Recently in Tourism Category

Coon Dog Cemetery Labor Day Celebration
Tuscumbia; Sep. 1
Graves are freshly decorated for the event. View over 185 graves. Enjoy buck dancing, liar's contest, speech-making and entertainment. Barbecue available.

Chickasaw Trails Invitational
Moulton; Sep. 6
Each year, students convene in Lawrence County for this championship event. Snug between Bankhead National Forest and the Tennessee River is one of America's top-rated cross country championship courses featuring scenic wooded trails that allow for a fast race and great spectating.

Navistar LPGA Classic
Prattville; Sep. 22-28
This multimillion dollar event showcases a full field of professional LPGA golfers. The tournament is scheduled to be televised nationally and internationally.

Boom Days Heritage Celebration
Fort Payne; Sep. 12-20
Weeklong art and music festival highlighting the rich cultural and historical heritage of Fort Payne, culminating with the Boom Days Heritage Celebration on the 20th, which features two dozen musical acts and display and sale of works by fine artists and craftsmen along four blocks of the downtown district.

Hank Williams 85th Birthday Celebration
Montgomery; Sep. 12-13
Live music on Friday with food and drinks at Noble's Restaurant in downtown Montgomery. Oakwood Cemetery visit on Saturday and then live music and a tour at the Hank Williams Museum.

Yesterday, August 26, 2008, two members of the America's Byways Resource Center in Minnesota came to Birmingham, Alabama for an all-day training session on directional signage, tourist interaction and how to provide a positive visitor experience--AND get tourists to find the places you want them to find. The workshop was primarily aimed at the scenic byways experience, but almost all of the information is just as relevant to every other community in Alabama. They've kindly provided the manual that they've been developing.

Wayshowing_ReferenceManual.pdf

The United States' first-ever official travel and tourism website, www.discoveramerica.com, was successfully launched in the five leading international travel markets - Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Germany and Japan. Travel Industry Association is promoting DiscoverAmerica.com to media in key countries.

Ten America’s Byways® are included under the "Scenic Byways" tab, and are included on all five international sites http://www.discoveramerica.com/ca/activities/scenic-byways.html.

At the Travel & Tourism Research Association (TTRA) meeting held in June, Scott Hanson, CEO, Longwoods International®, participated on a "Government Resources for Cultural and Heritage Tourism" panel with the National Scenic Byways Program Marketing Director Patricia McNally. Scott compiled data for A SNAPSHOT OF: The U.S. Cultural Traveler Market - 2007, and agreed to share this information with the community.

The information relates to much more than just national byways: all communities interested in increasing tourism in their community need to have a better understanding of cultural and heritage tourism. To read more, visit the website below:

http://www.bywaysresourcecenter.org/topics/visitor-experience/marketing/tools/1248/

A new $11.5 million Hampton Inn is slated for Leeds to cater to visitors of Barber Motorsports Park, Bass Pro Shops and a planned outlet mall.  Birmingham's Jackson Hospitality Services will develop and manage the four-story, 106-room hotel, sporting a prototype design for the Hampton Inn chain. The hotel will be built on a site directly across the road from the main entrance of the new Bass Pro Shops store, which is set to open in November.
 
"We think it will become the hottest hotel spot in Alabama as things develop out there," said Corey Jackson Jr., president of Jackson Hospitality. In addition to a 60-seat meeting room and a swimming pool, the hotel will have features of the new Hampton Inn design such as a boutique-style lobby with lounge seating, a modern exercise room and a new breakfast area.
 
Barber Motorsports Park officials have been vocal about their hope for hotel space catering to visitors to the racetrack, museum and Porsche driving school there. Neal Jackson, vice president of Jackson Hospitality, said the company originally wanted to develop a hotel inside the Barber Motorsports property. When that wasn't in keeping with the park's plans, officials at Barber worked with Jackson Hospitality to steer them to a nearby site.
 
