Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for June, 2017
Best Ice in Greenland
By Linda Tancs
Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord is filled with icebergs that calve from Sermeq Kujalleq, the fastest moving glacier in the world at 131 feet daily. The massive ice field occupies the same area as 66,000 football fields. The best way to take it all in is a flightseeing tour by helicopter or small plane. At ground level, you can walk along the raised pathway to Sermermiut or hike along the marked Blue Route trail. Whichever route you choose, be sure to take a midnight cruise in the icefjord, when the icebergs change from white and blue to shades of orange and red when struck by the midnight sun.
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Crossing at the Meuse
By Linda Tancs
Maastricht is one of the oldest cities in Holland. The city’s name, derived from Latin, means “crossing at the Meuse.” Indeed, the ancient city is located on both sides of the Meuse River. It might be better known as the birthplace of the European Union: a treaty was signed there in 1992, establishing the European Union and its currency, the Euro. The capital of Holland’s southernmost region, Limburg, it’s prized for the local delicacy—a pie (vlaai) filled with marmalade.
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Horsing Around in Devon
By Linda Tancs
The Grand Western Canal in Devon was built in 1814 for use by the lime trade, deploying horse-drawn boats to transport stone to Tiverton Wharf. That heritage is preserved today by Tiverton Canal Co., which operates one of the U.K.’s last horse-drawn barges. Their wide beam, 75-seater horse-drawn barge operates a popular 2 1/2 hour return to East Manley that offers the opportunity to take a short walk to see the aqueduct and experience the bountiful wildlife among the unspoiled banks. Tours operate from April to October.
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The Castle on a Plain
By Linda Tancs
Unlike the usual hilltop or mountaintop castle, Hiroshima Castle is built on a plain in the center of the city. Developed as a castle town, Hiroshima’s pride was built in 1589 by a powerful feudal lord. Surrounded by a moat, its keep is five stories high. The keep, along with the rest of the structure, was rebuilt following its destruction from the nuclear attack on the city in 1945 during World War II. The castle is just a 15-minute walk from Peace Memorial Park and its featured A-Bomb Dome, a World Heritage Site.
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D-Day in NOLA
By Linda Tancs
Appropriately enough, the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, opened on June 6, 2000, the anniversary of D-Day. In fact, it was originally named the D-Day Museum. Designated by Congress as the official World War II museum of the United States, it’s located in downtown New Orleans on Magazine Street. New Orleans is home to the LCVP, or Higgins boat, the landing craft that brought U.S. soldiers to shore in every major amphibious assault during the war. The six-acre campus features five soaring pavilions (and two more on the way), a period dinner theater and restaurants. Visited by over 2 million tourists from around the world, the facility is a premier research institution, offering visitors the fruits of decades-long research by the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, the museum’s founder. He tirelessly researched and wrote about the war, Eisenhower and D-Day and collected more than 2,000 oral histories from D-Day veterans.
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Europe’s Offshore Ferris Wheel
By Linda Tancs
Scheveningen is Holland’s most famous seaside resort. Just 15 minutes away from The Hague city center, it boasts fabulous beaches, dining experiences and yearlong cultural events. Add to that Europe’s first Ferris wheel built over the sea: Skyview de Pier. Over 131 feet high, the wheel has 36 closed gondolas with air conditioning, including one VIP gondola with a glass bottom. Seating up to six people per gondola, the ride lasts 20 minutes and is open daily.
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Sculpting American History
By Linda Tancs
Daniel Chester French was America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments. One of his first and most beloved sculptures is of an image of a Revolutionary War “Minute Man,” found today at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. He’s also responsible for the goliath Abraham Lincoln sculpture at the monument in Washington, D.C. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Berkshire Hills, French purchased the former Marshall Warner farm in 1896 as a summer residence. Known as Chesterwood, he worked on over 200 public and private commissions there. Both a national and Massachusetts historic landmark, the studio, residence and woodlands beckon visitors to the Glendale section of Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
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