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
The Finest Walk in the World
By Linda Tancs
New Zealand’s most famous walk is Milford Track, a 100-year-old treasure boasting a 53 kilometer journey from the head of Lake Te Anau to the misty array of Sutherland Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Along the way, you’ll encounter suspension bridges, board walks, a mountain pass, lakes, sky-scraping mountain peaks and enormous valley views. No wonder the poet Blanche Baughan declared the Milford Track to be ‘the finest walk in the world’. Guided walkers take five days and four nights to complete the track; independent walkers usually take a day and night less. The track is always walked from south to north in an effort to minimize the environmental impact. There are three public accommodation huts and three private lodges on the track. Camping is not permitted, but why would you want to?
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Scotland’s Favorite Son
By Linda Tancs
Robert Burns, Scotland’s hallowed bard, is celebrated in Alloway, Ayrshire at the recently opened Robert Burns Museum. A 40 minutes’ drive from Glasgow, the museum complex includes the residence where the poet was born, the historic landmarks where he set his greatest work, and a collection of his works. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free for National Trust for Scotland Trust members.
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Cuckoo About Cuckoo
By Linda Tancs
In Tabley, Cheshire, two dedicated horologists keep one of the most important collection of cuckoo clocks in the world. Cuckooland boasts a wide variety of genuine Black Forest cuckoo clocks, including a shop for purchase. You can be the proud owner of such treasures as a nursery cuckoo clock, a collector clock, a limited edition, a cuckoo & quail clock, a musical cuckoo, or a 1 or 8 day cuckoo clock. 300 years of history await you.
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EU Passenger Bill of Rights
By Linda Tancs
Fliers have rights, but so do rail travelers, ship passengers and bus riders. The European Union’s common set of principles related to passenger rights provide certainty and consistency for all EU travelers. Sounds like a good model for the rest of us.
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The World’s Whistling Capital
By Linda Tancs
Do you whistle while you work–or work on your whistle? Whichever it is, you have plenty of company. The International Whistlers Convention takes place each year in Louisburg, North Carolina. Now in its 38th year, competitors come from around the world. This year’s event takes place from 6 to 10 April. If you tire of whistling, you can skydive at the local center. That will really give you something to whistle about.
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Trails Galore in Colorado Springs
By Linda Tancs
Colorado Springs, Colorado is the home of the U.S. Olympic Committee. So you would expect a fair amount of athleticism to prevail–and you would not be disappointed. Consider the 35-mile stretch that hikers, runners and bicyclists are now able to travel from Palmer Lake to Fountain on a continuous pathway that ties together the New Santa Fe Regional Trail, Pikes Peak Greenway and the Fountain Creek Regional Trail. Happy trails to you.
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The Lore of Cape Town
By Linda Tancs
South Africa is called the Rainbow Nation, alluding to its diversity, with 11 official languages spoken there. Cape Town, in particular, is as diverse as it gets, sporting boutique lush vineyards on the one hand and a free-roaming pride of white lions on the other. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the nation’s second-most populous city is teeming with things to do. Listen in at Travelrific Radio.
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Museum Weekend in Holland
By Linda Tancs
Three of the most significant museums in Holland are in Amsterdam’s Museum Square: the Van Gogh Museum, the state museum and the municipal museum. How’s that for convenience? If you’re like millions of other visitors each year, you’ll want to see Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers portrait, immortalized in postcards and greeting cards. Most of his paintings have never left Holland, so viewing his work is a uniquely Dutch experience to enjoy. During the first weekend in April it’s also uniquely Dutch to visit as many museums as you can–free–thanks to Museum Weekend, now 30 years’ strong. Over a million visitors attended last year’s event.
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Sir Barton’s Abode
By Linda Tancs
Douglas, Wyoming was designated one of the best 100 small towns in America. You might assume that a small town like this has a slight history, but you’d be mistaken. Douglas is the resting place of Sir Barton, the first thoroughbred colt to win the American Triple Crown. Storytellers probably know it better, though, as the official home of the jackalope, a mythical creature described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers. The New York Times attributed the tale to Douglas Herrick of Douglas, Wyoming, and thus the town was named the “Home of the Jackalope” by the state in 1985.
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Libby’s Swinging Bridge
By Linda Tancs
Downstream from Libby, Montana, the Kootenai River enters a canyon and flows over Kootenai Falls, one of the largest free-flowing waterfalls in the northwest. The falls can be viewed from a “swinging bridge” that crosses the river. The falls area is a sacred site to the Kootenai Indians who inhabited the area. Located at milepost 21 on US Highway 2 between Libby and Troy, the site is a hiker’s dream and worth a visit.
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