Byways Magazine Vol 26 Issue 3 2009

Featuring North America始s Leading Travel Destinations

Famous American Byways

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PREVIEW

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ith this issue of Byways , I want to welcome many new readers as we transition from a print publication to a digital publication, one that can be read by anyone, anywhere, and at any time.

For those of you new to Byways, we have been featuring North America’s leading group tour destinations for more than 25 years. In the past, our circulation was limited to professional tour planners.

With this edition, we are opening Byways to the traveling public, to those with an interest in travel destinations throughout the United States and Canada.

Byways is now a free subscription, and available to those with an internet connection.

As a result, our subscription base has grown to over 500,000 readers, and more are being added everyday.

For our new readers, welcome aboard, and we hope you enjoy reading about our favorite North American travel destinations as we do writing about them.

There’s some real benefits to a digital version of the magazine.

First, we no longer have to cut down a lot of trees to get the publication to you.

Electronic distribution eliminates the need for paper, and you can imagine how many trees we have used in printing the publication over the past 25 years.

There are more advantages of digital distribution, and they include: 4 • Byways

By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher • Faster delivery than a print edition • Download any time, read anywhere • Easy navigation to editorial and advertiser web links • Audio and video opportunities • Search, share and save favorite articles •Ability to serve a large audience without the need to charge a subscription fee.

Along the Vocanic Legacy Scenic Byway in California

In this issue we feature Famous American Byways. We’ve all heard about Scenic Byways, but what are they?

What’s the difference between an All American Road, and a Scenic Byway?

You’ll find out in this story, as we present many of our leading roads and Byways, and a few that are not.

From the Trail of Anicients to the Las Vegas Strip, from Death Valley in California to the Seaway Trail in New York, we cover Scenic Byways in this annual edition highlighting great American Roads.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Byways.

Volume 26, Issue No. 3, 2009 Coverage of Famous American Byways begins on page 6. The cover, Owachomo Natural Bridge in Utah is along the Trail of the Ancients.

Photo courtesy of Utah Office of Tourism.

Features Famous American Byways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Trail of the Ancients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Death Valley Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Las Vegas Strip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Lake Tahoe-Eastshore Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Oregon’s Historic Columbia River Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Beartooth Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Talimena Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Sandhills Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 National Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Country Music Highway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Old Valley Pike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Florida’s State Road A1A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Seaway Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Departments

Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 What’s Happening Largest Telescope, Scenic Beauty in West Virginia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Educa-Tours in Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Independence, Missouri Celebrates Truman’s 125th Birthday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Philadelphia’s CityPass Adds Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Coming in future issues of Byways…

The Top Motorcoach Destinations of 2010, Traveling South, The Sesquicentennial: the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, Nebraska Tour Destinations, and more.

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Famous American Byw

Photo by Marc Averette

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erican Byways

Monument Valley, Utah, along the Trail of Ancients National Scenic Byway. Monument Valley was actor John Wayneʼs favorite movie location. As Wayne said, “This is where God put the West.”

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Famous American Byways

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n the United States, we have Byways, National Scenic Byways, and AllAmerican Roads.

A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation’s scenic but often less-traveled roads and promote tourism and economic development.

The most scenic of the roads in the program are designated All-American Roads. The designation means they have features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States and are scenic enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves.

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have Scenic Byways programs to recognize outstanding roadways as part of the National Scenic Byways Program.

Each state also designates State Scenic Byways, so a road can be officially recognized as a Scenic Byway, but not be part of the federal program.

That’s why the theme is America’s Famous Byways, as it includes coverage from all the available categories of roads in the country in this issue of Byways.

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The Trail of The Ancients

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he Trail of the Ancients takes you back to a time long before the United States existed, long before Spaniards came north from what is today Central America.

Amazingly, some regions of the Colorado Plateau remain today much as they must have been in the 13th and 14th centuries. Arid and mostly uninhabited, the terrain along the Byway conceals secrets of bygone populations, vibrant people who came and went like snow in warm spring sunshine or tumbleweeds at the front of a desert storm. Explore the long, intriguing occupation of the Four Corners region by Native American peoples.

The Byway travels through some of the country’s most beautiful yet austere country, lending itself to contemplation, rejuvenation and recreational adventures.

Visitors may climb the ladder into the reconstructed kiva and wander through the residence block around the kiva at the Three Kiva Pueblo at Hovenweep National Monument.

Visitors explore the Balcony House at the Pueblo dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park, CO.

Though desolate now, people have lived around the Trail of the Ancients from at least 10,000 BC. They sustained themselves by hunting game and gathering food plants. The Ancestral Puebloans entered the scene later and occupied the Four Corners area from around AD 1300.

Their life revolved around settled communities and horticulture. At numerous stops along the circuitous Byway today, ruins and other cultural elements such as tools, pottery shards, petroglyphs, and pictographs, serve as rich reminders of these ancient peoples.

There are over 4,000 known archaeological sites in Mesa Verde National Park, 600 of which are cliff dwellings, telling the story of a civilization’s dynamic growth over 700 years. Hundreds of homes and villages are over eight centuries old. Preserved by overhanging cliff ledges, their beauty and complexity speak eloquently of the ancient people who built them. After the Ancestral Puebloans, both Ute and Navajo Indians settled in the area, enriching the cultural

traces that can be found by today’s tourist along the entire Byway.

The Trail of the Ancients has more to offer than archaeology. Float down the San Juan River, or photograph Natural Bridges National Monument. Backpack or ride horseback into the Grand Gulch Primitive Area, or stand in four states at once (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona) at the Four Corners Monument.

Enjoy huge vistas, marvelous sunsets, and bright red and orange sandstone.

