Featuring North America’s Leading Travel Destinations
Great American Roads The Kentucky Bourbon Trail The National Capital Region’s 10 Scenic Byways Mayberry RFD Meets the World’s Fastest Monk U.S. Route 50 & The Loneliest Road in America Tennessee’s Music Pathways’ Route
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Byways Magazine ŠCopyright 2019 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher. For more than 36 years, Byways has been covering the leading destinations along the highways and byways of North America. Some of the most well-known, and least known, destinations to discover in the United States and Canada. Byways is published in three versions. The is the Turn-Key edition on the web for viewing on Computers, Android, iOS (iPhone and iPad). There is an Apple App Store edition. There is also a Byways Magazine Channel in Apple News. A Byways Podcast is available on major podcast apps, including the Apple Podcast app. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine 502-785-4875 or Email http://bywaysmagazine.com Byways • 3
PREVIEW By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher
elcome to the 2019 Great toric Woodford Reserve Distillery. With 16 distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, American Roads issue of you will feel like a native when you turn in your passport Byways. You may have heard of the Kentucky at the end of your journey. Some states don’t have a single Scenic Byway. But the Bourbon Trail™, but have you actually area surrounding the nation’s capital is blessed with 10 of traveled the Bluegrass state exploring them, and we explore them all in this issue of Byways. America’s bourbon frontier? From the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to Come along in this issue as we take you from metroChesapeake Bay, to historic Charles Street in Baltimore, politan Louisville to the backroads of Kentucky’s distillto the Crooked Road Music Trail in Virginia, there is ery industry. Spend a couple of days in Louisville and enjoy the much to explore. Others include the Harriet Tubman Underground Urban Bourbon Experience. It comes complete with a Railroad Byway in Maryland, Skyline Drive through the passport for the city’s bourbon experience, and a chalShenandoah National Park and the Colonial Parkway lenge to explore the city’s top restaurants as well. connecting Historic Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg In Louisville alone, options include the Evan Williams and the Yorktown Battlefield. Last stop is the StarBourbon Experience, Old Forester Distilling Co., abd Spangled Banner Byway, a 100-mile trail that follows Angels Envy. Also, you can visit the Rabbit Hole the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. It was Distillery, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience, and the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse in downtown Louisville. here at Fort McHenry in Baltimore that Francis Scott Key penned the words to the And that’s all before you’ve hit the Trail! “Star-Spangled Banner.” Next stop is Shepherdsville, home to one In the backroads of North of the world’s most noted whiskeys – Jim Carolina, Jim Leggett takes us Beam and its American Stillhouse. After back in time to Mayberry RFD. seeing every step of the process, you’ll We’re visiting the real live set of have the chance to dip your own bottle of the Andy Griffith Show. Mount Knob Creek right off the bottling line. (If Airy’s appealing historic district you follow mystery writer Stewart Woods mimics the fictitious “sleepy little character Stone Barrington, you’ll know all town of Mayberry,” enjoyed by about Knob Creek!) Shenandoah National Park millions during the hit CBS -TV Historic Bardstown calls itself the weekly series (1960-1968). Bourbon Capital of the World® and is an Official While in town, Jim also introduces us to former monk Trailhead of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Based here is Vann McCoy. We’ll let Jim tell the story as only he can. Heaven Hill, one of the nation’s largest family-owned Finally, we feature the story of U.S. Route 50, a road spirits producer making brands such as Elijah Craig, which today stretches from Sacramento, California to Larceny, Henry McKenna and many others. Bardstown is also home to the newly renovated Oscar Ocean City, Maryland — 3,073 miles in total. Not only does it include “the Loneliest Highway in America,” but Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Lebanon is literally the “heart” of Kentucky — it’s the some of the most scenic sights in the country along its geographic center of the Bluegrass State. It’s also home route. U.S. Route 50 offers such a compelling cross-section to Maker’s Mark, where you can see the barrels aging of the nation that Time magazine once devoted an entire sweetly beneath the Chihuly blown-glass installment, issue telling the story of the road it called the “Backbone and don’t forget to dip your own bottle in the gift shop. Lawrenceburg is the home of Four Roses Distillery of America.” In What’s Happening, we explore the origins of the and its unique Spanish Mission style architecture. Just genre that inspired Ken Burns “Country Music” PBS down the road is Wild Turkey Distillery, which sits atop documentary. From Bristol to Memphis, Tennessee’s the Kentucky River. Pathway route allows visitors to explore the history that Several Kentucky Derby winners call Lexington changed the course of American music. home, as well as dozens of beautiful thoroughbred farms We hope you enjoy this issue of Byways. and even a genuine castle! But it’s also home to his-
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Volume 36, Issue No. 5 2019 On the cover. America’s Loneliest Road, U.S. Route 50 in Nevada. Photo courtesy Regulator78 and Wikimedia Commons. For more on Great American Roads, turn to page 8.
Features Great American Roads 2019. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Kentucky Bourbon Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The National Capital Region’s 10 Scenic Byways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Mayberry RFD Meets the World’s Fastest Monk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 U.S. Route 50 — 3,073 Miles — & the Loneliest Road in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Departments Byways Instant Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Traveling the Highways & Byways with Bill Graves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
What’s Happening Tennessee’s Music Pathways’ Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Coming in future issues of Byways ...Great American Railroads, Mountains & Valleys, Ocean Views, Rivers & Lakes, and more!
Next Up: Dams and Bridges. Right, Shasta Dam and Mount Shasta in Northern California. Photo courtesy Russell Lee and Wikimedia Commons.
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Great American Roads 2019
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Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail
Thoroughbreds at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Byways • 9
Bourbon storage at Makers Mark Distillery.
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here’s nothing better than a good ‘ol classic. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour is an institutional experience that keeps people coming back for more year after year. Sip, stroll and savor your way across the Bluegrass on this 16 distillery adventure. There are so many ways to plan your route, but here is what the Bourbon Trail folks suggest. And remember that it is the best practice to try to book your tours in advance and online.
