Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for short reads
Cleveland’s First Skyscraper
By Linda Tancs
Erected in 1890, the Society for Savings Bank building in Cleveland, Ohio, is the city’s first skyscraper. Ten stories tall, it combines elements of the Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance styles in red sandstone. Now a branch of Key Bank, it’s worth a visit inside the lobby (during banking hours) to view the stained-glass ceiling and four large murals. The building is located downtown on the north side of Public Square.
Share this:
The Kissing Bridge
By Linda Tancs
Alluding to its feature as a spot for a romantic stroll, the Kissing Bridge (Ravine Bridge) is a suspension bridge on the Douglass campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey that was engineered by the same firm that built the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges. As its official name suggests, it was designed to span the ravine dividing the original campus from the land given to the college in the 1800s by James Neilson, a prominent benefactor of the college and colonel of the New Jersey State Militia. The bridge is located behind the Mabel Smith Library.
Share this:
House of the Ninth Symphony
By Linda Tancs
In the center of Baden, Austria, a very ordinary house boasts an extraordinary history. It’s the home where the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven lived in the 1820s and composed much of his ninth symphony. To appreciate his musical genius, Beethovenhaus offers audio tours featuring his famous symphony. You’ll also find artifacts like a lock of his hair and the grand piano that he played.
Share this:
Living History and the Fur Trade
By Linda Tancs
One of the largest living history sites in North America, Fort William Historical Park in Ontario, Canada, brings to life the excitement and drama of the 19th-century fur trade. Historical characters use first-person interpretation to present their life and experiences at and around Fort William circa 1815. The fort is an accurate re-creation of the North West Company’s impressive inland headquarters, the world’s largest fur trading enterprise. Explore over 40 buildings including the artisans’ area, the working farm and the Anishnaabe encampment and encounter a cultural mosaic of Scottish fur traders, Ojibwa and Metis peoples, and French-Canadian voyageurs. Guided tours are approximately 1.5 hours in length and are offered September through June. During July and August you can explore the site at your own pace.
Share this:
Paper in the Balkans
By Linda Tancs
In today’s digital environment, you may be tempted to think that paper is a relic from another age. Maybe the National Workshop for Handmade Paper will change your mind. Located in Ohrid, North Macedonia, the staff will show you the centuries-old way of making paper, by pressing and drying the slurry of pulp. And the workshop’s printer is an exact replica of Guttenberg’s printing press from the 15th century, one of two in the world. Of course, you can buy paper made in the museum and purchase prints at a nominal cost. Entry to the workshop is free.
Share this:
Like No Other Welsh Castle
By Linda Tancs
Arguably one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages, Caernarfon Castle in North Wales is a feat of medieval engineering. It was built by King Edward I as part of his “iron ring” of castles to encircle and subdue Wales and is the place where his son, Edward of Caernarfon, was invested as the first Prince of Wales. It might be better known as the investiture site of King Charles III when he became Prince of Wales. The Eagle Tower, with its three great turrets and 18-feet thick walls, is the crowning glory of the fortress and one of many highlights. In two towers you’ll also find the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum, which recounts over 300 years of service of Wales’s oldest infantry.
Share this:
Tall Grass Prairie in Texas
By Linda Tancs
Rare remnants of the tallgrass prairie are some of what you’ll find at Eisenhower State Park near Denison, Texas. Nestled on the shores of Lake Texoma, the park’s name honors the 34th U.S. president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born nearby. Explore trails along high bluffs, swim, or fish for striped bass, crappie and catfish. Some of the wildlife you may encounter include armadillos, beavers, deer, foxes, opossums, bobcats and roadrunners. This time of year, colorful wildflowers bloom throughout the growing season, which lasts until November.
Share this:
The Great Stupa of Laos
By Linda Tancs
Laos is a Southeast Asian country particularly known for its Buddhist monasteries. One of the most significant is Pha That Luang in Vientiane, where a reliquary reportedly houses the Buddha’s breastbone. Founded in the third century, the current structure was built by King Setthathirath (or Xaysettha) in 1566 after Vientiane became the capital city. The striking monument has a pinnacle covered in real gold with a set of painted turrets surrounding its central stupa. The temple is easily reachable by tuk tuk or bicycle.
Share this:
A Long Shot in Baltimore
By Linda Tancs
Built in 1828, the Phoenix Shot Tower in Baltimore, Maryland, was the tallest building (at 215 feet) in the United States until 1846. It was a manufacturing facility for drop shot used in small game hunting using a patented process of pouring molten lead down the open shaft, which would cool as it descended and form into a smooth ball. The shot would be collected from a water barrel at the tower’s base and then sorted for distribution. The tower remained active until new methods of production rendered it obsolete in 1892. Now on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, the tower is open to the public as a museum.
Share this:
In Homage to Mother Nature
By Linda Tancs
An icon of Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the Tree of Life is a 145-foot sculpture of a baobab tree boasting over 8,000 branches of very different sizes and about 102,000 artificial leaves. Over 300 animals are carved into the tree, celebrating nature’s diversity; they come alive during a colorful light show that begins after dark. You’ll get a close-up view of the carvings by walking the pathways around the tree, where a lush landscape brims with wildlife.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 