Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for international travel
Small But Mighty in New Zealand
By Linda Tancs
Abel Tasman National Park is a wilderness reserve at the north end of New Zealand’s South Island. Despite its small size, it’s the country’s most popular national park, making the case that good things come in small packages. It’s known for the Abel Tasman Coast Track, a 33-mile trail between the seaside village of Marahau and Wainui. Along the way you’ll experience golden sand beaches and a 154-foot-long suspension bridge over Falls River as well as plenty of lookouts and rocky headlands. Don’t miss a side trip to Cleopatra’s Pool, a natural rock pool with a moss-lined waterslide. It’s best to take the trek in stages; there are four huts and 18 campsites along the track, which must be booked in advance all year round.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Smoking Mountain
By Linda Tancs
They say that only the most adventurous dare to climb Mount Fitz Roy, the highest peak in Southern Patagonia’s Glacier National Park. At over 11,000 feet above sea level, you can understand why. Due to a fairly consistent atmospheric haze over its peak, it was originally named Chaltén, a word meaning “smoking mountain” in the indigenous Tehuelche tribe’s dialect. The current moniker, Fitz Roy, is a nod to Captain FitzRoy of HMS Beagle, the ship that voyaged around South America with Charles Darwin. Although there’s nothing volcanic about the revered granite walls, you’ll get smokin’ views of Fitz Roy from Laguna de Los Tres, some 1,400 feet from the base camp reserved for mountaineers.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Japan’s Atlantis
By Linda Tancs
You may recall the legend of Atlantis, the lost civilization created by Plato, submerged by a cataclysmic earthquake. Scholars occasionally muse whether the place really existed, especially whenever a spectacular underwater rock formation is discovered. Japan has its own version of Atlantis, Yonaguni Submarine Ruins, a submerged rock formation off the coast of Yonaguni. The southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, it’s located about 62 miles east of Taiwan. The primary structure is an ancient underwater pyramid measuring a staggering 500 feet in length, 130 feet in width and 90 feet in height. Is it the remnant of an ancient Pacific civilization or a natural wonder? You can take an underwater sightseeing boat tour or dive there and decide for yourself.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Victoria’s Marine Emblem
By Linda Tancs
The weedy sea dragon is a marine emblem in Victoria, Australia. You’ll find it at Churchill Island Marine National Park, a protected marine national park located in Western Port, Victoria, Australia. Boasting 1,700 acres, it’s an important roosting and feeding site for migratory waders like whimbrels and bar-tailed godwits. So, needless to say, bird watching is a popular activity, as is snorkeling among the seagrass beds where black swans and fish congregate. You might also enjoy canoeing among the mangroves. Just off the coast of Phillip Island, Churchill Island holds an important place in the history of European settlement in Victoria.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Maldives of Switzerland
By Linda Tancs
At the heart of Switzerland’s Verzasca Valley you’ll find the emerald-green waters of the Verzasca River, enveloped by polished gorges and bathing pools. Locals like to compare its natural beauty to Maldives. One of the most iconic features across the river is Ponte dei Salti (jump bridge), a double-arched medieval stone pedestrian bridge in photogenic Lavertezzo. It’s a jumping point, literally, for divers as well as a good starting point for hikers. The best way to get to this Italian-speaking region in southern Switzerland is by car.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Argentina’s Dead Rock
By Linda Tancs
The third largest national park in Argentina, Lanín National Park is named for the area’s largest peak, Lanín volcano, a word meaning “dead rock” in the native Mapuche language. It is, indeed, a dead rock—an extinct stratovolcano that can be seen for miles on a clear day. Many visitors come to climb the volcano, but the park is also prized as a conservation area for the monkey-puzzle tree, what naturalists call a “living fossil” dating back to the Mesozoic Era. The park is located southwest of Neuquén province.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Spain’s Wild Coast
By Linda Tancs
Spain’s wild side is Costa Brava (wild coast), a coastal region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain that stretches to the French border. It claims surrealist artist Salvador Dalí as a native son, having lived his life in Figueres. One of the most striking buildings there is the Dalí Theatre-Museum, which houses the largest and most diverse single collection of the surrealist’s works. It also houses the master himself; he’s buried in a crypt under the stage.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Jewish Heritage in Britain
By Linda Tancs
Around 150,000 Jewish immigrants settled in Britain from the late 19th century until the early 20th century, and the majority built their homes and lives in London’s East End. Their history there (as well as the overall history from medieval times to the present) is chronicled at the Jewish Museum on Albert Street. The facility houses some 28,000 objects representing the history of the Jewish community in Britain and includes a Judaica collection and a social history collection covering subjects such as Nazism and the Holocaust.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The World’s Largest Fountain
By Linda Tancs
Dubai’s Palm Fountain was named the world’s largest fountain by Guinness World Records. Located at The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah, it comprises two giant floating platforms covering 14,000 square feet of sea water with water jets reaching 345 feet into the air. Open year round, it’s also adorned with 3,000 LED lights for daily evening performances accompanied by music from around the globe. The Pointe’s promenade is a great viewing area. Take the scenic monorail there, which connects key landmarks on Palm Jumeirah.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Under the Desert Moon
By Linda Tancs
Kings Canyon is part of Watarrka National Park in the southwestern corner of the Northern Territory in Australia. It’s prized for its towering sandstone walls and weathered rock domes known as “The Lost City.” You’ll also find “The Garden of Eden” there, a beautiful rockhole (an ancient rock pool) surrounded by rare plants. These and other iconic locales are found along the Rim Walk, a nearly 4-mile circuit stretching across the desert. The area has been home to the Luritja Aboriginal people for more than 20,000 years; consider a guided walk with an Aboriginal elder to learn more about the significance of the area. The park is about 280 miles from Alice Springs.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