With this spectacular backdrop, the Trail of the Ancients offers a vacation and an education.

The Four Corners Monument

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A small spring in the middle of the salt flats -- but the water is undrinkable.

Death Valley Scenic Byway

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gateway to over 3.3 million acres of spectacular scenery, expansive vistas, rare desert wildlife and historical and cultural sites, this Byway travels through sculpted hills and shifting sand dunes and even dips below sea level. Death Valley features the lowest point and the hottest place in North America.

Death Valley Scenic Byway, which traverses Death Valley National Park from its west entrance on Highway 190 to the east edge of the park, is one of the most unique and dynamic routes in the western United States.

Its scenic diversity includes deep rugged canyons, sand dunes, and,

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surprisingly, even fragile wetlands. The desert is surrounded by high rising mountain ranges, adding dramatic contrast to the scenic variety and creating one of the greatest vertical rises in the U.S. From the lowest point in the valley to the top of Telescope Peak is 11,049 feet.

Dealth Valley sand dunes

The Las Vegas Strip

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as Vegas Boulevard is America’s only nighttime Byway and possibly the most concentrated collection of neon and lights in the world. It has been designated an All American Highway.

At its heart, the Las Vegas Strip sparkles like no other place on earth.

Millions of visitors from around the world are drawn to the lights of the Strip each year to experience its unique blend of lavishly landscaped resorts, world-class entertainment, and exciting nightlife.

Whatever you choose to do, you’ll find an ideal adventure along the Las Vegas Strip.

Many of the largest hotels, casinos and resort properties in the world are located on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

Nineteen of the world’s twenty-five largest hotels by room count are on the Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms.

One of the most visible aspects of Las Vegas’ cityscape is its use of dramatic architecture. The modernization of hotels, casinos, restaurants, and residential high-rises on the Strip has established the city as one of the most popular destinations for tourists.

The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931, but the first on what is currently the Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on April 3, 1941, with 63 rooms. That casino stood for almost twenty years before being destroyed by a fire in 1960. Its success Byways • 11

The Las Vegas strip in daylight

spawned a second hotel on what would become the Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942. The Flamingo opened a few years later, on December 26, 1946.

The rest is history.

The Las Vegas Strip is truly a one-of-a kind destination, famous for fantastic sights and sounds and out-of-this-world activities. From glamour to glitz, excitement to relaxation, and everything in between, you’ll find the adventure of a lifetime on this dazzling road.

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Lake Tahoe-Eastshore Drive

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eferred to as “the most beautiful drive in America,” the Lake TahoeEastshore Drive contains picturesque scenery that will prove its reputation true.

Pristine Lake Tahoe, surrounded by the snowcapped Sierras, is the ultimate destination for fun in the sun during any season.

Part of the Pony Express Trail and home to the historic sacred grounds of the Washoe Indians, Lake Tahoe offers something for everyone year-round.

State Route 28 is a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) road that runs along the northeastern shore of Lake Tahoe. The road has been designated as the north piece of the Lake Tahoe-Eastshore Drive Scenic Byway.

The Route 28 corridor has been used for flumes in the timber industry since 1880. The highway gained fame for many years as the location of the Ponderosa Ranch, filming location of “Bonanza”. If rough and rugged are characteristics of National Motorcoach Network, Inc.

Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains

your ultimate vacation, camping, hiking, Drive is an area where everyone can find biking, and skiing are a few of the activi- something magical or memorable, against ties you can enjoy near Lake Tahoe. If the gorgeous backdrop of the Sierras and fantastic shopping and fine dining is more stunning Lake Tahoe. your speed, Tahoe has that, too!

The greater Lake Tahoe area is surrounded by the finest in city entertainment. Play a little golf on some of Tahoe’s famous golf courses, or dine in one of the restaurants at Incline Village.

Shopping and other city entertainment, such as theater and music performances, are just a 20-mile scenic drive away, in the city of Reno.

Relaxing at a Lake Tahoe beach with Lake Tahoe-Eastshore snowcapped peaks nearby.

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Oregon’s Historic Columbia River Highway

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very twist and turn brings a new reward along the Historic Columbia River Highway, from majestic waterfalls such as Bridal Veil Falls and Multnomah Falls, to astounding views from the tops of cliffs over 900 feet above the river.

The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately 75-mile scenic highway in Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922.

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As the first planned scenic roadway in the U.S., it is the first one to gain the distinction of National Historic Landmark.

The Hood River County, OR Museum is one of the best places to better understand the history of the Byway, leading visitors through the time of the earliest settlers of the area to the present.

The construction of this Highway was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the modern age. Designed from the beginning to be sympathetic to the magnificent landscape, the Columbia

River Highway was a technical and civic achievement of its time.

The Columbia River Gorge is the lowest crossing of the Cascade Mountains, carved by the Columbia River during the Cascades’ uplift. Rafting down the gorge from The Dalles was one of the most expensive and dangerous parts of the Oregon Trail, traveled by thousands of emigrants to the Oregon Territory, until the Barlow Road opened in 1846 around the south side of Mount Hood. It was not until 1882 that the Oregon Railway and

Navigation Company finally opened a water-level route, partially destroying the wagon road. With the onset of the automobile and the good roads movement of the early 20th century, a road was once again needed, and Multnomah County began the highway project in 1913.

Engineers wanted to do things “the right way…so as not to mar what God put there.” They wanted to “find the beauty spots, or those points where the most beautiful things along the line might be seen in the best advantage, and if possible…locate the road in such a way as to reach them.”

Because of this philosophy, tourists and travelers can now enjoy the idyllic Columbia River Gorge at its finest, its beauty almost untouched by man. The road was completed and then dedicated on June 7, 1916.

