• Death Valley is the hottest, driest and lowest-altitude place in North America.
• About 10,000 earthquakes shake Southern California each year.
• An estimated 20,000 gray whales migrate along the California coast annually.
• Furnace Creek Resort (Death Valley National Park) has the world’s lowest golf course.
• The 115-room Hearst Castle, in construction for 28 years, was never completed.

A kaleidoscope

Mention Southern California and images come to mind as varied as colors in a kaleidoscope: Beaches and surf, sunshine and smog, Rodeo Drive, desert living and golf courses, the Dodgers, Hollywood and moviemaking, the Rose Bowl, Disneyland, the San Diego port and its zoo, palm trees, highways and bumper-to-bumper driving, oversized ocean-facing homes and, maybe, a quick trip across the border to Mexico. Southern California has avid fans who visit for entertainment, pleasant weather and a chance to share space with the rich and famous.

Northern and Southern California share a number of desirable features. Both have beautiful shorelines, parklands that offer access to nature, scenery, uncrowded spaces and a range of physical activities. They also have many good hotels and restaurants, shopping with snob appeal and varied attractions.

Northern California has bigger mountains and, hence, the association with winter sports. However, air and water temperatures are warmer in the south, which means that, in this area, many of the sports for the active vacationer are in or on the water.

Attractions in Southern California are widely separated, which means visitors need to book a tour or rent a car to get around effectively if they want to do more than concentrate on one city.

Disneyland continues to be a big draw for families. The Los Angeles area also has the Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain as part of the theme park mix. Visitors can see tapings of popular TV shows in the Los Angeles area. These attractions appeal in particular to the less venturesome personalities.

The same can be said about San Diego, the metropolis to the south, with its mild climate, lovely bay and famous zoo, and about beautiful Santa Barbara, to the north. The latter city is tucked in between the coast and mountains and is loved for its palm tree-lined beaches, golf courses, shopping and Mediterranean climate.

People come all year. “Snowbirds” visit in the winter, swelling the populations of desert communities like Palm Springs. Families headed for the beach or theme parks come in summer because that’s when their kids are out of school.

Things to do for Venturers

• Go whitewater rafting on the Kern River, which flows from head-waters surrounding California’s highest peak, Mount Whitney (14,495 feet), to the arid landscapes near Bakersfield. Guided trips operate from April through August and come in varying degrees of difficulty.
• Follow the Fresno County Fruit Trail which puts you on the scent of orchards filled with fresh fruit from May to September. More than 40 farms participate.
• Kayak in the Channel Islands National Park. Also, at this park, you can dive and snorkel, go fishing, do some bird-watching and, depending on the season, watch seals, sea lions and whales.
• Go surfing in the Pacific.
• Choose hiking, and the trip can be as challenging as you want. Consider the two-day hike 21 miles up San Gorgonio Peak which, at 11,499 feet, is the tallest mountain in the region (about two hours east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Bernardino National Forest).
• Attend a Boot Camp for Women (Rancho Cucamonga, Upland and Riverside) that can last four weeks and addresses fitness, diet and motivational training.

Things to do for Centrics

• Fish for trout at Irvine Lake; camp on site.
• Come to Pasadena for the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl Parade. You have to plan that in advance, and the same applies to the Rose Bowl football game if you want to attend.
• Sample Mexican food, Southern California style.
• Vacation at a guest ranch. You determine if this will be a soft adventure (golf, tennis, hayrides and slow jaunts on a horse) or not so soft (participating in ranch activities like rounding up cattle).
• Go bird-watching in the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, where more than 240 bird species have been observed.
• Attend the races at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Things to do for Authentics

• Sample the original Disney experience at Disneyland. For a change of pace, visit Knott’s Berry Farm.
• Go to theater at La Jolla Playhouse.
• See the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. See the Air Force One craft that served U.S. presidents from Richard Nixon through Bill Clinton. George W. Bush flew on it once.
• Look in on Solvang, which was founded by Danish Americans and retains a distinctly Danish character with Old World architecture, gas-lighted lamps and traditional windmills, not to mention the restaurants and bakeries.
• Take a tour of Beverly Hills, and book a tour to see the interior of a movie or TV studio. This may sound very stereotypical, even corny, but it can be lots of fun.
• Spend a day at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park. It is part of Balboa Park, which also houses several museums, lovely gardens and the Ruben H. Fleet Space Theater.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Visit California at www.visitcalifornia.com

The post Southern California appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Crazy Horse Memorial is the world’s largest mountain sculpture.
• In South Dakota, each man in the Lewis and Clark party ate about nine pounds of meat daily.
• It took 14 years and $1 million to carve the four presidential faces on Mount Rushmore
• The geographic center of the U.S. is 17 miles west of Castle Rock, S.D.
• It takes 275,000 ears of corn to create the murals on Mitchell’s Corn Palace.

From gunslingers to a ‘Little House’

About 90% of South Dakota is farms and ranches. The state is characterized by a small population and lots of open spaces where not too much happens.

That description, while correct, is misleading given that this state is a place of beauty and a playground for lovers of the outdoors — particularly with reference to the Black Hills and the Badlands. The sizeable Indian population offers special cultural experiences and casino gaming.

Further, the state is identified with Mount Rushmore, one of the country’s most popular attractions; a number of gun-totin’ Old West characters including Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, — and Laura Ingalls Wilder, who set several of her “Little House” books in South Dakota.

Almost without exception, people who like South Dakota refer to the solitude and magnitude of the western part of the state, as well as the abundance of quail, deer and other wildlife. They also mention historical sightseeing in a place that had its own gold rush, as well as its share of colorful personalities.

South Dakotans are largely descended from Scandinavians and Germans, but a significant minority, more than 8% of residents, are of Native American descent.

Gaming is an option here, but with less show and pizzazz than in Las Vegas — and that is just fine with South Dakota’s fans. The state has unique attractions, like the Corn Palace in Mitchell; every year, locals redecorate its exterior walls with stunning mosaics made from multicolored Indian corn and other grains.

