National Historic Trails

National Historic Trails

National historic trails are somewhat more coceptual than national scenic trails. Their objective is to preserve any historic remnants of the trail rather than provide a continuous footpath across its entire length. The “trails” often are no more than a series or roadside signs that direct travelers to historic sites or markers, though foot trails do appear from time to time at the roadside stops. The main exception to this description is the Iditarod in Alaska.

Iditarod National Historic Trail

Iditarod Trail Committee, Wasilla, Ak.

Length: 2,450 miles. The trail was made famous by prospectors and their dog teams during the Alaska gold rush at the turn of the 20th century. Most of the trail is usable only during Alaska's six-month winter, when rivers and tundra are frozen. Each year, the 1,150-mile Iditarod sled dog race is run along the trail from Anchorage to Nome. Other events include the 210-mil Ididasport race for skiers, mountain bikers, and snow-shoers, and the Alaska Gold Rush Classic Snowmachine Race. A network of shelters is being installed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Iditarod Trail Committee.

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

National Park Service, Western Region Division of Planning, San-Francisco, Ca.

Length: 1,200 miles. In 1775, a party of 200 Spanish colonists led by Col. Juan Bautista de Anza set out to establish an overland route to California. The band of 30 families, a dozen soldiers, and 1,000 head of cattle, horse and mule spent three months traversing the deserts of the South west before reaching the California coast and another three months traveling up the coast to what is now San Francisco. There they established a presidio, or military headquarters, that is still in use today.

Make sure to bring a hat, sun screen and water bottle and wear sturdy shoes for your adventure. Photo by Elena.

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

National Park Service.

Length : 3,700 miles. President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 doubled the area of the United States by purchasing from France 885,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi. The following year he commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore and map his $125 million ”Louisiana Purchase.” They took the Missouri River upstream from what is today Wood River, Ill., crossed over several other rivers, and reached the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1805. State, local, and private interests have established motor routes, roadside markers, and museum exhibits telling the Lewis and Clark story along the route.

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

National Park Service.

Length: 1,300 miles. Mormon emigration was one of the principal forces of settlement of the West. Seeking refuge from religious persecution, thousands of Mormons in 1846 left their settlement in Nauvoo, Ill. Where church-founder Joseph Smith had lived. They spent the next winter in the Council Bluffs, Iowas, and Omaha, Nebraska areas. Early in 1847, Brigham Young led an advance party west along the Platte River to Fort Bridger, Wyoming, where they turned southwest and eventually came to the Great Salt Lake. The 1,624-mile route through five states generally is marked with a logo and closely follows the trail's historic route.

Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail

U.S. Forest Service, Nex Perce National Historic Trail Coordinator.

Length: 1,170 miles. The Nez Perce in 1877 were forced to leave their ancestral homelands in the Wallowa Valley of the Oregon Territory and move to the Lapwai Reservation in Idaho. Hostilities broke out between white settlers and some of the Nez Perce during the journey. Three of the settlers were killed. The U.S. Army was called in, and five bands of the Nez Perce, one of them led by Chief Joseph, headed north across the Rocky Mountains hoping to find refuge in Canada. They eluded capture for months, but just short of reaching the Canadian border in Montana, they were captured by the army and forced to settle in Oklahoma. Within two years, they were returned to Idaho and Washington. Joseph became an eloquent spokesman for peace until his death in 1904.

Oregon National Historic Trail

U.S. Forest Service Outdoor recreation Center.

Length: 2,170 miles. As the harbinger of America's westward expansion, the Oregon Trail was the pathway to the Pacific for fur traders, gold seekers, missionaries, and emigrants of every stripe. Beginning in 1841 and over a span of two decades, an estimated 300,000 emigrants undertook the five-month journey from Kansas to Oregon. The trail corridor still contains some 300 miles of discernible wagon ruts and 125 historic sites. The approximate route can be followed by automobile, and opportunities are available to travel by foot, horse, or mountain bike in many places.

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

Contact : Sycamore Shoals Historical Park.

