11 June, 2009 , Dodge City, Ks. — Wild, Wild West Still Alive and Kickin'! Cowboys, cattle drives, and cowtowns are all part of the legend of the Old West in Kansas. The infamous cattle drives from Texas to Kansas ended at these cowtowns and established their reputations as the wickedest and wildest towns on the frontier. Although the cowtowns have quieted down somewhat, the romance of the Old West is still alive and can be experienced throughout Kansas.

In the open prairie of the Flint Hills, cowboys can still be seen working the cattle, much like their counterparts from the 1800s. The J.L. Canyon Ranch in Brookville and the Victorian Veranda Country Inn in Lawrence each offers city slickers the opportunity to participate in real cattle drives. Guests at ranch bed and breakfasts are given the opportunity to participate in daily ranching activities or to just spend time relaxing. The Circle S Ranch outside Lawrence is a luxurious country inn located in the middle of a 1,200-acre cattle ranch. Guests can watch the ranch hands work with the ranch's 400-head of cattle and 20-head of buffalo, or they can hike or bike on the many trails throughout the property.

Few towns capture the spirit of the American cowboy as Dodge City. Stroll the streets of the Boothill Museum, a re-creation of the original frontier town where fact and fiction go hand-in-hand. Not only does Boot Hill provide an insight into the genuine Old West, it also has fun with the fictional Old West as seen in the TV series Gunsmoke. Dodge City celebrates its history with Dodge City Days each summer. Or, visitors can settle in for an evening of entertainment at the Marchel Ranch and Wild West Show.

The larger-than-life cowboy legends of the Old West were born on the frontier plains and in the cattle towns of Kansas. Wichita grew from a cattletown to the largest city in the state. A visit to the Old Cowtown Museum, a 17-acre living history village with costumed characters recreating 1870s Old West life, or the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper for all you can eat BBQ and cowboy entertainment will have you humming Home on the Range all the way home. A visit to the Hopalong Cassidy Cowboy Museum will show you cowboy memorabilia Hollywood-style.

There are other original cowtowns in Kansas with museums dedicated to their role in the cattle drives. Historic Abilene showcases the history of the Chisholm Trail at the Dickinson County Heritage Center. Museums with exhibits relating to the Chisholm Trail can also be found in Wellington and Caldwell.

The Wild West wouldn't be wild without the outlaws. The Dalton Brothers gang stands out as perhaps the most infamous in Kansas history. In October 1892, they attempted to rob two banks at the same time. Visitors can learn more of the Dalton story at the Dalton Defenders Museum in Coffeyville. Nearly 300 miles to the west in Meade, the home of the Dalton brother' sister, Eva Dalton Whipple, is restored to its original 1887 appearance. The tour of this hideout home also includes the gang's underground escape tunnel leading from the house to the barn.

For many Kansans, the Old West remains part of modern day life. Professional,regional, high school, 4-H, and ranch rodeos demonstrate the skills of rodeo cowboys and real working cowboys. The Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City is the oldest continuously held rodeo in Kansas.

Craftsmen in Kansas produce western goods that are known around the world for their quality and authenticity. A few of the outlets for cowboy accoutrements are found at the Rusty Nail Boot & Saddle in Dodge City, where custom chaps, saddles, tack, and hats are made on the premises. Drovers Mercantile in Ellsworth offers 1870s style clothing, boots, and gifts. Wichita is headquarters for Shepler's Western Wear, the largest chain of western clothing in the world. Although the cowtowns and cattle drives were relatively short-lived, the excitement of the era lives on through the numerous events and activities held around the state.

Visit the Kansas Travel & Tourism Division web site at www.travelKS.com for information about attractions and events celebrating the Old West.

5 June, 2009 , Cartersville, Ga. — DIXIE HIGHWAY 90-MILE YARD SALE Chenille bedspreads, pecan logs, fruit stands, and sweet ice tea fueled many local economies along the Dixie Highway from 1929 mid 1970's. Now during the first weekend each June, the Dixie Highway route will once again attract thousands of visitors as it gears up to sell nostalgic souvenirs, antiques and much more during the Dixie Highway 90-mile Yard Sale.

Northwest Georgia's Dixie Highway Yard Sale follows much of the original 90-mile stretch from Ringgold to Marietta, known as The Battlefield Route. The yard sale celebrates the revitalization of the Dixie Highway and attracts visitors to simpler times, giving communities along the route an opportunity to promote their individuality and hidden gems. There are thirteen Dixie Highway communities featured: Ringgold, Tunnel Hill, Rocky Face, Dalton, Resaca, Calhoun, Adairsville, Cassville, Cartersville, Emerson, Acworth, Kennesaw and Marietta.

Find out more about the yard sale and the Dixie Highway at: http://www.dixiehighway.org/index.html

10 April, 2009 , — THE GREEN SPEARS OF SPRING, by Michael Norton ASPARAGUS MEETS POETRY ON A LAKE MICHIGAN BEACH

After a six-month winter, the arrival of spring can make people do strange things.

How else to explain the literary impulse that comes over residents of this tiny Lake Michigan coastal village every year when they see the first brave spears of spring asparagus pushing up from the sandy earth?

Each May, residents of Empire dress up in asparagus costumes and parade down their short three-block downtown. They hold huge asparagus cook-offs featuring everything from soups and souffles to casseroles and crepes. They sing, dance, compete in athletic events, and consume respectable quantities of beer and wine. But the spotlight event of the two-day Empire Asparagus Festival is the annual "Ode to Asparagus" competition, where local bards outdo each other in paying homage to this beloved vegetable.

Consider, for example, the eloquence of Tom Ulrich, assistant superintendent of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, who won the contest a year or two back:

I stand over the bed and imagine you arising Green and slender, uncurling towards me, Stretching with the pleasant ache of carbon, newly fixed.

It's been nearly a year since I've seen your face And a long winter since I've tasted anything that astonished me
The way you always seem to, no matter how you're dressed.

The iron clouds skid by, hiding the sun in their pockets.
In this cold, flat light my fingers are pallid and numb,
Trembling until your emergence proves everything anew.

I blow into my cupped hands,
And wait for you.

Was ever a side dish so sweetly serenaded?

After California and Washington, Michigan is the nation's third-largest producer of commercial asparagus, a crop worth some $29 million a year to the state. But Empire doesn't really have what you'd call an asparagus industry -- just one local farmer named Harry Norconk, who has a 240-acre operation about two miles south of town. Named for an ill-fated schooner that briefly served as the village school after running aground on the beach in 1865, Empire is best known as an artsy summer resort in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Still, asparagus is an opportunistic vegetable, and every May its perky green spears start showing up in fields, ditches, meadows and hillsides all over this part of the region. That's all it took for the citizens of Empire -- all four hundred of them -- to devise a celebration. (They already have a festival honoring a big anchor that was recovered from the bottom of the lake in 1977.)

"It's mainly just an excuse to get out and enjoy ourselves," says festival organizer Paul Skinner, a British expat who owns an antique store in the town. "We don't really need a big reason to have music or eat."

But the festivities do have their earnest save-the-world side, too. Like many other communities in the fruit-growing region around Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay, Empire is a hotbed of advocacy for small-scale local agriculture and regional cuisine. Other towns in the area celebrate cherries, wines and wild mushrooms; Empire opted for the humble asparagus.

This year's festival, the sixth, will be held May 15-16. In addition to the asparagus poetry contest, it will include such events as a 5K "Kick Ass-paragus" Fun Run/Walk, an asparagus recipe contest and cook-off, a tour of local art galleries and studios, the making of asparagus-garnished parade hats, the annual Asparagus Parade, an afternoon concert and dance, and a massive asparagus-based food, wine and beer tasting that will include such treats as asparagus focaccia, asparagus pizza, asparagus croissants, asparagus scones, asparagus bratwurst, asparagus slaw, asparagus & morel risotto, and asparagus beer. (Yes, it's true - asparagus beer from the too-creative-for-their-own-good brewers at Traverse City's Right Brain Brewery.

For more information on the Empire Asparagus Festival contact the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau at http://www.VisitTraverseCity.com or call them at 1-800-872-8377.

28 March, 2009 , Detroit — AMERICAN ROAD MAGAZINE SPONSORS "PAVING THE WAY" American Road Magazine and Depth of Field Productions is proud to present director Brandon Wade's PAVING THE WAY: The National Park-to-Park Highway, set to air on public television once released May 1st, 2009. The two-part historical documentary notes the convergence of post-WWI America, the rise of automobile tourism, and the National Parks with a classic story of the Great American Road Trip in a time when the roads were barely paved.

Director Brandon Wade, in conjunction with co-producers Jennifer Wade, Jessica Potter, Eric Bean, and writer Kendra Willey, delivers a visually rich journey through eleven states, twelve National Parks, and five thousand miles as it follows the 1920 inaugural tour of the National Park-to-Park Highway.

PAVING THE WAY includes the talented voice of Bill Painter as its narrator, as well as dozens of interviews of experts on the National Parks and the post-WWI Good Roads Movements. Among these are historians Alfred Runte and William Tweed. Drawing its inspiration from The Playground Trail: The National Park-to-Park Highway, a book by Lee and Jane Whiteley, PAVING THE WAY adds its own perspective on this unique historic event and what it meant to the shaping of American culture.

Lee and Jane Whiteley have worked with American Road Magazine for the past five years. American Road Magazine Executive Editor, Thomas Repp, says, "This documentary, like American Road Magazine, is perfect for the historic travelers, nostalgia buffs, and anyone who believes America is worth exploring."

To learn more and see an exclusive clip visit: http://americanroadmagazine.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=365

15 March, 2009 , — "THE WAY OUT WEST" By Michelle Van Parys with essays by Lucy R. Lippard and Geoffrey Batchen Published by the Center for American Places Publication Date: March 30, 2009 Price: $32.50 104 pages 60 halftones ISBN: 978-1-930066-55-7

Legend and myth hover over the breathtaking landscape of the American West, and the region has inspired adventure-seekers and artists alike for centuries. Yet the modern sprawl of suburbia and office parks conflicts with our nostalgic imaginings of "cowboys and Indians." With "The Way Out West" coffee-table book, Michelle Van Parys combines images that reflect on the contradictory and tumultuous landscape of the New West.

Traveling from California, Nevada, and Utah through to Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, Van Parys trains her camera's penetrating gaze on the hard-edged natural beauty of the West—and its constantly changing contemporary identity. Whether documenting the glitter of the ever-expanding metropolises of Phoenix and Las Vegas or the quiet reserve of Monument Valley, Van Parys's images, she explains, seek to "juxtapose nineteenth-century notions of the sublime landscape with the natural world."

5 March, 2009 , St. Joseph, Mo. — AMERICAN ROAD JOURNALIST TAKES OATH Sworn to Tell the Truth about Jesse James In an unprecedented proceeding, at 8:25 AM on March 4th, in the 6th Division Court at the Buchanan County Courthouse, a feature writer for American Road Magazine, has sworn under oath to tell the truth about the outlaw Jesse James.

The oath was administered by Court Clerk Lori Schaeffer, presided over by the Honorable Judge Ronald E. Taylor, and witnessed by Marshal Howard Judd.

The clerk solemnly asked, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regarding the life, times, and treacherous death of Jesse James, so help you God?" With his left hand on the Bible and his right hand raised, author Johnnie V resolutely replied, "I do."

At the invitation of the St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau, Johnnie V is visiting St. Joseph researching a feature article on the Jesse James Driving Tour, created by the St. Joseph CVB, which is scheduled for publication in the summer issue of American Road Magazine.

"We are so thrilled Johnnie V is here in St. Joseph and we look forward to his truthful interpretation of the Jesse James Driving Tour," said Beth Conway, Communications Director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The journalist's unlikely oath was precipitated by a visit with Gary Chilcote, Museum Director at the Patee Museum. In an interview with the Mr. V, Mr. Chilcote advised Mr. V that between 60% and 80% of everything that has ever been written about Jesse James was "...either 'BS' or fakelore." Mr. Chilcote's unvarnished comment alluded to liberties with the facts taken by authors motivated by the desire to shamelessly sell books, stories, magazines, videos, and other forms of media.

Mr. V, responding to a gauntlet thrown down before him, elected to demonstrably raise the standard of journalism associated with Jesse James by submitting himself to a court administered oath. After the proceeding, Mr. V stated that, "I am proud to be the first and only American journalist to take a sworn oath to tell the truth about Jesse James. It is especially meaningful that I took the oath in front of the maybe/possibly/could-have-been/purported-to-be/legendary/as-reported/said-to-have-been bench where the cowardly Ford brothers were indicted and convicted for the murder of Jesse James."

A skeptical bystander commented that if Mr. V confines his writing to the undisputed truth associated with Jesse James, and the celebrated landmarks along the Jesse James Driving Tour, that his expansive feature travel article might be whittled down to less than 35 words.

Mr. V, when asked about this possibility of a severely truncated feature article, replied with the wisdom of a seasoned professional journalist. "You know, it all depends on how you define truth, doesn't it?

22 February, 2009 , Indianapolis, Ind. — INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: 100 YEARS OF RACING, by Ralph Kramer "In Indianapolis . . . racing is a religion. The Speedway is our temple. That is the best way I can explain my worship for Indianapolis." --Racing legend mario Andretti, in his foreword to Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 100 Years of Racing.

It started in a cornfield and one man's dream. Fast forward 100 years and what was once pastureland is now home to the world's most celebrated racetrack--the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Officially licensed in cooperation with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, "Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 100 Years of Racing" (Krause Publications) chronicles the moments, big and small, that mark the Speedway's first century as the most renowned racing venue in the world. This coffee-table book showcases more than 500 memorable images of early cars and their drivers, track officials in knickers and derby hats, turn-of-the-century spectators dressed in their Sunday best, istroical contracts, advertisements, and many other never-before-published photos culled from the Speedway's archives.

The book shared the people who have made the Speedway an institution, from Carl Fisher (of Lincoln Highway fame) to Eddie Rickenbacker, Wilbur, Shaw, and the Hulman/George family, who continue to uphold the Speedway's hallmark of world-class championships and world-class events. And of course, the legendary drivers who have become household names: AJ Foyt, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, and so many others.

From the early days of balloon races and motorcycle face-offs, to the most iconic motorsports race in the world--the Indianapolis 500--as well as NASCAR showdowns, US Grand Prix Formula One, and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP this book captures all the intriguing series of events that transformed the dirt and gravel track of 1909 to the "Brickyard" of today.

This book will be available from major bookstores, online retailers, and Krause Publications. http://www.krausebooks.com

ISBN 978-089689-835-6
256 Pages
10" x 10"
500 photographs
Hardcover
Available in March

19 February, 2009 , Salem, Oreg. — TREES & MARKERS & HISTORY. . . OH MY! Just in time for Oregon's 150th birthday Oregon has unveiled a new way to appreciate their heritage with a special twist. The Oregon Travel Information Council has launched a new tool--an new interactive map showcasing all state owned historical markers and heritage trees throughout Oregon.

When you scroll over a tree or marker icon, you will learn about these beautiful trees and interesting markers, so that you may plan a fun filled and informative trip to view these unique signs of Oregon in person. You will also be able to search for nearby lodging, dining and other area attractions located close to these sites.

Eastern Oregon Visitors Association Executive Director, Alice Trindle, states, "Through this interactive model, we can reach a greater audience, nearly give a virtual tour, that will ultimately encourage visitors to rediscover the Oregon Trail."

Ready, set, click!
http://www.oregontic.com/heritage/SideStreet_Map.php

12 February, 2009 , Klamath Falls, OR — WINTERWINGS FESTIVAL 2009, By Allison Scul Learn more about birds and their habitiats at the Winter Wings Festival February, 13th-15th, at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Formerly called the Bald Eagle Conference, the Winter Wings Festival is celebrating its thirty year anniversary. This year, you, your friends, and family can do more than just imagine what it is like to view the spectacle of hundreds of eagles in residence, not to mention thousands of ducks, geese, and swans of the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge.

Located in both south central Oregon and northern California, the Klamath Basin National Wildlife is a key player on the Pacific Flyway, one of four major migratory routes in North America. According to US Fish and Wildlife Park Ranger, David Champine, "The Pacific Flyway is a general corridor or trail that birds take on a as a North-South migration route. The Winter Wings Festival marks the beginning of spring migration where birds fly from the South. Depending on the species, birds can come from as far as South America."

A total of six separate nearby refuges comprise the total National Wildlife Refuge complex spanning nearly 200,000 acres. A unique, strong cooperative partnership between farming, water resources, and the refuges provides an abundance of food and water that attracts vast numbers of waterfowl and raptors.

For this year's festival, renowned bird expert, author, and Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory will be the featured keynote speaker, trip leader, and workshop leader. Pete Dunne is Vice President for Natural History Information for the New Jersey Audubon Society and Director of the New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. A life-long resident of New Jersey, Mr. Dunne, dubbed the "Bard of Birding", has written or co-authored over a dozen books on bird-watching and is one of the leading birders in the nation.

The Festival will also feature expert, local, and nationally recognized leaders and speakers in workshops, field trips, mini-session, and special events. Nature photographers can also take advantage of many photographic opportunities as well as three special photography events sponsored by Canon. Samuels explains, "In 2008 we partnered with Canon USA for the first time on a photography workshop and photo safari that attracted 75 participants. In 2009 Canon is repeating that event and expanding their participation by bringing a professional photographer, Adam Jones, from Kentucky, to do another session and celebrity photo shoot."

Enthused about this year's event, Samuels comments, "this event should appeal to anyone with an interest in nature or birds. If you are a beginning birder, we offer some great introductory sessions to get you started. If you are life-long birding enthusiast, you'll be able to learn more from our knowledgeable leaders and presenters. We also want to encourage families to attend. We offer one and a half days of free activities geared to children, including live birds, simulation activities, and crafts." She adds, "Winter is a great time to come birding in the Klamath Basin. We expect about 400-900 Bald Eagles to be in the area and tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl. About 80% of the birds on the Pacific Flyway pass through this area. Visitors may not be aware that we provide transportation on all of the major field trips to the refuges."

On a final note, US Fish and Wildlife Park Ranger, Michele Nuss recommends you bring, warm clothing, binoculars, and a bird identification book. To register, see http://www.winterwingfest.org. The Oregon Institute of Technology is located at 3201 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

6 February, 2009 , NORWALK, OHIO — RUNNER READY FOR HISTORIC JOURNEY ON THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY Eric Ebinger of Norwalk, Ohio, long distance runner and Lincoln enthusiast, plans to begin an historic journey on the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth on February 12. He will cross the length of the Lincoln Highway in Ohio, all 241 miles, in five days.

"This is an adventure worthy of honoring the nation's greatest president," Ebinger said recently. "The run will test the mental, physical, and emotional skill of any human being. I am very excited to get started."

Ebinger will begin running The Lincoln Highway at the Indiana state line near Van Wert, and continue on the historic road using the route completed in 1928. His wife Misty, who grew up in Orrville, Ohio will serve as the coordinator. "It looks like the weather is going to be cold but not extreme," Ebinger said, "ending a whole year of worrying over something we couldn't really control."

Ebinger will travel sixty miles each of the first two days, completing half the run in two of the five days. "From Van Wert to Mansfield is nice and flat," Ebinger said, "which should make for comfortable running. And it allows three days for the second half, which is filled with hills."

Ebinger has received numerous emails through his website, http://www.thelincolnrun.com, from runners across the state who plan on joining him for different parts of the run. "My wife and I are looking forward to meeting the people along this wonderful scenic highway, and perhaps drawing attention to a man whose wisdom and grace guided our nation through its most turbulent period."

5 January, 2009 , Lansing, Mich. — MICHIGAN'S ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS The Michigan Historical Museum invites you to relive your special Michigan travel memories - and learn about some unique tourist spots along Michigan's back roads - with a visit to its latest special exhibit, Michigan's Roadside Attractions, opening Saturday, Jan. 10.

Michigan's Roadside Attractions, set to run through Sept. 14, 2009, features more than 50 roadside attractions that grew up as Michigan expanded its highway system from the 1930s through the 1970s. Many of these attractions still provide fun and excitement for millions of tourists each year.

"Deer parks and dinosaur gardens are just a couple travel experiences that take center stage again in this exhibit. Places like Castle Rock in St. Ignace, the Soo Locks Boat Tours and the multiple locations where Paul Bunyan has been spotted are also featured through photos, artifacts and souvenirs," said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum System. "Michigan's Roadside Attractions is about treasured mementoes, from miniature Paul Bunyan statues and plastic purses to dinosaurs, seashells and even ceramic doll dish sets."

Kwiatkowski said that business owners who have operated roadside attractions and small tourism businesses have supported the effort to develop the exhibit by sharing their heritage.

Michigan's Roadside Attractions is sponsored by American Road magazine, in cooperation with the Friends of Michigan History and Booth Michigan newspapers.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center at 702 West Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The main entrance and visitor parking are located off of Kalamazoo Street, just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission and weekend parking are free.

The Michigan Historical Museum, the flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System, is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/museum or call (517) 373-3559, TDD (517) 373-1592.

23 December, 2008 , Vandalia, Ill. — HISTORIC STATEHOUSE ON THE NATIONAL ROAD TO REOPEN A one-time anonymous donation will allow the Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site to reopen to the public five days per week through the end of June 2009, in time for the site to welcome visitors for the February 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial. The site was among 11 across Illinois that closed December 1 as a result of a $2.8 million budget reduction sustained by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), which administers Illinois’ historic sites.

"The community of Vandalia is extremely grateful to the anonymous donor who has made it possible to reopen the Statehouse," said Vandalia Mayor Ricky Gottman. "I want to personally thank IHPA Director Jan Grimes, with whom we worked diligently to make this happen."

The amount of the donation to the Old Capitol Foundation, the private support group for Vandalia Statehouse, has not been disclosed. It will be used to make monthly payments to the State of Illinois for personnel and operations costs at Vandalia Statehouse. The site will reopen once the proper state procedures are followed for hiring an additional person that will allow for public programming. One staff person at the site was laid off when Vandalia Statehouse closed December 1, and one staff person was kept to maintain the site and provide security while it was closed.

