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
Nation’s Largest Orchid Show
By Linda Tancs
In Chinese culture, the orchid has long been a symbol of refinement and nobility. No doubt its beauty and enchanting nature is reason enough why orchid cultivation has blossomed into an international industry. In the United States, the largest orchid exhibition is taking place through 22 April at the New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show. The curated show sports a mother lode of exotic orchids in every shape, size and color imaginable. Of course, there will be orchids for sale, along with care demonstrations, mood music and cocktail evenings among the blooms.
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Treasures from the Sea
By Linda Tancs
If seashell collecting seems as thrilling as watching paint dry, then you haven’t been to Sanibel Island, Florida. The island’s east/west orientation brings a plethora of colorful shells ashore from the Gulf of Mexico. This is where shell collecting is elevated to an art form. There’s even an annual shell fair and show. Taking place this weekend at the Community Center, the indoor/outdoor event features 250 shells, some elusive, as well as masterful works of shell art at the exhibition.
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A Traveling Sisterhood
By Linda Tancs
Lunafest is a traveling film festival by, for and about women. This year’s collection of nine films explores topics as diverse as chemotherapy, break-ups, shyness and gymnastics training. Over 150 locations will participate in this event through June. Find one near you.
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The Little Airport That Could
By Linda Tancs
Can you name a place where such luminaries as Amelia Earhart, General James Doolittle, several U.S. Presidents, Elton John, Diana Ross, Harrison Ford and Shania Twain would have gathered (not all at the same time, of course)? The answer is Trenton Mercer Airport in Trenton, New Jersey. Opened in 1929, the county airport averages 100,000 take-offs and landings each year, including flights to Florida. Its illustrious history includes a role in the production of the WWII Avenger torpedo bomber. Less than five minutes from the terminal building, the parking facilities are reasonably priced. The parking lot can be accessed from either airport entrance (Scotch Road or Bear Tavern Road) directly in front of the terminal.
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The Hottest Show on Earth
By Linda Tancs
Now in its 25th year, the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show is taking place this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Sandia Resort & Casino. The most visited show on the subject of spicy foods and barbecue, you’ll likely never see a bigger array of the country’s spicy sauces, marinades, salsas amd mustards. And you can be sure that palates will burn particularly bright during this anniversary year.
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The Battle for Kentucky
By Linda Tancs
Prior to becoming President of the United States, James A. Garfield was a colonel during the Civil War who led the Union soldiers in battle against the Confederates in eastern Kentucky. Middle Creek National Battlefield in Prestonsburg commemorates the battle for Kentucky, the Union’s ninth most populous state. The interpretive experience at this historic site includes Confederate and Union loop trails with signage and a four-mile auto tour stopping at Graveyard Point, former site of Garfield Place,
May House and the former site of the May House Grist Mill.
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The Bunny Trail
By Linda Tancs
Easter is fast approaching. That means the usual Easter egg hunts, decorated eggs and Easter Bunny photos with the kids. Want something a little different? How about a train ride aboard a 1916-vintage steam locomotive through the scenic Chehalis Valley in Washington State? Just a 90-minute drive from either Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, the nine-mile journey along former Milwaukee Road track winds through pastoral settings featuring several wooden trestles and historic farms. One of the few remaining steam-powered passenger railroads in Washington, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad offers Easter train rides for kids of all ages, along with other seasonal special events. And, of course, the ride ends with a search for eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny and Chicken Little in the fields.
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Jémez History
By Linda Tancs
Some of the most impressive ruins in the Southwest are outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the Jémez State Monument Heritage Area, a large pueblo in the narrow San Diego Canyon built by the ancestors of the present-day Jémez enchants visitors. The seven-acre site includes the ruins of San José de los Jémez, a large stone church built by missionaries in the 17th century, featuring an unusual octagonal bell tower and frescoes unearthed in the 1920s. Sunday admission is free for all New Mexico residents; senior citizens also enter free on Wednesdays.
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Home Furnishings Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
Furniture shoppers are well aware of High Point, North Carolina. The nation’s largest furniture store is there, along with 50 discounters. Not surprisingly, that’s where you’ll also find the World’s Largest Chest of Drawers, a roadside attraction. What you might not know is that you can explore High Point’s furniture heritage even further at the High Point Museum. The exhibit includes interactive elements, video, photographs, memorabilia, machinery and, of course, furniture.
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100 Years Grand
By Linda Tancs
Arguably the nation’s most famous terminal, New York City’s Grand Central Station turns 100 this year. Completed in 1913, the Beaux-Arts landmark is one of the most shutterbug friendly sites in the city. You can celebrate the grand dame’s heyday with a model train exhibit at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex at Grand Central. Better hurry, though, the exhibit ends on 10 February. Did you know that Grand Central boasts 68 shops and 35 dining options? See all the nooks and crannies with an audio tour, available at “GCT Tour” windows on the Main Concourse. You’ll learn little known secrets and discover a few hidden gems like The Campbell Apartment, an upscale cocktail lounge. Formerly the private office and salon of 1920’s tycoon John W. Campbell, the comfy enclave’s “drinks from another era” feature concoctions with names like Prohibition Punch, Flapper’s Delight and Robber Baron.
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