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By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher

Welcome to the Mountains & Valleys issue of Byways. Before we continue, let’s answer the question you are undoubtedly asking: Why publish a travel magazine when no one can travel?

Actually, in our view, this may be one of the better times to publish a travel magazine. Rarely have our readers had as much time on their hands as they do right now, to think of the future. To wonder where they might travel if only they could.

A second answer is how travel decisions are actually made even in the best of times. Most professional tour planners don’t see a magazine and decide to plan a trip to that destination next week. Maybe six months from now, or even next year. And they will need more information than what we provide. It takes a lot of research and hard work to put together an itinerary. It doesn’t happen overnight.

Likewise, most consumers don’t read a travel article and say, let’s call and make reservations. They may say, wow, what a beautiful place, let’s think about that for a future trip.

Whether it’s six months from now, or next year, things are going to be very different than they are today.

And if there is one thing that we can agree on, it’s that the demand for travel will be unprecedented when this pandemic is behind us. No one will want to stay home!

So in the Mountains and Valleys issue we present some beautiful places to think about in the future.

First stop is the Black Hills of South Dakota. with natural beauty and exciting adventure. The Black Hills rise from the Great Plains in western South Dakota and extend into Wyoming.

With over five million acres of forest and mountain lands, the Black Hills offer rich western history, abundant natural beauty and exciting adventure.

From four faces carved on Mount Rushmore to the Cathedral Spires of Custer State Park, from the otherworldly Badlands in the east to Devils Tower in the west — the Black Hills of South Dakota are home to many truly monumental places.

When we think of Colorado, we naturally think of the Rocky Mountains. However, far fewer people are familiar with the Front Range. It is the first mountain range viewed as one goes westbound across the Great Plains of North America. As such, it was the first mountains encountered by the pioneers in their trek west.

The Front Range runs north-south between Casper, Wyoming and Pueblo, Colorado and rises nearly 10,000 feet above the Great Plains. Longs Peak, Mount Evans, and Pikes Peak are its most prominent peaks, rising over 14,000 feet along the Interstate 25 corridor.

The peaks of the Front Range are some of the most dominant in Colorado. And they form the backdrop to two of Colorado’s largest metropolitan areas, Denver and Colorado Springs.

Traveling east, the Roanoke Valley in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is situated on Interstate 81 in the heart of Virginia’s western mountains.

European settlers first discovered the Roanoke Valley over three centuries ago. However, it was not until the 19th century and the Age of the Iron Horse that the modern valley became an economic powerhouse.

The Blue Ridge Parkway makes its way through the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. At 469 miles, this scenic drive winds along the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy some of the best mountain views in the world.

The Green Mountains of Vermont are part of the Appalachian Mountain system, extending for 250 miles north to south through the state. Vermont not only takes its state nickname (“The Green Mountain State”) from the mountains, it is named after them.

The Long Trail, a wilderness hiking trail, traverses the state, while drivers set a slower pace on Vermont’s scenic roads. Quaint towns, acres of farmed valleys, apple orchards, covered bridges and specialty stores are prevalent in the area.

In What’s Happening, we enter the world of espionage, cybersecurity, and surveillance at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. The museum’s new 140,000-square-foot purpose-built facility offers interactive exhibits and the world’s largest display of authentic spy tools and gadgets.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Byways. Needles Highway in the Black Hills.