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
The First National Wildlife Refuge
By Linda Tancs
A host of threatened and endangered species, including Florida’s venerated manatee, call Pelican Island home. Situated in the middle of Florida’s Indian River Lagoon on the Atlantic coast, the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is the first wildlife refuge in the country and has the most diverse bird population in North America. Established in 1903, the site provides a habitat for 700 species of fish, 310 species of birds, and 36 endangered species. The refuge features three trails for nature lovers. The shortest hike is wheelchair-accessible Centennial Trail, a paved path that served as the centerpiece of a nationwide celebration of the refuge system in 2003. The other two mangrove-lined trails are Bird’s Impoundment Trail and Pete’s Impoundment Trail.
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Water for Elephants
By Linda Tancs
November is Manatee Awareness Month in Florida. Despite their popular nickname “sea cow,” these aquatic mammals are actually related to the elephant. This time of year, when the waters of the Gulf cool down and subject these gentle giants to cold stress, you’ll find them instead in the balmy waters of Crystal River, less than two hours north of Tampa. During manatee season, more than 150,000 people will visit the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge to snorkel and kayak among manatees, the only place where such interaction with this endangered and federally protected species is allowed.
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The Residents of Copp’s Hill
By Linda Tancs
Shoemaker William Copp once owned a spot of land in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. Now Boston’s second oldest burying ground, Copp’s Hill is the final resting place for ordinary Bostonians–merchants, artisans and craftspeople. But how does one define ordinary? Now there’s the rub, as these grounds harbor the remains of some extraordinary people, like Robert Newman, who placed the signal lanterns in the steeple of the Old North Church on the eve of the Battle of Lexington and Concord; Shem Drowne, the weathervane maker who crafted the grasshopper atop Faneuil Hall; and Prince Hall, the anti-slavery activist and founder of the Black Masonic Order.
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One of America’s Prettiest Towns
By Linda Tancs
In 2009, Forbes Traveler listed Portsmouth, New Hampshire as one of “America’s Prettiest Towns.” It’s also one of the oldest. Settled in 1623, it is reputedly the nation’s third oldest city. The locals suggest that it even has the most restaurants per capita. Whatever the homage, this relatively small city near the mouth of the Piscataqua River offers more than 70 points of scenic and historic significance along the Harbour Trail, including 10 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, 10 National Historic Landmarks and three historic homes.
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A Temple of Entertainment in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
Movie palaces arose during the early 20th century, ornate temples of entertainment that offered a respite from the trials and tribulations of everyday life, particularly during the Great Depression. One of the those palaces is the Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, New Jersey, which opened in 1929. This landmark theatre is one of the last surviving movie palaces of a bygone era, having survived the threat of demolition thanks to a band of concerned citizens. Now home of the annual Golden Door International Film Festival, the theatre has evolved into an arts center for stage and screen shows as well as private functions.
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Florida’s Forgotten Coast
By Linda Tancs
Florida’s Forgotten Coast lies along the Panhandle, punctuated by cozy towns with names like Port St. Joe, Indian Pass and Apalachicola. From a touristy perspective, the area may indeed be quiet and unassuming (hence, the name), but this is where foodies congregate for some of the best seafood in the country amidst a strong maritime culture. That’s especially true in historic Apalachicola, a tony hamlet with Queen Anne-style architecture known for its fishing and oysters. The Apalachicola Bay area boasts the state’s largest national forest and the second largest Estuarine Research Reserve System in the nation.
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A Place in Railroad History
By Linda Tancs
It might seem hard to imagine that a railroad bridge in McKean County, Pennsylvania was once hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” That honor was bestowed upon the Kinzua Bridge, an iron marvel of the 1800s that was the tallest railroad bridge in the world before being dismantled. Subsequently restored, it was the fourth-tallest bridge in the United States before its partial collapse in 2003 from a tornado. Still attracting visitors to Kinzua Bridge State Park in Mount Jewett, the main attraction these days is the skywalk, a 225-foot-high observation deck offering stunning views of Kinzua Gorge.
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America’s First Presidential Library
By Linda Tancs
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is America’s first presidential library. Depicting the life and times of President Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, it was conceived and built under FDR’s direction on his 16-acre property in his hometown of Hyde Park, New York. The only library used by a sitting president, the study marks the site where FDR delivered many of his wireless “fireside chats.” Recently renovated for the first time since its opening in 1941, the property is easily accessible by car or train. In the late spring through early autumn a free shuttle service operates from the train station at nearby Poughkeepsie, New York, among the presidential estate and library and other attractions such as Eleanor’s country home and the Vanderbilt estate.
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The Heart of the Continent
By Linda Tancs
Three hundred miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, a water-based national park lies at the heart of the continent. Sharing 55 miles at Minnesota’s northern edge with the Canadian border, Voyageurs National Park is named for the French-Canadian frontiersmen who traded in the northwestern United States. Some of the oldest rock formations in the world are found here, mingling with a boreal forest, bogs, swamps, rolling hills and, of course, the lakes. Its interconnected water routes are accessible via free public boat ramps. Why not consider a houseboat rental and make a holiday out of it, plying the waters as the original voyageurs did in their birch bark canoes.
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The City of Bridges
By Linda Tancs
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is located at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, the source of the Ohio River. Needless to say, a water town will have its share of bridges. But 446? That’s the oft-quoted number of bridges in Pennsylvania’s second largest city, reason enough for the nickname “City of Bridges.” This Gateway to the West has more bridges than Venice, Italy (431 tops most estimates). But if you think the ooze of romance emanating from the trusses and beams of its European counterpart is lost on this city of steel, think again. Even The New Yorker magazine proclaimed: “If Pittsburgh were situated somewhere in the heart of Europe, tourists would eagerly journey hundreds of miles out of their way to visit it.” And why not? Where else will you find a bridge crossed by a young George Washington while acting as a messenger of the governor of Virginia to the French forces. Or a trio of identical bridges across the Allegheny River, the only such group in the world. Or a bridge whose name depends on the outcome of the annual football game between the two rival high schools of Rochester and Monaca. And then there’s historic Smithfield Street Bridge, designed by John Roebling, America’s best known civil engineer and architect of the Brooklyn Bridge. You get the drift.
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