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
Arizona’s First All-American Road
By Linda Tancs
Short on miles but long on views. That’s what you can expect from Arizona’s Red Rock Scenic Byway, winding its way through the iconic red rock region of Sedona as well as the Village of Oak Creek. The road’s designation as an All-American Road means that it is a destination unto itself. Just a mere 7.5 miles long, the scenes include the juniper and pine-rich environment of Coconino National Forest, rock formations like Castle Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, three golf courses and ample terrain for hikers and mountain bikers.
Share this:
Raising a Glass in Kansas
By Linda Tancs
Prohibition was a 13-year ban on the sale of alcohol in the United States, beginning in 1920 and ending in 1933. Someone forgot to tell Kansas. Boasting some of the strictest alcohol laws in the nation, the state prohibited the sale of alcohol in open saloons until 1987. The change in law spelled good news for Free State Brewing Company, becoming in 1989 the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years. The brewery is just one signature attraction on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence, voted the cutest downtown street in the state. Commonly known as Mass Street, the 600 through 1200 block is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Share this:
Thirty Miles in Every Direction
By Linda Tancs
In St. Louis, Missouri, the Gateway Arch is more than just a great view (30 miles in every direction, in fact): it’s a gateway to the past. Symbolizing the nation’s westward expansion, the steel-clad monument is home to the Museum of Westward Expansion, a Lewis and Clark inspired tribute to the Old West and the explorers who helped forge a nation. Animatronic figures bring the past to life, along with interactive exhibits including a tipi and covered wagon.
Share this:
Courage Up Close
By Linda Tancs
A symbol of courage, the USS Alabama (nicknamed the Mighty A), saw 37 months of active duty during World War II, earning nine battle stars and becoming one of America’s most decorated battleships. Now anchored at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, you can experience courage up close. The park’s Wall of Honor inside the Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion honors the 9,583 Alabama citizens who have died in combat since World War I. The pavilion honors those 29 Alabama citizens who have received the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor given by the United States of America.
Share this:
Beachy Keen in the Lowcountry
By Linda Tancs
Just two islands north of swanky Hilton Head, South Carolina’s Hunting Island State Park is the antidote to overdevelopment. In fact, it’s one of the few remaining undeveloped Sea Islands in the Lowcountry. And with miles of hiking trails and one of the longest public beaches in the region, it’s easy to understand why it’s one of the state’s most visited properties. Rising above the tall palms and natural ferns is the namesake lighthouse, the only one in the state open to the public, offering irresistible views of the Atlantic Ocean, the park and the surrounding marshes.
Share this:
Peace on Earth
By Linda Tancs
More than 70 sculptures grace the property known as Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), a truly peaceful sanctuary in Warwick, New York. Located along the Wawayanda River on Covered Bridge Road, the grounds sport the handiwork of its longtime owner, the late dental surgeon-turned-sculptor Frederick Franck. Nursing an interest in human spirituality, Franck’s work complements his best known book, The Zen of Seeing, with the human eye infused into the large iron works of art enveloping the estate. Given its moniker, the property is appropriate to highlight on this Christmas Day although it’s only open seasonally from May to September. In the meantime, you can visit his work in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Fogg Art Museum, the Tokyo National Museum, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Share this:
Florida’s First Luxury Home
By Linda Tancs
In Deland, Florida, you’ll find a jewel of the Gilded Age, Stetson Mansion. Commissioned by John B. Stetson (of hat fame), the frame vernacular style home blends cottage, Gothic, Tudor, Moorish, and Polynesian details into a sumptuous manor house befitting a magnate of his day. Holiday regalia now adorn the halls, and special Christmas tours will operate until 15 January. Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the Stetson hat. Return to the mansion with your validated Christmas tours ticket and a paying guest for a free tour from 1 February to 1 July.
Share this:
Beneath the Elms
By Linda Tancs
In Memphis, Tennessee, you’ll find a historic cemetery, bird sanctuary and arboretum all in one place: Elmwood Cemetery. Some of the 80-acre property’s 1500 trees at this level two Tennessee State Arboretum date to the cemetery’s founding in 1852. Beneath the grounds’ ancient elms, oaks and magnolias rest those responsible for creating the city’s history, including war veterans and public servants. One of the first rural garden cemeteries in the South (characterized by a park-like setting, sweeping vistas, shady knolls, ancient trees and monuments), structures like the dramatic Entry Bridge and Phillips Cottage (the only known example of Victorian Carpenter Gothic architecture in Memphis) are on the National Register of Historic Places. Docent-led tours as well as car audio tours are available.
Share this:
America’s First Moving Historical Landmark
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that San Francisco’s iconic cable car is America’s first moving historical landmark? An official ceremony at Hyde and Beach on 1 October 1964 designated San Francisco’s cable car system a special “moving” National Historic Landmark. This and other fun facts about the city’s beloved transport system are found at the San Francisco Cable Car Museum located on Mason Street in the Nob Hill neighborhood.
Share this:
A Presidential Christmas
By Linda Tancs
The year is 1888, and United States President-elect Benjamin Harrison is preparing to celebrate Christmas with his family at their homestead on North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. That’s the scene depicted on 13 December at the Benjamin Harrison Home, the family residence of the only United States President elected from Indiana. Step back in time for a unique Victorian Christmas tour of this 1875 Italianate home. Not one to surrender traditions of hearth and home, Benjamin Harrison was the first President to have a decorated Christmas tree in the White House.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 