chicagotribune.com - Travel: Blackbeard exhibit opens at N.C. museum

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com Blackbeard exhibit opens at N.C. museum 10 Jun 2011, 9:02 pm BEAUFORT, N.C. (AP) — The largest exhibit ever of artifacts from what's believed to be the remains of Blackbeard's flagship is opening at the North Carolina Maritime Museum, with bells, cannon, lead shot and part of the hull among the items on display. There won't, however, be any pirate treasure, says David Moore, the museum's nautical archaeologist. That's because the Queen Anne's Revenge didn't wreck, but ran aground, giving the crew time to remove most of the valuables. "We weren't expecting to find a chest filled with silver, gold and jewelry," Moore said in a phone interview with The Associated Press as he readied for the exhibit, which opens Saturday at the museum in Beaufort. Instead, the treasures are weaponry and whatever high-dollar equipment the pirates couldn't take with them. About 300 items from shipwreck in about 20 feet of water off North Carolina's coast will be displayed at the U-shaped exhibit, which begins with an introduction to the QAR project and to Blackbeard himself. Most of the artifacts have never been displayed for the public, Moore said. The first large anchor recovered a couple of weeks ago from the shipwreck won't be displayed either. It will spend about five years in conservation before it's on public view. "His history is better than fiction," says pirate enthusiast Pat Croce, who once owned part of the Philadelphia 76ers. The exhibit will be popular because Blackbeard "is the most outlandish pirate on the planet" even though he probably only ruled the seas for a few years. He wore guns across his chest, a cutlass in his belt and a dagger in his boot. And then there was that beard, which covered much of his face. He would tie slow-burning matches or hemp to the ends and under his hat, making smoke billow around his face. "He used psychological warfare," says Croce, who owns the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum in Florida and who wrote an illustrated children's book about Blackbeard. "He was learned, he read. He understood how people feared pirates." Pirates from the Queen Anne's Revenge who were tried later in South Carolina testified that they believed Blackbeard ran the ship aground on purpose because he had too many crew members — a piracy form of forced layoffs, Moore said. At that point, he had 300 to 400 pirates on the four ships under his command and realized the Queen Anne's Revenge wouldn't work in and around North Carolina waters where he planned to base his operations near Ocracoke because the waters were too shallow for such a big ship. "He took off with the smallest sloop and, along with 40 handpicked crew members, took everything of value with him," Moore said. The Queen Anne's Revenge began its life as a French slave ship that Blackbeard captured renamed. Blackbeard, whose real name was widely believed to be Edward Teach or Thatch, received a governor's pardon. Although some reports say he settled in Bath, Moore believes Blackbeard built or bought a house, but stayed mostly in the Ocracoke area. Despite his pardon from Gov. Charles Eden, Blackbeard ended up being killed and beheaded after Virginia Gov. Spotswood sent volunteers with the Royal Navy after him in November 1718. As a trophy, they took Blackbeard's head, which hung on a pole at the entrance to Hampton Harbor. The exhibit has been in the works for more than a year, well before the state planned in mid-April to recover the first large anchor from the shipwreck and before Disney released the fourth installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean," which includes turns by both Blackbeard and his flagship, Moore said. There's no admission for the exhibit, and no date for it to close because the museum plans to keep it on permanent display. The museum averages about 200,000 visitors a year, and Moore expects the exhibit to increase those numbers. "This is a living, breathing entity," he said. "This is basically what you could call a baseline of material and artifacts that will continue to develop and grow as more and more material comes out of the conservation lab. ... It's not like people will come back in six months and see exactly the same thing. There will always be material added to this." ___ Online: http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com/ Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

chicagotribune.com - Travel: Memorial to Old Man of the Mountain progressing slowly

