Five Undiscovered California National Parks

Summertime is a busy travel time and it seems everywhere you go it's crowded. Instead of heading to the beach or Yosemite along with everyone else, try heading to one of the many beautiful and crowd-free California National parks.

Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon Less busy than Yellowstone, Sequoia National park and Kings Canyon are two separate National parks managed as one, which means you only have to pay one entrance fee for the both of them.

Sequoia National park truly is an undiscovered California treasure.

In the park you'll find the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world; Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States; the second-largest road-free wilderness area in the United States, and Crescent Meadow, a Sequoia-rimmed meadow called the "gem of the Sierra" by John Muir.

Channel islands National park Each island has its own endemic plants and animals, leading the Channel islands to often be called California's Galapagos. Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park, which consists of five of the eight Channel islands along the southern California coast from Point Conception near Santa Barbara to just north of Los Angeles. The park is lightly visited, never crowded and beautiful year-round. Fall is the best time to visit this California National park though, because blue and humpback whales can be seen migrating.

death Valley National park Home to one of the starkest landscapes in California, death Valley is a geological wonder filled with exposed rock and sparse vegetation. With 3.4 million acres, death Valley is the largest National park in the contiguous U.S. The 18-mile drive from Furnace Creek to Badwater is a must, along the drive you'll see fantastic salt formations, colorful views and the lowest place in the western hemisphere.

Mount Shasta According to John Muir the beauty of Mount Shasta turned his blood to wine. located in Northern California, Mount Shasta is the largest volcanic peak in the contiguous U.S., a towering mountain with one of the highest base-to-summit rises in the world.

Snowcapped Mt. Shasta has pristine mountain lakes and rivers, majestic forests, and miles of backcountry to explore plus plenty of skiing, snowboarding, fishing, golfing, mountain biking, rock climbing and hiking.

Joshua Tree National park located in south eastern California, Joshua Tree National park includes two deserts, each with an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation. This California National Park gets its name from the unique looking Joshua tree which can be found in the higher, slightly cooler Mojave Desert.

The geologically unique landscape of the area features hills of bare rock, broken up into loose bolder, making the area huge for rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts. Barker Dam, Keys View, which offers views of the Coachella Valley and Salton sea, bird watching, and hidden Valley (not the salad dressing) are all must-sees of the Joshua Tree National Park.

Jillian Scheeler is a spontaneous road-tripper and avid writer working on assignment for http://TravelPost.com - The Premier Source for Unbiased hotel reviews and Ratings. This article can be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active.

Yoga And Meditation Games

The Quickest & Easiest Way To Improve Your Golf Game

If I had to pick just one way to score better I'd say, "improve your putting." Because it's a simple formula. If you shot a 100 in your last game of golf and you had 8, 3 putts in that score then it doesn't take a genius to work out that if you could turn those 3 putts into 2 putts then you'd score 8 shots better.

Ok, we've worked out that you need to practice your putting, but how?

Well it's been proven that the better the putter is the better they are at long putts, so that's where you should spend most of your time practicing. And don't just practice your putting line but rather practice hitting putts a correct weight. Because it doesn't matter if your ball is on the correct line if it's 10 feet short or long. And think about how often your putts are 10 feet wide of the hole. It's not often is it?

So practice long putts and one of the best drills to improve your putting touch is to putt balls to the edge of the putting green. Get about 5 balls and start about 30 feet away from the fringe and try to putt the balls so they end up as close to the fringe as possible.

During this exercise don't worry about direction, only speed. Keep doing this and vary the distance from the fringe for each 5 balls you stroke. Do this at least 6 times so you practice at least 30 putts.

Also, to make this exercise more effective, putt with your eyes closed. And after you've hit each putt guess how close the ball has come to your target (i.e. the fringe). Once your ball has stopped rolling, open your eyes and see how correct you were.

Now here's another great distance control putting drill.

On your practice putting green measure 30 feet from the fringe. Then place about 15 balls down there. Then putt your first ball and try to get it at as close to the fringe as possible. Once you've done this then hit your second putt and try to get it to finish as close to your first ball as possible without going past it. Then hit your third putt and try to get it to finish as close to your second ball as possible, without going past it.

