Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for U.S. travel
Music City’s Walk of Fame
By Linda Tancs
Located on Demonbreun Street on Nashville’s Music Mile, the Music City Walk of Fame is a sidewalk tribute. It features in-laid granite stars honoring those from all genres of music who have contributed to the world through song or other industry collaboration and made a significant contribution to the music industry in connection with Nashville, Tennessee. It’s free to stroll and always open except for special events.
Share this:
Pennsylvania’s Only Seashore
By Linda Tancs
From its shoreline to the climax forest, Presque Isle State Park is dubbed Pennsylvania’s only seashore. A French word, “presque” means “almost an island.” The park’s coastline is formed by a migrating, recurved sand spit, created 11,000 years ago from moraine deposits of retreating glaciers. A National Natural Landmark, Presque Isle is a favorite spot for migrating birds (particularly waterfowl this time of year) as well as monarch butterflies. Check with the park office for seasonal beach opening hours.
Share this:
Mushroom Houses
By Linda Tancs
Both an artist and an architect, master builder Earl Young gained a reputation for constructing homes that blend in with their surroundings. For that reason, they’ve come to be known as Gnome Homes, Mushroom Houses or Hobbit Houses. Located in Charlevoix, Michigan, they’re made from locally sourced stone and feature cedar-shake roofs. The iconic dwellings (26 homes and four commercial buildings) include such shutterbug favorites as Mushroom House (the mushroom-like dwelling that gives all the houses their most common moniker), Half House (looking like two halves), Thatch Roof House and Owl House (resembling an owl). A self-guided tour map is available from the Visitors Center at 109 Mason Street. Be aware that the homes are privately owned and not open for interior tours.
Share this:
A Big Smile in Oregon
By Linda Tancs
Oregon Route 18 (commonly known as the Salmon River Highway) is a 60-mile scenic route connecting the Willamette Valley wine country to the Oregon Coast. This time of year one of its key attractions is the giant smiley face in a forested hillside owned by Hampton Lumber that appears near mile-marker 25 between the towns of Grand Ronde and Willamina. In 2011, Hampton Lumber created the design by planting a mix of Douglas fir and larch during a reforestation of the area. The eyes and mouth were planted with Douglas fir; the “yellow” of the smiley face was created by planting larch trees. Larch is a conifer with needles that turn yellow and drop off in the fall, which is why the smiley face is best visible in autumn. It should be visible every fall for the next 30-50 years, until the trees are ready to be harvested and processed into lumber at the company’s sawmills.
Share this:
The Kingdom of Beaver Island
By Linda Tancs
Although Hawaii is the only state to have been a kingdom, there’s an island in Michigan that once claimed its own monarch. That storied past belongs to Beaver island, the largest island in Lake Michigan. The self-proclaimed monarch was James Jesse Strang, a dissident Mormon leader who crowned himself king in 1850 and ruled until 1856. Following the departure of the Mormon colony in 1856, the island became a haven for Irish immigrants, leading the locale to be dubbed “America’s Emerald Isle.” Also, DarkSky International has formally recognized the Michigan State Wildlife Research Area on Beaver Island as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, offering one of the finest dark skies star gazing locations in the United States thanks to its distance from the light pollution of any large metro areas. The peaceful, remote haven is active largely from spring through fall. The Beaver Island Boat Company ferry runs from mid-April through December; winter travel relies on flights.
Share this:
Block Island
By Linda Tancs
Ghost ships and buried treasure are just some of the lore surrounding Block Island, a small island off the coast of Rhode Island. These days it’s better known for the clay cliffs of Mohegan Bluffs, gorgeous beaches, two lighthouses built in the 1800s and an extensive ecosystem which includes the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, a significant migratory stopping point for over 70 species of birds. October is a prime time for migration. The cooler temperatures make spotting merlins, peregrine falcons, hawks and other bird species all the more common. Block Island Ferry provides year-round service from the mainland in Point Judith.
Share this:
A Presidential Love Nest
By Linda Tancs
The historic White Haven estate is the centerpiece of Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. More than just another presidential homestead, it’s also the place where the Civil War hero and 18th U.S. president fell in love with his wife, Julia Dent, his former roommate’s sister. White Haven, the Dent family’s estate in Missouri, was frequently visited by Ulysses, who was stationed at nearby Jefferson Barracks. He became acquainted with Julia and their relationship blossomed. They became engaged there before Ulysses was sent south for war preparations. The site is located 10 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis on Grant Road.
Share this:
Hamming It Up in Smithfield
By Linda Tancs
Virginia ham is deeply tied to the state’s history. That’s especially so in Smithfield, hailed as the “Ham Capital of the World.” You’ll learn all about that history at the Isle of Wight County Museum. Its biggest feature, though, is the “world’s oldest ham” cured in 1902. You can keep tabs on it through its own social media channel as well as the HamCam.
Share this:
A Celebration of Wild Rice
By Linda Tancs
Considered its official state grain, wild rice is native to Minnesota. It’s been growing naturally in the shallow lakes and streams of the Great Lakes region for millennia, providing significant cultural, ecological and economic value for Native American tribes and the state. The Roseville Wild Rice Festival focuses on the indigenous aspects of the grain, celebrating Dakota and Ojibwe culture with dance and drumming performances as well as native games, food and merchandise. This year’s event takes place on September 26 throughout the grounds of the Harriet Alexander Nature Center, an oasis nestled within the borders of Roseville’s Central Park.
Share this:
Tennessee’s Largest Science Museum
By Linda Tancs
At over 100,000 square feet, Wonders Center & Science Museum is the largest science museum in Tennessee. Located in Dickson (just 35 minutes from downtown Nashville), it features planetarium shows and interactive learning zones along with exhibits like the Wonders of Paleontology, Wonders of Africa and Amazing Animals of Alaska. One of its most popular highlights is undoubtedly the Tesla coil experience. Tesla coils were invented by Nikola Tesla in 1891 and are electrical transformers that take ordinary electrical current to produce a high voltage display. The museum has two Tesla coils, each capable of generating 500,000 volts for a total of 1,000,000 volts. This produces six to eight foot volts of lightning in the same room as the viewer, even lighting up signs in the room that are not plugged in. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.
