Saturday, March 14, 2009

Beautiful trees & tree houses

I was out walking today hoping for some more spring like weather when I noticed a beautiful tree. I wish I could of had my camera! I decided to come home, do some research and make a post about some beautiful trees around the world.

Angel Oak
Angel Oak is one of the oldest organisms east of the Mississippi, believed to be over 1,500 years-old.
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Before you start with the “It’s photoshoped” comments, check Wikipedia and you’ll see it’s very real. Angel Oak is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Charlestone, South Carolina. It has a height of 20 meters, measures 2.7 meters in diameter and it’s crown shades an area of 1,600 square meters. It’s longest limb stretches out 27 meters.
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Its name comes from the Angel estate, but local legends say ghosts of former slaves sometimes appear around the tree, as angels.
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Angel Oak has survived countless earthquakes and floods, as well as human interference. It was damaged by Hurricane Hugo, in 1989, but has since then recovered.
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Strange & funny trees
Here are some really strange trees from around this weird wonderful world. Some are huge, some are small, but they all are unique one way or another. The funny part is that some of them are growing right in the middle of a town. Have a look for yourself.

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Bonsai
If you are looking for a way to bring nature indoors, you definitely need to look into getting a bonsai tree. Bonsai trees are beautiful and add a refreshing feel to a room. They are fun to take care of and they even make great gifts.

It is believed that growing bonsai trees first start during the Han Dynasty (206 BC~220 AD) in China. Later on it came to Japan where the art of bonsai tree growing was perfected. Bonsai tree growing is nature captured in miniature, thus, the small trees in pots.

A bonsai tree has a unique beauty. It is almost like you take your favorite tree that you enjoy sitting under and shrink it down small enough to set on your table. By growing your own or shopping for the perfect bonsai tree, you can find one that reminds you of your favorite tree that you grew up enjoying.


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Truck in the tree
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When Luke Madson told his dad, Mark, he needed some help to build a Tree House, he had no idea what he was in for. It seems as if the tree was made to hold this truck, because it fits perfectly between the two massive trunks of the tree. It fits so tight in fact, that Luke and his buddies have to crawl in through the windows, "Dukes of Hazzard" style.
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Once they are inside, they can drive anywhere their imagination can take them. With the sounds of Interstate Highway 43 and the sway of the tree in the breeze, it's not hard to make believe that you are Peter Pan.
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Of course, you have to provide your own engine sounds, with the help of your vibrating lips, and the radio will play any song you like, as long as you know the words. The box provides plenty of room to play, or to just lay back and watch the clouds drift by.
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There's nothing like a truck lifted to the sky or in the sky for that matter. Ford F150 lift kits from AmericanTrucks do just that, for cheap.
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The Tree-House Restaurant
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This Okinawa Tree-House restaurant, on Highway 58 at the entrance in Onoyama Park in the south of Japan. What may look like a genuine tree is actually a man-made concrete structure, just like the French used to build in the lathe 19th century. Customers actually have to get in an elevator inside the “trunk” to reach the restaurant. I have to say it’s a pretty original idea and the work on the tree is amazing, I couldn’t tell it was fake the first time I saw it.
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Another Tree-House Restaurant
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The amazing Yellow Treehouse Restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand pictured below is not only a very cool restaurant but an architectural masterpiece.
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Invisible Tree-House
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Swedish firm Tham & Videgard Hansson Arkitekter is the genius behind this incredibly cool and nearly invisible treehouse. Located in northern Sweden, the treehouse more specifically serves as a hotel. The mirrored glass walls provide what I can only imagine to be a stunning 360 degree view....cool!

Neat Tree-Houses

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