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Harmit, Piyush, and Aayansh chase, The golden light where highways bend. A shutter captures nature’s smile, On wild trails that never end.
  • Things In “Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince” Movie Different From The Book – Part 2

    Things In “Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince” Movie Different From The Book – Part 2

    So here is the second part of the last post on the differences between the book and movie, “Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.” In the last article, I promised to provide more points; here are 10 more differences in addition to the previous ones:-

    11. Professor Slughorn’s appearance:- As per the book, Professor Slughorn was an enormous, fat, old, bald man with walrus-like mustaches.

    In the movie, he was a decent, good-looking old man with nothing similar to the description given in the book except his strong desire to be among bright students or those with good family backgrounds.

    12. Professor Slughorn’s meeting with Harry & Hagrid:- When Hagrid invites Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the Aragog’s (his spider friend) funeral, only Harry agrees and goes in the night, hidden inside his invisibility cloak. On the way, he meets Professor Slughorn and tells him the reason for this odd night visit. Slughorn accompanies him in pursuit of the spider venom, which is a pricey possession.

    In the Film, Slughorn simply accompanies Harry for his safety and asks Hagrid nicely for the venom. But in actuality, he steals the venom when Hagrid is distracted due to grief.

    13. Fight between Harry & Malfoy and Snape’s handling of the situation:- Harry finds Malfoy talking with Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom, and that is when a confrontation between both begins. Myrtle starts crying when Harry curses Malfoy with a deadly curse he learned from Half-Blood Prince’s book. At last, Snape comes to the rescue of Malfoy, who was losing blood so quickly, and, as a punishment, he gives Harry detention, which was also why Harry missed his Quidditch game against Ravenclaws.

    While in the movie, Harry chases Malfoy and, when sees him weeping in distress, tries to talk with him, which results in a confrontation between them. There was no Myrtle, and Harry got away very easily without any punishment. Funny, isn’t it?

    14. Hiding of Half-Blood Prince’s book:- Snape quickly understands the situation and asks Harry where he got to know about this curse. When unable to divulge the information, he asks Harry to bring all of his study books, suspecting Half-Blood Prince’s copy. Harry goes to collect his study material but hides the Prince’s book inside the Room of Requirement.

    In the movie version, Harry goes with Ginny to hide the book, and she kisses him first time in the Room of Requirement. Harry was supposed to kiss her after Quidditch win, which I also covered in the last post.

    15. Death mark trap:- This one was a big change. When Dumbledore and Harry return from the cave, they notice Death Mark and rush towards Hogwarts, suspecting the death of any student by death eaters. After reaching there, they realize that it was actually a trap for them; no one was harmed.

    In the movie, the death mark appears after Dumbledore’s death and is actually caused by Bellatrix, who was never present at the climax, according to the book. Her only appearance in the story is when she accompanies her sister to Snape’s house.

    16. Harry was frozen by Dumbledore during the attack:- Realizing the situation, Dumbledore freezes Harry, who was still under his Invisibility Cloak. Harry watches everything – Malfoy’s hesitation, Snape’s arrival, and Dumbledore’s death, but does nothing due to his frozen state. Death eaters were also unaware of his presence.

    In the movie, they changed everything. In this version, Harry was never under the Invisibility Cloak, and Snape asks him not to do anything, assuring him of handling the situation.

    17. Fight sequences at the climax:- After Dumbledore’s death, there was a long fight sequence between Order of the Phenix members and students v/s Death eaters. Harry chases them and tries to attack Snape, who easily diffuses his attacks. Death eaters also attack Hagrid and burn his house. Ginni, Longbottom, Hermione, and other students also take part in the fight. Many of the death eaters are killed as well.

    In the movie, all such sequences are reduced to just a small fight between Harry and Snape. Bellatrix was the movie addition; she was never part of this fight.

