1010, 2011

Kansas City Fountains

American Cities
343

Kansas City, Missouri is known for barbecue, jazz, blues, and its fountains. Sometimes called “The City of Fountains,” Kansas City has hundreds of fountains. In fact, only Rome has more. Most of Kansas City’s fountains have unique sculptures in or around them. Some of them are over 300 years old! The variety and frequency of these landmarks offer ample opportunities to take a mental break from the stresses of metropolitan life. Today, the fountains are appreciated for their beauty, but when they first were built, they served a practical purpose. The Humane Society created them to supply clean water to animals, including the 70,000 horses that lived in the city during the early 1900s. Ken Navarro

0710, 2011

Colorado Springs

Scenic Earth
416

Visitors to Colorado Springs, near the foot of Pike’s Peak, would not be surprised to learn that this area originally inspired America, The Beautiful. Beauty is not in short supply in this amazing natural setting, where millions of years of prehistoric lake sediment and alpine glaciers have carved the landscape into a beautiful series of hills, mountains, and lakes, punctuated by impressive mountains. This landscape lends itself to skiing, hiking, and biking. The tradition of outdoor recreation in Colorado Springs might be one of the reasons why it is the site of the United States’ Olympic Committee and Olympic Training Center. Fourplay is a jazz “supergroup” formed in 1990. Permanently featuring jazz keyboard legend Bob James,

0510, 2011

Indianapolis at Night

American Cities
419

After the sun sets, downtown Indianapolis has an exciting nightlife before a backdrop of beautifully-lit buildings and monuments. This eScapes video begins at the city’s Artsgarden, a free venue for art exhibits and performances. Other sights in this video include the Indiana Statehouse, just a few blocks away, and the Indiana War Memorial Plaza, including the Indiana World War Memorial, a prominent building that contains tributes to fallen soldiers and a collection of military artifacts. Larry Carlton is an award-winning guitarist and singer. A longtime studio musician, Carlton recorded on more than 100 gold albums from some of the biggest artists in pop and rock. His distinctive ascent on Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemange” has been recognized

0310, 2011

New Dungeness Lighthouse

Lighthouses
481

The New Dungeness Lighthouse has continuously watched over the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Sequim, Washington since it was first lit in 1857. Though the light is now fully automated, volunteer lighthouse keepers from the New Dungeness Lighthouse Association still reside at the light, tending the grounds and interacting with visitors to the historic site and its interpretive center. Acoustic Alchemy is a smooth jazz group from London. Originally a duo of acoustic guitarists, the band has expanded and renewed itself over the decades to accommodate artistic choices and lineup changes. Now a group that mixes genres, styles, and influences, Acoustic Alchemy is a favorite adult contemporary and new age act. Links New Dungeness Lighthouse

0210, 2011

Saint Paul Trainwatching

Trainwatching
418

Railroads are a significant part of the history and culture of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Nicknamed “The Last City in the East,” Saint Paul was a hub on the “Milwaukee Road,” the railroad network that stretched from the Great Lakes to northwest Washington. It was also the headquarters of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways. Today, Saint Paul is still a hub for rail traffic and provides plenty of venues for trainwatching. The Twin City Model Railroad Museum even lets visitors watch trains from the comfort of the indoors– albeit on a smaller scale. This eScapes video takes you to the St. Paul neighborhood of Dayton’s Bluff, which offers a great view of four busy rail

0110, 2011

Juneau, Alaska (Gastineau Channel)

Scenic Earth
374

Juneau, Alaska, might lack the density and skyscrapers of most state capitals, but it’s big in another way: the consolidated city-borough of Juneau covers more than 2700 square miles of land area. Much of this area is desolate: Juneau is the state capital with the smallest population per land area, making a perfect destination for those looking for peace and solitary relaxation. Juneau’s location on the Gastineau Channel and its lack of nearby roads make boating a popular way to get around. Plenty of marinas and ferries service residents and visitors, and the channel is a popular cruise ship destination, as demonstrated by the Royal Caribbean ships seen docked in this video. Chuck Loeb is a

3009, 2011

Toledo Botanical Garden (Pioneer Garden)

Scenic Earth
360

The Pioneer Garden in the Toledo Botanical Garden re-creates a historical setting with plots filled with heirloom vegetables and flowers, grown organically, as in pioneer days. However, the centerpiece of the garden isn’t a re-creation: it’s the actual log cabin of Peter Navarre, a famed army scout and settler of southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio. Navarre, born to French parents and familiar with Indian society from a young age, was instrumental to American efforts in the War of 1812 and was involved in the death of British-allied Indian chief Tecumseh. His cabin, which originally stood elsewhere on Toledo farm, was moved to the Botanical Garden in 1975. Each year, the Garden hosts a “Peter Navarre Day”

2909, 2011

Long Beach, California (Rainbow Harbor)

Long Beach, California, just south of Los Angeles, is named for the five miles of beaches that run along its coast. Very much a marine city, Long Beach is the second-busiest seaport in the United States, a popular cruise ship port (and home port to Carnival Cruise Lines) and offers thousands of marina slips, a strong fishing culture, and was the site of a naval shipyard for 55 years. Visitors can even spend on the night on a historic ocean liner: the RMS Queen Mary, now converted to a hotel. This eScapes video features a nighttime panorama of the Long Beach waterfront, starting at the colorfully-lit Queensway Bridge and spanning the entire skyline, including the Pike

2809, 2011

Inspiration Point

Tropical Beaches
371

Inspiration Point, in Newport Beach, California, is a small city park known for its scenic outlook over the Pacific Ocean and the city’s nearby beach and headlands. This eScapes video provides an amazing view of Newport Beach as seen from Inspiration Point. This great view and location over the Pacific make Inspiration Point a popular site for small wedding ceremonies. Singles can use the park for walking, reading, or simply enjoying the relaxing view. Jeff Lorber is a keyboardist and composer who was influential in the jazz fusion movement– the joining of jazz with rock, R&B, and funk elements. Lorber’s innovative jazz style still blends various styles into an innovative sound, as evidenced in the more

2709, 2011

Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota

Scenic Earth
377

Minnesota’s Minnehaha Park is such a beautiful and relaxing setting, you’d never guess it was right in the middle of one of the United States’ largest metropolitan areas, unless you spotted the cars passing behind the treeline. Nestled in the southern metro area of the Twin Cities, Minnehaha Falls gets its name from the Dakota words for, simply, “waterfall.” The urban park surrounding the 53-foot waterfall attracts over 850,000 visitors a year. Alexander Zonjic has performed on stages around the world as a solo performer, with his own group, and as part of jazz great Bob James’ band. An accomplished jazz flutist, Zonjic has performed worldwide and at major classical and jazz festivals throughout North America,