Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 197

A Hot Spot in the North Atlantic

By Linda Tancs

Second only to a robust fishing industry, tourism is hot in the Faroe Islands. The idyllic, self-governing archipelago (part of the Kingdom of Denmark) lies northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway in the heart of the North Atlantic. Despite the cool latitude, it has a number of hot attractions. Historic Kirkjubøur, for instance, has a church from the Middle Ages still in use and one of the world’s oldest inhabited log houses as well. On the western island of Mykines you’ll find a birder’s paradise that is believed to be the site that the seafaring Irish monk St. Brendan described in the middle of the sixth century. Add to that deep grottos dominated by soaring, sheer cliffs in Vestmanna, located beyond ancient villages like Kvívík, the site of remains of a well preserved Viking farmstead. Small and unspoiled, the islands have received top marks for preservation of nature, historic architecture and national pride.

Lilies of the Amazon

By Linda Tancs

Close to seven feet. That’s how large the water lily gets in the Amazon at Victoria Regia Nature Reserve. It’s just a 15-minute boat ride from Leticia, Colombia’s southernmost city located on the banks of the Amazon on the Colombia—Brazil border. Once you’ve ogled your fair share of flora, take in the tourist boardwalk in Leticia where you can enjoy the breeze from the Amazon and admire fiery sunsets amidst many stores and food courts.

Birthplace of Pepsi

By Linda Tancs

Home to the first state capitol, New Bern is North Carolina’s second oldest city. A charming little town first settled in 1710, it also has the distinction of being the birthplace of Pepsi. In fact, the drug store on the corner of Middle and Pollock Streets in downtown New Bern is the actual location where one of the world’s favorite soft drinks was invented by Caleb Bradham in his pharmacy in 1898. The site is open daily for visits.

The Saltiest Pond on Earth

By Linda Tancs

About 18 times greater than seawater, Antarctica’s Don Juan Pond is the saltiest body on Earth. The small, shallow basin is technically a lake although popularly referred to as a pond. Its few thousand square meters can only accommodate extremophiles like bacteria and fungi thanks to its hypersalinity. Located in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys (the largest ice-free region on the continent), you’ll find many of the world’s saltiest lakes there.

A Step Back in Time

By Linda Tancs

On the south bank of the Columbia River in the foothills of the Cascades is a step back in time where pioneers, adventurers, gold miners, mountain men and soldiers once convened. Called The Dalles, it’s framed by Mt. Hood and is home to Fort Dalles Museum (one of Oregon’s oldest history museums) as well as the site where Lewis and Clark camped during their expedition to the land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. The city’s unusual moniker derives from a French reference for gutters lined with large tiles. The area’s French traders bestowed the name in the 1800s because of the long, gutter-like formation of the rapids known as the “grande dalles” of the Columbia River. The rapids were later submerged when The Dalles Dam went into operation in 1957.

Rose of the North

By Linda Tancs

Affectionately known as the “Rose of the North” for its pristine natural resources, Chiang Mai was built in the 1200s as a walled city surrounded by a moat. Established as a center of Buddhism in northern Thailand, its centuries-old pagodas and temples belie the city’s ethnic diversity as the home of several hill tribes. Each hill tribe has its own customs, language, dress and spiritual beliefs, drawing the interest of tourists from around the world. In fact, the hill tribe trekking industry is booming, a welcome development for tribes interested in promoting native arts and handicrafts.

Three Kingdoms

By Linda Tancs

Jingzhou, China’s ancient city, is the heart of ancient Chu, the center of a power struggle between the states of Shu and Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Now a bustling city of over six million people on the banks of the Yangtze River, the area boasts a treasure trove of relics from one of China’s bloodiest eras, including ruins of five Chu cities and hundreds of ancient tombs (18 Chu kings among them). During the first week of May, the Jingzhou International Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the famous poet Qu Yuan. His statue stands in nearby Ying, the Chu capital.

Gateway to the Loire

By Linda Tancs

What do Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, Chinon, Langeais and Villandry have in common? They’re all just a stone’s throw away from Tours, a gateway city to the Loire Valley in France. Notwithstanding the splendor of these chateaux, the city is full of its own charms, like Place Plumereau. At the heart of the historic center, this small square is studded with eye-catching half-timbered houses. Now through September the place to see and be seen is La Guinguette de Tours sur Loire, a café at the docks offering a mix of dancing, film nights, food and drink and entertainment.

The Spirit of Things in Arizona

By Linda Tancs

The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, has one of the most outstanding collections of American Indian artwork in the country. It was founded in 1929 by Dwight and Maie Heard as a museum to house the family’s private collection of native artwork. Over the years it has become particularly known for its broad collection of about 1,200 katsina dolls donated by the late Senator Barry M. Goldwater and the Fred Harvey Company. In Hopi culture, katsina dolls are the carved representations of the Katsinam, the spirit messengers of the universe. Made from the root of the cottonwood tree, the dolls are distributed to young girls to teach them about their role in the tribal community. This art form enjoys commercial success as well, and the dolls are treasured by collectors worldwide.

Sunset Capital of Alabama

By Linda Tancs

Alabama’s Dauphin Island is so proud of its sunsets that it fancies itself the sunset capital of the state. It’s also one of the “birdiest.” In fact, the island is one of the top four birding areas in the U.S., visited by around 400 species. No wonder, then, that the spring migration is bringing flocks of tourists and birders to the coastal area these days.