Browsing: Historical travel

Nashville may have been getting all the attention with a television show, but it’s not the only place you want to go to for the history of southern music and family fun. Memphis offers a look into the birthplace of the Blues, civil rights, and major attractions.

1. Graceland
You don’t have to be an expert on Memphis to know that Graceland is the top attraction in this city. The former home of Elvis Presley …

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For years the little island of Sri Lanka has been a place that lots of people wanted to visit but very few actually did.

A devastating civil war was followed by the brutal 2004 tsunami. Now the country is rising above its past to become a holiday hotspot, with its exotic beauty, fabulous food and its intriguing yet traumatic history. Sri Lanka is like India for sissies, with spectacular scenery, great activities and friendly people, …

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It’s been over 50 years since The Sound of Music was released (1965). Everyone remembers Julie Andrews singing “The Hills Are Alive,” but not many know the Alps behind her are. They are in Austria, along with the rest of locations used for the movie. It was the home for the real von Trapp Family and it’s possible to relive one of the world’s favorite family films during a tour in that European country.

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There they are, on full display in front of you: George Washington’s legendary false teeth, looking more like Johnny Rotten’s. The uppers aren’t that worse for wear, but the lowers have gaps that one could drive a truck through. But they are not made of wood as many believe. The first president’s choppers were crafted from the combination of elephant ivory, human teeth, and cow teeth.

Despite the shoddy state of the stained dentures, Washington …

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There’s something about snow that inspires us to escape with that special someone to a peaceful and quiet hideaway from the crowds and hustle and bustle of life. Thankfully, there are places with elegant mountain cabins, tranquil rivers and sleigh rides through frozen landscapes.

 

Estes Park, Colorado

Nestled on the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, sits the charming town of Estes Park.  You can choose accommodation from logs cabins, bed

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The Israeli city of Tel Aviv may not be on your vacation list, but it should be. In addition to a history that dates back thousands of years, the city will surprise you with plenty to do, see, and eat.

1. Beaches
Tel Aviv borders the Mediterranean Sea for a stretch of nine miles. The beaches are clean and have plenty of soft sand to enjoy. They are also among the most active beaches in …

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How does it feel?

A little breezy, actually. Standing on a modest hilltop overlooking the Hull-Rust open pit iron mine, where Bob Dylan, then Bob Zimmerman, used to ride his bicycle with his friends, it is easy to see how his youth in Hibbing, Minnesota influenced Dylan’s work. This endless iron mine pit is the largest in the world. Locals refer to it as the man-made Grand Canyon.

When it was determined about a century …

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A shaded forest with dappled sunlight dancing between the trees; a clear stream that cascades over a severe, silver rock face; a certain hush, save the occasional bird and the crunching of leaves underfoot, and there, in the middle of it, a house like a no other, rising from a waterfall.

There’s a reason why Frank Lloyd Wright remains one of America’s most beloved architects. Falling Water, the stunning summer home that Wright designed for …

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A lot has happened since the pictures of devastation from the usually quiet municipality of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA made headlines 20 years ago. Heart-wrenching images of a bombed office building and broken bodies, the kind we are used to seeing from the Middle East and not the American Midwest, were on television screens and in newspapers in parts of the world that never knew Oklahoma City existed. The date was April 19, 1995. The …

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Amsterdam is the beautiful capital city of the Netherlands. It is a city steeped deep in 17th century history through its buildings, streets and canal ways. It is home to windmills or windmolen as they say in Dutch – the language of Holland. There was once 10,000 working windmills in this region which have withered down to a mere 1000. They were once used to produce flour, mustard and oil and are an inherent

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To most, the name “Philadelphia” is synonymous with Rocky Balboa, the Liberty Bell, and soft pretzels.  But the cradle of American democracy boasts more than its well-known slew of historic landmarks and pop culture references – it is also home to a large number of world class art museums, complete with its very own Avenue des Champs-Élysées leading from City Hall to what is, arguably, the crown jewel in the city’s collection: The Philadelphia Museum …

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Budapest is one of the largest and most well-known cities on the Danube River in Hungary. It’s a town of many faces as it’s actually divided between “Buda” and “Pest.” You could easily fill a week in this city, but if you’re short on time, make sure you hit the highlights. You’ll quickly find out how this city played a big part in World War II and has come to be known as the “Jewel …

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The Mississippi River. The blues and jazz and paddle wheelers, poker-faced riverboat gamblers, Tom Sawyer and the Big Mo, and music meccas New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis.

Not here. Not in Minnesota, especially north-central Minnesota. The mighty Mississippi isn’t so mighty in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Up north, it’s pretty humble.

One can walk across the Headwaters of the Mississippi, where Lake Itasca morphs into the nascent river. It’s not exactly a trickle …

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It wasn’t that long ago in human history when many of the islands of the Caribbean had to be well fortified due to the wider conflicts between the kingdoms and empires of Europe and even closer within the blossoming Americas. The surviving legacy of these earlier eras often includes some fascinating forts across the region which reflect those defensive needs. Impressive architectural exterior detail, often along with well-preserved interiors, all provide insight into daily life …

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