Hello From Toronto - Exploring Toronto With Sights on Bikes

For a person as curious as me, I am always out on some sort of discovery. No wonder travel writing appeals so much to me because it gives me the opportunity to explore interesting new places all the time. But of course my inquisitive mind never rests, so when I am not traveling out of town, I venture out locally right here in my chosen home town of Toronto to investigate the nooks and crannies of my city.

Over the last few years I have had an opportunity to explore many different cities in many different ways, by walking, through driving tours, sightseeing buses, architectural tours, even boat tours or by taking public transit; but one of my very favourite ways is to discover a city by bicycle. With a bike you can get almost anywhere, you cover more ground than by walking, but you are still able to stop at any time and admire a particular detail up close. In addition, it helps you burn a few calories, a consideration that is becoming ever more important as my waistline expands.

I had already toured by bicycle in Montreal and Vancouver, and I wonder if a company in Toronto organized tour offered. On the site of my good friend Bruce Bell, a famous Toronto historian and tour guide, I finally found a link to a company called "The Young and motion." That seemed interesting, so I started to investigate their website and contacted one of the co-owner, Jordan Feil himself, tell me more about his company. He suggested that Icome out to Sights on Bikes Deluxe City Tour to experience Toronto first-hand in one of his organized bicycle tours.

Punctually at 10 am I was waiting at the southwest corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Queens Quay. Another lady dressed in bicycle attire came up to me and asked me if I was about to participate in the bicycle tour. I confirmed and she introduced herself as Susan from Florida who was up here in Toronto to join her husband who was here to attend a conference. Just minutes later our tour guide Jordan arrived and welcomed us.

Ever nosy I asked him to tell me a bit about his background and he indicated that he is a graduate of the University of Toronto in International Relations and Environmental Studies. Three years ago he started Sights on Bikes together with two friends, initially as an idea for a cool summer job during university. Since then Jordan has taught skiing in Jackson Hole and also worked during the winter at a lobby firm in Washington, DC In the summer he returned to Toronto to bring his company, and he is in the street with crowds of visitors every day.

Jordan took us to a closed container in the parking lot and took three bikes and helmets for us. Sights on Bikes "bikes are making a very comfortable touring bike with six speeds, the Sight-Seeing a simple and painless experience. We started cycling at Yonge Street and then east on the waterfront, a major Torontorestaurant streets that at one point actually used to be at the waterfront of Toronto before the harbour area to the south was filled in.

Our next stop was the St. Lawrence Market, one of two major markets in Toronto. This market was actually Toronto's first permanent city hall and jail house between 1845 and 1899. A police station also used to be located on the first floor. In the late 1800s the market building was altered radically after the construction of Toronto's City Hall at Queen and Bay Streets. The central portion of the original market building (the South Building) has survived and the original council chamber of the former city hall today houses the Market Gallery. Susan and I had a quick peek into the market hall and admired the wide assortment of food retailers.

The St. Lawrence Market is one of Toronto's beloved historic buildings, and the lively atmosphere of the market and the extensive culinary assortment is a huge draw for locals and tourists alike. The Market offers everything from baked goods, cheeses and dairy products, flowers, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood products and organic tea and gourmet coffee. Several sit-down restaurants and snack bars reassured hungry appetite. The North Market, on the other side of the street with a farmers' market on Saturday and an antiques market on other days.

The area at the foot of Jarvis and Front Street is also used for the terminus of the Underground, a network of secretroutes and safe houses that allowed African slaves to escape from the southern United States to free states and Canada. It is estimated that a least 30,000 slaves escaped to Canada, and many of these slaves arrived on boats in Toronto at the foot of Jarvis Street.

Just one block north of the St. Lawrence Market Jordan made another stop and briefed us on another historic jewel of Toronto: St. Lawrence Hall, located at the intersection of King and Jarvis Streets, was constructed from 1849 1850. Structure originally contained a hall for public events on the north side and a covered market in the south. During its heyday, it was important to use the social and cultural events and conferences. After many years of decay was finally restored to its former glory in 1967, and again a place for special events in the city has become.

Across the way Jordan has brought us to our next destination: St. James Cathedral, the oldest city of Toronto. FirstFounded in 1797, the cathedral in 1844 and with a height of 305 feet that has the second highest church tower in Canada (St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal) completed. One of the most colorful personalities linked to the neo-Gothic Right Reverend Dr. John Strachan was the first Anglican bishop of Toronto. It 'been a member of the Canadian "Family Compact", the conservative elite, who first decided the British colony of Upper Canada. He was known forhis fierce loyalty to the British monarchy, as well as his hatred for slavery and republicanism. The cathedral itself has received heritage designations from the Ontario Ministry of Culture, from Heritage Toronto as well as from the Government of Canada.

We followed Jordan up Church Street, and then turned west on Richmond Street to turn north on Bay Street where we made our next stop at Toronto's Old City Hall. It was built between 1889 and 1899 and designed by famous architect E.J. Lennox who also designed Toronto's Casa Loma and the King Edward Hotel. Old City Hall is a masterpiece of Richardson Romanesque Revival style with rich carvings adorning the façade. The original budget of $600,000 had grown to more than $2.5 million which caused a major uproar on Toronto's city council. The clock tower is more than 300 feet (over 100 m) high and features a gigantic bell known as Big Ben. At the time of its completion Old City Hall was the largest building in Toronto as well as the largest civic building in all of North America. Old City Hall was almost demolished in the 1960s but a group of concerned citizens fought to save it, and today it is a National Historic Site.

Jordan not only filled us in on the various sights along the way, he also gave us a civics lesson and explained the Canadian flag, the Canadian parliamentary system, the Canadian healthcare system as well as Canada's history and the origins of Quebec and Ontario. This type of knowledge is particularly important to out-of-towners who are trying to understand this city and my co-traveller from Florida certainly appreciated this information.

Across the street we stopped at the next site: Toronto's New City Hall, one of Toronto's most distinctive landmarks. The building was opened in 1965 and was designed to replace Old City Hall. The architect for this modernist design was chosen in an international competition in 1958 and the winning entry among more than 500 designs was by Finnish architect Viljo Revell. New City Hall is composed of two rounded towers on a rectangular base that features a saucer-like council chamber. In front of New City Hall is Nathan Phillips Square, an expansive public space that is often used for festivals and special events and features a reflecting pond in the summer that is turned into a popular skating rink in the winter.

