Iowa - Amana Colonies

Iowa - Amana Colonies
These 7 mysterious villages keep up their European traditions, but they also have endless summer festivals and events to enjoy.

The Amana Colonies have been a landmark on the Iowa prairie for over 150 years - reminding us of a simpler time. A time we often yearn for in today's rush of corporate ladder climbing and the endless pursuit of discount shopping.

The name Amana means to "remain faithful". We have, in many ways, remained faithful to our communal culture; historical buildings have been preserved; the Amana Church remains active; the traditions of quality products are alive in the Colonies. You will not see discount stores or chain restaurants; you will not see large retailers. Even our convenience store was built to respect the architectural traditions of the Colonies.

What will you see in the Amana Colonies? Historical buildings dating to the mid-1850's, made of local materials...wood, sandstone, locally fired brick and limestone. You will discover an amalgamation of architectural styles, coupling traditional German craftsmanship and the straight lines and details of Colonial America. You will see three board wooden fences, fruit trees and gardens. The smokestack of the woolen mill stands stark against the rising sun; the blossoms of the Lily Lake sway gently in the summer breeze.

Certainly there have been changes in the Colonies, fewer gardens, less trees, a new business here and there. But the spirit of communal Amana remains...it is reflected in the grape trellis standing sentinel against the side of a home or in the faded, wooden weather vane atop a centuries old barn. The spirit of communal Amana is alive in the hint of German accent you might catch on the street. The Amana Colonies are a place where you can handcraft your experience ... a place as unique as you ... a place where the best treasures are searched for. The Amana Colonies are not just another cookie-cutter getaway; stop-in, stay for awhile, escape the ordinary.

Antiques
Erenberger Antiques
319-622-3230

Primitive original surface furniture and small antique items displayed in a home that was built in 1856. A must see shop if you like country, primitives and Americana.
Evans & Le Clere
319-622-3088

Country primitives and American folk art artfully blended with mid-century modern furniture and design.
Opa's Tractor Barn Museum
31-622-3529

Walk through an 1883 barn with hand-pegged chestnut beams. Agricultural history memorabilia, Minneapolis-Moline, barnyard in miniature and more. America's agricultural past preserved for the future. Seasonal 10am-4pm.

Arts & Craftsmanship
AJ's in Homestead
319-622-6840
tpatti@msn.com
www.AJsCopperGarden.com

Brand new metal sculpture studio. Award-winning sculptors create unique metal artwork everyday. Artists' studios and metal sculpture gallery onsite. Come see it yourself! Buy direct from the artists.
AJ's Metal Art Gallery
319-622-3207
tpatti@msn.com
www.AJsCopperGarden.com

Amazing metal sculptures will bring out the smiles, as you stroll through a beautiful water garden and gallery filled with "one-of-a-kind" garden frogs, dragonflies and more.
Amana Arts Guild
319-622-3678
amanarts@juno.com
www.amanaartsguild.com

This quaint gallery and sales shop is a wonderful place to find historic folk arts and crafts from all seven villages. The guild hosts workshops, classes and the Amana Festival of the Arts.
Amana Furniture & Clock Shop
319-622-3291 or 800-247-5088
furniture@amanafurniture.com
www.amanafurniture.com

Amana Colonies' original furniture shop. Handcrafters of solid walnut, oak and cherry furniture and clocks in traditional, original and custom designs. Iowa's largest clock shop! Showroom and workshop gallery open year-round.
Broom & Basket Shop
319-622-3311
www.broomandbasket.com

Brooms and baskets locally made in West Amana. Unique solid wood gift products made by Schanz Furniture in South Amana. Basket making demonstrated occasionally.
Catiri's Art Oasis
319-622-3969
catiri@southslope.net
www.catiriartoasis.com

A true fine art oasis. Enjoy the Catiri's incredible glass works along with over 100 of the most talented Iowa and regional artists working in various mediums. NICHE Award recipient!
Creative Colony
319-622-3753

Handcrafted gifts and home decor made exclusively by Iowa artisans. "From our home to yours." Open daily March through December; open Friday, Saturday and Sunday during January and February.
Custom Cutlery & Ironworks
319-622-3482
sales@customcutlery.com
www.customcutlery.com