South Dakota is a good destination the adventurous; these travelers seek new experiences and enjoy visiting unspoiled places where they will encounter relatively few people. But the state is good for families or any travelers who want to spend peaceful, quality time away from the stresses at home and who appreciate having an educational experience in the bargain.

Hardy souls can go in the winter for the skiing and snowboarding; everyone else will be more comfortable in warmer months. Any time of year, be prepared for the weather to be cooler than one may expect. But above all, the state has some of the friendliest and warmest people found anywhere.

Things to do for Venturers

• Compete in an ice fishing tournament in Mobridge. There are several South Dakota fishing competitions each year, including some for kids.
• Join the annual Earthwatch-sponsored excavation project at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. Paleontologists, with help from scores of volunteers, have already unearthed 56 mammoths plus numerous other fossilized animals that died in a spring-fed sinkhole.
• Kayak down the Missouri River.
• Dance at one of several powwows staged annually in South Dakota (visitors get their opportunity to participate during the intertribal dance).
• Go sailing, or jet skiing, or waterskiing at Lake Oahe in the Pierre-Fort Pierre area.
• Attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, an event that dates from 1938 and now draws hundreds of thousands of like-minded biking enthusiasts. Compete in races, take day trips in the Black Hills — and get a tattoo.

Things to do for Centrics

• Attend the JazzFest, a large and free music festival in Sioux Falls. A July event, it also includes food and arts vendors.
• Take photographs, lots of them. Look for wildlife, especially bison and ring-necked pheasants, as subjects.
• Hike in Custer State Park.
• See what may be America’s best-known sculpture, the stone carvings of four U.S. presidents at Mount Rushmore. Called the “Shrine of Democracy,” its four faces are 60 feet high and sit 500 feet above their admirers.
• Ride an 1880 steam train on a two-hour roundtrip journey between Hill City and Keystone.
• In winter, go ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling.

Things to do for Authentics

• Get out the binoculars and go bird-watching in a state that is home to nearly 400 species.
• Attend the Black Hills Passion Play in Spearfish; it has been presented every summer since 1939.
• Be a leaf peeper. Plan a trip around fall foliage.
• Visit Deadwood to get a sense of the Old West. Cast your eyes over a town that is so well-preserved the entire place is on the National Historic Register.
• Forget the sightseeing and play golf.
• Attend the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo in Mitchell, as much to see the Corn Palace as the rodeo. Or just get to this town to see this building covered with mosaics created anew every summer with thousands of bushels of corn and other grains.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the South Dakota Department of Tourism at www.travelsouthdakota.com

The post South Dakota appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Yellowstone is the world’s oldest national park (1872) and America’s second largest.
• Cheyenne Frontier Days is the world’s largest outdoor rodeo.
• Wyoming was first to give women the right to vote (1869) and to elect a woman governor (1924).
• Wyoming has the smallest population of the 50 U.S. states.
• The Sundance Kid took his name from a Wyoming town called Sundance.

The Cowboy State

The Old West lives — no, thrives — in Wyoming. The Cowboy State has working cattle ranches, powwows, big-time rodeos, reservations where visitors sleep in teepees, open spaces for wagon train and campfire experiences and Yellowstone National Park.

It retains unspoiled natural wonders, ideal for those of all personality types who like outdoor activities ranging from fishing or skiing to rock climbing and mountain biking. Wyoming also is defined by something it lacks: a large population. Cheyenne, the largest metropolis, counts fewer than 65,000 people.

Tourists come to Wyoming in part because they want to get a feel for the oft-romanticized Old West and because the state offers great natural beauty in big doses. Its parks include a couple of the most popular — Yellowstone and Grand Teton — which offer dramatic landscapes and lots of space to relax or play hard at hiking, mountain climbing and other adventurous outdoor activities.

Yellowstone and Hot Springs State Park offer another of nature’s surprises, the rumbling, grumbling and sometimes brightly colored results of lots of underground geothermal activity. That’s how we get Old Faithful, but that geyser is only one example.

Several historic trails were used by gold seekers, settlers, outlaws, the military, Indians fleeing the white man and the Pony Express. There is more evidence of this in Wyoming than in any other state. The three best-known trails, the California Trail, the Mormon Trail and the Oregon Trail, converged at the South Pass, a relatively gentle break in the mountains, after which the trails went their separate ways. As a result, many traveled through Wyoming, but few stayed.

Predictably, Wyoming attracts those who like being outdoors and who appreciate the state’s natural, unsullied beauty. Also, those who want a retreat from civilization often seek out Wyoming. Travelers frequently comment favorably about Wyoming’s low-density population, peace, serenity and isolation.

Yellowstone has nine on-site lodging options of varying types, but all are nonsmoking establishments, and none have air conditioning or much in the way of electronic communications with the outside world. Summertime in Wyoming provides an oasis for travelers escaping hot weather or humidity at home. Skiers obviously wait for winter.

Things to do for Venturers

• Join an archaeological dig at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis.
• Put on the snowshoes or cross-country skis for a trek in the Uinta Mountains, staying overnight in a yurt (with some modern comforts) at, say, 9,000 feet above sea level. This business of yurt camping was born in 1995 when the U.S. Forest Service and Bear River Outdoor Recreation Alliance teamed up to erect first one yurt, then a few others. They are available year-round.
• Spend a few nights at the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, sleeping in a teepee, touring the reservation on horseback, participating in evening powwows and hearing the tribe’s stories.
• Go mountain biking in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Start with the three-mile Turtle Rock Trail (which is shared with hikers), but there are numerous others, enough to occupy a full day or several days.
• Try the dune buggy experience at the Killpecker Sand Dunes north of Rock Springs in southwest Wyoming.
• Don buckskin, pitch a teepee and be a mountain man for a weekend. Each summer, Wyoming hosts a series of rendezvous roughly modeled on 19th century gatherings of trappers, traders, mountain men and Native Americans. For the trappers, that meant selling their furs and getting supplies.