Modern highways and other developments have resulted in the abandonment of major sections of the historic original highway. In the interest of tourism and historical preservation, seventy-four miles of the original road, from Troutdale to The Dalles, have been established as the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Forty miles of the route are open to motor vehicles.

During the spring, the Oneonta Gorge area erupts into magnificent wildflower displays, including many plants that only exist in this area. The Gorge is a botanical treasure that has over 50 different species of plants residing in its perpetually cool and moist shelter.

For decades, the Highway has been a favored stop for travelers with its variety of activities and gorgeous scenery. This historic highway will be a road you will want to travel again and again.

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Oregon’s Crater Lake

Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway

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xplore the wonder and beauty of a dramatic volcanic landscape on Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, which stretches from Crater Lake in Oregon to Mount Lassen in California, making this Byway America’s Volcano to Volcano Highway. The Byway is an All-American Road in California and Oregon.

It is roughly 500 miles long and travels through the Cascade Range past numerous volcanoes.

The volcanic activity of the past has created unique geological formations such as wavy lava flows and lava tube caves. Surrounding this volcanic landscape is a wide diversity of scenery. On this Byway, you can travel through or near dense forests, broad wetlands and habitat areas, pastoral grasslands, farms and ranches, and well-managed timber resource lands.

The southern end of the Byway begins at California’s Lake Almanor, just miles from the active geothermal features at Lassen Volcanic National Park. The

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northern end of the Byway is capped by Crater Lake National Park in Oregon where mysteries of the earth’s interior are studied. Along the Byway you will see fantastic sites, the slopes of Mount Shasta jutting above the valley floor to the sum-

Ross Geese at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

mit at 14,162 feet, curtains of water show- Beartooth Highway ering over basalt cliffs at McArthurhe Beartooth Highway in Montana is Burney Falls Memorial State Park, and one of the most spectacular National lands riddled with remains of underForest routes on this continent. ground magma conduits at Lava Beds Heralded as one of the most scenic drives in the National Monument.

U.S., the route features breathtaking views of Each season offers an array of outdoor the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, high recreational opportunities. The beautiful alpine plateaus with glacial lakes, forested valgreen forests and mountains are home to leys, waterfalls. hiking trails, including the nationally recognized Pacific Crest Trail, ski slopes, great fishing and kayaking in clear, cool mountain streams and lakes.

Hundreds of species of wildlife can be viewed along the Byway, including over one million birds at Klamath Lake during peak migration in the fall.

Travelers on the Byway spend much of their time in four major Beartooth All-American Road in Montana National Forests, including the Klamath, Shasta-Trinity, and Lassen The Beartooth All-American Road National Forests in California, and the passes through The Beartooth Corridor, vast lands of the Fremont-Winema one of the highest and most rugged areas National Forests in southern Oregon. in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation.

Start your journey at the border of Custer National Forest in Montana.

You’ll have the ultimate high-country experience as you drive through the Custer, Shoshone, and Gallatin National Forests to the Byway’s end near the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, viewing rugged mountains, icy glaciers, and alpine meadows full of wildflowers along the way. Perhaps you’ll even spot a moose or grizzly bear.

The first recorded travel across the Beartooth Pass area occurred in 1882, when General Sheridan pioneered and marked a route across the mountains from Cooke City to Billings.

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Talimena Scenic Byway The road is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies and provides dramatic views, unlimited outdoor recreation opportunities, and unparalleled wildlife watching. When driving from the east to the west, the highest parts of the Beartooth Highway level off into a wide plateau near the top of the pass, and then descend to where the Beartooth Highway connects to the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway near Cooke City, which forms the northeast gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

Due to heavy snowfall, the pass is usually open each year only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is a good idea to check with the Ranger station beforehand in case of road closures.

Since its completion in 1936, the highway has provided millions of visitors a rare opportunity to see the transition from a lush forest ecosystem to alpine tundra in the space of just a few miles. It offers sweeping vistas of snow-covered mountains, unlimited outdoor recreation opportunities, unparalleled wildlife watching, and panoramic views of hundreds of high alpine lakes.

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he Talimena Scenic Drive is a National Scenic Byway in southeastern Oklahoma and extreme western Arkansas and spans 54-miles.

The Talimena Scenic Byway falls gently like a ribbon over Winding Stair and Rich Mountains. Cresting the highest points between the Appalachians and the Rockies, this Byway showcases Talimena Scenic Byway

nature’s quiet solitude. One breathtaking panorama follows another as this National Scenic Byway winds along forested mountain tops between Mena, Arkansas and Talihina, Oklahoma. Visit Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Arkansas and the Talimena State Park in Oklahoma as well as the Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area which surrounds the Byway in Oklahoma.

Designated a National Scenic Byway in 2005, this scenic drive’s state and federal lands present travelers with an opportunity to relish the forest’s harmonious solemnity. If you desire quiet fishing holes, energetic hiking trails, adventurous camping spots, or marvelous sightseeing views, this beautiful route has it all.

The Talimena Scenic Drive combines enchanting natural grace and outdoor amusements, making this drive not only a sight-pleasing pursuit but also a vacation destination everyone is sure to enjoy.

Sandhills Journey

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favorite horse or rider, visit wonderful art galleries, or shop for antiques.

Traveling farther west, the Byway takes you to the Nebraska Sandhills, 20,000 square miles of sand dunes, one of the largest regions of grass-stabilized dunes in the world. The Sandhills look very much today as they looked 150 years ago when they were home to the Lakota and other Plains Indian tribes. Of the 720 plant species identified in the Sandhills, 670 of them are native. In the midst of this “desert” is the largest hand-planted forest in the country, the Nebraska National Forest, which sits above the dunes and Dismal River.

