Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for September, 2025
World’s Largest Coffee Shop
By Linda Tancs
So, java lovers, where in the world is the largest coffee shop? The answer: South Korea. Boasting 2,190 seats and 3,600 square meters, Positive Space 566 in Gyeonggi-do takes the cake. Or should we say, bean. Opened in 2022, the shop’s four floors feature a variety of coffees and teas as well as baked goods, wood-fired pizza, pasta, salads and more.
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Stars and Stripes in Gloucester
By Linda Tancs
The city of Gloucester, England, has many ties to the United States. For example, Gloucester-born Button Gwinnett was an early signer of the Declaration of Independence. Also, the bells of Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts, were made in 1744 by the famous Rudhall foundry in Gloucester and installed in 1745. The city of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was named for its English counterpart in honor of their defiance against King Charles I during the English Civil War. Even Gloucester Cathedral has ties to America. In fact, it boasts both an American flag and Union flag in the nave. That’s because John Stafford Smith, the composer of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was born in the cathedral’s infirmary. Take a tour of the cathedral and learn more about Smith and his birthplace.
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A Symbol of Polynesian Heritage
By Linda Tancs
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taputapuātea is an archaeological gem in French Polynesia. Located in Raiatea, the marae (a sacred communal space) was once the center of spiritual practice uniting the “Polynesian triangle” of Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island. The ancient site, open daily, remains of great historical and cultural significance to indigenous Polynesians.
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Rainbow Houses of Houten
By Linda Tancs
A gem for shutterbugs, the so-called rainbow houses in Houten, Netherlands, are truly a rainbow burst of color off Lake Rietplas. This bicycle-centric community offers a variety of shops and eateries across three centers: Old Village, Het Rond and Castellum. The houses are easily accessible from Castellum station.
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The Maroon Bells
By Linda Tancs
Located just 10 miles west of Aspen, Colorado, is one of the most photographed places in the state. Known as the Maroon Bells, they’re two 14,000-foot, bell-shaped peaks (Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak). The “fourteeners” are named maroon owing to the color they take on in certain light. Anchored by a reflective lake, the Maroon Bells Scenic Area is accessible by car or shuttle with a reservation. The RFTA shuttle service operates seasonally from late May through late October.
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Gateway to Wales
By Linda Tancs
Adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England, Chepstow (meaning “marketplace” in Old English) is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales. Appropriately known as the “gateway to Wales,” you can appreciate what it’s like to have a foot in both jurisdictions by standing in the center of the town’s landmark iron bridge. Another gem is its Norman castle, built at a strategic point overlooking the River Wye. Within the castle is Marten’s Tower, named for its most famous prisoner, Henry Marten, who signed the death warrant for King Charles I.
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England’s Independent Lighthouse
By Linda Tancs
The oldest working light on the Norfolk Coast and the only independently operated lighthouse in the U.K. is Happisburgh Lighthouse. The red and white-banded structure is 85 feet tall and its lantern is 134 feet above sea level with a range of 18 miles. There are 96 open steps up to the service room and 16 steep steps to the lantern, which are enclosed. Aside from public open days, private tours can be arranged. Book early to avoid disappointment.
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The Great Wagon Road
By Linda Tancs
The Great Wagon Road, also known as the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, is a historic path in the eastern United States that followed an ancient Native American trade route known as the Great Indian Warrior Trading Path. It enabled 18th-century travel from Philadelphia westward and then south into the backcountry of Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. You’ll have to imagine that route via the interstate that exists today. Namely, Interstate 81 follows a significant portion of the wagon road from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, south through the Shenandoah Valley.
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A North Shore Art Colony
By Linda Tancs
Located on Lake Superior’s North Shore, Grand Marais, Minnesota, is an artists’ paradise. In fact, this charming harbor village boasts the oldest art colony in the state. The Grand Marais Art Colony provides artists with independent work space in professional studios amidst the backdrop of a stunning landscape nestled between the Sawtooth Mountains and Lake Superior. Autumn is a great time to participate in Art Along the Lake, a 10-day, self-led art tour during peak fall colors that offers the unique opportunity to meet local artists in their home studios and gain insights into their creative processes.
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Baths of Caracalla
By Linda Tancs
Situated near the Appian Way, the Baths of Caracalla (Thermae Antoninianae) represent the ruins of one of the largest and most impressive thermae built in antiquity in Rome. The complex was initiated by the emperor Septimius Severus in A.D. 206 and completed by his son, the emperor Caracalla in A.D. 216. Its rectangular shape is typical of imperial baths, which also included spaces for walking, studying and sports. They were once covered with marble and decorated with valued works of art unparalleled in ancient times. Take Line B, Circo Massimo stop, to get there.
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