Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!A Museum for Spam
By Linda Tancs
A museum for spam. No, not the electronic kind. The facility in question celebrates a more welcome variety—the canned delight that has Americans all aflutter since its introduction in 1937. Located at the Hormel meat plant in Austin, Minnesota, the SPAM Museum includes a production toteboard (over 6 billion cans and counting), a mock assembly line and exhibits recounting everything from the can’s evolution to its role during wartime America. Don’t try to sample the exhibits. You can buy any of the 12 varieties in the gift shop.
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A Lone Survivor in Belfast
By Linda Tancs
The only major naval surface engagement of World War I, the Battle of Jutland was fought by the British Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet against the Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet. Although both sides claimed victory in this indecisive battle celebrating its centenary this year, the spoils clearly go to the British as they lay claim to the lone surviving ship from the skirmish. Now open as a visitor attraction in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, HMS Caroline has undergone extensive restoration to enable visitors to experience life at sea through state-of-the-art special effects and hands-on interactive exhibits. The historic vessel rounds out the maritime experience in Northern Ireland’s capital city, which includes Titanic Belfast, located in the heart of Titanic Quarter. The world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, it tells the story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s through her construction and maiden voyage and subsequent place in history.
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A Salute to Early America
By Linda Tancs
With an inheritance from George Washington, granddaughter Martha Washington and her merchant husband Robert Peter (Georgetown’s first mayor) built a Neoclassical house on over eight acres of farmland on Georgetown Heights in Washington, D.C. Completed in 1816, Tudor Place has overlooked Georgetown and the Potomac River ever since. Occupied by the same family for six generations, it was dedicated to the public in the 1980s following the last owner’s death and remains one of the nation’s few historic urban estates retaining the majority of its original landscape. Viewable today by hourly guided tours, the grand residence remains as the Peters lived in it, showcasing over 15,000 items dating from the mid-18th to the late 20th centuries, including early land records, maps, photographs, moving pictures, diaries, household receipts, correspondence and one of only three letters extant from George to Martha Washington. The garden is equally storied, sporting native trees and shrubs that date back centuries. Enjoy four seasons of color with a self-guided tour.
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Japanese Woodworking in Pennsylvania
By Linda Tancs
Descended from samurai families, Spokane-born George Nakashima is recognized as one of America’s most eminent furniture designers. The George Nakashima Woodworker Complex, a National Historic Landmark located in New Hope, Pennsylvania, was his home until his death in 1990. The 12-acre complex has 21 buildings, all designed by Nakashima in the International Style infused with elements of traditional Japanese architecture. His brand of “organic naturalism” showcases the wood’s natural beauty in items such as table lamps, dining tables, wall units, desks and chairs that are coveted by collectors worldwide. The complex is open to visitors on Saturdays, and admission is free. Visitors may see examples of his work in the showroom and Conoid Studio and take a self-guided tour of three of the buildings.
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Twenty-Five Years of Holiday Magic
By Linda Tancs
The Holiday Train Show® in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at New York Botanical Garden is celebrating 25 years of its stunning exhibition of G-scale locomotives (the largest model train available) winding through replicas of New York landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and Rockefeller Center. The recent exhibition expansion features more trains, an all-new Queensboro bridge and a finale featuring a whimsical tribute to iconic Coney Island. Each landmark is re-created with bark, leaves and other natural materials in exacting detail. The show runs through January 16, 2017. Advance ticket purchases are recommended.
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Oxford’s Bridge of Sighs
By Linda Tancs
Although never intended to pay homage to Venice’s famous bridge, Oxford’s Bridge of Sighs (Hertford Bridge) is England’s lesser known replica of sorts. Completed in 1914 by Sir Thomas Jackson (one of the most distinguished English architects of his generation), it acts as a skyway connecting two sections of Hertford College. It’s located on New College Lane.
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An Island of Adventure in Plymouth
By Linda Tancs
Almost in the middle of Plymouth Sound, Drake’s Island marks the spot from which Sir Francis Drake (the isle’s namesake) sailed in 1577 to circumnavigate the world. His statue stands on the Hoe, overlooking the island. Fortified as a British defense against the French and Spanish, Drake’s Island held a strategic position guarding Devonport’s growing naval base. Later, it was used as a prison. The most prominent person to be imprisoned there was Major-General John Lambert, who had hoped to succeed Cromwell as Lord Protector. Nowadays, it’s privately owned. Content yourself with views from the Hoe and Smeaton’s Tower.
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A Swiss Shortcut
By Linda Tancs
Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel (not to be confused with the original Gotthard scenic line) entered into full service yesterday. Decades in the making, the rail tunnel is the world’s longest, stretching for 35 miles. It’s also the deepest, with over 6,500 feet of rock between the tunnel and the earth’s surface in some places. This engineering marvel provides an efficient shortcut through the Alps, paring an hour off the travel time between Zurich and Milan, Italy.
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The Crags of Santa Barbara
By Linda Tancs
California’s Rattlesnake Canyon trail moves north and eastward for nearly three miles up Rattlesnake Canyon and ends on Gibraltar Road. Besides the beautiful views of Santa Barbara, Montecito, birds and wildflowers, this part of Santa Barbara’s back country offers the intrepid the formidable Gibraltar Rock. Located next to its namesake road, the formation’s south face is akin to a bunny slope. Those desiring more of a challenge should head for the west face and the cliff’s subsidiary formations. There you’ll meet up with climbs bearing names like Sweating Buckets, The Nose, Toxic Waste Wall and The Bolt Ladder. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
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Denver’s First Block
By Linda Tancs
Denver, Colorado, was officially chartered in 1861, and Larimer Street (named after the city’s founder) became the city’s first street. Historically preserved for 51 years now, the site saw its fortunes fall with the crash of silver and rise again during Prohibition as host of the city’s hottest speakeasy. The luster quickly faded when the old street became skid row amidst rising development in other parts of the city following World War II. Community activism resulted in restoration beginning with the 1400 block of Larimer Street, now known as Larimer Square. Located in historic Lower Downtown (LoDo), the tony locale now boasts a lively mix of restaurants, clubs and shops. Its oldest retailer, Gusterman Silversmiths, is still a treasured tenant.
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