USA ~ Sequoia National Park - 2016 National Park Service ~

...A great special  postcard issued for "The National Park Service" that turns 100 on August 25...In celebration of this anniversary America invites the world to discover the meaning of national parks to their lives and inspires people to both experience and become devoted to these special places... Thanks a lot Kimberley!!

The National Park Service (NPS) was created by Congress following President Woodrow Wilson’s signing of the Organic Act in 1916, which was designed to preserve and protect parks for the “enjoyment of future generations.”

The NPS is an agency of the United States federal government that manages all U.S. national parks, many American national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations.

This Service is charged with a dual role of preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment.

Stamps:

Penguins
(Issued 01-06-2015)

Gifts of Friendship - Joint Issue with Japan
(Issued 10-04-2015)

USA ~ Death Valley National Park - California ~

...Fantastic new National Park view and nr 9 coming from the USA...(there are 58 US National Parks)....this park has the hottest, driest, and lowest point in North America...and with a great special "Death Valley" cancellation...there is a special "drop box"  in the park where you can put mail to get a Death Valley postmark...Thanks a lot Sabine!!¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photos by Mike Jones © SSI
From backside postcard: The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are at the northern end of the valley floor and are nearly surrounded by mountains on all sides. Due to their access from the road and the overall proximity of Death Valley to Hollywood, these dunes have been used to film sand dune scenes for several movies as Star Wars.

Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada, occupying an interface zone between the arid Great Basin and Mojave deserts in the U.S.

Death Valley National Monument was declared in 1933 and the park was substantially expanded and became a national park in 1994.

Stamp:

"The Moon" Global Forever stamp
(Issued 22-02-2016)

USA ~Scipps Pier-La Jolla~

...Breathtaking ocean view...Deep blue colors and an amazing atmosphere of calmness...(US-2149536) Thanks a lot Tiffany!!
“We know that when we protect our oceans we’re protecting our future.” – Bill Clinton


 Global Forever stamp that shows the beauty of our entire planet.
(Issued: 28-01-2013)

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography research pier is 1090 feet long and was built of reinforced concrete in 1988, replacing the original wooden pier built in 1915.The Scripps Pier is named in honor of Ellen Browning Scripps, the most significant donor and benefactor of the Institution.

The Pier features one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research and is home to a variety of sensing equipment above and below water that collects various oceanographic data. The Scripps research diving facility is located at the foot of the pier. Fresh seawater is pumped from the pier to the many tanks and facilities of SIO, including the Birch Aquarium whose mission is to promote ocean conservation.

USA ~Los Angeles~

...Found a whole buch of wonderful cards in my mailbox today...here a great busy looking city view with the mountains on the background...it also shows the tallest building in California and on the West Coast, the US Bank Tower which rises 310m (1,018 ft) tall. Thanks a lot Susan!!

Here we see the tall buildings of the downtown skyline, the 110 freeway that comes from the L.A. Harbor, and the large, low structures of the L.A.Convention Center. The background is the snow capped San Gabriel Mountains.

USA ~Mission San Miguel Arcangel-California~

Great and interesting official card (US-1153849) from the USA. The sender wrote that it was damaged in the earthquake of 2003 but its now restored and can be visited!

With tiny... But wonderful stamp!The design of the 1-dollar Wisdom stamp conveys a modern interpretation of the ancient personification of Wisdom. The Wisdom stamp is part of the American Culture Series.

Courtyard at Mission San Miguel. The arcades are unusual because each arch is different in size.
Mission San Miguel is one of California's historical and cultural treasures. The beautiful old mission building, whose foundations were laid nearly 200 years ago, is a precious part of our spiritual heritage, with a story that is integral to California's history.

USA ~Redwoods-California~

Received a great official from the USA (US-853506) today!
... Just look at the size of those trees... Impressive!! The sender wrote that he was arrested and jailed from trying to stop giant trees like these from being cut down...
I must admit, I will never be that brave...

People who will not sustain trees will soon live in a world which cannot sustain people.
-- Bryce Nelson



The coast Redwood was named Sequoia in honor of the Chief "Se-quo-yah" who perfected a phonetic alphabet for his tribe. Many trees grow to a height well above 300 feet-longer than a football field and are over 2.000 years old.

USA ~Third Cliff House~

View of the elaborate eight-story Victorian building which stood on that spot from 1896 to 1907 as the third Cliff House. And when that ornate version of the building burned down, the fourth version to be built was designed more like the first two: simple, and made to blend in with the ocean and cliffs surrounding it. That fourth version is still standing today.

USA ~San Diego-Old Point Loma Lighthouse~

The Old Point Loma Lightouse, active from 1855 to 1891, was re-lighted in ceremonies on March23, 1984. The lighthouse is the centerpiece of Cabrillo National Monument with a spectacular view of San Diego Harbor. It was not just for housing a light, it was also the home of the people who take care of the light.