Dubai (Skyscrapers & Skyline)
2607, 2012

Dubai (Skyscrapers & Skyline)

Full version of the single song episodes featured here, in our Media Library showcase, are available to watch free on the eScapes’ XUMO Lifestyle Channel # 452 Rich from oil, shipping, and banking revenues, the city of Dubai has entered the 21st century as a Middle Eastern boomtown. Tourism and real estate development are now major sectors of Dubai’s economy. Although development has slowed in the wake of the global financial crisis, at one time the city was estimated to have up to a quarter of the entire world’s construction cranes. Dubai is now a vertical metropolis filled with impressive modern skyscrapers, including the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010. The ubiquity

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Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego
2407, 2012

Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego

One of three passages past South America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Beagle Channel is surrounded on both sides by remarkable scenery. It was here that Charles Darwin first saw glaciers while accompanying the channel’s namesake, the HMS Beagle, on a hydrological survey of the Tierra del Fuego region. Glaciers can still be spotted along the channel to this day, and though the channel is narrow, smaller boats including excursion cruises can maneuver the waters with ease. They also need not be as cautious as the Beagle was on its voyage: though a survey barque with no military objective, the 19th-century ship was equipped with six cannons. Brian Hughes is a contemporary jazz guitarist.

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The Burying Point (Salem, Massachusetts)
1907, 2012

The Burying Point (Salem, Massachusetts)

Salem, Massachusetts is infamous for its history of witch trials and executions, which took place during 1692 and 1693. The Salem area is now a popular (though sometimes macabre) historical attraction. The witch trials, however, are only a small part of a larger history, and Salem is also significant as an early American settlement dating back to 1626. Salem’s Charter Street Cemetery, also known as “The Burying Point,” has links to many facets of the city’s early history. This scenic cemetery is the second-oldest in the United States, and holds the remains of one of the original Mayflower pilgrims. Also found on the grounds is the grave of Justice John Hathorne, a judge during the witch

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Lucerne, Switzerland
1707, 2012

Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s largest cities and most popular tourist destinations. Centered in the center of the country on the Reuss River, Lucerne is known for the Chapel Bridge, a wooden footbridge built in 1333. Unfortunately, much of the bridge has been reconstructed since 1993, when it was gutted by a fire alleged to have started from a discarded cigarette. This eScapes scene brings you an afternoon view of the Chapel Bridge and its Water Tower, a building that houses dozens of paintings that recall events from Lucerne’s history. In centuries past, it was also used as a treasury, library, prison, and torture chamber. Also featured in this video is Lucerne’s Jesuit Church, another famous

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1107, 2012

Voice Talent Page

New York episode with all audio elements [jwplayer mediaid=”979″] New York episode without on air voice and music [jwplayer mediaid=”986″] Villa Beach, South of Lima, Peru episode with all audio elements [jwplayer mediaid=”1002″]

Bangkok, Thailand (Chao Phraya River)
0607, 2012

Bangkok, Thailand (Chao Phraya River)

Like most great cities, Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is situated on a great river: the Chao Phraya, which runs 231 miles from the center of the country into the Gulf of Thailand. On a typical afternoon, the waters of the Chao Phraya are bustling with boat traffic. Ferries, river buses, and traditional longtail water taxis connect the two sides of Bangkok while freight barges move cargo up and down the river. The banks of the Chao Phraya are home to relatively sparse but impressive skyscrapers. Prominently featured in this eScapes video are the three towers of the Chatrium Riverside hotel and residence, where a 1248-square-foot condominium sells for about $300,000. The towers are part of a recent

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Old Presque Isle Lighthouse
2906, 2012

Old Presque Isle Lighthouse

Michigan’s Old Presque Isle Lighthouse was first lit on Lake Huron in 1840 to mark a natural harbor important to Great Lakes steamships. In the early 19th century, the harbor was a refuge for ships escaping storms and a source of wood for ship engines. Years later, the lighthouse was deemed an insufficient aid to ships and a New Presque Isle Lighthouse was built at the opposite end of the same peninsula. Additionally, a pair of range lights was added to the harbor entrance. Now a public park and museum, visitors can view a restoration of the keeper’s house, learn about the site’s history, climb the original tower, and, of course, tell ghost stories (Old Presque

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Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory
1406, 2012

Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory

The sprawling cityscape of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States, is a sharp contrast to the vertical skyline of New York City, the country’s most populous city. Here, a small cluster of downtown skyscrapers is surrounded by miles of relatively low buildings. This is partially due to earthquake-related restrictions on building heights that lasted much of the 20th century. This eScapes scene features a sunset view of the city from Griffith Park atop Mount Hollywood. The famous Griffith Observatory, seen in the foreground, is a public center dedicated to sharing knowledge of astronomy. Both the park and observatory were gifted to the city by mining entrepreneur Griffith J. Griffith at the turn of

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Umhlanga Beach, South Africa
0106, 2012

Umhlanga Beach, South Africa

For eScapes’ 1000th produced episode, we take you to Umhlanga Beach, one of the most popular beaches on the South African coast. Here, a beautiful beach lends itself to fishing, swimming, and surfing, while nearby hotels, restaurants, and attractions offer even more reasons to visit. Whale- and dolphin-watching excursions often launch from Uhmlanga while freighters pass in the distance. The beach’s lighthouse, featured in this video, was built in 1954 and has become an icon of the beach and harbor. Administered by a nearby hotel, the lighthouse has never had a traditional lighthouse keeper. The word “Umhlanga” means “Place of Reeds” in the Zulu language. The sound of the “hl” is similar to the Welsh “ll”

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Detroit Institute of Arts (American Landscapes)
1805, 2012

Detroit Institute of Arts (American Landscapes)

No visit to Detroit is complete without a trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts, a 658,000-square-foot museum with one of the top collections of artwork in the United States. Founded in 1885, the museum is home to a diverse collection of art from a broad span of eras and cultures. Some of the museum’s most famous pieces include Diego Rivera’s enormous “Detroit Industry” fresco and an 1887 self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. This eScapes video takes you on a relaxing tour of the museum’s gallery of American landscapes. Most of these works are from the mid-19th century and the centerpiece of this gallery, Frederic Edwin Church’s 1862 painting Cotopaxi, is thought to be a

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