Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Author Archive
War History at Lake George
By Linda Tancs
In Lake George, New York, you can step back in time at Fort William Henry and experience life at a British fort in 1755 during the French and Indian War, a conflict that many describe as the original first world war. Named for two royal grandsons, the fort was erected to protect the British colonies against French incursions in the region. Among the many activities at the fort, you can watch live musket and cannon firings, play 18th-century games and join the King’s Army!
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A Troll Hunt in Maine
By Linda Tancs
Boasting nearly a mile of tidewater shoreline, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is New England’s largest botanical garden. You’ll find more than 300 acres of gardens and natural spaces featuring both ornamental and themed gardens like a children’s garden and sensory gardens. But the scene stealers may very well be the giant trolls found throughout the native, natural wooded areas. Designed by a Danish artist, they’re composed of recycled wood and other materials like oak bark and tree roots. It’s about a 3-mile hike to see all five trolls, which tower above the forest at about 20 feet.
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A Light of the First Order
By Linda Tancs
Located on the North Carolina coast between Cape Henry and Bodie Island lighthouses in Corolla is Currituck Beach Lighthouse. It bears the distinction of being one of the only lighthouses in America that still houses its original first-order Fresnel lens, which continues to flash today at 20-second intervals. The beacon, which can be seen for 18 nautical miles, comes on at dusk and ceases at dawn. It’s also the last brick and mortar lighthouse built in the state. Don’t miss the climb to the top, where you’ll be greeted with expansive views of the Currituck Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the northern Outer Banks.
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The Jewel on Millionaires’ Row
By Linda Tancs
Millionaires’ Row in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is a historic stretch of Victorian mansions and landmark churches built by lumber barons in the 1800s. Once the Lumber Capital of the World, Williamsport had more millionaires per person than any other city in the nation. The jewel in its crown is Rowley House, one of the best maintained mansions and arguably the finest example of Queen Anne-style architecture in the Commonwealth. One of its most breathtaking features are the Tiffany-style stained glass windows. Located on West Fourth Street, the house was built for E.A. Rowley, one of the wealthiest men in Pennsylvania.
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The Second Greatest Show on Earth
By Linda Tancs
When circus magnate P.T. Barnum saw the view from the summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, he proclaimed it “the second greatest show on Earth.” The view is still thrilling visitors who take the Mount Washington Cog Railway (known as the Cog) to the Northeast’s highest peak. The world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, it uses a Marsh rack system and both steam and biodiesel-powered locomotives (depending on the season) to carry tourists to the top of the mountain for panoramic views of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Canada and the ocean. The roundtrip journey from Marshfield Base Station (on the west side of the mountain) is just under three hours.
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The Wild Goose Auto Tour
By Linda Tancs
Established in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife, Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge is known as a paradise for bird watchers, the site being designated a Globally Important Bird Area as well as a designated site along the Great Missouri Birding Trail. One of its features is the Wild Goose Auto Tour, a 10-mile auto tour route where you can experience wildlife year round. As summer approaches, snakes and turtles are often seen crossing the auto tour. This time of year is also popular for viewing nesting songbirds as well as great blue herons and other wading birds. The refuge is located in northwest Missouri near Mound City.
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A Walk by the Sea in Croatia
By Linda Tancs
A landmark of Opatija, Croatia, Lungomare is a seafront promenade connecting the picturesque fishing village of Volosko with Opatija and further on with Ičići, Ika and Lovran. A popular path for locals and visitors alike, some of the scenes you’ll encounter include beautiful beaches and coves, the magnificent Villa Angiolina (housing the Croatian Museum of Tourism) and the iconic Maiden With The Seagull sculpture near the boat harbor.
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A Pivotal Place in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. At its epicenter was Lotz House, where battle literally took place in the family’s front yard. Evidence of the conflict remain, with bloodstains and cannonball scars throughout the house. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, guided house tours take place throughout the day, as well as specialized tours like a ghost tour, a women’s history tour and a battlefield tour with a Civil War expert.
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New York’s Whispering Gallery
By Linda Tancs
A whispering gallery is usually a circular, hemispherical, elliptical or ellipsoidal enclosure, often beneath a dome or a vault, in which whispers can be heard clearly in other parts of the gallery. One famous example is the one in New York City’s Grand Central terminal. Located outside the entrance to the Oyster Bar & Restaurant, the near-perfect arches there provide a corner-to-corner acoustic oddity. Just stand with a friend in opposite corners of the gallery, face the wall, and whisper. You’ll hear each other’s voice as if you were standing side by side, no matter how much noise surrounds you.
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The History of Iron
By Linda Tancs
Located in Montaigu Park in Jarville-la-Malgrange, Le Féru des Sciences in northeastern France invites visitors to learn about how iron has been used through the ages and particularly in the region. You’ll discover how iron ore is mined and how iron is made, follow the history of iron and steel in the region and discover its innovations. The Forge Garden outside provides a pleasant respite and features installations and artifacts like an old section of staircase from the Eiffel Tower.
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