It doesn't take long after you arrive in Elk County, Pennsylvania to begin to hear talk of the majestic animal that the county is named for. Pennsylvania is home to the only free-roaming elk herd east of the Mississippi River.
Elk were indigenous to Pennsylvania when settlers first came to the region. Unfortunately, due to hunting, and the logging industry encroaching on their habitat, the original PA elk either died or were killed off in the mid to late 1800's.
In an effort to reintroduce the elk herd to Pennsylvania, 177 elk from Wyoming and South Dakota were transported by train and released in several PA counties between 1913 and 1926. Only the ones released in Elk and Cameron counties survived, the rest were either killed or died off. Today's herd has grown to an estimated 700 from the few dozen that were released in Elk and Cameron counties. The herd has spread out some due to it's numbers, but this area is still the most densely populated.
The fact that it's the only one in the eastern half of the country makes Pennsylvania's elk herd quite a tourist attraction. There are several spots in this region for people to view the elk in their natural habitat. The last several years have seen the development of designated elk viewing areas.
Probably the most popular sites to view the elk are located in the Winslow Hill area, located just outside the tiny town of Benezette, in Elk County. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, an estimated 70,000 people make the journey to the Benezette-Winslow Hill area each year and this number continues to grow.
The main elk viewing area is located on Winslow Hill, north of Benezette, and provides off-road parking as well as other facilities. It is staffed on the weekends during the fall to provide people with the best opportunities to view and learn about the elk. They provide educational programs as well as wildlife displays with information about the elk and other native animals.
You don't have to go to the viewing areas to see these impressive creatures. It's not uncommon to see elk in the yards of homes and camps in and around Benezette. The elk have grown so accustom to people that viewing them can be up close and personal. Because of this, people sometimes lose sight of the fact that they are still wild animals and should be treated as such. Some of the people that live in this area treat these animals as members of their family. Many times you'll hear them refer to a certain elk by a nickname it's been given by the locals. The area also provides lodging as well as restaurants and gift shops.
Although it's a great place to visit year round, the best time to view the elk is in the fall months of September and October. This is when the elk are in there mating period and become much more active. This time of year is so popular because it is more common to hear the elk bugle. This one of the most unique and impressive nature sounds you will ever hear. You may even get to see two bull (antlered) elk sparring with each other. Usually this is an extremely busy time of year, especially on the weekends.
Elk County, Pennsylvania has much to offer in the way of outdoor attractions and activities. No visit to the area would be complete without experiencing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. If you're ever in the area, take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience Pennsylvania at it's best.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Predictions and Rumors for Macworld 2008
Everyone is getting ready for Steve Jobs to get on that stage and announce all the great new products that Apple will be releasing in the near future. Last year, he announced the iPhone, the touch iPod and the new classic iPod and the iPod nano and shuffle.
Sadly, Macworld 2008 won't be happening until January 15, so all we can do is guess and sit back and wait for the big announcement. Here are some products that have been rumored to be announced and products that a lot of people, including myself, would like to see announced atPredictions and Rumors for Macworld 2008 Macworld.
Will we get to see a slimmer MacBook? Yes, I know that sounds a little crazy, but think about it, did you ever think two or three years ago that we would have super slim cell phones? Wouldn't it be great for a MacBook that is close to five pounds lighter and a much larger hard drive?
According to MacRumors, they are going to release a 3-GB iPhone that will be set to release some time in May or June of this year. The site is also reporting an ultra portable laptop. The site describes it as a "13-inch aluminum sub-notebook." Out of these two rumors, the iPhone is most likely the only product that will be announced. You can check out a video segment here. If this laptop is made, expect it to cost around $1,500.
There is another rumor floating around the Internet that they are going to announce the MacBook refresh with LED back lighting. This will be for both the displays and the notebooks. No other has been given about this product at this time. Hopefully more information will hit the Internet soon.
This could sound a little crazy, but with the release of the iPhone and the Touch iPod, why not the MacBook Touch? A notebook review website thought of the name and this type or product, so it got me thinking. Just about everyone would flock to Apple just to purchase this item.
We have 15 days until the big announcements, and it'll be interesting to see what Apple and Steve Jobs has in store for their Mac users. Let's just hope we won't be disappointed, we've had enough of that in 2007.
