– Arizona –

The Grand Canyon’s Alive with the Sound of Music
(Arizona) — Randy Erwin, a western/cowboy singer and yodeler, will be the Artist-in-Residence on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon during November.
This year, Grand Canyon National Park’s Artist-in-Residence program has been expanded beyond photographers and painters who work in the tradition of representational landscapes.  The program encourages the involvement of artists working in new mediums and of those whose art directly advocates for the park’s environmental, cultural, and historical issues and concerns.

 
– California –
Yosemite Renaissance 25th-Anniversary Juried Exhibition
(California) — Entries are now being accepted through November 14 for the 25th year of this annual competition/exhibition, which is intended to encourage diverse artistic interpretations of Yosemite.  Its goals are to bring together the works of serious contemporary artists who do not simply duplicate traditional representations; to establish a continuum with past generations of Yosemite artists; and to help re-establish visual art as a major interpretive medium of the landscape and a stimulus to the protection of the environment.  The 25th-anniversary Yosemite Renaissance exhibit will be installed in the National Park Service Yosemite Museum gallery from February 26 through May 2, 2010.  Details and prospectus at http://www.yosemiterenaissance.org/. 
New Phone Application Helps Combat Invasive Plants in National Parks
(California) — Citizen scientists have a new research tool to bring on trips to the Santa Monica Mountains.  The National Park Service (NPS) and the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Embedded Network Sensing (CENS) have partnered to design a smartphone application for the purpose of identifying the locations of invasive weeds in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.  The What’s Invasive! application, which can be downloaded onto any iPhone or Android mobile phone, allows visitors to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (and, soon, to other NPS locations) to snap a picture and map the location of an invasive weed found while out on a hike, bike ride, or horseback ride.  To learn more about the application, please visit http://whatsinvasive.com/

Joshua Tree National Park Will Close 22 Abandoned Mines with American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Funds
(California) — The National Park Service announced plans to close 22 abandoned mines at Joshua Tree National Park using funds from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.  Mines will be closed using techniques developed at Joshua Tree that ensure public safety but protect the mines’
wildlife and historic values.  Workers will remove and properly dispose of hazardous chemicals and other unsafe materials.  Special gates will cover mine openings to prevent human access but allow use by bats, desert tortoises, and other native wildlife.  Numerous mine locations are in Congressionally designated wilderness, and mine closure activities at these sites will fully comply with established guidelines and practices for wilderness management.  Starting in mid-November, eight mine sites will be closed by park staff to remove public safety hazards.  An additional 14 sites will be closed using contractor services. 

– Florida & Mississippi –

Presentation for Native American Heritage Month at Gulf Islands (Florida and Mississippi) — Gulf Islands National Seashore will host a special presentation, “Southeastern Native Americans and the Indians of Pensacola Bay,” to commemorate Native American Heritage Month.  The presentation will take place at Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center Auditorium on Wednesday, November 18, at 5:30 p.m.  The public is invited to join Neill Wallis, Ph.D. with the Department of Anthropology at the University of West Florida, for a program focusing on social and cultural trends through time in the Native American Southeast and how those trends were manifested in the Pensacola area.  The program is free. 
Cast a Net at Gulf Islands National Seashore (Florida and Mississippi) — On Sunday, November 22, at 2 p.m., learn the art of cast-netting at Cast for Your Catch.  Join a ranger for a discussion of the salt marsh and its marine life and see what you can catch in your net.  Meet at the William M. Colmer Visitor Center. 
– Iowa –

2009 Artists-in-Residence Donate Works to Herbert Hoover NHS
(Iowa) — The 2009 Artist-in-Residence program at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site featured writer Laura Madeline Wiseman and painter Patricia Rottino Cummins.  Each artist donated work created during her residency.
Ms. Wiseman’s poem “Maternal Lineage” may be found on the park’s website, www.nps.gov/heho.  Ms. Cummins’s painting Back Door at Hoover Cottage is on display at the visitor center along with works from past Artists-in-Residence. 
– Louisiana –
Louisiana’s Native Americans
(Louisiana) — Louisiana’s native heritage will be honored at the Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve on Saturday, November 7.  Activities include a 3 p.m. presentation on American Indian slavery in colonial Louisiana.  Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy a display of Chitimacha Indian baskets and a short film on Chitimacha history.  At 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m., ranger-guided boat tours on Bayou Vermilion will explore the relationship of regional tribes to local natural resources.  The boat tours are by fee and by reservation; all other activities and admission to the center are free.  For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/jela.

