MAY/JUNE 2004 

What’s Inside: 

Roadside Reflections . . . . 2 

Byway Ideas - Working 
Beyond State Borders . . . 2 

Capital Corner . . . . . . . . .3 

Colorado Grassroots 
Training Program . . . . . . .6 

Nevadans Host 
Mikhail Gorbachev . . . . . .7 

America’s BywaysTM 
Designation: So, You Want 
to Join the Collection? Let 
the Nominations Begin! . . . 8 

Web Marketing: Send 
Media-Ready Photos . . . . .9 

Mobil Travel Guide’s 
Partnership with the 
National Scenic Byways 
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 

The National Scenic Byways 
Program Announces New 
National Scenic Byways 
Community Web Site . . .11 

New Radio Transmitter Units 
Now On Seaway Trail . . .11 


Published in cooperation 
with the Federal Highway 
Administration by: 

America’s BywaysTM 
Resource Center 

Arrowhead Regional 
Development Commission 
227 West First Street 
Suite 610 
Duluth, MN 55802 
1-800-4BYWAYS, Ext. 5 



Historic Roads: 
Legacies of the Past 

A Conversation with Richard F. Weingroff 
Information Liaison Specialist, 
Federal Highway Administration 

Editor’s Note: 
We’ve been anticipating the 
publication of From Milestones to 
Mile-Markers for some time and 
have shared previews of it in previous 
issues of Vistas as well as at National 
Scenic Byways Conferences. To get 
another perspective on the significance 
of historic roads, we had a conversation 
with Richard Weingroff, Information 
Liaison Specialist with the Federal 
Highway Administration. 

Some of us remember history lessons 
as dull discussions about dates and 
names. Read on! Richard reminds 
us that history, particularly that of 
our roads, includes lessons of 
action, change and travel in the 
past and toward the future. 


Describe your background and 
interest in historic roads. 

After I began my job as a writer 
with the Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA) in 1973, 
my work occasionally called for me 
to research questions about highway 
history in response to inquiries from 
the public. During the 1980s, I 
decided to combine my interest in 
American history with my work by 
becoming an “unofficial historian” 
for the agency. Since then, I’ve 
researched the history of our agency, 
which dates to 1893, the evolution 
of highway legislation and the 
Interstate System, and the many 
historic roads that have played key 
roles in our evolution. My real job, 
however, is Information Liaison 
Specialist (translation: writer) 
in the Office of Infrastructure, 
which hosts the Highway History 
Web site where you can find 
most of my articles at: 
www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/ 
history.htm. 

Although I’m not part of the 
FHWA’s scenic Byways team, I’ve 
been involved with scenic Byways 
as a writer from the start. When the 
Intermodal Surface Transportation 
Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) 
authorized the National Scenic 
Byways Program, I helped with 
correspondence, articles and 
speeches. I remember thinking 
that this is going to be the most 
popular program coming out of 
ISTEA. It took a little time to get 
off the ground, but the program now 
has the critical mass of designated 
America’s Byways to gain an identity 
outside the scenic Byways community. 


What defines a historic 
road for FHWA and why 
are they significant? 

“Historic road” is a broad term. It 
encompasses roads that played a 
significant part in our nation’s 
history, such as the National Road, 
the Oregon Trail and U.S. 80 
between Selma and Montgomery, 
Alabama; our most famous 
twentieth-century highways—such 
as Historic U.S. Route 66 and the 
Lincoln Highway; and roads that 
don’t seem historic but are, such 
as the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 
Merritt Parkway or California 1. 
But it also covers lesser-known 
roads—the county roads, the 
ridge roads, the remnants of the 
nineteenth-century turnpikes, the 
named trails of the early twentieth 
century, and the U.S. numbered 
routes. Even some of the Interstate 
highways can be considered historic. 
However, being old isn’t enough. 
Some old roads are more interesting 
than others. It helps to have 
supporters interested in studying its 
history, traveling the road, searching 
for its variants and putting its story 
in the context of its times and our 
broader national history. 

Roads are significant in their own 
time because of their transportation 
value. Driving to work today, you 
don’t think of the roads you use 
as historic even though they, too, 
have histories. The Dust Bowl 
refugees using U.S. Route 66 in the 
1930s to get to California weren’t 
thinking, “Wow, this road really 
reflects the times in which we live.” 
But from the humblest dirt path to 
the multilane Interstate, they are 
all part of the continuing economic, 
political, social and recreational 
history of our nation. 

What is significant about 
the National Scenic Byways 
Program’s historic intrinsic 
quality for Byways? 

This is a good question because 
“scenic” implies an interest in 
beautiful highways that, like sunsets 
or great art, are feasts for the eye. 
So it’s important to emphasize that 
beautiful highways, such as the 
Going to the Sun Road in Glacier 
National Park, are only one type of 
scenic byway. Historic is another. 
As our scenic Byway policy puts it, 
roads gain a historic quality if they 
encompass “legacies of the past 
that are distinctly associated with 
physical elements of the landscape, 
whether natural or manmade, that 
are of such historic significance 
that they educate the viewer and 
stir an appreciation for the past.” 
In short, and the more we know 
about a historic road, the more 
our journey takes on a meaning it 
otherwise would not have had. 

Merritt Parkway, Connecticut. Credit: America’s Byways Resource Center. 

...the more we know about a historic road, 
the more our journey takes on a meaning 
it otherwise would not have had. 

– Richard F. Weingroff, Information Liaison Specialist, Federal Highway Administration 
You’ve read the book on 
historic roads that was just 
published by America’s 
Byways Resource Center. Can 
you share some tips on how 
Byway organizations could 
best use this information? 