Louisville Head two blocks down to the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, located just a stones-throw from the port where Evan himself used to send barrels down the river. ON3 is an urban-chic loft space that is open and airy, with exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows. You’ll find barrel staves and bottle chandeliers at the bar, and plenty of space to sit and mingle. Enjoy flights of Bourbon, or a specially prepared cocktail from the Mixologist. Get your shades ready for your next stop! The Old Forester Distilling Co. is four floors of Bourbon education like you’ve never seen before. You will see barrels being assembled and charred (hence the shades) in their on-site cooperage and end your tour in their state-of-the art cocktail lounge, George’s Bar. If visiting on Fridays 10 • Byways
The Belle of Louisville on the Ohio River in down
and Saturdays, have your camera ready as the Old Forester Whiskey Drummer drums up business on Whiskey Row! Watch as the barrels built and filled in the cooperage are rolled out onto Main Street and into their vintage-style barrel truck. End your day with a different take on Bourbon. At Angel’s Envy, they age their Bourbon in ruby port wine casks giving it a subtle depth of flavor. After your tour, grab a hand-crafted cocktail in their gorgeous, second story bar overlooking the Ohio River. Angel’s Envy is a reservation-only distillery and is closed on Tuesdays. Rest your tired feet and recharge with some great food and drinks. Grab an Urban Bourbon Trail® passport and start dining your way around town and discover what “Bourbonism” means to the city. Next, visit the NuLu district at the newest stop, Rabbit Hole Distillery. Step into this ultra-modern facility to learn how the owner fell in love with Bourbon as he fell in love with a girl, and what drives him to make what he considers to be the best Bourbons and
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Old Fashioned kit on Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail. ryes. Finish your tour with a cocktail in their Overlook bar curated by Death + Co. Make your way to West Louisville to tour the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at the old Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Walk around for a few minutes and you’ll see just how much whiskey history has occurred on these hallowed grounds. Bulleit is closed on Tuesdays. Stay another night in Louisville, or head south in preparation for another day on the trail. Shepherdsville is a perfect and convenient place to go shopping, dine or lay your head after so much Bourbon education. Don’t miss the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest across from Jim Beam. Wake up early and start your journey at the home of one of the world’s most noted whiskeys – the Jim Beam American Stillhouse. After seeing every step of the process, you’ll have the chance to dip your own bottle of Knob Creek right off the bottling line. After the interactive, multi-sensory tour, make sure to grab some BBQ at Fred’s Smokehouse, and sip a cocktail on the patio. Stay tuned to their events calendar for any special happenings throughout the year. You may choose to visit the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse in downtown Louisville to receive your stamp in your passport. Drop into the JBUS for a quick tasting or sign up for their table-side cocktail experience, and don’t forget to Byways • 11
fill and label your own bottle of Urban Stillhouse Select. This next stop extends your journey, but it is so worth the drive. Occupying the revived Charles Medley Distillery site, O.Z. Tyler has been touted as a “distillery of the future.” Their proprietary TerrePURE® process renders a delicious whiskey that is priced to sell.
Bardstown Continue your journey in historic Bardstown – the Bourbon Capital of the World® and an Official Trailhead of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Heaven Hill is the nation’s largest family-owned spirits producer making brands such as Elijah Craig, Larceny, Henry McKenna and many others. The Shapiras have been operating in Bardstown since 1935, and they love having visitors. At the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center, you can
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choose from their tour options and enjoy your samples in their barrel-shaped tasting room. One of Kentucky’s newest distilleries is open for business. Lux Row Distillers is certainly not new to the industry, but their brand new home in Kentucky is. With a perfect blend of timeless craft and innovation, Lux Row upholds some of Kentucky’s most iconic Bourbon brands. Wind down in Bardstown as you peruse the shops and start planning your nightcap destination. Take a stroll through the past at the newly renovated Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. Don’t miss an opportunity to dine on classic Kentucky fare in the Old Talbott Tavern (try the fried green tomatoes), have a nightcap in the “world’s oldest Bourbon bar,” and even spend the night if you feel so inclined. For southern food at its
Fermenter at Wild Turkey Distillery. finest, plan an exquisite private dinner for your group at They’ve been making whiskey in Anderson the Harrison-Smith House. County for centuries, and two historic distilleries are waiting to share their timeless secrets. Lawrenceburg is Lebanon/Bardstown just off the Bluegrass Parkway, where you can jump on Lebanon is literally the “heart” of Kentucky — it’s the geographic center of the Bluegrass State. There’s a lot of history in this small town with the Civil War Trail, the John Hunt Morgan Trail, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. One of Kentucky’s most remote and charming distillery properties is well-worth the trek. While at Maker’s Mark see the barrels aging sweetly beneath the Chihuly blown-glass installment, and don’t forget to dip your own bottle in the gift shop. Settle in for a delicious, southern meal at Star Hill Provisions, and get a cocktail or alcoholic Ale-8-One slushy. End your night at Bardstown Bourbon Company’s new dining experience, Bottle & Bond. Enjoy a delicious meal and cocktail in this gorgeous ultra-modern distillery. Make sure to peek at the vintage whiskey offerings in their extended menu. And don’t forget to order a boozy milkshake.
Danville/Lawrenceburg Next destination — Danville: the birthplace of Kentucky. Enjoy the beauty of the Bluegrass as you stroll through the vibrant downtown while taking in the historic, small-town charm. Byways • 13
Heaven Hill Heritage Center. a tour at the Four Roses Distillery. You’re sure to fall in love with the romantic story behind this iconic brand and the unique Spanish Mission-style architecture. Stop and smell the roses – literally – that are abundant on the grounds, or chill out for your own “mellow moment” in the gazebo and barrel swing. You may choose to get your passport stamped at the Four Roses Warehouse & Bottling Facility in Cox’s Creek. This Four Roses tour focuses on its warehouse and bottling operations. Save on admission fees if you tour both within 60 days. Just 8 miles away is where the Wild Turkey Distillery sits atop the Kentucky River. Come take a wonderful tour of their new stateof-the-art distillery and look for legendary Master Distiller. Before leaving town, swing by Sweet Mash Southern Goods for unique Bourbon gifts and food items or a delicious grab ‘n go lunch. Settle in to the historic Beaumont Inn for dining, drinks and relaxation in Kentucky’s first settlement. 14 • Byways
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Beaumont has 31 guest rooms, spa and massage services and offers delicious Southern cuisine. Don’t miss the adjoining Old Owl Tavern and their generous selection of Bourbon brands. Call to set up your own Innkeeper’s Bourbon Tasting.
Woodford Reserve Copper Still Pots.
