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
Remains of the Day
By Linda Tancs
Richard III was England’s last king of the House of York and last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His remains were found, quite unceremoniously, beneath a car park in Leicester’s city centre. Excavations of the site revealed an ancient friary church alleged to be the burial spot of the king after he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Along with the King Richard III visitor centre commemorating the find, Leicester also features the Richard III Walking Trail, tracing his journey from Leicester to Bosworth Field. Nearby the centre is Leicester Cathedral, where the king’s remains will be reburied next year.
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Peace on Earth
By Linda Tancs
More than 70 sculptures grace the property known as Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), a truly peaceful sanctuary in Warwick, New York. Located along the Wawayanda River on Covered Bridge Road, the grounds sport the handiwork of its longtime owner, the late dental surgeon-turned-sculptor Frederick Franck. Nursing an interest in human spirituality, Franck’s work complements his best known book, The Zen of Seeing, with the human eye infused into the large iron works of art enveloping the estate. Given its moniker, the property is appropriate to highlight on this Christmas Day although it’s only open seasonally from May to September. In the meantime, you can visit his work in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Fogg Art Museum, the Tokyo National Museum, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
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Nepal’s First National Park
By Linda Tancs
In south central Nepal in the sub tropical lowlands lies the country’s first protected area, Chitwan National Park. The preserve hosts a diverse collection of mammal and fish species, but it’s particularly renowned for its protection of the one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger and the gharial crocodile (one of the largest of all crocodilian species). This time of year the Chitwan district (Sauraha in particular) is gearing up for the annual elephant festival, featuring soccer-playing elephants that double as beauty pageant contestants.
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Florida’s First Luxury Home
By Linda Tancs
In Deland, Florida, you’ll find a jewel of the Gilded Age, Stetson Mansion. Commissioned by John B. Stetson (of hat fame), the frame vernacular style home blends cottage, Gothic, Tudor, Moorish, and Polynesian details into a sumptuous manor house befitting a magnate of his day. Holiday regalia now adorn the halls, and special Christmas tours will operate until 15 January. Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the Stetson hat. Return to the mansion with your validated Christmas tours ticket and a paying guest for a free tour from 1 February to 1 July.
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Ouzo and Olive Oil
By Linda Tancs
Ouzo and olive oil. Those are the two famous exports of the Greek island Lesvos. Third largest in size behind Crete and Evia, the arguably lesser-known enclave near Turkey also boasts a petrified forest, one of the rarest natural monuments in the world. Created 20 million years ago when volcanic materials covered and petrified the coniferous forests dominating the area at that time, the 37-acre preserve spans the Sigri-Eressos-Antissa area. Take a break from the beach and enjoy a walk through the forest of silence.
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Beneath the Elms
By Linda Tancs
In Memphis, Tennessee, you’ll find a historic cemetery, bird sanctuary and arboretum all in one place: Elmwood Cemetery. Some of the 80-acre property’s 1500 trees at this level two Tennessee State Arboretum date to the cemetery’s founding in 1852. Beneath the grounds’ ancient elms, oaks and magnolias rest those responsible for creating the city’s history, including war veterans and public servants. One of the first rural garden cemeteries in the South (characterized by a park-like setting, sweeping vistas, shady knolls, ancient trees and monuments), structures like the dramatic Entry Bridge and Phillips Cottage (the only known example of Victorian Carpenter Gothic architecture in Memphis) are on the National Register of Historic Places. Docent-led tours as well as car audio tours are available.
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America’s First Moving Historical Landmark
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that San Francisco’s iconic cable car is America’s first moving historical landmark? An official ceremony at Hyde and Beach on 1 October 1964 designated San Francisco’s cable car system a special “moving” National Historic Landmark. This and other fun facts about the city’s beloved transport system are found at the San Francisco Cable Car Museum located on Mason Street in the Nob Hill neighborhood.
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Avenue of the Baobabs
By Linda Tancs
One of Madagascar’s most popular tourist destinations, the Avenue of the Baobabs in the Menabe region sports a line-up of stout trees with spartan branches at the uppermost reaches. Resembling an upside-down tree, six of the eight baobab species in the world are native to this country. Visit at sunset for particularly inspiring views.
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Variety is the Spice of Life
By Linda Tancs
Variety is the spice of life in Zanzibar–in more ways than one. On the one hand, it’s known as the spice island thanks to its export of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. On the other hand, it’s a cultural melting pot owing to the vast array of settlers that it’s seen over the centuries, like Sumerians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Phonecians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguse, Omani Arabs, Dutch and British. Tourism is the spice of life for this island paradise in the Indian Ocean as well–from the golden sands of Mangapwani to the haunting reminders of the slave trade in historically prominent Stone Town.
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A Presidential Christmas
By Linda Tancs
The year is 1888, and United States President-elect Benjamin Harrison is preparing to celebrate Christmas with his family at their homestead on North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. That’s the scene depicted on 13 December at the Benjamin Harrison Home, the family residence of the only United States President elected from Indiana. Step back in time for a unique Victorian Christmas tour of this 1875 Italianate home. Not one to surrender traditions of hearth and home, Benjamin Harrison was the first President to have a decorated Christmas tree in the White House.
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