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
Swinging in Connecticut
By Linda Tancs
One of the longest spans surviving in the country, East Haddam Bridge is a steel swing bridge over the Connecticut River in East Haddam. Boasting a 460 foot swing span, the movable bridge connects Haddam and East Haddam. In addition to the swing span, the other two spans are the Warren deck truss and a Pennsylvania through truss. A local landmark, the structure serves as an alternative to ferry transportation to nearby Gillette Castle.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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Richmond’s Valentine
By Linda Tancs
Opened in 1898, the Valentine Museum was the first private museum in Richmond, Virginia. It’s named after Mann S. Valentine, Jr., the museum’s founder, who made his fortune with the creation and production of Valentine’s Meat Juice, a health tonic made from pure beef juice. Originally boasting a collection of the Valentine family’s art and artifacts, the museum now focuses on collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s history. The museum complex includes the 1812 Wickham House, a National Historic Landmark and outstanding example of neoclassical architecture featuring rare wall paintings.
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Whisky History
By Linda Tancs
Many experts generally acknowledge Kentucky to be the premier whisky-distilling region in the country. So it should come as no surprise that the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History in Bardstown chronicles the history of American whisky from colonial days through the 1960s. The facility is named for liquor executive Oscar Getz (whose private collection became the foundation for the museum), which is located (of all places) in a former Catholic seminary. Its exhibits include an old moonshine still showing the process for making corn whisky and a bottle collection from pre-Prohibition to the present day.
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The Great Wooded Way
By Linda Tancs
New Jersey’s Atlantic City Boardwalk is touted as the world’s first and longest boardwalk (at 5.5 miles). Arguably one of the most famous boardwalks in the world, construction began in the late 1800s when the area became a premier resort destination and served as a prototype for other walkways. Along with its views of the Atlantic Ocean, the boardwalk boasts landmarks like the Steel Pier amusement park, the Boardwalk Hall concert venue and Absecon Lighthouse, the tallest beacon in the state.
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Little Nashville
By Linda Tancs
Known by country music fans as “Little Nashville,” Nashville, Indiana, is a music destination like its better-known cousin. In fact, its Opry (which succumbed to a fire in 2009) attracted some of the biggest names in the business. When it opened in 1975, Mickey Gilley was the opening act for Cal Smith. Nowadays, the Brown County Playhouse hosts some of the city’s best live entertainment. You’ll also find the historic Brown County Art Gallery, Mike’s Music & Dance Barn (where you can learn to line dance) and multiple wine festivals.
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Livermore’s Centennial Light
By Linda Tancs
Can a firehouse be a tourist attraction? That’s certainly the case at Fire Station #6 in Livermore, California. That’s where the world’s longest-burning incandescent light bulb, as recognized by Guinness World Records, is still shining for over 120 years (albeit at a mere four watts these days). Invented by Adolphe A. Chaillet, it’s a handblown bulb with carbon filament. The station must be occupied for the bulb to be viewed inside; if the crew is out on a call or training, then you can still see it through the front right apparatus door window.
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The Legends of Blue and White
By Linda Tancs
The All-Sports Museum at Penn State University celebrates the athletic history and heritage of the university, one of the top schools in the world. Located at the southwest corner of Beaver Stadium, the museum devotes the downstairs exhibits to its outdoor sports and the upstairs exhibits to its indoor sports. Overall, the facility features archival images and memorabilia from 34 sports played at the varsity level at Penn State, including 31 active sports and three that have been discontinued. The site also devotes a fair amount of space to the history of its mascot, the Nittany Lion (a mountain lion), which made its first public appearance in 1922 at a game between Penn State and Syracuse.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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Creativity and Invention in Florida
By Linda Tancs
The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, Florida, is named for Dr. James Robert Cade, lead inventor of the sports drink Gatorade. A prolific inventor, he was also a medical doctor, scientist, musician, writer and poet. His namesake museum (opened in 2018, some years after his death) reflects his creativity and desire to inspire inventors, entrepreneurs and visionaries. The facility’s programs include weekly events for children that introduce them to science concepts and permanent exhibits showcasing life-changing inventions like Gatorade and toilets as well as an audio tour around the rotunda highlighting inventions motivated by factors such as necessity, curiosity, imagination, iteration and serendipity.
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Peace and Quiet
By Linda Tancs
If you’d like some peace and quiet, then head to Minneapolis, Minnesota. That’s where you’ll find the world-famous Orfield Anechoic Chamber of Orfield Laboratories. Internationally recognized as “The Quietest Place on Earth,” the room offers a keen sensory experience unlike any other. The lab offers multiple options for tours, each with different lengths of time in the anechoic chamber.
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The Mighty Mac
By Linda Tancs
Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge, affectionately known as The Mighty Mac, is a suspension bridge with a shoreline-to-shoreline length just 28 feet short of 5 miles. It spans the Straits of Mackinac, basically becoming the dividing line between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It’s currently the fifth largest suspension bridge in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere. Enjoy scenic bridge views and walking paths at Bridge View Park.
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