Travel America

Home to Florida State University, Tallahassee is the capital of Florida and is one of the major commercial centers in the state.  With over 150,000 people within city limits, and over 300,000 people in the metro area, Tallahassee is the 8th largest city in Florida.  Tallahassee has become a center for trade and agriculture in the region, and is served by Tallahassee Regional Airport.

For travellors, Tallahasse has many museums, including the famed Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science.  This museum has boardwalks that go through wooded areas along a cypress-lined lake. Native species to Florida can be found is this natural setting, sometimes spotting the rare Florida panther or black bear. The museum is popular with families who have children, with other activities including an 1880’s cracker farmstead, three historic florida buildings and an awesome playground.  If you get hungry, you can choose the on-site cafe or pack your own lunch and eat at the outside picnic tables near the farm.  Looking for a place to stay in, Tallahassee is home to many great hotels.

There are many other places to visit in Tallahassee as well.  There is the the Riley Museum Center of African American History and Culture, which is a large complex and research center devoted to the history of early African American communities.  Also in Tallahassee is the Antique Car Museum, where cars dating as far back as the 1880’s can be found.

San Jose, CA, is a major metropolitan city, and ranks as the 3rd largest in California, and the 10th largest in the United States.  San Jose is located at the south end of San Francisco Bay in Silicon Valley.  Although San Jose was once only a small farming city, it has become a magnet for suburban sprawl between the 1960s and the 1990s with a population closing in on 1 million.

In and around the city, there are a number of things to do and places to visit.  Among the more popular for tourists are the The Tech Museum, the Winchester Mystery House, and the Great American Amusement Park. 

The Tech Museum of Innovation, or simply The Tech, is a museum located in downtown San Jose, CA.  The museum focuses on technology and its effects, and The Tech has become an important educational and cultural resource for tourists and local residents alike. 

The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known California mansion that was under construction continuously for 36 years and is reputed to be haunted. It once was the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, but is now a tourist attraction. Under Sarah Winchester’s guidance, construction on the house continued 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, until her death 38 years later on September 5, 1922. The cost for such constant building has been estimated at about US $5.5 million. 

The mansion is renowned for its size and lack of a master building plan. According to popular belief, Sarah Winchester thought the house was haunted by the ghosts of individuals killed by Winchester rifles, and that only continuous construction would appease them. It is located at 525 South Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, California. 

Great America is an amusement park owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., located in the San Jose suburb Santa Clara, California. Great America is one of four major amusement parks that operate around the San Francisco Bay Area, the other three being Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz and Gilroy Gardens in Gilroy.  The park features several roller coasters, including an inverted coaster, a shuttle coaster, and a stand-up roller coaster. 
 

If you want an experience that is truly a cultural immersion and also steeped in history while enjoying a leisurely pace and true Southern charm and hospitality, then you may want to consider Charleston, SC as your next travel destination.  Charleston, affectionately know as “the lowcountry” features a diverse range of activities, attractions, dining, and shopping sure to satisfy even the most discriminating travel enthusiast.

You will experience the historic district of  Charleston, South Carolina, often referred to as the cultural capital of the South, as a living museum.  There is a plethora of activities at your disposal on your stay in Charleston, including wonderfully preserved 18th century homes and plantations, museums, the aquarium, the Battery, historic landmarks, churches, and the famous open air city market – where the art of sweetgrass basket weaving is taken to the ultimate level.

You will not be at a loss for places to stay while in Charleston, either.  And you are not just relegated to the same old boring national hotel chains.  If you truly desire a one of a kind experience, then you should try one of the bed and breakfast locations or an inn.  However, you will need to book early either directly or through a company like Historic Charleston Bed & Breakfast, whom you can easily find online.

Charleston is also home to two of the the best cultural festivals in the Southeast – the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and the Moja Arts Festival.  The Piccolo Spoleto Festival highlights artists from the Southeast region and takes place in the Spring of each year.  The festival perfectly complements the international reach of its parent festival, featuring over 700 events over the span of seventeen days. 

If you decide to visit Charleston in the fall of the year, you can immerse yourself in the rich, culture of the Moja Arts festival, which is a celebration of African American and Carribean Art.  The Moja Arts Festival features art, poetry, music, and dancing influenced by the African American Culture.

If you would like to visit some of Charleston’s historical landmarks around the downtown area, you should definitely consider a Classic Carriage Tour.  Classic Carriage Tours allow you to learn about and experience Charleston via a horse drawn historical tour over the cobblestone streets of historic Charleston.

If you want to learn more about Fort Sumter, where the Civil War had its beginnings, then another expedition that might interest you is a boat tour  on a SpiritLine yacht.  Enjoy the fresh sea air and captivating views while cruising around the historic harbors in style.  You can even choose a dinner cruise, experiencing fine dining, while watching the sun set over the harbor.

Before you return to your room for the evening, be sure to sample the fine lowcountry cuisine, many dishes featuring fresh seafood straight from Charleston’s own harbor.  The historic atmosphere of Charleston and the gracious Southern charm make for a dining experience you will not soon forget. 

Want to add some spice to your night instead of sitting in your hotel room?   In the Gullah tradition, explore the infamous haunted sites of Charleston with a walking tour.  Visit such sites as the oldest graveyards in the country, the Old City Jail, and the Pre-Revolutionary Dungeon.  And before you wind down for the night, be sure to stop by a local cafe, and grab a fresh cup of tea and a pastry on the way to your hotel room.

