Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for June, 2025
Little River History
By Linda Tancs
The Little River is one of Miami’s four original natural rivers draining into Biscayne Bay. It’s also an important historic site, being the river crossed by Henry Flagler’s original railroad as well as being home to one of the earliest indigenous settlements in Florida. Today it winds its way through 12 miles of diverse communities and represents a thriving arts and cultural hotspot.
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The Kick-Off to Summer in Halifax
By Linda Tancs
Viewed as the kick-off to summer, Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is a global entertainment event in Halifax. The word “tattoo” is derived from “doe den tap toe,” a drumbeat played in the 17th century to call British soldiers back to the barracks in their Dutch villages. Over time, the phrase was shortened to “tap toe,” then anglicized to “tattoo” and adopted as a term for a military musical show. The Halifax event features marching bands, acrobats, dancers, military displays and pipes and drums. This year’s event runs from June 27 to July 1.
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Juneau’s Totem Pole Trail
By Linda Tancs
A new feature adorning the waterfront in Juneau, Alaska, is the Totem Pole Trail. Strategically located at the highly-trafficked port where cruise ship visitors arrive, the growing exhibition features the work of Indigenous master carvers. Each figure has a storyboard with a breakdown of what each symbol is and the story that the totem pole tells. It also lists the artist, their clan and clan stories.
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The Marble City
By Linda Tancs
Kilkenny, Ireland, is dubbed “Marble City” due to its highly polished limestone which resembles marble. Of perhaps equal renown is Kilkenny Castle, boasting one of the longest histories of continuous occupation in the country. Founded soon after the Norman Conquest, today’s edifice is largely a Victorian remodeling of the 13th-century defensive castle. Until 1935 it was the longtime seat of the powerful and wealthy Butler family, whose family paintings, tapestries and objects d’art infuse the grand country house.
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Molly Brown’s House
By Linda Tancs
The Molly Brown House Museum is a historic house museum in Denver, Colorado, that was the home of American philanthropist, activist and socialite Margaret Brown. She survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, earning her the appellation “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Self-guided and guided tours (from 45 minutes to one hour) are available throughout the day.
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All You Want to Know About Travel
Should you buy travel insurance? Is your checked bag too “smart”? Is your currency too old? Imagine having all of your travel questions answered in one text, eliminating the deep dive into a multitude of sources. After all, you’re too busy for that. That’s where All You Want to Know About Travel by Linda Tancs comes in. As practical as it gets, the book is chock-full of tips, tricks, hints, and resources covering everything from researching a destination to getting ready to come back home.
Available exclusively through the Lulu bookstore at https://www.lulu.com/shop.
Buy your copy today!
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Bustling Barry
By Linda Tancs
Fans of the BBC’s award-winning TV series Gavin & Stacey are familiar with the town of Barry, a seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, that served as a backdrop for many of the show’s scenes. It’s believed that the town gets its name from the sixth-century Celtic Saint Baruc. You can visit the remains of the chapel dedicated to him which date back to the eighth century. The locale is also known for Barry War Museum, which explores what life was like in the area during both world wars. It features a World War I replica trench and an Anderson shelter from World War II. The Wales Coast Path (heralded as the first dedicated coast path in the world to cover the entire length of a country’s coastline), runs right around the coastline at Barry to Rhoose Point, the most southerly spot in Wales.
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Little Rock’s Early Days
By Linda Tancs
The MacArthur Park Historic District encompasses approximately 50 blocks in the heart of Little Rock, Arkansas. Boasting a variety of homes from the 1800s in different architectural styles, the district is centered on MacArthur Park, established as the first municipal park in Little Rock in 1892. It contains the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, which is located in the historic Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal — the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur.
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Great Blue Hills of God
By Linda Tancs
One of South Carolina’s most photographed natural attractions, Table Rock is an iconic open rockface (akin to a table) that overlooks the rolling mountains and dense forests of the Blue Ridge Escarpment region. The Cherokee tribes of the region called it Sah-ka-na-ga, which translates to “Great Blue Hills of God.” It’s the hallmark feature of Table Rock State Park, boasting nearly 3,000 acres of natural beauty that benefits from a myriad of hiking trails. In addition, the park offers swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, pedal boats and even yearlong bluegrass jam sessions.
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Large Girth in Lincolnshire
By Linda Tancs
One of Britain’s greatest trees is the Bowthorpe Oak near Bourne in Lincolnshire. It ranks as the U.K.’s largest girthed oak tree at around 44 feet. Of unknown age, the pedunculate oak is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. You’ll find it at the aptly-named Bowthorpe Oak, a private family farm where you can visit the oak as well as see traditional breeds of livestock including Pedigree Lincoln Red cattle, Jacob sheep and Berkshire pigs. They’re open to the public throughout the summer on weekends.
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