"We see this as a showcase project to go along with the Bass Pro development and the rest of what is to come," Neal Jackson said. Work on the hotel will begin this year and should be completed by late 2009 or early 2010.
For the complete article see the Birmingham News: http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1218788156235470.xml&coll=2 

The Alabama Welcome Center Educational Retreat is back by popular demand.  Please mark your calendar for November 9 and 10 in Montgomery.  The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center is the host hotel and is offering a conference rate of $109 per night.  The Welcome Center Retreat is a unique opportunity to update staff members of the eight Alabama Welcome Centers on your attractions, hotels, and special events.  The registration fee per person is $150. The cost includes meals and a FAM tour of Montgomery.  For registration and additional information, please contact: JoJo Terry with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitor Bureau at 334-261-1119 or email:  jterry@montgomerychamber.org

The Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau celebrated their 20th anniversary of service to the community this week when a year of promotional activities culminated in a festive luncheon at the Hotel at Auburn University. Legislators, city and county officials, hoteliers, retailers, and Auburn University officials were among those invited to commemorate the occasion with tourism bureau staff and board members.
 
“Tourism revenues in our community have increased over 99% the past 10 years,” said John Wild, bureau president. “The positive economic impact of our industry in the Auburn-Opelika area cannot be understated, and we are proud to serve and to share this great community with visitors from around the world.”
 
Advertising campaigns for the year were designed to inform local residents about the impact of tourism and visitor spending on the economy in Lee County. The “We Just Thought You Should Know” series provided a variety of compelling statistics: On an average day, visitors spend $709,589 in the Auburn-Opelika area. If the citizens of Lee County had to replace the tax revenues provided by tourism dollars, every single household would owe an additional $396 per year. Tourism revenues injected $1,860,000 directly into our cities’ general funds last year.
 
The featured presenter at Thursday’s luncheon was Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department. Sentell commented on the importance of tourism to the state’s economy and praised the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau for playing a significant role in bringing visitors to Alabama. He also noted John Wild’s contributions to the development of the amateur and youth sports market both in Auburn-Opelika and in the state as a whole.  www.aotourism.com

Thirteen tourism organizations, leaders and events were honored Tuesday night at the closing event of the three-day 2008 Alabama Governor's Conference on Tourism. Governor and Mrs. Bob Riley attended the awards gala at The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover. The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile was named the Attraction of the Year; the Event of the Year Award went to the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts in Gadsden for its “Art of Competition” exhibit; and the Brundidge Historical Society’s original folklife play, “Come Home, It’s Suppertime,” was honored with the Governor’s Tourism Award.
 
Individuals recognized for outstanding achievements in the state’s tourism industry included Southern Living Vice President and Editor-in-Chief John Alex Floyd Jr. who was honored with the Media Advocate Award; U.S. Representative Artur Davis with the Government Advocate Award; Charles Winters, Vice President of Marketing, Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau was named Tourism Employee of the Year; Gene Brett, Brett-Robinson Realty, Gulf Shores/Orange Beach was named Executive of the Year; and the Alabama Tourism Department Employee of the Year award went to Art Director Tommy Cauthen. Chalmus Weathers (posthumous) was inducted into the Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame.
 
The 2008 Organization of the Year was presented to the Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau; Welcome Center of the Year went to the Sumter Welcome Center in Cuba; The Montgomery Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitors Bureau received the Partnership Award; and the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro was honored with the Director’s Award.
 
The awards were first presented in 1998 and honor outstanding achievements in the state’s tourism industry. Each award winner is recognized as a key player in making tourism a strong economic force. Tourism contributed $9.3 billion to Alabama’s economy in 2007 and supported 170,000 jobs statewide. An estimated 22.4 million people visited the state last year. 

Eric Boehm thought he knew what state parks had to offer: leafy campgrounds, wooden picnic tables and, of course, plenty of outdoor activities. Then in April of this year, as regional manager and meeting planner for Maryville, Tenn.- based Clayton Homes, he helped organize a conference at Lake Guntersville State Park in Alabama. “Our experience was not at all what I expected,” he says. “I was really blown away.”
 
