Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tourism
Visiting Nancy
By Linda Tancs
Who would think that a deposed Polish king would contribute much to 18th century European architecture in northeastern France? Well, that’s what you’ll find in Nancy, a historic French city. Thanks to an uprising in the 1700s, Nancy and its environs (formerly the Duchy of Upper Lorraine) were granted to Stanisław Leszczyński, former King of Poland. The new duke built Stanislas Square to honor his son-in-law Louis XV of France. Befitting its royal connection, the square boasts immense classical façades laden with wrought-iron railings embellished with gold. City Hall, the Grand Hotel and the opera house complete the panorama of what is considered to be one of the most beautiful royal squares in Europe. Nancy is 90 minutes by high-speed TGV train direct from Gare de l’Est in Paris.
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An American Story
By Linda Tancs
Memphis, Tennessee, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, has another jewel in its crown: the National Civil Rights Museum. Chronicling the history and development of the civil rights movement, it begins with a multi-sensory exhibition concerning the slave trade. And it includes other poignant displays surrounding every historical milestone in the battle for equal rights, featuring in many instances the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (whose birth is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of January each year as a national holiday). The museum is housed at The Lorraine Motel, site of Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. Today marks the museum’s annual King Holiday Celebration.
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The History of Photography
By Linda Tancs
Photojournalist Dorothea Lange once remarked that a camera is a tool for learning. That’s certainly the goal at the Museum of Photography in Charleroi, Belgium. Touted as the largest photography museum in Europe, the facility’s learning tools include a discovery trail, digital laboratory, darkroom and mobile studio. Housed in a former Carmelite monastery, the museum is home to 80,000 prints and three million negatives representing the entire history of photography from the 19th century to the present day. The collection is spread across the renovated monastery and a newer contemporary wing.
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South Pacific’s Only Kingdom
By Linda Tancs
Tonga‘s monarchy is over 1,000 years old and is the only remaining kingdom in the South Pacific. The harborside capital Nuku’alofa is where the Royal Family resides. In Longi you’ll find the tombs of past Tongan kings. Blessed with a year-round tropical climate, there’s no end to princely indulgences for everyone–from beaches and untouched rainforests to mountains and ancient lava tubes.
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Arizona’s First All-American Road
By Linda Tancs
Short on miles but long on views. That’s what you can expect from Arizona’s Red Rock Scenic Byway, winding its way through the iconic red rock region of Sedona as well as the Village of Oak Creek. The road’s designation as an All-American Road means that it is a destination unto itself. Just a mere 7.5 miles long, the scenes include the juniper and pine-rich environment of Coconino National Forest, rock formations like Castle Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, three golf courses and ample terrain for hikers and mountain bikers.
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Raising a Glass in Kansas
By Linda Tancs
Prohibition was a 13-year ban on the sale of alcohol in the United States, beginning in 1920 and ending in 1933. Someone forgot to tell Kansas. Boasting some of the strictest alcohol laws in the nation, the state prohibited the sale of alcohol in open saloons until 1987. The change in law spelled good news for Free State Brewing Company, becoming in 1989 the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years. The brewery is just one signature attraction on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence, voted the cutest downtown street in the state. Commonly known as Mass Street, the 600 through 1200 block is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Thirty Miles in Every Direction
By Linda Tancs
In St. Louis, Missouri, the Gateway Arch is more than just a great view (30 miles in every direction, in fact): it’s a gateway to the past. Symbolizing the nation’s westward expansion, the steel-clad monument is home to the Museum of Westward Expansion, a Lewis and Clark inspired tribute to the Old West and the explorers who helped forge a nation. Animatronic figures bring the past to life, along with interactive exhibits including a tipi and covered wagon.
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Courage Up Close
By Linda Tancs
A symbol of courage, the USS Alabama (nicknamed the Mighty A), saw 37 months of active duty during World War II, earning nine battle stars and becoming one of America’s most decorated battleships. Now anchored at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, you can experience courage up close. The park’s Wall of Honor inside the Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion honors the 9,583 Alabama citizens who have died in combat since World War I. The pavilion honors those 29 Alabama citizens who have received the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor given by the United States of America.
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A Rocky Ride in Nicaragua
By Linda Tancs
Forty-five minutes from León, Nicaragua, stands Cerro Negro (Black Hill), Central America’s youngest volcano. A mere child at nearly 165 years, its crater offers amazing views of volcanic chain Los Maribios, not to mention the sensory overload of heat and sulfur gas owing to its active nature. In recent years, it’s found favor beyond avid hikers and volcanologists: the adventure set have taken to boarding down its rocky, ash wall. Thanks to Nature’s thinly-milled rock, thrill seekers can opt for a modified snowboard ride down a forbidding slope at even more forbidding speed (50 miles per hour or more). Wear long pants, and prepare for a hard landing.
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The 2015 European Capitals of Culture
By Linda Tancs
Welcome to a new year and two new European Union capitals of culture: Mons in Belgium and Pilsen in the Czech Republic. The major exhibitions in Mons feature Van Gogh’s emergence as an artist in the Borinage, the poetic metamorphosis of Paul Verlaine, and the Battle of Lumecon in the main square where St. George slays the dragon. The opening ceremony for Mons 2015 will be held on 24 January. Like Mons, Pilsen will promote great personalities associated with the city, like Jiří Trnka (the Walt Disney of the East), Ladislav Sutnar (a pioneer in information graphics) and the architecture of Adolf Loos. The festivities officially launch in Pilsen on 17 January.