    18. Logic behind “Half-Blood Price” title: The title of the book “Half-Blood Prince” deserves good reasoning. At the climax, it is revealed that Snape is actually a Half-Blood Prince. Hermione was keen to find out who this prince was since the possession of the book by Harry. She even suggests that this title can belong to a girl, too, but Harry & Ron ignore her. At last, she solves the puzzle by finding out about Snape’s family. Snape’s mother was Eileen Prince, a witch, and his father was a muggle, Tobias Snape, thus making him Half-Blood Prince.

    In the movie, Snape simply tells Harry at the climax that he is Half-Blood Prince. How? No one knows 😛

    19. Bill Weasley attack:- During the fight with death eaters, the elder brother of Ron, Bill Weasley, gets injured. His face becomes disfigured, almost beyond recognition. Weasleys get sad and disappointed, but Fleur Delacour brings some cheers after expressing her desire to be with the disfigured Bill. Ron’s mother, who never liked her, first time accepts her as her daughter-in-law by true means.

    The movie does not mention Bill, Fleur, or this event.

    20. Funeral of Dumbledore:- Last but not least, Dumbledore’s funeral. After Dumbledore’s sudden demise, the whole wizarding community comes to attend his funeral. He is given a grand adieu outside the castle near Black Lake. Wizards from different parts of the Globe come to pay their respect to the most respected wizard of his time.

    In the Movie, they didn’t find it necessary to show the funeral of the beloved headmaster. In spite, all students lift their wands towards the sky to pay their respects.

    So this completes our short series on differences between the book and movie of Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince.

    Please write in comments if you find some more inaccuracies between the two.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!

  • Things In “Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince” Movie Different From The Book – Part 1

    Things In “Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince” Movie Different From The Book – Part 1

    After finishing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince book, 6th in the potter series, I watched the movie available on Peacock TV (they have all movies in the series, with subscription as low as 4.99 $). While previous movies were nice adaptations of the books, especially in terms of plots, this adaptation left me annoyed and frustrated since too many important details were left out deliberately or changed. I thought of sharing my observations, here is the list of key differences between book and the movie :-

    1. Meeting of British PM with Magic minister :- In the book, story starts from the meeting between British PM with newly appointed magic minister Rufus Scrimgeour along with Fudge to discuss recent attacks on muggles (bridge attack) by the death eaters. Rufus warns the PM about the ongoing situation and gives him assurance of safety of muggles.

    This portion was not at all mentioned in the film except the random attacks by death eaters in the city which was unnecessary.

    2. No Dursleys :- Dumbledore meets Dursleys, asks for their permission and takes Harry with him for their visit to Professor Slughorn through apparition. He also tells harry about the house, property and elf kreacher who all belongs to him now after the death of Sirius Black.

    Surprisingly there were no Dursleys in the movie. Harry meets Dumbledore at a train station instead of his uncle’s house. Dureleys are funny and their presence is very much needed in the story.

    3. Dumbledore’s private lessons to Harry :- After their visit to Professor and returning Harry safely to Weasleys, Dumbledore actually asks Harry to take private lessons with him. And throughout the story, he sends him messages about the timings of the lessons through different students.

    This portion is smartly removed from the movie and interaction between Harry and Dumbledore in his office is shown as just a random meeting instead of multiple sessions between them.

    4. Death eaters attack at Weasley’s – There is no such mention of death eaters attack at the burrow which is filmed in the movie when death eaters try to abduct harry potter and Lupin and other members come to his rescue.

    5. Bill Weasley’s love affair with Fleur Delacour :- When Harry arrives at Weasleys’ home, he meets with a new member of the family – Fleur Delacour who is in love with Bill Weasley and planning for the marriage. No one in the family likes her due to her superior, arrogant and rude behavior. There is a lot about the dynamics between her and Weasleys in the book.

