Byways Great American Roads 2016 by Byways, Inc.

Featuring North America’s Leading Travel Destinations

Great American Roads Under The Radar On California’s Mendocino Coast Detroit, Where It all Began The Great Platte River Archway Country Roads of Tennessee

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United States Naval Academy

Undergraduate College of the U.S. Navy

Guided Walking Tours include the Naval Academy Chapel, Crypt of John Paul Jones, Statue of Tecumseh and the history and traditions of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. HISTORICAL, EDUCATIONAL, JEWISH CHAPEL AND MILITARY REUNION TOURS

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Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center (410) 293-8687 (410) 293-3365 (fax) www.usnabsd.com/for-visitors Visitor Center Hours January-February: 9 am - 4 pm March-December 9 am - 5 pm Photo ID required ages 18 and over

Byways Magazine

For more than 33 years, Byways has been covering the leading destinations along the highways and byways of North America. Some of the most well-known, and least known, destinations to discover in the United States and Canada.

Byways is published in three versions. They is the Turn-Key edition on the web for viewing on Computers, Android, iOS (iPhone and iPad). There is an Apple App Store edition. There is also a Byways Magazine Channel in Apple News. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine 502-785-4875 http://bywaysmagazine.com

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PREVIEW By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher

hanks for joining us for Byways less than a year old, Henry Ford decided to build a new annual Great American Roads factory on Piquette Avenue. Ford built 12,000 Model T’s here. He sold 10,000 the issue. Each year we travel first year for about $825. By 1912 the price had dropped throughout North America seeking to $575, and by 1914 Ford had captured nearly half of the unique roads that take use to unique auto market. destinations. The Piquette Plant is in a part of the city that was We often take our roads for granted, known as Milwaukee Junction, where two major rail sysuntil we hit a pothole. But as you’ll learn in this issue, tems intersected providing connections to rail lines the roads were not always there. When you consider that throughout the United States and Canada and, thus, easy it was only a little over a hundred years ago we saw the first automobiles, it’s amazing how far our paved road access to a national distribution system. Why was this important? Because there were no roads systems have come in such a short period of time. And at the time to drive the cars to their destinations! They it was only in the late 1950s had to be shipped by rail. that the Interstate Highway Our next stop is along System was approved. Interstate 80 in Central Our first stop in this issue is Nebraska near Kearney. If the California coast along you are driving along I-80 Hwy 1. Mary Charlebois here, you can’t miss the takes us to sparsely populated Great Platte River Archway. Mendocino County, north of You can’t miss it because San Francisco. Here, tiny it was built across the hightowns, welcoming locals, way. It’s also of interest small businesses, artist stubecause the speed of every dios, performing arts, and car, truck, and motorcoach fresh, locally sourced food passing under the structure are the way of life. Mary says is noted! a trip along Mendocino The Archway is a monuA tour group at the Ford Piquette Plant. Coast’s Hwy 1 is a feast for ment commemorating the the eyes, heart and tongue. importance of the Platte River Valley in the settlement of In his column, Traveling the Highways & Byways, Bill the West. It may be the only monument over a highway Graves takes us back in time to Route 66. in North America! Once the only national road between Chicago and Los We end our journey along the country roads of Angeles, Route 66 opened in 1926. It reached across Tennessee. Jim Leggett takes us on a unique tour of 2,448 miles, three time zones and eight states. It was the country’s first, hard-surface, two-lane road linking the whiskey, down-home cooking and music of the Midwest with California. It became known as the “Main Volunteer State. Jim, a native of Scotland, also writes for Street of America.” In the Grapes of Wrath, John Whisky Magazine in England, so combining country Steinbeck called it “The Mother Road,” a name that cap- roads with tours of local Tennessee distilleries was a natural. The real surprise is that at last count there are now tivated nostalgia buffs worldwide. 33 of them in the state! Next up, we travel to Detroit, where it all began. It In What’s Happening we visit Branson, Missouri, to could be argued that without Detroit, there would have learn about the new Branson Ferris Wheel. In fact, you been no need for great american roads. For certainly the history of the automobile is forever tied to this may have already ridden it. Yes, this is the actual ferris wheel that served for so many years at Chicago’s Navy Midwestern city. Detroit has had many ups and downs, but today, like Pier. Renamed the Branson Ferris Wheel, it begins its the domestic automobile industry itself, Detroit is rising next chapter on Hwy. 76, overlooking the entertainment district in this thriving Midwest tourism destination. from the ashes. We hope you enjoy this issue of Byways. A visit to the Ford Piquette Avenue plant is a great place to start. Ford was founded in 1903. Before it was Byways • 4

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Volume 33, Issue No. 5 2016

Features

On the cover. The Detroit waterfront is making a dramatic comeback with open space, green space, parks and recreation. For more on Detroit, Where It All Began, see page 22. For more on Great American Roads, see page 8. Photo courtesy Vito Palmisano and VisitDetroit.com.

Great American Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hwy 1, Under The Radar On California’s Mendocino Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Back in Time to Route 66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Detroit, Where It All Began . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Great Platte River Archway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Country Roads of Tennessee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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Byways Instant Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Traveling the Highways & Byways with Bill Graves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Free Byways Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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Branson Ferris Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Coming in future issues of Byways ..... Leading North American Tour Destinations, Great American Railroads, Mountains & Valleys, and much more!

Next Up: The top tour destinations of North America. Right. View of the Chicago skyline looking south from the John Hancock Center. Photo courtesy Allen McGregor.

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Great American Roads

The 10-Mile Bridge along Hwy 1 in Mendocino County, California. Photo courtesy Mary Charlebois. Byways â&#x20AC;˘ 9

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ith the coming of the bicycle in the 1890s, interest grew regarding the improvement of streets and roads in America. The traditional method of putting the burden on maintaining roads on local landowners was increasingly inadequate. New York State took the lead in 1898, and by 1916 the old system had been discarded everywhere. Demands grew for local and state government to take charge. With the coming of the automobile after 1910, urgent efforts were made to upgrade and modernize dirt roads designed for horse-drawn wagon traffic. The American Association for Highway Improvement was organized in 1910. Funding came from automobile registration, and taxes on motor fuels, as well as state aid. In 1916, federal-aid was first made available to improve post-roads, and promote general commerce. Congress appropriated $75 million over a five-year period, with the Secretary of Agriculture in charge through the Bureau of Public Roads, in cooperation with the state highway departments. There were 2.4 million miles of rural dirt rural roads in 1914; 100,000 miles had been improved with grading and gravel, and 3000 miles were given high quality surfacing. The rapidly increasing speed of automobiles, and especially trucks, made maintenance and repair a highpriority item. Concrete was first used in 1893, and expanded until it became the dominant surfacing material in the 1930s.