What Boehm found was surprisingly high-end accommodations, fully equipped meeting space and resort-style recreation- at bargain rates to boot. The park offers a variety of accommodations at reasonable rates, including 20 chalets (starting at $125 per night) on a bluff overlooking a 69,000-acre reservoir, 15 lakeside cottages (also from $125), and 112 rooms and suites (from $96) at the sprawling Guntersville State Park Lodge. In the lodge are eight meeting rooms, most featuring wireless Internet and a full complement of A/V resources, accommodating from 14 to 500 attendees.
 
Boehm’s group spent two days at the park. On the first day, which was devoted to meetings, “we never left the facility,” says Boehm. “We had everything we needed.” Day two was spent enjoying the park’s recreational amenities, including an 18-hole golf course, a beach complex, fishing, and hiking. Boehm was so impressed with the place that he brought his own event, a sales managers’ meeting that he plans twice a year, to the same location a few months later.

From the article “Natural Selection” by Kaylee Hultgren in the August issue of Meetings and Convention magazine:
 
 
For more information on Lake Guntersville State Park Resort see:  http://www.alapark.com/LakeGuntersville/

A study released this week by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that international visitors to America increased 14% in May 2008 over a year ago and spending by those visitors grew by 21%.  The Alabama Tourism Department targets several important international markets, all of which are showing increased visitation to the U.S. from one year ago; Canada is up 17% and Western Europe is up 21%.  Of the Western Europe segment, the United Kingdom accounts for 39% of all travel from Western Europe.  Venessa Alexander, head of Global Travel Marketing and the Alabama Tourism Department’s UK representative, will be in Birmingham- Monday, Aug. 11 to make a presentation on international tourism at the Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism. http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/26652

"Battle of Mobile Bay" Commemorative Day
Dauphin Island; Aug. 2
Cannon salute at 9:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., followed by oral account of the battle. Also, blacksmith demonstrations in the fort's original blacksmith shop and a performance by Ross Moore, "Southern Son," who will perform music from his CDs.

DeKalb County Fiddler's Convention
Fort Payne; Aug. 2
Come visit us for our 100th Birthday Bash! Founded in 1908, this daylong event features over 10 categories in which contestants can register to participate. It will include old-time fiddling, sacred harp music, banjos, bluegrass and much more. For more information about admission or entry fees, contact the Big Wills Arts Council at 256-845-2224.

Ardmore Rodeo
Ardmore; Aug. 8-9
One of the best rodeos in North Alabama, featuring bareback riding, bull riding, steer wrestling and much more. Something for everyone. Miss Rodeo contest.

Thunder on the Gulf
Orange Beach; Aug. 14-17
NASCAR meets H2O. Powerboats travel along a race course at speeds exceeding 100 MPH fighting to be first over the finish line. Come and see high-powered machines running at these speeds with no breaks!

Franklin County Watermelon Festival
Russellville; Aug. 15-16
Arts, crafts, 5k run, bike ride, golf, tennis tournament, antique car and truck show, beauty pageant music, games, food and watermelon contest.

The Alabama Scenic River Trail has received $1.2 million in national media coverage, according to media measurements. The 631-mile Alabama Scenic River Trail, the nation's longest one state river trail, was announced on May 15 and had its grand opening on June 6.  The USA TODAY article on the Alabama Scenic River that appeared in the newspaper’s May 23 edition had an advertising value of $774,630.00 with a circulation of nearly 2.2 million. The story on the Alabama Scenic River Trail that appeared in The New York Times on May 16 titled “Discovering Alabama From Its Watery Byway” had an advertising value of $343,643.00 with a circulation of 1.1 million. The story also appeared on NYTIMES.COM with an advertising value of $65,877.00. A feature story on the Alabama Scenic River Trail was also distributed nationally by the Associated Press.  
 
