- Mount Shuksan (wa100.dnr.wa.gov)
Visitors new to Washington may never have heard of Mount Shuksan, but it is one of North America’s most iconic peaks. Situated on the western flank of the rugged North Cascades National Park, the mountain is capped by glaciers and surrounded by picturesque alpine lakes and meadows. The area offers a wealth of outdoor activities year-round, including hiking, camping, mountain biking, fishing, climbing, mountaineering, skiing, and snowshoeing. Mount Shuksan is frequently photographed from nearby Picture Lake, which provides a reflecting pool for this striking summit. The peak is widely regarded as one of North America’s classic mountaineering routes, renowned for its technical difficulty. For those seeking a more relaxing pursuit, accessible trails around the mountain, including the aptly named ‘artist point’, offer unparalleled views of Mount Shuksan as well as nearby Mount Baker and the surrounding peaks of the North Cascades.
- Cleopatra (Wikipedia)
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Koinē Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Θεά Φιλοπάτωρ lit. ‘Cleopatra father-loving goddess’; 70/69 BC – 10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Her first language was Koine Greek, and she is the only Ptolemaic ruler known to have learned the Egyptian language. After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the last Hellenistic-period state in the Mediterranean, a period which had lasted since the reign of Alexander (336–323 BC).