Traverse into one of the most unspoiled and beautiful landscapes found anywhere in America, where cattle, fence posts and windmills are the skyline.

ebraska’s Highway 2 has been called one of America’s 10 most beautiful highways and designated as a National Scenic Byway. This Byway travels through some of the most remote and beautiful countryside you’ll ever come across, from the largely metroGreen hills and winding road of the Sandhills politan area of Grand Island Journey Scenic Byway to Alliance at the Byway’s western edge.

On the eastern end of the Byway, the city of Grand Island was dubbed

by Forbes FYI magazine, “The Number One place in the world for birdwatchers.” Each year, Nebraska’s central Platte River Valley comes alive with the spectacular sights and sounds of migrating sandhill cranes.

The largest such gathering of cranes in Cattle and buffalo outnumber people the world, some half million, it is a phe- here and hunters, fishermen, and wildlife enthusiasts are drawn to this pristine area nomenal experience to see each spring.

In Grand Island you can experience where water sports and outdoor recrepioneer heritage, cool off in the Island ation abound. The Sandhills Journey is Oasis, enjoy an ethnic festival, take a just that—a journey! prairie wildflower hike, cheer on your

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This is an intact, original milepost marker, just outside the Zane Grey Museum in Zanesville, Ohio..

National Road

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he Historic National Road was the nation’s first federally funded interstate highway. It opened the nation to the west and became a transportation corridor for goods and people, creating the great cultural diversity we treasure as a nation. Today, visitors experience a physical timeline, including classic inns, tollhouses, diners, and motels that trace 200 years of American history.

The National Road runs through six states: Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. It is a road of advancement and evolution, growth and expansion. It maps the development of the United States from its early years to today.

Construction began in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It then crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) on the Ohio River in 1818.

Plans were made to continue through St. Louis, Missouri, on the Mississippi River to Jefferson City, Missouri, but funding ran out and construction stopped at Vandalia, Illinois in 1839. A chain of

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turnpikes connecting Baltimore, Maryland, to the National Road at Cumberland was completed in 1824, forming what is referred to as an eastern extension of the National Road. In 1835 the road east of Wheeling was turned over to the states for operation as a turnpike. It came to be known as the National Pike, a name also applied to the Baltimore extension.

The approximately 620-mile road provided a connection between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and a gateway to the West for thousands of settlers. It was the first road in the U.S. to use the new macadam road surfacing.

The Historic National Road stands for adventure, freedom and exploration. A ribbon of roadway from the Chesapeake Bay to the mighty Allegheny Mountains, it is the road that built the nation.

Today the alignment is mostly followed by U.S. Highway 40. The full road, including extensions east to Baltimore and west to St. Louis, was designated “The Historic National Road,” an AllAmerican Road, in 2002.

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Country Music Highway

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he Country Music Highway is Eastern Kentucky’s heritage route. The sites and sounds along the Byway capture all aspects of the region’s history, including Native American culture, pioneer settlement, coal mining, country music, crafts, architecture, the Civil War, and natural resources.

You will be immersed in the traditions of Eastern Kentucky mountain music since this Byway has been home to many well-known country music stars, including Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Naomi Judd, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, and Patty Loveless.

U.S. Route 23 runs north-south through the eastern part of Kentucky, forming the northern part of Corridor B of the Appalachian Development Highway System. It was designated as a National Scenic Byway on June 13, 2002.

You will get the chance to hear the sounds of Appalachian music at venues all along the Byway. Most

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notably is the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, which is home to the Kentucky Opry. Other venues are the historic and beautiful Paramount Theatre in Ashland, and Appalshop, which is an award-winning film and music documentary and preservation organization in Whitesburg.

Visitors to this area quickly realize that this entire region is steeped in cultural and musical history. As you meet the friendly folks of this Appalachian region, you will quickly realize that you have found a hidden treasure.

A visitor to Loretta Lynn’s old home

Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway

Catoctin Mountain Park provides a sweeping view.

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.S. Route 15 in Maryland is known as the Catoctin Mountain Highway or Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway, designated in 2005 as a National Scenic Byway.

It provides a relaxing drive through some of Maryland’s most spectacular natural beauty. You’ll find access to two different national parks, the state’s highest waterfall, and abundant hiking and biking trails. In addition to scenic and natural beauty, visit revitalized historic downtowns, Civil War sites, and glimpses of the early industrial era during your trip.

Step into one of the towns along the way for good food, lodging, and shopping.

Flanked by the rolling mountains and deep creeks of the Blue Ridge province on one side and the gently rolling terrain of Monocacy River Valley in the Piedmont province, the area surrounding the Byway bursts with ecological diversity and value. Home to Camp David, the nearby Catoctin Mountain National Park contains thousands of acres of federally protected land, including an extensive trail system and camping spots.

Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway boasts evidence from early Native American predecessors, the first European explorers, and early industrial capitalists. Visit sites devoted to early religious history, including the shrine dedicated to the first American born saint.

Take the Civil War Trail, treading on such hallowed battlefields as Manassas and Gettysburg.

While it only takes an hour to drive the Byway, give yourself at least a day to take in the natural beauty and history around you.

This Byway is the gateway to midM a r y l a n d ’s impressive historic, scenic, and many natural recreation opportunities along the beautiful Catoctin Mountains.

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The view from Rt 11 in Shenandoah County looking east at a farm set against Massanutten Mountain. The area along Rt. 11 is heavily agricultural.

