{"id":12421,"date":"2019-03-06T14:29:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-06T19:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=12421"},"modified":"2019-03-06T14:29:59","modified_gmt":"2019-03-06T19:29:59","slug":"destination-spotlight-armenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/destination-spotlight-armenia\/","title":{"rendered":"Destination Spotlight: Armenia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Located in the mountainous Caucasus region bordering Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran, Armenia has everything you may want in an exotic trip: history, culture, food, and birds. And this September, you can join Mass Audubon naturalist Amber Carr on a 15-day adventure<\/a>. Here, a snapshot of what you could experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rich History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Armenia has an ancient and complex history. Among the earliest\nChristian civilizations, it\u2019s rich with historic and religious sites including\nKhor Virap Monastery (a pilgrimage site near Mount Ararat) and a dormant\nvolcano just across the border in Turkey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the sites you will see is Selim\nCaravanserai. Built in 1332 by Prince Chesar Orbelian to accommodate travelers\nbetween China and Europe, it\u2019s one of the few artifacts left from the Silk Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birds!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Bearded Vulture \u00a9 Francesco Veronesi <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Armenia\u2019s country list includes 349 species of\nbirds. Armenia lies on the main migration route between the Northern and\nSouthern hemisphere, with species flying from as far away as South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So many of the great birding spots are\nnear historic sites that date as far back as the 8th<\/sup> century BC: you\u2019re\nlikely see raptors near Geghard Monastery (a UNESCO world heritage site) and various\nspecies of larks near the Selim Caravanserai. Highlights include: Pied\nAvocet, Squacco Heron, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Bearded Reedling,\nLong-legged Buzzard, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, and Bearded Vulture (aka\nLammergeier).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Varied and Stunning Landscape <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\u00a9 Clay Gilliland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Visit a semi-desert gorge occupied by a colony\nof Eurasian Griffons; a 500 year old juniper\nwoodland that is home to birds such as Sombre Tit and Fire-fronted Serin; a\nspectacular canyon of the Azat River where cliffs are formed by basalt columns\nand called the \u201cSymphony of Stones;\u201d and drive to the highest elevations to see\nAlpine Accentor and Cinereous Vulture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food & Drink<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every day you will taste the delicious\nfruits grown in Armenia, including grapes, figs, pomegranates, apricots, and\napples, as well as vegetables, nuts, and locally produced honey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A variety of meat dishes as well as\nbreads such as lavash (a thin flatbread) will fill your dinner table. Plus see\nhow Armenian Brandy (the favorite drink of Winston Churchill) is made. You will\nalso learn how Armenian wine is made in Areni, where the tradition dates back 6,100\nyears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adventure!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On her last visit to Armenia, Mass Audubon Council Member and\nfrequent traveler Roxanne Etmekjian recalls one excursion that was so awe-inspiring\nthat it was added to our tour\u2019s itinerary. Waking up pre-dawn, you will head up\nthe alpine mountain of Gndasar in a 4X4 to look for the elusive Caspian Snowcock\nin the early morning light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

View the full itinerary <\/a>or contact Mass Audubon\u2019s Travel Team<\/a> to learn more. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Located in the mountainous Caucasus region bordering Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran, Armenia has everything you may want in an exotic trip: history, culture, food, and birds. And this September, you can join Mass Audubon naturalist Amber Carr on a 15-day adventure. Here, a snapshot of what you could experience: Rich History Armenia has an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":12439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/03\/Armenia_Geghard_Monastery-750.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3el","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15716,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/always-up-for-a-challenge\/","url_meta":{"origin":12421,"position":0},"title":"Always Up for a Challenge","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"May 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"2 Boston women125 years of impact38 Bird-a-thon events$3,000,000+ event dollars raised Mass Audubon\u2019s rich history spans 125 years. 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As such, it is incumbent upon us to take a thoughtful look at what it means\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reflections at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk \u00a9 Mass Audubon","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/10\/10.14.20-3941-750x500-b6fa2edb-1009-4141-a699-5e8a746e1c01.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/10\/10.14.20-3941-750x500-b6fa2edb-1009-4141-a699-5e8a746e1c01.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/10\/10.14.20-3941-750x500-b6fa2edb-1009-4141-a699-5e8a746e1c01.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/10\/10.14.20-3941-750x500-b6fa2edb-1009-4141-a699-5e8a746e1c01.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8239,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/how-farm-day-came-to-be\/","url_meta":{"origin":12421,"position":3},"title":"How Farm Day Came To Be","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"September 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"On the third Saturday of October, more than 3,000 people visit Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield to attend Farm Day, a beloved South Shore fall festival. Guests of all ages enjoy hayrides, live music, games, farm animals, educational presentations, demonstrations of modern and colonial crafts, and much more on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FarmDay","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/09\/FarmDay-1024x603.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/09\/FarmDay-1024x603.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/09\/FarmDay-1024x603.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8319,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/siberias-forgotten-coast-a-trip-of-a-lifetime\/","url_meta":{"origin":12421,"position":4},"title":"Siberia’s Forgotten Coast: A Trip of a Lifetime","author":"Hillary T.","date":"October 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Siberia's eastern coastline is one of the most remote and least visited regions of the globe. 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