Quality ironwork hand forged on site. Home accessories. Handcrafted knives for kitchen and sport. Industrial Machine Shop Museum. Open year round.
Fischer Fine Art Gallery & Studio
319-622-7017
greg@southamanagranary.com
www.southamanagranary.com

South Amana Granary - Home of Fischer Fine Art Gallery and Studio - Featuring art work created by Fine Art Graduate Students from local Universities in addition to the oil paintings and photographs of Artist and Owner Gregory Fischer.
Giant Rocker & West Amana Wood Shop
319-622-3315

Solid walnut rocker, 11 feet tall, 670 pounds. Unique wood products. Between Broom and Basket Shop and Philip Dickel Basket Museum Gallery. Closed Sundays and holidays.
Heritage Designs Quilting & Needlework
319-622-3887
info@heritagedesignsquiltshop.com
www.heritagedesignsquiltshop.com

A 2009 Top 10 Quilt Shop! Over 3500 fabrics from contemporary to traditional. Featured designs by local artists. Dovo scissors and unique accessories. Quilting, cross-stitch, embroidery, tatting, punch needle. Open daily.
Iowa Theatre Artists Company
319-622-3222
info@iowatheatreartists.org
www.iowatheatreartists.org

A non-profit professional theatre organization with the mission of mounting high-quality public performances; touring; the development of new theatre artists; and targeting underserved audiences.
Michele Maring Miller Studio/Gallery
319-622-6330
www.maringmillergallery.com

Award-winning artist at work in her spacious and peaceful studio and gallery. Located in an 1871 sandstone church in the center of the village of West Amana. Small room of antiques.
Mini-Americana Barn Museum
319-622-3058
barnmus@netins.net
www.barnmuseum.com

Two hundred miniature replicas, in the scale one inch to one foot, built by woodworker Henry Moore telling early rural history from 1880 to 1930.
Old Creamery Theatre Co.
319-622-6194 or 800-352-6262
info@oldcreamery.com
www.oldcreamery.com

Live professional theatre company celebrating 20 years in the Amana Colonies. Catch a performance April - December on one of two stages in Amana.
Personalized Wood Products
319-622-3100 / 319-622-3097
pwp@southslope.net
personalizedwoodproducts.googlepages.com

Schanz Furniture & Refinishing Shop
319-622-3529
www.schanzfurniture.com

Custom built furniture in your choice of woods: walnut, cherry and oak. Furniture on floor for sale. Furniture repaired and refinished plus chair caning and seat weaving. Closed Sundays and holidays.
Troy Richard Thomas Art Gallery & Studio
319-622-3078

West Broom & Basket Shop
319-622-3315
www.broomandbasket.com

Watch broom making and basket making when artisans are working. Closed Sundays and holidays. Next door to Philip Dickel Basket Museum Gallery - exhibit open May to October.

Leisure
Amana Colonies Golf Club
319-622-6222 or 800-383-3636
amanagolf@southslope.net
www.amanagolfcourse.com

The course features shining ponds, a variety of wildlife, and striking scenery that add to the aesthetic beauty and enjoyment of the game. Consistently ranked highly, the course has won many national honors.
Amana Colonies RV Park & Event Center
319-622-7616 or 800-471-7616
rvamana@amanas.net
www.amanarvpark.com

60-acre RV park and event center near Amana. Full and water/electric hook-ups, showers, dump station, propane, laundry. Store, free Wi-Fi. Buildings ideal for group rallies or special events. RV Park open April 15 - October 31.
Colony Visits...Heritage Destinations
319-622-6178
info@colonyvisits.com
www.colonyvisits.com

Receptive group services. We're your doorway to hospitality in the historical Amana Colonies and the interesting Eastern Iowa area. All-inclusive tour packages with step-on guides, meals, sightseeing, etc.
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development
319-622-3264
info@ivrcd.org
www.ivrcd.org

The Iowa Valley RC&D is a non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve and develop our resources in the Iowa and Cedar Valleys through education, demonstration and partnerships.

