Disney World in Florida. The EPCOT idea existed even before the plans for the Florida location were set in stone, and was based upon the amount of experience that Disney’s “Imagineers” had acquired in building construction and advanced concept designs. Disney imagined EPCOT to be a thriving community with up to 20,000 residents, where shopping, schools, civil services, and all of the residents’ needs would be more or less self-contained within the community itself.

The EPCOT city was to be designed as a radial community, with shopping and commerce being centrally located. Beyond that, the schools and civil services that the residents would need would make up the second ring (and would thus be closer to the residents themselves.) The outermost ring would be made up of the residential sector, and those living there would have the advantage of being the same distance from everything that they would need (as opposed to the sprawl that is encountered in modern cities.) Disney envisioned EPCOT as a city that would never be completed, as new technology and innovation would keep improving the designs and the lives of all who lived there.

A Change of Plans

The board of directors however did not like the idea of Disney opening a city with no central attractions, and though Walt Disney was opposed to the idea of making a “sequel” theme park to Disneyland he eventually relented and allowed the construction of the Magic Kingdom to be planned for the Florida property. He still expected to make EPCOT a reality, though he passed away before the city of his dreams could be built.

Not wanting to be responsible for a full-fledged city, the board of directors refused to continue with the plans for EPCOT (though they did allow Walt Disney’s brother, Roy, to complete the Magic Kingdom.) Several of the ideas which had been created for EPCOT were included in the final design of Walt Disney World, including some of the unique solutions that the park employed for transportation and its water and electrical supplies.

EPCOT Center Opens

E. Cardon Walker, the CEO of Disney at the time, decided in the late 1970’s that he wanted to revisit the EPCOT theme. The board of directors still did not like the idea, and Walker himself agreed with them that the idea wouldn’t work the way that Walt Disney had originally designed it. A compromise was eventually reached which would enable some of the concepts of the original plan to survive without the need for a full-fledged city to be built. The new design would come to be known as the EPCOT Center, and would showcase the innovative ideas that Disney had prized before his death in a manner similar to the presentations at a World’s Fair.

EPCOT Center opened in late 1982, with a short speech by Walker paying tribute to both Walt Disney’s innovative ideal for EPCOT and the wonder that Disney had hoped that EPCOT would present to the world. Keeping with the radial design of Disney’s original plan, the centerpiece of EPCOT Center was a giant sphere known as Spaceship Earth.

Epcot Today

Though the name of Epcot has changed a few times over the years (first to “Epcot ‘94″, then “Epcot ‘95″, and finally just “Epcot”), it still stands as a representation of the best that humanity can strive for. The entire park is dedicated to themes of diversity and peace in a futuristic setting, and contains amazing displays and technological innovations which can leave audiences full of wonder. The park is divided into several sections, including Future World and the World Showcase. Future World is the location of Spaceship Earth, Mission: SPACE, and other innovation and exploration themed attractions. In addition to Future World, the World Showcase features pavilions that represent 11 different countries and the 13-minute fireworks show at closing time known as IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Epcot also features international events annually, including food, flower, and holiday showcases.