Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!England’s First Natural World Heritage Site
By Linda Tancs
England’s first natural World Heritage Site is known as the Jurassic Coast, covering 95 miles of unforgettable coastline stretching from East Devon to Dorset. Despite its name, the area actually covers three geological time periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Each period is spectacularly covered. For starters, there’s the red rocks of the Triassic Period at Orcombe Point at Exmouth, site of the former supercontinent Pangaea. The famous Durdle Door limestone arch near Lulworth lures fans of the Jurassic Period. And the white chalk stack of Old Harry Rocks at Handfast Point near Studland highlights a time during the Cretaceous Period when the ever widening Atlantic Ocean breached the chalk ridge. Use the South West Coast Path to access the entire site.
Share this:
Racing on the Flats
By Linda Tancs
The Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah is a flat expanse of white salt crust on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake basin, measuring 46 square miles. Named for area explorer and Army officer Benjamin Bonneville, the area is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks because of its contribution to speed racing. Welcoming trucks, cars and motorcycles, the World of Speed annual racing event takes place from 7 to 10 September.
Share this:
The Newport of the West
By Linda Tancs
Southwest of Milwaukee, Lake Geneva is a resort city located on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. Its lakeside “cottages” evoke the splendor of Newport Rhode Island’s mansions of the Gilded Age–hence, the area has earned the nickname “Newport of the West.” It’s also the one place in the country where mail is traditionally delivered to the lakeside estates from boat to dock by swift-footed jumpers whose goal is not to miss the boat as it plies the lake without missing a beat. Legend has it that over 70 species of evergreens are planted on Black Point, one of the most historic mansions ringing the lake. Other landmarks include The Oaks (where First Lady Nancy Reagan was once squired) and Maple Lawn, the oldest mansion.
Share this:
This Old House
By Linda Tancs
Ye Olde Yellow Meeting House is the oldest Baptist church building in New Jersey, located in Upper Freehold Township. The building dates to the 1700s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Though no longer used for worship services, the grounds are open to the public during daylight hours. Revolutionary War-era veterans abound in the cemetery; their weathered, delicate stones tell tales of gallantry and sacrifice. Consider the tombstone of Upper Freehold Township native Brig. Gen. Elisha Lawrence, whose marker reads: “A stranger to all ambition but that of being useful, he was twice vice president of New Jersey for several years presiding judge of the pleas, and after a series of faithful and gallant services in the Revolutionary War he was appointed by his county brigadier general of the Monmouth militia of the surveyed blazing line when wars loud conflict racked the brain. Now sheltered in the realms divine he treads heavens ever-peaceful plan lead on by softer, mercy’s mildest ray while fellow warriors hail him on his way.” You can visit this colonial town and others nearby via the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway.
Share this:
A Merry Go Round
By Linda Tancs
For those appreciating antique carousels, you won’t want to miss the collection of vintage French carnival rides at Fete Paradiso, an exhibition on New York’s Governors Island. Ending on 29 September (the last day of the island’s seasonal opening to the public), the display includes a magnificent pipe organ, bicycle carousel and flying swings. Located just minutes from the southern tip of Manhattan by ferry, the former military base is also home to Castle Williams, a red sandstone circular fort operated by the National Park Service. Pick up the free ferry ride to this New York City gem at the Battery Maritime Building on South Street.
Share this:
Peeling the Layers
By Linda Tancs
The folks in Payson, Utah want you to experience the many layers of their fair city. That includes peeling the layers at the annual Golden Onion Days event. Taking place from 30 August to 2 September, the annual ode to allium will feature the usual cooking contest, parade, food court and boutiques.
Share this:
Liberty Bells
By Linda Tancs
Fans of shows like Downton Abbey surely wonder what life was truly like above or below stairs. At Liberty Hall in Union, New Jersey you can quench your curiosity. Built in 1772, the mansion was home to New Jersey’s first governor and later occupied by members of the Kean political family. Like any dynasty, their needs were met by the ringing of a servant’s bell. Open through November 2013, the exhibition “Ring for Service: The Role of Servants in a Country House” welcomes visitors to all four floors of the family estate. The house museum is located on Morris Avenue at Kean University.
Share this:
The Great Lake Superior
By Linda Tancs
The largest of North America’s Great Lakes, Lake Superior holds almost three cubic miles of water, more than the four other lakes combined. That’s three quadrillion gallons of water, in case you’re counting. The largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, it’s bounded by Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. With tens of thousands of square miles to cover, just start somewhere. How about Minnesota’s North Shore? The 154-mile All American Road combines the best of old and new Highway 61, including several state parks and at least 101 things to do.
Share this:
Australia’s Twelve Apostles
By Linda Tancs
It might seem like just a stack of large rocks to some, but the limestone monoliths jutting out from the Southern Ocean coastline near Melbourne, Australia known as the 12 Apostles have their followers. Although their naming has no biblical connection, it’s quite evocative and certainly an improvement over the original moniker–the Sow and Piglets. Part of Port Campbell National Park, the formations are located on the corner of Booringa Road and Great Ocean Road in Princetown 3269, just a four-hour drive or so from Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road. Sunrise and sunset are great viewing times to view the rocks’ dramatic color changes.
Share this:
The Candelabra of the Andes
By Linda Tancs
The Paracas Candelabra, also known as the Candelabra of the Andes, is a well-known prehistoric geoglyph nearly 600 feet long on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula at Pisco Bay in Peru. That much is certain. Less certain is what it represents. Is it a candelabra design, the likes of which would have made Liberace swoon? Or is it a depiction of the trident of Viracocha, the South American god of Incan mythology responsible for creation? You decide.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 