GO ESCAPE Summer 2021

MANSIONS, MUSEUMS & MOUNTAINS

Discover SUMMER 2021

PRIVATE ISLAND CAMPING • EXPERIENCE SPAS OFFER MORE THAN MASSAGES • RESORT A GOLF GETAWAY AT CABO SAN LUCAS • ENJOY • REMOTE WORKING SPURS NEW TRAVEL TRENDS

ALL THE FUN, ALL IN ONE

When it comes to fun, Carnival cruises have been where it’s at for nearly 50 years. Welcome to the vacation for everybody, the kind where all the folks who matter — your kids, friends, partner, neighbors, grandma — get to enjoy their favorite kind of fun. Everybody! See what’s great on a Carnival cruise near you.

DESTINATIONS, BEAUTIFUL ONES

THE BEACHES, HIT THOSE BEACHES

Short cruises fit any schedule. Long cruises get you way, way away.

Both are perfect — visit incredible destinations where you’ll get a taste for the local culture, sample some adventure, buy the t-shirt, send the postcard, and don’t forget…

Carnival cruises take you straight to some of the most beautiful stretches of sand across the Caribbean. Beach day every day — is that your style? Sun is on the schedule, and remember that the ones we visit are attached to some great islands!

AMAZING FOOD ALWAYS

ONBOARD RELAXATION ZONES

Once you’re done exploring, the appetite you’ve worked up doesn’t stand a chance. Back on the ship there’s burgers and BBQ designed

by Guy Fieri, plus steak, sushi and so much more. (Who you calling fancy? We’ve got 24-hour pizza and soft-serve too!)

All action all the time? If you want… but there’s ways to kick back too. At Serenity, relaxation is just for adults — they’ve earned it! The kids can have their own supervised fun at the kids clubs while you guys kick back here, or go pro with a massage at the onboard spa.

START PLANNING YOUR NEXT AMAZING VACATION! FIND GREAT DEALS ON CRUISES TODAY AT CARNIVAL.COM.

SUMMER 2021

MOVE OVER, MASSAGES

RED MOUNTAIN RESORT

Mix action and relaxation at these luxury spas

Red Mountain Resort, Utah

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SUMMER 2021

UP FRONT 10 12 14

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16 18 20

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR CLEAN GETAWAY AIR ACCESSORIES TRAVEL REGULATIONS BREATHE EASY COVID-19 CRUISING LONG-TERM LODGING

FEATURES 24 PRESERVING THE PAST

Black museums tell hard truths of nation’s history

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RIGHTFULLY RECOGNIZED New Latino museums opening soon

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DISTANCING DESTINATIONS

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CLIFFTOP ACCOMMODATIONS

Enjoy a private island camping trip

Stay above it all at these high hotels

20 REGIONS

114

n NORTHEAST 54 Lauren Ambrose’s

Let a llama lighten your load in Yellowstone National Park

118

Hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim in a day

Philadelphia

56

St. Michaels, Md., offers seaside charm

60

Explore the gardens of the National Mall

64

Hit the trail, then enjoy an ale

n SOUTHEAST 68 Joanna Garcia’s Tampa, Fla. 70 Disney reopens with

n PACIFIC 122 Mike Rowe’s

San Francisco

124

Pedal toward the pinot in Sonoma County, Calif.

128

Extreme adventures await on California’s coast

132

Discover what Portland, Ore., has to offer

134

Live your race car-driving dreams in Washington

new magical moments

76

Explore the southwest corner of Virginia

80

Museum dedicated to Black music opens in Tennessee

DESTINATIONS

84

Visit the uncharted areas of Charleston, S.C.

88

Take a peek inside Kentucky’s historic mansions

n MEXICO 136 Sand meets swings

n MIDWEST 94 Barbara Bradley Baekgaard’s Fort Wayne, Ind.

ON THE COVER

Southern California coastline beach houses in Laguna Beach PHOTOGRAPH

Getty Images

96

Tour Indiana’s floral Quilt Gardens

104 108

Missouri celebrates 200 years Veterans museum honors all who served

n WEST 112 Rachel Lindsay’s Dallas

at Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas golf courses

n EUROPE 140 Enjoy the foods and

ancient cultures of Extremadura, Spain

n CARIBBEAN 142 Make a splash at these Caribbean waterfalls

n ONE FOR THE ROAD 144 Wildlife photography

encourages conservation

All prices and availability are subject to change.

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GO ESCAPE | SUMMER 2021

GETTY IMAGES; AIRBNB

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FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS PREMIUM PUBLICATION EDITORIAL

DIRECTOR Jeanette Barrett-Stokes jbstokes@usatoday.com

Kit Bernardi is an award-winning travel writer and photographer. Her work has appeared in Reveal, South China Morning Post and other publications. She shares with readers her love of cooking and road tripping in stories on the quilt gardens of northern Indiana’s Amish Country (page 96) and distinct foods of rugged Extremadura, Spain (page 140). “My favorite stories are about people whose cultural traditions and personal histories are deeply rooted in the land that sustains them.”

Transporting readers to Sonoma County, Calif., and the natural wonders of the Caribbean was second nature for travel writer Lisa Davis. “Biking Sonoma County (page 124) is a great way to explore the area’s vineyard-lined terrain,” she says. “Hiking to the Caribbean’s spectacular and thundering waterfalls (page 142) is one of my favorite things to do when island hopping.” Davis also spoke with Barbara Bradley Baekgaard (page 94), creator of the Vera Bradley brand.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jerald Council jcouncil@usatoday.com MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Washington mjwashington@usatoday.com ISSUE EDITOR Tracy Scott Forson ISSUE DESIGNER Lisa M. Zilka EDITORS Amy Sinatra Ayres Harry Lister Deirdre van Dyk Debbie Williams DESIGNERS Hayleigh Corkey David Hyde Debra Moore Gina Toole Saunders CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Diane Bair, Kit Bernardi, Jay Blasi, John Bordsen, Laura Castaneda, Lisa Davis, Jayme Deerwester, Joanne Dibona, Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Erin Gifford, Dawn Gilbertson, Brent Hallenbeck, Morgan Hines, Diana Lamdbin Meyer, Dave Paulson, Taylor M. Riley, Sarah Sekula, Kristen Seymour, Michelle Spitzer, Kathryn Streeter, Tonyaa Weathersbee, Chris Woodyard, Pamela Wright, Melissa Yeager

PROVIDED BY THE CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING

Erin Gifford has written about family travel, road trips and outdoor recreation for such outlets as The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Parents and Family Circle. A Northern Virginia-based freelance writer, she was thrilled to explore the natural wonders tucked away deep in the southwest corner of her home state (page 76).

An avid hiker and a new backpacker, she’s eager to take her outdoor adventures to the next level this summer with a paddlein camping trip to a private island (page 34).

Washington, D.C.-based travel writer Kathryn Streeter is lucky to be living in the heart of the nation’s capital and able to regularly walk, run and cycle around the National Mall. She treasures each of D.C.’s “secret” gardens (page 60) and is delighted to share them with those who don’t have a local friend to show them around. Philadelphia is right up the road, and Streeter is pumped to share the city through actress Lauren Ambrose’s insider tips (page 54). “I can’t wait for my next road trip to Philly!” says Streeter.

VP, ADVERTISING Patrick Burke | (703) 854-5914 pburke@usatoday.com ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Vanessa Salvo | (703) 854-6499 vsalvo@usatoday.com

FINANCE

BILLING COORDINATOR Julie Marco Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or reproduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written consent of USA TODAY. The editors and publisher are not responsible for any unsolicited materials.

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T H E M O S T T R U S T E D N A M E I N T R AV E L S I N C E 1 9 5 7

The Best Trips Start With Our Guidebooks

Download or buy wherever books are sold

And get moving again with us at Frommers.com THE LATEST TRAVEL SAFETY NEWS & RULES • INSIDER TIPS FROM LOCAL EXPERTS • CONSUMER REPORTING • PODCASTS

SHORE STUDIOS/CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FOR MORE THAN a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our lives, our livelihoods and the economy, and upended plans for travelers across the world. There have been major developments on the health front, accompanied by cautious optimism that global travel could be returning to a “new normal.”

As we continue to grapple with the unprecedented scope of this pandemic, some events, festivals and celebrations are resuming with varied stipulations and baseline measures that aim to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, while others remain suspended. And businesses across the country that remained open with safety precautions to provide lodging, food and transportation throughout the shutdown are welcoming more visitors.

The USA TODAY Network is committed to providing timely, engaging and accurate information in our coverage, but given the evolving nature of this health crisis, we realize that there will

undoubtedly be changes to the accessibility of many of the locations, venues and services mentioned throughout this publication. Please check with businesses for the latest updates.

We also know that the travel and tourism industry is resilient. It has rebounded from natural disasters, economic recessions and other crises before, and while this pandemic is uncharted territory, it is our hope that national and international exploration will gradually and safely resume. In the meantime, we will continue to look beyond today and provide you with the amazing sights, sounds, tastes and experiences that await.

St. Michaels, Md., is just one quaint town where serene coastal life and simple charms attract travelers.

Tracy Scott Forson Issue Editor

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Whatever You’re Checking Out, Check In To a Hotel by Wyndham We are ready to welcome you at over 8,900 hotels around the world and 20 trusted brands.

Flexible Booking Elevated Health & Safety Protocols Member Perks & Discounts Book direct at WyndhamHotels.com

©2021 Wyndham Hotel Group, LLC. All rights reserved. All hotels are either franchised by the company, or owned and/or managed by Wyndham Hotel Management, Inc. or one of its affiliates.

| GO ESCAPE

UP FRONT I N T H E N O W, I N T H E K N O W

PRODUCTS 10

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LODGING 20

WELCOME BACK

GETTY IMAGES

Travelers can once again explore historic homes, charming towns, fantastic festivals and many more adventures.

Charleston, S.C.

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UP FRONT | PRODUCTS

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Germ-free finds for your trip

BY KRISTEN SEYMOUR

TRAVEL MAY LOOK a little different these days, but with the right products, it’s easy to keep your personal space safe — and disinfect your destination upon arrival.

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The Mundus Pro does serious double duty, providing a UV-C disinfectant tray and wireless charging dock for up to three devices at once, all in one sleek package. $119.99, einova.com

2

With a pack of Honest alcohol wipes in your bag, you’ll be ready to clean everything from hands and handles to trays and touch screens. $6.95 for 50 wipes, honest.com

3

For a hand-sanitizing experience that’s also a delight for your other senses, make sure you’ve got Keeper’s Citrus cleansing hand spray, which comes in a recyclable aluminum container. $9, keepersoap.com

PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES

Keep it Clean

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Add an extra layer of protection — and show off your sense of style, too — with an Artist Series face shield, made in New York City by ThirdKind Studio. $25, thirdkindness.com

5

Adjustable, ultrabreathable and easily washable, this Halo Life face mask has replaceable nanofiber filters and comes in four sizes. $34.95, amazon.com

6

Feel secure on your next flight with the Safe Travels kit, which includes an adjustable, reusable seat cover, antimicrobial pillow case, sanitizing wipes and a face mask. $39.95, safetravelskit.com

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Keep your hands germfree when opening doors, pushing buttons and flushing toilets with the portable and easy-to-use Sani-Key. $7.99, bedbathandbeyond.com

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Leak-proof and boasting a carry loop, the Owala Flip water bottle also features a cap that flips up at the touch of a button, plus a hidden straw for germ-free sipping. $21.99 to $29.99, owalalife.com

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UP FRONT | PRODUCTS

Perfect Packing Top picks for your wander list

BY KRISTEN SEYMOUR

FROM ORGANIZATIONAL ACCESSORIES to shoes and gear that combine fashion and function, we’ve got just what you need for a bon voyage.

Never again wonder where your passport, boarding passes and credit cards are. Stash them in the RFID-protected Bellroy travel folio. $139, bellroy.com

Made of breathable mesh and synthetic suede, the OluKai Pehuea Lī sneaker offers a supportive footbed, non-marking outsole and a drop-in heel for the ultimate shoe or slide functionality. $100, olukai.com

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As lightweight as it is cozy and soft, the Pranayama wrap is a versatile layer that works with everything from jeans to dresses to joggers. $89, athleta.com

PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES

The Monos Carry-On Pro Plus fits a 15-inch laptop along with all your other belongings in a resilient polycarbonate shell. $295, monos.com

Graduated compression aids circulation in the injinji Ultra Compression OTC socks, while the individual toes help with blister prevention and balance once you land. $49, injinji.com

Keep your electronics organized and safe from any spills with this PatPat waterproof electronics accessories organizer bag. $8.99, us.patpat.com

The Vuori women’s ripstop pant offers everyday style in a comfortable fit with full range of motion, so you’ll be ready for any adventure — even if it’s just happy hour at the hotel bar. $89, vuoriclothing. com

Save space, stay organized and pack like a pro with Calpak’s five-piece packing cube set, which includes a water-resistant envelope and pouch. $58, calpaktravel.com

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UP FRONT | TRAVEL

Pass Before Boarding Fully vaccinated U.S.-bound air travelers need proof of negative coronavirus test

TRAVELERS FLYING INTO the United States from international destinations will be required to show proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding their flight.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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GO ESCAPE | SUMMER 2021

policy took effect Jan. 26. The agency implemented the requirement to help slow the spread of COVID-19 as the vaccine rollout continues.

While the agency has adjusted some of its recommendations since vaccinations

began, travelers flying into the United States must still be tested and provide verification of a negative result.

“We continue to encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as it’s their turn, so we can begin

ILLUSTRATION: HAYLEIGH CORKEY/GETTY IMAGES

BY DAWN GILBERTSON AND JAYME DEER WESTER

to safely take steps back to our everyday lives,” said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in April.

International travelers must get a viral test within three days of their flight to the U.S. and must show proof of a negative test to their airline before boarding. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery from COVID-19, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding, the CDC says.

For months, airlines pushed for a testing program to restart badly depressed international travel — especially critical business travel.

There were 2.1 million arrivals between Dec. 1 and Dec. 28, says Martin Cetron, the director of the CDC’s

Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, an average of 76,000 passengers a day and quadruple the number of passengers last June.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 3.2 million passengers flew internationally on U.S. airlines in December 2020.

However, the number of scheduled international flights to the United States is down sharply. In February, airlines scheduled 29,121 flights, compared with 51,500 in February 2020, before the pandemic took hold, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

Statistics of 2021 travel are not yet available, but the emergence of new, more contagious strands of COVID-19 may have an effect

on previous travel projections.

Trade industry groups such as Airlines for America have urged the government to implement a rapid-testing requirement for travelers to the United States. The group says its goal is to stop the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, while eliminating entry restrictions on travelers from Europe and Brazil.

“These entry restrictions should be removed concurrently with the testing program, which will provide yet another layer of safety in the travel journey,” Nicholas Calio, the group’s CEO, said in a letter.

The CDC has stated that fully vaccinated travelers do not have to show test results for domestic flights.

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A 2020 STUDY conducted for the Department of Defense adds credence to the growing belief that airline passengers are not likely to contract COVID-19 when flying.

The study found the risk of aerosol dispersion was reduced 99.7 percent thanks to high air exchange rates, HEPA-filtered recirculation and downward ventilation found on modern jets.

Investigators looked at the impact of an infected passenger on those seated nearby in the cabins of Boeing 767s and 777s.

Those two aircraft types are wide-bodies typically used for long-haul flights where a virus could be expected to spread more easily.

To test the exposure risk for passengers sitting near an infected person, researchers released fluorescent tracer aerosols representing the droplets released by exhaling or coughing and looked at the impact on multiple “breathing zones” throughout the aircraft. More than 11,500 breathing zone seat measurements were taken with releases from 46 different seats.

“The reality is those

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Breathe Easy Study finds air on planes safer than in homes or operating rooms

BY CHRIS WOODYARD

tests are indicative of what in the aircraft was less than happens on every airplane. what is found in private An aircraft is just a remarkresidences. ably safe environment,” says With the airflow from United Airlines CEO Scott ceiling to floor, “There is no Kirby. place indoors that The study’s team it is anywhere close TIP: included members to that” when it During air from United, Boeing, comes to limiting travel, keep the the University of the spread of the vents above Nebraska Medical virus, Kirby says. your seat open Center, National He urged other at all times Strategic Research airlines to emulate to improve Institute and other United’s policy of ventilation. research firms. It making sure power was prepared for units operate in a the U.S. Transportation Comway that allows passengers mand and the Air Force’s Air to take advantage of aircraft Mobility Command. ventilation systems while The study reinforces still at the gate. the message that airlines Kirby also urged pashave been trying to convey sengers to make sure that that HEPA filters and high their overhead vents are fully turnover rates of airflow in open during their flights to passenger cabins reduce viral maximize air circulation. exposure. In fact, the study On most planes, the air found that contamination exchange rate is approxi-

GO ESCAPE | SUMMER 2021

mately every three minutes, and 75 percent comes from outside the plane, meaning that only 25 percent of cabin air is recirculated.

“The 767 and 777 both removed particulate 15 times faster than a home ... and five to six times faster than recommended design specifications for modern hospital operating or patient isolation rooms,” according to the study.

Tests were conducted by placing instruments that can measure particles in proximity to a simulated sick passenger. The study took masks into consideration, factoring that passengers might be wearing the type of surgical masks handed out by airlines.

Bookings dropped sharply after COVID-19 started infecting millions around the world in the belief that spending hours in cabins in close proximity to other passengers could easily spread the virus.

Carriers have tried to allay passengers’ concerns and protect aircrew members’ health by requiring masks, mandating social distancing and instituting other precautions.

GETTY IMAGES

UP FRONT | TRAVEL

Revenge Road Trip

How frustration led me on the trip of a lifetime ANOTHER FLIGHT CANCELED...

Last winter, after receiving the last of three canceled vacation notices, I closed my laptop gently and sat down to cry. While all of my canceled trip notifications pack a punch, this one — our anniversary trip to see the northern lights — hurt the most.

That night, my tears were symbolic. They might as well have been waving little white flags as they flowed down my cheeks.

It was time to admit defeat and let 2020 take its victory lap.

I gathered my travel books into a stack and stared longingly at the book on top, which gave me an idea. Who said I had to resign myself to another year of trashed travel plans?

WRITTEN IN THE STARS Just because I couldn’t celebrate my anniversary in Iceland didn’t mean I couldn’t find another way to take back my stargazing travel plans. Since international travel was off the table, I decided I needed to find an epic destination close to home.

Phoenix isn’t exactly a dark-skies destination. At night, the city glows well into the desert beyond the outskirts of the valley.

I needed some inspiration, so I grabbed my travel book and flipped through the pages until I landed on a photo of the stars over the Grand Canyon. Bingo.

Now, all I needed was a place to stay where we could see the stars. I’m a luxury hotel kind of girl, so a tent was out of the question. I did a quick web search to see if any accommodations would keep us comfortable and warm but still give us a good view of the sky.

REVENGE ROAD TRIP At first, when my search displayed a picture of an RV with a stargazer window, I dismissed the idea. But, something pulled me back to that image. I liked the idea of sleeping in a cozy trailer, and I loved the concept of planning something paradoxical — a revenge road trip!

I had no clue how to book an RV. A hotel room? Sure. An Airbnb?

Yep. I typed in Airbnb of RVs in Phoenix, and within seconds, RVezy, a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace, popped up, and the cutest campers filled my screen. Could it really be that EZY? OFF WITHOUT A HITCH When I told my husband I wanted to rent an RV and take a revenge road trip, he laughed at me. “We know nothing about RVs, so what makes you think you can empty an RV toilet?”

He may have been right, but I was going to prove him wrong.

That night, we sat down together and booked a travel trailer with a bed, indoor kitchen, wet bath, and of course, a stargazer window. Since this trip was my idea, I wanted to do everything myself. It turns out that I could not only empty the RV toilet, but I could also put up the awning, fill the onboard water, and back into our campsite. Between the owner’s instructions and my new obsession with RV-themed YouTube videos, I felt like a pro. All my husband had to do was lie back at night and watch the stars.

NEWBIE FEARS I’m not sure why we’d never considered renting an RV before.

Our stargazing trip to the Grand Canyon, and later the Petrified Forest, was so memorable that we can’t wait to rent another RV and explore the southern part of the state. And our newbie RVer fears? Put to rest after we completed the RVezy rental checklist and owner-renter test drive. We didn’t leave the driveway until we were confident and ready to roll.

