Ever wonder what it would be like to stand on an empty stage and pretend for a moment that you’re a famous entertainer about to thrill an audience?  Want to know what it feels like to peer into a 1,300-seat auditorium, even if the packed house is just imaginary? You can do it by taking a behind-the-scenes tour of Historic Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon’s capital city. Not only can you stand in the spotlight, but you’ll also discover the stage’s trap door, see the remodeled dressing rooms, and many other areas not generally open to the public.

From the moment you enter the Elsinore’s lobby, you’ll be impressed: arches rise two and a half stories to a vaulted ceiling painted and lighted to suggest a starry sky. Two grand double staircases are located at either end of the lobby and lead to the first and second balcony sections of the auditorium. Faux stonework, superb custom woodwork, and artistic metal work grace the staircases and wall sconces. Everything about the Elsinore Theatre feels grand!

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In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill establishing the third Monday in January as a federal holiday to honor Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King, Jr.  All across America, government offices, schools, and many businesses are closed. Cities large and small hold gala parades and special events. To get a more personal look at where Reverend King first preached his message of hope, equality, and brotherhood, head south to the Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement—Montgomery, Alabama— and visit the sites that were meaningful to Reverend King during his lifetime—namely the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Parsonage.

Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church

Reverend King was pastor of Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church from 1954-1960 and began his quest for civil rights here. This was his first and only full-time pastorate. The church was also a center point of the Montgomery bus boycott that began in 1955. The church was originally founded in 1877 at a nearby location, and over the years has changed names a few times. The current red brick building on the corner of a busy street in downtown Montgomery, was constructed between 1883 and 1889 and is a National Historic Landmark. Tours of the church, arranged in advance, last one hour and include the modest pulpit from which Reverend King so eloquently spoke. Marvel at a 10 x 47 foot mural depicting the civil rights crusade from Montgomery to Memphis, and see Dr. King’s original office.

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Paradise Without An Attitude is not just an advertising slogan on the cover of a glossy travel brochure. This tropical mindset flows tip to tip along all seven miles of serene Anna Maria Island. If you’re heading down to Florida this winter and don’t have kids to entertain, skip Disney and instead get a major dose of downtime on beautiful beaches fringed with swaying sea oats.

Anna Maria Island is delightfully set apart from the more popular areas of the sunshine state, which helps preserve its “Old Florida” unhurried pace. While only 15 miles from bustling Sarasota, its physical and a mental detachment from traffic, crowds, and noisy tourist attractions make it a great get-away. If you’re expecting to pound the pavement or shop ‘til you drop, you’ll be disappointed. But you’ll never be bored— fish, parasail, rent a boat, beach comb, bicycle, bird-watch, sunbath, and swim to your heart’s content.  And when it’s time for dinner, casual dress is the order of the day.

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First visited by Lewis & Clark in 1805, then permanently settled six years later by wealthy New Yorker John Jacob Astor, Astoria, Oregon has many claims to fame—America’s oldest permanent settlement west of the Rocky Mountains; the former “Salmon Canning Capital of the World” and the town is also on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” list. Hollywood has featured Astoria in quite a few movies, too, including Kindergarten Cop, Goonies, and Free Willy. For a small town, Astoria certainly has a large list of accolades!

You might want to begin exploring the city along its waterfront. Board “Old 300” between Basin and 39th streets and for just $1 you’ll enjoy a four-mile ride in a beautifully refurbished 1913 streetcar. A knowledgeable conductor and guide narrate the trip, so it’s a great way to learn about Astoria’s 200 years of history. Don’t be shy about asking questions! Along the route, you’ll get a good view of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, considered the longest three-span truss bridge in the world. There’s a trolley stop at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, so hop off there to take a tour.

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Did you know that Death Valley has more abandoned mines than any other national park? Thousands of abandoned mines are scattered across the park’s 5,200+ square miles.  It’s not surprising when you consider that gold, silver, lead, zinc, antimony, flourspar, cinnabar, epsom salts, mercury, tungsten, copper, borax, talc, sodium chloride, and manganese all have been mined here over the years. Most mines are closed to the public and in need of safety improvements, but the Eureka Mine has been stabilized, making it easy to follow in the path of the early gold prospectors. Take two flashlights when you enter the tunnels, one for use and one for backup.

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Winding throughout the silver state’s rich and colorful history, Nevada’s highways and byways are ideal for classic American road trips. Route 374 is a prime example and leads to the much-photographed gold ghost town of Rhyolite. Located about five miles from the California border of Death Valley National Park, visiting Rhyolite is free and worth a stop if you like to photograph crumbling yet interesting architecture. What’s different about this boom-town-gone-bust is that the buildings are mostly made of concrete, not wood. One creative miner, Tom Kelly, even built his home out of mud and 50,000 assorted liquor bottles since lumber was scarce!

