Innehållsförteckning för August/September 2022 från Country

OHIO July 27–Aug. 7 A-list country stars are just part of the fun at this year’s fair in Columbus. Browse the fine arts exhibitions, attend the livestock and creative arts competitions and be sure to take a selfie with the cow and calf sculpted from butter (an Ohio State Fair tradition since 1903). ohiostatefair.com NEW YORK Aug. 24–Sept. 5 Home to the nation’s first state fair in 1841, Syracuse continues to host competitions in dozens of categories including delicious desserts, champion cattle and historic antique tractors. National touring acts perform on the Chevy Park Stage, where the concerts, sponsored by Chevrolet, are free with admission to the New York State Fair. nysfair.ny.gov MINNESOTA Aug. 25–Sept. 5 The Minnesota State Fair, held in St. Paul, boasts the largest daily attendance of…

THE BERRY PATCH On a hot summer day, there is no more welcoming sight than The Berry Patch, home of “the world’s largest strawberry.” Located off Highway 220 in Ellerbe, North Carolina, The Berry Patch dishes up some of the best homemade ice cream and homegrown fresh fruits and vegetables in the Carolinas. Owners Lee and Amy Berry (yes, that’s their real last name) make 20 flavors of ice cream, plus milkshakes, banana splits, sno-cones and sundaes. worldslargeststrawberry.com…

CONVENIENTLY NESTLED between Nebraska’s two largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln, Ashland is a small-town haven ripe for discovery. Fittingly, the town is named for the 19th-century Italianate estate of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay. Ashland feels like a step backward in time. Here, other drivers offer a casual, over-the-steering-wheel wave as you roll into town. Chain businesses don’t thrive in Ashland. Instead, centered along the main drag of Silver Street, unique mom-and-pop shops run by local entrepreneurs abound. Take a slow stroll along this magnetic mile and be sure to stop into the various establishments, such as Salt Creek Mercantile, Fariner Bakery and Postscript bookstore and cafe. You’ll see why roughly 2,800 residents call this tiny hamlet home and why it perfectly encapsulates midwestern charm. LOCAL ART A favorite art space,…

MUSEUM TOUR Nevada’s whirlwind history is on display at the White Pine Museum. From the Pony Express route to Native American artwork to the legacy of mining, it’s all here. Check out the museum’s satellite facility, the McGill Drugstore Museum, as well. This replica of a 1970s drugstore features shelves full of products from that era. wpmuseum.org DINNER BEHIND BARS Looking for a meal you’ll never forget? The Cellblock Steakhouse at the Jailhouse Motel and Casino gives diners a real outlaw experience. Enjoy your “last meal” in a cell outfitted with dining table and chairs. And, by the way, they will let you out when the meal is over—if you pay your check! jailhousecasino.com HISTORIC HOTEL Located just 66 miles from Great Basin National Park in the heart of downtown…

Last fall, my husband, Paul, and I explored places close to home. I found a driving route in Bedford County for the Lincoln Highway, which is known in Pennsylvania as Route 30. The Lincoln Highway was the first cross-country highway, spanning more than 3,000 miles from New York City to San Francisco. Paul likes history, so we packed snacks and headed out on a daytrip back through time. We have driven this road many times each year on our way to visit family, but it took a pandemic for us to really explore the sights that were in plain view. We saw things we’d never noticed—historical buildings, vintage gas pumps, original 1920s Lincoln Highway markers, murals on barns and much more. We learned that one of the buildings had served…

IN THE SMALL TOWN of New Florence, Pennsylvania, lies Buttermilk Falls Natural Area, a 48-acre gem once owned by Fred McFeely, grandfather of Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood fame. The park includes a 45-foot waterfall, campground, hiking trails, picnic areas and remnants of the stone foundations and retaining wall from the family’s summer estate. The waterfall is easily accessible via a short hike. From the suspension bridge at the top of the falls, hike the walkway behind the falls to feel a refreshing, light spray and hear the powerful sound of the falls up close. FRED’S FOOTSTEPS Buttermilk Falls is a worthy detour from the Fred Rogers Trail, a driving tour exploring area landmarks in the life of everyone’s favorite TV neighbor. Stop at the Fred Rogers Center at…

