Featuring North America’s Leading Travel Destinations
Mountains & Valleys
2 • Byways
Instant Connect
Direct one-click digital links to our Advertisers
Byways Magazine
ŠCopyright 2014 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher.
Byways Magazine is celebrating its 31st year of publication in 2014, featuring the leading travel destinations along the highways and byways of North America. In 2010, Byways became an all digital publication. It is published in two versions, a free Turn-Key edition on the web for viewing on Computers, Android, iPhone and iPad. An Apple Newsstand/App Store edition including sound and interactive video is also available. All advertising and editorial is included in both versions of the publication. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine 42 Cabin Hill Lane Mount Jackson, VA 22842 Fax 540-477-3858 800-469-0062
http://bywaysmagazine.com
Byways • 3
W
PREVIEW By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher
Mount McKinley is the third most prominent peak in elcome to the Mountains & the world after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. Valleys issue of Byways. Most people visit the park via the National Park In the Ozark Mountains of Service’s buses that travel the lone access road into the Missouri and Northwestern Arkansas, park. The buses provide excellent opportunities to view we learn that these mountains are actuthe 37 species of wildlife that reside in the park. Grizzly ally a high and deeply dissected plateau. and black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, red fox, lynx, The Ozark Highlands area, covering wolverine, snowshoe hare, marmots and Dall sheep can nearly 47,000 square miles, is by far the most extensive mountainous region between the Appalachians and the all be seen while traveling the Park road. Our second theme of this issue involves military histoRocky Mountains. ry. Our first stop memorializes an event that took place But Ozark also refers to the distinctive culture of the in Europe in 1944 during World War II. This year is the area, and we learn about that culture at Arkansas’ Ozark 70th anniversary of the D-Day landing, the allied invaFolk Center, where pioneer ways are preserved and dission of France which signaled the turning point of the played for visitors. European War. Next, we’re off to the It is being observed in New River Gorge in West the United States at the Virginia, featuring the D-Day Memorial in spectacular New River Bedford, Virginia. It Bridge which spans the serves as the national New River. Despite its memorial for American name, it’s actually the D-Day veterans. oldest river in North However, its scope is America. international in that it We’ll visit on Bridge serves, “In Tribute to Day, which is one of the the valor, fidelity and most unusual events you sacrifice of Allied will find anywhere. Join Forces on D-Day, June in as BASE jumpers leap The New River Gorge in West Virginia 6, 1944.” off the bridge all day, Bedford was selected with plenty of height for for the National D-Day memorial because the town suftheir parachutes to deploy before reaching the valley fered the greatest per capita loss of life during the invabelow. Heading west, our next stop is the Black Hills of South sion of any town in United States. The War of 1812 was already into its third year when Dakota. More incredible scenery as we stand upon it reached Southern Maryland and led to one of the darkHarney Peak, the highest spot in the region. Enjoy the est chapters in American history. sweeping views of the Black Hills National Forest and On August, 1814 a huge British naval force of more get a view of four states, South Dakota, Nebraska, than 45 ships sailed up the Patuxent River. This was the Wyoming, and Montana. largest naval force ever to enter Southern Maryland It is here in the Black Hills that sculptor Gutzon waters. From these ships 4,000 British troops landed at Borglum carved Mount Rushmore, one of America’s Benedict, in Calvert County, marched overland, defeatgreat monuments. ed American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg, and Take a side trip to Deadwood, and discover the fasciproceeded on to the nation’s capital, where they captured nating history of this gaming mecca. and burned Washington, D.C. Our final stop on our journey is North to Alaska, where In What’s Happening, we rediscover the legend of we visit Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. Patsy Cline in Winchester, Virginia and learn how Living Mount McKinley is the most popular feature in the park. Museums have come alive in the Pioneer Valley of Called Denali, or the Great One by the Athabascan Massachusetts. Indians, its peak rises 20,320 feet above sea level, makWe hope you enjoy this issue of Byways. ing it the highest point on the North American continent. 4 • Byways
Byways • 5
6 • Byways
Volume 31, Issue No. 2, 2014 On the cover. The view from the bridgewalk on the New River Bridge overlooking West Virginia’s spectacular New River Gorge. Photo courtesy Visit Southern West Virginia. For more on our Mountains and Valleys issue, turn to page 8. For more on the New River George in Southern West Virginia, turn to page 12. Mountains & Valleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Ozarks of Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Ozark Folk Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 West Virginia’s New River Gorge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Black Hills of South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Alaska’s Mount McKinley & Denali. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Military History 70th Anniversary of D-Day Observed at U.S. Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 The War of 1812 Reaches Southern Maryland & Washington is Burned!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Features
Departments
Byways Instant Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Free Byways Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
What’s Happening
Becoming Patsy Cline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Living Museums Come Alive in Massachussets Pioneer Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Coming in future issues of Byways…. . .Mountains and Valleys, Rivers and Lakes, Ocean Views, Great American Roads, and much more! At right: Oceans Views, featuring destinations along the highways and byways of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf will be highlighted in the next issue of Byways. At right, the pier at Cocoa Beach, Florida. Byways • 7
The Buffalo National River near Steel Creek Overlook in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. 8 • Byways
Mountains & Valleys
Byways • 9
T
The Ozarks
he Ozark Mountains, and the Ozark Plateau are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States, covering much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas. Although referred to as the Ozark Mountains, the region is actually a high and deeply dissected plateau. Geologically, the area is a broad dome around the Saint Francois Mountains. The Ozark Highlands area, covering nearly 47,000 square miles, is by far the most extensive mountainous region between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. The Boston Mountains contain the highest elevations of the Ozarks with peaks over 2,500 feet and form the greatest relief of any formation between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. The Boston Mountains portion of the Ozarks extends north of the Arkansas River Valley 20 to 35 miles and is approximately 200 miles. Ozark also refers to the distinctive culture, architecture, and dialect shared by the people who live on the plateau. Early settlers in Missouri were American pioneers who came West from the Southern Appalachians at the beginning of the 19th century, followed in the 1840s and 1850s by Irish and German immigrants. Much of the Ozark population is of English, ScotsIrish, and German descent, often including some Native American ancestry, and the Ozark families from which the regional culture derived tend to have lived in the area 10 • Byways
The Ozark Mountains in North Central Arkansas.
