destinations fall 2014

• Fall Driving Tours • Halloween Travel • A Real Thanksgiving

2 | Sunday, September 21, 2014 | DESTINATIONS

Bewitching fun for Halloween travel ...........................3Fall foliage driving tours ..................................4Eat like a pilgrim in Plymouth, Mass. .......................9

Dear readers,

Temps are getting cooler, and

leaves will be changing soon, so

it’s time to plan the perfect fall

getaway. With kIds back in

school and fewer folks traveling,

that means less traffic and

shorter lines. But where to go?

Beaches are a summer favorite,

but fall calls for other locales.

With autumn colors and a pair of

holidays approaching, we planned

a few itineraries to satisfy your

seasonal wanderlust.

Happy travels!

Table of CONTENTS

PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT Laura Hollingsworth

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES John Ward

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Emily Daniel

EDITOR & WRITER Diane Hughes

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Crystal Elliott

Fall Travelers2014 Wanderlust Lane

Anytown, Tenn.

OCTOBER 18 & 19 • 10AM - 5PMFORT MASSAC STATE PARK • METROPOLIS, IL

Where I-24 meets the Ohio River just across from Paducah, KYHandcrafted Items • Variety of Food • Mock Battle

Fife & Drum Music • Children’s Activities • Plus Much More!

More information at www.MetropolisTourism.com or call 618-524-4712

41st AnnualFt. Massac Encampmentseptember is

national passportawareness month

first timepassportapplicant?Planning a vacation out of thecountry? Apply for a passportat least three months prior toyour departure. Forget thehassle and expedite fees.

To learn how and where toapply, visit travel.state.gov.

http://travel.state.gov/

www.metropolistourism.com

DESTINATIONS | Sunday, September 21, 2014 | 3

By DIANE HUGHESTennessean Custom Publications

While Christmas may be the favorite holiday of the masses, for some folks the ghoulish fun of Halloween makes it their most wonderful time of the year. With Halloween just around the corner, we know you have all things macabre on your mind. So, to satisfy your affinity for fright, we offer the setting of Salem, Mass., as a backdrop for a spooky and fun fall vaca-tion destination.

WITCHES, GHOSTS & MOREWith its history of witches and the

occult, Salem is the ideal setting for a Halloween vacation. If you have a penchant for history with a dose of mass

hysteria, visit the Witch Dungeon and witness the reenactment of a witch trial based on actual transcripts from the event. From the dungeon, it’s a short walk to the Witch History Museum for a live presentation that brings the witch era to life. There’s also the Salem Witch Museum, which features life-sized sets and figures plus guides who narrate the story of the witch trials and relate the fear that gripped Salem during the witchhunts.

Billed as the city’s “only remaining structure with direct ties to the witchcraft trials,” The Witch House on Essex Street is the former home of Jonathan Corwin, one of the magistrates who presided over

Witch way to go for Halloween travel? Salem, of course

On June 10, 1692, Bridget Bishop stood on the hangman’s gallows in Salem, Mass., accused of the crime of witchcraft. She was the first of 20 to die during the notorious witch trials after mass hysteria enveloped the town. Nineteen of the convicted were hanged, one elderly man was crushed to death with stones, hundreds of others were accused of witchcraft and dozens were jailed for the crime.

> > WITCH, 11

Welcometo SalemMass.

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Once the summer heat and humidity in Nashville give way to crisp morning

air and evenings on the patio, our thoughts turn to fall and Mother Nature’s parade of glorious

colors. If you generally spend the fall season leaf peep-ing in and around Middle Tennessee, we encourage you to

branch out and witness the spectacular autumn colors in other parts of the country.

Depending on a region’s climate and soil conditions — combined with the species of trees found there — the variety, duration and intensity of colors found at your fall destination will vary. From brilliantly tinted red maples to the

golden yellow leaves on the paper birch, you’ll see a decidedly different swath of colors when you travel to different parts of the U.S.

We’ve done a little recon for you and come up with a short list of driving tours for your fall leaf-viewing pleasure.

LET’S GO LEAF PEEPING


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WHERE TO STARTSeattle, Wash.

SUGGESTED ROUTE Take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island (stop to see the lighthouse) and continue on through Poulsbo and cross the Hood Canal Bridge. Continue on Highway 104 to Highway 101. Follow Highway 101 through Sequim, Port Angeles, Forks (ground zero for Twilight fans) and down to Aberdeen. Com-plete the circle through Olympia and back to Seattle.