From Milestones to Mile-Markers 

contains a readable highway history 
that will help organizations find the 
context for their road. In addition, 
it describes the steps that supporters 
can use to study the history of their 
road, present a story that will interest 
others, create the momentum for 
scenic byway designation and 
preserve its intrinsic values— and 
encourage travelers to stop by and 
have a look. These concepts are 
illustrated by examples that will 
help readers put ideas into practice. 

We’ve been training people 
involved with America’s 
Byways to tell compelling 
stories. If your audience was 
a classroom of elementary 
school children, what 

compelling story might you 
tell them so they would 
understand the importance 
of preserving historic roads? 

Children have a hard time 
visualizing the past or understanding 
how it shapes their actions today. 
The key is to relate history— 
whether of roads or any other 
topic—to their own lives so they 
can see links that are meaningful to 
them. I might, therefore, start by 
talking about the roads and vehicles 
we use today, then back up to show 
the roads and vehicles their moms 
and dads used when they were 
children, and their grandparents, 
and so on into the past. At some 
point I would get to the funny 
pictures of cars and horses stuck 
in the mud in the early twentieth 
century, and the interesting 
pictures of families crossing the 
country in a covered wagon. In this 
way, we can emphasize where 
children fit in to the story, and 
how their clothes and lives were 

different from children today. 
There were, for example, no 
child safety seats in the covered 
wagons—the children usually 
walked along with the oxen. 

Another approach would be to 
explain how our roads fit into the 
subjects they are studying. For 
example, if they are studying the 
American Revolution or the Civil 
War, they will learn about the key 
personalities and battles. However, 
the soldiers’ experience between 
battles, which was most the time, 
was that of a traveler on the 
primitive roads of the day. And 
road conditions often played a part 
in when the battles were fought as 
well as the outcome of the battles. 

Finally, the most important thing 
I would want children to learn 
from elementary school is a love 
of reading. If I could find a book 
about my topic that was written 
for children, I would try to work 
it into my presentation. 


What compelling story can 
you share with our audience 
that helps Byways or travelers 
understand and appreciate 
historic roads? 

Since most people are unfamiliar 
with highway history, I would 
relate the roads to historic, social 
or other events people know 
about. This is already happening 
as people combine American 
history and roads into a Civil War 
battlefield tour, such as the Road 
to Appomattox in Virginia, or 
the Civil Rights tour that takes 
travelers along the roads where 
African-Americans fought for 
equal rights, such as the Pettus 
Bridge and U.S. 80 in Alabama. 
Whether it’s Route 66 or a local 
road that grew with your city, it 
can be linked to history or a story 
people may be more familiar with 
than the history of the road itself. 

It’s important to remember that 
a road has two histories. The 
first is how it came to be built— 
the legislation, the backers, the 
controversies over location, the 
asphalt or concrete used, and so 
on. The second is the life of the 
highway after it opens. That’s 
often the most interesting part 
because it’s usually the part that 
a narrator can more easily relate 
to our history and our lives. 


Although there are dozens, 
tell me three must-have 
resources that Byway groups 
should know about if they are 
dealing with a historic road. 

First, find your research tools. From 
Milestones to Mile-Markers is a great 
starting point. Also, our Office of 
Infrastructure highway history Web 
site has an extensive bibliography 
and links to other Web sites. 

Historical societies often are a 
hidden treasure of information, 
as are public libraries. By the way, 
don’t just rely on the catalog—ask 
the librarian about resources that 
haven’t been catalogued. 

Second, know the basics—keep a 
file on the rules, regulations and 
policies you will have to satisfy to 
accomplish what you want. These 
may be federal laws, such as the 
National Historic Preservation Act 
or information on possible revenue 
sources, such as transportation 
enhancement funds under the 
federal-aid highway program. But 
they also will include state, county 
and municipal requirements, such 
as procedures for scenic byway 
designation. Having a Good Idea 
isn’t enough—you also have to 
know how to turn a Good Idea 
into a Successful Idea. 

Finally, you need a people index. 
Who are the government officials 
you need to persuade? Which civic 
leaders might be able to help you? 
Classify the people who express 
interest in your idea—some people 
will like an idea but not help, while 
others will commit the time and 
resources to make the idea happen. 
Then work your index. Make the 
phone calls, hold the bake sales, 
rally the troops. 

One other resource, if I can call it 
that, is flexibility. As the examples 
in Milestones illustrate, there’s 
always a fork in the road—and 
many paths to success. No one 
approach is right all the time. So be 
prepared to change how you work 
with other people, organizations, 
and agencies, and even within your 
own core group of supporters. 
Remember, the goal is success, 
not proving you’re right. 


Do you think interest in 
historic roads will grow? 

Absolutely. Historic roads have a 
great future. National interest in 
the best-known roads has been 
growing, while the National Scenic 
Byways Program has been nurturing 
interest on a broader spectrum.

PHOTO 1: 

PHOTO 2:
 
PHOTO 3: 



Roadside Reflections 

by Michelle Johnson, Deputy Director, 
America’s BywaysTM Resource Center 

One of those special magical 
moments happened the 
other day. A heart-stopping, 
tear-inducing moment when 
your hard work pays off. In my 
case, it was the moment when I 
finally connected with my little 
boy. Maybe you know the feeling. 
You spent months saying words 
and making noises for your little 
ones to mimic. And one day, when 
you least expect it, they say it: 
Mama. Dada. Those first words 
are golden. Wyatt hadn't been 
interested in communicating, 
unless yelling counts. So we’ve 
been working on teaching 
sounds his little fifteen-month 
brain can register. Like bear 
growls or puppy woofs. His twin, 
Tucker, has been growling for 
months. He can even chatter 
like a monkey. So the other day 
when Wyatt responded to my 
question about bears with a 
growl, I was thrilled! 

