Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!A Tour of the Universe
By Linda Tancs
Seventy-five miles east of Rapid City, South Dakota lies Badlands National Park, a treasure in the southwest part of the state consisting of 244,000 mixed acres of badlands formations and prairie. The fossil beds are a big draw, a protected resource and the largest assemblage of known late Eocene and Oligocene mammal fossils. But don’t spend all your time looking down at paleontologic wonders. Now’s the time to look up. During the summer from Friday to Monday nights, the park offers The Night Sky Program at the Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater. Join a park ranger for a Tour of the Universe, punctuated by telescopic viewings of more than 7,500 stars in the night sky, including the Milky Way, star clusters, nebulae, planets and moons. Visitors are also treated to fly-overs by numerous satellites. Your cosmos awaits.
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Gateway to the Pines
By Linda Tancs
The small township of Tabernacle, New Jersey, bills itself as the Gateway to the Pines, referring to the Pine Barrens, an expanse of coastal plain in the southern part of the state. That said, there’s more to the Pine Barrens (or Pinelands) than pines (namely, Pitch Pine and Shortleaf Pine). You’ll find Sassafras, Sour Gum, Atlantic White Cedar and Gray Birch, just to name a few. Did you know that wild orchids and carnivorous plants thrive there? The area offers bicycling, kayaking, walking, hiking camping, and ghost towns. Now through July 28 you can celebrate the magic of the Pinelands at the annual Pinelands Festival at Church of the Holy Eucharist. While you’re in the area, be sure to stop by the Pinelands Visitors Center in Southampton for maps and information on the people, life and culture of this ecological gem.
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Vacation Deal of the Week
By Linda Tancs
Book two 2012 Summertime voyages back-to-back on American Queen Steamboat Co. and receive 50% off the second voyage of equal or lesser value. The offer is good on all voyages now through August 30, 2012 when you book by July 31, 2012. Contact me at Wanderful Cruises for suggestions on excursions!
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Along the Delaware Bayshore
By Linda Tancs
Heislerville, New Jersey is a Cumberland County town along the Delaware Bayshore offering a wildlife refuge with scenic views of salt water impoundments, the Maurice River, and large mudflats that provide varied habitat for wading birds, shorebirds and waterfowl. Located at Matts Landing Road, the eight-mile auto-trail driving loop offers something for every seasonal preference. Summertime brings waders, shorebirds, and Black Skimmer to the impoundments. Look for roosting egrets in the trees on the islands as well as diamondback terrapins. While you’re in the area, visit the East Point Lighthouse, built in 1849 at the mouth of the Maurice River.
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History in the Upper Mississippi
By Linda Tancs
The Upper Mississippi River runs from the headwaters of Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Cairo, Illinois, a distance of about 1,250 miles. Along that mighty trek, you’ll find Hannibal, Missouri, Samuel Clemens’ inspiration for St. Petersburg, the fictional hometown of his most famous character, Tom Sawyer. Better known by his pen name Mark Twain, Clemens’ boyhood home in Hannibal was granted National Historic Landmark status in 1962. Part of a city-owned array of museum properties (including Judge Clemens’ Justice of the Peace Office, Grant’s Drug Store/Pilaster House, and Tom and Huck Statue), the boyhood home on North Main Street is one of the oldest historic preservation projects in the country.
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The Jungle of the Mirrors
By Linda Tancs
The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (2,080,000 hectares), the largest reserve in Peru, is located 183 kilometers from Iquitos and is home to numerous endangered species, like the charapa river turtle, the giant river otter, the black caiman, and the river dolphin. Sometimes referred to as the jungle of the mirrors, the area is rife with activities for nature lovers, such as birdwatching, canoe rides, piranha fishing, and excursions to a watching tower to observe the birth of the Amazon at the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. Couple that with a stay at the Pacaya Samiria Amazon Lodge at the Marañón River’s bank and you’ve got an idyllic holiday.
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International Jazz in Norway
By Linda Tancs
One of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe, the Molde International Jazz Festival takes place each year in July in the town of Molde, located by the Romadalsfjord on the northwest coast of Norway. An hour’s flight away from Oslo, Trondheim or Bergen, this year’s festival (today through 21 July) features artists like Norah Jones, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Wayne Shorter Quartet, The John Scofield Hollowbody Band and artist-in-residence John Balke.
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Vacation Deal of the Week
By Linda Tancs
For a limited time, get 2 for 1 cruise fares and up to free air on select holiday sailings on a Viking River Cruise Longship! Contact me at Wanderful Cruises for details.
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Fair on the Rhine
By Linda Tancs
For nearly 700 years St. Sebastianus shooting club has presented its fair on the Rhine in Düsseldorf. Taking place from 13 to 22 July, the fair commemorates the day of Saint Apollinaris (23 July), a disciple of Saint Peter and the first Bishop of Ravenna. A highlight not to miss is the procession on 17 July, one of Germany’s largest parades with more than 3,000 uniformed shooters, marching bands, and horses and carriages. Another spectacular event is the fireworks show on 20 July. While you’re there, why not sample the home brew, altbier (old beer). Düsseldorf is the center of brewing of altbier, a traditional German ale.
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London is For ME
By Linda Tancs
Just in time for the Olympics, Meliá Hotels International is debuting ME, one of its premium brands, in London. The luxe property, formerly the site of Marconi House, Gaiety Theatre and Strand Music Hall, is located on the Strand on the southern tip of Covent Garden, just a few moments from theatreland and some of the City’s best art galleries, museums, restaurants, bars, shopping and nightlife. The property boasts 141 rooms (including 30 rooms with a private balcony) and 16 suites. The duplex ME Suite offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the City sights–including the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and the Thames–from both the suite and the fire pit warmed private terrace. Is the suite life for you?
Travelrific® Travel Journal 