Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for December, 2013
A Birthday Bash in Norway
By Linda Tancs
Norway’s most famous painter, Edvard Munch, was born on 12 December 1863– 150 years ago today. To celebrate this milestone, his homeland has been pulling out all the stops. In October, a viewing spot opened to mark the point on Ekeberg Hill where “The Scream” was painted. And the postal service is offering anniversary stamps of his artworks, including “The Scream,” “Self-Portrait,” and “The Sun and Madonna.” A member of the Munch family unveiled a new bronze and granite sculpture of his mother and his aunt, too. Although the artist’s vast collection of prints and paintings has long been stored at the Munch Museum, Norway’s cultural icon will be honored with a gleaming new glass museum on the waterfront next to the opera house.
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The Gem Capital of Brazil
By Linda Tancs
It’s easy to understand why tourism is becoming a major industry in Brazil. Consider the charm of Carnaval, the glam of Rio de Janeiro and the majesty of the Amazon. But gem hunters have a different reason to sing the country’s praises: Téofilo Otoni, a city in northeast Minas Gerais state where minerals reign (or, some might say, rain) supreme. Its trade in precious stones (particularly aquamarine) renders the city the gem capital of Brazil. In fact, an International Gemstones and Minerals Fair is held there every year.
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A River Runs Through It
By Linda Tancs
Minutes from Nashville International Airport and next door to the Grand Ole Opry, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center beckons visitors with a glass atrium stretching seven football fields in length. Beneath the atrium lies a stunning display of indoor gardens and cascading waterfalls, viewable along an indoor Delta River tour aboard a Mississippi-style flatboat. Look out for Danny, the 80-pound catfish and mascot of the meandering indoor river. And what better time to visit Music City than during the holidays! The resort’s 30th annual “A Country Christmas” features more than two million lights and dozens of shows and attractions.
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Battery Travel
By Linda Tancs
Alkaline, nickel cadmium, lithium ion. Sounds like a chemistry class, doesn’t it? No wonder, then, that the transport of these battery-making materials is addressed by the Transportation Security Administration. You might be surprised to learn that typical, consumer-sized batteries are allowable in carry-on baggage. In fact, whenever possible the TSA encourages the safe packing of your batteries in your carry-ons rather than checked bags so that the items are easily accessible in the event that onboard conditions give way to potential hazards.
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A Fowl Creation in Flanders
By Linda Tancs
Things are just ducky in the eastern end of Long Island, New York–specifically in Flanders, where you’ll find The Big Duck. Created in 1931 by Riverhead duck farmer Martin Maurer as a shop for the sale of ducks and eggs, this 20 foot tall and 30 foot long duck-shaped structure sports eyes made from the tail lights of a Model T Ford and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today marks the annual holiday lighting of the duck, a tradition observed on the first Wednesday following Thanksgiving. And yes, duck memorabilia is available for sale.
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America’s First Transcontinental Highway
By Linda Tancs
Lincoln Highway, the first road across America, celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. Winding its way from New York to San Francisco, the transcontinental route comprises a patchwork of roads in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. Explore every mile of this historic route using the Lincoln Highway Association’s interactive map. Happy trails to you!
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A Monumental Meetup
By Linda Tancs
Who says you can’t be in two places at once? At the Four Corners Monument in Arizona, you can do that and more. Four Corners marks the only spot in the United States where four states intersect: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. Located on the Navajo Nation, the monument’s year-round visitors’ center offers demonstrations of Navajo culture.
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