Believe it or not, this is the same 
magic we strive for in presenting 
our training workshops. We’re 
not giving vocabulary lessons 
and the magic is not the same 
as a baby’s first word, but it’s 
magic just the same. After 
our first Power Workshop in 
Charlotte, one of the trainers 
came up to me and told me 
that her favorite moment is the 
“a-ha” at the end of the session. 
Participants listen to the trainers, 
apply new knowledge and a 
magic moment happens 
when connections are made. 
Empowering people to make a 
difference back home in their 
community and along their 
Byways continues to be a magic 
moment for us and energizes us 
to work that much harder. 

One of the things that continues 
to impress me is the depth of 
passion that exists in the Byway 
program. It’s perpetual magic for 
me. During one of the workshop 
sessions, a participant was asked 
to describe the essence of his 
Byway. He said, “It’s home.” Two 
very simple words that mean so 
much. To that Byway leader, the 
magic and beauty of his Byway is 
clear and meaningful. It inspires 
me to visit his Byway and learn 
more about his special drive. 

We make the moment possible, 
and the rest is up to you. Those 
of you who have joined us for 
the Power Workshops know that 
we are teaching and sharing skills 
that you and your organization 
will be able to use for a lifetime. 
These skills are foundations for 
success. We’ve discovered that the 
keys to a successful organization 
include planning for the future, 
nurturing new leaders within the 
organization and discovering, 
managing and sharing the magic 
of your Byway. We expect those 
that participated in the workshops 
will implement their new 
knowledge and take strides 
towards a sustained future. We’d 
love to hear your successes and 
how the workshop has made a 
difference for your organization. 
And if you run into roadblocks, 
be sure to give us a call. We are 
just at the other end of the line. 

New knowledge expands your 
horizons the way nothing else 
can. And we continually work at 
providing you with information 
and resources. The community 
Web site (www.bywaysonline.org) 
has a new, clean look that is 
easy to navigate. There are 
more opportunities to share 
information, including discussion 
forums. We are so pleased to 
announce our newest publication, 

Milestones to Mile-markers: 
Understanding Historic Roads. 
Talk about a magic moment! 
The National Trust for Historic 
Preservation is a knowledgeable 
and supportive partner for the 
National Scenic Byways Program. 
Special thanks to Paul Dan 
Marriott, our principal contributor 
for the publication. Copies of the 
book will be distributed to Byway 
leaders and state coordinators. 
Keep an eye on your mailbox. 

Now that my boys have mastered 
growls and monkey chatter we 
can learn more difficult noises 
like meows and woofs. Pretty 
soon we will practice words and 
then sentences, and before I 
know it they'll be correcting 
Mama. Maybe they can write 
Roadside Reflections for me?? 


LAST CALL! 

There is only one more chance 
for you to work out with our 
trainers. The last Power Workshop 
is August 3-5, 2004 in Boise, 
Idaho, and if you are lucky 
there will be a seat available. To 
register, download the form at 
www.bywaysonline.org and fax 
to Jeanine Buck at 218.625.3333. 
 


Byway Ideas - Working
Beyond State Borders 

Where in the world are the 
Mavens? In this, the second 
meeting of the Four Corners 
State Scenic Byways 
Coordinators, Laurie Evans 
(NM), Kathie Knapp (AZ), 
Margaret Godfrey (UT) and 
Sally Pearce (CO) found 
themselves at Bryce Canyon 
National Park. The “mobile 
meeting” traveled Utah’s 
Highway 12, a designated 
All-American Road. The 
two-day tour took in two 
national parks, one national 
monument, one national 
recreation area and three 
state parks. Last summer, the 
group's first meeting traveled 
the San Juan Skyway, an 
All-American Road in 
Colorado. These meetings 
provide a great opportunity 
to network with each other, 
meet leaders of local byway 
organizations, as well as share 
ideas, develop joint projects, 
help with problem solving and 
coordinate face-to-face about 
Byways that overlap state 
borders. The next meeting is 
scheduled for the Grand Canyon 
in Arizona where the “Mavens” 
will meet with the Board of 
Directors of the Grand Circle 
Association to discuss a joint 
four-state marketing project. 



CAPITAL CORNER 

Contributed by the American Recreation Coalition 

The previous issue of Vistas 
contained several articles 
addressing the growing problem of 
obesity in America. Poor nutrition 
and lack of exercise are commonly 
cited as the primary reasons for our 
overweight society. The younger 
generation is especially vulnerable 
to the twin hazards of bad eating 
habits and too much focus on 
electronic entertainment, be it 
TV or computers. Recent studies 
confirm that new electronic 
technologies are a significant 
competitor to traditional leisure 
activities like bicycling, hiking and 
other forms of exercise enjoyed in the 
outdoors. This competition differs 
from the advent of the television 
50 years ago, primarily because 
video games, instant messaging and 
Web surfing involve more intense 
interaction and are very compelling 
alternatives to outdoor recreation. 

For those of us who believe that 
active outdoor pursuits should 
not be pushed aside by these new 
technologies, one fruitful response 
is to identify ways by which outdoor 
activities can be combined with 
or benefit from technology. This 
course of action is likely to be 
especially promising in addressing 
the decline in outdoor activities 
among America’s youth and young 
adults—people who are immersed 
in these new technologies. 

