tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44409332357015030712024-03-13T09:33:22.290-07:00S.P.O.T.SAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-32199210537668715362010-09-22T14:29:00.000-07:002010-09-22T14:37:36.075-07:00PROGRESO/COZUMEL, Mexico<strong><strong>PROGRESO</strong></strong><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/TJp2ef19MtI/AAAAAAAAIOo/GycaZ-VA2nY/s1600/ProgresoTerminal_1_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 201px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/TJp2ef19MtI/AAAAAAAAIOo/GycaZ-VA2nY/s320/ProgresoTerminal_1_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519854559611925202" /></a><br />Progreso is a port city in the Mexican state of Yucatan, located on the Gulf of Mexico in the north-west of the state some 30 minutes north of state capital Merida by highway. As of the Mexican census of 2005, Progreso had an official population of 35,519 inhabitants, the fifth-largest community in the state in population.Progreso is a center for both the fishing industry and the container industry.<br /><br />Progreso also is one of the newest ports for large cruise ships. Passengers disembark on a very long pier that juts out 6.5 km (4 miles) into the Gulf of Mexico. Passengers are taken to shore to visit Progreso, Mérida or the Maya civilization archaeological sites of Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun.<br /><br /><strong><strong>COZUMEL</strong></strong><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/TJp3AhFUhVI/AAAAAAAAIOw/Ti-rh9gwAJM/s1600/cou.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/TJp3AhFUhVI/AAAAAAAAIOw/Ti-rh9gwAJM/s320/cou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519855144060355922" /></a><br />Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.Cozumel is a tourist destination for its scuba diving and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.<br /><br /><strong>Paradise Beach, Cozumel, Mexico.</strong> <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/TJp14pmTd8I/AAAAAAAAIOg/CUpNi1cZIKE/s1600/20_Paradise_Beach_Again.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/TJp14pmTd8I/AAAAAAAAIOg/CUpNi1cZIKE/s320/20_Paradise_Beach_Again.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519853909395601346" /></a><br /><br />The free entrance includes lounge chairs and umbrellas.Extras include a great catamaran snorkel trip, floating sun-mats, kayaks, sea trampoline, climbing iceberg, snorkeling gear, jetskis and Spacewalker bungee. Friendly staff serve you on the beach or in the bars and restaurant, offering cold beer, cocktails and soft drinks, as well as great food from the extensive menu. Changing rooms, clean bathrooms,showers, temporary tattoos, hair braids and souvenirs are also all available on the beach.<br /><br />Paradise Beach is Cozumel’s best beach for having fun in the sun or taking a break in the shade. The free entrance includes comfortable reclining lounge chairs and umbrellas. Exciting additional amenities include the chance to scuba underwater, snorkel, jetski, hold tight on the Spacewalker bungee or simply relax with a massage. If those extras aren’t enough, you and the kids can buy a pass to have unlimited fun with beach toys - from the climbing iceberg and water trampoline, to kayaks, floating sun-mats and snorkeling equipment. Friendly staff will be pleased to serve you on the beach or in the bars and restaurant, offering you cold beer, cocktails and soft drinks, as well as great food from the extensive menu.<br /><br />Located 9 miles south of San Miguel (Downtown) and 5 miles south of the International Cruise Ship Pier.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-38528333162502250722009-10-30T14:22:00.000-07:002009-10-30T14:24:59.906-07:00Tx State Fair<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SutZmvrLR8I/AAAAAAAAH-U/MZCYww2V9Ek/s1600-h/Big_Tex_State_Fair_of_Texas_54667.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SutZmvrLR8I/AAAAAAAAH-U/MZCYww2V9Ek/s320/Big_Tex_State_Fair_of_Texas_54667.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398507100501133250" /></a><br />The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas (USA). The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. Big Tex, a 52 ft (16 m) tall cowboy, has been the symbol of the fair since his introduction in 1952; in 1953, Big Tex's jaw was hinged, so that he appears to "speak" the announcements that promote fair events.<br /><br />The State Fair of Texas is the largest state fair in the United States by annual attendance. However, the Minnesota State Fair has a higher average daily attendance but is open half the amount of time.As of 2003, the fair's marketing director estimated that the fair was bringing about US$350 million dollars into the Dallas economy.<br /><br />Traditionally, one of the centerpieces of the fair has been the annual college football game between Texas and Oklahoma, nicknamed the Red 'River Shootout' and played in the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park. 212-foot (65 m) Texas Star Ferris wheel has been the largest in North America since it debuted in October 1985.The fair also has been known for years for Fletcher's brand corny dogs.The State Fair of Texas is the only fair in the country to include a full blown auto show, dating back to 1904.It includes over 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of new model vehicles, two buildings, a Truck Zone and a Test Drive Track.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtex.com/"></a>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-25721987523273175462009-03-13T12:15:00.000-07:002009-03-13T12:21:01.192-07:00South Padre Island<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SbqyF6G3THI/AAAAAAAAF80/q9FrMG_91Z8/s1600-h/2624432-SPI_Welcome_Sign-South_Padre_Island.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312754525004057714" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SbqyF6G3THI/AAAAAAAAF80/q9FrMG_91Z8/s320/2624432-SPI_Welcome_Sign-South_Padre_Island.jpg" /></a><br /><div>South Padre Island is a town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census.South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí (Padre Ballí), a Catholic priest and settler.