Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!A Premier Art Museum in New York
By Linda Tancs
Part of the State University of New York system at Purchase College, Neuberger Museum of Art is one of the nation’s largest university museums. In the spirit of its founding patron, Roy Neuberger, the museum is committed to promoting the works of contemporary artists. The facility also offers education programs introducing visitors to American art of the 20th century, traditional African art and contemporary art through visitor-centered experiences. Admission is free on the first Saturday of every month.
*************
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.
Share this:
Washington’s Council House
By Linda Tancs
Following the Civil War, a series of townhomes sprung up on Vermont Avenue in Washington, D.C. One of them eventually became the residence of Mary McLeod Bethune, a world-renowned educator, civil rights champion, leader of women and presidential adviser. Her last home in the nation’s capital, it served as the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women. The site was a rallying point for programs designed to address issues such as desegregation, inadequate housing, racial discrimination, health care, employment and the preservation of African American women’s history. Formerly known as the “Council House,” it was declared a National Historic Site in 1982 and subsequently renamed the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. Guided tours are given by park rangers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
*************
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.
Share this:
Birthplace of the Dollar
By Linda Tancs
The U.S. dollar is the most widely used currency in the world. Do you know where it originated? The U.S. is obviously far too easy an answer. And wrong. To find its origin you’ll need to go to the unassuming Czech town of Jáchymov near the German border. Over 500 years ago the town minted the first Joachimsthaler coins, the predecessor of the U.S. dollar. Its high-purity silver content (derived from the mines in the region, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) made it a popular currency that spread across Europe and was renamed locally. The word “dollar” closely resembles the German thaler and the Dutch leeuwendaler. In fact, the Dutch colonists brought their coin to New Amsterdam (the colony at the southern tip of New York City), where it eventually became the nation’s official currency.
*************
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.
Share this:
The Stone Chamber Capital
By Linda Tancs
Dubbed the stone chamber capital of America, New York’s Putnam County is awash in root-cellar type structures that some say number in the hundreds. The stone chambers are typically located near water sources and are on or close to colonial farm sites. There’s very little else that anyone can agree on. Some historians believe that they were built by the Druids to celebrate the solstice and equinox; others claim that they were used by 18th-century farmers as storage facilities. Hike the trail at Mt. Nimham, where you’ll pass two stone chambers on your way up to the fire tower and its panoramic views.
*************
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.
Share this:
A Legend in Glen Echo
By Linda Tancs
The Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo, Maryland, is the site of the Clara Barton House, the home of the woman who founded the American Red Cross. Her home for the last 15 years of her life, it boasts an unusual Steamboat Gothic interior with railed galleries and a suspended captain’s room. Tucked at the end of a quiet road, it beckons visitors with stained-glass red crosses on an upper-story window. Lacking the crowds of other nearby historic sites, it’s an off-the-beaten-path gem for history buffs. Guided, interpretive tours of the house occur at the top of every hour on Fridays and Saturdays.
*************
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.
Share this:
Spectacular Ruins in Israel
By Linda Tancs
Occupying a strategic location at the junction of the Jezreel and Jordan River valleys, the ancient city of Bet She’an was a leading city of the Decapolis in Roman times and a prosperous Christian city during the Byzantine era. Historically, the city was destroyed following the Earthquake of 749, and its ruins—some of the most spectacular Roman and Byzantine artifacts in the country—are now part of Bet She’an National Park.
*************
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.
Share this:
Goa’s Favorite Market
By Linda Tancs
The Indian state of Goa is famous for its beaches. Many of them are easily accessible from Mapusa, which hosts a Friday market that’s a favorite among both tourists and locals. Pottery is a star attraction, along with other handiworks. But don’t miss the fresh bread, aromatic spices and fish. It may be monsoon season, but don’t let that stop you. You’ll experience lots of greenery—both in the landscape and in your wallet thanks to the monsoon discounts from hotels and resorts.
*************
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.
Share this:
The Big Cheese in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Vorarlberg may be one of Austria’s smallest regions, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in cheese. That’s quite evident along the Bregenzerwald Cheese Road, an area linking 17 valley dairies and 90 alpine farmsteads. You can experience the cheese producers’ work in all its stages and have a hand in it yourself at the Metzler dairy school in the delightful town of Egg, site of the smallest private brewery in Vorarlberg. If you plan on tasting your way through the cheesemongers’ handiwork, then pace yourself. There are over 60 varieties in Bregenzerwald. Go now and experience the Bregenz Festival in the capital city, an annual event from mid-July to mid-August featuring opera, theater performances and orchestra concerts.
*************
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.
Share this:
Bubbling Over in the Indian Ocean
By Linda Tancs
Réunion is a French department in the Indian Ocean, an island known for its active volcano, Piton de la Fournaise. Currently, it’s one of the most active volcanoes in the world, giving Hawaii’s Kīlauea a run for its money. This shield volcano standing at over 8,600 feet is a hiker’s dream, with challenging routes linking the coast with the summit. You can also reach into the bowels of the earth with a lava tunnel tour lasting over three hours or take in the Mars-like landscape from the Plaine des Sables. Then, again, why not do it all? You can rest up at the Volcano Lodge, less than a mile from the crater.
*************
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.
Share this:
Manly Sports in Mongolia
By Linda Tancs
Naadam Festival might be best described as an Olympic-style event in Mongolia. It features three competitions—archery, wrestling and horse racing, referred to as the three manly sports. Far from arbitrary, the three events figure largely in the history and culture of the country, particularly in ancient warfare. One of the best-loved festivals in the nation, its placement in July heralds an official three-day celebration of Mongolia’s quest for independence in 1911. The main celebrations are held between July 11 and July 13 in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, although other locales across the country host their own festivals of varying lengths and in different months. In addition to sports, the event features an opening ceremony, costume festival and traditional dancing.
*************
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.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 