Then Jordan took us to our next stop: Osgoode Hall, a landmark building just west of New City Hall that houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Superior Court of Justice as well as the headquarters of the Law Society of Upper Canada. The original building was constructed between 1829 and 1832 and was named after William Osgoode, the first Chief Justice of Upper Canada. Further expansions happened in the second half of the 19th century. The cast iron gates surrounding the property feature so-called "cow gates" which were intended to keep out grazing cows which were still a frequent sight in the young City of Toronto.

To the south-west of Osgoode Hall, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, a 2000 + seat theater, which opened in June 2006. We turn right and north on University Avenue, a six-lane divided main road and Toronto led the wider road. One of the main attractions of University Avenue, the fifteen plans Canada Life Building, built in Beaux Arts, completed in 1929 and was one of the tallest buildings in Toronto, at the time. This building isfamous for its weather beacon which has been announcing the weather in the city since 1951. Steady green indicates fair weather, red means rain, white means snow, and lights moving up or down indicate a temperature change. Jordan also pointed out the American Consulate which is occasionally a location of protests when various groups voice their opinions against US policy. Further north, University Avenue is dominated by a series of hospitals. The street then splits into the eastern and western half of Queen's Park Circle, whose centre is dominated by Queen's Park, another imposing Richardsonian Romanesque Revival structure and the seat of the Ontario legislature.

Our next stop was the University of Toronto Campus, headquarters of Canada's largest university (with close to 60,000 students) and one of its oldest, chartered in 1827. U of T is consistently ranked as one of the top 30 university in global rankings. We admired historic buildings such as the Soldier's Tower completed in 1924 to commemorate members of the U of T community who fell during the war; University College with its mix of architectural styles - a National Historic Site which was built between 1856 and 1859; Knox College built in Collegiate Gothic style and opened in 1915; as well as Convocation Hall, a round building modeled after the Sorbonne theatre in Paris and opened in 1907.

Jordan's tour then took us west on College Street to the Kensington Market area, one of Toronto's most colourful and diverse neighbourhoods. Traditionally home to successive waves of immigrants, the Kensington Market area is a hustling and bustling area full of edgy clothing retailers, bakeries, ethnic grocery shops, funky stores and restaurants.

Jordan took us to the "Urban Herbivore", a restaurant that serves fabulous soups and other vegetarian delights. I enjoyed a scrumptious sweet potato soup and a sweet potato muffin. After our short break Jordan led us onto Spadina Avenue, the centre of Toronto's largest and oldest Chinatown (Toronto has three different Chinatowns within its city limits).

Both today's Chinatown and Kensington Market area were originally settled by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Later waves of immigration and the northward migration of Jewish residents have made Kensington a very diverse and ethnically mixed neighbourhood that today features many Latin American and various Asian stores and residents. Toronto's Chinese area was originally located near Queen and Bay Streets, but with the construction of New City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square the Chinese community moved westwards to Spadina. Lower Spadina is also the heart of Toronto's Fashion District, which even today features many garment factories.

After the hustle and bustle on busy Spadina Avenue, Jordan led us east towards Peter Street which turns into Blue Jays Way and took us right past the Rogers Centre, the former Skydome, Toronto's multipurpose stadium with the retractable roof. Right at the intersection of Blue Jays Way and Navy Wharf Court there is an imposing monument, the Memorial to commemorate the Chinese Railway Workers in Canada. Jordan stopped to explain the history behind this impressive monument. A wooden railroad trestle with two precariously perched railroad workers illustrates the hard and dangerous work of Chinese workers who built the Canadian Pacific Railroad through the Rocky Mountains in the 19th century. More than 4000 workers were killed in construction-related accidents between 1880 and 1885.

We then cycled past the Rogers Centre on Bremner Boulevard to Roundhouse Park, the green space right next to the CN Tower that features one of the most impressive views of downtown Toronto's skyscrapers. The former John Street Roundhouse was originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929 to service and repair locomotives; today it features the popular Steam Whistle Brewery.

Jordan then took us underneath the elevated Gardiner Expressway to Harbourfront, a popular entertainment district right on Lake Ontario. Harbourfront Centre features a variety of shopping and dining facilities; there are art galleries, visual arts and exhibition spaces, theatres, concert facilities and an International Marketplace that entices with food and merchandise from all over the world. The nearby Toronto Music Garden is a delightful green space designed by internationally renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy. In the winter Canada's largest artificially cooled outdoor ice rink entertains the crowds.

Jordan had already taken us on a very action-packed tour through the city, but the real gem was still waiting for us: a visit to the Toronto Islands. The price of the ferry ride at the foot of Bay Street was already included in the tour price. Although I have been over on the islands numerous times, the ferry ride with its beautiful panoramic vistas of Toronto's skyline and the arrival on the serene islands are always a real treat. For Susan, the tour participant from Florida, the experience must have been even more special. All of a sudden Toronto's concrete roads and skyscrapers receded and we landed in the quiet, peaceful and car-free paradise of the islands that offer the perfect view of this hyper-active bustling metropolis. Definitely worth the price of admission...

Having landed at Hanlan's point, Jordan, our expert tour guide from Sights on Bikes, first took us to a statue of Ned Hanlan (1855 to 1908), a fisherman, hotelkeeper and later championship rower, five time consecutive world champion between 1880 and 1884 in single-scull rowing, who only lost six of his 300 races during his rowing career. Just steps away Jordan pointed out to us the location of Babe Ruth's first professional home run in 1914. Although the stadium was demolished in 1937, a plaque still remembers this historic event.

We cycled past the nearby "clothing optional" beaches to stop at the Gibraltar Point Light House, a historic building dating back to 1808 that is the setting for a well-known ghost story. Jordan explained that one of the lightkeepers who disappeared and whose murdered body was later found is still said to haunt this area. Further east we stopped at the reflecting pools and the pier that projects southwards from the islands. A snack bar provides welcome refreshments and a bicycle rental booth is located here which also features two-seater quadricycles.

At some point the Toronto Islands were densely populated and featured a variety of grand hotels, retail stores, residential areas, various amusement parks and restaurants. Today only the Centreville Amusement Park remains as well as 62 homes which are mostly located in the eastern section of the islands in Ward's Island and Algonquin Island.

Resident lease them in 99 year lease agreements, and strict rules apply to the buying and selling of island homes. Many of the houses are still quaint cottages although some have been expanded while others display some signs of neglect. We stopped at a special spot from where we had a perfect view of downtown Toronto's skyline.