Volunteers and canoeing enthusiast partnered with the Alabama Tourism Department to make the scenic river trail a reality with a grand opening in June. “Outdoor recreation is an important part of tourism in our state,” said Alabama Tourism Marketing Director Grey Brennan. “Since the opening of the trail we have seen an increase in tourism along the river and the media attention has been phenomenal,” said Brennan. The cornerstone marketing piece for the Alabama Scenic River Trail is the 16- panel brochure designed by Alabama Tourism Art Director Tommy Cauthen.  For more information on the Alabama Scenic River Trail see www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com

The Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism is scheduled for Aug. 10-12 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. The conference brings together representatives from the state’s tourism industry for professional development and educational seminars. Conference highlights include sessions on National Sports Marketing, Attracting International Tourists, Communication Leadership Skills, and Tourism Education 101. The conference concludes with an awards ceremony honoring the best in the Alabama tourism industry.  For conference itinerary and registration information see www.algovernorsconference.com.

From the USDA's Rural Information Center.

Provides links to tourism organizations and Federal agencies, planning information, best practices, funding programs, state tourism offices, data and online publication on rural tourism. Links include a variety of general information, planning resources, best practices, funding and program assistance, publications, and statistics. Great resources.
http://ric.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=5&tax_level=2&tax_subject=211&topic_id=1169

The new 631-mile Alabama Scenic River Trail - a boating route that stretches from the Coosa River in northeast Alabama to Fort Morgan on the Alabama Gulf Coast - has been designated a National Recreational Trail, and improvements are continuing along the route. The town of Ohatchee in Calhoun County and the city of Childersburg in Talladega County are both developing primitive campsites on public land along the river. Supporters of the trail also have purchased 12 buoys, paid for through a $3,000 grant from Alabama Power Co., to install near the portage sites along the trail.
 
The buoys will help canoers and kayakers find the trails that allow boaters to carry their boats around the six Alabama Power dams on the route. They hope to install the buoys in the coming months. In June, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne designated the trail a National Recreational Trail. The Scenic River trail is billed as the nation's longest one-state river trail.
 
From the article “Scenic River Trail wins designation” by Thomas Spencer in the July 22 edition of The Birmingham News. For the complete article see:  http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1216714551263470.xml&coll=2

The goal of tourism in Eufaula is to put “heads in beds.” That’s why events such as the Dixie Junior Boys South Regional Tournament (July 18-22) are so important to the area. The benefits of hosting these tournaments, however, don’t stop after the teams pull out of town. Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Director of Tourism Corey Kirkland says these events also introduce people to the area. She says, “Sporting events are not just one-time tourism opportunities, but often visitors who attend swim meets and ball tournaments return to Eufaula at a later date for family vacations.”
 
“Lodgings tax dollars are up and have been for some time. That is fantastic, especially when you consider that two large hotels are currently closed for renovations.” The future of Eufaula tourism looks bright as several improvements and additions near completion. Quality Inn and Suites is scheduled to open in the next few months, says Kirkland, and the lodge at Lakepoint Resort State Park should re-open by July 2009.
 
We are in a very unique position in Eufaula as far as tourism,” says Kirkland. “We have a wonderful historic district with two homes that are available to tour year round, as well as the Pilgrimage tour of homes and the Christmas tour of homes. Our self-guided walking and driving tour brochure is very popular and on any given day, you can see visitor’s enjoying the historic district utilizing this tool.”

Eufaula’s abundant wildlife and dedication to protecting its natural resources have nurtured a different kind of tourism known as eco-tourism. “Eco-Tourism is increasingly popular in Eufaula,” says Kirkland. “As the nation’s first Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community, it is good to know that the city is mindful of preserving these natural resources through the Eufaula 2020 plan.”
 
From the article “Tournaments benefit local economy” by Tiffiny Woo in the July 17 edition of the Eufaula Tribune. For the complete article see:  http://www.eufaulatribune.com/euf/news/local/article/tournaments_benefit_local_economy/27777