Federal aid began in 1917. From 1917 through 1941, 261,000 miles of highways were built with federal aid, and cost $5.31 billion. The Interstate Highway System was authorized on June 29, 1956 by the Federal Aid Highway Act, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956. The system is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower who championed its formation. Eisenhower was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in a 1919 Army Convoy on the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America. Eisenhower gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first “national” implementation of modern Germany’s Autobahn network, as a necessary component of a national defense system while he was serving as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. He recognized that the proposed system would also provide key ground transport routes for military supplies and troop deployments in case of an emergency or foreign invasion. The original portion was completed 35 years later. The network has since been extended and, as of 2013, it had a total length of 47,856 miles, making it the world’s second longest after China. As of 2013, about one-quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country use the Interstate system. In 2006, the cost of construction had been estimated at about $425 billion.

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Hwy 1, Under The Radar On California’s Mendocino Coast By Mary Charlebois

ildlife, waves, wilderness and wine. That’s why you go to Mendocino Coast. That, and the drive along Hwy 1. Pacific headlands graze horses, cattle, and, sheep. Below the bluffs, hidden coves with concealed beaches appear and vanish with shifting tides. Open grass and meadowlands give way to woodlands of Redwoods, conifers, deciduous trees and shrubs. Farmlands and vineyards quilt the coastal hills between the headlands and woods. And everywhere, wildlife. From the sea to the air, nature flourishes. Mendocino County www.visitmendocino.com is sparsely populated. Tiny towns, welcoming locals, small businesses, artist studios, performing arts, and fresh, locally sourced food are the way of life here. Open vistas of wild, unspoiled nature and the Mediterranean climate are captivating. Much of the coastal lands are state, federal or county parks and preserves. California’s Hwy 12 • Byways

1 along Mendocino Coast is unequaled for getting under the radar, unplugging and occupying nature.

A vivid history Hwy 1 rambling along the Pacific was first a foot path for Mendocino Coast’s indigenous people, Pomo Indians. In the 1800s, timber and fishing resources were discovered by European immigrants and enterprising businessmen. Foot paths became wagon roads; wagon roads were paved. Bridges were added to cross the multitude of wooded ravines and steep canyons carved by rivers flowing to the Pacific. Rivers made fishing and timber industries possible during their infancy. Tree giants were felled in the forest, dragged to the river’s edge, pushed in, and guided downstream. It was the only means of getting the Goliaths out of the wild remote woodlands and to mills and ships

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Fog along the Mendocino Coast near Hwy 1. Photos courtesy Mary Charlebois.

waiting in small towns and bays along the shoreline. Salmon, a sizable local industry at one time, also used rivers for their famous upstream swim to spawn a new generation. Logging operations destroyed habitat for Salmon and other fish. Depleting populations all but wiped-out the fishing industry. Today habitats are being restored. Salmon populations are returning both to rivers and sea. In the late 1800s Mendocino Coast was dotted with lumber mills. Wooden docks lined small bays. Ships came bringing passengers and goods from San Francisco and returned with timber and fish. The mills and docks have long since disappeared. Fierce winter storms made dockage unsustainable. A railroad line was cut from the coast over the Coastal Mountains to haul lumber and logs. Roads were built. Ships went out of use. Limitations on cutting old growth forest and overseas competition closed the last coastal mill in 1972. Today this area is a destination for sportsman, naturalist, artist, performers, foodies, retiring boomers, and city escapees. They join multi-generational families in this rich and laidback life. A haven of organic food and wine production, Mendocino County, is home to vineyards, wineries, ranches and farms. Vibrant arts and culture are prevalent and engaging. Nature’s grandeur flourishes in every direction.

Highlights along Hwy 1 from south to north Gualala Hwy 1 enters south Mendocino County at Gualala (pronounced ‘wa-la-la’). With a population of just over two thousand, it’s one of the largest towns along the coast. Gualala has auto services, accommodations, restaurants and markets purveying local food, wine and beer. Redwood forests host camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing. The Gualala River joins the Pacific on the south Wildflowers on the Mendocino Coast.

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A bench along the coastal trail in Fort Bragg, CA. It is 2 blocks from Hwy 1. This newly opened, all access, trail has become a very popular destination in this community. Along the way are benches for whale and wave watching. Photos courtesy Mary Charlebois. side of town. Gualala River Beach is a popular day-use area. Driftwood accumulates here, providing materials for the popular driftwood sculptures and shelters built by beach goers. Gualala Arts http://gualalaarts.org is the cultural hub for surrounding communities. Surrounded by Redwoods, the center hosts over 1,700 events each year. You can enjoy exhibits, theatrical productions, concerts, dance, lectures, food events, continuing education and much more.

Point Arena A ‘can’t miss photo op’, Point Arena http://pointarenalightLighthouse house.com has stood sentinel for sailors since 1870. The first lighthouse was lost in the 1906 earthquake. It was rebuilt and has been in continual operation since 1908. 14 • Byways

Accommodations are available here in the old lighthouse keeper’s quarters. There is a small bit of Africa on the Mendocino Coast. B Bryan Preserve ( http://bbryanpreserve.com ) breeds endangered African Hoof Stock. Included are species of zebra, giraffe, and antelope. Tours are offered daily. Rental cabins neighboring the giraffe barns, are available for families and small groups. Watch sunsets with gentle giraffes. Arena Theater ( http://arenatheater.org/ ) hosts live theatrical productions, concerts, movies and live

A view from Hwy 1 of the ‘Haul Road Trestle’. Once a train trestle, it is now part of the coastal trail and open to pedestrian traffic.

broadcasts of international events such as Opera from the Met and Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow.

Elk Tiny Elk is home to Greenwood Museum and Visitor Center http://mendoparks.org/greenwood-statebeach-elk-ca. This small, well curated museum, is an excellent place to learn about the logging/shipping industry along the coast. It sits in front of Greenwood State Beach, a spectacular hiking, wave, and whale watching spot.

