View From Sandals White House Resort in Jamaica

PC3100341-Sandals White House, Jamaica
Originally uploaded by gailf548

Jamaica has a remarkable history that begins some 3000 years ago when the Taino Indians of South America settled
on the island, which they called Xamayca.

Columbus' sailed to the island in 1494 and claimed it for Spain, which began years of occupation and oppression in 1509.

The Spanish named the island Santiago (St. James).

Spain brought the first slaves to Jamaica in 1517 and it was the slave trade's influence that dominated the history of Jamaica for centuries.

Cinerama Dome, Hollywood

Cinerama Dome in Hollywood California circa 1950

California has always been a fashion trend setter in terms of style, architecture, and of course movies. Here at the Cinerama in Hollywood all three came together in this picture which I think is from the 1950s - around the time setting of the film "American Graffiti", the George Lucas piece that defined the 1950s for a new generation of Americans and started the careers of stars like Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfus.

People and Horses on a Gigantic Redwood Log; about 1900.

Giant Redwood Logging in California

I'm not sure but think this is a Giant Sequoia rather than Coast Redwood. The Giants tend to be of greater diameter but not as tall as the coast redwoods with bark that is flatter and less furled. Also, the area appears very open where the Redwood forest is generally lush with smaller plants and trees.

That said, Giant redwoods never represented the huge market of the Coastal Redwoods which were a mainstay of the northern California economy for decades, until protections and depletion of the resource stemmed the tide of logging the Redwoods. Although a small fraction of the original "Old Growth" Redwood remains and some is still getting logged, scenes like this will never again be a part of the historical landscape.

Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hood River, Oregon

Columbia Gorge Hotel
Hood River Oregon

The historic Columbia Gorge Hotel is located about an hour from Portland in Hood River, just off the Columbia River Highway / Scenic Byway / Interstate 84.

One of the west's most historic hotels, the Columbia Gorge Hotel was built about 1915 and restored to historic splendor around 1960 after a stint as a retirement home. The hotel is perched atop the cliffs overlooking the Gorge with a 200 foot waterfall just below. The landscaping here is spectacular making it a favorite place for elegant weddings.

Notables who have stayed here include Presidents Roosevelt (FDR) Grover Cleveland.

World History Blog

Check out the World History Blog for some personal perspectives on world history themes. Here at Travel and History we recognize that you simply cannot separate history from the rest of our lives, and I don't just mean history in the sense that, technically, almost any piece of information can be seen as part of "history" since that item either happened in the past or is being influenced by the past.

Rather, I mean that historical events of all types are the *only* foundation from which our present and future springs. We cannot escape the fact that the past spawns the present, and therefore history should be of primary interest to us.

For travelers, a knowledge of history offers insights, context, and richness you don't get by simply walking into a place. Westminster Abbey in London is pretty fantastic even without any history, but with history this magnificent site opens a thousand windows to the past and future as one of the western world's most significant religious and political cultural icons.

Official Google Blog: Bringing history online, one newspaper at a time

Google and newspapers are bringing a LOT of history online soon in the form of archived newspaper pages - billions of them - that will over time flow online, giving us one of the best pictures of history across many cities and a long time period that we have ever had.

This could be a researchers dream in that local news often has information you can find nowhere else. Things like Police and Fire reports, obscure local political quotes by major politicians (hmmm - that's gonna hurt sometimes), and much more. I'm really looking forward to this project!

Official Google Blog: Bringing history online, one newspaper at a time

Vikingsholm, Lake Tahoe 087

Vikingholm, Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay

Vikingsholm, Lake Tahoe 087
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay is one of the most scenic areas in California - some would say this is the prettiest place in the whole state. Vikingsholm is a nordic mansion built on the lake almost 100 years ago, now managed by the state park system. Inside the mansion is fully furnished with mostly original furniture and other historic artifacts, including a Steinway Rosewood Piano commissioned especially for Vikingsholm.