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com Memorial to Old Man of the Mountain progressing slowly 10 Jun 2011, 3:02 pm FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — Eight years after tumbling from his mountain perch, a grand plan to build a legacy to New Hampshire's iconic Old Man of the Mountain is taking shape. The first phase of a memorial to the jagged granite profile that graces state license plates and road signs has been completed. But timing of the future phases is uncertain because donations have fallen far short of what's needed to finish the memorial. For now, when viewed from the right angle, visitors to Franconia Notch State Park, located in the White Mountain National Forest, can "see" the Old Man's profile, in a sense. Seven steel rods driven into a granite base hang over Profile Lake and point toward the cliff. Each has a series of irregular shapes on the side. When visitors position themselves correctly with the shapes, they can view an outline of the profile of a face in the same place where the Old Man existed for thousands of years, more than 1,000 feet above the lake. Below the Profilers, in a plaza, workers are installing granite paving stones with donors' names and messages. "Fallen Rock Star," ''Miss You, Old Man," ''Live, Love and Celebrate Life," and "Be Easy, Be Cool," are some of the notes to the Old Man, who fell 1,200 feet and crumbled to bits on May 3, 2003. On Sunday, the plaza will be dedicated. Eventually, five huge standing granite stones will be added to the park, that, when viewed in alignment, form the profile at about half the size of the naturally formed granite outcropping. But that will require much of the $3 million still needed to quarry, carve and transport 20-foot-high stones. A gateway honoring those who worked to preserve the Old Man also is to be built. A March 2010 visitor analysis by the Institute for New Hampshire Studies at Plymouth State University said the memorial could draw an estimated 20,000 more visitors annually, with additional spending by these travelers of $1.7 million. Tourism is one of the state's biggest industries. Dick Hamilton of Littleton, who has spent more than 50 years in the state's travel and tourism industry, is chairman of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund. His paver says "Good Night Boss," which he used to say to the Old Man many nights driving home from work. "It's been a frustrating process," Hamilton said of efforts to raise money and see the memorial progress. He blames the economy, which hasn't been kind to nonprofits. Despite the delays, people still hold a place in their heart for the Old Man, including those who never saw him in person. A group of fifth-graders in Rye raised money for him by selling pet rocks, complete with pipe cleaners and googly eyes. A Nashville musician originally from New Hampshire wrote a song to him. And a woman in Tulsa, Okla., who also grew up in the Granite State has transformed the oak tree in her front yard, felled by an ice storm, into a wooden sculpture of the Old Man, with "Live Free or Die," the state motto. "It's a very warm, happy childhood memory," Nanette Dye recalls of the Old Man. She and her seven siblings would stop and visit him on the way north to see family in Quebec. The first one who saw him "got to pick where we ate." Hamilton is hopeful, too. He pointed out that during Memorial Day weekend, about 200 people visited each day, including a class of middle-school students from Japan who were touring New England. "They wanted to come see what Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about," Hamilton said. Among his works was The Great Stone Face," an essay published in 1850. For Sunday's plaza dedication, schoolchildren will sing a song to the Old Man first performed at the original dedication of the Franconia Notch State Park in 1928. The ceremony will coincide with the "Watch Over Us" ride kicking off the 88th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, one of several big motorcycle rallies across the country. Many law enforcement officers and veterans are expected to ride into the park, which was originally dedicated to volunteers. ___ Online: http://www.oldmanofthemountainlegacyfund.org/ Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

chicagotribune.com - Travel: 9 cheap, dream vacations

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com 9 cheap, dream vacations 7 Jun 2011, 10:18 pm To our readers: Registration is required before your comments can be posted. Constructive and respectful comments related to the topic of the story are welcome; abusive, crass or vulgar comments are not. Comments containing vulgar words will be filtered out. Please make sure your language is civil and your comment furthers the conversation. Personal attacks on others who comment are not appropriate. Hateful, racist or threatening comments are not allowed. This is not a spot for free advertising or spam. We encourage you to help us uphold these standards by reporting abuse where appropriate. Ignoring the standards will result in your comment being removed. Repeat offenders will be banned. If warranted, we will take down entire comment boards. Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

