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
Conservationist History in Vermont
By Linda Tancs
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion in Woodstock, Vermont, was built in 1805 for pioneering conservationist George Perkins Marsh. Originally rendered in the Federal style, it would undergo renovations under its subsequent owner Frederick Billings (a conservationist and pioneer in reforestation) to a Stick style mansion before taking its current shape in the Queen Anne style. Laurance Spelman Rockefeller and Mary French Rockefeller inherited the house in 1954, and it became a National Historic Landmark in 1967. Now part of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, it’s the only park in the nation that tells the story of conservation history and the evolving nature of land stewardship in America. Guided ranger tours (May through October) include stories revealed by the objects inside the mansion as well as a tour exploring the conservation legacy of the three families who called this place home. You’ll also want to explore the stunning gardens of the mansion grounds and take a walk through the woodland carriage roads and trails along the forested slopes of Mount Tom, one of the oldest, professionally managed woodlands in America. Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Woodstock from Mount Tom’s South Peak.
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A Cornish Colony
By Linda Tancs
Cornish, New Hampshire, was the center of the Cornish Art Colony, a popular art movement from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Said to resemble an Italian landscape, the bucolic environment of Cornish and neighboring areas attracted artists and enthusiasts of all disciplines to the region. Its central figure was Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s foremost sculptors, who catapulted to fame following his sculpture of Admiral Farragut, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. His home (named Aspet after the French birthplace of his father), gardens and studio in Cornish form Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. A variety of guided tours of the park are offered daily, where you’ll find several of his bronze sculptures, including the Farragut monument. You can also explore on your own, including the trails that wind through the woods.
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King Apple
By Linda Tancs
Apples have been grown in North Carolina since European colonists settled there. The western part of the state is where you’ll find the action, particularly in Hendersonville. One of the country’s top apple-growing areas, it’s no wonder that the annual North Carolina Apple Festival is held there every Labor Day weekend. The event features a street fair on Main Street (including live musical entertainment, crafts, apple products, special exhibits and food) and culminates on Labor Day with the King Apple Parade, presenting floats, bands, fire trucks, cartoon characters, antique cars and more. The festival is just a 30-minute drive from Asheville.
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Where the Mountains Meet the Sea
By Linda Tancs
Camden is an idyllic village on Penobscot Bay in Maine’s MidCoast region. A self-described jewel of the coast, it’s often referred to as a place “where the mountains meet the sea.” That is indeed the case, with Bald Mountain (the fifth highest peak on the eastern seaboard) offering excellent views of Western Penobscot Bay, and Mount Battie featuring views of Camden Harbor and its summertime plethora of ships, yachts and windjammers. Labor Day weekend brings the annual Camden Windjammer Festival, the largest gathering of schooners in the Northeast. Celebrating the town’s maritime heritage, as many as 18 windjammers and schooners parade into the harbor on opening day, greeted by a welcome ceremony and followed by a schooner crew talent show and fireworks over the harbor. The two-day event offers family entertainment, day sailings, exhibitors and vendors.
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Circus Splendor in Sarasota
By Linda Tancs
Circus mogul John Ringling and his wife Mabel wintered at a Mediterranean Revival-style mansion in Sarasota, Florida. It was modeled after the palazzos of Venice, Italy, and completed in 1926. Named Cà d’Zan (Venetian for “house of John”), the 36,000-square-foot palace reflects all of the splendor of the Gilded Age. You can explore the first floor of the manor, which includes living, dining and entertainment areas, all furnished just as in the days of the Ringlings’ residence. The home is part of a 66-acre museum complex adjacent to Sarasota Bay known as The Ringling, featuring the State Art Museum of Florida, Circus Museum and Bayfront Gardens. Museum admission alone does not include the mansion, so be sure to add it to your ticket purchase.
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The French in Maine
By Linda Tancs
In 1603, Pierre Dugua was commissioned by the King of France to initiate an expedition to the New World and to establish a French presence. By the summer of 1604, an expedition team sailed into Passamaquoddy Bay, an inlet between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and settled on a small island they named Saint Croix (French for “cross”) because the confluence of the surrounding water systems looked akin to the shape of a cross. To commemorate the history of this settlement, Saint Croix Island International Historic Site was established. The area abounds with seals and birds and, approximately twice per day, the water and islands of the St. Croix River reveal the extreme tides of the Maine coast. When the tides drop below sea level, you’ll find shellfish, sea urchins and sediments normally under water. The site is located 8 miles south of Calais, Maine. A visitor center is inside the ranger station. Take the self-guided interpretative trail, featuring bronze figures of the French and members of the Passamaquoddy tribe as well as displays that discuss historical events and interactions between the two cultures.
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Life in the Sandhills
By Linda Tancs
The Nebraskan Sandhills refers to a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska. In the heart of the Sandhills is Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, an area encompassing nearly 72,000 acres of lakes, marshes and prairie grasses that provide a habitat for diverse wildlife. In fact, it’s home to 270 species of birds, 59 species of mammals and 22 species of reptiles and amphibians. Among many distinctions, the refuge is recognized by the state as a top ecotourism site and by the Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area, especially for its large population of greater prairie chickens. The Marsh Lakes Overlook and a short nature trail provide great views of the grasslands and marshes. You’ll also find an observation deck located on the old fire tower, a great place for bird watching and prairie views.
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A Wonder in Navajo Nation
By Linda Tancs
Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly National Monument was authorized in 1931 by President Herbert Hoover to preserve important archaeological resources that span more than 4,000 years of indigenous occupation, longer than anyone has lived uninterrupted anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. The monument encompasses approximately 84,000 acres of land located entirely on the Navajo Nation with roughly 40 families residing within the park boundaries. It’s prized for its colorful sheer cliffs, sporting scenery like ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings (called the White House ruins due to a white band across the nearby cliffs) and the 800-foot sandstone spire known as Spider Rock. One of the best ways to experience these and other features is to drive along the north and south rims along the canyons, each offering several overlook points. Also, a wide range of free ranger-led programs are available between May and September, including talks and guided hikes into the canyons.
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A Flooded Forest in Tennessee
By Linda Tancs
Tennessee’s Reelfoot Lake State Park has an ecosystem unlike any other in the state. That’s because it’s a flooded forest, resulting from a series of violent earthquakes in the early 1800s that caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for a short period of time, which created the lake. A variety of aquatic plants and flowers occupy the shoreline and saturate the shallow water, together with towering cypress trees with submerged stumps. As you might expect, the lake also hosts an array of shore and wading birds as well as eagles. Boating is a key activity here; scenic pontoon boat tours are offered May through September.
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An Eagle’s Nest in New York
By Linda Tancs
William K. Vanderbilt II (“Willie”) was a member of the prominent and prosperous Vanderbilt family. Among his many estates is Eagle’s Nest in Centerport, New York. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was built initially in 1910 as a small English cottage and grew over the decades into the 24-room, Spanish-Revival mansion that is seen today. A world traveler, the home’s museum space showcases his collection of fish and other marine life, birds, invertebrates and cultural artifacts. The home and its museum, together with a planetarium, comprise the 43-acre waterfront Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium complex. General admission tickets can be purchased online but do not included guided tours of the estate grounds and private rooms of the mansion (available at the admissions booth) and planetarium shows (available separately).
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