September / October 2009
Top Stories:
Beautiful Beacons
Twelve towers, from California to Alaska, warn seagoers and welcome landlubbers.
Hawaiian Lighthouses
A string of striking beacons dot the Hawaiian islands.
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
View royal coffins, an array of mummies, and sacred amulets in San Jose's tribute to ancient Egypt.
Utah’s Highway 12: Fall Color
For spectacular autumn color, tour one of Utah’s scenic byways and drive past state and national parks, groves of aspens, and narrow rock canyons.
VIA Winner: Dream Vacation 2009
A story about a kid's special day in Disneyland won the 2009 VIA essay contest.
Kid Travel: Adventure Camp
Nine-year-old Claire Anderson ventured to Arizona, encountered a python, and interviewed a reptile expert.
Alexander Valley
A Sonoma County wine destination has rustic charm without the crowds.
Monterey Today
Explore John Steinbeck's old haunts and a world-class aquarium, cruise 17-Mile Drive, and take in a peninsula rich with California history.
Spooky City Tours
This Halloween, explore Western haunts and do some ghost-busting and witch-hunting.
Chocolate Tours
Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle offer yummy walking tours with stops at chocolate shops.
Restaurants with Gardens
Three Oregon restaurants create dishes made with produce picked fresh from their own gardens.
Wyomatoes
Luscious greenhouse tomatoes from Big Piney show up in several Wyoming restaurants.
Pinocchio Statue
Pick up a nine-inch plaster re-creation of Geppetto's wooden boy at San Francisco's new Walt Disney Family Museum."
Western Souvenirs: September/October 2009
Choose from 15 varieties of dates at China Ranch near Death Valley National Monument. Buy Hop Trip pale ale, made from hop flowers, at the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Ore. Discover Kahiltna Birchworks birch syrup at the Anchorage Market and Festival in September.
Mapmaker Will
Will Robertson talks about creating topographical maps for trails in the Rockies.
What's New in the West: September/October 2009
Check out a kid-friendly GPS device, a PBS special on national parks, Portland bike tours, and online travel itineraries in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Impressive Trees
Visit public lands in the West to see VIA readers' favorite trees.
Fence Post Art
You can see whimsical sculptures by Cory Holmes along Highway 239 between Hobson and Utica, Mont.
Travel Snacks
VIA readers share their favorite things to munch on when they're on the road.
Oregon Operetta
A madcap, three-act operetta, Oregon! Oregon! 2009, celebrates the state's 150th anniversary.
A Musical Roadway
Hear the William Tell Overture on a stretch of road in Lancaster, Calif.
VIA Online Extras S/O 09
Delve into a bounty of Pacific Coast lighthouses, great birding watching spots, and a nine-year-old's account of a National Geographic Explorers Camp in Arizona.
Member Benefits: September/October 2009
Highlights include a teen driver's DVD, fuel-efficient tires, life insurance month, a travel planner, and the Galápagos Islands.
Q&A: Ray LaHood
The United States Secretary of Transportation discusses the future of the nation's infrastructure.
President's Message: September/October 2009
Paula Downey discusses the AAA School Safety Patrol.
Weekenders:
Columbia, Calif.: Weekender
Relive the 1850s in a Sierra foothill town that is also a state historic park.
Forest Grove, Ore.
Vineyards, galleries, and good fishing draw visitors to this charming burg west of Portland.
Haystack Rock
The world's third-tallest sea stack on the Oregon's northern coast is home to puffins and crabs.
Mount Charleston, Nev.
Ancient bristlecone pine and limestone caves draw visitors to this recreation north of Las Vegas.
Yosemite's Evergreen Lodge
The renovated lodge boasts a beer garden, massage cabana, and 24 cabins.
American Indian Sites
See petroglyphs, Anasazi ruins, and other remnants of history at four locations in the West.
Missouri River Cabins
In Virgelle, Mont., you can stay overnight in original farmstead cabins.
Libby, Mont.: Weekender
The NordicFest, Moose Ridge Lodge Bed & Breakfast, and Kootenai Falls bring folks to northwest Montana.
Rocky Mountain Raptors
Each fall the Bridger Raptor Festival in the Gallatin National Forest celebrates eagles, owls, and other raptors.
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