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
Hawaiian Memories
By Linda Tancs
Far from a sleepy, island paradise, there’s plenty for both landlubbers and seafarers to do and see in Hawaii, the onetime kingdom. Let’s explore the island charms of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai. Learn more at Travelrific® Travel Show.
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Charlottesville Hits the Big 2-5-0
By Linda Tancs
The City of Charlottesville, Virginia, one of the oldest municipalities in the country, is celebrating its 250th birthday this year. The year- long celebration will feature lectures, exhibitions, special packages for visitors, and national and international talent. While you’re there, why not follow the Monticello Artisan Trail, a regional trailway that connects destinations including craft artisan studios, galleries, agri-artisan farms, local restaurants, wineries and microbreweries, lodging, and area points of interest in the counties surrounding Charlottesville.
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100 Years of Blooms
By Linda Tancs
The National Cherry Blossom Festival, the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, is celebrating 100 years of blooms this year. The festivities, having begun on 20 March and continuing to 27 April, mark the centennial of Tokyo’s donation of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to Washington, DC. Based on comparative records of past bud development, the National Park Service forecasts peak blooms until 31 March this year. The average peak bloom date, defined as the day on which 70 percent of the blossoms of the Yoshino cherry trees that surround the Tidal Basin are open, is 4 April. A highlight of the season is the cherry blossom festival parade, a long-standing Washington tradition featuring lavish floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and other family entertainment. Admission is free along the parade route, Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th streets, NW.
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A Hot Tin Roof in New Orleans
By Linda Tancs
Tennessee Williams was a master American playwright, known for such works as A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Born Thomas Lanier Williams, he began using the moniker Tennessee after college when he moved to New Orleans, a place he reputedly considered to be his spiritual home. It’s fitting, then, that the Big Easy should honor one of its own with an annual festival. The Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival features literary panel discussions, theatrical performances, master classes with a notable expert in writing or the arts, and literary walking tours. Previous festivals have hosted such luminaries as Dick Cavett, Edward Albee and George Plimpton. This year’s event will run through 25 March.
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Furniture Shopping in Philly
By Linda Tancs
The exhibitors at the Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show hope you’ll invest in beauty. Showcasing exceptional artisan quality furniture, the event is the longest running exhibition of its kind. Featured exhibitors include Selvin Glass, Swede McBroom, Michael Brown and G. Keener & Co. Most exciting, though, is the new location for the event this year–the 23rd Street Armory, an imposing castle-like structure built in 1901 that houses the Philadelphia City Cavalry, the oldest cavalry unit in continuous service in the United States. The Troop acted as George Washington’s personal bodyguard during the Revolutionary War. The history lesson alone is good enough reason to go. The preview party and auction is on 23 March, followed by two days of artisanal bliss.
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Time and Space
By Linda Tancs
It’s been 50 years since former astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth in a historic mission. Such an auspicious anniversary merits a visit to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here you’ll find the world’s largest collection of personal memorabilia from our space heroes, along with a G-Force Trainer (simulating the pressure of four times the force of gravity) and a space shuttle landing simulation. Junior astronauts can climb a moon rock wall, crawl through rocket tunnels and slide to the surface of the moon at the Children’s Play Dome. Not to be missed is the Space Mirror Memorial, a 42-1/2-foot-high-by-50-foot-wide black granite surface emblazoned with the names of the 24 U.S. astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration as well as the astronauts from training and commercial airplane accidents.
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Jefferson’s Second Home
By Linda Tancs
Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States. His beloved home Monticello is a fixture in Charlottesville at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia. What most folks might not know is that Jefferson had a hideaway from his glorious 33-room manse, a self-designed, eight-sided country villa outside Lynchburg, Virginia. The octagonal house (the first in America) is known as Poplar Forest, a retreat that many regard as a true masterpiece of architectural and landscape elements. Opening today through 15 December, the home is located off Route 661 south of Lynchburg.
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A Land of Golden Arches
By Linda Tancs
There’s a land of golden arches in our midst and, no, it isn’t a world of burgers and value meals. These arches are magnificent sandstone arches revealing millions of years of geologic history. That’s what you’ll find in Arches National Park, five miles north of Moab, Utah. One of the most beloved formations is Delicate Arch. View it against the night sky for an unforgettable experience.
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Spinning Tales in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
The Museum of Early Trades and Crafts in Madison, New Jersey provides a glimpse into the trades and crafts practiced in New Jersey from its earliest settlement. The current exhibit, Spinning Tales: The Fabric of New Jersey, tells the story of Early America through the crafts of spinning and weaving, following the process from raw material to finished product. Why not go for a spin and check it out. The museum is located at 9 Main Street (NJ Route 124 at Green Village Road) in the heart of Madison, about 28 miles west of New York City.
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Automotive History in Boca
By Linda Tancs
From 24 to 26 February the cognoscenti from the motor world will gather in Boca Raton, Florida for the sixth annual Concours d’Elegance at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Amidst gourmet food, fine wines and cocktails presented by South Florida’s finest restaurants, motor enthusiasts will revel in exotic cars (including the collection of Michael Fux), custom motorcycles, spectacular boats, private jets, vintage aircraft, and luxury motorcoaches. On 26 February an expert panel will judge a selection of the finest automobiles and motorcycles. But perhaps best of all is the tribute to the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Aston Martin and the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra, featuring a large collection of Aston Martins, original Shelby Cobras and Mustangs. Start your engines and motor over.
