Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for July, 2018
Dining in the Sky
By Linda Tancs
Once upon a time only an airline meal would’ve qualified as sky dining. Nowadays you can eliminate the fuselage and dine at table while suspended in the air by a massive crane. That’s the concept behind Dinner in the Sky, a vertigo-inducing gastronomic adventure originating in Belgium. Available now in more than 40 countries, this flying dinner party has made its way to locales including the Las Vegas Strip, the marina of Dubai, the banks of the St. Lawrence River and the beach of Copacabana. These unique events have featured iconic chefs like Pierre Gagnaire, Marc Veyrat, Heston Blumenthal and Paco Roncero. Will you send your taste buds to new heights?
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China’s Ancient Northern Capital
By Linda Tancs
Although leading the country industrially (and having been named a model city for environmental protection), China’s northeastern city of Shenyang boasts impressive history and landscaping as well. Its imperial palace might not have the glitz of the Forbidden City, but it was built by the first Qing Emperor in 1625 and served as the seat of that dynasty. Both the palace and the emperors’ tombs are UNESCO sites. And despite being the largest city in northern China, there’s plenty of open space thanks to Beiling Park’s pine forests and lakes and the Expo Garden. It’s worth noting that passport holders of eligible countries are granted a visa-free stay of up to 72 hours when taking an international transfer via Taoxian International Airport. That’s enough time to soak in some attractions.
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From Quarry to Garden
By Linda Tancs
Over a century ago, Jennie Butchart decided to transform an abandoned quarry into a garden. The result is The Butchart Gardens, one of the world’s premier floral show gardens. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada, this National Historic Site is resplendent year round. You’ll find remnants of the old quarry at the Sunken Garden’s expansive walls. From there you’ll encounter one of the finest dahlia gardens in the region (particularly this time of year) along the Concert Lawn Walk. Another favorite this season is the Rose Garden, with its extensive collection of floribundas, ramblers, climbers and hybrid tea roses. Summer is also a great time to take a boat tour of Tod Inlet from the wharf near the bottom of the Japanese Garden. And don’t miss the lush color in the Italian and Mediterranean gardens. A fireworks show every Saturday night in summer will round out your colorful experience.
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Colonial Splendor in Pennsylvania
By Linda Tancs
A National Historic Landmark, Graeme Park is a 42-acre historic park featuring the Keith House, the only surviving residence of a colonial Pennsylvania governor, Sir William Keith. Originally called “Fountain Low” because of its many natural springs, the manor is distinctive for its stone construction and remains virtually intact since the late 18th century. It was renamed Graeme Park following its purchase by Dr. Thomas Graeme, a respected judge and doctor. Its location in Horsham affords visitors a quiet retreat amidst the property’s stream, pond and trails through the woods. Admission is charged for a tour of the mansion, but entrance to the grounds is free.
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Body Art in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Special effects bodypainting is just one of the championship categories at the annual World Bodypainting Festival in Klagenfurt, Austria. Taking place this year from July 8 to July 14, the earlier dates comprise 50 workshops in bodypainting, facepainting, make-up and special effects. The main days from the 12th to the 14th feature art, street food, judging and music. Now in its 21st season, prepare to be awed.
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Cuddle with Cuttles
By Linda Tancs
Similar to their squid and octopus relatives, cuttlefish have a large, elongated body with tentacles surrounding their mouths. Despite its name, it’s a mollusc with the visually striking ability to change patterns and colors. This time of year they congregate by the thousands for their breeding season, especially at Stony Point in Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park near Whyalla in South Australia. There is easy access via a boardwalk to shallow water for viewing. Cuttlefish are active day and night, but the best time for snorkeling with them is normally in the morning before the winds pick up in the afternoon.
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A Mound of Chocolate in the Philippines
By Linda Tancs
Located on the island of Bohol in the Philippines, the Chocolate Hills are a series of more than 1,268 cone-shaped hills spread over an area of 19 square miles and varying in size from 98 feet to 393 feet in height. A popular legend attributes their formation to a clash between mythic titans. Geologists, however, chalk it up to thousands of years of weathering of marine limestone—or at least that’s the most commonly accepted theory for this anomaly. The chocolate designation arises from their color during the dry season. Whether verdant in the wet season or brown in the dry season, a good viewing point for this natural wonder is from the observation deck in Carmen despite the steep stair climb to get there.
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Britain’s Oldest Cliff Lift
By Linda Tancs
A fashionable resort in Victorian times, Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire has everything one might expect of a seaside destination: sweeping beaches, cliffs, big skies, surf and seabirds. Yet one thing distinguishes it from other beachy hangouts—the Cliff Lift, Britain’s oldest working water-balanced cliff tramway. Linking the town with the pier 120 feet below, each of two trams runs on a parallel track and is fitted underneath with a water tank that performs the operation of balance and gravity as the car makes its way down the incline. The trip takes 55 seconds. The tram is open on weekends from March to October and daily during peak season.
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