    This character was not even mentioned in the movie. Fleur is the same girl from Beauxbatons who participated in Triwizard tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

    6. Train Incident between Harry & Malfoy :- This is one of the point where huge changes were made with the story. As per book, Professor Slughorn invites Harry along with some other students from famous wizarding background in his cabin for a small meeting (Slughorn Club). After returning from the meeting, Harry goes to Slytherin compartment in his invisibility cloak and hides beside luggage. He overhears Malfoy’s conversation and when everyone from the compartment leaves for the school, Malfoy discovers and freezes him. Thanks to Nymphadora Tonks who finds harry and save him from going back to London in the frozen state. They have to actually jump out of the running train.

    In the Movie, harry never meets professor Slughorn and directly goes to Malfoy’s compartment. He wears the cloak at the last minute and at last after Malfoy’s curse, Luna Lovegood comes to her rescue instead of Tonks.

    7. Quidditch cup win by Ginny Weasley – Harry was having very strong feeling for Ginny but was reluctant to accept due to her being sister of his best friend. He doesn’t play for Gryffindor due to detention with Professor Snape and it was actually Ginny as their seeker who helps in winning the game against Ravenclaws. This point was very crucial as Harry kisses Ginny in front of everyone during celebration and Ron though bit hesitant, gives them his nod.

    There is no such portion in the movie, actually there is only one quidditch cup match shown in which Ron supposedly take Liquid Luck potion. Also Ginny is shown to kiss Harry when they try to hide the Half Blood Prince’s book which was never the case as per book.

    8. Harry’s continuous attempts to find out Malfoy’s intentions :- Throughout the plot of the story, Harry is suspicious of Malfoy as he hears his conversations inside train, in Borgin and Burkes and with Snape. He also raises his concern (Malfoy being a death eater) to Arthur Weasley and Dumbledore and tells the same to Hermione and Ron, but no one believes him. He uses his invisibility cloak numerous times and even finds out where Malfoy is disappearing almost every day. He tries to open Room of Requirement several times to uncover truth but all in vain. He was so curious to find out about Malfoy, that he forgets to collect professor Slughorn’s memory. Hermione continuously asks him to focus on the given task. Finally Dumbledore expresses his displeasure to Harry for his carelessness that brings him back on track.

    In the movie, all these attempts are shown to bare minimum. Harry simply chases Malfoy and almost from the start of the movie, it is revealed Malfoy is trying to open some kind of passage. There is very less mention of Room of Requirement and actually no use of invisibility cloak. Seems like directors were not very impressed with the cloak. 🙂

    9. Crabbe & Goyle help for Malfoy :- Crabbe & Goyle actually have an important role in the story. They used to guard the Room of Requirement when Malfoy was inside. To avoid suspicion they actually took the form of girls and there was also one instance when Hermione and Harry meets them but couldn’t identify them. It was them who help Malfoy to carry out his experiments.

    Best buddies of Malfoy has nothing to do in the movie. There are just 2-3 scenes of them simply sitting like idiots.

    10. Dumbledore’s memories for Harry :- During the private lessons, Dumbledore shows few memories to Harry. One is related to Dumbledore’s meeting with kid Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort), other is professor Slughorn’s memory about Tom riddle’s curiosity for Horcrux and few other memories are related with Tom Riddle’s family – his mother, father, grandfather and maternal uncle. Those memories were very crucial to know completely about Voldemort. How he was connected to Slytherin family ? how he was a Parselmouth ? How he possessed his second Horcrux ring ? Who was his mother and why he hated his father ? How he became orphanage ?How did he murdered his father and blamed his maternal uncle ? What job he did after schooling and what murders he committed before creating Horcruxes. This was very crucial information completely left out in the movie.

    In the movie, first two mentioned memories were filmed which provided very basic idea about Tom riddle. Without Tom’s family background it is hard to understand him and his hatred towards muggles and half bloods.

    So these were few points that made huge differences in both mediums. I will share more points in my next post. Stay tuned !!!

    To know more – click Part 2

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • February 2021 Through My Lenses

    February 2021 Through My Lenses

    February proved to be very dull and cold. Gloomy, stormy weather with snow covering everything and what to say about cold. Weather was just brutal and we actually got few requests from OPPD (Omaha Public Power District) via email to minimize our power use due to high power demand in the area.

