Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Thoroughly Bred in England
By Linda Tancs
The October Yearling Sale takes place today through 12 October at Tattersalls, the oldest bloodstock auctioneer in the world and the largest in Europe. Offering the best thoroughbreds to be found anywhere, the Newmarket firm’s annual Yearling Sale is Europe’s premier yearling sale, producing four Derby winners in the past decade alone. Only 60 miles from London, Newmarket (England’s home of racing) is just a short rail or bus ride away. Enter the Tattersalls premises via The Avenue.
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Iceploration in Florida
By Linda Tancs
For those adults who want the kids in their lives to put down their electronic gadgets long enough to see what else the world has to offer: Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida offers you Iceploration. Featuring a journey to the four corners of the globe, the show brings to life the African Serengeti, Great Barrier Reef, the Arctic and the Amazon rainforest in a production including skaters, puppets and animal acts. This is one 30-minute show that just might seize their attention.
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The Royal Coconut Coast
By Linda Tancs
In Kapa’a, Hawaii, they’re eager to celebrate the coconut. This typical island delicacy was cultivated in plantations along Kuhio Highway from Wailua to Kapa’a, giving this coastal region the designation Royal Coconut Coast. So what better place to hold an annual Coconut Festival than at Kapa’a Beach Park (next to the library). Taking place on 6 and 7 October, the event will feature entertainment on a main stage and children’s stage, cooking demonstrations by Kauai’s best chefs, the largest gathering of Kauai artisans, coconut games, pie eating contests, and a coconut cook-off contest. They’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts just waiting for you.
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High Flying Pumpkins
By Linda Tancs
It’s pumpkin season. What better way to celebrate than with a good old-fashioned pumpkin catapult, like the one in Milford, New Hampshire at this weekend’s Pumpkin Festival. The annual event at the Milford Oval will also include beer tasting, a craft fair, a talent show, the pumpkin weigh-in, a chili roundup and scarecrow making for the kids.
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Basket Village USA
By Linda Tancs
Dresden, Ohio is the proud host of the world’s largest basket, a replica of the classic Longaberger basket created by native son Dave Longaberger. Doyennes of household basket display will love the manufacturing tour. You’ll find plenty of basket accessories in the village’s quaint shops, along with other fine articles like pottery, glassware, jewelry, clothing, collectibles, artwork, home décor items, and more.
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America’s Wilderness Beach
By Linda Tancs
Cumberland Island in Georgia proudly identifies itself as “America’s Most Beautiful Wilderness Beach.” Operated by the National Park Service, this national seashore is home to over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated wilderness. No wonder, then, that the area is so richly populated by wild horses, sea turtles and wild turkeys among the dunes, salt marshes and mud flats. This is a wonderful camping destination, accessible via the Cumberland Queen ferry from historic St. Mary’s.
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Music and Memphis
By Linda Tancs
Memphis is synonymous with music. Virtually every genre of music is associated with the city, particularly blues, rock and gospel. Out of Memphis came the talent of such greats as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and B.B. King. Take a spin around the city at Travelrific® Radio.
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Railroading in Michigan
By Linda Tancs
Railroading has a venerable history in Michigan, beginning with the grant of a charter to the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad Company in 1833 to build the first railroad in what was then the Michigan Territory. When Michigan became a state in 1837, construction had already commenced on a branch line from Palmyra to Jacksonburgh, a line put into service during the Civil War. Numerous industry consolidations and a reduction in passenger and freight traffic nearly obliterated the branch line, but the Southern Michigan Railroad Society purchased the remaining track and transformed it into an operating railroad museum. The Society offers train tours over the remaining track of the early Palmyra and Jacksonburgh Railroad. Easily accessible from Toledo and Detroit, the route takes a nostalgic turn between Clinton and Tecumseh. Make your reservations now for the popular Fall Color Tours in October.
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Natty Napier
By Linda Tancs
Napier, New Zealand is feted as the Art Deco capital of the world, a term derived from Exposition des Arts Modernes Decoratifs et Industriels, held in Paris in 1925. The east coast city, dubbed the Nice of the Pacific, has the highest concentration of Art Deco buildings in a single area. The best way to see it all is by a guided tour plus bus or vintage car excursion. High season is the GEON Art Deco Weekend in February, including over 200 events, but this sun-kissed city welcomes you anytime.
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A Gothic Revival in London
By Linda Tancs
Strawberry Hill is an 18th century masterpiece in southwest London, one of England’s finest examples of Georgian Gothic revival architecture. Created by Horace Walpole, an English writer and politician, the mansion is particularly striking for its collection of renaissance glass and a state apartment bursting with crimson and gold. The setting at twilight is especially dramatic. You can book a twilight tour during the public opening hours between 31 March and 31 October. Better hurry! You can take the train to Strawberry Hill station from Waterloo, walk there via the Thames Path or take the tube to Richmond and then the R68 bus towards Hampton Court to Michelham Gardens. It’s just a short walk from there.
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