Mandy Lea Photo

ROAD TRIP REDEMPTION It took a pandemic for me to realize that travel can be just as fun in my own backyard. I went into the trip hoping to justify my year of lost travel with something bigger and better. In the end, my revenge road trip wasn’t what I expected. It was hard to seek redemption when I just needed simplicity. I didn’t exactly get revenge. I got something better back in return — a renewed excitement for my future of travel.

Cruising With Caution Industry is hopeful for a rebound now that coronavirus vaccines have arrived

BY MORGAN HINES

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NANCY SOBEL, WHO calls herself a “cruiseaholic,” is eager to get back out to sea and started getting ready to do so as soon as distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines began.

Sobel had four cruises booked for 2020 before the pandemic struck, including one transAtlantic trip with her son from New York to Rome in May, which was canceled.

“When the vaccine became a reality, I booked the same trip, but in reverse for November 2021,” Sobel says.

With vaccines being distributed rapidly around the nation, more cruise passengers, along with industry officials, have voiced confidence.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledges vaccines could help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships, which haven’t sailed in U.S. waters since March 2020 following multiple outbreaks on ships at the pandemic’s onset.

Caitlin Shockey, a CDC spokesperson, says that vaccinations paired with other preventative measures such as COVID-19 testing before and after travel, mask wearing, hand-washing, social distancing and frequent cleaning can be an effective strategy to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus during travel — including on cruises.

Gay Courter was sailing on the Diamond

GETTY IMAGES

UP FRONT | CRUISES

Princess when it became one of the first ships that had to quarantine passengers because of coronavirus infections. More than 700 people were infected with the virus, and nine died. Courter has since written a book about the experience and says she is inspired by the availability of vaccines and believes everyone on board should be vaccinated before

cruising again.

“There should be vaccination passports — just like we had years ago verifying that we had smallpox, typhoid, polio, etc. — in order to keep those countries safe,” she says, noting “travel is not a given right.”

Myla Goldman, a frequent cruiser, doesn’t have any hesitation about getting back on a ship. “I

am ecstatic that there are several viable vaccines,” she says.

In fact, Goldman is so comfortable with the idea of getting back to sea that she has decided to live on a cruise ship. “I am going to be a resident of Storylines condo/cabin residential ship. They are building a new ship, ready in 2023, and I am so happy to join them.”

LIFE SAVERS While cruising is not yet recommended, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered tips for those who plan to sail during the pandemic. u Do not board a cruise if you are sick, if you know you have COVID-19 or if you were exposed to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days. u Discuss cruise ship travel with your health care provider. u Stay at least 6 feet (about two arm lengths) from anyone who is not traveling with you — both indoors and outdoors. u Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces. u Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. u Avoid contact with anyone who is sick. u Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. u If you get sick with symptoms of COVID-19, stay in your cabin and notify the onboard medical center immediately.

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UP FRONT | LODGING

A Pirates Life for Me boathouse, South Carolina

Long-Term Lodging With remote work and school, vacation rental sites see extended stays

BRIAN CHESKY, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, believes that the line between travel and daily life is becoming permanently blurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to sweep the globe.

People are starting to stay longer at Airbnb locations, rather than opting for quick getaways, making travel less of a special event and more of a way of life.

“As length of stay increases, those two worlds start blurring together,” Chesky says. “Because people were traveling nearby — the places they were going —

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many of them didn’t even have hotels.

They’re traveling and staying longer because they’re more flexible.”

The flexibility that comes with remote work and learning is also changing when people travel, according to Airbnb’s 2021 travel report.

“A significant percentage of Americans are more open to traveling during off-peak times of year and days of the week — one-quarter of those surveyed, in both cases,” Airbnb reports.

Another 24 percent of respondents “see themselves undertaking more

longer-term stays.” Sixty percent of longer-term stays were by guests who worked or studied while at their rentals.

At its core, “work from home” can be substituted with “work from anywhere” — which is giving people greater flexibility when it comes to their lifestyle, according to Chesky.

But the trend goes beyond workrelated travel. Due to COVID-19, leisure travelers are less comfortable staying at bustling resorts or visiting crowded tourist districts. >

AIRBNB

BY MORGAN HINES

Hoping for a getaway you won’t soon forget?

Mississippi has you covered.

Remarkable times await in a place that’s right nearby. In Mississippi, you’ll Ƨıñ İūŜøūİŜ Ñĩĕžø ſĕťđ İūŜĕëLj đĕŜťĺŗƅLj Ñıñ ëŗøÑťĕžĕťƅǍ İÑĩĩ ťĺſıŜ Ƨĩĩøñ ſĕťđ øƄťŗÑĺŗñĕıÑŗƅ ŜđĺŔŜ Ñıñ ĕıëŗøñĕêĩø øÑťøŗĕøŜǍ øÑūťĕċūĩ ıÑťūŗø ťŗÑĕĩŜ ťĺ ſÑıñøŗǍ ĺĺĩ ëĕťƅ ŜŖūÑŗøŜ ťĺ øƄŔĩĺŗøǍ øÑñƅ ťĺ İÑĦø Ñ ċøſ ıøſ İøİĺŗĕøŜǎ ťÑŗť ŔĩÑııĕıČ ƅĺūŗ ťŗĕŔ Ñť visitmississippi.org.

UP FRONT | LODGING

Canyon Chalet, Colorado

“They want to get in cars, travel just a couple hundred miles, not be around people they don’t know and gather in a space that feels like home,” Chesky says. “That private space is obviously quite good when you don’t want to come in contact with people, if you don’t know if they have the vaccination or what they have.”

Like other hotels, resorts and lodging options, Airbnb is helping protect its clientele and ease concerns about the spread of the coronavirus by implementing health and safety protocols.

Airbnb’s Health Safety Attestation will be a “voluntary tool” that will give hosts the option to request guests “attest they are clear of common COVID-19 symptoms and have not knowingly been recently exposed to COVID-19,” according to the company.

“Health and safety is something we are going to continue to be focused on,” Chesky says. l

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The Canopy Treehouse, Maine

The results of Airbnb’s 2021 travel survey are mirrored by competitors including vacation rental platform VRBO, which released a January report focused on how “pandemic-influenced travel habits are here to stay.” That includes mixing work and travel for what VRBO deems a “flexication”: it’s a term for a trip mixing work and pleasure.

In their survey, VRBO found that 52 percent of travelers who took a “flexication” in 2020 “found the experience of blending work and family vacation time refreshing.”

Sixty-seven percent of travelers would do it again, the report found.

The “where” part of the equation is changing along with the how: According to VRBO’s report, many families are choosing to take trips closer to home, including road trips.

“We expect families to continue taking road trips instead of flying, taking advantage of flexible schedules to mix work and play on a flexication, and seeking out destinations with access to open skies and fresh air in places they may not have considered before,” VRBO travel expert Melanie Fish said in a statement.

SIAYKO SKALSKY/THE CANYON CHALET; AIRBNB

‘FLEXICATIONS’ MIX BUSINESS AND PLEASURE

You need to wear a mask on the plane.

Make sure it’s actually protecting you.

Now’s not the time to lower your guard against Covid.

Especially on planes, or any crowded or indoor spaces, when protection is crucial!

•

Not all masks offer the same level of protection.

N95 masks offer the best protection possible.

•

SoftSeal masks — Better than cloth masks.

Better than even surgical masks.

•

Comfortable to wear for hours.

No scratchy material touching your face.

•

Sizes to fit everyone in the family.

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Medgar Evers, center, arrested for picketing

Museums work to tell difficult truth of nation’s history

BY TONYAA WEATHERSBEE

I

n 1963, Margaret Walker’s neighbor, civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist, in Jackson, Miss.

Five years later, more than 200 miles north of Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tenn.

Those tragic killings took place some 100 years after the end of the Civil War, yet still standing were Confederate monuments that fueled the white supremacist ideas that led to Evers, King and countless other Black people being killed, brutalized or discriminated against.

Many still stand today. In Mississippi alone, those monuments remain in 131 public spaces.

So, when Walker, poet and author of the neo-slave narrative Jubilee, founded the Institute for the Study of the History, Life and Culture of Black People in 1968, she ensured that the truths of Evers, King and countless others didn’t drown in a sea of Confederate myths. Now known as the Margaret Walker Center, it is a museum and archives based at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

“Margaret founded us in 1968, and to do that in Mississippi was an activist statement,” says Robert Luckett, associate professor of history at Jackson State and director of the center. “For her to have the courage and wherewithal to make that happen is a remarkable testimony to her, and to the strength of the idea. It is reflective of the kind of crucial roles these museums have been playing in preserving and promoting African American history and culture.”

GETTY IMAGES

Confronting the Confederacy

Martin Luther King Jr.

In an age in which the nation is being challenged to reckon with its Confederate past, civil rights museums and archival centers will likely play an even larger role in helping to set the racial record straight, says Terri Lee Freeman, president of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

“I think the role of the museum has always been to

educate and to educate truthfully about the subject matter and about the topic,” Freeman says.

“Just because you take down the Confederate statue doesn’t mean the history didn’t happen, so the role there is to be accurate and authentic in our interpretation of the history.”

The movement to topple Confederate statues, as well as a summer of protests against the killing of unarmed Black people by police officers and the >

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disproportionate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on African Americans, has likely generated more questions for which civil rights memorials and museums are uniquely positioned to provide context, says Tafeni English, director of the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Ala. Part of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the Civil Rights Memorial includes the granite-inscribed names of 40 civil rights icons killed from 1955 — the year that 14-year-old Emmett Till was murdered by white men in Mississippi — to 1968, when King was killed.

The memorial, as well as the

opened in 2018, pays homage to victims of slavery, lynchings and racial terrorism.

“The interpretive center is a full experience where we not only share the stories of the martyrs on the wall, but we also talk about the work of SPLC,” English says.

“The Emanuel Nine (Black parishioners who were murdered in a Charleston, S.C., church by white supremacist Dylann Roof in 2015) are included on the wall. ... White supremacy and terrorism still has strong holds in our country, and we don’t talk about it nearly enough.”

issues emerge, museums are able to tell the full story.”

Next year, for example, Luckett says the of the Margaret Walker Center will host an exhibit based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Matthew Desmond, Eviction: Poverty and Profit in the American City. That work encompasses the impacts of racism and inequality.

And the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which opened in 2017, also offers a gallery space titled Where Do We Go From Here? to help visitors reflect on their experiences and offer ideas on how to continue to improve society.

“I would argue that (the Mississippi Civil Rights) museum, in the context of memorials and monuments, reflects a community-driven effort to reflect the kind of monument that we should all be proud of, because that museum is a $90 million project that is going to withstand the test of time,” says Luckett, who was on the team of scholars who helped plan it.

“The legislature stayed out of most of it, except for the funding, which was good,” he says. “It allowed us to drive a more honest narrative of civil rights in Mississippi. Community meetings were held throughout the state, and the main thing they wanted was for the truth to be told.”

Facing the Reality of Racism

Teaching Difficult Truths

English says civil rights museums fulfill their educational responsibilities by presenting material and exhibits that add historical context to current issues.

“Overall, I think people see museums as being pretty static, that we tell a story and that’s it,” she says. “Well, no, that’s not how it works. As our communities change and as social justice

But how do civil rights museums bring new and contextualized experiences to people?

Virtually all of them offer field trips and materials that supplement the social studies curriculum in schools.

Efforts such as the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project offer learning plans and other resources, while National Civil Rights Museum

Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which

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National Civil Rights Museum

BRANDON DAHLBERG/(MEMPHIS, TENN.)COMMERCIAL APPEAL; GETTY IMAGES; ROGELIO V. SOLIS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial statue

“I think the role of the museum has always been to educate and to educate truthfully about the subject matter and about the topic.”

— TERRI LEE FREEMAN, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

educator Dory Lerner often makes presentations in Shelby County (Tenn.) schools.

Many times, the students learn something that helps them to educate their parents on civil rights history, English says.

“We had a fourth grader come through who was very attentive, and we get to the hallway before they get to put their name on this wall in which they’re going to take a pledge that they’re going to be on the side of right, and that they’re going to fight for everybody,” she says.

“Well this fourth grader, with all of his innocence, says: ‘My dad told me that the klan was responsible for keeping people straight, for keeping people in line,’” English recalls.

“There was so much genuineness there, in that he saw the Ku

Klux Klan as law and order, and that they only attacked people if they were bad. But for a fourth grader to walk away with a different perspective, and to say, ‘My dad was wrong,’ that was something.”

Many adults often learn more than they expect, Freeman says.

“There are people who come to this museum often thinking that what they’re going to simply see is the King room,” she says of the National Civil Rights Museum, located in the former Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated. “They often are surprised to learn that this museum is not only a memorial to King and the tragic event that occurred on April 4, 1968, but that it takes people on a journey from Africans being stolen from their native land and brought to this country and spread throughout the diaspora, and then what happened after enslavement and beyond.”

Dave Tell, a University of Kansas communications professor and author of Remembering Emmett Till, has worked with the Emmett Till Memorial Project since 2014.

He’s secured grants and created an app for the project as a way of guarding against the constant vandalizing of Till’s memorial sign.

Tell says he believes civil rights museums have an important role to play in clarifying the past and contextualizing the current political moment.

“Museums and monuments play a huge role in what stories are going to be dignified and which stories are not. ... Museums are on the front edge of a contest that is being played out right now about what stories get dignified in public space.” l — Tonyaa Weathersbee writes for the Memphis (Tenn.) Commercial Appeal.

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CIVIL RIGHTS SITES Here are just some of the significant museums and memorials that tell the story of the civil rights movement and African American history and culture:

u National Civil Rights Museum King came to Memphis in April 1968 to support the city’s sanitation workers, who were on strike for better pay and working conditions. King’s assassination on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel rocked Memphis and the country, marking the loss of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leader. The site of the tragedy, including the boarding house where King’s assassin fired the bullet, has been turned into the National Civil Rights Museum.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

u National Museum of African American History and Culture The newest Smithsonian museum, on the Mall in the nation’s capital, opened in 2016 and documents African American history and culture with around 36,000 artifacts. Recent exhibits pay tribute to Black Americans in the military from the American Revolution to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, how Black America has changed since 1968, stories from writer James Baldwin’s home in southern France and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign. u Birmingham Civil Rights Institute The institute, in downtown Birmingham, Ala., is across the street from the site of one of the most violent battles in the civil rights movement. On Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963, a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded under the steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four Black girls. King sent a

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u Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial The King Memorial, dedicated in 2011, is the first monument on the National Mall dedicated to an African American.

It’s at West Potomac Park, not far from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where King gave his famous I Have a Dream speech in 1963. u Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site The handsome brick Monroe Elementary School on the south side of Topeka, Kan., became the launch point for one of the most consequential civil rights breakthroughs in American history. When built in 1927, it was designated by the Topeka Board of Education as a school for Black children. By 1950, Topeka had established 18 neighborhood schools for white children, but only four for their Black counterparts. The following year, the Topeka NAACP went to court in a case that would come to be known as Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered school desegregation nationwide.

u Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Perhaps no more blood was spilled in the struggle for civil rights than in Mississippi. It was the site of the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. Medgar Evers, who established the Jackson office of the NAACP with his wife, Myrlie Evers, was assassinated in his driveway in Jackson in 1963. Three civil rights workers — James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman — were abducted and killed in Mississippi in 1964. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum takes an unflinching look at the state’s history of racial violence. u King Center The King Center in Atlanta describes its collection of American civil rights research materials as the world’s largest. It includes King’s papers and those of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,

King Center

the organization he co-founded. The archives include hundreds of oral history interviews with King’s friends, family and associates in the civil rights movement. Visitors can see the marble crypt where King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, are buried, and the eternal flame that symbolizes King’s vision.

— Curtis Tate

TRACY SCOTT FORSON; DAVID GOLDMAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

telegram to Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace that said, “The blood of our little children is on your hands.”

A Southern SUMMER With its grand architecture and infectious small-town charm, Columbus, Mississippi is reminiscent of a scene from one of its native son Tennessee Williams’ most beloved plays.

In “The City That Has It All,” the playbill offers something for everyone – from boating and fishing to early-morning farmers’ market shopping. You can takea walking tour of one of three National Register Historic Districts and stroll past the town’s awe-inspiring 650 historic properties.

Experience the Southern sophistication for yourself, while enjoying savory soul food and sipping on a cool mint julep. Wander over, bask in the hospitality Columbus has become famous for and stay for a while.

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS HOME & WELCOME CENTER 300 Main St. | 800.920.3533 VisitColumbusMS.org #VisitMSResponsibly For the most updated information regarding COVID-19, please visit visitmississippi.org/covid-19-travel-alert The Mississippi State Department of Health is operating a hotline to answer questions about COVID-19: 877.978.6453

Come curious.

Leave courageous.

Plan your visit now.

222 North Street, Jackson twomississippimuseums.com

Honoring Hispanic

Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry of the Riverside Art Museum in California

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THE CHEECH MARIN CENTER FOR CHICANO ART, CULTURE AND INDUSTRY

Heritage

Latino culture on exhibit at upcoming museums

BY LAURA CASTAÑEDA

T

WO NEW MUSEUMS HIGHLIGHTING THE history and contributions of Latinos, the nation’s largest ethnic group, are on the way: a Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, D.C., and Southern California’s Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry of the Riverside Art Museum. >

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Puerto Rican carnival mask, 1983

featured topics such as the Latino influence on baseball and design.

Less than 1 percent of the permanent works in the National Portrait Gallery featured Latinos until a Latina curator, Taína Caragol, arrived in 2013. Since then, more than 200 portraits of notable Latinos have been installed, Díaz says, adding that the Smithsonian American Art Museum now has the largest collection of U.S. Latino art among all major art museums in the U.S. More Latino content is coming even before the National Museum breaks ground. The Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian will be the institution’s first physical space on the National Mall dedicated to the Latino experience.

The 4,500-square-foot space will be

Aztec mask building facade, 1955

Flaco Jimenez‘s accordion, circa 2009

PROVIDED BY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY; GETTY IMAGES

Although the facilities will be new, there is nothing novel about Latinos or their integral place in the story of America. “Latinos have played a foundational role in building this country and shaping its culture even before there was a United States of America,” says Eduardo Díaz, director of the Smithsonian Latino Center.

It took 27 years to obtain the official nod for the new museum, says Estuardo Rodríguez, president and CEO of Friends of the American Latino Museum, the organization that’s led the fundraising campaign.

Before it opens (in an estimated 10 years at the earliest), he says about $700 million has to be raised and a location on the already crowded National Mall must be found.

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of Latino exhibitions at the Smithsonian, and more are coming.

Since 1997, the Smithsonian Latino Center has helped embed cultural content across the Smithsonian’s museums and research centers. Díaz says exhibits have included Hispanic history and Chicano graphics and

CULTURAL TREASURES FROM THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION:

CASAS DE LA CULTURA Here are some other Latino-focused museums and centers: ARIZONA uArizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center, Phoenix CALIFORNIA uMuseum of Latin American Art, Long Beach uLa Plaza de Culturas y Artes, Los Angeles uCentro Cultural de la Raza, San Diego uArte Américas Cada de la Cultura, San Diego uMovimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, San Jose uGalería de La Raza, San Francisco COLORADO uMuseo de las Americas, Denver FLORIDA uThe American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, Miami ILLINOIS uNational Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago uThe National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, Chicago uPuerto Rican Art Alliance, Chicago NEW MEXICO uNational Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque NEW YORK uEl Museo del Barrio, New York City uCaribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, New York City NEBRASKA uEl Museo Latino, Omaha PENNSYLVANIA uTaller Puertorriqueño, Philadelphia PUERTO RICO uMuseo de Arte De Puerto Rico, Santurce uInstituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan uMuseo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce TEXAS uLatino Cultural Center, Dallas uEmma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Austin uMexic-Arte Museum, Austin uGuadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio

located on the ground floor of the campaign featuring restaurants and Smithsonian’s National Museum of hotels such as the famous Mission American History because, as Díaz Inn Hotel & Spa to highlight the says, “Latino history is American city as a great weekend destination, history.”

Oberjuerge says.

The gallery is scheduled to open in “We hear a lot from people who May 2022 and was seeded with a $10 haven’t been to Riverside and are million donation by the family of Long surprised by what’s here in terms of Beach, Calif., physiarts and the hotels cian C. David Molina, and the historic founder of Molina downtown corridor,” Healthcare Inc., and she says. “We’re his wife, teacher Mary hoping people will Molina. come and discover Universal design what Riverside has techniques are to offer.” being used to create The inaugural bilingual interactive exhibition at The exhibitions, hands-on Cheech will feature educational programthe glass sculptures ming and digital and lenticular initiatives. “We want works of Jamex to create a space that de la Torre and is accessible to anyone Einar de la Torre with physical, sensory in a program titled The El Chico or brain-based condiCollidoscope: A De Cookbook, circa 1975 tions,” Díaz says.

