Byways Mountains & Valleys 2017

Featuring North America’s Leading Travel Destinations

Mountains & Valleys

Alaska’s Sesquicentennial Flying High at U.S. Air Force Academy Denver, A Mile High But Not in the Mountains Traveling Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe The Recluse of Lake Tahoe America’s Secret City Showcasing Greenville, South Carolina

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For more than 34 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.

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PREVIEW

By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher

elcome to the annual the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from Mountains and Valleys issue the Carson Valley in Nevada. The peaks ahead are more than two miles above sea level. of Byways.

He’s on his way to Lake Tahoe which straddles the We start our journey in Alaska to help Nevada and California border. At an elevation of 6,229 celebrate the state’s 150th anniversary feet, it ranks with the most spectacular mountain lakes in becoming part of the United States after the world.

It covers nearly two hundred square miles -its purchase from Russia.

12 miles wide and 22 miles long. There is enough water Then it’s on to Colorado to visit the Air Force in the lake to cover all of California knee deep, at a depth Academy in Colorado Springs. The Air Force Academy of 14 inches. is one of the largest tourist attractions in Colorado, Bill’s adventure brings us to another story, the Recluse attracting more than a million visitors each year. of Lake Tahoe. This is the story of George Whittell, a The program at the Academy is guided by the Air man who once owned almost the entire Nevada side of Force’s core values of Integrity First, Service Before Lake Tahoe, and at one time was one of the wealthiest Self, and Excellence in All We Do. men in California. You can imagine my surprise in learnThe Air Force Academy is both a military organization ing the real story about this man and his French wife, and a university. Much of the Academy is set up like who I worked for 4 years. most other Air Force bases, particuNext, we’re off to New larly the 10th Air Base Wing, but the Mexico and America’s superintendent, commandant, dean Secret City. A city so secret of faculty and cadet wing are set up it was illegal to tell anyone in a manner resembling a civilian you lived there and you university. could not have mail sent Altitude at the U.S. Air Force there.

In fact its secret was Academy varies from approximately so great, that it changed the 6,200 feet near Interstate 25 to 9,000 course of World War II and feet on the Farish Recreation Area the post war United States grounds. The cadet area and Visitor U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets and the world as we know Center is at an elevation of 7,258 it. Welcome to Los Alamos. feet.

Our final stop is in South Carolina. We showcase Next, we travel to the Colorado State Capital, Denver.

Greenville, which combines traditional southern charm, This is a city that is a mile high. Yet it’s not in the mounnatural beauty and an unexpected contemporary to tains. And, would you believe, the city has a sunny clibecome one of America’s fastest growing cities and mate with more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach. Golf courses remain open all year. And emerging destinations.

In What’s Happening, we learn about the history of Denver has about the same amount of precipitation as Savannah Riverboat Cruises, and help celebrate its Los Angeles! newest vessel, the Georgia Queen. It is the largest and Denver is located on high rolling plains, 12 miles east grandest ship of its kind, which makes her a special addiof the “foothills,” a series of gentle mountains that climb tion to Georgia’s beautiful coastline. to 11,000 feet. Just beyond is the “Front Range of the Christmas in Louisville?

Not quite, but there’s so Rocky Mountains,” a series of formidable snowcapped much going on here for the holidays you better start planpeaks that rise to 14,000 feet. Denver might not be in the ning early! mountains, but the mountains still dominate the city.

Finally, we head to Times Square in New York City for Denver is a city with a colorful past, loves its sports the opening of Gulliver’s Gate World, a full city block teams, brews more beer than any other city, and has so wide miniature world exhibition, offering one of the much to offer that we felt compelled to tell you all about most unique attractions for visitors from across the it. globe.

In his column Traveling the Highways & Byways, we We hope you enjoy this issue of Byways. catch up with Bill Graves on Highway 50 that snakes through the rumpled succession of foothills as it climbs Byways • 4

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Volume 34, Issue No. 2 2017

Features

On the cover. The Denver skyline framed by the backdrop of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Photo courtesy Visit Denver. For more on Denver, see page 20. Byways Mountains and Valleys coverage begins on Page 8.

Mountains & Valleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Alaska’s Sesquicentennial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Flying High at the U.S. Air Force Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Denver, A Mile High But Not in the Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 On the Way to Lake Tahoe Via Highway 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Recluse of Lake Tahoe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 America’s Secret City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Showcasing Greenville, SC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Departments

Byways Instant Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Traveling the Highways & Byways with Bill Graves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

What’s Happening

25 Years Cruising the Savannah River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Christmas in Louisville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Gulliver’s Gate World Opens in New York City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Coming in future issues of Byways .....

Ocean Views, Rivers & Lakes, Great American Roads and much more!

Next Up: Ocean Views.

The American Revolution Museum opens in Williamsburg, VA. Climb on board replicas of Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery at the Jamestown Settlement ships’ pier.

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View of Colorado Springs, CO looking at the Broadmoor Resort and city center from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, elevation 6,714. Byways photo.

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Wonder Lake and Denali. Photo courtesy Denali National Park and Preserve.

Alaska’s Sesquicentennial

n celebration of 150 years of Alaska being a part of Transfer of Russian America to the United States, which the United States, the sesquicentennial celebration occurred with a flag ceremony in Sitka on Castle Hill. will be sweeping the state this summer. Visitors and This year’s 150th anniversary of Alaska Day will be cellocals can look forward to opportunities to learn about ebrated with a weeklong Alaska Day Festival in Sitka. the rich history behind this historic acquisition through- Join locals in the sesquicentennial celebration of the transfer and celebrate the combination of cultures and out the summer and fall.

Currently showcasing an Alaska Native the rich history of Alaska. There will be historical reenCommemoration Art Exhibit, the Sitka National Historic actments, a parade, sea kayak races, beard contests, a Park emphasizes the Alaska Native perspective on the variety show and an 1867 dress costume ball.

More sesquicentennial events can be found at: sale of Alaska to the United States, and the long-term www.alaska150.com. impacts felt today by the native community. Art will be on display throughout the summer.

In observance of the sesquicentennial in Juneau, a statue of W. H. Seward will be installed in front of the Dimond Courthouse Plaza, across the street from the Alaska State Capitol, in late June. Seward was a monumental player in the acquisition of Alaska in 1867 for a bargain of approximately two cents an acre. On July 3 in the courthouse plaza there will be a dedication ceremony welcoming the statue to its permanent home.

Now on display until Sept. 17, visit the Anchorage Museum’s Polar Bear Garden exhibit. The recently unveiled exhibit shows how Alaska and Russia are closely connected -through land and history. It also highlights the events that have happened since the purchase of Alaska from Russia, and how the two lands have been divided. Americans who opposed the purchase in 1867 commonly called Alaska the “Polar Bear Garden,” hence the well-suited Video Click for name for the Museum’s exhibit.

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The Air Garden and Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force.

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Flying High at the U.S. Air Force Academy

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A glider flies over the campus of the Air Force Academy. Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force. he campus of the United States Air Force Academy covers 18,500 acres on the east side of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, just north of Colorado Springs.

