Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia

Outgoing postcard US-3372299 to Taiwan shows an aerial view of Virginia Military Institute (V.M.I), a state-supported military college in Lexington, Virginia. Allegheny Mountains in the distance, V.M.I is famous as a military and engineering school, frequently referred to as "the West Point of the South."

In keeping with its founding principles as the oldest state-sponsored military institution in the United States, V.M.I enrolls only military cadets and awards 18 baccalaureate degrees exclusively in 14 majors in Applied Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer & Information Sciences, Economics & Business, Electrical & Computer Engineering, English, History, International Studies & Political Science, Mechanical Engineering, Modern Languages & Cultures, Physics, and Psychology. V.M.I offers cadets strict military discipline combined with a spartan, physically and academically demanding environment.

Photo by Herbert Lanks.

Shigar Valley, Skardu, Pakistan

Postcard PK-3925 from Pakistan shows a bird-eye view of the Shigar Valley in northern Pakistan that is associated with the Shigar River. A gateway to the high mountains of the Karakoram, the valley stretches about 170 km from Skardu to Askole in a remote and largely inaccessible area. There are several villages in the valley: the town of Shigar being the largest and Askole being the last settlement that is closest to yet still quite far from the high mountains. The Shigar Valley is known for mining a variety of gemstones.

Bern, Switzerland

Postcard CH-214914 from Switzerland shows a satellite image of the city of Bern,  the Bundesstadt or de facto capital of Switzerland. With a population of 137,980 as of 2013, Bern is the 4th most populous city in Switzerland with its metropolitan area of more than  660,000 residents.

The insert on the right shows an aerial view of the historic old town in the center of Bern, on the west of the boundaries of the peninsula surrounded by the River Aare, where the river forms the renowned “Aare loop” and the water temperature never reaches more than 20°C or 68°F. The medieval city center was recognized as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1983.

Tamsui, Taiwan

Postcard TW-908889 from Taiwan offers an aerial view from the north of Tamsui District (淡水區) in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a sea-side district where the Tamsui River, whose name means "fresh water", flows west into the Taiwan Strait. As a natural harbor, Tamsui was a major fishing and trade port in history because of its proximity to mainland China.

Twenty six years ago, the Tamsui Line,  a railroad branch line operated by the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) and connected Taipei and Tamsui, closed on July 15, 1988. The Taipei Metro Tamsui Line was later built along the route. Upon the completion of the Metro Line in 1997, Tamsui experienced a dramatic increase of tourist traffic. Tamsui is popular for viewing the sunset into the Taiwan Strait, for various activities on several riverside parks, and for shopping at open-air markets specializing in traditional handicrafts and street-vendor snacks. Visitors can also visit a fisherman's wharf, and take ferries traversing across and along the river.

Tamsui is home to three universities: Aletheia University, Tamkang University, and St. John's University. On the upper left of the postcard, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) can be seen in the background.

Pigtail Bridges

Postcard US-2711416 from Minnesota shows an aerial view of two pigtail bridges and one of the tunnels on Iron Mountain Road, ascending 17 miles or 27 kilometers from Custer State Park to the entrance of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, in the Black Hills, Rapid City, South Dakota. Drivers will get a 360° panorama of the area that has many unique and beautiful scenic roads. Jess Stryker has a Youtube video showing driving through the one-lane tunnel, horseshoe curve, and 360° loop over and under one of the pigtail bridges. The Mount Rushmore came into view when exiting the tunnel.

View Iron Mountain Road in a larger map

March On Washington: a Maxi Card

The maxi card posted in the morning of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington traveled from Washington DC to my mailbox in Las Vegas in 2 days. It shows an aerial photo of the Lincoln Memorial where the gathering was taking place on August 28, 1963. It bears a postmark of the USPS post office at the Union Station (Zipcode 20002) where the postcard was dropped off.