since the 19th century. Early settlers relied on hunting, fishing, and trapping, as well as foraging to supplement their diets and incomes. Today hunting and fishing for recreation are common activities and an important part of the tourist industry. Traditional Ozark culture includes stories and tunes passed orally between generations through community music parties and other informal gatherings. Many of these tunes and tales can be traced to having British origins and to German folklore. Square dances were an important social avenue throughout the Ozarks into the 20th century. Square dances sprang up wherever people concentrated around mills and timber camps, springs, fords, and in towns small and large.
The Ozark Folk Center
M
ountain View, Arkansas has been called the “Folk Music Capital of the World.” Each evening, when the weather is mild, the town square fills with guitar pickers, banjo players and fiddlers, who play old-time mountain music.
Ozark pioneer ways are preserved and displayed for visitors at the nearby Ozark Folk Center State Park from April through October. During the day, more than 20 artisans demonstrate homestead skills such as quilting, preserving, pottery making, woodcarving, and basket making and weaving. Each evening, musicians and dancers take stage in the center’s theater for nostalgic musical variety shows of authentic Ozark music and dancing. Nearby, the underground splendor, Blanchard Springs Caverns, has been called “the cave find of the 20th century.” A popular addition to the regular tours at the caverns is the "Wild Cave Tours" where the more adventuresome can explore the undeveloped areas of the cave. Arkansas's unique Ozark Folk Center State Park is America's only facility that works at preserving the Ozark heritage and sharing it in an entertaining way. Tap your toes to mountain music at one of your favorite Arkansas state parks located in Mountain View, Arkansas in the heart of the Ozarks. See blacksmithing, pottery-making and more than 18 other pioneer skills and crafts. The Craft Village is open Tuesday through Saturday from April through November. Music occupies very special places in the hearts of Ozark Mountain folk. The songs of the south and the folk dance tunes of the region provide a looking glass offering a treasured glimpse of history of American folk music in Arkansas. The fiddle and banjo were favorite Byways • 11
12 • Byways
sources of entertainment for pioneer settlers, and these two popular American folk instruments still sing out among the sounds one hears today when visiting the beautiful Ozarks. Guitars, mandolins, dulcimers, autoharps and other acoustic instruments join to create the old-time music that is still enjoyed to this very day in scenic Mountain View, the heart of the Ozark folk music scene. Celebrity performers and Ozark musicians fill our large auditorium with the sounds of traditional southern mountain music. String band instruments, ballads and Celtic roots dances fill the stage. Join in the dances and sing along with the familiar tunes. The Ozark Folk Center Crafts Village has over 20 artisans demonstrating Ozark Heritage crafts and the everyday skills used by Ozark Mountain people in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These skills have become Arkansas heritage crafts - basket weaving, broom making, blacksmithing, pottery making, knife making, weaving, quilting, wood carving, spinning, soap making, dress making, herb gardening, coopering, doll making, candle making, wood turning, and more.
The blacksmith at Ozark Folk Center.