Altitude at the U.S. Air Force Academy varies from approximately 6,200 feet near Interstate 25 to 9,000 feet on the Farish Recreation Area grounds. The cadet area and Visitor Center is at an elevation of 7,258 feet.

The Air Force Academy is one of the largest tourist attractions in Colorado, attracting more than a million visitors each year.

The program at the Academy is guided by the Air Force’s core values of “Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.” The Air Force Academy is both a military organization and a university. Much of the Academy is set up like most other Air Force bases, particularly the 10th Air Base Wing, but the superintendent, commandant, dean 14 • Byways

of faculty and cadet wing are set up in a manner resembling a civilian university.

The Superintendent is the Academy’s commanding officer and is responsible for the Academy’s regimen of military training, academics, athletic and character development programs.

The Air Force Academy is Open to Visitors The Academy welcomes all visitors to one of the country’s National Historic Landmarks. Visitors should enter the installation through the North Gate between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm. Since the Academy is still under heightened security measures directed by NORTHCOM, non-DoD cardholders must present one form of government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license. During these heightened security measures, visitors may experience random precautionary measures and vehicle checks that may lead to extended wait times at the gate.

Repairs to Close Cadet Chapel

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Cadet Life Cadet life is as rewarding as it is difficult. Cadets adhere to a strictly regimented daily schedule even after graduating from Basic Cadet Training. Life at the Air Force Academy takes dedication, sacrifice, stamina, strong self-discipline and excellent time-management skills. However, the rewards include lifetime friendships, honor, personal development, pride and a career as an officer in the world’s most proficient air, space and cyberspace force.

In addition to a rigorous military training regimen, cadets also take a broad academic course load with an extensive core curriculum in engineering, humanities, social sciences, basic sciences, military studies and physical education.

All cadets participate in either intercollegiate or intramural athletics, and a thorough character development and leadership curriculum provides cadets a basis for future officership. Each of the components of the program is intended to give cadets the skills and knowledge that they will need for success as officers.

he Cadet Chapel will close in the summer of 2018 and remain closed for three to four years in order to accomplish critical structural repairs. The Academy is preparing appropriate alternate worship locations to accommodate the religious needs of all its faith groups.

Restorations are necessary because this iconic, nearly 53-year-old structure has consistently leaked since it was constructed. Over the years, multiple mitigation plans failed; this restoration effort will preserve this National Historic Landmark for future generations.

The Academy and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center developed a comprehensive restoration plan that replaces the aluminum skin, stiffens the steel super structure, installs a redundant water barrier, and removes and cleans the 24,000 original stain glass pieces.

The Air Force is committed to being a good steward of An interior view of Polaris Hall at the U.S. Air taxpayers’ dollars by limiting the scope of the project to Force Academy. Photo courtesy Jasmine Reif work necessary to repair and protect this national treas- and U.S. Air Force. ure. The project will not modify or alter the interior spaces of the chapel.

The Cadet Chapel is the most visited man-made attraction in the state of Colorado and with this restoration, the Academy will ensure that it remains so for decades to come.

It is carefully planning its visitor experience around this project to include a video tour experience of the chapel which will be offered in the visitor center while the chapel is closed.

The Commandant oversees the 4,400-member cadet wing and more than 300 Air Force and civilian support personnel and is responsible for cadet military training and Airmanship education, supervising cadet life activities and providing support to facilities and logistics.

The Dean of Faculty commands a 700-person mission element and oversees annual course design and instruction of more than 500 courses crossing 32 academic disciplines and directs the operation of five support staff agencies and faculty resources involving more than $250 million.

The 10th Air Base Wing comprises more than 3,000 military, civilian and contract personnel who conduct all base-level support activities, including law enforcement and force protection, civil engineering, communications, logistics, military and civilian personnel, financial management, services and the clinic, for a military community of about 25,000 people.

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Barry Goldwater Visitor Center A movie about cadets, highlighting the Academy expeThe Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy Visitor rience, is shown throughout the day in a 250-seat theater.

Center serves as the gateway to the Academy, providing The exhibit area features displays on history and cadet information on its history and cadet life to hundreds of life with specially designed exhibits to explain the acadthousands of visitors each year. emy’s four “pillars of excellence.” These refer to the four The Visitor Center is open to the public everyday from areas of the cadet training program: character develop9:00am to 5:00pm. Public access to the center is currently through the Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy North Gate only. A government I.D. Visitor Center. Byways photo. will be required at the gate.

The center was built with donated and borrowed funds totaling $4.5 million. The private organizations which donated the building to the Air Force named it in honor of retired Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater, an avid supporter of the academy. The facility opened its doors in June 1986.

The 31,600-square-foot building contains exhibits, a snack bar and a gift shop. A one-third-mile paved nature trail east of the facility allows visitors to walk to the Cadet Chapel.

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A giant B-52 bomber greets visitors to the Air Force Academy. Byways photo.

Cadet trainees and cadre march out to Jacks Valley to begin the field training portion of Basic Cadet Training.

Photo courtesy Mike Kaplan & U.S. Air Force.

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Oath ceremony at the Cadet Chapel.

Photo courtesy Mike Kaplan & U.S. Air Force.

ment and academic, athletic, and military training. The Self-guided tour maps and information on the acade5,652-square-foot exhibit area includes video and static my are available at the information desk. For additional displays, a hometown map, and a historical exhibit fea- information call the front desk at 719-333-2025. turing information on Academy history, current and former superintendents and other significant features of the Self-Guided Tour Highlights Cadet Chapel. The chapel is occasionally closed for Academy's history.

Air Force Falcons football at Falcon Stadium.

Air Force is a member of the Mountain West Conference.

Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force.

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private services, weddings and funerals throughout the year. During these private services, the chapel will be closed to the public.

Arnold Hall. This facility contains several military and Academy exhibits, a dining area and an auditorium for special events or official functions.

Honor Court. Located between the Chapel and Arnold Hall, this area contains bronze statues and aircraft memorials from various groups.

Field House. This facility has an Indoor Athletic Field, Ice Rink, Clune Arena (Basketball Court), and a Snack Bar. The Athletic Ticket Office is located here. Phone: 800-666-8723, Web: www.goairforcefalcons.com Falcon Athletic Center. Located next to the Field House, it contains the Athletic Hall of Excellence, which highlights the athletic achievements of the Academy.

Phone 800-666-8723.

Web: www.goairforcefalcons.com

Air Force Thunderbirds help celebrate Graduation Day at Falcon Stadium.

Photo courtesy Liz Copan & U.S. Air Force.

Noon Meal Formation You may be able to observe the Cadet Wing marching to lunch. This meal formation is scheduled Monday through Friday at 11:35am. This schedule is in effect during the academic year (mid-August through mid-May), weather permitting, and is subject to cancellation without notice. Visitors may view the formation from the Honor Court wall or the wall surrounding the Cadet Chapel, which overlooks the Terrazzo.

Motorcoaches Due to the large volume of motorcoach traffic to the Visitor Center, coaches may off-load passengers on the top level, Right Side of the entrance. They will then be parked on the bottom parking lot level. Motorcoaches may later return to the top level, Left Side of the entrance to pick up passengers. This policy is to ensure safety of pedestrians in the parking areas.

