Vintage Wall Maps: Interior Decor with Vintage Maps

Continuing our interior décor series, mapsales.com shows how to display beautiful large vintage maps. If you’re impatient and don’t want to spend time scouring flea markets and secondhand shops for old maps, simply make a new map look old! Add some wooden rails to give any map a vintage charm. I’ve found some great examples of gorgeous wooden vintage maps on pinterest recently and I’ll show you how to get the look!

Choose any map and add wooden rails to create a vintage wall map.

Get a vintage wall map of Europe.

Get this wooden rails vintage map.

Get this vintage world map with wooden rails.

Maps with wooden rails establish a classic, vintage classroom style instantly!

I’ve also spotted some nifty DIY Map Crafts and Artwork across the web and on pinterest.

A penchant for the unusual? Take a look at the oddest, most bizarre maps.

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Hawaii Wall Map: View the Happiest State in the USA

The Hawaiians are the happiest people in the nation according to a new Gallup-Healthways poll. mapsales.com takes a look at the survey and the best Wall Maps of Hawaii.

It’s no surprise: Hawaii is a prime vacation location and Hawaii Wall Maps are popular travel keepsakes, reminding visitors of the lush greenery, beautiful beaches and surfing. Although we usually imagine only travelers having great experiences in Hawaii, apparently the residents make this the happiest state in the USA. At the bottom of the poll, West Virginia represented the lowest overall well-being among US States.

Our Favorite Hawaii Wall Map

Learn more about the happiest state in the USA with this Hawaii Wall Map. The poll used telephone interviews conducted all last year.  A total of 353,564 random American adults were polled from all across the USA, and even the District of Columbia. They measured six elements of happiness: life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behavior and basic access.

Hawaiian residents reported the highest score on life evaluation, which included self-evaluation about your present life situation and anticipated one in five years. They also scored high for emotional health: they were more likely to have smiled or laughed a lot the previous day, and the least likely to have daily worry or stress.  Although they didn't score the highest in each category, Hawaiian happiness overall makes Hawaii the happiest state in the USA.

The Happiest State: Hawaii Wall Map

Another great wall map of Hawaii, FindIt Hawaii shows all roads and topographical features, perfect for the traveler. Explore, plan and travel across the major islands: Hawaii, Maui, Oahu and Kauai with this Hawaii Wall Map. Where would you go first? Or would you prefer to live all year in Hawaii?

Lights Seen from Space: Cities…and Lightning Flashes?

Severe storms have been sweeping across southern states for the last two days and are now currently spreading across eastern parts of the United States. So far the storms have included 430 thunderstorm reports, 20 large hail reports and nine tornado reports.

Last night, the Suomi NPP satellite snapped a photo of not only city lights but also lightning flashes from the storm. In this photo, the satellite captured lights from several major cities not covered by clouds including Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Also visible are lights not associated with any city; these lights show lightning flashes from the severe storm.

Satellite imaging technology allows us to view the world in great detail. Satellites are able to capture daytime images  that keep our database of roads, buildings, and topography up-to-date. They also warn us of impending natural disasters, as well as perspective on the damage they caused. But at night, we get a view we could only imagine before our ascent into space:

Earth at Night Map

Maps of satellite images from space showcase the entire world at night. Taken from series of images from cloudless nights over a year period to show the clearest rendering of topography and lights, this map shows a unique perspective of the world. Zoom in on the Earth at Night Map to see details of the night sky from space! These lights include urban areas, forest fires and natural gas burn off. This map would make a great gift or decor piece for anyone who loves space, travel or technological art.

Santas Around the World

In the US, Santa rides around in parades and spends his free time in shopping malls, but what does he do in other countries?  mapsales.com looks at Santa and his doppelgangers around the world. 

England

In the UK, Santa is referred to as Father Christmas and he rides in Harrods’ Annual Christmas Parade in London, with Mrs. Christmas by his side.  Instead of residing at the North Pole, the English believe that Father Christmas lives in the mountains of Korvatunturi in Lapland, Finland.

Japan

Santa takes on a much more active role at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama, Japan.  Rather than sitting on a parade float, this Japanese Santa swims with the dolphins.  Santa dives into the dolphin tanks, wearing his traditional red suit as well as some Christmas-themed scuba gear, and feeds dolphins while onlookers marvel at the sight. 

Russia

Father Frost takes on the Santa Claus role in Russia.  His name and appearance come from a Russian fairy tale written in the 1800s.  In Stovropol, a city in southern Russia, Father Frost rides to a local park with his granddaughter, Snegurochka the Snowmaid, to entertain children. 

Sweden

Being Santa Claus in Sweden is a tough job.  Not only do you have to deliver presents to all the good little boys and girls, but you also have to compete against other Santas from around the world.  Every December, Gallivare, a town in northern Sweden, hosts the Santa Claus Winter Games, in which Santas from all over the world compete in typical Santa sports. 

Want to learn more about holiday celebrations around the world? Try a map!  mapsales.com carries over 200,000 wall maps…delivered as fast as next day! 

Click here for more maps of the world!