Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Hampton Carousel
By Linda Tancs
Built in 1920, Hampton Carousel is a historic carousel housed in a pavilion, operated by the Hampton History Museum in Hampton, Virginia. One of few antique wooden merry-go-rounds still existing in the U.S., it still boasts its original mirrors and oil paintings, as well as 48 intricately decorated horses rising and falling to the strains of the original band organ. Open seasonally, it only costs one dollar to ride this precious piece of history!
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Steaming in California
By Linda Tancs
Wildflowers peak in high elevation areas between July and September in Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. It’s one of many things to see in summer, the park’s busiest season. Snow often lingers on park trails well into the summer months, though. Once it’s cleared, you’ll enjoy the sites the area is known for, like the bubbling mud pots of Bumpass Hell, the largest hydrothermal area in the park. Likewise, once the snow clears, you can hike Lassen Peak Trail to the summit of one of the largest plug dome volcanoes in the world. You’ll be rewarded with views of Lake Helen at the base, a high elevation lake that often has snow and ice into mid-summer. Another option is to drive Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway and enjoy the scenic vistas. A one-way journey on the 30-mile highway will take approximately one hour without any stops.
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Utah’s Largest Forest
By Linda Tancs
The largest national forest in Utah, Dixie National Forest occupies almost 2 million acres and stretches for about 170 miles. It straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River in southern Utah. Whether you traverse it by highways or trails, you’ll be met with scenery ranging from colorful desert canyon gorges to high mountain forests, plateaus and alpine lakes. There are informational signs on trails, scenic overlooks as well as visitor centers to tell you about the area you’re visiting.
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Copenhagen’s Climbable Spire
By Linda Tancs
Located in the Christianshavn neighborhood of Copenhagen, Denmark, Our Saviour’s Church boasts a magnificent organ from 1698 and a beautiful altar. Furthermore, the Baroque church has 40 elephant motifs symbolizing the Order of the Elephant, the highest order of chivalry in Denmark. Perhaps its most famous attraction, though, is the serpentine spire. Inaugurated in 1752, climbing all 400 steps to the top has become very popular. On the last 150 external steps, you will experience one of the best views over Copenhagen with an overview of the city from every angle at 282 feet. Entrance to the church is free; advance booking is recommended for the tower.
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Korea’s National Garden
By Linda Tancs
Suncheon Bay National Garden is South Korea’s first national garden. Occupying 1.12 million square meters, you’ll want at least half a day to explore the various gardens built in the style of various countries like Spain, the Netherlands, England, Italy, Mexico and more. The site also features a wetland reserve, one of the five major coastal wetlands in the world. Visit the Korean garden after returning from the wetland reserve in the evening. This is when the traditional Korean houses are lit up and particularly beautiful. You can use SkyCube, an unmanned rapid transit system, to move between the garden and the wetland reserve.
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Sweden’s Smallest Statue
By Linda Tancs
Beloved by locals, the smallest statue in Sweden is Iron Boy (Järnpojke). It’s located in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town. Less than six inches high, it sits on a larger table in the courtyard next to the Finnish Church, looking up toward the sky (which is why it’s also referred to as “the little boy who looks at the moon”). It isn’t unusual for folks to leave coins or flowers or even to dress him in accordance with the weather. Legend has it that you should rub his head for good luck.
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A Norwegian Pilgrimage
By Linda Tancs
A network of nine pilgrimage routes, St. Olav Ways trace the legacy of St. Olav, king and martyr. Devotion to the saint, a Viking king credited with consolidating Christianity in Norway, began with his death in battle in 1030. The final stage of the trek is Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway’s third-largest city. Built over the burial site of St. Olav, the cathedral is Europe’s northernmost medieval cathedral. Of all the routes, many pilgrims choose Gudbrandsdalsleden, a journey spanning nearly 400 miles from the capital of Oslo to Trondheim. Taking around a month to navigate, it’s the longest pilgrim way in the country and was the main road to Nidaros (now Trondheim) during the Middle Ages. Regardless of the route chosen, though, you’ll encounter stunning Nordic landscapes, rich history and deep spiritual tradition.
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American Revolution Museum
By Linda Tancs
In time for America’s 250th anniversary, seize the Revolutionary spirit of the founding of a nation at Virginia’s American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. It tells the story of the nation’s founding, from the the colonial period to the dawn of the Constitution and beyond. Indoor galleries feature period artifacts, immersive environments and films. Outdoors, visit a re-created Continental Army encampment as well as a Revolution-era farm featuring period crops, a farmhouse and a separate log kitchen.
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Hot Chicken in Nashville
By Linda Tancs
Nashville, Tennessee, boasts more than one kind of fireworks on Independence Day. July 4 is also the date of the annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival, which celebrates (what else) hot chicken, Nashville’s unique culinary claim to fame. The day kicks off with the Fire Truck Parade. You’ll also find live music, an amateur cook-off and a collection of area vendors. The free event is held in East Park.
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Queen Anne’s Revenge
By Linda Tancs
Queen Anne’s Revenge was the flagship of Edward Teach, also known as “Blackbeard,” during the period known as the “Golden Age of Piracy.” It ran aground off the coast of North Carolina in 1718 and remains one of the oldest shipwrecks discovered in the state. Since its discovery in 1996, the site remains largely undisturbed except for the conservation, documentation and investigation of artifacts recovered from the ship. That work is undertaken by The Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab in Greenville, North Carolina. Free tours of the lab are available by appointment only. Highlights include pieces of a real pirate ship, including a 12-foot anchor and parts of the hull structure itself, and a warehouse containing one of the largest collections of cannon excavated from a single wreck.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 