Things to do for Centrics

• Stay at the Ivy House Bed and Breakfast in Casper. It is said to be haunted by its first owners and their cats. The current owners throw haunted slumber parties in October and lead tours on summer nights to the town’s haunted sites.
• Most of Wyoming’s larger lakes are managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and are there for you to use for boating, fishing, waterskiing and other water sports.
• Go skiing, but sample winter’s other opportunities in Wyoming, as well: ice skating, sleigh rides, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing.
• Attend a powwow at the Wind River Reservation, home to Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Indians. Sacajawea, who was Shoshone, is buried west of Fort Washakie.
• Travel for several days with a covered wagon train along the trails used by pioneers, or do this in the Tetons. You may find comforts our forebears did not: rubber tires, foam padded seats and deluxe bunks.
• Stay at the rustic Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone, right next to the Old Faithful Geyser.

Things to do for Authentics

• Drive through the Shoshone National Forest, the nation’s first national forest, and look for antelope, bears, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose and mountain goats. Then, take that search for bears (black and grizzly) into nearby Yellowstone National Park.
• Attend a cowboy poetry gathering. Cowboy poetry sessions are a tradition born of long and isolating stays out on the range when there was little do at night around a campfire. The 21st century events include ballads, historic presentations, seminars, storytelling and western singing.
• Go fly-fishing in the Platte River. Wyoming has 22 species of game fish.
• Stop at a classic diner and order shepherds pie and cobbler. Or, book a chuck wagon event, cowboy cookout or dinner camp for a meal reminiscent of the Old West.
• Attend a big rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days, in July.
• Stay at a dude ranch. Many ranches are near parks or national forests. The ranch experiences can vary widely, with options for quiet fishing, hiking and biking, horseback riding or — just like in the movies — a chance to rope and brand a steer or help move cattle from one pasture to another. You decide.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Wyoming Travel and Tourism at www.wyomingtourism.org

The post Wyoming appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• Wisconsin produces 350-plus varieties of cheese, more than any other state.
• The Kickapoo River is called the world’s crookedest river.
• The state’s 1.3 million dairy cows supply milk for 42M people, butter for 68M, cheese for 86M.
• Liberace and Orson Welles were born in Wisconsin; Houdini spent his childhood there.
• The ice cream sundae was created in Two Rivers in 1881.

The idealized America

In many ways, this north central state represents an idealized America with its lakes and forests, smaller cities and northern European heritage. Its geography — which includes shorelines on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior — provides the stage for plenty of outdoor activity, particularly the water-based kind.

This farm state is noted for its dairy operations and the natural extension of that, cheese making. It is noted as well for its beers. On top of that, Sheboygan claims the title bratwurst capital of America.

Translation: There is plenty to do, see and eat in the Badger State.  Tourists come to this part of the upper Midwest for outdoor recreation, for unsullied natural scenery and for manageable cities and towns that offer physical charms, culture and friendly hosts.

The Wisconsin Dells along the Wisconsin River has the most famous scenery in the state. It is a spectacular 15-mile stretch of river flanked by sandstone cliffs rising as much as 100 feet above the river’s rushing waters. Its natural appeal combines with the area’s several water theme parks and other attractions to create an ideal lure for families.

Lake Geneva, the town on Geneva Lake, is the state’s other best-known tourist destination. Early in the 20th century, the resort became a favorite for Chicagoans, and it was President Calvin Coolidge’s summer retreat.

But the hands of Mother Nature and mankind offer other choices: Door County, that peninsula bound on one side by Green Bay and the other by Lake Michigan; the Wisconsin Northwoods, a stretch of forests, lakes and rivers reaching across the northern third of the state touching both the state’s Great Lakes shorelines, and scenic byways including the Great Mississippi River Road National Scenic Byway showing off quaint river towns with their festivals, parks and historic town centers.

Not to be overlooked, two cities stand out on the tourist map, Madison and Milwaukee, which between them offer performing arts, fine dining, sports teams, museums, festivals — and access to still more recreational opportunities.

No wonder then that summer season is prime time in Wisconsin, especially for water sports and fishing.

Things to do for Venturers

• Go biking and make yours a themed trip. Fall foliage is a seasonal choice, but other themes include the Frank Lloyd Wright Tour and the Cheese Country Trail.
• Go dogsledding. Learn to drive a team of Siberian huskies.
• Go canoeing or kayaking in a town called Two Rivers, one of Wisconsin’s several charming harbor towns facing Lake Michigan. Those scenic harbor towns include Milwaukee.
• Take a guided tour of an Al Capone hideaway in northern Wisconsin. Called the Hideout, the lakeside home in Couderay features machine-gun portals, a gun tower and walls that are 18 inches thick. Also, museum displays include a re-creation of the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
• Attend Milwaukee’s annual Indian Summer powwow in the fall. Or choose from other powwows in the state.
• Spend the night on the World War II submarine at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. Before you leave town, tour the Natural Ovens Bakery.

Things to do for Centrics

• If you are a sports fan, time your trip to see the Green Bay Packers play football. It’s big-time sports in a small U.S. city with lots of tradition and enthusiasm. Then, go to the theater in Green Bay!!
• Build part of a trip around the theater, the outdoor kind. Wisconsin is home to three nationally known outdoor production sites: American Players Theatre in Spring Green; Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek, and Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.
• Go cross-country skiing. The state has more than 700 miles of groomed trails for the purpose. Or, choose downhill skiing. Wisconsin is third in the nation for the number of ski areas (36) for downhill-skiing enthusiasts.
• This is irresistible: Visit a cheese factory. There are at least 45 for tourists to choose from.  Also, take cooking classes. One place to start is the Demonstration Kitchen at the Shops at Woodlake. Up to 40 people can interact with chefs as they prepare a featured dish.
• Take your pick, winery or brewery? You can visit plenty of either from a selection of around 70, with a good mix of each.  If you like a little history with your wine, put the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac on your list. Now a National Historic Site, the winery and vineyard were established before the Civil War by the Hungarian Count Haraszthy, who later became known as the “father of California wine making.”
• Here are some fun, even corny, ideas for entertainment. Attend Sun Prairie’s August Sweet Corn Festival, one of the largest in the nation. Or, on Labor Day weekend, attend the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw in Sauk Prairie. Another September alternative is the U.S. Watermelon Seed-Spitting and Speed-Eating Championships in Pardeeville.

