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
Sasquatch of the Southeast
By Linda Tancs
Often thought of as Florida’s Bigfoot, the skunk ape is rumored to live in the Everglades near Ochopee. At Shealy’s Official Skunk Ape Headquarters in Ochopee, you’ll meet self-proclaimed skunk ape expert Dave Shealy. His outpost is one of America’s top roadside attractions. You might not see the giant ape himself, but the sanctuary offers a close-up look at Florida’s fascinating wildlife, including live pythons, alligators and snapping turtles. Make a reservation for an Everglades tour.
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Seven Magic Mountains
By Linda Tancs
South of Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada, renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone created a public art installation near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15 known as Seven Magic Mountains. The eye-catching art comprises seven, 30-foot dayglow totems of painted, locally-sourced boulders. Admission to the site is free; you’ll find interpretative signage there as well.
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Cavaliers and Roundheads
By Linda Tancs
The history of England’s Corfe Castle in Dorset includes the country’s civil war era. Among its many owners, the castle passed into the hands of the Bankes family, prominent members of the Dorset gentry, who turned the former stronghold into their country seat. The Bankes family supported King Charles I and his supporters (the Cavaliers) against Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians (the Roundheads) during the civil war. They defended the castle unsuccessfully against bombardment, and the castle was ultimately destroyed. Due to the courage of Lady Mary Bankes during the conflict, the victorious Parliamentarians eventually presented her with the keys to Corfe Castle as a tribute notwithstanding its destruction. The castle remained in the family for over three centuries before being handed over to the National Trust. Take a walk among the castle’s ruins and grounds (which features an audio tour covering its long history), and look out for wildlife like the grey bush cricket and red kites, birds of prey with their distinctive high-pitched whistle sound and reddish-brown forked tail.
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A Golden Site in California
By Linda Tancs
Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation. That’s where James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in a valley that the Nisenan Indians knew as Cullumah. About 70% of the town of Coloma is included in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where you can pan for gold. The park features buildings that have survived the gold rush and includes a museum with gold-rush-era exhibits and other historical information. You can take a walking tour of the park as well as a short lesson on gold panning.
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The Story of Western Montana
By Linda Tancs
In Lolo, Montana, the extensive private collection of Bill and Ramona Holt at Holt Heritage Center tells the story of Western Montana. On the one hand, there’s the Western Collection, a treasure trove of cowboy artifacts like saddles, boots, hats and equipment, including property of celebrity cowboys and cowgirls like John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Dolly Parton and many others. There’s also a Rodeo Collection including trophy saddles, buckles, clothing, posters, photos and artifacts. On the other hand, there’s an exhibition of local Native American cultures (Nez Pierce, Salish and Crow) featuring beadwork, porcupine quillwork, dance outfits, silver and turquoise jewelry, moccasins, cradle boards and saddles. Even the location is historic, situated on a trail used by Lewis and Clark in the 1800s. Contact the venue to schedule a tour.
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Pencil Sharpeners in Ohio
By Linda Tancs
Reputedly the largest pencil sharpener collection in America, the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum in Logan, Ohio, features more than 3,400 pencil sharpeners collected by Reverend Paul Johnson. It also includes a recently donated collection of 1,000 or so sharpeners from the estate of Frank Parades of Tampa, Florida. Located at the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center at 13178 St. Rt. 664 South, admission is free.
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A Giant Easel in Kansas
By Linda Tancs
A big piece of art is blooming in Goodland, Kansas. That’s where you’ll find “the world’s largest painting on an easel,” a reproduction of Van Gogh’s Three Sunflowers in a Vase. The 24 foot by 32-foot canvas stands on a steel easel that is 80 feet tall. The site, on Cherry Avenue, was chosen due to its connection to sunflower agriculture.
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Minnesota’s Highest Waterfall
By Linda Tancs
Three viewing decks at High Falls provide visitors to Minnesota’s Grand Portage State Park with various vantage points to see and photograph the state’s highest waterfall. High Falls Trail is an easy, one mile round-trip hike; you might also opt for the rugged 4.5-mile hiking trail to Middle Falls, with spectacular ridgetop views of Lake Superior and Canada. One of the smallest state parks, it is the only one whose land is owned not by the state but rather by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on behalf of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, who manage the park jointly with the state.
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The Gem of the Catskills
By Linda Tancs
Located in the Great Northern Catskills of Greene County in Hunter, Kaaterskill Falls is the highest cascading waterfall in New York State. Dropping in two tiers over 260 feet, the waterfall has been one of the region’s most popular destinations among locals and tourists for centuries. A convenient way to access the falls is to park and take the trolley, which stops in locales like Tannersville, Haines Falls, Palenville and throughout the Kaaterskill Clove (the gorge). A roundtrip hike to the falls, a moderately challenging route, is less than 2 miles on a marked path.
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A Legacy in Bristol
By Linda Tancs
Blithewold (meaning “happy woodland” in Old English) is an estate in Bristol, Rhode Island, that chronicles the Van Wickle, McKee and Lyon families. Shunning the nearby grandeur of Newport, the story begins with the wealthy couple Augustus and Bessie Van Wickle, who purchased the property in 1894 to create a rural retreat on Narragansett Bay. It’s one of the few late 19th and early 20th century New England estates that retains its integrity and authenticity down to the details of plant materials and interior furnishings, family archives and artifacts present in the 45-room mansion. It’s also one of the most fully-developed and intact examples of the Country Place Era in the United States and represents the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in the country. The 33-acre estate features gardens that combine layouts from the 1800s with contemporary settings. Opening times vary with the season.
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