Our deluxe city tour had almost come to an end. Jordan took us past the Centreville Amusement Park with its Swan Pond back to the Centre Island ferry and 20 minutes later we reached the mainland. Our biking adventure ended in front of the Captain John floating seafood restaurant where we said goodbye to Jordan and thanked him for guiding us so expertly through some of Toronto's most interesting areas. Although I know the city quite well, I found this tour really worthwhile since I learned so many new things about my chosen home town.

Curiosity for the sport in Africa

Did you know...

Malawi won the bronze medal in soccer in the 1987 African Games in Nairobi (Kenya).

Madagascar, Seychelles and Ethiopia boycotted the 1988 Olympics because the Games were not organized by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or North Korea ).

Cairo (Egypt) hosted the 1999 World Men's Handball Championship. Final standings:

1.Sweden,

2.Russia,

3.Yugoslavia (Currently Serbia),

4.Spain,

5.Germany,

6.France,

7.Egypt,

8.Cuba,

9.Denmark,

10.Croatia,

11.Hungary,

12.Tunisia,

13.Norway,

14.South Korea,

15.Algeria,

16.Brazil.

17.Morocco,

18.Macedonia,

19.Kuwait,

20.China,

21.Argentina,

22.Saudi Arabia,

23.Nigeria,

24.Australia.

Ahmed Salah and Djama Robleh were the best athletes in Djibouti. Salah won the Marathon World Cup two times (1985 and 1986).

The Montreal Olympic Games were not boycotted by Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire.

Cape Verde is one of the best basketball teams in Africa. This country -it is the same size as Rhode Island- won the medal bronze at the FIBA African Championship in 2007. Under the leadership of Antonio Moreira, Cape Verde also won the bronze medal at the 2006 Lusophony Games in Macau (China).

The most famous sportspeople in Rwanda are: Epiphanie Nyirabarame (marathon), Dieudonne Disi (track and field), Cyriagu Ndayikengurukiye (marathon), Claudette Mukasakindi (athletics) and Angeline Nyiransabimana (track & field).

Malawi sent 3 female athletes to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Germany. They competed in track and field.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire) finished in 10th place at the 1993 FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women.

Botswana won 2 gold medals at the 2008 African Track and Field Championships in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The champions were Kabelo Kgosiemang (one of the best high jumpers in the world) and Amantle Montsho (sportswoman / 400m).

Liberia -the second black republic in the world- is the birthplace of George Weah, one of the greatest football players in the 20th century. George was the best football player of the world-1995. Ironically, Liberia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games.

The Kingdom of Swaziland sent 8 sports persons to the 1984 Summer Olympics in the Los Angeles (USA). They competed in four sports (athletics, boxing, swimming, weightlifting).

Abdi Bile (Somalia) won the gold medal in the 1500m at the IAAF World Track and Field Championship in 1987. Bile is one of the symbols of Africa.

Fatmata Fofanah won the gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the 2008 African Championships. Currently, she is the best female athlete in Guinea.

Mozambique -former Portuguese colony in Africa- won a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (Australia).

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, has sent four athletes (boxers) in the 1972 Olympics in Monaco of Bavaria.

The most popular sports in Burkina Faso and the Former Republic of Upper Volta are football, athletics, judo and boxing.

The 1980 Moscow Olympics were boycotted by Morocco, Somalia, Mauritania, Niger, Gabon, Ivory Coast ...

Zimbabwe-Rhodesia former star athletes, has had in the last century:Nicolas Nyengerai (track & field / African champion, 1995), Helen Volk (field hockey / Olympic gold medalist, 1980), Paula Newby-Fraser (triathlon / former world champion), Brian Dzingai (athletics), Sarah English (field hockey / Olympic gold medalist, 1980), Zephaniah Ncube (athletics), Ndaba Dube (boxing), Tendai Chimussa (marathon), Evan Stewart ( diving / he was one of the best divers in the Third World ), Sonia Robertson (field hockey / Olympic gold medalist, 1980).

Diedonne Kwizera was the best Burundian athlete in the 1980s and early 1990s. Unfortunately, he was unable to compete in the Olympics because Burundi was not a member of the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ). He studied at the University of Nebraska (United States).

Namibia sent 6 athletes to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona (Spain). They were Lucktez Swartbooi, Frankie Fredericks (track & field ), Harry Simon (boxing), Joel Lindemeier (aquatics), Frank Kayele Tuihaleni (athletic), Anja Dahl (swimming). Fredericks won two silver medals (100m, 200m).

Kaltouma Nadjima is the best sportspeople of Chad. She was born on November 16, 1976 in Bol ( Chad ).

Top performances:

2004: African Championships-2nd 400m, 3rd 200m

2002: African Championships-1st 400m ; IAAF World Cup-5th 400m ; Grand Prix Final-5th 400m

2001: IAAF World Championships-5th 400m; IAAF World Indoor Championships-4th 400m; Games of La Francophonie-1st 200m.

America, a Nation Built Upon Religion

As American citizens it is only just and fair to link the birth of our nation with the American Revolution. A nation of independence, with a balance of freedom and security. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and so many other American Constitutional rights are taken for granted every day. For many of us, we were born into these rights and although we were most likely educated of the American Revolution at a young age, it is impossible for us to fully grasp the passion, struggles, losses, and effort of our ancestors to gain us these rights. The American Revolution has been studied by many from a political point of view. It is less common that the sociological causes and consequences of the Revolution are evaluated in-depth. The Pre-Revolution Colonial Society based many of their decisions on their religious beliefs. As a result, religion by large fueled the desire of the colonists to fight for their independence from the crown of England. Ironically, just as religion greatly effected the American Revolution, the Revolution greatly effected American religion and its freedom of.

The Church of England was established in six of the American colonies before the American Revolution broke out. In three other colonies, the Congregational Church was established by law and supported by general taxation. The Congregational Church was formed in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Although there were a considerable amount of Baptists and Episcopalians, the majority of the population belonged to the Congregational Church. (Jameson, 83) In all of the six colonies where the Church of England was established the majority of the population did not attend it. In Virginia about half of the population attended the Church of England, but in Maryland, New York, and New Jersey the dissenters out-weighed the churchmen. In Virginia the other half of the population was made up of Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and Moravians.

