SUTTON Travels

16 March 2021

Big Cats at St Louis Zoo Missouri USA

Cheetah/ Photo by Geoff Sutton 2012
Nikon Coolpix

We have been visiting the St Louis Zoo for about 50 years. It's a fabulous zoo located in beautiful Forest Park St. Louis, Missouri. I decided to make this page about the Big Cats because they are the favorites of my grandchildren.

Lions are social animals living in groups called prides. They live in the grasslands and savannas of Africa. The male is larger than the female and has a large mane about its head.*

Lion by Geoff Sutton, 2021/Cannon EOS 70D

I took this photo of a cheetah 22 October 2021-- the cropped version is at the top of this post. The cheetah is the fastest land animal with speeds of 80 to 128 kmh (50 to 80 mph). They range in length between 3.6 to 4.9 feet and the adults weight between 20 to 65 kg (44 to 143 pounds). ***

The coluring of the tigers is amazing. And this one is a fitting specimen to represent the Missouri Tigers though I would hope the athletes are more energetic.

Tigers can be found in India, Nepal, Russia and China. They weigh between 220 and 660 pounds and measure 6 to 10 feet in length. They may live as long as 20 years in the wild.

Tiger 10 March 2021/Geoff Sutton

Jaguars are the largest cats in South America. Leopards look similar to Jaguars but one key difference can be found in the "spots." The rosettes on the Jaguar have inner spots but those on Leopards do not. There is a size difference, which may not be obvious in a zoo. Jaguars weigh 36 to 158 kg compared to Leopards, which range from 17 to 90. Here's a useful link panthera.org.

I took all of the photos on this page at the St Louis Zoo using either my Nikon Coolpix camera or my Canon SLR EOS 70D.

As of the date of this post, admission to the St Louis Zoo is free but there is a charge for parking. Free parking can sometimes be found along the side of the roads around Forest Park.

See more Big Cats

A female lion eyeing a giraffe in Kenya

My YouTube video of a female lion rejecting a male lion Kruger Park South Africa

My YouTube video including a lion in Kenya at Kenya Wildlife

My Tiger video in Ranthambore wildlife park, India

My lion video from the Smithsonian Zoo

My tiger video from the Smithsonian Zoo

Notes

* Read more about lions at wikipedia.

** Read more about tigers at world wildlife

*** Read more about cheetahs at wikipedia

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14 March 2021

British Saints' Days and Celebrations

Celtic Cross Ireland by Geoffrey Sutton 2019

When touring the UK you may find a celebration of a national saint. This post lists the days. Of course, if you are an American, you probably know St. Patrick's Day.

1 March is for Wales

St David's Day

St David is the patron saint of Wales with a history dating to the 500s when he was the founding bishop of Glastonbury Abbey. He may have been born at Henfynyw in Ceredigion. St David's Cathedral is on the site of a monastery he founded in Pembrokshire. He is pictured with a white dove on his shoulder. The date of his death is not known but 1 March is the traditional date and St David's Cathedral is the traditional burial site.

Look for the Welsh symbols of daffodils and leeks. And feast on Welsh rarebit. Expect to hear Welsh music.

Welsh Flag

Flag of St David by Stemonitis

17 March is for Northern Ireland

St Patrick's Day

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and recognised as a missionary in the 400s. He may have been born about 386 in Wales. He was captured and sold as a slave by the Irish. He escaped and responded to a call to be a missionary to Ireland. St Patrick's Day is the traditional date of his death in 461.

The legends include his use of the shamrock during his sermons and banishing snakes from the island. Expect to see parades, green decorations, and plenty of Guinness.

(Of course, the Republic of Ireland celebrates too but they aren't part of the UK.)

Traditional burial site of St Patrick at Downpatrick Cathedral. (See Down Cathedral, Northern Ireland)

St Patrick burial site/ Photo Geoffrey Sutton 2019

23 April is for England

St George's Day

St George is the patron saint of England and venerated as a Christian martyr. According to tradition, he was a Roman soldier of Greek heritage. His bones are buried in a tomb at the Church of St George in Israel. The 23 April is the traditional date of his death in 303.

The famous legend is portrayed in many pictures of St George slaying a dragon.

The day is celebrated with parades. In London, the main place to be is Trafalgar Square. Expect to see English food and the English flags flying.

English Flag

Image of St George on horseback.

St George Fresco Credit (wikimedia)

30 November is for Scotland

St Andrew's Day

St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and some other nations too. He was one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus and brother of St Peter. The estimated data of his life are from about 5 to 60. There is a shrine at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. In church tradition, he died by crucifixion on an X-shaped cross.

In Scotland, St Andrew's Day is a feast day and time for a ceilidh (party) or perhaps a Scottish soup like cullen skink. The St Andrew's Cross is in the national flag of Scotland.

Scottish Flag

Read More in

Mind the Gap...Between British and American Language & Culture

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If you enjoy the UK, see my page listing places to visit in the UK.

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Mammoth Cave National Park Kentucky USA Part 2 of 2

Mammoth Cave National Park / Geoff Sutton 2021

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in Kentucky, USA. In addition to the fantastic cave system, which is the longest in the world, there are more than 80 miles of trails. Previously, I posted scenes inside the cave. In this post I look at some of the trails around the park.

As I walked on the trail past the historic entrance to Mammoth Cave, I reached the site of the historic landing by the river. Here's a short video taking with my Google Pixel 4 phone.

Walking along the nearby Styx trail leads to the River Styx Spring, which you can view from the wooden platform. (Video from Sutton Travels on YouTube)

Following the road to the Green River Ferry leads into the water as seen in this video from Sutton Travels on YouTube.

Near the ferry is the Echo River Spring Trail. To the left of the photo sign you see a new picnic table delivered when I was there. There's a car park and portable toilets nearby. The trail begins as a concrete path but leads to other traditional trails.

As I walked along the trail, the results of recent flooding could be seen on the high levels of mud on the tree trunks.

Trail video clip from Sutton Travels on YouTube

The Sand Cave trail includes story boards telling of the Floyd Collins mystery, which captured a great deal of attention in 1925. On Friday 30 January, Collins explored the area of the family-owned Crystal Cave. He became trapped 60 feet below the surface. His family could not rescue him. The news spread. Volunteers worked for 12 days to reach him. Eventually, he was found on 16 February but he had died.

Below is the site of the rescue efforts on the Sand Cave trail.

If you enjoy biking, there's an old railway trail--of course hikers and joggers use it too.

And there's a short trail circumnavigating the pond at Sloan's Crossing.

Mammoth Cave National Park includes lodging and campgrounds. There's a restaurant --check out the 2021 prices on the board.

There are lots of picnic tables. I ate my lunch near the old train exhibit, which is close to the Post Office and store south of the Visitor's Center.

Here's the link to my Mammoth Cave post with scenes inside the historic cave entrance. And here's the link to the National Park website.

Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/cyXG9z8u4PD2fjxq5

A helpful book on the US National Parks

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13 March 2021

Hampton Court Palace England UK

Hampton Court Palace is a historic Royal Palace near central London. It's close enough for a day trip-- only 12 miles southwest in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames.

The magnificent clock can be seen in many movies. The palace opened in 1514. It was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who was the chief minister of King Henry VIII.

Clock above a palace entry.

We've visited Hampton Court Palace by boat and train. Here's from a visit in 1980. The boat trip is upstream on the River Thames.

Hampton Court Station

Actors make history come alive for children and adults in a magnificent context-- the palace of King Henry VIII and the Tudor dynasty. These photos are from 2019.