"Vandalia has shown true community spirit, taking a financial lemon and making lemonade. I commend Mayor Gottman and the Old Capitol Foundation for everything they have done to make this possible," said IHPA Director Jan Grimes.

The Vandalia Statehouse on the historic National Road is the oldest existing capitol building in Illinois. It was built in 1836 and Abraham Lincoln was among the state legislators who served there. Once the site reopens, it will be available for free public tours Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

22 December, 2008 , Washington, D.C. — WAL-MART SUPERSTORE THREATENS WILDERNESS BATTLEIELD & HISTORIC SR 20 The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today that a proposed Wal-Mart Superstore threatens Wilderness Battlefield, a significant Civil War battle site of our nation. It also threatens historic Virginia SR 20.

Plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter within sight of one of the most significant Civil War battle sites in our nation have been submitted for approval in Orange County, Virginia. This 145,000-square foot store is proposed just one-quarter mile from the main entrance to the National Park which honors the sacrifice of the Civil War combatants who fought and died at Wilderness Battlefield in May 1864.

Your help is needed to save Wilderness Battlefield!

As part of a growing coalition, the National Trust for Historic Preservation strongly opposes intensive commercial development at this historic site, located at the intersection of Route 20 and Route 3, because it would degrade the rural setting for the battlefield, promote commercial sprawl, and drastically increase traffic through the heart of the National Park.

In fact, "big-box" traffic congestion here would dramatically increase pressure to widen Route 20 from two to four lanes through the battlefield and National Park a fatal mistake strongly opposed by preservationists. Route 20 is the historic Orange Turnpike, the scene of fierce fighting during the battle. In addition, construction of a Wal-Mart would likely lead to additional retail development along this corridor, including three additional "big-box" stores already in the works.

Wilderness Battlefield is one of our nation's most significant Civil War battlefields.

More than 2,700 acres of the battlefield are preserved as part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, a key destination along the newly designated Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area. There are many potential sites for Wal-Mart, but only one Wilderness Battlefield.

It is imperative that Wal-Mart abandon its flawed plan for a massive Superstore at the gateway to the historic Wilderness Battlefield.

Take action to save our Civil War heritage:
* Sign the Petition to Stop Wal-Mart:
http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=rfLumdgb78Gae1bY-kjUrA..
* Learn more about the coalition to preserve Wilderness Battlefield here:
http://my.preservationnation.org/site/R?i=UX2kX0NKnLUCwvu7iudASA..

20 December, 2008 , — HIGHWAY HOWLERS Road signs are meant to inform, entice, and warn drivers. But when strategically burnt-out neon, cunningly rearranged letters, baffling grammar, ironic juxtapositions, and spelling from another planet occur, signs can become a source of endless amusement.

When Mark Sedenquist and Megan Edwards hit the road back in 1994, they began taking photos of mixed-up marquees and billboard blunders. After they put their fledgling collection of funny signs on the web at RoadTripAmerica.com back in 1996, other lovers of roadside esoterica began sharing the results of their own adventures in sign stalking. "Caution: Funny Signs Ahead" compiled by RoadTrip America reflects over a decade's worth of collecting. It includes images from more than 90 photographers with pictures hailing from all over the US, Canada, and beyond.

This collection of accidentally entertaining bits of roadside Americana shows signs like No Smoking on Campus Prohibited, offramps to Boring Oregon City, and truck stop advertisements for Diesel Fried Chicken.

One of the most delightful features of a road trip is the element of surprise, the feeling you get when you turn a corner and see something that makes you shout out, "OMG! Stop! Where's the camera?"

The authors warn that if seeing the signs in "Caution: Funny Signs Ahead" makes you want to go out in search of amusing road signs, please remember two things:
1) Stopping in the middle of a busy freeway could result in a hefty fine.
2) If you're going to do it anyway. . . send them the pictures!

One last caution: once you've been bitten by the funny sign bug, there is no cure!

"Caution: Funny Signs Ahead" is published by Ulysses Press and is available at bookstores nationwide and at http://www.ulyssespress.com

19 October, 2008 , — HAUNTED HIGHWAYS, review by Denny Gibson "Haunted Highways" retold by Tom Ogden. 2008 The Globe Pequot Press. 5 ½ x 8 ½, 240 pages.

If you're a roadie looking for something to read while waiting for trick-or-treaters, Tom Ogdens "Haunted Highways" could fill the bill. The "Spooky Stories, Strange Happenings, and Supernatural Sightings" that the accomplished magician has put together all have a connection with the road. In some cases the connection is solid -- like the tale of the man who has traveled the roads of Massachusetts, just trying to get home, since 1769, or phantom hitchhikers who disappear after accepting a ride -- while others seem to be reaching to fit the theme.

Ogden fills out his stories in a couple of ways. Sometimes he has fictional characters experience something that real live people have reported. There is a young man named Jerry that Ogden uses to tell his version of the Resurrection Mary legend. Ogden ultimately includes other information about the young girl who many have reported seeing--then not seeing--along Route 66, but the fictitious Jerry's encounter lets him first present a cohesive tale.

Even better, I think, is Ogden's inclusion of real and solid history when it is available. He provides a decent overview of Anthony Wayne's Revolutionary War exploits before telling us of the general's ongoing search for the bones of his son lost along the roads of Pennsylvania. A highway connection for the story of John Brown's Body is far from obvious, but Ogden handles that with a fictional couple who encounter Brown's ghost while traveling on vacation, and he also recounts the abolitionist's own extensive travels.

A "Ghost Hunting" appendix contains information on the locations for the various stories, happenings, and sightings. I've never considered myself much of a ghost hunter but I found myself giving it some thought when I learned that a stretch of track about sixty miles from my home is one of the top two spots for sightings of Lincoln's funeral train. Hanging out by the tracks on a warm midnight in late April sounds like an OK idea right now. I wonder if I'll still feel that way when April rolls around... and the sun goes down.

20 September, 2008 , — POWER STATION TRAVELLER, reviewed by Denny Gibson Power Station Traveller
$32.99
11x7.5x4
CableOrganizer.com

Inside a car, it seems like there are always more gadgets needing power than there are places to plug them in plus those gadgets can create a most impressive tangle of cables the instant your back is turned. The Power Station Traveller tackles both of these problems. It plugs into a single 12-volt receptacle and provides receptacles for three devices. It also provides storage for the devices and their power cables.

When I first looked at the Power Station Traveller, I thought it was a bit bulky compared to the devices it was to handle. But when I considered that its purpose was not to shrink but to organize, those thoughts of bulkiness faded. I travel with a GPS, three different battery chargers, and a cell phone. Both cars I drive have two outlets but the GPS, with its speaker, occupies one of those full-time. The chargers and phone vie for the other outlet and usually tie themselves into a big knot while they're doing it.

For a recent weekend trip I put two of the chargers and my cell phone into the Power Station. The cables plug in behind a panel on which the devices are clamped. The cables are hidden, the devices easily accessible, and all can be closed up inside the zippered case. I think I actually surprised myself on this one. Probably because of that initial impression of bulkiness, I was all set to not like it. But I quickly warmed to the idea of always having a fully charged proprietary camera battery AND a set of fully charged AAs with no juggling to plug in whichever one I currently needed. At the end of the first day, when I realized that not once had I struggled to separate two gizmos attached by their tangled cords, all negative thoughts were gone.

Back home, it earned points when I switched cars. I'm pretty sure the lady who lives across the street from me has enjoyed many a chuckle watching me get in one car, realize my phone cord was in the other one, then stand on my head digging around under the seats to find it. This time I just grabbed the Traveller and knew I not only had the phone cord but the battery chargers, too.

Maybe you don't need a hodgepodge of chargers to keep your batteries happy but what about an iPod or PDA? They fit the Traveller just fine. An AC adapter is available as an option so you can charge your gadgets overnight in a motel room and it even has a shoulder strap to make getting it and your luggage to the motel room a little easier.

7 September, 2008 , COHOES, NY — NEW COHOES FALLS VIEW PARK The Cohoes Falls has been identified as one of the key assets along the Mohawk Towpath Byway. It is the major element in any of the Byway's layers of history whether Native American, early European trading ports or settlements, American revolution, industrial revolution or the westward expansion of the country.

Officials from Brookfield Renewable Power and the City of Cohoes joined local state, federal, county, and Byway representatives on August 21, 2008, for a ribbon cutting to unveil the new Falls View Park on the Mohawk River near Cohoes Falls. The four-acre Falls View Park is adjacent to Brookfield Renewable Power's 38-megawatt School Street hydroelectric generating facility. The park offers a view of the scenic Cohoes Falls never before open to the public. It also marks a unique public/private collaboration between Brookfield Renewable Power, the City of Cohoes and the National Park Service's Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor.

"With Falls View Park, visitors have an unobstructed view of the beautiful Cohoes Falls, the second largest falls in New York State," said John T. McDonald III, Mayor of the City of Cohoes and the ribbon cutting master of ceremonies. "The new park also serves as a historical link between the falls and Cohoes' historic Harmony Mills district. We are pleased to be part of this milestone public/private collaboration between Brookfield Renewable Power and the Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor," McDonald added.

No visit to the Mohawk Towpath Byway can be complete without a visit to this new park. A foot bridge now crosses a power canal, a successor to the original 1825 Erie Canal, to the remainder of Falls View Park. Across North Mohawk Street is the remaining stone work of Lock 18. This double lock is part of the 1842 enlarged Erie Canal and the upper feature of a series of 16 locks that raised boat traffic around the Falls. The interpretive panels found in Falls View Park's canal-side plaza, created by the National Park Service, mark the first project this agency has undertaken on behalf of a private company. The signage highlights the historical, educational and geological significance of the Cohoes Falls, Mohawk River and other nearby points of interest.

"Falls View Park is a fantastic addition to the eastern gateway to the Erie Canal. We're thrilled that people will have the opportunity to see the stunning natural beauty and power of Cohoes Falls and learn about its history," said Beth Sciumeca, executive director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, Waterford, New York. "From the rise of the region's textile mills and the construction of the engineering marvel of the Waterford flight of locks -- which enabled canal boats to bypass the 75-foot falls -- to its use for waterpower, Cohoes Falls has played a pivotal role in the region's history."

Falls View Park was developed as part of Brookfield Renewable Power's 40-year oper- ating license for the School Street hydropower plant granted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in February 2007. "The license represents a diverse and comprehensive array of public interests, including increased, year-round flow over the Cohoes Falls and protection of fish and wildlife," said Tom Uncher, general manager of Brookfield Renewable Power's Hudson River Operations.

Visitors to Falls View Park can now enjoy a wide range of recreational and historical features including:
-A two-bus, drop-off area and an informational kiosk along North Mohawk Street;
-A 192-foot-long pedestrian bridge spanning the School Street power canal from North Mohawk Street to the primary overlook area;
-Primary and secondary overlooks areas with view of the falls and access to nearby trails;
-Americans with Disability Act (ADA)-compliant facilities such as fishing platforms. These platforms are topped with a strong, dense wood, harvested only from naturally sustainable forests. This fire-resistant wood has very high wear durability in daily use, and is resistant to splintering and checking; and
-An 80-person amphitheatre. The carry in/carry out park will be open during daylight hours from May through October.

The Mohawk Towpath Byway is a series of roads between Waterford, Cohoes and Schenectady along the historic route of the Erie Canal. It tells the many layered stories of the waterway west and the role our communities played in the westward expansion of the country and in the industrial revolution. The Byway is one of a network of New York State Scenic Byways and is one of 126 Nationally designated Byways.

17 August, 2008 , Penn. — "DO 6" Route 6 Mile Markers Line the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania

The miles of US Route 6 in Pennsylvania are now numbered as part of the long-awaited Route 6 directional signage program. Mile markers with the trademarked "Do 6" logo start on the Ohio border and head east for 400 miles to the New York border in Matamoras, Pike County.

The mile marker system is designed to help travelers find businesses and attractions easier in this rural part of Pennsylvania. "Several years ago, a TV advertisement with Governor Ed Rendell ran in the Philadelphia market. We heard from travelers that they could not find certain businesses or attractions and they didn't understand the length of the highway", PA Route 6 Tourist Association Executive Director Terri Dennison said. "We realized that we needed a system to guide travelers as well as help businesses give directions to their locations."

Dennison further explained that the system will help travelers judge the distances between towns, attractions and businesses along the highway so they can plan appropriately.

The markers are green and white and feature the trademarked "Do 6" logo with the appropriate mile number. The markers will alternate every other mile on the north and south side of the highway unless the positioning is not possible.

Morgan Rail Inc of Temple, Pennsylvania installed the mile markers along the 400 miles of Route 6 and 27 miles of Route 6N. The work started at the Ohio border on May 12 and was completed in late June.

The Route 6 Mile Marker Program was developed several years ago by the PA Route 6 Tourist Association and the PA Route 6 Task Force, a group of interested stakeholders in the northern tier. Funding for the sign design and sign construction has been funded by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The sign plan was designed on behalf of the PA Route 6 Tourist Association by the EADS Group of Altoona PA.

1 August, 2008 , Detroit, Mich. — CRUISIN' MOTORCITIES A brand new automotive celebration, Cruisin' MotorCities, will combine a series of individual auto events to create a week long festival of auto-tourism this summer. The car-studded week (August 8 - 16th), being managed by MotorCities National Heritage Area, promises to make Detroit and Southeast Michigan more than ever the epicenter of the automotive universe.

Cruisin' MotorCities kicks off on the weekend of August 8 - 10th with the admission-free Detroit Festival of Speed and Style. Based at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit, the Festival of Speed and Style starts with a "Hot Latin Night" on August 8th, featuring low-rider custom cars and hot rods set to exciting Latin and Hispanic music. The Festival itself takes place on Sunday, August 10 and features vehicles that marry the finest examples of the world's classic cars with high performance factory-built cars and motorcycles from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.

Hot on the heels of the Festival of Speed and Style will be eight days (August 9 - 16th) of AutoFair at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. AutoFair offers car shows and displays, manufacturer's midway, automotive art exhibits, parts market, music, and entertainment.

On August 9th and 10th join the First Annual Flint Fairgrounds Motorcycle Ride. The Ride includes a Saturday night reception at the Alfred P. Sloan Museum to see the "Rides and Rebels" motorcycle exhibition. On Sunday, the ride itself travels from Flint to the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills before continuing to the Michigan State Fairgrounds for a BBQ and concert.

On Tuesday, August 12th, the GM Heritage Center and the GM Headquarters will be hosting tours. Begin with a visit to the GM Heritage Center for a special tour sponsored by MotorCities, to see its stunning collection of GM vehicles before touring the GM Renaissance Center headquarters and the new Detroit Riverwalk. Visit www.motorcities.org for details.

Thursday, August 14th, has Model T's Live at Campus Martius Park. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the car that put the world on wheels, The Henry Ford will provide free Model T rides around Campus Martius Park.

Also on Thursday, August 14th The theme of the afternoon Tigers game at Comerica Park is "Celebrating the Woodward Dream Cruise." The fun continues after the last pitch with a street scene event along Madison Street where hundreds of classic cars will be on display. On Friday, August 15th and Saturday, August 16th brings "A Michigan Drive-Thru Memory by Big Boy" at the State Fairgrounds, complete with roller skating waiters and waitresses. Saturday, August 16th will dawn bright and early with the mother of all car cruises as the Woodward Dream Cruise parades past its expected audience of more than a million wide-eyed spectators! "Cars are an important part of our past, our present and our future," said Gary Familian, managing director, MotorCities National Heritage Area. "This is an opportunity to celebrate one of the industries that made the D what we are today. We really encourage everyone to cruise MotorCities, take in the sights and sounds of all that makes this a great region."

4 July, 2008 , — ROAD TRIP MONEY-SAVERS TO EASE THE PAIN AT THE PUMP Don't let gas prices halt your road-trip plans. The staff at American road found money-saving travel promotions around the country to help ease the pain at the pump.

Between June 18 and September 1, 2008 Bedandbreakfast.com is offer a $50 rebate for booking a two-night stay. See details at: http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/GasRebate.aspx?ctx=HmP1

Stay the weekend at Marriott or JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts June 5 - September 1 and receive a $25 Visa Gift card when you pay with your Visa card. For more information visit: http://www.marriott.com/marriott.mi?page=summer-weekends

Tourism departments nation-wide are providing incentives or at least showcasing travel incentives on their websites. Coupons are often included in travel guides and are available for free from tourism bureaus. Check state, regional, county, and city tourism offices. A few offers we found:

The State of New Hampshire's Tourism website lists gas and rebate offers around the state to help you save some green: http://www.visitnh.gov/why-new-hampshire/gas-and-green-offers/gas.aspx

The Illinois Tourism office is giving a $50 Visa gift card to travelers booking vacations on http://www.enjoyillinois.com/.

Dollar saving deals are organized on the Wisconsin Tourism website at: http://www.travelwisconsin.com/deals/

Travelers to Missouri will find printable money saving coupons at: http://www.visitmocoupons.com/.

Visit Nebraska lists a Lewis and Clark Excursion in their available Vacation Packages that includes free breakfast for two and four $20 gift certificates good at area attractions. Details at: http://www.visitnebraska.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=185&Itemid=208

Colorado vacation values may be found at: http://www.colorado.com/vacationValues.php#transportation_deals

*For a quick list and hot link to tourism bureaus and chambers that support American Road visit: http://www.americanroadmagazine.com/advertising/adv_request.html

Some Historic Highway Associations are also helping road travelers:

Wisconsin's Highway 51 Association lists special lodging packages to save dough: http://www.explorehwy51.com/.

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association publishes a Trip Guide that includes a few special offers for Oklahoma Route 66 travelers such as "One Free Round of Mini Golf" for the entire family with the purchase of a buffet meal and drink at "America's Incredible Pizza Company" in Tulsa. Copies are available at various Oklahoma visitor centers and business along Oklahoma Route 66.

24 June, 2008 , — ILF AND PETROV'S AMERICAN ROAD TRIP BOOK REVIEW ILF AND PETROV'S AMERICAN ROAD TRIP, by Ilya Ilf And Evgeny Petrov. Edited by Erika Wolf. 2007 Cabinet Books and Princeton Architectural Press. 7 x 9, 158 pages

A Latvian, an American, and two Russians get into a Ford. Sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it? But, despite the fact that the two Russians were accomplished satirists, this was no joke. In 1935, Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov came looking for America. In New York, they bought a Ford, hooked up with the Latvian and his Russian speaking American wife, and headed west.

Ilya and Evgeny were sent to America by Pravda so the pro-Soviet slant of their writing is expected. Showing the flaws of capitalism was at least part of the trip's purpose and in the mid-1930s evidence of flaws in the system was in good supply. But the two writers had a reputation for satire back home and their account is somewhat lighthearted. Even their comments on America's jobless and the like do not seem mean spirited.

The two and a half month road trip took place during the end 1935 and the beginning of 1936. The trip report was originally published as a series of eleven installments in the Soviet Magazine Ogonek. Erika Wolf has turned each of those installments into a chapter of this book. Included are 128 black and white photographs taken by Ilya Ilf with a Leica. A big big chunk of 1935 America is in those pictures.

There are shots of streets and roads and cars. An auto junkyard is pictured on the same page as a truckload of new cars. In 1935 a truckload was three. They took a ferry into San Francisco and got a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge in the midst of construction. There are pictures of signs and businesses. The Russians definitely took notice of and were often amused by American advertising. Referring to a Shell Lubrication billboard that features three dancing mice they point out that "This oil is so good that the cute little mice just can't help but dance from joy." And there are pictures of people - lots of people. Some are in groups like the Christmas breadline in Los Angeles and some appear in individual portraits. Some are famous. Most are not.

The photos make the quickest impression but 1935 America is described in the text, too. The Russians talk to Americans, including an occasional hitchhiker, and their own observations are sometimes punctuated with quotes. Ilf and Petrov went looking for America and they may have found it. They started out thinking that Washington or New York would be America but they soon gave up those thoughts. In describing a picture of a gas station, they say "This right here is America!" It isntt, they say, the big cities or the mountains or factories. It is, rather, "this intersection of two roads and a gas station against a background of wires and advertising billboards." Thank goodness Erika Wolfe rescued this seventy-plus year old record of a unique road trip.
-Denny Gibson

17 June, 2008 , — SOAK UP THE SUN The summer solstice has been celebrated traditionally by cultures across the globe, and this year is no exception. After all, 12 hours of sunlight is certainly cause for celebration, right?

Throngs flock to watch the sun rise over Stonehenge in England. Here in the States, those who can’t cross the pond for the big event can consider a trek to Nebraska's Carhenge. http://www.carhenge.com/

Other summer solstice festivals around the country:

The Times Square Alliance, custodians of the world’s famed Winter Solstice Celebration (New Year's Eve), hosts a free yoga-fest in the middle of Times Square. http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/events_solstice.html

At the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Summer Solstice Celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 21, families can spend the evening learning about the solstice and its international traditions. Kids can weave a Bohemian flower garland or pot a symbolic Spanish Verbena plant. The Gardens will serve savory strawberry snacks and release ladybugs into its nine themed gardens. http://www.dsbg.org/events.php

In Seattle, the 2008 Fremont Solstice Parade begins at noon on Saturday June 21st. Now in its 20th year, the parade has become a favorite citywide community event in Seattle's "funky" Fremont neighborhood. An unparalleled demonstration of free speech, creativity, art and community, it casts a spell of joy, hope and rebirth that spreads from Fremont to the entire universe. http://fremontartscouncil.org/

Delights to be found to celebrate the solstice by the Boston Children's Museum (on both sides of Fort Point Channel along the Harborwalk) include giant puppets and strolling street performers -- not to mention a 20-foot sea serpent! -- along with performers bringing music and dance from China, India, Brazil, Ireland, Cuba, Africa and the Caribbean. http://www.revels.org/coming_events/SummersDay08.html

9 June, 2008 , Hickory Corners, Mich. — TEACH DAD TO DRIVE THE EVERYMAN'S CAR FOR FATHER'S DAY Can you picture dad grinning behind the wheel of an authentic 1915 Model T Ford? Or have YOU ever wondered what it was like to drive one? Well, now is the time! The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI (northeast of Kalamazoo), is offering Model T driving courses to the public. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the car that put American's on the road, the Museum will hold three separate classes, with the first two on Father's Day Weekend.