    Tips for power minimization :-

    1. Lower your thermostat a few degrees and dress more warmly or use additional blankets to stay comfortable. This can reduce your energy usage by 1-3% for each degree.
    2. Close the fireplace damper when not in use to avoid losing heat through the chimney.
    3. Use dampers on the ductwork to balance the airflow in your home if one room is colder or warmer than another. Closing registers should be a last resort if dampers are not available.
    4. Do not use a wood-burning fireplace for supplemental heating, as it pulls hot air out of a home through the chimney in order to fuel the fire.
    5. Seal windows and external doors with weather stripping.
    6. Avoid washing and drying clothing or running dishwashers during the coldest parts of the day – typically late night and early morning.
    7. Avoid “phantom” power loss
      1. Switch desktop computers and monitors to sleep mode when not in use.
      2. Shut computer monitors off when not in use.
      3. Do not just turn off electronics like televisions, DVD, Blu-Ray players, or cable boxes when not in use. Unplug them if possible.
      4. A central power strip enables you to turn off multiple devices at once.

    So we basically spent our time inside our cave except Valentine’s day. My photography was limited to the balcony only.

    • Snowy Weather
    • Sunshine After Snow
    • Snow Cushion
    • Heaps of Ice
    • From The Balcony
    • Snow Everywhere
    • Cleaning Time

    Hope you liked my “snowart” :). So which one of them reminds you perfect snowy day ?

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • Goodreads of February 2021

    Goodreads of February 2021

    The best thing that came out of COVID is the free time we are getting to develop skills or pursue our hobbies. We witnessed storms and harsh cold weather in Omaha during the month, so basically we made no road trips and just stayed at home. There was not much to photograph, but on the other hand good chance to get closer to this year’s reading goal (60 books). This month I read a total of 10 books out of which 4 were on Kindle and the rest were borrowed from the local library.

    S. No.TitleAuthorFormatGenreRating
    1Shanta : The Story of Rama’s SisterNeelakantan, AnandKindleHindu Mythology3/5
    2TaprootYoung, KeezyBookGraphic2/5
    3The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True HermitFinkel, MichaelBookSurvival story4/5
    4BuriedDeaver, JefferyKindleSuspense3/5
    5SnowflakesWare, RuthKindleFiction3/5
    6The Nickel BoysWhitehead, Colson BookFiction5/5
    7Adulthood Is a Myth (Sarah’s Scribbles, #1)Andersen, SarahBookGraphic4/5
    8Chetna’s Healthy Indian: Vegetarian: Everyday veg and vegan feasts effortlessly good for youMakan, ChetnaBookHealth & Food2/5
    9A BurningMajumdar, MeghaBookFiction3/5
    10The Ardent SwarmManai, YamenKindleFiction4/5
    February Reads

    Best among all was of course “The Nickel Boys”, a story inspired by real incidents. It also won the Pulitzer prize – 2020 in Fiction.

    My top 3 picks:-

    1. The Nickel Boys
    2. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
    3. The Ardent Swarm

    Have you read any of the above listed? If yes, which one is your favorite?

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!

  • 5 Things To Do In Jackson Hole In Winter

    5 Things To Do In Jackson Hole In Winter

    Jackson hole, a town with the reputation of being luxurious, costly and very close to nature. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Sandra Bullock, Tiger Woods and lot many are proud owners of rich properties in the area. There is too much to do in the town that you can’t get over with it. Here are the the top 5 best things you can do in Jackson Hole in winter :-

    1. Visit Grand Teton National Park – Our prime reason to visit Jackson Hole was to cover this beautiful national park. Though park is not that vast (just 484 sq. miles) as compared to others, it still leaves you spellbound with it’s enormous beauty. Teton mountain range looks stunning in the winter, beautifully covered with snow and fog. Just 5-7 mins drive away from Jackson Hole, park starts and provides an ample opportunity to view wildlife like bison, elk, moose, coyote, red fox, eagle, bear (it’s a bear county) and lot many thriving in its environment. If possible, take any wildlife tour in the winter, tour guides know very well where to spot them. If you are lucky, you might spot a bear, but winter is their hibernation time, so chances are slim. Most parts of park are closed for the season, few being open specifically for skiers and tour companies, but one can still enjoy winter beauty. There are plenty of locations for photography, wildlife watching and exploration.

