Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tours
African Queen, Revisited
By Linda Tancs
In the 1951 movie The African Queen, Katharine Hepburn’s character convinces Humphrey Bogart’s scruffy old Charlie Allnut to sail a rusty 12-foot boat called The African Queen down the Ulanga River. Hardly a luxurious jaunt. Today’s African Queen is a much better appointed Zambezi Queen, charting the Chobe River in search of the Big Five sporting 14 cabins with picture windows and a top-deck whirlpool. Take a smaller launch to view game in their natural habitat or a 4×4 excursion to a local village for some cultural immersion. This is a redux even Charlie would no doubt enjoy.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Puppet Lore in New York City
By Linda Tancs
There’s a new stop on the NBC Studios tour in New York City these days. As reported on NBC Nightly News, the pipes that Frank Oz, Jim Henson and others painted into early versions of The Muppets characters during breaks on “The Jack Paar Show” have been discovered and now offer studio visitors a peek into the origins of those beloved puppets. Gives new meaning to the phrase “pipe dreams,” doesn’t it?
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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A Capitol Idea
By Linda Tancs
Have you visited Washington, D.C. lately? Our nation’s Capitol building has a new visitor center, featuring a 13-minute film about Congress and the construction of their architecturally distinctive place of business. On Wednesdays at noon, historians and educators give free chats about the building. To date, over 2.3 million visitors have graced the visitor’s entrance since the opening of the new center. That’s twice as many tourists as they’d seen in the year prior to the opening of the new digs. If you build it, they will come, the saying goes. Indeed they have.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Mojo for Your Moto
By Linda Tancs
Nothing says sexy like a 1966 Fiat 1600 S or a 1974 Lancia Flavia. Ready to add some mojo to your moto? Then head to Italy where you can tool around in one of these and other well-kept beauties on a vintage car tour around Rome, Milan, Tuscany, Abruzzo or your own custom itinerary. You won’t find a lemon in the bunch.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Age Is Just a Number
By Linda Tancs
Age limits are arbitrary. Just ask the folks at Exploritas. Formerly known as Elderhostel (sounds a bit hostile to elders, don’t you think?), they removed their travel barriers limiting tours to those aged 60 or over. That change, of course, does not magically transform the composition of a group. So why would a millenial explore the wilds of Iceland with grandpa? Therein lies an answer: family. As it was so wisely put in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, family is the most precious gift we are given. Looks like Exploritas figured that out, too.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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All Aboard the Polar Express
By Linda Tancs
In that classic essay “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” an editorial writer for a now-defunct New York paper tells little Virginia O’ Hanlon that there is a Santa Claus. In some cases, it may take more than a newspaper writer to believe in the jolly old fellow. Indeed, it could take a magic train–like the Polar Express. Across the country, coal-fired, steam-operated vintage trains take a page from Chris Van Allsburg’s popular children’s book, “The Polar Express,” ferrying their young charges (and their parents) on a picture-perfect journey to the “North Pole.” There, Santa and his elves board the train, dishing out goodies and singing Christmas carols. Surely, that makes glad the heart of childhood–or any heart, for that matter.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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A Cape May Christmas
By Linda Tancs
Cape May might not seem all that enticing for a visit in December, but the holiday seasonal offerings make this storied beach haven (the oldest in the U.S.) a must-see in winter. Learn more at Travelrific® Radio.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services related to the travel destination of Cape May that are mentioned herein.
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Trail Mix
By Linda Tancs
Since 1920 the folks at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference have been developing, protecting and educating the public regarding the myriad of hiking trails in the region–1700 miles of them, to be exact. With all that acreage, aren’t you glad that someone can help you find the trail that best suits you? Their Web site’s search function lets you find a hike based on difficulty (ranging from easy to moderate to strenuous) and the kinds of features you’re after (like good views, swimming or wheelchair accessibility). You can even volunteer to help build or maintain a trail or engage in fundraising. As the song goes, this land is your land. Mother Earth is counting on you.
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Outback Railway 80 Years On
By Linda Tancs
Named for the Afghan camel drivers who once explored its unchartered territory, Australia’s famed railway, The Ghan, celebrates 80 years of service this year. Led by its fire engine red locomotive, the train traverses the breaktaking landscape framing Australia’s Outback. Originally routed for Adelaide to Alice Springs, the journey now includes a Darwin extension. City slickers need not worry. Connections to the legendary railway are available on Indian Pacific and The Overland for guests travelling to or from Sydney and Melbourne. All aboard!
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Exotic Adventures for Elders
By Linda Tancs
So you’re “older.” That doesn’t mean you can’t travel like a millenial or one of those other younger generations whether it’s hiking, glacier hopping, kayaking, safari jeeping, or just hanging out with an ornately festooned camel in Rajasthan. If you’d like to travel like a Generation X’er but not necessarily with one, consider an elder trek for travelers aged 50 and over. And remember, as economist Bernard Baruch said, age is only a number.
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