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
A Norse Afternoon of Fun
By Linda Tancs
Wisconsin winters are pretty harsh. Just days ago a winter storm covered much of the state and wreaked havoc on schools and transportation. That’s enough to give anyone the winter blahs. In Stoughton, they have a cure for the cold weather blues. Put on your dancing shoes! This Sunday marks the annual Norse Afternoon of Fun with the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers, now in their 60th year. Just 25 miles south of Madison, the Stoughton festival celebrates the best of Norwegian culture with colorful Norwegian costumes, folk dancing, and food. Norwegian immigrants settled in Wisconsin and surrounding areas in large numbers, attracted by the prospect of land ownership and farming opportunities. The City of Stoughton is known for its Syttende Mai (May 17) celebration of Norway’s independence. It’s also known as something a bit quirkier: the birthplace of the coffee break. Who knew?
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Penn’s Woods
By Linda Tancs
The name of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is derived from “sylvania” (Latin for “woods”) and Penn–as in William Penn, who in 1680 requested lands from England’s King Charles II to establish a Quaker colony. Pennsylvania’s founding father loved the wholesomeness of country life and enjoyed an estate along the Delaware River known as Pennsbury Manor. By the early 1800s, the house was in disrepair and ultimately torn down by its owners. On the grounds today is a reproduction of that country estate, a living museum and testament to the Colonial Revival movement. Some artifacts remain from the excavation of the site begun in the 1930s, such as the fireplace tiles, a pewter serving platter, a walnut-caned day bed and a wig and dressing table suite. Guided tours are available Tuesday through Saturday.
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A Lakeside Playground
By Linda Tancs
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is blessed with an abundance of lakes in the region left by glaciers from the Ice Age, including Lake Coeur d’Alene. No wonder the city bills itself as “Your Lakeside Playground.” The 25-mile lake plays host to sightseeing and dinner cruises as well as a beach and the world’s longest floating boardwalk at The Lake Coeur d’Alene Resort. An all-weather destination, the area is home to three ski resorts offering over 131 runs and the West’s driest powder.
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Tunnel Vision
By Linda Tancs
In 1930, the mile-long Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel was the longest of its type in the United States, created to provide direct access to Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon from Utah’s Zion National Park. The sandstone tunnel is one of the busiest areas of Zion National Park, the first national park in the state. In fact, vehicles exceeding 7 feet 10 inches (2.4 meters) in width and/or 11 feet 4 inches (3.4 meters) in height require a tunnel permit to pass through. RVs and campers, take note.
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On the Road to Yorktown
By Linda Tancs
On this date in 1781 the Patriots won a decisive victory over the Redcoats in Gaffney, South Carolina at the Battle of Cowpens. Formally a pasture before becoming a battlefield, Cowpens National Battlefield is the site where a military maneuver known as a double envelopment took place, the only such tactic to take place during the Revolution. The result at Cowpens started General Lord Cornwallis on the road to Yorktown that eventually led to the British surrender there.
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Three Centuries of Hospitality
By Linda Tancs
The Madam Brett Homestead is the oldest building in Dutchess County, New York. Located in Beacon, a city used as a signaling point during the American Revolution, the house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. Built circa 1709 by Roger and Catheryna Rombaut Brett, the home’s original acreage of over 28,000 was inherited by Catheryna from her father, who purchased the land from the Wappinger Indians. Seven generations, spanning three centuries, have lived in its rooms. During the Revolutionary War, special guests included George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben. Today visitors can enjoy period furnishings, including a colonial-era kitchen, China-Trade porcelain and 18th and 19th century furniture scattered among the drawing room, colonial-era bedroom and Federal-style dining room. The property’s remaining six acres include woodlands, gardens and a brook.
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Hitting the Rails
By Linda Tancs
Delayed or cancelled flights. Lost luggage. Long check-in lines. Is air travel leaving you frazzled? Maybe you’re ready to hit the rails–in a good way, that is. Rail travel in the U.S. is on the upswing. Why not wind your way through Montana’s Glacier National Park on an Amtrak train, taking in the sights from the panoramic windows of the observation car. Or combine your train ride with a sailing on a Rail and Sail package. Headquartered at Union Station in Washington, D.C., Amtrak began operations in 1971 as an intercity passenger train service. They’ve glammed things up quite a bit since then, packaging their offerings into escorted journeys and getaways. Is rail travel for you?
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The Winter God of Breckenridge
By Linda Tancs
In Norse mythology, Ullr (stepson of Thor, the god of thunder) is the winter god. He’s honored each year in Breckenridge, Colorado at the Ullr Fest. Now in its 50th year, this year’s event promises the usual skiers and snowboarders adorned with hats sporting Viking horns, “Ullympic” competitors, a parade, and floats with ski jumps. Join them now until 12 January.
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Christmas in Florida
By Linda Tancs
It may seem incongruous to have a town in sunny Florida named Christmas. Originally named Fort Christmas, the tiny town of less than 2000 inhabitants east of Orlando boasts a full size replica of Fort Christmas, built in 1837 during the Second Seminole Indian War. In addition to exhibits and a video on the wars, the fort brings pioneering to life, featuring restored historical homes in the age of homesteading, fishing, trapping and hunting. The fort is closed today. It is, of course, Christmas in Christmas!
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Hats Off at Peabody
By Linda Tancs
At the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the hats have it. Through 3 February 2013, an anthology of hats is on display. Let’s face it; we fell in love with the fascinator when Kate (that’s the better half of William and Kate) put the glam in that modest little accessory. At the Peabody, British milliner-to-the-stars Stephen Jones has created an homage to headdress. You’ll find caps, crowns, bonnets, turbans, fascinators and more than a few head-scratching designs. It’ sure to be a heady experience.
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