LENGTH422 miles (give or take, depend-ing on side trips you take)

PEAK TIME FOR FOLIAGEThe month of October

POINTS OF INTERESTOlympic National Park, Hoh Rain Forest. Hall of Mosses, Quinault Rain Forest, Lake Crescent, Sequim lavender farms, Dungeness Spit and Lighthouse, Hurricane Ridge, Sol Duc Hot Springs, Fat Smitty’s Hamburgers (between Hood Canal Bridge and Sequim).

DISTINCTIVE LODGING Lake Quinault Lodge, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, Lake Crescent Lodge.

OTHER ACTIVITIESHiking, canoeing, viewing wildlife, cycling, birding, lighthouse touring and more.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON STATEStunning fall colors provide a sharp contrast to the otherwise lush green landscape of the Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. Plus there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor

activities, light-house touring and more. Soak in the hot springs at Sol Duc. Walk to the lighthouse on Dungeness Spit. Relax beside the shore of Lake Crescent. Visit a lavender farm. The list goes on.

Map of the loop: bit.ly/OlympicPeninsulaLoop

WHERE TO STARTGreat Smoky Mountains National Park, near Cherokee, N.C.

WHERE TO GOPick up the parkway near the Oconaluftee Visitors Center on the North Carolina side of the national park. You can drive the entire length of the parkway or just a portion. Return the same way you came; the view may have changed since your first passing.

LENGTHAbout 489 miles from southern entrance near Cherokee, N.C., to northern entrance near Waynesboro, Va. (978 miles roundtrip)

PEAK TIME FOR FOLIAGEMid to late October

POINTS OF INTERESTMount Pisgah, Craggy Gardens, Peaks of Otter (where three moun-tain peaks meet in Bedford, Va.), the Natural Bridge Park, Stone Mountain State Park, Blue Ridge Music Cen-ter, Andy Griffith Museum, Andy’s Homeplace, Humpback Rocks (a pic-turesque outcropping of rocks that protrudes from the side of Hump-back Mountain), Monticello.

DISTINCTIVE LODGING Peaks of Otter Lodge, Pisgah Inn, The Place on the Blue Ridge Park-way, Waterfront Blue Ridge Parkway Log Cabin, Lovill House Inn Bed & Breakfast, Cedar Post Inn Bed & Breakfast.

OTHER ACTIVITIESFishing, hiking, camping, historic sites, museums, photography.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, NORTH CAROLINA & VIRGINIAVaried elevations along the park-way translate to diverse views on this famous stretch of highway. If you don’t see bursts of fall color on your first day out, keep driving and you’re sure to spot them. This area is rife with moun-tain views and opportunities to hike,

cycle, camp or just enjoy the view. And for Andy Griffith fans, a visit to the actor’s hometown of Mount Airy, N.C., (the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry) is a must. You can even rent Griffith’s former home through the local Hampton Inn. Pilot Mountain, N.C., just 15 minutes away, is the inspiration for — you guessed it — the fictional TV town of Mount Pilot.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON STATE

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, NORTH CAROLINA

& VIRGINIA

Map of the route: bit.ly/BlueRidgeRoutePart1, bit.ly/BlueRidgeRoutePart2 > > LEAF PEEPING, 8

ONLINE RESOURCES wsdot.wa.gov/ferries, visitkitsap.com, olympicpeninsula.org, cityofpa.us, olympicnationalparks.com, quinaultrainforest.com, sequimlavender.org,

sequimwa.gov, forkswa.com, newdungenesslighthouse.com

ONLINE RESOURCESblueridgeparkway.org, pisgahinn.com, blueridgeheritage.com, monticello.org, visitmayberry.com. Download the Blue Ridge Parkway Travel Planner Mobile

App, available for iOS and Android.

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http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

www.Visitkitsap.com

www.Olympicpeninsula.org

www.Cityofpa.us

www.Olympicnationalparks.com

www.Quinaultrainforest.com

www.Sequimlavender.org

www.Sequimwa.gov

www.Forkswa.com

www.Newdungenesslighthouse.com

www.Blueridgeparkway.org

www.Pisgahinn.com

www.Blueridgeheritage.com

www.Monticello.org

www.Visitmayberry.com


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Map of the loop: bit.ly/SouthCarolinaLoop

WHERE TO STARTGreenville, S.C.

