January 12, 2012

Reflecting on January . . .

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Except for those of us who might be called snow bunnies, most folks don’t care for the month of January, which normally is a cold and dreary month.  January, however, yields many reasons for travel, and certainly reflecting on the past  . . . such as . . . .

The first presidential election was held in January 1789; subsequently four U.S. presidents were born in the month of January,  and four U.S. presidents died in the month of January; among them President Theodore Roosevelt.

January is also the month for kings: Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Baptist Minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. not only celebrated a birthday in January, but Congress set aside the third Monday in the month of January, in observance and to honor Dr. King, a prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. 

Note:  The Martin Luther King Memorial ,  located in the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was officially opened in August 2011, joining many other memorials to great leaders of our time, and as popular tourist attractions.  Because MLK Day is on a Monday and is considered a three-day holiday weekend for many, it is a perfect opportunity for many to travel to Washington, D.C.

 Henry VIII, was King of England for some 40 years before his death in January 1547, and Elvis Presley, known as the King of Rock n’ Roll, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th.  Note: Although thousands of fans will visit Presley’s birthplace in January, many more will visit during Annual Fan Appreciation Day, taking place in August, which is the month Presley died.  Presley is also tied to Memphis, TN.

Eight states were admitted to the Union over a number of years in the month of January, while three states seceded from the Union (in the month of January) during the Civil War.

Two wars ended: The War of 1812-1814, when General Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, and the Vietnam peace agreement was signed, thus ending the Viet Nam war in 1973.  Note: Viet Nam has become a popular tourist destination.  The country which is one of many contrasts with its beautiful seashore and white sandy beaches, vying with the Mekong Delta and River;  Chu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of underground tunnels located near Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon);  and Sa Pa Terraces (near the border of China) and Phu Quoc, the former known for its thick bamboo woodlands and the latter for pristine tropical forests, as well as many other historic sites.  If Viet Nam is not on your  travel schedule, then you may opt for great food, lots of great music and a fun time in New Orleans.

Other significant January events include Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation; Ellis Island Immigrant Station formally opened; Gold is discovered in California; Henry Ford introduced the assembly line;  NBC’s, The Today Show premiered; First Super Bowl held in Los Angeles; Space Shuttle Challenger exploded; the great leader of India, Mohandas Gandhi is assassinated; and the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery, was submitted.

As we say hello and goodbye to the month of January, let’s think snow; after all, snow is good for tourism . . .and those snow bunny tourists!

 

June 21, 2011

A “Monumental” Road Trip

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Great Sand Dunes of Colorado, Flickr image by Ed Siasoco (aka SC Fiasco)

One does not necessarily have to trek to the four corners of the word to appreciate the beauty of magnificent monuments, be they architectural or natural wonders.  Today, with the Internet and popular TV shows like National Geographic, you can be an arm-chair-tourist and be easily taken to unbelievable sites.   

Christ The Redeemer Statue, Wikimedia Commons imageOwachoma Bridge, Flickr image by Alaskan Dude

Monuments like “Christ The Redeemer” overlooking Rio de Janeiro often invoke a spiritual feeling and therefore appeal to many for religious purposes.  Awe inspiring natural wonders like the Owachomo Bridge (known as ‘rock mound’ to the Hopi Indians) located in Utah often generates oohs and ahhs in appreciation of Mother Nature’s artistic hand.

Owachoma Bridge, Flickr image by Alaskan Dude

Not to be outdone by nature though, man has created some pretty awe inspiring architectural wonders such as the Statue of Liberty, which has been listed in many survey’s as the number one monument in the world. 

Here are some other notable and often visited monuments:

  • India’s Taj Mahal inspires some 2 to 3 million visitors annually, and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.
  • The Eiffel Tower has averaged more than 6 million visitors per year since 2004 – certainly a testament to its unique architecture. 
  • The Washington Moument (considered the tallest stone structure and the world’s tallest obelisk) and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorial’s (commemorating the life and death of our 3rd and 16th president’s of the U.S.) are imposing structures attracting millions of visitors every year.

Giza Pyramids, Flickr image by neiljs

When speaking of monuments, one cannot ignore the Giza Pyramid and the Great Sphinx near Cairo, Egypt, nor Stonehenge, located in Wiltshire County, UK; listed as the world’s most famous prehistoric monument.  The Great Wall of China is an amazing monumental “landmark” and the most celebrated symbol of China; whereas if you are traveling to Athens, Greece then the Acropolis is a must see.