Notebookreview.com posted what the MacBook Touch would look like and what contents it would have on it:
* 10-12" LED LCD featuring Multi-touch
* 32 or 64 GB of Flash memory
* Glass and brushed aluminum constructionPredictions and Rumors for Macworld 2008
* OSX 'light' the embedded version of the Mac OS rather than full Leopard
* 1 - 1.2 GHz CPU - Intel x86 or ARM core
* Long battery life, 6-8 hours
* 802.11abgn, Bluetooth (including stereo audio profile), Built-in HSDPA (optional)
* MagSafe adapter, and possibly a nice minimalist dock (think bigger iPod dock)
* User-friendly remote access between the MacBook Touch and a host device.
This sounds like crazy talk, but it would still be really awesome and exciting if Apple announced a product like that. With the way technology is going, I'm sure something like this will be made in a few years. Just watch. You heard it here first.
This site also made a great point. Apple partnered with Apple for the iPhone, so why stop there? Why not partner with Apple again for their modems? Apple can handle the activations, and they already have their long term deal with AT&T. It can't be too far fetched.
Hopefully Apple will announce that the iPhone can work with other phone carriers. Many people want to get the iPhone but they can't because they are not in service with AT&T and it's not worth paying a $200 cancellation fee and $400 for the iPhone. There would be a huge increase iPhone sales if Apple did this.
With the new ultra-slim iPod Nano and the Touch iPod, Apple needs to release docks and radio docks, the radio/alarm clock that can dock and play the iPod, and speakers that will be compatible with these new iPods.
Sadly, Macworld 2008 won't be happening until January 15, so all we can do is guess and sit back and wait for the big announcement. Here are some products that have been rumored to be announced and products that a lot of people, including myself, would like to see announced atPredictions and Rumors for Macworld 2008 Macworld.
Will we get to see a slimmer MacBook? Yes, I know that sounds a little crazy, but think about it, did you ever think two or three years ago that we would have super slim cell phones? Wouldn't it be great for a MacBook that is close to five pounds lighter and a much larger hard drive?
According to MacRumors, they are going to release a 3-GB iPhone that will be set to release some time in May or June of this year. The site is also reporting an ultra portable laptop. The site describes it as a "13-inch aluminum sub-notebook." Out of these two rumors, the iPhone is most likely the only product that will be announced. You can check out a video segment here. If this laptop is made, expect it to cost around $1,500.
There is another rumor floating around the Internet that they are going to announce the MacBook refresh with LED back lighting. This will be for both the displays and the notebooks. No other has been given about this product at this time. Hopefully more information will hit the Internet soon.
This could sound a little crazy, but with the release of the iPhone and the Touch iPod, why not the MacBook Touch? A notebook review website thought of the name and this type or product, so it got me thinking. Just about everyone would flock to Apple just to purchase this item.
We have 15 days until the big announcements, and it'll be interesting to see what Apple and Steve Jobs has in store for their Mac users. Let's just hope we won't be disappointed, we've had enough of that in 2007.
Notebookreview.com posted what the MacBook Touch would look like and what contents it would have on it:
* 10-12" LED LCD featuring Multi-touch
* 32 or 64 GB of Flash memory
* Glass and brushed aluminum constructionPredictions and Rumors for Macworld 2008
* OSX 'light' the embedded version of the Mac OS rather than full Leopard
* 1 - 1.2 GHz CPU - Intel x86 or ARM core
* Long battery life, 6-8 hours
* 802.11abgn, Bluetooth (including stereo audio profile), Built-in HSDPA (optional)
* MagSafe adapter, and possibly a nice minimalist dock (think bigger iPod dock)
* User-friendly remote access between the MacBook Touch and a host device.
This sounds like crazy talk, but it would still be really awesome and exciting if Apple announced a product like that. With the way technology is going, I'm sure something like this will be made in a few years. Just watch. You heard it here first.
This site also made a great point. Apple partnered with Apple for the iPhone, so why stop there? Why not partner with Apple again for their modems? Apple can handle the activations, and they already have their long term deal with AT&T. It can't be too far fetched.
Hopefully Apple will announce that the iPhone can work with other phone carriers. Many people want to get the iPhone but they can't because they are not in service with AT&T and it's not worth paying a $200 cancellation fee and $400 for the iPhone. There would be a huge increase iPhone sales if Apple did this.
With the new ultra-slim iPod Nano and the Touch iPod, Apple needs to release docks and radio docks, the radio/alarm clock that can dock and play the iPod, and speakers that will be compatible with these new iPods.
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