Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Levels and Moors in Somerset
By Linda Tancs
Among the lowest, flattest areas in the U.K., England’s Somerset Levels & Moors are an intricate, managed landscape developed over centuries from the drainage and irrigation of land for agriculture and to manage flood risk. At its heart lies a beautiful, internationally renowned area called the Avalon Marshes, one of the finest remaining lowland wetlands left in Britain and a critical home for vulnerable wetland bird populations such as the Bittern. Off the beaten track, its tranquility is often overlooked but it’s well served by footpaths and cycle routes.
Share this:
A Jewel in the Algarve
By Linda Tancs
Sporting a “skylight” courtesy of Mother Nature, Benagil Caves in Portugal’s Algarve region is arguably the jewel in its crown. Along with its natural light, a distinguishing feature of this grotto is the beach inside. The best way to visit the caves is by boat, kayak or stand-up paddle. Boats depart from several nearby locations such as Portimão, Carvoeiro or Albufeira. Generally, boat tours will not afford you the opportunity to spend time on the beach; choose a kayaking or paddle boarding excursion instead. Go early during high season to avoid the traffic.
Share this:
Natural History in the Pacific Northwest
By Linda Tancs
The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is the natural history museum of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. The foremost museum of natural history and culture in the Pacific Northwest, it hosts a collection of 18 million specimens and cultural items ranging from Indigenous canoes and baskets to giant clamshells and dinosaur fossils, including the world’s most complete T. rex skull. You’ll be surrounded by active university labs where you might witness scientists conducting work in full view of visitors. Parking is limited, but the museum is accessible by light rail, bus and bike as well.
Share this:
Ice Age Encounters in Los Angeles
By Linda Tancs
The world’s only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site in an urban setting is La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California. The tar pits were formed through multiple intervals of uplift and faulting, allowing crude petroleum to seep to the surface from underground reserves over the last 50,000 years, creating shallow pools that entrapped and preserved millions of fossils representing hundreds of species of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. More than 100 excavations have been made since the early 1900s, most of which are featured in the museum on site. Check out the trails and tar pits and watch ongoing excavations.
Share this:
On the Outskirts of An Old Town
By Linda Tancs
On the outskirts of an old town center in Berlin, Germany, Köpenick Palace is the most important surviving palace from the reign of the Hohenzollern dynasty. The only Baroque building in Berlin to survive in its original state, it’s located on a man-made island in the Dahme River. Inside you’ll find the Museum of Decorative Arts, boasting ornaments, silverware and furniture in the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo styles. While you’re there, enjoy the palace park, meander along the medieval streets of Köpenick Old Town or take a boat ride.
Share this:
A Hall of Fame for Inventors
By Linda Tancs
With more than 600 inductees since its founding in 1973, the National Inventors Hall of Fame celebrates the best of American innovation. You’ll find each one commemorated at the Gallery of Icons, a hexagon patterned display organized by patent number. Other core exhibits feature the story of women in innovation as well as the evolution of wireless technology and automotive design. Located in Alexandria, Virginia, admission is free.
Share this:
The Centerpiece of Brest
By Linda Tancs
Rising over 85 feet, Petit Minou Lighthouse is the centerpiece of Brest harbor in France. What distinguishes this lighthouse from so many others is the picturesque cobblestone bridge leading to it. Built in 1848, it stands next to a 17th-century fort constructed to defend the harbor against British attack. Hiking and surfing amidst lighthouse views are popular activities.
Share this:
A Storied Jewel Near Milan
By Linda Tancs
Separated from Milan by the Ticino River, Vigevano was a silk-manufacturing town. It’s known for its portico-lined Piazza Ducale, considered by some to be Italy’s most beautiful square. At over 400 feet long and nearly 160 feet wide, it seems out of scale for a small city, but its grandeur is explainable given its link to Milan and the House of Sforza. Ludovico Maria Sforza, the powerful Duke of Milan, commissioned the square’s construction as a regal antechamber for Sforzesco Castle. Today this ducal square is known for its bars, restaurants and shopping.
Share this:
Spectacular Caves in Italy
By Linda Tancs
One of the largest known cave systems in Europe, Italy’s Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi) in Le Marche is one of the country’s most popular show caves. Accessible only via guided tours, highlights include Ancona Abyss with its vaulted ceilings over 600 feet high, a crystallized lake and a cavern of stalagmites resembling candles. A limited number of timed, online tickets are available, which is particularly convenient during high season; otherwise, you can purchase them on site at the ticket office.
Share this:
A Wonky House in Lavenham
By Linda Tancs
Built in 1395, The Crooked House in Lavenham, England, is said to be inspired by the old English nursery rhyme “There was a Crooked Man.” Its off-centeredness owes to the hastiness of the wealthy wool merchant who wanted a grand estate. The wood used to build the house wasn’t properly seasoned; as it dried, the timber-framed house twisted and contorted, resulting in a very strong but also very crooked house. One of Britain’s favorite fairytale homes, it’s arguably also one of the most photographed in the world. Today it’s owned by two self-proclaimed “Crooked Men” who offer immersive experiences like theatrical house tours and black tie dinners.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 