The Old Valley Pike

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alley Pike or Valley Turnpike is the traditional name given for the Indian trail and roadway which now is designated as U.S. Highway 11 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Long before the arrival of English colonists, Native Americans of the Delaware and Catawba tribes used this well-watered path as a migratory route and hunting grounds, moving between what is now Georgia and Canada.

Beginning in the 1730s, Scots-Irish and German immigrants coming from Pennsylvania began to move up the valley and establish settlements. As a result of the Treaty of Lancaster, the Iroquois were promised a marked path up the Valley which was laid out in 1745 by James Patton and John Buchanan.

Initially called the “Indian Road,” it was later known as

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the “Great Wagon Road.”

On March 3, 1834, The Valley Turnpike Company was incorporated by an act of the Virginia General Assembly, and the state participated in the publicprivate venture through the Virginia Board of Public Works with a 40% investment to build 68 miles between Winchester and Harrisonburg. A similar road from Harrisonburg to Staunton was built by another company, and they merged. The new combined road, by then known as the “Valley Pike,” was significantly improved and tolls were

Rt. 11 Yard Crawl, 43 miles of sales

charged for the upkeep of its 93-mile length.

The Valley Pike was a key transportation link during the American Civil War, and was used by Confederate General Stonewall Jackson to expedite his foot cavalry up and down the Valley and to and from the various mountain gaps (such as Swift Run Gap and Thornton Gap) which he used to make sudden appearances in front of Union troops in the Piedmont region on the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In 1918, The Valley Turnpike Company, which had been managed by a young Harry Flood Byrd, allowed the Valley Turnpike to be one of the first roads taken over by the state. It was designated as part of State Route 3, one of the routes of the state highway system managed by the State Highway Commisson.

Route 11 is the oldest hard-topped road in the United States. It was hard-

topped before the Civil War, and has been a main North and South route through the Shenandoah Valley since pre-Revolutionary times.

The small towns which are found along the Old Valley Pike each have their own distinctive historic flavor. Years ago these towns were the centers of commerce and were easily accessible by horses and buggies.

The Valley Turnpike was given the U.S. Route 11 designation in 1926, and remained the major north-south highway thoroughfare for the Shenandoah Valley until Interstate 81 was built beginning in the 1960s. Today, the road carries much local traffic, and provides an alternative to the busy Interstate Highway.

It is also known as the home of the annual Route 11 Yard Crawl, a 43-mile yard sale that stretches from Stephens City in the north to New Market in the South. The Shenandoah Valley Route 11 Yard Crawl is an annual event that draws shoppers and treasure hunters from across the mid-Atlantic states. It is held on a Saturday in mid-August every year.

American Celebration on Parade, featuring floats from the major parades in the U.S., is one of many unique attractions along Rt. 11 in Virginia.

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Ski, Taste and Explore Shena The views are breathtaking from the slopes of Bryce Resort, the MidAtlantic’s Premier Learn to Ski/Board Resort. Skiing, Snowboarding, Snow Tubing and more await you at this winter paradise. www.bryceresort.com

Five nearby wineries invite visitors to sample the county’s fast growing wine industry.

Thrilling visitors from around the world, Shenandoah Caverns is the only cavern in Virginia with elevator service! Explorers of every age and ability will discover an underground world of wonder. With level walkways and no stairs to climb, only our sights are breathtaking! Our family of attractions include amazing parade floats and presidential inaugural props at American Celebration on Parade. Delightful antique animated department store window displays on Main Street of Yesteryear. Experience the live indoor beehive and model trains in motion at the Yellow Barn. Four attractions - one low price! www.shenandoahcaverns.com

Your exploration of the Civil War in Virginia begins at three-hundred acre New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, 19th Century Bushong Farm, and Hall of Valor Civil War Museum, commemorate a unique moment in American history--- when college boys, Cadets from VMI, engaged in pitched battle and helped win a victory for the Confederate Army. www2.vmi.edu/museum/nm

ield arket Battlef t at New M Reenactmen

Bryce Resort Skiers

g Wine Tastin

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Shenandoah Caverns

xplore Shenandoah

Skiing, Snowboarding, Wine Tasting, Caverns, Attractions, Old Valley Pike, Civil War Battlefields in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia 90 minutes from the Washington Beltway.

Shenandoah County Tourism 888-367-3965 • www.shenandoahtravel.org Byways • 27

Flagler Beach along Forida’s AIA

Florida’s State Road A1A

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tate Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a National Scenic Byway.

A1A is heavily associated with Florida beach culture and is known for its lush tropical and subtropical scenery and ocean vistas. In many places, the highway directly fronts the Atlantic Ocean, and in other places, runs 1-5 blocks inland from the beachfront. For most of its length, A1A runs along Florida’s East Coast Barrier Islands, separated from the mainland of the state by the Intracoastal Waterway. Because of the

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road’s proximity to the ocean and its susceptibility to storm surges, sections of A1A are often closed or even damaged by hurricanes and tropical storms.

If you don’t want to get your feet wet but still you enjoy watching the ocean, try jogging, biking, roller blading, or strolling along the 19-mile path from Marineland to the Volusia County line.

Or stash your binoculars in your beach bag for views of wildlife and birds. From May to October, visitors can turtle-watch

Sandunes build along A1A

along the shores of Flagler Beach, which is protected during this time because the eggs are hatching and the new turtles are swimming back into the ocean. Keep a lookout for dolphins, migrating northern whales, or alligators. Also, A1A is included on the Great Florida Birding Trail, so you’ll be sure to see tri-color heron, marsh wrens, osprey and other birds.

History aficionados will enjoy touring St. Augustine, the oldest permanent European settlement in North America, and the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the mainland United States. Stop by the Colonial Spanish Quarter for a glimpse at life in 18th century Florida.

