Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for national parks
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Quokkas and Bandicoots
By Linda Tancs
Quokkas and bandicoots are two marsupials that call Waychinicup National Park home. Located in Western Australia, the park extends from Normans Beach and the Waychinicup River mouth to Cheynes Beach, not far from Albany. The area boasts dense vegetation, a haven for threatened species like scrub birds, western whistlebirds and whipbirds. The inlet of the camping area has a river with polished granite rocks on both sides, transforming an ordinary stream into a stunning landscape with plants found nowhere else. Take a coastal walk along Normans Beach East or Normans Beach West and enjoy the stunning scenery.
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A Boomerang in Singapore
By Linda Tancs
Shaped like a boomerang, Pulau Ubin is a lush island off the mainland of Singapore, just a 15-minute bumboat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal. A must for nature lovers, the site boasts the Chek Jawa wetlands, one of Singapore’s richest ecosystems. In fact, six major ecosystems – sandy beach, rocky beach, seagrass lagoon, coral rubble, mangroves and coastal forest – meet there. Be sure to climb Jejawi Tower, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views and irresistible bird watching.
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The Red Sea Reef
By Linda Tancs
The Red Sea Reef is the largest coral reef in Africa and features hundreds of endemic species found nowhere else. It boasts over 220 species of corals accompanied by over 1,000 species of fish, 40 species of starfish, 150 species of crustaceans and 25 species of sea urchins. Egypt’s Ras Muhammad National Park protects a small portion of the reef, and it’s the go-to place for scuba divers and snorkelers to explore this amazing underwater resource. The park is located at the southernmost tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
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Hiking and Hot Springs in Hokkaido
By Linda Tancs
Named after the volcanic caldera lakes of Lake Shikotsu and Lake Tōya, Shikotsu-Tōya National Park is located in Hokkaido, the second-largest and least developed of Japan’s four main islands. The rugged wilderness offers refuge for many endemic species of flora and fauna, including Ezo foxes, black woodpeckers and alpine hares. Untouched woodland provides spectacular trekking opportunities along steep-sided Hohei Gorge. You’ll also find many bathing spots among the hot springs; the popular hot spring resort of Noboribetsu is within the park. Another adventure worth checking out is a ride on the Mount Usu Ropeway, a line that climbs Mount Usu, an active volcano in the park. Mount Yōtei, one of the highest peaks in the park, is said to be a look-alike Mount Fuji. See if you agree.
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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.
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Biodiversity in Ecuador
By Linda Tancs
Considered one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, Yasuní National Park is the largest protected area of continental Ecuador. It teems with life, which isn’t all that surprising considering that it sits at the intersection of the Amazon, the Andes and the Equator. It boasts around 1,300 tree species, 600 bird species, 400 fish species and at least 170 species of mammals, including the endangered white-bellied spider monkey and the giant otter. The park is also home to several indigenous communities. Most visitors fly from Quito to the gateway town of Coca. Tours of the park are available through lodges and river cruises.
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Chile’s Biosphere
By Linda Tancs
A wonderland of volcanoes and lakes, Chile’s Lauca National Park in the northeast forms part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve thanks to its diverse collection of flora and fauna. Indeed, over 130 different bird species live in the park, in addition to the distinctive vicuñas, vizcachas and condors. A major attraction in the park is Lake Chungará, one of the highest lakes in the world, located at the foot of the Payachata twin volcanoes in all their snow-capped glory.
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Land of Flowers
By Linda Tancs
Part of the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome, Namaqualand is an arid area of South Africa that becomes a carpet of wildflowers after the winter rains end in August. Roughly between mid-August and mid-September, it’s home to the richest bulb flora of any arid region in the world, with more than 1,000 of its estimated 3,500 plant species found nowhere else on Earth. The Skilpad and Korhaan walking trails offer great views of this spectacular, one-of-a-kind display. You might want to stay awhile at one of the temporary flower camps, like Skilpad Rest Camp or one of the various camping options along the coast.
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Diversity in Tanzania
By Linda Tancs
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, a chain of mountains found in Tanzania and Kenya. It’s home to a variety of rare, endemic and endangered species including the endangered Iringa (or Uhehe) Red Colobus monkey and rare gems like the Sanje Crested Mangabey as well as the Udzungwa Forest Partridge. Accessible only on foot, the park might not yield these hidden treasures, but you can observe the 550-foot drop of Sanje Waterfalls, Tanzania’s highest waterfall, and swim in its plunge pool.
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