Length : 300 miles. In the fall of 1780, citizens of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina formed a militia to drive the British from the southern colonies. This trail marks their 14-day trek across the Appalachians to the Piedmont region of the Carolinas. There they defeated British troops at the battle of King Mountain, setting in motion events that led to the British surrender at Yorktown and the end of the Revolutionary War. Much of the trail has become road and highway; only a 20-mile portion remains as a foot trail across the mountains. In most places roadside signs indicate proximity to the trail. A guide to the seven walking sections of the trail is available.

Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Contact: National Park Service, Long Distance Trails Groups Office.

Length: 1,203 miles. After Mexican independence in 1821, U.S. And Mexican traders developed the Santa Fe Trail using American Indian travel and trade routes. It quickly became a commercial and cultural link between the two countries. It also became a road of conquest during the Mexican and Civil wars. With the building of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880, the trail was largely abandoned. Of the 1,203 miles of the trail route between Old Franklin, Mo., and Santa Fe, N.M., more than 200 miles of wagon ruts remain visible; 30 miles of them are protected on federal lands.

Trail of Tears Historic Trail

Contact: National Park Service, Long Distance Trails Group Office.

Length: 2,200 miles. After many years of pressure from white settlers, 16,000 Cherokees from the southestearn states were moved by the U.S. Army in the late 1830s to lands west of the Mississippi River. Various detachments followed different routes west to the Oklahoma Territory. Thousands died along the way. Today the designated trail follows two of the principal routes: a water trail (1,226 miles) along the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas rivers; and an overland route (826 miles) from Chattanooga, Tenn. to Tablequah, Okla.

California National Historic Trail

Contact: Oregon-California Trails Association.

Length: 5,665 miles. The California Trail has been aptly described as a great rope stretching from the Missouri River to the California gold fields. One would have to describe the rope as quite frayed, though, both at the ends and in the middle. The trail is commonly thought of a single and direct line across the western United States that was trampled by fortune seekers during the gold rush of 1849. In fact, it was a collection of competing routes developed in the decade prior to the gold-rush by land-seeking emigrants. Officially opened in 1992 and awesome in length, the entire system includes an estimated 320 historical sites, including forts, trading posts, and the natural landmarks that guided emigrants.

The Pony Express Trail

Contact: National Park Service, Western Region Division of Planning.

Length: 1,665 miles. During its 18 months of operation, riders for the privately owned Pony Express carried mail between St.Joseph, Mo., and San Francisco in an unprecedented 10 days. The horse-and-rider relay system became the nation's most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph. The trail proved the feasibility of a central overland transportation route that could be used year-round, paving the way for the construction of a cross-country railroad. Approximately one-third of the 150 relay stations, where the Pony Express riders were allowed exactly two minutes to exchange mail with the station master, show identifiable remains and are historical sites along the trail.

Big pink flower. Photo by Elena.

Mastering the College Aid Game

Mastering the College Aid Game

An insider's guide to maxing out financial aid

Most people who apply for financial aid for school have only a hazy idea of how colleges make their decisions. But there are some important facts everyone should know before they even sit down to fill out the forms. Kalman Chany, president  of Campus Consultants Inc., a form that guides parents through the financial aid process, and author of The Princeton Review Student Access Guide to Paying for College, has these tips on how to qualify for the most financial aid possible:

Understand the angles: The theory is, the money goes where it's most needed. But people who better understand the system and how it works are going to get the most money. Few families understand how the aid process works. Most people are just gambling. Anyone can benefit, you just have to understand it.

Don't rule out any school as being too expensive: Private schools are more flexible, and may be able to offer more financial aid since they are not as regulated as state schools. If a family can afford can afford $20,000 and it's looking at a $40,000 school, it might be eligible for $20,000 in financial aid.

Think local : If you really need the money, the worst thing you can do is go to a state school outside of the state in which you live. It's not popular and it's not good politically to give lots of aid to a student who is from out of state. The student isn't able to qualify for state aid. Instead, look at the state school in your state, or a private college in your state or out of state.

She masters the college aid game. Photo by Elena.

Know the timeline: The family income that the institutions will look at starts in January of the child's junior year in high school and ends in December of the child's senior year in high school. During that time parents should be wary of selling stock, withdrawing from pensions prematurely, or withdrawing from IRAs prematurely.