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Little River galleries, sumptuous eateries, and lodging. The Stately Little River Inn (http://www.littVisit Kelley House Museum for local history. The leriverinn.com) sits above Hwy 1 overlooking a small Mendocino Art Center organizes classes, exhibits, thecove and headlands. The first house on the 225 wooded atrical and musical performances (www.mendocinoartacres was built in 1853. This superlative hotel and restau- center.org). Enjoy two art and craft fairs each year. rant is favored by locals and visitors alike. An ocean view, 18-hole golf course and championship tennis courts complete this seaside resort. Little River is home to the Mendocino County Airport – LLR. The mile-long runway regularly lands private aircraft of all types and sizes up to 707s. Rental cars, shuttle service and lodging can be secured at the airport office. Mendocino This picturesque village is a painter and photographer’s delight. Quaint cottages, tiny lanes, lush gardens, breathtaking headlands and an ever-changing seascape are mesmerizing. Mendo, as locals call it, offers boutique shopping, 16 • Byways

Seals at home along the coast.

Thousands attend Mendocino Film Festival (http://mendocinofilmfestival.org) and Mendocino Music Festival (http://mendocinomusic.org). Both are held annually.

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg has the largest population on Mendocino Coast with 7,500+ residents. You’ll find nature, wildlife, lodging, wine tasting, a brewery, local food, museums, trains, boats and all manner of music, art, and entertainment. Noyo Harbor is one of the last small working harbors on the coast. Commercial and pleasure craft move in and out as they venture into the Pacific. Food for all tastes and budgets is served in dockside eateries. Waterfront RV parks and hotel rooms are available. Freshly caught fish and shell fish are sold in markets and sometimes, right off the boat. Rent kayaks, canoes, abalone and crab gear, or take a fishing, whale watching, or sunset cruise. You’ll see redwood forest inaccessible by any other means riding the Skunk Train (https://www.skunktrain.com ). Wildlife sightings and over 30 trestles make it a delight for photographers. A true treasure, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

United States Naval Academy

Undergraduate College of the U.S. Navy

(http://www.gardenbythesea.org) is one of the few Naval Academy Chapel, Crypt of John Paul Jones, botanical gardens with ocean front. Open year-round, a Statue of Tecumseh history and traditions of the visit here introducesand thethe many eco-systems and microU.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. climates so prevalent on Mendocino Coast. It’s also a great whale watching and picnic spot. HISTORICAL, EDUCATIONAL, JEWISH CHAPEL The FortAND Bragg Coastal Trail is anTOURS 8’-wide, hard-top MILITARY REUNION path, roamingNaval along Academy the seasideGift headlands. Shop The trail supports safe walking and rolling for all ages and abilities. Restrooms, Exhibits, Film Guided Walking Tours include the

U.S. Naval Academy Campus.

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Center Visitor Armel-Leftwich Interpretive panels illuminating nature and history are (fax) 293-3365 (410) 293-8687 (410) scattered along the way. Benches offer scenic respites www.usnabsd.com/for-visitors and unparalleled wave or whale watching positions Hours Visitor when the breathtakingCenter giants are passing from am - 4 pm 9 January-February: November through April. March-December 9 am - 5 pm Photo ID required, ages 18 and over

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Westport Westport is the last chance for any services for 27 miles. The Westport Community Store has groceries, beer, wine, deli, books and gasoline. The miniature Post Office adjacent to the store is a good spot to mail a postcard to yourself for the postmark. The Westport Hotel and Old Abalone Pub (http://www.westporthotel.us) welcomes overnight guests. The pub serves locally sourced food, beer and wine. Saturday afternoon High Tea is a very special treat.

Fog on the Mendocino coast. Guest House Museum below. Photos courtesy Mary

Into the forest About 20 minutes past Westport Hwy 1 begins a gradual turn away from the shore to the NE. The road continues through redwood and conifer forest. The towering giants shelter wildlife, flora, fauna, woodland streams and creeks. Some people believe standing with your back against a redwood is a calming and healing experience. Hwy 1 ends at Leggett. It intersects Hwy 101 going north/south.

the road opens unparalleled vistas. Eateries present a Festivals and celebrations for everyone fresh take on locally grown, harvested and produced Attend festivals www.mendocino.com/festivals.html foods, beer and wine. Artist and performers thrive. Life celebrating whales, crab, abalone, mushrooms, wine, slows down and watches the sunset. beer, music, ukuleles, rhododendrons, Paul Bunyan, film and so much more. Something is always being celebrated along Hwy 1. About the Author:

Great American Highway: Hwy 1 on the Mendocino Coast A trip along Mendocino Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hwy 1 is a feast for the eyes, heart and tongue. Each small town has its own variety of history, nature and community. Every turn in 18 â&#x20AC;˘ Byways

Mary Charlebois, also known as MaryGo, is a freelance writer, photographer, and videographer. Her daily beat is Mendocino County and San Francisco. She lives in Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California. Mary is a Journalist member of ITWPA. See her work at https://wheremarygos.com.

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Traveling the Highways & Byways with Bill Graves

Back in Time To Route 66

or two days I’ve Trading Post.” A fence of signs, topped with fake teepee been headed east on tops, sold film and Navajo rugs. Rusty, my dog, and I got Interstate 40 through out and walked to the marker. It said that we are at 7,275 the high desert of the feet, straddling the Continental Divide -- the stony backSouthwest. With one end bone that runs through North America, top to bottom. of it in Southern “Rainfall divides at this point. That falling on the west California and the other in side flows to the Pacific Ocean,” etc. Well, Rusty peed North Carolina, I-40 is the on the west side -- she had a lot stored up -- and it didn’t third longest interstate in go anywhere, just disappeared. I went into the trading post, tried on a coonskin cap the country. Just outside Wilmington, NC, not far from the white from Turkey, and examined rubber snakes from China sands of the Atlantic, a sign on I-40 tells it all: “Barstow, and arrowheads made in Mexico. The lady behind the glass turquoise jewelry counter Calif. 2554 miles.” was sanitizing the cash register keys with a Wash’nDri. This stretch of it parallels Route 66, or at least what’s She asked if she left of that ribbon could help me. of asphalt that was “I was wononce the only road dering about between Chicago when it rains,” I and Los Angeles. said. “What Opened in 1926, it direction does reached across the water go?” 2,448 miles, three “Been so long time zones and since it’s eight states. It was rained.” She the country’s first, paused, apparhard-surface, twoently considerlane road linking ing the question. the Midwest with “I haven’t California. worked here Because it went that long.” Her through the center Westbound on New Mexico 124 / historic US 66 in Cibola face brightened. of so many towns, County west of I-40. Photo courtesy Marcin Wichary. “Oh, you read it became known the sign out as the “Main Street of America.” In the Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck there, I bet?” She pointed toward the marker. “Yep, it says that called it “The Mother Road,” a name that captivated nosyou’re perched right talgia buffs worldwide. on the water shed. So Route 66 now lives on nostalgia. It’s obvious, travelI was wondering.” ing close to it, that it’s the livelihood for a lot of people, “You know, you’re who cater to the fascination the road has for a lot more. the first person to ask Only in New Mexico are Route 66 signs out numbered, here by garish billboards that overwhelm the land- about that.” She had scape. Hawking petrified wood, cactus candy, snake a searching look. skins and Indian blankets, they repeat by the road like a Then she leaned forstutter. Their black-on-yellow letters tell where to buy. A ward as if to tell me a red strip along the bottom tells how many miles yet to get family secret. “When there, except for the last one that has a yellow arrow and I moved here they told me that water the words “Exit Here,” which I did. I parked by a historic marker in front of the “Indian goes out of the toilet clockwise on one side 20 • Byways

