Fall is the Time to Hit the Road
Great Drives, Great Scenery, Great Escapes
By J. J. Scott
 The American love of the automobile is legendary. The price
of gas may cut down on the length of the trips but drive we must. And, fall
time is when the urge to drive just for the fun of it – or the beauty of it – is
the strongest. Exit the fast ways and take a slow way. Charles Kuralt said,
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from
coast to coast without seeing anything.” It isn’t just the scenery but wonderful
discoveries along the way – museums, hiking, history, and nature, nature and
more nature.
 1. Seaway Trail, NY: Explore all or part of
the Seaway Trail, a National Scenic Byway. At the end of October the area
around Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence are in their fall glory. This Trail
includes Niagara Falls; Boldt’s Castle in the 1000 Islands; 29 lighthouses; Fort
Ontario in Oswego, and many welcoming harbors. Plan to stop in Sackets Harbor to
visit the Seaway Trail Discovery Center.
www.seawaytrail.com
 2. National Road, PA: Explore a portion of the
historic National Road, Route 40, the nation's first federally funded interstate
highway. It opened the nation to the west and became a corridor for the movement
of goods and people. Along the way visit Fort Necessity and Mount Washington
Tavern. Nearby are Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, the Flight 93 Memorial,
and memorial to the Quecreek Mine Disaster.
3. Skyline Drive, VA: For more than seventy
years, the Skyline Drive has dazzled travelers with incredible scenic vistas. It
is the main artery for visitors to the Shenandoah National Park on the Blue
Ridge Mountains with two visitor centers, miles of hiking trails, and the
opportunity to visit Rapidan Camp, President Hoover's summer retreat. Have your
camera ready to take pictures of the scenery and wildlife.
 4. Antebellum Trail, GA: Fall and football are
a perfect match. In Athens attend a University of Georgia, explore the State
Botanical Garden, 313-acre preserve with five miles of nature trails, then head
south on 441 to experience the Antebellum Trail. Along the way visit the first
capital of Georgia, the Uncle Remus Museum, and the Music and Sports Halls of
Fame in Macon.
www.athenswelcomecenter.com.
 5. Hocking Hills, OH: Southeast of Columbus,
near Logan, explore the Hocking Hills region, home to nine state parks. Drive
along Route 374 stopping to visit Ash Cave, hike the trail to Cedar Falls and
Old Man’s Cave. Dine in an authentic log cabin at Inn at Cedar Falls. In Logan
stop at the Columbus Washboard Company, where they manufacture the only
washboard still made in the USA. www.1800hocking.com
 6. Door County, WI: Sometimes called “Cape Cod
of the Midwest," Door County offers colors from both nature and the artist’s
palate. Follow Route 31 to Sturgeon Bay and visit Fairfield Center for
Contemporary Art and the Miller Art Museums. You can bike, hike, golf, visit ten
lighthouses, and shop, then shop some more. No visit is complete without a
dinner of the area’s unique Fish Boil of whitefish, potatoes and onions.
www.doorcounty.com
 7. Tall Grass Prarie, KS: South of Topeka turn
west on Route 56 to Council Grove, the stepping off point for the Santa Fe
Trail, then head South on Route 177 to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
Take a small detour to Cottonwood Falls along the way where several nights a
week there is music in the streets.
8. Geronimo Trail, NM: North of Las Cruces
learn about Apache history and visit the hot mineral springs used by Geronimo
and his warriors while traveling the Geronimo Trail. Visit the historic mining
towns that flourished and died with the gold and silver fortunes. The Geronimo
Trail t goes from desert lakes to forested mountains.
www.geronimotrail.com
 9. Flagstaff, AZ: Before heading out of
Flagstaff visit the Museum of Northern Arizona to learn about the diversity of
the Colorado Plateau. Then head north via Route 180 to the Arizona Snowbowl ski
center. Take the Skyride to the top of Mt. Humphreys, Arizona’s highest mountain
at 12,643 feet for spectacular views of Northern Arizona.
www.flagstaffarizona.org
 10. Coasting, CA: Head north from Muir Woods
National Monument after hiking through magnificent stand of old-growth redwoods.
Stop along the way at Bodega Bay for the “The Birds” was filmed. In Mendocino
County visit the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and take the Skunk Train
through the majestic redwood forest.
www.visitcalifornia.com
Add color to your life with a fall drive. You will agree
with the American poet, Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-85) who wrote the June and
July, “Ye cannot rival for one hour October’s bright blue weather.” For a free
map of the Byways log on to
www.byways.com or call 800-4-BYWAYS.
Images courtesy of Inn at Cedar Fall (4), Door County
Visitor’s Bureau (5), and Flagstaff CVB (7).
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