Here, costumed tradesmen will show you the ropes in candlemaking, blacksmithing and carpentry. Learn more about military might while visiting Fort Matanzas, Castillo de San Marcos, and Fort Mose. These national treasures offer tours and historical re-enactments where you can become a part of history.

Two miles of A1A were used as part of

the legendary Daytona Beach Road Course. A1A also has been a backbone of Florida Spring Break, serving as “the strip” in both Fort Lauderdale, a popular spring break destination in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, as well as Daytona Beach, which became a popular destination for college spring breakers in the 80s through the present.

In Miami Beach, A1A serves as Collins Avenue, one of the city’s main north-south thoroughfares, and travels a similar route through exclusive Palm Beach, further to the north. A1A also bridges Sebastian Inlet near Vero Beach, known as the Surf Capital of the East Coast, and passes just to the west of Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.

A1A begins as a 2 lane, then 4 lane route along the Straits of Florida.

Running along the south shore of Key West, A1A is the southernmost numbered highway in the lower 48 states.

A sailboat glides under the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.

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Aerial view of the Boldt Castle shows the large scale of nature, history, and culture along the Seaway Trail.

The Seaway Trail

met the enemy and they are ours...” after raveling the 518-mile Great Lakes capturing a British squadron on Lake Erie Seaway Trail through New York and in September 1813.

Pennsylvania takes you along the scenic shoreline of Lake Erie, the The Maid of the Mist approaches Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St. Niagara Falls.

Lawrence River. Ancient glaciers carved a landscape of waters, drumlins, and plains that includes the 1000 Islands, Niagara Falls, the northern hardwood forest, Presque Isle, and the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. Twentyeight historic lighthouses dot the Seaway Trail shoreline.

The Seaway Trail was chosen as an Major battles of the War of 1812 took American Byway for its unique landplace along the shoreline of the Seaway Trail. Forts, battlefields, military cemeter- scape, sculpted by the forces of nature and ies and former shipbuilding communities for its historical significance. retain their historic links. Sackets Sodus Bay Harbor, home to the Seaway Trail Lighthouse Discovery Center, was the site of two British attacks designed to disrupt military shipbuilding. Exhibits at Presque Isle State Park near Erie, Pennsylvania, tell the story of U.S. naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry who declared, “We have

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What’s Happening Largest Telescope, Scenic Beauty Highlight West Virginia County

Green Bank Science Center staff will custom design tours to fit any itinerary.

NRAO’s Green Bank Science Center is a new, modern facility designed to he National Radio Astronomy inform and expand a visitor’s understandObservatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, ing of radio astronomy. The Green Bank West Virginia is a national facility Science Center offers several options for

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Farms and mountains surround the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope.

devoted to radio astronomy, and home to the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope.

Nestled in the West Virginia mountains, this technological marvel rises from the valley floor to a height of 485 feet, weighs 17 million pounds and sports a reflector 2.3 acres in area. Astronomers from around the world use the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) to investigate the cosmos. Open to the public year round, the Green Bank Science Center is the NRAO’s learning center for casual visitors, motorcoach groups and student field trips. Adding the NRAO to your itinerary offers a great way to enrich fall foliage tours and train excursion packages. The

groups to enhance their tour, and can develop an itinerary to suit any group size, interest level and time frame. The tour includes lunch at the Starlight Cafe! located in the Green Bank Science Center.

Complimenting your NRAO experience is the natural wonder surrounding the site, Pocahontas County, WV. Explore the unique variety of nearby edu-

Entertainment at Snowshoe

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cational, historical, and natural attractions to round out your enrichment tour itinerary. Lifelong learners, active adults, multi-generational, and students groups will have lasting memories of the quality time spent visiting the mountains of Pocahontas County.

Snowshoe Mountain, with its unique village of shops and restaurants, offers the new 15,400 square foot Expo Center and a total of 40,000 square feet of meeting space. Snowshoe can provide overnight accommodations for 10,000 people and has exciting activities and adventures on the 11,000-acre mountain all times of the year.

Arrive in historic Durbin, WV where you will have the opportunity to ride and experience one of the rarest steam locomotives in existence. The Durbin Rocket Excursion Train is powered by a rare steam locomotive, Old #3, one of only three operating Climax-geared logging locomotives on earth. You can ride in the authentic 1920-era coach and vintage wooden cabooses behind #3 as she puffs and whistles her way along the free-flowing Greenbrier River. The ride will cover 10.5 miles in 2 hours and offers many beautiful river and mountain views in the Monongahela National Forest.

West Virginia’s only “Branson style” family music, comedy and variety show, the American Mountain Theater, features an outstanding cast of professional performers. Located in Elkins, WV, the AMT offers something for every group.

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers a rail excursion that will transport your group back in time... and let them relive the era of steam-driven locomotives. The trip to Cass will be filled with a rich history of the past, and a close-up encounter 44 • Byways

Ski lifts at Snowshoe Mountain

with the sights and sounds of original steam-driven locomotives. The trip will include a bag lunch you can enjoy at Whittaker Station before re-boarding the train and returning to Cass.

Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful drives in West Virginia, the Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150) in Pocahontas County offers breathtaking vistas with glimpses of azure colored mountain ranges off in the distance.

Over sixty-percent of this National Scenic Byways Highway is above 4,000 feet elevation, making it the highest major roadway in West Virginia and one of the highest in the East. It runs from the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center on Route 39/55 to U. S. 219, north of Marlinton at the summit of Elk Mountain.

To learn more about bringing a meeting or retreat here, call 800-336-7009 or email groups@pocahontascountywv.com.