chicagotribune.com - Travel: Protecting tourist sites in a post-9/11 world

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com Protecting tourist sites in a post-9/11 world 10 Jun 2011, 3:21 pm SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bicyclists zoom across the Golden Gate Bridge, wander open walkways on either side and stop for hot coffee at a cafe at the base. A bridge officer cruises by on his patrol bike. The security at one of the country's most famous landmarks is pretty relaxed. And so are the tourists. "If there was a place terrorists would pick, this would probably be it," admitted 33-year-old Alison Fine of Houston, who snapped photos of her family with the bridge shrouded in fog. "I'm not worried, though." Across the country, tourists go through security scanners and remove belts and shoes before they can get close enough to the Statue of Liberty. As millions flock to summer vacations at national landmarks — particularly those that are embedded in our culture as symbols of freedom and the American spirit — the level of post-Sept. 11 security often depends on the symbolism. There have been few credible threats to the nation's icons over the past decades, authorities say — although a New York suspect admitted to a plot to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge, and many others have talked about attacking other New York landmarks. There have been other pranks and incidents — like when pro-Tibet protesters tried to climb up the Golden Gate in 2008, or when Greenpeace unfurled a banner atop Mount Rushmore in 2009. The statue, the White House, Washington Monument, Liberty Bell and St. Louis' Gateway Arch still have "airport-like" security nearly a decade after Sept. 11, National Park Service spokesman David Barna said. But U.S. officials disagree on how to strike a delicate balance between protecting our national icons from terror threats and inviting the public to visit them. In 2003 and 2009, the General Accounting Office wrote reports saying that security at the nation's monuments needed improvement. The U.S. Park Police said something similar in 2008. The latest report in 2009 charged that the National Park Service was disorganized in the way it spends money, shares information and trains officers. "For example, staff that are assigned security duties are generally not required to meet qualifications or undergo specialized training," the report said. "Absent a security training curriculum, there is less assurance that staff are well-equipped to effectively identify and mitigate risks at national icons and parks." In an email sent June 3 to The Associated Press, GAO spokeswoman Laura Kopelson wrote: "According to the director of the national icon security review, NPS has not yet informed us of their actions on our recommendations in the 2009 report." Barna said all of the recommendations have been implemented. The number of law enforcement officers within the park service — which oversees both wild parks such as the Grand Canyon and national monuments — has increased by 1,500 to almost 4,000 since Sept. 11. The five most secured icons in the country "tend to have a single access entry point," Barna said, making mass casualties more of a threat. At the base of the Washington Monument, visitors get their bags searched in a small white building at the monument's base, which houses a magnetometer. A submerged sidewalk was built after Sept. 11 all the way around the monument. At the Statue of Liberty — which shut down completely until 2004 and kept its crown from visitors until 2009 — a complex system greets visitors. After they wait in a long line behind police barricades, visitors enter a giant white tent where they face security that resembles an airport terminal with six metal detectors. The tent is staffed by a private security firm and several police officers are also on hand. Signs posted near the tent entrance warn visitors that use of cell phones and cameras is not allowed in the tent. Other signs are filled with graphics illustrating a lineup of items that cannot be taken along, including coolers, large baggage and packages. Once on Liberty Island, visitors are required to have special passes — acquired days or weeks earlier — to enter the statue itself. And another security tent is set up just feet from the base of the statue. "You just accept it," shrugged Martin Lightfoot, a 51-year-old from London. He noted he shed his belt and watch before being allowed to pass through. "It's tighter security than I saw at the airport," he said. Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

