Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for pennsylvania
Philly’s Christmas Spirit
By Linda Tancs
Manayunk means “where we go to drink” in the Lenape Indian language, but this classic town in the northwestern reaches of Philadelphia is more than just a watering hole. Named a National Historic District in 1983, this bustling little hamlet of 60 shops and almost as many restaurants is a holiday favorite with shoppers looking to ditch the malls for a taste of Main Street, USA. Visit the arts and crafts tents every weekend through 21 December for contemporary homespun treats and check out the demonstrations of 19th century candle making, glass blowing, and weaving at Ye Olde Craft Shoppe. Best of all, admission is free.
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Solitary Confinement
By Linda Tancs
In 1732 German immigrant Johann Conrad Beissel sought out solitude in the Pennsylvania countryside in what is now Ephrata. There he established a reclusive retreat dedicated to the pursuit of spirituality, and the Solitary movement was born. The Solitary lived a monastic life dedicated to prayer and worship, eating a single evening meal off of the lands they tended. Although the last of the order died over a century ago and the lands sold to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Ephrata Cloister’s heritage is preserved at various houses and meeting rooms that can be toured on the property. The experience comes complete with guides in the white robes worn by members of the Cloister to hide their bodies. As the song goes, give me that old time religion. Or at the very least, as their website says, a quiet place to visit.
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Racing Around the World
By Linda Tancs
Start your engines, motor sports enthusiasts! In light of the IndyCar Series’ recent announcement on the 2009 schedule, let’s look at race car museums around the world. Just 30 minutes outside the Las Vegas Strip, the Vintage Race Car Museum in Henderson, Nevada surveys different eras in racing, covering sprint cars, midgets, Indy Race League cars and engines. Across the country, Philadelphia’s Simeone Foundation Museum recently opened an exhibition of racing cars from World War I to the latest 21st century NASCAR. For a European flair, head on over to Hamburg’s Prototyp for a view of a Le Mans race prototype and the Mercedes Benz world record car. Best thing is, you don’t have to fill up the tank.
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Jewels of the Brandywine Valley
By Linda Tancs
Beginning today, the glorious mansion and grounds of the late industrialist Alfred duPont will re-open after an eye-popping $40 million renovation. Named Nemours after the family homeplace in France, the estate is one of the highlights of the Brandywine Valley, located on Rockland Road in Wilmington, Delaware. While you’re in the neighborhood, why not follow the Brandywine Valley wine trail in the Philadelphia countryside and enjoy the spoils of the six wineries competing for your nose and palate. Poetry in a bottle? Perhaps. But a good vintage is better savored than spoken about.
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Winter Fantasy Thrills Families at Longwood Gardens
By Linda Tancs
Want to see a Currier & Ives lithograph come to life? Then be sure to visit Longwood Gardens’ Winter Fantasy now through 6 January. Located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (outside Philadelphia), Longwood Gardens produces a dreamlike atmosphere of caroling, bell ringing, dancing fountains and outdoor lighting (500,000 bulbs strong) sufficient to snuff the bah-humbug out of anyone. And don’t miss the skating shows highlighting professional and amateur skaters near the Chimes Tower.
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Thanksgiving Parades
By Linda Tancs
The best known Thanksgiving Day parade is arguably the venerated and nationally televised Macy’s production in New York City, stepping off at 77th and Central Park West each year at 9 am. This parade, originating in 1927, is not the country’s oldest, however. That honor goes to Philadelphia. They’ve been parading since 1910, stepping off at 20th and Market at 8:30 am. In second place is Detroit’s parade, originating in 1924 and stepping off at 9:25 am at Woodward and Mack. Everyone loves a parade, and now you have three good reasons to join in–from the couch or the bleachers.
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History and Haunts of Gettysburg
By Linda Tancs
In this week’s edition of Travelrific® Travel Show, the topic is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg abounds wtih tales of apparitions. Listen in for some history and haunts at www.travelrificradio.com.
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