Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel
Melting Off the Pounds at Sea
By Linda Tancs
You’ll need to do lots of laps around the exercise deck to work off all those gourmet delights you know you can’t resist on your cruise. There’s a better–even fun–way to lose weight. On Princess Cruises, get ready for the fleet-wide roll-out of Zumba, a fitness program combining rumba-like moves with choreography designed to melt off those stubborn pounds. Best of all, the workouts are complimentary once or twice a week. Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
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Workers on Wheels
By Linda Tancs
How’s this for a spin on seasonal employment: you hop in your RV and head for the hills to volunteer or work for pay at a nature center or resort. That’s the life of a workamper, a seasonal employee or volunteer often granted exclusive access to areas of national parks or refuges in exchange for assistance with programs often suffering from reduced employment necessitated by budget cuts. If you’ve got a love of the great outdoors, this might be the gig for you.
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Snail Racing in Congham
By Linda Tancs
“Snail racing” is as oxymoronic as you can get, which might explain why there’s only one such championship in the world. Now in its 40th year, the World Snail Racing Championship is due to take place on 16 July in Congham, an English village in Norfolk. And what prize awaits the winner at the finish line, you might ask? Why, a silver tankard stuffed with lettuce, of course! Slow and steady just might win this race.
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New Jersey Ice Cream Festival
By Linda Tancs
At Toms River this weekend it’s time to get your licks in. On 16 July downtown Washington Street will celebrate the ninth annual Ice Cream Festival. What could be better on a hot summer day than an afternoon of tastings, including ice cream eating contests for both adults and children! Which ice cream do you think is “Best in New Jersey?” Bring your palate to the ballot.
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A Mistletoe for Any Season
By Linda Tancs
There’s no need to hold out until the Christmas season to fall under the amorous spell of the mistletoe. At the Mistletoe Lodge outside England’s Amberley Castle in West Sussex, summer is the perfect time to play Cupid. Perched upon the beautiful sycamore trees by the Castle’s main entrance, the lodge is a tree house reached by a rope bridge and walkway, offering spectacular views of the 900-year-old Sussex castle and its lakes and grounds. The tree house is available for rental for a ‘dîner à deux’ from May to September (weather permitting), offering up seasonal fare and a floral ambience custom crafted to your liking. No wonder the luxury retreat is a favorite for marriage proposals.
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Gluten Free Travel
By Linda Tancs
Those with celiac disease or wheat allergies know the special challenges that travel can pose. Rest assured, you needn’t be an armchair traveler. Information sites like Gluten Free On the Go compile lists of places where dietary needs can be met. Where to eat, stay and shop on a gluten-free or restricted diet is just a click away.
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Chicken and a Movie
By Linda Tancs
Forget the poppycock. In Wayne, Nebraska, it’s all about chickens. The Wayne Chicken Show takes place from 8 -10 July this year at various downtown venues accessible by shuttles. Complete with cluck-tible souvenirs and hot wings, the festival includes a rooster crowing counting contest, quilt show, parade and the world’s largest chicken dance. Now that should put some pluck in your cluck.
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National Cherry Festival
By Linda Tancs
The Grand Traverse region of Michigan is known for its world-record tart cherry harvest. So, of course, where else would you expect to find the nation’s preeminent cherry festival? This year’s event, from 2 – 9 July, has been named one of USA Today’s top ten festivals for several years. Promising more than 150 events along the shores of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay, the festival features an air show on 3 July over West Grand Traverse Bay–the location for Cherries D’Vine, where cherry creations from starters and entrees to cherry blended desserts will be paired with award winning wines from both the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Songbirds can vie for top honors in the Cherry Idol competition, a contest for all ages. For a bird’s-eye view of the festivities, consider an EasyRotor helicopter tour. It all sounds so cherry good.
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Running with the Fishes
By Linda Tancs
It’s not every day that humans compete with dolphins and sharks for good eats. But ’tis the season off South Africa’s east coast for locals and tourists to rush after massive schools of sardines off Durban, South Africa during their annual migration. Consider a sardine run expedition fit for divers and snorkelers alike for an underwater extravaganza of a lifetime.
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The Oldest Continuous Celebration in the US
By Linda Tancs
For 226 years, the folks of Bristol, Rhode Island have been producing a Fourth of July celebration like no other. Perhaps the most patriotic town in America, this year’s event promises to be “a unique American experience.” The Fourth of July Ball on 2 July at Mt. Hope Farm kicks off the grand celebrations, followed by a highlight of the festivities, the Drum and Bugle Corps Competition, on 3 July at 7:00 p.m. at Mt. Hope High School. Now in its 22nd year, the popular competition features top drum and bugle corps from the United States and Canada. Fireworks commence at 9:30 p.m. at Bristol Harbor on 3 July, culminating with the annual Military, Civic and Firemen’s Parade on July 4th at Hope and High streets beginning at 10:30 a.m. Best of all, you can have your own souvenir of the event by purchasing an Official Souvenir throughout the weekend, or get a limited edition coin by downloading the order form. When they’re gone, they’re gone. Better order yours now!
