The Swiss Alps

The Alps contain some of Switzerland's most dramatic landscapes, in a country that is already blessed with spectacular scenery and striking alpine vistas.  Situated at the heart of the Alps, Switzerland shares the mountain range with France, Italy and Austria and provides winter and summer-time enjoyment for skiers, snowboarders, hikers and climbers.  The Jungfra (German for "maiden") is one  of the main summits in the Alps.  Together with Eiger and Monch, form a prodigious wall overlooking the Bernise Oberland and is considered on of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps.  The North Face (of Eiger) towers 1,800 (m) above the valley, since 1935, at least 64 climbers have died while attempting to scale the north face, earning it the ominous nickname Mordwand (Death Wall).

Finsteraarhorn (4,274m) is the highest mountain in the Bernese Alps, however, the summit of this peak is far less frequented than those of the nearby Jungfrau and Eiger.  This is mainly due to it's  location in one of the most remote areas in  the Alps, completely surrounded by un-inhabited and inhospitable glacial valleys.

Lyskamm is a mountain in the Pennine Alps which has gained a nasty reputation leading to it's nickname Menschenfresser (man eater).  The mountain has gained this reputation because of it's many cornices (overhanging edge of snow) lying on the ridge and ubiquitous avalanches.  The traverse consists mostly of a narrow, snow-covered ridge, with some scrambling over rocks, in bad snow conditions (or visibility) the ridge can be extremely challenging worsened from the large (sometimes double) cornices.

Europe contains some of the world's largest vertical relief available to mountaineers, including lines that exceed the scale of Himalayan routes. Tödie in particular, can be generally consisdered one of the most difficult lines in the Alps, including an almost 10,000-foot descent.

Destination #8: Switzerland

Switzerland has a highly successful market economy based on international trade and banking. Its standards of living, worker productivity, quality of education, and health care are higher than any other European country.  Switzerland has a worldwide reputation for the high quality of its export manufactures, which include machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, and diverse high-tech products. Synonymous with international banking, Zurich has a financial and cultural importance that belies its modest size. The largest city in Switzerland, Zurich promotes itself as 'Downtown Switzerland'. The historic center is compact enough to be explored on foot.          

  

Zurich is located on Switzerland's central plain, with the elevation rising towards the south and the Alps. Positioned at the northern tip of the Zürichsee (Lake Zurich), the city's fine lakeside promenades and expensive houses are prominent and can be spotted along both shores.

Zurich's most familiar sights are, without a doubt, the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches, which solemnly face each other across the River Limmat. The Old Town spans this river, and some of the most interesting lanes and buildings are clustered along its banks. Ultimately However, tourists are primaroly drawn to Switzerland's Alpine climate and landscapes, in particular for skiing and mountaineering.

With it's spectacular scenery a popular trip is along the Glacier Express, while not exactly an express train in the sense of a high-speed train, but rather in that it provides a one-seat ride for a long duration of travel (Fun Fact...it has the distiction of being the slowest express train in the world.

The overall beauty of the scenery, and the world-class facilities offered to travallers by the general extensions of mountain railways, make the northern side of the Swiss Alps, the Bernese Oberland, one of the portions of the Alps most visited by tourists and experienced mountaineers.

Destination #7: Orlando, Florida

Orlando can be considered the amusement park and resort capital of the world.  Within a 10 mile radius there is Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World.  Orlando is an incredible destination not only for children, but also adults.

Orlando is located in the central region of Florida in the southeastern part of the United States.  The geography of Orlando is mostly wetlands, consisting of lakes and swamps.  Orlando has a warm and humid subtropical climate and there are two major seasons each year. The first season is hot and rainy, lasting from the break of June until late September. The other is the dry season, October through May, that brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation, its position relatively close to the Tropic of Cancer, and its location in the center of a peninsula. Many characteristics of its climate are a result of its proximity to the Gulf Stream, which flows around the peninsula of Florida.  During the height of Orlando's very humid summer season, temperatures rarely fall below 70 °F and daytime highs average in the 90s.  During the cooler seasons, humidity is lower and temperatures are more moderate.  Average nighttime lows in January are around 50 °F and average daytime highs are about 72 °F.

The Orlando area is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Holy Land Experience. The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and Downtown Disney. SeaWorld Orlando is a large park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters and water park. Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprising Universal Studios Florida, CityWalk, and the Islands of Adventure theme park.