La Torre Brothers The first exhibition Retro-Perspective. will be ¡Presente! A Attendance Latino History of the United States. Díaz for The Cheech, according to a says, “Some visitors will probably not local economist, could reach 250,000 know much about us. A typical Anglo visitors annually, Oberjuerge says. family from, say, Rapid City, South But even with pandemic restrictions Dakota, may not know much about that limit capacity, she believes it can our history. This is an opportunity for reach 100,000 a year. us to introduce the Latino community A real “community barn raising” to the American constituency.” took place to make the museum hapMeanwhile, on the West Coast, the pen, she says. Although the city will Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, contribute about $1 million per year Culture and Industry of the Riverside under a 25-year agreement to cover Art Museum is planning to open this operating costs, the Riverside Art December, executive director Drew Museum will fund the $13.3 million Oberjuerge says. renovation of the former public library Located about 55 miles east of Los through a $9.7 million state grant and Angeles, the museum will house private donations. hundreds of paintings and drawings Historically, many museums have collected through the years by actor struggled to tell the complete true and Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong unbiased stories of America. “Cheech film fame. The Cheech, as it is known, says Chicano art is American art and will sit in a former 60,000-square-foot needs to be represented in museums midcentury-style public library in and exhibits. Families need to see Riverside’s historic Mission District, themselves reflected in art on the she says. walls to enforce that their stories and The city is looking at the opening experiences matter,” Oberjuerge says. of the museum as part of its post“Arts are key to civic engagement and COVID-19 recovery and plans an ad better understanding.” l

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BARRY BRAHIER; GETTY IMAGES

PADDLEAway

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TO PRIVACY Escape to an island that you can call your own, if only for a weekend

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BY ERIN GIFFORD

e have hit the water on kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards — the perfect social distancing activites during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been a cinch to be a paddle’s length apart on our local lakes and ponds.

Although many have received a vaccine by now, social distancing remains a wise protocol. Cautious adventurers are still heading outdoors and seeking refuge at remote campsites where they can keep at least arms’ length — or oar’s length — from strangers.

These isolated isles make it easy. Whether you prefer tents and sleeping bags or climate-controlled cabins with toilets and electricity, there’s a private island for you.

VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, MINN.

Voyageurs National Park

At Voyageurs National Park, every campsite is accessible by water, and all sites require a camping permit. Some islands have just one campsite, while other larger islands have multiple options.

Many of the most sought-after island campsites are on Kabetogama Lake, one of four major chain-oflakes at Voyageurs. Echo and Moxie islands each have just one campsite, while Sphunge Island has two sites — one east, one west.

The islands are not far from the kayak launch area, but may still require an hour or two of paddling, depending on the weather and other variables. Every campsite has food storage lockers, picnic tables, a fire ring and an outhouse.

“The most important thing to know is the kind of landing. Not all islands have sand landings, but that’s what you want,” says longtime paddler Barry Brahier, from Roseville, Minn., who has camped on the islands at

Voyageurs more than a dozen times.

By day, paddle to islands that allow for exploration, like Cutover Island, also on Kabetogama Lake. Near the lake you’ll find the 2-mile Locator Lake Trail. Keep your eyes open for beavers, bald eagles, loons, red squirrels, swans and other native wildlife.

LAKE GEORGE ISLANDS, N.Y.

In New York’s Adirondacks region, Lake George is home to several clusters of stateowned islands that can be reserved for paddle-in day use activities or overnight camping. The Lake George Islands can be reached by canoe or kayak, even motorized boats and sailboats.

The area was once a fashionable summer spot for families to escape from the city. Photographer Alfred Stieglitz and his wife, Georgia O’Keefe, spent summers on the lake.

Stieglitz, who often turned to the sky for inspiration, took a series of photographs of the clouds, called >

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Equivalents, while O’Keefe took inspiration from the Earth in her paintings.

To spark your own creative journey, book your campsite at ReserveAmerica.com or take a chance on one of the first-come, first-serve options, which can only be reserved in-person at the ranger station. All islands have at least one toilet, a fire ring and a picnic table.

The Glen Island Group is a favorite with more than two dozen islands, including singlesite islands, like Perch and Little Gourd. Hermit Island is a top pick given its proximity to Glen Island, which is home to a ranger station and a general store for live bait, firewood, groceries, other supplies and ice cream scoops.

MACLELLAN ISLAND, TENN.

Maclellan Island is situated in the middle of the Tennessee River, just under the Veterans Bridge in downtown Chattanooga. This 18.8-acre wildlife sanctuary is a stone’s throw from the stunning Tennessee Aquarium and the creative energies of the Bluff View Art District.

Yet, Maclellan Island is worlds away. It’s the kind of escape you seek when you want a break from modern conveniences, if only for a weekend. There is no electricity, no water and no toilet facilities of any kind on the island, and that’s just the way some campers like it — a reminder of days gone by.

As in, simple and quiet.

Maclellan Island takes one booking per night and can host up to 30 guests at a time. Hike the perimeter of the island along a 1.5-mile nature trail, then explore the rain shadow desert, a rugged, shrubby area under the Veterans Bridge that receives no sun and very little rain.

As an urban wildlife sanctuary, the in-town island is home to

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PRIVATE-ISLAND CAMPING ALLOWS FOR

fun + family

WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING. songbirds, turkeys, raccoons, owls, opossums and ospreys. Place your kayak or canoe in the water at the ramp under the Market Street Bridge at Coolidge Park. From there, it’s a short paddle across the river for a beach landing at Maclellan Island.

BYOB (as in, bring your own boat) or rent a kayak or canoe from L2 Outside. “From Maclellan Island, you can see in between Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain,” says Darlene Carlson, executive director at the Chattanooga Audubon Society.

“You’ll also enjoy one of the most beautiful skyline views in the area from the shore.”

GETTY IMAGES; ALDEN APELLETT

POSEY ISLAND MARINE STATE PARK, WASH.

Lake George Islands

The San Juan Islands have long been revered by outdoor enthusiasts thanks to a multitude of camping, hiking and paddling opportunities.

Paddle-in campsites can be found on islands, peninsulas and state parks all along the Cascadia Marine Trail in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

For a remote paddle-andcamp experience, look to teeny-tiny marine parks, like Posey Island Marine State Park, one of the smallest in >

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Washington. With just two campsites, it’s possible to have the entire 1-acre state park to yourself. Walk the perimeter to study time-worn Yew trees and brightly colored wildflowers.

During the day, kayak north to Spieden Island to see — from a distance — sika deer, horned mouflon sheep and other safari animals grazing on the savannalike grasses.

The private Spieden Island was

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a game park for a short time in the 1960s. Stepping foot on the island is prohibited, but wildlife can be seen from the water.

In the afternoon, savor the sweeping views from the Posey Island shoreline. There is no electricity or potable water source, but there is a composting toilet on the island.

Sites can be reserved online through Washington State Parks.

THE CABIN ON CONEY ISLAND, W.VA.

Coney Island may be part of the name, but this retreat is not even close to Brooklyn. It’s actually inside the New River Gorge National Park, recently redesignated as a preserve in the National Park System.

Here, you’ll find The Cabin on Coney Island, a climate-controlled shanty that can sleep up to 10 people

over to the island.

Beyond a well-appointed cabin, you’ll find 7 acres of hiking trails and a small sandy beach. Bring your own food for lunch and dinner.

Breakfast basics, like fresh fruit, cereal, oatmeal, coffee and tea, are provided. The cabin is also stocked with cleaning supplies, paper products and firewood.

“Guests who come to the island for a vacation want to stay on the island,” says Holli Lathroum, marketing manager, MountainPlex Properties, which operates the cabin. “They want to kayak around the island, go fishing, listen to the river and not do a lot of anything, just relax.”

SHARP’S ISLAND, RICHMOND, VA.

GETTY IMAGES; MOUNTAINPLEX PROPERTIES

The Cabin on Coney Island

between two bedrooms and a loft with three twin-size trundle beds.

Coney Island is located at the confluence of the New and Greenbrier rivers in Hinton. The cabin features amenities, like flush toilets, a full kitchen, electricity and air conditioning. It’s a quick paddle, too; it’s the length of a football field from the boat launch to the island. An in-town outfitter can also taxi you

When you want to be in the city, but you want your space too, there’s Sharp’s Island in Richmond, Va. This 1-acre forested island with a beach sits in the middle of the James River, wowing with winning views of the 108-year-old Mayo Bridge and the downtown skyline.

Overnight guests can set off in a motorboat from Ancarrow’s Landing or put a kayak or canoe on the river near the south end of the Mayo Bridge to reach Sharp’s Island. Bring your own tubes or buy a few from the island’s owners for a carefree float along the James River or to simply chill in one of dozens of refreshing swimming holes.

Watch the sun set, then toast marshmallows over the island’s fire pit at the end of the day. Andy Thompson, one of the island’s owners, noticed he had the perfect socially distanced escape last summer. “People realized they could get out and camp with their families and be totally separated from anyone else,” says Thompson.

LITTLE WHORTLEBURY ISLAND, N.H.

Little Whortlebury Island is one of only a handful of private islands for rent on Lake Winnipesaukee. There is no cabin or abode of any kind on the 4-acre

BEFORE YOU

Paddle Away Paddle-in getaways can be ideal for those who prefer not to rub elbows with crowds on sandy beaches or at popular theme parks. However, there is more to know before you push away from shore — as in, know your physical and mental limits.

Take note of the weather and plan to practice leave-no-trace principles.

Wear a personal flotation device and know how to safely get in and out of a watercraft.

Share your float plan with family and friends.

Select the right equipment and supplies to prevent any injuries during your visit. island, so plan to bring your own tents and sleeping bags. This does not mean the island is free of amenities. In fact, the island is stocked with cooking utensils and tableware. There is also a large dining table, a stone barbecue pit, food prep tables, tent platforms and a composting toilet.

Bring your own or rent a boat from Melvin Village Marina for the short hop to Little Whortlebury Island.

Spend your days fishing in the lake or tuning in to the haunting calls of the majestic loons. Make time to paddle or motor out to Liliuokalani’s Ice Cream Shop for a scoop or two.

Staying on Little Whortlebury truly allows you to get back to basics, like blueberries. “One of the great things about the island is that there are tons of wild blueberries to feast on, especially in August,” says Sabra Gandhi-Sellers, daughter-in-law of the island’s owner, noted American architect David Sellers. l

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CLIFFSIDE ACCOMMODATIONS

Oil Nut Bay

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ENJOY STUNNING VIEWS AT THESE MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RESORTS

BY JENNIFER BRADLEY FRANKLIN

OIL NUT BAY; KODIAK GREENWOOD

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any travelers hunt for the perfect beach-side room, but travel connoisseurs realize that sometimes the best view — and with it, relaxation and privacy — can be found from above. “Being in or near the mountains just calms me in a way no other landscape can. It’s also easy to be alone in the woods or mountains, which is really hard to do on a beach if you’re not wealthy,” says Emily Farris, a lifestyle content creator based in Kansas City, Mo. “I’ll take a cabin over a cabana any day.”

Farris and her husband stayed in a yurt in Cape Lookout State Park on the Oregon coast as part of their Pacific Northwest honeymoon. “It’s technically on the beach, which is actually part of what made it so magical,” she says. “From our yurt at night, we could see the stars and hear the ocean.”

Farris isn’t alone in her preference for peaks. “Many (of my clients who request mountain trips) are city dwellers, and they want to be in wide-open places, taking in the majesty of mountain peaks, towering trees, rivers, lakes and wildlife,” says Cristina Buaas, Houston-based owner of CSB Travel. She notes that having space to distance within nature became a particular draw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While mountains draw snowseekers in the winter, these highelevation destinations are popular year-round. “For example, Jackson Hole’s peak season is summer, not winter,” says Buaas of the popular Wyoming destination. “Activities like hiking, biking, rafting, fly fishing and horseback riding are very popular.”

Whether you’re looking for a vacation destination that combines elevation with the coastline or a land-locked property surrounded by mountain peaks, here are some prime spots to consider:

OIL NUT BAY Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands If you can’t bring yourself to choose between the mountains and the sea, Oil Nut Bay on Virgin Gorda’s North Sound gives you the best of both worlds, showcasing the cobalt water and rugged coastline. Accessible only by boat or helicopter, the exclusive property’s 26 accommodation offerings range from cliffside one-bedroom suites to six-bedroom villas, some as high as 700 feet above sea level. The 400-acre landscape offers five hiking trails for sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea, tennis and pickleball courts and an onsite barn for rescued animals including retired racehorses, an emu and flamingos. Venture into the water for snorkeling, reef diving, sea kayaking and sailing and refuel with an alfresco meal and a cocktail at Nova, the resort’s new overwater restaurant and bar.

Post Ranch Inn

POST RANCH INN Big Sur, Calif.

Unplug and disconnect at Post Ranch Inn, perched 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Lucia Mountains. Choose from 40 guest rooms and suites, spread across 100 acres, according to your preferences. Tree House rooms tower on 9-foot stilts among massive redwood trees; Mountain House rooms offer striking views of the surrounding peaks, and the Ocean Houses showcase the waves crashing on the rocks below. All come without alarm clocks or televisions for optimum relaxation and are powered by a 990-panel solar array, the largest such project in California. Take part in free meditation classes, guided nature hikes and nightly stargazing through the inn’s 12-inch Meade telescope. On a clear night, you might see the rings of Saturn.

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Jackson Hole, Wyo. Natural beauty is a top draw at Amangani, where all 40 luxury suites have floorto-ceiling windows, perfect for taking in the spectacular Grand Tetons and the Snake River Valley. The resort sits at 7,000 feet above sea level within the largest contiguous forest in the United States. Since Jackson Hole is less than 60 miles to Yellowstone National Park and only 5 miles to Grand Teton National Park, guests can take advantage of hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails and nature safaris to spot elk, white-tailed deer, moose, black and grizzly bears, as well 300 species of local birds, including bald eagles. The Snake River offers opportunities for fly-fishing to reel in trophy-sized cutthroat trout and exciting whitewater rafting through the canyon.

Horseback riding through wildflower-covered trails, yoga sessions with panoramic views, spa services and swimming in the 377-foot long pool round out the experience.

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AMAN; CANYON MADNESS RANCH; JOHN RUSSO

AMANGANI

CANYON MADNESS RANCH Roy, N.M. For relaxation with a side of adventure, take a trip to Canyon Madness Ranch, a new sportforward property that opened in April. The main house, Teepee Lodge, was designed by architect Alejandro Uribe. It features twin teepee-shaped peaks over 18,000 square feet of indoor space with two levels of metal-alloy decks that overlook the rushing Canadian River. The remote and intimate allinclusive experience accommodates 16 guests across eight rooms. Pick your activity level and take part in an extensive sport shooting program (including a military-style firearms experience), river kayaking, archery and hiking. Equestrians of all levels can saddle up for rides on pristine wilderness trails, while history buffs can explore the remnants of homesteads and search for Native American artifacts.

HOTEL WAILEA Wailea, Hawaii Hawaii’s first and only Relais & Châteaux property, the adults-only Hotel Wailea is designed for romance and exclusivity. Seventy-two spacious suites are spread across 15 acres, perfect for easy social distancing. Borrow one of the resort’s three vintage 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster replicas to explore Maui’s upcountry peaks, some of which top out at more than 10,000 feet above sea level; try your hand at Hawaiian outrigger canoeing to see the sunrise over the Haleakalā volcano; or join the Surf Safari tour to hang 10 on some of the island’s best breaks. Spring for the sevencourse tasting menu in a private treehouse set among the mango trees to cap off the unforgettable experience. No matter where you are, adjacent mountain islands set a jaw-dropping scene.

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THE CAVES

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LAGARTA LODGE Nosara, Costa Rica Situated on a bluff on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, Lagarta Lodge sits above verdant mangroves and rainforest bordering the Pacific Ocean. The boutique eco-lodge consists of 26 junior suites, designed with teak furniture crafted by local artisans and adorned with a global art collection. Guests have access to the property’s 90-acre nature reserve, home to tropical birds, iguanas, rainbow-hued butterflies and howler monkeys. Take an aerial yoga class and kayak the Rio Nosara through the primeval forest or venture off-property to Playa Ostional, one of the world’s largest nesting grounds for olive ridley sea turtles. Finish the day with dinner set with a backdrop of panoramic ocean views as the sun sinks below the horizon.

GO ESCAPE | SUMMER 2021

PROVIDED BY THE RESORTS

Negril, Jamaica You’re not far from the water at The Caves, and the elevated position is perfect for thrill-seekers to jump from the limestone cliffs 30 feet into the turquoise waves below (shorter jumps are available for lessbold visitors). Settle into one of 12 pastel-hued suites and cottages, and kick your vacation into high gear with a cocktail at the Blackwell Rum Bar, named for resort owner Chris Blackwell, the Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer and legendary record producer.

Snorkel in search of the colorful parrotfish and squirrelfish that make their home among the volcanic limestone, or take a trip to nearby Bloody Bay for some of the island’s most vibrant coral reefs. Don’t miss the sunset views before tucking into a private candlelit dinner in the caves.

HIGHLANDER MOUNTAIN HOUSE

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CLIFF HOUSE MAINE Cape Neddick, Maine You’re never far from the sound of breaking waves at Cliff House Maine, the hotel set on the dramatic Bald Head Cliff, 70 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The historic 226-room property with views of the Nubble Lighthouse has been serving guests since 1872. Visitors can indulge 70 acres of cliff-top walking paths and wooded trails, explore an on-site art gallery or work out the kinks in an oceanside yoga session. Rent a bike to explore the rugged shoreline, play the links at the adjacent 18-hole course or take to the water on a lobstering cruise, a classic Maine adventure. Craving a dip? Nearby Ogunquit Beach has 3.5 miles of sandy shoreline.

Highlands, N.C. Settle into the Highlander Mountain House in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, originally built in 1885 and reopened as an inn in 2020 by hotelier Jason Reeves.

Designed to evoke visions of an English country house, no two of the 18 rooms are alike; each is adorned with an eclectic mix of custom and vintage furnishings, bold wallpaper, Victorian-era taxidermy and collected art. At more than 4,100 feet above sea level, Highlands is the highest incorporated town east of the Rockies and boasts rich cultural exploration opportunities like the Appalachian-inspired folk art at The Bascom arts center and lectures, music and theater at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. Visitors of all ages will enjoy outdoor activities including rock climbing, hiking, lake sports, biking and more. After you’ve worked up an appetite, head back to the inn for locally sourced dishes at the on-site restaurant, The Ruffed Grouse.

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MORE THAN

Indulge in these outdoorsy adventures at a spa near you

Massages

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BY DIANE BAIR AND PAMELA WRIGHT

ounging around like pampered royalty at the spa is so over! These retreats are all about active adventures like forest bathing, ropes courses, paddleboarding, horseback riding, even Bokken (Japanese sword fighting). Besides being energetic pursuits, these activities have something else in common: They take place outdoors. “Our panelists agreed that connecting with nature will continue to be a top trend in wellness,” says Beth McGroarty, the Global Wellness Summit’s research vice president.

Think mind, body, spirit — and the great outdoors.

Because many have been deprived of the luxuries spas offer during quarantines and stay-at-home orders, it’s little wonder that they now want the works: indulgent treatments, healthy cuisine, life-enhancing seminars and immersion in glorious nature. Losing some of those pandemic pounds in the process is just a bonus. Here are some options that check all the boxes:

LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT

LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT, TEXAS Lake Austin Spa Resort is known for its Texas-size array of water sports, including waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, stand-up paddleboarding, Hydrobikes and rowing.

This year, “We are focusing on taking as many programs into the fresh air as possible,” says Cindy Present, fitness and activities director. Not just for pandemic purposes, but for the positive mental wellness effects, she says. With What not the combination of lake and to miss: The nature preserve, “We have P3, paddlethe ability to pair nature, board, fresh air and fitness — the picnic and perfect wellness trifecta prosecco, for mind, body and spirit,” experience.

Present notes.

The outdoor lineup for 2021 includes myriad fitness options: lakeside cross-training, fresh-air boot camp, paddleboard yoga, tai chi, macebells, bicycle boot camp, kayak interval paddling and a weighted vest class. Ever wanted to try Bokken, using wooden swords? This is the place. They offer several reflective activities too, like nature bathing, birding hikes, garden meditation and “glow paddle” (night paddling with glow sticks).