<br /><br />South Padre is home to many watersport activities with PWC rental and dolphin watches being the most popular. Other favorites are horseback riding adventures on the beach and ecological tours that explore Padre Island National Seashore.Fishing is also popular. Also, every year the Texas International Fishing Tournament is held in late summer with winnings totalling almost a quarter million. Along with many other fishing tournaments such as Ladies Kingfish Tournament, Hooters Tournament, Redfish Rodeo just to name a few.<br /><br />The island is a popular spring break destination for high school and college students.<br /><br />See more details at <a href="http://sopadre.com/index.php">http://sopadre.com/index.php</a></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-85403640142232843622008-10-27T09:26:00.000-07:002008-10-27T09:33:02.089-07:00Wall Street<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SQXswsMWYzI/AAAAAAAAETU/ZfiqkugIm8U/s1600-h/wa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261872060893127474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 194px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SQXswsMWYzI/AAAAAAAAETU/ZfiqkugIm8U/s320/wa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SQXsCtIgsOI/AAAAAAAAETM/w3lYJK-w-Hw/s1600-h/wa.jpg"></a><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. It runs east from Broadway to South Street on the East River, through the historical center of the Financial District. Wall Street was the first permanent home of the New York Stock Exchange; over time Wall Street became the name of the surrounding geographic neighborhood. Wall Street is also shorthand (or a metonym) for the "influential financial interests" of the American financial industry, which is centered in the New York City area.[ Several major U.S. stock and other exchanges remain headquartered on Wall Street and in the Financial District, including the NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX, NYMEX, and NYBOT</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div><strong>NYSE</strong></div><div>The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is a stock exchange based in New York City, New York. It is the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume and has 2,764+ listed securities.[ It ranks fourth in the world in terms of company listings with 3,200 companies, behind the Bombay Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and NASDAQ. As of December 31, 2006, the combined capitalization of all New York Stock Exchange listed companies was $25 trillion </div><br /><div><strong>NASDAQ</strong></div><div>The NASDAQ (acronym of National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange. It is the largest electronic screen-based equity securities trading market in the United States. With approximately 3,200 companies, it has more trading volume per day than any other stock exchange in the world </div><div><strong></strong><br /><strong>AMEX</strong></div><div>The American Stock Exchange (AMEX) is an American stock exchange situated in New York. AMEX was a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953 it was known as the New York Curb Exchange. On January 17, 2008 NYSE Euronext announced it would acquire the American Stock Exchange for $260 million in stock.[5] On October 1, 2008, NYSE Euronext completed acquisition of the American Stock Exchange. Before the closing of the acquisition, NYSE Euronext announced that the Exchange will be integrated with Alternext European small-cap exchange and renamed NYSE Alternext U.S.</div><br /><div><strong>NYMEX</strong></div><div>The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is the world's largest physical commodity futures exchange, located in New York City. Its two principal divisions are the New York Mercantile Exchange and Commodity Exchange, Inc (COMEX) which were once separate but are now merged. The parent company of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., NYMEX Holdings, Inc. became listed on the New York Stock Exchange on November 17, 2006, under the ticker symbol NMX. Less than two years later, on August 22, 2008, NYMEX Holdings was formally acquired by CME Group (symbol: CME) and the NMX symbol was de-listed. </div><br /><div><strong>NYBOT</strong></div><div>The New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IntercontinentalExchange (ICE). It is a physical commodity futures exchange located in New York City. It originated in 1870 as the New York Cotton Exchange (NYCE). In 1998, the New York Board of Trade became the parent company of both the New York Cotton Exchange and the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange (CSCE) (founded in 1882) and that now function as divisions of the NYBOT. On September 14, 2006, NYBOT agreed to become a unit of ICE and this transaction was completed on January 12, 2007.</div></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-74278691433498682032008-09-23T10:49:00.000-07:002008-09-23T19:06:04.810-07:00SeaWorldSeaWorld, San Antonio<br />10500 SeaWorld Dr, San Antonio, TX 78251<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SNksnBQ3HwI/AAAAAAAAER0/ovwQKO5I3Jg/s1600-h/seaworld.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249275889542700802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px" height="255" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SNksnBQ3HwI/AAAAAAAAER0/ovwQKO5I3Jg/s320/seaworld.jpg" width="264" border="0" /></a>SeaWorld, San Antonio is a 250-acre (1.0 km2) marine-life theme park located in the Westover Hills area of San Antonio, Texas. The park is a part of the SeaWorld chain owned by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. SeaWorld San Antonio is the world's largest marine-life theme park and is a member of both the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.<br /><br />SeaWorld San Antonio (formerly SeaWorld of Texas) was opened in 1988.The park was built for $170 million and welcomed 3.3 million visitors in its first 12 months of operation, placing it among the top 10 attractions in Texas. At the time the park opened, it was billed as the largest educational, marine-life theme park in the world.