Free automobile and RV parking is also available.

Hiking Trail For more information call 719-333-USAF to get The Falcon hiking trail is open to the general public recorded information on visiting the Academy. during normal visiting hours, 9:00am to 5:00pm daily The Gift Shop phone number is 1-800-955-4438. http://www.usafa.af.mil with access available at the “B-52 Loop.” Active-duty and retired military personnel and their families may use the trails from 5:00am to sundown. Parking for the Santa Fe Trail is available next to the North Gate.

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Denver, A Mile High But Not In The Mountains!

The exterior of Denver International Airport and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains to the west. Photo courtesy VISIT DENVER. Byways • 21

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A beautiful sunset over the Denver skyline.

Photo courtesy VISIT DENVER.

ocated east of a major mountain range, Denver has Area skyline, rising over 9,000 feet above the area. a mild, dry and sunny climate with more annual Mount Evans is the highest summit of the Chicago Peaks in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The promihours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach. nent 14,271-foot fourteener is located in the Mount In winter, Denver is dryer than Phoenix with an averEvans Wilderness. age daily high of 45 degrees in February. Golf courses remain open all year and have been played as many as 30 days in January. Surprisingly, Denver receives only 14 Denver Really is A Mile High. Exactly!

By an amazing stroke of good luck, the 13th step on inches of precipitation a year, about the same as Los the west side of the State Capitol building is exactly Angeles.

5,280 feet above sea level -- one mile high. In Denver’s rarified air, golf balls go 10 percent farther. So do cockDenver is Near the Mountains, Not In Them tails.

Alcoholic drinks pack more of a punch than at sea Denver is located on high rolling plains, 12 miles east level.

The sun feels warmer, because you are closer to it of the “foothills,” a series of gentle mountains that climb and there is 25 percent less protection from the sun. to 11,000 feet. Just beyond is the “Front Range of the The Mile High City is also extremely dry, so it is a Rocky Mountains,” a series of formidable snowcapped good idea to drink more water than usual. With less peaks that rise to 14,000 feet. Denver might not be in the water vapor in the air at this altitude, the sky really is mountains, but the mountains still dominate the city. The bluer in Colorado. picturesque mountain panorama from Denver is 140 miles long.

There are 200 visible named peaks including 32 that A City of Many Colors Denver grew by 30 percent in the 1990s -- an average soar to 13,000 feet and above. State law prohibits buildof 1,000 new residents a week, every week for 10 years. ing any structure that would block the view from the Colorado State Capitol. Penetrating the mountains west In this period, the Hispanic population in Colorado of Denver required building the highest auto tunnel in the increased by 73 percent. Today, over 30 percent of the world (Eisenhower Tunnel) and the sixth longest railroad City of Denver is of Hispanic and Latino descent and 11 percent are African American. Denver’s diversity is celtunnel in the country (Moffat Tunnel).

Mount Evans dominates the Denver Metropolitan ebrated at numerous festivals and events including the 22 • Byways

nation’s largest Cinco de Mayo celebration and the largest Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally, referred to the locals as a “marade.” Denver’s population in 2014 was 648,937, making it the 23rd largest city in the U.S. The seven county metro area has nearly 3.0 million people.

Denver’s History is Short But Colorful In 1858, there was not a single person living in the Denver metro area except for some migrating camps of Arapaho and Cheyenne Native Americans. Just 30 years later, Colorado was a state with a population of almost 200,000. It was a Gold Rush that caused this boom and in a 30 to 40 year period Denver saw some of the wildest events in the “Wild West.” This fascinating period is brought to life at museums, old gold mining towns and in hundreds of elegant Victorian buildings.

The History Colorado Center is a $120 million interactive museum where it is possible to descend into a coal mine, jump off a ski jump and visit other exciting moments from Denver and Colorado history. LoDo, a 26-square block historic district, has the largest concentration of Victorian and turn-of-the-century buildings in

Majestic Mt. Evans Photo courtesy Rich Grant and VISIT DENVER.

Union Station is now a hub of downtown activity. Byways photo.

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Driving into the Rocky Mountains.

Photo courtesy Visit Denver.

the country. Today, LoDo is home to 90 brewpubs, rooftop cafes, restaurants, sports bars and nightclubs.

Denver and the Arts In its Old West days, Denver had a performance of Macbeth before it had a school or a hospital. That performance took place in a saloon. Today, Metro Denver collects more for the arts on a per capita basis than any other city. The seven county Denver metro area has a self-imposed tenth of a cent sales tax for the arts that raises more than $40 million a year, which is distributed to 300 arts organizations and facilities.

The city’s cultural renaissance can be found in places like the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Covering four square blocks, the complex is the second largest in the country, with 10 theatres seating more than 10,000 people for opera, symphony, ballet, Tony Award-winning theatre and touring Broadway shows. The $92-million Ellie Caulkins Opera House is recognized as one of the finest acoustical venues in the world and Denver voters recently approved a $90 million refurbishing of Boettcher Concert Hall.

Denver has recently added several new art museums including the Clyfford Still Museum, dedicated solely to the works of Clyfford Still, one of the most influential 24 • Byways

The free Coors Brewery tour is a highlight of any trip to Denver. Coors Brewery is the world’s largest. Byways photo.

Baseball fans seated in the purple row of seats at Coors Field. The row is exactly 5280 feet above sea level -One Mile High! Byways photo.

abstract American painters. The Brad Cloepfil designed building is an artistic marvel unto itself, and created specifically to display the artist’s multi-dimensional work.

The American Museum of Western Art features more than 650 paintings and drawings spanning 200 years of American history and is located in a historic building that was once a bordello and gambling hall.

The Denver Art Museum’s astonishing Hamilton Building, designed by world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind, has been called “mesmerizing,” by the New York Times. The space is used to accommodate a variety of original and touring art shows including exhibitions devoted to the works of Van Gogh, French Masters, Yves Saint Laurent, Cartier and others.

Denver’s LEED-certified Museum of Contemporary Art was designed by David Adjaye and was his first building in the United States.

Denver Loves its Sports Denver is one of only two cities (Philadelphia is the other) to have seven professional sports teams: NFL Denver Broncos; NBA Denver Nuggets; NHL Colorado Avalanche; MLB Colorado Rockies; MLS Colorado Rapids; MLL Colorado Outlaws; and NLL Colorado Byways • 25

Crowd at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater during concert. Photo courtesy Stevie Crecelius and VISIT DENVER.

Mammoth. The Colorado Rockies have 11 Major League Baseball attendance records, while the Denver Broncos have sold out every game for more than 20 years. Denver also hosts one of the world’s largest rodeos, the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo.

Denver was the only city to build three new sports stadiums in the 1990s: 50,000-seat Coors Field; 75,000-seat Sports Authority Field at Mile High and 20,000-seat Pepsi Center.

Denver Brews More Beer Than Any Other City The first building in Denver was a saloon, so it’s natural that Denver would become a great beer town. Coors Brewery is the world’s largest. Denver’s Great American Beer Festival is the largest in the nation, offering more than 6,700 different beers for tasting.