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If the thought of hiking red rock cliffs and canyons makes your heart soar, this is the spa for you. Considered one of the country’s best hiking resorts, Red Mountain offers 55 acres of Southwest splendor, with another 7,400 acres just outside the door. This St. George neighborhood includes Red What not Mountain to miss: and stunThe Red ning Snow Rock Hiker’s Canyon Massage, State Park. perfect after Add-on exa day on the cursions to trail. nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks are popular options. “Reflective outdoor experiences” (with a coating of red dust!) is the theme here.

Consider a mindful silent hike, a nature-inspired journaling trek, stretching classes, a scramble through a lava tube or a quad-testing hike with lofty vistas. Even an easygoing walk offers eye candy galore as you tromp on red rock, sand and lava. Beyond incredible hiking, Red Mountain offers 35-plus different fitness classes each week. To sample the active life Red Mountain style, book an adventure retreat; their Essential Retreat package includes lodging, meals, daily hikes, fitness and healthy life classes, personal discovery activities and events.

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RED MOUNTAIN RESORT

RED MOUNTAIN RESORT, UTAH

CIVANA, ARIZONA There’s an “intentional bias for happiness” theme at this award-winning wellness retreat in the Sonoran Desert.

Located near Scottsdale, CIVANA offers an approachable alternative to wellness resorts — meaning, more value-minded, with 70-plus free classes. “We believe an active body is a happy body,” says Julia Lavine, chief brand officer. “Every day, guests at CIVANA are invited to participate in more than a dozen complimentary movement and fitness classes, everything from a morning hike and aerial yoga to myofascial release and TRX training. There’s something for everyone.”

The pandemic prompted CIVANA to truly embrace the healing properties of the desert. Currently, most of

their classes are outdoors, weather permitting. This includes morning meditation in the rose garden, twicedaily desert hikes, yoga, spin classes, sound healing, guided labyrinth walking meditaWhat not to tion, a cardio miss: It’s worth circuit, bodyweight rising early training, a TRX mix for the 7 a.m. class and starQuartz Trail hike, gazing sessions. a beautiful 3.5Water experimile desert walk ences add an amid glittery oasislike feel. In white quartz. addition to two pools, there’s an Aqua Vitality circuit with a hot/cold wading pool, a KLAFS sanarium (a sauna/steam room combo), a cold deluge shower and a Watsu therapy pool. If you overdo it, spring for a CBD-infused massage.

LISA DIEDERICH PHOTOGRAPHY; THE SPA AT SEA ISLAND

THE SPA AT SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA You’ll feel more relaxed upon arrival here, before you even set foot in this spa. It’s on an island, after all, with a 5-mile strand of golden sand standing between you and the Atlantic What not Ocean. The spa to miss: and fitness center An escape at Sea Island is a into sound, top-rated expericolor and ence on this private energy in the isle, located on St. Somadome Simon’s Island, off Therapy Georgia coast.

Pod. It’s the perfect place to combine fitness classes and spa treatments with on-your-own water sports action. Saltwater kayaking and paddleboarding lessons and rentals are available, along with guided kayak fishing, sunset kayaking,

Sunfish sailing in the bayous and backwaters and even sailing school. The spa/fitness center is home base for 56-plus group classes per week, with plenty of outdoor options, including Aquafit water aerobics, beach yoga and boot-camp-style Outdoor Fit, with views of the beach and marsh for

inspiration. If that’s not enough action to suit you, there’s also biking, golf, tennis, squash, horseback riding — even falconry.

This is a great place to escape with your family. While they’re off flying kites or on a nature walk, you’re taking Pilates or blissfully soaking in the hydrotherapy pool.

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BRING THAT SPA VIBE HOME It’s easy to feel calm and centered at a spa, when someone else is making the quinoa and dusting the Buddha bust.

How can you re-create that feeling (sort of) at home? Here’s some advice from spa experts:

Last year, Miraval launched a chic, 380-acre spa in Lenox, with all the bells and whistles ... and horses and gardens. It also boasts a challenge course that offers wall climbing, zip lining and more obstacles. All of this is set within the bucolic landscape of the Berkshire Hills.

What not Miraval makes the most of its natural to miss: The playground with woodsy hikes, bike rides and October kayaking in Laurel Lake, but what makes Miraval Mountain a marvel is the long list of unexpected alfresco State Forest activities. The summertime menu includes hike, a archery, ax throwing, forest bathing and equine 2.5-mile meditation. The outdoor adventure programming up-and-back is designed to challenge guests to stretch their trek with comfort zone, says Simon Marxer, director of woods and spa and well-being. “For example, our exclusive waterfalls. challenge course, High Wild Woosey, requires two guests to rely on each other as they move along a cable at 25 feet in the air. It asks (them) to overcome their obstacles as a collective and identify their communication strengths and weaknesses.” Not to mention, it’s really fun.

They even offer farm and garden activities, such as chicken rearing and beekeeping. Now that’s something you don’t expect at a spa! It’s life-enhancing to try new things in a friendly, nonjudgmental environment. Bonus: Many of the introductorylevel activities, like fundamentals of kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, are complimentary.

u Purchase a Himalayan singing bowl.

“It’s a great way to create the spa vibe and sound to add to your meditation time,” says Welsh. u Buy a spa cookbook on-site. If you, love that healthful, tasty spa cuisine, get instruction on how to make your favorites at home, Welsh advises. u Deep clean your relaxation area.

“One of the best contributors to ‘feeling like a spa’ is cleanliness,” says Megan Fitzgerald, executive director of the Lake Austin Spa Resort. Then, smudge or burn incense and open windows briefly.

“Once your space is clean and clear, create ambiance by adding elements for each of your five senses,” she says.

To do that, Fitzgerald recommends the following: u Dim the lights, or light candles. u Use an aromatherapy diffuser or an aromatic spray for that spalike scent. u Silence is best, but “if you prefer music, lean toward instrumentals that appeal to you,” Fitzgerald says. u Stimulate your sense of taste. Try cool water with fruit infusions and/or warm herbal teas. uSoothe your sense of touch with a dry glove exfoliation and then an aromatic shower, alternating warm and cool water in the shower to activate circulation.

Follow up with a warm milk-and-honey bath (“The lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxyl acid which is excellent for gentle exfoliation, while honey is nourishing and antibacterial,” Fitzgerald says). The next step is self-massage with nourishing body oil. Finally, cozy up with a warm robe, cool sheets and a soft eye pillow.

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MIRAVAL BERKSHIRES; JAMES BAIGRIE

MIRAVAL BERKSHIRES, MASSACHUSETTS

u Choose a mantra that relaxes or inspires you, to repeat when needed, says Tracey Welsh of Red Mountain Resort. “Our mantra at Red Mountain is, ‘Be Inspired. Be adventurous. Be transformed.’”

BY TIGER WOODS & TGR DESIGN BOOK YOUR STAY & PLAY PACKAGE AT BIGCEDAR.COM

| GO ESCAPE

EXPLORE AMERICA

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MAP: STUDIO GANNETT

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NORTHEAST

SOUTHEAST

MIDWEST

WEST

PACIFIC

54 My Town: Philadelphia

68 My Town: Tampa, Fla.

94 My Town: Fort Wayne, Ind.

112 My Town: Dallas

122 My Town: San Francisco

56 Serene St. Michaels, Md.

70 A distanced Disney experience

60 National Mall gardens

76 Virginia’s southwest corner

96 A floral Heritage Trail in Indiana

114 Helpful llamas of Yellowstone

124 Pedals and pinot in Sonoma County, Calif.

64 New England trails and ales

80 Nashville’s new music museum

104 Missouri’s Bicentennial

118 Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike

128 California coast adventures

84 Unchartered Charleston, S.C. 88 Kentucky mansion tours

108 National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Ohio

132 A peek at Portland, Ore. 134 Fast fun in Seattle

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LAUREN AMBROSE’S

Philadelphia While shooting season 3 of Apple TV+’s Servant, actress Lauren Ambrose spends time in Philadelphia, but when shooting ends for the day, she can relax and explore. “As an actor you get to learn about and live in places you wouldn’t have otherwise.”

— KATHRYN STREETER

BEST PLACE FOR

FUN

CHEESESTEAK “I know there is a lot of debate about the best cheesesteak in Philly or whatever. But really that debate can just close here. John’s Roast Pork wins the Lauren Ambrose Cheesesteak Award despite the name of the establishment.”

“

Barnes Foundation is one of the most inspiring places I have ever been — a mecca to the democratic idea that art is for everyone and can transform your life!”

— LAUREN AMBROSE

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BEST PLACE FOR

FAMILY ADVENTURES “Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is well named — truly a magical place to find in the middle of the city. My son described it as ‘wandering into Alice in Wonderland.’ Great place to take kids!”

BEST

GARDEN “Chanticleer is a magical fairyland about half an hour from the city. The horticulturists and garden artists who dream up the gardens at this fancy estate are nothing short of wizards. Every square inch of this place is brimming with creativity and whimsy.”

JOAN MARCUS; VISIT PHILADELPHIA; J. FUSCO; J. VARNEY/GPTMC

BEST PLACE FOR

“PEP Bowl is the best — a super cool old-fashioned bowling alley with an amazing neon sign. It’s a place for real bowlers like me! And I would love this place even if they weren’t providing employment and assistance to developmentally disabled Philadelphians.”

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NORTHEAST | M A RY L A N D

Serene St. Michaels This Eastern Shore town is a great place to experience Maryland

BY TRACY SCOTT FORSON

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BILL CONWAY; TRACY SCOTT FORSON; PROVIDED BY SUSAN HOPKINS

estled along the Eastern Shore in Talbot County, St. Michaels is a quintessential Maryland town that seamlessly mixes American history, coastal culture and some of the state’s signature attractions — specifically, shoreline and seafood.

Just a few hours drive from Washington, D.C., (about 80 miles) or Philadelphia (122 miles), St. Michaels sits serenely on the Chesapeake Bay and is a whole world away from its more boisterous Delmarva Peninsula sibling, Ocean City.

The town’s colonial history is evident from the moment you arrive. Established as a trading post in the mid-1600s, many of today’s businesses reside inside buildings reminiscent of 17th-century homes. What the intimate settings lack in square footage, they make up for in charm, lending themselves to conversations with fellow customers and owners, like Fran Neaton, general manager of American Holiday home furnishings.

Neaton opened the décor store eight years ago, and has since expanded her footprint to include two more St. Michaels shops, Knotty Living and A Little Knotty. As in other nearby boutiques, visitors can find unique clothing, home accessories, artwork and jewelry made by local artisans.

“We have several art galleries, and most of our shops have art from local and regional artists,” says Kimberly Weller, communications manager for the town.

Hopkins Original Art on Talbot Street, one of the town’s main strips, sells sketches, paintings and prints by Maryland artist Ryan Hopkins, who owns the store with his wife, Susan.

“St. Michaels is perfect for us — small and intimate,” says Susan, whose store mimics the area’s carefree vibe. The artwork, including coastal images of horizons and crustaceans, also reflects the region.

The gallery opened five years ago, and before long, the

The jumbo crab is a recurring theme in the works of former architect Ryan Hopkins, who creates original sketches, paintings, prints and photographs at his Hopkins Original Art gallery.

Hopkinses added a new Eliza Bailey Mitchell: Both attraction: a room of resided in St. Michaels as records. slaves. See real skipjacks, “In the ’80s, (Ryan) kayaks and other boats started collecting vinyl in the At Play on the Bay records. We had more building and in the Small than 3,000. The store has Boat Shed. a back room that’s pretty For vehicles of another large. We put in a record kind, there’s the Classic Motor Museum, which player and speakers, and people come and dance,” features a rotating exhibit Susan explains. “You have of 20 memorable autoto leave mobiles, happier including because it’s a 1910 Interart and national music.

Harvester There’s no and a 1925 stress here.”

Model-T. Through Executive September, director Classic Motor Museum one of the Sarah town’s most Reichard popular atsays tractions, the Chesapeake motoring is a big part of Bay Maritime Museum the history and culture of (CBMM), is featuring the the area. “As soon as that artwork of another Mary(Chesapeake) Bay Bridge lander, David Harp, whose opened up in the ’50s, photos of the bay’s people people just immediately and places occupy the upstarted touring and taking per level of the museum’s motor days. It became a Steamboat Building. destination area for that,” Cranes, crabs, catchers, she says. kayaks, coastlines and In addition to displaying canals tell the story of life and preserving classic along the Eastern Shore. vehicles, the museum The museum’s permahosts a student chapter of nent exhibits include its the Antique Automobile Hooper Strait Lighthouse, Club of America. “Students an 1879 structure that come in here two weekvisitors can climb to ends of the month and experience how keepers just learn how things are once lived. It was originally working,” says Reichard. stationed in the middle of There’s also a scholarship the bay, but now watches for high school graduates over the waters from the going into fields related to shores of the CBMM. automobiles and financial Outdoor exhibits support for teens who include the Floating Fleet can’t afford driver’s educaof historic vessels, the tion, she explains. “We’ll waterman’s wharf crab have a lot more, hopefully, shanty and the reconopportunities to do things structed Mitchell House, like that.” the home of abolitionist Few things are as Frederick Douglass’ sister, symbolic of Maryland >

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as driving across the Bay Bridge, but picking steamed, Old Bay-seasoned crabs by the sea is an equally iconic activity, and visitors have plenty of opportunities to experience it in St. Michaels.

Steps from the CBMM, the Crab Claw sits on the shore, offering outdoor dining of fresh seafood, burgers, chicken wings and other fare. Grab a cocktail or a beer and enjoy the view from the patio.

If crustaceans aren’t your thing, Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar is a popular alternative, serving custom-made, brick-oven baked pies. The wide variety of menu options includes a meatball appetizer, the meatless Mediterranean pizza and a turkey club sandwich. Sit at the bar, on the patio or inside where you may see your order pulled straight from the oven.

Limoncello Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar also comes highly recommended by locals. Dine on Risotto di Manzo made with mignon tips, caramelized onions, wild mushrooms and Gorgonzola or the vegetarian Penne Norma, made with eggplant.

To quench your thirst, Weller recommends visiting the “trifecta of booze” at the town’s Historic Mill. At Lyon Rum, CEO

Lyon Rum

Eastern Shore Brewing

The blue crab is integral to Maryland’s seafood industry, which earns $600 million annually for the state. Learn more about St. Michaels’ contribution at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

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and founder Jaime Windon sells flights that serve as a gateway to purchasing full bottles of her award-winning varieties, including the popular, more traditional dark rum and the distinct, seasonal pineapple rum.

Nearby is Eastern Shore Brewing, the oldest brewery in the region, where

customers can enjoy a cold one while playing a game of hook-and-ring toss or foosball. For those who prefer pinot over pale ales, St. Michaels Winery offers a citrusy, medium-bodied pinot gris and red wine options, including malbec and merlot.

“We opened our tasting room in the Old Mill district of St. Michaels and started producing our first three wines,” says Lindsay Greenwood, marketing and events director for the winery. “We have expanded that listing over the years and take pride in the fact that we have wines for every palate.”

In summer months, St. Michaels’ waters become a hub of activity, including kayaking and paddleboarding, and on land, there are trails for hiking and biking.

It’s common to see people sitting in Adirondack chairs that dot the yards of bed-and-breakfast inns, and tour cruises speckling the waters.

“What I believe makes us unique is the incredible quality and variety you will find here and the beauty of our teeny-tiny historic waterfront town,” says Keller. “It is truly an escape from the hustle of people’s lives in the cities near to us.” l

PROVIDED BY SUSAN HOPKINS; TOWN OF ST. MICHAELS (2); LYON RUM

Hopkins Original Art music room

Jay Peak Area Chamber of Commerce — at the —

TOP OF VERMONT

The Rest of Your Story Starts Here

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Visit our relaxing waterside community on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Natural beauty and laid-back charm await.

www.ChooseCalvert.com/UST21

Our National Parks The National Mall welcomes millions every year, but what they see is hardly welcoming.

It welcomes the world to our most significant monuments and memorials. But like many national parks, the National Mall in Washington, D.C., desperately needs our help, including $350 million in federal funding for maintenance, repairs, and preservation.

You can help with a simple letter.

Visit NPCA.org/mall. Or call 1-800-NAT PARK.

NORTHEAST | WA SHINGTON, D.C .

Hidden Horticulture Venture beyond the monuments and memorials in the nation’s capital

BY KATHRYN STREETER

W

ashington, D.C., is known for its hustle and bustle, especially in the downtown area where politicians and lawmakers are busy running the nation. Even during a pandemic, many commuters and workers remain on their daily grind. However, despite the noise and government business underway, there are quiet places along the National Mall, offering lush views and refuge from crowds. These gardens, largely unknown educational treasures, offer a peaceful place to get off your feet and take a breather:

BARTHOLDI PARK Bartholdi Park, an extension of the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) near the Capitol, is an enchanting 2-acre garden that entices you to stop and rest on the benches and picnic tables copiously spread about. Devin Dotson, public affairs specialist for USBG, says colorful and fragrant flowers abound in the summer. “The U.S. Botanic Garden’s Bartholdi Park is a perfect blend of beautiful and educational gardens featuring the magnificent Fountain of Light and Water in the center.”

At 30 feet high, it’s one of the tallest flowing fountains in D.C., Dotson says. “A great summer treat is to find which direction the wind is blowing and enjoy the cool mist from the fountain.”

The USBG just turned 200 years old, he adds, and it’s thrilling that the historic 1872 fountain continues to be showcased, as it was one of the first spots in D.C. to be lit at night, providing a community gathering place.

POLLINATOR GARDEN An unassuming garden not far from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Pollinator Garden invites you to wander and delight in dancing butterflies and buzzing bees. Part of the Smithsonian Institution’s horticultural program, this mini-garden's educational placards offer a live show-and-tell story of the partnership between plants and pollinators.

Sylvia Schmeichel, the Smithsonian’s lead horticulturist, suggests immersing yourself in the vibrant habitat of native plants. “One of my favorite summer highlights >

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GETTY IMAGES

Bartholdi Park

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is looking for eggs, caterpillars and chrysalis of some of our native butterfly species, such as monarchs and swallowtails, hiding on leaves. If you look closely, you’ll often see them.

Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I’ll spot a hummingbird jetting around sipping nectar. I make it a point to slow down, sit quietly and watch all the life the garden supports. I invite our guests to do the same.”

Sit on nearby benches and take your time appreciating the flora and artwork. Whimsical sculptures throughout the garden are part of the Bug B&B exhibit, Schmeichel explains.

UPPER AND LOWER SENATE PARK With a fountain, reflecting pool, tree-lined pathways, carpetlike grass and flowers blooming in season, Upper and Lower Senate Park offers an oasis.

Adjacent to the Capitol by the Senate office buildings, the park’s elaborate water feature welcomes visitors, says James Kaufmann, director of Capitol grounds and arboretum at the Architect

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of the Capitol. A central fountain surrounded by roses is the primary feature in the Upper Park. Two flights of steps bordering triple cascading wall fountains transition visitors to the Lower Park where a pool provides a stunning reflection of the iconic building. Recently restored, the parks are integral to the design of the Capitol grounds, says Kaufmann, because they provide functional pathways between the Capitol, Senate office buildings and Union Station.

When you visit, Kaufmann says to appreciate the colorful crape myrtles, mature oaks and Yoshino cherry trees. On hot summer days, large oaks offer shade in the Upper Park, and the fountain drowns out the noise of surrounding traffic. “It offers a beautiful wide expansive view of the U.S. Capitol while the trees and water provide a sense of privacy,” he says.

MARY LIVINGSTON RIPLEY GARDEN Snuggled alongside the Smithsonian

Institution Building, also known as The Castle, is the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden. Disappearing into a quiet place in D.C. is a tough trick, and this petite half-acre garden accomplishes just that. Its accessible design offers a lovely meandering pathway with sinuous curves, says Janet Draper, the horticulturist who has overseen the garden for 20 years. She looks for ways to showcase underutilized plants that engage and educate visitors. The Smithsonian is all about education, whether inside its museums or outside in its gardens, Draper points out. The Ripley garden theme is “homes,” telling the story of how a garden can provide food, water and shelter for insects, birds and other life.

In summer, Draper says to expect a profusion of color with tropical plants reaching for the skies, lush beds full of vibrant greens and singing birds.

“This is a garden beckoning you to slow down and explore. Listen and learn and be totally overcome by the awesomeness of plants!” l

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Views & Brews After time on the trail, reward yourself with an ale

BY BRENT HALLENBECK

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W

hile large indoor gatherings continue to be restricted this year because of COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are heading outdoors for recreation, planning activities that include fresh air and open space.

