You Can Travel To The Alps All The Year Around

I am a snowboarder. I am addicted to the rush of cold air that carries me down a mountain. I am a thrill seeker on snow, searching high and low for the perfect powder, pushing my limits so I am faster, stronger, better. Sometimes I fall, sometimes I hurt but always there are the mountains that I love and can't resist and for ten years one mountain range in particular have been calling my name.

I have snowboarded in Austria, France and Italy surveying and judging and comparing their corners of the Alps, but for some reason I've never snowboarded in the Swiss Alps… so why exactly was I headed there in the middle of summer?

Because the Alps are beautiful in the summer so why not tick off a corner of my favourite mountain range during the warmer months. They are as worthy of a visit in summer as they are in winter, perhaps even more so because quite frankly if you're not a snow sports enthusiast – and I understand well that it's not for everyone – the Alps remain a haven for holiday opportunities all against a stunning backdrop. So when my boyfriend embarked on an epic road trip from one temporary home in the south of France to our next in the capital of cool, Berlin, we knew we'd have to make a stop somewhere on the way.

We climbed up and up and up mountain roads, which meandered their way to Laax where we stayed in Rocks Resort, a collection of smart, designer apartments a shuffle of salopettes away from the ski lift. Despite it being the end of August and we began our journey in blistering heat, the mountain air and scenic journey we encountered felt like we were travelling across time towards winter as much as we were crossing countries in Europe.

There followed three days of adjusting to our new and unfamiliar surroundings. The clouds never left our side, the temperature was nearly 20 degrees cooler than the south of France and I delighted in being surrounded by alpine style hotels, buildings and of course, the food. Our apartment served us well – comfortable, sleek, modern – I would be lying if I said we didn't discuss coming back in winter, it was all too easy to think about enjoying the steam room in our apartment or cooking up a feast to be shared after a day on the slopes.

Instead we had a range of summer activities we could have enjoyed – hiking, mountain and downhill biking, paragliding and climbing. We are snow bunnies at heart so aside from a few brisk walks up steep hills and a few too many hours in the nearby hotel's spa, we spent our days watching the clouds gather and dreaming about snow fall.

So in this awkward two month period before the skis season starts as some of us itch to layer up, wax down and pick out a new woolly hat, don't forget that the Alps deserve your love in the summer and all seasons as much as they do in winter, and if these photos are anything to go by they have a lot of love to give you too.

There Are Several Interesting Facts Of The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It's a hypersaline lake that is truly one of Earth's unique places. Below you will find several interesting facts of this fascinating place.

The Dead Sea is 377m deep, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water.

With 33.7% salinity, the Dead Sea is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. Although Lake Assal, Garabogazköl and some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond) have reported higher salinities.
The Dead Sea's unusually high salt concentration means that people can easily float in the Dead Sea due to natural buoyancy. In this respect the Dead Sea is similar to the Great Salt Lake in Utah in the United States.

The Dead Sea is roughly 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish. The high salinity prevents macroscopic aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic plants from living in it, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present.

The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment for several reasons. The mineral content of the water, the very low content of pollens and other allergens in the atmosphere, the reduced ultraviolet component of solar radiation, and the higher atmospheric pressure at this great depth each have specific health effects.

Biblically, the Dead Sea was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers.

An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is its discharge of asphalt. From deep seeps, the Dead Sea constantly spits up small pebbles and blocks of the black substance. Asphalt coated figurines and bitumen coated Neolithic skulls from archaeological sites have been found. Egyptian mummification processes used asphalt imported from the Dead Sea region.

A List Of The Best Hawaiian Beaches

Long weekends and beaches go hand in hand. When it comes to finding the best Hawaiian beaches, there are almost as many choices as there are locations themselves. And in Hawaii, they number in the hundreds. We're sharing a few more of our favorites today before heading up to Hanalei Bay. Please add yours to the list!

1. Hanalei Bay Kauai

Hanalei Bay, iconic Kauai is an island favorite and that of travelers worldwide. There isn't much we haven't already said about this beauty that's been featured in films including most recently The Descendants.

2. Makena Beach Maui

South of Wailea, this is one of the island's best beaches and a great escape when staying to the north at Lahaina and beyond. The beach is long and wide, protected by lava walls. It has great swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing with terrific views of neighboring Kahoolawe and Molokini.

3. Hapuna Beach, Big Island

We featured this photo on the Beat of Hawaii Facebook fan page yesterday. This beach is loved by visitors and locals alike. It has everything from good state park facilities with camping to a resort tucked at the far end. It's big enough that it all works. Hapuna is known for swimming, boarding, snorkeling and sunbathing that are consistently top notch. Do you know about turtle cove? At the far end of the beach, near the hotel, you'll see Hawaiian green sea turtles.