  • The natural beauty of the Grand Canyon of Arizona; Devils Tower, jutting 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain in Wyoming and the mystique of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming as well, or a Giant Sequoia in Sequoia National Forest located in California are all monumental wonders known and seen by many. 

Even in your own back yard in small town, USA, many wonderful natural monuments exist; perhaps not on as large a scale but still breathtaking in their own right.

Here is a short list of some well known and not so well known natural ‘monumental’ wonders. . .

"Goliath" photo shown on www.alapark.com / cathedralcaverns

 

Alabama boasts of numerous caves, especially in the Northeastern part of the state, where the Cathedral Caverns cave system holds four world records: (widest entrance of any commercial cave in the world; “Goliath, measuring 45’ tall and 243’ in circumference, is the largest column in the world;  has the largest flow stone wall at 32’ tall and 135’ long; and, the most improbable formation in the world, with a 3” diameter stalagmite rising at a 45 degree angle from a rock formation to the cave ceiling 25’ above.”

Not to be rivaled by the beauty of the highest mountain peaks in Colorado is a desert-like area found in the easternmost parts of Alamosa and Saguache County, where some sand dunes rise 750 feet above the floor of the San Luis Valley.  Note photo at the top of the page, of Great Sand Dunes National Park

Travel to Flora, Mississippi and you might discover a petrified forest, which is believed “to have been formed 36 million years ago when fir and maple logs washed down an ancient river channel to its current site,” and is the only Petrified Forest in the eastern U.S.

Georgia claims a number of natural wonders like Stone Mountain near Atlanta. The quartz monzonite dome reaches 1,686’ in elevation at its summit and extends underground, 9 miles at its longest point.  However, another Georgia wonder, located near the town of Waycross in south Georgia; the trembling earth, also known as the Okefenokee Swamp is the largest blackwater swamp in North America, and one of the largest in the world. 

For information on some of these natural and man-made wonders, visit these sites: 

www.okeswamp.com

www.greatsanddunes.net

www.mspetrifiedforest.com

 

May 29, 2011

Road Trips: “Memoralized”

Posted by louise C. under Family Friendly Adventures | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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Marine Corp Memorial, Iwo Jima - Wikimedia Commons image

Hundreds of thousands, and even millions have traveled the world over to visit a variety of memorials and monuments; and while most are considered tourist attractions, memorials; in particular, are also physical symbols of our reverence; remembrances of a historic person or event.

Korean War Veterans Memorial -Flickr image by Rob Crawley

 Memorial Day, as well as the upcoming 4th of July Holiday provide a perfect opportunity for road trips to make those memorable visits; although visiting memorials and monuments is popular throughout the year.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Wikimedia Commons image

The most visited memorials are war memorials, while natural beauty, such as Devils Tower National Monument, named America’s first national monument in 1906, are equally as popular.

The Vietnam memorial surpassed Arlington Cemetery and the National World War II Memorial in “welcoming the most visitors,” although the Korean War Veterans Memorial spiked considerably in 2009, in comparison to previous years.

The nation’s capital has been referred to as the “nerve center of memorials,” and rightfully so with its abundance of war statues, memorial walls and plazas.  This doesn’t even include Arlington Cemetery which houses numerous memorials, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and perhaps lesser known such as a Cenotaph memorial honoring the crews of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

African American Civil War Memorial - Flickr image by scott m

Prominent persons, including Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, to name a very few, have also been honored with their memorials being visited on the anniversary of their deaths, on Presidents Day, and other occasions.  Other significant memorials include those honoring survivors and the deceased from the February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Mount Rushmore features Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln - Wikimedia Commons image

 No Matter the season, no matter the reason, road trips to see or commemorate a famous person, fallen military heroes, tragedies such as September 11th and during the Holocaust, and even the beauty of a monument of nature or architecture is a worth while road trip, and one to remember.

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial - Wikimedia Commons image

As we reflect on the past, this Memorial Day, I am reminded of this beautiful poem, written by LTC John McCrae, Canadian (1872-1918):

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

April 11, 2011

A Road Trip along the Mississippi Blues Trail . . .

Posted by louise C. under The Road Less Traveled | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Elvis Presley childhood home - Tupelo, Mississippi, Flickr photo by divemasterking2000

There are more than 75 reasons for you to take a meandering road trip along the Mississippi Blues Trail.  It is here that you’ll find the ‘roots of the blues’ – music that reaches way down deep in your soul.  A famous blues artist, Willie Dixon, said it best, “Blues is the roots of all music, and you know you can’t have no fruits without first you have the roots.”