The American Recreation Coalition 
has developed a list of 20 examples 
of how technology can be an ally of 
quality outdoor experiences—and 
to management of recreational 
activities on public lands, as well. 
The first computer technology-based 
idea is one we’ve promoted before 
to the Byways community: Byways 
Virtual Tours. ARC is currently 
managing a project that will bring 
10 new and improved Byway 
Virtual Tours online over the next 
several months. A Tele-Workshop 
is planned in June to discuss this 
effort in detail. Here is our list of 
techno-ideas for outdoor recreation. 
We’d love to have your feedback 
and to hear your ideas on this topic. 

1) Scenic Byways Virtual Tours: 
As you “fly” over a high-resolution 
aerial photograph on your computer 
screen, an audio narration describes 
the corridor and icons of key features 
—from trails to campgrounds to 
museums to boat ramps—appear. 
Clicking on any of the icons brings 
up detailed information and visual 
image, and allows actions such as 
developing a custom travel itinerary 
or making a campground reservation. 
Go to http://demo.byways.org 
for a demonstration of the alpha 
phase of the Byway Virtual Tour 
for Logan Canyon National 
scenic Byway.

2) Trail and River Virtual Tours: 
The same concept as above, 
applied to trails and rivers and 
other corridors.

3) Webcams: Widely used by 
ski areas and newly available for 
key national park sites, Webcams 
provide real-time information 
on weather, foliage conditions, 
crowding, etc.

4) PDA field guides to trees, 
flowers, wildlife: Downloaded 
for specific areas/sites, this is a 
twenty-first-century adaptation 
of favorite printed guides. Santa 
Monica Mountains NRA and the 
Discovery Channel are working 
on a pilot of this concept. 

5) GPS-triggered interpretation 
on DVDs/CDs: This technology 
could take the place of cassette 
tape tours, which have limited 
versatility and capacity, and are 
difficult to update. 

6) Downloadable up-to-the 
minute maps: These maps would 
show key features and restrictions 
(fires, motorized/mechanical 
activities, permits required, 
overnight camping, etc.). 

and other information to be played 
in private vehicles driving through 
public lands. 

7) Geo-caching: Uses GPS units 
to find hidden objects (and uses 
the communications links vital to 
geo-caching to prevent disturbances 
of sensitive areas and to promote 
a cache-in/trash-out ethic). This 
activity is becoming very popular 
with the younger generations. 
See www.geocaching.com. 

8) Wildlife- and bird-watching 
databases: Recording of 
observations by date/time/location 
with GPS units and organized into 
GIS to provide visitor guidance on 
likely opportunities. 

9) Software that integrates 
photos and sound clips with 
GPS-identified locations: Users 
could create electronic trip tales. 

10) Wireless transmission of 
interpretive data: Information 
sent to vehicles, phones and PDAs. 

11) Downloadable multilingual 
interpretive programs for PDAs 
at public lands portals. 

12) Multilingual CDs: Offered 
at entry points to key federal 
areas (sponsored by non-profit 
or for-profit partners) with 
interpretive information, safety
and other infoarmation to be played
in private vehicles through
public lands. 

13) Audible and visual 
warnings through GPS units 
and GPS-enabled PDAs: Alerts 
received when crossing into zones 
with key restrictions (temporary 
or permanent), including fires, 
motorized/mechanical travel 
restrictions, etc. (rough analogy 
to invisible fences for pets). 

14) Interpretive Recording 
(IR) systems along heavily 
used trails: Allows “talking 
trees” (analogy to museums). 

15) GPS units that can record 
travel during a visit and then 
be downloaded into a GIS 
system that can produce a 
map-based souvenir: Depicts 
the visit with information on 
distance traveled, ascent/descent 
information and more. 

16) Web sites that use visuals 
(and especially video clips) 
to catalyze visits: Virtual Tour 
Byways will be supplied with 
information enabling them 
to create panoramic pictures. 
These shots can provide seasonal 
360-degree-views of key places 
along the Byway. 

17) Training classes at federal 
recreation sites on use of 
GPS, digital cameras, etc., 
and availability of rentals 
of needed equipment via 
permittees/concessioners. 

18) Downloadable tours for 
GPS units and GPS-enabled 
PDAs, especially for cultural and 
historic sites, that direct visitors 
without the cost and impact of 
signs, allow customization of tours, 
and can direct visitors away from 
threatened and overused sites.

19) Integration of passes and 
mini-CDs into one item, giving 
the pass added value. 

20) Downloadable and 
unique “souvenirs” at key 
physical sites: These include 
photos or electronic postcards, 
which would be collected by avid 
outdoors enthusiasts. 

More and more, we need to look for 
opportunities to weave in technology 
solutions that work for visitors and 
managers. Byways can be a catalyst 
for bringing people outdoors, both 
to enjoy healthy pursuits and to 
build the next generation of stewards 
of our nation’s lands, waters and 
cultural treasures.




two to four frontline employees. two to four frontline employees. 


tact the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Program directly (see below). 


Colorado Grassroots Training Program 

Editor’s Note: America’s Byways Resource Center encourages 
networking and learning opportunities between Byways and 
coordinators to create a better 
program. This article serves to help facilitate that 
exchange. For specific information or details regarding 
the Colorado Grassroots Training Program, please con


Tired of regular old hospitality 
training programs? Want to leave 
your paper and pencils at home 
and have some real fun? Then 
you’ll want to learn more about 
the Colorado Grassroots Training 
Program. Similar to hospitality 
training, the Colorado program 
teaches byway representatives how 
to train visitor center volunteers, 
frontline hotel, restaurant and retail 
employees and members of the 
community who regularly interact 
with travelers about the interpretive 
message, resource protection and 
ethics of the scenic byway and 
the community. 