Put assets in the parent's name: In aid formulas, the student's solvency is weighed more heavily than the parents'. If you want to hope for financial aid, put the money in the parent's name, not in the child's name.

In divorce situations, assume the custodial parent has the onus: The parent who had custody of the child for the previous 12 months before is the parent whose income will be scrutinized. In other words, the parent that the child lived with when the child was a senior in high school is the custodial parent. The custodial should fill out the financial aid forms. A handful of schools will look at both parents, but the majority don't.

Postpone the wedding bells: If a parent is planning on remarrying, he or she should wait until the child is out of college before heading to the alter. If a parent remarries, the step-parent's income will be analyzed as if it is that of a natural parent. This could cause financial aid to be lost.

Don't rely on the school's financial aid administrator: Financial aid administration work for school. They are going to put the school ahead of the family. Ask them what to do, how to save money, and they won't answer. They'll tell you the rules, but they put the needs of the school first.

Save regularly: Above all, parents should set aside as much money as they can on a regular basis. They should get into the habit of saving regularly. Parents shouldn't be intimidated by statistics quoting the astronomical cost of tuition. They should just save as much as they can, as regularly as they can.

Looking Tuition Bills in the Eye

Looking Tuition Bills in the Eye

Know your options for meeting the staggering cost of college today

The average cost for a year at a private four-year college rises to several dozens thousands of dollars a a school year. Without some financial assistance from the government, educational institutions, or other private sources, more than half of college students would come up short at tuition time. Jack Joyce, Associate Director for Information and Training Services at the College Board, sponsors of the SATs and an organization dedicated to broadening access to higher education, has this advice for students and families an appying for financial aid.

Who is eligible for financial aid?

Well over half the students that are in college, and in some institutons, probably three-quarters of the students enrolled. But there is no one income number or other characteristics that determines a student's eligibility for aid.

How is financial aid eligibility determined?

At least two application forms and two formulas are used to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid. The most commonly used process starts with an application form that's called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. It collects a fairly limited amount of information on a family's income and assets. That information is used to the “federal methodology”, which is a formula approved by Congress to determine a student's eligibility for federal financial aid programs.

Many colleges that have their own non-federal financial aid collect some additional information on what is called the Financial Aid Form, or FAF. That form requests more details about a family's assets situation, including such things as hoe equity, and a little more information on other expenses the family has, such as medical and dental expenses. It is used to support a more traditional and sensitive need-analysis. This formula, know informally as the Institutional Methodology, was developed with the intent of providing a reasonable guideline as to a family's ability to contribute toward college costs.

Does it matter if the student is applying to a private or a state school?

In general, students applying to a state institution or public university where federal financial aid is all that ins available would probably have to complete only the FAF. Students should understand that forms and procedures do change from year to year. The FAFSA and FAF are being revised for 1995-96 financial aid determinations; 1996-97 requirements will be different. It's important for a student to ascertain what application forms are required for financial aid and what kind of deadlines the colleges, universities, and scholarship programs have.

Do both the federal and institutional methodologies look at stocks and other investments to see if a student qualifies?

There is no consideration of assets in the federal formula for a family whose taxable income is less than a determined sum and who files one of the simplified versions of the federal tax return, the 1040A or 1040EZ. For others, both methodologies collect and consider information on assets, including the value of stocks and bonds and anything else that would generate interest or dividend income.

How does family size affect a family's eligibility for financial aid?

The member of siblings and the size of the household is an important characteristic. The other important factor is the number of family members enrolled in college at the same time. A family might not be eligible for much financial aid this year, but next year, when the family's twin are enrolled, the family would suddenly be eligible for considerably more aid.

Looking tuition bills in the eye. Picture by Elena.

What are the major loan options and what are their differences?

The Stafford loan is the most widely available option. Right now it comes in two flavors. The first is available to families as part of the Federal Family Education Loan Programs (FFELP). The eligibility is determined by the school, which helps the family apply for the loan through a private lender, but the government pays the interest on the load while the student is enrolled in school. For the past couple of years there's been a parallel program called the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. That program eliminates the private lender as the middle man and has the school mot only determine eligibility for the loan but actually deliver the load proceeds to the student. But from the student's perspective the differences are transparent. In both cases the terms are the same, the repayment obligation is the same, and the amount they can borrow is the same.