In New York the Church of England was only established in a few locations outside of New York City. (Jameson, 83) In New Jersey The Church of England was never documented to have been established at all. (Jameson, 84) In North Carolina the Presbyterians and the Moravians were as large in number as the Anglicans, but the Quakers out populated everyone. There were six only Episcopal clergymen in the province, yet all of the population had a duty by law to contribute to the support of the English clergymen. (Jameson, 84) Pennsylvania and Rhode Island allowed complete religious freedom. Quakers, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, Moravians, Dunkards, Mennonites, and Catholics all co-existed there without conflict. Baptists stood as the leading denomination in Rhode Island. (Jameson, 85)

Taking all thirteen colonies into consideration there amounted to a total of 3105 religious organizations. Of these 3105, over six hundred congregations were of the Congregationalist order, mostly in New England. Approximately five hundred and fifty were Presbyterians, five hundred Baptist, four hundred eighty Anglican, three hundred of the Society of Friends, a little over two hundred fifty German and Dutch Reformed, one hundred fifty Lutheran, and fifty Catholic. (Jameson, 85) Despite the many popular denominations formed, until 1766 no marriages were legal unless the ceremonies were preformed by Episcopal clergymen. Only to the Presbyterians and the Anglicans was this service extended to. (Jameson, 84) Another law permitted that only men of the Episcopal faith could teach school. (Jameson, 84) With all of the varieties of religious denominations formed, it is obvious that the shock of the American Revolution would loosen the bonds which bound unwilling people to any church established by law. In New England however, this was not expected to be such a problem because the majority of the people belonged to the established church. (Jameson, 85)

In Virginia a Declaration of Rights was written in 1776. The Declaration stated, "That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence, and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience, and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other." (Jameson, 86) This law lead to the equality of all denominations before the law, and the established church no longer had special privileges. It could only be expected that with this law passed people would fall away from the established church. (Jameson, 86) The British had plotted to impose Anglican bishops in the colonies, which aroused fear in the Americans that they would be persecuted for their religion convictions, and this further poisoned relations between Britain and the colonies. (RAR, 3)

Jonathan Mayhew, pastor of the West Church in Boston, saw the Church of England as a dangerous diabolical enemy of the New England way of life. However his Christian morals lead him to announce that "Christians were obliged to suffer under an oppressive ruler... resistance to a tyrant was a glorious Christian duty. In offering moral sanction for political and military resistance." (RAR, 2) This passive stand Mayhew took was common among ministers during the Revolution. Some Quakers were convinced that despite their faith's passive beliefs, they could take up arms against Britain. They called themselves Free Quakers, organizing themselves in Pennsylvania. (RAR, 4) The Presbyterians were the first denomination to become large in number and activity. Soon after, the Moravians, Baptists, and New Lights flourished, as well as the Germans (Lutheran or Reformed) from Pennsylvania. (Jameson, 87)
While considering the American Revolution in regards to religion, one can not disregard Thomas Paine's publication Common Sense. Common Sense, published in 1776, became an over night sensation read allowed in taverns, private homes, and other public places. (SEC, 2)

A wide range of colonials, both literate and illiterate, felt compelled by Paine's argument for breaking free from Britain death grip. What Paine wrote persuaded enough of the undecided men and women to empower the endorsement of the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. (SEC, 2) Common Sense was such a success among the colonists because it was an enticing combination of politics and religion. Paine addressed the issue of supporting the cause from the stand point of feeling rather than thought. (SEC, 2) He argues that all kings are blasphemous who claim a sovereign authority over human beings that rightfully only belongs to God. Paine reiterated how the Jews of the Old Testament rejected monarchial government, comparing America with Jerusalem. He believed that American would be God's new chosen people, if they followed the Jewish example. (SEC, 3)

Interestingly enough Thomas Paine was not an Orthodox Christian. He was born into Quakerism in England, but retreated from it years before writing Common Sense. In fact, prior to Common Sense Paine had been referred to as a "dirty little atheist" by those of the Protestant faith. (SEC, 3) He had proudly proclaimed his deistical beliefs in a pamphlet called The Age of Reason, which had prompted the Protestants to make such claims. Despite Paine's insincerity in Common Sense, he wrote with his targeted audience in mind. By using religious appeals he gained a grasp on the readers, and evoked them to move into political action against Great Britain. (SEC, 3)
Many historians characterize late colonial America as a religious society, full of competing denominations, religious enthusiasm, and opposition to the established church. "That contentious spiritual climate, they believe, at once revived older traditions of Protestant dissent, particularly the opposition to the divine right of kings, and lent impetus to popular and individualistic styles of religiosity that defied the claims of the established authorities and venerable hierarchies - first in churches, and later, in the 1760s and 1770s, in imperial politics." (SEC, 4)

Historians argue that the Great Awakening acted as a dress rehearsal for the American Revolution. In Alan Heimert's Religion and The American Mind, he argues that those who supported the religious revival later become the most ardent rebels against Britain. Joseph Galloway, former speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, believed that the American Revolution was a religious quarrel "caused by Presbyterians and Congregationalists whose 'principles of religion and polity were equally averse to those of the established Church and Government." (RAR, 1) Some Historians also believe that the Revolution was a result of the merging of the traditional Protestant radical and republicanism. (SEC, 4)

It is important to look at the psychological effect the desire for freedom had on the colonists. The colonists began to ask themselves, how can we who are so engaged in this great struggle for liberty hold men in the bondage of slavery? If they strongly believed in their religious scriptures that said men are created equal and free under the rule of God, how could they expect liberty from England if they would not return the same courtesy to the negro population? It was quite contradicting all together.

When the American Revolution began there were approximately a half of a million slaves in the thirteen colonies. The majority of the slaves were held in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland. Out of the approximate half of a million slaves, 475,000 lived in these colonies. (Jameson, 21) Pre-revolution, many hearts had already begun to turn away from the cruel bonds of slavery, based on their own morals, ethics, and humanitarian beliefs. For those who had accepted slavery as a part of the normal culture, their beliefs were tested as the passion for liberty increased throughout America.

