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
Butterfly Town, USA
By Linda Tancs
October is a special time of year at Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, California. That’s when you can witness the annual migration of the monarch butterfly. The pines and eucalyptus trees of the Sanctuary are saturated with the colorful insects that overwinter in this pleasant climate every year. If you thought this only happened in Mexico, you’re not imagining things. Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains do indeed spend their winters in high mountains in central Mexico. Monarchs west of the Rockies migrate to locations on the central California coast. This spectacular event on the coast has earned the town the nickname Butterfly Town. Led by a team of dedicated docents, you can reach the Sanctuary at Ridge Road between Lighthouse Avenue and Short Street.
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Road Scholars
By Linda Tancs
Learning is lifelong. And worldwide. Combine the two and you get Road Scholars, an educational travel program for the 50-plus set. On a fixed income? No worries. You can hike the waterfalls of the Carolinas and explore lighthouses, shipwrecks and treasures for under $600. The journey may have a price, but the experience is priceless.
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America’s Riding on Them
By Linda Tancs
According to the American Bus Association, motorcoach travel and tourist demand generates more than $55 billion annually in economic transactions. So obviously there’s a lot riding (no pun intended) on this mode of travel. And this isn’t your grandma’s coach. Today’s fleets are outfitted with leather seats, Wi-Fi access and other amenities to ensure safe and comfortable journeys. They even run cleaner than trains, planes and automobiles. Want to learn more? Let the Motorcoach Council coachify you.
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Pumpkin Envy in Providence
By Linda Tancs
Painter Marc Chagall observed that great art picks up where nature ends. But sometimes nature produces great art, like the pumpkin show at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island. Through 31 October an amazing array of lighted and intricately carved jack o’lanterns depicting past and contemporary culture will adorn a trail through the zoo. Begin at the giraffe exhibit where the trail actually begins. Commended by the U.S. Library of Congress, the event attracts hordes of fans so be prepared for long waits.
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The PGA of Mini Golf
By Linda Tancs
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a family-friendly destination. After all, the nearby Children’s Museum of South Carolina has interactive exhibits and programs such as a science lab and a kiddie ATM. And what could be more family friendly than miniature golf. Myrtle Beach is known in many circles as the mini golf capital of the world. So it probably would come as no surprise that the area hosts a Masters National Pro Mini Golf Championship at Hawaiian Rumble, a course sporting a 40- foot lava rock volcano that erupts every 20 minutes or so for a few seconds. The event, held this year between 14 and 17 October, is the official national championship for top professional mini golfers in America. It is approximately five and a half miles from Myrtle Beach International Airport and similar distances from Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing. Look for the Hawaiian Rumble sign at the intersection of Highway 17 and 33rd Avenue South.
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Shard Sale in Hyannis
By Linda Tancs
Bikini season may have ended at the beach, but early fall brings out beach goers for treasure hunting as sea glass washes ashore in large numbers. Whether it’s shipwrecked or household waste, the right color shard could land you big bucks if you know what you’re looking at. Not sure? Then bring it to the North American Sea Glass Association convention in Hyannis, Massachusetts this weekend. Taking place at the Resort and Conference Center, the annual event features the award of Shard of the Year. Who knows, maybe you’ll be a contender.
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Pebble Beach of the East
By Linda Tancs
Sea Island is a resort along the southeast coast of Georgia sporting ocean-view villas, a football field-sized spa, and a seaside golf course. Sounds like the perfect spot for a golf tournament. The PGA folks think so, too; that’s why the resort’s course will host a new PGA Tour event called the McGladrey Classic. Gates open tomorrow through 10 October. Proceeds from the event benefit Special Olympics, the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia and Safe Harbor. Free parking is located at McKinnon Airport on St. Simons Island, where a shuttle to the course will be provided. Need a place to stay? The resort’s centerpiece, The Cloister Hotel, awaits you with five miles of private beach to keep you busy while the pros square off.
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Rural Life in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
Experience rural life in the late Victorian era at Fosterfields Farm, a living historical farm in Morristown, New Jersey. The first of its kind in the state, the property was bequeathed to the local park commission by Caroline Foster, a successor in title from General Joseph Warren Revere, grandson of Paul Revere. Drop by and take in the agricultural heritage of the Garden State.
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A Revolutionary Event in Germantown
By Linda Tancs
On 2 October historic Germantown in northwest Philadelphia will commemorate the Continental Army’s fight against the British there during the Revolutionary War. The day’s festivities include an exhibition of maps and prints related to the war, a battle reenactment, graveside ceremony and, of course, an Oktoberfest to celebrate the area’s settlement centuries ago by German settlers. Travel time from Center City is approximately 25 minutes. Public transportation is available via the R8 (Chestnut Hill West) commuter rail line (Upsal Station) or the Route 23 bus.
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Neptune Rules in VA
By Linda Tancs
The beaches at Virginia Beach in Virginia are wide–quite fitting for an imposing colossal bronze statue of the sea god Neptune to reign over. Summer may be coming to a close, but Neptune rules at the festival this weekend all across the oceanfront. The annual event covers everything from a world-class sandcastle competition to numerous athletic competitions and the famous Neptune Grand Parade. Over 275 artisans will line the boardwalk for the Neptune Art and Craft Show, combined with food vendors and lots of oceanside fun. Dive right in.
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