• In 1910, Orville and Wilbur Wright established the first civilian flying school in Montgomery.
• F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald lived in Montgomery while he was writing “Tender Is the Night.”
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was pastor at only one church, Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.
• Hyundai Motor Manufacturing in Montgomery makes more than 1,000 vehicles a day.
• Singer Nat King Cole was born in Montgomery (1919).

From the Civil War to civil rights

It seems reasonable that part of a tourist’s visit to Montgomery should be devoted to history, the story of both the city and the nation. That’s because Alabama’s capital managed in a century to morph from being the birthplace of the Confederacy (it was the first capital of the breakaway states) to the flashpoint for America’s Civil Rights Movement.

In the latter instance, the triggering event was Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up a bus seat to a white man in 1955. Her arrest led to the yearlong Montgomery bus boycott and, well, the rest is the history that is retold at an impressive list of sites in town. Relevant attractions are the Civil Rights Memorial and Center, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the Dexter Parsonage Museum, Freedom Rides Museum, National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African American Culture, and the Rosa Parks Library and Museum.

As for that earlier phase, visitors can tour the Alabama State Capitol, where the Confederate President Jefferson Davis took the oath of office, and his residence there, the First White House of the Confederacy.

Having said all of that, there are other quite varied options for the vacationer in Alabama’s capital, ranging from college sports or motor racing to a year-round Shakespeare festival (which presents more than the bard), a range of other performing arts plus the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

Museums remembering local figures Hank Williams and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald appeal to quite different interests, as do the Hyundai carmaker’s plant and an annual livestock exposition and rodeo.

Visitors may be out and about in a variety of ways, ranging from a riverboat trip on the Alabama River to whitewater rafting on the Coosa River or mountain biking on area routes. And then, there is the Alley, which literally was an alley with no apparent future until it was revitalized recently with new eateries, nightspots, galleries and loft apartments. Now, city fathers say, a once moribund downtown is alive again.

Things to do for Venturers

• Compete in the Montgomery Half-Marathon in autumn, or sign on for the Capital of Dreams Triathlon in spring.
• Make a lively night of it in the Alley, the redeveloped entertainment district that was an abandoned patch of space between buildings.
• Rent a mountain bike and take on the 12-mile Swayback Bridge Trail in Wetumpka. You could also compete in the Attack on Swayback race in the summer.
• Attend the springtime Festival of New Plays. If you have a qualifying script, submit your own work for consideration.
• Check out the whitewater rafting on nearby Coosa River. Class III is as vigorous at it gets.
• Go to the races at Montgomery Motorsports Park or the Montgomery Motor Speedway. Events Vary.

Things to do for Centrics

• Attend the Montgomery Dragon Boat Festival in summer. Teams race on the Alabama River adjacent to Riverfront Park, and the festival is a big deal here.
• It’s the South, not the West, but in winter, you can attend the Southeastern Livestock Exposition and Rodeo.
• Eat like a local. That means Southern-fried foods. Order meat and three, meaning a meat (or fish) and three side dishes. Also, shrimp and grits is a local favorite. And do have a sweet made with pecans.
• Follow the downtown Civil Heritage Trail. At the Civil Rights Memorial and Center, enter your name on the electronic Wall of Tolerance joining a half a million others who have pledged their support for social justice. The names constantly scroll on the wall.
• Ice skate any time of year inside Eastdale Mall’s Ice Palace.
• Tour the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing plant. Admission is free.

Things to do for Authentics

• Roll on down the Alabama River on the local riverboat, the Harriott II. Or, see the city from a horse-drawn carriage with the driver adding narration, or take a guided Segway tour.
• If a country music fan, put the Hank Williams Museum on your itinerary.
• For some bits of local history, tour the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum (the literary couple lived in Montgomery for a time) and/or the First White House of the Confederacy.
• Play golf. There are plenty of courses to choose from.
• Get tickets to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, held in Montgomery each year.
• Spend time in Old Alabama Town, a six-block 19^th century neighborhood preserved as a living history museum. Costumed interpreters are on hand.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitor Bureau at visitingmontgomery.com

The post Montgomery, Alabama appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Willamette University was the first institution of higher learning west of the Rockies (1842).
• The city’s name Salem is an Anglicized form of the Hebrew word shalom, meaning peace.
• A.C. Gilbert, creator of the erector set for kids, was born in Salem.
• The Spruce Goose, a wooden plane with the world’s longest wingspan (320 feet), flew only once.
• The Oregon Trail, for those who actually went to Oregon, ended in Willamette Valley.

At the Oregon Trail’s end

Salem, Oregon’s capital, is a small city of not much more than 150,000, set on the Willamette River in the northwest part of the state and an hour from the Pacific Ocean.

Its neighborhood, the Willamette Valley, between the Cascade and Coast mountain ranges, is well known as one of the Pacific Northwest’s wine regions. But, for those who prefer the suds, Oregon is noted for its craft beers, and Salem represents that culture well with breweries and tasting rooms.

Salem sits in a rich agricultural valley where, besides the grapes and hops, harvests include fresh produce that makes its way to the bakeries and finest restaurants in Salem and the surrounding towns.

The earliest European settlers in Willamette Valley were trappers and farmers, and some trappers turned to farming, too. The valley’s population grew as the Oregon Trail delivered more settlers looking for tillable land.

Tourists see evidence of those earlier years in historic districts in Salem and nearby towns. Most noteworthy among these sites, the Old Aurora Colony northeast of Salem was settled in 1856 as a German Christian communal society. Now a historic district, it encompasses more than 20 authentic colony buildings and has become the top spot to buy antiques in Oregon. Five of the buildings comprise the Old Aurora Colony Museum.

Fast forward to the 21^st century and Oregon’s capital is rich with cultural attractions — art galleries, theater, concerts and a wide variety of festivals and special events that include the state fair.