Trowbridge’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Bar in downtown Florence is featured as one of the “50 Reasons to Love the U.S.A.” in the July edition of Travel + Leisure magazine. Trowbridge’s is Alabama’s representative on the magazine’s state-by-state guide to summer travel. “Because small-town diners can’t be beat. Florence, Alabama, a well-scrubbed town overlooking the Tennessee River, isn’t retro in that faux-Mayberry sort of way. It’s the real deal. And so is Trowbridge’s, an eight-stool lunch counter where, in 1918, Paul Trowbridge began churning and scooping orange-pineapple ice cream. Ask for their trademark egg-and-olive sandwich, and someone will toast it for you in a stainless-steel press. If you order a white-bread banana sandwich, you get a choice of mayo or peanut butter or both.” – Travel + Leisure. The orange-pineapple ice cream at Trowbridge’s is featured on the Alabama Tourism Department’s “100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die” listing. http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/50-reasons-to-love-the-usa-south-and-southeast

Alabama is spotlighted in the latest issue of the German magazine Motorrad Und Reise.  The 100,000 circulation magazine aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts published a 13-page article tracing the writer’s southern tour through 8 states. The writer began his motorcycle tour in Orlando and continued west to the Alabama Gulf Coast where he “started the morning in Point Clear in Alabama at the first-class Grand Hotel Marriott Resort under dreamlike blue skies along the Gulf of Mexico.” Grey Brennan met with representatives from the publication at the International Travel Berlin (ITB) tourism trade show in March to make arrangements for the Alabama portion of the writer’s trip.

World's Ten Best Biking Trails:

No 2. Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (U.S.A./Canada)
“Upon crossing into Ohio, the route enters Canada at the Peace Bridge near Buffalo, New York. In Ontario, the route follows the shores of Lake Ontario and ends at Owen Sound, a town founded by freedom seekers in 1857.”

The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route honors the bravery of those who fled bondage and those who provided shelter. This route passes points of interest and historic sites along a 2,028-mile corridor. Beginning in Mobile, Alabama – a busy port for slavery during the pre-civil war era – the route goes north following rivers through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Waterways, as well as the North Star, were often used by freedom seekers as a guide in their journeys to escape slavery. Upon crossing into Ohio, the route leaves the river to head toward Lake Erie and enters Canada at the Peace Bridge near Buffalo, New York. In Ontario, the route follows the shores of Lake Ontario and ends at Owen Sound, a town founded by freedom seekers in 1857. Owen Sound is located on the southern side of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/undergroundrailroad.cfm

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/worlds-top-ten-bike-rides.php

The purpose of this project is to develop a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the Lookout Mountain Parkway that is consistent with the requirements laid out in the Alabama Scenic Byway Program Manual. The CMP is a key step in the Designation Phase of the Scenic Byway and it focuses on “protecting, enhancing and managing the resources identified in the Eligibility Application for both present and future conditions.”

The Alabama Scenic Byway Program encourages a “grass roots” approach to the development as well as implementation of the CMP. This approach facilitates the active participation of the community and stakeholders in the Plan, while in the process empowering them to take ownership of the Byway. The consultant, HNTB Corporation,developed the Plan through a participatory process involving the Byway’s Corridor Advocacy Group. The goal of the Lookout Mountain Parkway Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan is to provide a guide for the preservation and enhancement of this roadway and its intrinsic resources.

Real People, Real Places! Northeast Alabama’s Lookout Mountain Parkway Scenic Byway, named by Reader’s Digest as one of America’s Scenic Drives, serves as a gateway to your imagination. Envision a land where real people bring the past alive, with historic town squares, pioneer villages, confederate ironworks, antique shops and Native American folklore and artifacts. Imagine a land of real places burgeoning with untouched natural beauty, with gorges, rivers, lakes, wildlife and scenic waterfalls.

Picture a land ripe with recreational and cultural opportunities, from boating, fishing, skiing and hiking along miles of pristine trails to museums, opera houses and art galleries. All these dreams and more are here today and await visitors along Alabama’s Lookout Mountain Parkway Scenic Byway. Discover why it feels so right! The Lookout Mountain Parkway Corridor Management Plan: LMP_CMP2008.pdf (4 megs)

During the June Saturday Walking Tours 30 cities across Alabama conducted 120 guided tours. This was the sixth year for the free statewide walking tours held at 10 a.m. each Saturday during the month of June. Different civic leaders led the walks through the historic districts or courthouse square areas of their hometowns.
 