The Ozark Folk Center is home to one of the most diverse organic herb gardens in the nation and is made up of many different types of gardens planted throughout the park. Most of our herbs are propagated in a 20 X 36 greenhouse located in a secluded area outside of the Craft Village. For the young and young at heart try a treetop adventure at the Loco Ropes high ropes course located adjacent to the parking lot at the Ozark Folk Center. See the Ozarks from a whole new perspective and don't miss the The Flying Pig ZipLine! Individuals and groups welcome. Visit historic downtown Mountain View, Arkansas, the “Folk Music Capital of the World.” Explore the awesome Blanchard Springs caverns. Go trout fishing on the White River or float the Buffalo National Scenic River, and enjoy other nearby attractions. Come to the Ozark Folk Center for a great “learn while you have fun” vacation or a relaxing weekend getaway in the beauty of the Ozarks. For more information, visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com Byways • 13
14 • Byways
West Virginia’s New River Gorge
The New River Gorge Bridge and rafting on the New River. The 4th longest single-span steel arch bridge in the world spans the New River where thousands of adventure seekers whitewater raft each season. Photo courtesy Visit Southern West Virginia. Byways • 15
16 • Byways
BASE jumpers leap from any and all of four fixed objects with parachutes designed specifically for rapid deployment. Known around the world as the most extreme of extreme sports, BASE jumpers look forward to Bridge Day ÂŽ every year. Photo courtesy New River George CVB.
W
hen you walk out onto The New River Gorge Bridge during Bridge Day, you’ll be standing over one of the oldest river gorges on Earth. By most accounts, the New River Gorge is about 345 million years old. That makes it the top contender for being the first river in North America. The New River Gorge in West Virginia averages between 700 and 1300 feet deep. The gorge was formed solely due to erosion; there were no glaciers in the area like those that carved out similar gorges in other parts of the world. This part of the gorge is characterized by steep walls, huge boulders, and an exposed cliff band along the gorge’s rim. The river itself is steep for its size. In the 85 miles of New River in West Virginia, the river drops a total of 850 feet on average. Most of that gradient is concentrated right here in the gorge. It’s the drop in elevation that makes for the New River’s outstanding whitewater. 876 feet. That’s the amount of vertical space that exists between The New River Gorge Bridge and the water. Below is a tribute to nature’s wonder. Above is a modern engineering miracle. Bridge Day celebrates both, and all the space between. In the 1960s Corridor L, which is Route 19, began construction, and it had to cross the New River Gorge. The only question was how. The answer was to build what was then the largest arch bridge in the world. Construction began in 1974 and was completed 3 years later in 1977. It was opened to the public in October of that year.
To learn more about the New River Gorge, visit www.newrivergorgecvb.com Bridge Day is one of the largest extreme sports event in the world, and is held annually on the third Saturday in October in Fayette County, West Virginia. Hundreds of BASE jumpers and nearly 80,000 spectators are expected to attend the event. This year’s Bridge Day Festival takes place on Saturday, October 18, 2014. The 876’ tall New River Gorge Bridge, serves as the launch point for six hours (9am-3pm EST) of safe, legal BASE jumps.This is the only day of the year that traffic is shut down and spectators can safely and legally walk across the world’s second longest single arch bridge. Vehicular traffic on the Bridge will be closed from 7am until approximately 5pm. Time is on your side, at least for six hours! Come and enjoy the view from the best overlook in the New River Gorge. Enjoy browsing through hundreds of vendors’ booths to find just the right souvenir for the day. Feeling brave? Check out Bridge BASE Jumping or Rappel and Highline Information. For more on Bridge Day, visit http://officialbridgeday.com
Bridge Day
Long Point, an easily accessible viewing point of the New River Gorge and New River Gorge Bridge. A moderate 1.5 mile hike. Photo courtesy Visit Southern West Virginia.
Byways • 17
Thousands of visitors walk the New River Bridge on Bridge Day. The event is held the third weekend in October. Photo courtesy New River Gorge CVB. 18 • Byways
Byways • 19
The view from Harney Peak, which towers over the Black Hills of South Dakota. Photo courtesy South Dakota Department of Tourism. 20 • Byways
The Black Hills of South Dakota
Byways • 21
I
Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills. Photo courtesy South Dakota Department of Tourism.
n the Black Hills of South Dakota there is one point that stands well above the rest. At an elevation of 7,242 ft. above sea level, Harney Peak towers over the pine tree clad hills and is one of South Dakota’s Great Places. Named for General William S. Harney in the 1850s, Harney Peak was once a mysterious location that was difficult to reach. Today Harney Peak offers many trail heads that are easily accessible. On top of Harney Peak is a structure formerly used as a wildfire lookout. It is now used for visitors to take in the sweeping views of the Black Hills National Forest and get a view of four states, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. 22 • Byways
Harney Peak is not only the tallest point in South Dakota, but also the tallest point east of the Rocky Mountains, including the Alleghenies and the Appalachians. Through a sea of towering pine trees and granite peaks, a memorial like no other exists. It combines a man-made wonder with the natural scenic landscape of Black Hills National Forest. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of South Dakota’s -- and America’s -- Great Places. Rising 500 feet above, visitors are awed by the four faces stoically looking upon hills covered in pine, spruce, aspen, and birch trees. The granite faces of George Washington (1st presi-
dent), Thomas Jefferson (3rd president), Theodore Roosevelt (26th president), and Abraham Lincoln (16th president) are carved into a mountain. The memorial is considered America’s Shrine of Democracy. Nearly three million visitors come to Mount Rushmore National Memorial each year. Mount Rushmore took 14 years to complete after drilling began on the mountainside in 1927 by sculptor Gutzon Borglum. It also cost only $1 million. Today the memorial is deemed priceless. The caves found in the Black Hills are among the oldest and longest in the world and form one of the largest concentrations of cave passageways on the planet; all are limestone and boast a variety of rare formations. While most haven’t been fully explored, there are several caves throughout the area that are open for the public to experience and enjoy. Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument are both managed by the National Park Service, while the rest of the caves found in the Black Hills are privately owned. Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world and Wind Cave, boasting the world’s largest collection of boxwork formations, was the first to be designated a National Park. One of South Dakota’s Great Places is the second largest state park in America, home to one of the world’s largest publicly-owned bison herds, and known for interesting landscapes. It is Custer State Park, located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Custer State Park’s 1,300 bison have 71,000 acres to roam. Other wildlife, including pronghorn, elk, mountain goats, prairie dogs, and the park’s entertainers -- the begging burros -- also can be found at the park. It’s a place where visitors can see the wildlife, up-close and personal, along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road.