Finally, Salem is in a region of natural beauty, which is often protected in wildlife refuges, nature preserves and parks. These settings invite the active visitor to birding, boating, camping, cycling, fishing, hiking, rafting and wildlife viewing. Humans in the area also have dreamed up a unique way to experience quite a bit of the area’s natural variety in a short period — a race tellingly named the Detroit Lake Mud Run.

Things to do for Venturers

• Camp out at the Champoeg State Heritage Area on the banks of the Willamette River. Or, stay in a cabin and do your hiking in Silver Falls State Park.
• See Willamette Valley from the air in a hot-air balloon or a helicopter.
• Choose a festival built around local libations, such as the Hop and Heritage Festival in Independence or the Mount Angel Oktoberfest, both in the fall, or Salem’s Wine and Jazz Fest in early summer. Then, there is First Taste Oregon, in January in Salem, formerly Oregon Wine, Food and Brew Fest but art and entertainment are in this mix, too.
• Register to compete in the Detroit Lake Mud Run in autumn. The six-mile course will take you through mud and water, on or around rocks, hills and stumps — and ruin your clothes.
• Take a workshop in, say, glassblowing or jewelry making at the Willamette Art Center. Or, use the center’s ceramic studio for a project of your own.
• Make your way through the forested Black Rock Mountain Bike Area, west of Salem, on a mountain bike. The Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway is another alternative.

Things to do for Centrics

• Make a day of it, driving to several of the Willamette Valley wineries for tastings and some shopping, too. There are at least a dozen wineries within 30 minutes of downtown. Also, get to Cubanisimo Vineyards when the facility offers its monthly salsa lesson — as well as a tasting.
• Get married at the Gordon House in Silverton, the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oregon and now an event site.
• Take advantage of Oregon’s focus on craft beers, and sample the goods at one or more of the area’s local breweries.
• For foodies, head to the farmers’ markets, taste cheeses at Willamette Valley Cheese Company or choose a food-focused festival. Several in the fall make pumpkins the star: Pumpkin Patch in Salem, Wooden Shoe Pumpkin Fest in Woodburn and Bauman’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Gervais.
• Make the trip to the Evergreen Aviation Educational Museum in McMinnville to see the Spruce Goose, constructed by millionaire Howard Hughes and once the world’s largest airplane. Stick around for other vintage aircraft at the museum and the town’s historic district rich with more than 50 preserved buildings.
• Enter the watermelon-seed-spitting contest at the Oregon State Fair in late summer.

Things to do for Authentics

• Watch movies outdoors at Salem’s Riverfront Park and Independence’s Riverview Park.
• Be a culture vulture. Make the rounds of a few galleries by day and head to the Historic Elsinore Theatre or Pentacle Theatre by night. One of the more amusing galleries, literally, is the NW Comic Gallery, with comic books and original comic art.
• Attend the Bach Festival at the Mount Angel Abbey, a midsummer event that helps support the still-active abbey.
• This is the West. Come to a rodeo. Choices include the St. Paul Rodeo, as well as the Santiam Canyon Stampede in Sublimity, both in July.
• Take the kids to A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village, an interactive children’s museum. The site is named for the man who created the erector set, a toy that combined the educational with fun.
• Take a walking tour of the historic downtown area of Salem. Also, join a tour of the Oregon State Capitol. For more history, include the Old Aurora Colony Museum and the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill on your rounds.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Travel Salem at www.travelsalem.com

The post Salem, Oregon appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• St. Michaels was one of the models for Patamoke village in James Michener’s “Chesapeake.”
• Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America (4,500 square miles).
• The abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, was a slave in St. Michaels during formative teen years.
• The Third Haven Meeting House in Easton is America’s oldest religious building in continuous use (from 1684).
• In 2003, then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld bought a St. Michaels house called Mount Misery.

Of boats and boutiques

St. Michaels is a resort town with a history. It’s a remarkably small place, with a population of less than 1,200 on the eastern shore of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. It was founded as a trading post in the mid-1600s.

It is called the “town that fooled the British” because, during the War of 1812, residents — aware an attack was coming — placed lanterns in trees above St. Michaels. As a result, almost all British cannonballs overshot the town.

In the 19th century and well into the 20th, the town’s economy was predominantly based on shipbuilding and the seafood processing and packing industries, but, nowadays, the top business is tourism.

It’s an inherently attractive destination, given its location on the Chesapeake and given an authentic architectural heritage that includes clapboard cottages, Victorian homes and a few estates that attract the rich and famous as residents, at least part of the year.

The town offers a charming retreat from the hassles of modern living. Guests may choose from a number of inns and bed-and-breakfast establishments — no high-rises here. The main street and a maze of side streets provide numerous options for relaxation in boutiques, markets, museums, restaurants and spa facilities.

For the more active, the area is a natural for the cyclist, but the waters of the bay are the defining come-hither attraction. Visitors can cruise the bay on a historic skipjack, charter a boat and take the helm themselves or get a lot closer to the water in a kayak. Spending quality time at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is an obvious complement to time on the water.

St. Michaels hosts a number of festivals each year, ranging from seafood events to boat festivals and boating races. Autumn is busy, too, with Halloween-themed events.

The area around St. Michaels provides appealing diversions, including driving tours to neighboring villages or, even, a journey to nearby Tilghman Island for additional outdoor activities or the ultimate retreat from workaday cares. The island has its own annual seafood festival, as well.

Things to do for Venturers

• Buy a used boat at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Or donate one to the nonprofit.
• Sightsee in St. Michaels and its environs on a bicycle.
• Head directly to the Boat Building Shed at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum to see what is under construction — and take away a few pointers, as well.
• Join a crabbing cruise from Tilghman Island. For a change of pace, also take a ghost tour of the island.
• Spend a few hours kayaking in tidal rivers (Choptank, Nanticoke or Pocomoke) or in salt marshes of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge or Wye Island. In the marshes, spot wading birds and possibly bald eagles.
• Charter a sailboat and take the helm for a day on the bay.

