Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 53

Alabama’s Light Show

By Linda Tancs

Designated a National Natural Landmark, Dismals Canyon is a sandstone gorge in Phil Campbell, Alabama. The key attraction are the fly larvae known locally as Dismalites, a bioluminescent species similar to the glowworms found in Oceania. Past twilight the canyon lights up with these creatures, and guided night tours allow visitors to see these unique insects. April and May represent one of two peak seasons for viewing (the other being September and October). Reservations are highly recommended, and be sure to bring a flashlight.

A Weird Museum

By Linda Tancs

If you love museums dedicated to oddities and weirdness, then the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas, is for you. Operating in the tradition of a dime museum (an emporium for oddities and curios), the facility features attractions like shrunken heads, mummies and a cyclops pig. You’ll find it on 6th Street in the heart of downtown’s entertainment district.

Ridges and Gullies

By Linda Tancs

Designated an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, the Cheltenham Badlands is a geological treasure in Ontario, Canada. Its distinctive feature are the ridges and gullies formed from weather-related erosion of the Queenston shale underlying the shallow topsoil, resulting in a moonscape-like topography. Enjoy the view from an accessible boardwalk or take to the trails. The Badlands Trail connects the Bruce Trail to the viewing platform and takes you through a slow-growth forest.

America’s Historic Pharmacy

By Linda Tancs

New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is an 1800s apothecary-turned-museum featuring 19th-century medicines and potions. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s first licensed pharmacist, Louis Dufilho Jr., practiced there. Tours are self-guided; no reservations are required. You’ll find it on Chartres Street in the French Quarter.

The Lonesome Highway

By Linda Tancs

Lacking signs of intelligent life, the Lonesome Highway in Texas is aptly named. If you enjoy solitude, then take the drive along Highway 180 in West Texas, a route that brings you to the Guadalupe Mountains. Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas, a signature feature of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Gateway to the Endless Mountains

By Linda Tancs

Gateway to the Endless Mountains sounds like the title of a novel, but it’s actually a scenic byway in the Endless Mountains region of northeastern Pennsylvania. Running along US Highway 6 (Tunkhannock to Dushore), the mountain vistas do appear to be endless as are the hiking and birdwatching opportunities. The route is also known for spectacular views of the Susquehanna River.

The Skinniest Skyscraper

By Linda Tancs

It’s like a supermodel, tall and thin. That’s a good way to think of New York City’s Steinway Tower, the world’s skinniest skyscraper. At 1,428 feet it’s the second-tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere and the thinnest skyscraper in the world with a ratio of width to height at 1-to-23 1/2. The tower is named for its locale, the former Steinway Hall, once a performance space of the famed piano makers. You’ll find the building along a stretch of Manhattan’s 57th Street known as “Billionaires’ Row.” That should give you an indication of the price tag attached to these digs with 360-degree views of the city.

The Outlaw Trail

By Linda Tancs

Aptly named for the outlaws of a bygone era that roamed the area, Nebraska’s Outlaw Trail is a scenic byway along Highway 12 that stretches 231 miles between South Sioux City and Valentine. Highlights include the Niobrara National Scenic River, a must for river recreation. On the south side of the river you’ll find Smith Falls, the highest waterfall (at 63 feet) in the state and the centerpiece of Smith Falls State Park. Not far from there is Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, established by Congress in 1935. Maybe you’ll spend a night at the historic Argo Hotel in Crofton, built in 1912 to serve the railroad trade.

A Novel Prison

By Linda Tancs

Off the coast of Marseille, France, on the Île d’If, Château d’If started out as a crucial fortress commissioned by Francis I. It became a state prison in the 1500s for anyone opposing official authority. Unlike Alcatraz (another prison island off the coast of San Francisco, California, boasting gangster Al Capone as a resident during its operation), one of its most famous inhabitants isn’t a real person at all. In Alexandre Dumas’s novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the protagonist Edmond Dantès was imprisoned there. You can visit his “cell” on the lower level of the prison. The perfectly preserved ramparts are a ferry ride away from Marseille.

Missouri’s National Forest

By Linda Tancs

The only national forest in Missouri is Mark Twain National Forest. Named for arguably the state’s most prominent Missourian, most of the forest lies within the Ozark Highlands, located across southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Its topography includes caves, rocky barren glades, old volcanic mountains and nationally recognized springs like Greer Spring. The second largest spring in Missouri, it discharges an average of 222 million gallons of water per day, more than doubling the flow of the Eleven Point River. In fact, the spring’s impact on the river (Eleven Point Wild and Scenic River) resulted in its designation as one of the first Wild and Scenic Rivers in the nation.