    Grand Teton National Park Sign

    Beautiful Teton Mountain Range

    2. Visit National Wildlife Refuge – I have covered this place in detail in my earlier post – National Elk Refuge – What To Expect. You might not have seen elks in such a big group from so close. Each year, in the winter, these creatures migrate to National Wildlife Refuge giving tourists, nature lovers and photographers a great chance to witness the migration. Best way to get close to them is through horse sleigh tour which costs 27$ per adult and lasts for approx. 45 min. Place is just before the Grant Teton National Park, so can be covered prior to your trip to national park. You might see coyote, red fox, bison or eagle as well in the refuge center.

    Elks resting in National Wildlife Refuge

    3. Visit Miller butte – While we were capturing the beauty of Teton Mountain Range from a viewpoint, got to know about Miller butte from a local tourist. This area is basically at the back side of National Wildlife Refuge and may get unnoticed if you are not aware of it. Place is mainly famous for big-horn sheep. While Elks enjoy their time in the plains of refuge, these little fellows mainly stay on cliffs which surrounds the refuge area. Either hike or drive towards the back of refuge and it’s quiet a scenic drive. There is no entrance fee as well. You are sure to see herds of big-horn sheep along with eagles and other small animals. This place is definitely worth visit.

    Big Horn Sheep in Miller Butte

    Big Horn Sheep herd enjoying their time

    4. Winter sports – Skiing in the area is quiet popular and its resorts have good reputation for providing world class entertainment. Three most famous ski resorts are Snow king, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort. JHMR is considered as North America’s most expensive ski resorts. There are so many activities to do like skiing, snowboarding, riding, sliding etc. They also provide an amazing view of the Grand Teton from the top. Winter cowboy coaster is very popular in Snow King, enjoy it during sun set to view beautiful Teton mountain range. There are also tour companies which provide winter activities in the park like snowmobile or day trips from Teton to Yellowstone.

    Skiers in the Teton Park

    Snow King Resort in the background

    5. Shopping & Dinning – Last but not least is shopping and dinning in the area. Downtown is very beautiful and small, it is really fun to roam around in the streets. There are multiple restaurants of every range in the area. Mexican, Chinese, Thai, American were some cuisines we tried during our stay. Local coffee shops along with Starbucks are also in the area. There are various clothing stores, ski gear and accessories shops along with gift shops. Jackson Mercantile is one of the best gift shop in the area, they really have some unique items. Elk Antler Arches in the corner of George Washington Memorial Park are very beautiful and attractive. There are 4 such arches at each corner of the park. There is also an ice skating area inside the park where you can have great time. Rentals are also available in the park. Jackson Hole is really a place you can’t go wrong with.

    Elk Antler Arch – Town Square

    In the downtown

    Even though most of the tourists prefer to visit the place in Summer, Winter can be a great option if you are willing to explore it.

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • THE 12 BEST SPRING GIRLS GETAWAY DESTINATIONS IN THE USA — We Are Travel Girls

    Girls Getaways happen all year round, but one of our favourite times of year to go on a girls getaway is in the springtime. And there is nothing quite like a weekend or week-long getaway in the United States with… Read More The post THE 12 BEST SPRING GIRLS GETAWAY DESTINATIONS IN THE USA appeared…

    THE 12 BEST SPRING GIRLS GETAWAY DESTINATIONS IN THE USA — We Are Travel Girls

    Really a good post from “We Are Travel Girls”

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • National Elk Refuge – What To Expect

    National Elk Refuge – What To Expect

    Just before the entrance of Grand Teton National Park, barely 5 mins away, there is an area covering 25,000 acres which is refuge center for migrant elks. Approximately 8000 elks migrate every winter here, from different parts as far as Yellowstone area.

