Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel
Mountain Biking in the Caucasus
By Linda Tancs
Marking the border between Georgia and Russia, the Caucasus Mountains (the highest mountain range in Europe–sorry, Alps) offer bikers a spellbinding tour among the high and low Caucasus. The lower Caucasus tower over the capital city Tbilisi, where forest paths meander through quaint villages and greenways. From the village of Khazbegi in the Greater (high) Caucasus at the foot of Mount Kazbek (one of the highest mountains in Georgia), riders can descend the Dariali Gorge, punctuated by vertical walls of rock marking the border with Russia. From there a journey through the Sno Valley to the granite cliffs of Mount Chauchebi offers more dramatic scenery, churches and historical sites. When your legs get weary, take advantage of Georgian hospitality. Guests are, after all, a gift from God according to the locals.
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Georgia’s Antebellum Trail
By Linda Tancs
What comes to mind when you think of an antebellum home? Perhaps it’s something stately, with massive white columns introducing the frame. That type of architecture is quite characteristic of the antebellum period–that is, the period predating America’s Civil War. It’s a view of the Old South etched into a traveler’s mind. Fortunately for Georgia, enough of it remains, despite Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s destructive march through the state during the war. He managed to spare a 100-mile trek from Macon to Athens. Including the towns of Old Clinton, Gray, Milledgeville, Eatonton, Madison and Watkinsville, the Antebellum Trail offers stately mansions, a glimpse of frontier living, romantic covered bridges and so much more. Seven welcome centers along the way will guide you through this part of the Old South’s rich history and charms.
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A Wash in Norfolk
By Linda Tancs
In Snettisham, England, a nature reserve is bordered by The Wash, one of the most important bird estuaries in the United Kingdom. Two of the most spectacular wildlife spectacles in the nation occur here. One is a winter event when thousands of pinkfooted geese fly from their overnight roosts inland to feed. The other event can occur anytime upon a particularly high tide, forcing tens of thousands of knot, oystercatchers, sanderlings, godwit and plover to flee their feeding grounds. The reserve is clearly signposted; just twelve miles from Kings Lynn, you can pick up regular bus service from there.
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World’s Oldest Roller Coaster
By Linda Tancs
If you were to name your favorite roller coaster, one with a nine-foot drop probably wouldn’t make the list. Then again, in 1902 that was likely quite the thrill ride. The coaster in question is Leap-the-Dips, the oldest operating roller coaster in the world. Located at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the old gal has operated continuously for 112 years. The amusement park is the eighth oldest in the country. Get there this weekend before the close of summer season.
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Arizona’s Second Best
By Linda Tancs
It’s unlikely that any attraction could possibly best the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but where else will you see a bridge with vintage lamps comprising melted cannons from Napoleon’s army? That bridge is London Bridge (yes, that London), the 1831 version that was exported and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City. Why? Because the old gal couldn’t handle London’s growing traffic, and the Colorado River resort town wanted a conversation piece. Spanning an artificial canal, the bridge is accompanied by an English Village off London Bridge Road, where you’ll find a visitors’ centre. The bridge is the state’s second most popular tourist attraction behind the Grand Canyon.
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Valley of the Sugar Mills
By Linda Tancs
Eight miles northeast of Trinidad, Cuba, a trio of rural valleys–San Luis, Santa Rosa and Meyer–comprise the Valley of the Sugar Mills. The industry peaked there in the 19th century, when more than 30,000 slaves worked in more than 50 sugar mills. A monument to that powerful industry is Manaca-Iznaga Tower, a 147-foot-tall mud brick structure built in 1816 by Alejo Maria Iznaga y Borrell, a successful plantation owner. Its value as a lookout over this region dubbed an area of Outstanding Universal Value by UNESCO belies its harsh history; a bell in the tower once signaled the start and end of the slaves’ workday in the mills and on the plantations and sounded an alarm should any of them try to escape.
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Lighting the Way in North Carolina
By Linda Tancs
Ocracoke Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and the second oldest operating light station in the nation (surpassed by New Jersey’s Sandy Hook Lighthouse). Built in 1823, the need to preserve its structural integrity prevents climbing, but the exterior views are just as enchanting. For interior views, you can visit four other lighthouses adorning the Outer Banks: Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras (the tallest lighthouse in North America), Currituck Beach and Roanoke Marshes. The lights, however, aren’t the only things sparkling at night–tiny dinoflagellates kicked up in the beaches along Cape Hatteras National Seashore glow with a blue-green light.
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Rocky Mountaineer
By Linda Tancs
It’s a three-hour drive between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, B.C., but why deal with the traffic? If you believe that life is about the journey rather than the destination, then take the meandering route via rail on the Rocky Mountaineer’s Coastal Passage itinerary. The tour begins at Seattle’s King Street station and features over two days of daytime train travel, taking in a hotel night in Seattle, two nights in Vancouver and a night in Alberta. While munching on delectable entrees and complimentary drinks, you’ll take in amazing vistas (through oversized windows or glass-domed cars, depending on the class of service) of the Canadian Rockies. Keep an eye out for sightings of its wildlife inhabitants like sheep, elk, goats, bears and moose. They’re in no hurry–are you?
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Hotspot for World’s Second Largest Fish
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that the basking shark is the second largest fish in the world? Second only to the whale shark, this fish grows up to 30 feet in length. Feeding largely on plankton, fish eggs and small fish, they’re generally harmless to humans. Snaking their way through coastal temperate waters, these surface-cruising giants are a tourist draw on the Isle of Man during the summer. Their numbers are particularly dense there, making the island one of the world’s hotspots for sightings. Head to Port Erin, Niarbyl or Peel for perfect views along the sheltered south coast.
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Sand and Shingles
By Linda Tancs
Heather and gorse, shingles and sand. That’s what you’ll find at Dunwich Heath, Britain’s gem on the Suffolk coast. The scenery is bursting with color this time of year, not to mention enviable bird watching for the likes of the Dartford warbler, nightjar, woodlark and others. During school holidays the ranger team provides child friendly activities such as pond dipping and bug hunting. Geocaching is one of many new activities; you can borrow a free tracker pack at the information hut.