chicagotribune.com - Travel: Zion National Park launches volunteer program

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com Zion National Park launches volunteer program 10 Jun 2011, 3:16 pm By Associated Press 9:16 a.m. CDT, June 10, 2011 ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah (AP) — Zion National Park has launched a weekly, drop-in volunteer program to allow the public to help improve the park. Officials say the new Friday-only program is open to both visitors and residents of park-area communities from June to November. Volunteers should meet at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center shuttle stop at 9 a.m., and expect to work about three hours. No special skills or knowledge is required. Projects will include litter removal, trail maintenance, invasive weed management and other activities to enhance the park's appearance, resource management and visitor experience. Pre-registration is only required for groups of 10 or more. Those under 18 should be accompanied by an adult. Park officials recommend participants bring water and sunscreen, wear sturdy shoes and hats. Gloves and tools will be supplied. Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

chicagotribune.com - Travel: Fill in family history in Indiana

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com Fill in family history in Indiana 10 Jun 2011, 6:25 pm Family historian Barbara Moorhouse's most thrilling moment was opening an oversize book of old maps at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Ind. Like many modern, tech-savvy amateur genealogists, Moorhouse has been able to do most of her research online. But finding and "actually holding" a book of old county plats, one marked with a family name, was special in a way that cannot be duplicated by computer, she says. "I have yet to visit a county courthouse," the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., resident admits of a once-necessary stop. The book is part of the library's Genealogy Center, the nation's largest public genealogy collection. One of the nation's most complete and important family history research sites, the facility draws visitors from across the country. It is open seven days a week from September through May, closed Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Its location makes it easy for Midwesterners to fill in a branch on the family tree as part of an affordable getaway weekend. The collection has 1 million textual items and access to millions more, all free to visitors. It includes census records, military records dating to the 1700s, National Archives passenger lists and indexes covering 163 ports of entry on microfilm. It has one of the largest collections of city directories in the country and the largest English-language genealogy and local history periodical collection in the world, with more than 10,000 titles. In addition, the center has access to important national and international genealogy databases. Curt Witcher, manager of the Genealogy Center and Special Collections, says that 30 years ago, tracing the family tree usually meant a trip to the local library. Today, would-be family historians more likely begin by logging on to the home computer and Ancestry.com. Hunting down old records once was arduous, but today's easy access brings a new set of problems. "What is the data I should be gathering?" is one of the most common questions staff members hear from visitors "either overwhelmed or frustrated" by all that is available, Witcher says. His staff is trained to help visitors cut the hit-or-miss factor that is a big part of family research. And he boasts that his "staff's expertise and access to databases" mean "there is no question we can't answer." Visiting the Genealogy Center, however, is most rewarding to those who have already done some basic spadework, he says. "You'd be surprised how many people come here a week before they are going to Ireland and want to find out something about family history," he says. To help people get started, the Genealogy Center has a rich and easy-to-navigate website, geneal ogycenter.org. The site has tips on how to begin a family history, a genealogy blog, a monthly e-zine, and an orientation video of the center for those contemplating a visit. The Genealogy Center is on the second floor of the library in downtown Fort Wayne. The 7-year-old library is equipped with free Wi-Fi, and there are plenty of tables with outlets for laptops and enough room to spread out books and papers. The center has a number of computers with access to databases from Ancestry.com to the Mormon holdings in Salt Lake City. In addition, printers and microtext readers for printing or downloading information are scattered throughout. "I wouldn't go there if you haven't started on the family tree," advises Moorhouse, echoing Witcher. "There is so much there it is almost overwhelming." But those with a focus will find "you can access all this stuff yourself," she says. Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

