Escanaba in Da Moonlight - Flickr photo by Elizabeth-table4five - photo also seen in the Michigan Historical Museum

Apparently hunting season marks the beginning of scruffy looking men with scraggly beards, or so it may seem.  This is especially true when deer season rolls around, no matter the locale.  One might assume it might be a form of camouflage or that it helps retain warmth on a cold drizzly day; often the case in November and December when hunters are traipsing about the woods.

Regardless of the scruffy looking folks, from a tourism standpoint hunting could mean an increase in business; albeit short lived, especially at a time when travel is slow.  Although many hunters may not require overnight lodging or they may opt to rent a hunting lodge in a known hunting area, hunting season does spell additional tourism dollars.

I looked up the Hunting Top 10 and learned that Ripley, West Virginia might be your go to place for turkey hunting or further south in Snow Hill, North Carolina you could easily bag a wild boar or black bear, and in Ahoskie, North Carolina spring turkey and duck are hunting specialties.  How about trophy white tail deer, with some bucks reaching up to 300 lbs.?  You might want to travel to Johannesburg, Michigan for this opportunity.

Flickr photo, wild turkey, black_throated_green_warbler

There’s plenty of duck hunting in Boswell, Oklahoma and Pike County, Illinois is known for its trophy whitetail deer and turkey hunts.  Elk, Mule Deer and Exotics can be found in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while Georgetown, Kentucky is well known for its water fowl in this central Kentucky area.

Jackson County Courthouse in Ripley, WV - Flickr photo by puroticorico

Tourism comes in many forms, and hunting is one of them.  No matter the reason you visit an area it still gains exposure and often times you might visit for one reason but return for another.  In the case of Ripley, West Virginia; here is an area steeped in civil war history, so while some might hunt deer, others might hunt the past.

How about the North Carolina area, which abounds in natural beauty where more people travel to this part of the country for pure nature than to hunt.   Although the photo of the flight of ducks was actually taken in Granville Island, Vancouver, BC, this could be a site seen in Bowsell, Oklahoma.  This small Midwestern town not only offers a duck hunting paradise, but a bit of serenity as well. 

Duck Hunt, Flickr photo by Icon Photopraphy School

While we might not understand why the Grizzly Adams look is typical for some at this time of year, perhaps Escanaba in Da Moonlight, termed as the “funniest play ever written about Deer hunters in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula” might explain it all. 

All we ask is that you come back for a visit when the hunt is over!

I-59 Meridian, Mississippi Welcome Center

What a welcome site for a weary traveler.  Clean restrooms, pleasant and helpful staff; a hot cup of coffee, a map to help find one’s way to their final destination, and a wonderful display of tourism artifacts.

I’m speaking of the Meridian, Mississippi Welcome Center on I-59 southbound, and a colorful carousel horse that adorns the lobby area.  Not only is the horse beautiful, but it is steeped in tradition, going all the way back to 1896 when Gustav Dentzel, a young German immigrant, manufactured it for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.

Carousel Horse seen in the I-59 Meridian, Mississippi Welcome Center

The carousel was sold to the city of Meridian in 1904, and the Highland Park Dentzel Carousel eventually arrived in 1909.  It has stayed in its same location since that time.  Its ‘house’ the only remaining carousel building, built from a Dentzel blueprint, along with the Dentzel Carousel, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and in 1986, they were designated National Landmarks; an honor bestowed on only 11 carousels nationwide.

Carousel’s and tourism go hand-in-hand, and if you visit Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Cooledge Park, you could  ride a beautifully restored antique, ‘Jenny’ with many unique animals.  Fact is, if you wanted to learn this art form, you could do so at The Horsin’ Around Carousel Carving School, located in Soddy Daisy (near Chattanooga); which, by the way, is the only school of its kind in the entire country.

Double-Decker Carousel in San Francisco - Flickr photo by Tony the Misfit

Maybe you had a double-decker in mind?  We’re not talking of two all beef patties, sesame seed bun, hold the onions please.  We’re speaking of 1800 twinkling LED lights and two stories of 32 animals, including sea lions and dragons, dolphins, and Panda Bears, as well as colorful horses on the, handcrafted in Italy, carousel sitting on Pier 39 in San Francisco.  Or, you might want to check out the Paragon Carousel, still operating at Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts.  This past May, this popular attraction won a $100,000 grant from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Paragon Carousel - Flickr photo by

Lower Central Park - Flickr photo by david_shankbone

I can’t think of a person, even as an adult, that didn’t enjoy a ride, as a youngster, on a carousel.  Piped organ music, flashing lights mirrored at all angles, horses in glistening black and angel white, or Palomino’s that look like they could easily gallop off their platform were all part of the thrill.  These beautiful, artistic venues of entertainment numbered in the thousands at one time in North American alone.  Today there are about 350, including the six in New York with four classified as vintage, such as the Friedsam Memorial Carousel in Central Park and the Mueller Carousel in Queens Forest Park.  Why not visit this site:  www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_history/carousels.html

Carousels could easily be termed tourism at every turn . . . . and, to get the history of the carousel, you might want to log onto: http://www.fantasyislandpark.com/carousel/history2.htm

A typical view when looking out a Greyhound Bus window - Flickr photo by tiffa 130

I remember, as a child, the sense of adventure I imagined as I sat looking out the window of the Greyhound bus we travelled on.  Although the view was a blur at times it would depend on what vantage point I had and what I fixed my sight on.  I just knew somewhere beyond the horizon lay something wonderful to see and experience.

Today, I realize that tourism is always there, just beyond the horizon, right in front of our noses past the windshield of our vehicles, be it a motor scooter, four-wheeler, family automobile, 18-wheeler or Greyhound bus.