The Wynkoop Brewing Company is one of the largest brewpubs in the country. On an average day in the Denver Metro area, more than 200 different beers are brewed and can be enjoyed in 100 breweries, brew pubs and tap rooms.

Denver’s Large Downtown Unlike some Western cities, Denver has a definitive, exciting and walkable downtown -- the 10th largest in the nation. Within just a one mile radius, there are three sports stadiums, the country’s second largest performing arts complex, an assortment of art and history museums, 26 • Byways

Flowers bloom in front of the Colorado Capitol in summer. Photo courtesy Stan Obert and VISIT DENVER.

a mint producing 10 billion coins a year, a river offering whitewater rafting, the country’s only downtown amusement park, a world-class aquarium, more than 8,500 hotel rooms and more than 300 restaurants, brewpubs, rooftop cafes and music venues.

The 16th Street Mall is a mile-long pedestrian promenade that cuts through the center of downtown lined with 200 trees and 42 outdoor cafes. Free electric shuttle buses travel up and down the Mall, stopping on every corner. After 6 pm, the Mall comes alive with horse-drawn carriages and pedicabs.

The Platte River Fest in downtown Denver.

Photo courtesy VISIT DENVER.

View from Mount Evans. Byways photo.

Denver Has One of the Largest Park Systems in the Country Denver has more than 200 parks within the city and 14,000 acres of parks in the nearby mountains, including the spectacular Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, a 9,000 seat amphitheatre that has hosted everyone from the Beatles to top symphony orchestras. Rolling Stone has called Red Rocks the best outdoor concert venue in the world.

The city has its own buffalo herd located in the mountains with a panoramic view. Other mountain parks include Echo Lake, at the base of the Mount Evans highway -- the highest paved road in North America climbing to a 14,260-foot summit, and Buffalo Bill’s Grave on top of Lookout Mountain, the final resting spot of the famous frontier scout and showman.

Denver plants more than 200,000 flowers in 26 formal flower gardens every spring. Metro Denver is home to more than 85 miles of off-street bike paths, one of the largest urban bike trail systems in the nation. Denver Bcycle has more than 800 bright red Trek bikes available for rental at 84 stations across the city. Simply swipe a credit card and pedal off.

There are 90 golf courses in the metro area that stay open all year long due to Denver’s mild winters.

With all of these recreational opportunities, a federal study recently found that Denver has some of the healthiest residents of any major U.S. city. http://www.denver.org Byways • 27

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Traveling the Highways & Byways with Bill Graves

elen Keller said that life is a daring adventure or it is nothing. To that, I totally subscribe.

I met Helen Keller one time. I was a young teenager. I remember, she stepped close and ran her hands down my face.

With her fingers on my cheeks, she said, “dimples.” Obviously, I was grinning. I never will forget: that a woman deaf and blind from infancy would know what dimples are and the word for them. It seems now even more remarkable that from within her dark, still world, she should appreciate the subjective concept of adventure.

Anyway, winter has returned to Nevada from somewhere, whistling thin, bluish snowflakes across the road.

I’m on Highway 50 that snakes through the rumpled succession of foothills as it climbs the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the Carson Valley. The peaks ahead are more than two miles above sea level.

The higher I climb, the bigger the snow banks. Left by snowplows clearing this road from earlier storms, they must be eight-feet deep where the sun doesn’t reach them. And I am now above the tree line, so the sun does not get down here much at all. Topped with a fresh whiteness, it hides most of their crystallized coat of grungy soot -- the depressing countenance of snow banks that age next to a highway.

Near here is the trail of the Johnson Cutoff, at one time the most heavily traveled highway in the West. It took the gold-rush crowd over the Sierra’s to California in 1849 and early 1850s. Then in the 1859, many of them came back over it again when gold and silver were discovered on this side of the mountains.

The snow flurries stopped as the road began a gradual down slope. Enough snow had fallen to give everything a graceful dusting, still the road was clear. Ahead, through the trees, I could see Lake Tahoe.

At an elevation of 6,229 feet, it ranks with the most spectacular mountain lakes in the world. It covers nearly two hundred square miles -- 12 miles wide and 22 miles long. There is enough water in the lake to cover all of California knee deep, at a depth of 14 inches.

To the west, the peaks of the Sierra Nevada rise four thousand feet above the lake. Where I am, the Carson Range soars even higher. Cupped in these mountains of snow-covered pine, this alpine sea is a compelling sight.

Highway 50 takes me south along the water’s edge.

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An activity that locals call snowmobilin at the top of Tahoe” takes place November through April. Like snowshoeing, sledding, tobogganing and tubing, which are ageless, this is a comparatively new winter sport that requires no demanding skill or talent. So I did it.

Participants generally rent the machines and the garb.

The two-hour, follow-the-leader excursion runs through dense forests of pine and aspen. The bark on many of the trees was ripped at snowmobile-bumper-level. As I said, no demanding skill required.

The economy of this area runs on tourism. Gaming is a major contributor on the Nevada side. The boundary it shares with California runs north and south through the lake. Of the lake’s 72 miles of shoreline, 29 are in Nevada.

Those who live here -- the majority have permanent homes elsewhere -- are typically an outdoor crowd. And they are mostly affluent. This is obvious by the number of exceptionally fine restaurants up here. When I see

On the Way to Lake Tahoe Via Highway 50

Lake Tahoe surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Photo courtesy Bill Graves.

seared ahi and grilled venison on a menu, and have a waiter who doesn’t answer a question with, “I’ll go check,” I know I am not at Denny’s. I was at The Big Water Grille in Alpine Village. And for dessert I had warm chocolate walnut bread pudding with caramelized bananas and coconut ice cream.

South Lake Tahoe is heavily populated with condos.

Still you can swim and sunbathe in seclusion, hike and climb as far and as high as you want without crossing paths with anyone else. In the winter, you can ski all day and not cross a ski track.

Looking into the lake, standing on rocks at its edge, its water is as clear as I have ever seen. They tell me it’s 97% pure, almost as pure as if it were distilled. Its clarity is rivaled only by Crater Lake in Oregon and Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the tenth deepest lake in the world.

The constant bottom-to-top movement of its water, from a depth of 1685 feet, is why Lake Tahoe never freezes.

To get a mountaintop view, I didn’t have to backpack

up a trail or even drive a winding road of switchbacks. In mid-town South Lake Tahoe, I stepped into an eight-passenger gondola. In nine minutes, I went from 6,235 feet to an observation platform at 9,123 feet. The sky and the lake were an extraordinary shade of blue that can be seen only at this elevation. The lake surface was still; on it the mountains were mirrored in almost perfect detail.

I thought again about Helen Keller: How tragic to have a life on this Earth and never experience a visual sense such as this.

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 motorhome 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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View from Nevada’s Sand Harbor State Park, one of the most scenic views of Lake Tahoe.

George Whittell once owned this property and nearly the entire Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

Photo courtesy Doug Jones and TravelNevada.

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The Recluse of Lake Tahoe

By Stephen M. Kirchner

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George Whittell’s Thunderbird Lodge at Lake Tahoe.

Photo courtesy George Lamson and TravelNevada.

t was my first real job. I took it my last two years of high school because I needed spending money. And I kept it through my first two years of college because I needed spending money.

