Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for July, 2025
Alberta’s Mountain Playground
By Linda Tancs
Away from the masses that visit Banff National Park, Canada’s Kananaskis Country is a mountain retreat beloved by locals. It includes five provincial parks, four wildland provincial parks, one ecological reserve and several provincial recreation areas. Not just for outdoorsy types, the vast expanse offers a luxury spa experience, cozy lodges and inspiring views requiring no more than a casual walk. The drive from Calgary’s western city limit takes about one hour via the Trans-Canada Highway #1.
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Cape Cod’s Oldest Town
By Linda Tancs
Founded in 1637, Sandwich, Massachusetts, is Cape Cod’s oldest town. The historical assets of this coastal haven include the Town Hall Square, 1847 First Church, the 1654 mill (that still grinds corn) and the boardwalk. The town might be better known, though, for the vital role it played in American glass production in the 1800s. You can learn all about that at the Sandwich Glass Museum, which features a wide range of rare glass, including Victorian-era glass manufactured by the now defunct local Boston & Sandwich Glass Factory.
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A Baroque Jewel in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Melk Abbey is more than just a monastery; it’s one of the most impressive Baroque ensembles north of the Alps and plays an important role in the history of early Austria. Since 1089, the Benedictine monks have been living and working in Melk Abbey in uninterrupted tradition. Saint Coloman (Austria’s first patron saint) is buried there, along with members of the Babenberg family, the country’s first rulers. The size of a small village, the abbey boasts 1,365 windows, 497 rooms and over 5 acres of roofage. A guided tour takes approximately 50 minutes and includes the museum rooms, the Marble Hall, the balcony and the library, which contains over 100,000 books. From April to October admission includes the abbey park with its Baroque pavilion as well.
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Pilsen’s Golden Fountains
By Linda Tancs
Of medieval origin, Republic Square forms the very center of the Czech city of Pilsen. Not so medieval are its three gilded fountains. Fashioned to represent a greyhound, a camel and an angel, they represent motifs from the city’s coat of arms. You’ll find them near St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral, another landmark in the city.
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Vienna’s State Opera House
By Linda Tancs
Austria’s Vienna State Opera is one of the world’s leading opera houses. Needless to say, tickets are always in high demand. You’ll have better luck taking a tour of this Renaissance Revival venue, which includes a look into areas that the lucky opera goer will not see. During a guided, 40-minute tour, you will walk up the grand staircase through the state rooms (Tea Salon, Marble Hall, Schwindfoyer, Gustav Mahler Hall) to the auditorium, with a view of the stage. Tours are offered in German and English.
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The Great Hungarian Plain
By Linda Tancs
Puszta is to Hungary what Big Sky Country is to the United States. It’s located in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary’s first and largest national park. A vast area of plains and wetlands, you’ll find grazing water buffalo and Hungarian grey cattle. A highlight of a visit is the showmanship of Hungarian cowboys, who display their equestrian skills in a daily horse show that runs from April to September.
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Salmon Runs in Washington
By Linda Tancs
The Sol Duc River in Washington’s Olympic National Park is one of the few places where salmon run in every season. That makes fishing a popular activity there. Chinook, coho, pink, chum and sockeye are all represented. In the late summer and early fall, visitors come to the viewing platform at Salmon Cascades to watch the determined coho salmon leap over the falls on their way to spawn upstream in the river. The Sol Duc is accessed by turning off Highway 101 onto the Sol Duc Road; the viewing platform (available year round to view the falls) is about 5 miles down the road.
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Native American Scenic Byway
By Linda Tancs
Following a natural path cut by the Missouri River, the Native American Scenic Byway runs north and south through central South Dakota. The route takes travelers through the lands of the Yankton, Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Sioux tribes. Unlike many road trips, much of the rugged country on view remains undeveloped to this day, featuring landscapes along the way like mixed-grass prairie and rolling hills that end in limestone cliffs. Overlooking the Missouri River near Mobridge you’ll find a beloved local landmark, the monument marking the final resting place of Sitting Bull. It’s located in an isolated park that remains free to visitors.
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All Things Warhol
By Linda Tancs
A leading figure in the pop art movement, Andy Warhol was an American visual artist and cultural icon. At The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (the city of his birth), you’ll find the largest collection of Warhol art and archives in the world. Paintings, drawings, commercial illustrations, sculptures, prints, photographs, wallpapers, sketchbooks and books cover the entire range of his career, from his early student work to pop art paintings and collaborations. You’ll also find the entire output of his work in video, comprising more than 4,000 videotapes. Museum admission provides access to seven floors of art and archives.
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Blowing Off Steam in Hawaii
By Linda Tancs
Extending from sea level to 13,680 feet, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island encompasses two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Traditionally, Kīlauea is viewed by many native Hawaiians as the home of the volcanic deity Pelehonuamea. It has covered almost 90% of its surface in lava flows within the last 1,000 years. Mauna Loa has erupted 34 times since 1843, averaging once every five years. Its name means “long mountain” in Hawaiian, a quintessential shield volcano in its shape— signified by broad, rounded slopes. Hiking is a natural must-do there as is a trip along Crater Rim Drive, where steaming bluffs and scenic overlooks await you.
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