Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!The Lighthouse Way
By Linda Tancs
The Lighthouse Way in Spain (Camino dos Faros) links Malpica with Cape Finisterre, a route dubbed the Coast of Death in the 19th century by British sailors due to the Atlantic’s formidable shipwrecking capabilities. The 125-mile hiking route offers plenty of lighthouse views, to be sure. But that isn’t all. The route also offers forests, waterfalls, beaches, dunes, sandy coves and quaint fishing villages. Most trekkers take between eight and 10 days to complete the trail. Don’t rush, and enjoy the views.
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The World of Peanut Butter
By Linda Tancs
According to the National Peanut Board, Americans eat more than six pounds of peanut products each year, a consumption worth more than $2 billion at the retail level. Peanut butter is as American as apple pie, which is why it might be surprising to learn that a peanut butter factory tour experience has opened in Nelson, New Zealand. Pic’s Peanut Butter World offers a free, 40-minute tour of their facility, which includes free tastings and a photo of you atop the world’s largest jar of peanut butter.
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Spurred On in Italy
By Linda Tancs
Most would liken the shape of Italy to a boot. The spur on the heel of that boot is the Gargano Promontory. Jutting into the Adriatic Sea, much of it is in preserved land comprising Gargano National Park. Regarded as the most extensive national park in the country, its heart is the Umbrian Forest, home to some of the nation’s oldest trees. The locale is the best place to experience an ancient forest in Italy; consider taking a jeep tour.
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Nashville’s Italianate Villa
By Linda Tancs
Belmont Mansion is Tennessee’s largest antebellum house, an Italianate villa in Nashville that once boasted an art gallery, a bowling alley and a zoo, among other things. Originally the summer home for Nashville socialite Adelicia Acklen and her family, the estate also served as temporary headquarters for the Union army during the Civil War and later as a women’s college. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971, the mansion features 36 rooms over 19,000 square feet. A guided tour takes about one hour.
UPDATE: Since the scheduling of this post, the Nashville area has suffered one of the most devastating storms in its history. Please consider donating to a relief organization and keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers.
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Hiding Places in Worcestershire
By Linda Tancs
It was no easy task to be a Catholic priest in Elizabethan England, especially after Elizabeth I lost her tolerance for the “old faith.” As a result, a number of safe houses sprung up. One of them was Harvington Hall, a moated manor house in Worcestershire. The grand estate boasts the largest number of priest hides in the country, including an entire concealed chapel. A false fireplace leading to an attic, trapdoors and crawl spaces behind beams or under stairs are among its secret spaces intended to foil priest hunters. You can reach the locale via train from London Euston to Kidderminster, which is about three miles away from the manor. Take bus line 42 or a taxi from there.
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Scaling the Heights in Monadnock
By Linda Tancs
The region of Monadnock in southwest New Hampshire is named after Mount Monadnock, the highest peak in the area. Although less than imposing at a height just shy of 3,200 feet, it’s remarkably touted as the most climbed mountain in the world after Japan’s Mount Fuji. Regardless whether you believe that claim, the views from the summit as far south as Boston attract novice and experienced hikers alike. The ascending and descending trails are both short at about two miles, but rangers generally recommend the White Dot Trail for climbing and the White Cross Trail for descending. The hike is popular throughout the year, even in winter.
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Acoustics in Hyderabad
By Linda Tancs
Hyderabad, the capital of southern India’s Telangana state, has fast become known as a major center for the technology industry, but its historical and cultural roots span over 400 years. Among other attractions, it’s home to one of India’s famous forts, Golconda. Originally a mud fort from the 1100s, it was refortified between the 14th and 17th centuries, boasting palaces, mosques and a hilltop pavilion. Its outermost enclosure is called Fateh Darwaza (Victory Gate), where acoustical effects like hand clapping can be heard at the hilltop pavilion over one-half mile away. Stick around for the sound and light show in the evening.
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Pancakes in New Zealand
By Linda Tancs
The Paparoa Range is a mountain range in the West Coast region of New Zealand’s South Island, made of ancient granite shaped by ice to form a rugged backdrop to Paparoa National Park near Punakaiki. Limestone underlies most of the park, creating its signature cliffs, canyons and caves. But of all the coastal formations, the park is perhaps best known for what’s popularly referred to as the “pancake stacks.” You also won’t want to miss the three blowholes at Dolomite Point, which put on their best performance during a southwesterly swell at high tide. Intercity buses provide regular service to the area.
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A Gem in Savannah
By Linda Tancs
Wormsloe Historic Site is a gem to behold in Savannah, Georgia. The site was once the colonial estate of carpenter Noble Jones, who came to Georgia with James Oglethorpe and the first group of settlers in 1733. The ruins of Jones’s tabby house (built in 1745) represent the oldest standing structure in Savannah, but even more breathtaking are the mile-long rows of oaks with sweeping branches lining the avenue to the estate, covering the driveway like a giant arch. Along with costumed interpretation on the nature trails, the locale offers a short film on the founding of Georgia and great views over the Skidaway Narrows, where the house was built to defend the strategic section of the Skidaway River from Spanish invasion.
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Florida’s Treasure Coast
By Linda Tancs
Florida’s Treasure Coast is located on the state’s southeastern coast. Comprising three counties (Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin), it might be best known (as its name implies) as the place where ship-wrecked coins wash up on the shores. That’s because over 300 years ago a fleet of 11 Spanish ships wrecked offshore between the St. Lucie River and Cape Canaveral while returning to Spain with riches from the colonies. You might still dig up a few gold coins today, but don’t miss the area’s other attractions, like beaches, tournament fishing and nature reserves including the nearly 12,000-acre Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
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