Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel writing
A Pilgrimage in the Balkans
By Linda Tancs
Medjugorje is a town located in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia & Herzegovina, not far from the border of Croatia. It’s best known as a site of Catholic pilgrimage thanks to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary that have been reported since 1981. The area has attracted some 15 million people since then, despite the Pope’s lack of authentication of the events that have taken place there. In addition to Apparition Hill, St. James Church is noted for the many apparitions seen inside its walls in the early years. While you’re in the region, you’ll want to visit some other popular attractions, like the Herzegovina Wine Route, Kravica waterfall and the Ottoman-style bridge in Mostar.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Halfway Point in Virginia
By Linda Tancs
Middleburg, Virginia, was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman John Leven Powell, who named it Middleburg because it was the halfway point between two towns on the popular Ashby Gap trading route. Historically, it served as the site of two battles of the Gettysburg Campaign during the Civil War and counts more than 160 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Later, it became so popular for fox hunts and horse racing that it earned the moniker “Nation’s Horse and Hunt Capital.” It’s still a hotspot for equestrian events today, hosting an abundance of nationally renowned events. Equally popular are the vineyards, nestled scenically along a stretch of Route 50 dotted with old stone cottages and horse farms with the Blue Ridge and Bull Run mountains as a backdrop. You’ll find 20 wineries just 30 minutes away from this historic town.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Into the Woods in Idaho
By Linda Tancs
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is the third-largest wilderness in the lower 48 states. Located primarily in Idaho (with a small portion extending into Montana), it comprises four national forests: Bitterroot National Forest, Nez Perce National Forest, Clearwater National Forest and Lolo National Forest. Part of its charm are the dramatic Selway-Bitterroot peaks spanning the Bitterroot Range along the Montana-Idaho border. Wild and scenic, it’s a must-do for hikers, backpackers and other outdoor adventurers.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Woodland Living in Wye
By Linda Tancs
For those who enjoy rustic living, the latest luxury hotel in the U.K. is sure to please. Located in two acres of private woodland at St. Briavels Common near Tintern on the border of England and Wales, a luxury A-frame treehouse retreat is pitched 13 feet above the ground on the hillside above The Hudnalls, a collection of woodlands in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Known as The Hudnalls Hideout, it’s the first A-frame, oak-clad treehouse to be built in the country, accessible via a suspended wooden bridge. Requiring a minimum two-night reservation, your experience includes an outdoor copper bath, a fire pit, an outsize window in the master bedroom loft for nature viewing and a telescope. Glamping never looked so good.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Old and New in Tasmania
By Linda Tancs
The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania is the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Its charm lies in the fact that you can view antiquities and modern art side by side in a mostly-underground facility located on a winery estate in Berriedale. Just a stone’s throw from Hobart by ferry or road, the MONA Roma Express bus operates between Hobart and MONA often and takes around 30 minutes one way.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Craftwork in Val Gardena
By Linda Tancs
Val Gardena is a valley nestled in the Dolomites in the South Tyrol region of Italy. It may be prized for its pistes in winter, but don’t overlook its long history as a center of artisanal woodcarving. In fact, the tradition has been alive and well since the 17th century, passed on from generation to generation. Sought after worldwide, the bevy of artists there produce everything from simple, utilitarian items to finely detailed figurines and sculptures.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Scotland’s Answer to Stonehenge
By Linda Tancs
Predating England’s famous Stonehenge is Scotland’s Calanais. Also known as the Callanish Stones, they’re located in Lewis (at the top of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland’s west coast). One of the country’s best-preserved Neolithic monuments, they date back over 5,000 years. The reason for the stones’ construction is uncertain; the site may have served as an astronomical observatory or a place for ritual activity. You can explore their construction and potential uses through an interactive exhibition at the visitor’s center.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Curating London
By Linda Tancs
London has a museum for every taste. What about a taste for London itself? That’s where the Museum of London comes in, curating details about the capital from its first settlers to modern times. Discover the London “before” London, from around 450,000 B.C. until the creation of the Roman city of Londinium around A.D. 50, the biggest city Britain would see for over 1,000 years. The permanent exhibitions also feature medieval times, the city’s growth to one of the most populous and wealthy in the world and the 2012 Olympic cauldron. Free gallery tours are available daily. Currently located at 150 London Wall, the facility is on the move to historic West Smithfield in the next several months.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Bondi to Bronte
By Linda Tancs
Sydney’s best known coastal trek is the Bondi to Bronte Walk. A favorite with locals and tourists alike, the two-mile stroll follows the coastline from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach. It may be one of the most photographed walks in Australia with its sandstone cliffs and stunning panoramic views. You might even spot a humpback whale or two. Start your walk around sunset for some particularly magical vistas. The best way to get to Bondi’s starting point is via public transport, with trains traveling between the city and Bondi Junction, and plenty of buses departing from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Sicily’s First Nature Reserve
By Linda Tancs
All roads may lead to Rome, as the saying suggests, but no roads make their way into Zingaro Reserve in Sicily. The locals made sure of that in 1980 when they blocked the construction of a coastal road, the result of which was the establishment of a nature reserve in 1981. It stretches for a little over four miles along the northwestern coastline of the Gulf of Castellammare between San Vito Lo Capo and Scopello. Three walking paths traverse the park from end to end, ranging from a two-hour walk to over seven hours of hiking. In addition to blue bays, tiny beaches and panoramic views, you’ll be amongst a large variety of rare and endemic plants and almost 40 species of birds of prey that nest there. The site also boasts La Grotta dell’Uzzo, one of the most important prehistoric settlements in Sicily, where 10,000-year-old human remains and tools have been found.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 