Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Brewing in Utica
By Linda Tancs
The FX Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York, derives from a legacy of brewing tradition that began in Germany. Founded in 1888, it’s the third-oldest family-owned and operated brewery in the country. It’s also distinctive because it survived Prohibition, one of few breweries to do so, owing largely to transitioning to the making of soft drinks. Once Prohibition ended, it became the first brewery in the nation to acquire a license to sell beer. The outdoor Biergarten serves beer and food through late fall.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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Nationality Rooms
By Linda Tancs
The Nationality Rooms are a group of 31 classrooms in the University of Pittsburgh’s 42-story, Gothic-style Cathedral of Learning. Each room depicts the cultural heritage of an ethnic community that helped build Pittsburgh, using designs created by international architects, artists and craftspeople. Because the rooms are functioning classrooms, all tours of the rooms require advance registration and will be guided.
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Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon
By Linda Tancs
Perhaps Vermont’s most spectacular natural wonder, Quechee Gorge is popularly known as “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon.” Formed by glacial activity approximately 13,000 years ago, it’s the focal point of Quechee State Park. Fishing is a popular activity at the gorge, as well as hiking and picnicking. Enjoy the vistas from Ottauquechee River, flowing 165 feet below viewing points along Route 4.
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Gallons of Fun in Atlanta
By Linda Tancs
One of the largest of its kind in the world, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta houses over 120,000 marine animals from more than 200 species in over 11 million gallons of water. It’s the only aquarium in the U.S. to house whale sharks. In fact, the building was designed around their 6.3-million-gallon tank. You’ll also find beluga whales, manta rays, penguins, sea otters, dolphins and more spanning seven permanent galleries. Special experiences include sleepovers, face-to-face animal encounters and swims. The facility is located in downtown Atlanta across from Centennial Olympic Park.
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Fall for Ogunquit
By Linda Tancs
Known for its beaches and thriving arts community, Ogunquit, Maine, is a popular tourist destination on Maine’s southern coast. Autumn is a good time to claim a good beach walk without the summer crowds. After all, the town’s beaches have been voted one of the best in the United States! Another great activity is a hike along Marginal Way, a 1.5-mile cliff walk with a paved path, between The Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort on Shore Road and Perkins Cove. The stunning views (along with benches to stop and enjoy them) will no doubt explain why the town is named Ogunquit, a Native American term meaning “beautiful place by the sea.” This time of year also brings OgunquitFest. One of the biggest fall festivals in the Northeast, it features arts and crafts, a classic car show, a Dogtoberfest costume parade and more.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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The Cape of Florida
By Linda Tancs
Cape Florida (also known as the Cape of Florida) was named by explorer Ponce de Leon during the first Spanish expedition to Florida in 1513. It’s where you’ll find Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, just minutes from downtown Miami on the tip of Key Biscayne. The centerpiece of the park is Cape Florida Lighthouse, the oldest structure in Greater Miami and a veritable time capsule of state history. Dating to 1825, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, old enough to have featured in an attack by Native Americans during the Second Seminole War. Its wrap-around balcony offers some of the most stunning views of Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, the Atlantic Ocean and Stiltsville, a collection of stilt houses perched on sand flats a mile offshore.
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The Town in a Crater
By Linda Tancs
About 75 miles west of Panama City, El Valle de Anton is a town nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano. Nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, it provides relief from the heat of the lowlands below. Hikers of all skill levels will appreciate the variety of trails, made all the more accessible by the crisper temperatures. It’s best to start at La India Dormida Trail, where you experience some of the best sunrise views over the town and stunning mountain views.
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Spooked in Staten Island
By Linda Tancs
It seems fitting that an allegedly haunted mansion in Staten Island, New York, should be located on Arthur Kill Road, particularly considering that the house was an actual murder scene. The property in question is what remains of Kreischer Mansion, a wood-frame house in the American Queen Anne style built by German immigrant and brick magnate Balthasar Kreischer circa 1885. The home’s ghostly vibe could be attributed to one or more unfortunate events taking place there: a suicide of one of Kreischer’s sons in the late 1800s and a killing for hire in 2005. The eeriness lends itself to an annual horror fest around Halloween as well as haunt tours.
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The Trail that Bourbon Built
By Linda Tancs
Right now almost 11 million barrels of bourbon are aging in Kentucky, the world’s foremost producer. A type of barrel-aged American whisky made primarily from corn, Congress declared it an indigenous product of the United States, meaning that no other country can make a product and call it bourbon. You can trek through the Bluegrass State on a bourbon trail that will take you to 18 distilleries. That’s a lot of sipping and savoring, so put your feet up along the way at a variety of inns and hotels like the Old Talbott Tavern (home to the world’s oldest bourbon bar) in Bardstown, where they’ve been welcoming guests since 1779.
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The Greater Outdoors
By Linda Tancs
Kielder Water & Forest Park in Northumberland is home to England’s largest forest and the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe. Popular with walkers, hikers and cyclists, you’ll get great views of a gorge and waterfall at Hindhope Linn, a few miles from Kielder Castle, formerly the hunting lodge for the Duke of Northumberland. The castle area is a hub for cyclists. Consider a short stroll from Kielder Village along the trackbed of the former Border Counties Railway, where the Kielder Viaduct is one of the best preserved examples of a skew-arch bridge in the country. The night views aren’t bad either, considering that the dark sky zone is the second-largest area of protected night sky in Europe. The observatory offers events throughout the year that must be booked in advance.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 