Educa-Tours in Maryland

descriptions of field trip ideas and enrichome to Maryland for authentic and ment programs that promote active enriching experiences. The state is learning beyond classrooms.

“Learning is most enjoyable when one ideal for school trips, or as state experiences the many attractions our tourism officials say: educa-tours. state has to offer,” said State “Maryland offers a host of extraordiSuperintendent of Schools Nancy S. nary places where students and teachers Grasmick. “With the Atlantic Ocean on can learn about culture, history, industry one side, the mountains on the other, the and science,” said Governor Martin Chesapeake Bay in between, and historic O’Malley. “Our state is a living laboratoand cultural sites everywhere, there is ry of diverse experiences for people of all something for everyone at every age.” ages to enjoy.”

When it comes to art and culture, The new school year calls attention to Amelia says, Maryland has an abundance numerous learning opportunities at of museums and cultural attractions. The Maryland attractions and destinations, Baltimore Museum of Art, Walters Art says Margot Amelia, executive director of Museum and American Visionary Arts Maryland’s Tourism Office. With this in Museum are major museums in mind, the Tourism Office has made edu- Baltimore. ca-tours, which are tourism experiences The Academy Art Museum in Easton that have educational value, a focus of its and the Washington County Museum of monthly Maryland Spotlight campaign.

Fine Arts in Hagerstown have noteworThis focus on educa-tours coincides thy collections. Annmarie Garden with the release of the Maryland Field Trip Sculpture Park and Arts Center in and Teachers’ Guide, which is jointly pub- Solomons is affiliated with the lished by the Tourism Office and Smithsonian Institution.

For performance venues, include the Baltimore’s Child magazine. The guide has

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The Maryland Science Center and National Aquarium are located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

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Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus; the Avalon Theatre in Easton; Strathmore in Bethesda; Lyric Opera House in Baltimore; Round House Theatre in Bethesda and Silver Spring; and the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis.

For history students, Maryland has a wealth of treasures, Amelia says. Historic St. Mary’s City – where Maryland began – is one of the best-preserved English settlements from the 17th century.

Annapolis, the longtime capital of the state and home of the U.S. Naval Academy, has the country’s most extensive collection of 18th-century buildings still in use.

The Star-Spangled Banner Trail passes by sites related to the War of 1812 along a 100-mile route between Baltimore and Solomons. Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in Southern Maryland is on the way.

Maryland’s Civil War Trails trace the paths that Union and Confederate troops followed on their way to Antietam and Gettysburg. The trails also link to Civil War sites around Baltimore and the route that John Wilkes Booth took during his attempted escape after assassinating President Lincoln, including the Surratt House Museum in Prince George’s County. The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is in Frederick and the Clara Barton National Historic Site is in Montgomery County.

The Maryland Science Center and the National Aquarium in Baltimore – both located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor – are among the first science-related attractions to come to mind, Amelia says. The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum 46 • Byways

of Dentistry is also in Baltimore.

Trains are a significant part of Maryland’s links to technology, beginning in the 19th century. The Brunswick Railroad Museum in Frederick County, Roundhouse Museum in Hagerstown, B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore and Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum in Calvert County offer a look at that heritage. Also, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad takes passengers aboard a restored train from the early 20th century through the Allegheny Mountains.

The state’s aviation industry represents other technological eras. College Park Aviation Museum is on the grounds of the oldest, continuously operating airport in the world. It opened in 1909 when Wilbur Wright trained military aviators there. The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum is in Baltimore County.

For a more jet-age experience, students can try a flight simulator while touring the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park. Also, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt has a visitor center that includes a rocket garden.

And, Assateague Island National Seashore, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, is an oasis of salt marshes, coastal beaches and thriving wildlife. Calvert Cliffs State Park in Southern Maryland is known for fossil hunting on the beach.

The shoreline cliffs were formed more than 15 million years ago.

Maryland says “welcome” in so many ways. More information on educa-tours learning opportunities may be found at www.visitmaryland.org.

Independence, MO Celebrates Truman’s 125th Birthday f he were alive today, Harry Truman would be 125 years old. Come celebrate his birthday in Independence, Missouri.

Begin at the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, 500 W. U.S. 24 Highway.

Hailed by the Dallas Morning News as the best presidential library in the nation, the library features interactive exhibits with advanced audio/visual technology.

You can see the “Buck Stops Here” sign, watch newsreels and walk into the Oval Office. The intriguing “decision theaters” offer visitors a chance to peek into Truman’s mind as he made difficult decisions.

Exhibits highlight the Trumans’ life, as well as key events during his administration. With advance notice, groups will be greeted by a docent. Allow 1 ½ hours for your group’s tour, longer if you wish to see films, browse galleries and visit the Museum Store.

National Frontier Trails Museum

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With advance reservations, groups can also experience the White House Decision Center, (3 hours). Participants enter the West Wing of the White House and are immersed in a crisis that Truman

A motorcoach at the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

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and his cabinet actually faced, as they take on roles of Truman and his cabinet.

The cost is $20 per person (includes museum exhibits). The Library can also cater meals and arrange programs or appearances by Truman re-enactors.

History blazes into life at the National Frontier Trails Museum, dedicated to the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails heading west out of Independence.

Nearby, the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, home of Civil War artist George Caleb Bingham, is 95% furnished with original artifacts. Take a covered wagon ride/narrated tour through the streets or wander through the gloomy limestone cells of the 1859 Jail and Marshal’s Home. And don’t miss the opulent Vaile Mansion, which boasts breathtaking hand-painted ceilings and marble fireplaces. The Trails Museum, Bingham, and Vaile all offer group programs, meals and entertainment.