The Needles in Custer State Park. Photo courtesy South Dakota Department of Tourism.
Byways • 23
24 • Byways
The annual Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park. Photo courtesy South Dakota Department of Tourism. Byways • 25
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Photo courtesy South Dakota Department of Tourism.
The park is not only known for the wildlife, but also the breathtaking scenic views around each corner. From granite formations, known as “The Needles,” to sweeping prairie backdrops and curving creeks, visitors will find the unexpected. Heading into the “backwoods” doesn’t usually involve high quality theater productions performed by professional actors and artists; but at the Black Hills Playhouse, that is exactly what theater-goers discover.
The Black Hills Playhouse. Photo courtesy South Dakota Deparment of Tourism.
26 • Byways
Nestled amongst the Black Hills in Custer State Park, the theater is located near famous attractions such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial and can be found via favorite scenic roads such as Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. Each summer, theater professionals, students and enthusiasts flock to the Black Hills to participate in and watch a variety of musical, comedy and drama productions. Previous productions included “Godspell” and
“Run for Your Wife”. July and August productions include the “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “The Three Musketeers”. The sound of growling engines, the smell of exhaust and the glint of sunlight off chrome are just a few of the elements that make up this South Dakota Great Place. It’s the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Clarence Hoel and members of the Jackpine Gypsie Motorcycle Club established the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 1938. At first, the Rally was just a weekend celebration with less than two dozen racers participating in a handful of events. Today, average attendance is in the hundreds of thousands, with the largest estimated attendance of more than The historic Franklin Hotel in Deadwood. 600,000 at the 60th Anniversary in 2000. Based out of the small community (approximately 6,400) of Sturgis, Poker Alice, made this town legendary. Come and disSouth Dakota, this annual rally officially runs for seven cover the lure of Deadwood. days in August. In 1988, South Dakotans voted to allow limited-stake gaming in the town of Deadwood. A year later, the first Deadwood slots were pulled and the cards were dealt, touching off a rush of fortune seekers just like in the days History and Gaming in of the Black Hills Gold Rush. In just eight months, $145 Deadwood million in bets were waged in the historic town. In 2000, South Dakota voters passed a bet limit hike With ongoing restoration, Deadwood is being transfrom $5 to $100 in Deadwood’s gaming halls, drawing formed back into the frontier town that once drew legeven more visitors to the Wild West Town. ends and legions in search of their fortune. The entire Since the legalization of gaming, over one billion doltown is a Registered National Historic Landmark, but lars in tax revenue has gone to support historic preservadon’t let that fool you. Behind all the historic facades is plenty of modern-day fun. The famous and infamous tion, tourism and state and local governments in South have left their marks here. Men, like Wild Bill Hickok Dakota. and Seth Bullock, and women, like Calamity Jane and
Byways • 27
Mount McKinley from a distance with highway in view. Photo Courtesy © State of Alaska & Frank Flavin.
Alaska’s Mount McKinley & Denali National Park 28 • Byways
Byways • 29
A
short two hour drive south of Fairbanks, leads one into the heart of the Alaska Mountain Range and Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali National Park is truly one of the last great frontiers for wilderness adventure. Mount McKinley is the most popular feature in the park. Called Denali, or the Great One by the Athabascan Indians, its peak rises 20,320 feet above sea level, making it the highest point on the North American continent. Denali’s northern peak is the second highest peak in North America with an elevation of 19,470. Mount McKinley is the third most prominent peak in the world after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. There is a vast array of activities and learning experiences for visitors of all ages in Denali National Park. Visitors almost always want to stay longer because there is so much to see and do in the area. For the adventuresome, take a flightseeing trip via plane or helicopter through the mountain passes or around Denali’s peak. Mountaineering is popular during the spring and early summer. Or try river rafting in the nearby Nenana River on a warm afternoon. Camping, backcountry hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are all enjoyable activities in the park also. Most people visit the park via the Park Service’s buses that travel the lone access road into the park. Because the National Park Service wants to preserve the Park as 30 • Byways
Visitors on a horse drawn carriage outside Denali Princess Lodge. Photo courtesy © State of Alaska & Frank Flavin.