Lexington The scenery doesn’t get much better than that of the Lexington area, home of several Kentucky Derby winners, dozens of beautiful thoroughbred farms and even a genuine castle! A breathtaking drive past some of the world’s fastest horses will bring you to the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery. Call ahead for availability and reservations for the extended National Landmark Tour and the Corn to Cork Tour that are offered at different times of the week. While at Woodford Reserve, grab a bite from the seasonal offerings of Glenn’s Creek Café. The daily fare from renowned Chef Ouita Michael usually includes Kentucky favorites such as country ham, barbeque and homemade desserts. And don’t forget to enjoy a handmade cocktail on the patio. Lexington has long been known for its legendary race horses and also its great Bourbon . Named after the river that flows under the city’s streets, Town Branch is a small distillery that is making a big name for itself. The only “brew-distillery” on the tour, sample their Bourbon, rye, or beer and make sure to take home a 4-pack of their signature Bourbon Barrel Ale. With great Bourbon, cuisine, shopping and horses, there’s no better place to hang your hat than Lexington. Another Official Trailhead of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and touted Horse Capital of the World, it’s the perfect place to recharge for your next day of Bourbon adventures. Speaking of horses, if you want to check out
some thoroughbred farms, Horse Country Tours have a VIP seat with your name on it. For an “artful” escape, book a room at the 21c Museum Hotel – part boutique hotel, part contemporary art museum, and part restaurant in the heart of downtown Lexington.
Optional If you have time left in your trip, you will love exploring Northern Kentucky. NKY has played an important role in the movement and production of whiskey throughout the country’s history. Today visitors can explore the booming craft distillery scene, shop at Newport on the Levee and enjoy a delicious meal and cocktails at any of their top-notch establishments. NKY is also a great place to start your Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour passport, with 3 stops right there and several other distilleries nearby. Need another challenge? While you’re at it, drop in to at least 2 distilleries, 2 bars and 2 restaurants listed on your B-Line passport for a full Northern Kentucky experience. For more information on the Bourbon Trail, visit: https://kybourbontrail.com
Four Roses Distillery.
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The National Mall in Washington, DC as viewed from the Lincoln Memorial. Photo courtesy Jacob Creswick on Unsplash.
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The National Capital Region’s 10 Scenic Byways
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Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Photo courtesy Capital Region USA.
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cenic Byways are roads recognized for their cultural, historical or recreational significance. Travel along the byways in and around Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia to explore historic towns, mountain vistas, rivers, lakes and historic landmarks.
1. Historic Charles Street Find cafés and restaurants, shops and annual festivals on this historical downtown Baltimore strip. Stroll past the manicured lawns of Maryland’s finest academic institutions and explore neighborhoods vibrant with art, fashion, history, culture and a wide variety of places to dine and shop. Tour the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame, where you can discover and relive the origins of America’s oldest sport! Immerse yourself in rare photographs and art, vintage equipment and uniforms, striking sculptures and trophies, cherished memorabilia and artifacts. The Baltimore Museum of Art offers sculpture gardens and a world-renowned collection of works by the likes of Matisse and Picasso. Free admission. At the Maryland Zoo get a close-up look at animals from all parts of the globe. The Walters Art Museum explores 5,000 years of artistic achievement on display. Free admission. End your visit at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Attractions include the Maryland Science Center, the National Aquarium and Port Discovery, The Children’s Museum. At the Baltimore Visitor Center learn about Inner Harbor destinations as well as guided “Heritage Walk” tours of the Inner Harbor area and the nearby Little Italy neighborhood.
2. The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail Hear more than 300 miles worth of bluegrass, gospel and mountain music at venues and festivals across southwestern Virginia. Day and night, along the Crooked Road Music Trail, the plaintive strains of mountain ballads and toe-tapping, old-time dance music echo across this region’s sharp ridges and deep valleys. A variety of handcrafted woodwork, weaving and pottery can be found in country stores and small workshops. Numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, from hiking, biking, fishing and boating are also available.
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Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. Photo courtesy Capital Region USA. Highlights include the Rex Theater in Galax, Virginia, where you are invited to be a part of the audience of WBRF 98.1 FM radio’s popular broadcast, Blue Ridge Backroads Live, featuring bluegrass and old-time bands performing on stage. Visit the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia. This is the location of the 1927 Victor recording sessions which produced stars such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. The Smithsonian affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum celebrates those early Bristol recordings and the pioneers of traditional Appalachian music with 12,000 square feet of exhibit space, theater experiences, music stations, yearround performances and educational programming.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis, MD. oto courtesy RCraig09 and Wikimedia Commons.
The Carter Family Fold and the A.P. Carter Museum and Birthplace is in Hiltons, Virginia. The Carter Family is considered the “First Family of Country Music.” A tobacco barn was turned into a music center that seats 1,000 people. Today, A.P. Carter’s old general store acts as a museum. Enjoy old-time, bluegrass and country music every Saturday night.
3. Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway Hike or paddle the shorelines, bike the back roads and walk the streets of old cities throughout this series of trails connecting Maryland’s eastern shore. Experience the special landscapes of Maryland’s tidewater region and gain an appreciation for the working life of Eastern Shore farmers, watermen and merchants. Chesapeake City is located along the historic Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connecting the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River. Visit the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Museum, which recounts the history of the building of the 14-mile canal, one of only two commercially vital sea-level canals in the US. The town of Betterton, Maryland emerged in the 1700s as a small fishing village. Located along the banks of the Chester River, Chestertown provides a link to the maritime heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. It is home to the Schooner Sultana and a thriving colonial historic district. Visit one of the “Best Small Towns in America” in Easton to check out the Academy Art Museum and historic Quaker meeting house, then stroll streets lined with elegant Victorian homes, boutiques and tempting restaurants. Explore the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, featuring a working boatyard, hands-on activities for kids and a restored 1879 lighthouse. The historic Byways • 19
Jamestown Settlement. Photo courtesy Capital Region USA.
waterfront community of Cambridge offers skipjack sailing cruises and boat tours, and is a good home-base to explore the nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, home to the largest nesting population of bald eagles on the US East Coast.
Historic Jamestown offers a wealth of activities for exploring the first permanent English settlement in North America. Visitors can share the moment of discovery with archaeologists at the 1607 James Fort excavation, tour the original 17th-century church tower and reconstructed Jamestown Memorial Church, take a 4. Colonial Parkway walking tour with a Park Ranger through the original setJourney through history on this 23-mile scenic drive tlement along the James River, watch glassblowing at the connecting Historic Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg Glasshouse and see an exhibit of artifacts in the new and the Yorktown Battlefield. Archaearium Museum.
Colonial Williamsburg. Photo courtesy Capital Region USA.
