Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 45

The Liberty Ship Memorial

By Linda Tancs

Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II to ferry supplies to Allies. A major site of this shipbuilding activity is the area now known as Bug Light Park in Portland, Maine. You’ll find a memorial to the liberty ships there, along with Bug Light, an elegant lighthouse so-named for its small size. The park is located at the eastern end of the Greenbelt Walkway, an off-road pathway that provides expansive views of Portland Harbor.

Land of Cheeses

By Linda Tancs

Reputedly there are 100,000 cows in Asturias, Spain. They produce around 50 varieties of cheese, leading some to call the region the “land of cheeses.” Everyone has their preference, but most would probably agree that the star of the show is Cabrales, the region’s blue cheese. Four possess a Designation of Origin (a distinctive sign intended to protect a product originating in a specific geographical area): Cabrales, Gamonéu, Casín and Afuega’l pitu. And Beyos boasts a Protected Geographical Indication. You can visit cheese caves or, for a more immersive experience, dive into the cheese route, a gastronomical adventure spanning from Cangas de Onís to Tielve. Along the way is Arenas, where the Cabrales cheese competition is held on the last Sunday in August.

The Cross in the Woods

By Linda Tancs

Located in Indian River, Michigan, the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods is arguably the state’s best-known religious monument. Featuring a sculpture of Christ on a cross, the bronze monument was cast in Norway. Twenty-eight feet tall from head to toe with outstretched arms spanning 21 feet, it weighs 7 tons. What you might not know about the site is that it also boasts the largest collection of dolls dressed in traditional habits of men and women religious communities in the United States. The collection of 525 dolls and 20 mannequins represent diocesan clergy and more than 217 religious orders of priests, sisters and brothers of North and South America. 

Bogging in Wales

By Linda Tancs

Bog snorkeling is a sporting event where competitors aim to complete a run in a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog in the shortest time possible, wearing traditional snorkel, diving mask and flippers. This unique test of endurance results in a world title at the annual Bog Snorkeling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells, a small town in Wales. However, this is no small town affair; the competition attracts competitors from as far afield as Sweden, Germany, the Czech Republic and even Australia. Held over the August Bank Holiday weekend, this year’s event falls on August 27.

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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045. 

Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.

A Desert Laboratory in Arizona

By Linda Tancs

Widely considered to be the greatest American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright designed his winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains. His intention was that the home be “of the hill” rather than on it. That’s the meaning behind the locale’s unusual name, Taliesin. It’s a Welsh name meaning “shining brow.” Known as Taliesin West (to distinguish it from his home in Wisconsin known as Taliesin), the National Historic Landmark is built below the hillcrest, on its brow rather than its crown, prompting Wright to call it “a look over the rim of the world.” The property is open to the public with a variety of walking tours where you’ll experience this unique complex terraced into the landscape.

Historic Moravian Bethlehem

By Linda Tancs

A National Historic Landmark District in Pennsylvania, Historic Moravian Bethlehem is a jewel in the crown of sites commemorating the history of the United States. Located in the heart of the City of Bethlehem, the 14-acre site comprises a treasure trove of 18th-century German Colonial-style architecture built by Moravian settlers. Highlights include the Bell House, the Single Sisters’ House and Gemeinhaus, the oldest surviving building in Bethlehem. You’ll also find industrial ruins like the pottery, the butchery and the dye house. Overall, 35 crafts, trades and industries were established by the Moravians, a Protestant denomination from Europe that used the city as the principal center for their self-sustaining activities.

Goblins in Utah

By Linda Tancs

It isn’t hard to understand why the otherworldly environment of Goblin Valley State Park makes it one of Utah’s most popular parks. It features hoodoos (sandstone formations of mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles, some as tall as several yards) that are said to resemble “goblins.” Some of them even form a maze, making the 3-square-mile attraction a kid-friendly playground. Canyoneering is popular there, along with a hike to Goblin’s Lair, a beautiful slot canyon.

The Hummingbird Highway

By Linda Tancs

Named for the abundance of hummingbirds found in the country, Belize’s Hummingbird Highway connects the Western Highway outside of the capital city of Belmopan in central Belize to the Southern Highway just outside of the town of Dangriga in the Stann Creek District in the southeast. Generally regarded as one of the most scenic routes in the country, the 53-mile road winds its way through postcard-worthy views of jungles, orchards and pretty villages. Although it only takes about two hours to drive through, you’ll want to stop and take in some of the popular attractions like Blue Hole National Park and its jungle trails as well as Hummingbird Gap, the highest elevation on the journey at almost 1,000 feet.

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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045. 

Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.

A Scenic Rail Adventure in Canada

By Linda Tancs

One of Canada’s most popular train tours is the full-day tour to Agawa Canyon, covering the stunning Canadian wilderness of Northern Ontario. Departing from the train depot (87 Huron Street) in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the stunning beauty of the mixed forests of the Canadian Shield brings the landscape art of the Group of Seven (a group of Canadian landscape painters) to life. As if the rugged landscapes, forests, lakes and rivers weren’t enough, the train descends to the canyon floor, an area created more than 1.2 billion years ago by faulting. You even get the engineer’s “bird’s-eye view” thanks to locomotive-mounted cameras projecting images via flat screen monitors installed throughout the coaches. This year’s tour season runs from August 3 to October 15; peak season runs from September 17 to October 10.

Chasing the Wind in Nantucket

By Linda Tancs

Nantucket, Massachusetts, is the place to be this month for sailing enthusiasts. Beginning on August 12, Nantucket Race Week kicks into gear. From young dinghy sailors to Grand Prix racers, there’s something for everyone. The festival culminates in the Opera House Cup, an all-wooden, single-hulled classic boat regatta, on August 20.