naturally as possible, these buses are used along the access road past the Savage River check station, 15 miles into the Park. However, these buses provide excellent opportunities to view the 37 species of wildlife that reside in the park. Grizzly and black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, red fox, lynx, wolverine, snowshoe hare, marmots and Dall sheep can all be seen while traveling the Park road. Along with wildlife viewing, there are naturalist programs led by park rangers which include walks, hikes, campfire programs and sled dog demonstrations. Many people enjoy learning about Denali’s unusual terrain and geological features. The area consists of taiga, or northern evergreen forests, with sparse, thin spruce and tundra. The tundra areas consist of dwarfed shrubs and wildflowers. Denali’s unique sub-arctic region is home to over 650 species of flowering plants along with mosses, lichens and algae. These plants are hardy and have had to adapt to the cold harsh winter. In the valleys birch, poplar and aspen turn the area green in summer and golden in fall. Open areas are filled with blueberries, which the bears enjoy, and willows, which the moose feed on year-round. Geologically, the Alaska Mountain Range including Denali was formed millions of years ago, when two tectonic plates collided causing the Denali Fault. This 1300-mile fault stretches from the Yukon border down
A motorcoach crosses a bridge with Mount McKinley in background. Photo courtesy © State of Alaska & Frank Flavin. Byways • 31
the Aleutian Chain and includes many volcanoes. Glaciers are common throughout the Alaska Range because cold temperatures prevent snow and ice from melting. Over fifty percent of Denali itself is covered with permanent snowfields and glaciers that surround its base. Some people like to bus to the end of the park road at mile 89 and explore the old mining town of Kantishna. Gold was discovered in the Kantishna area beginning in 1903 and within two years, more claims were found and staked. Once word spread to Fairbanks about the new find, thousands came to the area and mining towns grew overnight. Eureka, which was the original town, is now called Kantishna. During the winter, Denali is still officially open, though many facilities are closed. A road lottery in the fall allows people to drive the length of the park road and see the beautiful golden hills and red ground cover. By April, the road is open to Mile 15 and, as crews work, the road is again open to private vehicles until mid-May. Winter in Denali is a beautiful, quiet, serene time to visit. Although the road is closed to cars in the winter, the park remains open for those who might like to try cross-country skiing, dog mushing or snowshoeing. Snowmachines are allowed in most park areas throughout the winter. 32 • Byways
A traffic jam in Denali National Park.
A single road leads into Denali National Park.
Byways • 33
70th Anniversary of D-Day Observed at U.S. Memorial
34 • Byways
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. Photos by Stephen Kirchner.
Byways • 35
T
his year represents the 70th anniversary of the the United States. It is hard to conceive the epic scope of this decisive Normandy landing and the invasion of Europe battle that foreshadowed the end of Hitler’s dream of during World War II. The events are being Nazi domination. Overlord was the largest air, land, and observed in North America at the The National D-Day sea operation undertaken before or since June 6, 1944. Memorial located in Bedford, Virginia. It serves as the national memorial for American D-Day veterans. However, its scope is international in that it states, “In Tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of Allied Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944” and commends all Allied Armed Forces during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. The memorial opened on June 6, 2001. It borders the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia, an area comprising 88 acres that overlooks the town of Bedford. Bedford was selected for the Names of the United States' National D-Day memorial losses appear on the west because the town suffered the necrology wall of the central greatest per capita loss of life durplaza. ing the invasion of any town in 36 • Byways
Gray Plaza reflects the landing and fighting stages of the invasion.
The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 service men. After years of meticulous planning and seemingly endless training for the Allied Forces, it all came down to this: The boat ramp goes down, then jump, swim, run,
and crawl to the cliffs. Many of the first young men (most not yet 20 years old) entered the surf carrying eighty pounds of equipment. They faced over 200 yards of beach before reaching the first natural feature offering any protection. Blanketed by small-arms fire and brack-
Byways • 37
The Overlord Arch dominates the D-Day Memorial Site.
eted by artillery, they found themselves in hell. When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Fortress Europe had been breached. The memorial is a continuum of three distinct plazas which follow on a timeline. The first plaza, Reynold’s Garden, symbolizes the planning and preparation activities for the invasion through the execution of the order for the invasion. It is in the shape of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force combat patch. The second level, Gray Plaza, reflects the landing and fighting stages of the invasion. It includes what is called the invasion pool with beach obstacles in the water, sculptures of soldiers struggling ashore, and a representation of the Higgins craft used for the invasion. This section includes intermittent jets of water spurting from the pool replicating the sights and sounds of sporadic gunfire. The names of the United States’ losses appear on the west necrology wall of the central plaza, and the rest of the Allies’ losses on the east necrology wall. 38 • Byways
The flags of all nations which participated in the D-Day invasion are flown at the Memorial.