Patrick Henry states it best in 1773, " It is not amazing that at a time, when rights of humanity are defined and understood with precision, in a country above all others fond of liberty, that in such an age and in such a country we find men professing a religion the most humane, mild, gentle, and generous, adopting a principle as repugnant to humanity as it is inconsistent with the Bible and destructive to liberty? ... I believe a time will come when an opportunity will be offered to abolish this lamentable evil. Everything we can do is to improve it, if it happens in our day, if not, let us transmit to our descendents, together with our slaves, a pity for their unhappy lot, and an abhorrence of slavery... It is a debt we owe to the purity of our religion, to show that it is at variance with that law which warrants slavery." (Jameson, 23)

Anti-slavery organizations began to form throughout the colonies, beginning on April 14, 1775 at the Sun Tavern in Philadelphia. This first organization was made primarily of the Society of Friends denomination, they called their organization The Society for the Relief of Free Negros Unlawfully Held in Bondage. They professed that "loosing the bonds of wickedness and setting the oppressed free, is evidently a duty incumbent on all professors of Christianity, but more especially at a time when justice, liberty, and the laws of the land are general topics among most ranks and stations of men." (Jameson, 23) Previously in 1774 Rhode Island passed a law that all new slaves brought into the colony shall be set free. They believed that all who wish to enjoy personal freedom should be willing to extend personal liberty to others. Connecticut passed a similar law later on that year. Between 1776 and 1778 Delaware and Virginia prohibited importation of slaves. (Jameson, 25)
After America won its freedom, greater changes for the anti-slavery movement took place. The Superior Court of Massachusetts abolished slavery completely, stating it is a Constitutional right ("All men are born free and equal").

In 1784 Connecticut and Rhode Island passed laws that gradually extinguished slavery. (Jameson, 25) The other states were reluctant to abolish slavery. However in Virginia in 1782 an act was passed that eventually lead to the freedom of more than ten thousand slaves. This act stated that any slave owner may manumit all of his slaves as long as their maintenance would not become a public problem. Within eight years this act lead to the freedom of twice as many slaves than the Massachusetts constitution had. (Jameson, 26) It can be concluded that the successful struggle for America's independence affected the character of America society. The freeing of the nation from Britain inevitably lead to the freedom of the individual. America was enlightened, and eventually the race of the individual no longer mattered.

Aside from slavery, the religious effect of the American Revolution had many other sociological impacts on America. As mentioned previously it was inevitable that a Revolution against Great Britain would loosen the grip of the established church on the colonists. Of course the church of England suffered the deepest inflictions from the American Revolution, as the King of England was head of the church. (RAR, 5) With the established church aside, the Revolution had an immense effect on other denominations as well. Both positive and negative effects took place as a result of the war. Throughout the war many churches were destroyed. (RAR 5) During the war congregations broke up. Many ministers either fled to Britain or went off to war themselves, some even becoming colonels or generals of the Continental Army. (Jameson, 91) Post-war there became a great absence of ministers, who had been bound by oath to support the Kind of England. (RAR, 1) This was especially true for those of the Church of England and the Anglican Priests.

The Presbyterian faith also suffered greatly as a result of the war, as most of the Presbyterian clergy were Whigs (rebels to England). The British took any sign of the Presbyterian faith (i.e. large Bibles or a metrical version of the psalms of David) as evidence of the rebel cause. The Presbyterian church in Long Island's steeple was sawed off by the British, and it was used as a prison and guardhouse until it was torn down. The Episcopalian faith suffered because the majority of its clergy was made up of Tories (loyalists to England). (Jameson, 92)
For the Anglican churches The Book of Common Prayer became a problem, as many of the prayers it consisted of were prayers for the monarch, and for the King of England. The Christ Church in Philadelphia decided to replace the prayers for the King with a prayer for Congress: "That is may please thee to endue the Congress of the United States and all others in Authority, legislative, executive, and judicial with grace, wisdom, and understanding, to execute Justice and maintain Truth." (RAR, 6)

Almost immediately after the first legislature was formed under independence, requests for religious freedom came pouring in. One petition was signed by ten thousand men in favor of this request. In opposition there were petitions signed by members of the established church, along with a Methodist minister who represented three thousand Methodists. (Jameson, 88) These clergymen represent the public who by faith had pledged to the established church, and were unable to get past that.

The Virginian Presbyterians, the Baptists, Quakers, and Mennonites were in high favor for religious freedom. They argued with great passion for an act that would exempt dissenters of the established church from paying taxes to it. Each person would be given the choice of which denomination they would pay their taxes to. Patrick Henry and George Washington were in great favor if this, however the law was never passed. It did however become legal for ministers of other denominations to perform the ceremony of marriage. (Jameson, 89) Instead, Thomas Jefferson proposed an act for religious freedom in entirety: "no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever; nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion." (Jameson, 90) The act passed and lead to the complete separation of church from state. Some people found this difficult, but in the end this act presented the world with a nation built upon equality and religious freedom.

Religious freedom and equality had not then reached its full development, as three of the four New England states still used established Congregational churches. In order for a man to take office in Massachusetts or Maryland they had to declare they were of Christian faith. Similar rules applied to Pennsylvania and Delaware. (Jameson, 90) North Carolina, South Carolina, and New Jersey set laws that no person could serve office unless they were of the Protestant faith. These restrictions gradually disappeared over the years, and religious freedom eventually prevailed in its full color. The battle for religious freedom was won. (Jameson, 91)

When I look at America today in 2006, I see a lack of faith, a lack of the fear of God, and a strong force of anti-Christian behavior. This has been becoming more strongly evident with every generation, and every passing year. People now speak out that they are offended by the word "Christmas Tree". They want God taken out of the pledge of allegiance. Society wishes to take prayer out of the classroom. In many schools children are no longer allowed to sing Christmas carols, yet Hanukah songs are welcomed. People are taught by the American culture to do the best they can for themselves, and to get ahead no matter what they have to do, morals aside. The morality of younger generations is gradually becoming obsolete. Children of young ages are participating in immoral activities that I did not even know existed when I was their age. Sin is accepted as normal behavior, in regards to many different areas. Pre-marital sex is embraced by all of the methods of birth control available to the unwed. Abortion is legal, which means killing is illegal, which is just absurd. Gay marriages have become legal in Massachusetts, which completely goes against the Word of God. I sometimes sit and ask myself what has happened to this world I live in? It is a world that I certainly am not of. It is crazy that America was once a nation where religious beliefs were so strong that they could fuel a Revolution, and today God is unwanted in it's Pledge of Allegiance. It is interesting how our nations most influential writers like Thomas Paine believed America would become God's new chosen land.

