Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for February, 2024
Irish Demesne
By Linda Tancs
Located in County Down, Mount Stewart is the most-visited National Trust mansion house property in Northern Ireland. It’s considered to be an exceptional example of the Irish demesne, with a perimeter clearly defined by an enclosing wall. Acquired by the Stewarts in 1744, woodlands they planted, the estate roads, bridle paths, follies and farmland remain unchanged. The house (the former seat of the Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry) is no less impressive, home to a world-class collection of paintings and personal artifacts. Another gem on the property is the historic Temple of the Winds, an octagonal structure built as a banqueting hall for Robert Stewart in 1786 and identical in design to the Tower of the Winds in Athens. Situated on a rise overlooking Strangford Lough, you’ll get exquisite views of the area.
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Swinging in Connecticut
By Linda Tancs
One of the longest spans surviving in the country, East Haddam Bridge is a steel swing bridge over the Connecticut River in East Haddam. Boasting a 460 foot swing span, the movable bridge connects Haddam and East Haddam. In addition to the swing span, the other two spans are the Warren deck truss and a Pennsylvania through truss. A local landmark, the structure serves as an alternative to ferry transportation to nearby Gillette Castle.
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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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Richmond’s Valentine
By Linda Tancs
Opened in 1898, the Valentine Museum was the first private museum in Richmond, Virginia. It’s named after Mann S. Valentine, Jr., the museum’s founder, who made his fortune with the creation and production of Valentine’s Meat Juice, a health tonic made from pure beef juice. Originally boasting a collection of the Valentine family’s art and artifacts, the museum now focuses on collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s history. The museum complex includes the 1812 Wickham House, a National Historic Landmark and outstanding example of neoclassical architecture featuring rare wall paintings.
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Whisky History
By Linda Tancs
Many experts generally acknowledge Kentucky to be the premier whisky-distilling region in the country. So it should come as no surprise that the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History in Bardstown chronicles the history of American whisky from colonial days through the 1960s. The facility is named for liquor executive Oscar Getz (whose private collection became the foundation for the museum), which is located (of all places) in a former Catholic seminary. Its exhibits include an old moonshine still showing the process for making corn whisky and a bottle collection from pre-Prohibition to the present day.
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The Great Wooded Way
By Linda Tancs
New Jersey’s Atlantic City Boardwalk is touted as the world’s first and longest boardwalk (at 5.5 miles). Arguably one of the most famous boardwalks in the world, construction began in the late 1800s when the area became a premier resort destination and served as a prototype for other walkways. Along with its views of the Atlantic Ocean, the boardwalk boasts landmarks like the Steel Pier amusement park, the Boardwalk Hall concert venue and Absecon Lighthouse, the tallest beacon in the state.
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The Southernmost Park
By Linda Tancs
Discovered by a Dutch navigator in 1616, Cape Horn (named for the Dutch city Hoorn where the expedition originated) is a rocky headland on Hornos Island off the southern tip of South America where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet. Cape Horn National Park was created in 1945 by the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture and is the world’s southernmost national park. Famously one of the most dangerous passages in the world, the park’s Albatross Monument pays tribute to the many sailors who failed to cross the cape. You can access this and other highlights using the walkways that crisscross the island. Many visitors come to the park via trips that take tourists from Punta Arenas to Cape Horn. It’s best to visit between November and March when the waves are less choppy.
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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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Little Nashville
By Linda Tancs
Known by country music fans as “Little Nashville,” Nashville, Indiana, is a music destination like its better-known cousin. In fact, its Opry (which succumbed to a fire in 2009) attracted some of the biggest names in the business. When it opened in 1975, Mickey Gilley was the opening act for Cal Smith. Nowadays, the Brown County Playhouse hosts some of the city’s best live entertainment. You’ll also find the historic Brown County Art Gallery, Mike’s Music & Dance Barn (where you can learn to line dance) and multiple wine festivals.
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Livermore’s Centennial Light
By Linda Tancs
Can a firehouse be a tourist attraction? That’s certainly the case at Fire Station #6 in Livermore, California. That’s where the world’s longest-burning incandescent light bulb, as recognized by Guinness World Records, is still shining for over 120 years (albeit at a mere four watts these days). Invented by Adolphe A. Chaillet, it’s a handblown bulb with carbon filament. The station must be occupied for the bulb to be viewed inside; if the crew is out on a call or training, then you can still see it through the front right apparatus door window.
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Three Capes in Tasmania
By Linda Tancs
Tasmania’s Three Capes Track refers to the three capes (Cape Raoul, Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy), a nearly 30-mile trek amongst tall eucalypt forests, coastal heath and Australia’s highest sea cliffs. The wide and smooth trails make the multi-day walking experience (three or four days) accessible for hikers of all ages and abilities. Walkers check in at the Port Arthur Historic Site. You’ll find comfortable accommodation at the end of each day’s journey in one of the architect-designed cabins.
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The Legends of Blue and White
By Linda Tancs
The All-Sports Museum at Penn State University celebrates the athletic history and heritage of the university, one of the top schools in the world. Located at the southwest corner of Beaver Stadium, the museum devotes the downstairs exhibits to its outdoor sports and the upstairs exhibits to its indoor sports. Overall, the facility features archival images and memorabilia from 34 sports played at the varsity level at Penn State, including 31 active sports and three that have been discontinued. The site also devotes a fair amount of space to the history of its mascot, the Nittany Lion (a mountain lion), which made its first public appearance in 1922 at a game between Penn State and Syracuse.
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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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