With its plentiful and beautiful nature, the Northeast is a great region to visit for outdoor fun.

Add to that its many tasty locally produced ales, and you’ve got the brew for a hopping good time.

Here’s a great outdoor adventure and a nearby brewery worth checking out in upstate New York and each state in New England.

After hiking a mountain, kayaking on a river or pedaling on a serious bike ride, you’ll have earned that delicious beer.

MASSACHUSETTS The highest point in the Bay State is Mount Greylock, which at 3,500 feet makes for a strenuous climb in the Berkshires. The sights on a clear day might offer views of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut, as well as a large swath of eastern and central Massachusetts.

That peak is about 10 miles from Bright Ideas Brewing in North Adams, where the Lil’ Bling blonde ale and a raspberry-infused Quaffable Waffle stout welcome drinkers. An added bonus: Bright Ideas is a neighbor to MASS MoCA, a world-class contemporary art museum.

SCHILLING BEER CO. (2); BRIGHT IDEAS BREWING

NEW HAMPSHIRE The hiking in the White Mountains is fantastic. So is the biking, and there are several excellent rail trails to choose from in the Granite State. The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail is among the most intriguing. The mostly gravel path runs 19 miles between the tiny town of Woodsville and bustlingyet-quaint Littleton.

That’s where you’ll find Schilling Beer Co. The Littleton brewery sits bucolically along the Ammonoosuc River and produces a wide variety of ales and lagers inspired

by European traditions.

You can enjoy those brews with a wood-fired pizza to rebuild that energy you spent on the trail.

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NORTHEAST

CONNECTICUT If you’re an avid walker, head to the northwestern corner of Connecticut, where you will find Bear Mountain Trail in Mount Riga State Park. You’ll climb more than 1,500 feet as you intersect at times with the Appalachian Trail before reaching the peak at more than 2,300 feet, and you can see into Massachusetts and New York.

Phew, that’s a lot of spent calories. Replenish with a beer a little more than 20 miles to the east at Great Falls Brewing Company in Canaan. There are food trucks, an outdoor deck and brews including New England-style India pale ales, lagers, stouts and porters.

VERMONT There are several trails to hike for all abilities in the Bristol/Middlebury area, and Abbey Pond Trail offers just enough climb to feel it in your hamstrings and the likelihood that you’ll have the peaceful, lily-padfilled body of water all to yourself.

There’s no beer there, though. For that you’ll have to drive six or so miles to Drop-In Brewing in Middlebury, which might be the most underrated member of this small state’s highprofile beer scene. Heart of Lothian, a medium-bodied Scottish ale, might just put enough pep in your step to make you want to climb another of the region’s many mountains.

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RHODE ISLAND

MAINE

The smallest state in the union has plenty of kayaking spots, as is to be expected for a state with “island” in its name. But the Ocean State is flat enough to make it a sweet destination for those who prefer pedaling to paddling.

The Worden Pond loop in South Kingstown is mellow — a shade less than 9 miles total — and offers an up-close-and-personal view of Great Swamp and the wildlife that inhabit the area.

The trail is a 6-mile pedal (or drive if you’ve had enough biking for the day) to Whalers Brewing Co., where you’ll find brews including Whalers’ flagship beers — the dark-amber East Coast IPA and a brew called Rise that Whalers describes as having a bright citrus aroma that “leads to a pleasant smooth body with a subtle hop spice that lingers in the background.”

Exercise and beer can make one feel a little lazy. Why not catch a ride to East Matunuck State Beach, less than 10 miles away, and let the lapping sound of the waves loll you into a wee nap in the sunshine?

Few states put the wild in wilderness quite like Maine. But how best to explore that nature? Opportunities abound for hiking, biking and more, including paddling.

The Androscoggin River traverses Maine and New Hampshire, and a great place to access the river is not far from the New Hampshire border in Bethel. That’s where you’ll find a boat launch that’s near the Sunday River Brewing Co., which tempts paddlers out of the water, trading one liquid pastime for another. Any day of the week, enjoy brews such as Redstone Ale, Black Bear Porter and Ski Town Brown, apt considering the brewery is just down the road from the Sunday River Resort.

PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES

NEW YORK The High Peaks range in the Adirondack Mountains can get crowded in (pardon the pun) peak season. For a less-frequented, high-enough peak, consider Pharaoh Mountain outside the cozy village of Schroon Lake.

You’ll cover nearly 10 miles climbing this more than 2,500-foot mini-mountain.

You’ll be rewarded with luscious views of surrounding lakes and ponds and those very same High Peaks that you didn’t huff and puff your way up. Once you’ve climbed down, you can cool off by lollygagging in and around placid Crane Pond.

Cool off even more with a refreshing beer at Paradox Brewery. From the trailhead, it’s another 10 miles or so to the beermaker’s North Hudson site. Hops fans will be in paradise at Paradox, sampling from choices including the Beaver Bite India pale ale and the more-intense Cryo double IPA.

— Brent Hallenbeck writes for the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press.

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JOANNA GARCIA SWISHER’S

Tampa, Fla.

Actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher, known for her work on Reba, Once Upon a Time and Sweet Magnolias, stars in this spring’s As Luck Would Have It, a Hallmark rom-com set in Ireland. Born and raised in Tampa, she still chooses it as her home, which she shares with her husband, retired pro baseball player Nick Swisher, and their two daughters. “Tampa is a big city with all the amenities, but somehow it hasn’t lost the small-town vibe that makes it feel like home,” she says.

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“Brunch with my girlfriends at Oxford Exchange is always something I look forward to. It’s a stunning space with great food and drinks with gorgeous books and treasures to shop.”

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The time will come when we'll go back to hugging.

That's the goal.”

— TARA ANDERSON, DISNEY PARKS

KENT PHILLIPS (3); CATIE MCCABE (2); MATT STROSHANE

Tara Anderson, show director with Disney Parks Live Entertainment, is on the team tasked with keeping the magic alive in the Mouse House.

“I was excited about the possibilities,” she says. “I didn’t want to focus so much on what I couldn’t do. I wanted to focus on what I could do.”

What Anderson and her team could do is give guests a new kind of magic they weren’t expecting. Magic that still entertains, delights and most importantly, makes memories.

“I don’t think the magic is gone,” she says. “The magic has just taken a different form. Guests are still interacting with Mickey every day. It’s a little different right now, and the time will come when we’ll go back to hugging. That’s the goal.”

When guests see Goofy, Donald or the princesses, it’s never announced, so crowds do not gather. But pretty frequently you’ll hear music playing through loudspeakers, and all of a sudden Buzz Lightyear will be driven out in a special Toy Story-themed car; or Gaston, of Beauty and the Beast, will appear on a horse galloping through the Magic Kingdom.

Also gone are the long lines to spend a few minutes chatting with Belle, Cinderella or Elena. Instead, the princesses also ride in cavalcades or appear on the platform above the entrance to Main Street. They will chat with guests below and converse with their adoring fans.

“It allows them to engage with the guests on different levels,” Anderson says. “Sometimes you actually want to talk back, and sometimes you just want to watch them talk to someone else. That’s enjoyable as well.”

Making this new experience come together required the collaboration of scene designers, musical directors, casting coordinatorss and plenty of other team players. They are constantly brainstorming new ways to surprise visitors. At times, they want guests to feel as if a scene from a Disney movie is unfolding right before them.

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dance together, but we don’t touch each other?’” Anderson says. “That was challenging, but ultimately I’m very happy with what we came up with. I think it’s fun. I think guests enjoy it and if they want to dance along that’s all good, too.”

Helping enhance the guest experience is the low capacity mandates.

Parks are using a reservation system, which results in fewer crowds and makes simply walking through the park easier and less congested. Most attractions barely have wait times, although, some of the most popular attractions may.

Mobile ordering is now available at even more restaurants. While finishing up a Pirates of the Caribbean ride or walking through the queue for Splash Mountain, you can use your smartphone to place an order for a DOLE Whip at Aloha Isle. The process is virtually contact-free and quick, allowing more time to enjoy the attractions. l

KENT PHILLIPS (3); DAVID ROARK

— Michelle Spitzer writes for Florida Today.

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SOUTHEAST | V IRGIN I A

The Other Virginia Natural wonders stun in this less-visited section of the state STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN GIFFORD

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F

or many, Virginia conjures up images of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains or the renowned Shenandoah Valley.

Maybe thoughts of the wide 3-mile stretch of boardwalk at Virginia Beach or the stately presidential homesteads of Monticello or Mount Vernon enter your mind when the Old Dominion is mentioned.

Few envisage sandstone slot canyons, an ice-cold aquamarine swimming hole or free-roaming ponies stationed alongside the iconic Appalachian Trail. Yet, this is also Virginia — southwest Virginia — the less-trafficked section of the state that’s unlike what most experience motoring along its heavily traveled highways, Interstate 95 and I-81.

“Southwest Virginia is a mecca of outdoor recreation in a setting that is not overcrowded or overused,” says David Woodard, executive director for the Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority in St. Paul, Va. Here are five must-see places to experience on your next visit:

STOP #1: SAND CAVE

Sand Cave, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Located on the far east side of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, a remote trailhead in Ewing draws in curious hikers for a nearly 4-mile ascent along dirt trails to reach the Sand Cave. It’s a remarkable geological formation deep within a verdant forest.

The 250-foot-wide half-domed Sand Cave was once a massive sandstone rock, which the wind painstakingly eroded over millions of years. A stunning acre of beachlike sand inside a wondrous rock cave resulted.

From this same trail, scramble to the top of White Rocks, wide sandstone cliffs used as a guidepost for settlers heading West in the late 1700s. From here, it’s about a 15-mile drive to Wilderness Road State Park to greet (from a distance) a small herd of mighty buffalo, much like those that once carved a migratory trace through the Cumberland Gap.

STOP #2: DEVIL’S BATHTUB The curiously named Devil’s Bathtub is your next stop. About 50 miles from Sand Cave, Devil’s Bathtub has been attracting visitors for years, if only to dip their toes in the crystal-clear basin. Be warned, it's really cold — no warmer than 65 degrees, even in the unwavering heat of summer.

It’s difficult not to be curious about the name. According to Pam Cox, director of tourism for Explore Scott County, it’s purportedly called Devil’s Bathtub because it’s the “only water cold enough to squelch the fires of hell.” At the very least, it makes a good story and draws visitors into the county.

Of course, it’s shaped like a large bathtub, too. That’s cool on its own. The basin fills with waters from the Devil’s Fork of Big Stony Creek in Jefferson National Forest. Just ahead of the bathtub itself is an overflowing waterfall and a swimming hole. Even better, there are two rope swings. In summer, it’s a true oasis.

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STOP #5: GRAYSON HIGHLANDS STATE PARK

STOP #3: BREAKS INTERSTATE PARK Once you’ve dried off and warmed up, make the 70-mile drive to Breaks Interstate Park, a breathtaking natural wonder that straddles Virginia and Kentucky.

The mountainous 4,500-acre state park is home to Breaks Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the South.” This 5-mile-long gorge was formed by the once-tumultuous Russell Fork River, causing a break in Pine Mountain. At 1,650 feet, it claims to be the deepest gorge on the East Coast.

Spend the night at the park’s 77-room mountain lodge. From here, it’s a short walk to Towers Overlook for postcard-perfect views of the Hershey’s Kiss-shaped rock formation within the Russell Fork River. In the morning, more than a dozen hiking trails await, yielding unrivaled access to the park’s geological wonderland.

Rock scrambles, small caves, hidden springs and cliff overhangs mesmerize outdoor adventurers. Hike into the gorge along the Camp Branch Trail to be awed from below by the park’s crown jewel, The Towers.

STOP #4: THE GREAT CHANNELS Slot canyons are legendary in the American West.

In Channels State Forest, a winding 3-mile ascent along the rugged Brumley Mountain Trail guides inquisitive visitors to the Great Channels, a captivating labyrinth of slot canyons set atop craggy Clinch Mountain.

The secluded nature preserve, about 45 miles from Breaks Interstate Park, is best known for its peculiar slot canyons. The 20-acre sandstone maze was likely created some 10,000 years ago by permafrost and ice wedging, which formed large crevices that began as negligible cracks in the soft sandstone.

The other-worldly slot canyons deserve more than a cursory exploration. Come prepared to climb gigantic sandstone formations, squeeze through narrow passages and duck under exposed overhangs. Onerous obstacles and irksome dead ends confound even the most directionally confident explorers.

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From the Great Channels, it’s a 77-mile drive to ogle wild ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park.

Yes, free-roaming brown and white ponies clip-clop across this pristine park. They are most often seen at Wilburn Ridge and live year-round at elevations of 4,000 feet and higher.

It’s a short hike to Wilburn Ridge — ground zero for pony-spotting — by way of the Appalachian Trail. Consider an overnight stay. Grayson Highlands is a backpackers’ paradise.

It’s hike-in tent camping only. No super-size RVs or travel trailers permitted.

There are also four primitive yurts. As in, no electricity, water, heat or air conditioning. There’s also an Airbnb that’s minutes from the park for an amenityrich cabin rental.

While ponies reign supreme at Grayson Highlands, the state park is also home to two of Virginia’s tallest peaks, Big Pinnacle and Little Pinnacle, accessed by way of the Twin Pinnacles Trail. Since Grayson Highlands is already at a relatively high elevation, the overall gain on this hike is less than 250 feet for seriously spectacular views.

From here, it’s a 175-mile drive to Knoxville, Tenn., or about 350 miles up I-81 to Washington, D.C. Savor the sweet memories of Southwest Virginia, but don’t tell too many people about this wonderland. It’s worth keeping as a secret.

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National Museum of African American Music

Hallowed Sound National Museum of African American Music opens in Nashville

A

fter attending an event at the home of baseball legend Hank Aaron in 1998, the late Francis Guess asked himself one question: “Why not Nashville?”

Guess was impressed with the diversity of folks who’d gathered at Aaron’s home to support a charity, says H. Beecher Hicks III, president and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music, recalling the story the late civil rights champion told him.

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“On the drive back from Atlanta, he was thinking, essentially, ‘We really ought to have something (just as unifying in Nashville).’ I don’t think he went home. I think he went directly to the home of his friend and publisher T.B. Boyd, and they stood outside in the driveway and talked about what could be.”

Guess and Boyd created what was the African American History Foundation of Nashville and began discussing the prospect of a museum with city leaders and community members.

By 2001, a concept had taken shape.

A task force formed by the local Chamber of Commerce chartered the Museum of African American Music, Art and Culture.

One name change, 20 years and $60 million later, the National Museum of African American Music opened to the public in January, offering an experience that could only be created in Music City.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Why is this museum located in >

GEORGE WALKER IV/ THE TENNESSEAN

BY DAVE PAULSON

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The National Museum of African American Music offers traditional galleries with artifacts displayed behind glass and interactive exhibits for visitors to enjoy.

Nashville, instead of Atlanta, Chicago, Memphis or Detroit, among other famed hotbeds of Black music?

Hicks has no shortage of answers.

The simplest one: “Nashville decided to do it, and nobody else did.”

Nashville has its share of Black music history to celebrate, including trailblazers such as the Fisk Jubilee Singers (the group celebrates its 150th anniversary this year) and harmonica great DeFord Bailey, who was the first Black star of the Grand Ole Opry.

Nashville is center stage in Tennessee, a state that encompasses blues, R&B, rock and gospel, in addition to country music.

“If we’re going to be Music City — country music’s great, and I enjoy it, but that’s not all that’s here,” Hicks says. “We have the opportunity as a city to capture that brand and really

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continue the success of the city.”

SURROUND SOUND The museum’s central room, called the Rivers of Rhythm Pathways, bathes visitors in the sounds that have defined America for 400 years.

On one end, you hear voices harmonizing over centuries-old spirituals, blending into the earliest recordings of Delta blues. At the same time, the opening saxophone flourishes of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme beckon from the other side of the hall, while Ice Cube tears into the first bars of N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton.

The way these sounds and their corresponding galleries flow into one another is intentional. Walking through its halls, it’s clear the museum’s mission isn’t just to trace the history of music made by Black Americans, but

also to drive home that our collective love of these sounds unites us all — as “One Nation Under a Groove.” You’re also reminded that the most precious artifact of this history is the music itself.

That’s not to say there aren’t scores of tangible items to inspire awe. You’ll find a Gibson “Lucille” guitar played

by B.B. King and a gold-plated trumpet owned by Louis Armstrong.

You can pore over the fine print of one of Billie Holiday’s performance contracts and picture Nat King Cole donning his mustard-yellow argyle sweater that now sits behind glass, along with apparel once worn by Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Jay-Z, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

There’s also plenty for guests to actually get their hands on. There are touch-screen tables in each of the galleries, letting you draw connections from musicians in one genre to their influences and followers in others. The innovative high-tech spaces that invite you to be a part of the music, too.

Nashville gospel great Bobby Jones hosts an interactive video that makes you a member of the choir, via greenscreen technology. There’s a disco dance room that puts your neon silhouette on the wall and a vocal booth where you can record your own freestyle raps.

All of this activity is recorded on a personal radio-frequency identification wristband and uploaded automatically, so visitors can share their content with friends online.

Sharing the museum’s treasures is part of its mission to “educate the world, preserve the legacy, and celebrate the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack,” reads the NMAAM website.

“A lot of people are trying to wake up to the Black experience and understand it a little bit better,” Hicks says. “But also, our country probably couldn’t be more divided, and we need things, like a museum that celebrates music, to try to bring us back together.” l — Dave Paulson writes for The (Nashville) Tennessean.

GEORGE WALKER IV/ THE TENNESSEAN

SOUTHEAST | T EN N ESSEE

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Charleston Kayak

Uncharted Charleston Venture off the tourist track to these must-see spots

C

harleston, S.C., is among America’s most-visited cities. First-timers typically check out the City Market, take a bus or carriage tour through downtown neighborhoods dripping with history, head to Fort Sumter or visit a plantation or two. All are major attractions — must-sees for thousands.

But there’s much more to see and do.

Here are some options top travel pros in the area suggest:

SEE CHARLESTON BY WATER Travel experts in Charleston

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recommend exploring downtown by water — both for the cityscape and for the sunsets.

Downtown is flanked by the Ashley and Cooper rivers as they enter the sea, and physically going with the flow highlights the skyline and is a potent reminder of the city’s maritime history.

The views are spectacular at sunset.

“More tourists take it than locals, but the Schooner Pride sunset cruise is pretty amazing,” says John LaVerne, founder of Bulldog Tours. “It goes close to Fort Sumter, and at sunset, it parks off the Battery and the antebellum mansions behind it.”

“Kayak tours are a lot of fun,” says

LaVerne. You can also rent a kayak and explore alone.

Christina Knoth of Lowcountry Walking Tours suggests an in-town option: Ride the water taxi that crosses the Cooper between downtown and Mount Pleasant, the city’s oldest suburb. “You can board it at the Maritime Center ... and cross over to Patriots Point and the Harbor Marina near it. Just going back and forth between the stops gives you great views of the skyline, the Cooper Bridge and the harbor.”

DO A BRIDGE WALK The water taxi provides great views of the stunning Cooper River Bridge, >

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Cypress Gardens

Cooper Bridge

you can eat outdoors or in your hotel.

Lynn and Cele Seldon, husband-and-wife coauthors of 100 Things to Do in Charleston Before You Die, suggest Chez Nous, a tiny, elegant spot that uses local ingredients in its French and northern Italian-inspired fare.

Knoth recommends heading to Shem Creek, the maritime/ dining area in Mount Pleasant, where seafood restaurants (and a nice boardwalk) line the water. Her favorite?

Tavern and Table.

LaVerne suggests Bowens Island Restaurant, about 10 miles south of downtown Charleston on one of the marshy isles leading to Folly Beach. It looks like a ramshackle roadhouse on stilts, but is a Charleston institution famous for fried shrimp and oysters.

Tavern and Table

also known as the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. You can walk the bridge from downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant.

The bridge is a visually striking cabled span that holds eight lanes of U.S. 17 over the Cooper River. Any time of year, the views from the pedestrian lanes on the south side of the span are sumptuous.

Bob Waggoner’s Market Street kitchen

country gardens and swamplands.

“It’s one of the most beautiful, off-thebeaten-path places you can find, with natural life second to none,” LaVerne says.

Hollywood has already been here: You may recognize locations featured in Mel Gibson’s Revolutionary War movie The Patriot (2000), the Civil War film Cold Mountain (2003) and the 2004 tearjerker The Notebook.

