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
Behind the Falls
By Linda Tancs
Plenty of countries stake their claim as the land of a thousand waterfalls, but Norway’s falls sport some of the most unusual attributes. Consider, for instance, Steinsdalsfossen. Located in Norheimsund in western Norway, its nearly 300,000 visitors are attracted to the path behind it where you can observe its 50 meter tumble from the backside–a behind-the-scenes view, if you will.
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The Gannets of St. Lawrence
By Linda Tancs
St. Lawrence River is one of the world’s longest rivers, dissecting Québec at its southern latitudes. Along the river are many island pearls, not the least of which is Île Bonaventure. Located at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, the island hosts the largest colony of northern gannets in North America. A haven for ecotourists, the island’s national park (one of 27 in Québec) features a five-million-ton monolith shaped by nature’s fury that is accessible at low tide.
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The Bionic Man
By Linda Tancs
Television viewers may remember the show The Six Million Dollar Man, a popular series about a former astronaut named Steve with bionic implants who goes after the bad guys as a secret agent. Steve, meet Rex. That’s the new bionic man appearing now at the Science Museum in London. Created for less than one million dollars, Rex is the world’s first complete bionic man, featuring an artificial circulatory system and organs. Life (or should I say, science) imitates art–and at a price much less than six million dollars.
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Jammin’ in the French Quarter
By Linda Tancs
New Orleans’ French Quarter Festival is celebrating its 30th year now through 14 April with over 800 local musicians, free special events, activities for the kids and a fireworks display along the Mississippi on Saturday night. Did I mention food? Perhaps it needs no introduction. This is New Orleans, after all–home of the poboys, jambalaya and gumbo, to name but a few of its delicacies. Sample them all at the more than 65 restaurants participating in the festival.
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Garden of the Gods
By Linda Tancs
The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado is a registered National Natural Landmark. The natural landmark program recognizes outstanding examples of biological and geological resources across the country. Home of the Bighorn sheep, the Garden of the Gods is renowned for its blazing red sandstone rock formations piercing the sky. Rock climbers get great views of snow-capped Pikes Peak. For the less daring, take a free 30-minute, naturalist-led walk daily at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
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The Call of the Wild
By Linda Tancs
Just a 40-minute drive from Lake Placid, New York, Tupper Lake is one of those old, quaint lumber milling towns. Today you’ll find a different calling echoing from the virgin pines and hardwoods of this Adirondack tourist destination–the call of the wild. The Wild Center, a 31-acre site of trails and overlooks, gives visitors ample opportunity to interact with the natural world. The area boasts moose, river otters, peregrine falcons and native trout. A new exhibit, Planet Adirondack, features a floating interactive Earth, highlighting the effects of human engineering on the planet.
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A Weighty Decision
By Linda Tancs
Samoa Air recently announced a world’s first: pay by weight. That’s right–the compact carrier is basing each passenger’s ticket price on the individual’s weight combined with the heft of the baggage being checked. So the airline’s tagline, “The sky’s the limit,” seems oddly appropriate. But given the debate that has ensued, this will no doubt prove to be a weighty decision, indeed.
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Highland Ghillies
By Linda Tancs
Derry (also known as Londonderry) is Northern Ireland’s second largest city and the first city in the UK to be designated a City of Culture in 2013. That means a yearlong slate of festivities is underway, including this weekend’s Highland Dance Festival. A hub for Scottish dance, Derry’s event is expected to draw the best of highland dancers from the UK and Europe. Get your ghillies on.
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Civil War Richmond
By Linda Tancs
It’s been over 150 years since the start of the Civil War. And the pulse of Civil War history can be found in Richmond, Virginia, onetime capital of the Confederate States of America. In downtown Richmond’s historic Court End neighborhood you’ll find the White House of the Confederacy, home to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his family for most of the war. A National Historic Landmark, the neoclassical mansion has been restored to its wartime appearance and includes half of the family’s furnishings. Guided tours are offered daily.
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The Grassalkovich Era
By Linda Tancs
The palace of Gödöllő is a baroque masterpiece just 20 miles northeast of Budapest, Hungary. Commissioned by Count Antal Grassalkovich I in the early 1700s, its ornate Grand Hall, tapestried rooms, red marble bath, conservatory and theatre represent the life and times of the area’s nobility. The palace remained in the possession of the Grassalkovich family until the death of the last male heir in the 1800s. Later purchased for the Crown, it was the favorite palace of Elisabeth, Queen of Hungary. The palace and its grounds are easily accessible by car, bus, train or suburban rail (HÉV).
