Gadling

Eyjafjallajökull is at it again. Only two days after its giant ash cloud blew out into the Atlantic, saving Ireland and the UK from more travel headaches, the cloud has reached south and affected Spain.

Fifteen Spanish airports have closed in the northern part of the country, including Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria, Zaragoza, Pamplona, La Rioja, Santiago, La Coruna, Vigo, Asturias, Santander, Leon, Valladolid, Burgos, and Salamanca. The cloud is now 1,200 miles (2,000km) long and stretches from Iceland to Spain, forcing international flights to reroute to the north and south. One of the major routes from Europe to North America flies just south of Iceland.

Travelers are advised to check ahead before flying anywhere in the region as Eyjafjallajökull’s volcanic activity is intensifying.

On May 11th, 1910, Glacier National Park, located in Montana, was designated as the 10th national park in the U.S. system. With a horizon dominated by snow capped mountains, and more than 130 lakes contained within its 16,000 square miles of pristine backcountry, Glacier quickly became a popular destination for outdoor adventurers and vacationing families a like. Today, 100 years later, Glacier attracts more than two million visitors a year, making it one of the most popular national parks in the States.

Next Tuesday, May 11th, the park will celebrate its first 100 years with a rededication ceremony to be held at the West Glacier Community Building. The festivities are set to get underway at 10:30 AM, and the public is invited to stop by to share in the celebration. The Park Service promises that attendees will receive special commemorative items to mark the centennial and that there will be plenty of birthday cake for all.

Following the ceremony, guests will be treated to special walking tours that will stop at various historical points in the parks compound. Highlights will include the park’s museum collection, historic fire hose tower, the original park headquarters building and the historic Belton Bridge. The tours will be guided by retired Park Service employees who are returning to Glacier for this one special day.

For those unable to attend the rededication ceremony in person, the NPS will be using its social media outlets to share the celebration online. There will be live updates throughout the day on the park’s Twitter and Facebook pages, and photos will be posted to the Glacier National Park photostream on Flickr.