chicagotribune.com - Travel: Europe boasts a gorgeous natural side

chicagotribune.com - Travel Headlines from chicagotribune.com Europe boasts a gorgeous natural side 7 Jun 2011, 9:26 pm While traveling in England last summer, I hiked through the Cotswolds countryside. The two-hour trek took me from the charming hill town of Stow-on-the-Wold, through the villages of Lower and Upper Slaughter to Bourton-on-the-Water, the "Venice of the Cotswolds." Along the way, I caught backyard glimpses of farms in action, ducks rudely swimming butt-up in mill ponds, rabbits popping up in fields video-game style, ancient wind-sculpted trees, wet and slippery kissing gates, and slender slate church spires marking distant villages where I knew a hot cup of tea was waiting. When I think back on my trip, that hike was a highlight. Europe is a treasure chest of great art and history. But it's also a continent filled with natural beauty, often overlooked by tourists too busy sprinting through sights or searching for the perfect souvenir. But a day in the great outdoors can be just as culturally fulfilling as another church or museum — and much more invigorating. Europe's greatest natural gift is the Alps. Even those who know a Rocky Mountain high find something special about the Alps. Here, nature and civilization mix comfortably, as if man and mountain shared the same crib. The Swiss village of Taveyanne, southeast of Lake Geneva, is a jumble of log cabins and snoozing cows stranded all alone at 5,000 feet. The only business in town is the Refuge de Taveyanne, where the Siebenthal family serves traditional meals in a bucolic setting with no electricity — just a huge charred fireplace, prehistoric cash register and hanging ornamental cowbells. In Austria, the Hinterhornalm offers the ultimate country-alpine experience. After winding up to the summit by car, you're greeted by the rustic Hinterhornalm Berg restaurant and, on sunny days, a butterfly nest of hang-gliders ready to take flight. From here, it's a 20-minute walk to Walderalm, a cluster of three dairy farms with 70 cows that share their meadow with the clouds. The ladies of the farms serve soup, sandwiches and drinks, including very fresh milk in the afternoon, on rough plank tables overlooking the valley and, in the distance, tourist-filled Innsbruck. Tiny Slovenia offers fine alpine scenery with a Slavic twist. Spend a day driving over the breathtaking Vrsic Pass. The road crests at 5,000 feet, where a mountain hut offers stunning views. After twisting back down the other side of the mountains, drivers end up in the valley of the Soca River, with water that's somehow both crystal clear and spectacularly turquoise. This mecca for kayakers and other whitewater adventurers is known as "Adrenaline Valley." Nestled inside the Dolomites, Italy's own stretch of Alps, is Europe's largest high alpine meadow, the Alpe di Siusi. Dotted by farm huts and wildflowers, and surrounded by dramatic peaks, the 8-by-20-mile meadow seems to float at 6,500 feet. Crisscrossed by trails, it's ideal for flower lovers, walkers and equestrians. It's also family friendly, with chalet restaurants, playgrounds and plenty of animals to pet at a little park. Being here on a sunny summer day feels like a day at the beach. There's more to Europe's natural side than mountains. Le Grand Canyon du Verdon is France's answer to the Grand Canyon. The scenery is dramatic, with overpowering slabs of white and salmon-colored limestone plunging impossible distances to the snaking Verdon River far below. The best way to see the canyon is by driving along its left bank, though adventurous travelers can hike down into the canyon. Perhaps my favorite place to commune with nature is in Italy's Cinque Terre. The five towns that make up the Cinque Terre are strung together by a series of trails that form a national park. Hiking these trails — a seven-mile, five-hour journey — is one of the most exhilarating experiences. Take your time and smell the cactus flowers and herbs, listen to birds and enjoy spectacular vistas on all sides. When I visited a few months ago, I was saddened to learn that plans to improve the park by adding information offices, mountain biking, museums and other amenities had been scuttled due to misuse of funds (visitors pay about $7 to hike). The guilty officials have been removed from power, but the damage has been done, and the park is in limbo. Still, my spirits lifted as I hiked among the vineyards and olive groves, with views of Vernazza's castle in the distance and thinking of my post-hike reward: seafood and white wine followed by a quiet sit on the harborfront. The Cinque Terre is still my favorite stretch of Mediterranean coastline, and its beauty can't be marred, even by government corruption. People often say they need a vacation to recover from their European vacation. But if you take a few days to slow down and explore Europe's natural wonders, you may come home revitalized. Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.) Chat about this story w/ Talkita You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.