Henry Ford introduced the Model T as a sturdy, low-priced car for the "everyman" in 1908, and produced it with very few changes until 1927. It became affectionately known as the "Tin Lizzie," and was soon chugging off the assembly line and into history. More than 15 million were sold, making the Model T the longest production run of any single model automobile apart from the Volkswagen Beetle.

While the cars themselves seem very simplistic by today's standards, they offer a bit of a challenge for drivers of modern cars. First, you won't find a gas pedal on a Model T. The throttle is controlled by moving a small lever on the steering wheel. The "Tin Lizzie" has two forward speeds and one reverse speed, and each of the three pedals on the floor are marked with a large letter representing its function: "C" for clutch, "R" for reverse, and "B" for brake. Oh, don't forget the crank out front for starting the engine!

Sound like an interesting challenge? If so, you're in good company. Many antique car enthusiasts have never driven a Model T and Museum guests are often perplexed by the three pedals.

The Gilmore Car Museum has taken the rare step of allowing any licensed driver, sixteen years old or older, the opportunity to drive one of these authentic vehicles normally only on exhibit. Participants can sign up to attend one of three classes that will be taught by a handful of long-time Model T owners and enthusiasts:

Saturday, June 14;
Sunday, June 15; or
Sunday, July 20, 2008.

Each half-day session will begin at 8:30am at the Museum and will include a bit of history on Henry Ford, the early Ford Motor Company, classroom instruction, up close inspections of various Model Ts, and practice drives. Cost of this "old school" driver's training is only $95.00 per student or $75.00 per student for Museum members. After successfully completing a road test in an authentic Ford Model T, each student will be presented with a Certificate of Completion and be allowed to drive a genuine Model T Ford leisurely around the Museum's three miles of paved roadway. Class size is limited and they are filling up fast so please contact the Gilmore Car Museum at 269-671-5089 to reserve your spot today.

To learn more about the Museum visit www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org.

1 June, 2008 , Detroit, Mich. — AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SPRING 2008 SWEEPSTAKES WINNER American Road Magazine is pleased to announce the winner of the Spring 2008 American Road Trip Sweepstakes, sponsored by the South Carolina Heritage Corridor.

Join us in congratulating Janice Plourde of Massachusetts on winning the American Road Trip Sweepstakes valued at over $500. Ms. Plourde will enjoy:

-A one night stay at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina - http://www.charlestonharborresort.com/
-Lunch for two at The Blarney Stone in Downtown Walterboro.
-Dinner for two at Bocci's located in Historic Downtown Charleston. http://www.boccis.com/cms_pages/
-Two passes to The Hunley Museum, North Charleston. http://www.hunley.org/
-Two admissions to Charles Towne Landing Historic Site, America's Birthplace. http://www.charlestowne.org/visitus.shtml
-Two Passes to the South Carolina Aquarium. http://www.scaquarium.org/
-Two passes to Fort Moultrie. http://www.nps.gov/fosu/historyculture/fort_moultrie.htm
-Two passes to Fort Sumter. Don't miss the feature editorial about Fort Sumter in the Spring 08 issue of American Road magazine!) http://www.nps.gov/fosu/

With so much to do, Ms. Plourde may want to extend her stay in Charleston!

You, too, could be a winner of an American Road Trip Sweepstakes! Watch for a new contest in upcoming months on the American Road Trip Sweepstakes page at americanroadmagazine.com/sweepstakes/sweepstakes.html.

20 May, 2008 , — SCREEN YOUR PET SITTER - TOP TEN QUESTIONS For many traveling pet owners, at-home pet sitting and dog walking services have become the preferred method of professional pet care over kennel boarding and daycare facilities. But, buyer beware. Despite conventional thinking, all home-based pet sitting and dog walking services are not alike. This according to Paul Mann, CEO of FETCH! Pet Care, who notes, "Amid intense industry growth and a glut of so-called 'professional' animal caregivers having entered the field, now more than ever pet owners should perform due diligence before leaving their beloved four-legged family member in anyone else's care."

As the nation's leading name in professional at-home pet care, FETCH! Pet Care encourages traveling pet owners to keep their pets in a home setting so the animal can maintain normal activities and be nurtured in familiar surroundings. This will also help Fido or Felix avoid serious health concerns associated with kennel and group boarding, including anxiety, depression, kennel cough and the potentially deadly canine influenza virus.

To help consumers make informed decisions this spring and summer travel season, FETCH! Pet Care reveals the top 10 things every pet owner should know about his or her pet sitter or dog walker:

1) Do they have good references that are amenable to being contacted? At least three should be voluntarily provided?
2) Are they fully licensed, bonded and insured?
3) Can the sitter accommodate both your pet's daily feeding and walking schedule as well as your desired vacation schedule.even during busy travel seasons?
4) Does the company offer seven-day per week telephone and email availability?
5) Has the pet sitter or dog walker undergone a criminal background check and has he or she received proper training?
6) Will the professional conduct a pre-interview with your pet(s) present to observe interactions and establish a "comfort level" for both you and the pet(s)?
7) Will the professional follow your instructions regarding how you would like his/her time allocated during each visit in terms of walking, playing, feeding, cleaning, etc.?
8) Does the pet sitter have emergency medical procedures in place, and does he or she have experience with animal first aid training or with administering medications, if needed?
9) Does the company have "backup" measures in place should the sitter have an emergency that prevents them from completing your assignment?
10) Is the company or the professionals a current member of Pet Sitters International, the world's largest organization for professional pet sitters?

"These are questions every pet owner should ask before hiring a professional pet sitting service, said Mann. "If a pet owner takes these ten relatively simple things into account before they entrust their pet to an animal sitting or dog walking service, they can enjoy peace of mind that their pet - and their home - will be well cared for."

12 May, 2008 , — SHARE THE ROAD - Courtesy the Motorcycle Safety Foundation May is motorcycle awareness month. Motorcycles are vehicles with the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle on the roadway. Drivers of other passenger vehicles should always remember to follow these steps to help keep everyone safe: >br>
o Allow a motorcyclist the full lane width. Although it may seem as though there is enough room in a traffic lane for both an automobile and a motorcycle, the motorcycle needs the full room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.

o Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows the motorcyclist to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.

o Remember that motorcyclists are often hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick look due to their smaller size. Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.

o Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle-–motorcycle signals usually are not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.

o Remember that road conditions which are minor annoyances to passenger vehicles pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Be aware that motorcyclists may need to change speed or adjust their position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.

o Allow more following distance, three or four seconds, when following a motorcycle so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. And don’t tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

• Motorcyclists have responsibilities, too, by following the rules of the roadway, being alert to other drivers, and always wearing protective gear.

• The message to all drivers is: Help make this the first year in recent years when motorcycle fatalities do not increase. “Share the Road” with motorcycles.

2 May, 2008 , Worcester, Mass. — THE ELIAS TEMBENIS WALK FOR AUTISM The Elias Tembenis Walk for Autism is a journey across America to benefit families struggling to pay for autism therapy and medical services. Two friends of the Tembenis Family, Robert Williams and Bobby Genese, both of Worcester, MA, will begin their walk in May 2008.

The walk will start on Route 50 in San Francisco and end on the Discovery Trail in Washington, DC. The estimated time of completion for the 3,000 walk is ten to twelve months. For information visit: http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/eliaswalk/index.htm

21 April, 2008 , — ORGANIZING TIPS FOR A HEADACHE FREE VACATION Studies show Americans are working harder and longer than they ever did before. This places a higher premium on already prized vacation time. But for most, preparing for, going on and coming back from a break can prove just as hectic and tiring than just staying home.

"You've earned the time off, enjoy it!" declares Organizing Guru Rosemary Chieppo. "The key is to plan ahead." Chieppo reminds that once organized, there is nothing left to do but to have fun.

In her new organizing handbook, CLUTTER, CHAOS & the CURE, Chieppo offers guidelines ranging from maximizing closet space to deciding when important documents should be thrown out, but also offers tips for organizing a less stressful trip.

The longtime member of the National Association of Professional Organizers suggests doing the following before leaving town:
Make sure everything at home is in order so returning home is more enjoyable, including:
o Arranging for pet care
o Paying the bills due before return
o Halting deliveries
o Taking out the trash
o Washing all dirty clothes
--Roll clothes into tight cylinders to save space when packing
--Pack a bag for dirty laundry
--Leave extra space in suitcases for souvenirs

"Once you return," Chieppo stresses, "put everything back in its place!" That is the basis of her unconventional approach, which she admits is more Rachael Ray than Martha Stewart. For Chieppo, organization does not mean being rigid or perfect, but rather being able to find what you need when you need it.

"Think, toothbrush," she reveals. "You never lose it because its home is where you use it."

Chieppo encourages travelers to apply the same logic while on a road trip, "Make sure your jumper cables, tire jack and emergency kit are actually in the car." When not traveling, those items are often removed to make trunk space for items like groceries. Additionally, packing a cooler with snacks and drinks can be a great money saver, but she warns, "It can also be dangerous if the cooler is not within easy reach and you are trying to grab a sandwich from the backseat while driving 60 miles per hour!"

Chieppo advises parents to have each child pack a survival kit with games, books or iPods. Long waits or long-hauls can be more enjoyable for everyone if kids pack their own entertainment.

Chieppo relates that if successfully planned, last minute "bumps in the road" can easily be handled and retreats can end up truly relaxing, She adds that preparation and organization are the keys to a delightful getaway.

8 April, 2008 , Washington D.C. — 2008 DOZEN DISTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS This is the ninth time the National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced a list of Dozen Distinctive Destinations. To date, there are 108 Distinctive Destinations located in 42 states throughout the country. To see a complete list, visit www.preservationnation.org\ddd.

In each community, residents have taken forceful action to protect their town. Whether by enacting a local preservation law to protect historic buildings against demolition, rewriting zoning codes to prevent commercial sprawl, removing regulatory barriers to downtown housing, making downtown areas more walkable, enacting design standards, or taking some other major step that demonstrates a strong commitment to their town, residents have worked hard to preserve the historic and scenic assets of their communities, with rewards that transcend town limits.

The 2008 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations includes:

Aiken, S.C.--Aiken seamlessly balances its varied 19th century heritage with cosmopolitan flair to offer all the necessary ingredients for a great vacation.

Apalachicola, Fla.--Apalachicola, an authentic coastal town renowned for its mouth-watering seafood and singular charm, features a waterfront dotted with fishing vessels, a downtown filled with eclectic shops and streets lined with historic buildings.

Columbus, Miss.--The birthplace of prize-winning playwright, Tennessee Williams, Columbus thrives on its extraordinary mix of Southern history, natural beauty and culture--with antebellum homes spared during the Civil War and historic tours showcasing the remarkable impact of the African American community to a revitalized Main Street that possesses great curb appeal.

Crested Butte, Colo.--One of the most charming vacation destinations in the Rockies, this former coal mining village is a recreational paradise that offers a rare mix of rugged beauty, history and adventure no matter the time of year.

Fort Davis, Texas--With no traffic lights or chain stores, Fort Davis is a gateway to an unspoiled terrain, offering an extraordinary blend of majestic scenery, abundant wildlife and cultural resources that bring to life the history of the 19th century western frontier.

Friday Harbor, Wash.--This small, well-preserved community in the San Juan Island chain is one square mile of perfection—an antidote to city life, ideal for outdoor adventurers, wildlife enthusiasts and history buffs alike.

Portland, Ore.--Boasting both the charm of a small town community and the urban vitality of a big city, Portland, Oregon is a dynamic destination that offers an alluring mix of natural beauty, lively downtown entertainment and landmark historic attractions.

Portsmouth, N.H.--This elegant seaport, the third oldest city in the nation, is one of the most culturally rich destinations in the country with its captivating blend of coastal beauty, historic buildings and lively downtown.

Red Wing, Minn.--Conveniently located one hour south of the Twin Cities, this handsome historic town features a treasure trove of architectural gems dating back to its beginnings as a riverfront trade point as well as an enviable natural environment.

Ste. Genevieve, Mo.--One hour south of St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve is the only French colonial village remaining in the United States, providing an unparalleled glimpse into the pioneer spirit of the early settlers.

San Juan Bautista, Calif.--Known as the City of History because of its exceptional collection of Spanish colonial architecture, San Juan Bautista showcases Old California like no other.

Wilmington, N.C.--From riverboats to battleships, grand old mansions to historic museums, splendid gardens to Civil War sites--Wilmington, North Carolina has a charm and style all its own that dates back nearly three centuries.

22 March, 2008 , Jackson, Kent. — BREATHITT COUNTY MUSEUM The Breathitt County Museum is seeking to raise several hundred thousand dollars to complete renovation of the old county jail to provide more museum space and serve as a welcome center.

"We've been working for about a year on renovations to the jail," said museum director Janie Griffith. "We need $300,000 to $400,000 to finish the project." The jail was constructed in the 1930s by the federal Works Projects Administration.

The museum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the rich Appalachian heritage of Breathitt County, is a virtual storehouse of historical treasures relating to the history of Eastern Kentucky, said Griffith. It needs more space to accommodate its growing collection of exhibits and artifacts.

The museum also has a temporary gallery for the display of works done by local artists and crafts people. Traveling exhibits are also occasionally displayed in this area.

The temporary gallery now houses a traveling exhibit devoted to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, Griffith said.

The museum, located at 329 Broadway Street in downtown Jackson, is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Groups can also arrange in advance for tours on other days, Griffith said.

For more information call 606-666-4159 or visit the museum's website at: http://www.breathittmuseum.com/

17 March, 2008 , Detroit, Mich. — SPRING 2008 AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES American Road Magazine is pleased to announce the Spring 2008 American Road Trip Sweepstakes, sponsored by the South Carolina Heritage Corridor.

Discover South Carolina's Military Heritage and the National Heritage Corridor by registering to win the American Road Trip Sweepstakes! This prize package is valued at over $500. Package includes:

-One night stay at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina - http://www.charlestonharborresort.com/
-Lunch for 2 at The Blarney Stone in Downtown Walterboro as you stroll the quaint Antique Store filled streets and stop by the SC Artisans Center.
-Dinner for 2 at Bocci's located in Historic Downtown Charleston. http://www.boccis.com/cms_pages/
-2 passes to The Hunley Museum, North Charleston. http://www.hunley.org/
-2 admissions to Charles Towne Landing Historic Site, America's Birthplace. http://www.charlestowne.org/visitus.shtml
-2 Passes to the South Carolina Aquarium. http://www.scaquarium.org/
-2 passes to Fort Moultrie. http://www.nps.gov/fosu/historyculture/fort_moultrie.htm
-2 passes to Fort Sumter. Don't miss the feature editorial about Fort Sumter in the Spring 08 issue of American Road magazine!) http://www.nps.gov/fosu/

With so much to do, the winner will want to extend their stay in Charleston!

You, too, could be a winner of an American Road Trip Sweepstakes! There is no purchase necessary to enter the 2008 American Road Trip Sweepstakes, and anyone who subscribes to American Road Magazine between March 15, 2008 and May 15, 2008 will automatically be entered in the upcoming drawing. Contest entry rules are provided at americanroadmagazine.com/sweepstakes/sweepstakes.html

Take a break from doing taxes, rev up your engines, and crank up the tunes. And get ready to hit the American Road!

26 February, 2008 , Milan, Italy — MUSSONLINI'S GAS PUMP FOR SALE American Road magazine recently received news from Route Nostalgie, a magazine about historic highways based in Paris, that the world-renown Fisogni Museum is for sale.

The Fisogni Museum, recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records in 2000, is dedicated to the history and development of filling stations. The museum launched in 1966 by Guido Fisogni. Fisgoni set up his own service station construction business, in the same year.

The Fisogni Museum is located in the old town of Palazzolo Milanese, north of Milan. There, more than eight thousand artifacts are housed, dating from the beginning of the last century. Items include: - two hundred petrol pumps - two thousand oil cans - a wide variety of tools - two thousand five hundred oil changers, fire extinguishers, lubricators and compressors - An enormous number of accessories, gadgets and toys carrying registered trademarks of petroleum companies.

Perhaps the most notable artifact in the museum's collection is the petrol pump that operated in the 30's in Villa Torlonia, the Rome residence of Mussolini, the Italian dictator.

Fisgoni is currently considering bids for the entire collection. Should you be interested in this opportunity, please contact the Milan-based consulting company which is presently assisting Mr. Fisogni: Business Change Consulting e-mail: sbrodas@tin.it Contact person: F.Cosulich Tel. 39-349-6261976

18 February, 2008 , — ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY - reviewed by Denny Gibson The Cars and People That Made Rock Roll (Hardcover) by Paul Grushkin

Rock 'n' roll has been connected to the automobile from Day One. The first official rock 'n' roll recording was, at least on the surface, about a car, the Oldsmobile Rocket 88. Rock 'n' roll music and automobiles, especially fast flashy automobiles, have had some great times together. In Rockin' Down the Highway Paul Grushkin documents those times. The book is a series of essays that could stand alone but which fit together like Beach Boy harmonies. Photos and drawings are rich with detail and warrant as much attention as the text does. Some images are familiar but there are many that you won't see anywhere else.

The first chapter, titled Rocket 88: The First Generation, tells about the earliest days of rock 'n' roll alongside the early days of hot rodding. From that I figured the rest of the book would be divided into neat slices bounded by dates. Not so. In fact, I'm not sure how Grushkin came up with his set of eight but it works. Each succeeding chapter, like the essays within it, could stand-alone, yet each fits wonderfully into the whole.

Tales like the morphing of Hot Rod Race into Hot Rod Lincoln make up the Race with the Devil chapter and somehow the airbrush duel between T-shirt artists Ed Big Daddy Roth and Stanley Mouse fits in there, too. Neil Young's hearse, the Monkeemobile, and the Little Old Lady from Pasadena are just some of the to be found in the chapter entitled I Love L.A. Radar Love puts musicians and music, remember dash mounted phonographs and 8 tracks, on the road. Grushkin labels the remaining chapters A Day in the Life, Detroit City, Road Runner, and Rock Dreams and fills them with, and this is a tiny sample, stuff like a party in Sweden, the Heavy Rebel Weekender, Snoop Dogg's Snoop Deville, Ken Kesey's Further bus, a pink Cadillac and a Little Red Corvette, plus a few 396s, 409s, 413s, and 426s. Grushkin uses details and pictures grouped under diverse chapter headings to build a fascinating machine of a book.

2 February, 2008 , New York — The Old Portage Trail The article, MOONSHINE, in AMERICAN ROAD's Winter 2007 issue examines present-day tourist attractions with historical roots steeped in illegal liquor. The tour includes George Washington's distillery in Virginia, Thunder Road in Knoxville, Kentucky, and Rip's Rock In Pallenville, New York.

Here's an interesting juxtaposition, the Temperance movement began in Fredonia, New York, in the middle of what is now the largest Concord grape growing region in the world (known as the Concord Grape Belt). In nearby Westfield, about 20 minutes south, Dr. Thomas Welch sought the Concord grape to make an unfermented sacrificial wine for communion.

Travelers to the Concord Grape Belt today may travel along the Old Portage Trail running between Westfield and Mayville, New York. This path was followed for many years by those shipping goods between the Great Lakes and the Midwest. Learn more about the history at http://www.concordgrapebelt.org/tourism.php.

20 January, 2008 , Atlanta, Ga. & Knoxville, Tenn. — Roadside Medical and Pilot Travel Centers Open First Medical Clinic Roadside Medical Labs and Clinics (www.roadsidemed.com) and Pilot Travel Centers (www.pilottravelcenters.com), the nation's largest operator of travel centers, announce the opening of their first medical clinic in Cartersville, Ga.. The companies have teamed up to create a coast-to-coast network of retail medical clinics to address the health risks faced by over-the-road drivers. In addition to the management of the medical clinics, Roadside Medical will also offer the industry's most innovative driver wellness program designed to travel with drivers working within their schedule.

The new Roadside Medical Lab and Clinic is located at 968 Cassville-White Road, Cartersville, GA 30120 conveniently along I-75 at the Pilot Travel Center. Roadside Medical Lab and Clinic requires no appointment and anyone can receive medical care 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The driver wellness program is available to drivers upon visiting the Roadside Medical Lab and Clinic, calling 602-692-2734 or requesting information on www.roadsidemed.com.

"Roadside Medical is different than any other medical resource available to drivers today," says Joe Neely, chief executive officer of Roadside Medical Clinics. "We provide drivers with not only the medical assistance through our clinics to help with their existing health concerns, but also make it easy for them to integrate practical health care solutions into their schedules with healthcare coaching, trucker tips and exercises they can do in and around their rig to keep them on a better road to health."

Even though this program was designed for the professional trucker, other travelers will certainly benefit.

3 January, 2008 , — Travels with Fido The holidays are over. In addition to making New Year's resolutions and gathering financial statements to prepare tax returns, many folks are making travel plans for 2008. Vacation requests must be submitted to employers to prevent scheduling chaos.

While planning these family outings, chances are, not many people check the animal regulations in the states through which the family will journey in 2008.

If you plan to travel with your family's four-legged friend, it is prudent to learn which restrictions and/or regulations apply to pets and their owners. State laws differ. Arizona, for example, requires that travelers with a dog carry an original health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian within 30 days prior to entry. Photocopies of health certificates must have an original veterinarian signature. The health certificate must document that the animal is currently vaccinated against rabies, according to the requirements of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Compendium of Animal Rabies Control. Connecticut requires a health certificate with specific language and only allows visiting pets to stay in Connecticut for 30 days without additional compliances.

