Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for May, 2023
A Geology Lesson in Nebraska
By Linda Tancs
Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska has been of scientific interest since the late 1890s when the U.S. Geological Survey made the first formal geologic investigation of the area. Rising to 4,659 feet above sea level and 800 feet above the North Platte River, the geology of Scotts Bluff is significant from a natural resource standpoint because it affords a view of 740 feet of continuous geologic strata that spans a time period extending from 33 to 22 million years before the present. Boasting the most geologic history of any location in the state, you can learn the most about the monument’s unique geological features (like its buttes, plateaus, bluffs, mesas and pillars) by hiking the Saddle Rock Trail, a 1.6 mile trek featuring 435 feet of elevation change. You can also admire the views from the north and south overlooks, the Prairie View Trail and the Oregon Trail Pathway. There’s a trail for every ability level.
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Plenty of Books in Norfolk
By Linda Tancs
One of the most impressive collections of books in England is at Blickling Estate in Norfolk. That’s where you’ll find the 18th-century Long Gallery, which contains over 12,500 volumes, including a handwritten manuscript from the 1100s containing the Dialogues of Pope Gregory the Great. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the estate is also the alleged birthplace of Anne Boleyn, ill-fated wife of King Henry VIII. Be sure to stroll the gardens. There are two secret tunnels, a walled garden and a lake, as well as a formidable row of yew hedges flanking the driveway.
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A Steam Train and a Riverboat
By Linda Tancs
Essex, Connecticut, is a quaint town on the west bank of the Connecticut River. At Essex Station, you can catch a ride on a steam train operating along the historic Valley Railroad line. The 12-mile, narrated journey passes through Deep River and Chester (together with Essex, referred to locally as the Tri-Town Area). But why stop there? You can combine the steam train journey with a riverboat cruise, which offers views of coves, inlets, marshes, wildlife, rocky shoreline and Gillette Castle. The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat excursion is 2 1/2 hours long, operating round-trip from Essex Station between May and October. Advance booking is recommended.
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Digging for Diamonds
By Linda Tancs
Located in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, Crater of Diamonds State Park is one of the few places in the world where the public can search for real diamonds at their original volcanic source. Diamonds come in a variety of colors, but the three colors found at the park are white, brown and yellow. Amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, quartz and other rocks and minerals naturally occur there as well. Visitors to the park search a 37-acre field (the eroded surface of a volcanic crater), and any rocks, minerals or gemstones you find are yours to keep. Bring your own mining equipment or rent it from the park. Park staff provide complimentary identification of rocks and minerals as well as diamond mining demonstrations and other interpretive programs.
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An Iconic Ferry in New York
By Linda Tancs
One of the last operating ferry systems in New York, the Staten Island Ferry has been transporting passengers between New York City and Staten Island long before bridges were introduced. Today it is the only non-vehicular mode of transport between Staten Island and Manhattan, transporting almost 70,000 passengers daily between the St. George and Whitehall (also known as South Ferry) terminals in Staten Island and Manhattan, respectively. The orange-colored icon offers scenic views of New York Harbor (including Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty) and is a free service provided by the City of New York.
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A Drive to the Sky
By Linda Tancs
Between Manchester and Arlington, Vermont, Skyline Drive is the longest private toll road in the country. In continuous operation since its completion in 1947, it boasts 5.2 miles of paved road ascending 3,248 feet to the summit of Mount Equinox, the highest peak in the Taconic Range. To say the views are sweeping is certainly an understatement. You’ll get 360-degree views of mountain vistas in Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and, on clear days, Montreal’s Mount Royal. The route is open from late May (Memorial Day weekend) to October.
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A Big Tree in a Small Town
By Linda Tancs
Egremont, Massachusetts, is a small town in the Berkshires, the kind of out-of-the-way place you’d expect a celebrated writer to hunker down in while writing the next great American novel. But the most celebrated thing there is a tree. Not just any tree, mind you, but a colossal twin-trunked elm about 150 years old lovingly named Elma. It resides alone on Baldwin Hill in the middle of a cornfield, its isolation credited for its survival against that elm-felling, beetle-borne fungus known as Dutch elm disease. It strikes quite the pose against the rural landscape (which includes the Housatonic River Valley and some of the Berkshire Hills), making it perhaps the most photographed tree in western Massachusetts.
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The Soul of the Rogue
By Linda Tancs
Affectionately dubbed “the other Phoenix,” you’ll be met with Southern Oregon hospitality in Phoenix, Oregon. Touted as the heart and soul of the Rogue Valley, a key attraction is the Rogue River, where rafting attracts worldwide visitors. You can also hike the Rogue River Trail. Stretching 40 miles between Grave Creek and Big Bend, the trail follows the north bank of the river as it winds its way toward the Pacific Ocean and traverses the wild section of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River along its entire length. You’ll find wilderness lodges and campsites along the route.
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Air Power in Virginia
By Linda Tancs
Located in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic region, Hampton, Virginia, is home to Air Power Park. An outdoor park displaying restored aircraft and spacecraft, it chronicles the air power that played a vital part in America’s early space exploration and aircraft testing. Many of the park’s jets, missiles and rockets have connections with nearby Langley AFB and NASA Langley Research Center. Enjoy the outdoor displays daily from sunrise to sunset. You can also tour inside displays during regular business hours. Admission is free.
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Onions and Wine
By Linda Tancs
Located in the southeast corner of Washington State and nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains, Walla Walla (a Native American term meaning “many waters”) is renowned for its sweet onion, the state vegetable. But in recent years the wine is giving this hallmark bulb a run for its money. Recognized among the finest wine regions in the nation, the city boasts more than 120 wineries amid 2,800 acres of grapes. Wineries and tasting rooms are scattered throughout six main districts, so expert-led tours and shuttles offer a convenient way to experience all the varietals that the region has to offer.
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