As spring gives way to summer, families start thinking of staying cool in the heat. The obvious places to go are the beach and the pool, but when those start to bore the kids, plan a trip to the water park. Many modern water amusement parks combine the best elements of theme parks and a day at the beach. Water slides are no longer the 15 second, stick-and-go ride with a piece of Styrofoam from yesteryear. These new parks continuously find new and innovative designs to draw visitors. The largest single-person drop slide, for example, plunges 120 feet. Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Texas has perfected the uphill ride, and Six Flags White Water in Atlanta is famous for its thrilling "Tornado". As visitors expect more, the parks deliver. Many of them encompass 20 acres or more, with the largest in the United States spanning 70 acres. Besides coasters and slides, they now include kiddie pools and playgrounds, lazy rivers to float down, surf machines and wave pools. And water-themed ...
High- and low-brow art enjoy comparable support here. For most people, the state's contributions to culture are the many blockbusters made by Hollywood movie studios or televised sitcoms shot on LA sound stages. This is art in unashamed pursuit of the almighty dollar, complete with tabloid scandals and giant movie billboards blotting out the Los Angeles sun. But another creativity reveals itself through the state's history of landscape painting, portraiture, and 20th-century avant-garde art. Modern artists John McLaughlin and Elmer Bischoff , and ceramists Peter Voulkos and Robert Arneson have all made international reputations. So have a few pioneers of photographic art, such as Imogen Cunningham and Ansel Adams. British artist David Hockney lived here for many years, capturing the state's sun-soaked image on canvas. California is also home to some of the world's finest art museums, including LACMA, the Oakland Museum, the San Francisco MOMA, and the two J Paul Getty...
Tribal Tattoos - In tattoo reference, the word Tribal encompasses native styles from prehistoric cultures around the world. Tribal tattoos originated in areas such as Hawaii and Samoa. Tribal tattoos are bold with heavy black lines and shading of geometric shapes. Someone who specializes in these tattoos says their popularity is somewhat due to the wide resurgence and acceptance of Tribal Tattooing, and the increased availability of images of these tattooed people. These tattoos generally have a particular "meaning", connecting the wearer to a past tribal culture, not just something from a book of pictures. Some of the artists that work with tribal styles are some of the most highly respected artists of today. Old School Tattoos - Many of these designs have been popular for decades, such as ships, anchors, and panthers. Some other types are generally associated with gangs, ex-cons, or white supremacists. Many of the old school tattoos are associated with the military, like a...