Dear Reader,
This month’s Travel Post starts out in the city of Mostar, Bosnia, described by our writer as “definitely not a tourist-trap city, but very much remote, mysterious, and exotic.”
Bug Light has been a beacon for mariners along Portland, Maine’s rocky coast for 141 years. Today, visitors on foot enjoy a panoramic view of Casco Bay and the Portland skyline from the park that surrounds the lighthouse and the attached keeper’s cottage.
“Thousands of tropical butterflies (up to 70 species) fly through our large facilities the size of almost 3 basketball courts,” asserts Victoria Butterfly Gardens’ website. The Insectarium is the newest addition to this “vibrant jungle experience” in British Columbia, Canada.
The Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast, at cliff’s edge along the Oregon coast, offers guests a seven-course breakfast in addition to the views and the comfort of its Victorian lodgings.
Our last writer takes us to Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens in Australia, “an ideal place to slow down and calm your mind.” You can stroll through rock gardens, around small pools, and past “ferns that rise above your head like parasols.”
Read these stories — and see the great photos that go with them — below.
Safe travels,
Janette Jones
Editor, Travel Post Monthly
This Month …
- Mostar’s Many Faces (7/3/2017) - Tightly compact arteries of merging alleyways are packed with shops, restaurants, art galleries, and mosques. Some shops sell very unique “souvenirs.” Look closely; those are genuine wartime military helmets next to an arsenal of knives, bullets, and weaponry. Looking for a gas mask for that special someone back home? You know U.S. Customs will have a LOT to say about your souvenirs.
- The Helpful Little Lighthouse (7/3/2017) - For centuries lighthouses have stood guard over rocky shores the world over, providing safe passage to mariners and their ships traveling far and wide for industry and commerce. Portland, Maine’s Breakwater “Bug” Light is no exception.
- Short Stop Big Reward: Victoria Butterfly Gardens (7/3/2017) - Although Victoria Butterfly Gardens is small in size and can be toured in an hour, you may wish to stay longer, wandering the pathways that will bring you to ponds filled with koi, tortoises, frogs, and tropical birds including the peaceful and elegant flamingos.
- Romance, History, and a Seven-Course Breakfast — Cliffside on the Oregon Coast (7/3/2017) - Two parlors with cozy fireplaces, each furnished with an antique velvet couch and period tables and lamps, invite reading and playing games. While you are relaxing, you might want to read a story about the resident ghost, Rue, or peruse the Cook Book, for a look-see at what might be on the breakfast table in the morning.
- Escape to a Fairyland at Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens (7/3/2017) - Today the park is an oasis for locals and tourists alike. Managed by Parks Victoria, the gardens are a well-maintained blend of exotic and native flora. Maples, ginkgoes, and catalpa intermingle with indigenous ferns, orchids, and eucalyptus trees. Beautiful all year round, each season offers something new. Rhododendrons, azaleas, and cherry flowers bloom in the spring, and hydrangeas and fuchsias in summer. Autumn brings colorful foliage, and camellias and kalmia flower in winter.