Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!World War Museum Opens
By Linda Tancs
In Bastogne, Belgium, thousands of soldiers died in WWII during the Battle of the Bulge. Their valor is commemorated at the Bastogne War Museum. Opening tomorrow, this new museum will feature interactive exhibits dedicated to the battle and World War II.
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Aligning with the Heavens in Ohio
By Linda Tancs
The largest surviving prehistoric effigy mound is Serpent Mound, located in Peebles, Ohio. The undulating serpent-shaped earthwork stretches for almost 1350 feet, evoking over the years interpretations related to mysticisms and heavenly alignments. No wonder, then, that the park grounds are open for extended hours today–the spring equinox–marking Earth’s balance between day and night, a time of many rituals and traditions. Be prepared for an astronomically good time.
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Home of the Original Cuban Sandwich
By Linda Tancs
Plenty of American cities and states have staked their gastronomic claim to fame–Philly has its cheesesteak, Maryland boasts crab cakes, lobsters reign in Maine, etc. So who lays claim to the original Cuban sandwich? Answer: Tampa, Florida. In particular, it’s Ybor City’s signature sandwich that has local hearts all aflutter. Tampa’s National Historic Landmark District, Ybor City (the Latin Quarter) exudes old world charm with its wrought iron balconies and narrow brick streets. Founded by Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar manufacturing center, Ybor City welcomed a melting pot of immigrants from Spain, Cuba, Germany and Italy. Florida’s first industrial town, it is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in the state.
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An Ostrogothic Wonder in Italy
By Linda Tancs
Kissed by the Adriatic Sea by virtue of the Candiano Canal, the Italian city of Ravenna boasts a unique collection of early Christian mosaics–unless you’re visiting the Mausoleo di Teodorico. Devoid of consecrated mosaics, the Mausoleum of Theoderic is a tomb commissioned by Theoderic the Great, king of the Ostrogoths from 493 to 526. The only surviving emperor’s tomb from this period, the structure is a geometric mishmosh comprising a decagon in the lower half and a circular upper half. Carved of white Istrian stone, it is a stunning example of Ostrogothic artistry.
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St. Patrick’s Rock
By Linda Tancs
In the heart of Ireland’s County Tipperary, Cashel is one of the most visited sites thanks to the Rock of Cashel. Known as St. Patrick’s Rock, this elevated limestone peak is the former seat of the High Kings of Munster. Legend has it that St. Patrick baptized Aenghus the King of Munster there in the fifth century. The ruins of Hore Abbey, a Cistercian monastery, are at the base of the Rock and provide great views of it. The area is easily accessible via public bus from Dublin.
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The Start of Great Britain
By Linda Tancs
Scotland’s Highland coastal village of John O’ Groats is, as the locals will tell you, the northerly end of the longest distance between two points on the British mainland (the other being Land’s End). For heaven’s sake, don’t call it the most northerly place on mainland Britain; that honor goes to Dunnet Head. Either the start of Great Britain or the end of the road (depending on how you look at things), this rugged outpost is just six miles from the Orkney islands, an area boasting over 5000 years of history. Enjoy a coastal walk from John O’ Groats along the north coast to Duncansby Head Lighthouse and onto the massive rock stacks called the Stacks of Duncansby.
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Tobacco Road
By Linda Tancs
Tobacco was a cash crop in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in tobacco-growing regions like Port Tobacco in southern Maryland, the state’s smallest town. Once the site of the Native American village of Potobac, this tiny hamlet’s link to its most powerful export is represented by a weathered tobacco barn, where leaves would hang until they were cured. An icon of America’s tobacco-growing past, the region’s barns are in a sad state of disrepair. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington number among the tobacco-growing elite.
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The Crossroads of War
By Linda Tancs
What is now known as the State of New Jersey began on March 12, 1664 when Charles II of England granted land on the east coast of North America to his brother James, Duke of York (later, King James II). On the occasion of New Jersey’s 350th birthday today, it seems fitting to highlight its major role in the Revolutionary War. Although many no doubt recall the battles of Princeton, Trenton and Monmouth from their grade school history books, the fight for independence actually spans 2155 square miles across 14 counties–the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. This area includes, of course, Morristown’s Ford Mansion and Jockey Hollow, the nation’s first historical national park, commemorating the sites of General George Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment of December 1779 to June 1780. During six years of conflict, George Washington and the Continental Army spent more days in New Jersey than any other state.
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Manhattan’s Oldest House
By Linda Tancs
On July 10, 1790, George Washington dined at Manhattan’s Morris-Jumel Mansion with members of his Cabinet. Actually, he did more than just dine there, having used New York City’s oldest house as headquarters during the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Harlem Heights. Known in those days as Mount Morris, the hilltop estate located in Washington Heights offered sweeping views of the Harlem River, the Bronx, and Long Island Sound to the east, New York City and the harbor to the south, and the Hudson River and Jersey Palisades to the west. Exhibitions as well as arts and cultural programming are presented at the home year round.
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America’s Lost City
By Linda Tancs
Collinsville, Illinois, home of the world’s largest catsup bottle, is arguably the most unlikeliest of sites for a lost civilization. But that’s where you’ll find Cahokia Mounds, the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico, larger than London, England was in 1250. Named for the Cahokia subtribe of the Illiniwek who moved into the area in the 1600s, the city of Cahokia was inhabited from about 700 to 1400. The ancient citizenry built over 120 mounds, the largest of which is Monks Mound (rivaling Giza in Egypt), the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas. A National Historic Landmark and one of only 21 World Heritage Sites within the United States, this ancient meeting place is just 15 minutes east of St. Louis, Missouri.
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