Things to do for Authentics

• Visit the Dane County Farmers’ Market held on Capitol Square in Madison from April through November. It is the largest such market in the U.S.
• Take a self-guided walking tour in Port Washington on Lake Michigan, past and into many historic buildings, or along the first man-made harbor in North America. The downtown, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has the largest collection of pre-Civil War buildings in Wisconsin. Port Washington also hosts the world’s largest one-day, outdoor fish fry every July.
• Look for eagles in Sauk City and Prairie du Sac, which are home to North America’s largest population of wintering eagles.
• Ringling Brothers Circus (and others) maintained winter quarters in Baraboo. Take a look at the Circus World Museum here and see performances in the summer. Near Baraboo, in North Freedom, the Mid-Continent Railway Museum offers 45-minute rides on an old-fashioned train.
• Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the classic “Little House” books, was born in Pepin County. Visit the Little House Wayside, which features a replica of her childhood log cabin, and the Pepin Historical Museum.
• Amuse yourself at the Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb (and taste a hot horseradish mustard, called Hit and Run for a reason) or the Outagamie Museum in Appleton with its section on a former resident known as Houdini.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Wisconsin Department of Tourism at www.travelwisconsin.com

The post Wisconsin appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• The town of Mountain was formerly named Mole Hill.
• Mother’s Day was first celebrated in West Virginia (1908).
• Berkeley Springs, incorporated as Bath in 1776, was America’s first spa town.
• The Golden Delicious apple originated in West Virginia.
• When West Virginia was created, its founders intended to call it Kanawha.

From coal to tourism

Mountains, mining and mound builders come to mind when describing West Virginia. Many consider this the most beautiful state in the Union and like the fact that its peaks and river valleys aren’t overrun with tourists.

Coal mining supported the state for many years; the demand is still there and so are the mines. But recreation and tourism are becoming more important, and West Virginia’s terrain makes this a natural for those who like outdoor activities — which can range from golf to whitewater rafting, foliage viewing to rock climbing.

When Virginia decided to secede from the Union in 1861, a number of western counties seized their opportunity to create West Virginia. That spirit of independence and determination still characterizes this destination.

It’s called Mountain State for a reason. Located in the Appalachian Highlands, it is covered with mountain chains in its eastern and central regions, and the rest is steep and rolling hills. There is not much that is level, except for the river valleys where cities are located. The cities are the centers for some heavy industry.

West Virginia may be south of the Mason Dixon Line, but its numerous and steep mountains translate into options for skiing and other winter sports. The state, also heavily forested, is attractive as well for biking, canoeing, climbing, fishing, hiking and other pursuits.

East Coast residents know that White Sulphur Springs has been a high class spa and resort for more than two centuries. Berkeley Springs offers another and even older spa option. Visits to a coalmine or one of the state’s coal houses recall for travelers another side of the state’s history.

Looking farther back, tourists can view Native American burial mounds. A prehistoric indigenous culture occupied the area and left the mounds, some with skeletons and artifacts, for scientists and more casual visitors to study.

Not a lot of people visit, despite the state’s great scenic beauty, but it is worthwhile for any traveler — adventurous or not, spender or budget-minded — to take a look at West Virginian activities and attractions. Skiers come for the snow; most other visitors come in the summer.

Things to do for Venturers

• Travel the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, almost 500 miles available to those on ATVs, dirt bikes and mountain bikes, as well as hikers and those on horseback.
• Sign on for a rock climbing expedition up the 1,000-foot face of Seneca Rocks.
• Attend the annual Bluegrass Festival, held in May in North Bend State Park. Plan to camp out in the park during the event. Or, reserve space in one of the park’s cabins.
• Bring your motorcycle and attend one of the state’s summertime motorcycle rallies. Or, bring the Jeep to the Jeep Jamboree in Snowshoe and plan to explore the Allegheny Mountains in your vehicle.
• Take a guided backpacking tour in the Potomac Highlands and the New River area.
• See a decommissioned coal mine, the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, on a tour led by a former miner. You travel on an authentic man-carrying car through low-ceilinged tunnels for a sobering look at a tough work environment. Also, see the historical coal camp on the grounds for more on the life of coal miners early in the 20th century.

Things to do for Centrics

• Travel on a historic steam train, formerly used to haul logs, in the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. You can reserve a private caboose for your trip, or rent the caboose for an overnight stay atop Cheat Mountain.
• Attend the July American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, devoted to new American plays and support of American playwrights, directors and artists.
• Visit Grave Creek Mound Archaeology Complex at Moundsville for a look at a huge grave mound (900-foot circumference, 69 feet high) built by Native Americans more than 2,000 years ago. See artifacts found there in the adjacent Delf Norona Museum.
• Take a float trip on the New River to fish for smallmouth bass. Also, more than 180 West Virginia streams are stocked with trout.
• Plan a self-drive fall foliage tour that includes at least one fall festival and, maybe, a stay in a country cabin or homey inn.
• Visit Lost World Caverns, Smoke Hole Caverns or a number of other underground sites.

Things to do for Authentics

• Visit at least one glassmaking factory, then buy samples to take home.
• Buy quilts, for which West Virginia is well known, at Cabin Creek Quilts in Malden.
• Attend a production at the Historic Fayette Theatre in Fayetteville and stay at the Historic White Horse B&B in town.
• Enjoy the benefits of a mineral spa, but in a quaint setting in the Berkeley Springs State Park, the nation’s smallest state park, at 4.5 acres.
• See a Civil War reenactment at Pipestem State Park.
• If the timing is right, take a Christmas home tour in Bramwell, a historic town noted for the mansions built by coal barons when Bramwell was a “millionaire coal town.” Numerous other towns — Bluefield, Helvetia, Parkersburg and Shepherdstown among them — boast historic town centers, too. Walk through the one nearest you.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the West Virginia Division of Tourism at www.wvtourism.com

The post West Virginia appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

• There is a town called George (yes, that’s George, Washington).
• Father’s Day was originated by Spokane’s Sonora Louise Smart Dodd (1910).
• Washington is the only state named for a U.S. president.
• The Concorde on view in Seattle broke a transcontinental speed record getting there.
• Seattle’s Pike Place Market is the nation’s oldest farmers market (debuted 1907).

