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
Preserving the Past in Alabama
By Linda Tancs
At Fort Rucker, Alabama, they preserve the past for the future. That’s where you’ll find the Army Aviation Museum, exhibiting over 160 military aircraft, including one of the largest collections of military helicopters in the world. Aviation students, researchers, and authors will love the library (available by appointment only), housing more than 1,600 technical and field manuals, more than 2,000 films, an aviation history reference section, and approximately 95,000 photographs. Guided tours are available on request (call ahead to ensure that access to the installation is not restricted due to security requirements), and admission is free.
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Chicago’s Front Yard Food Fest
By Linda Tancs
Chicago’s Grant Park, at Michigan Avenue and Congress Drive, is dubbed Chicago’s “front yard.” Maybe that’s because it’s large and centrally located, the perfect venue for a foodie fest attracting more than 2 million visitors each year. The second largest tourist attraction in Illinois, the ten-day free event offers the usual fare (no pun intended) of top chops from Chicagoland’s best eateries, arts and crafts, music, chef demonstrations and lots of family fun in keeping with the current theme, America’s City Picnic. Visit anytime between 24 June and 3 July.
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Lost on the Beach
By Linda Tancs
Remember the secluded and pristine sandy beach of the TV show “Lost”? That’s Mokuleia Beach Park, a popular kite surfing spot. Tucked away on Oahu’s North Shore across from Dillingham airfield, there’s not a lifeguard in sight on this miles-long stretch of paradise. What you will find are scores of marine life (particularly sea turtles) and a long flat reef ideal for snorkeling. Find a local hotel and get lost for a while.
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Czech, Mate
By Linda Tancs
Czech immigrants have settled in the tiny town of Tabor, South Dakota since 1869. The founders of this town (population under 1000) are celebrated during the third weekend of each June at the Czech Days festival. Fireworks are scheduled for 16 June. See the Beseda Dancers, 238 colorful costumed dancers performing Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:30 pm in Sokol Park. Other features include a heritage museum boasting a log school and log house, homemade noodles and Czech music. Also, watch the screening of the film “Tabor: A Little Czech Town on the American Prairie.” Bring your appetite. Tiny Tabor is located on SD Highway 50, 100 miles southwest of Sioux Falls.
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The Seventh Sister of Connecticut
By Linda Tancs
At Connecticut’s southernmost of hills known as the Seven Sisters, actor/director/playwright William Hooker Gillette built a twenty-four-room mansion reminiscent of a medieval castle. The fieldstone structure with a southern white oak woodwork interior is part of Gillette Castle State Park, an East Haddam treasure accessible from road or ferry. In fact, from late April to late November take the Chester-Hadlyme ferry across the Connecticut River from Chester for majestic views of the clifftop castle. The castle is open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day but the park is open year round.
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Just Peachy
By Linda Tancs
Where else but in Peach County, Georgia would you expect to find Georgia’s Peach Festival. Taking place in Byron and Fort Valley from 3 to 11 June, the highlight of the proceedings is the debut of the World’s Largest Peach Cobbler–11 by five feet and about eight inches deep –made from 90 pounds of butter, 150 pounds of sugar, 150 pounds of flour, 32 gallons of milk and 75 gallons of delectable Georgia peaches. What’s your favorite peach recipe? Post it here.
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A Place of Quiet Beauty
By Linda Tancs
Pebble Hill plantation in Thomasville, Georgia bills itself as “a place of quiet beauty.” There certainly is plenty of ground for quiet reflection. Amidst the hallmark pines that define the plantation’s landscape, The Main House is framed with numerous camellia bushes, dogwoods, magnolias, azaleas, tea olives, and Cherokee roses. Near the North entrance to the House is a wonderful crepe myrtle tree, perfect for contemplating life plans. The Uno Hill Barn grounds offer views of the serenity of the piney woods. Or you could just marvel at the plantation’s substantial famed collection of prints from the first edition of Audubon’s Birds of North America. There’s plenty to do; come early, stay late.
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King Biscuit
By Linda Tancs
They’ll be raising lots of dough from 27 to 28 May in Knoxville, Tennessee at the International Biscuit Festival. Celebrating the heart of comfort food in downtown Market Square, you can sample the fare along Biscuit Boulevard and decide who earns the title of Best Biscuit. For those who lose the crown this year, there’s always the bake-off. Last year’s winner saluted one of Elvis’s favorite dishes comprising peanut butter, banana and bacon. Every biscuit tells a story. The songwriting competition gives you a chance to share yours. Post your lyrics here.
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Jambalaya Jamboree
By Linda Tancs
Gonzalez, Louisiana is the “Jambalaya Capital of the World.” From 26 to 29 May the area hosts its annual Jambalaya Festival and World Champion Jambalaya Cooking event. A Cajun/Creole dish made from a mixture of meats, rice and seasonings, jambalaya is a southern Louisiana delight. The jambalaya cooking contest draws contestants the world over for the coveted title. Do you have a favorite jambalaya recipe? Share it here.
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A Haven for Wild Horses
By Linda Tancs
For hundreds of years wild horses have lived on the shores of Maryland’s Assateague Island, their native habitat preserved through miles of fencing to protect them against contact with contemporary means of transportation. You can use those means, though, to meander peacefully among the sanctuary and observe them as nature intended, along with eagles, osprey, falcons, dolphins, sting rangs and a host of other species living along the coastline. The Pony Express Nature Cruise is available now through 9 October. Get there via Chincoteague, Virginia or Ocean City, Maryland, the gateways to Assateague.