of the divide and counterclockwise on the other. But I’ve never really watched it.” She chuckled at the prospect. “I think that’s the equator they were talking about.” And I let it drop. Back on I-40 headed east, I pulled off at Thoreau to get on old Route 66, just to see how far it would go.

About the author: After seeing much of the world as a career naval officer, Bill Graves decided, after he retired, to take a closer look at the United States. He has been roaming the country for 20 years, much of it in a motor home with his dog Rusty. He lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, California and is the author of On the Back Roads, Discovering Small Towns. of America. He can be reached at Roadscribe@aol.com.

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Detroit, Where It All Began

A resurgent Detroit remains the Automobile Capital of North America. Downtown Detroit on the Detroit River at night. At right is the Renaissance Center, the World Headquarters of General Motors. Photo courtesy Vito Palmisano and VisitDetroit.com. Byways â&#x20AC;˘ 23

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t could be argued that without Detroit, there would have been no need for Great American Roads. For certainly the history of the automobile is forever tied to this Midwestern city. And like the automobile industry itself, the city has had many ups and downs. Perhaps the city’s motto says it best. Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus -- coined in 1895 after a fire nearly destroyed the city translates as, “We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes.” And today, like the domestic automobile industry, Detroit is rising from the ashes. You won’t understand this by listening to the late night comedy pundits about the city, or politicians who come to Detroit to talk about how bad the economy is in the city, and by implication the country. No, you need to spend a few days here to understand what really is happening. But make no mistake. To reach this point, Detroit had to hit rock bottom. And it did. From political corruption, to failing schools, to riots, to bankruptcy. Detroit has had it all. Just how far did Detroit fall? From a population of more than 1.8 million during the boom days following World War II to a population today of 670,000. From America’s 5th largest city to number 18. Where did everyone go? The suburbs. In the case of Detroit, the suburbs took the housing, the schools, the jobs and the tax base. The Detroit–Windsor area, a commercial link straddling the Canada–U.S. border, has a total population 24 • Byways

New construction is going up everywhere in downtown Detroit. Here, along the waterfront close to the Renaissance Center, new condos are under construction. Byways photo.

of some 5.7 million. Today, the population in Detroit is growing again, and it’s getting younger. The real estate market is hot. New residences and commercial buildings are going up everywhere in the city. Abandoned structures are being removed or repurposed. A new Qline light rail system to move people from Downtown to Midtown is under construction. So is a new sports arena for Red Wings hockey. Millennials are renovating cottages in old neighborhoods like Corktown and Hamtramck. Young artists are flocking to new live and work spaces in former industrial buildings. The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is cleaning up the city’s 14 miles of waterfront along the Detroit River, creating recreational and green spaces and making the river accessible again. There are urban gardens everywhere, some 1,400 of them; and there’s even a farm and garden store to supply these urban farmers. Nearly 80 new restaurants have opened in the last two years. There are new hotels and major new attractions. Detroit is a unique blend of urban core and neighborhoods, which reflect the cultures of immigrants who made Detroit great and continue to contribute to the city’s renaissance. Surrounding Downtown are ethnic neighborhoods like Corktown (Irish), Dearborn (Arab), and Hamtramck (Polish and, more recently, Arab). These people came for jobs in the auto industry and a chance to participate in the American Dream. Downtown preserves some of the country’s best examples of 1920s skyscraper architecture, as well as a rich

variety of other styles like Romanesque, Renaissance revival, Beaux-Arts, Neo-Gothic, and more. Wide avenues, like Woodward and Grand River, reflect the City Beautiful Movement of the 1890s and 1900s. All of this was made possible by manufacturing, of carriages first, then automobiles. The Renaissance Center, a mixed-use office and retail complex, opened in 1977. This group of skyscrapers was an attempt to keep businesses in downtown. Today it is home of the world headquarters of General Motors and the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere, sitting along the Detroit River and the International Riverfront. More recent landmarks from the 1990s and early 2000s are restored properties like the Westin BookCadillac Hotel and new facilities like Comerica Park, Ford Field, the Cobo Center, the MGM Grand and Greektown and Motor City Casinos. A rush of repurposing and new construction that began in 2014, after the city came out of bankruptcy, is reusing more older buildings, filling in around these or, in some cases like the new Red Wings arena, taking their place. The Aloft Hotel in the historic Whitney Building is an example of the latest round of re-purposing. But make no mistake. The automobile is still king here.

England mill style building with red brick exterior and 355 windows was constructed in 1904. This style was favored for factories in the early 20th century, because industrial electric lighting was still being developed. The many windows in long low buildings provided maximum interior lighting and ventilation. The company produced a series of ‘letter’ cars here before the Model T, starting with Models C, F, and B, which were discontinued in 1906, and then continuing with Models K, N, R, and S. The N was the prototype for the Model T. In 1908, production of the K was moved to another plant and the N, R, and S were discontinued, replaced by the Model T, which emerged in September 1908. Ford built 12,000 Model T’s here. He sold 10,000 the first year for about $825. By 1912 the price had dropped to $575, and by 1914 Ford had captured nearly half of the auto market. Production continued at Piquette through 1909 and then was transferred to a new plant in Highland Park. Ford sold the Piquette building to Studebaker in 1911. Today, the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant a non-profit corporation and is open to the public for tours. It is a mustsee on any visit to Detroit. The Piquette Plant is in a part of the city that was known as Milwaukee Junction, where two major rail sysFord Piquette Avenue Plant tems intersected providing connections to rail lines The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903. throughout the United States and Canada and, thus, easy Before it was less than a year old, Henry Ford decided to access to a national distribution system. Other auto build a new factory on Piquette Avenue. The long, New plants in addition to Ford -- Anderson Electric, Cadillac,

A 1909 Ford model T. Photo courtesy Ford Piquette Plant. Byways • 25

Ford vehicles on display at Ford Truck Plant tour. Byways photo.

