Latest news with #AmericanFrontier
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Disney World getting rid of three beloved rides for new ‘Cars' attraction
A Cars -themed section is coming to Disney World — which means something has to go. Rides and attractions inspired by the Lightning McQueen-loving franchise are coming to Magic Kingdom's Frontierland nearly 20 years after the first movie's release. To make room for Piston Peak National Park, three longtime attractions will be displaced, according to a Disney Parks Blog post. Say bon voyage to Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat, which will close prior to construction beginning on July 7, Disney said in a statement to the blog. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. While the three Frontierland draws inspiration from the Mississippi River region, the Cars universe is set in the Arizona/Route 66 part of the United States. That said, Disney Parks is hoping the Piston Peak expanse will 'continue the sweeping storytelling tradition' of the areas where it will reside, with nods to the American Frontier nestled within the attractions. The fictional Piston Peak National Park (which was introduced in the Cars offshoot Planes: Fire & Rescue ) will feature rivers, waterfalls, geysers and 'snowcapped mountains,' according to Disney. Imagineers said the natural flow of the landscape and thoughtful sightline management are key to ensuring the new area fits seamlessly between Liberty Square and Frontierland. A post shared by Disney Parks (@disneyparks) The area will feature a family-friendly 'rally race' attraction featuring characters from the Cars franchise. Cars got the Disney Parks treatment in 2012 when Radiator Springs, the quaint setting of the first movie, opened to the public at Disney California Adventure. There is also the CARS Road Trip attraction in Disneyland Paris, which opened in 2021. However, not everyone is happy about the update. A post shared by Stephanie (@pixiedustedsnaps) Some longtime Disney fans took to social media, accusing the park of making a mistake by getting rid of the iconic attractions. 'I am heartbroken at the loss of Tom Sawyer Island,' one fan said, calling it 'the WORST decision ever.' Another 'disgusted' detractor accused Disney of 'wiping out of the Walt Disney era.' A third X user mourned the loss of a 'true park within a park.' They noted: 'Walt's Rivers of America transports you to something ideal in American values of exploration, adventure, history, and scenery. This is a HUGE mistake from Disney. Cartoon Cars will never last the test of time.' However, one place applauded Disney for keeping the 'same vibe' by 'incorporation the river and adding new water features.' The opening date of Piston Peak National Park has yet to be announced.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Famed Colt Revolver "Black Beauty" Brings $1.6M at Auction
It is the 2nd highest price ever achieved for a Colt Single Action Army BEDFORD, Texas, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 3, most eyes were on the "running of the roses" for the 151st Kentucky Derby, but in the world of fine and historic arms collecting, they were watching a horse of a different color. A Colt Single Action Army revolver, well-known to collectors as "Black Beauty" realized $1.6 million during Rock Island Auction Company's (RIAC) May Premier Auction. It marks the second-highest price achieved for the model. Black Beauty served as flagship of the May 2-4 event that realized a total of $28 million. What makes a revolver worth $1.6 million? Black Beauty has a combination of qualities that fine arms collectors find highly desirable. First, it's a Colt Single Action Army, a model internationally recognized for its role in the American Frontier, as well as countless Hollywood movies. The model is a perennial "blue chip" favorite among elite collectors. Second, is its artistry. The revolver was embellished by Master Engraver Louis D. Nimschke, perhaps the most celebrated 19th century American engraver. Considered the artist's masterpiece, it was created at the peak of his career. His lavish designs and generous gold inlays – a scarcely seen feature - made this revolver a suitable presentation piece in 1888 for Mexican President Manuel González Flores. Last, even after 130 years, the revolver's condition remains excellent. While real estate investors often tout "location," in the world of fine arms it's "Condition, condition, condition," and Black Beauty has it in abundance. Watch it cross the podium. "If this was a painting, it would be hanging in the National Gallery," stated RIAC President Kevin Hogan. "Without question, it is the finest example of the most iconic, American-made firearm. They get no better. We've enjoyed Black Beauty immensely, and it's been an absolute pleasure to bring to auction. It's the kind you never forget." The revolver is also indicative of the fine arms market at large. The auction was RIAC's third highest grossing sale, and also saw the highest average sale price per lot in the company's 30+ years in