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Jamestown Settlement is the museum of 17th-century Virginia history exploring America’s first permanent English colony through film, galleries and living history in outdoor re-creations of a Powhatan Indian village, three English ships, colonial fort and seasonal riverfront discovery area. Guided tours are offered daily. Colonial Williamsburg, the nation’s largest living history museum, consists of 301 acres encompassing 88 original buildings and hundreds of other homes, shops and public buildings. Visitors can enjoy 18th-century style dining in Colonial Williamsburg's four dining taverns -- Chowning's, Christiana Campbell's, Shields and King's Arms Tavern. Guest accommodations are available in Colonial Williamsburg's Hotels -- the world-class Williamsburg Inn, the Colonial Houses, the Williamsburg Lodge, Woodlands Hotel & Suites and the Governor's Inn. Yorktown Battlefield is the site of the last major battle of the American Revolution. The visitor center houses museum exhibits including George Washington’s original tents from the battle. A driving tour affords visitors a look at the battlefields, fortifications, cannon and historic buildings. The Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution, chronicles America’s struggle for independence, from the beginnings of colonial unrest to the formation of the new nation.
The scenic, historic George Washington Memorial Parkway runs 41 miles along the Potomac River, from Mount Vernon in Virginia and northwest of Washington, DC. Explore the following sites along the parkway, some honoring the country's first president. George Washington’s home is the most popular historic attraction in Virginia. See the mansion and gardens, as well as the museum featuring 23 galleries and theaters, more than 700 artifacts and interactive displays. Old Town Alexandria is nationally recognized for its early-American architecture, unique boutiques, awardwinning restaurants and historic attractions (as well as easy access to downtown Washington, DC). Alexandria is the perfect getaway to shop, dine and celebrate. The National Mall, Washington, DC’s “grand avenue” is home to more than 12 monuments and memorials, as well as the Smithsonian Institution, including: The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and the WWII National Memorial.
Arlington National Cemetery Visit Arlington House, which was the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his family for 30 years. Now preserved as a memorial to General Lee, the house is located on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. 5. George Washington Memorial Walk the hallowed burial grounds for America’s fallen Parkway military at one of the most-visited tourist sites in the Discover Mount Vernon and Theodore Roosevelt Washington area. Individuals from the Revolutionary Island on the Potomac River along this Washington-area War to those who have died in current military action are scenic drive. buried here. Visit the graves of President John F. WWII Memorial and Washington Monument on the National Mall.
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Mount Vernon. Photos courtesy Capital Region USA.
Kennedy and his family, marked with the eternal flame. The United States Marine Corps War Memorial is a statue depicting the WWII flag-raising on Iwo Jima. Near the statue is the 50-bell carillon presented to the US by the Netherlands in appreciation of support during WWII.
glimpse into the lives of eight US presidents. Walk in the footsteps of Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers, abolitionists and freedom seekers. Taste the fruits from bountiful vineyards and orchards. Experience pristine rivers and rolling landscapes. Highlights include the Gettysburg National Military Park, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, National 6. Harriet Tubman Underground Museum of Civil War Medicine, Antietam National Railroad Byway Military Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Learn the stories of those seeking freedom from slav- The Marshall House, General George C. Marshall’s ery on this self-guided driving tour in Maryland, and home, Wine Tasting in Middleburg, Manassas National explore Tubmans legacy at the Harriet Tubman Battlefield, President James Madison’s home, Underground Railroad National Historical Park & Montpelier, and President Thomas Jefferson’s home, Visitor Center. Monticello. This Byway recounts the life story of Harriet Tubman • and her courageous actions to rescue family and friends 8. Maryland Historic National Road along the Underground Railroad – a secret network of This Byway covers scenic natural areas, historical railpeople, places and routes that provided shelter to escap- road stops, small towns and the cosmopolitan hub of ing slaves. Originating on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Baltimore. this 125-mile scenic road reveals beautiful Chesapeake The Historic National Road (also known as the landscapes to sightseers, bicyclists, boaters and nature National Pike) was America’s first federally financed enthusiasts. road building project. It served as the gateway for the early settlers and the American westward expansion. 7. Journey Through Hallowed It is now one of America’s National Scenic Byways, a scenic but less-often-traveled road. Experience it for Ground Byway Travel roads connecting some of America’s most his- yourself over two days, stopping to see highlights along toric sites, including the Civil War battleground of the way. Gettysburg and Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. Just 20 minutes from Washington Dulles International 9. Skyline Drive Take in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains on this Airport is the remarkable cultural landscape that is the road spanning Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Journey Through Hallowed Ground, one of the most hisSkyline Drive, part of Shenandoah National Park, runs toric and beautiful regions in the country. Catch a north-south for 105 miles along the Blue Ridge 22 • Byways
Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Mountains. The drive provides access to numerous trails, including the Appalachian Trail, and is also used for biking and horseback riding. You can stop at one of 75 overlooks along the way to take in breathtaking views of the Shenandoah Valley.
their way along the Chesapeake Bay, leading up to the fight in Baltimore made famous by Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” The highlight is Baltimore and Fort McHenry National Monument, site of the successful defense against a British fleet in the Battle of Baltimore on 1210. Star-Spangled Banner Byway 14 September 1814, inspiring Sir Francis Scott Key to Drive the length of this War of 1812-era Byway along write “The Star-Spangled Banner”. the Chesapeake Bay, including the Maryland site where For more information, visit http://www.capitalregionusa.org America’s national anthem was born. This scenic, 100-mile trail follows the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812 as British troops made Fort McHenry National Monument.
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Traveling the Highways & Byways with Bill Graves
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ennifer Westlund says, “Wolfs are probably the most feared and vilified animals in the world. But they really get a bum rap. “Most people are scared to death of them. Much of it based on myth.” Remember the big bad wolf – what big teeth you have? Jen is an authority on wolves and, I think, their best spokesperson. As Program Director for the International Wolf Center here in Ely, Minnesota, Jen spends her days educating people about wolves –- both the good and the bad. “Those teeth, that’s how they survive. They kill other animals, mostly large hoofed animals, wild and once-inawhile domestic. But we have never heard of, or found a record of, a healthy wolf in North America killing a person. In fact, wolves are a lot less interested in approaching us then we are in approaching them. But approaching one, especially if he allows it, is a really bad idea. “Canada has 50,000 wolves. We have close to 3,000 here in Minnesota. A person in wolf country has a better chance of being killed by lightning, a bee sting, or in a car collision with a deer than being injured by a wolf.” The Wolf Center, located in the heart of the Superior National Forest, has large windows in the back for visitors to look out on their “resident pack of ambassador wolves.” Lucas, Lakota, MacKenzie, Malik and
The International Wolf Center. Photo courtesy McGhiever and Wikimedia Commons.
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Wolves & Small Town Radio In Minnesota Shadow have over an acre of wooded territory to themselves, including a waterfall and a pond. I took pictures as one wolf finished up scraps from an earlier feeding. Ravens hovered around for what might be left. One wolf chased a raven, but it appeared as a half-hearted attempt at a game they play. Jen grew up in Virginia, MN, which is on the same latitude as Ely. In other words, equal distant from the North Pole. So she is used to cold, snowy winter days. “A lot of people here live out in the woods year around.