    If you are in Jackson Hole and want to witness one of the largest ungulate migration, this is the place and time. Elks can be found sitting, grazing, basking and enjoying their time in their big herd inside the refuge.

    During our recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in January, we visited this place on the second day of our trip. You can simply drive around the place in your car and see them, but refuge was not fully open for public vehicles and few areas were closed for the season for everyone except licensed hunters. So better option to enjoy this is through horse sleighs. It’s actually best way to get closer to them and see them in natural habitat. There would be plenty of opportunities for photographers too.

    Option 1 : Drive in your vehicle and watch them through binoculars

    Option 2 : Horse sleigh (No need of binoculars)

    A horse sleigh returning from tour

    Sleighs can be booked online or at the visitor center in Jackson Hole. Visitor center was closed for the season, but there was arrangement outside visitor center for ticket purchase. A vehicle was parked in the area with 3 ticket windows for booking purpose. We went there on first day of our trip, but booking was full as it was a long weekend and there was good amount of crowd.

    Ticket Booth

    Lady at the window asked us to get added in waiting list of next available slot, but we decided to go for next day since there were no prior bookings for the next day. she wrote our names in her list for tomorrow’s noon slot and asked us to come 15 mins before the time.

    Next day it was bright sunny day. We reached there in advance at 11:00 AM and Harmit went to the window to confirm our spot. She paid the price and took the tickets. They asked if we want to go right now, since there was a bus ready to depart. To save our time, we agreed to go. We parked our car in the parking lot, which was almost full. It took me around 10-15 mins to find a suitable spot.

    We just kept our camera and binocular and boarded the bus. We were also asked to keep blanket if needed, as temperature was quiet low, but we preferred going without it. There were nearly 8 people in our group. Refuge center is hardly 5 mins from the visitor center, so it took negligible time to reach there. Horse sleigh was ready for us.

    Through the horses

    Selfie in Elk Refuge

    Sleigh was having two side benches, where we were asked to sit and our guide – a mid-age lady, stood facing us at the front of sleigh. She stopped the cart near two male elks, with very big horns and gave us ample time to take pictures. We also spotted a bald eagle and coyote at far distance through our binocular. She started again and moved the sleigh towards the elk herd and told us everything about the place, elks, their habits, breeding and migration .

    Here we go !

    Male Elks

    Once we reached near the herd, she again stopped the sleigh and told us various facts about them. She told about few males in the group and other important members of the group. Few elks were also wearing red scarfs on their neck for identification. We took various pictures. There was also a newly born baby which we spotted with our guide’s help. We also witnessed a possible fight scene between two elks. Check out the video.

    Capturing the moments

    After taking complete round of the herd and once everyone was satisfied, we returned back. It took nearly 1 hour in the ride. It was once in a lifetime experience being so close to those beautiful animals and to see so many of them at once. You can see big bison herd in Yellowstone area, but not this close. Our guide was also very informative and helpful.

    Big elk herd

    Alone from the group

    Just silence

    Direct gaze

    Our bus was ready to leave us back to visitor center, so we took some photographs with the horses quickly, who were very cooperative. We took some pictures outside visitor center and returned to our hotel just to get some rest before starting for next venue.

    Posing with the horses

    Some Information :-

    • Price :- 27 $ per adult
    • Hours of operation :- 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    • Days :- Daily Monday to Sunday

    Tips :-

    1. Parking in visitor center is a big problem, go early or park somewhere else near by
    2. This place can be covered any time, no preference of time, but choose sunny day for better visibility
    3. Binoculars would be good to see other wildlife
    4. Keep blankets and come layered as it’s completely outdoor
    5. Tips can be paid in advance while purchasing tickets

    So what you liked about this place and would you like to visit it ? Please leave your comments.