Things to do for Centrics

• Get married on a yacht in Chesapeake Bay.
• Join a sightseeing tour that highlights the area’s lighthouses. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum bought and moved the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, saving it from destruction.
• Get the flavor of the area by staying in a local bed-and-breakfast inn. Also, watch a log canoe race on a summer weekend.
• Cruise on Chesapeake Bay aboard the historic skipjack H.M. Krentz, which is berthed at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
  Or, go fishing at the Miles River.
• Opt in for a tastings and tour at St. Michaels Winery.
• Eat oysters, for which the bay is famous; eat them at the autumn OysterFest if the timing is right. If they are too slimy for your tastes, eat crab from the bay.

Things to do for Authentics

• Depart St. Michaels for a few days at luxury accommodations on nearby Tilghman Island.
• Devote a day (or more) to browsing the quaint shops, boutiques and galleries found in St. Michaels.
  Or, shop in the county’s larger town, Easton, and work in a glimpse of the Friends’ Third Haven Meeting House.
• Plan a romantic getaway at the Two Swan Inn (built in 1790).
• In the season (late May through October), join a guided Saturday walking tour of St. Michaels, departing from St Michaels Museum. Or, tour in a horse-drawn carriage.
• Have a treatment at one of the town’s spas.
• Spend a day following in the footsteps of James Michener (who sketched out “Chesapeake” in the tavern of the Robert Morris Inn in nearby Oxford, Md.). Also, follow the footsteps of his characters.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Talbot County Office of Tourism at www.tourtalbot.org

The post St. Michaels, Maryland appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Schnebly Redland’s Winery in Homestead is the southernmost winery in America.
• Miami Beach is a man-made island that was once a coconut plantation.
• More cruise ships are based in Miami than at any other port in the world.
• Two-thirds of Miami’s population is of Hispanic origin.
• Miami is the only American city with two national parks in its backyard (Biscayne and Everglades).

Of beaches, hand-rolled cigars

Not so many years ago, south Florida, especially Miami, carried an image of posh hotels on balmy beaches, populated by wealthy tourists from the North.  No more! Miami and neighboring towns are important ports of call for the cruise industry, Miami Beach is home to the hip South Beach, the area is very Cuban — and nowadays, tourists come from Canada, Europe and Latin America, as well as the U.S. states.

Leisure travelers come for the subtropical weather: Miami’s average annual temperature is 75 F. Palm trees sway in the breezes, wild parrots brighten the skies and jasmine scents the night air. Visitors also come for business because the city has emerged as an international business hub, as evidenced by the soaring office towers in the downtown.

The city is a network of barrier islands, coral rock and mangrove swamps, connected by bridges, causeways and panoramic roads. Its miles and miles of white beaches face the Atlantic and the tranquil Biscayne Bay — and promise the water sports enthusiast plenty of fun.

The city and surrounding neighborhoods also are noted for fine dining, a lively arts and culture scene, entertainment events, professional sports competitions and shopping to tempt the most miserly.

Miami has neighborhoods with names that resonate, such as Coconut Grove, Little Havana and South Beach.

Coconut Grove has a past as a beatnik arts colony.  Today, it draws tourists to eateries, art galleries, boutiques, farmers’ markets, bookstores — and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival.

Little Havana got its moniker for obvious reasons. In this bit of Cuba-in-Florida, Calle Ocho is lined with eateries (representing several Latin cultures), and tourists may see artisans hand-rolling cigars or visit tailors who make custom guayabera (traditional linen shirts).

Visitors come to South Beach for its world-renowned Art Deco District, plus restaurants, clubs and beaches frequented by the rich and famous, or just the beautiful.

Winter is the best time to visit thanks to Miami’s pleasant weather.  Summers are warm and humid, but the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay cool things off some, and the prices on hotels and air tickets are better.

Things to do for Venturers

• Go scuba diving in Miami, called the “wreckreational” diving capital of the world. It counts more than 50 wreck sites suitable for divers, and one is the Spirit of Miami Boeing 727 jet, sunk to provide artificial reefs.  For divers (or snorkelers) who prefer their reefs au naturel, Greater Miami’s Biscayne National Park is the place to go.
• Find your way to Jimbo’s, a ramshackle shantytown hidden down a lane on Virginia Key in Key Biscayne, for outstanding smoked fish and coolers filled with beer, water and soda.
• Go boating and camping in the nearby Everglades National Park. The park service advises that boating in the Everglades requires skill because of treacherous passes that cut through long banks of mud and seagrass in Florida Bay. Other areas, especially among the Ten Thousand Islands, have many oyster reefs and sandbars. Also, most of the park’s 47 wilderness campsites are only accessible by boat.
• For museums that raise eyebrows: The Wolfsonian has America’s largest collection of 20th century American, German and Italian political propaganda.
• Charter a yacht and do some jet skiing or diving. Or charter a sailboat. Or go deep-sea fishing.
• Go to the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Homestead for a chance to ride in or drive an authentic NASCAR Nextel Cup-style race car.

Things to do for Centrics

• Sightsee over Miami in a helicopter or by plane. Or, take to the water: Choose a sightseeing cruise or a dinner cruise.
• See the Everglades National Park by taking a narrated tram tour departing from the Shark Valley Visitor Center and/or by taking a narrated boat tour of the Ten Thousand Islands from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. Biking in the park is an option, too.
• Activities for visitors to the Biscayne National Park include diving and snorkeling, canoe and kayak rentals, fishing and camping. Also, a glass-bottom boat tour.
• Hear jazz, salsa and reggae in the funky neighborhood bars of Coconut Grove.
• Swim with the dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium.
• Visit Schnebly Redland’s Winery in Homestead, but forget the part about grapes. Come for tours and tastings of wines made with tropical fruits: carambola, guava, lychee, mango and passion fruit.