It wasn’t the best job, in fact I got it because probably no one else wanted it. Working on a 50-acre estate in Woodside, California without anyone else your own age around was not all that much fun. And doing the kind of work I did, cleaning the bird cages, washing floors, vacuuming, and working in the gardens, was not the kind of job most high school students are looking for.

But the owners were flexible, and I could work when I could squeeze it into my schedule. Weekends, holidays, and summer vacation. Few jobs back then provided that kind of flexibility.

It was the early 1960s, and I knew there was a story about the owner and his wife, but I never knew THE story.

Back then there was no internet, If you wanted to find out about someone, you had to go to the library, and sign out the microfilm. No one did that.

I worked for George and Elia Whittell for 4 years. He was in his early 80s, and she was not far behind.

Actually, I worked for Mrs. Whittell, as you’ll soon see.

They were wealthy. He was a recluse. How did I 32 • Byways

know? In four years of working there, I never saw him.

He was always nearby, usually in the next room. But he allowed no one to see him. Whether it was because he was in a wheelchair or another reason, I never knew.

But I know he saw me. Because even though it was in the early 60s, the entire house was wired with video surveillance. And I knew I was being watched with every job I was doing.

By the mid 60s I had finished junior college and left for a 4-year school. And that was the end of my career as a handyman.

I had one more encounter with the Whittells. George passed away in 1969, but they still had the Thunderbird Lodge Estate at Lake Tahoe. I had finished college, gone on to graduate school, and in 1969 was preparing to enter the Army. I took a drive up to Lake Tahoe, and thought I would visit the estate and see if anyone from the Woodside house was present.

I knocked on the door, told them who I was, and waited. A short time later someone came to the door, told me they didn’t want to see me, and to leave the property immediately.

Mr. Whittell was gone, but his legacy lived on.

My life moved on, I got out of the Army and took a job in Washington, DC. Time passed, and the Whittels faded from memory.

So you can image my shock in checking facts for the story written by Bill Graves about Lake Tahoe.

When I stumbled upon the names of George and Elia Whittell.

We have the Internet now, and what a surprise to finally learn about the couple I worked for more than 50 years ago!

George Whittell George Whittell, Jr., was born in San Francisco on September 28, 1881, to George Whittell, Sr., and Anna Luning Whittell. One of twins, George Jr.’s brother, Nicholas, died at the age of three of diptheria.

His family had great wealth, but he spent his time collecting exotic animals, expensive automobiles and boats, beautiful women, lawsuits and more than 25 miles of Lake Tahoe’s Nevada shoreline along the way. He was one of the most notorious playboys of California and Nevada, and had a succession of marriages and liaisons that fueled the region’s gossip mills. A recluse in his later years, Whittell shunned publicity, and, in doing so, inspired speculation about his every move. By the time of his death in 1969, he had become the stuff of legend.

George’s two immigrant grandfathers shrewdly exploited Gold Rush opportunities, laying the foundation for a financial empire.

Shortly after George, Jr., was born his parents built a showplace mansion on San Francisco’s Nob Hill. He attended high school but following graduation he initially refused the college education his parents planned for him. He left home instead to follow the Barnum and Bailey Circus. While there, George used the allowance provided by his wealthy family to stage a series of trips to Africa to capture wild animals for the circus. It was during these experiences with the circus and in Africa that George developed a lifelong passion for wild animals.

Upon his return to San Francisco George continued an unflattering habit of embarrassing his parents.

He shocked his parents by eloping with a chorus girl.

Whittell, Sr., felt compelled to pay sufficient money to county officials and the bride to annul the inappropriate match, silence all involved and clear the record. To the parents’ dismay the cover-up failed and the incident exploded into a public scandal.

George’s taste for unsuitable women continued when he fell in love with dancer and actress Josephine Cunningham, a member of a well-known stage group.

Despite his parents’ disapproval and their best attempts to thwart the romance, George and Josie were married.

That marriage lasted just two years before divorce, and Josie Cunningham went on to appear in over 60 Hollywood movies as a character actress.

In December 1919, George was wed to Miss Elia

George Whittell and constant companion Bill.

Pascal, a “strikingly beautiful French woman” whom he had met during World War I in Italy. Her family owned a 1,000-acre estate in the Loire Valley of France that had been purchased from the Rockefellers. In addition to his recognition by the Belgian government for his meritorious conduct for his outstanding service as a driver in the American Ambulance Corps during World War I, both George and Elia were honored for their war service by the French and Italian governments.

In 1922, George’s father died, leaving the 40-year old an inheritance worth roughly $30 million, the equivalent of well over $423 million in today’s dollars. He also inherited the Woodside estate.

He managed his dollars wisely. Perhaps his most important move was to liquidate about $50 million in stock holdings ($706 million in today’s dollars) in early 1929, thereby protecting him from (and, some say, helping precipitate) the stock market crash in October of that year. Following the economic collapse George was one of the wealthiest men in California.

Also in 1929, George began a love affair with the most elegant passenger car of the day, the Duesenberg -ordering not one, but two, of the expensive, custom-built automobiles. He would eventually own six. In another Byways • 33

The Thunderbird. Photo courtesy lisaeeeee and TravelNevada.

pivotal event that year, George’s ex-wife Josie gave him Though he originally planned several large developa lion cub, who he named Bill. The lion became George's ments at Lake Tahoe, including casinos at Sand Harbor closest companion, traveling with the millionaire every- and Zephyr Cove, his first priority was a summer retreat where he went, including nightclubs and eventually the for himself. There, five miles south of Incline Village, he Thunderbird Lodge. Bill particularly enjoyed his rides in built the elaborate Thunderbird Lodge with a panoramic George's convertible roadster. view of Lake Tahoe. This price tag was $300,000.

Whittell had been a man of unusual, perhaps even Visitors declared that the three-story structure had the bizarre, tastes and behavior. He also shared his vast appearance of a medieval fortress.

Woodside estate with an African lion and Mingo, a fourConstruction of that lakefront estate began in 1936 and year-old, 600-pound Sumatran elephant. There was also a cheetah and a giraffe, along with a Card House, where George Whittell played cards handful of other exotic creatures. with Ty Cobb and Howard Hughes.

Nevada Land Purchases Photo courtesy lisaeeeee and TravelNevada.

In the early 1930’s George formed a Nevadabased business to manage certain investments and established an official residence in Reno to help him avoid the rapidly increasing California income and estate taxes. There he heard of some property at Lake Tahoe being offered for sale.

Eventually Whittell acquired over 40,000 acres of land for as little as $3 an acre on the Nevada side of the lake, including more than 25 miles of the shoreline, which represented almost all of the Nevada side of the lake.

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was completed in 1939, along with an incredible yacht, Thunderbird.

At that time in his life, however, George was growing more reclusive and after spending several summers at Lake Tahoe, began to value his privacy more and more. The estate included a 600' long tunnel just to permit George to move from the Boathouse to the main residence without being seen.

Stories abound about all-night poker games in Whittell's notorious subterranean Card House with celebrities like baseball great Ty Cobb, and fellow recluse Howard Hughes. It is rumored that Whittell occasionally lost up to $100,000 in a single night.