A series of fast-moving activities 
train locals to create both emotional 
and intellectual connections with 
travelers, to connect the interests of 
travelers with meaningful places, 
and to articulate a deep pride in 
the area. Participants identify 
specific elements of their byway 
that are unique and exceptional; 
understand what resources have 
been protected to date; and learn 
how to share the ethics of the 
community with the traveling 
public. The training also teaches 
active listening techniques and how 
to use existing interpretive tools. 

During specially designed training 
sessions, participants may play 
“Preservation Bingo,” “Pin the 
Tail on Maslow’s Hierarchy,” piece 
together a puzzle of a byway’s 
protected historic sites, or sort 
commercial postcards to learn about 
how historic sites and landscapes 
are protected. Some sessions are 
designed for employees new to the 
travel industry; others mount new 
challenges to owners and managers 
with more experience. 

As part of the training, you can 
find out how well frontline staff 
is informed about what there is 
to see and do on your byway by 
pitting their knowledge against 
local experts playing a trivial 
pursuit-style board game. Byway 
Road Trip questions are designed 
so that byway organizations write 
their own answers. Categories 
include Attractions, Historic 
Sites, Natural History, Ethics and 
Frequently Asked Questions. The 
board game can be used at any 
place of business and played with 

The training manual is set up to 
allow byway organizations to tailor 
the activities to local situations 
anywhere in the country. A quick 
reference matrix outlines each 
activity including the concept, 
suggested training sequences, local 
trainer experience requirements, 
preparation time, activity time and 
required supplies—some of which 
come directly from the training kit; 
others must be created locally. 

Development of the grassrootstraining 
program is funded through 
the Colorado Scenic and Historic 
Byways Program, the National 
Scenic Byways Program and the 
Colorado Historical Society. Pilot 
training has been conducted in 
communities along the San Juan 
Skyway, an All-American Road, 
and throughout the Southwest 
Colorado Travel Region. 

For more information, contact: 

Sally Pearce 
Colorado Scenic and Historic 
Byways Program Coordinator 

Colorado Department 
of Transportation 
4201 East Arkansas, EP 606 
Denver, CO 80222 

Phone: 303-757-9786 
E-mail: sally.pearce@dot.state.co.us 

BOX;
NEW HOSPITALITY TRAINING THAT YOUR BYWAY CAN USE 

The Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Program has been working on a 
grassroots mobile training program aimed at giving byways a chance to 
educate frontline staff, community leaders and themselves about the assets 
and values of their byway. The program has been field tested in communities 
in Colorado; however, it is applicable to byways anywhere. The initial 
test trainings were very successful and those test byways are continuing to 
use the package in their long-term outreach goals.  



Nevadans Host Mikhail Gorbachev 
by Mary Beth Seibert, American
Recreation Coalition 

People with good ideas and 
successful track records are 
seldom content maintaining the 
status quo. They like to shake 
things up, go for a bigger and 
better piece of the pie, and build 
on past successes by “going for it” 
from a new angle. Get the right 
people together, and the new 
angle might take you on a sharp 
turn to a different continent. 

When Bob Miller was Governor 
of Nevada, he strongly supported 
the efforts of Tom Tait, his state 
tourism director, to develop a 
state byway program and to 
market scenic byways in the 
state. During their tenure, two 
Nevada Byways (the Strip in 
Las Vegas and East Tahoe Drive) 
were designated as National 
Scenic Byways. Tom Tait also 
lent his expertise in tourism 
matters to several countries in 
Eastern Europe, serving as a 
guest consultant under a special 
exchange program. 

Today both men are playing 
an important role in an exciting 
venture that draws on both their 
understanding of byways and new 
friends made in Eastern Europe. 
Now, instead of promoting the 
diversity of Nevada’s byways, they 
are exporting the byways concept 
to Russia. Their collaboration has 
resulted in a rather remarkable 
partnership—involving former 
Russian President Mikhail 
Gorbachev, no less—that seeks to 
create the first Russian scenic byway. 

The Russian Heritage Highway 
Foundation was created in 2003 
to bring the dream of a Russian 
cultural highway celebrating 
art, history, music, culture and 
politics to reality. The 435-mile 
road linking Moscow and St. 
Petersburg links the birthplaces, 
academies, residences and 
performance venues of cultural 

icons such as Tchaikovsky, 
Dostoevesky, Rachmaninov, 
Pushkin, Chekhov, Stravinsky, 
Tolstoy and many others. 

Recently, the Board of Directors 
of the Russian Heritage Highway 
Foundation, including its honorary 
co-chairmen, Bob Miller and 
Mikhail Gorbachev, met in 
Las Vegas to publicly announce 
the project and to raise money 
to support the Foundation. A 
themed reception at Lake Las 
Vegas provided the backdrop for 
a speech by Mr. Gorbachev, who 
was enthusiastic about the 
byway’s potential to draw tourists 
to Russia, and hopeful that the 
project will encourage cultural 
exchange and lead to improved 
world understanding. 

Derrick Crandall, President 
of the American Recreation 
Coalition and a member of the 
RHHF Board of Directors, had 
the opportunity to speak to Mr. 
Gorbachev at a private dinner 
following the reception. “He sees 
the potential in marketing this 
amazing place to visitors, but also 
understands the importance of 
preserving key historical places 
for future generations. It is very 
exciting to see the idea of byways 
spreading across the world, and I 
commend Tom for his role as a 
catalyst for this amazing effort.” 

PHOTO: Derrick Crandall and Pres. 
Mikhail Gorbachev 
at Lake Las Vegas, March 21, 2004. 
 

We’ve been telling you 
for months that time is 
running out to register for 
the 2004 Power Workshops: 
Strength Training for Byways, 
but now it’s your last chance! 
If you missed the training 
events in Charlotte, Colorado 
Springs, Duluth and Columbus, 
you can still catch us in Boise, 
Idaho on August 3-5. 

