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
The Legends Meet at Greenbrier
By Linda Tancs
The Greenbrier, an award-winning resort located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, bills itself as “America’s resort.” An apt description, considering this National Historic Landmark is almost as old as the country. Known as the “Queen of the Southern Spas,” the complex of 6500 acres in the Alleghenies is a mix of sulphur springs, luxury accommodations, formal gardens, and golf courses. It’s the golf that takes center stage now through 1 August as the PGA hosts its newest event, the Greenbrier Classic, at the famed Old White Course, designed in 1914 by Charles Blair Macdonald, the reputed father of American golf course architecture. The festivities include a concert tonight by country music star Reba McEntire, followed by a performance tomorrow by Rascal Flatts and Saturday’s song fest with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. The legends truly do meet at Greenbrier.
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Basque in the Festivities
By Linda Tancs
Treasure Valley includes all the lowland areas from Vale, Oregon to Boise, Idaho. With a moniker like that it should come as no surprise that the area attracted those in search of gold and other treasures. An unusually large number of Basques joined in that quest, ultimately homesteading in Boise where the ethnic group grew to its largest numbers outside its European base of northeastern Spain and southwestern France. Every five years Boise celebrates Basque culture at the Fairgrounds with Jaialdi, or “Big Festival.” Now through 1 August, experience Basque tradition through tasty croquettes, dances like the Flag Dance (Ikurrina), and ball games like pelota (a variant of which is jai alai) in the Fronton on Grove Street.
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The World at Your Feet
By Linda Tancs
The world at your feet—that is, under your feet—is a traveler’s mélange of sights and sounds of the earth and under the earth from Old World to New World. Consider Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat. Descending from a prehistoric lake, this snow-hued wasteland is punctuated with a series of cherry red trains bearing silent testimony to a once burgeoning rail system designed for the transport of the area’s rich mineral resources to Pacific Ocean ports. Although generally devoid of plant or animal life, a pink brigade of Andean flamingos breeds among the flats each November.
Pink also characterizes a shallow lake in Senegal, West Africa known as Lac Rose (Pink Lake), so named for the gentle pinkish tint owing to the reflection of mineral deposits in the water. This basin is popular with tourists because its salinity allows for floating. However, it is hope that floats for the locals in this area some 20 miles from the capital city of Dakar; the huge stores of salt extracted from the lake bed are a vital source of income.
The hue turns to blue in Belize, where an underwater sinkhole near Ambergris Caye attracts divers the world over. The Great Blue Hole is about 1000 feet in diameter and 412 feet deep, formed from the collapse of a roof of an underwater cave system formed during the last ice age ending over 12,000 years ago. Not for the faint of heart, the 100-plus-feet dive to a panoply of parrot fish, sponges, grunt fish, elkhorn coral and sea turtles requires advanced skills.
Nature’s fury finds a different mode of expression in Argentine Patagonia at Glaciers National Park. There you might experience a thunderous roar beneath your feet thanks to Perito Moreno glacier. Known as the White Giant, the iceberg’s steady advance creates a spectacular collapse, usually in summer, when the warmer waters of Lago Argentino drill a tunnel through the glacier so powerful that its trademark archway ruptures into the waters below. Be prepared to view a stunning white haze of ice, mist and froth from the observation deck.
Water is an equally powerful part of history in Rome, Italy. In particular, the 2000-year-old aqueduct, Aqua Virgo, is a miles-long labyrinth still channeling water to many of the city’s fountains, including the legendary Fontana di Trevi. Running beneath the ground like many aqueducts to protect its precious resource, it is occasionally visible above ground at such locations as beside the Spanish Steps—just minutes away from Trevi fountain. Another ancient artifact outside the city proper is the Appian Way, the longest and most significant ancient Roman road. Along this path you can explore the catacombs, underground burial places for ancient Christians (as well as Jews and pagans), such as the catacombs of Saint Sebastian.
Underground exploration also thrives among the dark, mineral-clad chambers of show caves in the United States. For instance, Tennessee sports over 8700 caves for spelunkers and casual tourists alike, more than any other state. Manganese, iron, calcium and copper are in abundant supply along the walkways at Appalachian Caverns in Blountville. Its most popular natural resource, however, may be the colonies of grey, big brown and eastern pipistrelle bats lurking around the higher ceilings. Ruby Falls cave in the Chattanooga area is the deepest commercial cave in the country, earning a listing on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the awe of visitors who are drawn to the waterfall gliding 145 feet through its depths. One of the earliest visitors to the eastern Tennessee attraction of Craighead Caverns in Sweetwater was a Pleistocene-era jaguar, the remains of which are now on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Today’s visitors flock to an underwater lake covering over four acres, recognized by Guinness World Records as the World’s Largest Underground Sea.
