Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Author Archive
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.
Share this:
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.
*************
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
*************
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.
Share this:
Creativity and Invention in Florida
By Linda Tancs
The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, Florida, is named for Dr. James Robert Cade, lead inventor of the sports drink Gatorade. A prolific inventor, he was also a medical doctor, scientist, musician, writer and poet. His namesake museum (opened in 2018, some years after his death) reflects his creativity and desire to inspire inventors, entrepreneurs and visionaries. The facility’s programs include weekly events for children that introduce them to science concepts and permanent exhibits showcasing life-changing inventions like Gatorade and toilets as well as an audio tour around the rotunda highlighting inventions motivated by factors such as necessity, curiosity, imagination, iteration and serendipity.
Share this:
A Cave Castle in Slovenia
By Linda Tancs
Listed by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest cave castle, Predjama looks like any other medieval castle, except for the fact that the cliffside fortress is built into the mouth of a cave complex. The interior, then, is a network of tunnels leading to the second-longest cave in the country, where a colony of bats resides. The castle is open year-round; you can visit the cave from June to August when the bats aren’t hibernating.
Share this:
Peace and Quiet
By Linda Tancs
If you’d like some peace and quiet, then head to Minneapolis, Minnesota. That’s where you’ll find the world-famous Orfield Anechoic Chamber of Orfield Laboratories. Internationally recognized as “The Quietest Place on Earth,” the room offers a keen sensory experience unlike any other. The lab offers multiple options for tours, each with different lengths of time in the anechoic chamber.
Share this:
A Bushwalker’s Paradise
By Linda Tancs
Also known as hiking, bushwalking is a uniquely Australian term. In New South Wales, Guy Fawkes River National Park is a paradise for bushwalkers. A highlight is Escarpment Walk, which will take you to Chaelundi Falls and its lookout down over the Guy Fawkes River Valley. From there, you can visit Lucifer’s Thumb, a large rock that offers sweeping vistas out over the gorge and Guy Fawkes River. The park is a significant conservation site with amazing biodiversity. There are 24 threatened animal species you might encounter; watch for the brush-tailed rock-wallabies that can often be seen in the park’s rocky areas.
*************
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.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 