State of beauty

Washington is a naturally beautiful state with mountains, lakes, rivers, rain forest, high desert and the Pacific coast, all offering the venues for activities that appeal most to active travelers. They are captivated by the sense the state has not lost its natural charm; it retains a pristine quality and has not become overly commercial.

Visitors also come to Washington’s cities, towns and valleys to enjoy urban culture and art scenes, to sample seafood and other fine dining experiences and to taste the local wines.

Active travelers are Washington state’s biggest fans. They like the variety of lifestyles available to vacationers and believe the state offers more diversity than almost any other destination.

Tall, snow-capped mountain ranges provide the setting for skiing, hiking, camping or personal meditation. And clean, clear water everywhere — oceans, the inland waters of Puget Sound, harbors, lakes and streams — invites visitors to sail, man a powerboat, swim or just enjoy its calming effects.  In reality, travelers of all personality types appreciate the chance to be active outdoors in Washington.

Enthusiasts also cite Washington’s abundance of manmade attractions, such as good ski resorts, fabulous restaurants and well-maintained cities that seem to have escaped overdevelopment.

Although Seattle is the city visitors like best, most references are to other parts of the state. It’s not that enthusiasts don’t appreciate Seattle. It’s that the state’s natural beauty and the many opportunities to do things outdoors override most thoughts about city life.

Washington sometimes is criticized for its high annual rainfall and relatively cool climate, but those at the middle or venturesome side of the personality scale who like the state believe the weather borders on the ideal. They like its coolness which is invigorating for those inclined to get out and do things. Indeed, the state, in America’s Pacific Northwest, boasts a milder climate along its coastal areas west of the Cascade Mountains than its northerly location would suggest.

For those who need the sun, the solution is going inland. The inland Tri-Cities region boasts it has 300 days a year of sunshine. It is in the heart of wine country and calls itself a golf destination.

Things to do for Venturers

• Go whitewater rafting in September on the Tieton River.
• Do your whale watching by sea kayak. Or, see whales by taking a cruise from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
• Rent a teepee at the Yakama Nation Resort RV Park and Cultural Center and immerse yourself in the story of the Yakama people as revealed at the center there.
• Go fishing. Choose the Columbia or the Willapa River for salmon and sturgeon. You can also fish for salmon on the ocean.
• Sample some of the game served in Washington, such as buffalo, elk or venison — even ostrich.
• Hike into the Mount Baker Wilderness, walking on Iron Goat Trail, an abandoned stretch of right-of-way that once belonged to the Great Northern Railway.

Things to do for Centrics

• Go clam digging on Long Beach Peninsula. A license is required, and the season is generally a few days of each month October through April.
• Take a float trip through the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area in December or January to look for bald eagles. Elsewhere, at varying times of the year, birders can find more bald eagles plus peregrine falcons, redtailed hawks, snow geese and trumpeter swans.
• Tillicum Village on Blake Island serves up a Native American experience. Accessible by tour boat from Seattle’s waterfront, it offers native salmon dinner buffets and traditional Northwest Coast Indian dancing.
• Take a cooking class at Methods in the Vancouver National Historic Reserve. Classes are held in the restored historic buildings of Vancouver Barracks, which once were part of a military post.
• Watch traditional blacksmiths at work, or take classes, at a traditional operating blacksmith shop, found between Belfair and Shelton. Blacksmithing also is part of the living history demonstrations at Fort Vancouver, the original 1825 trading post for the Hudson Bay Company.
• Visit an alpaca or llama farm; they are common in Washington. Buy a sweater or scarf made with the animals’ lightweight but warming fibers.

Things to do for Authentics

• Visit Mount Rainier, a national park and a short drive from Seattle. A 14,410-foot volcano, it has a permanent glacial cap. Particularly attractive in the summer when wild flowers bloom, the park is closed in the winter, except for low-altitude roads.
• Visit Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Overlooking the waterfront, the long narrow complex stretches across nine acres and offers an enticing display of fresh seafood, produce, and arts and crafts.  Also, take in Pioneer Square Historic District, just south of downtown, an area rebuilt after an 1889 fire; it’s good for walking tours.
• Eat the fresh fruit grown here — apples, cherries, pears.
• Visit the Museum of Flight, housed in the old Red Barn (Boeing’s first manufacturing plant) south of Seattle, which documents the history of flight from medieval times through the modern era. War planes and commercial aircraft (including a Concorde) are on display.
• Visit the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach, and walk through its demonstration farm, available year-round but best mid-September to mid-October.
• Visit the Lewis and Clark interpretive center, one of several in the state, at Cape Disappointment (formerly Fort Canby) State Park. As a bonus, the center and its grounds also offer a chance to watch whales without going to sea.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Washington Tourism Alliance at www.experiencewa.com

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• One-third of all Civil War battles occurred in Virginia, for 122 in the state.
• All or part of eight other states were carved out of territory once claimed by Virginia.
• Eight U.S. presidents were born in Virginia.
• Mount Vernon’s displays include the key to the Bastille, a Lafayette gift to Washington.
• At the Pentagon, the world’s largest building, no office is more than seven minutes from any other.

One state’s endowment

Virginia is richly endowed with sites associated with U.S. history, beginning with its earliest days at the Jamestown settlement in 1607.  Today’s Virginia is a mixture of undulating hills and horse properties, bustling industrial cities, the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the storied Shenandoah River Valley and the marine life of the Tidewater region.  Besides, the nation’s capital across the Potomac ensures that politics and history continue to influence life in Virginia to a greater degree than in most places.

The best of times for the Old Dominion came in the 18th century when its broad rolling hills were populated by country gentlemen who surveyed their acres, hunted foxes and planned the future of the republic. (Residents of the slave quarters and poor whites did not participate in the best of times, but they were there, too.)