Visit the US State and Territory Animal Import Regulations web page maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) Veterinary Services. The site, http://www.aphis.usda.gov:80/vs/sregs/, has links to regulations on interstate movement of animals. They also offer an up-to-date Voice Response Service. Using a touch tone phone, call 800/545-USDA (8732), then press 2 for state regulations.

You will be prompted to select the two-letter postal code of the state for which you are requesting information. Postal abbreviations are available at: http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/abbreviations.html#states

Anyone planning a trip to or from Canada with Fido should visit http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/animae.shtml.

26 December, 2007 , Indianapolis, Ind. — "Go Week" Speed to the Indiana State Museum before one of the year's most popular exhibits with kids and adults races out of Indianapolis. It's a great cure for cabin fever.

"SPEED," developed by COSI Columbus with support from the National Science Foundation and in cooperation with the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative, is one hands-on interactive experience after another that explores the science behind the forces of stop and go. The exhibit ends Jan. 21, 2008.

In addition to the activities in the exhibit, a visit during "Go! Week" (now through January 6) offers these outlets for pent-up energy:

Funky Friction and Cotton-ball Catapult: Try two experiments: How far do you think you can catapult a cotton ball? It all depends on what you do with it! And how can you use speed to create sound? Find out with friction.

World Champion Yo-yoer: If you think walking the dog is a great yo-yo trick, you've got to see Noel Kunz perform. Kunz, who placed second in last year's state championships and 77th in the World Yo-Yo contest, uses today's technologically advanced yo-yos to make them appear to leave his hands altogether and become hopelessly entangled without missing a beat in his fast-paced demonstrations. He'll perform Dec. 28.

NASCAR Race Car: Of course, "SPEED" wouldn't be complete without a race car. On Dec. 29 and 30, Jasper Engines & Transmissions will bring the Jasper NASCAR car to the museum. Come drive a simulated race car and climb aboard a motor trike.

Record-breaking Pinewood Derby: Remember your (or your brother's) pinewood derby days? The pinewood derby was all about speed, so we're capping off this exhibit with an attempt to set some records.

Racers of all ages can join in as the Indiana State Museum, Boy Scouts of America Crossroads of America Council, Ratio Architects Inc. and F.A. Wilhelm Construction Company Inc. try to set records for the tallest, longest and fastest pinewood derby track in the 55-year history of the competition, according to Boy Scouts of America's national headquarters. Pinewood derby track record-setting attempts take place Saturday, Jan. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and, Sunday, Jan. 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone may enter with an eligible pinewood derby car. Visitors can also borrow one at the event. This event is free and open to the public.

More information may be found at indianamuseum.org/speed or call 317-232-1637.

16 December, 2007 , San Bernardino, Calif. — Hall of Fame Nominations Submit your Entries for the 2008 Cruisin' Hall of Fame.

Nomination forms are available for the 19th annual Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous Cruisin' Hall of Fame in San Bernardino, Calif. The public may submit entries for individuals and/or entities who made a significant impact on the automotive cruisin' era, generated national recognition and demonstrated community goodwill.

The nominee must fit into one of the following categories: Legendary builder and/or designer; Automotive manufacturer or specific vehicle; Entertainer/Media and Historic; or Miscellaneous.

The nomination deadline is scheduled for Thursday, January 31, 2008. Nomination forms are available online at www.route-66.org or at the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau at the California Welcome Center located at 1955 Hunts Lane, Suite 102, San Bernardino, Calif.

16 December, 2007 , Cleveland, Ohio — "A Christmas Story" A 1938 Oldsmobile Model Six, restored by Motorcar Portfolio, was used in a street scene in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story." Until recently, the auto sat in the Motorcar Portfolio showroom in Canton, Ohio.

Visitors to the "Christmas Story House" in Cleveland will now be able to see this classic ride up close and personal. For hours of operation and more information visit http://achristmasstoryhouse.com/.

*Motorcar Portfolio's President is none other than Bob Lichty, former president of the Lincoln Highway Association and a board member of the American Road Foundation.

30 November, 2007 , San Antonio, Calif. — San Antonio Winery Turns 90 San Antonio celebrated it's 90th Anniversary this year. San Antonio, Los Angeles’ only working winery, has been owned and operated by the Riboli family for four generations. In fact, three of them remain highly active in the business today, including Stefano and Maddelena Riboli, who are in their 80s but continue to be a dynamic presence on a daily basis. San Antonio Winery was founded by Santo Cambianica, who in 1917 left his home in the Northern Italian province of Lombardy to settle in Los Angeles’ thriving Italian-American enclave. Naming it for his patron saint, Cambianica founded San Antonio when more than 90 wineries thrived amid the hundreds of acres of vineyards in what is now downtown Los Angeles. Most were shuttered by Prohibition, but San Antonio acquired an exclusion to provide sacramental wines for Catholic masses, a tradition it carries on today. The winery remains in its original location on Lamar Street, in what is now Downtown L.A.’s emerging River District. A designated historical landmark since 1965, San Antonio Winery is Los Angeles’ only working winery, with the atmosphere of a European wine estate and a welcome as warm as the sun-baked hills of Tuscany. Its premium quality wines come from grapes grown the family’s vineyards in Monterey, Santa Barbara and Napa Counties, and have won more than 1,000 awards in national and international competitions.

20 November, 2007 , — THANKSGIVING DINING ON THE ROAD If your plans for Thanksgiving include traveling on Thanksgiving Day (or just a desire to skip the cooking and cleanup!) you don't need to miss the big turkey dinner. Our editor's found some historic restaurants serving the holiday dinner in style. Most facilities recommend calling for reservations. !) Poogan's Porch, in Charleston, South Carolina opened in 1976. Since then, this historic restaurant on "Rainbow Row," (a neighborhood boasting a collection of colorful antebellum mansions) has been a regular hot spot for locals because of the food, the service, and the atmosphere. Open 365 days a year they serve Lowcountry breakfasts and dinners. http://www.poogansporch.com/ 2) Spend a historic Thanksgiving at Fraunces Tavern in New York City. Established in 1785, Fraunces Tavern was a favorite of founding father George Washington. The menu is a traditional dinner including your choice of turkey, fish, or pasta for the main course for $60 prix fixe. http://www.frauncestavern.com/index2.htm 3) The Grand Concourse, in Pittsburgh, offers the unique experience of dining in a restored train station. The Grand Concourse hosts one of Pittsburgh's most popular Thanksgiving buffets, featuring turkey, glazed ham, prime rib, baked cod.Price: $24.95 adults; children under 12, $16.95. www.stationsquare.com/grandconcourse/ 4) Denver boasts the Ship Tavern at the Brown Palace— an historic hotel that opened in 1934 after prohibition was repealed—serving casual fare ever since. http://www.brownpalace.com/dining/ships_tavern.cfm 5) For a different experience, in Tennessee, all eight Tennessee state parks will serve Thanksgiving Day dinner from 11 a.m. until closing. Park restaurants include: Cumberland Mountain SP (931) 484-7186; David Crockett SP (Lawrenceburg) (931) 762-9541; Fall Creek Falls SP (423) 881-5241; Henry Horton SP (931) 364-2222; Montgomery Bell SP (615) 797-3101; Natchez Trace SP (731) 968-8176; Paris Landing SP (731) 642-4311. 6) A dining experience with spectacular scenery awaits those traveling through Moab, Utah. The Red Cliffs Lodge is located at milepost 14 off Highway 128. Dozens of movies and hundreds of commercials filmed at or near the ranch over the years. From John Wayne to Susan Sarandon, the Red Rock canyons have a well-established role in America's film history. http://redcliffslodge.com/restaurant/

5 November, 2007 , — TRAVEL SAFELY WITH YOUR FURRY FRIEND THIS WINTER For many, our furry friends are family and travel with us during vacations and trips home for the holidays. We've compiled a short list - based on a review of articles from American Humane Society - that provides you with some tips to avoid accident, injury, and even possible loss of your four-legged companion. Additional information and recommendations are available in the full articles. We urge you to review these documents as you make your travel plans. 1) Drive. Buses and trains currently do not permit pets. Our research dug up one company that organizes tours for people and their dogs - Rovin' with Rover, based out of Ohio. 2) If you must fly, find out if you can take your pet on board with you (there may be a fee). If you cannot carry your pet with you it is best to leave them at home with a pet sitter or to board them at a kennel. According to the Humane Society of the United States, pets have been lost, injured, and even killed traveling in airplane cargo holds. Holiday air travel is even more chaotic and poses higher risks to pets. Visit this link for more information and advice: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/caring_for_pets_when_you_travel/traveling_by_air_with_pets/ 3) Talk with your vet to determine if it is appropriate for your pet to travel, some creatures are not suited to travel because of temperament, illness, etc. Also, depending upon your plans, your pet may face risks that require vaccinations before departure or that you might want to avoid altogether. If you decide to to hire a pet sitter, review the recommendations by the Humane Society of the United States before proceeding: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/choosing_a_pet_sitter/ The Humane Society also provides advice for choosing a kennel: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/choosing_a_boarding_kennel.html

27 October, 2007 , Cuba, Mo. — TWELVE OUTDOOR MURALS ALONG THE RT. 66 CORRIDOR Cuba, MO has been designated "Rt. 66 Mural City" because of its 12 outdoor murals. Travelers can pick up a brochure for a self-guided tour of the murals from the Visitor Center or area restaurants. Each mural has a story. For photos and information visit crawfordco.com/murals. Cuba welcomes travelers who would like to stop, stroll the historic district, and view the murals. There is also a history museum in the historic district and a variety of restauants in town. WiFi is available at the Visitor Center and other sites in town.

24 October, 2007 , — GHOST WALKS Since Halloween is around the corner, our editors found a few events that would allow you to travel with the paranormal. Bannack, Montana (Oct. 26-27, 2007) www.experiencegoldwest.com/listings/11919.htm The well preserved ghost town, which was the first capital of Montana, holds many spooky tales from the rawhide west. Ghosts of Henry Plummer, Chief Snag and other notorious historic characters come alive for this interpretive stroll through downtown Bannack. Ghost Walk & Cemetery Tours Cripple Creek (Colorado) (843) 853-2266 Take a journey into Charles Towne's haunted past. Stroll through 18th and 19th century neighborhoods of the historic district. Stories and legend of the unusual and supernatural are combined with the fun and fascinating history of our Charles Towne. Ghost Tours of Newport, RI Newport, Rhode Island Toll Free: 1-866-33GHOST Take a lantern-led evening stroll down historic Newport, Rhode Island 's shadowy lanes and discover the ghosts, ghouls, and legends of the haunted city by the sea. Discover the dark tales of New England's past as you walk among the shadowy graves of Newport 's own common burying ground. A Ghostly Experience Walking Tour St. Augustine, Florida These tours are based on local stories researched through records from historical libraries, church documents, personal diaries and personal interview. Tours are held every night of the year, including all holidays. Staff report that no special effects are used. They say, if you see something unusual during the tour, it's real! http://www.aghostlyexperience.com/about.html Historic Indiana Ghost Walks and Tours http://www.unseenpress.com/desc.htm Multiple locations throughout Indiana One tour explores the Theatre District in Indianapolis Downtown: industry meets society in this spine tingling look at one of the most interesting areas of Indianapolis. Learn of Dr. Helene Knabe, Lady Bettina, Cockroach Row and Jolly Werner, all of which lead to mayhem and eternal life on earth after death. Appalachian GhostWalks http://www.appalachianghostwalks.com/ Explore the mysteries of mountain heritage. Travel back in time to visit and learn about the "People Of The Past". Stroll down Main Street in each of Haunted and Historic Appalachia's oldest towns.

6 October, 2007 , — 10 MOST AWESOME AUTUMN DRIVES If you are one of the thousands of people who enjoy all the splendors of traveling during the Autumn season this article is for you. Forbes Traveler recently spoke with road trip experts, including Thomas Repp, American Road® magazine's Executive Editor, about Autumn must-do drives. You will find the article and a road trip slide show at: http://www.forbestraveler.com/luxury/americas-best-fall-drives-story.html.

1 October, 2007 , HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — HALLOWEEN HAUNTS FOR YOUNG AND OLD Ghosts, witches, and costumes galore...haunted houses, mazes, and so much more. Charlotte's primed and ready to give residents and visitors alike a happy Halloween. Just make sure you head to these local haunts before trick or treating. Open each weekend this month, everyone will be dying to get in Scarowinds' Halloween Haunt. With six terrifying mazes and over 300 ghouls, goblins, and creepy creatures, you'll be screaming for more...or less. Blame Children of the Corn or even Stephen King, but there's always something slightly spooky about a giant field of corn. All month long at the Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill Farm in Huntersville, visitors can solve the clues that will navigate them through seven acres of stalks.

30 September, 2007 , ORTONVILLE, Mich. — "OUR WEENIES NEVER FALL OFF!" by Ariele Huff It happens to us on every trip. We pull up the car or RV at a spectacular or cozy spot, our cooler packed with goodies to BBQ over an open fire, and, you guessed, it's either a rusty grill or an open pit. Scrubbing off the rusty ones is a no win proposition, so I end up lining them with foil, which burns and sticks to food. With the open pit, we often sigh and give up--or try substituting some precious but fragile cooling rack. Goodbye cooling rack! Perfect Campfire Grill to the rescue with three graded sizes of easily cleaned heavy-gauge steel grills that can be suspended over outdoor fires and fire pits. With their raised edges, the grills keep even hotdogs and corn from rolling into the coals. We take the large size (18 inch diameter) when we go to family reunions. It holds twenty chicken thighs, burgers, or skewers and even more hotdogs. The RV is always stocked with the next size down (12 by 18 inches), and the 10 by 12 inch grill stores easily in the car trunk for those eating emergencies. The large rack comes with stakes to hold it above a fire pit, while the mid-range has slanted legs, and the small size comes with stakes and a charcoal pan, allowing us to grill anywhere. All the grills can adjust to different heights above the fire and come with accessories like hot pads, totes, and mitts. Call The Perfect Campfire Grill folks at 248-627-1172 or visit their site at www.campfiregrill.com. They'll fill you in on how they came up with their slogan, “Our Weenies Never Fall Off!

24 September, 2007 , — VIVEE One in Five People Risk Their Life to Text While Driving Breakthrough technology reads messages to you, puts brakes on danger Years ago, no one would have ever thought to do something as dangerous as read or type a business letter while driving. Nowadays, it's standard operating procedure for millions of Americans. So hooked on staying connected, many people can't ignore their Blackberry's while driving, even though they know it's dangerous-- an alarming trend. A recent survey by Nationwide Insurance found that one in five people text while driving. The numbers jump to one in three among 18-34 year olds. Perhaps even more disturbing, insurers predict this trend will only increase as more and more people get access to mobile devices with messaging technologies. The consequences of reading email while driving can be horrific. That's what led USTelematics, Inc. to focus on creating technology to keep drivers connected to their messages and their steering wheel. The result: Vivee, short for Voice Interactive Voice Enhanced Email. Vivee is an amazing new service that reads your email or text to you. That's right, Vivee actually talks; a little animated character appears on the screen of your device and appears to speak incoming messages to you. Your hands stay on the wheel and your eyes stay on the road, where they belong. "Safety should be our primary concern when driving--that's what makes Vivee such a remarkable and timely development," says Charlene Montalbano, Product Manager of USTelematics, Inc. Insurance studies show that distracted drivers cause 80% of all traffic crashes, so several states already have laws banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Now, lawmakers are becoming more precise and targeted in the approach to eliminating driver distractions for drivers by considering laws that specifically ban text messaging and reading email while driving. Vivee will not only keep your focus safely on the road, ultimately, it may help you avoid a ticket. When you have incoming emails or texts, Vivee alerts you so that you can listen to your messages instead of trying to read them. Vivee connects to the internet through the Verizon Wireless EVDO high speed network. When Vivee is fully installed in any compatible device it also brings full wireless internet connectivity with it, at speeds on par with many DSL services. In its first release, Vivee is compatible with all current windows operating systems and the smart phone. US Telematics plans to release adapting software for the Apple IPhone and an IPhone compatible version of Vivee. Another option for business and recreational travelers alike is Vivee2go, a portable multimedia device about the size of two decks of playing cards. Vivee2go is particularly attractive to families on the go because it can be linked to Web-augmented GPS navigation and play music and movies-- all in one convenient, compact device. While Vivee has broad appeal to just about anyone who wants to drive safely yet still receive emails, Montalbano says another practical benefit is for individuals with vision problems. "We are excited about the adaptive possibilities Vivee offers," says Montalbano. Vivee speaks and reads messages. This will level the playing field in business and education for those with vision disabilities. The ability to receive emails and texts without human assistance may change the lives of many people.

18 September, 2007 , BOISE, Idaho — GOOD NEWS FOR PET PARENTS NAPPS ,The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (www.petsitters.org) announced today the launch of a nationwide campaign aimed at making the pet sitting industry better known to the 157 million pet owners throughout America. The initiative is called the NAPPS Community Awareness Program (CAP) and it's primary mission will be to introduce to the general public, through all available media, the benefits of utilizing a trained and professional pet sitter to care for family pets while pet owners have to be away on trips,or family emergencies. available. Also,it is common knowledge in the pet care industry that utilizing a professional pet sitter is far superior to boarding where pets are exposed daily to many sicknesses and diseases that they might contract from other animals sharing the boarding facilities.Often when boarded, our pets hear unfamiliar noises around them including other pets in pain and the stress of not seeing their owners or family members creates measurable stress on the family pet. Pet Sitters are particularly important when you need your pets cared for in your home in the event that illness or injury occurs and the pet owner is unable to provide daily care for the animals. NAPPS since 1989 has been the leading innovator in the field of training professional pet sitters and continues to lead the nation in both the availability and training of its thousands of pet sitting members. According to research pet families are doing more to care for their pets. In the United States 71% of households have pets and 37% of pet owners consider their pets important family members. Spending on pets has more than doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to over $40 billion in 2006, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). Over $10 billion of that amount was spent on health care and boarding of those pets.Pet sitting is the superior alternative to kenneling or boarding if just to reduce pet stress say industry experts. According to Felicia Lembesis, Executive Director of NAPPS, "Over the next 12 months NAPPS is committed to expanding the number of professional pet sitting businesses in America's communities to better serve the 150 million pet owners in the country. Our mission is to provide education and tools to increase professionalism as well as other NAPPS resources to new and existing NAPPS members. We value highly the reputation of NAPPS members to provide superb pet sitting services in their local community as well as fostering a strong network of pet owners and referrals who know that, with a NAPPS member they get the best trained pet sitter available." In addition to several well known partners NAPPS has joined with Pets Best Pet Insurance LLC (www.petsbest.com) of Boise ID to provide pet owners the newest generation of superior pet health insurance programs designed to fit any budget. Both NAPPS and Pets Best will combine resources to move the CAP program forward aggressively during 2007-2008.

