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
Slopes are Recession Proof
By Linda Tancs
According to the National Ski Areas Association, the 2008/2009 season is the fourth best on record despite an agonizing recession. That might not seem all that surprising to enthusiasts in ski-heavy areas like California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming–well, you get the idea. But look east to New Jersey and you’ll find a welcome uptick, quite an accomplishment for a state facing one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. And with fresh snow from this weekend’s blizzard-like weather event, things are bound to look rosier. So before you head west for skiing’s traditional mecca, maybe you should try out one of New Jersey’s signature resorts–Hidden Valley, Campgaw Mountain or Mountain Creek. Hidden Valley Club resort is open to the public this season, but thereafter an uncrowded atmosphere will be assured on weekends with private membership. At Campgaw, the whole family can partake in skiing, snowboarding or tubing. Speaking of snowboarding, tomorrow is Go Snowboarding Day at Mountain Creek, which means you get a free lesson, lift ticket and rental. The West may have Big Sky, but New Jersey has the Best Deal.
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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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A Cape May Christmas
By Linda Tancs
Cape May might not seem all that enticing for a visit in December, but the holiday seasonal offerings make this storied beach haven (the oldest in the U.S.) a must-see in winter. Learn more at Travelrific® Radio.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services related to the travel destination of Cape May that are mentioned herein.
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Gifts That Travel
By Linda Tancs
Humans and their furry companions aren’t the only things traveling. During the holiday season in particular, gifts travel too. For those traveling into the U.S. bearing gifts, you might be interested in knowing the Customs and Border Patrol regulations on the subject. As a nonresident, you are allowed up to $100 worth of merchandise, free of duty and internal revenue tax, as gifts for other people. To claim this exemption, you must remain in the U.S. for at least 72 hours, and the gifts must accompany you. This $100 gift exemption, or any part of it, can be claimed only once every six months. U.S. residents returning to the U.S. from a foreign country with gifts must declare them on a Customs declaration form along with items purchased or received. The goods may be eligible for an exemption or reduced duty rate depending on the total amount of goods involved. If you’re sending goods not exceeding $100 via mail, put the words “Unsolicited Gift” on the outside wrapping. Gift packages should also indicate the donor’s name, the nature of the gifts in the consolidated package (e.g., to or sweater), each gift’s accurate, fair retail value and the name of each recipient. Now make like Santa and let the gift giving begin.
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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Hog Wild in Carmel
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that the Hog’s Breath Inn restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea is owned by actor and former mayor Clint Eastwood? I’m sure you’d make his day if you stopped by for a visit, but that’s not the only attraction in this city in California’s Monterey Peninsula. The town is known for its story book-style cottages, characterized by turrets and stone chimneys, like those at Torres Street and Sixth Avenue. Another feature is its mile-long pure sandy beach. And then of course there’s the visual and performing arts centre along with the third oldest art gallery in the country, Weston Art Gallery–not surprising, considering Carmel’s origin as a bohemian art colony. This pet-friendly destination was rated a top ten locale by a leading travel magazine. If you go, consider a scenic walking tour. Then eat, shop and explore some more and find out for yourself why they call it California’s Jewel City.
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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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Rockefeller Tree Lighting
By Linda Tancs
From today until 7 January 2010 you can enjoy one of the most famous trees in the world, New York’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. This tree is green in more ways than one. Following a tradition begun with the 75th tree in 2007, the 75+ foot spruce will be illuminated with 30,000 energy-efficient LED bulbs. Tonight is the lighting ceremony, beginning at 7:00pm and concluding at 9:00pm. The two-hour long program features various celebrity appearances and top musical entertainment, together with the countdown and tree lighting. Better get there early for the best views of the event, taking place at 30 Rock. The nicer the weather, the larger the crowds. Not in the area? Watch the tree online.
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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Christmas at Biltmore
By Linda Tancs
Biltmore House, that glorious French Renaissance chateau in Asheville, North Carolina, was opened to friends by George Washington Vanderbilt in 1895. For those of you with champagne wishes and caviar dreams, you can experience the grandiosity of a Christmas at Biltmore by visiting the seasonal attraction, now in its 35th year. Daytime tours include a walk about Biltmore House, seranaded all the while with music of the season. The event also includes a tour of the Gardens, the Winery with complimentary wine tasting, River Bend Farm and Barnyard. Of course, the illumination of the house and grounds is a must-see as well. For the past 26 years, therefore, Biltmore has offered Candlelight Christmas Evenings, a separate ticketed event. Guests tour through rooms lit by twinkling lights and firelight, reflected in thousands of ornaments. Live entertainment inside Biltmore House is included. New this year is the restoration and preservation of the magnificent Louis XV Suite in Biltmore House, the birthplace of two generations of the Vanderbilt family. Buy your tickets online and print them at home. Meet the season in high style!
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New Hampshire
By Linda Tancs
New Hampshire’s tourism website says you’re going to love it there. Well, what’s not to love? It’s a place for all seasons, and the shopping is tax free. Learn more about the Granite State at Travelrific® Radio.
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Celebrate Model Railroads in Chattanooga
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that November is National Model Railroad Month? What better place to celebrate than the Howell Day Museum of Model Railroading in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Dedicated in 2000, the museum is named for Howell Day, who proposed creating a museum entirely devoted to the history and technology of scale model railroading in 1995. There you’ll find a replica of his Lehigh Valley “Dorothy” inspection engine and the showcasing of various intricately-detailed exhibits.
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How Now Brown Cow
By Linda Tancs
Cheese aficionados, take note. If the process of cheesemaking is as interesting to you as the taste, then take a lesson or two at Shelburne Farms, a 123-acre estate in Vermont. Home of the Brown Swiss, a breed known for its high milk fat content, guests can pull an udder or two beside an accomplished milkmaid and immerse themselves in farm life, not to mention history. After all, cheddar’s origins in Cheddar, England date back to the 12th century. West of Bennington and part of the Vermont Cheese Trail, the inn on the farm offers 24 rooms with luxe accommodations (and a price to match). Are these green acres the place for you? Get moo-ving and find out.
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Where America Happened
By Linda Tancs
A National Scenic Byway designation is the highest honor that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation can bestow on a roadway, recognizing its outstanding significance culturally, historically, recreationally or otherwise. That honorific was recently granted to America’s corridor, an 180-mile long thoroughfare running from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia–known as the Journey Through Hallowed Ground. The area represents what late historian C. Vann Woodward referred to as a route that “soaked up more of the blood, sweat, and tears of American history than any other part of the country.” Indeed, along this region you’ll find the Civil War’s hallowed grounds in and around Gettysburg as well as the Dobbin House, a Civil War hospital and reputed safe house for enslaved African Americans traveling north in search of freedom. You’ll see colonial taverns and a Revolutionary War-era prison, a historic gristmill and battlefield, superb architectural specimens of the 1800s and a sampling of presidential mansions including James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson. Of course, there’s lots more. But why should I spoil it for you? See for yourself.
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