They looked at the triumph over Britain as a sign that God approved of America and when Jesus came down to reign on Earth for thousand years, it would be here it America. Yet today, I can not name many people, besides those at my church, who even know that Jesus is supposed to reign on the earth for a thousand years. It all started with wanting freedom from having to pay taxes to a denomination that taxpayers did not belong. How is it that society has carried this freedom so far from what our ancestors originally planned? There intent was not to create a country largely populated with agnostics, atheists, and those offended by the mention of God. Whether it is the lack of morals being taught to America's younger generations, or the media corrupting minds, or the disgust brought on by the disobedience of religious figures (like the Catholic Priests molestation cases), there clearly is something fueling an anti-Christian movement in current American society. In a strong way I wish it was still the law that no man could serve office in Massachusetts unless he were of Christian faith. Then perhaps the acceptance of gay marriage wouldn't be being taught in schools, but instead the Word of God. I wonder, where would our society be today if Thomas Jefferson and his deistical beliefs, had not passed the act for religious freedom?

As American citizens we link the birth of our nation with the American Revolution. We are a nation of independence, with a balance of freedom and security. The American Revolution has been studied by many from a political point of view, and here it has been looked at from a sociological standpoint. The Pre-Revolution Colonial Society based many of their decisions on their religious beliefs. As a result, religion by large fueled the desire of the colonists to fight for their independence from the crown of England. Ironically, just as religion greatly effected the American Revolution, the Revolution lead to many social movements that greatly effected American religion, its organization of, in some cases its lack there of, and of course its freedom of.

Works Cited

Jameson, J. Franklin. The American Revolution Considered as a Social Movement.
Princeton University Press: 1926 (Jameson)

"Religion and the Founding of the American Republic" Religion and the American
Revolution (Religion and the Founding of the America Republic, Library of Congress Exhibition). July 2006. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/
rel03.html> (RAR)

"Religion and the American Revolution" The 17th and 18th Centuries. July 2006.
http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/erelrev.htm> (SEC)

Doggin' Philadelphia: 10 Cool Things See When You Walk Your Dog

"If your dog is fat," the old saying goes, "you aren't getting enough exercise." But walking the dog need not be just about a little exercise. Here are 10 cool things you can see in greater Philadelphia while you hike with your dog.

FOLK ART

In 1855, a hotel entrepreneur built a new inn on Rex Avenue. To draw attention to his hostelry he constructed an Indian from old barn boards and propped it up on top of a rock overlooking the Gorge. In 1902, when the Indian Rock Hotel was long gone but with the silhouette still there, artist Massey Rhind was commissioned to make a representation of a "Delaware Indian, looking west to where his people have gone." The kneeling warrior has gazed up the Wissahickon Gorge ever since. A switchback trail leads to the Indian Statue where you can get close enough to pat his knee. And take in a breathtaking view.

MONUMENTAL M0NUMENTS

The Multi-Use Trail rolls past reconstructed huts and parade grounds that transport you back to the Revolution. The National Memorial Arch, a massive stone tribute dedicated in 1917, stands out along the route. The inscription reads: "Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery. Washington at Valley Forge, February 16, 1778." In the southern part of White Clay, reached by the Twin Valley Trail, is the Arc Corner Monument marking one end of the 12-mile arc which forms the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line, unique in American political boundary-making. The circular divide dates to William Penn's directive of August 28, 1701, when Delaware was still a part of Pennsylvania, known as the Lower Three Counties. A little more than 1/2 mile to the west is another monument marking the tri-state junction of Delaware,Pennsylvania and Maryland.

AMERICAN CASTLES

Breaking out of the woods at several points on the hilltops you are greeted with an unparalleled view of Granogue, one of the more spectacular of the American castles dotting the Brandywine Valley's chateau lands.

MOVIE LOCATIONS

Flying concentric circles outward from Philadelphia, Hollywood location scouts for Oprah Winfrey's movie project, Beloved, spotted the Fair Hill terrain and selected it as the backdrop for the film's rural scenes. A ramshackle 19th-century tenant farm was constructed and much of the movie shot here. The producers decided to leave the movie set intact, to deteriorate naturally. You can wander among the fake buildings and even knock on the styrofoam stones.

COOL FORTS

Where else can a dog climb into an actual battery and scan the Delaware River where gunnery officers once aimed guns capable of accurately firing 1,000-pound projectiles eight miles like he can at Fort Mott State Park? Fort DuPont, named for Civil War fleet commander Admiral Samuel Francis duPont, saw active duty in three wars before becoming a state park. The 1-mile River View Trail, a grassy loop path, begins in the marshland along the Delaware River and finishes in shaded woodlands. The trail takes you past several ruins of the military installation, camoflauged to river traffic, and features sustained views of the Delaware River and Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island.

REMARKABLE BRIDGES

In the farthest northern section of Tyler State Park is the longest covered bridge in Bucks County. The 117-year old Schofield Ford Covered Bridge burned in 1991 but after five years of fundraising the 166-foot, two-span crossing was entirely rebuilt by volunteers on its original stone abutments using authentic period materials and methods. An elaborate, reinforced wooden railroad trestle bridges a ravine on the Glen Trail. The trail runs by a stream under the trestle and there are sweeping views of Wenonah Woods from the top.

A walk through Brandywine Park provides a quick lesson is the history of bridge architecture. The classical arch form is represented in grand style with the magificent stone viaduct across the river and numerous reinforced concrete spans. There is even a small iron arch bridge over the mill race. A prototypical 19th century pier and girder iron bridge transports trains over the Brandywine. And the pedestrian footbridge across the water, the Swinging Bridge, is a little suspension bridge employing the same engineering principles as the mythical Brooklyn Bridge.

A floodplain is a safety valve for the release of a raging creek's overflow. Along the Paper Mill Trail, just off the Creek Road Trail, is an exhibit on managing these protective wetlands that create a unique wildlife habitat. The stone double-arch bridge next to the floodplain exhibit was built in 1847. The fall line on the Pennypack Creek was the natural choice for fording the creek back to Indian days. William Penn was not so patient in waiting for the tide to take the water away each day and in 1683 he asked that "an order be given for building a bridge over the Pennypack." Each male resident was taxed in either money or labor to build the bridge, which, when completed in 1697, became the first Three Arch Stone bridge in America. Designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark, the bridge over Frankford Avenue in Pennypack Park is the oldest stone bridge still carrying heavy traffic in America. Germantown Pike was the first road to be started in Montgomery County, dating to 1687 when funds were allocated for a "cart road" from Philadelphia to the Plymouth Meeting settlement. Later extended to present-day Collegeville, an eight arch stone bridge was built to span Skippack Creek in 1792. An equestrian trail crosses the bridge, which is the oldest bridge in continuous, heavy use in America. Ashland Covered Bridge, built in the days before the Civil War; the adjoining Succession and Flood Plain Trails visit meadow, marsh, pond and forest landscapes.

