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
Winter Festivals
By Linda Tancs
Winter festivals are usually viewed as a celebration of the season and all its wintry accoutrements. But sometimes these events are more about ushering in spring–or just celebrating life. Tune in for a worldwide sampling at Travelrific® Radio.
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Celebrating Abe’s Birthday
By Linda Tancs
It was almost 200 years ago today. Kentucky had a new lad, hooray. That would be Abe Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, born two centuries ago tomorrow in Kentucky. Remembered as the Great Emancipator, he issued the famous proclamation abolishing slavery in the U.S. A milestone birthday such as this will not go unnoticed. Among the various celebrations around the country, let’s focus our attention on the festivities in our nation’s capital. Beginning at 8 a.m., there will be a birthday tribute and wreath-laying cremony at the Lincoln Memorial with crooner Michael Feinstein singing the National Anthem, accompanied by the U.S. Marine Corps Band. On the National Mall the party will continue with a concert and entertainment with 19th century popular and patriotic music performed by military bands. Throughout the week, the original Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln will be on display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives. Come be a part of history.
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A Doggone Good Time
By Linda Tancs
Traditionally, the second Monday of February kicks off America’s biggest pooch pageant, the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This year is no exception. On Monday and Tuesday, the great breeds of the world with origins from Egypt to Newfoundland will compete for the coveted title of Best in Show. This is a champions-only competition; no slouches here. They say with age comes experience, but some of these winners are quite young and accomplished. So which will it be: age before beauty or will the young and glamorous win out? It’s been a while since an oldie took the prize. In 1999, an eight-year-old Papillon took top honors. That’s doggone good.
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Fire and Ice
By Linda Tancs
On Saturday, Minnesotans in Plymouth will celebrate their Fire & Ice Festival. That means Parkers Lake Park will be converted into an outdoor gymnasium with bowlers and basketball players trading hardwood floors for nature’s white carpet. Don’t forget the ice fishing, ice skating, dogsled demos and fireworks. If the frozen tundra proves too much, you could head for the Mall of America, the country’s biggest shopping center, just miles away.
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Rocky Mountain Skiing
By Linda Tancs
The highland climate of the Rockies produces prodigious amounts of snow for wintertime sports like skiing. So who has the best vertical drop? Listen in and find out.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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