A Higgins air craft used in the invasion
The last and uppermost plaza, Estes Plaza, celebrates victory and includes the Overlord Arch and the twelve flags of those Allied nations that served in the Allied Expeditionary Force. The Overlord Arch represents the victory of Operation Overlord and bears the invasion date of June 6, 1944. The memorial is open Monday through Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00pm. In addition to the memorial’s static displays, on several weekends throughout the year, the memorial hosts events relating to remembering World War II. Examples of such events have included a weekend long encampment of World War II re-enactors and a World War IIstyle religious mass in addition to Memorial, Veteran’s, and D-Day activities. For additional information on 70th anniversary events visit: http://www.dday.org For information on visiting Bedford, visit: http://www.VisitBedford.com Byways • 39
The War of 1812 Reaches Southern Maryland & Washington is Burned
“The burned-out shell of a once elegant and imposing house stands alone in the landscape. It is the White House as it looked following the conflagration of August 24, 1814, the low point of the War of 1812. The fire was the work of British troops, the first -- and only -- foreign army to invade the capital city of the United States.”
I
The President's House by George Munger.
n the early 1800s, the United States was a very young American history. It was the first, and only time in American history, country, had won its independence from Britain, but when the capital of the country was captured, occupied, was hampered by England’s unfavorable trade and burned by a foreign power. restrictions imposed upon the former colonies. In addition, British troops occupied disputed territory along the Great Lakes and were suspected of backing Native American raids against American settlers on the frontier, and of capturing and forcing American sailors into service on the high seas. The result was the War of 1812, declared by the United States against Great Britain, that began June 18, 1812 and ended on February 16, 1815 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Because the U.S. sought to win the war by taking Canada, the principal theater of the war was located on the Candian-American border. But the Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf Coast, and the high seas were also important theaters. Before the rockets red glare over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, before Andrew Jackson became a national hero at the Battle of New Orleans, the Patuxent River in the Southern Maryland counties of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s provided easy water access for British raiding parties, which led to one of the darkest periods in 40 • Byways
The war had a major impact on Southern Maryland and Calvert County. During their push to Washington, D.C. as part of the Chesapeake Campaign, British raiding parties seized supplies from county citizens and set fire to local farms. The courthouse was burned down. The largest naval engagement in the history of Maryland raged for two days in St. Leonard Creek as British and American forces traded cannon and musket shot. At sea, the powerful Royal Navy blockaded much of the coastline, though it was allowing substantial exports from New England, which traded with Canada in defiance of American laws. The blockade devastated American agricultural exports, but it helped stimulate local factories that replaced goods previously imported. The American strategy of using small gunboats to defend ports was a fiasco, as the British raided the coast at will. One of the most famous naval battles in Maryland history took place against British forces in the Patuxent River in 1814. Of the few large naval vessels in the American Navy, none could be spared for defense of the Chesapeake Bay. This was left to Commodore
The Patuxent River in Southern Maryland played a key role in the War of 1812, allowing a British Naval Armada to sail within striking distance of the U.S. capital.
Byways • 41
The Manor House at Sotterley Plantation.
Joshua Barney and the small flotilla of barges under his command. These barges were rowed by oarsmen and it was thought that they would have an advantage over the wind-driven British ships. However the American barges were forced to find haven in St. Leonard Creek, which was too small for British ships. The British put ashore many raiding parties that burned and destroyed much property. Many of the old plantation homes were burned or badly damaged. The most important event in Southern Maryland occurred in August, 1814, when a huge British naval force of more than 45 ships sailed up the Patuxent. This was the largest naval force ever to enter Southern Maryland waters. From these ships 4,000 British troops landed at Benedict, in Calvert County, marched overland, defeated American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg, and proceeded on to the nation’s capital, where they captured Washington, D.C. While First Lady Dolley Madison saved valuables from the Presidential Mansion, President James Madison was forced to flee to Virginia. British commanders ate the supper that had been prepared for the President before they burned the Presidential Mansion; American morale was reduced to an all-time low. The British viewed their actions as retaliation for destructive American raids into Canada, most notably the Americans’ burning of York (now Toronto) in 1813. Later that same evening, a furious storm swept into Washington, D.C., sending one or more tornadoes into the city that caused more damage but finally extin42 • Byways
guished the fires with torrential rains. The naval yards were set afire at the direction of U.S. officials to prevent the capture of naval ships and supplies. The British left Washington, D.C. as soon as the storm subsided. Having destroyed Washington’s public buildings, including the President’s Mansion and the Treasury, the British army
Sotterley Plantation was the mustering site for militia coming to the aid of the US. Chesapeake Flotilla in June, 1814. The 100 acre Sotterley Plantation is the sole surviving Tidewater plantation in Maryland open to the public.
next moved north in a failed attempt to capture Baltimore. Following the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, news of the peace treaty took two months to reach the U.S., during which fighting continued. But the end of the war brought a period of national unity and an “Era of Good
Feelings” in the U.S., as well as in Canada, which had prevented annexation to the U.S. and secured its own future. Finally, it opened a long era of peaceful relations between the United States and the British Empire which continues to this day. This summer marks the 200th anniversary of the war’s pivotal Southern Maryland battles. Calvert County’s Star-Spangled Celebration, with generous support from The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, commemorates the anniversary with a host of exhibits and events, culminating in a stirring Tall Ship Invasion and the thrilling 1812 Fair and Re-enactment June 21-22. Tall ships are coming to Solomons! The Calvert Marine Museum has enlisted four tall ships to participate in the celebration of the bicentennial. For event details, historical snapshots of the conflict and more, visit ChooseCalvert.com/1812 .
