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
A Grand Estate in Philadelphia
By Linda Tancs
Many of Philadelphia’s first families built their country estates on the banks of the Delaware River. One of those estates is known today as Glen Foerd, named for owner Robert Foerderer. Visiting the mansion includes access to areas on all four floors of the house, where pieces from Glen Foerd’s historic collection are on display alongside American and European art and contemporary art installations. One of the home’s prized treasures is the 121-year-old Haskell pipe organ, which was recently restored. Equally appealing are the grounds, a public park comprising 18 acres including a formal rose garden, vineyard and riverfront oaks that date back over 300 years. The estate’s entrance is at the crossroads of Grant Avenue and Milnor Street in Philadelphia.
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New Year, New Travels!
No doubt you’d like your trip planning, packing, and travel experience to be hassle-free. My book, All You Want to Know About Travel, will guide you, step by step, on every aspect of travel planning. The book is divided into five parts. Part I discusses trip planning and preparation. Part II is your guide to travel packing and baggage information. Part III contains a discussion of air travel basics such as check-in tips, airline liability, parking and transportation, and comfort during flight. Part IV deals with your arrival and travel experience. Part V contains useful tips on navigating customs and settling back into the home routine. Throughout the book you’ll find a Chapter Overview to highlight its contents and Resources at the end of each chapter, directing you to websites for further guidance.
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Art Without Boundaries
By Linda Tancs
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is a museum in a converted Arnold Print Works factory building complex located in North Adams, Massachusetts. Listed in the National Historic Register, 25 of the site’s current 26 buildings were constructed by the late 19th century by the factory, once one of the world’s leading producers of printed textiles. The venue boasts an elaborate system of interlocking courtyards and passageways rich with historical association. The vast campus allows the presentation of art without boundaries, featuring an array of music, sculpture, dance, film, painting, photography and theater as well as works that defy classification. The facility celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.
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Museum of the Dog
By Linda Tancs
The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in New York City boasts a collection of art and exhibits celebrating the role of dogs in society. The permanent collection is touted as one of the finest in the world and features paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, ceramics and bronzes and well as trophies, collars and other dog-related works. You can also view a database of award-winning breeders. The facility is located in the iconic Kalikow building on Park Avenue.
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A Christmas Story House
By Linda Tancs
A Christmas Story is a beloved 1983 American Christmas comedy film. Not only can you enjoy the movie but you can also enjoy the house where it was filmed. Open year round, A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Ohio, is also available for overnight stays. Across the street is A Christmas Story Museum, which features original props, costumes and memorabilia from the film as well as hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes photos.
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The Story of War in the Pacific
By Linda Tancs
Fredericksburg, Texas, was the boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nimitz served as commander in chief, United States Pacific Fleet and later named commander in chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, during World War II. So it is fitting that the city hosts the National Museum of the Pacific War, which provides the nation’s most comprehensive account of World War II in the Asiatic-Pacific theater. The campus offers a history of the war as well as a vast collection of artifacts and personal stories of people who lived and died during the Pacific War.
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New York City’s Smallest Museum
By Linda Tancs
New York City’s smallest museum is housed in a freight elevator in Tribeca. Known as Mmuseumm (two extra “m” letters at the beginning and end of the word “museum”), its goal is to showcase everyday objects from around the world. Beyond the utilitarian, though, the museum features quirky artifacts as well, like the shoe thrown at President George W. Bush in Baghdad. Although not open to visitors year round, it is nonetheless visible around the clock through viewing windows. The installation is located at 4 Cortlandt Alley, which is perhaps better known as a go-to location for filming movies and TV shows.
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Sasquatch of the Southeast
By Linda Tancs
Often thought of as Florida’s Bigfoot, the skunk ape is rumored to live in the Everglades near Ochopee. At Shealy’s Official Skunk Ape Headquarters in Ochopee, you’ll meet self-proclaimed skunk ape expert Dave Shealy. His outpost is one of America’s top roadside attractions. You might not see the giant ape himself, but the sanctuary offers a close-up look at Florida’s fascinating wildlife, including live pythons, alligators and snapping turtles. Make a reservation for an Everglades tour.
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Seven Magic Mountains
By Linda Tancs
South of Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada, renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone created a public art installation near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15 known as Seven Magic Mountains. The eye-catching art comprises seven, 30-foot dayglow totems of painted, locally-sourced boulders. Admission to the site is free; you’ll find interpretative signage there as well.
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Cavaliers and Roundheads
By Linda Tancs
The history of England’s Corfe Castle in Dorset includes the country’s civil war era. Among its many owners, the castle passed into the hands of the Bankes family, prominent members of the Dorset gentry, who turned the former stronghold into their country seat. The Bankes family supported King Charles I and his supporters (the Cavaliers) against Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians (the Roundheads) during the civil war. They defended the castle unsuccessfully against bombardment, and the castle was ultimately destroyed. Due to the courage of Lady Mary Bankes during the conflict, the victorious Parliamentarians eventually presented her with the keys to Corfe Castle as a tribute notwithstanding its destruction. The castle remained in the family for over three centuries before being handed over to the National Trust. Take a walk among the castle’s ruins and grounds (which features an audio tour covering its long history), and look out for wildlife like the grey bush cricket and red kites, birds of prey with their distinctive high-pitched whistle sound and reddish-brown forked tail.
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A Golden Site in California
By Linda Tancs
Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation. That’s where James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in a valley that the Nisenan Indians knew as Cullumah. About 70% of the town of Coloma is included in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where you can pan for gold. The park features buildings that have survived the gold rush and includes a museum with gold-rush-era exhibits and other historical information. You can take a walking tour of the park as well as a short lesson on gold panning.
