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
America’s Lost City
By Linda Tancs
Collinsville, Illinois, home of the world’s largest catsup bottle, is arguably the most unlikeliest of sites for a lost civilization. But that’s where you’ll find Cahokia Mounds, the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico, larger than London, England was in 1250. Named for the Cahokia subtribe of the Illiniwek who moved into the area in the 1600s, the city of Cahokia was inhabited from about 700 to 1400. The ancient citizenry built over 120 mounds, the largest of which is Monks Mound (rivaling Giza in Egypt), the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas. A National Historic Landmark and one of only 21 World Heritage Sites within the United States, this ancient meeting place is just 15 minutes east of St. Louis, Missouri.
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Land of the Dead Man’s Hand
By Linda Tancs
A legend of the American West, Wild Bill Hickock came to the tiny gold camp of Deadwood, South Dakota in search of his fortune. Instead, he was gunned down during a poker match holding aces and eights, dubbed the Dead Man’s Hand. You might think that spelled the end of gaming in this historic town (a National Historic Landmark). No such luck (pun intended). This frontier town offers an array of 24/7 gaming facilities, featuring slots and live Blackjack, poker and Texas Hold’em tables.
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The Tallest Hotel in New York
By Linda Tancs
Marriott boasts that its Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park is the tallest hotel in North America. Although it may not exactly rival Dubai’s goliath hotel, it matches a skyscraper’s view of sights like Times Square, the Manhattan skyline, Central Park or the Hudson River. Your home away from home, studio suites at this extended stay property offer a kitchenette, large desk, free Wi-Fi and grocery shopping services.
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Ice Alaska
By Linda Tancs
At George Horner Ice Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, they’d like to wish you an “ice day.” That’s because it’s time for the World Ice Art Championships. Now in its 25th year, the event features single-block and multi-block competitions as well as an amateur open exhibition. Visit today through 30 March, and be on the lookout for the Northern Lights!
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A Birthday Parade in Alexandria
By Linda Tancs
It’s parade day in Alexandria, Virginia, the hometown of first U.S. President George Washington. The largest parade in the United States celebrating Washington’s birthday, the festivities kick off at 1:00 p.m. in Old Town. Thereafter, take advantage of free admission at historical sites such as the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, the Lyceum, Carlyle House and Christ Church.
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The Joy of Boating
By Linda Tancs
Looking to master the high seas without the maintenance headaches? Well, your ship has come in. Get My Boat offers rentals and charters in over 80 countries and 1100 locations at various price points. Hot spots include Miami, Split, San Francisco, San Diego and USVI. Are you ready to make some waves?
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Very Superstitious
By Linda Tancs
Located east of Phoenix, Arizona, the fabled Superstition Mountain is aptly named considering the history and folklore of the region. Perhaps best known as the alleged site of the richest gold mine in the world, treasure hunters still descend on Apache Junction in search of the Lost Dutchman Mine. You’ll find interesting memorabilia at nearby Superstition Mountain Museum, where exhibits include the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine maps, gold samples from local mines and Native American artifacts.
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The Runes of Oklahoma
By Linda Tancs
Mysterious carvings known as runes bring curious visitors to Oklahoma’s Heavener Runestone Park, located atop Poteau Mountain in the edge of the Ouachita Mountains that stretch across the Arkansas – Oklahoma border. The park’s centerpiece is the Heavener Runestone, a massive boulder bearing what some believe is an ancient Viking inscription claiming the discovery of this land in present day Oklahoma. Of course, the only known Viking settlement in North America is located considerably north in Newfoundland. So is the rune a ruse? You be the judge.
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The Land of Canaan
By Linda Tancs
In the 1700s the wild valley on the western slope of the Alleghenies looked like the Promised Land to an adventurer in the region. Or so the story goes. Regardless of its veracity, that valley is known as the Canaan Valley in West Virginia. Home to the country’s 500th National Wildlife Refuge, its cool and moist climate provides a haven for 580 species of plants and 288 different animals. Endangered bats, salamander, dragonflies and priority bird species such as brown thrasher, Eastern towhee, and American woodcock no doubt find it heavenly.
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No Man’s Island
By Linda Tancs
Three miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts is a real “no man’s land.” Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge, a one-time Naval training ground, aerial bombardment and gunnery range, is closed to all public uses due to the risk of unexploded ordnance. But its intertidal beach, rocky shores, shrub habitat and abundant wetlands are welcoming hosts to common terns and double-crested cormorants (as well as migrating monarch butterflies). Literally, this place is for the birds.