Dodge, Packard, and others -- were located in this area. Their suppliers also located nearby, so by the 1920s Milwaukee Junction was the heart of Detroit industry.

The Rouge Factory Henry Ford began buying property along the Rouge River in Dearborn in 1915. His goal was to achieve complete self-sufficiency by owning and operating all the resources needed to produce automobiles. The Rouge Factory industrial complex was completed in 1928. It consisted of 93 buildings, most of them designed by Albert Kahn, and nearly 16 million square feet of floor area crisscrossed by 120 miles of conveyor belts. The plant produced the Model A and all the parts for the Model T (though the latter continued to be assembled at the Highland Park plant). At its peak in the 1930s more than 100,000 people worked at Rouge. It was literally “a city without residents.” To support the factory operations, Ford also owned forests of timber, sawmills, iron and coal mines, a rubber plantation, ore freighters, and a regional railroad. The Rouge plant was fully employed through most of the 60s, but the Ford Motor Company came to rely more on suppliers and gave up mining, lumbering, glass and steel making. By the early 90s only the Ford Mustang was made here, 26 • Byways

and the property had been reduced to less than half of its original 2,000 acres. In the late 1990s efforts were begun to modernize the Rouge facilities, and it is today the company’s largest single complex. Today, the Dearborn Truck plant occupies the Rouge plant producing the Ford 150 truck line. It is open for tours for groups and individuals. Ford 150s are built at Dearborn Truck

Group tours are popular at Hittsville USA. Byways photo.

Ford Truck Plant at the Rouge. Byways photo.

Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village Nearby is the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Henry Ford wanted to create a museum that preserved life as it was lived in the present day. His idea was to document the genius of America by showing how ordinary Americans lived and worked and what they have imagined and invented. The museum contains thousands of distinctively American objects -automobiles, locomotives, airplanes, machinery, inven-

Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Byways photo. Byways â&#x20AC;˘ 27

Motown’s Studio A. Byways photo.

tions, items of pop culture and artifacts reflecting signif- Railroad, and after the Civil War many African icant episodes in our history -- George Washington’s Americans left the South and came north to cities like camp bed, Abraham Lincoln’s rocker from Ford’s Detroit to find jobs. Theater, JFK’s presidential limousine, and the bus on Motown is an important American institution and an which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. Greenfield Village is the largest outdoor museum in the U.S with Eastern Market. Photo courtesy nearly 100 historic buildings Bill Bowen and VisitDetroit.com. moved from their original locations and arranged in a village setting. The intent is to show how Americans lived and worked since the founding of the country.

Motown. Hitsville USA The auto industry brought immigrants from many places to Detroit. As much as any city, Detroit’s history is intimately connected to the African American experience and that of European and Middle Eastern immigrants. It was one of the principal destinations of the Underground 28 • Byways

expression of African American urban culture in the 20th century. Motown is where the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, the Supremes, and many others recorded with the Funk Brothers from 1959 to 1972 (when Motown Records left Detroit for Los Angeles). Today, the houses where Berry Gordy began his recording business are preserved as the Motown Museum. Tour the two houses next door to one another where Berry Gordy began his recording business. There’s a 15- minute film about the history of Motown, as well as galleries exhibiting memorabilia. Then, walk across the street to the apartment where Berry Gordy lived, just as it was, and the famous Studio A, where the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, the Supremes, and many others recorded.

Detroit Institute of Art The Detroit Institute of Art has one of the country’s greatest art collections. It recently undertook an ambitious expansion project, renovating the original 1927 Cret Building and adding 35,000 square feet of exhibit space. The main facility was closed for two years to complete the construction and then re-hang 5,000 works of art. Most well-known in the museum’s collections are the frescoes by the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera,

Penguin Preserve. Byways photo.

entitled Detroit Industry. In addition, the museum has devised innovative ways of displaying traditional collections (of paintings, sculpture, silver, and other objects) to appeal to audiences without a background in the arts. The Ford family has been a strong supporter of the museum and the arts in Detroit. Edsel Ford served on the Arts Commission from 1925 to 1943 and Eleanor from 1943 to 1976. Many of the Ford’s important paintings were willed to the DIA by Mrs. Ford. The collection is one of the largest in the U.S. with holdings in many areas—American, European, Modern and Contemporary, and Graphic art, as well as significant works of African, Asian, Islamic, Native American, and Oceanic art.

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Eastern Market Eastern Market is the oldest and largest indoor/outdoor marketplace in the country. The Market is open every day except Sunday from 5am to 5pm, but Saturday morning is the best time. All the shops and stalls are open, and the place is crowded. The market is a historic commercial district. At the center of the 43 acres is a six-block public market with about 80 structures, most of which are brick storefront buildings, two or three stories, with flat roofs and late Victorian detailing. The Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market in Detroit opened in 1841 in the area of Cadillac Square (south of the present location). In 1891, the market was moved to its present site, where it has expanded. The market has operated continuously all that time. Formerly managed by the city, in 2006 responsibility for operating the market was transferred to a public-private partnership, the Eastern Market Corporation.

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The Dequindre Cut Greenway. Byways Photo.

The market is a primary supplier of produce, meat, and other food products. In addition, there are other independent businesses, including retail shops and restaurants, as well as performance spaces and art galleries and studios.

View from the Press Box at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Byways photo

Eastern Market has also become one of the centers of Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public art movement. In 2015, 1xRUN, a fineart publisher based in Eastern Market, partnered with the Eastern Market Corporation to host an international mural festival at the market. As part of this, 45 national and international artists created 40 unique murals throughout the market. The intent was to help create a new sense of place for market stakeholders -- landlords, business owners, artists, design professionals, residents, and customers -- and help the market connect to the new Detroit.

