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
Carefree in Arizona
By Linda Tancs
Most spa resorts assert bragging rights over their gastronomy. At Arizona’s Carefree Resort and Conference Center, they encourage you to eat some dust. As in offroading. Or maybe trailriding. How about cattle driving? Of course, there’s always the desert and hummer trail tours. You get the idea.
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The World’s Whistling Capital
By Linda Tancs
Do you whistle while you work–or work on your whistle? Whichever it is, you have plenty of company. The International Whistlers Convention takes place each year in Louisburg, North Carolina. Now in its 38th year, competitors come from around the world. This year’s event takes place from 6 to 10 April. If you tire of whistling, you can skydive at the local center. That will really give you something to whistle about.
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Trails Galore in Colorado Springs
By Linda Tancs
Colorado Springs, Colorado is the home of the U.S. Olympic Committee. So you would expect a fair amount of athleticism to prevail–and you would not be disappointed. Consider the 35-mile stretch that hikers, runners and bicyclists are now able to travel from Palmer Lake to Fountain on a continuous pathway that ties together the New Santa Fe Regional Trail, Pikes Peak Greenway and the Fountain Creek Regional Trail. Happy trails to you.
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Sir Barton’s Abode
By Linda Tancs
Douglas, Wyoming was designated one of the best 100 small towns in America. You might assume that a small town like this has a slight history, but you’d be mistaken. Douglas is the resting place of Sir Barton, the first thoroughbred colt to win the American Triple Crown. Storytellers probably know it better, though, as the official home of the jackalope, a mythical creature described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers. The New York Times attributed the tale to Douglas Herrick of Douglas, Wyoming, and thus the town was named the “Home of the Jackalope” by the state in 1985.
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Libby’s Swinging Bridge
By Linda Tancs
Downstream from Libby, Montana, the Kootenai River enters a canyon and flows over Kootenai Falls, one of the largest free-flowing waterfalls in the northwest. The falls can be viewed from a “swinging bridge” that crosses the river. The falls area is a sacred site to the Kootenai Indians who inhabited the area. Located at milepost 21 on US Highway 2 between Libby and Troy, the site is a hiker’s dream and worth a visit.
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Life on the Farm
By Linda Tancs
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead in Overland Park, Kansas depicts a bygone era. The 12-acre property, designed to depict a turn-of-the-century family farm, has almost 200 animals, vegetable and flower gardens, a one-room schoolhouse and more. Re-named in 1985 in honor of a police officer killed in the line of duty, the aim of the farmstead is to preserve the traditions of the Kansas family farm, a way of life fast disappearing. Children can enjoy the experience of bottle feeding baby goats, milking a cow and taking a horse drawn wagon ride through the woods. The facility opens for the season on 1 April. Reservations are accepted for parties and tours.
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Something is Brewing in Fort Collins
By Linda Tancs
Fort Collins, Colorado is the second largest producer of beer in Colorado, the state ranked first in the country in volume produced by breweries. Here you can hit the ale trail–or, as the locals call it, the foam on the range tour–and vist CB & Potts, Coopersmith’s, Fort Collins Brewery, New Belgium Brewing Company and Odell. Anheuser-Busch has a brewery here, too. The first Saturday of the month is camera day for those wishing to pose with the famous Clydesdale horses.
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The McKinney Experiment
By Linda Tancs
The folks of McKinney, Texas want you to know that they’re unique by nature. Consider, for instance, the McKinney Experiment, a Wal-Mart test store for environmentally friendly processes and technologies. One of only two such experimental Wal-Mart stores in the world, the goal is to make the best use of renewable and alternate sources like wind and solar energy to generate electricity to supplement the power needs of the store. Environmental consciousness runs deep in this town 30 miles from Dallas. This is home to the world’s first environmentally friendly, LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) automobile dealership as well as the country’s first privately developed LEED platinum building. That should make any town green with envy.
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Open House in Charleston
By Linda Tancs
Calhoun Mansion is an 1876 manor house of italianate design and the largest residence in Charleston, South Carolina. It boasts Tiffany lighting, a 75 foot domed ceiling, 35 rooms and 23 fireplaces. For a fee you can tour this house, which happens to be a private residence. The gardens are free to tour, however, and they are spectacular. During Historic Charleston Foundation’s 64th Annual Spring Festival of Houses & Gardens today through 16 April, you can tour stately homes like Calhoun. Tours and events vary daily.
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South by Southwest
By Linda Tancs
South by Southwest is more than just direction. It’s an event in Austin, Texas beginning tomorrow where original music, independent films, and emerging technologies converge. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the conferences and festivals through 20 March offer invaluable networking opportunities. Bring lots of business cards.