Restaurants
Colony Inn Restaurant
319-622-3030

The restaurant where family-style dining began in 1935. Breakfast, lunch and dinner served daily. Specials, sandwiches and house made desserts. Locally made beer and wine available.
Nordy's Subs & Salads
319-622-3028

Ox Yoke Inn
319-622-3441 or 800-233-3441
info@oxyokeinn.com
www.oxyokeinn.com

"An Amana Colonies tradition since 1940." Daily lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. Child's menu. Sandwiches, daily specials and home baked desserts. Wine, beer and cocktails. Gifts. Free wireless Internet.

Shopping
Amana General Store
319-622-7650 or 800-418-8318
www.amanageneralstore.com

Amana's original store since 1858 features a wide variety of gifts, specialty foods, locally made wine, Amana food products, cookbooks, cards, and more.
Amana Woolen Mill
319-622-3432 or 800-222-6430
www.amanawoolenmill.com

Visit Iowa's only operating woolen mill and see how famous Amana® wool and cotton blankets are made. Sweaters, apparel and personalized embroidery are also available. Bus/RV parking. Open daily.
Ash Lynn Glitz
319-622-5115
ashlynnglitz@southslope.net
www.ashlynnglitz.com

Quaint shop on main street Amana offering an extensive collection of sterling silver chains and Native American Turquoise. Experience our unique hunting memorabilia featuring Winchester, Colt, etc. Gifts and antiques.
Azul World Treasures
319-622-3018
ithielcatiri@yahoo.com
www.azulworldtreasure.com

Come see our exiting collection of jewelry and mineral specimens from around the world. Kids of all ages enjoy hunting in our "Treasure Mine". Come find your hidden treasure today!
Christmas Room
319-622-3692 or 888-516-7769
www.christmasroom.com

Located in the Amana General Store; featuring Pipka, Dept 56, Byers Choice, Fontanini and a wide variety of holiday ornaments and trims.
Clothes Encounter
319-622-3648

Look and feel great wearing something special! A quaint boutique featuring women's collections of casual and contemporary clothing. Accessorize with our unique pieces of jewelry. Located inside the Ronneburg Restaurant.
Fern Hill Gifts & Quilts
319-622-3627
fernhill@southslope.net
www.fernhill.net

Handmade Iowa quilts, antique quilts, fabric and Fern Hill original fabric, architectural antiques, antique furniture, artist bears, gifts, cards, home decorating, garden, florals, sweets and beverages. Three brimming floors! Open all year.
GermanSense LLC
319-622-3112 or 800-523-8077
lothar@germansense.com
www.germansense.com

Books, music, movies, about German culture, language and history. By appointment only.
High Amana General Store
319-622-3232
www.amanaheritage.org/museums.html#high

This original 1858 village store looks much as it did 100 years ago and offers a variety of merchandise. Operated by the Amana Heritage Society. Open daily April through October.

Area Attractions
Cedar Rapids
319-398-5009 or 800-735-5557
www.cedar-rapids.com

Just 17 miles north on highway 151, Cedar Rapids offers a variety of cultural, historic and ethnic attractions, including the National Czech and Slovak Museum, Brucemore Mansion, the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa, an IMAX Theatre, Cedar Rapids Museum of Arts and Usher's Ferry Historic Village. Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball and Rough Riders Hockey offer semi-professional sports.
Historic Iowa County
www.co.iowa.ia.us

Just minutes to the west in Williamsburg, brick paved streets surround a picturesque town square. Contact the Chamber of Commerce at 319-668-1500 for more information about their unique shops, large outdoor aquatic center and recreational facilities. Step back in time at the Pioneer Heritage Museum in nearby Marengo, also home to a Carnegie Library. Enjoy the Iowa County Fair July 12-15, 2007. Throw in a line at Lake Iowa, near Millersburg or hike around this scenic 600-acre park, 319-655-8465.
Iowa City and Coralville
319-337-6592 or 800-283-6592
www.iowacitycoralville.org

Home of the University of Iowa and internationally recognized University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City and Coralville are located 18 miles to the east. The University of Iowa offers several museums, including Iowa's first capital building. Downtown Iowa City provides shopping, art, entertainment and dining experiences. The Iowa Children's Museum is located in the Coral Ridge Mall.