Theodore Burr built a bridge spanning the Hudson River at Waterford, New York in 1804. He added an arch segment to the multiple truss bridge popular at the time, attaining a longer span. Patented in 1817, the Burr Arch Truss became one of the most common in the construction of covered bridges. The Larkin's Bridge, a 65-foot long, 45-ton "Burr Arch" covered bridge erected in 1854 and rebuilt in 1881, was relocated to the northeast section of the park in 1972. Larkin's Covered Bridge is the only remaining legacy of Milford Mills.

In 1850 Albert Fink, a German railroad engineer,
designed and patented a bridge that used a latticework of rods instead of cables to reinforce stiffness. This construction was cheap and sturdy, making the Fink Truss one of the most commonly used railroad bridges in the 1860s, especially favored by the powerful Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Only one Fink Truss bridge remains in the United States - an abandoned 108-foot span in Zoarsville, Ohio. A wooden reproduction of a Fink Truss is in a field at Warwick County Park for you and your dog to climb.

CANAL LOCK

Pennsylvania's first canal system was cobbled together in 1815 using 120 locks to stretch 108 miles from the coal fields of Schuylkill County to Philadelphia. Railroads began chewing away at canal business in the 1860s and the last coal barges floated down the Schuylkill River in the 1920s. Today, the only sections of the canal in existence are at Manayunk and Lock 60, built by area name donor Thomas Oakes, at the Schuylkill Canal Park. In 1985 the Schuylkill Canal Association formed to keep the canal flowing and maintain the lock and towpath. In 1988, the area was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

CHAMPION TREES

The Taylor Memorial Arboretum provides a 12-Tree Self-Guided Tour. The collection is especially strong in Far Eastern specimens and spotlights three Pennsylvania State Champion trees: the Needle Juniper, the Lacebark Elm and the Giant Dogwood. Also on the tour is a Dawn Redwood, an ancient tree known only through fossils until 1941 when a botany student tracked down living specimens in rural China. Some of the first seed to come to America resulted in this tree. Liberated from their sun-stealing neighbors of the crowded woods, the "King" and "Queen" White Oaks have spread out into a massive canopy of leaves. The "Queen" measures seventeen feet around at the thickest part of the trunk and the "King" is closer to twenty. The two trees are part of the "Penn's Woods" collection of 139 trees standing when William Penn arrived to survey his Pennsylvania colony.

The arboreal oldsters reside at the last stop of the nature trail. bacterial infection. Awbury Arboretum in East Germantown was the summer estate of 19th century Quaker shipping merchant Henry Cope. Across the 55 acres are plantings of groves and clusters of trees set amidst large swaths of grss fields in the English landscape garden tradition. You can investigate more than 200 species, mostly native, in your informal explorations of the grounds. Old macadam paths lead to most areas of the odd-shaped property. Also on the grounds are wetlands surrounding an artificial pond.

BARNS

While many of the Hospital Farm's buildings have disappeared, the unique dairy barn remains. Built in 1914, it is shaped like a wheel with four spokes. The fame of the hospital's dairy operation was widespread. In 1961 alone, nine cows produced 1.1 million pounds of milk - more than 300 pounds of milk per cow per day.The Visitor Center is a restoration of a 1923 Sears & Roebuck mail order barn. A century ago Sears sold anything and everything by mail - including kits for building houses and barns. The kit, which could cost as little as a few hundred dollars depending on style, would include rough lumber, framing timbers, plank flooring, shingles, hardware, sash and paint. Usually shipped by train from the west, the barn kit would be loaded onto a freight wagon and hauled to the building site for assembly by local carpenters.

COOL ROCKS

Forty million years ago an igneous explosion occurred underground here and cooled very quickly leaving behind a particularly fine granite rock. Tourists and students of geology alike made the pilgrimmage to the Falls of French Creek to study the rock formations. Granite quarries mined the rock and granite from Saint Peters once received an award at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago as "a fine-grained polished cube, a good building and ornamental stone." The quarries closed in the 1960s and many pits can still be seen. Today the giant boulders in French Creek are ideal for your dog to sramble on - or just lie in the sun. Mountain in State Game Land #157. The mountain is essentially a ridge of diabase boulders and the trail to the top calls for almost continuous rock-hopping, a technique called bouldering. The basaltic rock provides incredible traction.

And our vote for the coolest thing of all on Philadelphia trails - the "Ringing Rocks" in Ringing Rocks Park where the rocks ping when struck by a hammer - or thud on "dead " spots.

copyright 2006

Cape Town - The History Walk

Situated in the narrow confines of a peninsula, Cape Town, the historic Mother City of South Africa, is custom made for visitors who like to do their touring on foot. For most of the year the weather is ideal for roaming around outdoors. If you're a history lover, Cape Town has the distinction of being one of the most historically strategic places in the world. The best way for you to see the important historic sights is with a tour group. A good tour leader can tell you the stories of Cape Town's turbulent past. The walk covers about three kilometres and takes a minimum of two hours.

Starting Point: The Castle of Good Hope

The star-shaped Castle of Good Hope is South Africa's oldest European fortification. It was built by the Dutch to protect their trade route to the Far East, and to discourage attacks on their colony by native warriors. Just to the west of the fort is Grand Parade. This was the site of the original defensive work built by Jan van Riebeek, the founder of Cape Town. It was used as a military parade ground and a place for public executions. It is now used as a market place twice a week. Look up at the balcony of the Old Town Hall, and you will see the place where, in 1990, Nelson Mandela gave his first public speech in 27 years, following his lengthy incarceration.

District Six: Victim of Apartheid

A must see for anyone doing a Cape Town history walk is the District Six Museum. Here you learn the story of this inner-city community that was ruthlessly demolished by the apartheid regime in an attempt to uphold the whites-only law. The area is gradually being rebuilt. On a traffic island beside Church St. Square, you can see the site of the Old Slave Tree. It was here that slaves were auctioned off before 1834, when slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. Not far away is the Old Slave Lodge, which is now a museum. Across from the Slave Lodge is the Groote Kirk (Great Church), which dates back to 1704. This is the mother church for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa.