SAXMEN VILLAGE TOTEM PARK Alaska AGAINST THE BACKDROP of the misty and mysterious Tongass National Forest, fierce ravens, scowling bears, killer whales and more are depicted by 25 handcarved, colorful totems that make up Saxman Village Totem Park (above). A testament to the history of the Tlingit, Tsimshian and Haida peoples of southeastern Alaska, the park is the totem capital of the world, honoring the art and history of Native peoples. Today, thousands of people from all over the globe visit Saxman to learn about the poles’ history, culture and artistic symbolism through the park’s working carving sheds, Native American performances and tours. SPIRO MOUNDS Oklahoma ALIGNED PERFECTLY to capture the magic of the summer and winter solstices, the site of the Spiro Mounds in Spiro, Oklahoma (below), was once…

My wife and I have traveled to Arizona every year since we were married 50 years ago. We visited her family, but never had time to go to the Grand Canyon. I just kept adding it to my bucket list, but my bucket was overflowing and something had to be done! My wife has health problems and could not accompany me, so I talked my 68-year-old sister, Wanda, along with her 70-year-old husband, Milt, into undertaking this bucket list item with me. (She later claimed temporary insanity when asked why she did it.) We had to apply for the permit four months in advance since the National Park Service issues only a few backcountry permits for camping in the Grand Canyon. (A permit is required for camping but not for…

It was an exceptional autumn day in northeastern Nevada, marked by cool, dry evenings and plenty of sunshine. My husband, Ronnie Joe, or R.J. for short, and I were headed to Great Basin National Park just a few hours away from our home in Elko, Nevada. The park is the crown jewel of the Great Basin, a vast semiarid region that includes Nevada, half of Utah, and parts of Wyoming, California and Oregon. The park encapsulates all that is unique to the Great Basin with its remote location, ancient forests, uncommon internal drainage, high altitudes, incredible vistas and fantastic night skies. As we neared the park, I thought of the incredible images I would capture while there. R.J., a degreed “rock-licker” (otherwise known as a geologist), was likely thinking about…

AFTER 25 YEARS of marriage, Bob West of Clayton, Missouri, goes with the flow when his wife, Kathy, comes up with a new idea. One day about five years ago, Kathy announced that they should buy a vintage camper. Fast forward to today and the couple has now completed two camper restorations and joined Tin Can Tourists, a club founded more than a century ago to promote camping and the joy of vintage camper ownership. “I have fun with it,” Kathy says. “We are doing so many things and seeing so many places we would have never seen otherwise.” Bob isn’t sure how he got roped into two camper restorations. But he’s enjoying the adventure and the chance to meet new people. “You pull up anywhere in one of these vintage…

IN THE WINTER OF 1805, members of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery expedition built the log walls of Fort Clatsop to shield themselves from howling winds and pelting rain. After they departed in March 1806, the fort deteriorated. Today, you can visit a replica, based on William Clark’s sketches, at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Astoria, Oregon, where the challenging days of the intrepid explorers come alive. During summer’s peak visitor season, see reenactments of life in the early 1800s as you watch the buckskin-clad rangers demonstrate tasks such as hide tanning and candle making. Make a day of it by hiking the park’s 14.5 miles of trails, and check out replica dugouts at the historical canoe landing. Leashed pets are allowed. HISTORY ON DISPLAY…

1890 Saving the sequoias in California’s Yosemite Valley was one of the state’s earliest conservation victories. 2016 Today’s visitors see General Sherman from behind a fence, which protects the tree’s shallow roots. WHAT’S IN A NAME? Rancher and former Civil War soldier James Wolverton, who served under Gen. William T. Sherman, named the giant tree. ANCIENT ROOTS Experts estimate the tree is at least 2,000 years old—middle-aged for a sequoia. UTOPIAN SOCIETY In 1885, a socialist colony made the forest their home and briefly lived there until 1890, when Sequoia National Park was created. GETTING THERE Two short paved trails lead to the tree. It’s also accessible via a shuttle. nps.gov/seki…