Detroit Zoo Penguin Conservation Center The new Polk Penguin Conservation Center at Detroit Zoo opened April 18. It is the largest penguin facility in the world, housing more than 80 penguins of six different species. It is spectacular outside, and inside offers a unique experience viewing the penguins -- and an unparalleled experience for the penguins. The Dequindre Cut Greenway The Dequindre Cut Greenway is an urban recreational path that opened to the public in 2009. Formerly a railroad line, rail service ended in 1995, and the right-ofway was unused for a decade-and-a-half until the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy created the Greenway. The Cut is a 20-foot wide pathway below street level, bounded by walls of grass and shrubs. Managed by the RiverFront Conservancy, it provides a link between the riverfront and Eastern Market, offering access from residential areas along its length. It runs parallel to St. Subin

Street and extends 1.35 miles from Atwater Street on the south, next to Milliken State Park. Earlier graffiti associated with the rail line have been left in place by the Conservancy to preserve some of the historic landscape and history of street art in the city. There are also new murals along the entire length, sponsored by the Conservancy as well as the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit and the community + public arts initiative of the College for Creative Studies (with the support of private donors like Chase, the Kresge Foundation, and the Skillman Foundation).

A Sports Mecca & Entertainment District Downtown Detroit is a major league sports mecca, with venues such as Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, and Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, within easy walking distance of downtown Detroit. Now a third major arena is under construction, Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. A new Sports and Entertainment District is coming to Detroit. Built around Little Caesars Arena, the district is 50 blocks of thriving businesses, parks, restaurants, bars and event destinations. When completed, it will connect Downtown and Midtown into one contiguous, walkable area, where families, sports fans, entrepreneurs, and entertainment lovers who seek a vibrant urban setting can connect with each other. For more on visiting the exciting new Detroit, www.VisitDetroit.com

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The Great Platte River Archway above I-80 near Kearney, Nebraska. Byways photo.

The Great Platte River Archway

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Mural depicting the wagon trains in Nebraska. Byways photo.

ravelers along Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska are often shocked to come upon a large building over the highway that more resembles a bridge. In fact, it is a building, and not a bridge. It is the Great Platte River Archway, a monument commemorating the importance of the Platte River Valley in the settlement of the West. It may be the only monument over a highway in North America! The Arch spans I-80, and its two towers do resemble a bridge. Inside are exhibits called vignettes, that tell the story of the 150 years of transportation along the Great Platte River Road, beginning with Fort Kearney in 1848 and ending with a Roadside Cafe c. 1960. A 45-minute self-guided tour allows you to hear the stories of the trails, rails and highways that ran along the Great Platte River Road and spurred the westward expansion of the United States, The Archway covers over 170 years worth of American history. See and hear the stories of the pioneers who traversed the perilous trails. Feel the rumble of the Iron Horse as it connects the American empire and mosey down the Lincoln Highway as you continue along the Great Platte River Road 34 • Byways

that helped transform a country. It’s a unique experience that’s sure to create unforgettable memories. The Archway pays tribute to the enduring spirit of the pioneers. From 1843 to 1869, nearly half a million men, women and children rode and walked the trails west. The distance was vast, the prairie endless, the sky overwhelming and the mountains and wildlife were unlike anything they had ever seen. These pioneers persevered through a strong will and determination, carrying their cherished belongings in wagons or strapped to burros, A bison stands watch at the Platte River Archway. Byways photo.

Discover America on your next vacation. Byways photo.

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The roadside cafe. Byways photo.

and pushed or floated handcarts over mountains, rivers and types of food. Call or email Kara Stevens and valleys. (kstevens@archway.org), 1-877-511-ARCH) for more During their trek across America, they encountered information. Or visit www.Archway.org. Located in the heart of Nebraska, Kearney is a vibrant Native American tribes; trappers and traders making their way to an annual rendezvous; stagecoach drivers community with much to offer. From the Classic Car and their passengers; Pony Express riders; and the tele- Collection with nearly 200 classic and rare automobiles graph. As the early settlers established their homesteads, to the Museum of Nebraska Art and more, Kearney prothey witnessed the birth of the railroads, the Lincoln vides additional opportunities to see and experience Highway, America’s first transcontinental road; I-80, the something unique and memorable. http://visitkearney.org nation’s first interstate; and America’s Information Highway, the fiber optic cable that links our nation today. Building the Arch was a design and engineering challenge. It had to be determined how to erect a 1,500 ton structure that would cross 308 feet of the heavily traveled I-80, without impeding on traffic flow. It was concluded that the structure had to be built beside Interstate 80 and lifted into position. Since The Archway is to emulate a covered bridge, two towers were erected, one on each side of the road, that served as anchors for the archway bridge to rest. The Archway’s exterior is designed to resemble a Nebraska sunset. The stainless steel exterior was specifically treated using electricity charged acid to create the yellow, oranges and reds to tie the exterior color to the region. The Archway has welcomed thousands of individual travelers and motorcoach groups since it opened in 2000. Catering is available for any group of 10 or more with a variety of prices 36 • Byways

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COUNTRY ROADS OF TENNESSEE Planes, Whiskey, Down-Home Cooking and Music By Jim Leggett of Scotland

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h, Tennessee, land awash with splendors you cannot experience from reading a travel book. Where Southern history lives on in the tangible silence of long ago battlefields. Where valleys and Blue Mountains, like ocean waves, extend to far-flung horizons. One has to experience the real thing, drink in the beauty, savor its vibrancy, and hear its music. We’re road-touring out of Cookeville, a friendly midTennessee town renowned for nearby waterfalls, sparking lakes and superb food. Over a relaxing cocktail -- ask for local specials of the day -- we relished blackened swordfish at Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill, perfectly grilled Atlantic salmon at 7 Senses Food and Cheer, both restaurants on Broad Street, a few steps from downtown’s historic railroad depot (built 1909) museum, an imposing 1913 Baldwin steam locomotive just begging to have its photo taken. Country byways hereabouts are delightful as any in my native Scotland. Backroads bring to mind country songs about pickup trucks, heartbreak hotels and cheatin’ hearts, after all this is Elvis Country. On the road I keep an eye out for whiskey distilleries as a writer for Whisky Magazine (UK) I cover those Byways • 40

encountered along the way. Recent changes in Federal, state and local liquor laws (except in Lynchburg home to legendary Jack Daniel!) spawned new enterprises, 33 at last tally.

