Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel
Getting to Know Jax
By Linda Tancs
There are a lot of interesting things you may not know about Jacksonville, Florida. Take the ostrich farm, for instance. That’s what you would have found in the 1900s at Dixieland Park, a Disney-like attraction located around the site of the present-day Hilton at Southbank. And there’s the film industry; 30 film companies and early greats like Oliver Hardy and Fatty Arbuckle made movies there until Hollywood proved more hospitable. Even the city’s St. Johns River is unique, one of the few in the world that runs north. Perhaps the most surprising fact about Florida’s largest city is that it’s also the largest city in the contiguous United States by land mass, encompassing a whopping 840 square miles. Now you know Jax.
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A Farm in Brooklyn
By Linda Tancs
Wyckoff, Wycoff, Wykoff, Wikoff or Wicoff. No matter how you spell it, the vast majority of Americans and Canadians bearing the surname can trace their lineage to a tenant farmer on a homestead located in present-day Brooklyn, New York. Their common link is Pieter Claesen, who ultimately chose the surname Wykhof (later Wyckoff) when required to do so by the British when they assumed control of what was then the Dutch-controlled colony of New Netherland. Now a museum and testament to Dutch architecture and farm life, the Wyckoff family occupied their Brooklyn homestead for eight successive generations until 1901. Wyckoff House is open to guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays. Located on Clarendon Road, the site is easily accessible via public transit.
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The Highest Tides
By Linda Tancs
Atlantic Canada’s Bay of Fundy captures the world’s highest tides. Stretching between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, this ocean bay bests the combined flow of the world’s freshwater rivers in every tide cycle with 160 billion tons of seawater. It takes six hours and 13 minutes for the tide to go from low to high (or vice versa). Needless to say, a tidal coastline like this offers plenty of hiking and kayaking opportunities. And don’t miss the rare northern right whale at the bay’s mouth. Previously in January the tides were exceptionally high, but great viewing is yours year-round. The best airport for arrivals is Halifax Robert L. Stanfield Airport.
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Shetland’s Ancient Capital
By Linda Tancs
On the southern peninsula of Mainland, Shetland, you’ll find its ancient capital, Scalloway. Derived from Old Norse meaning “bay of the huts,” the picturesque village with Viking roots can trace its habitation back to the Bronze Age. Its breathtaking view is punctuated at the Scord, an approach by road that encompasses the harbor, the castle, a bridge and some islets. The four-story castle dominates the village and is probably one of the only fortified structures that a visitor can see by obtaining a key from the local hotel.
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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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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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Two Heroines
By Linda Tancs
Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, is no stranger to adverse forces. Although most might best remember the damage wrought by the 2004 tsunami, this southern province has battled against adverse influences for centuries. For instance, during the Battle of Thalang in 1785 the Burmese sought control of this island paradise and might have won it were it not for the marshaling of troops led by two sisters. Driving the Burmese to retreat, the two women became local heroines and were bestowed honorary titles by a grateful King Rama I. The Two Heroines Monument is located on Krasattri Road.
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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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