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
A Sculpture Park in the Midwest
By Linda Tancs
Located in the scenic St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota, Franconia Sculpture Park is a 50-acre outdoor museum operating more than 50 public arts programs each year. It features a rotating collection of over 100 contemporary sculptures and an active artist residency. Open daily, admission is free.
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Basilica Hudson
By Linda Tancs
Originally a forge and foundry for steel railway wheels in the 1800s, the industrial building known today as Basilica Hudson in Hudson, New York, is a multidisciplinary arts center. Its offerings include music festivals, marketplace events, regular film screenings and an artist-in-residency program. The venue welcomes over 20,000 visitors each year, who no doubt appreciate its location on the Hudson River amidst the Catskill Mountains.
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The Oyster Trail
By Linda Tancs
Boasting some of the finest oysters on Earth, the Maine Oyster Trail features 75 one-of-a-kind oyster businesses to experience. There’s an option for everyone, including farm tours, raw bars, shuck trucks and boat/kayak tours. Your interactive experience comes with a Maine Oyster Passport; eligible visits earn points toward nautical swag.
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The Corn Palace
By Linda Tancs
There’s an “a-maize-ing” venue on Main Street in Mitchell, South Dakota. That’s where you’ll find The Corn Palace. The venue is adorned with intricate murals crafted from natural grasses and numerous shades of corn. During the summer months you can take a free, guided tour where you’ll learn how the murals are made. A popular tourist attraction, the facility also hosts industrial exhibits, dances, stage shows, banquets and other special events.
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Prairie Style in Wichita
By Linda Tancs
The last of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses, Allen House was commissioned by newspaper publisher Henry J. Allen and his wife for their home in Wichita, Kansas. Wright designed the house while working on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, explaining the home’s Japanese aesthetic. Featuring more than 30 pieces of Wright-designed furniture, the interior also boasts art glass windows, bookcase doors and masonry wall joints covered in gold leaf. Reservations are required for a visit, which is led by a docent.
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The Driftless Area
By Linda Tancs
The Driftless Area is a region in Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois (and, depending on who you believe, parts of Minnesota and Iowa) that was never glaciated (hence, “driftless”). It’s characterized by its steep, rugged landscape and by the largest concentration of cold water streams in the world. In Wisconsin, you can enjoy all forms of recreation in this unique setting. One highlight is Eagle Cave, the state’s largest onyx cave and privately owned property offering camping, cabins, canoe rentals, mini-golf and more. Another option is a winding ride into the heart of the Driftless, following State Highway 131 north from State Highway 60 near Wauzeka as it runs high along the ridgetops. Whatever you do, take at least a day to explore this regional gem.
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Little River History
By Linda Tancs
The Little River is one of Miami’s four original natural rivers draining into Biscayne Bay. It’s also an important historic site, being the river crossed by Henry Flagler’s original railroad as well as being home to one of the earliest indigenous settlements in Florida. Today it winds its way through 12 miles of diverse communities and represents a thriving arts and cultural hotspot.
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Juneau’s Totem Pole Trail
By Linda Tancs
A new feature adorning the waterfront in Juneau, Alaska, is the Totem Pole Trail. Strategically located at the highly-trafficked port where cruise ship visitors arrive, the growing exhibition features the work of Indigenous master carvers. Each figure has a storyboard with a breakdown of what each symbol is and the story that the totem pole tells. It also lists the artist, their clan and clan stories.
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Molly Brown’s House
By Linda Tancs
The Molly Brown House Museum is a historic house museum in Denver, Colorado, that was the home of American philanthropist, activist and socialite Margaret Brown. She survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, earning her the appellation “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Self-guided and guided tours (from 45 minutes to one hour) are available throughout the day.
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Little Rock’s Early Days
By Linda Tancs
The MacArthur Park Historic District encompasses approximately 50 blocks in the heart of Little Rock, Arkansas. Boasting a variety of homes from the 1800s in different architectural styles, the district is centered on MacArthur Park, established as the first municipal park in Little Rock in 1892. It contains the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, which is located in the historic Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal — the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur.
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