Short Mountain ‘Shine At the close of the Civil War 18 legal distilleries hissed and burbled in Cannon County. While Prohibition (19201933) forced most to close, others slunk into the hills where Moonshining lived happily on. Cooper Melton, of local fame, supplied Al Capone’s Old still at Short Mountain Distillery, Woodbury TN.

speakeasies throughout the Northeast, so I’m told at Short Mountain Distillery in Woodbury (opened 2010), there to sample 110-proof Organic Shine kosher Tennessee Moonshine, distilled with know-how passed down by legends of yesteryear. I also sipped Short’s 60proof Prohibition Tea, a mild corn based moonshine cocktail my granny would have loved. Spying a rustic old moonshine still out back, I followed a gravel path to take a closer look. Brought from a hiding place in nearby hills, it sits now beneath a canopy of shade trees as distillery CEO/president Billy Kaufman tells me, “The still was operated by moonshiners Ronald Lawson and Ricky Estes who ‘went legal’ when we went into business!” Both are legendary moonshiners with skills handed down for generations. This still may be much older than 35 years and used by others before they got it. When a still worked well it was always traded or sold. So it’s no doubt seen multiple owners. Even on the day it arrived, it smelled of mash. “They

literally did not take a one-day break between distilling whiskey illegally, then legally, but we don't use it anymore, repaired too many times to be pure and safe.” So Short reverse engineered a copy, a little bigger, welded with proper copper with silver filler. “It only makes one type of moonshine -- Shiner’s Select -- rendering taste only possible because of the ol' pot still design. This Distillery make for a great stop, relax a spell on their expansive veranda where unspoiled woodlands beckon and songbirds serenade. Note: Tasting requires just sufficient whiskey, a decent splash, taken neat, sufficient to swish around the glass; nose, inhale, nose again, inhale, then sip a spoon-size mouthful, chew gently 10 seconds, swallow, then inhale deeply, taking note of mouth and palate sensations, heat, taste and flavor notes. Anyway, that’s how I taste and evaluate spirits!

Franklin -- Old South Charms Don’t miss the charm of 300-seats Franklin Theatre, built in 1937, once the only air-conditioned building in town. After $8.7 million in renovations, it includes a luxurious Green Room where Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, the Judds and famed celebs unwind before show time. Ask to take a peek, off limits to the public, theatre staff is obliging. Enjoy great food and expansive bar at Gray’s on Main. Gray’s Rx is an old time pharmacy with vintage medicines still on display. Upstairs, window tables are grand for watching passersby and an ever changing Main Street parade over a craft cocktail; I found giant ice cubes served with house special brandies and whiskeys way too cumbersome. The Factory at Franklin nearby offers Music City Roots presents “Live From The Factory,” a weekly twohour radio show which revives the historical legacy of LIVE radio production, recorded in front of a live audience for broadcast Wednesday nights 7pm to 9pm on American Public Television, nationally and overseas. Cool shops, bakery and boutiques on tap too. H. Clark Distilling A pleasant drive from Franklin we explored a small distillery noted for a memorable and impressive dram, both gin and one particularly interesting whiskey. Contentedly perched on the stoop of a 200-year-old former grain barn in the crossroad hamlet of Thompson’s Station we sip delights produced in a 400 liter Alambicstyle copper still made by Hoga, out of Portugal. Heath Clark’s superb 80-proof Tennessee Black & Tan whiskey proved a delight. If you already know the taste of real Guinness, you can imagine the underlying flavor -- its oatmeal “stouty” note, tangible throwback to Heath’s college days and travels through Scotch whiskey country and York, England, where real oatmeal stout reigns supreme. 41 • Byways

Lovers Leap at Rock City in Chattanooga. Photo courtesy Jim Leggett. 42 â&#x20AC;¢ Byways

Abandoning corn for this whiskey, Heath looked to Scotland’s malt-based distillations which yield smooth, unaged whiskey. But spirit didn’t stand out in the way he envisioned. Suddenly recollections of the Samuel Smith Brewery in York provided inspiration. “The roundness of York oatmeal stout ale, a favorite beer of mine, led to my adding oats and chocolate malt to the whiskey mash. Adjusted and tweaked, I found the ideal chocolate and coffee notes, hallmark of great stout ale. Distilled twice, aged in both new and used oak barrels, we found the unique stout flavor for our whisky.” Tennessee Black & Tan made with 100% grain is released “unaged” as H. Clark Distillery’s “New Whiskey.” They also produce a fine Tennessee Gin, ideal for over ice sippin’ with or without tonic, lime or lemon.

Beechcraft Heritage Aviation Museum This one-of-a-kind museum was established in 1974 in Tullahoma where assorted legendary Beechcraft “staggerwing” biplanes from 1925 on stand proud, ready for takeoff. Recalling I flew aboard Model 18 “Twin Beech” from the Biminis to West Palm Beach years ago, I was delighted to find a silver machine on display, perhaps the very same ship? Travel Air “Ole Number One” from 1925 is here, so too the 1929 Model R “Mystery Ship,” NR614K which won the “Free for All” speed event at the 1929 Cleveland Air races. Beechcraft beauties -- 35 in all -- grace the museum’s

60.000 square feet floor space. Open Tuesday to Saturdays (closed December to February), an Aladdin’s Cave of aviation treasures to be sure.

Jack Daniel’s 150th Birthday Blood poisoning killed Jack Daniel. We are inside a Jack Daniel’s barrel-lined tasting room as Master Distiller Jeff Arnett presents Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam an oak-framed stained glass “Old No 7” art work celebrating their 150th anniversary, and announce a $140 million expansion investment for the distillery. “Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee tradition that was born in one of Tennessee’s smallest counties and has grown into a globally recognized brand,” boasted the Governor. I consider asking the Governor how come America’s oldest distillery sits in the middle of a DRYtown... Established in 1866 by diminutive Jasper “Jack” Newton Daniel; he stood five-foot-two-inches tall, he being of Scots-Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry. Jack Daniel’s is America’s oldest distillery. Affable tour guide Jason Morgan explained the geologically important Cave Spring, eternally dispensing cool ion-free water at 300 gallons per minute from a primeval cavern which, were it in Ireland, just might host Leprechauns! Jack learned how to mellow his whiskey by running it through charcoal from “slaves who made whiskey in the hills,” according to an article in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly published in 1977. “Jesus turned water to wine, Jack Daniel into whiskey.” - a local wag. Byways • 43

Inside the old office Jason kicks a massive steel safe, the same “Jack kicked in a temper when he couldn’t open it to retrieve a compromising love letter, breaking his big toe,” Jason confides. “But Jack, being a man didn’t go to the doctor. Infection set in leading to gangrene.” First the toe was amputated; next the leg; then his thigh, to the waist. It wasn’t booze but blood poisoning that killed Jack Daniel... Master Distiller Jeff Arnett, whose photograph graces the office wall next to that of Jack Daniel, serves five tasting drams: Gentleman Jack, Tennessee Fire, Tennessee Honey, Old No, 7. Master Distiller Jeff Arnette at Jack Daniel tasting. Photo ©Jim Leggett.