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In 1539, when Hernando de Soto first discovered the area around what is now the city of Bradenton, Florida, he brought along enough supplies to start a colony. In fact, the Spanish conquistador arrived with nine heavily laden ships, 600 soldiers, over 200 horses, a herd of pigs, and packs of vicious war dogs! It was everything he needed to carry out King Charles V's command to "conquer, populate and pacify" while searching for gold.

If you're heading to the Sunshine State this winter and are unfamiliar with de Soto's expedition and its controversial impact on Floridian history, the best place to get a quick and entertaining education is at De Soto National Memorial.  Situated along the calm shores of the Manatee River and Tampa Bay, this free waterfront park includes a visitor center, outdoor encampment, picnic area, and hiking trails.

Inside the Visitor Center, a short informative film narrates how de Soto and his soldiers spent four years (December 1539 to September 1543) trekking across 4,000 miles of what is now the Southeastern United States in search of gold and other riches. The men often marched 12 miles a day wearing 80 pounds of armor!

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Although Fort Stevens State Park is Oregon’s largest campground, its attributes go way beyond 400+ campsites, miles of clean ocean beaches, nature trails, and freshwater lakes. There’s a lot of history here, too. Just wander onto the beach to see the skeletal ruins of the Peter Iredale shipwreck— a British 4-masted barque that ran aground in 1906. No lives were lost, but the ship was destroyed and its hull has been rusting away ever since. And the Fort Stevens Historic Area and Military Museum is a real treat for military history buffs.

Originally commissioned as a Civil War fortification in 1863, Fort Stevens was deactivated shortly after World War II. It is the only military installation in the continental United States to be fired upon by a foreign enemy since the War of 1812. As the story goes, on the night of June 21, 1942, a Japanese submarine shelled Fort Stevens, but the Fort’s Commander did not return fire, citing that he did not want to give away the exact location of the batteries and that the Japanese sub was too far out of range for the fort’s guns to reach anyway. The full story in detail can be found inside the museum, along with a wide variety of military artifacts, historic photos, dioramas, and interpretive displays.

Although the guns are long gone, it’s fun to explore the abandoned batteries and climb to the commander's station for a scenic view of the Columbia River and South Jetty. During the summer, the Park Service offers motorized tours of the entire military site aboard a 2-1/2 ton U.S. Army truck, but self-guided walking tours are available year-round. Pick up a map from inside the museum and take a look at the bunkers, remains of the barracks and other military buildings, the rifle range, the fort’s earthworks that date to the Civil War, and a Clatsop Indian longhouse. The replica longhouse was built according to pre-Civil War maps on the site where an original Clatsop Indian longhouse once stood.

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Surrounded by the scenic Coeur d'Alene National Forest and Bitterroot Mountains in Idaho’s Panhandle, is a tiny town with a sign that reads: “This is the town founded by a jackass and inhabited by his descendants." Strangely enough, the humorous advertisement for Kellogg, Idaho (population 2,400) pretty accurately describes the town’s founding. Back in 1885, while a prospector was out looking for his lost burro, he spotted a large outcropping of galena (lead ore) shining in the sunlight. The prospector’s name was Noah Kellogg and it was his discovery that eventually led to the creation of the great Bunker Hill and Sullivan mines, which made the town flourish.

For over 100 years, the Bunker Hill mine and smelter were known world-wide as a leader in lead-zinc-silver mining. In fact, Kellogg is part of Idaho’s Silver Valley, named for the area’s rich silver deposits first found in the early 1880s. Bunker Hill ceased operations about 20 years ago, but visitors can still learn about the Silver Valley’s mining history at the Staff House Museum on McKinley Avenue. Mining equipment of all shapes and sizes is on display, as well as extensive metallurgical and mineral exhibits.

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It’s a mystery, really. Standing amidst thousand-year-old stone cliff dwellings that archeologists say were suddenly abandoned in the early 1400s, you can’t help wondering what happened. Scientists estimate that the dwellings were used for only about three centuries before the area was suddenly deserted for no discernable reason. Were the ancient residents driven out? Did they die of disease? Deplete their natural resources? Or perhaps they didn’t really disappear, just simply migrated somewhere else?

If you’re heading to Arizona for a little sunshine this winter, you’ll be able to formulate your own theory by visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument. Located in the Verde Valley (about 50 miles south of Flagstaff), these ruins are actually some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the Southwest.

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