Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 165

An Iconic Trail’s Highest Peak

By Linda Tancs

The Appalachian Trail stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, following the Appalachian mountain range through 14 states. The trail’s highest peak is Clingmans Dome in Tennessee (at 6,643 feet above sea level) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The observation tower on the summit offers spectacular panoramic views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep, half-mile walk. Better be quick about it, though. Although the tower is open year round, the road leading to it is closed from December 1 through March 31.

Tennessee Pink

By Linda Tancs

Built in 1797, Ramsey House is the first stone home in Knox County, Tennessee. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was built by Knoxville’s first builder, Thomas Hope, for Francis Alexander Ramsey. Constructed of Tennessee pink marble and blue limestone, it’s notable for its original interior and exterior architectural features and its period decorative art collection. Ramsey House also boasts the first attached kitchen in Tennessee, replacing the typical “dog-trot” style of the South where the kitchen was typically stand-alone with a breezeway between it and the house. The pet-friendly grounds are welcoming to picnickers!

Father of Oklahoma City

By Linda Tancs

Henry Overholser was an Oklahoma businessman and such an important contributor to the development of Oklahoma City that he’s often referred to as the “Father of Oklahoma City.” Among the treasures he left for locals to cherish is the Overholser Mansion, regarded as the first mansion built in the city. Constructed in 1903, the house was once eloquently referred to in the local paper as a “sermon on beauty.” It was built in the Queen Anne and Chateauesque architectural styles, a stark departure from the Mission, Craftsman and Prairie styles of the period. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the home is now owned by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Located on the northwest corner of Hudson & NW 15th Street, it’s open for guided tours.

An Ancient Pueblo in New Mexico

By Linda Tancs

The history of New Mexico’s southwest Indians is centuries old. Acoma Pueblo, in particular, is regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America, dating to 1150 A.D. Their mesa-top settlement is built atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff in a valley studded with sacred monoliths. It’s the only Native American site to be designated a Historic Site by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. You can learn more about the tribe at The Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum. Open year-round, the cultural center offers exhibits, guided tours, sought-after Acoma pottery and Native American crafts for sale by local artisans.

 

Best Ice Cream in Britain

By Linda Tancs

Birthplace of poet Dylan Thomas and the second largest city in Wales, Swansea is a vibrant coastal city offering sweeping views of Swansea Bay. On the bay’s west side is the seaside village of Mumbles, the source of seafood that ultimately finds its way to chic dining establishments in London and beyond. It’s also the source of premier ice cream parlors, hailed by some as the best ice cream in Britain. Why not enjoy some atop Oystermouth Castle and its spectacular view over the bay!

A Shark Tank in Cairns

By Linda Tancs

Opened in September, Australia’s Cairns Aquarium is the only aquarium in the world dedicated exclusively to the habitats and species of tropical North Queensland, connecting visitors with the natural wonders of Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics, Gulf Savannah and Cape York regions. It sports an acrylic tube for viewing sharks and rays that leads to the Oceanarium, an enormous walk-through tank teeming with sea life. Well, why walk when you can sleep? Starting next month, the aquarium will offer a group shark sleepover experience in the Oceanarium for a minimum of 15 guests. Dinner, breakfast and sleeping equipment will be provided. The facility is located in the heart of the city, an easy walk from The Esplanade, Lagoon Pool and cruise terminal.

Opulence in Brescia

By Linda Tancs

Brescia is regarded as one of Italy’s most ancient and beautiful cities. The largest province in Lombardy, it boasts three poet-inspiring lakes and three valleys amidst its Bronze Age archeological finds, cathedrals and squares. One of the most opulent attractions is no doubt Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera overlooking Lake Garda that was occupied by controversial writer and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. The enviable locale is met with tiered gardens hosting a 1,000-seat Parlaggio amphitheater, the remains of the Puglia battleship cruiser and D’Annunzio’s tomb. Inside the home is a collection of 30,000 books and a dizzying array of paintings, furniture, frescoes and strange objets d’art. Take a guided tour to get the most out of your visit.

Birmingham’s Frankfurt

By Linda Tancs

You know Christmas is right around the corner when you witness the pilgrimage to Birmingham, England, this time of year. The city’s most sought-after event in the calendar is their annual Frankfurt Christmas Market, described as the largest authentic Christmas market outside Germany or Austria. Enjoy shopping among the 120 stalls, which will no doubt work up your appetite for bratwurst, schnitzel, pretzels and beer. Musical entertainment takes place on Victoria Square. The market runs today through December 24.

Exploring the Bible in Washington

By Linda Tancs

It’s no secret that America’s Founding Fathers were greatly influenced by the Bible, using it to shape their personal and political views. So it’s perhaps appropriate that the nation’s first museum dedicated to the Bible should be located in Washington, D.C. Opening this Friday, the Museum of the Bible is housed in a 430,000-square-foot building just two blocks from the National Mall and three blocks from the nation’s Capitol. It boasts 40-foot-tall bronze doors at the entrance and a rooftop garden, along with eight floors using modern technology to explain ancient parables. Among its collections are first editions of the King James Bible, fragments of the Dead Sea Scroll, the first Bible to travel to the moon and the largest collection of Torah scrolls.

Ecotourism in the Exumas

By Linda Tancs

The Exumas are an archipelago of 365 cays and islands, beginning just 35 miles southeast of Nassau, Bahamas. Its sapphire blue waters are home to two national parks. The 176-square-mile Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, created in 1958, was the first land and sea park in the world. An ecological preserve and wildlife refuge, it’s home to rare coral life, limestone reefs, scores of tropical fish, the endangered Bahamian iguana and the elusive hutia (a Caribbean rodent). More ecological wonders await at Moriah Harbour Cay National Park, covering 13,440 acres. In addition to phenomenal sandbars, the park includes sights like Thunderball Grotto, the Blow Hole at Boise Cay with a 10-foot geyser and Dripping Cave at Guana Cay.