WHERE TO GOTake Highway 29 from Greenville to Spartan-burg (be sure to stop at Miliken Arboretum) and continue on to Chesnee via Highway 221. In Chesnee, pick up the scenic byway (aka Highway 11) and follow it through Cleveland

to its terminus near Lake Hartwell State Park. From there, follow High-way 59 to Seneca. Travel through Clemson on your way back to Greenville via Highway 123.

LENGTH208 miles to make the basic loop.

PEAK TIME FOR FOLIAGEEnd of October through early November

POINTS OF INTERESTRoger Milliken Arboretum, Camp-bell’s Covered Bridge, Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve, Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve, Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, Caesar’s Head State Park, Table Rock State

Park, Devil’s Fork State Park, Oconee State Park, Lake Hartwell State Park, The Lunney House Museum, Ballenger House, South Carolina Botanical Gardens, Greenville Zoo.

DISTINCTIVE LODGINGCabins at several state parks, Lowry House Inn, Red Horse Inn, Liberty Hall Inn, The Inn On Main.

OTHER ACTIVITIESHiking, camping, hot air ballooning, zip line canopy tours, live music, live theatre, art exhibits and more.

SOUTH CAROLINA, CHEROKEE FOOTHILLS

NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY

SOUTH CAROLINA, CHEROKEE FOOTHILLS NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAYTake the road less traveled! This shorter and lesser- known scenic route allows you more time to stop and explore South Carolina’s “Upcountry” — all while avoiding the crowds found on more popular scenic drives. In this case, less is more. From botani-cal gardens and museums to covered bridges and historic homes, there’s a lot to see along the way.

>> LEAF PEEPING, FROM PAGE 5

ONLINE RESOURCESupcountrysc.com, southcarolinaparks.com,

wofford.edu/arboretum, ballengerhouse.org, lunneyhousemuseum.org,

southcarolinabedandbreakfast.com, thelowryhouseinn.com, theredhorseinn.com,

innonmainofspartanburg.com, libertyhallinnsc.com.

Poinsett Bridge

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Table Rock

www.tupelo.net

www.upcountrysc.com

www.southcarolinaparks.com

www.wofford.edu/arboretum

www.ballengerhouse.org

www.lunneyhousemuseum.org

www.Southcarolinabedandbreakfast.com

www.thelowryhouseinn.com

www.theredhorseinn.com

www.innonmainofspartanburg.com

www.libertyhallinnsc.com



This Thanksgiving, don’t have the same old turkey and dressing with mashed potatoes, gravy and cran-berry sauce. In fact, don’t even cook at all — let someone else do it for you.

We suggest you take Thanksgiving on the road this year. And we don’t mean to grandma’s house. We’re talk-ing back to where it all began: Plym-outh, Mass.

While there are varied opinions about the details of what we consider the “first Thanksgiving” and about how we came to observe the holiday as we do, there is no mistaking that this harvest celebration has become deeply ingrained in the American experience. And there’s no mistak-ing that when it comes to Thanksgiv-

ing, you can’t get more authentic than Plymouth.

For many, Thanksgiving is a time for family, food and football — and hopefully a little gratitude thrown in. For others, it can be dealing with the odd relative who drinks too much or fielding too-personal questions from the aunt you only see once a year.

But a Thanksgiving getaway to Plymouth offers a chance to gain his-torical perspective while sightseeing in beautiful New England. There are a number of historical attractions here and plenty of Thanksgiving-themed activities. We’ve done the research and put together some suggestions on what to do and see while you’re here.

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING?Plimoth Plantation is a 17th-century-

styled English village that serves as a

living history lesson for visitors. You can shop, dine and learn about the pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. (Note that Plimoth is an older/alter-nate spelling that was used by Plym-outh Governor William Bradford. It was adopted at this recreated village in order to distinguish it from the city of Plymouth proper.)

History reveals that what we think of as the first Thanksgiving wasn’t really the first at all. The harvest celebration was an ancient tradition among both the pilgrims and the Wampanoag. Since the colonists at Plymouth had suffered through illness and a scarcity of food in the previous year, they were probably especially grateful for the harvest of 1621. And with the Wampanoag as their distin-guished guests that year, it makes for a good story, right? At any rate, you

can learn all about the history of Thanksgiving and the pilgrims’ way of life in Plymouth when you visit Pli-moth Plantation.

