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
Along the Delaware Bayshore
By Linda Tancs
Heislerville, New Jersey is a Cumberland County town along the Delaware Bayshore offering a wildlife refuge with scenic views of salt water impoundments, the Maurice River, and large mudflats that provide varied habitat for wading birds, shorebirds and waterfowl. Located at Matts Landing Road, the eight-mile auto-trail driving loop offers something for every seasonal preference. Summertime brings waders, shorebirds, and Black Skimmer to the impoundments. Look for roosting egrets in the trees on the islands as well as diamondback terrapins. While you’re in the area, visit the East Point Lighthouse, built in 1849 at the mouth of the Maurice River.
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History in the Upper Mississippi
By Linda Tancs
The Upper Mississippi River runs from the headwaters of Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Cairo, Illinois, a distance of about 1,250 miles. Along that mighty trek, you’ll find Hannibal, Missouri, Samuel Clemens’ inspiration for St. Petersburg, the fictional hometown of his most famous character, Tom Sawyer. Better known by his pen name Mark Twain, Clemens’ boyhood home in Hannibal was granted National Historic Landmark status in 1962. Part of a city-owned array of museum properties (including Judge Clemens’ Justice of the Peace Office, Grant’s Drug Store/Pilaster House, and Tom and Huck Statue), the boyhood home on North Main Street is one of the oldest historic preservation projects in the country.
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Prettiest Small Town in North Carolina
By Linda Tancs
The locals crowned Blowing Rock the prettiest small town in North Carolina. At only three square miles, it’s also likely to have made the most use of its space, with more than 100 shops, about two dozen restaurants, and nearly 20 hotels and inns. The Blowing Rock is North Carolina’s oldest travel attraction since 1933. Your short scenic walk includes views of Grandfather Mountain (the highest point in the Blue Ridge), Table Rock, and Hawksbill. Another memorable attraction is Moses Cone Memorial Park, sporting 25 miles of preserved carriage trails and breathtaking views from Flat Top Mountain, winding through the estate that once belonged to “Denim King” Moses Cone and his wife. The kids will love Tweetsie Railroad, a Wild West family theme park featuring a three-mile, steam-powered train ride through the North Carolina mountains.
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The Fairy Trail
By Linda Tancs
The Lily Dale Fairy Trail sounds like the title of a children’s book, but it’s an honest-to-goodness hiking trail in Lily Dale Assembly, a religious corporation promoting spiritualism located in southwestern New York just one hour south of Buffalo. The Fairy Trail is marked by pink fairies on the trees, engaging visitors to stay alert for fairy houses, gnome houses and small villages located along the trail. Like other features of this community (Forest Temple and Inspiration Stump), the trail offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy the natural surroundings in a meditative way. Lily Dale is open to visitors year round, but visits from 29 June to 2 September require a gate fee.
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A Land for Little Vikings
By Linda Tancs
Are you of Norwegian heritage? Well now there’s a place for your little Vikings to explore their background on this side of the pond. Land of the Vikings is a year-round cultural and recreational center in Sherman, Pennsylvania. Just 35 miles east of Binghamton, New York, its 150 acres provide the perfect venue for the children’s summer camp. In addition to outdoor sports activities, the camp offers classes in the Norwegian language as well as traditions such as rosemaling, woodworking, and hardanger. The camp serves children aged 12 to 15 from 1-7 July and those aged 8 to 11 from 8-14 July.
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It’s a Dog’s Life
By Linda Tancs
Well, maybe it’s not quite a dog’s life after all. Even pooches need to get away from it all, as Canine Camp Getaway of New York would have you believe. How does a vacation in the beautiful Adirondacks sound? Your faithful companion will enjoy activities ranging from frisbee to skateboarding, rewinding afterwards at the very social Yappy Hour. Don’t feel left out. You can enjoy your own pursuits, like horseback riding, zumba, and the spa. The fun lasts from 24 to 28 June at Lake George.
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Hunker Down in West Virginia
By Linda Tancs
The Greenbrier is a National Historic Landmark, an award-winning resort located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains, the impeccably appointed Greenbrier offers superb amenities such as championship golf, fine dining, more than 50 activities, designer boutiques, a 5-star spa and a 103,000 square foot gaming and entertainment venue. So it might seem a bit strange that in the midst of these luxurious, pampering surroundings is a bunker. Yes, a bunker–as in the Cold War era, underground kind. Once a top secret Government facility, the now declassified bunker beneath the West Virginia Wing is a unique attraction for a luxury property. Boasting such sites as a decontamination area and power plant, the bunker is a piece of living history open for tours by the public and registered hotel guests alike. The Greenbrier is easily reached via Amtrak or flights to Greenbrier Valley Airport.
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Disney’s Land of Cars
By Linda Tancs
Children of all ages, rev your engines. Tomorrow marks the debut of Disney’s Cars Land. The newest addition to Disney California Adventure Park brings Radiator Springs to life, providing head-to-head racing through the spectacular Ornament Valley. If that’s not enough of a rush for you, then head to Luigi’s Flying Tires, where you’ll literally float on air on an oversized flying tire. In true Disney fashion, the streets of Radiator Springs will come alive with music and lights once the sun sets.
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Putting the Hex On in Pennsylvania
By Linda Tancs
No, it isn’t hocus pocus. The hex–at least in Pennsylvania Dutch country–is a much sought after form of folk art commonly decorating barns in southeastern Pennsylvania. On the Hex Barn Art Tour beginning in Kutztown, you’ll see the ever popular eight-point star, a design symbolizing perseverance. That’s a trait the early German settlers to the region in the 1700s would have had in spades as they set out to farm the land and create new lives for themselves and their families. As you make your way through the 28 mile, self-guided driving tour, be on the lookout for the elusive distelfinks, a pair of goldfinches symbolizing good luck and tranquility. You just might find one in, of all places, Hawk Mountain.
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An Artist’s Cottage
By Linda Tancs
What does a spa experience evoke for you? A facial, massage, aromatherapy–maybe some hot stones? Add an artist’s cottage to that. That’s right: at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in southern California, your Shangri-La includes the Artist’s Cottage and Apothecary. There guests will team with artists to learn the skills required to work in media such as oils, pastels, watercolor, and precious metals. Add to that the Apothecary, where you can create your own personal scent for inclusion in lotions, gels and creams that will carry your own name. As you settle into the pink glow of an early evening in the valley, surely you’ll find the surroundings to be inspiring.
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