SEE POPULAR MOVIE SETS Cypress Gardens, a pastoral attraction in Berkeley County, is out of range for short guided tours of Charleston — about 40 miles north of downtown, in Moncks Corner — but its 170 acres offer miles of trails through low

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CHOW DOWN There’s no shortage of restaurants and great seafood in Charleston. Not all are open for dinein service during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many are more than happy to prepare a meal

While culinary tours take you to several of Charleston’s best dining spots, foodies in search of a more hands-on experience should find In the Kitchen with Chef Bob Waggoner on Market Street, where diners help make their own meals.

Visitors are advised to make reservations well in advance.

Lynn Seldon says, “The two- to three-hour classes feature different menus every night and include convivial cooking instruction, active participation and a tasty dinner.” l

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KENTUCKY

Great Estates Kentucky’s antebellum mansions reflect nation’s journey

BY TAYLOR M. RILEY AND TRACY SCOTT FORSON

OXMOOR FARM The Oxmoor estate has been the home to five generations of the Bullitt family, known mostly for hemp farming. Early ancestors were among the first settlers in Kentucky when Alexander Scott Bullitt moved from Virginia in 1783, nine years before Kentucky achieved statehood, according to estate curator Shirley Harmon.

Take a guided tour of the 79-acre property that boasts a grand primary residence, as well as several outdoor structures, including a smokehouse, icehouse and slave cabins.

The original home, which is the back of the current main

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house, was completed in 1791 in a clapboard structure style, similar to Virginia colonial homes. The four downstairs rooms have corner fireplaces and the two upstairs rooms served as bedrooms for the family. Comprising most of the east wing, the grand library is one of the largest residential libraries in the state.

Many of the antiques in the home came from Nora Bullitt, whose husband, William Marshall Bullitt, purchased the home — the ownership of which had been divided among relatives — in 1908.

Nora acquired pieces from around Europe, including the Sicilian ox cart chandeliers and 16th-century furnishings.

“It’s a living history,” says Porter Watkins, a fifth-generation member of the family. “It’s very, very important to know and acknowledge, and in some instances be proud of our histories. We all have them ... it’s who we are.”

MAP ILLUSTRATION: STUDIO GANNETT; ANDY MUELLER

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ind sprawling greenery, elaborate architecture and the history of the nation at federalist-era homes throughout Kentucky. Once plantations where free labor helped finance the establishment of a young democracy, these properties now tell the stories of America’s foundation and the people who toiled to make it what it is today.

Acres of land offer golfing, camping, museums, gardens, magnificent mansions and more.

LOCUST GROVE In Louisville, an 18th-century mansion remains as a reminder of the estate that once flourished there. Now a National Historic Landmark, Presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson and explorers Meriwether Lewis and >

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Oxmoor Farm

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Locust Grove

William Clark all spent time at Locust Grove.

Originally owned by William and Lucy Clark Croghan, the 55-acre plantation now belongs to the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government.

“During its heyday,” says Locust Grove marketing and communications director Hannah Zimmerman, “there were 693.5 acres. You have to imagine that they had fields of crops, a distillery, a mill, a ferry going across the river, acreage of timber. ... You just have to imagine

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a lot of trees — lots of them locusts.”

Once maintained by dozens of enslaved workers, the entire house has gone through multiple restorations over the years, but its original foundation remains.

“Everything that you see in terms of woodwork, brick, floorboards — that all is original to the house,” Zimmerman says. “The bones of the house are good because, for the last 228 years, someone has been taking care of them. Only three families lived at Locust

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Grove between the time that the Croghans built it and the time it became a museum.”

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME Once the primary structure on 1,300 acres of land, this 1818 mansion in Bardstown is named after

the anthem that its owner penned: My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night, the state’s official song.

Originally known as Federal Hill, the property was officially renamed My Old Kentucky Home in 1923, some 80 years after composer Stephen Foster took ownership of it.

Now part of a state park, visitors can golf, camp, enjoy performances at the outdoor amphitheater and tour the home that features fine art, centuries-old décor, antiques and more >

JEFF FAUGHENDER/THE (LOUISVILLE, KY.) COURIER JOURNAL; PROVIDED BY MATTHEW BAILEY/MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME STATE PARK

SOUTHEAST | K EN T UCK Y

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SOUTHEST | K EN T UCK Y

Locust Grove bedroom

Locust Grove dining room

artifacts of yesteryear. More than 75 percent of the mansion’s contents, including furnishings and personal items, are original to the property, according to the website. There’s a gift shop and gardens on the property.

Through the centuries, both supporters and opponents of slavery resided in the home.

The park acknowledges the darker parts of its history, which includes owning members of nine family groups.

To leave out the history of slavery is to tell an incomplete story, says Daniel Vivian, the chair of the department of historic

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preservation at the University of Kentucky.

“It’s absolutely important. Not just because it’s incomplete without it, but because for an awfully long time, that was purposeful because of race relations and politics after the Civil War,” Vivian says. “Actually, dealing with the history of slavery is important because it’s part of the American past and continues to play a role today, unfortunately.” l — Darcy Costello, Lennie Omalza and Taylor M. Riley of the (Louisville, Ky.) Courier Journal contributed to this story.

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In recent decades, America’s historic monuments have begun to more openly acknowledge the atrocity of slavery, according to Caroline Janney, a University of Virginia historian who specializes in the public memory of the Civil War. Historic plantations in Kentucky have followed suit, with many acknowledging that they benefited from the free labor of the enslaved.

“There are very few places that I’ve been to in recent years where I would say it’s been sanitized or left out,” Janney says of slavery.

Education efforts around slavery and racism are improving in some schools, although slowly and with exception.

“When you expose schoolchildren to it, then there are more questions, and people come to expect that to be part of the experience when they go to historic sites,” Janney says.

Nevertheless, some still resist changes to the white-centric portrayal of American history. When the Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch lettering was taken down at Fort Monroe National Monument in Virginia, the United Daughters of the Confederacy protested, claiming it represented an erasure of Confederate history.

In 2019, an angry review of a historic plantation tour went viral on social media, after white reviewers said they were “extremely disappointed” when the tour guide talked about slavery. “We didn’t come to hear a lecture on how the white people treated slaves,” the reviewer wrote. “We came to get this history of a Southern plantation.”

History is about telling the truth, Janney says. Putting historical figures on pedestals and ignoring their racism and white supremacy is inaccurate. Their flaws and their strengths helped shape the country.

“It means confronting those ugly parts of our past as well as the quite wonderful and amazing parts of our past,” Janney says. “It’s not a negative story. It’s just an honest story.”

— Max Cohen

JEFF FAUGHENDER/THE (LOUISVILLE, KY.) COURIER JOURNAL

IMPERFECT PAST

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CATCH A SHOW “Broadway shows touring at the Embassy Theatre. I love the theater’s history, architecture and authentic décor.”

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Wakarusa

Path of Petals See beautiful quilt gardens and more along Indiana’s Heritage Trail

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sun to water the whirl of cobalt blue, gold and deep purple created by 3,000 plants growing in the garden outside his Amish shop, Dutch Country Market, near the town of Middlebury.

With stakes and string, he outlined the garden’s intricate pattern with help from his family. Lehman’s gardening tips: “Never put your plants to bed wet because it’s an invitation to night-flying

insects and fungus. Weeds will stay down once the flowers grow together creating a beautiful, flowering blanket.”

Visitors drive cross-country to stand on elevated viewing platforms like the one overlooking Lehman’s garden illustrating the Dutch Mill pattern, a design sewn into American quilts for centuries. It’s one of many meticulously designed gardens honoring Amish >

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he sun’s warmth awakens the farmland from slumber, gently folding back the weighty blanket of mist. Morning birdsong accompanies the staccato clip-clop of horse-drawn buggies on rural country roads in northern Indiana.

Norman Lehman rose before the

BY KIT BERNARDI

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Nappanee

Middlebury

quilt-making traditions in Elkhart and LaGrange counties, about 115 miles east of Chicago.

From May 30 through Sept. 15, thousands arrive on tour buses and drive country roads threading through farmsteads and woodlands to view the quilt gardens, 16 giant beds with flowers and plants arranged in such a way to create what look like intricate quilt patterns. More than 1 million blooms in plots measuring from 800 to 3,400 square feet are tended by 200 volunteers who invest 2,000 hours to maintain them.

Quilt gardens are composed of all kinds of bedding plants — begonias,

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impatiens, zinnias, Convention and Visitors petunias, marigolds, sweet Bureau has directed the potato vines, dusty miller, quilt gardens since its For more information dichondra, curly parsley beginnings 15 years ago. on the quilt gardens and coleus of all colors and A native of Nappanee, and communities leaf shapes. Patterns span Ind., and certified master along the Heritage centuries of quilt design gardener, Nash says, “Quilt Trail, visit dating to the late 1800s. The gardens express in beautiful visitelkhartcounty.com. works of art have names, plants the region’s rich and some are nods to the history, artisan heritage and region’s history and environs, like Box our friendly communities’ stories.”

Car, Sweet Apples, Cornflower and You can view all the quilt gardens Canoe Crossing. on the scenic 90-mile Heritage Trail Planning quilt gardens is a yearlong driving tour connecting the cities and process overseen by a committee of towns of Elkhart, Bristol, Middlebury, skilled volunteers. Project manager Shipshewana, Goshen, Nappanee and Sonya Nash of the Elkhart County Wakarusa. >

KIT BERNARDI (2); TOM MCCOSKY

Elkhart

& e d i s t u O Go

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MIDWEST | IN DI A NA

TIPS Enjoy your visit to Amish communities:

ELKHART Elkhart, the largest city in the region, is centered around the Elkhart and St. Joseph rivers.

Tour the 1848 home of city founder Havilah Beardsley. See the 1910 Ruthmere Museum, the Beaux Arts mansion of Albert Beardsley, site of a quilt garden. Nearby at Wellfield Gardens, view the showy, contemporary quilt-patterned Peace Flower garden.

Wellfield’s Origami in the Garden exhibition runs through October.

The Midwest Museum of American Art’s collection includes Norman Rockwell illustrations. The 1924 Lerner Theatre, a former vaudeville palace, anchors Main Street. Dine at wine-centric restaurant The Vine, or at Artisan, a fine-dining restaurant with a contemporary craft cocktail bar.

Visit Elkhart’s Recreational Vehicle/ Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame, a testament to the town’s status as the No. 1 manufacturer of trailers.

SHIPSHEWANA u Businesses are closed on Sundays (Quilt Gardens are open).

u Many homebased businesses do not take credit or debit cards.

BRISTOL Rivers and railroads shaped Elkhart County’s history, as told at the Elkhart County Historical Museum in the tiny town of Bristol. Its quilt garden’s name is Box Car, after an 1897 pattern. Today, outfitters lead canoe and kayaking trips on the St. Joseph River. While there, enjoy a community theater production at the 1897 Opera House and taste a variety of vino at Fruit Hills Winery & Orchard.

u Amish farmsteads are private residences. If roadside signs advertise goods, stop by during normal business hours.

MIDDLEBURY On this town’s Amish farmsteads, horses graze in white-fenced pastures and clotheslines of laundry flap in the breeze.

Hand-painted road signs advertise fresh foods for sale at farms and shops.

The largest quilt garden of 7,000 plants grows at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in a garden named Old Windmill. The familystyle restaurant serves generous fried chicken platters and 30 varieties of pie. The complex also includes the Essenhaus Inn &

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Conference Center.

At Krider World’s Fair Garden, walk through an exact replica of the garden local Krider Nurseries displayed at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. Postage Stamp, another flourishing quilt garden, is within view of the twisting Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, a former railroad line. The 13-mile-long paved path connects Goshen, Middlebury and Shipshewana.

u Be respectful of Amish people not wanting to have their pictures taken.

Visit the Menno-Hof, home to one of Shipshewana’s more popular quilt gardens.

With a reservation, guests can tour the facility that helps tell the story of the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites.

The family-owned Shipshewana Trading Place Auction & Flea Market, across the street from the Menno-Hof, holds a flea market every Tuesday and Wednesday (May through September). The Midwest’s largest outdoor flea market has more than 700 vendors. Wednesday mornings bring the antique auction. Perched on ladders, the many auctioneers’ loud, monotone drones sound like a giant beehive inside the hall packed with furniture, architectural remnants, paintings, vintage housewares and toys.

Orley Miller of Orley’s Tours offers visitors a look at “the Amish groove of life today.”

Follow his lead to see how buggies are handbuilt; talk with an Amish school teacher in a one-room schoolhouse; tour a furniture manufacturer and visit a clockmaker.

GOSHEN Next up on the Heritage Trail: Goshen. A section of the route overlaps the Shipshewana Barn Quilt Trail, mapping out dozens of farmsteads’ barns decorated with giant quilt-patterned murals.

Like quilt gardens, murals paint a picture of the region’s history. A North Star mural adorns Meadow Brook Farm’s restored, registered Indiana landmark barn built by Amish craftsmen in 1860. Kori Cripe and her husband, Tory, are third-generation owners of the farmstead, which hosts tours of its barns, granary, smokehouse and farmhouse.

Kori Cripe’s mom, Linda Garber, runs Meadow Brook’s storytelling hours, sewing workshops and flower garden talks.

“We chose the North Star quilt pattern for our barn’s mural because it helps tell >

GETTY IMAGES

It’s possible to see all of them during a full day. But, take a cue from the Amish buggies: Slow your pace and take time to sample the region’s farm-to-table dining, shops, craftsman workshops, breweries, boating and biking. Here are some highlights along the route:

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Middlebury

Dutch Country Market Garden

Shipshewana

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May 6-16. Goshen Brewing Company’s leafy patio overlooks the river.

Interior designer Ann Graber Miller and husband Keith, a Goshen College professor of religion, co-own Found, which features a finely curated collection of midcentury-modern and international furniture, art and artifacts. “Some might find it surprising that our small town in the upper Midwest is very international, progressive and artsy,” Graber Miller says.

NAPPANEE & WAKARUSA About 16 miles southwest of Goshen, Nappanee has two quilt gardens — one at the Nappanee Center, a community history museum, the other at The Barnes at Nappanee, a restaurant-theater complex.

Finish up your Quilt Gardens tour in Wakarusa, where American flags wave from front porches and locals lovingly tend to the Windmill Star garden. l

KIT BERNARDI (3)

the story of what was going on in this region during the Civil War period,” says Cripe, in reference to the celestial body that helped lead runaway slaves north toward free states.

The Elkhart River runs through Goshen, which has a quilt garden at its Greek Revival-style courthouse. Main Street’s restored, late-19th-century buildings look like a period film’s movie set. The spirited college town holds the RiverRun International Film Festival

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Happy Birthday, Missouri!

Show Me State celebrates with events, exhibits and lots of ice cream

BY DIANA LAMBDIN MEYER

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I

f you prefer your birthday parties with a helping of ice cream, Missouri may be your perfect vacation spot this summer. For it was at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis that one of the first ice cream cones was served to the public.

Therefore, it’s only appropriate that the treat was later recognized as the official dessert of Missouri.

And as the 24th state celebrates its 200th birthday this summer, there will be lots of ice cream cones to enjoy.

The biggest party is expected to take place in St. Charles, just west of St. Louis. It was here on the banks

MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM

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St. Charles

Missouri State Capitol

of the Missouri River that Lewis and Clark officially launched their exploration of the American West in May 1804. St. Charles served as the state’s first capital for five years. Today, all of the 11 rooms and their furnishings remain as part of the Missouri First State Capitol Historic Site.

“Missouri becoming a state was a deeply political event tied to the issue of slavery and the economic conditions of the 1820s,” says Sue Love, assistant superintendent of the historic site. “There’s no place better than St. Charles to

Katy Trail State Park

Find out more about the state’s bicentennial events and order a copy of the Missouri Bicentennial Passport at missouri2021. org.

understand the Missouri Compromise and life on the expanding frontier in the 1820s.”

Although Missouri became a state on Aug. 10, which falls on a Tuesday this year, the majority of events in St. Charles will take place the preceding weekend.

In addition to tours of the historic site, there will be quilt shows, cake decorating contests, art events and evening concerts. A daylong “reverse parade” will take place on the Katy Trail, a railsto-trails park that crosses the state. The >

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parade will feature several bands, floats and other exhibits in stationary positions along the trail.

Spend a few days in St. Charles, shopping along the brick-lined streets, exploring the Lewis & Clark Boat House and sipping local wines. If river conditions are good, and they usually are in August, rent a kayak, canoe or raft and explore the mighty Missouri River up close and personal.

Missouri is defined by its rivers, including the Mississippi that forms the eastern border of the state. It is here that you’ll find the oldest town in Missouri in the village of Ste. Geneviève.

In 1735, French fur trappers became the first Europeans to colonize the area, and the French heritage remains strong today.

Most of the buildings date to the early 1800s and serve as bed-and-breakfast inns, restaurants and shops.

Ste. Gen, as the locals call it, will celebrate Missouri’s big birthday the

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weekend of Aug. 13, combining the party with the community’s annual Jour de Fête, an outdoor craft fair with a French flair.

Ste. Gen was one of several communities that had vied for the opportunity to serve as Missouri’s capital, but that honor was eventually bestowed upon Jefferson City in 1826.

Named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson (or Jeff) City was chosen because of its location on the Missouri River, which was the primary means of transportation at that time.

The Capitol itself was not completed until 1917, but it was worth the wait for this Renaissance-style domed building.

The building is home to the Missouri State Museum.

If COVID-19 mandates allow, take a tour to access the famous Thomas Hart Benton Mural in the old Senate chamber. Learn more about the life-altering decisions made here at the Missouri Museum on the first floor. l

The U.S. Post Office has released a Missouri bicentennial stamp featuring the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site, a water-powered mill constructed in the 1820s. See it in person, along with one of the state’s four remaining covered bridges, in rural Burfordville, near Cape Girardeau in southeast Missouri.

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National Veterans Memorial and Museum

Through Their Eyes Veterans museum details the personal side of the military experience

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t the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) in Columbus, Ohio, you won’t find military tanks outside or a helicopter dangling from the ceiling. Instead, the focus is on telling the compelling stories of those who have served this country through recordings, images and personal artifacts.

“You know you’re in a special place the minute you see it,” says retired

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Army Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, president and CEO of the NVMM. The vision of veteran, astronaut and Ohio Sen. John Glenn, who died in 2016, NVMM opened in October 2018 and drew 69,000 visitors in its first year. Like so many museums, NVMM had to close its doors in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Fortunately, it was quick to embrace virtual field trips and events — and that has helped it greatly expand its audience. It has now reopened on the weekends, with health

and safety measures in place.

The already iconic circular building features 14 alcoves with themes that take visitors through a service member’s career, starting with topics such as leaving home and basic training, through combat operations and returning home. The story is narrated by 25 veterans who speak in video clips as you make your way through the facility.

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this spot is always reserved for quiet reflection.

Ferriter credits his team with pivoting “on a dime” to virtual programs when the pandemic hit, starting with their Rally Points.

“In the military, rally point is where you go when your patrol gets hit — you go back to the last safe location,” he explains. NVMM was holding Rally Point events monthly, giving local veterans a place to check in, make sure they have what they need and serve them brunch. About 75 to 100 veterans were attending before they had to move to a virtual platform. Now, those virtual gatherings are drawing 4,000 to 6,000 people from across the country, Ferriter says.

They also offer a regular Veteran Voices virtual event that’s drawn up to 6,000 participants, field trips for students as far away as California and held a virtual 5K on Memorial Day 2020 that included participants from 34 states and three countries. Ballou spoke about resiliency at one of NVMM’s early virtual events.

Even as more people are able to visit in person, virtual and hybrid experiences will continue and expand, says Ferriter. In the meantime, the museum hopes to get back to more group tours, screening festivals and welcoming veterans on honor flights when it’s safe and allowed.

“If you come through the museum, you’ll shed tears, it’ll touch you, but you know, it’ll never be dreary and they’ll never be tears other than pride. There’s no, ‘Let’s feel sorry for ourselves’ side of it,” Ferriter says. “We offer that sense of resiliency and solitude as people come to us.” l

Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, one of the first Tuskegee Airmen, visits the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM

gripped” by the veterans’ stories, Ferriter says.

The other key feature of the museum, he explains, is a history of the U.S. from 1775 to today, integrated with information on how members of the military had an impact on historical events. “It also grabs a lot of museumgoers, to be able to connect the dots of our history and then see how people made a difference,” Ferriter says. “And they’re not all generals; they’re not all presidents.