A wolf at the International Wolf Center. Photo courtesy Bill Graves. They tell of hearing wolves howling at night. It’s not the moon they howl at. That’s another myth. It’s the way they advertise their presence or maintain contact with
their pack.” Jen said that a few hundred people out there “live off the grid.” They have no utilityprovided power and no phone. They get their messages from the local radio station. Four times a day WELY broadcasts personal messages. At the office and closetsized studio of WELY, I met Bill Roloff and Joany Haag. Bill explained that they repeat the messages for a couple days. “They are messages like ‘the guy who was to plow your driveway has got the flu; he’ll come by when he can.’ Or maybe, ‘Joe, you got the job you wanted.’ If it’s an WELY radio personalities. Photo courtesy Bill Graves. emergency message, someone will go out there with it.” Joany and Earl Bulinski are previous day’s from the shoulder to make room for more. on the air every morning for three hours beginning at If they didn’t, the snow banks would close in and by 6:00 am. (Listen on www.wely.com) spring we would be down to one lane.” “This is true small-town radio. When the Girl Scouts Finishing lunch at a sandwich shop, Bob talked about sell cookies, they come and record their own commer- his days as a Marine in the Pacific during WWII. “The cials. And the seniors know in the morning what’s for Japanese Army was brutal and uncivilized. Remember lunch at the senior center, because we tell ‘em.” the Bataan Death March? We had seven guys from Ely CBS’s Charles Kuralt once owned WELY. His estate who survived it. I knew those guys.” Bob’s voice haltsold it after he died in 1997. ed and his face turned away toward a window. “Their A frequent visitor to Ely, Kuralt told Linda Fryer, names are on a plaque under the VFW flagpole.” Director of the Chamber of Commerce, that every town After lunch, we walked to the flagpole. Bob mushed should have a voice. “He said that more than once,” through the snow and pushed aside the crust of snow that Linda said. “I knew what he meant, but I didn’t know covered the names. With his gloved hand, he brushed it how strongly he felt about it. Next thing I know, he had clean. “Now, that’s better,” he said. purchased Ely’s only radio station – saved it really, as it Update: Since returning home I learned that Bob Cary was going under as a hometown station.” has passed away. His obituary said that he ran for Unlike the other storefronts along East Chapman St., President in 1980 on the ticket of the Independent WELY has a porch. There is a BQ on it from which they Fisherman’s Party, losing to Reagan. It said, “Bob was serve “breakfast on the porch” occasionally during the always quick to note that he lost by only 63 million summer. Piled in front today is a lot of snow where votes.” Joany and Bill have “planted” a row of plastic flowers. “We’re having an early spring,” Joany explained. Bob Cary knew Kuralt well; which one might expect, because I discovered that everybody here knows Bob. He was a journalist – Chicago Daily News and later editor of the Ely Echo – and is a musician, sportsman, About the author: After seeing much of the world as a author and a watercolor artist. I didn’t know any of this career naval officer, Bill Graves decided, after he retired, to when I met him. He was introduced as an 83-year-old take a closer look at the United States. He has been roamguy who has a passion for skiing. One morning, we ing the country for 20 years, much of it in a motorhome headed out on a cross-country ski trail. with his dog Rusty. He lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, The trail paralleled a road where a snowplow went by, California and is the author of On the Back Roads, snow curling off its blade. “Those guys work all the Discovering Small Towns. of America. He can be reached time, not just when it snows,” Bob said. “If they are not at Roadscribe@aol.com. clearing today’s snow off the road, they are pushing a Byways • 25
Ron Howard, as Opie, circa 1960, starred in the Andy Griffith Show.
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1961 Ford Galaxy squad car at Wally’s Service Station. Photo courtesy Jim Leggett.
Mayberry RFD Meets the World’s Fastest Monk
We slide into a spacious 1961 Ford Galaxy, Mayberry Sheriff gold star embellished squad car, just as featured in “The Andy Griffith Show” (courtesy of Squad Car Tours at Wally’s Service Station). “Ford supplied the show a new patrol car every season,” says our driver, “every one painted flat black and white so as not to reflect cameras and arc lights.” by Jim Leggett Siren wailing, bubblegum-style red light flashing, we grind to a halt adjacent The Snappy Lunch — “Mt. Nothing beats a relaxing backroads Airy’s Oldest Continuous Eating Establishment At The Same Location Since 1923!!!” –- boasts the menu covdrive headed for scenic Mount Airy, er, featured in an early TV episode, “Andy the North Carolina AKA Mayberry RFD. Matchmaker” where Sheriff Andy invites Deputy Barney “down to The Snappy Lunch to get a bite to eat.” Oprah visited too, decades later. What is this life if, full of care, Mount Airy’s appealing historic district mimics the We have no time to stand and stare. fictitious “sleepy little town of Mayberry,” enjoyed by ….A poor life this if, full of care, millions during the hit CBS-TV weekly series (1960We have no time to stand and stare. 1968). Story lines focused on family values, morality, - Leisure - Wm. Henry Davies (1871-1940 kindness and tolerance played out in a “sort of a small Eden” scripts of which inspired a ten-week college arking by Wally’s Service Station we step back in course. time — suddenly it’s Mayberry RFD 1960s. “We just wanted to entertain. But we were careful,” Griffith told reporter Tim Funk during a 1993 interview.
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The Mayberry Courthouse. Photos courtesy Jim Leggett.
“We were very careful with Opie when we did Opie stories, we did father and son stories. Now, Opie wasn’t really raised by a single parent because he had Aunt Bee there…I tell you, the show had good morals only because the show was based on love. If you have to say, ‘What was the show about?’ it was about love.” Yep, tales of Mayberry’s bungling “top gun” deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), Sheriff Taylor and young 28 • Byways
Opie Taylor (Ron Howard) a’ going’ fishing’. Aunt Bee Taylor (Frances Bavier) and Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) -– circumspect, yet comic characters, living simpler times we wish we could have shared… when “Tweet” meant “An imitation of the sound made by a small bird.” Mayberry’s cop car cruises past Floyd’s City Barbershop, historic Earle Theater, home of the Old Time Music Heritage Hall, on to Andy’s boyhood homeplace on a quiet side street, tastefully renovated. It’s available for B&B stays. Next, the Andy Griffith Museum, where a life-size bronze statue depicts Andy and Opie headed for the old fishing hole. A vast collection of memorabilia gifted by Griffith and cast members awaits inside. Sheriff Andy’s desk, stick type telephone, police radio, jail cell keys, video show excerpts and the like, fun to explore. On to The Museum of Regional History, a multi-story wonderland of Colonial-era wagons, local moonshine stills, and town celebs Donna Fargo, Chang and Eng Bunker — the original Siamese Twins — who lived and died here. A vintage fire truck exhibit memorializes the town’s tragic school fire, a 1950s horror, prompting changes to national school safety regulations.
elderly mother, I brought back to my hometown a little knowledge of distilling that expanded on my teenage moonshining.” Hoisting three jars of dark Mayberry Premium Whiskey to toast; “I like to think that going from monk to moonshine, it’s all about Lifting the Spirit! McCoy’s MacGiver-like genius extends to homemade innovations, like his $200 washing machine substitute for a $20,000 commercial fermenting drive, an innovative 100 percent water filtered recycling system, not to mention intriguing handcrafted infusions of costly vanilla bean sugars, rocking-chair (yes) gentle agitation of toasted oak chip infused barrels under a sign Our Whiskey Rocks!
