The Peaks - Where earth meets heaven

The San Francisco Peaks, known locally as simply The Peaks, are a volcanic mountain range located in north central Arizona, just north of Flagstaff. They collectively represent six summits that circle the caldera of a now quiet volcano. Humphreys Peak, at 12,633 feet, is the tallest in Arizona. Agassiz Peak soars to 12,356 feet, and Fremont Peak climbs to 11,969 feet.
Most volcanoes form near the edges of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust. However, Arizona is located far from the boundary of the North American Plate. It is believed that a trapped area of molten rock deep beneath Northern Arizona, called a "hot spot", occasionally rises up and creates volcanoes as the plate moves slowly west. The most recent volcanic eruption was nearly 1,000 years ago at nearby Sunset Crater. The Peaks were formed between 500,000 to 1 million years ago and the inner basin has been quiet ever since.
Once the fiery center of one of Arizona's most explosive volcanoes, the summits surrounding the now dormant inner core stand guard, protecting land that the native people of Arizona consider to be so sacred - it is where earth meets heaven. The Navajo consider them to be the most sacred in all the West. The Hopi believe the Kachina spirits live at the top of the mountain, gracefully moving through the clouds from summit to summit.
The Peaks tower so dramatically against the desert landscape of Flagstaff and surrounding area that they are visible from many miles away, and when standing on top of one of these giants on a clear day, one can see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon over eighty miles away as the eagle flys.

© CT-Graphics - Christine Till

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Zion National Park - A Picturesque Wonderland

Utah's oldest and most visited national park, Zion National Park, is located in southwestern Utah. It presents a diverse collection of nature's wonders that include such features as the towering and magnificent 2,200-foot Great White Throne, the park's most famous landmark; the Court of the Patriarchs; the Sentinel; the Watchman; Checkerboard Mesa; Kolob Arch, at 310 feet the world's largest known natural span; and the Narrows of the Virgin River, where a person can walk upstream to places so narrow that both sides of the canyon walls can almost be touched with one's outstretched hands.

The Zion Canyon area has witnessed many changes in landscape and climate. At times it was covered by the sea; at other times broad rivers traversed its surface; at still other times it was swept by desert winds. Many of the rocks were laid down by water as gravel, sand, mud, and limy ooze. These were consolidated into conglomerates, sandstones, shales, and limestones by the weight of layers above them and by the lime, silica, and iron that cemented the grains.

Although human use of the Zion National Park landscape dates back to at least 6,000 B.C. the magnificence of the area was only known by a privileged few Native American Indians and early Mormon pioneer settlers prior to the completion of a Federal Land Survey in 1908. Today Zion's beauty has gained worldwide recognition and Zion National Park sees more than 1,000,000 visitors annually.

© CT-Graphics - Christine Till

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St. George in Snow - Freising Bavaria Germany

Beer aficionados and admirers of stunning architecture alike flock to Freising, a quaint and lively town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It lies along the Isar River, north-northeast of Munich, and is the oldest town between Regensburg in northern Bavaria and Bolzano in South Tyrol (Italy). It was the site of a castle in the 8th century, and, after the missionary bishop Korbinian came there in 724 and St. Boniface established the bishopric in 739, it became the ecclesiastical and cultural centre of old Bavaria in the early Middle Ages, long before the ducal towns of Munich and Landshut.

Many historic buildings and works of art serve as reminders of Freising's rich and important cultural past. The greatest collection of ecclesiastical art in Germany is presented in a museum: the Diözesanmuseum houses paintings, textiles and goldsmith works of nine centuries. The most famous exhibits are of paintings and sculptures by Erasmus Grasser, Ignaz Günther, Peter Paul Rubens and the Lukasbild, a Byzantine St. Mary's icon. In the center of town, just off the Marienplatz or market square, is the massive 15th century late-Gothic Catholic Parish Church St. George, built in 1440 by an unknown architect, with its magnificent baroque tower. And on the hill, known as Domberg, or “Cathedral Hill,” regular tours showcase the Romanesque architecture of St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Freising is also home to the oldest working brewery in the world: Weihenstephan. The lounge in the Weihenstephaner beer garden, on the grounds of the world famous Weihenstephan University - which is where beer scholars from all over the world come to learn the fine art of beer brewing - is well worth a visit throughout the year. So is The Weihenstephan abbots' former courtyard. Nowadays the yard is looked after by the Staatliche Versuchsanstalt für Gartenbau, the state research institute for horticulture. The research institute is also in charge of the plantation of the herbaceous perennials, which is known to be the best of its kind in Germany.

With stunning views of the majestic Bavarian Alps, Freising has become a favorite of Germans and travelers looking for an affordable alternative to Munich. Simultaneously modern and historic, the picturesque old town captures the hearts of visitors by maintaining keen attention on its cultural heritage, while encouraging a modern take on art and elegance.

© CT-Graphics - Christine Till

Order your "St. George in Snow - Freising Bavaria Germany" Print at       Fine Art America
or Download the royalty-free digital photo 'St. George in Snow - Freising Bavaria Germany' directly from:
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