In fact, it’s usually the little guy that we’re talking about.”

Jennifer Ballou, who retired from the Army in 2015 after serving 21 years, during which she was a dental assistant and later developed a resilience program, is also a member of a gold star family. Her husband, Staff Sgt. Edwardo Loredo, was killed while they were both serving in Afghanistan in 2010. Their children were at home in North Carolina while their parents’ deployments overlapped briefly. Ballou, who’s originally from Ohio and now lives in Texas, had the chance to visit the museum and speak there on Memorial Day 2019. “Seeing the museum in person was very overwhelming,” she says. “They just do such a great job of telling people’s stories, which really allows you to be able to connect and just feel something that I’ve never felt in a museum before.”

Ballou says she also felt a strong connection to a part of the museum dedicated to gold star families. “Even people who go to the museum that maybe don’t know what a gold star family is, I think it’s just so important for them to experience that and just understand that we have this group of people that were left behind because their service member sacrificed their life,” she says.

The outdoor memorial includes a grove of elm trees, cascading waterfalls with a reflecting pool and a 325-foot stone wall. Ferriter describes it as “very comforting and austere.” When conditions are safe for gathering, many festivals and events are held at the museum, but

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Follow Laketon west to the beach.

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WEST | M Y TOW N

RACHEL LINDSAY’S

Dallas

Southern charm helped Rachel Lindsay stand out on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and it’s that warm quality she appreciates when she returns home to Dallas. Fans can check her out on Extra as a correspondent, co-host on MTV’s Ghosted: Love Gone Missing, and her two podcasts.

— TRACY SCOTT FORSON

BEST

DATE NIGHT

SPORTING LOCALE “I grew up going to the rodeo. My father grew up in the country on a farm. I would spend my summers there. We’d go to the Mesquite Championship Rodeo in Dallas — not the Houston rodeo when they come in for a week and do a rodeo. It’s everything you can imagine.”

“

Oak Cliff has great vintage spots and great breakfast spots. There’s a place called Jonathan’s, and I also like Oddfellows — two of my favorite breakfast places.”

— RACHEL LINDSAY

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BEST

RESTAURANT “Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. You can only find it in the South. It’s seafood, but with a Cajun flare.

They’ve got a fried alligator appetizer, blackened catfish and key lime pie. It’s even in the airport. I time my flights so I have time to go to Pappadeaux.”

BEST PLACE TO

SHOP “Flea Style. The owner of it is awesome. Think of a flea market, but a store. Everything she sells is from small-business owners. About 40 different business owners, mostly women, are sold in Flea Style. You can host events there. It’s fantastic.”

NATHAN JOHNSON; PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES (4); MARK WILLIAMS

BEST

“Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse is particular just to Dallas, and it’s amazing. You can have a fun time whether you’re in the bar area for a party or in the main room. They bring the (uncooked) steaks to the table for you to choose from. It’s great.”

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Plan your getaway at visitthewoodlands.com/travelagain

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WEST | W YOMING

Hiking and Hoofing Experience Yellowstone with a llama

T

he mountains and valleys that surround Yellowstone National Park offer some of the best sight-seeing and camping opportunities in the U.S. However, you’ll need the right clothing, gear and food to make the most of it.

Luckily, you don’t necessarily have to carry that load yourself — not if you decide to hike with a llama.

Llamas have been used as pack an-

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imals in Central and South America for centuries. At Yellowstone, these sure-footed animals allow hikers to camp in the backcountry without having to carry weighty packs. The llamas are in charge of the heavy lifting, so you can focus on soaking up the scenery.

The furry porters are agile, dependable and forgiving. They slog through rivers with no problem and can even get past fallen logs with a vertical leap that can exceed 3 feet.

“A well-trained pack llama can be a joy to be around and a great trail companion to hike with,” says Dennis Duenas of Montana Llama Guides.

“People just really love being around the llamas. Many times I feel people travel to Yellowstone Country to see wildlife and really wish they could reach out and pet the wild bison or wild elk. Hiking with llamas, you get the balance of being around these regal creatures and getting to pet them.” >

JASON WILLIAMS/WILDLAND LLAMAS

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An added bonus: Llamas are a natural bear repellent. They have excellent eyesight and loud vocal reactions, so you can count on them to recognize trouble and let out piercing cries to drive threatening animals away. Add to that the fact that they also growl like Chewbacca, and you’ve got yourself an excellent and entertaining hiking companion.

Montana Llama Guides will help prepare hikers for a do-it-yourself trip. Trainings are available for $125. For experienced llama hikers,

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there’s a two-animal minimum for trips that range from one to more than eight days, starting at $70 per day.

Select from three- or five-day excursions through Yellowstone with Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas, starting at $1,175. See waterfalls, geysers, wildlife and fishing holes.

Another operator, Wildland Trekking, offers trips ranging in duration from three to seven days, starting at $1,725.

Hiking in Yellowstone is appeal-

ing on many levels. There are nearly 1,000 miles of trails to explore, rushing rivers filled with trout, scenic meadows and dramatic mountains.

Not to mention there’s a very good chance you’ll spot mountain goats, moose and bears while you’re out. Come nighttime, you’ll be treated to a dreamy view of the star-studded sky.

Peak season at Yellowstone is June through August; expect crowds as the park reopens following its COVID-19-related closure. l

JASON WILLIAMS/WILDLAND LLAMAS

On average, llamas weigh between 280 and 450 pounds and can carry 25 percent to 30 percent of their body weight.

WEST | A R IZONA

Challenging Trek Prepare before hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim in one day

BY MELISSA YEAGER

W 118

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hen we pulled up to Grand Canyon National Park’s North Kaibab trailhead parking lot just before 6 a.m., it was already full of cars dropping off eager hikers. Dressed in shorts and a jacket, I could feel a chill on my legs as we made our way to the start of the trail.

We were finally on our way after several weeks of planning that began — as many adventures do these days — with an innocent text to a group chat.

“Can I do rim to rim in a day? Have either of you done it?” my friend Cisco Aguilar asked.

Another friend, Justin Hepworth, responded that you could indeed.

THE FORBIDDEN HIKE

Phantom Ranch

Melissa Yeager

For the record, the official answer from park rangers about attempting a one-day rim-to-rim hike is no.

They strongly advise against hiking to the Colorado River and back in one day. They urge people to camp or plan far in advance for a reservation at Phantom Ranch, located at the bottom of the canyon, which is best experienced over a few days — enough time to appreciate its wonder, they say.

They’re not wrong. Giving yourself a chance to enjoy millions of years of geological formations is excellent advice.

Still, every spring and fall, endurance enthusiasts make the nearly 24-mile trek from one rim to the other in a single day. Some even run the trails.

By the time Justin, Cisco and I reached the halfway point to the ranch, we were still feeling strong.

We decided to take a popular detour to Ribbon Falls.

I don’t regret the 20-minute diversion, but not long after, I started to feel the impact of miles of trekking downhill on my knees and legs.

The pause for sustenance came at the perfect time. At Phantom Ranch, we ate our preordered sack lunches, drank cold lemonade and I mailed a postcard to my parents to be carried by mule out of the canyon.

GETTY IMAGES (2); PROVIDED BY MELISSA YEAGER (2)

THE PITFALLS OF THE TRAIL After lunch, we crossed the suspension bridge over the Colorado River and followed the River Trail toward Bright Angel Trail. Now my legs were really feeling the effects, and we still had 10 miles to go — all uphill.

At the River Resthouse, just shy of 2 miles from Phantom Ranch, Justin suggested resting by the Colorado for a bit. A woman hiking up the sandy path to the river overheard us and said, “I promise.

It’s the best decision you’ll make on this hike.”

She was right.

We soaked our tired feet in water that rangers told us hovers around a crisp 46 degrees year-round.

Taking in the beauty of the canyon bottom while enjoying an ice bath to refresh my legs will go down as one of my favorite memories of the trek.

It’s also the source of one of my biggest regrets: not bringing dry socks to change into for the remainder of the hike. >

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HIKING TIPS

Choose an appropriate hike for your abilities

Pack/dress lightly

Talk while you walk to manage your speed

Melissa Yeager and Cisco Aguilar

We finally pried ourselves away from the riverbank, refreshed and ready to take on the most challenging part of the trek.

HIKING BACK UP As the park rangers say: Hiking down is optional. Hiking up is required.

I started to slow down a bit on the ascent and tried to catch up with my friends, who stopped every so often to wait for me. I loathed that I wasn’t moving as quickly.

“It does take a lot of physical and mental stamina,” says Joelle Baird, spokesperson for Grand Canyon National Park.

I had no illusions about the difficulty of the hike, but it definitely took me longer to

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complete it than I anticipated.

The last 3 miles humbled me, as they do most rim-to-rim hikers. In hindsight, I would have done a few more long training hikes before I attempted this because I really slowed down ascending those final miles. My feet were blistered and stiff. More than a few curse words were uttered.

Baird refers to this final stretch as the psychological component of the trail. After all those miles, you’re beat up physically and mentally. It takes fortitude to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The sun had set before we reached the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse. I remember the beauty of looking up and seeing a sky full of stars, then turning

GO ESCAPE | SUMMER 2021

Take a 10-minute break each hour

Eat often, but don’t force fluids

Watch your time

Mules have the right of way SOURCE: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

around to see a trail of blinking headlamps behind me. I lifted my gaze and saw more headlamps dancing in the dark all the way to the top of the South Rim. The top looked impossibly far away.

I kept on walking, my friends encouraging me along the way. I started to hear the voices of families and friends cheering their hikers arriving at the top.

I kept following the sound until we walked through the final tunnel and up to the finish at Bright Angel landing.

We arrived at 8:45 p.m.

Thankfully, our ride was patiently waiting.

After 15 hours on the trail, I hobbled to my hotel room, exhausted and famished.

One of the questions the rangers ask along the trail is whether you have food waiting for you at the top. Now I understand why. The hotel dining room was closing when we checked in. Cisco miraculously negotiated takeout for us. After demolishing a large container of fried chicken cutlets with mushroom gravy, angel hair pasta and roasted Brussels sprouts, I fell asleep within minutes.

The next morning, fully rested but moving slowly from being sore, our group went to the Bright Angel Trailhead for another look at the journey we had taken.

I was in awe of my accomplishment. The journey gave me a new perspective of the beauty and harshness of the canyon, and I would happily do it again.

With a change of socks. l — Melissa Yeager writes for the Arizona Republic.

PROVIDED BY MELISSA YEAGER; GETTY IMAGES

WEST | A R IZONA

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MIKE ROWE’S

San Francisco When Mike Rowe isn’t busy filming the Discovery+ series Six Degrees With Mike Rowe, a show that transports viewers back in time to some of the most fascinating moments in history, he’s at home in San Francisco or out frequenting one of these spots.

— SARAH SEKULA

AN AMAZING VIEW “Marin Headlands, back toward the city. Sadly, San Francisco now looks better from a distance.

But, as long as you’re visiting The Big Four, might as well walk over to The (InterContinental) Mark Hopkins (San Francisco) hotel.

Though touristy, it’s hard to beat the Top of the Mark for another great vista, another dose of history and another cocktail.”

“

Try the porch at Cavalla Point (the Lodge at the Golden Gate). It faces the Golden Gate Bridge on the Marin side, which is, even on a snotty day, inspirational.”

— MIKE ROWE

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BEST PLACE FOR A

A BIKE RIDE

DOSE OF HISTORY

“In spite of a conspicuous lack of shoulders, bikers really seem to enjoy the winding roads in the hills above Sausalito. I know this because I’ve almost run several hundred off the road by accident. Also, the bike path in Tiburon is very popular and filled with spandex-wearing assassins who think they’re in the Tour de France or some kind of deadly video game.”

“Get a cocktail at The Big Four Restaurant in the Huntington Hotel.

Sit in the piano bar.

Check out the giant portraits on display of the four men who built the railroads that changed America forever. Google their names, read their bios and marvel at what they accomplished as the piano player brings the old standards to life.

Order another cocktail.”

BEST PLACE TO

SNAP PHOTOS “The best place to photograph the city is from the deck of one of the ferries that still run to Alcatraz and Angel Island, both of which are still worth a visit.”

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Toast to the distinct character of this lively seaside community, located only a short distance from some of California’s finest wineries.

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PACIFIC | C A L IFOR N I A

Cycling and Sips Tour the Sonoma County wine region on two wheels

BY LISA DAVIS

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GETTY IMAGES; BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY

S

cenic vineyards Ocean and the 254-square-mile and leisurely wine Laguna de Santa Rosa wetlands, tastings have long a mosaic of creeks, perennial drawn visitors to marshes, forests, woodlands and Sonoma County, grasslands. Add wine pit stops to located about 45 the itinerary, and renting a bike miles northeast of San becomes an even more California‘s Francisco. pleasurable way to tour Cycling Under Sonoma County.

Traditionally, guests the Influence rent a stretch limousine Winemaker Kathleen or “CUI” law for a day of wining, Inman, owner of Inman prohibits riding dining and more wining.

Family Wines, which a bicycle while But as travelers seek produces sustainable under the nature-filled getaways, pinot noir and pinot gris influence of touring Sonoma County grapes, says, “Sonoma drugs and/or in the open air on a bike County is a paradise for alcohol. is gaining popularity. cyclists, and the Russian SOURCE: NOLO NETWORK It’s not surprising visiRiver Valley has so many tors want to experience Sonoma beautiful rides.” The vineyard County’s natural beauty up close. welcomes riders by providing onThe region’s landscape is infused site bike racks and schedules wine with vineyard-laden countryside, shipments, so riders don’t have to groves of redwood trees and haul bottles while cycling. a diverse marine topography, “The patchwork of vineyard and including the expansive Pacific small farms, as well as the >

Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen, Calif.

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Blue Ridge Kitchen, Sebastopol, Calif.

Cline Cellars, Sonoma, Calif.

St. Francis Winery and Vineyards, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Schug Carneros Estate Winery, Sonoma, Calif.

Bike Healdsburg, Healdsburg, Calif.

Lynmar Estate Winery, Sebastopol, Calif.

Barlow open-air marketplace, which replaced a 12.5-acre industrial site with an artisan commercial district of wineries, a distillery and microbreweries. The Barlow’s Region wine shop offers roughly 50 Sonoma County varieties at self-serve machines in one room, while in another room visitors can enjoy traditional wine tastings. Afterward, have lunch at Blue Ridge Kitchen and a hard apple cider inside Golden State Cider’s taproom, or grab to-go sandwiches from The Farmer’s Wife for a tasty picnic.

More wine-inspired cycling rides can be found on the Santa Rosa Cycling Club’s website. Sonoma County Tourism also has wine-bike tour ideas, as does Sonoma Valley Bike Tours. BikePartners.net in Santa Rosa will deliver rented cycles to your location, including hybrids, electric bikes, road bikes and other vehicles.

“The natural beauty that Sonoma County has to offer is compounded significantly when explored on a bike,” says Lakusta. l

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SONOMA COUNTY TOURISM (5); SHWETHA KOTEKAR/LYNMAR ESTATE WINERY

majestic redwoods and oak forests, are a joy to ride through,” Inman adds. “My advice is earlymorning rides when there are few cars out and about and the road is more open for bikes.”

Vern Lakusta, general manager of Hotel E in Santa Rosa, leads the hotel’s Pedal for Pinot package that includes a bottle of Sonoma pinot noir, hybrid bike rentals and a 5.5-mile round-trip professionally guided winetasting ride. “To be able to hop on a bike and within 15 minutes be in the heart of one of the world’s greatest wine regions is truly a remarkable experience,” he says.

Guided cycling excursions eliminate the guesswork. Locals who know the area and surrounding wineries create the itineraries and run the tours.

Wine Country Bikes offers overnight biking trips exploring the shores of the Pacific Ocean, towering redwoods and Sonoma County’s wine country, including Westside Road, a corridor with 12 miles of wineries. There’s also Getaway Adventures’ daylong Healdsburg Bike & Wine Tour that traverses riders along country roads in the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys, with stops at three to four family-owned wineries.

If you prefer to forgo guides and forge your own pedal path, the mostly paved West County Regional Trail is a 5.5-mile ride linking Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville with plenty of farms, pastures and vineyards. Start in Forestville and follow the path through the Atascadero Creek Marsh Ecological Reserve and then on to the village of Graton, where nature lovers can stop at the Hallberg Butterfly Gardens, a 9-acre wildlife sanctuary where dozens of colorful butterfly species dwell. Cycle on to Sebastopol, located within a designated wine grape-growing region. Enjoy wine tasting at The

PHOTOS BY RON ESSEX

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PACIFIC | C A L IFOR N I A

Wild California Discover big adventures along the Golden State’s coast

BY SARAH SEKULA

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to tackle multiple adventures in one fell swoop. The use of recreational vehicles has become so popular, in fact, Outdoorsy’s bookings have increased more than 4,500 percent during the pandemic.

“More than ever, I think people are craving disconnection and distance from the modern world and a reconnection to the natural world,” says Jennifer Young, Outdoorsy’s co-founder and chief marketing officer.

Once you’ve got your transportation sorted, it’s time to hit the road.

MENDOCINO

SAN FRANCISCO

BIG SUR

SLO CAL

MENDOCINO Begin your adventure in the laid-back county of Mendocino, about 130 miles north of San Francisco. Here, you can grab a dose of forest therapy by hiking the Lost Coast Trail. The star of the show? Candelabra-shaped redwoods. Their branches shoot haphazardly upward in all directions like the hair of those lovable troll dolls from the ’80s.

Afterward, make your way to Vacaville, a quiet inland community dotted with hiking trails and climbable basalt boulders.

Here, you can board an ICON A5 — a two-seat amphibious plane that looks like a sports car and maneuvers like a jet ski — at ICON Aircraft’s headquarters.

Then, learn to fly it.

You can sign up for a two-hour demo flight for a firsthand look at California’s seaside towns, including San Francisco, complete with a Golden Gate Bridge flyover. The first thing you’ll notice when you get in

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CALIFORNIA

SAN DIEGO

TIPS FOR BOOKING CAMPSITES ALONG THE COAST

“The saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’ definitely rings true when it comes to nabbing a good campground reservation,” says Outdoorsy’s Jennifer Young.

“Pro tip: It’s great to call when making your reservation versus booking online so you can ask questions and find out about any special events and discounts.”

MAP ILLUSTRATION: STUDIO GANNETT; TYSON V. RININGER; GETTY IMAGES

A

s a 7-year-old girl, I went to sleep-away camp in northern California, where I’d spend my time catching crawdads by day and snoozing under redwoods by night. As a family, we’d take trips to San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf to watch street performers, eat clam chowder or picnic at the beach and giggle at the sea lions' noises. As an adult, the adventures continued and became more daring as I realized I thrive on adrenalineinducing fun.

Lucky for me, California is a thrill-seeker’s haven. With mountains galore, 1.6 million acres of state parks and 840 miles of coastline, it’s easy to find active excursions such as piloting a plane over the Golden Gate Bridge, scuba diving in La Jolla and parahawking — paragliding with a trained raptor — off cliffs at Torrey Pines. That said, here’s a roundup of some of the coolest options packaged as one epic road trip. Grab some snacks and curate a few playlists; it’s time to roll.

First things first: You need a set of wheels. And it sure doesn’t hurt to choose a vehicle packed with personality. Recreational vehicle rental service Outdoorsy has vintage Airstreams, tiny teardrop trailers and luxe Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. If you opt for one with a cooking setup and shower, you can bypass hotels altogether.

It makes for an easy way

the plane is that its dashboard looks familiar, almost like a car dashboard; it was designed to make learning to fly less intimidating. Swing over Lake Berryessa for water landings, stare in awe at Marin County’s shoreline and take over the controls, if you so wish.

SAN FRANCISCO Now that you’ve scored a bird’s-eye view, get a street-level view of San Francisco. To burn some calories, rent bikes to explore Golden Gate Park — but keep your eyes peeled, because bison roam the park. To relax, sit a spell on the porch at Cavallo Point, the Lodge at the Golden Gate, and book an aromatherapy wrap at the spa. Then, grab dinner at Mountain Home Inn; you’ll want fuel for exploring Muir Woods National Monument and Mount Tamalpais State Park.

ICON A5

BIG SUR

Big Sur

Head south on Highway 1 toward Big Sur. The spellbinding road here is designated by the Department of Transportation as one of America’s Byways, recognized for its cultural, historic and recreational qualities. In other words, be prepared to be wowed by unspoiled, majestic vistas the entire way.

