Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 17

New Travel Authorization for UK

By Linda Tancs

The U.K. Government recently announced the next phase in the implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). An ETA gives visitors permission to travel to the United Kingdom. By April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa will need an ETA to travel to the U.K. It will be linked to the traveler’s passport and will last for two years or until the passport expires – whichever comes first. An ETA for American visitors will be required to enter the U.K. starting January 8, 2025. A decision on the application for authorization should arrive within three working days.

Museum of the Dog

By Linda Tancs

The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in New York City boasts a collection of art and exhibits celebrating the role of dogs in society. The permanent collection is touted as one of the finest in the world and features paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, ceramics and bronzes and well as trophies, collars and other dog-related works. You can also view a database of award-winning breeders. The facility is located in the iconic Kalikow building on Park Avenue.

A Christmas Story House

By Linda Tancs

A Christmas Story is a beloved 1983 American Christmas comedy film. Not only can you enjoy the movie but you can also enjoy the house where it was filmed. Open year round, A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Ohio, is also available for overnight stays. Across the street is A Christmas Story Museum, which features original props, costumes and memorabilia from the film as well as hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes photos.

The Snotgreen Sea

By Linda Tancs

The Forty Foot is a promontory on the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin, Ireland, from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea (dubbed “the snotgreen sea” by author James Joyce) all year round for some 250 years. It’s a bit of a tradition to take a dip on Christmas Day, if you dare, considering that the temperature may be in the single digits. To get there, jump on the Dart (train) from Dublin city centre, get out at Dún Laoghaire and walk all along the coast to Sandycove beach and the Forty Foot.

The Story of War in the Pacific

By Linda Tancs

Fredericksburg, Texas, was the boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nimitz served as commander in chief, United States Pacific Fleet and later named commander in chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, during World War II. So it is fitting that the city hosts the National Museum of the Pacific War, which provides the nation’s most comprehensive account of World War II in the Asiatic-Pacific theater. The campus offers a history of the war as well as a vast collection of artifacts and personal stories of people who lived and died during the Pacific War.

Nine Ladies in Derbyshire

By Linda Tancs

The Nine Ladies is a standing stone circle located on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire in the English East Midlands. Dating to the Bronze Age, it is thought to depict a folk tale concerning nine ladies turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on Sunday. Actually, there were 10 ladies; one stone was discovered on its side in 1977. Although the circle’s purpose is unknown, it is not uncommon for formations of this sort to have been used as a meeting place, landmark, or place of ceremony or burial. The site can be accessed via a number of footpaths depending upon your start point. Formal car parking is available just outside of Birchover, less than a mile from the circle.

New York City’s Smallest Museum

By Linda Tancs

New York City’s smallest museum is housed in a freight elevator in Tribeca. Known as Mmuseumm (two extra “m” letters at the beginning and end of the word “museum”), its goal is to showcase everyday objects from around the world. Beyond the utilitarian, though, the museum features quirky artifacts as well, like the shoe thrown at President George W. Bush in Baghdad. Although not open to visitors year round, it is nonetheless visible around the clock through viewing windows. The installation is located at 4 Cortlandt Alley, which is perhaps better known as a go-to location for filming movies and TV shows.

Sasquatch of the Southeast

By Linda Tancs

Often thought of as Florida’s Bigfoot, the skunk ape is rumored to live in the Everglades near Ochopee. At Shealy’s Official Skunk Ape Headquarters in Ochopee, you’ll meet self-proclaimed skunk ape expert Dave Shealy. His outpost is one of America’s top roadside attractions. You might not see the giant ape himself, but the sanctuary offers a close-up look at Florida’s fascinating wildlife, including live pythons, alligators and snapping turtles. Make a reservation for an Everglades tour.

Seven Magic Mountains

By Linda Tancs

South of Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada, renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone created a public art installation near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15 known as Seven Magic Mountains. The eye-catching art comprises seven, 30-foot dayglow totems of painted, locally-sourced boulders. Admission to the site is free; you’ll find interpretative signage there as well.

Cavaliers and Roundheads

By Linda Tancs

The history of England’s Corfe Castle in Dorset includes the country’s civil war era. Among its many owners, the castle passed into the hands of the Bankes family, prominent members of the Dorset gentry, who turned the former stronghold into their country seat. The Bankes family supported King Charles I and his supporters (the Cavaliers) against Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians (the Roundheads) during the civil war. They defended the castle unsuccessfully against bombardment, and the castle was ultimately destroyed. Due to the courage of Lady Mary Bankes during the conflict, the victorious Parliamentarians eventually presented her with the keys to Corfe Castle as a tribute notwithstanding its destruction. The castle remained in the family for over three centuries before being handed over to the National Trust. Take a walk among the castle’s ruins and grounds (which features an audio tour covering its long history), and look out for wildlife like the grey bush cricket and red kites, birds of prey with their distinctive high-pitched whistle sound and reddish-brown forked tail.