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
America’s Only Royal Palace
By Linda Tancs
A National Historic Landmark, Iolani Palace is the only official royal residence in the United States. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, it was built in 1882 by King Kalakaua and was the home of Hawaii’s last reigning monarchs until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893. The mansion was ahead of its time, outfitted (even before the White House) with electricity (the first electric lights in Hawaii) and a telephone. A tour of the first floor consists of the public reception areas: the Grand Hall, State Dining Room, Blue Room and Throne Room. The second floor showcases the private suites, including the King and Queen’s suites, Music Room and the Imprisonment Room, where Queen Liliuokalani was sentenced to house arrest for eight months following a failed coup by royalists in 1895.
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South Carolina Military History
By Linda Tancs
The South Carolina Military Museum is one of the largest National Guard museums in the country. Boasting a vast array of artifacts ranging from period and authentic firearms, edged weapons, uniforms, artillery pieces, and armored fighting vehicles, the museum tells the story of the South Carolina militia and its evolution into the National Guard. Located in Columbia, admission is free.
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The Joys of Commuting
By Linda Tancs
Mass transportation has its ups and downs. Just ask any commuter, especially in the New York metropolitan area. Maybe a trip down memory lane would lessen the pain, like the bit of nostalgia preserved at the New York Transit Museum. Housed underground in an authentic 1936 subway station in downtown Brooklyn, the museum’s working platform level spans a full city block and is home to a rotating selection of 20 vintage subway and elevated cars dating back to 1907. You can learn about fare collection, the evolution of the subway and the history of buses and trolleys. It might foster an appreciation for the current system, however flawed it might be.
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Celebrating Failure in Los Angeles
By Linda Tancs
Do you remember Colgate’s foray into frozen dinners? Maybe not, considering the venture was an epic flop. You can reminisce about that and other failed initiatives at the Museum of Failure in Los Angeles. The aim of the venue is to teach that failure is a part of life or, to put it more optimistically, success stories are often borne out of failures along the way. Like Thomas Edison so famously put it, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
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Celebrating the Sunset in Clearwater
By Linda Tancs
Florida’s Gulf Coast city of Clearwater may seem overshadowed at times by St. Petersburg (the area is, after all, frequently paired off in print as St. Petersburg/Clearwater), but that’s hardly the case at Clearwater Beach. A vibrant beach town, they’re big on sunsets—so much so that they celebrate it all year long. Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival on the beach operates all year from two hours before until two hours after sunset, weather permitting. The nightly celebration features artisans, crafters, street performers and, of course, the sunset, previously voted the best sunset in America. See if you agree.
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Legendary Lights in Ohio
By Linda Tancs
What do 4 million Christmas lights look like? Like a blanket of color. Just head on over to historic Clifton Mill in Clifton, Ohio, and see for yourself. One of the largest water-powered grist mills still in existence, the original mill at the site was built in 1802 by Owen Davis, a Revolutionary War soldier and frontiersman miller. During the Christmas season, the mill, along with the gorge, riverbanks, trees and bridge, sparkle and glow, together with a synchronized lights and music show that features the old covered bridge. Go during the week to avoid the weekend crowds.
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A Geological Enigma in New Jersey
By Linda Tancs
One of the oldest mines in the United States, Sterling Hill was first worked before the 1730s, a source of local employment for residents of Ogdensburg, New Jersey. It is one of the most famous mines in the world and a geological enigma, with 350 different mineral species found there (a world record for such a small area) and more than two dozen of those found nowhere else on Earth. Closed in 1986, it was the last operating mine in the state and produced 11 million tons of zinc ore. It’s also famous for the abundance of mineral species documented as fluorescent, highly coveted by collectors. Named to both the state and national registers of historic places, guided tours last about two hours and include one hour in the underground zinc mine, 30 minutes in the large exhibit hall and about 10 minutes in the museum of fluorescence. Mineral collecting is also available amidst 200 tons of high-grade zinc ore, much of which contains fluorescent mineral.
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Sponge Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
Known for its Greek culture, Tarpon Springs is a city along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Just 45 minutes north of St. Petersburg, the locale is named for the fish found in abundance in nearby waters. Greek eateries line the waterfront, a legacy of the sponge divers who settled there in the early 1900s. Walk along Dodecanese Boulevard to see docked sponge boats and shops selling sea sponges, a tribute to the city’s status as sponge capital of the world. A bit quieter is the historic downtown district, where art galleries, antique stores and specialty shops are housed in buildings dating from the late 1800s.
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A Shrunken Head in Memphis
By Linda Tancs
One of the most enduring landmarks in Memphis, Tennessee, the Pink Palace Museum hosts an eclectic mix of artifacts bearing historical, educational and technological significance. For instance, you’ll find a life-size replica of the first Piggly Wiggly store, the forerunner to today’s self-service grocery store. That was the brainchild of grocery clerk Clarence Saunders, who later conceived of the palatial estate now hosting the museum. But perhaps the most memorable exhibit for visitors is the shrunken head sitting in the middle of the rotunda. Once owned by local businessman Abe Scharff, it was later donated to the museum and is believed to be a relic from his visits to South American tribal regions in modern-day Ecuador and Peru where head shrinking was a common practice. No one is quite sure whether the item is real, but you can read up on the process that headhunters used to get a shrunken head while you’re deciding for yourself.
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Trees of Mystery
By Linda Tancs
In the coastal town of Klamath, California, you can walk among giants. California redwoods, that is. In the heart of redwood country is the state’s original redwood nature attraction, Trees of Mystery. The family run preserve has over a mile of interpretative trail to take in the size and scope of these forest wonders, which average eight feet to as much as 20 feet in diameter and some as tall as 375 feet. For a bird’s-eye view, take the sky gondola. Have a green thumb? You can buy a seedling and try to grow your own giant.
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