Indiana - Wyandotte Caves

Indiana Wyandotte Caves
This is the most popular of 4 completely unique cave systems in this part of the state

Wyandotte Caves, a pair of limestone caves located on the Ohio River in Harrison-Crawford State Forest in Crawford County, five miles (8 km) north-east of Leavenworth and 12 miles (19 km) from Corydon in southern Indiana, is a popular tourist attraction. Wyandotte Caves were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972. It is now part of O'Bannon Woods State Park. The cave system is the largest in the state of Indiana.[1]

The term "Wyandotte Caves" is used to refer to Wyandotte Cave (sometimes called the "Historic Cave") and Little Wyandotte Cave, also called Siberts Cave and sometimes called the "New Cave", but the two caves are completely different. They are located very close to each other, and are owned and managed by the same entity. There the resemblance ends.

Cave life

Bats
Indiana is home to 12 native species of bats. Wyandotte Cave is occupied by members of nine of those 12 species; the total bat population is over 30,000. The most common bat in the cave is the endangered Myotis sodalis, (commonly known as the Indiana Bat), followed by the Myotis lucifugus (commonly known as the little brown bat).[7]

Little Wyandotte cave rarely gets bats, as the only entrance to that cave is less than 200 years old, and humans have been present in that cave on a regular basis since it first opened. However, the occasional adventurous bat will venture in.

The presence of hibernating bats in the winter is the main reason that the caves are closed to the public from the first of November until February 28. Bats can occasionally be seen by the lucky visitor during the rest of the year, but they are far less numerous and less likely to be disturbed in the warmer months.

Salamanders
Cave salamanders can often be seen in the entrance area of Wyandotte cave.

Fish
Blind cavefish are rarely seen in the larger of Wyandotte Caves, as it is very dry in modern times. Little Wyandotte Cave, however, is much wetter than the historic cave, but still contains no fish. The only living aquatic life found is bacteria.

Crickets
Cave crickets abound in the smaller cave, and some occasionally enter into the larger cave. They are often eaten by snakes, however.

Illinois Galena

Illinois Galena
This small town is packed with history and classic architecture, but also golf courses and resorts

Leave winter behind and head for the great outdoors of northwest Illinois! Drive lush fairways, pedal a bike, ride a horse, paddle a kayak, soar in a balloon or stroll a budding garden. Discover the timeless beauty of historic sites and 19th-century architecture. Visit a relaxing spa, a local winery, colorful art galleries and a wealth of eclectic shops. Sample sweet confections and regional cuisine. Book a cozy B&B, a family-style motel, a spacious vacation rental home or a full-service resort now to start your perfect getaway!

Go Green
Galena is known for its picturesque views, intriguing architecture and historical sites, but golfers are discovering Galena as one of the Midwest's premiere golf destinations. Galena & Jo Daviess County offers golf enthusiasts all of the amenities of a complete destination. The area's 10 courses are upstaged only by the unparalleled vistas seen from the rolling hills that are exclusive to northwest Illinois. Here lies the perfect setting for a memorable golf experience.

Hidden Gems
Shop Galena and Jo Daviess County to find the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for someone special. Antiques and collectibles stores line Galena’s historic district and are scattered throughout the county’s countryside in quaint, off-the-beaten-path shops and barns.

True Originals
Explore Galena and Jo Daviess County art galleries and discover one-of-a-kind pieces created by a diverse collection of artists and craftspeople. Sculptors, potters, painters, photographers, illustrators and glassmakers find inspiration in the area’s tranquil river valleys and spectacular scenic views. Check the Calendar of Events, for a listing of art classes, demonstrations and workshops.

History Abounds
Step back in time and visit a bygone era when steamboating and lead mining once ruled the day. Marvel in 19th century architecture, or take a guided tour of the sites. Learn how faded memories of the past come to life while exploring the historic sites and museums of Galena and Jo Daviess County.

West Virginia Blackwater Falls State Park

West Virginia Blackwater Falls State Park
The water in this gorgeous park isn't exactly black, but it is an interesting shade and only one of the many attractions

Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the falls of the Blackwater River whose amber-colored waters plunge five stories then twist and tumble through an eight-mile long gorge. The "black" water is a result of tannic acid from fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls are one of the most photographed sites in West Virginia.

