Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!The Slender Bay
By Linda Tancs
Baie Fine (meaning “slender bay” in French) is one of the largest freshwater fjords in the world. Nearly 9 nautical miles long, it’s bounded by high quartz mountains and dotted with anchorages that are ripe for gunkholing, a sailing term related to the practice of seeking out coves and other out-of-the-way places. Some of the more popular coves are Mary Ann Cove, North Shore Cove and The Pool. Located in Ontario, Canada, Bair Fine is entered from Frazer Bay, between McGregor Point and Frazer Point.
Share this:
The History of Detroit
By Linda Tancs
In 1701, French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded the settlement that would become Detroit, Michigan. The approximate site of his landing is where you’ll find Hart Plaza, located south of the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward avenues in the vicinity of the Detroit River. The 14-acre plaza is a popular festival and meeting space. Closer to the riverside you’ll find a statue of Cadillac, along with a memorial to the Underground Railroad (because Detroit was a critical stop). The plaza also features a Ford Motor Company historical marker, showing the site where the company’s articles of incorporation were signed in 1903.
Share this:
Portugal’s Oldest Town
By Linda Tancs
Situated on the Lima River in northern Portugal, Ponte de Lima is frequently referred to as the nation’s oldest town because it was given a charter by Queen Teresa in 1125. The small town may be most famous for its bridge over the river, particularly the Roman portion constructed in the first century. But it’s also the center of Vinho Verde (green, or young, wine) production, the history of which is recounted at the local interpretative center. Another gem is the toy museum (Museu do Brinquedo) on the right bank of the river, where you can travel in time through Portuguese toy manufacture from the 19th century to the 1980s. Almost 200 Portuguese manufacturers are represented. Driving there is recommended; public transport options are poor, even from Porto.
Share this:
Dining Above the Falls
By Linda Tancs
The Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is an observation tower that overlooks both the American Falls in New York and the larger Horseshoe Falls in Ontario, Canada. Featuring both indoor and outdoor observation decks at 764 feet, you’ll zip to the top in 52 seconds in an outside-mounted “yellow bug” elevator. Besides the sweeping vistas, you can enjoy a singular meal at the revolving restaurant, which, of course, offers more incredible views. The dining room does a complete revolution once per hour. On a clear day, visibility might reach 80 miles.
Share this:
End of the Commons
By Linda Tancs
The oldest operating general store in Ohio is End of the Commons in historic Mesopotamia, the heart of Amish Country. The store has been serving customers since 1840 and features over 1,000 bulk food products, hard-to-find houseware and kitchen gadgets and more than 50 varieties of old-fashioned soda and penny candy. A family-run business, its nod to yesteryear is a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Be sure to sample some Amish delights in their cafe, like a fry pie.
Share this:
The Stones of New Amsterdam
By Linda Tancs
Located in the Financial District, Stone Street is one of New York City’s oldest streets, harking back to the city’s days as New Amsterdam, the 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan that served as the seat of the colonial government. The road bears the distinction of being the first street in the Dutch settlement to be paved—that is, with cobblestones. Designated a historic district, it runs in two sections between Whitehall Street in the west and Hanover Square in the east. Look beyond the skyscrapers to capture the area’s historic buildings, some of the last remnants of New Amsterdam.
Share this:
The Road to Hana
By Linda Tancs
Hawaii’s Hana Highway (Highway 36) is more than just a road; it’s the top tourist destination on the northeast coastline of Maui. That’s because the drive is filled with eye-popping scenes from waterfalls, lookouts and lush forest along with fruit trees, cane grass and verdant pastures. It’s a journey best taken in stages although you could blow through it in three hours from Wailea. If you choose to stop along the way, then consider the aptly-named Garden of Eden Arboreturm (mile marker 10), the lookout point with a beautiful view of Maui’s north coast at Kaumahina State Wayside Park (mile marker 12) and Kahanu Garden (mile marker 31), boasting a view of Pi’ilanihale Heiau, the largest temple in Hawaii. The road is often snarled in traffic; start before sunrise for the best experience.
Share this:
A Highway of History
By Linda Tancs
The Mohawk Trail is New England’s first scenic road. One of the oldest scenic routes in the country, it was established in 1914. At 63 miles, it stretches from the Massachusetts-New York line to Millers Falls on the Connecticut River. Among the many attractions are the only natural white marble arch in North America as well as Indian and Revolutionary War monuments and ancient glacial potholes. During the first two weeks of October, fall foliage generally peaks, bringing not only spectacular color but also a fall foliage festival and parade in North Adams, one of many towns making up the trail region.
Share this:
Europe’s Largest Clock Face
By Linda Tancs
You can tell the time from anywhere in Zürich, Switzerland, thanks to St. Peter’s Church. The only Baroque church in the city, it boasts the largest clock face in Europe, with a dial measuring over 28 feet in diameter. The ninth-century church is also the oldest in the city, its tower having served as a fire lookout point for part of its history. Be sure to step inside, where the treasures include crystal chandeliers, an organ with 53 stops, a baptismal font dating to 1598 and 15th-century choir chairs.
Share this:
The Gullah Geechee
By Linda Tancs
Gullah Geechee is a unique, Creole language spoken in the coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida by descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic Coast. Their culture is celebrated via the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a 12,000 square mile, federal National Heritage Area. From Pender County, North Carolina, to St. Johns County, Florida, the corridor comprises places of significance to the Gullah Geechee people both historically and culturally. Attractions include McLeod Plantation in South Carolina (the only plantation in the state to tell the story of slavery from the perspective of the enslaved), Harrington School on Georgia’s St. Simons Island (the main educational structure for three Gullah Geechee communities) and Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine, Florida, site of the first free black settlement in what is now the United States.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 