Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for December, 2023
A New Landmark in Cambridge
By Linda Tancs
Constructed between 1977 and 1980, Robinson College is not only Cambridge University’s youngest college but also its first co-educational facility. And now it enjoys Grade II (protected) status, hailed as “a stunning city landmark.” Among its gems are the artistic interiors of the chapel (particularly the window) and the library. Sporting distinctive red brick exteriors, the college was funded by David Robinson, a major contributor to British horse racing.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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The Wright Skyscraper
By Linda Tancs
Preeminent designer Frank Lloyd Wright was best known for his domestic architecture. So it may come as a surprise to learn that he also designed a skyscraper. Located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Price Tower (a 19-story historic landmark) is Wright’s only skyscraper and one of two vertically-oriented buildings he designed. The other building, the SC Johnson Wax Headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin, is the only building designed by Wright that is still being actively used as corporate headquarters. Price Tower Arts Center offers tours of the structure, including a visit to the restored 19th-floor executive office of H.C. Price and the H.C. Price Company Corporate Apartment.
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A Tribute to Stonehenge in Texas
By Linda Tancs
Ninety percent as tall and 60 percent as wide as the original Stonehenge in England, Stonehenge II in Ingram, Texas, is a tribute to the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire. The stunning replica was created by Al Shepperd and his neighbor Doug Hill. It’s located beside the Guadalupe River on the campus of the Hill Country Arts Foundation.
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Whimsical Art in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
Named for an amusement park in Italy, Luna Parc is a hunting cabin-turned-art studio in Sandyston Township, New Jersey. The brainchild of eclectic artist Ricky Boscarino, the site features more than 100,000 items. The artist repurposes common objects like bread tabs, bowling balls and crutches to create madcap art; the front façade alone is as madcap as it gets, like a cartoon come to life. One of the most stunning rooms is the bathroom, where mosaic work is composed of more than 1 million pieces of glass. The venue is open to the public only certain times of the year.
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Chicago’s Lightscape
By Linda Tancs
Lightscape is an enchanting holiday light show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois, where a one-mile path of the 385-acre site is transformed into a light and sound installation this time of year. A particular favorite is the Cathedral of Light, a towering cathedral-window arch of 100,000 lights that extends along a 110-foot tunnel. Along the pathway, you’ll also find marshmallow-toasting fire cauldrons and refreshment stands. This year’s event runs until January 7, 2024.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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Florida’s Underwater Playground
By Linda Tancs
Encompassing nearly 70 nautical square miles in Key Largo, Florida, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the first undersea park in the United States. As the name implies, the coral reef (the only living coral reef in the continental United States) is a key draw. The reef can be viewed via glass-bottom boat tour, snorkeling or scuba diving. Be sure to stop by the visitor center, which has a 30,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. The park is named for the late John D. Pennekamp, a Miami newspaper editor whose efforts contributed to the establishment of Everglades National Park and led to the preservation of the reef system bearing his name.
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