Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Travel Insurance Concerns Are Abated
By Linda Tancs
With today’s economic uncertainties, travelers may be taking a closer look at the “comforts” of travel insurance. Of course, that coverage is only as good as the company standing behind it. That’s why purchasers of AIG’s Travel Guard may have suffered some heartburn recently, at least until news of Uncle Sam’s $85 billion bailout. For greater ease of mind, the company has sent out a release assuring customers that subsidiaries, like Travel Guard, are able to meet their obligations. If only the same could be said for the rest of the industry.
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Solitary Confinement
By Linda Tancs
In 1732 German immigrant Johann Conrad Beissel sought out solitude in the Pennsylvania countryside in what is now Ephrata. There he established a reclusive retreat dedicated to the pursuit of spirituality, and the Solitary movement was born. The Solitary lived a monastic life dedicated to prayer and worship, eating a single evening meal off of the lands they tended. Although the last of the order died over a century ago and the lands sold to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Ephrata Cloister’s heritage is preserved at various houses and meeting rooms that can be toured on the property. The experience comes complete with guides in the white robes worn by members of the Cloister to hide their bodies. As the song goes, give me that old time religion. Or at the very least, as their website says, a quiet place to visit.
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A Bridge to Somewhere
By Linda Tancs
In a decade or so there’ll be a shorter commute between Hamburg and Copenhagen. That’s when one of the most ambitious bridge-building efforts in Northern Europe–the Fehmarn Belt Bridge–is due to be completed. Linking the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland, the 12-mile long span in the Baltic Sea consisting of four road lanes and two rail tracks will reduce rail travel time between Hamburg and Copenhagen by about 1 hour. The Danes haven’t seen a project of this scope since the opening of the much-heralded Øresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö. Despite some opposition, the latest connection should be just as popular.
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Get Ready for the Prom
By Linda Tancs
The BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, held from July through 13 September this year, are one of the most beloved classical musical events in the world. No less so for the Last Night, beginning with the singing of old English folk songs. In addition to the usual festivities for the masses in Hyde Park, the season’s swan song will be concelebrated in Glasgow, Belfast and Swansea with a mix of Scottish, Irish and Neopolitan ensembles. Come on and join the party.
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Garlic is Good for You
By Linda Tancs
That’s what the folks at Two Rivers in Montpelier, Vermont will tell you this weekend at their annual Garlic Festival on Saturday. You’ll even get a free flatbread pizza and salad with your admission. Organized by Food Works, the event includes garlic harvesting workshops, a silent auction, musical entertainment and gardening information, topped off by the Golden Garlic Award, raffle and recognition. Breath mints are optional.
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Going, Going, Gone
By Linda Tancs
It was only a matter of time before an airline took its case to eBay. Now you can bid on your favorite journey via JetBlue’s eBay store. Adventurous travelers will love the “mystery” packages. In some instances, all you’ll know in advance is that you’ll get an oceanview room. So pack happy and start bidding.
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Continental Adds to Shopping Cart
By Linda Tancs
No doubt a good move from a privacy and security perspective, Continental Airlines now allows customers to pay for most services purchased online (not gift certificates, TravelBank credits or travel certificates) with PayPal. For the uninitiated, PayPal (which is owned by eBay) is an online shopping cart allowing customers to pay for goods or services via credit card, bank account debit or PayPal account balance through PayPal’s site. The vendor never sees or handles the financial data. Continental and PayPal, perfect together. Will other airlines follow suit?
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Fly-In This Weekend at Sheridan
By Linda Tancs
If air flight looks like a distant memory given shrinking schedules amidst rising oil prices, then experience the thrill vicariously in Sheridan, Wyoming this weekend at the Fly-In. Officially starting on Monday, all weekend long over 200 pilots of various craft large and small will delight onlookers at the Sportsman Complex on Keystone Road. Enjoy the action from dawn till dusk.
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The Maine Event
By Linda Tancs
As hurricane Hanna threatens to rumble up the Atlantic Coast, I can’t help but think about how many sailors found safe harbor in the midst of America’s lighthouses along the coast. Although they may have been replaced technologically by radar and other systems, these unwavering oceanic icons represent the adventuresome spirit of those whose lives depended on that guiding light. Did you know that Maine has over 60 lighthouses dotting the coast? West Quoddy Head is the easternmost lighthouse in the United States. You can visit a good many of them just by cruising down Route 1. Now there’s a group of northern lights you won’t want to miss.
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Back on the Farm
By Linda Tancs
Think “late summer” and what comes to mind? For me, it’s towering sunflowers and the waning harvests of sweet corn amidst the bountiful supplies of squash and other autumn fruits, tilled fields and hay rides. Have you visited your local farmer lately? Farmers’ markets have surged in popularity since their start in the 1800s, thanks to a strong interest in fresh and wholesome food and the feeling of community they engender. Many close up shop during the month of October, but some, like the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, are open year-round with limited hours. Check your local listings for a market near you.
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Travelrific® Travel Journal 