Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Geotourism in Malaysia
By Linda Tancs
Malaysia’s first established UNESCO Geopark is located in Langkawi, a popular holiday destination summoning visitors to its 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. Like other UNESCO designations, a Geopark is so named for its contributions to history and culture–in this case, add in its geological value. Datai Bay boasts some of the oldest rock formations in the region, dating back over 500 million years. The boat ride from Datai Bay to Telaga Habour presents scenic rocky cliff formations. And that’s just one of several trails through the area highlighting sea arches, caves, mangrove forests and tropical jungles.
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The Grand Staircase
By Linda Tancs
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has the distinction of being the first monument overseen by the Bureau of Land Management rather than the National Park Service. Holding court in southern Utah at an expansive 1.7 million acres (slightly larger in area than the State of Delaware), this world class geologic and paleontological site comprises not only the Grand Staircase but also the Kaiparowits Plateau and the Canyons of the Escalante. A staircase of cliffs and terraces, the Grand Staircase’s multi-hued formations represent 200 million years of Earth’s history, featuring fossils of fish and early dinosaurs from the Triassic Period (the vermilion cliffs) as well as Jurassic sand dunes (the white cliffs). An ancient freshwater lake deposited the siltstone comprising the pink cliffs at the top of the Grand Staircase. Nearly one thousand miles of roads provide access to what may arguably be one of the greatest shows on Earth.
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Behind the Falls
By Linda Tancs
Plenty of countries stake their claim as the land of a thousand waterfalls, but Norway’s falls sport some of the most unusual attributes. Consider, for instance, Steinsdalsfossen. Located in Norheimsund in western Norway, its nearly 300,000 visitors are attracted to the path behind it where you can observe its 50 meter tumble from the backside–a behind-the-scenes view, if you will.
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The Gannets of St. Lawrence
By Linda Tancs
St. Lawrence River is one of the world’s longest rivers, dissecting Québec at its southern latitudes. Along the river are many island pearls, not the least of which is Île Bonaventure. Located at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, the island hosts the largest colony of northern gannets in North America. A haven for ecotourists, the island’s national park (one of 27 in Québec) features a five-million-ton monolith shaped by nature’s fury that is accessible at low tide.
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The Bionic Man
By Linda Tancs
Television viewers may remember the show The Six Million Dollar Man, a popular series about a former astronaut named Steve with bionic implants who goes after the bad guys as a secret agent. Steve, meet Rex. That’s the new bionic man appearing now at the Science Museum in London. Created for less than one million dollars, Rex is the world’s first complete bionic man, featuring an artificial circulatory system and organs. Life (or should I say, science) imitates art–and at a price much less than six million dollars.
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Jammin’ in the French Quarter
By Linda Tancs
New Orleans’ French Quarter Festival is celebrating its 30th year now through 14 April with over 800 local musicians, free special events, activities for the kids and a fireworks display along the Mississippi on Saturday night. Did I mention food? Perhaps it needs no introduction. This is New Orleans, after all–home of the poboys, jambalaya and gumbo, to name but a few of its delicacies. Sample them all at the more than 65 restaurants participating in the festival.
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Garden of the Gods
By Linda Tancs
The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado is a registered National Natural Landmark. The natural landmark program recognizes outstanding examples of biological and geological resources across the country. Home of the Bighorn sheep, the Garden of the Gods is renowned for its blazing red sandstone rock formations piercing the sky. Rock climbers get great views of snow-capped Pikes Peak. For the less daring, take a free 30-minute, naturalist-led walk daily at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
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The Call of the Wild
By Linda Tancs
Just a 40-minute drive from Lake Placid, New York, Tupper Lake is one of those old, quaint lumber milling towns. Today you’ll find a different calling echoing from the virgin pines and hardwoods of this Adirondack tourist destination–the call of the wild. The Wild Center, a 31-acre site of trails and overlooks, gives visitors ample opportunity to interact with the natural world. The area boasts moose, river otters, peregrine falcons and native trout. A new exhibit, Planet Adirondack, features a floating interactive Earth, highlighting the effects of human engineering on the planet.
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A Weighty Decision
By Linda Tancs
Samoa Air recently announced a world’s first: pay by weight. That’s right–the compact carrier is basing each passenger’s ticket price on the individual’s weight combined with the heft of the baggage being checked. So the airline’s tagline, “The sky’s the limit,” seems oddly appropriate. But given the debate that has ensued, this will no doubt prove to be a weighty decision, indeed.
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Highland Ghillies
By Linda Tancs
Derry (also known as Londonderry) is Northern Ireland’s second largest city and the first city in the UK to be designated a City of Culture in 2013. That means a yearlong slate of festivities is underway, including this weekend’s Highland Dance Festival. A hub for Scottish dance, Derry’s event is expected to draw the best of highland dancers from the UK and Europe. Get your ghillies on.
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