Registrations will be accepted 
through July, but don’t 
wait—hotel rooms must be 
booked by July 21 to be 
guaranteed availability and 
to receive our special group 
rate. If you are eligible for 
priority registration but 
missed the deadline, you can 
still register at any time. 

Please visit 
www.bywaysonline.org for 
a copy of the registration 
brochure and form. If you 
have further questions 
regarding registration for 
the 2004 Power Workshops, 
please contact Jeanine Buck 
at 1-8004BYWAYS, Ext. 5 or 
jbuck@byways.org. 

2004 POWER WORKSHOPS - BOISE, IDAHO 
August 3-5, 2004 
Doubletree Hotel Boise - Riverside 
Last day for priority registration: June 17 
General enrollment opens: June 18 
LASTHotel reservation deadline: July 21 CHANCE! 



  AMERICA’S BYWAYSTM DESIGNATION:  
So, You Want to Join the Collection? 
Let the Nominations Begin! 

Editor’s Note: 
This is part of a continuing series 
of articles about the nomination of 
roads to join the distinct and diverse 
collection of America’s Byways. 
Future issues will supplement 
information currently available 
on the community Web site. 


America’s BywaysTM: Our Brand 

Since the last nomination cycle, 
the America’s BywaysTM brand 
has matured. We have seen a 
tremendous increase in interest on 
the part of the media and potential 
domestic and international 
travelers. America’s Byways are 
a collection of distinct and 
diverse roads designated by the 
U.S. Secretary of Transportation. 
We consider it a privilege to 
become a part of the “collection.” 
However, with privilege comes 
responsibility—the responsibility 
to maintain the integrity of the 
America’s Byways brand. 

The quality of the information we 
project about our byways is critical 
to the success of the program. The 
www.byways.org Web site tells the 
byways’ stories. The photos and 
text on the Web site should capture 
the essence of your byway and 
should represent what a traveler 
can expect to find if they drive 
your road. Travel writers and 
travel-seekers use the Web site to 
make decisions on what to see and 
do, and if the information provided 
on the site is incomplete, your 
byway may lose potential tourism 
dollars. Information provided in 
your byway nomination will be 
used to develop Web site content 
for your byway. 


Our Anticipated Approach 

If you are planning to nominate your 
byway for possible designation by the 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation, 
information you provide will 
require that you look at your 
byway through the eyes of the 
traveler. The Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA) is starting 
to create the structure for the next 
nomination. We know routes 
that seek designation will need 
to convey information about what 
travelers experience along their 
roads. Visual tools (photographs, 
brochures, maps, interpretive 
panels, etc.) and traveler-friendly 
descriptions of your byway will be 
requested. The intrinsic qualities 
you select that best represent your 
byway should be supported 
throughout the document. Your 
nomination will be a guide to the 
route that should tell reviewers 
what characteristics make your 
byway special and how your byway 
will enhance the America’s Byways 
collection if designated. Images, 
descriptions, and itineraries will be 
used on the Web site to tell your 
byway story, and may be promoted 
in press releases and other media 
outreach activities. We cannot 
stress too much the importance of 
providing a quality representation 
of your byway. 

Successful nominations will describe 
distinct traveler experiences along 
byways that enhance the collection 
of America’s Byways with respect 
to the diverse regions, landscapes 
and intrinsic qualities found across 
our country. In thinking about 
the country, visualize the various 
mountain ranges, broad river valleys 
and floodplains, high plateaus, 
coastlines and plains. These varied 
landscapes are part of every byway 
in the collection. When describing 
the significance of your road, you 
will want to reflect on these varied 
landscapes and how your route is 
different from other byways in your 
region. If designated, the byway 
group is expected to maintain the 
quality of the product and market 
the byway as part of the America’s 
Byways collection. 


How to Organize Your Thoughts 

Assistance for the nomination 
and designation process is provided 
to you in many ways. Your state 
coordinator, Federal Highway 
Administration Division office 
and the National Scenic Byways 
(NSB) Program staff are all 
ready to support you. As FHWA 
finalizes the structure for the 
next nomination cycle, we 
encourage byway leaders to 
examine the series of articles 
for the 2002 designation previously 
published in Vistas. You can 
find them on your recently 
redesigned community Web site, 
http://www.bywaysonline.org/ 
designation/articles.html. 

These articles are generally 
applicable to the work potential
nominees should begin now, even 
before the online nomination is 
available. Pay particular attention to 
the articles on creating a portrait of 
your byway, reflecting on community 
support and corridor planning 
documents, and the emphasis on 
telling your byway story. 

This article is the first in a series 
of new Vistas articles written to 
discuss specific areas for this 
nomination cycle. In future 
issues, we will offer advice on 
how to provide quality content, 
how to portray the byway 
experience from a traveler’s 
perspective, how to organize your 
work, and especially how to focus 
your thinking to maximize the 
quality of the material you 
submit in your byway nomination. 
Too many words or too many 
attachments can detract from your 
core messages about your byway. 

FHWA encourages nominees to use 
the discussion forums available to 
you on the community Web site at 
http://www.bywaysonline.org/share/ 
forums/index.html. These forums 
can be used to reach potential 
and past designees and to gather 
immediate information and tips 
from your peers. 


Schedule 

We do not have specific dates 
in mind for when the next 
nomination cycle will begin. 
FHWA expects Congress to 
reauthorize the NSB Program; 
we will open a new round of 
nominations for America’s 
Byways. For those considering 
a nomination, make contact 
with your state coordinator. A 
state coordinator is a valuable 
resource as you prepare your 
nomination and the state is 
responsible for submitting 
your nomination.



