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 Dismal Swamp
By Linda Tancs
Legend has it that New Jersey’s Dismal Swamp got its name from nearby Dismal Brook. That may be true, but don’t let the dreary name deceive you. It’s actually a wildlife preserve spanning parts of suburban Edison, Metuchen and South Plainfield, one of the last remaining wetlands in a highly urbanized environment. Designated a “priority wetland” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it also features upland deciduous forests with mature trees and more than 165 bird species like green herons, yellow-billed cuckoos, eastern phoebes and songbirds. That’s far from dismal, which is why the name of the preserve was recently changed to the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve. It’s been renamed to honor an elected official who helped form the Dismal Swamp Preservation Commission to save the wetlands.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Zoo Down the Jersey Shore
By Linda Tancs
Visitors to Cape May County, New Jersey, flock to its famous shores. But there’s a different sort of flock worth seeing, like bison and bongo, oryx and ibis. These are just a few of the animals at Cape May County Park & Zoo at Cape May Court House, New Jersey. The grounds boast 85 acres hosting about 550 animals representing more than 250 species. Open year round except Christmas Day, entry is free. For some special, behind-the-scenes access, you can opt to pay for a camel, giraffe or reptile encounter or a private, guided tour of the facility.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Ball of Twine in Kansas
By Linda Tancs
Cawker City, Kansas, is a quintessential small town at just one square mile and less than 1,000 residents. That might sound a bit sleepy, but as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. That’s because the unassuming little town lays claim to hosting the world’s largest ball of twine. As recently as 2018, the ball weighed in at 20,511 pounds! It’s composed of sisal twine, a thread made from the fibrous agave plant, typically used to keep small bales of hay together. That’s the use to which local farmer Frank Stoeber put it. He started rolling his abundance of excess twine in 1953. By 1961, his ball had become a local tourist attraction. It’s been added to continuously—first by Frank, then his neighbors, and ultimately, by visitors who are provided pre-measured and weighed twine. That tradition continues to this day, especially during Twine-a-Thon, a festival on the third weekend each August. You’ll find the ball as you enter Cawker City from U.S. Highway 24.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks
By Linda Tancs
The oldest and largest natural attraction in New York’s Adirondacks, Ausable Chasm is a sandstone gorge featuring a vertical-walled canyon made of 500 million-year-old rock touted as the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.” Adventure reigns there, with enough heart-thumping tours to satisfy the undaunted. A family-friendly option is the guided via ferrata, a protected climbing route characterized by a steel cable that runs along the rock, offering a unique journey through a region of the chasm not accessible from any other trail. You’ll also find scenic walking and hiking trails, mountain biking, tubing and river rafting options. Their Classic Tour is the most popular offering, a two-part walk and float tour that allows visitors a complete end-to-end visit of the chasm with a trolley/shuttle return to the welcome center once completed.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Three Sisters in Florida
By Linda Tancs
Three Sisters Springs is a natural freshwater spring system in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in western Florida. The springs provide a critical habitat for the endangered Florida manatee because the temperature remains constant at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, aiding in their survival. In fact, the refuge (one of 566 national wildlife refuges) is the only one created specifically for the protection of the beloved mammal. It’s also one of the few places where tourists can legally swim with the manatees. Crystal River is located about 90 miles north of Tampa.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Surf City in Rhode Island
By Linda Tancs
Surfers flock to the tony enclave of Point Judith in Narragansett, Rhode Island, a place with reputedly the best waves in New England. The lighthouse there (operated by the Coast Guard and closed to the public) was constructed to guide mariners past the rocky shoals that claimed many a ship, a consideration no less relevant to wave riders. In fact, the south side of the point is best navigated only on really big swells. Onlookers can watch the action from a park nearby the lighthouse that offers stunning coastal views.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Crossing the Arctic Circle
By Linda Tancs
One of the northernmost roads in Alaska is the Dalton Highway, the only road in the United States to cross the Yukon River, the Arctic Circle and Brooks Range. Named for James William Dalton, a North Slope engineer, it was closed to public traffic for years, having been developed as a haul road connecting the Yukon River and Prudhoe Bay during construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Today it’s one of Alaska’s scenic byways and one of the remotest drives on earth. Some of the highlights along the way are signs of active gold mining in Livengood, mile marker 115 (where a sign indicates that you’ve crossed the Arctic Circle) and Atigun Pass, the highest in Alaska at 4,800 feet. The route begins in Livengood although the only place to rent a vehicle suitable for road conditions is Fairbanks. Over 400 miles long, the journey will take you to Prudhoe Bay, where you can overnight and rest before beginning the long trek back to Fairbanks. The highway is mostly a gravel road with several steep grades and no cell phone coverage. Extra supplies and spare tires are recommended. Due to weather and varying road conditions, the best time to travel is between June and August.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Simple Elegance in Albany
By Linda Tancs
Schuyler Mansion is a historic house at 32 Catherine Street in Albany, New York. It was home to Philip J. Schuyler, a Revolutionary War general, U.S. Senator and businessman. The Georgian brick mansion was once described as attractive in its simple elegance. Built on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, the house was the site of military and political strategizing, entertaining and an active family life. In fact, the wedding of daughter Elizabeth Schuyler to Alexander Hamilton took place in the house in 1780. Today, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the mansion as well as an orientation exhibition in the Visitor Center focusing on Philip Schuyler’s life.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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New Jersey’s Tallest Waterfall
By Linda Tancs
It might not be the best known, but New Jersey’s Buttermilk Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state at around 90 feet. Located in Walpack Township, it benefits from being close to a viewpoint parking lot, so you needn’t even leave your car to get a good view. Part of the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area, it includes the the Buttermilk Falls Trail, which begins with a climb to the top of the falls and an eventual connection to the Appalachian Trail.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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America’s Mountain
By Linda Tancs
Colorado’s Pikes Peak is affectionately referred to as “America’s Mountain” because, as the story goes, its summit inspired Katharine Lee Bates to pen “America the Beautiful.” It certainly is an iconic part of the country’s landscape, soaring to a height of 14,115 feet. You can reach the summit with a ride on the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the highest cog railway in the world. Along the three-hour return trip you’ll see bristlecone pines, one of the longest-lived species on earth. In fact, some of those pines on Pikes Peak are estimated to be over 2,000 years old. The views are equally inspiring at the peak, where you’ll be rewarded with views including the Continental Divide, the Garden of the Gods and various cities like Woodland Park, Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. The railway’s base station is in Manitou Springs, a few miles west of Colorado Springs.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