Another kind of commercialism rules in Canada at Montreal’s Underground City (officially known as RÉSO), reputedly the largest underground city in the world. This subterranean universe comprises 20 miles of tunnels spread over an area of nearly five square miles linking shopping malls, hotels, offices, cultural attractions, entertainment, universities, and transportion stations. Often referred to as a city within a city, the shopping and entertainment mecca is a convenient respite from both cold and snowy winters as well as year-round traffic.
As poet Henry David Thoreau observed, heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads. Whether buoyed by ancient Roman craftsmanship, modern day urban masterpieces or natural phenomena, a world of enlightenment awaits you underfoot.
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Meet the Weather Experts
By Linda Tancs
Weather is an unavoidable variable when it comes to travel. Ever wonder about the folks who provide aviation weather services? Although their role has come sharply into focus recently as a result of the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland’s volcano, there is actually an international volcanic ash program to provide worldwide warnings and advisories to aviation interests regarding volcanic ash hazards. Comprising Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers, these experts provide ash movement and dispersion guidance to Meteorological Watch Offices and neighboring advisory centers. These centers are located in London, Toulouse, Washington, D.C., Montreal, Tokyo, Darwin, Wellington, Buenos Aires and Anchorage. Though the area of the Anchorage Volcanic Ash Advisory Center is one of the smallest areas, it covers air routes over some of the most active volcanic areas in the world. So the next time you see a weather expert, give ’em a smile. After all, they’ve got your best interests at heart.
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Big Wheels in California
By Linda Tancs
Mountain bikers will find nirvana at northern California’s Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort, where they offer over 100 miles of trails and a season bike pass for $279. Best of all, if you don’t want to use the lifts, you can bike the trails for free. You can get your rental at the Village at Northstar. Once you’ve conquered the hills, why not entertain yourself at the Village? Through the end of August you can enjoy your favorite tunes from the 70s and 80s on Tuesdays at the roller rink, or watch a movie there after sundown. You’ve got 21 open shops and 12 places to dine, too. A good day, as they say at Tahoe.
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Wild and Scenic in Idaho
By Linda Tancs
At the River Dance Lodge Ranch Resort in Kooskia, Idaho, they say dreams come true and memories last forever. Well, how could you forget whitewater rafting, fly fishing, canoeing and kayaking in the Lochsa, Selway and Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, three of the original eight rivers in the area protected over 40 years ago by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act? Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding along the banks is available for those who prefer terra firma. Highway 12, designated an All American Highway, passes right in front of the lodge and offers easy access to the Lewis & Clark Trail. Sounds like a dream come true to me.
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One Man is an Island
By Linda Tancs
In one of English poet John Donne’s meditations, he famously wrote that no man is an island. Well, almost. Just outside the hustle and bustle of the Beltway rest nearly 90 acres of wildlife reserve accessible from the George Washington Memorial Parkway known as the Theodore Roosevelt Island. A fitting tribute to the conservationist ethos of the 26th U.S. President, the area is flush with forest, tidal marsh and wooded swamp, presided over by a life-sized presidential bronze. Teddy would no doubt approve.
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Folklife Celebrated
By Linda Tancs
For 60 years they’ve been celebrating the way of American folklife at the Kutztown Folk Festival in Pennsylvania Dutch country, and this year is no different. So you have no excuse to miss the continuous entertainment on five stages every day from 3 July to 11 July. Where else will you find a reenactment of an actual 19th century hanging, a Mennonite wedding exhibition, early farming technique demonstrations or an actual country auction all in one venue? If the activities don’t rouse you, then surely the aroma of freshly baked bread from the 19th century bread oven or the roasted ox will beckon you. Save some room for the shoo-fly pie.
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Lewis and Clark Celebrated in Great Falls
By Linda Tancs
In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition across the Louisiana Territory to find the River of the West. Along the way, in modern-day Montana, the pair managed to enter negotiations with native tribes, search out sites for trading posts and forts, and maintain data on the plants, animals, and scenic resources along their journey. No wonder, then, that Montana takes great pride in celebrating the captains’ legendary accomplishments with a festival each year on the banks of the Missouri River in Great Falls. This year’s event, from 25 to 27 June, includes a kick-off with Mission Mountain Wood Band, followed by such events as a Native American art show, Lewis & Clark-era encampment, and Missouri River float trips. Your adventure awaits.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Summer Celebration in Santa Barbara
By Linda Tancs
Today marks the northern hemisphere’s summer solstice, a transition dating back to ancient Greek celestial navigation and celebrated in many cultures as a midpoint between the seasons. Santa Barbara marks the event later in the week with one of the largest single-day arts events. Enjoy the multicultural jamboree at the festival on 25 and 26 June, including drum and dance, flamenco and soul. The theme of Saturday’s parade is Carnival, an apt description considering the more than 1,000 parade participants, complete with extravagant floats, whimsical costumes and creatively choreographed dancing ensembles. It’s all happening at Alameda Park.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 