“There is no such thing as a bad view, twist or turn along the Pacific Coast Highway,” says Young. “It’s hard to beat a week taking deep breaths of that brisk, salty ocean air or a weekend sightseeing in small, picture-perfect beach towns.”

When you’re ready for a driving break, stop at Ventana Big Sur resort for dreamy views, plenty of rest and relaxation and some serious stargazing.

View the stars from the hotel or sign up for a night hike through redwood forests and learn about the vivid constellations >

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along the way.

(Note: There is a detour as you head further south because a section of Highway 1 has eroded.)

SLO CAL The next stretch of road hugs the iconic coast of San Luis Obispo (aka SLO CAL) for 100 miles. Known as the Discovery Route, its noteworthy pitstops include Ragged Point, San Simeon, Cayucos and Cambria, a small town known for its antique shops. With a national marine sanctuary, national estuary, 13 state parks, an elephant seal rookery and Monarch butterfly preserves, it’s nearly impossible to be bored in SLO CAL. When you’re ready to venture indoors, spend time at the luxe Cliffs Hotel and Spa at Pismo Beach.

SAN DIEGO Last, but not least: San Diego, a coastal city known for its gorgeous cliffs, incredible climate and trendy neighborhoods. First, swing by Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve for an experience you won’t find anywhere else in North America. Fly With a Bird

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takes brave guests parahawking over the beautiful beach below. The raptor follows along and continually perches right next to you. If you’d rather keep your feet on the ground, sign up for falconry lessons with Total Raptor Experience.

“It’s one of the best places in the world to soar,” says David Metzgar, owner of both companies. “We have the perfect wind conditions here to do it.”

Next, score some ocean time nearby in La Jolla, a picturesque seaside town.

From July to September, this area has the largest annual aggregation of leopard sharks in the world. (Don’t worry, they are harmless and quite beautiful.)

Sign up to scuba dive or snorkel the La Jolla kelp beds with Waterhorse Charters, one of San Diego’s most popular scuba diving outfitters. They’ll take you to explore the kelp forests where it’s not uncommon to spot sea lions and bright orange garibaldi fish; or explore the Wreck Alley shipwrecks, if you’re a more advanced diver. If you have a full day on your hands, consider a trip to the Coronado Islands, where sea lions abound.

“The beauty of Recreational vehicles RV travel is that allow opportunity is at travelers to your fingertips,” experience says Young. “There’s more of their plenty to see, do and outdoor discover between destinations. point A and point B, and RV travel offers you the flexibility to change your plans, read that historical marker and check out the hot spring that lies 3 miles off the beaten path.”

And now, it’s time for the trip finale, in an aerobatic stunt plane, no less. Score some serious Gs with Sky Combat Ace, where you take over the controls and master insane maneuvers like high-altitude barrel rolls, spins and tailslides (holding the plane vertically before descending down). Once you are thoroughly worn out, recover at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa’s awardwinning, 7,000-square-foot spa for a deep-tissue massage and dinner at Mustangs & Burros for chicken mole tacos and margaritas.

Oh, and smile: You just completed the best road trip ever. l

OUTDOORSY

PACIFIC | C A L IFOR N I A

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Sisters, Oregon

MOSSES LAKE

ROAD TTRIP! R I P!

Your Home Base for Fall Hiking & Adventure

DESERT DAY HIKES

Your getaway starts here.

Bring your family to Sisters Country! Sisters is a vibrant, arts community with a charming 1880s theme and a real escape from it all. Nestled in pine trees and towering Cascades peaks, Sisters has what it takes for any perfect adventure – gorgeous scenery, fresh air and clear skies – where safe social distancing comes naturally…

Hiking, biking, fishing and world class golf with unique lodging choices to suit your getaway style. So, plan your escape!

Sisters is open for business and following all county and state health and safety guidelines. Visit us at the Sisters Chamber office, 291 E Main Ave.

www.SistersCountry.com 866.549.0252 541.549.0251 SISTERS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

◉ ◉ ◉ ◉

Columbia Basin Wildlife Area Potholes Reservoir Columbia National Wildlife Refuge Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park

BRING THE BIKES

◉ Ride the Moses Lake BMX bike track ◉ Pedal Activity Trail around town to several parks and along the lake ◉ Explore endless back road and gravel ride options

UNWIND

◉ Enjoy great restaurants, Mexican food, wineries, and breweries

For upcoming events, visit www.tourmoseslake.com

BE SAFE. PLEASE PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WEAR A MASK.

PACIFIC | OR EG ON

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park

A Peek Into Portland A short trip to this eclectic city can make a lasting impression

BY JOANNE DIBONA

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Pittock Mansion

Chinatown Gateway

GETTY IMAGES

Portland Japanese Garden

Y

ou can spend weeks, if not months, discovering the history, culture and charm of Portland, Ore. But even if you only have just a day or two for a visit, you can experience many of the city’s attractions.

Here are a few can’t-miss locales:

For an introductory view of the city skyline, start your adventure at the Pittock Mansion, built in 1914 and filled with the rich history of one of Portland’s first families. It’s the perfect place to learn how Portland became the dynamic city it is today. High on a hill, the locale allows visitors to take in views of the skyline or, on clear days, to see five Cascade mountains.

The Columbia River flows from the Rocky Mountains of Canada into Oregon, where the two-tiered Multnomah Falls is one of the most popular natural recreation sites in the Pacific Northwest.

Various observation decks, bridges and walking trails provide dramatic views of these majestic falls, located just 30 miles outside of the city. The top tier is 542 feet high; the second tier is a 69-foot drop.

Discover the beauty of the Willamette River and Portland’s neighborhoods on a stroll down Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a favorite among cyclists, runners and walkers. Once the site of a freeway (and named after Oregon Gov. Tom McCall, a staunch advocate of recycling, environmental preservation and urban planning), this 1.5-mile stretch of green is home to annual events such as the Portland Rose and Waterfront Blues festivals.

Acclaimed as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in the world outside of Japan, Portland Japanese Garden is a must-see during your visit. Located in Washington Park, it is a nonprofit organization encompassing 12 acres and eight separate garden styles, including an authentic Japanese tea

house, meandering streams, a tea café and picturesque walkways. In 2020, the garden celebrated the “Year of Peace” in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and offered programming to demonstrate how we experience cultural understanding through connections to art, nature and one another.

While strolling through Portland’s Old Town, you can’t miss the colorful entrance to Old Town Chinatown, where you’ll find many restaurants, gift and import shops, herbal medicine stores and Asian food markets. You may notice that the street signs are both in English and traditional Chinese characters. The area’s Portland Chinatown Museum, which opened in 2018, features permanent exhibits including Beyond

the Gate: A Tale of Portland’s Historic Chinatown.

Just as Times Square is the heart of New York City, Pioneer Courthouse Square serves the same role for Portland. Known as Portland’s “Living Room,” this public space occupies a 40,000-square-foot city block in the heart of downtown.

The square typically hosts more than 300 events annually and is also home to a variety of food trucks that provide a diverse selection of culinary offerings.

Book lovers of all ages will delight in a visit to Powell’s City of Books, which covers an entire city block in downtown Portland. It is one of the largest independent new and used bookstores in the world, boasting 1.6 acres of retail floor space and a mind-boggling inventory of volumes from around the world.

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PACIFIC | WA SHINGTON

Fast and Furious There’s no speed limit on this experience

BY SARAH SEKULA

W

hen you think of the Pacific Northwest, rugged mountains, log cabins and cascading waterfalls likely come to mind.

What you may not think of is the opportunity to drive a high-performance sports car — like a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche — around a world-class racetrack.

Xtreme Xperience gives adrenaline junkies (must be 18 or older with a valid license) the chance to drive laps at the Pacific Raceways track in Seattle.

First, you choose your favorite exotic car from the lineup: Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4, McLaren 570S, Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Z51, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 or Porsche 911 GT3. You can’t go wrong: Every single car is utterly epic.

NEED FOR SPEED After you’ve selected your chariot of choice, you’ll attend an orientation session where you’ll be coached by the pros.

Then you head to the pit area, put on your helmet and ride as the passenger while a professional driver speeds along the track in a pack of up to eight cars, spaced out and following a lead car, which is driven by another pro and typically outruns

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the supercars on the track.

Now, it’s your turn to take the wheel. You can drive three times around the track as fast as your adrenaline-pumping heart desires. Your instructor will be alongside you to coach.

And if you’d like to bring some friends to cheer you on at the track, spectators are free, or your guests can purchase a $10 pass for entry to the pit area with tented seating.

HOLD ON TIGHT If you aren’t quite ready to take the wheel yourself, consider a supercar ride-along.

You’ll experience hard acceleration, lateral G-forces, heavy braking and what it’s like to be near the roar of a 500-plus horsepower engine. You’ll be riding shotgun with a professional driver in a machine built for speed. Anyone older than 12 and taller than 54 inches can participate.

Another option is a highspeed ride-along. You’ll hop into a Chevy SS, the workhorse of the fleet, and see what it’s like to be in the passenger seat when the driver accelerates to top speeds around the track three times.

Passengers must be at least 12 years old, and three can ride at once.

Whatever adrenaline rush you choose, you will definitely go home with some exciting stories to tell and the photos to prove it.

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XTREME XPERIENCE

MEXICO

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CABO SAN LUCAS

TOP TEES

MEXICO

USA TODAY’s 10Best ranked the top golf courses in Cabo San Lucas. What all the local courses have in common is a stunning mix of terrains and the Pacific Ocean or Sea of Cortés views: 1. Quivira Golf Club 2. Rancho San Lucas Golf Course 3. Diamante Dunes

Sun, Surf, Sips and Swings Set your (golf) course for Cabo San Lucas

BY JAY BLASI

MAP ILLUSTRATION: STUDIO GANNETT; TWIN DOLPHIN

T

Twin Dolphin

he golf scene at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico is unlike any other in North America.

The area is home to more than a dozen courses designed by the likes of legendary golfers and course architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Tom Fazio and Robert Trent Jones Jr. — all built during the last 25 years.

But it’s not all about the golf.

First-time visitors will experience sensory overload from the turquoise water of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez, the dramatic rock formations along the water’s edge, the white sand beaches and giant dune systems. Just above that coastline is a desert landscape, including mountains that reach as high as 6,500 feet in elevation.

Simply put, there is beauty in every direction. But it’s not all about that beauty, either.

There’s a vibe to Cabo, an invitation to relax and enjoy oneself, that takes the sum of its parts — golf, coast, mountains, views — to deliver something even greater as a whole. >

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MEXICO

TOP TEES USA TODAY’s 10Best.com ranked the top golf courses in Cabo San Lucas. These three winners all have a stunning mix of terrains and views of the Pacific Ocean or Sea of Cortés:

1. Quivira Golf Club

2. Rancho San Lucas

The city at the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula offers partying, beaches and a homey resort-style community with all the trimmings.

Arrival at a course usually includes a cocktail ... or two. There is often music on the range, and many courses are arranged as roughly six-hole stretches between comfort stations where golfers indulge in drinks and local fare.

Cabo is a fishing village at its roots, but golf crashed the party in the 1980s.

The game exploded in the area in the ’90s with the addition of Cabo Del

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Sol designed by Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf, El Dorado and Palmilla by Nicklaus, Cabo Real by Jones Jr. and Querencia by Fazio.

In the past decade more courses were built: Diamante Dunes by Davis Love III, El Cardonal at Diamante by Woods, Quivira by Nicklaus, Twin Dolphin by Fred Couples and Todd Eckenrode, and most recently Rancho San Lucas by Norman, which opened in early 2020.

In addition to all these fresh courses near Cabo, Costa Palmas by Jones Jr.,

opened in 2019 at the East Cape, is about a 90-minute drive away, but equidistant from Los Cabos International Airport.

Many of the courses in Cabo have been designed by architects who kept in mind that the region is a destination for couples or all-purpose trips with a group of travel buddies. Most of the resorts offer restaurants, bars, pools, spas and more amenities.

So, untuck your shirt, grab a margarita, crank up the tunes, forget about your score and enjoy. l

BRIAN G. OAR (2); GETTY IMAGES

3. Diamante Dunes

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EUROPE | SPA IN

Seasoned

by Centuries A culinary road trip in Extremadura, Spain

BY KIT BERNARDI

Cáceras, Spain

M

ountains, river valleys, woodlands and austere, savannalike pastures of holm oak and cork trees compose the storied landscapes of Extremadura, Spain. About 170 miles west of Madrid, the rugged region is a culinary traveler’s dream.

Extremadura produces 10 protected foods labeled D.O.P. (Denomination of Origin Protected). These are Jamón ibérico, smoked paprika, olive oil, cherries, honey, lamb, veal, beef, cheeses and wine. The D.O.P. designation is similar to the wine concept of terroir — that the environment in which the food is grown or produced imparts a

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singular flavor.

Extremaduran cuisine’s intense flavors are also attributed to Roman, Arab and Jewish culinary influences over thousands of years. The foods pair well with a glass of Extremadura D.O.P. Ribera del Guadiana made from the tempranillo grape, the foundation of Spain’s red wines for centuries.

To meet D.O.P. makers, I circled Extremadura like a hawk on a weeklong road trip visiting production facilities in the sunbaked countryside. Marco Mangut, an accredited regional tour guide, served as my translator and took me under his wing.

Before heading north on A-66, the ancient Roman route called Vía de la Plata (The Silver Route), Mangut

walks me through the city of Mérida’s rich Roman history preserved in the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s Roman Forum, temples, theater, amphitheater and must-see National Museum of Roman Art. He explains Extremadura’s deeply rooted, culinary traditions. “Perhaps, because of centurieslong isolation and poverty, our heritage stayed intact.

Our cuisine is the result of rural towns being very closely tied to the land upon which they’ve always depended,” he says.

Culinary stars José Polo and chef Toño Pérez are natives of Cáceres, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and a filming location for HBO’s Game of Thrones. The two are behind the Atrio

TURISMO DE EXTREMADURA (2); PROVIDED BY ATRIO; KIT BERNARDI (3)

contemporary hotel and its namesake restaurant, on which Michelin bestowed two stars. Polo describes the eatery’s artistic, 24-course dining experience as “a tour of this land’s history, showing us (through food) who we Extremadurans are, who we were and where we’ll be going next.” What’s next is opening this summer — the duo's Casa Palacio Paredes Saavedra, an 11-suite, luxury hotel in a historically sensitive reimagination of a 13th-century home.

The property’s casual asador (grill) restaurant Torre de Sande opened late last year serving smoky, coal-roasted meats and vegetables.

Northeast of Cáceres, Spain’s only smoked paprika, called Pimentón de La Vera, comes from the fertile valley of La Vera’s abundant fields of red peppers.

They are dried over holm oak fires before being ground into pimentón (paprika) at family-owned Las Hermanas run by Alicia López Sánchez. Touring the factory in Cuacos de Yuste, Mangut translates Sánchez’s explanation of the mill grinding process pulverizing crinkled peppers into smoky paprika.

We arrive for our tour of the Almazara As Pontis olive mill in the village of Valverde del Fresno as silvery moonlight spills across the Sierra de Gredos mountains on the Portugal border.

Quality control manager Ana Isabel Alonso supervises the production of 100 percent extra virgin olive oil pressed from the region’s Manzanilla Cacereña olives. “In Roman times, Extremadura’s olive groves were considered open-air gold mines,” Alonso says. “That’s why olive oil is called liquid gold.”

D.O.P. products are in meals served everywhere. At roadside REPSOL rest stops, my fill-me-ups were cortado coffee and rose-shaped floretas pastries; patatas revolconas, a paprika-dusted pork and potatoes dish; and migas made of fried bread crumbs, chorizo sausage and egg. Jamón-flavored potato chips became my new favorite road-trip snack.

It’s uncertain when I’ll be back to wing my way around Extremadura.

Until then, I savor the region’s flavors at home, ordering its foods for delivery to my doorstep.

Jamón ibérico

Manzanilla Cacereña olives

Pimentón de La Vera

Las Hermanas paprika factory

Torre de Sande

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CARIBBEAN

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC JAMAICA

CARIBBEAN

GRENADA

Find Your Flow Make a splash at these Caribbean waterfalls

BY LISA DAVIS

W

ith emerald-colored lagoons, secluded white-sand beaches and tropical forests, the Caribbean’s landscape is diverse, unspoiled and picture perfect.

In addition, staggering waterfalls that cascade down rocky mountainous slopes provide travelers with Instagram-worthy beauty and a sense of discovery. These falls are among the most scenic:

CONCORD FALLS Grenada Located in a forest preserve on the western side of ovalshaped, roughly 21-mile-long Grenada is Concord Falls, which consists of three waterfalls (Concord, Fontainebleau and Au Coin) that pour over green mossy mountain sides. Concord is the most accessible, situated off a paved road. Plan to bring a bathing suit and swim in the fall’s lagoon. The 65-foot Fontainebleau trail leads visitors from Concord through a nutmeg plantation. Au Coin requires a longer and more rigorous hike but is well worth the travel time for adventure seekers who want to swim in its crystal clear pool.

Tips: Because Fontainebleau and Au Coin are only accessible through private properties, you must hire a local guide to visit them. Most hotels on the island can arrange tours. Also, plan to bring snacks and plenty of water when spending time at any of the three waterfalls. Most restaurants and shops are about 10 miles away in St. George’s, Grenada’s capital city.

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Concord Falls

DUNN’S RIVER FALLS AND YS FALLS Jamaica Dunn’s River Falls on Jamaica’s northern coast might not be the tallest waterfall in the Caribbean, but it’s still worth a visit. (Fun fact: If you’re a James Bond fan, Dunn’s River Falls was featured in the movie Dr. No.) Cascading over dome-shaped rocks, the falls’ steplike geological formations can easily be climbed, leading to several naturally formed swimming pools, which create a splash park of sorts. At the top, dry off with a walk through tropical gardens. On the descent, don’t miss the view of the waters emptying into the Caribbean Sea at Little Dunn’s River Beach.

If you’re vacationing on Jamaica’s southern coast, you’ll find YS Falls, which is about 50 miles from Negril and consists of seven waterfalls cascading into natural pools.

Dunn’s River Falls

Tip: Want to see the Dunn’s River Falls from above?

Venture to CHUKKA Caribbean Adventures, which offers zip line tours and hanging bridges, some of which are located directly over the falls.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

SALTO DE LA JALDA

GRENADA TOURISM AUTHORITY; JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD; KENDRI GONZÁLEZ AND ANDERSON OZUNA

Dominican Republic One of the highest waterfalls in the Caribbean, Salto de la Jalda, is located outside of the town of Magua, about 60 miles from Punta Cana in the eastern region of the country. It stands at nearly 400 feet inside a national park that bears its name. A 4-mile walk from the park’s entrance through a jungle of myriad green hues leads to cascading waters that fall between two mountain slopes into the Magua River. Thankfully, the hike doesn’t climb much in elevation, but it is long so plan to bring food and water.

Tip: Because the waterfall is remote, using a local guide is suggested. Most hotels can arrange a tour. For a different perspective, take a helicopter ride over the falls with Punta Cana Helicopters.

There is no shortage of beautiful waterfalls in the Caribbean. A few more to add to your agenda include: uTwenty Seven Waterfalls of Rio Damajagua near Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic uBat Cave and Waterfall on the island of St. Kitts, where fruit bats are also part of the scenery uThe 60-foot Falls of Baleine on St. Vincent uSt. Lucia’s Diamond Falls, a 56-foot waterfall inside a botanic garden uLa Mina Falls in Puerto Rico located in the El Yunque National Forest

Salto de la Jalda

uDominica’s Emerald Pool Falls inside the Morne Trois Piton National Park

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ONE FOR THE ROAD

Photo Finish National Wildlife Federation contest focuses on conservation

F

or 50 years, The National Wildlife Federation’s annual contest has celebrated the power of photography to advance conservation. The top image earns a $5,000 Nature’s Witness award, and other prizes are available in multiple categories, such as baby animals and birds. There’s also a category for photographers ages 13 to 17.

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In 2020, this image of green sea turtles along the beach won first place in the other wildlife category. Photographer and Hawaii native Leighton Lum had heard of a small cave in Maui and trekked through waters to reach it. As he approached, he realized what he thought were rocks dotting the sand were actually green sea turtles.

These turtles live all over the world, in more than 80 countries, but the Hawaiian Islands are home to the

nation’s largest population, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Along with sea turtles, Hawaii boasts more than 400 marine species that visitors can view and photograph.

Some of the animals are protected under the Endangered Species Act. “My mission is to use the power of photography to help create awareness on different wildlife conservation issues,” Lum explains on his website.

LEIGHTON LUM

BY TRACY SCOTT FORSON

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