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 House That Gunpowder Built
By Linda Tancs
Gunpowder, also known as black powder, is the earliest-known chemical explosive. In the U.S., French émigré E.I. du Pont founded DuPont Company in 1802 to become the largest gunpowder and explosives producer in the country and ultimately one of the leading engineering firms in the world. That history is evident at Hagley, the du Pont family estate in Wilmington, Delaware. Built along the banks of the Brandywine above the gunpowder mills, it was the family’s first home in America and arguably the least known. You can journey through the powder yards, where you’ll find the only operating black powder roll mill in the country as well as historic stone structures that housed the powder manufacturing process. The home itself is a Georgian-style mansion, filled with furnishings and collections of American folk art and family heirlooms brought with them from France when they left in 1799. The gardens facing the residence are stunning and illustrate the passion that du Pont had for botany. This time of year the brilliant orange of the Oriental poppy is on display, which, according to family tradition, E. I. du Pont introduced into America with seeds sent from Le Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Hagley is part of the Greater Philadelphia Gardens network.
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The Beartooth Highway
By Linda Tancs
The Beartooth Highway is an All-American Road ( a special designation conferred by the U.S. Department of Transportation for a scenic byway) on a section of U.S. Route 212 in Montana and Wyoming between Red Lodge, Montana, and the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Once dubbed “the most beautiful roadway in America,” it zigzags across the Montana-Wyoming border through a series of steep switchbacks along the Absaroka-Beartooth Range, rising from about 5,000 feet to 10,947 feet at the Beartooth Pass. The ecosystems on display range from pine forests to alpine tundra, with snow that often lingers through the summer months. The breathtaking scenery includes high alpine plateaus dotted with glacial lakes, forested valleys, waterfalls and wildlife. It offers some of the best motorcycling in the country this time of year.
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The Humongous Fungus
By Linda Tancs
The world’s largest living organism is a fungus. Dubbed “the humongous fungus” by forest officials, on the surface it looks like an ordinary mushroom, but its underground labyrinth is extensive and has been growing for thousands of years. It’s located in the Reynolds Creek and Clear Creek areas in the northeastern portion of Oregon’s Malheur National Forest. The only visible traces of the mushroom appear in the fall, but groves of standing dead conifers give testimony to the fungus’s role as a tree-killing pathogen. But don’t despair. There’s plenty of life in the forest, like high desert grasslands, sage and juniper, alpine lakes, meadows and the only isolated stand of Alaska yellow cedar east of the Cascades in the United States at the Cedar Grove Botanical Area.
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Colorado Without the Crowds
By Linda Tancs
Idyllic mountainscapes are ubiquitous in Colorado. So are the crowds. Many of them flock to Rocky Mountain National Park for the grandeur of its snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes and diverse wildlife. You can, too, but if you’d like to view the same assets on a quieter scale, then head to State Forest State Park. Just as scenic as its famous sister, you’ll find 71,000 acres of forest, back-country trails, jagged peaks, alpine lakes and abundant wildlife, including its beloved moose population. The park is located approximately two hours west of Fort Collins and is separated from Rocky Mountain National Park at its southeast border by Thunder Pass (a saddle between Lulu Mountain and Static Peak), a trail primarily used for hiking, camping and backpacking from June to October.
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To the Heights in Colorado
By Linda Tancs
Just 60 miles west of Denver, Colorado, Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in North America. The starting point is Idaho Springs. From there the route offers 9,000 feet of elevation gain, from the high plains of Denver through five climate zones to the 14,264-foot summit of Mount Evans. It’s one of 54 peaks in the state that soars to a height of 14,000 feet or above, known collectively as the “fourteeners.” Because of snow, the entire journey to the summit is open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. A national forest information center at Idaho Springs has maps and information on hiking trails and road conditions.
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Cape Doesn’t Disappoint
By Linda Tancs
Washington State’s Cape Disappointment is a fabled headland staring into the mouth of the Columbia River. Its odd name is said to derive from British trader John Meares, who named it “Cape Disappointment” because he mistakenly believed that the mouth of the Columbia River was only a bay. Once deemed strategically significant, military fortifications were based there during the Civil War and World War II. The decommissioned bases, and North Head Lighthouse, now encompass Cape Disappointment State Park. Named to the National Register of Historic Places, Cape Disappointment is a High Potential Historic Site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Perched on a 200-foot-high cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center tells the story of Lewis and Clark and their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.
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100 Years of Ice Cream
By Linda Tancs
Located across Eagle Harbor from Peninsula State Park, Ephraim, Wisconsin, is a small, European-style village. Settled in 1853 by Norwegian Moravians, it has retained much of its European character through careful preservation of more than 30 historical sites, 11 of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. You can experience much of it by taking a guided or self-guided historic walking tour. A sure stop is Wilson’s, an ice cream parlor that’s stood in the heart of the village since 1906. Opening season begins this month.
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Georgia’s Golden Isles
By Linda Tancs
The Golden Isles are a group of islands in Georgia between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida. The area comprises the port city of Brunswick and the barrier islands St. Simons, Little St. Simons, Jekyll Island and Sea Island. They’re known for their marshes and beaches, a favorite not only with tourists but also with the area’s mascot, the sea turtle. You can learn all about them at Jekyll Island’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center. You can spot them from May through August, when bales of sea turtles flock to the shores of the Golden Isles for nesting season. During the day, it’s very common to see sea turtle tracks leading from the ocean to the dry patch of sand where their nest has been constructed. If you want to get close to their nests safely, then take a guided evening tour offered in June or July by sea turtle experts from the Turtle Center.
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The Pig Trail
By Linda Tancs
Arkansas boasts over 600 native wildflowers. Spring is a good time to watch them explode, especially along scenic byways like the Pig Trail. It’s a 19-mile stretch of State Highway 23 that passes through Ozark National Forest. The Pig Trail takes its name from fans of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, who traditionally used it as a shortcut through the mountains to “Hogs” games in Fayetteville. The razorback (feral hog) is not only the university’s mascot but also a wild animal found throughout the state.
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Natural Wonders in Anchorage
By Linda Tancs
It goes without saying that there’s no shortage of natural wonders in Alaska, even just minutes from downtown Anchorage. That’s where you’ll meet the westernmost boundary of Chugach State Park. Located mostly within the Municipality of Anchorage, it’s one of the largest state parks in the United States. Named after the indigenous people of the Upper Cook Inlet region, it’s a must-see for shutterbugs and day hikers alike. One of the most popular trailheads is Glen Alps on the Anchorage Hillside. You’ll be rewarded with a three-volcano view, a profile of Denali and the Anchorage skyline, among many other things.
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