business. Other highlights in the three-day auction included a pair of J. Purdey & Sons shotguns engraved by Master Philippe Grifnée which brought $411,250, and a silver plated, factory engraved Henry rifle from the Civil War era that realized the same price. About Rock Island Auction Company:Rock Island Auction Company is the world's no. 1 firearms auction company, and has been since 2003. Founded in 1993 by CEO Patrick Hogan, RIAC's current Bedford, Texas venue has become the world selling headquarters for fine and historic arms, hosting all the company's in-person auctions. Led by President Kevin Hogan, the company lives by its mission statement to "Elevate firearms collecting. Sell with Passion." Best known for selling headline-grabbing arms, the company's multiple auction formats cater to collectors of every experience level. For more information, please visit or call contact: Joel Kolander, (309) 797-1500 or jkolander@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Woman's Wine Journey From Bolivia To California's 100-Year-Old Vines
Old Vine Zinfandel in California getty Big Sur coastal landscape in California getty Over 150 years ago, the idea of the American Frontier, a.k.a. the Old West, was a dream for those who had limited opportunities in their own land; it was the chance to build a much better life through hard work without having one's social standing get in the way. That dream mainly existed in California, and even today, it is a state that has encouraged entrepreneurial innovation across many sectors. It is also a relatively new winemaking area that showed the world that great wines weren't limited to European borders. One woman, Susy Vasquez, experienced her own version of a modern-day American Frontier journey as she traveled to California from Bolivia to gain more experience with sustainable agriculture with a side benefit of improving her English, which she knew would open up better job prospects once she went back to Bolivia. Her focus was originally geared towards crops to be consumed as food, and the notion of making wine never occurred to her. Yet a friend introduced her to an American man, David, who would be the impetus to place her life on another track. Life Has Other Plans Susy Vasquez LangeTwins She wasn't interested in a romantic relationship then as she had always intended to go back home, so she only hung out with David as a friend. He also worked in agriculture but focused on growing grapes for wine, which was interesting to Susy, and brought to her attention that there was an intern opportunity with E. & J. Gallo Winery, one of the most successful wine companies in the world. The position was geared towards organic viticulture, which was very exciting to Susy, and she could work for a top company on the cutting edge of sustainability. Susy's boss at Gallo, who used to be a professor at U.C. Davis, was always on the lookout for talent and came to her to offer a position that would involve being a liaison between the vineyard team and the winemaking team. "I don't know anything about fermentation science," answered Susy, who was quite taken aback by the request. And her boss replied, "Well, we are going to send you to U.C. Davis." So Susy ended up taking winemaking classes at Davis, and then, she really got a fantastic education working in a lab for Gallo that took the grapes from the vineyards and put them through all of the winemaking stages, evening bottling the wines. Gallo has miniature equipment, even a small bottling line, within the lab; that way, they could do their testing at every stage with small batches. Since Gallo grows grapes all over California with various grape varieties and styles of wines, it gave Susy a chance to understand the nuances of precision winemaking for multiple styles. LangeTwins In Lodi Alley with stores in old town La Paz Bolivia. getty Through time, Susy never ended up going back to Bolivia permanently as she went on to oversee entire wine programs at other wineries in the highly competitive California wine industry. Finally, she found her new home in Lodi, California, at the family winery LangeTwins. Lodi has a special history - the first vineyard was planted there in 1850, and today, it has a high concentration of old Zinfandel vines, with the oldest dating back to the 1920s. The farmers in Lodi have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability, and they started America's original sustainable winegrowing program in the early 1990s. And because it is such a diverse winegrowing region, there are around 125 grape varieties in production; it is an ideal place for Susy, who loves to work with various varieties as well as making sustainability a major mission in her life, especially at such a multi-generational winery as LangeTwins. Brad and Randall Lange LangeTwins LangeTwins is run by twin brothers and their adult children; their great-grandparents came to Lodi in the 1870s to farm non-irrigated watermelons. As a family, they purchased their first vineyard in 1916, and through each generation, have evolved to make more premium wines with a site-specific