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
The Highway that Goes to Sea
By Linda Tancs
In 1912 millionaire Henry Flagler built what became known as the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad from Miami to Key West. An engineering marvel of its time, it fell into disuse after being badly damaged in a 1935 hurricane. It later served as the blueprint for the Overseas Highway, a span of U.S. Highway 1 from Key Largo to Key West boasting 42 bridges spanning the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. No wonder it’s dubbed “the highway that goes to sea.” The route is populated with coral and limestone islets comprising the Keys, locales that boast everything from yacht clubs to wildlife refuges. One of the best-loved spans of this idyllic road is its longest—the Seven Mile Bridge near Marathon, surrounded by water from start to finish. The highway was designated as Florida’s first and only All-American Road under the National Scenic Byways program, one of a short list of other roadways in the nation that have earned this prestigious title.
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The Luckiest Fishing Village
By Linda Tancs
Destin, Florida, is known as the “world’s luckiest fishing village.” Situated along the closest access point to the 100-fathom curve in the Gulf of Mexico, anglers can quickly reach all depths of fishable water featuring 20 types of edible game fish. Snapper reigns supreme, including gray snapper, lane snapper, mutton snapper and red snapper. You’ll also find grouper and mahi-mahi. Not surprisingly, Destin Harbor has the largest charter fishing fleet in the country. But if you’d rather go solo, then try your hand at “sight-casting” off the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier.
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Golf’s Hall of Fame
By Linda Tancs
The World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida celebrates golf and preserves the legacies of those who made it great. The facility is the centerpiece of World Golf Village in St. Augustine, a vacation destination featuring two championship golf courses and luxury accommodations. Museum exhibits include the Challenge Hole, a 132-yard island green reminiscent of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. A complimentary shot is included with admission and additional shots can be purchased onsite, so bring your A game. And you better hurry; in late 2023, the museum will close as a result of a merger with the United States Golf Association. Many of the facililty’s assets will be relocated to a USGA museum that will open in Pinehurst in 2024.
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Fort D
By Linda Tancs
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Fort D is the last remaining fort of four that protected the city of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, against Confederate attack during the Civil War. Local militia helped build all of the forts under the leadership of Lt. John Wesley Powell, who would later gain fame as an explorer of the Grand Canyon. Among the events taking place there are battle reenactments and living history events. A self-guided tour features original earthworks and 10 display panels that explore the history of the fort and those who served there.
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Oregon’s Oldest City
By Linda Tancs
Overlooking the Columbia River, Astoria is Oregon’s oldest city as well as the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. A port city near the Pacific, its fishing and maritime history is recounted at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. One of its highlights is the Lightship Columbia, a National Historic Landmark, that once guided ships to safety at the mouth of the Columbia River. You can jump aboard it. Other area history is depicted on murals at the Astoria Column, a towering monument on Coxcomb Hill. Climb its 164 steps for panoramic views.
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Eagle Watch in Minnesota
By Linda Tancs
The Upper Mississippi River Valley is home to hundreds of bald eagles. It’s the perfect place for an interpretive center, which is what you’ll find along the banks in Wabasha, Minnesota. Home to non-releasable bald and golden eagles, the National Eagle Center gives visitors a close-up experience to the nation’s symbol of freedom along with lectures on their care. You can experience their migratory patterns through field trips and habitat tours as well, or check out their high-resolution webcam stream at any time.
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The City That Lit the World
By Linda Tancs
New Bedford, Massachusetts, was the 19th-century capital of the whaling industry. Most of the whale oil used in lamps derived from the locale, earning it the moniker “the city that lit the world.” Home to about 500 whaling ships during its heydey, the city also inspired Herman Melville’s classic, Moby-Dick. Its whaling heritage is preserved as part of New Bedford National Historical Park. One of its most impressive buildings is the U.S. Custom House, the oldest continuously operating custom house in the nation. Historically, whaling masters registered their ships and cargo at the two-storied, Greek Revival building; as the New Bedford office of the U.S. Customs Service, commercial fishing and cargo ships continue to log duties and tariffs there. The visitor center in the heart of the park provides orientation materials as well as information on city attractions.
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The Lore of Fire Island
By Linda Tancs
New York’s Fire Island is a 30-mile-long barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay. Much of it is protected as Fire Island National Seashore, a United States National Seashore. It features a lighthouse, high dunes and ancient maritime forests. The most alluring aspect of the place, though, may be the supposed wreckage of the Bessie A. White, a Canadian schooner that struck a sandbar off the island 100 years ago. After Hurricane Sandy rolled through the area in 1912, a ship’s skeleton believed to be the schooner became visible in an area not far from Watch Hill, a popular visitor site within the National Seashore. As winds and waves shape the beach, the remains appear and disappear, so be patient.
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Women in the Arts
By Linda Tancs
Championing women through the arts, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., promotes collections, exhibitions, programs and advocacy of women artists. It’s the only major museum in the world bringing recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities. The facility is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, which is a 78,810-square-foot Washington landmark near the White House constructed in 1908 as a Masonic Temple.
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The History of Detroit
By Linda Tancs
In 1701, French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded the settlement that would become Detroit, Michigan. The approximate site of his landing is where you’ll find Hart Plaza, located south of the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward avenues in the vicinity of the Detroit River. The 14-acre plaza is a popular festival and meeting space. Closer to the riverside you’ll find a statue of Cadillac, along with a memorial to the Underground Railroad (because Detroit was a critical stop). The plaza also features a Ford Motor Company historical marker, showing the site where the company’s articles of incorporation were signed in 1903.
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