Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Up Close with Marine Life
By Linda Tancs
Coral World Ocean Park is an educational and conservation center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The venue is prized for its encounters, like opportunities to experience a diver’s view of the ocean floor and a coral reef without the special training. You can also swim with dolphins, juvenile sharks and sea lions and learn about conservation. Since the park’s opening in 1977 it has been dedicated to coral reef education, research and conservation. In fact, the facility’s underwater observatory was the first of its kind to be constructed in the Western Hemisphere.
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Sky High in Michigan
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge, Skybridge Michigan is a thrill walk along a 1,200-foot-long, 118-foot-high pedestrian bridge between McLouth and Disciples Ridge peaks, overlooking Michigan’s Boyne Valley. Guests ride the historic Hemlock Scenic Chairlift to the summit to access the bridge and its breathtaking views. Take the paved loop to see the bridge from all angles.
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New Jersey’s Preeminent Military Museum
By Linda Tancs
The history of New Jersey’s militia and National Guard begins with Dutch, Swedish and British colonization and continues with the War for Independence, the Civil War, two world wars and the present day. It’s chronicled at The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey, which is located both at Sea Girt’s National Guard Training Center and at Lawrenceville Armory. The museum boasts one of the largest collections of New Jersey-related Civil War research material in the country, including copies of diaries, letters, newspaper clippings, memoirs, regimental histories and articles. Among its many prized artifacts is the Intelligent Whale in Sea Girt, a primitive post-Civil War submarine powered by six crewmen. Ideally four sailors would crank the propeller while the other crewmen labored to keep the submarine on course and off the bottom. At least one crew member was tasked with leaving the sub through the wooden door in the submarine’s hull floor and transporting and attaching a mine to the hull of an enemy vessel. Admission is free.
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Ozark Art and Nature
By Linda Tancs
Formerly a decommissioned cheese factory, The Momentary is a satellite art campus of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. It’s one of the most endowed museums in the country, having been founded by the Walton family (of Walmart fame). It showcases immersive art installations, curated food experiences and live music. While you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to visit the parent campus, Crystal Bridges, featuring a world-class collection of American art, stunning architecture and 120 acres of Ozark forest with 5 miles of trails. General admission is free!
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Bubble Planet
By Linda Tancs
An experience for all ages, Bubble Planet is all about bubbles. Fully interactive, the traveling exhibit comprises a series of rooms, such as a bubble bath ball pit and an undersea LED room. You’ll find colors, lasers, lights and, of course, bubbles interspersed with virtual reality. Be prepared to spend at least an hour. Venues are located in both Europe and North America.
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Ship Island
By Linda Tancs
Boasting the best beaches in Mississippi, Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast. Once an important port for French Louisiana, it was named in 1699 by French explorers who were impressed with the protected, deep-water anchorage it offered their ships. Due to the number of colonists who entered its shores, it has been referred to as the “Plymouth Rock” of the Gulf Coast. Part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, it features a historic fort, swimming area, beautiful beaches, two pavilion areas, restrooms and a concession store. The island is accessible only via ferry service that runs seasonally until October.
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Sea Turtles in Juno
By Linda Tancs
Loggerhead Marinelife Center is one of Florida’s most visited nonprofit scientific destinations focused on sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education and conservation. The site offers both public and private guided tours of their patients. One of the most exciting experiences is the guided turtle walk, returning this summer, when experienced Loggerhead Marinelife Center scouts patrol their designated section of Juno Beach in the evening searching for sea turtles while visitors enjoy an informative presentation on the plight of sea turtles and engage in a variety of hands-on learning experiences. If a loggerhead sea turtle emerges and begins her egg-laying process, then the group is led down to the beach to witness this unforgettable experience. A nesting event cannot be guaranteed on any given evening, but this popular experience books up quickly.
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Springtime in Rochester
By Linda Tancs
Nothing says springtime in Upstate New York better than the Rochester Lilac Festival. Now in its 126th year, the event boasts the largest collection of lilacs in North America with over 1,800 bushes and 500 different varieties of lilacs on display. More than just a flower show, the event features a series of concerts, wine tastings, vendors and the much-anticipated parade.
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Dutch Inspiration in Iowa
By Linda Tancs
Having been settled by Dutch immigrants, Orange City, Iowa, was first known as Holland. The name was later changed to Orange City in tribute to the royal House of Orange. The city celebrates its Dutch heritage annually with a tulip festival. Beginning later this week, the festival showcases about 50,000 tulips, as well as locals dressed in traditional Dutch clothing amidst the parades, shows, replica windmills and food vendors.
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All Things Rosie
By Linda Tancs
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park was established in Richmond, California, to tell the story of Home Front workers in the United States during World War II. “Rosie the Riveter” and her “We Can Do It” motto came to symbolize the 6 million women who entered the workforce to perform roles traditionally held by men who left their occupations for the front lines. Those roles included mechanics, welders and riveters. The park includes a number of historic places in Richmond to drive by, view or visit. The Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Marina Bay Park is the touchstone of the park. Shaped like a vessel, it includes quotes from “Rosies” and a World War II timeline. An actual vessel worth seeing is the SS Red Oak Victory Ship, the last surviving ship built in the Kaiser Shipyards. For an overview of the site, be sure to visit the Education Center at 1414 Harbour Way South.
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