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Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an, China. Archaologists are still unearthing, reassembling and documenting miles and miles of terracotta statues. Bones of the terracotta artist/sculptors have been found among the ruins.
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The Great Wall of China – portion near Bejing that has been rebuilt since its original construction during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
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Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm near Arlington, OR and storm over flat terrain near Echo, OR on the Oregon Trail, just before crossing the Wallowa Mountains.
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Driving past the perfectly aligned poplar trees on the Greenwood Tree Farm, Columbia Basin, Hwy 84, eastern Oregon. Large sections of trees at various ages can be seen from the highway. The company specializes in the hybridization of fast-growing, high yield poplar trees, and managing sustainable tree farms with the aim to help reduce reliance on natural forests and non-renewable energy sources.
Endangered Cottonwood-Willow Riparian forest, The Hassayampa River area, Peoria AZ. A local legend says that people who drink from the Hassayampa River will never tell the truth again.
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Haystack Rock, on the beach by the town of Cannon Beach, Oregon, was formed by lava flows occurring about 15-16 million years ago. The rock was granted Marine Garden status by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1990 because it is a nesting site for many seabirds, in particular the Puffin. During early Summer, wildlife officers and volunteers are there to answer questions about the birds and many forms of marine life living in its tidal pools, plus they stand guard to ensure that no one climbs the rocks to disturb nests.
Haystack Rock is featured as scenery in U.S. advertising, and movies such as ‘The Goonies’, ‘1941’, and ‘Kindergarten Cop’.
Oregon beaches are rugged, and due to the inconsistent, unpredictable weather, are not so much tourist destinations for tanning, but are perfect for recreation like walking, hiking, kayaking and wind-surfing. Campfires are permitted on many of the Oregon beaches – not Cannon Beach though – and are great for family gatherings and picnics. Cannon Beach is generally warmer and less windy than many of the coastal locations not far from Portland.