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But it’s their Single Barrel Proof (132.5 proof/66.25 Alc.Vol) which captivates my attention... I kid Jeff, how one saves the best to last. “If Armageddon comes, that’s the one you’ll want to open!” he laughs. I think he means it.

Historic Lynchburg Only in America would a great distillery end up located in a DRY county! For a grand 19th century-style meal do book a table at Mary Bobo’s Boardinghouse, Lynchburg’s first residence, where since 1867 rooms could be rented. Mary Evans Bobo, a fine Southern cook who would not tolerate booze, bought the place in 1914. Owned today by Jack Daniel’s Distillery, I sense there was a whiff of whiskey in the cream dessert which followed a hearty lunch. A large Lazy Susan conveyed fresh vegetables, boiled potatoes, succulent roast beef and gravy to 12 or so seated at the round table. Fine way to meet and chat with folks whom otherwise one might never meet. Leiper’s Fork Distillery -- Sneak Peek A pleasant drive from Franklin takes us to Leiper’s Fork Distillery, opening in October. We get a sneak tour and tasting amidst sensual aromas from fresh-sawn timbers from hefty logs rescued from rural homesteads. Proprietor Distiller Lee Kennedy, whose kinfolk knew about whiskey, sits proudly at the base of a 500-gallon Scottish-style copper still similar to those at Glengoyne Distillery, Glasgow. “Old Natchez Trail Whiskey” -- read bottle labels

emblazoned with crossed tomahawks and long guns. “Try our Tennessee white bourbon or white rye?” Lee invites, pouring samples of 110 proof, 90 being the norm. “We use only local grains and limestone filtered water to distill 500 barrels, 25,000 gallons, per year.”

Nelson’s Belle Meade Distillery

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery - Chas & W. A. Nelson – Proprietors -- old world calligraphy seal reads.

Time restraints prevented visiting Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery; I did however secure a bottle of their “Aged to Perfection” Belle Meade Sour Mash Straight Whiskey Bourbon, sporting 1800s-like labels with tasting notes describing this “preferred dram prior to Prohibition.” At its high-point in the late 1800s, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery was known the world over, selling close to 380,000 gallons of whiskey annually, more than ten times the production capacity of other known brands. Fast forward to present day. With whiskey in their blood, Nelson brothers Andy and Charlie have spectacularly resurrected their award winning small-batch Belle Meade Bourbon, as originally distilled by ancestor Charles Nelson (1835-1891). Closely duplicating the family’s original 1800s spirit, a seductive dram I found sensational...if folks were drinking this pre-prohibition, small wonder they didn’t fight to the death to keep it flowing!

Nelson’s bottle label, similar to 1853 original, reads this bourbon reaches a “sweet spot” that balances the rich, spicy flavors and delivers a depth of character unlike any other you have tasted” -- and that’s no lie. If, as they claim, Charlie and Andy reintroduced this esteemed bevy in honor of their ancient kinsman, they’ve done him proud indeed. I look forward to sampling Nelson Bros limited edition Belle Meade Bourbon Single Barrel, Belle Meade Bourbon Sherry Cask Finish, Belle Meade Bourbon Cognac Cask Finish, and future planned signature spirit, Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey; estimated release date 2018 -- convinced Charles Nelson would approve. About the Author. Photojournalist Jim Leggett, a native of Scotland, is a travel writer based in North Carolina and Nassau, Bahamas. His passions include steamships, motorcycles, open cockpit flying, and whiskey, in moderation. He is also a veteran pipe band drummer.

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Photos courtesy Track Family Fun Parks.

ranson has welcomed an icon from Chicago. The Branson Ferris Wheel was formerly Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, ridden by nearly 17 million people from 1995 to 2015. And with that, the Branson Ferris Wheel begins its next chapter on Hwy. 76, overlooking the entertainment district in this thriving Midwest tourism destination. “With Branson located in the Midwest as well, we think that people who visit here will really enjoy creating new, unforgettable moments,” said Craig Wescott, President/CEO, The Track Family Fun Parks. “The stories we have heard, in just under five months since the purchase, reinforce a belief that lots of folks have fun memories of Chicago’s Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.”

whole new way. The Track Family Fun Parks made the decision to change from the old incandescent lighting system to a brand-new LED lighting system to reduce maintenance costs, consume less power, and update the look of the Ferris wheel. The new system was designed by local entertainer and production expert, Michael Haygood and his business partner Eric Lorscheider. It uses the 280 light bars that are original to the ride, but the incandescent bulbs have been replaced with 16,000 fixtures that have 144,000 multi-colored LEDs. A computer program controls each light individually.

g n i n e p p a H s ’ t a h W

George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. designed a revolving steel observation wheel for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It debuted on June 21, 1893. This engineering feat became America’s answer to the recently completed Eiffel Tower in Paris. That original Ferris wheel was 264 feet tall and was illuminated by 2,500 Edison incandescent lamps. The 36 passenger cars held 60 people each and had 40 revolving chairs, allowing for a total capacity of 2,160 passengers. This wheel’s legacy has lived on to make the Ferris wheel one of the world’s most beloved attractions. Chicago’s Navy Pier Ferris Wheel was inspired by the original Ferris wheel. It opened on July 1, 1995 as the focal point of the newly renovated Navy Pier. The Branson Ferris Wheel lights up the night sky in a

It can display a simple, vintage look or go all the way to a modern, energized light show that can be synced to the new sound system. The 150-foot wheel has 40 gondolas that hold up to 6 passengers each. The ride is in continuous motion taking 7½ minutes per rotation. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children. “They purchased something that came with emotional connections; you can’t get those with a brand new attraction,” said Jeff Seifried, President/CEO, Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB. “Branson area locals and visitors alike appreciate sentimental stories, and there is no doubt that this Ferris wheel comes with a lot of them.” The Track Family Fun Parks believes the opening of the Branson Ferris Wheel is also great timing to tie in with the 35th Anniversary of their company, being celebrated this year. www.bransontracks.com

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Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed electronically throughout North America. Byways is emailed to more than 4000 tour operators /Travel Trade through the Internet. Subscriptions are complimentary. An iPad & iPhone version is available for consumers in iTunes in the App Store. An Android browser version is available at www.issuu.com/byways. Byways’ distribution includes motorcoach companies, tour operators, selected travel agents, bank travel managers, school band and athletic planners, meeting planners and the travel trade. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine at 502-785-4875. ©Copyright 2016 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 502-785-4875

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Advertisers Index Bedford Tourism & Welcome Center, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

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48 • Byways

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