Estes Park, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Imagine life in the Rocky Mountains around the mid 1800s or even a little later. It was pretty darn rugged. And when travelers set out–mostly to do some trapping or to move from one place to the next for other reasons–it could be very rough going. There were very few established places of lodging outside…
Read MoreHow Discovery Map® DMO Maps Benefit Local Communities
In an age dominated by digital technology and global connectivity, it’s easy to overlook the significance of physical maps in our daily lives. Discovery Map® has been creating and publishing beautifully illustrated, hand-drawn alternative advertising maps for over 35 years. These unique and charming maps serve as an invaluable resource for both travelers and local…
Read MoreHitting Our Parks and Other Outdoor Playlands
Hitting Our Parks and Other Outdoor Playlands What a summer it has been! Back in the spring when the shutdown first began many people in the hospitality business were panicked about the prospects of a slim summer season. And now, look at how it has panned out. Our mountain and beach towns are booming, our…
Read MoreHistory and Attractions of Southern Maine
Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells, ME command attention for their natural and manmade beauty. Here you find some of the first incorporated towns of Maine–if not the whole country– where architecture from as far back as the early 1700s catches your eye at most every turn. First inhabited by Native Americans and later incorporated as Cape…
Read MoreHit the Streets of Durango
Back in the day, every mining town of Colorado built a landmark hotel. That’s how they flaunted their riches and lodged the visiting bankers and financiers looking to invest in the mines. Fortunately many of those hotels remain today and Durango’s “grande dame,” the Strater Hotel, ranks as one of the most elegant. Go here…
Read MoreHistory Highlights of Mt. Desert Island
Huge piles of seashells found throughout the island indicate that Native Americans inhabited Mt. Desert Island throughout the ages. The first recorded reports of Maine Indians living here, however, date back to the early 1700s, about a hundred years after the first European explorers arrived in the area. Known as Wabanaki Indians, these peoples lived…
Read MoreHistorically Speaking Lancaster
Embracing the Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish culture most definitely plunges you back in time, however, there’s more dialing back of the years to be experienced elsewhere. Let’s start with Lancaster, the city that’s the seat of Lancaster County. Founded as a borough in1742 and then chartered as a city in 1818, it’s one of the…
Read MoreHistoric Rehoboth Beach and Lewes
There’s so much history in Rehoboth Beach and Lewes that you almost want at least one rainy day during your stay to visit the many sites and museums that document the centuries-worth of doings within these communities. Just ponder this: Delaware was named the first of the thirteen original colonies and is thus considered the…
Read MoreHistoric Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey
Noteworthy as the first destination winter resort in the United States, a visit to Sun Valley, Idaho and the surrounding area promises a classic mountain experience, one enjoyed by famous and not-so famous people for almost ninety years. Developed in 1932 by W. Averell Harriman, the chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, in an effort…
Read MoreHistorically Gettysburg
How do you begin to wrap your head around all the amazing history that is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania? That’s a good question to ponder before your set out for this exciting destination in south central Pennsylvania. Truly a bastion of history, there’s much to delve into in this town of about 10,000 inhabitants and also within…
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