Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tourism
Alligator Bay
By Linda Tancs
Neither alligators nor crocodiles are naturally found in Europe. Nonetheless, the continent’s largest community of these reptiles is found in France. Just minutes away from Mont-Saint-Michel is Alligator Bay, an animal park boasting more than 700 animals from five continents. You’ll find 150 crocodiles and alligators, including albino alligators, viewable from a raised walkway. In addition, the park exhibits a variety of turtles (featuring a new enclosure for giant tortoises) as well as lizards and snakes. Opening times vary according to the season.
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Italy’s Early Roman Splendor
By Linda Tancs
Located in the northeastern Italian province of Udine, Aquileia was established in 181 B.C. as a Roman military colony along an essential trade route that connected Milan and Rome. One of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire, much of it lies unexcavated. For this reason, it is considered the greatest archaeological reserve of its kind and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can visit Aquileia as a day trip from Venice or Trieste.
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Avenue of the Giants
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the finest forest drive in the world, Avenue of the Giants is the most scenic drive along California’s Redwood Coast. Lined by those titan redwoods, the 31-mile road parallels Highway 101 and runs through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It offers access to hiking trails, memorial groves and the Eel River, part of the federally-designated Wild and Scenic Rivers System with idyllic swimming, fishing and paddling spots. The area is also characterized by its standing, living drive-through redwoods, a treat for motorists.
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Where Rock Art Reigns
By Linda Tancs
Australia’s biggest national park, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory has one of the world’s greatest concentrations of rock art sites. Providing a fascinating record of Aboriginal life over thousands of years, some paintings are up to 20,000 years old, which makes the artwork one of the longest historical records of any group of people on Earth. Far from archival, the paintings show objects they still use, animals they still hunt and activities they still do. You can view the works at Nourlangie, Nanguluwurr and Ubirr.
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Captivating History in Brittany
By Linda Tancs
Just a couple of hours away from Paris by train, Saint-Malo (named for a Welsh saint who fled to Brittany) is a historic walled city overlooking the English Channel. Its ramparts were built in the 12th century to protect the residents from Vikings, but it’s perhaps more famed for its population of pirates. Sanctioned by the king of France, this special class of pirates built the city’s wealth by pillaging ships passing through the Channel. A popular spa and wellness destination, the locale also experiences some of the highest tides in Europe, making its breakwater defenses an iconic part of the cityscape.
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Human History in Zion
By Linda Tancs
Utah’s Zion Human History Museum displays artifacts and archival materials from the permanent collections of Zion National Park. Visitors can learn about human history in the area, from the Southern Paiute from thousands of years ago to the Mormon pioneers of the 1800s. Once the park’s main visitor center, the facility is prized as much for what’s outside as for what’s inside. Check out the back patio for a dramatic view of the West Temple and the Towers of the Virgin. In front of the building you’ll enjoy views of Bridge Mountain. When the canyon shuttle is running, the museum is stop #2. Otherwise, you’ll find it one half mile north of the park’s south entrance on the main park road or 11 miles west from the east entrance.
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Bonaire’s Underwater Park
By Linda Tancs
Bonaire National Marine Park is one of the oldest marine reserves in the world. It includes the sea around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire from the high water line to a depth of approximately 200 feet. The area includes Lac Bay, a shallow water lagoon featuring a fringing coral reef, seagrass meadows and the largest mangrove forest in the Dutch Caribbean. Boasting nearly 100 dive sites, the park is a popular diving destination year round, with sites accessible by boat or from the shore.
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Skyride to Paradise
By Linda Tancs
One of the most scenic attractions in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Skyride to Paradise Point in St. Thomas is an aerial tram ride to Paradise Point, an overlook with a restaurant and gift shops. In less than 10 minutes you’ll be 700 feet above St. Thomas harbor, where the view also includes historic downtown Charlotte Amalie, the island capital. On a clear day, you might even see St. Croix and Puerto Rico. The daily launch is dependent on the weather as well as cruise ship schedules. Check ahead to avoid disappointment.
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Rock Concerts in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, give new meaning to the term “rock concert.” It’s both a subterranean music venue offering expectedly good acoustics and a spelunking destination. The cave system covers over 8,000 linear feet of known cave passages. Underground shows are hosted in a section of The Caverns historically known to locals and cavers as Big Mouth Cave. Daily guided tours explore the wider expanse of the cave system, spanning three football fields in length. Cave tours for thrill seekers take guests even deeper inside and include the adventurous “Tombstone Pass.”
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Gem of the Salish Sea
By Linda Tancs
Adjacent to British Columbia and Washington State, the Salish Sea is an inland sea named after the Coast Salish people, the first inhabitants of the region. Touted as a gem of the Salish Sea, Galiano Island is closest to Vancouver, which makes it easily accessible via ferry. Bluffs Point Lookout is a popular attraction, along with Bodega Ridge Trail, which rewards hikers with spectacular vistas of Trincomali Channel, Vancouver Island and the Strait of Georgia. Steps from the ferry dock, Sturdies Bay is home to most of the amenities on this island, including a resort hotel, art galleries and dining options.
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