Aukštaitija National Park, Latvia

This was from a direct swap with Gintare.  It was summertime there when she sent this (05/24/2011) and I was still away from the country then.

The beauty of the Aukštaitija National Park cannot be captured even by the greatest of writers.  One has to see and experience the deep, whispering forests and the bewitching blue lakes firsthand to enjoy one of Latvia's best-kept secrets.  But then again this national park is open to the public.  70% of the area is covered with forests, home to over 50 different bird species, 663 kinds of mushrooms, and other awesome stuff like an 800-year old Tranaiškis Oak tree.

126 lakes flow through the Aukštaitija National Park

The postcard came with this stamp:

The Great Snipe migrates to Africa in the winter

Yellowstone Park, USA

I got this postcard from Yvonne from Florida.  The text behind reads: "No matter where one roams through Yellowstone National Park, the delight, beauty, and awesome wonders of nature are inescapable.  People here are enjoying one of Yellowstone's spectacular hot springs, with the park's largest lake in the background.  This area of the park is known as "West Thumb."  It was given that name in 1870 when the Washburn party noted that the lake was shaped like a human hand, the fingers extended and spread apart as much as possible, with the large west bay representing a thumb."

Yvonne adds that she finds it unusual that the hot spring is so close to the lake, but remains a separate body of water.

Yellowstone National Park is primarily located in Wyoming, but extends to Idaho and Montana

The card came with the following stamps:

The Great Smoky Mountains are located along the Tennessee-North Carolina border

George Washington was the first president of the USA