What's a Trippy?

Where are we going?

Bran Castle, originally built around 1212 as a military stronghold for the Teutonic Knights, was probably never occupied by Romanian prince Vlad Tepes ("the Impaler," 1431-1476), but the Dracula legend has placed him as an occupant and this is billed as "Dracula's Castle." Vlad was the inspiration for Count Dracula in the Bram Stoker novel. He had a way of mounting captured enemy soldiers and impaling them on stakes. He even dined in front of his slowing-dying victims, no doubt inspiring a legendary thirst for human flesh and blood.

What's to see?

The castle is open to tourists and there are guided tours of the rooms and the park surrounding the castle, with a display of Romanian peasant houses. Traditional Romanian furniture and crafts are on display in the castle.

Location?

Brasov, Romania in the souteastern part of the state of Transylvania
 

Dracula's Castle Sampler

Vlad Tepes ("the Impaler"), the historical figure who inspired the Dracula legend

In this evening view of Bran Castle, it's easy to conjure up images of Count Dracula and sinister deeds.

 The courtyard inside Bran Castle

 Bran Castle's external walls shows great craftsmanship and recall its earlier use as a strong military fortification.

A great room in Bran Castle

Photo credits: IFC Home, Virtual Tourist, Eliberatica, Romanian Monasteries, Romanian Sights, Draculas, The Joker

Where are we going?

Central Park in New York City -- the island of Manhattan, to be more precise.  It's significant to visit because it was the first landscaped public park in the United States, a project that started in 1853 when the New York legislature set aside 843 acres of land -- 6% of Manhattan -- to give residents a well-groomed and thoughtfully planned park experience similar to London and other cosmopolitan cities. It was originally designed to offer a great place for families to take walks and carriage rides. An 1857 contest by the Central Park Commission became the first-ever U.S. landscape design competition, and it was won by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The park opened in 1859 and has been a great success ever since.

What's to see?

The park is a masterful mixture of beautiful trees, shrubs, and flower plantings, statues, ornate bridgework, formal mall settings and more natural paths, manmade lakes that replaced swampland, and an amazing variety of events, like boating, sports venues, concerts, art happenings, restaurants, and the famous Central Park Zoo.

Location?

The island of Manhattan -- New York, NY
 

Central Park Sampler

Plan for Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Mall scene in Central Park

Much-photographed park bridge

The Boathouse rents out boats and has a fantastic restaurant

Secluded bridge near the south end of the park

Satellite view of the park

Autumn in New York

Watery havens with angel fountain and lake

Strawberry Fields mosaic, a tribute to John Lennon in the park

The park is definitely for the young . . . and the young at heart

Photo credits: Central Park NY, Paz's New York Minute, TravelBlog, Travel Advisor, London Dan, TMCnet, Worlds of Water, Dilloallaluna, Nazareth Housing 

Where are we going?

What's to see?

Location?

Stanislaw Leszcynski

Louis XV, King of France and Navarre

Barthelemy Guibal's Fountain of Amphitrite

Place Stanislas, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jean Lamour's Wrought-Iron Gates

Louis XV Triumphal Arch

Hotel de Ville (Town Hall)

Ducal Palace and Street Market

Entrance, Ducal Palace

Hotel de la Reine

Photo credits: Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Wikipedia, Picasa Web, Modestine 2 Blogspot, Picasa Web

Trippy:

Trippy to: the houses and commercial buildings in Mason City, Iowa, a town of about 30,000 residents known for being the home of Meredith Wilson, musician and author of the beloved Music Man, and famous puppeteer Bil Baird -- remember his alpine puppets used by Julie Andrews and the VonTrapp children in The Sound of Music?

What's to see? Mason City, for its size, is chock-full of interesting residential and commercial architecture. This is one site where you can find the only existing hotel (out of 6) designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the 1910 Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank complex, and his 1908  Stockman House. It's also the home to important residential architecture by Walter Burley Griffin (also known for his civic designs of Canberra, the capital of Australia) and Marion Mahoney Griffin. The Griffin's Rock Crest-Rock Glen parcel of 18 acres along the Willow River is the largest Prairie School collection of homes in a natural setting. Projects by noted Prairie School architects William Drummond and Barry Byrne are also in Mason City.