British troops attacked Leonardtown. Interpretive signage can be seen at the Leonardtown Wharf Public Park.
The Calvert Marine Museum and Drum Point Lighthouse, Solomon’s Island, Maryland. The museum maintains a number of artifacts documenting the War of 1812’s dramatic role in Patuxent River history.
Byways • 43
T
Becoming Patsy Cline
The Patsy Cline display at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
he exhibition Becoming Patsy Cline is the story of Pieces,” and “Sweet Dreams,” endures today. Though Patsy Cline lived only 30 years, she spent local girl Virginia “Ginny” Patterson most of her life in the Shenandoah Valley. There she Hensley before she became music icon Patsy dreamed of becoming a professional singer and began to Cline, the Shenandoah Valley’s most globally recogrealize that dream. Organized by the MSV in partnership nized personality and an American music legend. with Ceorganized to date. Evans notes that the Museum The exhibit at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley has wanted to tell Patsy Cline’s Shenandoah Valley stohas already proven to be so popular that museum officials recently announced it will be held over the first ry since opening in 2005 and adds that the exhibition has been three years in the making. week in July, Becoming Patsy Cline is the first museum exhibition Acknowledged by many as the most popular and influential female country singer in recording history, Patsy Cline (1932–1963) was the first female solo artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Despite a career that was cut short by her tragic death at the age of 30, Patsy Cline recorded 102 songs and three, full-length albums. Her recordings have sold millions of copies worldwide; she has a star on Hollywood Boulevard and her own stamp with the U.S. Postal Service. Patsy Cline also has received numerous posthumous honors and has been the subject of biographies, musicals, plays, and a feature film. Fifty years after her death, the popularity of her hit recordings, such as The Patsy Cline House in Winchester, VA is listed on the “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After National Register of Historic Places in the United States. Midnight,” “I Fall to 44 • Byways
to focus primarily on the singer’s early years. play in Becoming Patsy Cline. In addition, members of According to MSV Executive Director Dana Hand the singer’s family have loaned objects, clothing, and Evans, Becoming Patsy Cline is the most ambitious exhi- rare photographs to the MSV for the exhibition. bition the MSV has organized to date. Becoming Patsy For more on Winchester: Cline is the first museum exhibition to focus primarily http://www.visitwinchesterva.com on the singers early years. Filling the MSV’s newly redesigned, 2,600-squarefoot Changing Exhibitions Gallery, it is also the largest display about Patsy Cline ever presented in her hometown of Winchester.
g n i n e p p a H s ’ t Wha
Evans credits the Museum’s partnership with Winchesterbased CPC, the support of Patsy Cline’s husband Charlie Dick and their son and daughter, Randy Dick and Julie Fudge, as key elements in making the groundbreaking exhibition possible. Evans also notes that the MSV received critical underwriting support for Becoming Patsy Cline from Grove’s Winchester Harley–Davidson, Shenandoah Country Q102, and Winchester Printers, Inc. The not-for-profit CPC organization, which owns and operates the Patsy Cline Historic House in Winchester, has provided its extensive collection of artifacts for dis-
The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Photo courtesy Winchester-Frederick Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Byways • 45
Antique Car Rally at Old Sturbridge Village. Photo courtesy Old Sturbridge Village.