8 September, 2007 , TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — LEAF-PEEPER, by Mike Norton For generations, veteran "leaf-peepers" have made the Traverse Bay area the base of operations for their annual fall color pilgrimage. One of the best places to enjoy the interplay between water, sky and foliage is the Old Mission Peninsula, which juts bravely into Grand Traverse Bay--nearly 20 miles long and in some places as little as a mile wide. A beautiful patchwork of orchards, vineyards, forests and villages, it's the perfect place for a morning or afternoon drive that combines fall color with beautiful views of the bay, visits to wineries and roadside fruit stands, and unforgettable meals at several charming restaurants. The most spectacular views along the peninsula are generally to be had along M-37 (Center Road), which runs along the steep ridge at its center, through the charming hamlet of Mapleton to the picturesque lighthouse at Old Mission Point. But it's just as lovely to amble along the roads that follow the shoreline on either side, stopping to visit the historic village of Old Mission and the quiet settlement of Bowers Harbor. Northwest of Traverse City is the much larger Leelanau Peninsula, the "little finger" of the Michigan mitten--a place of beautiful scenery, quaint lakeshore villages and fascinating history, and home to the magnificent Sleeping Bear Dunes. The coastal fringes of this remarkable area can be sampled easily along M-22, which follows the shore of Grand Traverse Bay to Northport, then turns abruptly southwest to skirt the coast of Lake Michigan through Leland, Glen Arbor and the Sleeping Bear Dunes. (Here, a must-do is the side jaunt on M-109 past the ghost port of Glen Haven and the famous Dune Climb to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (permit required) which offers splendid views of the surrounding lake and dune country.) Still, when it comes to fall colors, the peninsula's hilly interior often provides a more brilliant show than the coastlands. Here, along the slopes above Lake Leelanau and the two Glen lakes, are farmlands, woods, vineyards and small towns that still retain traces of their Polish and Bohemian founders. Some of the same feeling can be had just to the northeast of Traverse City, in the glacier-scoured Chain of Lakes region of Antrim County. This is a dramatic landscape of rolling drumlins and long, deep blue glacial lakes. Two of the largest, Elk Lake and Torch Lake, are particularly beautiful when the hills in which they nestle are aflame with fall colors. Nearby is the steep valley of the little Rapid River, whose forested slopes look as though they could have been transported from the Appalachians. A good introduction to this region can be had by following US 31 north from Traverse City, past orchards and farms along the shore of East Grand Traverse Bay to the lively little port of Elk Rapids. From here, it's possible to drive east between the lakes and into the hills above them, where the autumn views of distant blue hills evoke fall in the lochs of Scotland. The tiny village of Alden, on Torch Lake, makes a great stop for lunch and some shopping, while the summit of Shanty Creek near Bellaire provides awe-inspiring views of the surrounding countryside. The highlands to the south of Traverse City are dotted with dozens of small lakes, sturdy farm towns and dense forests of evergreens and hardwoods - as well as the majestic Boardman Valley. Much of this intensely varied landscape is contained in the Pere Marquette State Forest, and it is best explored by heading out into the maze of twisting roads that wind through the forests, around lakes and along the tops of high wooded bluffs. One place to start is by circling Long Lake, whose islands and coves provide a pleasant fall backdrop for a drive to the village of Interlochen, home to the renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts. From here, it's an uncomplicated trip east through rolling farmlands to Kingsley and the even smaller hamlet of Mayfield on the Boardman River, where a traveler must choose whether to follow the river valley (which broadens dramatically just beyond this point) or ascend the steep bluffs above the river to the Forest Lakes region. Of course, one can always do both! WHAT ELSE TO DO: You can cover a lot of ground by driving through the fall landscape - but to experience the full sensory richness of autumn, you have to get out and listen to the crunch of leaves, smell the spicy aroma of apples and woodsmoke, breathe the crisp autumn air. Fortunately, Traverse City has dozens of hiking trails. Another great way to see the autumn foliage is to paddle a canoe or kayak down one of the area's gentle, slow-moving rivers. WHEN TO COME: Thanks to its coastal location and diverse landscape, the fall color season around Traverse City usually lasts a bit longer than in neighboring areas. Color changes usually begin in mid-September in the higher elevations south and east of Grand Traverse Bay, especially the steep inland valleys of the Boardman, Jordan and Manistee rivers. By the end of the month, when those areas are experiencing peak colors, the coastal forests along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the larger inshore lakes are just beginning to show good coloration and can often continue to grow in intensity well into October. The Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau publishes a full-color brochure highlighting its recommended color tours and maintains a Fall Color Hotline at 1-800-727-5482 where visitors can find out about the progress of the color season. For information about color tours and other events and activities in the Traverse City area this fall, as well as a comprehensive listing of area restaurants, accommodations and attractions, contact the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-TRAVERSE or on line at www.VisitTraverseCity.com

29 August, 2007 , SANTA FE, N. MEX. — GREAT SANTA FE HORSE RACE The Ride of a Lifetime Up to 100 teams of horseback riders are expected to take part in the first annual Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride this September. The race will follow, as closely as possible, the route of the Santa Fe Trail, America's first commercial highway running from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe from 1821 to 1880. The race begins on September 3 just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico and will end 13 days later just east of the Kansas border in Missouri; a riding distance of over 500 miles and a total distance of more than 800 miles. Each riding day will be 50 or 55 miles in length. There will be several rest days along the route when teams will move to new locations but without any riding being done. * Three types of teams will compete: The type 1 teams have one rider who rides one horse or a number of different horses throughout the event but can only ride one horse per day/leg. Type 2 teams have different riders for each day/leg, although the same rider and horse complete an entire day/leg, and a number of horses over the ride may be used. The Super Teams (limited to 10 teams) can have up to 4 riders and 4 horses compete in each leg of the race (this does not take into consideration the conserving of horses for future legs of the race). * Along the race route where the riders stop a Race Village will be established, made up of local merchants, vendors, support services, and various race sponsors. The Race Villages are intended to give local horse enthusiasts and spectators a chance to learn more about the Santa Fe Trail, find out about endurance horse racing, and see the racers, both human and equine, up close in a festive atmosphere. * As the namesake and western terminus of the trail, Santa Fe will host the teams and race organizers beginning September 1, 2007 at the first Race Village. All 100 teams will gather at the Santa Fe Downs just south of the city to prepare for the start from Lamy, N.M. just outside of Santa Fe. The race will remain in New Mexico for 3 days of riding and 3 nights before moving into Kansas. * The race itself is sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference and all horses will be under veterinary supervision and care along the entire length of the route. For more information contact Race Organizer, Rob Phillips, 785-218-3265, sfthorserace@aol.com, www.sfthorserace.com. For a complete list of events check the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau's web site at http://www.santafe.org or contact the bureau for a free Santa Fe Visitors Guide, 800-777-2489.

24 August, 2007 , HICKORY CORNERS, MICH. — GILMORE CAR MUSEUM RECEIVES AUTOMOTIVE LITERATURE COLLECTION When the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI announced to its membership in early 2006 that it would be creating a research library, the response was positive. The Museum had an impressive collection of automotive archives, photos, documents, shop manuals, and magazines that it hoped to make available to hobbyists. Soon volunteers stepped forward to sort and index the materials, and donations of file cabinets, office furniture, and more literature-by the single piece and by the pickup truckload-began to arrive. Then in early 2007, the Museum received word that it would be receiving a "substantial" collection to add to its newly created research library. The timing couldn't have been better: the Museum, known for its historic buildings as well as its world class collection of cars, had just completed renovations on a persevered 1880s Michigan barn. Just how substantial the addition would be wasn't immediately clear, that is, until the Chuck Jensen Literature Collection arrived from Joliet, IL, consisting of nearly 22,000 individual pieces. The collection dates from the late 1890s and continues through the 1970s, and includes original automotive sales brochures and ads in pristine condition. Richard Bowman, the Museum's Director of Library Services, says that the Jensen Collection easily tripled the Library's initial holdings. Chuck Jensen was very involved with the antique car hobby but never owned antique cars himself. He did, however, keep the literature on every car he had ever purchased, including material on the 1967 Plymouth Fury III convertible that he and his wife Lois purchased new and later donated to the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, MI. Inquisitive and fascinated with early automotive history, Jensen was often called upon by local groups to speak on the topic yet his entry in the hobby was somewhat more accidental. Over the years, the Jensen's had purchased many automobiles from the same local dealer and in 1977 the topic of automotive literature came up. Much like Chuck Jensen, this dealer had saved copies of advertising material for every car he had ever offered for sale. That collection-dating back into the 1920s-soon became part of the Jensen collection. From there, the Jensens began to seek out ads and brochures for some of the earliest and most obscure automotive marques. Today, the Jensen Collection includes rare examples from autos such as Ruxton, Apperson, and Mobile Steamer. Bowman points out that the ads and sales materials now in the Gilmore Car Museum Collection, "provide a unique perspective of not just individual makes of automobiles, but of their presentation, marketing, and impact on society over the decades." The goal of the new non-lending research library is "to make authentic resource material available," explains Museum Director Michael Spezia, "to restorers, historians, and the public, and to utilize it in Museum exhibits." And, as they say, "success breeds success." Continued donations, such as parts books, service manuals, dealer color and upholstery albums, club publications, and magazines, have brought the Library's total holdings to well over 55,000 pieces and counting. Response to the project has been so strong and its unprecedented growth in such a short period of time has Museum officials very excited. The Gilmore Car Museum master plan, created in 2003, provides for an all-new, 38,000-square-foot Automotive Heritage Center, which will be the Museum's first point of contact with its guests. The center will house Museum offices, gift shop, meeting and banquet facilities, exhibit space, and adequate room to house the expanding Gilmore Car Museum Archives and Library, as well as library collections for other organizations. Museum Director Michael Spezia expects completion of the new facility sometime within the next two or three years. In the meantime, staff and volunteers are busy sorting and cataloging materials into a computer database, and assisting hobbyist (by appointment), while watching the collection grow before their eyes. For more information on the Gilmore Car Museum, its new library, or how you can help, please visit GilmoreCarMuseum.org or phone the Museum a 269-671-5089.

17 August, 2007 , LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — THE MUSIC BOX If you saw the film, you can't forget it. Two clumsy delivery men--one heavy-set, the other rather puny, both wearing derby hats--play Sisyphus with a piano they were hired to deliver to a house at the top of an enormous stairway. Time after time, as they struggle to lift the crate with the piano to the top of the stairs, it slides back down to the bottom--once with the big man clinging to it. The film is called The Music Box and stars the classic comedy team of Laurel & Hardy. Produced by the Hal Roach Studios, the film won the Academy Award for Best Comedy Short Subject of 1931/32. Laurel & Hardy are now long gone of course (Laurel died in 1965, Hardy in 1957), but the Music Box Steps, and the memories they carry with them, live on. Located between Vendome Street and Descanso Drive in Silver Lake, a district of Los Angeles just north of downtown, the Music Box Steps have long been a mecca for movie buffs from around the world. And since 1995, the steps have played the lead role in an annual children's film festival called Music Box Steps Day. Music Box Steps Day features free food, a raffle, live music, a magic show, Laurel & Hardy look-alikes, and the highlight: multiple screenings of the Oscar-winning film in a tent set up in the recently renamed Laurel & Hardy Park, directly across from the steps. The event is the brainchild of Vincent Brook, a nearby resident and life-long Laurel & Hardy fan. Brook is also a professor of media studies at UCLA and USC, and a board member of the Silver Lake Improvement Association (SLIA). His passion for film and community activism came together in his founding of the festival, which began with the ceremonial unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the base of the steps. A few years later, Councilmember Tom LaBonge, a loyal patron of the event, had city signs identifying the staircase installed. The festival, like the steps it honors, has attracted visitors from near and far. One year tourists from Amsterdam stopped by, and another couple came all the way from London, England, just for the event! "Music Box Steps Day is a kind of harmonic convergence," Brook says. "The site is precisely where SLIA was founded in 1989, to combat gang-related crime along this very street. Now it's a symbol of neighborhood pride as well as a celebration of Laurel & Hardy and their timeless film--both proof of the positive potential of community spirit and a reminder of this historical jewel in our midst." This year's 13th Annual Music Box Steps Day will be held Saturday, October 27, noon to 3 pm, at Laurel & Hardy Park, 900 Vendome Street, in Silver Lake. Admission for the event, sponsored by SLIA, the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce, and Los Angeles City Council member Eric Garcetti, is free. Listen to the American Road Trip Talk: Music Box podcast at: http://www.americanroadmagazine.com/programming/programming.html For more information, email vbrook@earthlink.net.

5 August, 2007 , Las Vegas, Nev. — WILD WEST RELICS ON DISPLAY IN LAS VEGAS The Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas brings the Wild West to life with its "Havens in a Heartless World" exhibit, on display through Aug. 19, 2007. The exhibit captures the excitement of the cowboy era and presents a more accurate view of the famous, and sometimes infamous, history of the Wild West. The exhibit includes the world's oldest Tabasco bottle, circa 1870, on public display for the first time in Southern Nevada. The items in the exhibit were found when archaeologists excavated four saloons in the historic mining town of Virginia City near Reno. The exhibit also includes a wide assortment of bottles, gaming devices, plates, glasses and other objects associated with saloon life. For information on the exhibit and the museum's other attractions, visit www.nevadaculture.org.

3 August, 2007 , Detroit, Mich. — AMERICAN ROAD SWEEPSTAKES WINNER American Road Magazine is pleased to announce the winner of the June 2007 American Road Trip Sweepstakes, sponsored by the Illinois National Road Association. The June 2007 sweepstakes winner is Vickie Boackle, of Trussville, Alabama. Known as the Road That Built the Nation, the National Road began in Cumberland, Maryland and continued west to the Mississippi River. It was the first federally funded road thanks to the efforts of the Thomas Jefferson administration. The road in Illinois offers a unique blend of historic sites, fun activities, small town America, and farm country. The prize package includes accommodations for three nights for two people, special tours of historic sites including a guided boat tour of beautiful Governor Bond Lake, the Historic State House in Vandalia where Abraham Lincoln's political career began, dinner for two at Nuby's Steakhouse in Pocahontas, a popular spot in the Roaring 20s, and lunch for two at the Oatman House Tea Room in Collinsville, built by Dr. Charles Oatman, a former drummer boy in the Civil War. You, too, could be a winner of an American Road Trip Sweepstakes! Another contest is now underway. The winner (and one guest) will stay one night at the AmericInn Minocqua located on Hwy 51, downtown Minocqua (Wisconsin). Guests may enjoy nearby Lake Minocqua where individuals relax and play on the beach. The AmericInn provides complimentary breakfast and an evening beer and wine reception to guests. The elegant Norwood Pines Supper Club provides a $50 dining certificate. Fifty dollars in gasoline is included! The lucky winner will also be a guest at the Merrill Super 8 in the Special Jacuzzi Room. Gift certificates from the Merrill Chamber of Commerce and a special gift basket from Three Wishes, a family store of fine, unique home and garden decor completes the package. We invite you to experience the cultures and learn the stories found only along Wisconsin Highway 51 a great American road. There is no purchase necessary to enter the 2007 American Road Trip Sweepstakes, and anyone who subscribes to American Road Magazine between July 1, 2007 and September 30, 2007 will automatically be entered in the upcoming drawing. Contest entry rules are provided at americanroadmagazine.com/sweepstakes/sweepstakes.html While visiting the American Road magazine website to enter the new American Road Trip Sweepstakes you can also: Get road news and low-cost to no-cost travel tips from the editors of American Road Magazine. Find travel resources to plan your next vacation. Find year-round festivals and events on our online calendar. Learn valuable travel tips and get a few good laughs as you listen to the American Road podcast program. Discuss topics of particular interest to YOU in the American Road FORUM. Share thoughts, experiences, and photographs with others interested in exploring America's backyard. So grab your car keys, rev up your engines and crank up the tunes. And get ready to hit the American Road! The American Road Magazine site is designed to further build and strengthen the American Road community of travelers by offering a dynamic site with regularly updated news and events, contests, podcasting, and an interactive visitors forum. American Road Magazine is published quarterly by Mock Turtle Press of Mt. Clemens, Michigan. The Executive Editor of American Road is Thomas Repp. We are happy to arrange interviews or speaking engagements with any one of our staff of experts. If we are not able to assist you, we will do our best to refer you to another source.

1 August, 2007 , South Bend, Indiana — ROADSIDE ARCHITECTURE SURVEYORS NEEDED A roadside architecture survey training session will be held at the Lincoln Highway Association National Office in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 10 a.m. Volunteers are needed to identify and record historical structures and landscapes relating to the historic Lincoln Highway across Indiana as the state prepares a byway application for the corridor. GPS training will be included in this session. Interested individuals should contact Bill Arick at 260-471-5670. Volunteer surveyors will be needed in the following Indiana counties: Porter, Lake, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart, Noble, Whitley, Starke, Kosciusko, and Allen. Surveyors will utilize existing survey data and will survey and add structures not included in original surveys. Help Indiana preserve and protect part of the nation's first coast to coast road inspired by Hoosier Carl Fisher. For more information visit: www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org

18 July, 2007 , MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION — AMERICAN ROAD ADVERTISER CONTEST: Win a week-long trip to the Mississippi Delta! MISSISSIPPI DELTA TOURISM ASSOCIATION SPONSORS WEEK-LONG ADVENTURE IN THE DELTA Vicksburg, Miss. - Guests visiting www.visitthedelta.com - the marketing website for the Mississippi Delta Tourism Association (MDTA), currently have the opportunity to register and win a Mississippi Delta adventure featuring the entire region. The promotion will be accepting entries until August 31, and the package features giveaways such as gaming in Tunica and a night at the world-famous Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood. Other gifts include accommodations across the region, some of the Delta's best cuisine and visits to Delta attractions including the Vicksburg National Military Park, the Delta Blues Museum and Brussel's Bonsai. The trip wraps up in Greenville at the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival - a celebration of the musical heritage created for the world in the Mississippi Delta. "We are thrilled to offer a trip of this caliber to the Mississippi Delta," stated Bill Seratt, president of MDTA. "Our heritage is a very important piece of our national history and we want to share it with the world!" For more information on the Mississippi Delta and for your chance to win the prize package, visit: www.visitthedelta.com

6 July, 2007 , — MAKING THE WORLD A PUP FRIENDLY PLACE TO TRAVEL Pup-Peroni brand dog snacks announced that it is determined to make it easier than ever for pet parents to travel with their furry companions. And they're doing it in style as they team up with Galpin Auto Sports, the design team behind television's popular Pimp My Ride, to launch a national contest that will make one pup enthusiast the proud winner of the first, and only, PUP'D-OUT 2008 Jeep Liberty. The promotion's grand prize Jeep is not only designed to be pup-friendly, but seriously PUP'D-OUT as Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), the famed design team responsible for the popular television show Pimp My Ride, is designing and Galpinizing (customizing) this PUP'D-OUT phenomenon. The fully customized Jeep will be tailored to the personality and interests of the Grand Prize winner and his or her dog - geared for the pup-perfect lifestyle. The completion of this pup-friendly ride will include everything you need to ensure that the four-legged member of the family is as comfortable as the rest - if not more! More than just a custom paint job; bark-worthy features include: Dog ramp that lowers/retracts from back hatch for easy pup entry and exit from jeep, water and food bowls, dog bone wheel rims, small vacuum installed in back to help with clean-up, pull-up screens behind front seats and behind back seats to keep your furry friend safely in one part of the Jeep, when necessary. Over 6.5 million unique codes will be available in specially marked Pup-Peroni packages and distributed at special Pup Friendly events by the one-and-only Pup Patrol - the mobile team whose mission is to make the world a more pup-friendly place. Paw prints are spanning the United States, and not just in our backyards as statistics show that 29% of pet parents are taking their four-legged family members with them on trips of 50 miles or more. In addition, 47% of pet parents consider their dog's comfort in the decision making process when buying a car (Source: 21st Century Dog Owner Survey, American Kennel Club, 2007). The Pup-Peroni Pup-Patrol is out to make the world a more Pup-Friendly place and they're heading your way on a cross-country tour with stops planned at dog parks, pet stores and retail locations nationwide. Pup-Peroni and the Pup-Patrol are championing the rights of pets and pet parents to have fun anytime, anywhere. They'll be campaigning to open up more Pup-Friendly places in your town and hosting fun activities for you and your pooch. More details please visit www.pupperoni.com.

30 June, 2007 , ALASKA — BOOK REVIEW: THE MILEPOST, review by Ariele M. Huff What exactly is THE MILEPOST that it can attain a 58th version in just so many years? A phone book? People don't even buy dictionaries that often. To understand this iconic manual, it helps first to know what it is not. With 800 pages, the book has an equally weighty subtitle: Food, gas, lodging, camping, fishing, sightseeing and road conditions along the highways and byways of Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories and major access routes in Alberta and British Columbia. THE MILEPOST is not a take-along guidebook, unless you are a weight lifter looking for a heavier suitcase in order to buff your biceps. THE MILEPOST is also not a travel entertainment read, which is not to say it isn't entertaining. However, it packs details, ads, and color photos so tightly together that you'd better not count on making any notes in this book. (Okay, there's some space at the bottom of a few pages from 782 through 798 - the Alaska Marine Highway Schedules section. But even some of those have been usurped for lush photos.) Known as the "bible of North Country travel," THE MILEPOST is the kind of resource avid travelers, travel writers, and Chambers of Commerce wish existed for every area of the country, and yes, even the world. It takes a while for any writing to attain bible status, and it didn't happen immediately to THE MILEPOST either. The 1949 version was a meager 72 pages, which had doubled by 1962 and outstripped glove-compartments in 1975 at 498 pages, where it plateaud until its 50th anniversary, when it bulked up to 640. From then on, a snowball effect (pardon the chilly northern reference) has added pages each year. Not quite ready to be used as a couch but definitely hard to fit into a breadbox, THE MILEPOST is unique among travel planners - which is what it is. This begs the question: Why does Alaska and environs need such a ponderous volume to aid visitors to its beauteous shores and lakes and mountains and meadows? The answer is twofold. First, Alaska is this mysterious huge entity to the north of the contiguous 48, where many things from weather to roads are quite different. Tourists, even those with local relatives, are often unprepared to maximize the experience - or even to maintain safety. The second part of the answer is that, like the guide, the draw of the 49th state during summer months is truly massive: 1.5 million guests, a doubling of the areas population! If planning a sojourn north to any of those areas mentioned in the subtitle, THE MILEPOST is a must have, and get it at least a month in advance so you can scour through it and use the Plan-a-Trip Map. The legendary mile-by-mile logs are updated annually by the MILEPOST field editors and address 30 major highways and 50 secondary highways and roads more or less. There's also information on ferries, cruise ships, local tours, and rail travel, as well as lots of detail about geography, wild life, and, well, 800 pages of cool stuff.

22 June, 2007 , Wisconsin — HIGHWAY 51 TUNES - by Christen Martens Highway 51 runs right by my baby's door Highway 51 runs right by my baby's door If I don't get the girl I'm loving Won't go down Highway 51 no more. Curtis Jones (1939) Highway 51 has been associated with the blues for many years. The route was used by many in the south to head north when a change of scenery was needed, in particular by migrant African-Americans. Rambling up Highway 51 helped to create some classic blues recordings. The most noted recording, Highway 51 Blues, can be found on Bob Dylan's debut album, Bob Dylan (1961). His stylizing of the song has been called the first folk-rock recording by some, and has created a controversy of the song's origin. Some believe he used Curtis Jones' lyrics (and it is credited as such on the album) with a few changes, others say it has to be from Tommy McClennan's New Highway 51. Some will even credit the song to Bob Dylan. It has also been noted that if you listen really close you can hear some underlying tones of the Everly Brothers Wake Up Little Suzie. John Lee Hooker composed and recorded his own Highway 51 song on his album Graveyard Blues. I'm gona get up in the monin. Goin down Highway 51. Get up in the monin, Goin down Highway 51. Miss Sally Mae, my sweet woman, And she don't pay me no mind. -John Lee Hooker (1949) On a more upbeat note, songs about heading up Highway 51 to vacation can also be found. The traditional journey of vacationers from Illinois to Wisconsin's beautiful Northwoods is immortalized in Kevin Soucie's song Hazelhurst. When the city's getting to me And the job has got me down, I start thinking 'bout the weekend And getting out of town. Well I never thought the Northwoods Was a place for having fun, Til I headed west on 94 And north on 51. -Kevin Soucie (2005) Whether its Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker or Kevin Soucie, Highway 51 is all about traveling and road songs. When you are planning to do some rambling down Highway 51, be sure to check http://www.explorehwy51.com.

