Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Cagey in Neptune
By Linda Tancs
South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula is shaped like a shark tooth, an apt construction given that the Neptune Islands off its coast boast the biggest great white sharks on the planet. Eager to draw on shark tourism, the Neptunes offer visitors an up-close-and-personal experience with this apex predator courtesy of underwater cages. Go ahead and take the plunge.
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On Fire in Turkmenistan
By Linda Tancs
The Russians caused an infernal mess when they drilled for natural gas in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert in the 1970s. A rig collapsed, resulting in a crater 200 feet wide and 70 feet deep (known locally as the Door to Hell) that continues to burn for over 40 years now. Well, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all, considering that the site has become a hot (pardon the pun) tourist attraction. Located 160 miles from the capital Ashgabat, you can hire a guide to get you there.
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The 2016 European Capitals of Culture
By Linda Tancs
New year, new cultural pursuits. The European Union’s honorees for 2016 Capitals of Culture are the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastian and Wroclaw, Poland’s fourth largest city. San Sebastian, the third largest city in the Basque Country, is focusing their agenda on a community of culture to foster peaceful coexistence. Seeking to link the two cultural capitals, Wroclaw’s opera director is planning a massive Spanish folk musical at the local stadium, featuring 50 dance groups and 80 choirs performing under the direction of a Spaniard. What a perfect way to promote understanding through culture and the arts.
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Europe’s Tallest Sand Dune
By Linda Tancs
On a clear day you can see forever (or at least as far as the Pyrenees) from Europe’s largest mound of sand. Located on the western coast of France in the Arcachon Bay area outside Bordeaux, the Dune du Pilat (derived from pilhar, meaning “mound”) is a behemoth boasting 60 million cubed meters of sand—350 feet high and two miles long. Dare to master the summit? They’ve built 154 steps into it for that purpose.
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On the Fringes of the Sahara
By Linda Tancs
Mushrooms. Ice cream cones. Giant pebbles. The desert has a way of making you see things. That’s no less so at the White Desert. On the fringes of the Sahara some 300 miles southwest of Cairo, the desert is a national park of Egypt. It’s best known for its peculiar wind-carved chalk rock formations (hence, the mushroom reference) arising from centuries of erosion and sandstorms. Local Bedouins are available for guided tours.
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Rocks of Ages
By Linda Tancs
Cappadocia, Turkey, is a kingdom of caves and rock formations. Above ground, the chimney-like rocks have been carved into dwellings and, in some cases, luxury hotels. Below ground teems an ancient metropolis, carved deep into the earth by troglodytes. How best to view it depends on your point of view, literally. How about a hot air balloon ride above ground? Some of the underground cities, like Derinkuyu (the deepest), are open for tours.
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The Sky Garden
By Linda Tancs
Public gardens abound in London, England, but a bird’s-eye view is a visual feast. It’s hard to top (no pun intended) Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street. Spanning three floors, it offers unrivaled views of the City of London. The highest public garden in the capital, you’ll discover exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks and an open air terrace. Tickets are free but are limited daily and must be booked in advance.
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King of the Nutcrackers
By Linda Tancs
Boasting one of the world’s largest nutcracker collections, the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in Washington State touts the evolution of the nutcracker. Such a collection would hardly be complete without the hundreds of traditional toy soldiers with gaping mouths that make their appearance in homes at Christmas time. But you’ll also find over 6,000 nutcrackers—representing the work of over 50 countries—carved from wood, metal, ivory, porcelain and other materials. Their designs, both simplistic and artistic, run the gamut from serious to whimsical, ecclesiastical to risqué and menacing to cute. Visitors from over 75 countries have been greeted by Karl, a 6-foot-tall Bavarian nutcracker carved in Oberammergau.
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Best Known Street in Texas
By Linda Tancs
The heart of Austin, Texas, 6th Street is an entertainment mecca. On the one hand, you’ll find historic buildings hosting bars, restaurants and an eclectic set of entertainment venues boasting everything from country to punk. On the other hand, quieter pursuits await thanks to art galleries and antique shops. No wonder the variety attracts showcase events like the Austin Mardi Gras celebration, SXSW, The Republic of Texas Bikers Rally, the Pecan Street Festival (the street’s former name) and the infamous Halloween celebration. Get ready to party.
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New Glass in China
By Linda Tancs
Twenty-five times stronger than other forms of glass, the glass-bottomed suspension bridge at Shiniuzhai National Geological Park in southeastern China’s Hunan province is aptly named Brave Man’s Bridge (Haohan Qiao). It stands, after all, 590 feet above a valley, a vertigo-inducing attraction in a land enamored with skywalks these days. But, as the saying goes, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The skywalk to end all skywalks is afoot (no pun intended) in Zhangjiajie National Park. Spanning a gap between two cliffs at a height of 984 feet and a length of 1,410, it will be the world’s highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 