Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel
Art Off the Grid
By Linda Tancs
Touted for its off-the-grid location, KaviarFactory is an international venue for contemporary art in the middle of the archipelago of Lofoten, Norway. Welcoming the likes of Ai Weiwei, Olafur Eliasson and Yoko Ono, the building itself is a well-known landmark. As the name implies, caviar was produced in the building beginning in the 1950s. The facility was ultimately transformed into the art gallery known today. Visit this time of year for Mother Nature’s own art show, the Northern Lights.
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Rabbit Island
By Linda Tancs
In Okunoshima, you can rest assured that some bunny loves you. All puns aside, the Japanese island in eastern Hiroshima is known as Rabbit Island for a reason. Make that 1,000 reasons. A rabbit lover’s paradise, you’ll find them everywhere from forest to beach. Early mornings and late evenings are the best times to take photos. Keep a respectful distance, don’t feed them (except for refilling water pans) and don’t try to take one home with you. The island is a 15-minute ferry ride from Tadanômi Port with services leaving roughly every 30 to 45 minutes. You’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the Inland Sea and its many islands.
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A Magical Place in Michigan
By Linda Tancs
Touted as sporting the largest collection of magic open to the public, the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of magic for audiences of all ages. You’ll find thousands of artifacts illuminating the stories of Houdini, Blackstone, Thurston and many others. Its collections are based on the vast holdings of the late Detroit-area journalist Robert Lund, who amassed apparatus and illusions, more than 12,000 books on conjuring, letters, diaries, memorabilia, photographs, 3,000 posters, scrapbooks and periodicals, costumes and approximately 350,000 pieces of ephemera. No wonder the museum has been called the “Smithsonian of American Magic.”
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First Sunrise in North America
By Linda Tancs
An iconic symbol of Newfoundland and Labrador’s maritime history, Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site is the most easterly point in North America, the place where the sun rises first in the continent. With your back to the sea, there’s nothing behind you until Ireland. In addition to lighthouse tours, you can tour Fort Cape Spear, where Canadian and American soldiers guarded St. John’s from lurking German U-boats. That’s one of many attractions along the Cape Spear Path, a section of the East Coast Trail. The site is located nearly 8 miles southeast of St. John’s at the end of Route 11.
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The Sunsphere
By Linda Tancs
Held in Knoxville, Tennessee, the 1982 World’s Fair was the first one in the South. Hosting 22 nations, it was located in an abandoned railroad yard next to downtown Knoxville. Its symbol was the Sunsphere, which featured a restaurant and an observation deck. Largely vacant and underutilized for most of its post-fair life, the Sunsphere is enjoying a resurgence with the reopening of the fourth level observation deck. It offers a 360-degree view of the original 1982 World’s Fair site (now World’s Fair Park), downtown Knoxville, the Tennessee River, the University of Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains.
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A Masterpiece in the Making
By Linda Tancs
Targeted for completion this year, the England Coast Path will become the world’s longest coastal walking route, hugging the entirety of the English coast for a whopping 2,800 miles. The path will pass through 23 English counties, highlighting along the way a variety of cliffs, castles, beaches, cities and nature reserves. The trek will offer something for everyone of all abilities and will be signposted. Let your own ambition be your guide.
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America’s First National Lakeshore
By Linda Tancs
America’s first National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore hugs the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Its name hails from the sandstone cliffs painted in shades of red, pink, black, green and other colors due to minerals leaching out of the rocks from groundwater. Water seeping out of the porous sandstone cliffs in winter freezes into curtains and columns of blue, white or yellow ice. Viewing the various ice formations has become a popular winter activity that can be enjoyed from mid-December until early April.
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Waterfall Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
The city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, boasts more than 130 waterfalls, earning it the title “Waterfall Capital of the World.” One of the most popular falls is Albion Falls, a cascade waterfall about 62 feet high flowing down the Niagara Escarpment in Red Hill Valley. Despite its size, it will freeze completely if the weather is cold enough, making a winter trip just as interesting as any other time of year. In fact, many of the falls will freeze completely from top to bottom, offering stunning views.
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The History of Computers
By Linda Tancs
As its name implies, the Computer History Museum recounts the history of computers. Located in Mountain View, California, the facility presents stories and artifacts of Silicon Valley and the information age. In addition to oral histories provided by computer pioneers, the museum’s vast collection, from calculators to the internet, explores artifacts like analog computers, mainframes, supercomputers and robotics.
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Folk Art in Los Angeles
By Linda Tancs
Around 1894 Italian immigrant Sabato Rodia arrived in the community of Watts in South Central Los Angeles, California. He distinguished himself there by building a series of 17 major sculptures out of steel covered with mortar and embellished with mosaic tiles, glass, clay, shells and rock. Completed in 1954, the so-called Watts Towers are an icon of the community, the world’s largest single construction created by one individual and a paramount work of folk art. Designated a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument, the works are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are a National Historic Landmark, a State of California Historic Monument and a State of California Historic Park. Public guided tours are available on weekends.
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