Things to do for Authentics

• Take the kids to Miami’s Metrozoo, a fine example of a cageless zoo, where animals roam in settings that imitate natural habitats.
• Eat great seafood; make that stone crabs if they are in season. In Miami, seek out Cuban foods.
• Miami has spas of all kinds and to fit every budget. Find the one that meets your needs (or fulfills your dreams).
• Visit the ancient Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach. The oldest building in the Western Hemisphere, it dates to 1141 and was brought to the U.S. by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and rebuilt on its current site.
• Take a Miami Duck Tour which lets you explore Miami by land and sea. On land, you ride through downtown Miami and South Beach aboard a “vesicle” that looks like a duck on wheels, but later you are cruising into Biscayne Bay for a new angle on the sights.
• Play golf, of course.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.miamiandbeaches.com

The post Miami, Florida appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Salem College is the oldest women’s college in the nation (1772).
• Salem Band, America’s oldest continually active brass band, began performing in 1778.
• Richard Joshua Reynolds, 25, launched R.J. Reynolds as a chewing-tobacco maker in 1875.
• The muscadine, used in Yadkin Valley wines, was the first native American grape to be cultivated.
• Winston-Salem’s Reynolds Building, with the same architects, was the prototype for the Empire State Building.

Two cities in one

Winston-Salem is a medium-sized city located in North Carolina’s Piedmont, or plateau, an area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally two towns, Winston and Salem merged in 1913 and, eventually, each gave its name to a cigarette brand produced by the local R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

The city’s 18^th century founders were German-speaking Moravian Protestants. These settlers left their mark in several districts — Bethabara Park, Bethania and Old Salem. The latter is considered one of America’s best collections of preserved buildings and ranks highly, as well, for its living history demonstrations.

Visitors find other districts of interest, too, including the late-19^th century streetcar suburbs (so named because they were linked to downtown by streetcar routes) and the Downtown Arts District, with its engaging clusters of shops, galleries, studios, restaurants and bars. Further, the historic Reynolda House, built by R.J. Reynolds himself, is now a museum.

The city is known for its cultural offerings, encompassing the museums, galleries and performing arts. A committed supporter of the arts, Winston-Salem created the nation’s first arts council (1949), which became a model for public-private support for the arts elsewhere. In addition, it’s a college town, with the sports and cultural events that the schools sponsor or attract.

The city also hosts a number of special events with tourist appeal, such as wine festivals, an international film fest, a biennial black theater event, a crafts fair and, not least, the International Home Furnishings Market in neighboring High Point, a good place to buy furniture. Wine tasting tours to the nearby Yadkin Valley wine country nicely complement the annual in-town wine festivals.

Winston-Salem enjoys a generally pleasant climate, with long spring and autumn seasons. It gives access in the city and beyond to lakes and rivers for outdoor pursuits. Winston-Salem boasts of 75 recreational parks in the city and across Forsyth County where it is the county seat, plus four historic and/or award-winning gardens.

Things to do for Venturers

• Stretch your legs hiking around Pilot Mountain in Pilot Mountain State Park. Alternatively or in addition, take a canoe trip on the Yadkin River, which winds its way through the park.
• Look for the nightlife among the collections of bars and restaurants on the walkable Fourth and Trade streets. Trade Street is the livelier choice.
• Camp in Hanging Rock State Park, 30 miles north of the city. Make appropriate use of its 18 miles of hiking trails. There are climbing opportunities, too.
• Winston-Salem stages two wine festivals, both in the spring. Attend at least one.
• Near Winston-Salem, paddle your way along the scenic Dan River. This can be light whitewater rafting.
• Attend the weeklong National Black Theatre Festival. Offering more than 100 performances to choose from, it occurs every other year in August. Alternatively, Twin City Stage performances are available at other times.

 Things to do for Centrics

• Sample wines made with a native American grape, the muscadine, during a wine tour in the Yadkin Valley.
• Come to the spring or fall International Home Furnishings Market in nearby High Point and buy furniture.
• Winston-Salem has several historic landmarks or districts. Plan your sightseeing to focus on the city’s history, especially the Moravian settlement era. Some places to include are the Historic Bethabara Park, Historic Bethania (town) and Old Salem Museums and Gardens.
• Walk into the more recent past in the Washington Park and West End historic districts. Dating from the 1890s, they were called streetcar suburbs and reveal the look of the earliest commuter neighborhoods, characterized by many large houses in a mixture of architectural styles.
• Sign on for an enlightening food tour, combining area history with samplings of locally grown foods.
• Jog or cycle the seven-mile trail around Salem Lake. Or get that fishing license and go for bass, catfish and other species. Fish from a pier or from a boat.

Things to do for Authentics

• See the Reynolda House, a 1917 estate built by R.J. Reynolds, founder of the eponymous tobacco company, that is now a museum of American art. In addition, see and shop in Reynolda Village, originally built to support the R.J. Reynolds estate and modeled on an English country village.
• Attend a Wake Forest University football game. There are other college sports alternatives, too.
• Time your visit to coincide with the Piedmont Craftsmen’s Fair, where more than 130 artisans exhibit, in late fall. See demonstrations of craft techniques, and buy fine pieces for home.
• Soak up atmosphere while studying the art by joining one of the monthly first-Friday Gallery Hops in the city’s Downtown Art District. Gallery entry is free during the Gallery Hop evenings, when gallery hours are extended to 10 p.m.
• Play golf. The city has a dozen or so courses.
• Find a restaurant that serves the savory North Carolina style barbecue. And look for bakeries selling Moravian cookies, which include cloves, dark molasses and ginger in their recipe.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Visit Winston-Salem at https://visitwinstonsalem.com

The post Winston-Salem, North Carolina appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• The New World’s first log cabins, based on Finnish architecture, were built at Wilmington (1638).
• E. I. du Pont de Nemours came to Wilmington in 1802 to get away from the French Revolution.
• Before John D. Rockefeller, Jr., created Historic Williamsburg, New Castle citizens rejected the idea for their town.
• The entire suspended superstructure of the Brooklyn Bridge was made in Wilmington.
• The DuPont Theatre is America’s oldest legitimate theater in continual operation (from 1913).

