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
Bears and Unicorns in Bolivia
By Linda Tancs
Located in the so-called Elbow of the Andes, Bolivia’s Amboró National Park is a place of tremendous ecological diversity. In fact, its location features the convergence of three ecosystems: the high-altitude Andes altiplano, the dry Chaco region and the lush pampas of the Amazon Basin. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the fauna varies widely as well and includes some rarities. For instance, spectacled bears roam there, the only wild bear remaining in South America. You’ll also find the horned curassow, a rare bird species. Its trademark blue “horn” above the orange bill is responsible for the nickname, “unicorn bird.” Several tours are available to guide you through this immense region. If traveling independently, it’s best to hire a local guide.
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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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Turkish Battlefields
By Linda Tancs
One of the bloodiest conflicts of World War I occurred at the Gallipoli Pensinsula in Turkey at the Battle of Gallipoli, where the Allied Powers unsuccessfully attempted to control the sea route from Europe to Russia. Today those battlefields are protected as a historical national park honoring over 500,000 war dead. The park includes memorials, monuments and cemeteries ringed by green hills, sandy beaches and inviting waters. You can visit from Istanbul via car or bus or via ferry from Canakkale to Kilitbahir or Eceabat. Taking the route from Istanbul will give you a better view of the battlefields.
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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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New Zealand’s Volcanic Wonderland
By Linda Tancs
Located in the Central North Island region, Tongariro is New Zealand’s oldest national park. Established in the late 1800s, it’s recognized as much for its volcanic landscape as for its religious and cultural heritage. At the heart of the park are its three active volcano mountains—Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu—part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. To the Maori people who have inhabited the land for centuries, it’s a sacred place. The park’s natural and cultural attributes have earned it two World Heritage designations. Ruapehu has two of the largest ski fields in the country, catering to everyone from beginner to advanced, making it a perfect destination for this winter season. If summertime is more to your liking, don’t fret. Scenic chairlift rides operate on Whakapapa (the larger of the two fields) throughout most of the year offering spectacular views over the region.
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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 Other Brazilian Rainforest
By Linda Tancs
Although nearly adjacent to the Amazon, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) is the lesser-known cousin. One of the five most diverse hotspots in the world, this tropical and subtropical rainforest once stretched along the Atlantic Coast of Brazil for a whopping 476,000 square miles. Today, its footprint is much smaller (at around 38,600 square miles) due to centuries of deforestation for timber, sugar cane, coffee, cattle ranching and urban sprawl. In fact, two of the world’s largest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, were both built over it. A small percentage of the land is protected, most notably in Chapada Diamantina National Park, where one of the country’s highest waterfalls (Cachoeira da Fumaca) is found. It’s so high that the water vaporizes before it hits the ground, earning it the name “Smoke Waterfall.”
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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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Alpine Glory Near Seattle
By Linda Tancs
The jagged peaks of Washington State’s North Cascades National Park are crowned by glaciers—more than 300, the most of any national park outside Alaska. The park’s ecosystem is diverse, from the temperate rainforest of the west side to the dry ponderosa pines of the east. Another of its charms is the concentration of old-growth western red cedar trees, some estimated to be over 1,000 years old. You can find them on hikes like the one to Big Beaver Trail, which will take you through a long, glacier-carved valley. During the summer months you’ll find a variety of companies offering tours of the area, including ranger-led tours. The park is located less than three hours from Seattle.
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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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Vertical Splendor in Colorado
By Linda Tancs
Colorado’s Black Canyon National Park is divided by the canyon into a North Rim and South Rim. Formidable in scope, only the rims (not the gorge) show evidence of human occupation since written history began. The more primitive side is North Rim, offering sweeping views of Black Canyon. You’ll get equally magnificent views of the canyon from South Rim, especially at Gunnison Point, one of 12 overlooks. It’s located near the Visitor Center, where three hiking trails are also accessible. One of the most astounding formations visible from many of the overlooks is Painted Wall, the highest cliff in Colorado. From river to rim it stands at 2,250 feet. That’s just a few hundred feet less than Burj Khalifa in Dubai, one of the tallest buildings in the world at 2,717 feet. The rims are not connected. Both rim drives have one access point from the highway; driving from one rim to the other involves driving along non-park roads and can take over two hours.
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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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Canada’s Rainforest Islands
By Linda Tancs
Haida Gwaii is pristine, rugged and remote, a lush island chain off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Its southernmost reaches are preserved as Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site. Haida refers to the Indigenous who have inhabited the area for thousands of years and continue to do so today. You’ll find their weathered totems, ancient villages and partially carved canoes throughout the lush rainforest islands of Gwaii Haanas. The term means “islands of beauty” in the Haida language. It’s been little more than a decade since the marine conservation area was established, a place where orcas pass through and humpback whales feed, often in vast pods numbering in the hundreds. Enjoy a wildlife adventure tour with one of the many operators offering excursions ranging from flight seeing and day trips by motor boat to longer sea kayak and sailing expeditions.
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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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Dinosaur Trees in Australia
By Linda Tancs
Just a couple of hours northwest of Sydney is Wollemi National Park, a national park and wilderness area in Australia. Bushwalking is a popular activity thanks to the pristine, rugged wilderness met with pagoda rock formations, sandstone escarpments and deep gorges, among other things. In fact, one of the most fascinating discoveries of all time, the last surviving grove of Wollemi pine, occurred in 1994 during a bushwalking expedition in the deep gorges. Once thought to be extinct, its link to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods puts it squarely in the backyard of the dinosaurs, who no doubt looked to the trees as a food source. Despite this discovery, the scarcity of the tree makes it highly endangered, and its location in the park is a closely-guarded secret. No worries, though. There’s enough extraordinary landscape to keep you occupied, and the softer light of autumn provides a great backdrop for outstanding photography.
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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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Stewards of Mount Rainier
By Linda Tancs
Washington’s Mount Rainier stands sentinel over the landscape at 14,410 feet. It’s not only an active volcano but also the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S., spawning five major rivers. The Cowlitz, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin Island and Yakama people are the original stewards of the land, with archaeological evidence tracing Native use of the area back 9,000 years. Now a bustling national park, 97% of its area has been designated as wilderness by Congress. Stretching for 378 square miles, the park has five developed areas, with three visitor centers, a museum and several wilderness and climbing centers and ranger stations. Its features include subalpine meadows, the temperate rainforest environment at Carbon River and Mowich Lake, the largest and deepest lake in the park. Wherever you roam, take advantage of the numerous day hikes offered along 260 miles of maintained trails.
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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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Glaciers in Patagonia
By Linda Tancs
In the Patagonia region of Argentina there’s no shortage of glaciers. That’s why the area is named Los Glaciares National Park. Located in the southwest of Santa Cruz on the border with Chile, the park includes a large portion of the Andes practically under ice and snow to the west and arid Patagonian steppes to the east. Its name refers to the glaciers that are born on the ice caps – the largest continental ice extension after Antarctica – which occupies almost half its area. In this region you’ll also find some of the world’s richest fossil beds, highest mountains and biggest glacier-fed lakes found anywhere. The park can be accessed from different points of Route No. 40, by bus or 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.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 