Virginia produced four of the five earliest presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe) and vied with New England for preeminence in the colonial and post-Revolutionary War years. History buffs find much of interest covering the colonial era through the Civil War (when Richmond served as the Confederate capital) to the present day.

The famous Blue Ridge Mountains are in the west as are the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park and Shenandoah National Park. Charlottesville, Richmond and President Jefferson’s home Monticello are in the central areas.

Places associated with Washington, D.C. — Alexandria, Arlington, President Washington’s Mount Vernon home — are in the northern areas, along with the Fredericksburg National Military Park.

Finally, the Tidewater, or coastal region, is home to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach as well as Yorktown, where the Revolutionary War ended. Also, because Virginia borders Chesapeake Bay, visitors can take advantage of water sports and the opportunity to observe the ecosystem of this remarkable district.

Venturesome types, who like becoming involved with a place’s culture, will enjoy staying at small inns and meeting the people who own the shops and run the fishing boats. Other travelers are more likely to take guided tours to Williamsburg and enjoy the shops and restaurants in the tourist centers. Regardless, there is enough variety for every taste.

Things to do for Venturers

• Snatch up one of Virginia’s Capt. John Smith’s Trail maps and chart a kayak tour along the James River on a route that includes 40 parks, historic sites and museums between Richmond and Newport News. Sites include Historic Jamestowne, the recreated ships at Jamestown Settlement and 17th century plantations.
• Attend the Pony Penning and Auction in July on Chincoteague Island. Wild ponies, owned by the local fire department, graze on nearby Assateague Island, and when it is time to sell a few, so-called “saltwater cowboys” drive the herd in a swim from one island to the other. The auction begins soon after. Some ponies (in reality, undersized horses) are available for rides year-round at the Chincoteague Pony Center.
• Sample the skiing at any of these resorts: Bryce, the Homestead, Massanutten or Wintergreen. In March, ski and golf on the same day at Wintergreen.
• Arrange for a deep-sea fishing excursion, or take time for some fly-fishing.
• Attend one of the many Civil War or other historical reenactments that occur each year in Virginia. In some cases, you can participate and experience something of the camp life of the 19th century soldiers and their families.
• Contact one of the several trail clubs in the state, groups devoted to the care of the Appalachian Trail. If possible, arrange to hike with them and perhaps participate with them in some voluntary trail tending. One-quarter (550 miles) of the nation’s 2,175-mile trail is in Virginia.

Things to do for Centrics

• Attend events in the style of an “old Virginian.” Try the Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point steeplechase in spring, the Alexandria Association Old Home Interiors Tour in April or one of the yacht regattas in summer (in any of several towns).
• Take a walk — with Appalachian Ghostwalks, an Abingdon company that promises “lantern-led” tours of historic haunted sites led by guides who are “certified ghost hunters.”
• Attend the Oyster Festival on Chincoteague Island.
• Attend one of the state’s Juneteenth celebrations, events that recall the day in June 1865 when slaves in Texas finally received word of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  One of the top events is staged at the Booker T. Washington National Monument in Hardy; it’s a day for reenactments, music and good food, at the Virginia birthplace of this African American leader.
• Plan a fall foliage drive in Virginia.
• In Norfolk, board the Carrie B., a replica of a 19th century Mississippi River paddle wheeler, for narrated tours of the Elizabeth River. Alternatively, cruise Norfolk’s historic waterways by taking a lunch or dinner cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk.

Things to do for Authentics

• Williamsburg is a showplace of colonial restoration, appearing today much as it did before the American Revolution. Overnight on site at the Williamsburg Inn.
• In the way Benjamin Franklin dominates Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson dominates Virginia. See his home at Monticello, and tour the University of Virginia which he founded.
• Take advantage of Virginia’s natural springs at any of several spas in Warm Springs Valley and elsewhere. Depending on the spa, your choices could include a caviar facial or body wrap, a goat’s milk bath or treatments based on the dogwood flower.
• Tour in the state with your pet. More than 500 Virginia accommodations accept cats and dogs as guests.
• Take in a performance at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, a former Virginia farmstead and now the only national park dedicated to the performing arts. You often can see Wolf Trap events showcased on your local PBS station.
• Norfolk is home to the world’s largest naval installation. Take one of the bus tours of the naval station, with navy personnel as your guides. Also, see the USS Wisconsin, the last battleship ever built, at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Virginia Tourism Corporation at www.virginia.org

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• Vermont has the lowest percentage of urban residents of any U.S. state.
• The state is the nation’s largest producer of maple syrup.
• Montpelier has the lowest population of any state capital (7,855 in the last census, 2010).
• At Haskell Opera House, much of the audience sits in Vermont; the stage is in Quebec.
• Vermont declared war on Germany in autumn 1941, before the U.S. Congress did.

Ski slopes and maple syrup

Vermont, a tiny piece of geography in the far northeast of the U.S., is very popular with travelers because of its scenic beauty, especially the fall foliage colors and winter’s snow-covered mountains.

Visitors comment as well on the excellent skiing, breakfasts with pure Vermont maple syrup, the typical “New England look” of its covered bridges and historic town centers and efficient but friendly service from their hosts. Travelers emphasize the attractiveness of the state’s rural environment, its lack of commercialization (billboards are illegal) and the relaxation and peace they experience while there.

Skiing dominates sports in Vermont, but other options include camping, golf, horseback riding and fishing — complemented by a “sport” of another kind: shopping, whether in country stores selling unique Vermont-made goods or discount outlets for nationally known brands.

As for the ever-popular skiing, there are several choices for both alpine and nordic pursuits. Downhillers cite Killington, Stowe and Sugarbush as favorites. For cross-country choices, a couple of the best are Mount Prospect east of Bennington and Mountain Top at Chittenden, site of the Mountain Top Inn.

Vermonters have a long history of thinking for themselves. Although Vermont was home to the Green Mountain Boys and supported the American Revolution, it stood aside politically, creating the Republic of Vermont in 1777, only joining the great American experiment in 1791, as the 14th state. Evidence of the state’s history lives in museums, historic buildings (including Ethan Allen’s home) and Revolutionary War sites — thus adding to the list of attractions for visitors.

