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 Free Guide on the Freedom Trail
By Linda Tancs
Considered the oldest public park in the U.S., Boston Common is the starting point of the Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts. From there you can pick up a map of this 2.5 mile walking trail highlighting 16 historic landmarks, such as the site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Old North Church and the Bunker Hill Monument. If self-guided tours aren’t for you, don’t fret. You can pick up a free guided tour of the trail by a National Park Service ranger at Faneuil Hall.
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On the Water’s Edge
By Linda Tancs
Havre de Grace, Maryland bills itself as unique on the Chesapeake. Just five minutes off I-95 between Baltimore, Maryland and Wilmington, Delaware, the little city by the bay offers a plethora of things to do. Why not take a stroll along the boardwalk, where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay. Or check out the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy system, a system of buoys placed along portions of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The region is rich in maritime heritage. Visit the lock house museum for the story of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal or take in a lecture at the maritime museum. You can even visit a museum dedicated to decoy carving, or take an educational excursion aboard the Skipjack Martha Lewis, one of the last remaining working dredge boats comprising the Chesapeake Bay oyster fleet.
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Boston’s Oldest Light
By Linda Tancs
For an unforgettable view of Boston Harbor, visit Boston’s oldest lighthouse–also the oldest and first one in the U.S.–at Little Brewster Island. This is the last lighthouse to retain a U.S. Coast Guard keeper. The historic Fresnel lens is worth the climb up 76 steps and two ladders. You’re sure to find a tour illuminating.
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A Home Run in Cooperstown
By Linda Tancs
Cooperstown, New York is the birthplace of baseball–the national pastime–and home to its museum. But did you know that it’s also a treasure trove for shoppers, opera and museum lovers, and theatre and concert goers? For instance, Fenimore Art Museum, one of the nation’s premier art institutions, is located here. This neo-Georgian dwelling houses a significant collection of American folk art and American Indian art, as well as important holdings in decorative arts, photography and modern art. The museum is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, presenting On the Home Front: New York in the Civil War.
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Pumpkin Fever in Delaware
By Linda Tancs
Ever wonder what happens to all those Halloween pumpkins? It might surprise you to learn that people from across the country converge east of Bridgeville, Delaware to launch pumpkins into the air during the annual Punkin Chunkin competition in November. Now through 4 November, teams will use their engineering skills and ingenuity to hurl their pumpkins to the greatest heights. A nationally recognized event, a share of the proceeds is earmarked for charitable giving. What better reason is there to chunk than that!
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Splendid Isolation
By Linda Tancs
Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas is one of the remotest places on earth. Named for the vast curve of the Rio Grande, native peoples have lived in and passed through this expansive park (the 8th largest in the lower 48 states) for thousands of years. Archeological wonders are also represented, including fossils like a world-record pterosaur and a 50-foot crocodile. No surprise that the park offers idyllic hiking trails, like Grapevine Hills with its beautiful rock formations. Over 150 miles of trails await for day hikes or backpacking trips. Visitor information is available at any of the five centers, two of which are open year round. The busy season is generally November through April. Get there now before the crowds do. The closest commercial airport is Midland International.
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Cape Cod’s Most Popular Destination
By Linda Tancs
Provincetown, Massachusetts is one of the few places on the East Coast where you can watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean. Located at the tip of Cape Cod and preserved almost entirely as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore Park, its heritage dates back to the Pilgrims’ first landing in 1620. Dune hiking is a popular attraction. You can take a 40-minute hike on your own at the Snail Road entrance or opt for an organized tour, complete with lobster bakes or sunset and champagne tours. Provincetown is a regional public transportation hub with fast ferry, bus and air service from Boston and frequent local shuttle service.
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The Barbecue Capital of Texas
By Linda Tancs
Lockhart, Texas has about 15,000 inhabitants but welcomes over 250,000 visitors each year to its four barbecue restaurants: Blacks, Chisholm Trail, Kreuz and Smittys. Not surprisingly, the Texas Legislature has proclaimed that Lockhart is the barbecue capital of Texas. No doubt you’ll find barbecue nirvana. And remember, good barbecue doesn’t need sauce.
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Tacos in Arizona
By Linda Tancs
Two dollar tacos, anyone? That’s not the only draw at the Arizona Taco Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona this weekend. Located at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday and Sunday, you will see 30 plus teams duke it out in categories like chicken, beef, pork and seafood tacos along with sidecarts including salsa and guacamole for a prize purse of $10,000 overall. You can expect the usual events to return, such as lucha libre wrestling, the famed tequila expo, live surf music and cooking demonstrations, along with events for the kids to round out a family fun day.
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Celebrate At a Refuge Near You
By Linda Tancs
It’s National Wildlife Refuge Week, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wants you to celebrate at a refuge near you. You’ll find an open house this week at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on the Big Island in Hawaii. Take a guided bird hike or a tour of the greenhouse where native plants are being propagated. Among the lower 48, why not join the staff at New Jersey’s Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge for a sunset nature walk to view the migrating ducks. As the poet William Wordsworth so aptly put it, “Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher.”
