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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Christkindlmarkt, Chicago Style
By Linda Tancs
Tomorrow marks Thanksgiving, but it’s also the start of another (adopted) American tradition in the Midwest. From 27 November to 24 December, the heart of Chicago will once again host a Christmas market. Celebrating its 13th anniversary, the market is the largest of its kind outside of Germany and welcomes more than 1 million visitors each year. Modeled after a traditional outdoor European holiday market, the festivities will include German baked goods, clothing, wooden toys, nutcrackers and cuckoo clocks.
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Pooches Pose for Charity
By Linda Tancs
It’s time to get those Fidos and Fluffys ready for their close-up. New Jersey’s Mall at Short Hills will again be offering Santa Paws, a photo op with Santa benefitting St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center. This year’s dates are 30 November and 7 December. If you hurry, you might get a booking with that groomer. Sounds like a doggone good holiday gift.
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Boston, Cradle of Liberty
By Linda Tancs
In the current edition of Travelrific® Travel Show, the topic is Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is known worldwide as the site of the Boston Tea Party, but that’s only one event in a long timeline of America’s revolutionary history. Experience colonial times along the Freedom Trail or enjoy more contemporary activities in this vibrant northeastern city where past meets present.
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A Costly Exit
By Linda Tancs
In a move surely not to surprise many, Singapore Airlines will now charge $50 for exit row seating in economy class. Sure, costs are skyrocketing and margins are plummeting. This, however, is not exactly a recent phenomenon. As early as March 2006, Northwest instituted a $15 charge for exit row seating, followed by AirTran in 2007. And back in December 2006 Virgin was asking $30 per seat. So what was the excuse back then? It pays to remember, though, that exit row seating is more than just a convenience. It’s a promise to act responsibly in the event of an emergency. Are you ready, willing and able to open a 50-pound hatch at the drop of a hat if necessary? Your cramped comrades sure hope so.
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Flamingo Hosts Brother-Sister Duo
By Linda Tancs
It Takes Two. Anytime Sunshine. Show Me. Sound familiar? It does if you’re an Osmond fan. Now you can hear Donny and Marie reprise their standards at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. Their singing, dancing and comedic twists have been renewed for two years. Will the headliners stay hot? It’s anyone’s guess. As the Osmonds sang, “It’s all been said before.”
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!