Make Blackwater Falls a Mother’s Day Tradition
Sunday, May 10 is Mother’s Day and beginning at 1 p.m. a wonderful Dinner Buffet begins. The cost is $15.95 per person with children ages 10 and under dining free. Buffet entrees include: roasted turkey, spiral ham, baked Tilapia, pot roast, assorted desserts and more. Reservations are recommended.

Blackwater Falls offers a seasonal variety of overnight packages. Take advantage of a Cross-Country Ski, Stay & Play Package or a Cozy Cabin Getaway.

Accommodations
Lodge Rooms:
Blackwater Lodge sits on the canyon's south rim, providing a sweeping view of the densely forested gorge. Each of the 54 air-conditioned guest rooms has a private bath, phone and color television. The lodge also features a game room and a sitting room with a cozy fireplace. The new 200-seat Harr Conference Center and indoor pool make Blackwater Lodge a comfortable retreat in a mountain setting.

Cabins:
Situated in a lovely wooded area about one mile from the lodge are 26 deluxe year-round vacation cabins. They are all made with handsome wood-paneled walls, stone fireplaces and forced air furnaces for year-round comfort. Each cabin has a bath with shower and is completely furnished.

Blackwater Falls State Park offers three (3) pet friendly cabins available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call for details.

Campground:
Blackwater Campsite The 65-unit tent and trailer campground has individual sites with centrally located hot showers, Laundromat and dumping station. A total of 30 sites have electric hookups. The campground is open from the last weekend in April through October 31annually with a maximum camping period of two weeks. Reservations are accepted for 20 of Blackwater Falls' campsites from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In addition to the usual fee, a $5 handling fee will be charged. Your advanced reservations will be secured with VISA, Maser Card, American Express or Diners Club. Reservations are recommended during summer months. Please call 1-800-CALL-WVA, M-F/ 8am-4pm,and we'll be glad to help you with your plans.

Amenities
Restaurant
Fine Dining The lodge restaurant is open daily year round and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving the best regional fare, where "the dining rivals the view." A well-rounded menu is available and buffets are offered during peak seasons and holiday weekends. The restaurant can cater banquets, receptions and barbecues for special groups such as business meetings, family reunions and weddings.

Indoor Pool
A great place to relax for a swim, unwind in the hot tub or work out in the fitness room, equipped with treadmills, bikes and additional exercise equipment. Open 10 AM to 10 PM daily, this is a welcome addition to the comfortable accommodations at Blackwater Falls State Park. This facility is for registered Lodge & Cabin guests

Picnic Shelters
Are ideal for reunions, family outings, catered functions, parties, cookouts and are available for reservation during the summer season. Reservations are recommended for summer weekends and holidays.

Gift Shops
Two gift shops are located on Blackwater Falls State Park. The Lodge Gift Shop is open daily, year round. The Trading Post is located at the Falls parking area and is also open daily year round. Both gift shops offer a variety of souvenirs, T-shirts, toys, jewelry, West Virginia Glass and other items.

Special Features
Elakala Falls - The waters of Shay Run reach the Blackwater Canyon's edge and cascade down the canyon's wall as Elakala Falls. A short walk along the Elakala Trail from the Lodge will take hikers over the upper section of Elakala Falls.

