Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for April, 2011
A Day Fit for a Queen
By Linda Tancs
The House of Orange (the Dutch royal family) takes center stage on 30 April with the celebration of Queen’s Day, a national holiday celebrating the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands. Beatrix, the current queen, was actually born in January but celebrates her birthday on this day in April, her mother’s birthdate. Orange banners, orange-colored foods and drinks, and copious amounts of people in orange clothing dancing in the streets and in boats along the canals rule the day.
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The Castled Crag of Drachenfels
By Linda Tancs
“The castled crag of Drachenfels/Frowns o’er the wide and winding Rhine” wrote English Romantic poet Lord Byron. That’s a reference to Drachenfels, a 1,053 foot mountain range near Bonn, Germany. The ruined castle atop the mountain bears the same name. A newer castle, down the Rhine and frequently referred to as the Neuschwanstein of the Rhine, is named Schloss Drachenburg, a palace constructed in the late 19th century. A German legend recounts the slaying of a dragon in a cave in the mountain. Hence, the mountain is named the “Dragon’s Rock”, or Drachenfels. An electric railcar connects the summit with the resort town of Koenigswinter.
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An Epic Voyage
By Linda Tancs
Epic means, among other things, to extend beyond the ordinary. Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship, Norwegian Epic, takes that definition seriously. Consider The Studios, the first cruise accommodations designed for solo travelers. There’s also the first ice bar and the largest bowl slide on water–an Epic Plunge, indeed. Not to mention the largest spa at sea. Sounds pretty extraordinary.
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The Road to the Right
By Linda Tancs
Just past the entrance to Laguna La Restringa on Margarita Island, Venezuela you will come to a split in the road. Take the road to the right to see the bird life of this western remote area of the island known as the Peninsula de Macanao. Small green parrots and fire engine red cardinals dominate; an easy thing to do in a habitat devoid of tourism owing to lack of water and essential services. Enjoy it while it lasts.
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The 40-Foot Pheasant
By Linda Tancs
When the first settlers of the Dakota Territory arrived in the 1880s, rumors swirled about a giant pheasant. Legend has it that the elusive bird produced the winds of the Dakota Prairie, his footprints in the spring forming creeks and river valleys. The tale is memorialized on Highway 14 in Huron, South Dakota in the form of a 28 foot, 22 ton fiberglass pheasant. Eight miles west of Huron on the highway you can see real ringnecks at the Maga Ta-Hohpi Waterfowl Production Area, part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Named Maga Ta-Hohpi (meaning “duck nest) by the Sioux Indians who dedicated the area in 1992, the refuge system includes breeding and nesting habitats for millions of waterfowl and is home to hundreds of wildlfie species including fish, migratory birds, pheasants, deer, and many other plants and animals.
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The Buffalo City
By Linda Tancs
Jamestown, North Dakota is The Buffalo City, home to the world’s largest buffalo statue–a 26-foot-tall, 60-ton concrete giant at the Frontier Village. Adjacent to the Frontier Village is a herd of real bison roaming 250 acres, including three rare albino bison. Culturally and historically significant, the bison’s saga from prehistoric times to the present is preserved at the National Buffalo Museum. Here’s one opportunity where you won’t mind being buffaloed.
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A Place for Rock Hounds
By Linda Tancs
There’s a crimson tide just 15 minutes from Las Vegas. No, it’s not an algal bloom. It’s a massive rock formation made red by the accumulation of iron oxide. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area receives 1.2 million visitors a year. Part of the Mojave Desert, the 13-mile scenic loop drive features sandstone, limestone Indian roasting pits, waterfalls, Indian “handprints” and pictographs at Willow Springs. The conservation area is home to about 200 different mammals like burros, coyotes, bighorn sheep, red tailed hawks, wild horses, bobcats and mountain lions. Enjoy life on the wild side–without the neon lights.
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Oldest Zoo in Southwest
By Linda Tancs
Established in 1898, the Alameda Park Zoo in Alamogordo, New Mexico is the oldest zoo in the U.S. Southwest. Open daily except for Christmas and New Year’s Day, the zoo has more than 12 acres and over 250 exotic and indigenous animals. Perhaps the most famous animal in the area is the one memorialized in nearby Lincoln National Forest, home of Smokey the Bear, known the world over for forest fire prevention. The wilds of the West are waiting for you.
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Carefree in Arizona
By Linda Tancs
Most spa resorts assert bragging rights over their gastronomy. At Arizona’s Carefree Resort and Conference Center, they encourage you to eat some dust. As in offroading. Or maybe trailriding. How about cattle driving? Of course, there’s always the desert and hummer trail tours. You get the idea.
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The Finest Walk in the World
By Linda Tancs
New Zealand’s most famous walk is Milford Track, a 100-year-old treasure boasting a 53 kilometer journey from the head of Lake Te Anau to the misty array of Sutherland Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Along the way, you’ll encounter suspension bridges, board walks, a mountain pass, lakes, sky-scraping mountain peaks and enormous valley views. No wonder the poet Blanche Baughan declared the Milford Track to be ‘the finest walk in the world’. Guided walkers take five days and four nights to complete the track; independent walkers usually take a day and night less. The track is always walked from south to north in an effort to minimize the environmental impact. There are three public accommodation huts and three private lodges on the track. Camping is not permitted, but why would you want to?
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