Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tourism
A Place for Rock Hounds
By Linda Tancs
There’s a crimson tide just 15 minutes from Las Vegas. No, it’s not an algal bloom. It’s a massive rock formation made red by the accumulation of iron oxide. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area receives 1.2 million visitors a year. Part of the Mojave Desert, the 13-mile scenic loop drive features sandstone, limestone Indian roasting pits, waterfalls, Indian “handprints” and pictographs at Willow Springs. The conservation area is home to about 200 different mammals like burros, coyotes, bighorn sheep, red tailed hawks, wild horses, bobcats and mountain lions. Enjoy life on the wild side–without the neon lights.
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Oldest Zoo in Southwest
By Linda Tancs
Established in 1898, the Alameda Park Zoo in Alamogordo, New Mexico is the oldest zoo in the U.S. Southwest. Open daily except for Christmas and New Year’s Day, the zoo has more than 12 acres and over 250 exotic and indigenous animals. Perhaps the most famous animal in the area is the one memorialized in nearby Lincoln National Forest, home of Smokey the Bear, known the world over for forest fire prevention. The wilds of the West are waiting for you.
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Carefree in Arizona
By Linda Tancs
Most spa resorts assert bragging rights over their gastronomy. At Arizona’s Carefree Resort and Conference Center, they encourage you to eat some dust. As in offroading. Or maybe trailriding. How about cattle driving? Of course, there’s always the desert and hummer trail tours. You get the idea.
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The Finest Walk in the World
By Linda Tancs
New Zealand’s most famous walk is Milford Track, a 100-year-old treasure boasting a 53 kilometer journey from the head of Lake Te Anau to the misty array of Sutherland Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Along the way, you’ll encounter suspension bridges, board walks, a mountain pass, lakes, sky-scraping mountain peaks and enormous valley views. No wonder the poet Blanche Baughan declared the Milford Track to be ‘the finest walk in the world’. Guided walkers take five days and four nights to complete the track; independent walkers usually take a day and night less. The track is always walked from south to north in an effort to minimize the environmental impact. There are three public accommodation huts and three private lodges on the track. Camping is not permitted, but why would you want to?
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Scotland’s Favorite Son
By Linda Tancs
Robert Burns, Scotland’s hallowed bard, is celebrated in Alloway, Ayrshire at the recently opened Robert Burns Museum. A 40 minutes’ drive from Glasgow, the museum complex includes the residence where the poet was born, the historic landmarks where he set his greatest work, and a collection of his works. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free for National Trust for Scotland Trust members.
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Cuckoo About Cuckoo
By Linda Tancs
In Tabley, Cheshire, two dedicated horologists keep one of the most important collection of cuckoo clocks in the world. Cuckooland boasts a wide variety of genuine Black Forest cuckoo clocks, including a shop for purchase. You can be the proud owner of such treasures as a nursery cuckoo clock, a collector clock, a limited edition, a cuckoo & quail clock, a musical cuckoo, or a 1 or 8 day cuckoo clock. 300 years of history await you.
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The World’s Whistling Capital
By Linda Tancs
Do you whistle while you work–or work on your whistle? Whichever it is, you have plenty of company. The International Whistlers Convention takes place each year in Louisburg, North Carolina. Now in its 38th year, competitors come from around the world. This year’s event takes place from 6 to 10 April. If you tire of whistling, you can skydive at the local center. That will really give you something to whistle about.
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Trails Galore in Colorado Springs
By Linda Tancs
Colorado Springs, Colorado is the home of the U.S. Olympic Committee. So you would expect a fair amount of athleticism to prevail–and you would not be disappointed. Consider the 35-mile stretch that hikers, runners and bicyclists are now able to travel from Palmer Lake to Fountain on a continuous pathway that ties together the New Santa Fe Regional Trail, Pikes Peak Greenway and the Fountain Creek Regional Trail. Happy trails to you.
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The Lore of Cape Town
By Linda Tancs
South Africa is called the Rainbow Nation, alluding to its diversity, with 11 official languages spoken there. Cape Town, in particular, is as diverse as it gets, sporting boutique lush vineyards on the one hand and a free-roaming pride of white lions on the other. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the nation’s second-most populous city is teeming with things to do. Listen in at Travelrific Radio.
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Museum Weekend in Holland
By Linda Tancs
Three of the most significant museums in Holland are in Amsterdam’s Museum Square: the Van Gogh Museum, the state museum and the municipal museum. How’s that for convenience? If you’re like millions of other visitors each year, you’ll want to see Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers portrait, immortalized in postcards and greeting cards. Most of his paintings have never left Holland, so viewing his work is a uniquely Dutch experience to enjoy. During the first weekend in April it’s also uniquely Dutch to visit as many museums as you can–free–thanks to Museum Weekend, now 30 years’ strong. Over a million visitors attended last year’s event.
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