L
guests who can also meet heritage breed farm animals. OSV offers several dining options, like hearty sit-down New England-style meals served up at the Oliver Wight Tavern, and less formal dining that includes soups, sandwiches, salads and other lunch favorites found at the iving museums, sites where historical events Bullard Tavern Cafeteria and The Village Café. showing lifestyles from earlier times are perBe sure to make time for the Museum Gift Shop and formed or historical settings are faithfully recreat- New England Book Store. The museum also offers speed, are well-represented in Massachusetts’ Pioneer cific programs for youth visitors including “Hop Into Valley. History” and “Discovery Adventures,” and has a yearGroup tours have frequently visited these stops which round roster of events, including Girl Scout Day/Boy allow visitors to literally time travel and enjoy not only Scout Day (April), Antique Car Rally (June), Antique the inspiring attractions themselves that reflect earlier Carriage Rally (June), Independence Day Celebrations New England days, but the hospitable and contemporary (July), Textile Weekend (August), Agricultural cities and towns that house them. Living museums are Exhibition (September), Apple Days (October), a speakan engaging way to interact with history up close and ers series and much more. personal, and the Pioneer Valley, located just east of the OSV’s stated mission is to provide modern Americans Berkshires, has several great options to explore. with a deepened understanding of their own times The first stop, in Sturbridge, MA, is Old Sturbridge through a personal encounter with New England’s past, Village. The largest outdoor history museum in the and countless annual visitors can attest to the success of Northeast, Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) recreates a their efforts. rural New England town of the 1830s. More than 40 Traveling westward to the heart of the Pioneer Valley, original buildings are situated among 200 scenic acres the next stop is Storrowton Village Museum, part of the including a district school, bank, working farm, country Eastern States Exposition grounds in West Springfield, story, homes, meetinghouses, three water-powered mills MA. This authentic, recreated village of nine 18th and and trade shops. 19th century buildings from Massachusetts and New Authentically costumed staff members are on hand to Hampshire is assembled around a traditional town green demonstrate basic chores of that era and interact with including a Blacksmith’s shop, a one-room schoolhouse
Living Museums Come Alive In Massachusetts Pioneer Valley
46 • Byways
and an enchanting gift shop. Seniors will appreciate the close proximity of the buildings and the easy navigability of Storrowton. Mealtimes are memorable at Storrowton Tavern, which serves New England & Continental cuisine in five unique dining rooms furnished with period antiques and family heirlooms that provide an authentic tavern setting. Visitors should also step inside the Storrowton Village Gift Shop and see their collection of Byers Choice Carolers, Willow Tree Angels, Yankee Candles, braided rugs and a wide variety of gifts. Groups can enjoy a guided tour with hands-on activities available. Storrowton offers a variety of educational programs for students Pre-K through high school, including “A Day Away in the Past,” in which youngsters dress in period costumes and participate in old-fashioned activities, craft projects and games for an Early American experience.
The church at Storrowton Village. Photo courtesy Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Old Sturbrige Village.
These sessions are usually held during school vacation weeks. Other 2014 events include tours of Aunt Helen’s Herb Garden Tour (July), Early American Summer Days (August), Tales From Haunted New England (October), Yuletide at Storrowton, Yuletide Open House Tours and Yuletide by Lantern Light (December). The trip then heads north for a final stop at Historic Deerfield in Deerfield, MA. Visitors can explore 12 antique houses (11 of which are on their original sites) that were built between 1730 and 1850. Historic Deerfield has a dual mission of educating the public about the lifestyles of the diverse people who lived in its Connecticut River Valley setting long ago and of preserving antique buildings and collections of regional furniture, silver, textiles and other decorative arts. Many of these rare items are found in the Flynt Center for Early American Life, a state-of-the-art museum facility featuring exhibitions and a visible storage area modeled on those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Groups can also enjoy a meal at Champney’s Restaurant & Tavern, browse the Museum Gift Shop and Bookstore, and take in scenic views of farmland along Channing Blake Footpath. Another highlight is The Cook’s Garden, which serves as a source of fresh ingredients for the museum’s open hearth cooking demonstrations and classes, and contains an assortment of useful plants commonly found in New England during the 18th and early 19th centuries. No matter what the interest, the age level, or the pursuits, group tours of all kinds will have an exceptional and unforgettable visitor experience in the Pioneer Valley. For regional information, visit http://www.valleyvisitor.com Byways • 47
Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed electronically throughout North America. Byways is emailed to more than 4000 tour operators plus selected travel agencies through the internet. Subscriptions are complimentary. An iPad & iPhone version is available for consumers in iTunes and Newsstand in the App Store. Byways’ distribution includes motorcoach companies, tour operators, and selected travel agents, bank travel managers, school band and athletic planners, and meeting planners. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine, 42 Cabin Hill Lane, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Telephone 540477-3202. Fax 540-477-3858. Toll-free 800-469-0062. ©Copyright 2014 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher. Editor and Publisher Stephen M. Kirchner
Advertising Director 1.800.469.0062 • 540.477.3202 • Fax 540.477.3858
Internet: bywaysmagazine.com byways@motorcoach.com Byways on Facebook Byways on Twitter
Advertisers Index Bedford Welcome Center, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Best Western Colorado River Inn, California. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Byways Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Frontier Culture Museum, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
motorcoach.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ohio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Silverado Cassino/Franklin Hotel, South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, West Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
48 • Byways
www.arrowstagelines.com
motorcoach.com Trieloff Tours
Charter a motorcoach anywhere in North America 888-733-5287 • nmn@motorcoach.com
Byways • 49
Enjoy Future Issues of Subscribe now and receive Byways emailed to you at no cost!
Sign up today and learn about the great travel destinations in the USA and Canada that are enjoyed by group tour and motorcoach travelers every year. View on your computer, Android, iPad or iPhone You’ll receive the next issue as soon as it becomes available.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
Byways Newsstand/iTunes App Download the Free App and begin viewing the new, interactive version of Byways
Featuring video, sound, photo albums
Click this link or on the cover below to download today.
Begin enjoying Byways on your iPad or iPhone Today!