There is no such thing as a big city in Vermont. The largest, Burlington, counts less than 45,000. Like many smaller cities and towns, it boasts a charming historic downtown section that lures tourists for picturesque strolls — and some shopping for local cheeses or other goods that bespeak this tiny New England state.

For another type of attraction, summer theaters stage productions in small towns throughout Vermont. It is extremely popular, as well, to tour Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, and irresistible to sample the state’s cheeses and maple syrup — as well as that ice cream.

Things to do for Venturers

• For serious mountain biking, try East Burke where the nonprofit Kingdom Trails has created a 100-mile mapped complex of off-road trails and single track. The area claims the highest ratio of moose to mountain bikers in the U.S.
• Treat yourself to a fall foliage tour, but do it on a bicycle.
• Take a snowmobile tour of several days, sampling some of Vermont’s 3,900-mile trail system for snowmobilers.
• Bring your fine antique car to the August Stowe Antique and Classic Car Meet, or at least come to town to see these vehicles in their annual parade. Or, attend the September British Invasion, a fest described as a “salutation to the great British motorcar and all manner of other things British.”
• Go whitewater rafting in summer.
• Hike the Long Trail in the Green Mountains. This is a footpath that winds through the mountains from Massachusetts to Canada. Overnight camps lie along the trail every six to eight miles.

Things to do for Centrics

• Combine seeing the fall colors with a visit to the Stratton Arts Festival at Stratton Mountain. More than 200 Vermont artists participate.
• Go cross-country skiing. You don’t have to know how to downhill ski. Vermont offers groomed trails at various sites up and down the state.
• Take a self-drive fall foliage tour through Vermont.
• Visit an Ethan Allen residence at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum at Burlington and/or visit the preserved remains of Revolutionary War fortifications at Mount Independence in Orwell.
• Or, get in touch with the 18th century by staying at the Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, and ask for the Turnabout room in the Tavern Building. That room was the tavern in 1795.
• Go to the Tavern at Red Fox Inn in Bondville for live Irish music (and other live music) plus Guinness to wet your whistle.

Things to do for Authentics

• Norman Rockwell lived in Arlington when he was doing illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post. Today you will find an extensive Rockwell exhibit in a 19th century Arlington church. There is also a Rockwell museum in Rutland.
• Visit the Shelburne Museum, an extensive reconstruction of 37 historic structures from all over New England. These hold collections of items and artifacts depicting early New England life. They’ve got formal gardens, as well.
• Tour a maple sugar factory (given that Vermont is the country’s leading producer).
• Shop until you drop at outlet stores in Manchester, an attractive and popular village where new construction is determinedly in line with traditional New England style And, buy Vermont’s cheddar cheese.
• Attend summer theater. The Dorset Playhouse and Weston Playhouse are the best known, but there are about 30 other choices.
• Tour the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, which uses advertising that always features black and white Vermont cows. Touring the Vermont Teddy Bear factory in Shelburne is another fun choice.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing at www.vermontvacation.com

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• Seventy percent of Utah’s population is Mormon.
• Rainbow Bridge is the largest known natural stone bridge in the world.
• Great Salt Lake is a remnant of a 25,000-year-old freshwater lake.
• The Family History Library in Salt Lake City is the largest genealogical library in the world.
• Utahans average more years in school than people in any other state.

From Mormons to Olympians

Utah is not the place for nightlife or theme parks, but a spot that offers beautiful, rugged western scenery for biking, camping, fishing, hiking and skiing in its wide open spaces.

The state also possesses a unique and fascinating history, having been populated by Indians, Mormons, ranchers, miners and railroad builders. Its rugged terrain, so appealing to nature lovers today, provided hideouts for not a few rogues, as well. More recently, it held the world’s attention for the span of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Mormons account for a significant majority of Utah’s population and that heritage translates into a number of fascinating tourist attractions. For one thing, the Mormon interest in identifying their forebears led to creation of the Family History Library on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It houses the names of more than 2 billion deceased people. Open to the public at no charge, it is a perfect place for those eager to reconstruct their family tree.

For some, the Mormon influence may mean life is a little staid, but many families like that. Parents bring their children for the state’s wondrous attractions as well as the wholesome atmosphere. Travelers also report feeling safe and secure anywhere in the state.  On the other hand, there is nothing staid about Mother Nature here — or about the Outlaw Trail either.

The state, calling itself America’s national parks capital, counts five, including Bryce Canyon and Zion. It also claims the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park because that area is best accessed via Utah, and Mesa Verde is just across the border in Colorado.  In addition, Utah has seven national monuments, two national recreation areas and six national forests. Further, Utah has more than 40 state parks.

As for the Outlaw Trail, it meanders from Mexico to Montana and was loved by outlaws for geographic features that made it easy for them to hide. Utah’s Robbers’ Roost is illustrative: It is a wild region of canyons and hundreds of hiding places.

For visitors, there are attractions and activities for all seasons making Utah a year-round vacation destination.

Things to do for Venturers

• Go whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon. Camp out under the stars at night.
• Hike Horseshoe Canyon in Canyonlands National Park to see surprising ancient rock art.
• Give all that healthy physical activity a rest, and take in a string of food factory tours — with samples, of course. In Cache Valley, your choices include cheese, chocolates, coffee, cookies, honey and ice cream.
• Hone your skills as a mountain biker on the Moab Slickrock Bike Trail.
• Look up your family background at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
• Get on the trail of Butch Cassidy, starting with a visit to his hometown of Circleville, these days noted as a starting point for a serpentine all-terrain vehicle trail. After a little time out for the ATV action, head for Robbers’ Roost on the so-called Outlaw Trail. The easiest access is via the mouth of the Dirty Devil River.