There is also the Perkins Loan Program, which is available to the neediest of students. The amount of money a college has for this program varies from school to school and depends on how many students an institution has applying for financial aid. Because it is intended for students with the highest need, it is a little more competitive than the Stafford program.

Are there any other loans?

Thanks to a major change in the FFELP and Direct Loan programs, a student who is not eligible for a loan based on need would still be eligible for an unsubsidized Stafford Stafford loan, in which the student would be responsible for the interest that accrues while she or he was in school. The student can either arrange to pay the interest while enrolled or have the interest capitalized while he or she attends school and then repay both principal and interest later. Compared to a commercial loan, it would still be an attractive option.

In addition, there is the Federal PLUS loan, which is available to parents as opposed to the students themselves. Right now a parent would be able to borrow as much as the full cost of education for a son or daughter, minus any financial aid, including subsidized or unsubsidized Stafford loans, regardless of income level. Repayment would generally begin within 60 days of the receipt of the loan. The interest rate is similar to the Stafford loan, but it's determined a little differently each year. Some families advocate home equity loans or home equity lines of credit as a more attractive option. There are others that have investments they may draw upon. But PLUS is a source for a number of parents.

Festivals Guide in the Countryside of Iceland

Festivals Guide in the Countryside of Iceland

April – Easter Weekend (Fri-Sat) – Aldrei fór ég suður Music Festival Ísafjörður.

May – Middle of May – The Icelandic Museum Day – open museum – All over.

First weekend of June (Fri-Sun) – The Merry Seaman Festival – Grindavík.

Second weekend of June – The Lamb Chop Festival (Selfoss), the National Day (June 17) – All over.

Third weekend in June – Borgarness – Brákarhátið – Borgames.

Fourth week of June (Tue-Mon) Sunset Festival at Gardaskagi Peninsula – Garður (S).

Fourth weeked of June (Fri-Sun) Lobster Festival at Höfn – H^fn in Hornafjödur.

Fourth weeked of June (Thu-Sun) Lummudagar Fest in Skagafjördur – Skagafjördur.

July

First week of July (Wed-Sun) The Folk Music Festival in Siglufjördur Skagafjördur.

First week of July (Thu-Sun) The Irish Days (The Most Redheade Icelander Competition) – Akranes.

First week of July (Thu-Sat) All Tomorrow’s Parties. Asbrù (NATO Base).

First weekend of July (Fri-Mon) Dyrafjardardagar Viking Festival Pingeyri.

Second week of July (Wed-Sat) Eistnaflug Festival – Neskaupstadur.

Second weekend of July (Wed-Sat) – Home to Budardalor – Budardalur.

Third week of July (Sun-Sun) LungA Festival – Seydisfjördur.

Third week of July (Fri-Sun) Triathlon Festival in the Westfjords – Isafjördur.

Third week of July (Sat) — Fin in Kjos – Kjos.

Third week of July (Sat-Sun) – Skalholt Festival (Pilgrim-walk of 6 days ends) – Skalholt.

Fourth week of July (Wed-Sun) Fire in Hunaphing (The Great Seal Count) – Hvammstangi.

Fourth week of July (Sat-Sun) – Braedslan Festival – Borgarfjördur eystri.

Fourth week of July (Thu-Sun) – Reykholtshatid Festival – Reykholt.

Fourth week of July (Fri-Sun) – Maerudagar in Husavik – Husavik.

Fourth weekend of July (Fri-Sun) – A godri stund Festival – Grundarfjördur.

Fourth weekend of July (Fri-Sun) – French Days in Faskrudsfjördur – Faskrudsfjördur.

Iceland's Mountains. Photo by Olga

August

First weekend of August (Thu-Mon) – Þjóðhátíð í Eyjum Fest – Vestmannaeyjar Islands.

First weekend of August (Fri-Mon) – Verslunarmannahelgin um land allt – All over (Bank Holiday).

Bank Holiday weekend.

First weekend of August (Fri-Mon) – The Herring Festival – Siglufjördur.