The Recluse He abandoned plans for commercial development, withdrew from the Tahoe community and was rarely seen, preferring the seclusion of his miles of undeveloped shoreline. Elia, with whom his marriage had evolved into one of convenience, considered the Thunderbird Lodge far too rustic for her tastes. When George headed off to Tahoe from their Woodside estate for the summer, Elia would go to Paris to spend time with her friends and family.

Whittell delighted in playing the role of the quintessential playboy. In 1937, he purchased a customized DC3, “the world’s largest and most luxurious cusMingo, the 600 lb elephant. tomized aerial yacht.” The massive plane, with a cruising speed of 230 mph, came with luxurious lounges, bedrooms, parlors, a kitchen, dining room, and sleeping quarters for the crew of five.

Reporters estimated that this “flying pleasure palace” cost as much as $400,000.

George Whittell was confined to a wheelchair for the last 16 years of his life. He spent much of his time in conversation with

Third wife Elia Whittell and one of the

six talking mynahs which, guests insisted, all spoke with decidedly French accents.

In 1958 the state of Nevada managed to negotiate an agreement with Whittell to establish Sand Harbor State Park, the first state park on the Nevada shore. Nevada eventually forced Whittell to sell his remaining acreage to the state and virtually overnight all of Lake Tahoe’s east shore property became protected from commercial development.

Today, the Woodside estate is the present day site of Kings Mountain Vineyard. http://kingsmountainvineyards.com With no heirs, Whittell’s $40 million fortune was meticulously divided with large portions distributed to the National Audubon Society and the Defenders of Wildlife. Sizeable sums also went to a variety of animal hospitals and pet cemeteries. Approximately $6 million was earmarked to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to “relieve the pain and suffering of animals.”

Public Tours Today, public tours of Thunderbird Lodge, now a National Register Historic Site, are available by land, by tour boat, or by kayak, Tuesdays through Saturdays from mid-May until mid-October. Theses tours are among the most popular available at Lake Tahoe. Reservations are required for all tours.

For public land tour reservations, call (800) GOTAHOE (800-468-2463). http://thunderbirdtahoe.org About the Author: Stephen M. Kirchner has been editor & publisher of Byways Magazine for 34 years. He is based in Louisville, KY. Byways • 35

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Los Alamos, New Mexico is situated on the Pajarito Plateau on the eastern flank of the Jemez Mountains. The 13-mile-wide Valles Caldera is the collapsed center of a volcano rimmed by peaks that exceed 11,000 feet.

America’s Secret City

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The Manhattan Project National Historical Park’s Fuller Lodge and Art Center. Photos courtesy Leslie E. Bucklin.

istory lovers, aspiring scientists, and curious minds alike all have a knack for asking questions, a thirst for learning and an adventurous spirit for making discoveries. They enjoy glimpsing into the past for insight, while looking ahead to a new and inventive future.

You’ll find these curious minds -- and if you’re one of them, you’ll join them -- in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Just a 33-minute scenic drive north of the Capitol in Santa Fe, the small town is a destination many seek out for its wealth of history, science and fascinating tales of the past, as well as for modern day innovation and discoveries.

Throughout its history, Los Alamos has been home to some of the greatest innovators of their respective eras. From Ancestral Puebloans, Homesteaders and Rough Riders, to the Ranch School boys, Manhattan Project scientists and today’s 38 • Byways

engineers and scientists still making groundbreaking discoveries -- Los Alamos is known for innovation.

Los Alamos is situated on the Pajarito Plateau on

the eastern flank of the Jemez Mountains. The 13-mile wide Valles Caldera is the collapsed center of the volcano rimmed by peaks that exceed 11,000 feet. At 7,500 feet, Los Alamos is in the transition between the mountain peaks above, and the Rio Grande River valley below, which bottoms out at about 5,400 feet.

Arguably the most well-known claim to fame of the town was its role in World War II. Known as the “Secret City,” or the “town without a name,” Los Alamos has been the site of world-changing science for over 70 years, dating back to the quest for nuclear weapons.

Selected by the U.S. Government for its inspiring natural beauty as well as its isolation, Los Alamos became home to ingenious minds from around the world, all working toward national security. Over 6,000 scientists and staff members poured into New Mexico to work in the Manhattan Project in the race to develop the atomic bomb to end World War II. These brilliant minds included the likes of General Leslie Groves, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and more.

Joined by a skilled team of physicists, chemists, military Students in lab coats at Fuller Lodge.

personnel and experts in their field, Los Alamos was the site for seeking answers to questions, delving deeply into science and experimenting in the unknown world of high explosives.

After just two years, on July 16, 1945, the Trinity test explosion answered many of the questions scientists had been working to uncover, such as yield, materials needed and the effects of the blast. Weeks later, atomic bombs were deployed to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the end of World War II and the completion of the Manhattan Project. The research, work and scientific discovery formed the foundation for future generations of exploration and for Los Alamos’ current innovative culture.

Today, visitors have the opportunity to explore the science and social culture of the “Secret City” at Los Alamos’ Manhattan Project National Historical Park .

Los Alamos County is currently working with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Department of Energy and the Department of Natural Resources to secure public access to the facilities and buildings associated with

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The Bradbury Museum. Photos courtesy Leslie E. Bucklin.

the design of the “Little Boy” bomb, V-Site, which was used by lab workers to build the Trinity device, and the Pajarito Site, which was used for plutonium chemistry research.

Visitors to Los Alamos can immerse themselves in an exploration of history beginning with a stop at the official visitor center for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Located adjacent to Ashley Pond, the center features an introduction film, passport stamp station, daily ranger talks and free Wi-Fi. Check out one of many incredible tours, including the Atomic City bus tour, the Historic Walking tour, the Homestead tour, the Spy tour and, even a virtual tour by downloading the “Los Alamos Secret City of the Manhattan Project” app where visitors can follow in the virtual footsteps of the scientists’ secret journey to Los Alamos. Currently, some of the most iconic symbols of the Manhattan Project are open to the public in downtown Los Alamos, including the Bradbury Science Museum, Ashley Pond, the historic Fuller Lodge and Art Center, and the Los Alamos History Museum Campus, which now includes the Romero Homestead Cabin, the Harold Agnew Cold War Gallery in the Hans Bethe House and an Ancestral Pueblo Site.

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The Trinity Site where the first atomic device was tested on July 16, 1945. Photo courtesy Samat Jain.

This piece of national history is a must-see for all history buffs, scientific minds and adventurers of all types. With its sheer scenic beauty and natural landscapes, it might even inspire the creativity and inquisition in the minds of young, budding scientists, just as it did in years past.

For more information on the Manhattan Project, visit https://www.nps.gov/mapr/manhattan-project-los-alamos.htm.

To plan your Los Alamos getaway -- which also includes two additional National Parks, outdoor recreation activities, beautiful landscapes and a variety of fun activities for every member of the family—as well as where to stay and what to do, go to: visitlosalamos.org.

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Photo courtesy Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves.

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Aerial view over Falls Park in downtown Greenville, SC. Photo courtesy Pro Bros Productions.

