Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for March, 2023
A Beacon to Belgium
By Linda Tancs
Better than a visitor center, the Hoeke windmill off Highway N49 in Damme beckons tourists to Belgium. One of only a few windmills in Flanders, it’s a protected monument. Reportedly a mill has existed on the site since the 1300s; the current mill was built in the 1800s and still grinds grain today. It’s open to the public every Sunday.
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Sweden’s Lake Monster
By Linda Tancs
Scotland has Nessie. Vermont has Champy. Sweden has Storsjöodjuret, the legendary monster residing in Storsjön, the country’s fifth largest lake located in Jämtland. Some reports indicate sightings as far back as the 1600s. According to lore, the creature sports a serpent-shaped body and a dog-like head. Besides monster hunting, boating and fishing are popular activities at the lake. In fact, there are almost 20 different species of fish, particularly trout, char, pike, perch, grayling, whitefish, roach and lake. Fishing is free for young anglers; otherwise, a permit is required.
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Trondheim’s Jewish Museum
By Linda Tancs
Trondheim, Norway, boasts the northernmost synagogue in Europe. Interestingly, the Trondheim Synagogue began its life as a train station, the only synagogue to serve such a function. The history of the place and the Jewish settlers (who first arrived in the 1880s) is recounted at the annexed Jewish Museum. And, in case you were wondering, the northernmost synagogue in the world is located in Fairbanks, Alaska.
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The Battle of Red Bank
By Linda Tancs
The Battle of Red Bank was a key conflict in the Revolutionary War, marking a victory for the Continental Army in their effort to prevent British and Hessian soldiers from capturing Fort Mercer. The site, Red Bank Battlefield, is a historic park located in National Park, New Jersey, along the waterfront of the Delaware River. An archaeological dig last year revealed the remains of Hessian soldiers as well as artifacts including a King George III gold guinea, which represented a soldier’s monthly payment. The park is also home to the James and Ann Whitall house. Built in 1748, the bustling plantation also served as a field hospital.
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A Little Lamb in Massachusetts
By Linda Tancs
For fans of nursery rhymes, you’ll find a nod to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” in Sterling, Massachusetts. The story goes that Mary Sawyer was followed to school there in the 1800s by her pet lamb, prompting a town visitor to write a poem about it. To commemorate the event, a statue of a lamb was later erected to boast of the locale as the birthplace for the nursery rhyme beloved by many. You’ll find the statue at the corner of Main Street and Meetinghouse Hill Road.
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Wolf Watching in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
Just minutes from the Delaware Water Gap, Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, New Jersey, is the only place of its kind in the state. Featuring educational tours and photography sessions, their guided excursions enable you to experience packs of British Columbian, Timber and Arctic wolves in natural surroundings. Bobcat, lynx and foxes also reside at the preserve. Online reservations are required.
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Camels and Crocodiles
By Linda Tancs
The Guelta d’Archei is a Saharan guelta (oasis) in the Ennedi Plateau in northeastern Chad. Surrounded by towering cliffs, it’s a centuries-old pitstop of sorts for caravans of camels that have been herded to the water to wade and drink. More than just a watering hole, the locale also serves as their bathroom (or loo, if you like), which results in algae blooms for fish to feed on. The fish, in turn, are food for the crocodiles, the other primary animal found there. Trips there usually comprise a four-day journey across the Sahara from N’Djamena. The trek is challenging and there are no marked trails on the hike to the guelta.
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Canada’s History
By Linda Tancs
The Canadian Museum of History is the most-visited museum in the nation. It’s also one of the country’s oldest institutions, with roots dating back to 1856. Boasting 25,000 square meters of display space and representing nearly as many years of human history, its purpose is to promote Canadian heritage and research in the fields of history, archaeology, ethnology and cultural studies. In addition to ongoing exhibitions like Grand Hall and First Peoples Hall, the facility provides special exhibitions on not only Canadian history but also on world history and civilizations. The museum is located in Gatineau, Quebec, on the banks of the Ottawa River directly opposite Parliament Hill.
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