approach. Today, they are committed to keeping this a thriving generational business and they have committed to ambitious environmental projects such as removing 60 acres of vineyards as they would like to increase the biodiversity, enrich the soil and improve the watershed through regenerative farming – just one of the many admirable programs they have implemented. A woman hiker helping another woman hiker getty Susy has been making wine for over 19 years, which seems shocking considering her vibrancy and overall glow when she talks about her job as a winemaker at LangeTwins. Because it is not old hat, and if anything, it has kept her young while accumulating lots of knowledge and experience, making her an incredible leader. She remembers how hard it was when she was younger and had her second child, as she was passed up for promotions and felt guilty knowing that it could cause issues for her job. She loves her job and feels so lucky to be in the position she is in today, but it was challenging, and she doesn't want any young woman working for her to go through what she had to go through. She reassures everyone who works for her that they are part of a team and that means that if someone has a baby or any major life event or crisis, others will step up and cover them, and the favor will be returned. Laid Out In The Past Driving down a long road getty It was heartwarming to hear Susy reminisce about all those years ago when she first became friends with that American man, David, who introduced her to wine and the opportunity at Gallo. Even though she thought they were just friends hanging out whenever it was convenient and easy, she didn't realize that he lived over two hours away and would come to see her almost every weekend to hang out. Then, when she took a trip back home to visit her parents before she started at Gallo, he told her that he would visit her, which she quickly dismissed as so many people she knew in California said they would come to Bolivia but never ended up coming. But one day, she got an email from David saying he was coming, asking if he had a good itinerary and attached a copy of his plane tickets to show her that it was true. He said he wanted to see her at home, in her environment, but even after all that, she still thought she would return home after Gallo. Susy hadn't talked about those memories in years because she is too focused on the present, as she has two kids, the oldest 16 years old, and yes, she ended up marrying David and he has been on this journey with her since that time. Sometimes, one's future starts to get laid out unbeknownst to that person, but it is all crystal clear when revisiting the past. Who she would marry or where she would live were not the only things that weren't clear during that time, as she couldn't even see her potential as an important leader who would make the road more possible for others. LangeTwins lineup of wines Cathrine Todd 2023 LangeTwins "Sand Point" Sauvignon Blanc, Lodi, California: 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This wine really punches above its weight retailing at only $12 with a refreshing zesty quality enhanced by tropical notes such as lemon sorbet and green mango flavors with mouthwatering fierce acidity balanced by a nice amount of weight on the palate. 2024 LangeTwins, Grüner Veltliner, North River Vineyard, Mokelumne River AVA, Lodi, California: 100% Grüner Veltliner (white grape originally from Austria) from the single vineyard North River, which is located in the sub-region of Mokelumne River - one of Lodi's cooler climates. Susy noted that for each vintage, they will decide what parcels to bottle as a single vineyard; for example, this Grüner Veltliner for some years will make a better blending partner for their white blends so that no single vineyard will be made, but 2024 was ideal for this Grüner Veltliner plot. Aromas of intense minerality with notes of pear drop and hints of white pepper with a softer acidity than the Sauvignon Blanc on the palate, yet it is still vibrant with a broad body with lemon curd flavors. 2022 LangeTwins 'Ivory & Burt' Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California: 100% Old Vine Zinfandel. Another steal retailing at $16 as it has a nice amount of complexity and brightness that makes this wine irresistible with ripe strawberries flecked with cracked black pepper intermixed with the richness of blackberry preserves flavors that is lifted by bright cranberries with an underlying note of rocky gravel. 2020 LangeTwins "Midnight Reserve" Bordeaux Bend. Lodi, California: 55% Petit Verdot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc. This is one of LangeTwins' top wines, and it changes its blend every year, yet Bordeaux varieties are always represented. 2020 was a spectacular year for Petit Verdot, which is why there is such a large percentage. Multilayered aromas of cocoa nibs, cassis and tapenade that has a slightly firm structure give shape and focus to the wine balanced by plush fruit and a juiciness that has a long finish leaving espresso notes in one's head.
