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 White Sands of New Mexico
By Linda Tancs
Rising from the heart of New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin 14 miles west of Alamogordo is a sea of glistening white sands dating to the end of the last Ice Age, a prized gypsum dunefield known as White Sands National Monument. Although many dunefields exist around the world, most comprise typical brown quartz and other minerals. Only a handful of gypsum dunefields exist, White Sands being the world’s largest at 275 square miles. Even some of the animals living there are as white as their surroundings. In fact, three species of lizards, one pocket mouse and numerous species of insects have evolved a white coloration for survival in the white sands. Like every animal in the white sands, they make tracks on the varied dunes (four different types) during their nocturnal movements. Even the dunes themselves move as much as 30 feet per year. Park hours vary by season due to missile testing at the nearby range or inclement weather.
Share this:
The Most Hawaiian Island
By Linda Tancs
Moloka’i is often referred to as the most Hawaiian island. That’s probably because native cultural practices and traditions remain pretty much intact with but one hotel and few restaurants to distract tourists from its Polynesian splendor. Even the national park, Kalaupapa, is restricted. State law requires all individuals to secure a permit prior to entering. The park is a place of remembrance for a community in isolation. When Hansen’s disease (leprosy) was introduced to the Hawaiian islands, King Kamehameha V banished all afflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula on the north shore of Moloka’i. Intrepid visitors seek out the three-mile mule trek, descending down a dizzying mountain to the former leper colony.
Share this:
America’s Subtropical Wilderness
By Linda Tancs
Florida’s Everglades National Park forms the largest subtropical wilderness in the country. Covering 1.5 million acres of South Florida across three counties, this national treasure is a haven for rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile and the Florida panther. It also preserves one of the largest stands of pine rockland in the world, a globally imperiled ecosystem. No wonder, then, the park has been designated a Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site and a Wetland of International Importance. Visitor centers are located at the main entrance in Homestead (including the Flamingo Area), the Shark Valley entrance in Miami and the Gulf Coast entrance in Everglades City.
Share this:
The Shrine of Democracy
By Linda Tancs
President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to Mount Rushmore as America’s “shrine of democracy.” Created by famed sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his army of workers, the granite portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of the country. Borglum created an opening called the Hall of Records behind the heads that was intended to house important information on the significance of these four presidents in American history. The chamber was left incomplete at the time of the sculptor’s death but was finished over 50 years later. The Hall of Records houses both original texts and copies of important American documents. Due to its precarious location, public access to the vault is closed, forever to remain a mysterious part of this national treasure. The mountain housing this monumental carving is named for Charles E. Rushmore, a New York City attorney who visited the area in 1885. The park is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota near Keystone and draws millions of visitors annually.
Share this:
Place of a Thousand Drips
By Linda Tancs
Named for a roaring mountain stream, Roaring Fork is one of the larger and faster flowing mountain streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, its namesake motor nature trail is a scenic loop over five miles long, offering rushing mountain streams, a scenic overlook with glimpses of old-growth forest, a number of well-preserved log cabins, grist mills and other historic buildings and, at this time of year, spectacular fall foliage. Two of the most popular waterfalls in the Smokies are located here: Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls. Their smaller cousin is no less popular, though. Known as Place of a Thousand Drips, it is, as the name implies, a low-flow fall driven by wet weather. Located at the end of the trail, you can observe its streams (weather permitting) cascading through dozens of crevices and tiny pathways.
Share this:
An Underwater Nature Path
By Linda Tancs
Port Cros is a small, charming island in the French Riviera. In fact, the entire island is a national park (the smallest in France), affording nature lovers ample opportunity to discover its flora and fauna. There are 602 land species of flora, 500 algae species, 144 bird species, 180 fish species and some endemic tenants like the Tyrrhenian painted frog. Its unspoiled, pristine nature gives rise to one of its most unique attractions: an underwater marked nature path. Beginning at Plage de la Palud, the trail takes about 30 minutes to complete. Thanks to a prohibition on mooring at the beach to protect the underwater species, you’ll be assured remarkable views.
Share this:
Africa’s Oldest Park
By Linda Tancs
Founded in 1925 by King Albert I of Belgium and originally known as Albert National Park, Virunga became the first national park on the African continent, a refuge today for a quarter of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas. Located on the border of Uganda and Rwanda, it’s rich in biodiversity. Covering 3,000 square miles, the park features forests, savannas, lava plains, swamps, erosion valleys, the glaciated peaks of the Rwenzori mountains and two of the world’s most active volcanoes. Climb to the top of Nyiragongo volcano and you’ll be treated with a spectacular view of the world’s largest lava lake. Most tourists fly into Kigali international airport and take a three hour taxi ride to the border crossing at Gisenyi, Rwanda.
Share this:
Wolf Watching in Wyoming
By Linda Tancs
A must-see for serious wildlife watchers, Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley has been a wolf watching mecca since the wolves were reintroduced in 1995. The Lamar River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River; the river valley is bookended by mountain ranges and is also home to elk, bison, grizzlies and a variety of bird species. Keep your eyes (or binoculars) peeled during early morning or late evening hours.
Share this:
Batting It Out of the Park
By Linda Tancs
Carlsbad Caverns is a national park in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico, an underground wonderland of limestone caves (more than 119 of them documented) discovered by Native Americans centuries ago. The terrain yields fascinating stories about the Ice Age: a stone scraper discovered within view of the entrance goes back to Ice Age Indian hunters, and bones from Ice Age animals like jaguars, camels, lions and giant sloths have been found in the entrance areas of some caves. During summer, another thing you’ll find in the caves is a Mexican free-tailed bat community nearly 400,000 strong. The evening bat flight program takes place from Memorial Day weekend through late October, after which the winged mammals migrate to Mexico for the winter. Preceded by an informative lecture by a park ranger, the seasonal spectacle highlights the mass exodus of the bats in search of an evening meal. Their pre-dawn return to the caves is likewise impressive. During July and August, the herd is increased by newborn bats and migrating bats from northern climes. Photography or other filming at bat flight may be done under a special use permit obtained from the park at least two weeks in advance.
Share this:
Croatia’s Legendary Lakes
By Linda Tancs
Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park in the vicinity of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe. Comprising more than 70,000 acres, it’s also the largest national park in Croatia. Culturally, it’s been inhabited for thousands of years by settlers such as ancient tribes, Romans, Slavs and Turks. The most remarkable feature of this park is its series of lakes arranged in upper and lower clusters, bearing serene hues of azure, green, grey or blue depending on the minerals or organisms in the water at any particular time. For every colorful lake there’s a colorful legend. One popular tale is that the lake system (particularly Prošćansko jezero) was created after a long drought prompted prayers to the Black Queen. Other lakes are associated with stories of hidden treasure, local shepherds, drownings and a resident monk.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 