Many Ohio tourists continue to choose the Hocking Hills area to spend a quiet time away for the ultimate and relaxing vacation. Whether you want to get away from the busy city life or just need to a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday living, Hocking Hills offers everything that you need for the perfect getaway. There are thousands of acres of natural wildlife and forestry, as well as plenty of activities and spots of interest for tourists that have never been to Hocking Hills, Ohio.

There are many things to do and see at Hocking Hills State Park. Several of the activities that are more well-known because of the popularity of this Ohio destination are Old Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls, and the many State Forests of Hocking Hills. If you do decide to visit Hocking Hill’s, Old Man’s Cave should be one of the first places that you visit. The Cave spans nearly a mile long and the tradition of the cave goes way back to the mid-nineteenth century during the Civil War. Many treks are made during popular tourist seasons at Hocking Hills, Ohio, and this is one tourist hot spot for Hocking Hills.

Another popular spot to visit is Cedar Falls. Even though this is a simple waterfall, many people from all over the Ohio area come to enjoy it! Cedar Falls is a majestic waterfall that comes tumbling down out of the exit from Old Man’s Cave and has just about the same amount of popularity as Old Man’s Cave also. Cedar Falls is so peaceful and relaxing that you’ll be able to stay hours on end without getting tired of the falling water.

There are plenty of other things to do, though, besides visiting one of the many natural scenic activities that are abundant in Hocking Hills. Visitors can always take a ride on an old-fashioned train ride, have a carriage ride for an afternoon, or even go horseback riding! Several businesses from around the area offer not only horseback riding options, but also horseback riding lessons for beginners who want to improve. If you like the water and lake scene, there is plenty of canoeing to do as long as you know how to swim!

Lodging is a whole other story when it comes to Hocking Hills. There are so many quaint cottages, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and motels that you won’t know if you’re coming or going. One tourist favorite, however, is a very elaborate and beautiful inn, called The Castle Inn. Not only do they treat their guests right, but they also offer guest rooms complete with a jacuzzi for two. To get in touch with The Castle Inn, you can always visit their website or call (740)-477-3986 to make reservations or to find out more information.

For everything that Hocking Hills has to offer its guests there is certainly no shortage of visitors each year. Thousands of people take part in the natural and fun wildlife that exists in the quiet and peacefulness of Hocking Hills. Do yourself a favor and take a break to have a nice, refreshing breath among Mother Nature’s home!

Normally, when you think of Hershey, your mind probably immediately goes to the famous chocolate candy bar, not necessarily to the town where the candy bar.  The town of Hershey, Pennsylvania begin as a chocolate factory on six acres in the middle of a cornfield, and the locals thought Milton Hershey was a bit out of his mind.  The two dirt roads that intersected south of the chocolate factory were named Chocolate and Cocoa  Avenues and are still in existence today, though now they are paved.

If you are seeking an experience for your family that you entire family will not only and enjoy and learn from, then Hershey, Pennsylvania is definitely worth considering. From the outset, Milton Hershey designed the town of Hershey to be different – he did not want the town of Hershey to be just about the factory, but instead envisioned a community that the townspeople would enjoy also.  So if you are looking for something a bit different from the usual history trip to Philadelphia, a visit to Hershey may be just what you are craving.

Hershey is not actually a city itself, but is part of the Derry township, and today is somewhat of a resort like community, all themed around chocolate.  Hershey features numerous attractions, including great golfing at the Hershey Country Club and also the wildly popular Hershey Park, a theme park featuring over sixty rides.

Some of the attractions you may enjoy while visiting Hershey include Hershey’s Chocolate World,  Hershey Museum, Hershey Gardens, ZooAmerica, Hershey Theatre, Hershey Trolley Works, and the Antique Auto Museum at Hershey.  With all of these attractions, there is never a shortage of places to go and things to do and see. 

At Hershey’s Chocolate World, you get an interactive chocolate experience that includes Hershey’s Chocolate Making Tour Ride, and ends with a free sample of Hershey’s Chocolate.  After visiting the chocolate factory, stop over at Hershey Museum and discover the fascinating history of the town of Hershey and the legacy of Hershey Milton. 

For the nature lover in you, Hershey Gardens is a twenty three acre botanical garden featuring over 7,000 roses, seasonal flower displays, a Japanese garden, and an outdoor Butterfly House with over 400 butterflies.  Animal lovers will enjoy ZooAmerica, which is an eleven acre walk-through zoo that is home to over 200 animals from five regions of North America.

An experience that the entire family will enjoy is the Hershey Trolley Works.  Take a ride on the trolleys and get an overview of the unique and rich history of Hershey.  You will be both entertained and educated by the singing trolley conductors.

The  Antique Auto Museum at Hershey displays wonderfully restored early automobiles in unique settings and scenes.  So if you are an automobile enthusiast, you are sure to enjoy this one of a kind museum.

In the evenings, be sure to catch the live shows and entertainment performed in the historic Hershey Theatre.  The theatre features Broadway shows on your, classical music, and dance by top name entertainers.

If you grow weary (though, not likely) of golfing, chocolate, or theme parks and seek more of a cultural or historical experience, you should know that Hershey is located just thirty minutes from the county of Lancaster, made famous by the Amish.  You will take a journey back in time as you watch the Amish lead their simple lives without the modern conveniences of electricity or today’s technological advances.  The fields of Lancaster are still plowed by teams of mules. 

Hershey is only forty-five minutes from the historic Gettysburg Battlefield National Park, the hallowed site of one of the most decisive battles of the Civil War.   Gettysburg Battlefield National Park brings history to life with their exciting tours, historical exhibits, and special events.