Recreation
Cross Country Skiing - Over ten miles of park trails can be enjoyed bySki the Trail beginning as well as more experienced cross country skiers. Many of these are groomed and maintained specifically for cross country skiing. A full service cross country ski center offers ski lessons and equipment rental. The Sled Run & Cross Country Ski Center are open from mid-December through March 15th.
Sledding - The sledding hill is one-quarter mile long and sledders get to the top by a rope tow, available on weekends when snows are sufficient. The hill and tow area are groomed and maintained for sledding. Sleds are available for rent at the cross country ski center. The Sled Run & Cross Country Ski Center are open from mid-December through March 15th.
Hiking - The park offers over 20 miles of hiking trails.Hike a Trail Map and trail guides are available which will assist guests in planning a hike of the right length and duration.
Nature and Recreation Programs - The park naturalist offers a variety of programs on the park's natural and cultural history. Also, programs and tours can be arranged for groups. These are available year round. Call ahead to 1-800-CALL-WVA and ask to speak to Blackwater Falls Naturalists.
Nature Center - The Nature Center is open daily from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. The Nature Center offers displays, programs and information on the park's natural resources.
Boating and Games - Boating is offered at Pendleton Lake from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day. Game courts aPeddle Boat Funnd equipment such as tennis, volleyball and basketball are also available during the summer months. Come enjoy the waters of Pendleton Lake, beginning Memorial Day Weekend. Daily 10AM - 6PM.
Swimming - Blackwater Lodge has a small indoor pool for registered Lodge and Cabin Guests. Registered Campground guests may use the pool for a nominal fee. At nearby Canaan Valley Resort, a large outdoor heated pool is open to the public from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends. Pendleton Lake no longer offers outdoor swimming.
Fishing - The Blackwater River is stocked weekly with trout from early spring through early summer. The section of the Blackwater River that runs through the park is a catch and release area. It is stocked regularly with trout. Fishing is also allowed at Pendleton Lake. Proper license and stamps are required.

Virginia Colonial Williamsburg

Virginia Colonial Williamsburg
There’s the living history, but also golf courses and spas to balance things out nicely

Experience life as it was in our nation's yesterdays. Explore the homes and buildings where men like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Patrick Henry inspired the fight for independence.


What to See & Do
Historic trades and sites, interpretations, animals, and entertainment will engage your days and nights. Don't miss a thing.

Historic Area
Scores of original buildings, hundreds of homes, shops, and public buildings are reconstructed over 301 acres - most on their original foundations. Rare animal breeds, trades, and gardens add layers of authenticity to the recreated town.

Activities & Programs
Colonial Williamsburg features scores of events and activities that change weekly. On any given day or evening, you'll find a variety of walking tours, arts performances, political speeches, trades demonstrations, military exercises, fife and drum parades, and more.

Revolutionary City
Colonial Williamsburg’s “Revolutionary City” is a family-friendly, live, dramatic program that breaks the boundaries of traditional living history experiences. It covers the period of 1774 to 1781 through a combination of large-scale streetscape events and multiple simultaneous vignettes. The street theater program creates a spontaneous real-time feel of Williamsburg during the years of the American Revolution. Guests take part in the everyday life of the city against the backdrop of momentous world-changing events.

Daily and Evening Programs
Step over the threshold of a shop or home in the Historic Area and you'll find someone ready to tell you the story of life in the 18th century. Costumed historical interpreters share their perspectives on work, family, politics, religion, and culture. Encounter Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and many lesser-known historical figures. View our calendar.
Colonial Williamsburg's evening programs take your visit well past sunset with concerts, the latest movies, witch trials, ghost walks, and 18th-century farce comedies.

Special Events
Reenactments, music programs, special lectures, and focused activities allow a closer look at 18th century society and culture. Learn more about our upcoming

Kids Programs
Each day there is a host of activities designed just for kids. They can join the colonial militia and prepare to defend the rights of free citizens, act in an 18th-century play, march with the Fifes and Drums, talk to founding fathers, and tend a colonial garden. Costume rentals are available to complete your child's colonial transformation. In the museums, children can learn about and create works of art based on folk art or decorative arts on exhibit.
Read about the Colonial Kids Club or view family programming in our events calendar.

Fifes & Drums
The music of the Revolution is rendered in the present by this musical regiment. Hear the sounds that carry across hills, valleys, and centuries.
Celebrating five decades of performing military music that captures the American spirit, Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums are tuning up for a 50th anniversary year that will include special performances here as well as guest appearances in events near and far.

African American Programs
African Americans were entwined in every aspect of colonial farming, skilled trade, and politics. Learn how this society within a society lived, learned, and strove. or view African American programming in our events calendar.

Historic Trades
Practicing tradesmen make Colonial Williamsburg a living town, ringing with clanging hammers and tinged with the smoke of industry. Visit the blacksmith, see what the saddler is working on, smell what's cooking in the kitchens, and more. Twenty trades are practiced with 18th-century methods and tools, learn more about them all.