Web Marketing: 
Send Media-Ready Photos 

Are you missing out on national 
marketing opportunities 
for your Byway? If the National 
Scenic Byways Web site does not 
have media-ready photos of your 
Byway, you are! 

The program’s marketing efforts 
over the past year have had quite 
an effect. In the first quarter of 
2003, they generated 28,966,094 
media impressions. This year, they 
generated 65,883,603 for the same 
quarter—more than a 125 percent 
increase! If this trend continues 
(and it will), there will be over 65 
million more chances for you to 
make a good impression in the 
next three months alone. 

The travel industry and media 
frequently come to the Web site 
to gather stories and photos 
about Byways. Byways with 
media-ready photos are more 
likely to be featured favorably 
in those millions of impressions 
than Byways without them. 

Media-ready photos are images, 
stored electronically in the 
Digital Media Library, that users 
can download immediately and 
use in publications as-is. For most 
uses, a media-ready photo needs 
to meet the following criteria: 

1. It must have good aesthetic 
quality. It must be pleasing to 
the eye. It does not need to be 
scenic or natural. A photo of 
graffiti could have high aesthetic 
quality. 

2.It must have good subject 
quality. Simply put, it must 
be a good picture of what it’s 
a picture of. 

3.It must be a clean photo. 
It cannot be over exposed, 
under exposed, out of focus, 
scratched, dusty or dirty. 

4. Its use cannot be restricted. 
It should be either in the public 
domain, or the copyright holder 
must have granted permission 
for any Byway-related use. 

5.It must be a reproducible 
photo. Whether you send us 
an electronic version or we 
create one from a print or 
slide, that electronic version 
must be at least 1800 pixels in 
one of its dimensions. This will 
allow the media to reproduce 
this image for most uses. 

Media-ready photos are hard to 
come by. Your brother-in-law and 
his Kodak Instamatic are not the 
answer. A professional photographer 
is—and not just any professional 
photographer. You want someone 
who is well acquainted with your 
Byway and what makes it special. 
Also, you want someone who is 
familiar with digital photography 
and image scanning. Such 
knowledge will dramatically 
simplify the process of getting 
your images onto the Web site. 

When you engage the services of 
a photographer, discuss possible 
subjects ahead of time and provide 
direction that is consistent with 
your marketing campaign. 

One common mistake with digital 
photos is to disregard their 
resolution. A photo file that looks 
splendid on your monitor may not 
look so fine in a magazine. Most 
monitors today will display about 
1000x800 pixels (dots of color). 
An image with this resolution 
would be less than 1.5” x 1.3” if 
printed at the 300dpi standard for 
most media uses. A user cannot 
simply increase the size of the 
printed image. 

For example consider the two 
images in Figure 1a and 1b. The 
first one is a 240x320 pixel 
image, like many currently on 
the Web site. Note how small it 
is—and this is how big it would 
appear if printed at 300dpi. The 
second one is the same image, 
resized to 4” x 6”. Note how 
blurred it looks. Although image-
processing software and printers 
do a fair job in resizing pictures, 
they cannot add detail. 

To make the most of the Web site 
and the marketing efforts occurring 
at the national level, send 
your media-ready photos to: 

National Scenic Byways Online 
Utah State University 
UMC 4205 
Logan, UT 84322-4205 

Or, submit them electronically 
online at http://library.byways.org. 

FIGURE 1A: Photo at taken resolution.

FIGURE 1b: Photo enlarged for print.



Mobil Travel Guide’s 
Partnership with the National
Scenic Byways Program 

Mobil Travel Guide, known for 
its Mobil One- to Five-Star 
ratings of restaurants and lodgings 
since 1958, was planning to 
expand its line of publications 
and was looking for opportunities 
to partner with other road-centric 
organizations. In 2001, Mobil 
Travel Guide and the National 
Scenic Byways Program forged a 
partnership to create a new product 
highlighting the best that America 
has to offer in road travel. 

The new book series resulting 
from the partnership is called 
America’s Byways™, and the 
first four books are now available: 

All-American Roads, America’s 
Byways of the Mountain Region, 
America’s Byways of the Midwest, 
and America’s Byways of the West 
Coast. By combining information 
about America’s Byways—a 
collection of distinct and diverse 
roads designated by the U.S. 
Secretary of Transportation— 
ith listings of nearby lodgings, 
restaurants, and sights and 
attractions, these books skillfully 
guide travelers along America’s 
most treasured routes. 

With the insight of everyone 
dedicated to the Byways and 
Mobil Travel Guide’s reputation 
as the “Trusted Travel Advisor,” 
together we are able to offer 
travelers wonderful experiences. 
Mobil Travel Guide is grateful to 
everyone involved in the National 
Scenic Byways Program who 
supported the creation of this 
series, providing information on 
the program and helping us collect 
additional information for selected 
Byways. Mobil Travel Guide was 
provided opportunities to meet 
with program partners as well as 
specific Byways’ leadership to 
expand our understanding of the 
program and the dedicated people 
who make it so successful. The 
ability to collect the Byways leaders’ 
recommendations was invaluable 
to the creation of the series. 

In addition, Byway leaders were 
asked to submit recommendations 
for hotels and restaurants. A 
special “Locals Recommend” 
icon was added next to the hotel 
and/or restaurant’s name if Mobil 
Travel Guide’s quality assurance 
team was able to review the 
establishment and it qualified 
for a Mobil Star rating. 

We are proud of the Mobil Travel 
Guide America’s Byways series. 
In the spirit of cooperation, Mobil 
Travel Guide is providing a portion 
of sales profits gained through the 
efforts of the Byways leaders who 
introduce these books to retailers 
along their Byways. These funds 
can be used at the individual 
organization’s discretion to support 
continued efforts to promote and 
maintain the Byways. 