Showcasing Greenville, South Carolina

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estled into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville, South Carolina has found a way to combine traditional southern charm, natural beauty and an unexpected contemporary to become one of America’s fastest growing cities and emerging destinations.

Main Street is the central hub of activity with dozens of locally owned restaurants, boutiques and hotels. In its completely walkable downtown, Greenville showcases Falls Park, a 32-acre park with a one-of-a-kind curved suspension footbridge, scenic overlooks, outdoor amphitheaters, world-class works of public art, nature trails, several distinct garden areas and, of course, the beautiful Reedy River with its impressive series of falls.

Visitors can also easily hop on the nearly 20-mile mixed-use GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail. Bike rentals are available at Reedy Rides or through the city’s bike sharing program, B-Cycle, to cruise the trail for a few miles before stopping to grab a fresh baked good at The Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery, a hub for local foods and artisan products. As you pedal alongside a variety of nature, former textile factories and the scenic campus of Furman University, stop in Traveler’s Rest for a local brew at award-winning, Swamp Rabbit Brewery or a savory crepe at Tandem Creperie.

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Downtown Greenville. Photo courtesy James Wellman Photography.

Food Lovers Paradise With more than 25 new restaurants set to open this year, including Chef Sean Brock’s Husk, Greenville is a foodie’s paradise. From classic southern cuisine to international flavors, downtown Greenville has more than 120 restaurants and bars scattered throughout the mile and a half stretch of Main Street. With many sidewalk patios and rooftop bars, possibilities to enjoy the outdoors are endless. Head up to the rooftop at Ink and Ivy for Southern-leaning American fare and try the classic “Poison Ivy” or enjoy a milkshake and mouthwatering pimiento cheese burger on Grill Mark’s outdoor patio.

Get a taste of Greenville’s food scene with “At the Chef’s Table” Tour -- an exciting dining and cultural experience and that will take you to five destinations, each with the opportunity to meet the chefs and dine at their tables as well as hear more about Greenville’s culinary diversity and history.

Today, Greenville has seven craft breweries including Birds Fly South, which opened this year in a renovated cotton mill, rich with Greenville textile history (and great sour beers!) and Thomas Creek Brewery -- Greenville’s first microbrewery famous for its Red Ale and Up the Creek IPA. Among a number of additional specialty taprooms there are at least three more breweries in the works for 2017. The Brewery Experience is the perfect

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Fountain at the entrance to Falls Park on the Reedy River. Photo courtesy James Wellman Photography.

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Falls Park on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville at the Liberty Bridge. Photo courtesy Craig A. Lee.

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(and safe) way to taste the local brews. The bus tour will stop at 4-5 spots where you will learn about each brewery’s process and taste what’s on tap.

Discover the incredible collection of unique shops offering an eclectic selection of items you won’t find anywhere else -- most of which are locally owned!

Check out M. Judson Booksellers and Storytellers, a local treasure with regular pop-up events and tastings held with local chefs and guest authors. Visit Mast General Store, a staple downtown since the 1800s, offering a variety of goods including barrels of candy.

expanding arts scene, starting at Arts Crossing, a riverfront stretch of galleries showcasing local artists’ work.

Art aficionados will love the Greenville County Museum of Art, which houses the world’s largest collection of renowned painter Andrew Wyeth’s watercolors.

Most days of the year, visitors can find a free event in Downtown. Greenville features more than 200 special events a year. Pack your blanket and some bites from Caviar and Bananas and head to Falls Park every Wednesday at dusk during the months of May and September for Moonlight Movies in the Park. The weekend always starts on Thursday during Downtown Alive, Expanding Art Scene a 24-week long concert series. A party on Main Street, Whether you’re inclined toward cultural museums and bands from across the region come out to play while peofine art galleries, upbeat music and live theatre, dance, ple eat, drink and dance in the street. Main Street shuts comedy, festivals or simply discovering the innovative down again every Friday night during the spring, sumcreations of true craftspeople, Greenville has everything mer and early fall for Main Street Friday concerts too. you are looking for. Immerse yourself in Greenville’s Guests can get a real taste of Greenville at the Farmer’s 48 • Byways

Aerial View of Festival at Night. Photo courtesy The Peace Center.

Market as more than 60 local vendors take over Main Outdoor Adventure Just a short driving distance from downtown are five Street every Saturday from May through October. state parks, with spectacular, family friendly hiking and Sport Fans biking trails, scenic waterfalls and sweeping views.

For sports fans, baseball roots run deep here. Caesars Head State Park offers 50 miles of easy to strenGreenville is Shoeless Joe Jackson’s hometown- where uous hiking trails, camping and fishing. While, Devils his dad worked in one of the textile mills, he first played Fork State Park on Lake Jocassee offers activities for paddleboarders, canoeists and avid fly fishers. baseball and is laid to rest.

Cycling enthusiasts shouldn’t miss a chance to stay at In fact, his childhood home now is a museum- located across from Fluor Field, home of the Boston Red Sox Hotel Domestique, a stunning, European-influenced Class A affiliate Greenville Drive, which is a mini repli- property that’s the vision of 17-time Tour de France ridca of Fenway Park. The Drive have turned out more than er and Greenville local George Hincapie, with cycling a dozen players -- Xander Boagerts, Clay Buchholz, packages available to groups.

For more information on where to stay, eat and play Felix Doubront, Mookie Betts and Yoan Moncada.

Enjoy $1 beer night on Thursdays in the summer, as visit www.visitgreenvillesc.com fans pack into the stadium for an exciting game, drinks and food.

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Savannah Riverboat Cruises Celebrates 25 Years Sailing Aboard its New Georgia Queen

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avannah Riverboat Cruises held a grand affair aboard its new Georgia Queen to officially christen the 1000-passenger cruise ship and to commemorate the company’s 25th anniversary sailing the Savannah River.

The Georgia Queen came to Savannah’s Historic Riverfront in November 2016 after making a 2800-mile journey down the Mississippi River, across the Gulf of Mexico, around the shorelines of Florida and Key West to call Savannah her new home. The luxury vessel is in fact the largest and grandest ship of its kind, which makes her a special addition to Georgia’s beautiful coastline and an important contributing factor in Georgia and Savannah’s tourism and economic development.

“For 25 years, Savannah Riverboat Cruises has been delighting guests with customized river cruises that include a unique view of Savannah and Georgia’s history. With live entertainment, fine dining, and true southern hospitality, they are an integral part of the fabric that makes our historic district such a special place. We are very proud to have the Georgia Queen grace our riverfront.” Jeff Hewitt, senior vice president at Visit Savannah.

While the company is celebrating 25 years in business, Captain Jonathan Claughton is actually celebrating nearly 50 years in the maritime industry. Growing up, Claughton called the Cumberland River home, working alongside his family operating a 44-passenger riverboat, 50 • Byways

Video r o f k c i Cl named Belle Carol after his sister, in Nashville, TN. “As a boy, I sold Coca-Colas to passengers, swabbed decks, cleaned toilets, worked as an oiler in the engine room -- you name it, I did it,” said Capt. Jonathan Claughton. “I was this wide-eyed kid and just loved it. I soaked it all up.”