Smooth Finish
Mayberry Spirits guru Vann McCoy
The World’s Fastest Monk In truth we are in town seeking out a suddenly sought out distillery, Mayberry Spirits, founded and run by 140 MPH motorcyclist — and get this — former monk Vann McCoy! “You can’t print this but…” says he relating lively adventures on motorcycles, airplanes and making whiskey, confessing he made moonshine growing up in Mount Airy. “At 13 I made my first moonshine using my mother’s pressure cooker!” he laughs. “Got some copper tubing, cornmeal and sugar with a little spoonful of bread yeast, and went to work. Luckily, I scorched it, it smelled bad, tasted terrible, probably saving teenager me from being an early alcoholic!” Then, “The Big G (as he calls God) called me. I quit high school at 16, then headed to Georgia Tech to study astrophysics. Tiring of the stars, I set my sights on the heavens, and I joined a contemplative monastery. Then I spent the next 25 years as a monk. Gregorian chants, silent scriptoriums, rigid monastic life in Wisconsin, Ireland, Switzerland and Germany’s romantic 12th century Kloster Eberbach Abby in Germany. I only visited Eberbach — was not a monk there.” “Berobed acquaintance Sean Connery was filming The Name of the Rose in the abbey (1985/6) while we sipped superb Rheingau wines, by candlelight, deep within ancient cobweb-draped gothic wine cellars. Whiskeys were shared later as Connery tells me he rode a Norton during his salad days. “So, when I moved back to Mayberry to care for my
Mayberry Spirits is unique in the whiskey industry by using sorghum grain. “The grain is converted into a sorghum honey/syrup through heating and the addition of the malted grain enzyme (Alphaamylase). This sorghum honey plus water and yeast is the entire recipe for its whiskey. Most whiskeys have some bite and burn with a little harshness on the finish. Sorghum whiskey is unusually smooth with a silky mouth-feel and incredibly clean finish.” We sampled 100Tasting proof white Crystal Room Moon, hyper-aged Toasted Oak, and best of all, a spectacularly smooth Toasted Vanilla, we’d rename Valhalla. To timeless Gregorian chants, glasses full, we toast, sip and dream of halcyon times…. In Vino Veritas? (Truth in Wine). Nah, let’s make that - In Mayberry Spirits, Veritas.
About the Author: Photojournalist Jim Leggett, a native of Scotland, is a travel writer based in North Carolina and Nassau, Bahamas. His passions include steamships, motorcycles, open cockpit flying and whiskey, in moderation. He is also a veteran pipe band drummer. Byways • 29
U. & the
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The Route 50 junction with U.S. Route 93 at Major’s Place, Nevada, one of only two the 150-mile span between Ely, Nevada, and Delta, Utah. Photo courtesy Vidor and W
S. Route 50 — 3,073 Miles — e Loneliest Road in America
places to get gas over Wikimedia Commons. Byways • 31
Downtown Sacramento. Photo courtesy B. Balaji.
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tretching some 3,073 miles from West Sacramento, California, to Ocean City, Maryland, U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route which travels through some of the country’s most magnificent mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. It traverses the deserts of Utah and Nevada, and the farmlands of the Great Plains. It runs through hundreds of small towns while passing through a dozen states, four state capitals and the capital of the United States. The route offers such a compelling cross-section of the nation that Time magazine once devoted an entire issue telling the story of the road it called the “Backbone of America.” U.S. 50 passes through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia.
numbers for east–west routes, hence the designation of “50” for this route. In the preliminary report, approved by the Joint Board on Interstate Highways in 1925, U.S. 50 ran from Wadsworth, Nevada to Annapolis, Maryland, passing through Pueblo, Colorado; Kansas City, Missouri; Tipton, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.
Loneliest Road in America
The route runs through mostly rural desert and mountains in the western United States, with the section through Nevada known as “The Loneliest Road in America”. The Nevada portion of the route, named by travel writers and tourist bureaus, is one of the most compelling long-distance drives in the country—provided you find miles and miles of little more than mountains, sagebrush, and blue sky compelling. In the Midwest, U.S. 50 heads through mostly rural areas of farms as well as a few large cities including History Kansas City, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. The route continBefore the creation of the Interstate Highway System after World War II, U.S. 50 was a major east–west route. ues into the eastern United States, where it passes Numbered highways in the United States follow a pat- through the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia tern of odd numbers for north–south routes and even before heading to Washington, D.C. From there, U.S. 50 32 • Byways
continues through Maryland as a high-speed road to Ocean City. U.S. 50 was extended west from Sacramento to San Francisco in the 1930s. This was reversed in 1964 when I-580 replaced much of the route between the two cities. U.S. 50 was extended east from Annapolis to Ocean City prior in 1949.
California From Sacramento, the highway heads eastward as the William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. Memorial Highway, continuing as a freeway to the Gold Country foothills, then following the American River up the Sierra Nevada as a conventional highway, until cresting the Sierras at Echo Summit and descending to Lake Tahoe, where the highway enters Nevada.
Nevada In Nevada, the highway crosses a series of north–south running mountain ranges that break up the Nevada desert which are called Basin and Range. East of Carson City, the road enters the heart of the Great Basin, passing by few communities and minimal services, making it the “Loneliest Road in America” until reaching Utah. U.S. 50 enters Nevada from California as a busy fourlane thoroughfare on the shores of alpine Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. The highway follows the eastern
shore, squeezing between the lake and the crest of the Carson Range. In one narrow spot, the highway cuts through the mountains via the Cave Rock Tunnel. The route crests the Carson Range at Spooner Summit and then descends into Nevada’s capital, Carson City. In addition to the trails of the Pony Express and Lincoln Highway, this portion parallels the Carson River branch of the California Trail. The scenery and level of traffic changes upon leaving the Fallon area. Fallon, home to the Naval Air Station Fallon or TOPGUN, is an agricultural community along the last usable water of the Carson River. In eastern Nevada, Ely is the last city along U.S. 50 in Nevada. The next city is Delta, Utah, 162 miles to the east. There are only two gas stations along the stretch between Ely and Delta. U.S. 93 continues south from the junction with U.S. 50 at Majors Place. At the Nevada– Utah border, the highway passes by Border, Nevada, with a gas station and restaurant.