We plan to continue to identify 
opportunities for partnership 
activities. Recently at the 2004 
Travel Industry Association’s 
International POW WOW in Los 
Angeles, many foreign journalists 
expressed excitement regarding 
the new partnership and what it 
offered to visitors coming to the 
United States. Mobil Travel 
Guide looks forward to working 
closely with the National Scenic 
Byways Program to enhance this 
series and add new titles in 2005. 
Through this partnership, we 
believe that Americans will 
continue to cherish the beauty 
and heritage that lie within our 
country and take the opportunity 
to explore it as never before. 



The National Scenic Byways Program Announces 
New National Scenic Byways Community Web Site 

There’s a brand new look 
at www.bywaysonline.org. 
Last October we released the 
redesigned traveler Web site; 
Its look and feel is similar to the 
traveler Web site (www.byways.org), 
with new sections added to meet 
your needs. 

New features include forums 
where you can join your peers 
and participate in discussions 
about Byway topics. Old features 
such as the general Web site 
Search have been improved. You 
can do a quick search by keyword, 
or try out a variety of specialized 
searches for photos, people, 
organizations, documents and 
funded projects. 

Read more about the Web site's 
features here: 

http://www.bywaysonline.org/articles/
52616 

We hope you will find the new 
Web site a valuable resource in 
your work with our nation’s 
Byways. Stop by and have a look. 
Stay awhile. And let us know 
what you think. 

On behalf of everyone at the 
Federal Highway Administration’s 
National Scenic Byways Program, 
the National Scenic Byways 
Online team and America’s Byways 
Resource Center—Happy Travels! 



New Radio Transmitter Units 
Now On Seaway Trail 

Reprinted with permission from an article by Seaway Trail’s David Cutter, Landscape Architect/Planner. 

An exciting new development 
along the Seaway Trail provides 
visitors with radio-accessible 
information. Ten low-frequency 
radio transmitters broadcasting 
Seaway Trail travel information 
will be placed throughout the 
Trail region. Unit sponsors 
can customize the message to 
provide information on local 
events, activities, attractions 
and services. The messages can 
be easily changed to offer the 
current fishing forecast or other 
timely information. 

The transmitters, with a 
range of about one quarter 
mile, do not require a license. 
Persons near the unit will be 
able to access the message on 
their FM radios. Because the 
message is in digital format, 
the message can also be 
made available over the 
Internet through links on 
local and regional Web 
pages. Messages will be 
available twenty-four hours 
a day, every day, year round. 

Three of the units already 
have sponsors. Seaway Trail, 
Inc., is seeking sponsors for 
the remaining seven units. 
The outdoor component of 
the system, which is about 
the size of a six-loaf breadbox, 
needs to be placed in close 
proximity to a busy parking 
area. A sign will direct travelers 
to tune their radios to the 
proper frequency. The indoor 
unit needs an electrical outlet. 
Sponsors will need to update 
the messages to keep travelers 
well informed. The preferred 
locations for the units will be 
on publicly owned land. 

For further information 
about the Seaway Trail 
Low-Frequency Radio 
Transmitter Unit, contact 
Seaway Trail, Inc., at 
(315) 646-1000.  



2004 Calendar 
Send calendar entries by the 5th of each month to center@byways.org 

JUNE-JULY AUGUST 
June 9, 2004 
AASHTO 2004 Standing Committee 
on the Environment 
Salt Lake City, Utah 
For more information, please visit: 
http://www.transportation1.org/meetings 

August 3-5, 2004 
2004 Power Workshops: 
Strength Training for Byways 
Regional Training Event 
Boise, Idaho 
For more information, 
please contact Jeanine Buck 
E-mail: jbuck@byways.org or visit: 
http://www.bywaysonline.org/community/ 
center/workshops/ 

June 15-17, 2004 
2004 Power Workshops: 
Strength Training for Byways 
Regional Training Event 
Columbus, Ohio 
For more information, 
please contact Jeanine Buck 
E-mail: jbuck@byways.org or visit: 
http://www.bywaysonline.org/community/ 
center/workshops/ 

June 27-July 5, 2004 
Grand Excursion 2004 
Upper Mississippi Bike Ride 
Rock Island, Illinois to 
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota 
Mississippi River Trail, Inc. 
For more information, please visit: 
http://www.mississippirivertrail.org 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 
September 17-21, 2004 
AASHTO Annual Meeting 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
For more information, please visit 
http://assetmanagement.transportation.org/ 
tam/aashto.nsf/docs/F1835419B9CA539685 
256D3400642210?opendocument&Current 
Category=Event%20Calendar 

September 28 - October 3, 2004 
Restore America: Communities 
at a Crossroads - National Preservation 
Conference 2004 
Louisville, Kentucky 
For more information, please visit: 
http://www.nthpconference.org/GeneralInfo/ 


October 28-31, 2004 
Land Trust Alliance Rally 
Providence, Rhode Island 
For more information, please visit: 
http://www.lta.org/training/rally.htm 

NOVEMBER 
November 7-10, 2004 
URISA 2004 
Urban & Regional Information Systems 
Association 
Reno, Nevada 
For more information, please visit: 
www.urisa.org 

November 16-20, 2004 
An Interpreter’s Voyage 
NAI National Interpreter’s Workshop 
Grand Rapids, Michigan 
For more information, please visit: 
http://www.interpnet.com/niw2004/ 



America’s BywaysTM Resource Center 
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission 
227 West First Street, Suite 610 
Duluth, MN 55802