By 18-years-old, Claughton had received his captain’s license and there was no turning back. Since then, his hard work has earned him respect nationwide in the maritime industry.

“It’s a hard business,” said Claughton, “and in fact, it’s arguably two of the hardest industries combined: hospitality and maritime. But it’s my passion and I get to meet the most incredible people from all over the world every day on our ships. That and my pure love of the water is what keeps me coming back.”

Savannah Riverboat Cruises offers a diverse selection of daily, evening, and seasonal custom cruises, including narrated harbor cruises, dinner entertainment cruises, moonlight cruises, lavish brunch and lunch cruises, and their famous uplifting gospel choir dinner cruise.

The award-winning captains and crew provides unparalleled personalized service on every cruise. Group tour bookings and private charters are also available. For more information, please call 912.232.6404 or visit online at http://savannahriverboat.com/cruises/

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hile Christmas may be months away, it is never too early to begin making plans for the perfect yuletide travel. Louisville never stops planning ways to make group holiday trips a unique and festive affair.

From Reindeer Thoroughbreds to Dr. Seuss, the oneof-a-kind Christmastime fun promises to bring smiles and giggles to everyone involved. Old favorites and new happenings are all part of Christmas in Louisville 2017.

Christmas In Louisville

make holiday magic. And finally, a stop at Schimpffs Confectionery will satisfy your sweet tooth and let you stock up on all your holiday candy must-haves.

Three group-favorite hotels are also making sure that it would be the perfect holiday headquarters for the time spent in Louisville. The Brown Hotel, the Four Points

by Sheraton and the Galt House Hotel have all designed holiday packages to help celebrate the season.

g n i n e p p a H s ’ t a h W

Holiday magic transforms racehorses into racing reindeer at the Kentucky Derby Museum for its annual Reindeer Games. A brand-new Toy Soldier and Nutcracker Exhibit awaits your group at the Frazier History Museum. Lights Under Louisville, one of the Top 10 Christmas Light Shows in the nation, returns to Louisville Mega Cavern. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory will deck its halls with another legendary LEGO®holiday exhibit. The Victorian mansions in Old Louisville will be decked out in old-world finery and festive décor. Make a stop at the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, in the heart of the neighborhood, to create your own Victorian-style paper or marbleized glass ornament.

The Audubon Country Club will transform into a quaint Christmas lodge to welcome your group for a special night of fun and seasonal food and drink. Take in a premiere performance of All the Whos in Whoville an original stage play featuring the worlds of Doctor Who and Dr. Seuss. Or stick to the tradition of A Christmas Carol at Derby Dinner Playhouse or Louisville Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Two of Louisville’s favorite group stops, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and the Spirit of Jefferson, will pull out the stops to

The Louisville Group Tourism team has produced a new Christmas in Louisville itinerary sheet that provides all the above information in one handy, easily read document. Click here to download.

Two of the group travel incentive programs will sway you even more to bring your group to Louisville for the first time, or bring them back if it’s been two years or longer since your last visit.

Two Incentives for Groups The 15 Rooms to LoveRewards program offers monies for you or your group. Book a tour with at least 15 rooms or more in 2017 or 2018 and the Louisville CVB will give you a $500 shopping spree at its Louisville Visitor Center.

The second incentive program provides step-on guided driving tour. Book one destination, and experience two. Book at least 15 rooms or more in 2017 or 2018 in either a Louisville or Southern Indiana participating hotel and get a FREE two-hour step-on guided tour of some of the most treasured and unique historical experiences on both sides of the Ohio River.

For itinerary and tour planning assistance, and information on these and all the incentive programs offered, contact Tourism Sales Manager Saundra Robertson at the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800.626.5646 or srobertson@gotolouisville.com.

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Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Photo courtesy gotolouisville.com.

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Finishing touches in Europe.

Gulliver’s Gate World of Miniature Opens in New York City

ou can now Leave the Land of Large and enter an City. A city of light, Metropolis interprets the Empire amazing new experience, located at the cross- State Building to Grand Central Station, Midtown to roads of the world, Times Square in New York Downtown and everywhere in between. All the sights, skyscrapers, shopping, and scenery The Big Apple has to City.

Gulliver’s Gate is a full city block wide miniature offer, are illuminated and revealed. The first stop on your world exhibition, offering one of the most unique attrac- tour through Gulliver’s Gate, Metropolis sets the stage tions for visitors from across the globe. Using progres- for all to come.

Cities of Gold await exploration in this interpretation sive technology and amazing artistry, Gullive’'s Gate houses 300 built-toscale models of cities and landmarks from around the world, including Russia, China, Latin America, Europe and, of course, New York City.

Many of these models offer interactive elements thanks to the company’s use of cutting-edge technology, including 3D printing. In addition to getting lost in the miniature realm of Gulliver’s Gate, guests will have the chance to create 3D models of themselves to take home as a souvenir from their visit.

The first stop at Gulliver’s Gate is Metropolis, inspired by New York The Middle East 52 • Byways

of Latin America. The raw natural beauty and technical achievements of South America combine in music, film and other media to unparalleled effect. Visit the Panama Canal and watch as freighters move through different levels in the functioning locks. Experience the majesty of Iguazu Falls in Argentina and marvel at the engineering triumph, Puente de la Mujer in Buenos Aires.

The Middle East is the cradle of the world’s three largest monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Together, the three religions and cultures have made the region one of the most culturally and architecturally diverse regions of the world.

As your eye travels across the Middle East exhibit, one is transported from the ancient world of kings and caliphates through an evolution of architectural styles past vibrant street life and soaring into the future with a model of Santiago Calatrava’s Chords Bridge leading into Jerusalem.

Watch the Via Dolorosa come alive during the time of Christ while a few feet away, contemporary Jerusalem bustles with café life, contemporary architecture and even the occasional parkour practitioner.

The Asiana exhibit portrays the Asian landscape as few have seen it.

A diverse continent of majestic natural beauty, intricate ancient monuments and soaring feats of contemporary architecture and engineering, Asia offers limitless possibilities. Gulliver’s Gate unfolds Asia over half of a city block, creating a lasting impression of this diverse

Italy

continent.

From the Aegean Sea to the Northern Lights in Scandinavia, Europe unfurls like an intricate puzzle The Colossus of Rhodes welcomes you to the collage of the European continent. The Continent sheds the rules of time and space and invites visitors to explore many of Europe’s classic wonders and her technological achievements. Don Quixote tilts with his windmill half a meter from the Large Hadron Collider.

Gulliver’s Gate is open 7 days a week: 9:00am- 10:00 pm. https://gulliversgate.com

It is recommended you allow 90 minutes for a visit.

Open every day in 2017 except for September 30 and December 25.

For groups of 15 or more: customercare@gulliversgate.com

r Video o f k c i l C

A craftsman at work in Europe.

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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 2017 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

Internet bywaysmagazine.com byways@motorcoach.com Byways on Facebook Byways on Twitter

Advertisers Index Bedford Tourism & Welcome Center, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Brenham/Washington County, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Dish Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Virginia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Randolph County, West Virginia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Silverado Casino/Franklin Hotel, South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Springfield Tourism, Kentucky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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