14 June, 2007 , — Father's Day: Tie or Trip? Before you make that trip to the mall to select a tie for dad think about taking dad on a road trip! Road trips are a great way to spend quality family time. To help you find fun things to do on your journey--whether your trip lasts a few hours, a day, or longer--American Road® staff compiled some great things to do around the country this coming weekend with your father: The National Road Festival features community events in 13 Illinois towns along the National Road. Call 888-268-0042 or e-mail national.rd@visitsouthwestillinois.org. The Children's Museum of Memphis is offering free admission to dads on Father's Day. http://memphis.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=memphis&cdn=citiestowns&tm=30&f=00&su=p529.3.152.ip_p554.2.150.ip_p531.29.420.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http://www.cmom.com/ The Muscle Beach Cruz in Seaside, Oregon features big-boy toys: 1960-1978 American made muscle cars with V-8 engines. For information for all events scheduled Father's Day weekend go to www.flashbackinseaside.com or call 503-717-8530, Flashback Promotions. You may also contact the Seaside Downtown Development Association at 503-717-1914. ROUTE 66 ANNIVERSARY CLASSIC CAR SHOW by the Barstow (California) Route 66 Mother Road Museum. The first 66 dads that attend the event receive a FREE gift. 760-255-1890 www.route66museum.org. Happy Cow Creamery (Greenville County, South Carolina) opens for tours on Father's Day. Take dad where the fields are green and lush, the milk is fresh, and the cows are always happy. Some tips: Try to get as many family participants as possible. Think up ideas for places to visit based on the places you remember dad wanting to stop. Involve everyone in planning the trip (including dad). It is Father's Day so make the day about him. Take along snacks and beverages for the drive--keeping in mind everyone's dietary needs. If you aren't able to round up everyone for a road trip on Father's Day weekend, schedule an outing to occur in the next month or two. Set a date, and use Father's Day to start planning the trip. If your road trip is planned on a day other than Father's Day, find fun events to enjoy with dad at: https://americanroadmagazine.com/calendar/calendar.html Now, isn't that better than a tie?

3 June, 2007 , — SUMMER RV TRAVEL/SAFETY TIPS - COURTESY THE GOOD SAM CLUB The days are long and the sun is hot. This can only mean one thing - summer is here! (Advertorial) Summer is the season that you and your family look forward to all year long. Its a time where family bonds are strengthened and lifetime memories are made. That's why it is essential to make sure your RV is running properly to avoid a premature end to your vacation.

To get the most out of your vacation time this summer, a pre-trip RV check is your best bet for a hassle-free trip. However, before you even begin to look over your rig, a good starting point would be to make sure everything you need is packed and ready to go.

As for what to pack, a lot depends on where you are going, what time of year and for how long. Start by allowing every passenger one suitcase for clothing, toiletries, medication, and "must-have-items." As for the rest of the provisions, here are a few suggestions on what to take: food and drinks, skillet, garbage bags, silverware, plates and dishes, cups, toilet paper, towels, cell phone and lawn chairs.

Once you've taken inventory of all the items you'll need for your trip, you can begin to inspect the most vital component for a safe and smooth vacation - your RV!

Prior to each trip, try to get in the habit of walking around the outside of your RV to see if anything is out of place. How do your tires look? Are they low on air? Have all slide-out rooms been retracted? Are all of your items and accessories properly secured? Other areas to check or adjust include: engine oil and fluids, trailer attachment to hitch, awnings, signal and brake lights, side mirrors and seatbelts.

And last, but certainly not least, you want to make sure your RV is fully insured just in case the unexpected happens. Fully insured means getting the full value of what you paid for your rig - not a depreciated amount! If your current insurer doesn't offer this kind of protection, or if you are in search of an insurer that specializes in RV coverage, look no further than Good Sam VIP Insurance America's #1 RV Insurance Specialist.*

Contact Good Sam VIP Insurance today and get the coverage you deserve for a lot less than you probably would expect. As a matter of fact, Good Sam VIP members that have switched save $300 a year, on average!

To receive a free, no obligation rate quote, call 888-514-1116 and mention savings code GFN or get a quote online by clicking here.

* Based on the results from an independent study conducted by URI Information Services and Dr. James E. Fisher, St. Louis University.

30 May, 2007 , SALINEVILLE, OHIO — AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES WINNER Congratulations to Carole Thorne of Salineville, Ohio. Ms. Thorne is the winner of the March/April 2007 AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES sponsored by the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway! Ms. Thorne's prize package includes a journey back to a time of simplicity and American values along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway where the Mighty Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers converge. Ms. Thorne and a guest will enjoy three nights away with this prize package including lodging for two people at bed and breakfast inns and hotels along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. Look for a new AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES in the near future. http://americanroadmagazine.com/sweepstakes/sweepstakes.html

25 May, 2007 , WASHINGTON, DC — MORE THAN 1000 NEW PET-FRIENDLY HOTELS Just in time for summer fun road trips with Fido--more than 1,000 new pet-friendly AAA Approved and Diamond rated lodgings have been added to AAA's ninth edition of Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook. Many hoteliers are catering to the millions of Americans who consider their pets to be part of the family and prefer to include their pets when traveling, according to AAA, publisher of Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook. Typical treats include special menus, luxurious dog beds, food and water bowls and I.D. tags. Optional extras range from plush robes and walking service to doggie massages and grooming. Even some properties in the highest echelon of luxury and prestige pet-friendly AAA Five Diamond Award hotels offer special spa treatments and other indulgent activities for guests and their pets. Nearly every city across the United States and Canada offers pet-friendly accommodations. The top 10 cities based on the number of AAA Approved and Diamond rated pet-friendly accommodations are Houston; San Antonio; Austin, Texas; Albuquerque, N.M.; Phoenix; Dallas; New York; Orlando, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Tucson, Ariz. For travelers whose vacation tastes are more on the rugged side, the book lists more than 375 AAA Approved and Rated pet-friendly campgrounds. Other popular pet-travel activities include visiting beaches, exploring state and national parks, hiking, mountain climbing and swimming. The book also includes pet safety guidelines, a travel preparation checklist and listings of dog parks. Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook is available at AAA offices, online at AAA.com/BarnesandNoble and at better bookstores. The cover price is $17.95 U.S./$24.95 Canadian.

16 May, 2007 , S. DAK. — CRAZY HORSE FAMILY INTERVIEW Sixty years ago, one man made a pact with a South Dakota mountain. At the request of Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear, Korczak Ziolkowski, the celebrated New England sculptor, came to carve a memorial in the mystic Black Hills. The peak, for its part, would stand patiently as its spirit was slowly revealed a likeness of the Oglala Lakota chief Tasunke Witko, known as Crazy Horse, that would forever change the face of the American landscape. Work on the Crazy Horse Memorial consumed the remainder of Korczak's life. When he passed away in 1982, his final words to his wife were of the great task unfinished. "You must work on the mountain." Korczak said, "but go slowly so you do it right." Two and one half decades later, Ruth Ziolkowski hears those words echo every day. American Road recently visited with Ruth, now president and CEO of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. She spoke of the memorial's progress, of her late husband's remarkable faith in his cause, and of the circle of children and grandchildren who now surround her, dedicated to completing Korczak's epic labor of love. The interview with Ruth is documented in the Spring 2007 issue of American Road. Readers wanting to learn a bit more about Crazy Horse, the warrior, may do so directly from his descendants: Doug War Eagle. In the following interview, Doug tells American Road how Crazy Horse earned his name. He also reveals how Korczak created the model for the Crazy Horse Monument--since the family asserts there is no existing photo of Crazy Horse. American Road: There are a few questions that we wanted to ask of the family of Crazy Horse, which led us to you. I understand there are no images of Crazy Horse from which the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski could work. Doug: Yes, that is true. American Road: How did they get the features for the Monument's model? Doug: Our grandfathers. Various family members closely resembled Crazy Horse's looks. Standing Bear, who talked with the sculptor Korczak about creating the monument, had a marriage connection to the Crazy Horse family. He knew where to find the family, and led Korczak to them to fashion the model of Crazy Horse from which the Monument was based. Julia Clown (Crazy Horse's youngest sister) had a son, Moses Clown. Moses looked almost exactly like Crazy Horse. There is a photo of him taken before he went to France to serve in WWI. That image was used to fashion the cheek bones, forehead, and eyes of the sculpture. The chin and nose, I am not sure exactly. I've heard that Korczak used his own chin and nose as a model. Edward Crown's profile was used for the Crazy Horse monument. Other features from different family members were used to create the model. American Road: Can you explain why Crazy Horse and other Lakota didn't want their photos taken? Doug: They felt that part of them or their spirit would be taken away because the image could show an expression of how they might be, not necessarily how they are. They don't want to express that. American Road: How did Crazy Horse get his name? Doug: In 1858, when he was 18 years old, Crazy Horse, the warrior, was given his spiritual name by his father, Wagula we call him Old Man Crazy Horse. There are a lot of stories floating around out there, and most versions confuse the actions of Wagula (Crazy Horse's father) with the actions of Crazy Horse, the warrior. The version I understand to be true is that he was training a horse that he favored down by the Powder River area in Wyoming. A woman and her son were cleaning a hide in the water after a hunt. Five or six Shoshones came down to try to take the meat from the hunt that the son was carrying. The Shoshones killed the woman and wounded the boy. Crazy Horse saw this. Crazy Horse's Medicine Man-Horn Chips-had placed black spirit rock behind the left ear of the horse to protect the horse. Crazy Horse told the boy to go to the village and get a group of warriors, while he held the five or six other Shoshones. Crazy Horse chased and killed the Shoshone that murdered the woman-his first warrior kill. He only had a cherry stick with him that he was using to train his new horse. He was taunting the enemy warriors with this cherry stick-drawing them to the area where the warriors were expected. Crazy Horse went unscathed. He shamed the Shoshones because he held off armed warriors with a stick until the warriors from the village arrived. He got his name because he was following in his father's footsteps. His father, Wagula, also called Old Man Crazy Horse, lost his mother at five years of age. Crazy Horse-the warrior, lost his mother when he was four. They both exhibited actions of bravery growing up. Wagula started calling his son Crazy Horse after the above encounter with the Shoshones. We are now doing a DVD to tell the story of what actually happened according to our family history. Part one is found at Reel.com (search for Crazy Horse).

1 May, 2007 , — MONEY SAVING TRAVEL TIPS Money saving travel tips -Order travel guides, maps, etc. ahead of time from places you plan to visit. These guides often include money saving coupons. You may click the link http://americanroadmagazine.com/advertising/adv_request.html to select byways, destinations, hotels/motels, and roadside attractions, from whom you would like to request information. No stamps necessary! And, the information will arrive in your mailbox. (Bonus: The travel guides provide a great way to involve the family in trip planning. Including everyone in the process helps ensure that there will be something to interest everyone on your excursion). -Plan meals. Breakfast is often the least expensive meal to eat in restaurants. Check out diners and family restaurants that are popular with the locals. These establishments are usually reasonably priced, provide home-cooked meals, have extensive history, and offer local flavor missing at chain eateries. Buy food for lunch, snacks, and beverages from supermarkets. You will save money and time. Check the travel guides you ordered for dining coupons. If you plan on a luxurious dining experience, Restaurant.com allows you purchase discount-dining certificates that save you oodles of money. Restaurant.com Dining Certificates . From now until Thursday, May 31, 2007, any Restaurant.com dining gift certificate has been discounted by 60% off the already-low price. The $25 value dining certificates that normally sell for $10 are now just $4. Use the savings code "GRAD" at check-out to recalculate the total. -Stay at some mom and pop motels when possible. Family run motels typically offer significantly reduced rates compared to chain establishments. Another perk, the rooms are usually on ground level making luggage lugging easier. There are some cardinal rules to follow to avoid a bad experience. Ask to see the room before you rent it. If the proprietor refuses to show you a room, leave. Check out the lodging establishments on our Memory Motel page. When these motels were featured in American Road magazine, a staff member stayed at the facility to ensure that it was clean and well run at the time of publication. Check with other travelers regarding their experiences and recommendations. The AMERICAN ROAD FORUM members love to share their stories and offer suggestions. Join today. Its FREE and FUN! Perhaps you, too, may offer recommendations from your travel experiences. -Travel during off-season (if you can). You avoid peak gasoline and hotel rates, as well as crowds. -Avoid high speeds. In other words, get off the Interstate and drive back roads. You can improve your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at 55 mph rather than 65 mph. (This goes along with our philosophy to slow down and enjoy the journey.) -Roll down the windows or open the air vents to keep your car comfortable on not-so-hot days. -Use overdrive. If your car is equipped with overdrive gearing (on 5-speed manual transmissions and 4-speed automatic transmissions), be sure to make use of the overdrive gear as soon as your speed is high enough. If you have a manual transmission, the lower the shift speed, the better the fuel economy. Your owner's manual will give you further information. -Properly inflate and align tires, doing so can improve your gas mileage. -Follow the engine tune-up and car maintenance schedule in the owner manual. Tune-ups improve performance as well as gas mileage. -Travel light. Every 100 pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1-2 percent. A loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by 5 percent. -If your car is a gas-guzzler, rent a fuel-efficient auto for your road trip. The money you save in gas may more than offset the money you spend to rent the vehicle. An added bonus, you don't put the travel wear and tear on your car. (Check your credit card benefits and your auto insurance policy for rental car coverage before agreeing to purchase rental car insurance. You may avoid unnecessary expense.)

23 April, 2007 , LOUISVILLE, Ohio — WINNING PHOTOGRAPH IN AMERICAN ROAD FORUM PHOTO CONTEST-JEFFREY LOTZE

VIEW WINNING PHOTO

The picture of the abandoned mining shack submitted by Jeffrey Lotze was taken June 16, 2005 east of Leadville, Colorado. Lotze used a Kodak 6440 digital camera at 4.0 megapixels. Lotze reports "I held a polarizing filter from my 35mm SLR camera over the lens to get the vivid sky colors. We (Jim & Brian Cassler & my son, Jeremy) were returning from the Lincoln Highway National Convention in Ely, NV (where I met some staff from American Road magazine). We decided to do some 4-wheeling." Mosquito Pass which is around 13,000 feet altitude. It was a major stagecoach and mail route into Leadville from Denver. Unfortunately, shortly after taking this picture, Lotze ran into massive snow banks and was unable to get through. The party detoured back through Leadville and found a pass farther south that was cleared. Reports Lotze, "I had a hard time deciding what picture to submit because I had so many from this trip alone." There will be plenty more opportunities for folks to submit photographs in future American Road Forum Photo Contests. You need to join the Forum to enter the contest. Signing up is FREE. Simply click the Forum button at the top right of this page for more details and to establish your own account on the American Road Forum.

14 April, 2007 , Hickory Corners, Mich. — MICHIGAN DREAM GARAGE - THE ULTIMATE MUSCLE CARS If you were to close your eyes and image your dream garage full of muscle cars, what would you see? The Gilmore Car Museum, in Hickory Corners, MI, has assembled 22 of the World's rarest and most sought after muscle cars of the 1960s and 70s in its Michigan Dream Garage - The Ultimate Muscle Cars. This special exhibit will run throughout the Museum's 2007 season, which begins on May 1. The Gilmore Car Museum looked beyond their own collection of autos and sought out benchmark cars from number of private collectors to create this year's Dream Garage. Included in this all-new exhibition that's sure to rev up your imagination is a 1964 Pontiac GTO, considered the original muscle car; six authentic Yenko Chevrolets, one of which was formerly owned by baseball superstar Reggie Jackson; the 1963 Impala Grey Ghost, which was recently restored by Boyd Coddington; and many more. Muscle cars are a truly American phenomena of the 1960s and 70s and were high-performance cars produced by the auto manufacturers and sold directly through local dealers. Marketed extensively to young males, these cars soon were in great demand and set off an intense competition between car companies to produce the most powerful and extreme street machines. One particular dealer, Yenko Chevrolet of Canonsburg, PA, soon became one of the best known and largest suppliers of muscle cars during this period. They began by ordering 100 special factory-built high performance Corvairs in 1966, then moved to offering customized Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas. By the early 1970s, the oil crisis, stricter emission standards, high insurance cost, and safety concerns began to seriously impact muscle car sales and the larger engines were dropped. Now, after more than 30 years, these cars have become highly sought after by collectors as they fill their own dream garages. Today, when it comes to vintage muscle cars we often see replicas, clones, or tribute cars of the most extraordinary examples. The Gilmore Car Museum offers an opportunity to see the real thing in their special exhibit, Michigan Dream Garage - The Ultimate Muscle Cars, which continues through October 31st. The Gilmore Car Museum's 41st season begins on May 1, 2007 and remains open daily from of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. on weekends), through the end of October. Located in the heart of west Michigan, the Museum is midway between Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek, on M-43 and Hickory Road. To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum visit: www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call the museum at 269-671-5089.

28 March, 2007 , YORK, PA — UNCORK YORK - TOUR DE TANKS OFFERS SPECIAL VINTAGE PREVIEWS This coming weekend is the final weekend for this tasty tour. It's hard to resist when cooking - sneaking a little taste before the meal is completely done or better yet sampling a spoonful of chocolate chip cookie dough before baking. There's just something about tasting during the process of cooking that intrigues us all. Winemaking offers a similar temptation. To satisfy those cravings, this March the award-winning wineries of the UnCork York Wine Trail invite visitors into their cellars for the ultimate wine tasting straight from the barrels during the second annual Tour de Tanks event every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month. Celebrate the arrival of new vintages with exclusive barrel and tank tastings offered at the 11 family-owned wineries of the UnCork York Wine Trail, nestled in the scenic heart of Pennsylvania's Dutch Country Roads Region. Oenophiles and those just becoming interested in the fruit of the vine will appreciate the opportunity to talk with the wine makers, learn more about the process and enjoy comparisons of different varietals and vineyards. Tickets for this special event are $15 with one ticket good at all participating wineries for all five weekends. Tickets and overnight packages can be purchased online at www.UnCorkYork.com or at participating wineries. Ticket holders are eligible for a 10 percent discount on the purchase of wine. This year, in addition to the 11 wineries, 11 dineries are joining the fun offering all-inclusive $30 per person menus every Friday through Sunday in March. From the Accomac Inn, a gourmet restaurant overlooking the beautiful Susquehanna River to the Blue Moon, located in historic downtown York, there is sure to be a restaurant to please the palate. Many area restaurants feature the wine of the UnCork York wineries and others encourage diners to bring along their favorite bottle.For more information or for assistance planning a visit, please call the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-888-858-YORK or visit www.UnCorkYork.com. Photo on home page courtesy York County CVB.

16 March, 2007 , — RV READY FOR SPRING YET? Author Ken Freund Brought to you by Good Sam Club RV Road Service

RV Ready for Spring Yet?
Coming out of hibernation

It's been a long winter and the combined effects of the elements can take a toll on stored RVs. If your coach has been in storage, now's the time to prepare for those spring getaways. Taking a little time now will help ensure enjoyment all through the year.

Before hitting the road complete this RV spring-prep checklist: Begin with a thorough exterior inspection. Examine the outside, including the body and roof, for any cracks or separation and look inside for stains on the ceiling, sure signs of roof leaks. Look beneath the coach and/or or tow vehicle for signs of fuel or other fluid leaks.

Once you've determined there are no exterior leaks, wash the RV with a specially formulated soap designed for the exterior. Work in the shade, since washing a hot surface can result in hard-to-remove spots and streaks. Use specialized wheel cleaners to make tires and trim look new.

An RV that's been stored all winter needs to be aired out. Vacuum the carpet and clean the floors and other surfaces as needed.

Spring prep should include a fluid and connections check. Look for insect and rodent nests and chewed wires and hoses. Check the amount of LP gas and test appliances for proper functioning.

Drain and flush the freshwater tank. Add 1/4 cup of household bleach for each 15 gallons of capacity. Then fill the tank almost to capacity, leaving room for sloshing. Drive or tow the coach to mix the bleach. Run the hot water to get the bleach through the water heater. Then drain the freshwater tank. Refill, along with 1/4 of baking soda per 15 gallons. Drive or tow to mix the water, run the hot water, then drain and refill with fresh water. Test the water pump and water system, including the water heater.

On motor homes, generators and tow vehicles, change the oil and filter and perform all recommended services according to the owner's and maintenance manuals.

Batteries should be check for electrolyte level and connections should be removed, cleaned and after re-assembly, treated with an anticorrosive product.

Make sure all of the lug nuts are secure, check tires for cracks and other damage and set inflation pressures. Trailers should have the wheel bearings repacked.

Replace batteries and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Check the gauges on fire extinguishers. Check and refill your first aid and emergency kits. An emergency kit should include: flares, a gas can, reflective triangles, duct tape, jumper cables, wheel chocks, flashlight and basic hand tools.

Stock up with necessities for cooking, cleaning and entertaining. Review kitchen equipment and the inventory of favorite games, books, cards, puzzles, CDs, DVDs or videos.

