Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel
A Victorian Fantasy in New Orleans
By Linda Tancs
Turrets, columns and gingerbread aren’t the usual fare associated with architecture in New Orleans. But then again, anything goes in the Big Easy. In the middle of the Garden District you’ll find a turquoise and white Victorian dream known as Commander’s Palace, a restaurant known for its cuisine–and famous guests–since 1880. Located on Washington Avenue just steps from the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, this is where Emile Commander entertained folks like Mark Twain and Confederate Jefferson Davis. Nowadays it’s particularly known for its festive weekend jazz brunch, featuring a special menu and live New Orleans jazz by Joe Simon’s Jazz Trio.
Share this:
Double Trouble in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
In Ocean County, N.J., you’ll find Double Trouble. No, not the nefarious kind. It’s a state park located on the eastern edge of the Pine Barrens –and with a name like that, you’d be correct in assuming that it isn’t exactly teeming with visitors. All the better for you, though. Enjoy the peace and serenity of fabulous walking trails dotted with cranberry bogs. Embracing a historic village that typifies centuries-old company towns reliant on local industry, the woodland is emblematic of cranberry culture. The Double Trouble Company had one of the largest cranberry operations in the state there (hence, the name). The Double Trouble Historic District was placed on the State Register of Historic Places in 1977 and on the National Register in 1978.
Share this:
A Capital Experience in Iceland
By Linda Tancs
Iceland is a little island jewel in the North Atlantic, a geological nexus between America and Europe featuring natural wonders like the midnight sun, aurora borealis, thermal baths, glaciers and endless lava fields. Hear all about it on Travelrific® Radio.
Share this:
The World’s Largest Cave
By Linda Tancs
Spelunkers, take note. Beginning this year, there’s a new cave to explore in Vietnam’s Quang Binh province. Known as the Son Doong, it was fully explored for the first time in 2009 despite being discovered in 1991. Over five miles long and nearly 500 feet high at its peak, the passage is the world’s largest known cavern, a title previously held by Deer Cave in the Malaysian section of the island of Borneo.
Share this:
Royal Hospital Welcomes Visitors
By Linda Tancs
Today marks the birthday of Britain’s King Charles II. It’s a day fondly regarded at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea; King Charles founded the hospital in 1681 as a retirement home for war veterans (pensioners). Nearest the day is the hospital’s seminal annual event–a parade presided over by a member of the Royal Family. This year’s festivities will take place on 5 June. You can always visit the hospital, led by a Chelsea Pensioner, for a small fee featuring a 90-minute daily walking tour. Otherwise, you can visit the grounds, chapel and Great Hall on your own for free.
Share this:
A Star in the East
By Linda Tancs
There’s a star in the East–no, not the biblical kind: the Hollywood kind. A 26-foot-tall sculpture of Marilyn Monroe is a featured attraction at New Jersey’s Grounds for Sculpture. Created by renowned sculptor and philanthropist Seward Johnson, the piece returns “home” from Palm Springs as part of the Hamilton museum’s retrospective on Johnson’s career. Taking place through September, the months-long festivities will include hands-on art-making workshops, tours of the park and artwork, screenings of archival footage, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour with Johnson.
Share this:
New Jersey’s Largest Rose Garden
By Linda Tancs
This time of year, New Jersey’s Rudolf van der Goot Rose Garden is at its peak. The state’s largest public rose garden is awash in color and aroma–hardly surprising, with 325 varieties abounding. A popular locale for wedding photography, the one-acre site is located in Colonial Park in Somerset. Don’t expect to find too many wilts; only roses that thrive in central New Jersey are kept in the garden. Let’s give that a green thumbs-up!
Share this:
Durham’s Seat of Power
By Linda Tancs
Once upon a time, following the Norman Conquest, there were two kings in England. That unusual circumstance arose in England’s County Durham. During William the Conqueror’s time, the two most powerful men in that northeastern region were the earl and the Bishop of Durham. Recognizing the need for a local power to guard against Scottish marauders, the Bishop of Durham was granted unusual authority by the king, including the ability to raise taxes, mint coins and hold parliaments. As a result, the successive bishops came to be known as the Prince Bishops. They even had their own palace–Auckland Castle. High above the Wear Valley in Bishop Auckland, the castle is no longer the Bishop of Durham’s official residence although he works there. Now fully open to the public for the first time, the castle’s parkland extends almost 200 acres. A crowd favorite is Deer House, a folly built in Gothic Revival style. Other interesting features are the Throne Room and St. Peter’s Chapel, the largest private chapel in Europe.
Share this:
Born Free
By Linda Tancs
In Africa’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the animals are born free. One of the largest conservation areas of its kind, the absence of man-made barriers allows game including lions, leopards, cheetahs, antelope, springbok and wildebeest to roam freely. Although wildlife can be spotted year-round, viewing is best before the end of the rainy season this month. The park is located between South Africa and Botswana in the southern Kalahari Desert.
Share this:
A Symbol of Resilience in Manhattan
By Linda Tancs
Today marks the official opening of New York City’s National September 11 Museum to the general public. The complex includes an outdoor memorial plaza with reflecting pools (already accessible to visitors from around the world) and a museum of 10,000 artifacts and exhibits, including personal effects, wreckage and videos. The twin reflecting pools sit within the footprints where the World Trade Center’s twin towers once stood. The name of every person who died during the 1993 attack as well as those who died on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon are inscribed into bronze panels edging the pools. Inside, the museum’s Last Column (an imposing hulk of steel that helped support the inner core of the south tower and was last to be salvaged) serves as a somber backdrop in a cavernous hall that recounts the heroism and courage displayed on that fateful day. Purchase advance museum tickets for access at your preferred time and date. The site is within easy reach of public transportation.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 