Utah In Utah, U.S. 50 also passes through desolate, remote areas with few inhabitants. After crossing the Confusion Range via Kings Canyon and the House Range, the road traverses the north shore of Sevier Lake. In Holden, U.S. 50 shortly overlaps Interstate 15 to cross the Pavant Range. The road begins a much longer
Climbing westbound towards Echo Summit on U.S. 50. Photo courtesy Beatrice Murch and Wikimedia Commons.
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Sawatch Range from Monarch Pass viewd from Route 50. Mt. Elbert at 14,440 ft is the tallest peak in the Rocky Mountains. Photo courtesy Hogs555 and Wikimedia Commons. Byways • 35
The Arkansas Riverwalk in Pueblo, CO. Photo courtesy Jeffrey Beall. overlap with Interstate 70 in Salina crossing the Wasatch Plateau and San Rafael Swell into Colorado.
Colorado U.S. 50 leaves I-70 upon entering the state and heads southeast through Grand Junction and into the southern part of Colorado. Once there, the road climbs to its highest elevation of 11,312 feet over the Rocky Mountains to Monarch Pass where it crosses the Continental Divide. The pass is located on the Continental Divide at the southern end of the Sawatch Range. The pass is widely considered one of the most scenic in Colorado, offering a panoramic view of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit. During the summer, an aerial tram from the parking lot at the summit carries visitors to the top of Monarch Ridge above the pass at approximately 12,000 feet above sea level, allowing a wider view of the surrounding peaks. After descending from Monarch Pass, the highway enters the Arkansas River Valley near the town of Salida. The headwaters of the Arkansas are about 50 miles north near Leadville. The Arkansas is the second-longest tributary to the Mississippi-Missouri River system. After descending from the Rockies, U.S. 50 passes by Royal Gorge near Caùon City then joins U.S. Route 400 in Granada and follows the Arkansas River into Kansas. 36 • Byways
E Ph
Highway 50 enters Pueblo, the home of the annual Colorado State Fair, as a six-lane divided highway and joins Interstate 25.
Kansas Upon entering Kansas, U.S. 50, concurrent with U.S. 400, runs along the Arkansas River to Dodge City where U.S. 50 splits from U.S. 400 and takes a more northerly course. A number of historical sites, museums, and landmarks are dedicated to Dodge City’s Old West heritage. The Boot Hill Museum, located downtown, contains thousands of artifacts and a variety of exhibits portraying the culture of the city’s early years. The museum’s larger exhibits include: Front Street, a partial reconstruction of downtown Dodge City as it existed in 1876; the Long Branch Saloon and the Long Branch Variety Show; the Saratoga Saloon; the Hardesty House, a period-typical home built in 1879; the city’s original Boot Hill Cemetery; and the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame. U.S. 50 continues to traverse the farmlands and small towns of the Great Plains mostly as a straight two-lane road until Emporia where it joins Interstate 35 and splits onto Interstate 435 to bypass the center of the Kansas City Area.
Entrance to the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, KS. hoto courtesy Lithistman and Wikimedia Commons.
Jefferson City, Capital of Missouri.
Missouri In Missouri, U.S. 50 leaves I-435 for Interstate 470 splitting at Lee’s Summit. U.S. 50 runs as a four-lane divided highway across the Western Plain to Sedalia where it continues as a two-lane road until reaching California, MO about 20 miles west of Jefferson City. The road continues as a four-lane divided highway into Jefferson City where it joins U.S. 63 just south of the Missouri River Bridge. Jefferson City is one of four state capitals that is not served by an Interstate highway. U.S. 50 then continues as a two-lane road as it traverses the northern sections of the Ozark Highlands east to Union where it begins an overlap with Interstate 44 which goes through Pacific. The routes separate in Sunset Hills where U.S. 50 migrates southeast bypassing St. Louis by joining Interstate 255 to cross the Mississippi River into Illinois. Byways • 37
Route 50 serves as Main Street in Chillicothe, Ohio’s first Capital. Photo courtesy Niagara66 and Wikimedia Commons.
Illinois U.S. 50 switches to Interstate 64 before splitting onto its own alignment in eastern O’Fallon. It heads east through Trenton, Breese, Carlyle crossing the Kaskaskia River, Salem, Flora and Lawrenceville to the Wabash River along a corridor between Interstates 64 and 70. Much of U.S. Route 50 in Illinois, especially the section between Carlyle and Vincennes, lies atop or adjacent to the trail taken by George Rogers Clark and his 170 volunteers in the forlorn-hope march on Vincennes in February 1779.
Indiana U.S. 50 enters Indiana at the Wabash River, bypassing Vincennes and Washington and passing through Bedford, Seymour, and Versailles. It meets the Ohio River at Aurora. The 171 miles of U.S. 50 that lie within Indiana serve as a major conduit.
Ohio Running through downtown Cincinnati via Fort Washington Way (Interstate 71), the route crosses southern Ohio via Hillsboro, Chillicothe, and Athens, joining the four-lane divided Corridor D (State Route 32) west of Athens. It meets the Ohio River near Belpre, and crosses the newer Blennerhassett Island Bridge into greater Parkersburg, West Virginia. 38 • Byways
Aurora, IN on the Ohio River is one of hundreds of s by U.S. Route 50. Photo courtesy Chris Flook and W
small towns bisected Wikimedia Commons.
U.S. Route 50 in Claysville, West Virginia. Photo courtesy Famartin and Wikimedia Commons.
West Virginia The portion of U.S. 50 from Parkersburg, West Virginia to Winchester, Virginia follows the historic Northwestern Turnpike, which crosses the southern tip of Garrett County, Maryland. From Parkersburg to Interstate 79 east of Clarksburg, U.S. 50 has been upgraded as part of the four-lane divided Corridor D. U.S. 50 is a curving two-lane mountain road, east of Clarksburg through Grafton, a bit of Maryland, and Romney to Winchester. This portion of the road is so curvy that locals claim “you can meet yourself coming”.
