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
Laughing Waters
By Linda Tancs
Karst topography is the result of the dissolving action of water on bedrock and is characterized by caves, sinkholes, springs and natural bridges. It’s the prime attraction at Missouri’s Ha Ha Tonka State Park. According to Ozark legend, the park’s unusual name derives from a Native American phrase meaning “laughing waters.” Located on the Niangua arm of the Lake of the Ozarks, it boasts the state’s 12th-largest spring, discharging more than 48 million gallons of water daily into the stream that flows into the Lake of the Ozarks. Other karst features include the 70-foot-wide natural bridge and 500-foot-long sinkhole. Luckily, the majority of these sights are preserved and viewable from trails and boardwalks within the park’s Karst Natural Area.
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Old Man of the Mountain
By Linda Tancs
Spanning Flume Gorge in the south and Echo Lake at the north end, New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park was home to the legendary Old Man of the Mountain, a series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain that appeared to be a human face when viewed from the north. It collapsed in 2003, so you’ll have to settle for an old man’s foot instead. You’ll find it at The Basin, a granite pothole 20 feet in diameter at the base of a waterfall. Below The Basin is a rock formation called Old Man’s Foot. Located in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest, the park is named for Franconia Notch, a spectacular mountain pass dominated by Cannon Mountain. You can take the aerial tramway to its summit where, on a clear day, mountains of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Canada and New York come into view. Be sure to reserve your seat on the tram because it sells out frequently.
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Minnesota’s Meeting Place
By Linda Tancs
“Tettegouche” is a French-Canadian term meaning “meeting place.” It’s an apt name for Minnesota’s Tettegouche State Park. Located on the North Shore of Lake Superior, it’s a place where several waterfalls meet along the Baptism River. One of them, High Falls, is the highest waterfall (at 60 feet) entirely inside the state’s borders. Hiking trails along the river provide views of many of the cascades. As a preserved example of the North Shore Highlands Biocultural Region, the park’s features also include rugged, semi-mountainous terrain, one mile of Lake Superior shoreline, six inland lakes and an undisturbed northern hardwood forest.
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Iowa’s Backbone
By Linda Tancs
Dedicated in 1920, Backbone State Park is Iowa’s first state park. Located in Dundee, its name derives from the narrow and steep ridge of bedrock carved by a loop of the Maquoketa River that was coined the “Devil’s Backbone.” Needless to say, it’s a sought-after spot for rock climbers, particularly around Backbone Trail. Interestingly, many of Backbone’s buildings were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which was established in 1933 as part of the New Deal program of President Roosevelt in an effort to provide work for unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. Among the CCC projects completed at Backbone were the dams on the Maquoketa River forming Backbone Lake, an auditorium, bridges and roads. Near the park’s west gate is a museum dedicated to the work of the CCC in the state.
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A Safe Haven for Birds
By Linda Tancs
With a zeal for conservation of waterfowl and wetlands, Sylvan Heights Bird Park is a birder’s paradise. Its location in the hilly marshlands of Scotland Neck, North Carolina, is ideal for both breeding and exhibition. Hosting over 2,000 birds, you can view waterfowl, parrots, toucans, flamingos and other exotic birds from South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Much of the conservation work takes place at the avian breeding center, where rare and endangered waterfowl species (currently numbering around 1,400 worldwide) are raised. The lower edge of the park is bordered by a natural wetland, where a safari trail and overlooks give you opportunities to view native North Carolina wildlife. Allow at least two hours for your visit.
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Cryptologic History in Maryland
By Linda Tancs
Cryptology is the art and science of making and breaking codes and ciphers. You can learn all about cryptology and those who devoted their lives to national defense at the National Cryptologic Museum in Maryland. Appropriately enough, it’s located adjacent to headquarters of the National Security Agency at Fort George G. Meade. One of the first public museums in the intelligence community, it serves as both a reference library and a tourist destination for those interested in code making and code breaking. The collection of cryptologic history is so comprehensive that the museum is often referred to as “America’s hidden treasure.”
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A Taste of Vinegar
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the world’s first and only museum dedicated to vinegar, the International Vinegar Museum in Roslyn, South Dakota, is a connoisseur’s wonderland. You’ll learn how vinegar is made and who makes it and discover 101 uses for vinegar. Hundreds of vinegars from around the world are on display, and there is ample opportunity to sample the goods and buy from the shop. Open from June through Labor Day, time your visit for the third Saturday in June, when you can enjoy the annual Vinegar Festival. The event features a parade, a Vinegar Queen contest, museum tours, cooking demonstrations and vinegar tasting.
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The Colonies’ Last Light
By Linda Tancs
A mile offshore of Rockport, Thacher Island is a small seacoast town about 40 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. It’s home to Cape Ann Light Station, a National Historic Landmark with twin lighthouses. The site bears significance as the last light station established under colonial rule (in 1771) and the first station in the United States to mark a navigational hazard rather than a harbor entrance. The area was indeed hazardous. Looking to the southeast from the towers you may see an iron pole jutting out from the water, which marks an area called the “Londoner” because the reef just below the surface claimed hundreds of vessels mostly bound to Boston from London in the early 1700s. The original wooden lighthouses were replaced with identical granite lights in 1861. At 124 feet, they’re the tallest lighthouses in the state. The island is open to visitors from June to September and is accessible via small boat, kayak or the island’s launch service.
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Prairie Dog Town
By Linda Tancs
The first state park in Kansas, Kanopolis State Park is situated in the scenic Smoky Hills region of the state. In addition to sandstone canyons, you’ll find Prairie Dog Town. Prairie dogs were transplanted into the area after flooding in 1993 forced them from their prior home; wildlife viewing opportunities abound. The park is located on the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway northwest of Marquette along K-141.
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Little Missouri in North Dakota
By Linda Tancs
Open seasonally from May to October, Little Missouri State Park is a quiet oasis in North Dakota. Located on the western side of the Little Missouri River, most of its 6,000 acres consists of badlands terrain (some of the most rugged and picturesque in the state) that is only accessible by trail on foot or horseback. Indeed, you’ll find over 45 miles of trails where you might observe wildlife like mule deer (indigenous to the West), coyote, fox, bobcat and golden eagle.
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