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
A Time Capsule in Mississippi
By Linda Tancs
The USS Cairo was sunk by a Confederate torpedo on December 12, 1862, in the Yazoo River, 13 miles north of Vicksburg, Mississippi. One of seven ironclad gunboats named in honor of towns along the upper Mississippi and Ohio rivers, it bolstered Northern hopes of regaining control of the lower Mississippi River and splitting the Confederacy in two. After its sinking, it remained engulfed in sand and silt until it was located and identified in 1956 and raised on December 12, 1964. Restored for display in Vicksburg National Military Park, its treasure trove of artifacts includes weapons, munitions, naval stores and personal gear of the sailors who served on board. The gunboat and its artifacts can now be seen along the tour road at the USS Cairo Museum.
Share this:
The White Sands of New Mexico
By Linda Tancs
Rising from the heart of New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin 14 miles west of Alamogordo is a sea of glistening white sands dating to the end of the last Ice Age, a prized gypsum dunefield known as White Sands National Monument. Although many dunefields exist around the world, most comprise typical brown quartz and other minerals. Only a handful of gypsum dunefields exist, White Sands being the world’s largest at 275 square miles. Even some of the animals living there are as white as their surroundings. In fact, three species of lizards, one pocket mouse and numerous species of insects have evolved a white coloration for survival in the white sands. Like every animal in the white sands, they make tracks on the varied dunes (four different types) during their nocturnal movements. Even the dunes themselves move as much as 30 feet per year. Park hours vary by season due to missile testing at the nearby range or inclement weather.
Share this:
Wall to Wall in Paducah
By Linda Tancs
One of UNESCO’s Creative Cities, Paducah, Kentucky, is graced with a floodwall that protects its historic downtown from surges of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers. But as you might suspect, this isn’t just an ordinary floodwall. Like Portsmouth to the north, it includes a number of painted murals. In fact, three city blocks (at Water, Jefferson and Washington) boast more than 50 life-sized panoramic murals by renowned artist Robert Dafford and his team, representing such crowning moments of the city’s history as its role in the riverboat trade and the day in 1803 when the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery passed by Paducah on their trek to find the Northwest Passage. Guided tours are given on request.
Share this:
Detroit’s Wall Street
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the Cathedral of Finance, the Art Deco style Guardian Building at Griswold Street in the financial district of Detroit, Michigan, is a testament to the city’s boom times in the 1920s. The 40-story orange brick façade, for instance, is graced with tile around the multistory windows. And it’s a good thing that The Sterling Group opened the building to non-employees when it acquired the premises in 2003. You wouldn’t want to miss the glorious detail inside—from three different kinds of exquisite (and in some cases, rare) quarried marble in the lobby to the stenciled colorful ceiling, gold leaf and stained glass that give this skyscraper its well-earned nickname. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, tours are free.
Share this:
Indiana’s Best Kept Secret
By Linda Tancs
Open to the public and free, the Indiana War Memorial Museum and the Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum are two of Indiana’s best kept secrets. Along with 24 acres of parks, monuments, sculptures, statues, and fountains, they encompass the best historic site in the state. Honoring local veterans and educating citizens about the military history of the state and country, no other city in the United States maintains as many acres dedicated to honoring veterans, and only Washington D.C. has more veterans’ monuments. The Indiana War Memorials Plaza Historic District is located in downtown Indianapolis.
Share this:
Bathed in Chocolate
By Linda Tancs
Whipped Cocoa Bath. Chocolate Fondue Wrap. Cocoa Massage. Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Immersion. Could a day at the spa be any sweeter? This is what R&R looks like Hershey-style at The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Simply known as The Chocolate Spa, you’ll also find the usual indulgences like steam rooms, saunas, hair and nail salons and a fitness center. Join the Chocolate Spa Club for news and offers exclusive to members.
Share this:
The Most Hawaiian Island
By Linda Tancs
Moloka’i is often referred to as the most Hawaiian island. That’s probably because native cultural practices and traditions remain pretty much intact with but one hotel and few restaurants to distract tourists from its Polynesian splendor. Even the national park, Kalaupapa, is restricted. State law requires all individuals to secure a permit prior to entering. The park is a place of remembrance for a community in isolation. When Hansen’s disease (leprosy) was introduced to the Hawaiian islands, King Kamehameha V banished all afflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula on the north shore of Moloka’i. Intrepid visitors seek out the three-mile mule trek, descending down a dizzying mountain to the former leper colony.
Share this:
35 Centuries of Glass
By Linda Tancs
Founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) as a gift to the nation for the company’s 100th anniversary, the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, is a key resource on the history of glassmaking. The galleries boast more than 3,500 years of glass history, ranging from the glass portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to contemporary sculptures. You can even make your own glass at a daily workshop or immerse yourself in the art with a one-day, weekend or multiple-week course. The facility is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, halfway between Niagara Falls and New York City.
Share this:
Seeing Double in Orangeville
By Linda Tancs
Columbia and Montour counties in Pennsylvania have the third largest concentration of covered bridges in the state—25 of them, to be exact. And in the tiny hamlet of Orangeville (Fishing Creek), you can double the pleasure of seeing these storied structures because there you’ll find the rarity of twin covered bridges. Known as East Paden and West Paden, they were constructed in 1884 and named after a local sawmill operator, John Paden. The price of construction was $720. When West Paden washed away in a flood in 2006, its reconstruction cost in 2008 would have been much higher were it not for a federal grant and the generous work of a contractor. A detailed driving map of the area bridges is available from the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau.
Share this:
An Oasis Out of Waste
By Linda Tancs
Rising like a phoenix from defunct rail yards and industrial wasteland, New Jersey’s Liberty State Park is an oasis out of waste. Located in Jersey City, it’s the only location in the state with ferry service to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, offering sweeping views of America’s gateway icons. Enjoy the views with a two-mile walk along the promenade.
