Holiday Travel USA

Destinations for Friends and Family

Cultural Heritage and Local Museums give meaning and purpose to the objects on display in museums and art galleries as they disclose the historical and archaeological heritage of a community, leverage conservation and the rediscovery of cultural heritage through the arts, history, archaeology, literature and architecture, preserve biodiversity and rediscover cultures associated with agricultural, coastal and river communities.

Local Food Wineries and Breweries There are several fascinating examples throughout America of a resurgence in farming that cater to an ever increasing demand for local, quality and sustainable food, wine and ale consumption in both urban, rural and suburban communities.

Experience Local Atmospheres in American Communities with Historical and Sustainable Attractions

The North East and Atlantic Coast Destinations Vermont Upstate New York Hudson Delaware and Susquehanna River Trails Hershey Harrisburg Bucks County Lehigh and Brandywine Valley Maryland Virginia Historic Towns Washington DC.

From the Northeast Atlantic to the Pacific Northwest Traveling from Pennsylvania and New York to Mid America Oregon and Washington.

The US Gulf and South Atlantic City Breaks New Orleans Mobile Savannah Charleston Ashville and Charlotte.

The American West the Pacific Coast Lake Tahoe Deserts and the Rocky Mountains.

Rockies and Texas Trails Traveling along the Continental Divide Montana Wyoming Colorado Arizona and Texas.

American Preservation Towns heritage tourism cultural preservation and historic local resources. 

River Coastal and Lake Itineraries Historic Cultural and Culinary Traditions along America’s Waterways.

The US Midwest and the Great Lakes Travel Hubs and Itineraries in Illinois Iowa and South Dakota.

Southern Towns Itinerary a Journey along the South Atlantic to the Gulf Coast and up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers Richmond Asheville Charleston Savannah Mobile New Orleans Mississippi River Memphis Nashville Louisville.

Riding the Empire Builder Train from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest

La Crosse Red Wing St Paul Portland and Seattle

The Empire Builder travels daily between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest along major portions of the Lewis and Clark trail with views of the Mississippi River, the North Dakota plains, the Big Sky country in Montana and Glacier National Park. Seattle is reached via Spokane; alternatively, the train follows the Columbia River Gorge toward Portland.

The National Park Service and Amtrak Trails & Rails Natural and Cultural Heritage

The Train Service runs in both directions and travel time is 45 hours at an average speed of 50 mph - 80 km/h. Inaugurated in 1929, the Empire Builder was named in honor of James J Hill and is the most popular long-distance train in the Amtrak system with 65% of operating costs covered by fare revenue. Ridership is nearly 500 thousand passengers/year.

Bike Racks are Installed Aboard the Empire Builder

Recommended Town Visits and Stopovers

La Crosse is located at the intersection of the Black, La Crosse and Mississippi rivers in Western Wisconsin in a broad plain between the river bank and the tall bluffs typical of the Driftless area. It was named from the game with sticks - lacrosse in French - played by local Native Americans. It was further settled during the middle of the 19^th century with completion of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad.

The River Towns of southeast Minnesota are located 60 miles from the Twin Cities. Winona is an arts and cultural center with three major galleries that hold works by Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet that depict lakes, oceans and rivers. The Garvin Heights overlook features panoramic views of the town and Mississippi River Valley. Follow the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway to New Ulm and experience Old World German heritage through unique architecture, restaurants and shops selling German imports, from chocolates to cuckoo clocks. A traditional Glockenspiel features figures from the town’s history.

Red Wing is in the Mississippi River Valley flanked by rolling bluffs. The town is a leading manufacturer of leather, pottery and Red Wing Shoes and is named for the Native American Chief who first met a US Army Officer in 1805. Tucked between bluffs and the river, Red Wing has many historic Victorian properties and farmhouses, including the St James hotel that dates to the 1880s. It overlooks the Mississippi River near the 1904 Amtrak Depot, home to an art gallery and a visitor center.

Minnesota means clear blue water from the Dakota language. Nearly 60 percent of the population lives in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the center of transportation, business, industry, education, government and an internationally renowned arts community. The remainder of the Land of 10,000 Lakes consists of western prairies, forests in the southeast and mining, forestry, and recreation.

Riding the Empire Builder Travel Itinerary

Reduce Travel Times and Costs on Your American Vacation or Business Trip

Environment Friendly Destinations and Vacations

Portland is located between the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean at the northern end of the Willamette Valley and river which flows through the city and links with the Columbia River. The citizens and their local government are notable for: land-use planning, local transport, environment conscious policies, high walkability, a large number bicyclists and ten thousand acres of public parks Read More

 

Neighborhoods Planning Development Sustainability and Local Transport

Seattle’s first major industry was logging; by the late 19^th century the city also became a commercial and shipbuilding center as a gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. In the 1940s, Boeing established Seattle as a center for aircraft manufacturing and, beginning in the 1980s, the area developed as a technology center with companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

Industry and Commerce Itineraries

Destinations where History is Still Being Made

Itineraries designed for American families and friends from abroad interested in experiencing the past, present and future of industrial and commercial development in key regions of the United States.