Location: Mason City, Iowa, which is in north central Iowa, almost midway between Des Moines, IA (south) and Minneapolis, MN (north)

Mason City Architecture Sampler:

Photo credits: Stockman House Museum, Iowa Architecture, Fred Camper, Steinerag, Offenburger.com, Radio Iowa, Walter Burley Griffin Society, The Journal Times, Peter Beers

Trippy:

Trippy to: the Palace of the Governors, the oldest public building in continuous operation in the United States, an adobe structure built in 1610

What's to see? The building is literally filled with history, first as the original seat of government for the Southwest Territory and New Mexico by the Spanish government -- the first American capital -- and now as home of The New Mexico History Museum. Use this as a jumping-off spot to explore historic Santa Fe, and stay in luxury at the nearby Inn of the Anasazi.

Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Palace of the Governors Sampler:

Photo credits: Fly Away Cafe, Flickr, Santa Fe Indian Market, Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe Unlimited, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Big Lar's Picture Stories

Trippy:

Trippy to: the Isles of Scilly, including the most visited of the islands, Tresco

What's to see? Over a hundred rocky islands -- many uninhabited -- with Britain's best beaches, archaeological wonders like Cromwell's Castle, exotic palm trees, the acclaimed Tresco Abbey Gardens, and other subtropical wonders thanks to the warmth-giving Gulf Stream. Be sure to see Penzance and Land's End on the British mainland and use the former as home base while you go isle hopping.

Location: Cornwall, England, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the English Channel

Isles of Scilly Sampler:

Photo credits: Tresco Estate, Cornwalls, Cornovia, Trefula, Airport Direct Travel, Simply Scilly

Trippy:

Trippy to: the Mark Twain House, a 19-room High Victorian mansion designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter; this was where Twain and his wife and three daughters lived from 1874 to 1891 and where he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the mansion is only one of two remaining domestic interiors to feature the decorative work of Louis Comfort Tiffany

Location: Hartford, Connecticut

Mark Twain House Sampler:

Photo Credits: Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Official Mark Twain Website, Museum Network, Jackie Craven on About.com Architecture, Nalanda Digital Library

Trippy:

Trippy to: Antigua and Barbuda is a nation, but much less formally, they're island paradises with a rich history dating back to the early Caribs, the intervention of Europeans, and the introduction of African slaves to the islands; there were major British sugar plantation interests and colonial government  influence over the islands, but now they cater to anyone interested in sun and relaxation

Location: Caribbean Ocean, Antigua and Barbuda, Lesser Antilles

Antigua and Barbuda Sampler:

Photo credits: Barbudaful, BBC Leicester, Antigua and Barbuda, Atlasgeo.net, Worldly.Info, Sunset Villa Antigua, Captain Bill Crouch, Wikipedia, Caribbean Islands, Wayfaring Travel Guide, Mike's Travel Tips

Trippy:

Trippy to: Hotel Imperial, the Renaissance-style centerpiece hotel in Vienna, built in 1863 by Emperor Franz Josef for his niece and her hubbie the Duke of Wurtemberg; it was used for housing the Duke's guests, and it is still the official hotel for Austrian state guests. Notable guests have run the gamut from Hitler and Wagner to Anthony Quinn.

Location: Vienna, Austria

Hotel Imperial Sampler:

Photo credits: Famous Hotels, Seasons in Style, JP Moser, Renee Ashley Baker, Wedding Queen, Guideurope, Wikimedia Commons, Luxury Collection, Concierge.com

Trippy:

Trippy to: Maastricht, home of The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), an annual event considered by many to be the highest-end A-List art marketplace with 150 of the world's best art and antique dealers. The city is the oldest in the Netherlands, built on an ancient Roman site and famed for its high-end shopping, scenery, dining, a winter Carnival celebration, and an annual gathering of the art world.

Location: Maastricht, the Netherlands, at Holland's southernmost tip, close to Belgium and Germany

Maastricht and TEFAF Sampler:

Photo credits: NY Times Travel, Travel Guide 2 Holland, Archief Historische Kring, MPI Maastricht 2009, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Maastricht Bed and Breakfast, Daniel's Maastricht Page, NY Times Art & Design