The du Ponts’ hometown

Even with fewer than 100,000 people, Wilmington is Delaware’s largest city. It’s located where the Christina River joins the Delaware.

It is called America’s corporate capital because so many companies are incorporated here — tens of thousands (including the majority of America’s Fortune 500 companies), drawn by Delaware’s business-friendly corporation law and tax structure. The tax structure is liberal for consumers, too; there’s no sales tax, to the delight of shoppers.

Wilmington also bills itself as the metropolis with big-city amenities amidst small-town charms. Urban amenities include a mix of art galleries, museums and restaurants, as well as ballet, opera, symphony and theater performances.

The city supports professional baseball and basketball, plus horseracing. For the active traveler, the city offers an annual marathon and a tier-one cycling competition, the Wilmington Grand Prix. These contests are among Greater Wilmington’s 100-plus annual festivals and events.

The calendar also includes festivities ranging from wine and food affairs to ethnic festivals, from lively music shows to the Lady Bug Festival and a sheep-shearing event — all in Wilmington or the surrounding communities.

The city’s charm comes not so much from its small size (though that helps), but from its history. Wilmington was the first permanent European settlement in Delaware Valley (1638). It shows off a few connections to its colonial past, including a replica of the ship that brought the earliest settlers. To pursue this theme, though, tourists typically add visits to nearby New Castle and Odessa.

Wilmington was uniquely influenced by a single family, the du Ponts, founders in 1802 of a gunpowder factory that grew into a huge chemicals business, still based here. The name appears frequently — on a children’s hospital, a theater, a hotel, a jazz festival, an education center, you name it — as the family supported the city’s development. In addition, a number of du Pont family mansions are now museums with the added attraction of fantastic gardens.

Finally, Wilmington has revitalized an area along the Christina, former site of the city’s shipbuilding industry. Today, the redeveloped Wilmington Riverfront accommodates housing, restaurants, a baseball stadium, entertainment sites, museums, the Riverfront Market and even an urban wildlife refuge.

Things to do for Venturers

• Accept an open invitation from the New Castle Sailing Club. Sail on the Delaware River. If a novice, take sailing lessons.
• Ride in a 1916 Rauch and Lang electric car, part of the world’s largest collection of operating steam cars at the Marshall Steam Museum at Auburn Heights. This and other of the museum’s vehicles are out for rides on Steamin’ Sundays, the first Sunday of the month, June through November.
• Check out the ziplining and treetop adventure course at Go Ape! which is in Lums Pond State Park.
• In spring, compete in the Delaware Marathon.
• Or, race in the Wilmington Grand Prix, rated a tier-one cycling competition.
• Choose your summertime music festival, the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, the Riverfront Blues Festival or the Peoples’ Festival. The last is an annual tribute to reggae singer-songwriter Bob Marley.

Things to do for Centrics

• Take in the countryside near Wilmington aboard the Wilmington and Western Railroad, a 19^th century steam train that runs seasonally. Choose a themed trip, such as the Wild West Robbery.
• At Delaware City, a dozen miles out of Wilmington, take a ferry to the Fort Delaware State Park on Pea Patch Island (really), which is now a living history museum with costumed interpreters. The fort was a prison during the Civil War.
• For unique art viewing, consider the Blue Ball Barn, a converted dairy barn on the former Nemours Estate now housing Delaware’s folk art collection. Or, the Brandywine River Museum, for American art including works by three generations of Wyeths, plus the Andrew Wyeth Studio and N.C. Wyeth House and Studio.
• Drive the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, for the scenery and the history lesson. The route approximates that of escaped slaves who moved through Delaware to the North.
• Follow the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail and taste the local product. Want a suds break? Choose the Delaware Wine and Ale Trail.
• Undertake a self-guided walking tour of Delaware’s first capital, New Castle, six miles out of Wilmington. It authentically retains the charms of its 18^th and 19^th century buildings and didn’t have to be converted into a living history museum.

Things to do for Authentics

• See the Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the ship that brought the first Europeans to settle in the Delaware Valley.
• Book an all-you-can-eat crab cruise, available Thursday or Friday evenings in summer, aboard the Riverboat Queen, which is docked on the Christina River.
• Shop until the plastic cracks. There is no sales tax.
• At Wilmington, there are serious gardens to see. Consider the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, once home to Henry Francis du Pont. There are a thousand acres of gardens (take a garden tram tour) as well as a beautiful home and collection of American decorative arts to be appreciated.
• See a show at the historic DuPont Theatre.
• Place your bets. The Casino at Delaware Park offers indoor games year round, plus thoroughbred and Arabian horseracing May through November.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitwilmingtonde.com

The post Wilmington, Delaware appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Washington’s cherry trees, 3,000 of them, were a gift from Tokyo’s mayor in 1912.
• President John Quincy Adams swam the Potomac in the buff; once, someone stole his clothes.
• In 1800, D.C.’s first year as the capital, the government had 131 employees.
• The Washington Monument sinks a quarter inch every 30 years.
• President Washington fired the capital’s designer, Pierre-Charles L’Enfant.

A planned city

Washington, the U.S. capital, is a striking low-rise city of monuments, museums and countless government buildings, generally built on a grand scale. The Greek Revival architectural style of the late 18th and early 19th centuries is obvious. Visitors come to walk where history was made and where it will be made again.

Washington was built specifically to be the capital city. Citizens believe, with reason, the capital not only belongs to the nation, but to each one individually, that there is no other place that speaks to the citizenry in that unique American voice. Regardless of how they rate the destination, visitors agree every American should visit at least once.

