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
Casinos Bet on Airport Expansion to Boost Revenues
By Linda Tancs
If I were a betting person, I’d bet the odds are long that an expansion of the airport serving Atlantic City, NJ will bring in more slot players. For one thing, the 13-mile hike to the boardwalk once graced each season by Miss America is less than ideal as are the transportation options. From the airport, you can hail a taxi, rent a car, or take a shuttle service that only accepts cash. And given the economic crunch, it’s unlikely that any new carriers will enter the space or that the airport’s prime tenant, Spirit Airlines, will be able to offer significant new routing options. Still, fingers crossed. Time will tell. Here’s hoping that good ol’ AC can turn the tides.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
A Hoppin’ New Year
By Linda Tancs
Mama always told you to eat your beans and veggies. If the thought still inspires a grimace, maybe she should’ve told you that you’d have good luck. In the southern U.S., hoppin’ John (origin unknown) is the dish of choice on New Year’s eve or day to bring forth prosperity for the coming year. The basic ingredients are black-eyed peas, celery, rice and bacon. Top it off with some stewed tomatoes, if you like, and you’re ready for the luxe life. Happy New Year!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
City Cites Snowman
By Linda Tancs
The city elders of Anchorage, Alaska have struck again. A homeowner in the Airport Heights section of the city has been cited again this season for his creation of a Brobdingnagian snowman. Consisting of over 16 feet of packed ice, the potential house-toppler (well, maybe a shed) is considered a public nuisance. Affectionately dubbed Snowzilla, this corn-cobbed pipe smoking ice man has been attracting international attention since its creation a few years ago. A local group has even organized to protect the goliath from the code enforcement officer’s slingshot. No doubt Frosty would be pleased. View photos of the toast of Anchorage here.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
Colorado Gardens Twinkle
By Linda Tancs
All that twinkles may not be gold, but the effect is just the same at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Until 4 January you can experience a million points of light through a winding forest path in Denver’s Botanic Gardens at Chatfield from Wednesday to Sunday. Buy your tickets in advance at the York Street Gatehouse. You won’t want to miss a single second of the dazzling display.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
A Capitol Christmas
By Linda Tancs
The silhouette of the Big Sky got a little wider when Montana’s Bitterroot National Forest was selected to provide this year’s tree to Washington, D.C. to grace the U.S. Capitol’s west lawn. The locals selected a subalpine fir measuring 73 feet (when cut). They also provided about 70 other trees for various congressional agencies and offices. Don’t confuse this tree with the White House’s annual National Tree, which is no less grand. The Capitol’s tree was lit on 2 December, bedecked with ornaments crafted by children in Montana. It’s yours to behold until the new year.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
Great Destinations in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
The best kept secrets of New Jersey are now spilled all over the pages of Great Destinations/New Jersey, as well as the companion DVD. This labor of love is the result of 1017 local photographers (including yours truly) submitting 16,893 photos, which were then voted on 886,161 times to establish the best of the best of the Garden State. You can order your copy here.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
Illuminations in Virginia
By Linda Tancs
What do the cities of Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach have in common? Besides their location along Route 64 in the Commonwealth of Virginia, these cities play host to the award-winning 100 Miles of Lights extravaganza. Now through early January, take advantage of the events in these host cities celebrating the season. Choose from several activities such as the drive-through lights display in Newport News, the Grand Illumination in colonial Williamsburg or the dinner cruises in Norfolk or Portsmouth highlighting the festooned waterfront. There’s no need to vote for favorites. Whatever the outcome, the “eyes” have it.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
Baltimore Lights Up
By Linda Tancs
For 60 years, the Hampden neighborhood in Baltimore at 34th Street has lit up in the spirit of the season. This year is no different. Each house on the block flipped the switch the Saturday after Thanksgiving to reveal a spectacle of lights befitting an amusement park. To be sure, this show of solidarity is not unique but nevertheless attracks visitors from around the globe. Clearly, it seems to be a wonderful life on 34th Street. Discover the miracle for yourself.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
Strolling Nantucket
By Linda Tancs
Nantucket’s Christmas Stroll returns this year from 5 to 7 December with the usual fare: live music, tours, crafts and Santa’s visit (with the Mrs. of course) via Coast Guard vessel on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Town Crier will announce their arrival and escort them to their horse-drawn carriage for the journey down Main Street. An author once wrote, “All the stories I’ll ever need are right here on Main Street.” The folks on Nantucket would surely agree.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Share this:
Philly’s Christmas Spirit
By Linda Tancs
Manayunk means “where we go to drink” in the Lenape Indian language, but this classic town in the northwestern reaches of Philadelphia is more than just a watering hole. Named a National Historic District in 1983, this bustling little hamlet of 60 shops and almost as many restaurants is a holiday favorite with shoppers looking to ditch the malls for a taste of Main Street, USA. Visit the arts and crafts tents every weekend through 21 December for contemporary homespun treats and check out the demonstrations of 19th century candle making, glass blowing, and weaving at Ye Olde Craft Shoppe. Best of all, admission is free.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
Travelrific® Travel Journal 