To have peace of mind when you hit the road, get Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service

8 March, 2007 , WEST WENDOVER, NEV. — DEDICATION CEREMONY TO PLACE COMMEMORATIVE MARKERS ON LINCOLN & VICTORY HIGHWAY Dedication Ceremony to Place Commemorative Markers on Historic Stretch of the Lincoln and Victory Highway Planned March 16, 2007 Across this country, and the world, people celebrate beginnings and endings: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and funerals. Even our businesses and governments observe starts and finishes: the opening or closing of buildings, highways, programs, terms of office, or commercial enterprises. What seldom happens is the observance of both at one time! However, that's exactly what's going on in West Wendover, Nevada. The first start: A group of Indiana automobile manufacturers decided their cars needed a hard-packed coast-to-coast highway. This was to cover New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. Of course, in 1913, this route through Nevada was mostly old stagecoach and freight wagon trails. That required some cash to be raised, and raise it they did. Despite quibbles about routes, the Lincoln Highway Association and the federal, local, and state governments all chipped in funds for improvements. Considering that traveling the whole Lincoln Highway took twenty to thirty days, with the Salt Lake City to Ely leg alone requiring two full days, such enhancements were much needed. The first ending: The routing dispute between Utah and Nevada was settled in a 1927 compromise--a road between West Wendover and Ely, linking the Victory (primarily following US Route 40) and Lincoln Highways. This was the final section of the Lincoln Highway in Nevada to be agreed upon and built. The new beginning on March 16, 2007, is all about that final sector. West Wendover plans a dedication ceremony to place commemorative markers on its historic stretch of the Lincoln and Victory Highway. These emblems are replicas of the original Lincoln Highway markers, fashioned after the three thousand cement ones commemorating Abraham Lincoln that were placed along the highway by the Boy Scouts of America in 1928. It is only fitting that Korbin Murphy from Boy Scout Troop 140 Wendover, Utah, will fashion and place a tep cover for the marker, dig the hole for placement, present the colors and conduct the pledge the day of the event as part of his eagle project. West Wendover local, Kerrie Supanich, wrote the grant responsible for funding the historic markers' creation and dedication ceremonies. When asked, Supanich indicates that the idea for the grant came from Nevada Lincoln Highway enthusiast, Rollin Southwell, whose knowledge of and involvement with the Lincoln Highway is extensive. The marker placement idea is a culmination of two years of Southwell's persistent efforts to see markers placed near the original Lincoln Highway marker locations. Thanks in part to the cooperation of the Peppermill Resort and Casino, the City of West Wendover will have three markers placed in 2007. One marker is destined for the Utah and Nevada state line near the historic telegraph pole monument on the Peppermill Resort's properties. A second will be situated at the intersection of Wendover Boulevard and A-93. A third and final marker will be dedicated at the intersection of A-93 and Airport way in Autumn 2007. Plans are underway to reenact the original Victory Highway dedication ceremony held in 1925. The original dedication of the Victory Highway had two governors and a member of the president's cabinet dressed in white overalls (Utah Governor George Dern, Secretary of Agriculture William Jardine, and Nevada Governor J. Stratham) clearing away a pile of salt that was blocking the roadway. The March 16th Commemorative Marker Dedication Ceremony, located at Montego Bay, is at 11:30 am. The Lincoln/Victory Highway Historical Heritage Seminar features presentations from Montana State University Professor, Joe Ashley from Bozeman, and Victory Highway historian George Clark, both experts on the historic highways of the area. The seminar at 9:00 am will be held at the Rainbow Hotel and Casino Convention Center, where the momentous endings and beginnings will be relived with pride. The event is free and open to the public. Please contact Kerrie Supanich to reserve space at 866-299-2489 or via e-mail at ksupanich @ westwendovercity.com.

7 March, 2007 , — CHOPPER MOVER With more and more Americans moving everyday from city to city and state to state for jobs or new opportunities, motorcycle enthusiasts have growing concerns on how their bike is shipped or transported to their new home. ALLIED Van Lines' Special Products is up for the challenge, offering special handling and assistance to make sure everything is kept secure and in perfect condition during the move. They also have a "Ride of Your Life" Sweepstakes, in which all customers who ship their bike is entered to win a brand new custom chopper from Big Dog Motorcycles. This year's winner is being announced on Thursday at Bike Week in Daytona.

10 February, 2007 , — BOLDT CASTLE: A TRIBUTE TO LOVE AND LOSS, by Kara Dunn Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. This old saying brings to mind the love that caused George Boldt to begin building a castle for his wife Louise and caused him to abandon the project when she died. Boldt of New York City Waldorf-Astoria and Philadelphia's Bellevue-Stratford Hotel fame was oh, so close to presenting Louise with the six-story, 16th-century Rhineland-style castle on Valentine's Day when she died of a heart attack at age 41. In 1904, Boldt cabled the 300 granite masons, carpenters and artists to immediately stop work. He had spent some $2.5 million dollars on the magnificent undertaking, even reshaping the five-acre oasis offshore of Alexandria Bay,NY, and renaming it Heart Island. European tapestries, sculptures and carvings waited in crates to adorn the walls and hallways of the 120-room masterpiece. The family had spent four summers on the island in Alster Tower (named for a river in Germany) while the construction took place. They watched as a stone arch, gardens, drawbridge, powerhouse and castle took shape in their Gilded Age glory. One wonders if the Boldts imagined yachts gliding up to the dock and fine gentlemen and beautifully dressed ladies arriving for the grand parties they would host. Their own yacht house was large enough to house their three yachts and houseboat. The castle was destined to become the showpiece of the 1000 Islands with all its grand turn-of-the-century hotels, its waters filled with the yachts of the rich and famous, and its Millionaire's Row homes. And, so it did become the romantic anchorpoint along the eastern Seaway Trail, one of America's Byways and a National Recreation Trail. In 1977, New York State undertook the rehabilitation and restoration of Boldt Castle. The island attraction was opened to the public in 1978. From May into October, thousands of visitors trail the Seaway Trail to come to see the castle, the island and the yacht house by private boat, tourboat and water taxi from the mainland. George and Louise would no doubt be pleased that Boldt Castle also hosts many couples celebrating their love with weddings and receptions on Heart Island each year. The western region of the Seaway Trail boasts another internationally-known destination for lovers and newlyweds, Niagara Falls. To learn more, go online to: http://www.boldtcastle.com http://www.iloveny.com/travel_ideas/romantic_niagara.asp and http://www.seawaytrail.com (Home page photo credit: 1000 Islands International Tourism Council.)

2 February, 2007 , GUNNISON, CO — ROMANCE IN THE ROCKIES Gunnison-Crested Butte's annual Valentine's celebration of love, returns Feb. 8 - 17, 2007. A couples' massage workshops, Valentine chocolates cooking classes, the Aspen Sante Fe Ballet, pianist Tien Hsieh, a wedding show and more will set the mood for a sensational Valentine's week. Crested Butte has been identified as one of the most romantic ski resorts in the West by Ski Snowboard America & Canada, www.skisnowboard.com. Ten ski resorts in the West were recognized for offering the "perfect combination of dreamlike atmosphere and picture-perfect views together with beautiful lodging, cozy dining, charming towns and picturesque trails where couples can ski or snowboard together." Crested Butte ranked second only to Sun Valley, Idaho. Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Academy, a private college preparatory boarding and day school with special emphasis on world-class alpine, snowboarding and high altitude distance running programs. In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Visit: http://www.gunnisoncounty.com/ or http://www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.

23 January, 2007 , Bellingham, Wash. — PUCKER UP! Looking for a spot to pucker up and kiss your sweetie on Valentine's Day? We've found some great spots to take your significant other and we'll be posting some romantic getaway ideas over the next few weeks. Bellingham's Kissing Spots Sparks will fly at one of these "Most Kissable" spots in the Bellingham Mt. Baker region. Visit www.bellingham.org for detailed information on the area. You can even order a brochure especially designed for couples seeking kissing corners. 1) THE WATERFRONT - The Bellingham Mt. Baker region feature miles of waterfront with plenty of places to pucker up. Watch the sunset at Zuanich Point, Semiahmoo or Birch Bay State Park. Stroll on the boardwalk or shop in the quaint Historic Fairhaven District. 2) CHUCKANUT DRIVE - Drive each other wild on this 20-mile cliff-side drive offering spectacular views of the San Juan Islands and Olympic Mountains. Smooch at one of the exquisite water view restaurants and galleries along the way. 3) MOUNT BAKER - Passion is sure to erupt at Mount Baker, a 10,778 foot glacier-covered volcano. A trip up the Mount Baker Highway is breathtaking. Snap a picture while smooching at Mt. Shuksan, the most photographed peak in the world, or plummeting Nooksack Falls. 4)LUMMI ISLAND - A quick 8-minute ferry ride from Bellingham, this "forgotten island of the San Juans" offers a refuge of tranquility. Kiss and snuggle in a secluded B&B. *Picture on home page courtesy Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.

18 January, 2007 , New York — Consumer Reports withdraws Infant Car Seat Report. Consumer Reports is withdrawing its recent report on infant car seats pending further tests of the performance of those seats in side-impact collisions. A new report will be published with any necessary revisions as soon as possible after the new tests are complete. The report was withdrawn immediately upon discovering a substantive issue that may have affected the original test results. The issue came to light based on new information received Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the speed at which our side-impact tests were conducted. The original study, published in the February issue of Consumer Reports, was aimed at discovering how infant seats performed in tests at speeds that match those used in the government's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). This program tests most new vehicles in crashes at speeds of 35 mph for frontal impact and 38 mph for side impact. Child safety seats, in contrast, are currently tested only in front-impact crashes at speeds of 30 mph. The tests were intended to simulate side crashes at the NCAP speed of 38 mph. The new information raises a question about whether the tests accurately simulated that speed, however, so we are now reviewing our tests and the resulting article. To those who may have seen the report earlier in print, on the Web, or in broadcasts, we urge you to remember that use of any child seat is safer than no child seat, but to suspend judgment on the merits of individual products until the new testing has been completed and the report re-published.

8 January, 2007 , Mich. — US 27 Plans are underway for a 2007 motor tour of Old US-27 in Michigan. No portions of US-27 in Michigan still exist; it's all been renamed US-127. But fond memories remain! Readers interested in receiving details can visit http://www.old27tour.com. The proposed motor tour will start at Coldwater near the Indiana border and end at Cheboygan near the Mackinac Bridge. Organizer Craig Parrish is also working with Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida to get Old US-27 designated as an historic US route.

2 January, 2007 , — TRAVEL SAFETY TIP - 911 AMERICAN ROAD staff recently learned that Consumer Reports did a study that found 1 in 25 wireless callers never successfully connected or communicated with 911. Compare that to five percent of respondents on a regular landline that had some difficulty or never connected. Ten years after the Federal Communications Commission began mandating wireless "enhanced 911" or E911 services, including transmission of phone numbers and locations, nearly half of the US is without 911 centers that can find wireless callers. The National Emergency Number Association, which tracks telephone services, reports that 109 counties in the US still have no 911 or E911 service. What can you do? 1) Don't hang up too soon. Several unanswered rings might not mean the call isn't going to be answered. It is possible that the 911 center is overloaded and the call is being transferred to another center. 2) Try again. Or, have someone else call. If you have an emergency road service they may be able to call for you. 3) Know your location. On the road, that means pay attention to highway numbers and mile markers. 4) Provide accurate, concise information. 5) Don't be caught with a dead cell phone battery. Consider investing in an emergency cell phone charger. There are several on the market. Our editors gave one model a test in an emergency (the Turbo Charge). It certainly came in handy. It was small, easy to use and is available with adapters that fit different phone models.

21 December, 2006 , TODAY! On-line at americanroadmagazine.com — HOLLY, JOLLY, HOLIDAY: LIVE ON-LINE CHAT Rankin and Bass said it best: If you're feeling abominable, don't fret. Put a star on a tree and have yourself a holly, jolly, holiday. At least that's the lesson learned from the blue-faced, bug-eyed Bubmle in the 1964 Animagic classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. According to Rick Goldschmidt, author and webmaster at rankinbass.com, the original Bumble figure was 16 inches tall and covered in yak hair. Don't miss this opportunity to ask your questions about Rudolph, the Bumble, and any other of the Rankin Bass characters or productions. Join Rick in the American Road Chat Room on Thursday, December 21 at 8pm EST. Some of their memorable shows include: Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Year Without a Santa Claus. NEW INSTRUCTSION to access the American Road chat room, simply go to Forum page by clicking this link: http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/index.php? There you will find a text link in the upper right corner of the page titled "LIVE CHAT." Click the "LIVE CHAT" text link and a separate window will open that will instruct you to enter a User Name . Give yourself a name, click connect, and you'll be in! If for some reason it rejects your user name (e.g. someone else has already signed in using that name) just pick another name and viola!

12 December, 2006 , CLEVELAND, OHIO — A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSE, by Thomas Arthur Repp-Executive Editor. Ah, the holiday season: chestnuts roasting, eggnog toasting, Aunt Emma's perennial fruitcake sitting on your table like an overgrown hockey puck with pimples. Last year, the historic Renaissance Hotel in downtown Cleveland initiated a program guaranteed to elevate the mood of any Scrooge. They've done it again this year by resurrecting the memory of that 1983 jingle-bell blockbuster, A CHRISTMAS STORY. Do you remember this movie? A snowy Christmas season in 1940s Indiana? Nine-year-old Ralphie longing for his ideal Christmas gift: a 200-Shot, Range-Model Air Rifle? All the adults - including Santa - issue the usual BB gun warning. "You'll shoot your eye out!" Unbeknownst to most - the bulk of the move was actually shot in Cleveland. The cast, in fact stayed at the Renaissance Hotel between camera calls. The Higbee Department Store - in which Ralphie meets the world's worst Santa Claus - lies right next door, while the house where the holiday fireworks occurred still stands at 3159 West 11th Street. Retired Navy Lieutenant Brian Jones has been working to turn that house into a Christmas Story museume, and his efforts led to the merry partnership with the Renaissance Hotel. Beginning Thanksgiving weekend - and extending through the holiday season - the Renaissance offers A CHRISTMAS STORY Packages. Ralphie buffs can check in for a deal that includes overnight deluxe room accommodations, a buffet breakfast for two, overnight parking, an in-room viewing of the movie. Hotel staff will direct visitors to the Christmas Story House. Once at the house, fans can eat cookies and Ovaltine. They can even purchase a leg lamp - a replica of the one that Ralphie's father (played by Darren McGavin) wins in the film. The electric gams stand 45 inches high. Each comes complete wearing a stiletto shoe and a fishnet stocking that - according to the sales pitch - can be slid down "to show some thigh." So consider visiting Cleveland this holiday season and then think about returning home with a gift for your loved one that keeps on kicking. Just warn the recipient - as they unwrap the box come Christmas morn - to take care handling that stiletto heel. We'd hate to see anyone - and, yes, we'll say this - poke their eye out.

6 December, 2006 , — SECRET HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS MAKE CHRISTMAS ROAD TRIPS WORTHWHILE Christmas road travel may be really annoying -- but not if you've got the right pit stops along the way. According to Becky Repp, a road trip veteran and editor of American Road magazine, the holidays are a great time to road trip to some strange and secret Christmas hotspots. http://www.flashnews.com/news/wfn7061205J2978.html

5 December, 2006 , AUBURN, IND. — WIENERMOBILE MAKING SPECIAL STOP AT THE AUBURN CORD DUESENBERG MUSEUM Hot Dogs and the Holidays. What do they have in common? Kids of all ages will enjoy an opportunity to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. The Wienermobile will be at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum Saturday, December 16 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Everyone is invited to tour the world-famous Wienermobile at no charge and those attending will receive a classic Oscar Mayer whistle and receive a discount admission ticket to tour the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum if they wish. In 1936, Carl G. Mayer created the famous Oscar Mayer Wienermobile vehicle. First of its kind, the vehicle initially helped transfer the Oscar Mayer spokesperson from store to store, promoting the company's high-quality products and quickly setting Oscar Mayer apart from the competition. "Today, the Wienermobile vehicle can be seen across the country, spreading miles of smiles to kids of all ages. The Wienermobile boasts a GPS navigational system, sleek new interior and a state-of-the-art audio center complete with wireless microphone system. It is powered by a V-8, 6.0 liter 350 Vortec 5700 engine and is fully-loaded with six mustard and catsup colored seats, blue-sky ceiling, mustard-splattered walkways and carpet designed to look as if it came ordered with "everything on it." That's a high-tech holiday hot dog that might just have you singing the Oscar Mayer wiener song instead of "Deck the Halls." The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum exhibits over 120 classic, vintage, antique and special interest cars in the 1930 art deco headquarters of the former Auburn Automobile Company. The museum is open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums and listed as a National Historic Landmark.

2 December, 2006 , — HOLIDAY PET/TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS Holidays are a warm and fuzzy time of year, and its especially fun to share the joys of the season with your pet(s). Here are some tips to make the trip to Grandma's house for holiday dinner safe for you and your pet: Rich holiday foods that tickle your taste buds may lead to stomach upset, vomiting or worse - an inflamed pancreas which may require hospitalization. For example, some foods that man's best friend should not have include: chocolate (can be fatal), bread dough (may cause stomach flips and cardiac collapse), grapes (kidney failure), raisins (kidney failure, death),and macadamia nuts (tremors, fever, vomiting). Consult your veterinarian for foods your pet should avoid. Ribbons and tinsel look like wonderful toys to playful kittens. However, they can be life-threatening if swallowed. Close supervision is urged when animals play with string. Ingesting misteltoe may cause stomach upset, liver failure, or seizures. Use plastic mistletoe instead. If you are traveling for the holidays, you may locate a veterinary emergency center near your destination through the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society website at: http://www.veccs.org/hospital_directory.php.

1 December, 2006 , — AMERICAN ROAD SWEEPSTAKES WINNER Congratulations to John Youger from Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Youger is the winner of the September/October AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES sponsored by Explore Highway 51! From the "Gateway to Wisconsin" to "Where Highway 51 Ends" this package will help you explore it all! We invite you to experience the cultures and learn the stories found only along this great American road. This prize package allows the winner to take a long weekend and enjoy one night lodging for two people at three hotels along US Highway 51.* Additional prize details are available at: http://americanroadmagazine.com/sweepstakes/sweepstakes.html. Look for a new AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES in the near future.

20 November, 2006 , — NATCHEZ TRACE - BOOK REVIEW Bert Gildart's "Natchez Trace, Two Centuries of Travel"(1996) is part history, part guide book, and part photo album. It doesn't perform each of the three roles equally but that probably was not the goal. The history bit it handles rather well. All of the Trace's several periods are covered and the book tells of just about all the major events associated with the trail and surrounding area. In the telling of history, existing buildings, markers, or identifiable locations are often mentioned to aid a modern traveler. But, even though a map is included, the guide book role is the book's weakest. The third role, that of photo album, is its strongest. This is not a large format coffee table style book. It's 8.5" by 11" and a paperback at that. But photographs abound and they are what stand out. Most are Bert's but wife Jane also contributed, as did Bob Schatz and Harold Young. Bob, in fact, supplies the cover shot. Several pictures show off the natural scenery along the Trace. Others are of the road's buildings and people. All are impressive. -Denny Gibson

8 November, 2006 , Tampa, Flor. — ARTISTS TRAVEL HIGHWAY TO THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM In the 1950s, a group of African-Americans living in Fort Pierce, Florida began painting the natural landscapes they beheld and sold them from their garages and cars while traveling the highways along the East coast of Florida. During their heyday, this group of 25 men and one woman painted the wind-bent palm trees, churning oceans and red bloomed Royal Poincianas that were once plentiful along the coastal waters. These self-taught artists made use of dramatic and vibrant colors to represent the natural beauty of the Florida wetlands. Ultimately, this group of artists became known as The Highwaymen. On Friday, January 12, 2007 The Florida Aquarium will host The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Gala Event featuring The Highwaymen. The Gala kicks off a six-week-long exhibit features more than 30 original works on loan from collector Tony Hayton, an environmentalist and philanthropist. Hayton, a horticulturalist living in Canada, has more than 80 original prints in his collection and believes the paintings will have an excellent audience while housed at The Florida Aquarium. "My goal is to put the art in the eyes of people who aren't necessarily going to see an ˜art exhibit," says Hayton. It's a perfect opportunity for them to see Florida differently, or with a new appreciation, a way for them also to see and learn about the art and the artists, who are still underappreciated and who are also an endangered Florida resource like the wetlands they've painted for years." Thom Stork, CEO and President of The Florida Aquarium, views the exhibit as a perfect union with The Aquarium's conservation message. "The Florida wetlands are crucial to the continued existence of hundreds, if not thousands of native species of flora and fauna," says Stork. "These artful depictions of such an important natural resource should be a reminder of how beautiful, vibrant and at the same time, delicate and tenuous the waterways around Florida are and they need to be protected." The Highwaymen Exhibit will remain on display at The Florida Aquarium through February and is included in the regular admission price. Admission to the Gala on January 12 is $40 in advance and $55 at the door. Proceeds from the Gala will go to The Black Heritage Festival and The Florida Aquarium.

6 November, 2006 , USA — TOP TRAILS LIST (view all top trails) A list of the most popular trails of the past year as compiled by Trails.com.

