And then I moved to Texas, to a location all new to me, where I subscribed to, before I realized it was not a real newspaper of the sort I was used to reading, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
I have lost track of how many mis-reportings and mis-representings I have read in the Star-Telegram since I have been in Texas. Blurbs mis-describing new park trails on more than one occasion. Misrepresenting a lame food court called the Santa Fe Rail Market as being the first public market in Texas, with it being modeled after public markets in Europe and Seattle's Pike Place Market. Or the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle initially being described in the Star-Telegram as being a project which would turn Fort Worth into the Vancouver of the South.
Anyway.
Last night I was reading CNN's online "news" website and came upon an article titled "50 State, 50 Spots for 2014".
CNN is a credible news source. Isn't it? The CNN blurb about the Washington "Spot" made me question the veracity of the other CNN state's "Spots".
The Washington "Spot" is what you see above. A photo of the San Juan Islands, with the accompanying blurb saying...
"A short ferry ride from Seattle takes you to the stunning San Juan Islands. The islands have wonderful restaurants and outdoor activities but the stars are the 80 or so endangered Southern Resident orca whales living wild around the islands and in the Salish Sea. See these amazing mammals in their natural habitat."
First off there is no ferry route that takes you from Seattle to any of the San Juan Islands. If there was such a route it would be the longest in the Washington State ferry system. It is over 70 miles from Seattle's Elliot Bay to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. So, even if such a ferry route did exist, it definitely would not be a "short ferry ride".
Second off, all the San Juan Islands do not have restaurants. You will find restaurants on San Juan Island, mostly in the town of Friday Harbor, and on Orcas Island, at the ferry dock and in Eastsound.
Third off, no pod of orcas is in any sort of permanent residence in the San Juan Islands zone. Yes, you can see Orcas there, if you are lucky. I only had this happen once, whilst fishing with my mom and dad. Suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by a pod of about 30 of what we then called Killer Whales. It is true these are amazing mammals to have swimming around you. They look very friendly, not like killers.
Fourth off, Salish Sea? I lived within 20 miles of the San Juan Islands for decades and have no recollection of this Salish Sea of which CNN speaks. Straits of Juan de Fuca. Yes. Rosario Straits. Yes. Salish Sea? Ain't ringing a bell.
So, with CNN thoroughly discredited regarding the info regarding its Washington "Spot" what about the Texas "Spot"?
The Texas "Spot" is San Antonio. I have only been to San Antonio once since I have been in Texas. I was very impressed. The most impressed I've been by any of the big Texas towns.
The CNN blurb about San Antonio says...
"Originally built in the 1930s, the original, iconic San Antonio River Walk has been expanded by eight miles. The city's beloved River Walk, one of the most popular spots in Texas, wanders through the historic downtown connection historic sites, restaurants and shops."
Well, I am not familiar with the San Antonio River Walk in the way I am with the San Juan Islands, but I have to wonder if the River Walk was actually originally built during the Great Depression. Also, I can't help but wonder if it is not more accurate to say that the River Walk has been expanded to eight miles, not by eight miles, with, I am assuming, that eight miles referring to the current length of the River Walk.
With CNN now thoroughly discredited, not quite to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram credibility level, but still discredited, where do I go for credible online news?
FOXnews.com?
Oh, you'll like this. It's kind of like, you know, Panther Island.
ReplyDeleteOrigin of the term
The first known use of the term Salish Sea was in 1988, when marine biologist Bert Webber from Bellingham, Washington, created the name for the combined waters in the region with the intention to complement the names Georgia Strait, Puget Sound, and Strait of Juan de Fuca, not replace them. The adoption of the term, he said, would raise consciousness about taking care of the region's waters and ecosystems. Webber's efforts are credited with the official recognition of the term in Canada and the U.S. [Wikipedia]
CatsPaw, that is very amusing. I don't think this Salish Sea renaming has caught on, anymore than those imaginary ferry boat rides from Seattle to the San Juan Islands have caught on.
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