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 Dogs of War
By Linda Tancs
The nation’s first memorial to SOF (Special Operations Forces) dogs is in place at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Over 2,000 dogs serve in the U.S. military today, a tradition that began during World War II. Our canine soldiers participate in military operations around the globe, including combat zones where their skill in detecting bombs and attackers is indispensable. A life-size bronze of a Belgian Malinois in combat gear stands sentinel at the museum’s parade grounds, opposite a statue of paratrooper Iron Mike.
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A Potomac River Valley Retreat
By Linda Tancs
For nearly 185 miles the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, a National Historical Park, runs adjacent to the mighty Potomac River, winding its way between western Maryland and Georgetown. Used to transport goods and people prior to the advent of the railroad, its lock gates were an adaptation of a design by Leonardo DaVinci dating to the late 1400’s. Today the C&O Canal is a peaceful refuge, offering activities like a mule-drawn canal boat ride from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, private boat tours, hiking and biking opportunities, camping, nature walks and ranger programs.
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Historic Garden Opens to Public
By Linda Tancs
Clematis tibetana, Abelia chinensis and Cyclamen–these are the September blooms awaiting your visit at historic Greenwood Gardens. Less than an hour’s drive from New York City, the gardens are located in Short Hills, New Jersey. The former private estate of businessmen Joseph P. Day and Peter P. Blanchard, Jr., New Jersey’s newest public garden sports enough allées, meandering paths, and flowering terraces to excite any garden lover.
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Racing on the Flats
By Linda Tancs
The Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah is a flat expanse of white salt crust on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake basin, measuring 46 square miles. Named for area explorer and Army officer Benjamin Bonneville, the area is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks because of its contribution to speed racing. Welcoming trucks, cars and motorcycles, the World of Speed annual racing event takes place from 7 to 10 September.
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This Old House
By Linda Tancs
Ye Olde Yellow Meeting House is the oldest Baptist church building in New Jersey, located in Upper Freehold Township. The building dates to the 1700s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Though no longer used for worship services, the grounds are open to the public during daylight hours. Revolutionary War-era veterans abound in the cemetery; their weathered, delicate stones tell tales of gallantry and sacrifice. Consider the tombstone of Upper Freehold Township native Brig. Gen. Elisha Lawrence, whose marker reads: “A stranger to all ambition but that of being useful, he was twice vice president of New Jersey for several years presiding judge of the pleas, and after a series of faithful and gallant services in the Revolutionary War he was appointed by his county brigadier general of the Monmouth militia of the surveyed blazing line when wars loud conflict racked the brain. Now sheltered in the realms divine he treads heavens ever-peaceful plan lead on by softer, mercy’s mildest ray while fellow warriors hail him on his way.” You can visit this colonial town and others nearby via the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway.
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A Merry Go Round
By Linda Tancs
For those appreciating antique carousels, you won’t want to miss the collection of vintage French carnival rides at Fete Paradiso, an exhibition on New York’s Governors Island. Ending on 29 September (the last day of the island’s seasonal opening to the public), the display includes a magnificent pipe organ, bicycle carousel and flying swings. Located just minutes from the southern tip of Manhattan by ferry, the former military base is also home to Castle Williams, a red sandstone circular fort operated by the National Park Service. Pick up the free ferry ride to this New York City gem at the Battery Maritime Building on South Street.
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Peeling the Layers
By Linda Tancs
The folks in Payson, Utah want you to experience the many layers of their fair city. That includes peeling the layers at the annual Golden Onion Days event. Taking place from 30 August to 2 September, the annual ode to allium will feature the usual cooking contest, parade, food court and boutiques.
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Liberty Bells
By Linda Tancs
Fans of shows like Downton Abbey surely wonder what life was truly like above or below stairs. At Liberty Hall in Union, New Jersey you can quench your curiosity. Built in 1772, the mansion was home to New Jersey’s first governor and later occupied by members of the Kean political family. Like any dynasty, their needs were met by the ringing of a servant’s bell. Open through November 2013, the exhibition “Ring for Service: The Role of Servants in a Country House” welcomes visitors to all four floors of the family estate. The house museum is located on Morris Avenue at Kean University.
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The Great Lake Superior
By Linda Tancs
The largest of North America’s Great Lakes, Lake Superior holds almost three cubic miles of water, more than the four other lakes combined. That’s three quadrillion gallons of water, in case you’re counting. The largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, it’s bounded by Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. With tens of thousands of square miles to cover, just start somewhere. How about Minnesota’s North Shore? The 154-mile All American Road combines the best of old and new Highway 61, including several state parks and at least 101 things to do.
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A Colorful Anniversary
By Linda Tancs
That emblem of childhood, Crayola, recently celebrated 110 years! To mark the occasion, they offered a limited edition crayon pack featuring a renaming of its eight major hues: yellow, purple, orange, blue, brown, red, black and green. Due to overwhelming popularity, the limited edition may resurface in the coming months. In the meantime, watch the colors pop at the Crayola Experience. Located in downtown Easton, Pennsylvania, the crayon company’s birthplace, the four floors of interactive exhibition feature attractions like instruction in crayon making, custom marker mixing, a crayon clinic, and an 85-foot water table attraction with Crayola boats. Here’s one place you can definitely think–and color–outside the box.