Mormon heritage sites include the Mormon Visitor’s Center with free artwork, films and interactive displays.

Across the street, the Community of Christ Temple and Auditorium feature free tours and organ recitals.

Other unusual attractions include Leila’s Hair Museum, with thousands of pieces of artwork and, jewelry made from human hair.

The historic Independence Square bustles with charming gift and specialty stores, 48 • Byways

antique shops and family-owned restaurants. Contemporary stores are clustered just off I-70 and a new Bass Pro Outdoor World sits in a wildlife setting, with walking trails, parks and a stocked lake.

Independence offers many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges with meeting rooms, banquet facilities, and handicapped accessible rooms. Groups who overnight may also enjoy a complimentary step-on guide, gift bags and reduced baggage handling.

Coach services are available at the Oak Grove Petrol, just off I-70, fifteen miles east of Independence. In nearby Kansas City, Arrow Stage Lines also offers coach services, cleaning, repairs and substitute buses and/or drivers.

There’s so much to see and do in Independence. From unique shops to wonderful heritage sites that shaped our nation, it’s all here in a great hometown atmosphere you are sure to enjoy.

Independence Tourism can customize itineraries and make reservations. Call 800-748-7323 or visit on-line at www.visitindependence.com.

Philadelphia’s CityPass Adds Value and Time

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hiladelphia CityPass, the easy-to-use discount ticket booklet to six popular Philadelphia attractions, is a great way to add value to group tours either by including it in an affordable package or giving clients the option of adding it to their itineraries. In addition to saving money, CityPass saves time since it contains actual tickets (not coupons), and there is no waiting in ticket lines at most attractions.

CityPass offers 45 percent savings off the combined regular admission price.

The booklet costs $58 for adults (a $105.10 value); and $39 for youth, ages 412 (a $72.07 value). Each ticket is good for one person for one-day admission.

The booklet is valid for nine days once it is presented to the first attraction and is good through March 31, 2011.

“These days, everyone is looking for a good deal and we are pleased to be partnering with CityPass to offer an affordable value-added option for visitors to Philadelphia,” said Fritz Smith, vice president of tourism, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB).

CityPass’ pocket-size selection of tick-

The Franklin Institute

ets contains a description of the attractions, transportation directions, best times to visit to avoid crowds, a map, a 10 percent discount at select stores throughout Reading Terminal Market, and information on shopping and dining from the pages of National Geographic Traveler, which dubbed Philadelphia “America’s Next Great City.”

Following is a list of attractions offered in the CityPass ticket booklet: •The Franklin Institute – Rated as one of the “Top 50 Attractions in the U.S.” by the Zagat Survey’s U.S. Family Guide, this interactive science museum features a giant, walk-through heart; Sports Challenge; Space Command; The Train Factory; and other hands-on exhibits.

The Fels Planetarium is included.

•Philadelphia Trolley & The Big Bus Company – Connects CityPass attrac-

The National Constitution Center

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Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed throughout North America to those who have an interest in U.S and Canadian travel destinations. Byways is distributed to more than 500,000 subscribers through the internet. Subscriptions are free.

Byways distribution also includes 4000+ motorcoach companies, tour operators, travel agents, bank travel managers, school band and athletic planners, and meeting planners. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine, P.O. 1088, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Telephone 540-477-3202. Fax 540-4773858. ©Copyright 2009 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher.

Editor and Publisher Stephen M. Kirchner

Advertising Director 1.800.469.0062 540.477.3202 Fax 540.477.3858 Internet: www.motorcoach.com/byways Email: byways@motorcoach.com

Advertisers Index The Country Inn & Five Senses Spa in Berkeley Springs, WV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 motorcoach.com/National Reservation Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3 Nebraska, Who Knew? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 International Quilt Study Center & Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Sidney/Cheyenne County Visitors Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Nebraska’s Landmark Country: Scottsbluff and Gering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Western Trails Historic and Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Pawnee City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Fremont & Dodge County Convention & Visitors Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Loup Rivers Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38-39 Kearney Visitors Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41-42 Shenandoah County, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-27

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Elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo

tions with unlimited on/off privileges at 21 stops.

•Philadelphia Zoo – America’s first zoo features big cats, gentle mammals, birds and butterflies and a newly-opened, state-of-the-art McNeil Avian Center.

•The National Constitution Center – The only museum in the U.S. dedicated to telling the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary Times to the present through interactive and multimedia exhibits and presentations.

•Adventure Aquarium – Visitors surround themselves with sharks, rays and other creatures of the deep as they walk through a suspended 40foot tunnel; see the secret world of hippos from below the surface of the water; hand-feed African birds; and even touch a shark, jellyfish and other sea creatures.

An Option Ticket offers a choice of either: •The Academy of Natural Sciences – The oldest history museum in

America features the largest meat-eating dinosaur as well as fossils from more than 30 different dinosaur species, a live butterfly exhibit, live animal shows and dioramas of far-off places and exotic wildlife.

Or, the second option.

•Eastern State Penitentiary – known historically for its grand architecture and strict discipline, it is now a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and eerie fascination, including the cell of Al Capone as it looked when he was an inmate.

For more information, visit www.citypass.com.

Eastern State Penitentiary

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Featuring North Americaʼs Leading Travel Destinations

We created a novel idea -promote the destinations for the rest of us.

The great destinations in the USA and Canada that are enjoyed by group travelers every year.

Now, for the first time, Byways is available with a free subscription to everyone who has an interest in North American travel.

Click the magazine on the right to be added to the Byways mailing list. Just type in Free Byways Subscription in the Subject line and hit send. You’ll receive the next issue when it becomes available.

52 • Byways

Click Here for your Free Subscription

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