It is a city unlike all others. The Constitution specified that Washington, D.C., would be the capital. Maryland donated land that included farms, dense forests and flood plain so the new nation could build its capital from scratch; it was designed by French-born city planner Pierre-Charles L’Enfant. It remains a low-rise city by law, so the Capitol and monuments will not be overshadowed.

The imposing size and scale of the public buildings — the Capitol Building, the Treasury, the Supreme Court, the FBI building, the Lincoln and Jefferson monuments and the Smithsonian complex — add to the sense of wonder and appreciation for this extraordinary place that houses and displays America’s history.

When people say they’re vacationing in Washington, they also usually mean adjacent areas in Virginia and Maryland, where important historical sites are also found.

Across the personality scale, visitors remember how easy it is to get around the city, especially citing the clean, safe metro system. They agree on the quality and extent of the museums and exhibits. Many pairs of shoes are worn out touring the Smithsonian complex, and still there is always something new to see.

Admission to most attractions is free or nominal, another very attractive feature for all. Washington will continue to be a magnet for American visitors who enjoy exploring their history, and also for international travelers who want a feel for what the U.S. is all about.

Things to do for Venturers

• Rent canoes and kayaks at the Thompson Boat Center. Or, go sailing on Chesapeake Bay.
• Walk down the 897 steps in the Washington Monument to see 188 carved memorial stones. Warning: Descending stairs is work, too. This is not for the physically unfit.
• Come for the Smithsonian Folklore Festival, which occurs over two long midsummer weekends and highlights traditions from around the world. Then, stay on to celebrate Independence Day in the capital.
• Visit the International Spy Museum and test your skills as a spy.
• Go hiking or biking on the Towpath Trail along the Potomac. Or pick up the pace, and run in the spring marathon, or start with the half marathon. The routes are described as putting D.C. history “on display.”
• Look for ghosts. Washington Walks offers two guided tours with exactly that in mind. Also, in the weeks near Halloween, the National Building Museum offers lantern-lighted ghost tours of the facility, led by costumed war veterans.

Things to do for Centrics

• Tour the U.S. Capitol Building; tickets are free on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Groups of 10 may visit the White House for free self-guided tours; request entry through your representative in Congress. Also, hop on the metro to get to Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon (which nowadays for security reasons only admits select groups for tours).
• Sign on for a walking tour, or a biking tour, of the city. Or, jump on a Segway and, with a guide, see more of the city than you could see in a day of walking.
• Take an unguided wander through Georgetown, a charming historic neighborhood. Keep an eye out for celebrities, and look for open houses, which will let you see more of Washington’s history.
• Come to the nation’s capital for the two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival. The parade is huge.
• For some of your trip’s more moving experiences, visit the Holocaust Museum and the Vietnam War Memorial.

Things to do for Authentics

• Visit the Supreme Court and hear a lecture in the courtroom (when the court is not in session).  And, at the Lincoln Memorial, use your cell phone to call (202) 747-3420 to hear one of several free interpretative Ranger talks about President Lincoln and the memorial itself.
• Attend a performance at the Kennedy Center on the Potomac, one of the country’s most beautiful venues for theater and music.
• Take the metro to Alexandria in Virginia for a walk in the town’s historic center (see George Washington’s church, among other things).  Also, go a bit farther afield in Virginia to see the fine homes of two early presidents, those of Thomas Jefferson (Monticello) and George Washington (Mount Vernon). Drive or join a tour.
• Drop in at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, a former incinerator. Eat in the Fahrenheit restaurant where you see the ceiling pulley that brought trash bins into the incinerator.
• Look for the herb garden (and Herb Cottage to buy herbs and herb-flavored vinegar) at the Washington National Cathedral, which is on 57 acres and has other gardens, too.
• Watch the Washington Nationals play baseball in the new Nationals Park (debuted 2008) which seats 41,222 and is equipped with the latest in video and audio technology.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Destination D.C. at www.washington.org

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• English settlers landed at Virginia Beach before moving on to found Jamestown (1607).
• The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse at Fort Story is the oldest federally funded lighthouse (1791).
• Guinness cites Virginia Beach as having the world’s longest pleasure beach (approximately 35 miles).
• Virginia Beach’s original wooden boardwalk was built in 1888.
• The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world (17.6 miles shore to shore).

Beach classic

Virginia Beach, which faces the Atlantic Ocean, wins a mention in the history books as the point where the Jamestown founders landed before heading up the James River to found the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Virginia Beach is equally close to Colonial Williamsburg and about an hour’s drive from Yorktown, where General Cornwallis’ surrender in 1781 ended the American Revolution.

However, tourists don’t have to leave this beach town to see colonial-era houses and other colonial structures, such as the local lighthouse.

Virginia Beach is the site of five military installations as well as the Military Aviation Museum.

But when all is said and done, Virginia Beach is a resort town with a mild climate throughout the year. Its best-known symbol is its boardwalk, the focal point for much of the action for visitors. The boardwalk is paved, 28 feet wide and three miles long with a separate bike path.

Tourists come to town to play on the city’s seriously long beaches or on the water, lose themselves in the parks, go whale watching, be entertained at a wide variety of festive doings and take in boardwalk diversions. Also, they combine the rewards of entertainment with learning a thing or two at local museums, at historic sites and at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.

One of the more unusual options is to visit or even attend a seminar at the Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment. The facility is a source of information about the late psychic Edgar Cayce and his influence today in the fields of health, education and more.

Virginia Beach is the state’s largest city, with nearly half a million people, and it offers a full range of accommodations, covering all budget categories. One access road is via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which, as the name suggests, takes travelers across Chesapeake Bay. Roughly 5,5 million visitors overnight at the destination each year.

