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● The
Southwest
● The
Northwest
● The
Rocky Mountains
● The
Pacific Coast
● The Middle West
● Florida
● The
Southeast
● The
Northeast
● New
York State
● Urban Scenes
New York State
 The
Adirondack Mountains, located mainly in the state of New York, contain
some of the oldest rocks in the world. Mount Marcy, at 1629 m, is
the tallest peak, but Whiteface Mountain is more accessible. The
peaks in this chain are separated by forests and woodlands that
contain many famous lakes and unusual chasms and gorges. Lake Placid,
the site of a Winter Olympics and a training area for winter sports
competitors, is well known. Another one, Schroon Lake, was the model
for Theodore Dreiser's Loon Lake in his novel An
American Tragedy. Because of
the moderate temperatures of this region, before home air-conditioning
became available, many wealthy families constructed elaborate summer
camps here, some of which are now open to the public. Less wealthy
city dwellers escaped the summer heat for short periods at resort
hotels located in the Catskill Mountains in southeastern New York
state. The low-lying Catskills however are technically part of the
Appalachian chain and are not in the Adirondacks.
The
western part of New York state contains a natural wonder comparable
to the Grand Canyon. While the Canyon is a calm and static display
of the slow effects of powerful natural forces, Niagara Falls is
an awe inspiring, dynamic
display of a torrent of water
freely falling over a precipice for a distance of 55 m. The spray
created by the falling water, visible from miles away, and the roaring
sound of water striking the rocks or river below never fail to impress
spectators with the wonders of natural forces. It is estimated that
5520m3 of water rushes over the Falls each second of time!
There
are two sections of the Falls separated by a small island, which
can be visited. The larger section is called the Horseshoe Falls,
because it is curved inward like a horseshoe. It is located in Canada.
The section in the United States is called the American Falls. Both
sections can be seen from either country. There are footpaths leading
to the very edge of the water, and there are tall observation towers
where one can eat and drink while watching this natural spectacle.
There is even a boat, the Maid of the Mist, that takes raincoated
passengers to the very base of the Falls, a never to be forgotten
adventure. And, on the Canadian side, one can don boots and
a raincoat and wander through tunnels underneath the Falls, emerging
from caves where the water cascades down only a several meters
beyond.
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