Keep doing this and see how many balls you can get between yourself and the fringe. But if any balls go past the previous ball then it's game over. You have to start again.

This is a fun putting game to see how many balls you can get between the fringe and yourself and it will improve your distance control at the same time. plus you can keep record of your personal best and try and beat it.

Doing putting drills like this allows you to concentrate solely on feel and weight without worrying about whether the ball has gone in the hole. And if you improve your long putting your scores will improve and it will be easier than working on your swing.

You see, there's no point in hitting the ball great but then 3 putting. So improve your putting first and then work on improving your swing.

The professional golfer Nick Bayley has discovered from extensive analysis just one golf swing fault that could be stopping you from ball striking consistency and success. And now you can take a simple 2 minute golf swing test to see if you have this swing fault or not. To take the The golf Swing Test go here now: http://www.yourgolfswingtest.com

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Plumbing

Are clogged pipes, leaky faucets, broken fixtures and other plumbing problems an issue for you? Knowing the basics of plumbing installation and the ABC's of how to tackle plumbing problems will go a long way in avoiding the same. However, we know that most of you do not have the time or skill to handle common plumbing problems, which is why we believe having a directory of plumbing and heating contractors who will reach your doorstep quickly, is the answer.

Most of the material used for plumbing systems has changed and improved from clay, lead or stone to materials like brass, steel, copper, brass, plastic, or other nontoxic material. Your plumbing lines should operate smoothly without problems. If you are having any of these common problems then you need a great plumber as soon as possible.

Common scenarios when plumbers are required:

faulty faucets

clogged drains

broken toilets

water heaters running out of hot water

noisy pipes

broken shower heads

kitchen drain blockage

sink sprays

frozen pipes

preparing your plumbing system for cold weather

low water pressure from tub faucets, shower heads or kitchen faucets

blocked drains

blocked showers

leaky pipes

plumbing emergencies

Hire only skilled plumbing and heating contractors who will fix your problems while also ensuring you do not have recurring problems. Preventing plumbing problems can save you a lot of money in the long run. A plumbing line inspection can help prevent problems that may cost you a large sum of money.

Simple tips for common plumbing problems:

For frozen pipes in winter: Using hot water bottles or a blow dryer is the best way to thaw frozen pipes.

Buy a water hammer from your nearby hardware shop to avoid noisy after flushing sounds.

Periodically lower the pressure of the water pipes' stop-cock.

If your faucet's water stream is running zigzag it means your aerator needs to be cleaned.

Clean your shower-heads every month to avoid build-up of lime scale which will make your shower flow weaker.

Use water-saving showerheads. This way you will save on the water bill, save energy and still enjoy a luxurious shower.

Use PVC washers with PVC nuts. Do not mix PVC nuts with metal washers and vice-versa.

Some tools that will make your job easier are:

Wrench: There are many options. From a basic wrench, adjustable wrench, socket wrench, pipe wrench, and a basin wrench. These are all available at you local hardware store.

Pliers: Tongue pliers and groove pliers are most commonly used and are very helpful plumbing tools.

Pipe vises: These are used to cut, thread etc. Common ones like Yoke pipes and Chain Vises are a good buy.

You may not be a plumber or have great plumbing skills, but these simple, vital tools can come in handy for simple repairs. As with everything else, remember that good-maintenance is a priority but if all else fails and you are unsure of what the next step should be, call the experts. Do not fret over costs, call recommended and skilled plumbing and heating contractors who will fix your problems while also ensuring you do not have recurring plumbing problems. Preventing plumbing problems can save you a lot of money in the long run. A plumbing line inspection can help prevent problems that may cost you a large sum of money.

This article is written by Craig Van Laningham from http://www.craigscontractors.com Craigs Contractors. Craigs Contractors is a free referral service that provides a comprehensive directory of plumbing and heating contractors in your vicinity whose names have been selected after a stringent process that we call the 10 Points of Qualification (Uniformed with company Ids, Up Front Pricing, customer references etc).

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