Plimoth Plantation also offers an array of dining options, including a Thanksgiving Day Buffet (four seat-ings), America’s Thanksgiving Din-ner (seatings on Thanksgiving day and the Friday following), Eat Like a Pilgrim (that means sans fork) and Harvest Dinner With the Pilgrims (seatings in October and November). Other dinners include the Plymouth Bay Barbecue and Cape Cod Clam-bake. Themed dining experiences incorporate pilgrim and Wampanoag role players, and some even include entertainment (singing and music of the period).

Pilgrim’s progress: Giving thanks in Plymouth, Mass.

> > PLYMOUTH, 10

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Another big attraction here is the May-flower II, a full-size replica of the ship that brought the pilgrims from England to the New World. Visitors are able to walk around areas of the ship and learn what life was like for its passengers during their 66-day journey across the Atlantic.

Billed as “America’s Hometown,” Plymouth is also home to the Portal to the Past His-toric Village, set in historic Brewster Gardens. The village is filled with recreated camps and brings the past to life with knowledge-able historians who portray people from the past and guide visitors through America’s four centuries of history. You’ll find artisans, including basketmakers, a leather worker, blacksmith and more, as well as concerts, period music and dancing. Attractions, some of which are free, include a recreated pilgrim village, the Wampagnoag Pavilion and more.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, Plym-outh holds its annual Thanksgiving Parade. It ain’t Macy’s, but it is the real deal. What could be more authentic than a Thanksgiv-ing parade held in the city known for starting Thanksgiving?

AROUND TOWNOn the waterfront at

Plymouth Harbor, near the anchored May-flower II, you’ll find Plymouth Rock, the glacial boulder that is reputed (and disputed) to be the rock that pilgrims first set foot on in 1620. The rock has been cracked, split in two and pieced back together. Parts of it were chipped off as souvenirs (before it was enclosed to protect it) and a chunk of it was removed and donated to Pilgrim Hall Museum (where you can actually touch it).

It’s not a behemoth stone but rather non-descript — except for the numerals engraved on it: 1620. While it may not be the actual surface that pilgrims first stepped foot on, it has come to symbolize freedom, strength and

fortitude. For that reason alone, we think it’s worth making your own pilgrimage to see it.

Plymouth’s Brewster Gardens is a little hid-den gem that travelers rave about. Situated next to Town Brook, which served as a water source for the pilgrims who settled along its banks, the gardens include a nature trail, sev-eral ponds, lovely landscaping and a series of statues that give a nod to the city’s pilgrim past.

Cranberry sauce is a staple of the tradi-tional Thanksgiving meal, but have you ever wondered where all those cranberries come from? A visit to this part of the country for Thanksgiving puts you here at the right time and the right place to see a cranberry bog. A sweeping sea of floating cranberries is quite beautiful, and many farms offer tours and allow guests to witness berries being harvested (weather permitting). The Cape Cod Cranberry Grower’s Association website offers information on farms, tours and more.

Take time for recreation at Myles Standish State Forest, which offers hiking and bik-ing trails, swimming, fishing, canoeing and

more. Or stop in at the First Parish Church in Plymouth, also known as “The National Memo-rial Pilgrim Church.” Dedicated in 1899, it is cited as the oldest continuously operat-ing church in the New England area. Take a tour and see the story of the pilgrims illustrated

through a series of Tiffany stained-glass win-dows.

In the nearby town of Scituate, Mass., the Scituate Historical Society manages a num-ber of historical sites, including the Cudworth House, Stockbridge Mill and the Scituate Lighthouse.

From learning the origins of Thanksgiving and exploring America’s past to experienc-ing the lifestyle of today’s New Englanders, a visit to Plymouth is a refreshing and unique Thanksgiving getaway you won’t soon forget.

PHOTOS: (INSET) Plymouth Rock (TOP TO BOTTOM) (1) A view of Plimoth Plantation. (2)The Mayflower II, a full-size replica of the original Mayflower. (3) Old Scituate Light sits on Cedar Point in Scituate, Mass., near Plymouth. GETTY IMAGES

>> PLYMOUTH, FROM PAGE 9

ONLINE RESOURCESplimoth.org, usathanksgiving.com, seeplymouth.com, cranberries.org,

scituatehistoricalsociety.org, mass.gov/eea.

www.plimouth.org

www.usathanksgiving.com

www.seeplymouth.com

www.cranberries.org

www.scituatehistoricalsociety.org

www.mass.gov/ea


the trials. Tours offer a glimpse at Colonial life and tie key events from the witch hunts to everyday life of the period.