Virginia U.S. Route 50 enters the state from the West Virginia border, descending from the Appalachian Mountains in Frederick County. It is on a winding, two lane road until it passes the former lumbering town of Gore, at which point it widens to a four-lane highway. It eventually crosses State Route 37 and enters the city of Winchester. It follows the old Little River Turnpike from Aldie to Fairfax City and Arlington Boulevard to Rosslyn, where it crosses the District of Columbia line on the west shore of the Potomac River and joins Interstate 66 on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. U.S. Route 50, also known in modern times for most of its mileage in Virginia as the John Mosby Highway and for a part as the Lee-Jackson Highway, is steeped in Byways • 39
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U.S. Route 50, Constitution Avenue (left) and the National Mall. Pennsylvania Avenue is to the right. Photo courtesy Carol M. Highsmith and Wikimedia Commons. Byways • 41
U.S. Route 50 (John Mosby Highway) Loudoun County, Virginia. Photo courtesy Famartin and Wikimedia Commons. history as a travel way. Native Americans first created it as they followed seasonally migrating game from the Potomac River to the Shenandoah Valley. During the American Civil War, the roads which became U.S. 50 were an important route for troops, and were the site of significant battles and skirmishes. Among these, the Battle of Chantilly, the Battle of Aldie, as well as Arlington National Cemetery were all located close by.
Washington, D.C. Within the District, U.S. 50 immediately exits the freeway onto Constitution Avenue along the north side of the National Mall and south of the White House. After turning north on 6th Street Northwest, it exits the city to the northeast on New York Avenue.
Maryland Upon crossing into Maryland, it passes the south end of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and becomes the John Hanson Highway, a freeway to Annapolis. The portion of this highway east of the Capital Beltway (I-95/I495) is also designated, but not signed as, Interstate 595, and U.S. Route 301 joins from the south at Bowie. The freeway continues beyond Annapolis as the Blue 42 • Byways
Star Memorial Highway which crosses the Chesapeake Bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and continues to Queenstown. There the Blue Star Highway continues northeast as U.S. 301, while U.S. 50 turns south, passing through Easton to Cambridge, and then east through Salisbury to Ocean City on the four-lane divided Ocean Gateway. U.S. 50 ends near the Atlantic Ocean shore at Baltimore Avenue.
Ocean City, Maryland Boardwalk. Photo courtesy Bill Price III.
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Tennessee’s Music Pathways’ Route Experience the People and Places that Inspired Ken Burns’ “Country Music” PBS Documentary
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g n i n e p p a H s ’ t a h W
The Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville. Photos courtesy Tennessee Department of Tourist Developement. Byways • 45
r Video o f k c i l C
Sun Studio, Memphis.
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race the origins of the genre that inspired Ken Burns’ “Country Music” documentary via a newly-released Tennessee Music Pathways’ route. From Bristol to Memphis and everywhere in-between, visitors can uncover the history that changed the course of American music and walk in the footsteps of legends as seen in Burns’ latest masterpiece. Airing on PBS, the debut of “Country Music” coincides with the first anniversary of Tennessee Music Pathways, a program created to showcase the state’s rich musical legacy across all 95 counties with hundreds of landmarks and attractions.
Seven Genres of Music Tennessee is home to seven genres of music: blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll. Tennessee Music Pathways connects fans to music www.TNmusicpathways.com. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (Bristol) and inspires travel using a travel-planning website at and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Nashville) offer almost a century of musical Country Music Hall of Fame storytelling. The 1927 Bristol Sessions – known as the “big bang of & Museum, Nashville. country music” – are celebrated at the Smithsonian-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the world’s largest music museum, featuring galleries, archival storage, theaters, education centers and retail space, as well as RCA’s Historic Studio B and Hatch Show Print.
Where Legends Were Born Self-taught producer Sam Phillips created a new sound at the iconic Sun Studio in Memphis, where Elvis 46 • Byways
Today, the music lives on through nightly shows and daytime tours.
Women of Country Music
Patsy Cline Memorial, Camden.
The Patsy Cline Museum in downtown Nashville celebrates the life of the legendary songstress and features hundreds of never-before-seen artifacts, personal belongings and videos. An engraved boulder marks the site in Camden, Tennessee where a small plane carrying Cline, two of her co-stars and her manager crashed in 1963. Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, better known by her stage name Minnie Pearl, was a pioneering female comedian on the Opry stage. A statue made of chicken wire in
Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and many more recorded. Visitors can still see where Lewis stubbed his cigar on the piano keys during the legendary “Million Dollar Quartet” sessions. Beale Street is the “Home of the Blues,” where musicians like B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf and Louis Armstrong honed their music for a different kind of sound that has Minnie Pearl Statue, Centerville. influenced artists for generations. Take a short drive and visit Elvis Presley’s Graceland where you can tour the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s beloved her hometown of Centerville stands in her honor today. home, Graceland Mansion, or take in more than 10 Loretta Lynn’s Ranch & Campgrounds in Hurricane exhibits that explore his passions and career at Elvis Mills includes her plantation home and the famous Coal Presley’s Memphis. Miner’s Daughter Museum. Sevierville erected a statue in honor of their beloved Hallowed Venues hometown songstress Dolly Parton, best-selling female Country’s most famous stage began as a simple radio country music artist of all time. Sevier County is also broadcast in 1925. Now, nearly a century later, the Grand home to her nearby award-winning attraction, Ole Opry reigns as an entertainment phenomenon. In the Dollywood, which contributes thousands of jobs in her heart of downtown Nashville, Ryman Auditorium is hal- home community. lowed ground where country music’s biggest stars per formed, and today’s stars still revere the beloved hall. Walk the Line Walk the line in Johnny Cash’s footsteps. Located in the heart of downtown Beale Street, Memphis. Nashville, the Johnny Cash Museum is dedicated to the life and music career of the late “Man in Black.” Cash also needed a hideaway, and he found one in the form of an abandoned 1800s general store and farm in tiny Bon Aqua. In 2015, a pair of entrepreneurial brothers purchased the general store and farm, converting it into a Johnny Cash museum called the Storytellers Museum & Hideaway Farm. Byways • 47
Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed electronically throughout North America. Byways is emailed to more than 4000 tour operators /Travel Trade. Subscriptions are complimentary. An iPad & iPhone version is available for consumers in iTunes in the App Store. An Android browser version is available at www.issuu.com/byways. Byways’ distribution includes motorcoach companies, tour operators, selected travel agents, bank travel managers, school band and athletic planners, meeting planners and the travel trade. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine at 502-785-4875. ©Copyright 2019 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher. Editor and Publisher Stephen M. Kirchner
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