Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!The Other Emerald Isle
By Linda Tancs
Ireland may be the place best known by the sobriquet “the Emerald Isle,” but Kodiak, Alaska could run a close second. Located on the second largest island in the United States, the city is 250 air miles southwest of Anchorage in the Gulf of Alaska. Adopting the motto “Alaska’s Emerald Isle,” the home of the Kodiak bear is, like its Irish soul mate, an area of lush natural beauty. Take it all in–the greensward, mountains, islands and wildlife–from atop Pillar Mountain. One of the biggest draws, taking place this weekend, is the Kodiak Crab Festival.
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Leipzig Celebrates Wagner
By Linda Tancs
German composer Richard Wagner was born on this day 200 years ago, and the folks in Leipzig are celebrating their famous son’s milestone birthday. This year’s Wagner Festival runs through 26 May. Today’s events include a ceremony at the Opera to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth, attended by fans and dignitaries alike. Another highlight will surely be a production of his classic composition, Die Götterdämmerung, in the Paulinum building at the University of Leipzig. Throughout the festival the Museum of City History will be presenting a wide-ranging exhibition on his life, relationships and works. And stop by the maestro’s birthplace for the Tune A Day at 3:30 p.m. daily, where young musicians will perform a theme from one of his many masterpieces.
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Halibut Fishing Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
Homer, Alaska is the southernmost town on the state’s highway system, the ‘end of the road’ you might say. And where land ends, the sea begins. That’s great news for Homer, a fisherman’s mecca. Recognized as the halibut fishing capital of the world, the local catch is limited to two fish per person per day. Fish as long as you like; your catch will be packaged and sent home for you. Best of all, the bounty is available year round and so are the roads, the scenic Seward and Sterling highways.
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Heidelberg Illuminates
By Linda Tancs
The fireworks at Heidelberg Castle in southwest Germany are an ancient affair. Now 400-years-old, the pyrotechnics began as a celebration of the royal marriage between Friedrich V and England’s Elizabeth Stuart. The thrice yearly event (June, July and September) will be supplemented today to mark the International German Gymnastics Festival taking place in the region. Besides the north and south river banks, great views are in store for those aboard river boats of the Rhine-Neckar River Cruising Company.
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Norwegian Pride in Seattle
By Linda Tancs
It’s fair to think of Ballard, Washington as “little Norway.” After all, the Seattle suburb’s Norwegian population tops eighty percent. It’s also here that the largest celebration outside Norway of the signing of its first constitution on May 17, 1814 takes place. Constitution Day (Syttende Mai) has been celebrated in the Seattle area since 1889. That’s a lot of parading. So polish your shoes, iron your flags and get ready to hipp, hipp, hurra tomorrow!
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Princess on the Promenade
By Linda Tancs
Created by László Marton in 1989, Budapest’s Little Princess is a bronze statue along the Danube promenade between the Chain Bridge and Elisabeth Bridge near Vigadó tér. Reputedly the most photographed, it is but one of many gems in the city, including the statues at Castle Hill, the Holocaust monuments, the Liberty Monument atop Gellért Hill and the Time Wheel monument (the world’s largest hourglass) celebrating Hungary’s induction into the European Union.
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Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
By Linda Tancs
Eighteen percent of the finest countryside in England and Wales is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONB. The 38 AONBs in England and Wales and eight in Northern Ireland are protected by national legislation granting them special legal status. Many are well known, like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Cotswolds. Other areas may not get as much press–hidden gems just waiting for you to explore them. Consider, for instance, the Ring of Gullion, a ring dyke in Northern Ireland not found anywhere else in the United Kingdom. One of the few lowland AONBs, the Wye Valley straddling England and Wales boasts the first major river to be designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest along its entire length. And don’t neglect the smallest of the AONBs, the granite Isles of Scilly off the coast of Land’s End. What about Scotland, you ask? The countryside acts creating AONBs do not apply to Scotland; they have National Scenic Areas instead. The 40 NSAs cover idyllic landscapes, including legendary peaks like Ben Nevis and Glencoe.
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Four Freedoms in New York
By Linda Tancs
In New York City a three-minute tram ride from 59th Street and Second Avenue brings you to Roosevelt Island, a seeming haven in the middle of the East River. Part of the City, the two-mile-long island has a population 12,000 strong, with an enviable mix of playgrounds, parks and recreational areas. The newest park pays homage to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Named for his famous speech on the “four freedoms” during World War II (freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear), Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park offers amazing views of the City skyline from the expansive lawn. The Presidential memorial is a place for peaceful walks and contemplation–a respite from the onslaught of bikes, boards, skates and amplifiers in Manhattan’s “other island.” Here, serenity rules.
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The Spirit of the Jerseys
By Linda Tancs
New Jersey’s State History Fair, the only statewide event where visitors can experience five centuries of the state’s history in one place, is taking place on 11 May at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville from 11 am to 5 pm. Activities include military encampments and displays covering the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and both world wars. You’ll enjoy period music and crafts, living history demonstrations and exhibits by historical societies and museums. If you (or your kids) think history is boring, then check out the historic character portrayals that will bring the past to life. The cast includes Molly Pitcher (who followed her husband through Revolutionary War battles), George Washington and British General William Howe.
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The Northernmost Curiosity
By Linda Tancs
If you’ve been looking for a toilet bowl atop a totem pole, your search is over. You’ll find it in Point Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost point in the United States. At the military base there is a colorful totem pole topped off with what is reputedly a toilet bowl commemorating the first flush toilet in Barrow. Just 1291 miles away is the North Pole.
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