And lest we forget the tragic loss of life these events wrought, a visit to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial might be in order. Located adjacent to The Burying Point (the city’s old-est cemetery), the memorial fea-tures 20 granite benches inscribed with the names of those who were executed.

With Salem’s historic ties to the infamous witch trials, you can find scary fun here any time of year,

but during October the city comes alive with stories of the dead. At The Witch House, “Tales at the Witch House” features actors tell-ing chilling tales in the darkened mansion. Salem’s Pioneer Village, set aglow with flickering jack-o’-lanterns, is host to performances of ghostly tales in “The Dark of Night.” Also during October, the Salem Trolley is transformed for the “Tales & Tombstones Trolley Tour,” which combines a look at Salem’s architecture with spooky stories of the paranormal.

OTHER THINGS TO DOOnce you’ve sufficiently fright-

ened yourself with tales of ghosts and witches, there are many not-so-scary points of interest to explore in Salem. The Salem Maritime National Historic Site (free) offers a look at the city’s shipbuilding history, and the Ropes Mansion Garden is a free public area featuring a Colo-nial revival garden that dates to 1912. Literary types will appreciate a visit to The House of the Seven Gables, the inspiration for Nathan-iel Hawthorne’s classic novel of the same name. And if you tire of being indoors, you can always take a stroll down Chestnut Street to admire the city’s architecture and historic land-marks.

Bell Witch Farm & CaveIf you’re from Middle Tennessee, you’ve probably heard of the Bell Witch. If you’ve never heard the story — or seen the movie An American Haunting — here’s the short version: Starting in the summer of 1817, farmer John Bell and his family were subjected to three years of torment by an unrelenting polter-geist at their Robertson County home. The spirit left following Bell’s death but vowed to return. Learn more of the story (and have loads of fun) with a haunted hayride on the Bell farm, an evening tour of the Bell Witch Cave or a visit to the Bell cabin (a purported replica of the original). In the meantime, we dare you to stand in a dark room and thrice utter the phrase “I do not believe in the Bell Witch.”

www.bellwitchcave.com615-696-3055

430 Keysburg Road, Adams, Tenn.

Regular fall hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends only. Special hours the last two weekends of October extend

to evening haunted hayrides and late-night tours of the Bell cabin

and nearby Bell Witch Cave.

Visit the replica of the Bell family cabin in Adams, Tenn. FILE / TN MEDIA

ONLINE RESOURCESwitchhistorymuseum.com, witchdungeon.com, salemwitchmuseum.com, witchhouse.info,

salemtrolley.com, hauntedhappenings.org, salemweb.com, historicnewengland.org.

>> WITCH, FROM PAGE 3

The Salem Witch Trials Memorial stands near the Old Burying Point in Salem, Mass. GETTY IMAGES

www.witchhistorymuseum.com

www.witchdungeon.com

www.salemwitchmuseum.com

www.witchhouse.info

www.salemtrolly.com

www.hauntedhappenings.org

www.salemweb.com

www.historicnewengland.org

www.bellwitchcave.com


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*Advertised prices available for bookings made electronically through your travel agent or on vacationexpress.com; small service fee of $10 applies when booking through Vacation Express Call Center. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy.Winter prices are based on 3/13-3/15 travel, Easter prices are based on 4/3-4/5 travel, Spring prices are based on 3/20-3/22 travel, Summer prices are based on 5/8-5/18 travel.. For full terms and conditions, hotel and description of all services, please referto the Vacation Express 2014 Brochure or visit vacationexpress.com. Some upgrades are subject to availability upon check-in. Packages at the above prices are limited and are subject to change without prior notice. Vacation Express public charter flightsoperated by Interjet or SwissAir. Airfares are per person, reflect lowest available airfare at time of printing, are subject to change and based upon availability of class of service. Baggage charges and allowances vary by carrier, most major carriers arecharging a fee for checked baggage. Not responsible for errors or omissions. Must book by 9/28/14.

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destinations fall 2014

Documents

salem witch museum

witch dungeon

witch house

witch era

witch way

witch history museum

halloween travel

notorious witch trials