Things to do for Venturers

• Look for feral pigs, loggerhead turtles, wild horses and American bald eagles in Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park.
• The names say it all. Consider arriving in time for the FunkFest in August or the Blues at the Beach Festival in September. Or, hear the steel band competition at PANorama Caribbean Music Fest in the spring.
• Cycle in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge or First Landing State Park, and look for migrating waterfowl at both sites.
• Ride the Skyscraper extreme thrill ride, if you dare, at the Virginia Beach Amusement Park.
• Go parasailing or surfing. Or, try flyboarding, which by forcing water through a hose connected to the board and hand jets, can lift a rider as much as 15 feet into the air.
• At First Landing State Park, sign on for an educational program devoted to surf fishing.

Things to do for Centrics

• Explore the Military Aviation Museum, home to one of the largest private collections of World War II and Korean War era aircraft. There are five military installations in Virginia Beach.
• Sign on for half a day or a full day of sportfishing.
• Time your visit for an ethnic-themed festival. Festa Italiana occurs in September, and the Craft Beer Festival — which has decidedly German leanings — occurs in October.
• Visit Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, an 18^th century original, and climb to the top of the tower for sweeping views. It is on the Fort Story military base.
• Build a fantastic sandcastle in the sandcastle-building competition that is part of Virginia Beach’s end-of-summer Neptune Festival. Participate in or watch other events: athletic competitions, wine tasting, an air show, an open-air art show and the Neptune Parade.
• Join a summertime shipwreck and ghost walk to learn about local legends of shipwrecks, ghosts, pirates and even witches.

Things to do for Authentics

• Visit the spot where the first Jamestown colonists first touched shore, called First Landing Cross.
• Go to the beach. Chesapeake Beach is a tranquil choice, but Sandbridge is even more secluded.
• Watch the free live concerts and theatrical productions, which are offered on the oceanfront every night of the week in summer.
• Attend the Boardwalk Art Show and Festival in June. And play golf almost anytime you want.
• Visit colonial era homes, beginning with the Adam Thoroughgood House, but also including the Lynnhaven House, the Ferry Plantation House and the slightly later Francis Land House.
• Observe a behavioral training session with harbor seals at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Or, join one of the center’s winter wildlife boat trips to see whales and a wide range of seabirds.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitvirginiabeach.com

The post Virginia Beach, Virginia appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Muskogean Indian Chief Tuskaloosa gave his name to the city and county; it means Black Warrior.
• Football was abandoned at Alabama in 1898 when a (short-lived) ruling forbade teams to leave campus.
• Jazz singer Dinah Washington was born in Tuscaloosa (1924).
• Alabama coach Paul Bryant played football in the first game he ever saw, at age 13.
• James Hood, who famously integrated the University of Alabama (1963), returned for his PhD (1997).

Sports and more

Tuscaloosa in west central Alabama, is a charming college town, home to the University of Alabama and the sports teams that Alabamans love dearly, especially the team that appears on a football field.

It’s no wonder the agency that promotes tourism here bears the name Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission. Visitors come from far and not so far to watch the teams, then patronize the city’s businesses and sometimes find their way to art galleries, churches, museums and shopping districts.

Fans put the Paul W. Bryant Museum at the top of their list. It celebrates all the school’s sports but includes a section devoted to the eponymous Alabama coach, also called “Bear” Bryant. He really did wrestle a bear — when he was 14 and foolish.

For those with at least equal or more interest in Tuscaloosa’s touristic aspects, part of the town’s charm is in the history and architecture. The city was once Alabama’s capital (1826-1846), and the university dates from 1831. Some houses from those antebellum days survived the Union Army. Later construction added to the collection of historic buildings on view in Tuscaloosa and in Northport just across the Black Warrior River.

The latest cultural attraction is the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, a restored historic building repurposed as the hub for Tuscaloosa’s arts. In addition, Northport hosts the annual Kentuck Art Festival featuring scores of national and regional folk artists.

Tuscaloosa has a  climate natural for golfing. In addition, several area parks offer options for biking, boating, fishing, hiking and the like.

Finally, the area offers points of interest unique to the region:

• Mercedes-Benz operates a factory in nearby Vance. It also maintains a museum for visitors and offers tours by prearrangement.
• Moundville Archaeological Park, about 20 miles south, was the site of America’s second-largest city (after Cahokia in Illinois) in the last centuries before the white man’s arrival. Tourists see 26 mounds, which supported noble residences and public buildings, plus a museum.
• An enlightening museum in Aliceville recalls that town’s past as host to America’s largest World War II POW camp for Germans.

Things to do for Venturers

• Watch the famed University of Alabama football team in action.
• Take a weekend workshop, learning to work with clay, at the Kentuck Art Center in nearby Northport. If visiting in October, attend the Kentuck Festival, which showcases all kinds of art, from basket weaving to metalworking.
• At Lake Lurleen State Park, named for Alabama’s first woman governor, Lurleen Wallace, camp on the shore of a 250-acre lake. Use the bike trails. Or, camp and use the trails at Deer Lick Park.
• Further, Hurricane Creek Park offers mountain biking, canoeing on the eponymous creek and more hiking.
• See a big-name performer at the outdoor Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.
• Search out the local breweries, as well as other popular nightspots. Or, if this is your cup of tea, make the university campus district your nighttime playground.