Started Out as a Vegetable Patch

The Company's Garden's is a great place to take a break. This shady green area in the heart of Cape Town started out as a vegetable garden for the Dutch East India Company. Under Jan van Riebeeck and subsequent governors the garden was expanded and planted with exotic botanical specimens. Here you can see a statue of the South African statesman Cecil Rhodes. He brought in the North American squirrels whose descendants now scamper through the Gardens. After you leave the Gardens, pay a visit to St. George's Cathedral. This church dates back to 1834, and was for many years a bastion against apartheid.

Colourful Bo - Kaap

The Bo-Kaap district is a largely Muslim neighbourhood, and home to many of Cape Town's non-white residents; that is, people of mixed race or Asian background. Many are descendants of slaves brought in by the Dutch colonists centuries ago. This is a neighbourhood of brightly coloured homes, narrow streets, and interesting shops. It is advisable to visit here only with a group, and not after dark. You can learn much of the local story at the Bo-Kaap Museum. The Owal Mosque in Bo-Kaap is the oldest mosque in Cape Town.

Who Was "El Pipila" - Famous Mexican Independence Hero?

The territory embracing what is now known as México was once one of the richest and most important colonies of Spain's Kingdom. Under the name of the "New Spain" it was the main source of gold and silver for the Kingdom during the 400 years of Spaniard domination of this territory, contributing highly to the emergence of Spain as the great power of its time.

But things were not going very well for the locals in the colony, many of whom were treated as slaves, mainly the Indian and African population; and many others as "second class" and even "third class" citizens of an empire that at the beginning of the XIX century was a decadent shadow of its past greatness.

The new ideas of the French Illustration and the American Revolution had influenced a number of intellectuals and progressive personalities of the colony making them think about gaining independence from Spain and implement a number of reforms that would make the territory a new country under many of the values proclaimed by the Illustration.

Among the people thinking seriously about gaining Independence from Spain, gains great notoriety the figure of Miguel Hidalgo, a non-traditional catholic priest that had been living in the town of "Dolores" in what is now the Mexican state of Guanajuato. He had contributed to the betterment of the native population, making him very popular, by teaching them a number of crafts and to some, even how to write and read. Many of these crafts have survived until our current days; for example, the world famous "Talavera" ceramic pieces that you can find in what is now known as the town of "Dolores Hidalgo". Besides his popularity he was also the lider of the local conspiration against Spain's rule.

It was the year 1810 when the conspiration against Spain was finally mature enough to be implemented. It was in the month of September when, accelerated by the sudden discovery of the conspiration by "Realist authorities", the struggle for Independence was initiated. It was the night of September 15 when Hidalgo and others decided to go ahead and gather the people of Dolores to constitute the first army that would march against Spaniard positions.

The long column of peasants and the few trained officials constituting the "Insurgent Army" marched during a number of days through the region gathering more people and resources. Once they felt strong enough they aimed to the biggest Spaniard post in the zone. The world famous mining town of Guanajuato.

And it's during this episode that the figure of "El Pipila" comes to scene during the first battle of the Independence struggle. Insurgents had put an old grain storage building under siege. All Spaniards had gone into this big building and were using it as a fortress to resist the "Insurgent Army" until some reinforcements could come from the capital or some other post.
Insurgents were desperate. The building seemed to be inexpugnable and they were losing many men trying to approach one of the two doors or climbing the walls. Besides, "Realist" reinforcements could be approaching and they were stuck at that position.

Hidalgo and other officials had come to the conclusion that only by destroying one of the doors they could hope for a victory. But who would do it? Who would dare to approach the door, dodging bullets and put it on fire?...It seemed there was no one willing to take such a high risk to his life. Until "El Pipila" appeared from among the peasants. He approached Hidalgo and told him he was willing to go ahead and burn the door. He had been thinking how to approach the door and he had come to the conclusion he would use a piece of thick stone laced to his back as protection against bullets and then crawl to the door.

And that's how he did it. With the heavy piece of stone on his back and a torch in his hand he slowly crawled under enemy fire until he finally reached the door and with his last forces set fire to the door made of wood allowing the Insurgent Army to enter the building and claiming the first victory of the struggle for independence of the country that is now known as Mexico.

Very few things are known of what happened to 'El Pipila" after this historic episode.

Travel Around the Beautiful Place of Hastings

Hastings is mixed with best cities and country from great outdoor activities and good dining and a great nightlife are all here. Have time to explore the place for its finest attraction. There is a place that you can stop by that suits the season. Walks for all individual to see fantastic spots are present for you to witness. Have an overnight treks in different ranges at the mountains during winter where you can see the glistening of snow. During summer the sun shines continuously.

With your Hastings travel you can begin by strolling down around Te Mata Peak one of the place that you can capture the scenic view of the mountain. Different activities were offered like kayaking, paragliding, scenic flights, horse trekking, and fishing in the TukiTuki. With your car you can have a good drive to Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony.

Hastings is considered as the fruit bowl of New Zealand as well as a home for wineries, multitude of orchards and a terrific landscape gardens and which embellish the climate of Hawke's Bay. It is an ideal base to enjoy and witness the Hawke's attractions. Hastings primarily can be seen in Hawke Bay locate at the east coast of New Zealand in the North Island.

To continue your Hastings travel together with your family various places are for you to take pleasure in. Different parks are for you to explore and to name few of them are the Seahorse Farm, The Amazing Maize 'n Maze, Omahu Bird Animal Park, Keirunga Park Railway, and the Splash Planet Fun Park. Your kids will really enjoy the activities to be done inside the zoo. Once you have been there you will never regret that you have visited the place. You can tour each place in which you can be satisfied with.

In New Zealand you can experience a night life that the vibrancy is being renewed. Variety of concerts with live performances are there for you to select, cabarets, night clubs where you can dance until you want to and mingle with other people who are new to you. Casinos can be found on the other side of New Zealand which includes the Queenstown, Dunedin, Christ Church and Auckland as well. Your favorite cuisines can be served at the various restaurants that you can pass by as you continue your New Zealand vacation.

Different events are held annually in Hastings and many tourists based the holidays on the recognized national events. It is now up to you on what to pick with regards to the events that you want to perceive. It includes Hastings blossom Festival, the kelt Capital Carnival that is known to have a stakes of $1 Million, Matariki Festival, Hawke's Bay Harvest and the Wine makers Charity Auction. All of this brought give rise to the popularity of the area. You're Hastings Travel is one of a kind escape that you will cherish what you have experienced and the enjoyment that you felt will not be measured to the extent that you will treasure the memories you have experienced in Hastings.