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 Rare Glimpse of a Goldsmiths’ Pavilion
By Linda Tancs
The Goldsmiths’ Company, founded in London to regulate the craft and trade of the goldsmith, received its first royal charter in 1327. Thanks to its efforts you can be assured of the quality of gold, silver and more recently, platinum. The guild is housed in Goldsmiths’ Hall, a hidden gem just northeast of St. Paul’s Cathedral at the junction of Foster Lane and Gresham Street. The palatial-style building is never open to the public except during exhibitions and designated open days. That’s why the Goldsmiths’ Fair is a great opportunity to steep yourself in its long history. Taking place from 23 to 29 September and then from 1 to 6 October, the fair gives discerning collectors the world over a chance to meet the up-and-coming designers of jewelry and silverware design.
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A Potomac River Valley Retreat
By Linda Tancs
For nearly 185 miles the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, a National Historical Park, runs adjacent to the mighty Potomac River, winding its way between western Maryland and Georgetown. Used to transport goods and people prior to the advent of the railroad, its lock gates were an adaptation of a design by Leonardo DaVinci dating to the late 1400’s. Today the C&O Canal is a peaceful refuge, offering activities like a mule-drawn canal boat ride from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, private boat tours, hiking and biking opportunities, camping, nature walks and ranger programs.
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The Island of Magic
By Linda Tancs
Recently named in a travel magazine survey as the world’s friendliest city, it isn’t hard to see why the stretch of beaches comprising Brazil’s Florianópolis earns it the nickname, the island of magic. About 450 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro, this beachy destination easily gives glam spots like Ibiza or Punta del Este a run for their money. Originally renowned for its surfing holes like Joaquina, Praia Mole and Praia Brava, its cosmopolitan flair can’t be missed on Jurerê Internacional, Canasvieiras, and Ingleses on the north end of the island, where domestic and international tourists mix and mingle in trendy beach bars and nightclubs. For a little more peace and tranquility, witness the traditional Azorean customs still practiced on the island’s south end or visit the city centre for ample remnants of its colonial past. Whatever you do, prepare to be spellbound.
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Baroque Wonder in Wales
By Linda Tancs
A baroque garden is an elaborate entanglement of color, shape and size with artistic or dramatic flair, characterized by grand terraced landscapes. In Powys, Wales, Powis Castle’s hanging terraces remain virtually intact since the 1600s. That makes Powis one of the best surviving examples of baroque gardening in the United Kingdom. Hewn from the rock, the terraces are dominated by yew topiaries over 300 years old. The views of parkland below are dazzling, and don’t miss the woodland walks opposite the terraces.
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Longitude 131°
By Linda Tancs
Longitude 131° is more than just a coordinate. It’s an experience in Australia’s Outback that puts the glam in glamping. Located near Ayers Rock Resort with complimentary transfers from the area airport, the luxury resort sports only 15 “tents,” each comprising a white dome roof and fabric draped from the center to create the illusion of camping’s more rustic nature. But that doesn’t make the experience any less adventurous–the World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjutaof National Park beckons just minutes from your door.
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Where the Stars Are
By Linda Tancs
Light management is critical to preserving the beauty of the night sky. Just ask the folks at the International Dark-Sky Association, a non-profit organization fighting to preserve the night. They’ve certified five places in the world as an International Dark Sky Reserve–in other words, that’s where the stars are. The honorees are Mont Mégantic in Canada, Exmoor National Park in England, Aoraki Mackenzie in New Zealand, NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia and Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales.
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The Bard of Eastwood
By Linda Tancs
It’s an auspicious year in Eastwood, England, the hometown of writer D.H. Lawrence. Not only are they celebrating the centenary of the author’s semi-autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers, but 2013 also marks the 10th anniversary of the annual D.H. Lawrence Festival. In conjunction with the D.H. Lawrence Heritage Centre, the events on tap through 21 September include a series of lectures, exhibitions and guided walks, like the Blue Line Trail. The one-hour walk takes in sights like the library where a young D.H. would read, the chapel where his family worshipped and the pub renamed the Moon and Stars in his breakthrough novel. Join the D.H. Lawrence Society today for their special birthday lecture on Lawrence as a philosophical novelist.
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Historic Garden Opens to Public
By Linda Tancs
Clematis tibetana, Abelia chinensis and Cyclamen–these are the September blooms awaiting your visit at historic Greenwood Gardens. Less than an hour’s drive from New York City, the gardens are located in Short Hills, New Jersey. The former private estate of businessmen Joseph P. Day and Peter P. Blanchard, Jr., New Jersey’s newest public garden sports enough allées, meandering paths, and flowering terraces to excite any garden lover.
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England’s First Natural World Heritage Site
By Linda Tancs
England’s first natural World Heritage Site is known as the Jurassic Coast, covering 95 miles of unforgettable coastline stretching from East Devon to Dorset. Despite its name, the area actually covers three geological time periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Each period is spectacularly covered. For starters, there’s the red rocks of the Triassic Period at Orcombe Point at Exmouth, site of the former supercontinent Pangaea. The famous Durdle Door limestone arch near Lulworth lures fans of the Jurassic Period. And the white chalk stack of Old Harry Rocks at Handfast Point near Studland highlights a time during the Cretaceous Period when the ever widening Atlantic Ocean breached the chalk ridge. Use the South West Coast Path to access the entire site.
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Racing on the Flats
By Linda Tancs
The Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah is a flat expanse of white salt crust on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake basin, measuring 46 square miles. Named for area explorer and Army officer Benjamin Bonneville, the area is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks because of its contribution to speed racing. Welcoming trucks, cars and motorcycles, the World of Speed annual racing event takes place from 7 to 10 September.
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