– Maine –

Take Pride in Acadia Day on November 7
(Maine) — Hundreds of volunteers will descend on Acadia National Park on Saturday, November 7, for the annual Take Pride in Acadia Day from 8 a.m.
to 1 p.m.  Volunteers will prepare the park’s historic 44-mile carriage-road system for the winter by raking leaves and cleaning out drainage ditches.  This effort reduces erosion from rain, ice, and thaws in the winter and spring.  The event is co-sponsored by Friends of Acadia.
For more information, please contact Jonathan Gormley, the park’s volunteer coordinator, at 207-288-8716 or Terry Begley of Friends of Acadia at 207-288-3340.

– Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia –

Harpers Ferry Hosts Debate
(Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia) — On November 7, the national historical park will hold the program “If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery, he did at least begin the war that ended slavery.”
Come to the Lower Town at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to observe a dramatic debate.
Fred Morsell will portray Frederick Douglass, and Jim Getty Abraham Lincoln. 

Best Used by ?
(Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia) — “Luxury or Necessity?  Victorian Preserved Foods” will take place at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park on November 7 and 8 from 11 to 4 p.m.  Join the living history staff and volunteers at Roeder’s Confectionery as they demonstrate the differences between tin-can- and glass-preserved foods. 

– Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington, DC –

New Online Tools for Exploring First National Water Trail (Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington, DC) — A new website, http://www.smithtrail.net/, from the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office features innovative tools for exploring the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. The 3,000-mile trail along the bay and its major tributaries offers endless opportunities for exploration and fun on land and water.  The new website helps visitors find the best places to get on the trail, plan their trips, and share their trail adventures.  For more information, please visit http://www.smithtrail.net/

– New York –

Honoring America’s Veterans
New York — On November 11, in honor of Veterans Day, General Grant National Memorial will offer living history displays and demonstrations showing the evolution of the American Army during the 19th century.  The living history will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Presidential Power to Be Explored at St. Paul’s New York — On November 14 at 1 p.m., Professor Frank M. Sorrenti of St.
Francis College, Brooklyn, will speak on the power of the chief executive, helping to spotlight the new exhibition at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, “St. Paul’s and the Presidents.”  The talk, “Presidential Power,” is sponsored by the Speakers in the Humanities Program, New York Council for the Humanities.  Light refreshments will be served. 

An Afternoon of Jazz at St. Paul’s
New York — There will be a special performance of jazz music by the Kenny Wessel Quartet at 2:30 p.m. on November 14 at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site.  Light refreshments will be served. 

The British Are Leaving! The British Are Leaving!
New York — The National Park Service will commemorate the 226th anniversary of the evacuation of the British Army from New York, the end of the American Revolution, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 25 at Federal Hall National Memorial.  Costumed re-enactors will join National Park Service staff in a celebration that explores how the end of the war affected all those who were touched by it – from women to freed and enslaved Africans and African-Americans to loyalists to patriots to soldiers of both sides.  Commemorative wreathes will be presented at the graves of soldiers of the American Revolution in nearby Trinity Churchyard.
Music Returns to Theodore Roosevelt’s Childhood Home New York — Each year, American Landmark Festivals offers a series of classical music concerts at Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Memorial.  This year, the concerts, which are free and open to the public, will take place at 2 p.m. on the last Sunday of each month: November 28, January 30, February 27, and March 27. 

Art Exhibit at Saratoga
(New York) — “Views from the Battlefield…Conserving Historic Landscapes”
is an art exhibit featuring 35 landscapes of Saratoga National Historical Park and the adjacent American Battlefield Protection Plan area.  The art show will run through December 31.  The proceeds from sales will benefit park partners Saratoga PLAN, Agricultural Stewardship Association, and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. 

National Park Service Eliminates Entrance Fee at Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace (New York) — After careful review, the National Park Service decided to eliminate the $3 entrance fee at Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site.  The decision became effective on October 1, 2009.  The historic home will continue to provide all of its events and programs, including the hourly, ranger-led house tours. 