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • Happy Valentine’s Day

    Happy Valentine’s Day

    Love in air ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.

    My Valentine
    Celebration

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • Falls Park – Nature’s Wonder

    Falls Park – Nature’s Wonder

    Though we were done with our camping in Lewis & Clark, trip wasn’t over yet. Sioux Falls was just 2 hours away from our campground. Who would want to miss the opportunity to visit the famous place ?

    It was Sunday and our aim was to return Omaha till 6 in evening . So we got up early and left for Sioux Falls as soon as possible. We had breakfast in an American restaurant on the way. Route was very scenic, few areas were heavily covered with snow and visibility was too less in some foggy areas.

    Foggy route

    We reached Falls park at around 2 PM. It was bright and sunny out there and there were very few cars in the parking lot. Park was not overcrowded, but still decent number of people were present at the time. There was no park entrance fee. Just at the entrance there was Falls Overlook Café, which was closed unfortunately.

    What to Expect in the park :-

    • Observation tower
    • Café
    • Souvenir shop
    • An old mill structure
    • Walking trails

    Falls Overlook Café

    There was a bridge parallel to the café, providing perfect view of the waterfall. We stood there for few minutes, enjoyed the scenery and took photographs. Needless to mention, bridge was slippery and full of snow. There was also an abandoned mill structure in the park, which is not in use anymore.

    Waterfall

    We decided to hike the park, trails were clean at least. Observation tower was visible from our location, but we were not sure if it was open. So we hiked to another point which was very close to the waterfall. Information about the fall, its formation and history was mentioned on a board there. We took photographs and then decided to go down towards the fall. Since it was partially frozen, few people were walking near fall surface. We also followed them 🙂

    Observation Tower

    Just smile 🙂

    Posing for the camera

    Fall was so beautiful, it was frozen from many points and water streams were flowing over the frozen parts. It seemed to be made up of stalactites, we were mesmerized. I tried to capture the beauty in the video.

    Beautiful Waterfall

    Frozen fall surface

    We were careful enough not to go too close of the fall, didn’t wanted any causality to happen. After spending there enough time, we hiked towards the top of the waterfall, basically the origination of it. That part was also covered with snow and frozen in many areas. Everything was so good and warmth of the sun was the icing of the cake.

    Snow packed surface

    We noticed few people at observatory, so decided to check if it’s open. Observatory was open and well heated. There was a shop inside the building from where we bought a souvenir. Elevator was also operational, but we took stairs. Park looked very beautiful from the top. I took various shots from there. There were also restrooms inside the building, which was a big relief.

    View of the park from observatory

    Fall from the observatory

    Once we came outside, we took few more pictures and decided to leave for Omaha. There were many statues outside the building, I found below one quiet interesting, a statue of a man appreciating the beauty of the place.

    A statue near visitor center overlooking the fall

    We reached Omaha on time, overall it was a great trip in which we did hiking, camping and visited the waterfall which was in our bucket list for so long.

    Hope to visit the place in summer again 🙂

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!

  • January 2021 Through My Lenses

    January 2021 Through My Lenses

    January came and went very quickly. When you have so many things to do, time passes very soon. It was too cold in Omaha, we even witnessed snow storm here, accumulating 11.9 inches of snow in the area which was actually most in a single calendar day since 1975.

    We took 2 road trips, one for South Dakota and other for Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We didn’t set any new year goal as such, just trying to fine tune our daily routine. First month of 2021 ended on a very promising note. Both trips went so well, got opportunities to take some nice shots. This month’s collection includes mostly nature photography. Hope you will like it.

    Highlights from January :-

    • Camping in South Dakota
    • Visited Sioux Falls
    • 2 Road trips
    • Visited Grand Teton National park
    • Read 10 books
    • Started Yoga & meditation
    • Resumed Spanish training
    • Resumed Elevate & Lumosity (brain exercise apps)
    • Photography

    Which one of the above is your favorite and why ? Leave your comments and feedback.

    Happy Reading ! Keep Traveling !!!