Trumpet Records, Jackson, Mississippi

Don’t just meander though: stop by any Mississippi welcome center and pick up your official Mississippi Blues Trail map.  This road map will not only show you how to get to B.B. King’s birthplace in Berclair, or head you in the direction of McComb, home of Bo Diddley, “acclaimed as the founder of rock ‘n’ roll;” it also provides tid bits of 77 blues artists, like Muddy Water’s who called Rolling Fork home, or Vicksburg’s Willie Dixon.  While some of these names may not be familiar to you, unless you are a-died-in-the-wool blues fan, the one name associated with music and blues in the State of Mississippi is known to people throughout the world: Elvis Presley, who revolutionized popular music by blending the blues he first heard as a youth in Tupelo.

Sign marker for Jimmie Rodgers Museum, Meridian, Mississippi

A giant in post-World War II Chicago blues, Chester Arthur Burnett, better known as Howlin’ Wolf, was known as a pioneer in electrifying the Delta blues … stop by (with an appointment) to visit the Howlin’ Wolf Museum in West point.  What a treasure trove: West Point was designated one of America’s top 100 small towns and features a historic downtown area with quaint shops and regionally acclaimed restaurants.  You won’t want to miss the 33rd annual Prairie Arts Festival (September 3), cited as one of the top 10 events in the South.

Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, Mississippi

How about heading to the Joint Juke Festival in Clarksdale, beginning April 22, where you can do some “Day Trippin’”, Antiques and Art shopping, Jookin, Bluesin and Dancin’, and eating: Try the Dutch Oven or Ground Zero Blues Club where they serve Southern soul food, or watch the chefs work their magic as you take a seat at the kitchen bar in the upscale dining establishment known as Lady at the Levee.  

No matter where you start, or end up, you’ll discover a musical legacy like no other, in Mississippi towns like:

  • Jackson, home of Trumpet Records and The Alamo Theatre
  • Vicksburg, where Willie Dixon, often called “the poet laureate of the blues,” hailed from
  • Hattiesburg, where rock n’ roll is rooted in the blues of Mississippi
  • Pelahatchie, home to Rubin Lacy, “one of the most talented and influential artists in Mississippi blues”
  • Raymond, where blues singer-song-writer’s, The McCoy Brothers, left their stamp on blues history with songs like “Corrine Corrina and When the Levee Breaks”

  • A typical marquee is a beacon in the night for one of seven B B King Blues Clubs

    Meridian, where Jimmie Rodgers, widely known as the “father of country music” was a major blues artist influence in the 1950s and ’60s

To learn more about the Mississippi Blues Trail, log on to www.msbluestrail.org

Comfort and affordability

No matter where your travels take you in Mississippi, you’ll want a good night’s sleep after a day of musical touring.

 

April 1, 2011

Are We There Yet? A nod to the road trip . . .

Posted by louise C. under Out of the Suitcase | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Glenora Outlet in New York's Finger Lake Region - Flickr photo by eflon

How many times have you heard that question: Are we there yet?  In all likelihood you were guilty of asking this very same question; no matter your mode of travel. 

At the top of Bopple Hill overlooking Canandaigua Lake - Flickr photo by viist-fingerlakes

So where are we off to this time?  And how long will it take us to get there?  We’re off to the Finger Lakes region of New York; specifically Canandaigua, which is not quite half way between Albany and Buffalo with Buffalo being closest. The “chosen spot,” is what the Iroquois called it in its former spelling of Kanandarque.  It’s no wonder, since on November 11, 1794, the Treaty of Canandaigua was signed “in hopes of establishing peace and friendship between the U.S. and the Six Nations of the Iroquois.”

Now is a perfect time to visit, what was recently voted the most beautiful wine region in the world: in early spring as flowers showcase their delicate hues, foliage becomes greener and trees are beginning to bud.  What better time than to take a side trip, a weekend retreat or mini-vacation!   For a complete list of happenings in and around the Finger Lakes region, visit http://www.visitfingerlakes.com/events.php

Check this out  . . .

  • 11 ‘namesake’ lakes including Canandaigua, Seneca and Keuka lakes
  • New York Wine & Culinary Center
  • More than 100 waterfalls

    Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park - Flickr photo by bobistraveling

     

    Spring grapes - Flickr photo by visit-fingerlakes

  • Museums, shopping and a foodie’s paradise
  • Smith Opera House
  • Cornell University
  • 4 hours from New York City

 

. . . . and, when all is said and done, you’ve seen the sights, had a great meal and fine glass of wine, then a good night’s sleep is just around the corner.

 

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