Walking Tours
You'll find plenty of opportunities to indulge your passion for topics like gardening, archaeology, and Colonial Williamsburg's Rare Breeds program. Or, go behind the scenes with a member of our staff. Among the guided activities offered: Behind-the-Scenes Tour at Bruton Heights. Bits and Bridles, Garden History Walk, Gardens of Gentility, Rubbish, Treasures, and Colonial Life: The Archaeology Labs. Learn more.

Rare Breeds
Hoofs and horns have as large a role in making the Historic Area authentic as human hands. The rare breeds program populates Williamsburg's pastures and pens with animals that would have been here 200 years ago: the sheep, cows, horses, oxen, chickens and fowls that scratched the dirt and loped the lanes.


Museums
Tours of current exhibitions and museum highlights are offered throughout the year. Special lectures and musical performances are held in the Hennage Auditorium. Programs for families and children are offered regularly.

South Carolina Myrtle Beach

South Carolina Myrtle Beach
Golf heaven and great for beachgoers along the regions famous Grand Strand

One of the top domestic tourist destinations in the continental United States. With nearly 14 million visitors a year, it is no surprise that Myrtle Beach, with over 60 miles of warm, sandy beaches, is such a popular vacation choice for millions of Americans. If limitless vacation options are what you are looking for, then Myrtle Beach has them and Myrtle Beach.com has the information about them, giving you finger-tip access to information on Myrtle Beach hotels, golf courses, restaurants, shopping and everything there is to know about the "Grand Strand".

In Myrtle Beach our focus is fun, fun and more fun for people of all ages. You can practice your golf swing in a family friendly environment or head to some of the most beautiful challenging courses in the world. Who can resist the twists and turns of a water slide or the fun of racing a car, well that is only the beginning?

Visit www.captdicks.com
Barefoot Landing
800-272-2320
www.barefootlanding.com
rookgreen Gardens
800-849-1931
www.brookgreen.org

Captain Dick's Marina
866-557-3474
www.captdicks.com

Cherry Grove Pier
843-249-1625
www.cherrygrovepier.com

Coastal Grand Mall
866-561-SHOP
www.coastalgrand.com

Freestyle Music Park
843-236-7625
www.freestylemusicpark.com

Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk
www.marshwalk.com

Myrtle Beach Diving and Fishing
843.907.1075
www.divemyrtlebeach.com

Myrtle Beach Grand Prix
843-272-6010
www.mbgrandprix.com

Myrtle Beach Pelicans
843-918-6000
myrtlebeachpelicans.com

Patriot Paintball
843-369-4FUN
www.patriot-paintball.com

Springmaid Beach Pier
866-764-8501
www.springmaidbeach.com

Voyager Deep Sea Fishing & Dolphin Cruises
910-575-5978
www.supervoyagerdeepseafishing.com

Wild Water & Race Theme Park
843-238-9453
www.wild-water.com

North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The most visited national park in the country is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Learn about the park's history and wildlife, discover scenic hiking trails and beautiful campgrounds.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in the United States.[2] On its route from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the center of the park. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940.[3] It encompasses 814 square miles (2,108 km²), making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. The main park entrances are located along U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) at the towns of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina.

Places To Go
places to go includes:
Visitor Centers
Cades Cove
Cataloochee
Deep Creek
Clingmans Dome
Fontana Dam
Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
Newfound Gap
Roaring Fork
Off the Beaten Path

The park offers a wide array of destinations to explore both the natural and the cultural history of the park.

Want to learn about the people who once called these mountains home? Then you may enjoy visiting the Mountain Farm Museum, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, or the Roaring Fork area to tour homes, farms, churches, and other structures built by early settlers.

For a chance to view wildlife including black bear, white-tailed deer, and turkeys, head to open areas such as Cades Cove or Cataloochee.

For sweeping vistas head to the top of the mountains at Clingmans Dome or Newfound Gap.

If you wish to beat a retreat to a cool and shady spot in the forest, then a visit to Deep Creek or Roaring Fork may be what you're looking for.

Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store for books, maps, and guides to the park. Operated by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association, proceeds generated by purchases at the store are donated to educational, scientific, and historical projects in the park.