1. Breakneck Ridge Trail Beacon, NY	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 9.6 miles In Hudson Highlands State Park, this trail makes a rugged ascent from river-level to roll along a knobby ridge, gathering vistas and reaching a lookout. Special Attractions: Hudson river, Shawangunk,...
From the guidebook Hiking New York

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2. Harriman State Park Bear Mountain , NY	Activity: Walking Trail Distance: 3.8 miles Old iron mines in one of the metropolitan region’s largest, oldest, and most popular parks. Only thirty-five miles from New York City, Harriman State Park is one of the most popular recreation areas i...
From the guidebook Nature Walks in and around New York City

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3. Cohutta Wilderness Area Trails Ellijay, GA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 75 miles The wilderness area lies on the Georgia-Tennessee state line. More than seventy-five miles of backcountry trails lead to grand forests, scenic beauty, fishing, hunting, and exploring. Special attract...
From the guidebook Hiking Georgia

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4. The Pinnacle Hamburg, PA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 8.7 miles Walk the Appalachian Trail for spectacular views of Hawk Mountain, the Lehigh Valley, and Blue Rocks. Many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers claim the views at the Pinnacle are the best views on the Penns...
From the guidebook Hike America: Pennsylvania

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5. Appalachian National Scenic Trail - Pennsylvania Section Rouzerville, PA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 232 miles This 2,155-mile national scenic trail from Maine to Georgia cuts across southeastern Pennsylvania between New Jersey and the Mason-Dixon Line at Maryland. The Appalachian Trail (AT) traverses ridges a...
From the guidebook Hiking Pennsylvania

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6. Appalachian Trail: Springer Mountain to Hightower Gap Suches, GA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 9 miles The summit of Springer Mountain, a broad dome with thin oak woods and a rock outcrop, has excellent northwest views of the Cohutta Mountains. Two bronze plaques mark this as the terminus of the AT. ...
From the guidebook Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians

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7. Amicalola Falls State Park Trails Dahlonega, GA	Activity: Hiking Located about 20 miles east of Ellijay and fourteen miles west of Dahlonega. About 3.5 miles of easy to moderate hikes in three trails and the approach to the famous, 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail. Sp...
From the guidebook Hiking Georgia

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8. Appalachian Trail: Hightower Gap to Woody Gap Suches, GA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 11.9 miles If you're looking for a good introduction to north-Georgia hiking, with several steep climbs and descents, this section of the AT provides it. The trail is good though rocky in spots, and primarily t...
From the guidebook Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians

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9. Silver Dollar Lake Georgetown, CO	Activity: Snowshoeing Trail Distance: 4 miles This short, fairly easy trail to a pristine mountain lake surrounded by soaring cliffs is one of the best trails on Guanella Pass, within easy driving distance of Denver. The only disadvantage is the ...
From the guidebook Snowshoe Routes: Colorado's Front Range

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10. Camelback Mountain Summit Trail Phoenix, AZ	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 2.32 miles Camelback Mountain, towering above Phoenix and Scottsdale, is a well-known and prominent landmark. The 2,704-foot peak, the highest point in the Phoenix Mountains, is a two-summited mountain that look...
From the guidebook Best Easy Day Hikes: Phoenix

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11. Anthony's Nose Bear Mountain Bridge, NY	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 2.5 miles Glorious views up and down the Hudson River from the east bank. Anthony’s Nose is a steep, 900-foot mountain on the eastern bank of the Hudson River in the dramatically beautiful portion known as the ...
From the guidebook Nature Walks in and around New York City

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12. Ramsey's Draft Wilderness Staunton, VA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 14.8 miles Welcome to a wilderness smorgasbord. Ten Appalachian knobs surround the rugged valley through which Ramsey’s Draft courses—the highest of which, Hardscrabble Knob, reaches 4,282 feet. Ramsey’s Draft T...
From the guidebook Hiking Virginia (Burnham)

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13. Slide Mountain Loop Woodstock, NY	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 7 miles Traveling hemlock-deciduous and fir-birch forests, this popular trail tags the highest point in the Catskills and passes Burroughs Plaque and Curtis Monument. Special Attractions: vistas, rare high-e...
From the guidebook Hiking New York

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14. Furnace Mountain / Trayfoot Mountain Overnight Loop Waynesboro, VA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 20.6 miles If you like mountaintop views and camping along streams, this loop is for you. Head north on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and turn west toward Austin Mountain, with many views of your destination. Camp ...
From the guidebook Day & Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park

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15. Appalachian Trail: Dicks Creek Gap to Deep Gap (NC) Hiawassee, GA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 15.6 miles In May and June, rhododendron, flame azalea, and mountain laurel bloom on the ridgetops of this trail section, while in fall and winter, hikers can enjoy the good views. At any time of year, this hik...
From the guidebook Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians

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16. Appalachian Trail: Woody Gap to Neels Gap Suches, GA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 10.7 miles Take a hike to Blood Mountain, the highest peak on the Georgia AT, now usually a quite peaceful place except when invaded by swarms of weekend hikers. Sometime before 1600, however, the aptly name Bl...
From the guidebook Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians

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17. Glacier Gorge Estes Park, CO	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 9.6 miles In my opinion this is the most beautiful spot in Rocky Mountain National Park. Spectacular scenery, beautiful wildflowers, cascading waterfalls, and beautiful alpine lakes are what you will find on yo...
From the guidebook Hiking Colorado's Front Range

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18. Mount Marcy - New York Highpoint Lake Placid, NY	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 14.8 miles Highpoint rank by height: 21st. We will use the trail that starts near Heart Lake and the Adirondak Loj. No, this is not a spelling error – it was named by Henry Van Hoevenberg, who opened the Loj – e...
From the guidebook Highpoint Adventures: The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints

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19. Kauai: Kalalau Valley & The Na Pali Cliffs Hanalei, HI	Activity: Walking Trail Distance: 22 miles The Kalalau Trail is very different from its Waimea Valley cousin, yet it still hosts some of the most spectacular views in the Hawaiian Islands. The Kalalau Valley stretches more than 4,000 feet up f...
From the guidebook Hawaii: A Walker's Guide

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20. Appalachian National Scenic Trail: CT & MA North Adams, MA	Activity: Hiking Trail Distance: 138 miles This 2,155-mile national scenic trail, journeying from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine, traverses the northwest corner of Connecticut and western Massachusetts, touring forest, fie...
From the guidebook Hiking Southern New England

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View All Top Trails by Activity & State Advertorial by Trails.com

2 November, 2006 , Grapevine, Tex. — DRIVE AN EXOTIC CAR DOWN YOUR FAVORITE TWO-LANE Rentexoticcars.net is advertising itself as the largest and most complete listing of luxury and exotic car rental companies on the Internet. It's one stop shopping for that Ferrari or other luxury car. You can rent that automobile of your dreams for the ultimate road trip experience.

2 November, 2006 , Wisconsin — AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES Win 3 free nights and Explore Wisconsin Highway 51! FThis prize package allows the winner to take a long weekend and enjoy one night lodging for two people at three hotels along US Highway 51.*. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY. Individuals who subscribed between September and October 31, 2006 are automatically entered. The contest is now closed. A prize winner will be drawn in the next few weeks. Watch our website for the announcement.

31 October, 2006 , Wis. — AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES Win 3 free nights and Explore Wisconsin Highway 51! From the "Gateway to Wisconsin" to "Where Highway 51 Ends" this package will help you explore it all! We invite you to experience the cultures and learn the stories found only along this great American road. This prize package allows the winner to take a long weekend and enjoy one night lodging for two people at three hotels along US Highway 51.*. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY. Individuals who subscribe between September and October 31, 2006 are automatically entered. Click on the SWEEPSTAKES banner on this page to learn more and to enter the contest!

21 October, 2006 , Portland, Oreg. & Vancouver, Wash. — HISTORIC BRIDGE IN JEOPARDY - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED Greetings fellow highway enthusiasts! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. AMERICAN ROAD Magazine is proud to be working with Patrick Singleton and other US 99/Pacific Highway enthusiasts to help preserve a very important historic structure--the Bridge crossing between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington whose northbound span has been serving drivers since the early 1900's. I urge you to visit our AMERICAN ROAD Forum and review a few posts that were recently put on the Forum at our new website: http://www.americanroadmagazine.com. You'll find the discussions concerning the bridge under the sub-heading Roads, Bridges, Tunnels: Pacific Highway/US 99 on our Forum board. The direct url is http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showforum=39. You will find more information about what is happening with the bridge, and a draft letter (attached to the post) at the following url: http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=209 that may be downloaded, printed and sent to the task force. The letter, or your own comments, may be sent to the following e-mail: feedback@columbiarivercrossing.org. You do not need to be a member to review the discussions on the board. However, only members are allowed to post topics and replies. We encourage you to get involved in helping preserve this valuable piece of AMERICAN HISTORY. Some of you may recall that a detailed feature article about the bridge ran in Volume 1 #3 of AMERICAN ROAD (Winter 03). MANY THANKS TO THE ADVERTISERS IN AMERICAN ROAD They help make AMERICAN ROAD and all our preservation efforts possible. When you patronize them be sure to tell them you saw them in AMERICAN ROAD. You can obtain your FREE travel information from our advertisers, no stamps, no long distance charges, no need to visit multiple websites. Simply click on the Request for Advertiser Information Card at the left hand side of this page

11 October, 2006 , Virginia and North Carolina — BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY Fall color is coming on quickly and early along the Blue Ridge Parkway this year with peak colors already being reported in the high elevations. Start your journey in with a sidetrip just a short distance from the northernmost entrance to the Parkway in Charlottesville, Virginia. Visit Monticello and stop at Michie Tavern - an 18th Century Tavern for a delicious Southern Fried Chicken dinner. Color is spectacular around Asheville, North Carolina, on top of Grandfather Mountain and throughout Doughton Park. Color should be at peak this weekend. In the Boone area the leaves are beautiful. The high elevations are peaking, and the valleys are about 75 percent. For great views, travel U.S. 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock. Things should be spectacular through next week and perhaps the week after. The Parkway will likely be crowded -stay alert! For more information on the Blue Ridge Parkway - read the feature article in the Autumn 06 issue of AMERICAN ROAD Magazine..

8 October, 2006 , Wyoming — MY FRIEND FLICKA The Wyoming-set Mary O'Hara novel, My Friend Flicka, was adapted to a television series briefly in the mid-1950s. A new feature-length film changes the book's young boy lead character into a girl, played by Alison Lohman, and the movie also stars country music's Tim McGraw. The film is scheduled for national release by Twentieth Century Fox on October 20, 2006. Shooting, outside of California, was accomplished near Sheridan, Wyoming at an historic dude ranch - Eaton's Ranch - that has been in operation for more than 100 years. Flicka cinematographer Jim Muro (Open Range, Crash) was more than pleased with his Wyoming surroundings. ?We have achieved the special magic that we look for on location," said Muro. The national Dude Rancher's Association is headquartered (in Cody). Look over what's available by going to: www.wdra.com.

6 October, 2006 , DETROIT, Mich. — NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW January 13 - 21 marks the 100th North American International Auto Show. The show became international in 1989, but, it's roots began on December 9, 1907, when the Detroit Auto Dealers Association sponsored its first-ever auto show. The first show was held in a beer garden featuring 17 exhibitions displaying 33 vehicles. Admission was 50 cents, except for those who attended the show's society night - they paid $1.00.

29 September, 2006 , North Carolina, Kansas, Texas — INTERESTING FAQS *Blackbeard, America?s most famous pirate, established a residence and married his 14th wife in Bath, North Carolina, in 1718. *According to the U.S. Climatic Data Center, the average annual wind speed in Dodge City, Kansas is 14 mph making it the windiest city in the United States (don't tell Chicago!). *The capital city of Austin, Texas is located on the Colorado River. The capitol building is made from Texas pink granite and is the largest state capital building compared to the other 49 states-with more than 500 rooms.

16 September, 2006 , Explore Minnesota Tourism — AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES WINNER The AMERICAN ROAD staff are pleased to announce the winner of our July/August 2006 AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES. Theresa Wiggins of Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the lucky winner of the three night prize package offered by sponsors Explore Minnesota Tourism and AmericInn. Congratulations! Many thanks to our sponsors for making the AMERICAN ROAD TRIP SWEEPSTAKES possible. For more information from our sponsors or any of our advertisers, please click on the button on the left hand panel of this webpage for FREE information.

12 September, 2006 , — TOP 10 AUTUMN FESTIVALS IN NORTH AMERICA The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) recently announced the "Top 10 Autumn Festivals in North America" Three events from the Midwest received this distinction, including: the AppleJack Festival held in Nebraska City celebrating the harvest from the apple orchards around this tree-filled city; Indiana Covered Bridge Festival in Rockville, Indiana; and the Annual Bayfield Apple Festival in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Other events include Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Oktoberfest by the Bay in San Francisco, California; "Ding" Darling Days in Sanibel Island, Florida; Keene Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire; The Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, North Carolina; Pumpkin People Festival in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Mountain State Forest Festival in Elkins, West Virginia.

4 September, 2006 , — MOBILITY SCOOTERS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH AVIS RENT A CAR Avis Rent A Car System, LLC recently announced a new pilot program that will give customers the ability to rent a mobility scooter and have it waiting in the trunk of their next rental vehicle or delivered to the customer's location. Mobility scooters are four-wheeled, lightweight, battery-operated transportable units that are well suited for travelers up to 250lbs. The program rolls out at two of the nation's most frequented leisure and convention destinations - Las Vegas and Orlando. Avis is the first rental car company to offer mobility scooters combined with vehicle rentals. Mobility scooters are most popular with older travelers and those with disabilities and are the latest addition to Avis Access®, the company's suite of products for travelers with disabilities. Avis Access was launched in 2003 and it debuted as the nation's first comprehensive program for travelers with disabilities. Other components of Avis Access are transfer boards, hand controls, spinner knobs, panoramic mirrors and swivel seats. "Many people need to use mobility scooters in their everyday activities," said Scott Deaver, executive vice president of marketing for Avis Budget Car Rental, LLC, parent company of Avis. "By offering them a fast and easy way to get them when they are traveling, we're able to enhance their whole travel experience. This new service reinforces our commitment to help make travel more accessible for everyone." "Scootaround is excited about offering yet another unique service to our customers, and we are especially excited to have the opportunity to work with a great company like Avis in providing it," said Scootaround president and CEO Lee Meagher. The new program was developed with the assistance of Scootaround, an industry leader in supplying mobility equipment for sale and rental nationwide. Customers will be able to reserve a mobility scooter when making a vehicle reservation by calling 1-888-TRY-HARDER or contacting Scootaround directly at 1-888-441-7575 or online at www.scootaround.com/avis. There is an additional charge of $40.00 per rental day in Las Vegas and $50.00 per rental day in Orlando. Multiple day discounts are also available.

24 August, 2006 , Speedway, IN — AMERICAN ROAD FAVORITE DRIVES POLL American Road is conducting a poll to find out YOUR favorite US drives! To vote in the poll, you need to be a member of our forum, which is free and easy to do...simply click on the link at the right of the page to enter the forum and follow the steps to register. Our moderators will approve your membership, then you can vote in the poll. Please note, it is located under the category of "General Discussion."

23 August, 2006 , — TRAVEL GUIDE OR LUCKY CHARMS Five stars. Four smiley faces. Three diamonds. You've probably guessed that we're either referring to travel guide rating systems or a box of Lucky Charms. Trying to compare the various travel guide rating systems can be mind boggling. There is good news for travelers attempting to unravel the mystery. Consumer Reports has published an electronic paper to give the traveler aid. This report is free and may be found at: http://www.consumerreports.org. Select the "Travel" tab and go to the report titled "Star Systems." Some of the best advice in the report is to seek and compare the recommendations from other travelers. They list a number of sites to seek advice from other consumers including Expedia.com and Travelocity.com. We also encourage you to ask other road trip enthusiasts on the AMERICAN ROAD Forum for their experiences. Then, be sure to share your own experience so that other's may also benefit.

22 August, 2006 , — SPEAKING OF PETS, by Ariele Huff PENNIES: Pennies minted after 1982 have a high zinc content and are very toxic, even fatal to animals. (Up to 97 percent of the penny is zinc.) Some pets, especially puppies, will eat pennies off the floor or sidewalk. Most importantly, pennies are no longer appropriate "wishing well" money when the pond includes seals, fish, turtles or any other kind of animal life.

21 August, 2006 , — SIGN UP FOR THE AMERICAN ROAD E-NEWSLETTER FREE The newsletter has info, calendar of event items and the AMERICAN ROAD TRIVIA question (a fun opportunity to win great prizes!). Be assured, we respect your privacy and we do not sell subscriber e-mail addresses. You may remove your name from receiving the e-newsletter at any time by contacting becky@mockturtlepress.com. What are you waiting for? Sign up TODAY by clicking on the NEWSLETTER text button on this page.

14 August, 2006 , Bethesda, Maryland — EASY TO UNDERSTAND CAR CARE GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE Another kind of guide to take on your next roadtrip is the new, first-of-its-kind Car Care Guide, published by the Car Care Council. It turns technical automotive jargon into easy-to-understand everyday language for motorists, taking the mystery out of vehicle maintenance and repair. The guide is now available to consumers FREE and can be ordered on the council's web site at http://www.carcare.org. The 56-page guide fits easily in a glove box and explains the nine most common preventative maintenance procedures and repairs that need to be performed to keep cars operating safely and reliably, while maintaining their long-term value. It also includes a list of questions to ask when these maintenance or repair procedures are being performed on a car. To further familiarize motorists with their vehicles, the guide has clear, concise descriptions of 12 major vehicle systems and parts. A Car Care Checklist reminds motorists what vehicle systems need to be maintained and when service or repair should be performed.

13 August, 2006 , Midway, Utah — SWISS DAYS The Swiss Days Festival is fast approaching, and the town of Midway is well prepared for it. Held every year on Labor Day weekend, Swiss Days is a longstanding festival for crafters, craft lovers, and Midway residents. The festival encompasses the entire Midway Town Square with arts, crafts, entertainment and incredible food. The Swiss Day Parade route is easy to find as it simply goes down Midway's Main Street. The parade is held both Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. The 10K Race is Saturday at 7 a.m. The village of Midway actually began as a compromise. When the Ute Indians began raiding settlements in the mid 1860s, Mormon leaders suggested those living along Snake Creek band together for protection. But neither of the two Snake Creek villages wanted to move to the other, so they both moved to a point "midway" in between the two and built a fort. By the 1880s the area was being settled by more and more Swiss settlers who favored the area because the mountains reminded them of the Swiss Alps. Others came as the result of missionaries returning from Switzerland and bringing friends and converts with them. Today, much of that Swiss heritage remains in Midway, making it Utah's slice of Switzerland. Swiss architectural details may be found in most of the city's residences and commercial establishments and the annual Swiss Days celebration each September attracts more than 80,000 people from around the West. More information about Midway and Swiss Days may be viewed at http://www.hebervalleycc.org/.

12 August, 2006 , — TAKE OUR ROAD TRIP POLL Join the AMERICAN ROAD FORUM and take our Road Trip Poll. Tell us how gas prices have affected your road trips this year. Signing up for the FORUM is easy and its FREE. You can share road trip stories, post pictures in the gallery and even send e-postcards of photos in the gallery to friends and family--no stamps necessary! Click on the blue Forum button on this page to find out more or go directly to the AMERICAN ROAD FORUM and register at http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/.

8 August, 2006 , — SPEAKING OF PETS, by Ariele M. Huff GIARDIA: Travelers to the Rocky Mountain region need to remember: Don't Drink The WATER! And don't let your pets drink it either. Dogs, cats, hamsters, etc. can harbor this nasty intestinal organism too. Protect pets by carrying a supply of safe water and by stopping them from drinking at streams, pools, puddles or other natural water sources. Giardia, once contracted, is both hard to diagnose and hard to cure. To be safe, don't use this water for any kind of pet -- birds, aquariums, etc.

8 August, 2006 , — ROUTE 66 STAMP Road photographer, Shelly Graham, reports that the United States Postal Service is considering issuing a Route 66 stamp in 2009. The address to send a letter of support on having the United States Postal Service approve a ROUTE 66 stamp is: Mr. Terrence W. McCaffrey, Manager Stamp Development 1735 N. Lynn St. Suite 5013 Arlington, VA 22209-6432 or Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee c/o Stamp Development USPS 476 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 5670 Washington,DC 20260.

6 August, 2006 , — STRESS RELIEF ON THE ROAD - PART II, by Ariele M. Huff. Last week, Ariele provided RV stress prevention tips. This week she provides strategies for dealing with stressful situations. On the Spot Relief When caught in a traffic jam my husband and I practice the - "mini-vacation" approach. This means we view the hold-up as a marvelous opportunity to relax back into our seats, take a deep breath, converse, view the scenery if there is any, or munch on a snack. As we always tell each other, "We are in no hurry." When suddenly faced with scary traffic situations like immediate and unexpected merges, sharp turns, a nearby accident, or other drivers who are using risky driving behaviors, I have learned to view the situation with detachment. A counselor friend of mine suggests looking at such anxiety-producing situations as though they were happening in a movie or to someone else. She guaranteed me it would help minimize my fear reaction, and she was right. She also suggests visualizing other cars shrinking in size. A kiddy car-sized logging truck is much less intimidating than the larger model. (None of which means you should be less careful when driving, only that it is possible to remove some of the fearfulness in critical moments when a clear head and good judgment are necessary.) After the fact After a difficult traffic maneuver, an unpleasant exchange with a stranger, or a hard day of sightseeing, my husband and I indulge in mutual shoulder massaging. I have had many wonderful professional massages, but I am often amazed at how my caring spouse finds the tension knots even the most expensive masseuse may miss. A hot-tub, sauna, swimming pool, or just a warm shower are my preferred stress relievers after a lot of walking or standing. I also have learned after many years to wear only really comfortable shoes with plenty of arch support. They make the difference for me in hours of enjoyable touristing. As I mentioned, I don't find alcohol a good stress relief, but I do like a hot cup of herbal tea. (No caffeine, thank you, but I do find chamomile tea restful before bed. Another thing I have noticed is hunger amplifies anxiety. On trips, I do not indulge in sweet breakfasts as they cause me to have a blood sugar dip soon afterwards. My purse always has a small supply of nuts to ease the onset of hunger pangs. A favorite stress reliever: My husband strokes my hair while telling me fantastic stories about the stars shooting straight out of the sky to visit me, or the clouds I can ride on, or the powerful troll who will come down from the mountain and steal my headache. Sorry, I can't loan him to you for your headaches and stressful moments, he's got enough to do with just me! Happy, stress-free RVing!

1 August, 2006 , Hickory Corners, Mich. — ALICE RAMSEY - CROSS COUNTRY ROAD TRIP On June 9, 1909, Alice and three female companions- none of whom drove- left New York City in a new Maxwell Touring Car and headed for San Francisco. Fifty-nine days and 3,800 miles later, she and her team arrived in San Francisco, making Ramsey the first woman to successfully drive an automobile across the United States. The Gilmore Car Museum is celebrating this historic event with its newest exhibit, which recreates a scene from an original 1909 photo offering a glimpse into the driving conditions and hardships that early automotive pioneers faced. The life-sized diorama depicts Alice Ramsey and her traveling companions as they dealt with a broken axle on their 1909 Maxwell. Museum Advisory Committee member and author of "The Kalamazoo Automobilist," David Lyon and his wife, Jane, first presented the concept for the exhibit last year and have worked tirelessly to see it come to completion. This new exhibit, funded in part by Kalamazoo Auto Restorers Club, MotorCities National Heritage Area, and AAA of Michigan, provides a unique look at women's role in automotive history. Alice Ramsey's courage and determination certainly inspired countless women, and for that, she holds the honor as the first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. "In Utah we hit a prairie dog hole in the road with such force that a tie bolt came out of the tie rod connecting the front wheels. Down went the front end, wheels spread-eagled, breaking the spring seat over the front axle. We had a pilot car with us and driver Frank Irving went back to Orr's ranch where they had a forge and we were able to make temporary repairs. In spite of everything, we finally made it across Nevada arriving near midnight at the Riverside Hotel in Reno." -Alice Ramsey 1909 The Gilmore Car Museum is open from of 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 PM and until 6 PM on weekends, through the end of October. Located in the heart of west Michigan, the museum is midway between Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek, on M-43 and Hickory Road. To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum visit: www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org.