Things to do for Centrics

• If a sports fan, spare some time for the Paul W. Bryant Museum, named for the football coach but with a broader mission to cover the sports history of the University of Alabama.
• Drive to Moundville Archaeological Park, the South’s most important prehistoric Native American settlement and ceremonial center. The site includes a museum, restored temple and remains of flat-topped mounds.
• In Vance, tour the Mercedes-Benz plant as well as the carmaker’s visitor center/museum. Tours must be booked well in advance.
• Find your way to Aliceville for the Aliceville Museum. which documents the World War II years when the town hosted a German POW camp.
• Get the license and try your luck fishing in Lake Tuscaloosa, a freshwater reservoir north of town.
• Cross the Black Warrior River to check out the eateries, shops and general ambience of Historic Northport, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Things to do for Authentics

• Feed your interest in antebellum homes at the Gorgas House (built 1829, a former college dining hall) and the Battle-Friedman House, an 1835 Greek Revival mansion.
• The Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum is enlightening on area transportation history — horse-drawn carriages, lock and dam development on the Black Warrior River, stagecoaches, electric streetcars, rail services and even bicycle history.
• Look for American art at the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art (especially, works by Mary Cassett, Edward Hopper and John Singer Sargent).
• Take a student-led tour of the University of Alabama campus.
• Tuscaloosa is a good place for golfers. Seek out the course that suits you.
• Hear the sounds of the 5,000 pipes in the organ at the Frank Moody Music Building. Concerts, student recitals and the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra can be heard here, too.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Alabama Tourism Department at www.alabama.travel

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• A staple of Mexican menus, the nonsensically named chimichanga was created by accident in Tucson.
• Mount Lemmon is the southernmost ski destination in the U.S.
• A saguaro cactus can be 40 to 60 feet tall, weigh 3,200 to 4,800 pounds and live 150 to 200 years.
• Saguaro cacti don’t produce flowers until they are about 35 years old.
• The Titan missile held a nuclear payload 214 times more powerful than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, Japan.

Of spas and saguaro cacti

Tucson, on Arizona’s Sonoran Desert only 70 miles from the Mexican border, has obvious associations with several cultures and their varied histories. Native Americans, Spanish colonials, Mexicans and the Americans who thought they would tame the West exert influences in 21^st century Tucson through architecture, festivals, rodeos and other traditions, foods and language.

At the same time, the city of more than half a million (in a metro area of about one million) enjoys the sunny desert climate that has made it a destination for visitors who look for resort living, golf courses, spa services and in-resort fine dining.

Tucson boasts of being America’s sunniest city, with 350 days of sunshine a year. Tucson’s elevation, about 2,500 feet, and low humidity provide some offset to summer’s heat. Although this is desert territory, Tucson and its surroundings get some rain in late summer and again in early winter, which supports a lush display of desert plants.

The city is something of a foodie’s haven, but one where the best offerings are Mexican and southwestern cuisines which can be a bit, or very, spicy.

Tucson also is a resort town with culture: One downtown area is named simply the Arts District in recognition of its galleries, antiques shops, crafts stores, artsy boutiques, theaters and sidewalk cafes. The largely Mexican-American South Tucson is known for its public art projects, particularly murals, tile art and other installations.

Area geography also draws tourists to the southern Arizona city, and these visitors include those who admire nature’s wonders or want to feed their fascination with unique cultures and history, as much as those who seek active vacations.

The following are on Tucson’s borders: Catalina State Park, Coronado National Forest, Saguaro National Park East, Saguaro National Park West and the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation. And not to forget Old West connections, the evocatively named Tombstone is about 70 miles to the southeast. Other sites, such as the Titan Missile Museum, are associated with U.S. military history.

In sum, Tucson and its environs offer the variety that allows travelers of all personality types to plan the trip they want.

Things to do for Venturers

• Camp and hike at the Cochise Stronghold, the refuge west of Sunsites used by Apaches to fight the U.S. military.
• Choose your musical event. Tucson offers an embarrassment of riches, ranging from KFMA Day for alternative rock, two electronic music events called Dub Crawl and the KLPX Fest of classic rock to an annual country music festival.
• Join a half- or full-day hike through the Coronado National Forest with pack goats to carry your equipment and lunch.
• Hike into Sabino Canyon after sunset, but be on the lookout for rattlesnakes if you take this walk between March and September.
• Sample foods and drinks (such as the margarita) that feature the prickly pear, a type of cactus that produces a bright red fruit.
• Go rock climbing on the 9,157-food Mount Lemmon, a short drive from Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Or, ski at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley.

Things to do for Centrics

• Search out ancient rock art at Saguaro National Park West in Tucson (and get an eyeful of the cacti, too). Or go farther afield for ancient art, to the Petroglyph Discovery Trail near Millville or Honey Bee Canyon in Oro Valley. Still farther afield, find the Council Rocks in the Dragoon Mountains near St. David.
• Sample Mexican food in restaurants and from street vendors. Indian frybread also is available from vendors.
• See stars. Attend stargazing events at the Kitt Peak National Observatory outside of Sells or at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory near Amado. The University of Arizona also has telescopes from which visitors can view the heavens.
• Allow time for leisurely explorations of historic neighborhoods, especially El Barrio Historico and El Presidio. The latter is the site of Tucson’s original 1775 settlement.
• Pick up your camera and go on the hunt for some of the area’s ghost towns. Some choices, Courtland, Gleeson and Pearce, are along the Ghost Town Trail between Sunsites and Elfrida.
• Join a multiday trail ride on cool, higher-elevation trails outside of Tucson. Or, choose a wine-tasting trail ride.

Things to do for Authentics

• Plan a custom wine-tasting tour to several of the wineries in grape-growing areas south and east of Tucson.
• See a lot of art at one go. Time your visit for one of the monthly art walks on Gallery Row at El Cortijo in the Tucson foothills. Or take advantage of one of the open-studio tours offered in the Downtown Warehouse District.
• Stay at a dude ranch. Also, attend the Tucson Rodeo in February, and see the event’s parade, as well.
• Learn about modern military might at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson and the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, home of the only surviving Titan missile (the rest were destroyed under SALT II). Near the air and space museum, see the so-called aircraft graveyard, accommodating more than 5,000 planes, some dating to World War II.
• Play golf, then use the spa facilities at your resort.
• Take the kids (and the kid in you) to see the hideout of Old West bandits and train robbers at Colossal Cave Mountain Park. The kids also can be cowboy for a day at Old Tucson Studios.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Visit Tucson at www.visittucson.org

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