Second weekend of August (Wed-Sun) – The Great Fish Day – Dalvik.

Second weekend of August (Wed-Sun) – Act Alone – Sudereyri.

Second weekend of August (Thu-Sun) – Arctic Handcraft and Design Iceland -Eyjafjardarsveit.

Second weekend of August (Sat) – Jökulsa Run (13K, 21K, 33K) – Dettifoss to Asbyrgi.

Second weekend of August (Sat) – Olafsdalshatidin Fest in Gilsfjordur – Gilsfjördur.

Second weekend of August (Sat) – Danskir dagar – Stykkisholmar.

Second weekend of August (Sat) – 1900 Millennium Festival at Eyrarbakki – Eyrarbakki.

Third weekend of August – Turtle Filmfest – Holmavik.

Third weekend of August (Thu-Sat) – Gaeran – Saudarkrokur.

Third weekend of August (Thu-Sun) – Berjadagar Art Festival -Olafsfjördur.

Third weekend of August (Fri- Sun) – Djupavikurdagar Festival – Djupavik.

Third weekend of August (Fri- Sun) – Tödugjöld Rangarpingi ytra – Hella.

Third and fourth week of August (Fri-Sun-10d) – Lagaarfjots Worm Festival – A Héradi.

Fourth weekend of August (Fri-Sun) – Blueberry Festival – Sudavik.

Fifth weekend of August (Thu-Sun) – Sandgerdi Days – Sandgerdi.

Fifth weekend of August (Fri-Sun) – I tuninu heima (Seven Fell Run) – Mosfellsbaer (Capital).

Fifth weekend of August (Fri-Sun) – Akureyraarvaka – Akureyri.

September

First weekend of September (Thu – Sun) – The Night of Lights – Reykjanesbaer.

First weekend of September (Sat) – The Arctic Run (12K, 24K) – Grimsey Island.

Fourth week of September (Sat-Sat) – Cultural Week at Rufathöfn & Ram Lamb Day – Raufahröfn.

October

First weekend of October (Fri-Sun) – Glod Poem Festival – Neskaupstadur.

Second week of October (Thu-Sun) – Women’s Pampering Day – Akureyri.

Third week of October (Mon-Sun) – Northern Wave Filf festival – Grundarfjördur

Yorkville

Yorkville

Once crossed by an ancient aboriginal trail (Davenport Road), the area known today as Yorkville was first permanently settled by those of European descent in the early 1800s. The Red Lion Inn, one of the first buildings in the area, was a stagecoach stop and vital gathering place. Economic growth was spurred by brick-making and brewing industries established from the 1830s.

In the 1950s, artists and actors transformed the area into a thriving arts community. By the mid to late 1960s, Yorkville become famous for its “hippies”, folk music, and coffee houses…

(All the pictures have been taken by Elena).

The corner of Bishop Street and Bay Street

By the mid to late 1960s, Yorkville become famous for its “hippies”, folk music, and coffee houses.

The carved stone coat-of-arms on the Yorkville Fire House.

An Elk living on the roof of Bishop street.

Fire House, Yorkville

Joe Fafard. Royal Sweet Diamond. Patinated Bronze.

A big fountain or sculpture on Yorkville Avenue.

Four Seasons. Private Residences.

Houses on Bishop street.

Gevic Art Gallery.

A Yorkville back yard.

Minto Yorkville residences.

A fountain in front of Four Seasons residences.

A parkette on the Yorkville avenue.

Yorkville Avenue.

Street art, roses in the park, by the old City Hall.

A house, at the corner of Bay street and Scollard street.

Teatro Verde located in the heart of Yorkville,

The Toronto Heliconian Club, a non-profit organization, is the oldest association of its kind in Canada, founded in 1909 to give women in the arts and letters an opportunity to meet socially and intellectually.

Designed by William Hay, one of Toronto’s most important early architects, the Yorkville Town Hall was built by William McGinnis, and opened on this site in 1860.

Toronto Public Library, Yorkville, 22 Yorkville Avenue.

Village of Yorkville

Yorkville Avenue between Bay Street and Yonge Street.

Yorkville City Hall.