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
Michigan’s Banana Belt
By Linda Tancs
Escanaba (also known as Esky) is a port city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The seat of Delta County, it’s located in an area that locals call the “banana belt” because of its temperate climate, located well south of Lake Superior’s lake-effect snow zone. A walking tour of its historic downtown area features sights like Sand Point Light, where one of the first female lighthouse keepers on the Great Lakes worked for 18 years. You’ll also find the House of Ludington, a Queen Anne-style resort that remains the oldest
continuing hotel and inn still operating within the city. And Carnegie Library is one of many community libraries funded by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Constructed of red Lake Superior (Bayfield) sandstone and brick in 1903, this fine example of Neo-Classical architecture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Watching Over the White House
By Linda Tancs
Located across from the White House, St. John’s Church at Lafayette Square has welcomed every U.S. president to worship in its sanctuary beginning with James Madison. A National Historic Landmark, it features a bell tower with a bell cast by the son of Paul Revere. Consecrated in 1816, it has borne witness to many events in American history, such as the first State Funeral for President William Henry Harrison, the signing of the Webster–Ashburton Treaty and the baptism of former First Lady Dolley Madison. Tours take place after the last Sunday service, free of charge.
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The Largest Doors in the World
By Linda Tancs
The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is a massive building designed to assemble large, pre-manufactured space vehicle components. In fact, its interior space is capable of fitting over three Empire State buildings in it. The high-bay doors are the largest in the world (at 456 feet) and take about 45 minutes to completely open or close. From time to time NASA offers “up close” tours that include the VAB; check their website or call for opportunities.
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The Maroon Bells
By Linda Tancs
Located just 10 miles west of Aspen, Colorado, is one of the most photographed places in the state. Known as the Maroon Bells, they’re two 14,000-foot, bell-shaped peaks (Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak). The “fourteeners” are named maroon owing to the color they take on in certain light. Anchored by a reflective lake, the Maroon Bells Scenic Area is accessible by car or shuttle with a reservation. The RFTA shuttle service operates seasonally from late May through late October.
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The Great Wagon Road
By Linda Tancs
The Great Wagon Road, also known as the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, is a historic path in the eastern United States that followed an ancient Native American trade route known as the Great Indian Warrior Trading Path. It enabled 18th-century travel from Philadelphia westward and then south into the backcountry of Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. You’ll have to imagine that route via the interstate that exists today. Namely, Interstate 81 follows a significant portion of the wagon road from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, south through the Shenandoah Valley.
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A North Shore Art Colony
By Linda Tancs
Located on Lake Superior’s North Shore, Grand Marais, Minnesota, is an artists’ paradise. In fact, this charming harbor village boasts the oldest art colony in the state. The Grand Marais Art Colony provides artists with independent work space in professional studios amidst the backdrop of a stunning landscape nestled between the Sawtooth Mountains and Lake Superior. Autumn is a great time to participate in Art Along the Lake, a 10-day, self-led art tour during peak fall colors that offers the unique opportunity to meet local artists in their home studios and gain insights into their creative processes.
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Loretta Lynn’s Ranch
By Linda Tancs
Loretta Lynn was a legendary American country music singer and songwriter. Her homestead in rural Tennessee is one of the state’s top tourist attractions. Located in Hurricane Mills, Loretta Lynn Ranch is a family-friendly destination featuring a full service RV Park, log cabin rentals and a swimming pool. You can tour her historic family home dating to the 1800s as well as an exact replica of her childhood home in Butcher Holler, Kentucky. The property also features numerous museums like the Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum, Native American Artifacts Museum and Grist Mill Museum. Full tour admission includes a guided tour of both homes as well as museum access.
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An Emblem of San Francisco
By Linda Tancs
An emblem of the skyline in San Francisco, California, Coit Tower is a fluted concrete column rising from the top of Telegraph Hill. Historically, Telegraph Hill was a visual landmark for sailors entering San Francisco Bay since its discovery in 1775. It takes its name from a semaphore telegraph erected on its summit in 1850 to alert residents to the arrival of ships. The tower is named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a wealthy eccentric who bequeathed funds for its construction, which was completed in 1933. The observation deck (accessible via elevator or 13 flights of steps) provides 360-degree views of the city and bay, including the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge. Tickets can be purchased at the tower up to one hour before closing time.
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The Heart of Aggieland
By Linda Tancs
An Aggie is a student at Texas A&M University in College Station. The term Aggie is used by many to reflect agricultural roots. In the early 1900s, students at the university were referred to as farmers. College Station was founded as a railroad town in the late 19th century before becoming the academic and entrepreneurial center that it is today. In addition to the renowned university, the town is home to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum, where a new pavilion features a retired Marine One helicopter, the Union Pacific 4141 locomotive and the Bush family gravesite.
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Chalk Pyramids in Kansas
By Linda Tancs
The first landmark in Kansas chosen by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark, Monument Rocks are a series of large chalk formations in Gove County, Kansas. Voted one of the eight wonders of Kansas, these natural formations were created during the Late Cretaceous Period of geologic history and are rich in fossils. About 20 miles south of Oakley, they rise up to 50 feet above ground and descend 300 feet below. Note that this natural wonder is located on private property made accessible to the public.
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