Issue Date: October 3, 2004
Time travel
Sites direct you to historic spots.
A tour of Lewis and Clark sites might include Oregon's 125-foot Astoria Column, covered in friezes.
|
If your idea of a vacation involves more than lying on a beach or endless rounds of golf, pack your bags for a bit of heritage tourism. Travel industry shorthand for trips that connect you with the past, heritage tourism is more popular than ever. From exploring a 19th-century whaling ship to visiting historic baseball stadiums, Americans are having fun discovering the legacy of previous generations.
Several Web sites can help you plan the perfect trip. A good place to start is the National Trust for Historic Preservation (nationaltrust.org), which has info on tours and hotels as well as historic sites. For more obscure spots -- like Farmamerica, near Mankato, Minn. -- try the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (alhfam.org).
Take advantage of your tax dollars at work at the National Park Service site (nps.gov). Click on "History & Culture," then choose "Travel" from the "Cultural Resource Subject" menu. There you'll find a listing of 24 National Heritage Areas (encompassing historic districts, walking and cycling trails, and other features), the National Historic Landmarks database and 30-plus National Register of Historic Places travel itineraries (to help you link a variety of cool places).
Among nearly 100 suggested tours at byways.org is the Country Music Highway in Kentucky, highlighting the sounds of traditional Appalachian and contemporary country music. Prefer the Old West? The Gold Belt Tour takes you to gold mines, famous railroads and stagecoach roads in Colorado.
With so many destinations to choose from, a piece of history is just around the bend.
Brenda Biondo
|
