Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for December, 2022
The World’s Oldest Tortoise
By Linda Tancs
St. Helena and Ascension, together with the Tristan da Cunha islands group, are among the world’s most isolated islands and comprise a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic. It’s the perfect spot for, say, a giant tortoise to live a peaceful life. That’s what Jonathan, a giant tortoise, is doing on St. Helena. He’s at least 190 years old, earning him the title of “oldest tortoise ever” in Guinness World Records. Given his advanced age, he also holds the record as “world’s oldest animal on land.” He’s lived through two world wars, the rise and fall of the British Empire, changes in the monarchy as well as the passing of dozens of governors of his island home.
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A Little Zing and Spark
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the largest light show in the country, Amaze Light Festival is an interactive adventure through five holiday-themed worlds guided by storybook characters Zing and Sparky. Guests visit sites like the North Pole, a Land of Sweets and a Whimsical Forest, immersed in a million twinkling lights. The event is returning to Chicago (Odyssey Fun World in Tinley Park) and has expanded to New York City’s Citi Field baseball park. Give yourself at least two hours to enjoy the festivities.
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The Jewel of Ormond Beach
By Linda Tancs
Designated a Florida Heritage Site and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Casements was the summer home of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller Sr. Located in Ormond Beach and lauded as its jewel, the property is named for the large, hand-cut casement windows that adorn the mansion. Christmas was a particularly festive time of year for Rockefeller, when he entertained friends like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. Holiday festivities continue today with The Casements Guild, whose volunteers guide visitors through the manor as docents.
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Capital of Christmas
By Linda Tancs
The magic of Christmas is in full swing in Strasbourg, France. It’s recognized as having one of the best Christmas market destinations in Europe, spread across more than 10 sites within the Grande Île district. Known affectionately as the Capital of Christmas, its market (Christkindelsmärik) was established in 1570 and is one of the oldest in Europe. The whole city is festooned in Christmas cheer, featuring the Great Christmas Tree over Place Kléber, where a sound and light show takes place on the hour in the evening. Lights are everywhere, like the promenade of stars lining the walk from Pont du Corbeau up to Pont Saint-Guillaume. Getting there is easy; there are over 20 daily trains between Paris and Strasbourg alone.
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France’s Sea of Ice
By Linda Tancs
One of the biggest attractions in France’s Chamonix Valley, Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) is the country’s largest glacier, measuring over 4 miles long. The best way to get to it is to take the little red train from Chamonix (site of the first Winter Olympic games) to Montenvers. One of only a handful of rack-and-pinion railways in France, the train climbs a steep track to around 7,000 feet, reaching a stunning vantage point above the glacier. From there you take a cable car to a point near the glacier, which leads to over 400 steps and some ramps into a man-made ice grotto. That may sound like a lot of work to see an ice cave, but you’ll be rewarded with ice sculptures lit in a colorful, otherworldly fashion. You can also view an exhibition of beautiful mountain crystals found in the region.
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Christmas Underground
By Linda Tancs
You might think that if you’ve seen one Christmas market in Europe, then you’ve seen them all. If so, then you probably haven’t been to Valkenburg in the Netherlands. In addition to its overground festivities, the town offers underground enchantment in its marlstone caves with stalls, lights and almost 100 feet of miniature villages. Wrapped in Christmas spirit from top to bottom (literally), the city styles itself Christmas Town. You can experience the fun from mid-November to early January. If you visit on a weekday, then you’ll experience less crowding.
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Brown Bluff
By Linda Tancs
A tuya is a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet. A spectacular example of this rarity is 2,500-foot-high Brown Bluff on the Tabarin Peninsula in Antarctica, named for its brown/black slopes. Conditions permitting, you can venture there via many cruises in the region. The star attraction is the penguin population, particularly Adélie penguins (20,000 or so pairs) and gentoo penguins (around 550 pairs), who converge for breeding this time of year.
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