Things to do for Centrics

• Attend the Utah Shakespearean Festival, June to October, in Cedar City. Also, the Heritage Theater in Cedar City’s historic downtown is the permanent home for the Utah Neil Simon Festival, set for July and August, and a number of other entertainments.
• Float on the Great Salt Lake. You will be unbelievably buoyant because of the heavy concentration of salt. You also can kayak or sail on the lake.
• Ski at any of 13 resorts in the state. You have the chance to follow where the world’s top skiers entered competition during the 2002 Olympics.
• Attend a powwow. These events occur at various times of the year and are widely scattered in the state, but one opportunity is right in Salt Lake City: the Native American Festival at the Park.
• Visit the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville. It is a living history site highlighting the Old West with hands-on activities in its pioneer site, farm site, mountain man encampment and Native American village.
• Attend Logan’s Utah Festival Opera in the summertime. Besides grand opera, light operettas and musicals, the season includes orchestral and vocal concerts, seminars and backstage tours.

Things to do for Authentics

• Vacation on Lake Powell, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, by renting a houseboat. Spend your days fishing, hiking, kayaking, waterskiing — you name it.
• Visit the wineries in and near Moab.
• Look for remarkable Indian ruins in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. If you keep your eyes peeled, you will see small homes, other buildings and rock art left behind by the Anasazi.
• For your fall foliage fix, take an autumn drive through Wellsville Canyon and Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway.
• Tour Salt Lake City’s historic Temple Square, Utah’s most popular tourist attraction.
• See the North American Museum of Ancient Life, described as the world’s largest dinosaur museum, in Thanksgiving Point. Then, make your way to the town’s gardens, or its shops.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Utah Office of Tourism at www.visitutah.com

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• Texas has more surface fresh water (4,959 square miles) than any state except Alaska.
• Its largest ranch, the King Ranch in Kingsville, is slightly bigger than Rhode Island.
• Texas has the right to divide into five states.
• The Comal, at 2.5 miles, is the shortest river in Texas.
• During half the Civil War, Marshall, Texas, was the Missouri capital.

Bigger than life

Lone star, longhorns, the Alamo, 10-gallon hats, the oil business and the Dallas Cowboys — they’re all symbols of the second-largest U.S. state.  owever, there are other wrinkles in this fabric. San Antonio has the Alamo and south-of-the-border charm; Austin has a great university and country western music; Dallas and Houston are on stage as large, modern, commercial cities.

Significant parts of American history played out in Texas. Visitors have access to museums and monuments that document that past. From Sam Houston to Lyndon Johnson, its sons loom large.

Texas Tourism outlines seven key regions and hence allows us to discover this outsized state in smaller pieces. Those regions are:

• Big Bend Country, in the far west. It encompasses El Paso and the Big Bend National Park, with its mountains and desert covering more than 800,000 acres along the Rio Grande.
• The Gulf Coast, with 600 miles of shoreline plus barrier islands stretching from Galveston to South Padre Island. The area is noted for fishing, birding and water-based activities. It also includes Houston.
• The Hill Country, an area of rolling hills and dude ranches — and wineries. The area encompasses the state capital, Austin, which is celebrated for its live music.
• Panhandle Plains, in the northwest corner of Texas, a ranching area and home to Abilene and Amarillo.
• Piney Woods, in the easternmost part of the state, noted for quaint historic towns, roses and four national forests.
• Prairies and Lakes Region, home of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolis. It is Fort Worth that offers the sense of the West and its history. The region also encompasses charming small towns, plus the Dinosaur Valley State Park.
• South Texas Plains, gateway to Mexico. The region extends from San Antonio to the Rio Grande and bespeaks the Fiesta San Antonio, Tex-Mex food, Spanish missions and the Alamo.

Mostly, Texas is warm, calling itself a year-round destination, but summers can be uncomfortable. And, there is a hurricane season on the Gulf Coast, which falls in late summer/early fall. Locals suggest visiting in March or April, with April the best for seeing blooming wildflowers.

Things to do for Venturers

• Hike or go rock climbing on the Enchanted Rock, a huge pink granite boulder called Texas’ Ayers Rock. It is 425 feet above ground, 1,825 feet above sea level, and it covers 640 acres. Enchanted Rock is a state park, too.
• Humor yourself. Attend — even compete in — the O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships, held each spring in Austin.
• The style of humor is a little different at the annual Fire Ant Festival, which celebrates the fire ant each fall in Marshall. You will want to participate in events like ANTsmash dodgeball.
• Camp and hike in Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the northern part of the state.
• Rent a bicycle and take to the trails in Piney Woods.
• Line up a couple of glasses of water on your table and order chili for lunch.

Things to do for Centrics

• Go tubing on the Medina River at Bandera, or take yourself down the river in a kayak or canoe. Bandera calls itself the cowboy capital of the world. It stages two rodeos a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• Stay at a dude ranch.
• Listen to the local brand of country western music in Austin’s clubs and other venues.
• Visit some of the darnedest museums. Examples are Houston’s National Museum of Funeral History and the Devil’s Rope Museum (barbed wire) in McLean. Or, how about the Cockroach Hall of Fame in Plano?
• Follow the Wind Power Trail in Texas and Oklahoma. It highlights 23 sites, some working windmills or windmill farms, generating energy every day, and some windmill museums, such as the J.B. Buchanan Windmill Park in Spearman, Texas, and the Shattuck (Okla.) Windmill Museum and Park. Did you know U.S. wind resources are on a par with Saudi Arabia’s oil resources?
• Plan to attend one of the really big rodeos, in Fort Worth, Houston or San Antonio. However, there are plenty more rodeos in the state, giving you choices just about any month of the year.

Things to do for Authentics

• Walk the walk — the Riverwalk, that is, in San Antonio. It is a charming area with restaurants, clubs and hotels lining the San Antonio River.
• Visit NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, which is open for tours.
• Tour the LBJ Ranch, now a national park. Air-conditioned coaches will take you around the ranch. See the LBJ Boyhood Home in Johnson City, too.
• See a 550-foot meteor crater in Odessa. This natural phenomenon is the result of a barrage of crashing meteors which smacked Earth 20,000 to 30,000 years ago.
• Follow the wine trail in the Texas Hill Country region. Taste varieties at 16 wineries if you can stand for it (literally).
• Eat barbecue in central Texas, where it was born. It is said some of the best is found at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Louie Mueller’s in Taylor and Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Q in Mason.

Additional Resources

For more information, consult Texas Tourism at www.traveltex.com.

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