From Farming and Manufacturing to Services and Sustainability

Several American Communities are transitioning from traditional industrial and commercial activities to technologically innovative ones; in some instances, they are also able to re-establish their traditional economic activities with a successful application of the so called knowledge economy and, in the process, becoming once again competitive in the world marketplace.

Communications Training Small Business and Entrepreneurship

There are several reasons why a community’s traditional economy can succeed in a post-industrial environment. Among them are: the utilization of modern communications technology, updating existing industrial infrastructure, training of the local workforce and the participation of small businesses with the support of local government that often leads to new entrepreneurial opportunities as well.

Preserving and Divulging a Community Cultural Heritage with Local Museums

The travel services industry often plays a key role in generating economic multipliers in a community and Local Museums contribute to local economic development and are a key point of reference in telling the local story that links the past with the future:

Baltimore was the first and remains among the most successful efforts at redeveloping a downtown area. The Inner Harbor is a major travel destination and home to a unique museum made up of historic ships that have served the local community and the nation over time.

Nearby, Maryland’s Capital of Annapolis is a great example of a small town with a tourism vocation as demonstrated by museums that tell us about colonial America and life on the Chesapeake Bay.

In Hershey, the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum traces America’s love affair with the automobile and its cultural and economic contributions, ranging from drive-in movies, to gas stations, diners, shopping malls and long distance business and vacation travel.

In Chicago the Central Manufacturing District CMD a logistics and business incubator that focuses on advanced food production methods energy efficient off-grid and resilient neighborhoods

And out West, museums in Colorado Springs help define a thriving arts and culture scene and retrace for us the many industrial activities, from mining to construction and the Gold Rush, along with a compelling story of transportation, from horses to rail – local and intercity – to air and space.

Local Food Wineries Breweries and a Travel Economy

There are several fascinating examples throughout America of a resurgence in farming that cater to an ever increasing demand for local, quality and sustainable food, wine and ale consumption:

 

In the Washington, DC area, both in the US capital city and its suburban communities, a unique local economy driven by government spending has also fueled the development of downtown and neighborhood construction. This in turn has spawned a demand for nightlife and weekend amenities for both a highly educated and environmentally conscious local population and out of town visitors.

In the Maryland suburbs, the community of Silver Spring has undergone such a transformation and is excellent base from which travelers can take in the sights and monuments of the capital as well as the Potomac River Trails and the coastal communities along Chesapeake Bay.

Similar experiences that provide a uniquely local eno-gastronomical atmosphere with historical and sustainable attractions are present in Southeastern Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia Neighborhoods and Hershey Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River Valley.

Arts Culture and the Environment

Some communities have been in the forefront of land conservation, historic preservation, arts movements that celebrates land and landscapes and water resources management initiatives: 

In the Lehigh Valley, the local culture draws from the Moravian settlements experience in which all men were equal; a broad cultural environment in which music, art, education and religious tolerance flourished, as evidenced by the communal dwellings, churches and industrial structures.

The Brandywine Valley, facing an industrial development that would impact a largely rural community, focused on Development & Conservancy Issues, including floodplain areas that threatened to devastate water supplies in parts of the Delaware River Valley. Local residents bought endangered land and initiated conservation easements that now protect five and one-half miles along the Brandywine River. 

In the city of Philadelphia, the waterfront is now a 6 mile walking and biking destination. Trail features include streetscape improvements along the entire waterfront trail, a bi-directional bikeway, pedestrian walkway and rain gardens that collect the first inch of storm water, relieving the city sewer system during major weather events, as well as benches, bike racks, decorative street pavers and innovative solar trail lighting. Center City offers a thriving culture and entertainment scene as well as contemporary arts museum with training programs and study tours for students, aspiring artists and family traveling.   

Dallas is the first ISO 14001 certified city in the US - the international environmental standard which sets environmental goals for organizations and communities – and among the first to adopt a green building program that now boasts 5 LEED Gold, 1 LEED-EB Silver and 2 certified buildings. New projects in the city include pedestrian-friendly parks such as Main Street Garden, Belo Garden and the Klyde Warren Park. Dallas also is home to the Trinity River Audubon Center, a LEED certified building with many sustainable features: a vegetated roof, rainwater collection system, energy efficient systems and recycled materials.