Governor Bob Riley praised the work of local communities in conducting this year’s Saturday Walking Tours. “Hometown pride really showed in the time and effort put in across the state,” said Riley. The top attended tours this year took place in Florence, Athens, Fairhope, Guntersville, Tuscumbia, Birmingham, Cullman, Huntsville, Mobile, Scottsboro, and Madison.  More than 2,000 participants joined the tours.
 
“Alabama is the only state in the nation to hold statewide, simultaneous walking tours,” said Brian Jones with the Alabama Tourism Department. “The Saturday Walking Tours program has proven so popular that state tourism has decided to create a year-long marketing campaign based on it. The Year of Small Towns and Downtowns will take place in 2010,” said Jones.
 
More information on the Saturday Walking Tours program is available at www.alabama.travel.  Representatives from cities and towns interested in joining the program next year can contact the Alabama Tourism Department at 1-800-Alabama.

Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department, said the state has benefited as folks stay closer to home this summer. While tourism nationally is reportedly down 3 percent from last year, Alabama has seen tourism revenue rise 3 percent so far in 2008, he said. Alabama tourism expenditures hit a record $9.3 billion last year, up 10 percent from 2006. Though it is unlikely Alabama will maintain the momentum of the double-digit increases of past two years, Sentell said Alabama is faring much better than many other states.
 
"Most Birmingham area families who traditionally vacation at Alabama's beaches won't cancel a trip this summer solely because gasoline cost more than last year," he said. "At $4.07 a gallon, a family traveling from Birmingham would only pay about $45 more and a family from Montgomery only $23 more than last year." Rather than being hurt by gasoline prices, Sentell said Alabama's beaches might actually be attracting more families who traditionally travel to central Florida. "Our beaches have an 85 percent return rate, which is among the highest loyalty rates among the nation's top destinations," Sentell said. http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1214554574111250.xml&coll=2

From the article “Alabama tourism officials marketing state as a cost-efficient vacation destination: Officials capitalize on rising gasoline costs” by Roy L. Williams

International visitation to the U.S. is booming, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce. In the first quarter of 2008, visitation was up 15 percent over the same period last year, and spending was up by 20 percent. This builds on a record-breaking year for international arrivals and receipts in 2007. Over the past year, visitation increased by 18 percent in the East South Central region, which encompasses Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, by 11 percent in the South Atlantic region, and by 4 percent in the West South Central region. View the latest tourism statistics at http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2008-I-001/index.html and http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2007_States_and_Cities.pdf.
from Southern Compass

The deadline for entering events for the printed “2009 Alabama Calendar of Events” is Monday, June 30. If your event has already occurred for this year and you simply want to update your previous listing with new dates, you may e-mail those dates to kory.ward@tourism.alabama.gov.  If your event has not occurred for this year or you have other events to post for 2009, you must submit them directly to our website at http://www.alabama.travel/things-to-do/events/submit.cfm.
 
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Kory Ward at 334-242-4645 or Marilyn Stamps at 334-242-4544; marilyn.stamps@tourism.alabama.gov.  Don’t forget that 2009 is the Year of Alabama History, so please remember to check the designation on the form for any history-related events.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

The roads less traveled in Alabama are often our most beautiful. Everyone uses roads—they’re the backbone of our transportation system and without them, not much could get done. They’re how we get to work… how groceries get to market. But they are so much more, particularly when we open our eyes. Roads are how the world sees us. Roads are how impressions are made. Mostly, we see the world through our windshield.

Take the old-fashioned Sunday drive. No one got into the car after lunch on Sunday expecting to go anywhere—it wasn’t the destination that mattered, just that the wheels rolled and the scenery went by.

It is the idea of a Sunday afternoon drive that is the foundation of any pleasurable drive. If you’ve ever gone riding just to ride, you know. You know too if you’ve been on one of America’s most well known scenic drives, the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. The road IS the destination. Over ten million visitors drive some part of this 430 mile Parkway every year, stopping to purchase gas, food, crafts, lodging and services along the way.