Horses on the Mall

By Linda Tancs Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center provides visitors with information on the history of the Mounted Unit, one of the oldest and most beloved equestrian units in the country. Open Thursday through Sunday, the schedule of the horses will vary based on patrol times, rest times and meal times. The four-legged…

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Supremely Scenic in New Hampshire

By Linda Tancs Supremely scenic excursions await you aboard the Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire. In fact, the Mountaineer is touted as the most scenic ride of all, offering 1950s-era streamlined passenger cars to Crawford Notch, a major pass through the White Mountains. Other trains to Conway and Sawyer River offer heritage rail excursions by employing early 20th-century railcars to…

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Between the Forks

By Linda Tancs Nestled between the North Fork and South Fork of Long Island, New York, is Shelter Island. Approximately 27 square miles, it’s accessible only by ferry from either Greenport on the North Fork or North Haven on the South Fork. Known for its natural beauty, it boasts Mashomack Preserve, a coastal nature reserve featuring over 2,000 acres of woodlands, marshes and creeks. Enjoy a…

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The Cranberry in Pennsylvania

By Linda Tancs Known locally as “The Cranberry,” Tannersville Cranberry Bog Preserve in Pennsylvania is a remnant of the Ice Age, producing the southernmost boreal bog east of the Mississippi River and a unique ecosystem. It boasts some of North America’s most beautiful native orchids, including rose pogonia and the state-endangered heart-leaved twayblade. The Boardwalk Trail is open only with…

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Berlin's TV Tower

By Linda Tancs The tallest building in Germany, the TV Tower on Alexanderplatz in Berlin is the city’s most prominent landmark. It’s a must-see for tourists, who get panoramic views up to 50 miles on a clear day from the observation deck over 600 feet high. A floor above the deck is a restaurant; book early if you want a window seat.

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New York's Research Forest

By Linda Tancs Black Rock Forest is a 3,920-acre forest and biological field station in Cornwall, New York. Named for the black magnetite in the forest’s bedrock, the nature preserve is as much a gem for hikers as it is for researchers. The site boasts 26 miles of trails and 17 miles of forest roads which are open to the public year-round. From there you can experience the area’s rich…

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The Switzerland of Alaska

By Linda Tancs It’s easy to understand why Valdez, Alaska, is affectionately called “the Switzerland of Alaska.” Like its counterpart in Europe, it offers unparalleled scenery. Located at the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound, you’ll find glaciers, mountains, a temperate rainforest and scores of wildlife. One of the best places to learn about the area is at the Valdez Museum. The…

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The Prized Home of a Playwright

By Linda Tancs Eugene O’Neill is America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright. At the height of his career, he chose to make Tao House his final home. Located in Danville, California, the house and grounds comprise the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site. This is where he wrote his most memorable plays: The Iceman Cometh, Long Day’s Journey Into Night and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Due to…

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A Retreat in Carolina

By Linda Tancs One of the few remaining unspoiled treasures, Daufuskie Island in South Carolina is a true getaway. Nestled between Savannah and Hilton Head, the island is still accessible only by boat. The most popular option is the Official Daufuskie Island Ferry from Bluffton (outside Hilton Head), a town known for having some of the Lowcountry’s best seafood. Once on the island be sure to…

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Walton's Mountain

By Linda Tancs The Waltons was a popular, long-running drama television series about a close-knit family in rural, Depression-era Virginia, based on the experiences of series creator and narrator Earl Hamner Jr. If you’ve ever wondered where the mountain scenery depicted in the show is really located, then head on over to Schuyler, Virginia. The hamlet was home to Earl Hamner Jr., and the family…

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Swiss Magic

By Linda Tancs Lake Brienz is one of the most stunning turquoise lakes in Switzerland, and along its shore is one of the most picturesque villages in the country, Iseltwald. The fairy-tale village of around 500 inhabitants gained notoriety for the filming of a romantic scene for a South Korean drama series, drawing many Asian tourists to the region. Among its many charms is the iconic Schloss…

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The Great North American Eclipse

By Linda Tancs 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.…

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A Gem of a Church in Minnesota

By Linda Tancs The practice of using vertical posts, or staves, to construct massive wooden buildings is what sets stave churches apart from the others. Stave churches were built in and around Scandinavia from the waning years of the Viking Age (the 11th and 12th centuries) to the early 16th century. One of the oldest- remaining stave churches in Norway is Hopperstad in Vik, built in 1130.…

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Classic New England Scenery

By Linda Tancs Spanning 35 towns in northeastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts, The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor is a federally-designated National Heritage Corridor boasting a pastoral landscape interspersed with historical points of interest. You’ll find a plethora of museums, mill villages, rivers and quaint town centers, together with the last stretch of dark…

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Lansdale's Log House

By Linda Tancs The Morgan Log House stands on land originally deeded to the Commissioners of William Penn, who was granted the Charter of Pennsylvania from King Charles II on March 4, 1681. In 1708, Welsh immigrant Edward Morgan and his family (from whom frontiersman Daniel Boone is descended) became the first settlers of the property and later sold it to a German settler who built the log house…

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Pearl of the French Alps

By Linda Tancs Annecy is affectionately referred to as the Pearl of the French Alps. The prized appellation owes as much to the purity of its lake’s drinking water as it does to the scenery. In fact, Lake Annecy (the second-largest natural lake in France) ranks first in Europe for the purity of its waters. Historically, the town was the capital of the Duchy of Geneva, a division of the Duchy of…

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An Old Brick School in Southbury

By Linda Tancs Built in 1762 of locally-made bricks, Bullet Hill School in Southbury, Connecticut, is one of New England’s oldest schoolhouses and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The two-story structure remained in operation as a school for 179 years until December 1941. After the school closed, the building served as a meeting place for the Episcopal Church Sunday School, the…

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