<br /><br />On November 26, 1988, Kayla (stage named "Baby Shamu") was the first orca born at SeaWorld San Antonio<br /><br />Rides 12 total: 3 roller coasters 9 water ridesAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-39966570739035084002008-08-29T22:28:00.000-07:002008-08-29T22:30:49.169-07:00Reunion Tower<strong>Reunion Tower, Dallas</strong><br />300 Reunion Blvd E, Dallas, TX 75207<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjaq-FhyEI/AAAAAAAAEPo/Ha7ni-nMlFM/s1600-h/p5-14_2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240178598201116738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="183" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjaq-FhyEI/AAAAAAAAEPo/Ha7ni-nMlFM/s200/p5-14_2.jpg" width="135" border="0" /></a> Reunion Tower is a 560 foot (171 m) observation tower and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Dallas, Texas. Located at 300 Reunion Blvd. in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, the tower is part of the Hyatt Regency Hotel complex, and is the 15th tallest building in Dallas. A free standing structure until the construction of an addition to the Hyatt Regency Dallas in 2000, the tower was designed by the architectural firm Welton Becket & Associates.<br /><br />Reunion Tower was completed in 1978. When it first opened, the tower included an FM broadcast radio station owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting: KOAX (105.3 MHz). It broadcasted live twenty-four hours a day from five-hundred feet above the city. The tower consists of three floors with circular floor plans on top of four shafts of poured in place concrete.The first level houses the observation deck, the second a revolving restaurant called Antares, and in the third level a club called The Dome. The top three floors are encased in an open air sphere.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-22399526382919199242008-08-29T22:25:00.000-07:002008-08-29T22:27:34.022-07:00Statue of Liberty<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjZ5Kb59SI/AAAAAAAAEPY/1eBsZAz7Brg/s1600-h/statue-of-liberty.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240177742522742050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjZ5Kb59SI/AAAAAAAAEPY/1eBsZAz7Brg/s200/statue-of-liberty.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Statue of Liberty<br /></strong><div>Liberty Island, New York, USA<br /></div><br /><div>Liberty Enlightening the World, commonly known as the Statue of Liberty, was presented to the United States by the people of France in 1886. Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The copper-clad statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and is a gesture of friendship from France to the United States. <br /></br></div><div></div><div></div><div>Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue and obtained a U.S. patent for its structure. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper in the statue's construction and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side. The statue is of a robed woman holding a torch, and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel (originally puddled iron) with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf (originally made of copper and later altered to hold glass panes.) It stands atop a rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star.<br /></br></div><div></div><div></div><div>The statue is 151 ft (46 m) tall, but with the pedestal and foundation, it is 305 ft (93 m) tall. Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States,and, more generally, represents liberty and escape from oppression. </div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4440933235701503071.post-7263522712365013072008-08-29T22:21:00.000-07:002008-08-29T22:28:03.424-07:00Texas Stadium<strong>Texas Stadium </strong><br />2401 East Airport Freeway Irving, Texas 75062<br /><br />Texas Stadium is a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. It is the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and has a seating capacity of 65,675. The stadium opened on October 24, 1971, at a cost of $35 million. The playing surface installed in 1971 officially was labeled Texas Turf, and was a form of AstroTurf.<br /><br />The original surface was replaced in 1981 and that generation of Texas Turf was replaced in 1996 with a much darker turf. The 1981-96 version was notable for having a large patch between the 35 and 40 yard line from the sideline to the middle of the field on one side of the field. The 1996 turf was replaced by a somewhat softer surface called RealGrass, similar to FieldTurf, in the middle of the 2002 season. It is now tufted nylon 6.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjZM03t47I/AAAAAAAAEPQ/XwBTbmhQeIc/s1600-h/new.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240176980819567538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjZM03t47I/AAAAAAAAEPQ/XwBTbmhQeIc/s200/new.png" border="0" /></a><u>New Sta</u><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdFsba0XURk/SLjXlnKnqTI/AAAAAAAAEPE/THT9yPRTouc/s1600-h/new.png"></a><u>dium</u><br /><br />Dallas Cowboys New Stadium is the working title of a new stadium being built in Arlington, Texas for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. It will replace Texas Stadium, which opened in 1971, as the Cowboys’ home. It is scheduled to open before the 2009 NFL season and will accommodate 80,000, with the possibility for expansion to accommodate 100,000.New Cowboys Stadium was designed by the Dallas-based architectural firm HKS.<br /><br />Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost is in excess of $1 billion, which would make it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. Although the stadium has yet to sell naming rights, many fans have taken to referring to the project as "Jerry World" in reference to Jerry Jones.Two nearly 300 ft (91 m)-tall arches will span the length of the stadium dome, anchored to the ground at each end. The new stadium will also include a retractable roof, glass doors allowing each end zone to be opened, and a center-hung video display board.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17983656208166940582noreply@blogger.com0