I wondered if this was a dying phenomenon when I received a digital photo of the horizon, taken from an 18-wheeler, my road warrior son sent to me.  The photo of the rugged mountain range was a jolt from the past and suddenly I was taken back to rolling tumble weeds, cacti protruding above rocky ground, and the bluest skies I’d ever seen where every now and then a collage of puffy white clouds would drift by.

Beyond the horizon lies Las Vegas, New Mexico - Flickr photo by taylorandayumi

Before planes many vacations took place by way of motoring there.  Often times you ventured to nearby states; after all, most vacations were a week long so that meant you tried to keep it little more than a days drive away so you could actually vacation. 

A magnificant view of the Blue Ridge Mountains - Flickr photo by mollypop

Beyond your horizon, was the view the vastness of a desert, or perhaps a seashore?  And, if a mountain vista, where was your mountain range? 

If you lived in Tennessee or North Carolina you might have traversed the Blue Ridge Mountains, known as the “physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains” beginning in the northern part of Georgia and ending in Pennsylvania. Known for their bluish hue when seen from a distance, the Blue Ridge Mountains features the Shenandoah National Park in their northern region and the Smoky Mountain National Park in its southern region.

A sculpture of Mark Twain at the helm of a riverboat - Flickr photo by artotem

If you traveled to New Mexico, as I did, you might have seen Sierra Blanca Peak, part of the Cimarron Range (often seen in Western movies) . . . or, if Missouri is your destination, perhaps you might spy Wildcat Mountain, which at 1,770 feet high is the second highest summit in Missouri.  Wildcat Mountain and Taum Sauk Mountain are located in Arcadia Valley in Iron County, known as the lead belt region in Missouri for its abundance of iron ore.  Its claim to fame might just be the Mark Twain National Forest named for the famed story teller and author.  By the way, both New Hampshire and the State of Georgia feature a Wildcat Mountain as well.

Crazy Horse sculpture, model for Crazy Horse Memorial - Flickr photo by Mike Tigas

Maybe the Black Hills of South Dakota is your destination, then Bear Mountain or its highest mountain, Harney Peak, might be in your horizon? The Black Hills is a “small, isolated mountain range” with its start from the Great Plains of North America in Western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming.  This area, steeped in American Indian tradition has been a very popular tourist attraction throughout the years.  The gold rush of 1874, the infamous Custer’s last stand, Crazy Horse, and Ellsworth Air Force Base all have common ground in this area.

Crazy Horse Memorial - The face of Crazy Horse is as tall as Mount Rushmore - Flickr photo by jimbowen

Have you ever visited Paha Sapa or Mo ohta vo honaaeva (the Black Hills as known to the Lakota and Cheyenne Indians, respectively?)

The next time you are on the road, think of all the wonderful adventures that lie just beyond the horizon!

Fall means many things to many people.  Children often think of Halloween . . . for many it means fall clean up and raking up mounds of colorful fallen leaves . . .  Moms pull out winter wardrobes and determine who needs a new winter coat, and so on.  Though, a sure sign of fall is football!

Football is tourism at its best since cities where football games are played benefit in many ways. 

According to the chronology of professional football, the first football game played was in 1869, when Rutgers and Princeton played a college ‘soccer’ football game on November 6^th?  It seems, however, that the first rules for American football were not written until 1876.

Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears - Flickr photo by ttarasiuk

In 1898, the Morgan Athletic Club formed a neighborhood football team on the Southside of Chicago, later named the Normals, then the Racine Cardinals, the Chicago Cardinals, becoming the St. Louis Cardinals, then the Phoenix Cardinals and are now known as the Arizona Cardinals, and have the distinct history of being the oldest continuing pro football team in operation today.  And while Chicago may be the foundaton for the oldest pro football team, it is the Chicago Bears that call Chicago home.

Chicago Water Tower survived the 1871 Chicago fire - Flickr photo by Bernt Rostad

If you traveled to Chicago back in the day, you might have traveled by rail as Chicago was not only one of the fastest growing cities in the United States with a population of 1.6 million residents, it was also the world’s largest rail hub.

Buckingham Fountain, one of Chicago's most recognized landmarks opened in 1927 - Flickr photo by David Paul Ohmer

Chicago, nicknamed the “Windy City” by the New York press, hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, drawing more than 27.5 million visitors, and is considered “the most influential world’s fair in history.”   Chicago also was known for its innovative architecture, especially after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871; when stringent fire-safety codes were established.  Thus Chicago became a leader “in modern architecture and set the model nationwide for achieving vertical city densities.”

Chicago on the River - Flickr photo by NoiseCollusion

Today, Chicago rivals many cities worldwide with wonderful venues that draw tourists from around the world.  And, football fans that pile into Soldier Field to see the Chicago Bears are treated to far more than their favorite game.

Famed John Hancock Building - Photo by Wikimedia Commons

You might want to visit the John Hancock Building, the sixth tallest building in the U.S., and the fourth tallest in Chicago, or the Willis Tower Skydeck (known to many as the Sears Tower); either of which provide an outstanding view of greater Chicago and the water front.  Lincoln Park Zoo and Millennium Park are a real favorite for families, or if you’re a TV aficionado and lucky to be in town when An Oprah Winfrey show is being taped then you might want to trek over to Harpo Studios.

Lincoln Park Zoo features more than a million lights in late November and throughout December - Flickr photo by keith0117641

To learn about all these great attractions while in Chicago you may want to visit the following websites: http://www.johnhancockcenterchicago.com/, http://www.willistower.com/, http://www.lpzoo.com/, http://www.chicagotraveler.com/chicago_millennium_park.htm, http://www.chicagoadventures.com/fullday.html