 
– North Carolina and Tennessee –

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hosts Live Electronic Field Trip (North Carolina and Tennessee) — On Tuesday, November 3, millions of students from all over the country will visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park on an electronic field trip, during which they will explore one of Earth’s richest ecosystems.  The National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, the UPS Foundation, and Apple are teaming up to showcase the biodiversity of the park via this live broadcast.  From the comfort of their classrooms, elementary and middle-school students will be able to interact with National Park Service rangers and local student hosts from North Carolina and Tennessee.  An interactive website, http://www.smokymountainseft.org/, is now available for teachers and students to use to prepare for the electronic field trip through six learning modules with interactive games, video podcasts, and lesson plans.  During the live broadcast, students can call in or e-mail their questions, and a bank of experts from the park will be available to answer them.  The live, 60-minute program will air via satellite, cable, and webcast from 10 a.m.
to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 3.  The show will be based in and around the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

– Pennsylvania –

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Flight 93 National Memorial
(Pennsylvania) — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will join Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Senator Bob Casey, Representatives John Murtha and Bill Shuster, and the families of the Flight 93 heroes to break ground on the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. at noon on November 7.  Officials representing the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, the Flight 93 Advisory Commission, the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, and the Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign also will participate.
Unilever’s National Parks America Tour Concludes at Valley Forge
(Pennsylvania) — On Saturday, November 7, Valley Forge National Historical Park will be the last stop on the Unilever’s National Parks America Tour.
The tour is a volunteer-driven initiative designed to engage employees, community groups, schoolchildren, scouts, and citizens of all ages in volunteer service to the land in America’s national parks.  Valley Forge National Historical Park will offer many projects to which volunteers can lend a hand.  The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Veteran’s Day Commemoration
(Pennsylvania) — The Friends of Valley Forge Park will be sponsoring the
2009 Veteran’s Day Commemoration.  On Wednesday, November 11, at 10:30 a.m., there will be a wreath laying at National Memorial Arch with appearances by the superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park and the Korea DMZ Veterans Association.  From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be living history at Muhlenberg’s Brigade.  Fo
Secret Side of the American Revolution at Valley Forge
(Pennsylvania) — As part of the Friends Lecture Series at the Chapel, Dr.
David Robarge will present “Secret Revolution: How the Patriots Used Intelligence to Help Win the War for Independence” on Thursday, November 19.  Intelligence work is as American as cherry pie and as old as the Republic.  Civilian and military leaders of the American Revolution used espionage, covert action, counterintelligence, deception, and cryptanalysis to offset the British army’s advantage in men and arms and help win the fight for independence.  They used techniques that were remarkably sophisticated by today’s standards.  There is much more to the secret side of the Revolution than Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold.  Everyone is invited.  No charge.  Refreshments follow each lecture. 
Now Playing: the American Revolution
(Pennsylvania) — Valley Forge National Historical Park will be showing movies about the American Revolution on Friday nights through November.
Brought to you by the Encampment Store, the movies are free and family-friendly.  Catch them on Fridays at 7 p.m. in the park theater.  For a list of the films, please see http://www.nps.gov/ner/customcf/apps/eventcalendar/events/vafoevent72174823.html
Trolley Tours at Valley Forge
(Pennsylvania) — Hop on the Encampment Store’s old-fashioned trolley and experience the story of Valley Forge in a new way.  Encampment Store Guides bring history to life right where it all happened.  The tours are given on weekends in November at 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 3:15 p.m.  The tours are 90 minutes in length; tickets can be purchased in advance.  For more information and for ticket reservations, please call 610-783-1074.

 
– Washington D.C. –

Lottery for National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (Washington, DC) — The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation have announced that the annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 5 p.m. on the Ellipse in Washington, DC.  The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony begins each year’s National Christmas Tree Program.  This year will see the introduction of a new lottery system providing a chance for the general public to obtain free tickets to the lighting ceremony.  The new online lottery will be available beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Wednesday, November 4 (or 11:01 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), 10:01 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST), and 9:01 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Tuesday, November 3).  The ticket lottery remains open through 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, November 6 (or 10:59 p.m. CST, 9:59 p.m. MST, and 8:59 p.m. PST on Friday evening, November 6).  Go to www.thenationaltree.org and follow the link to the online ticket lottery application page at www.recreation.gov. 
National Park Service Exhibits Work of Artist Mikhail Kononov (Washington, DC) — For the month of November, National Capital Parks-East will host an exhibit of six works by Mikhail Kononov, a Russian-born artist inspired by the water plants of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.  The works will be on exhibit at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in the Helen Fowler Room from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving Day.

Run by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Secure Flight shall
greatly reduce the number of passengers misidentified as matches to the watch list.

People who have been repeatedly identified for additional screening can file an inquiry to have erroneous information corrected in DHS systems, see follwoing link to information regarding DHS-TRIP.

Once teh airlines have the additional passenger info at hand it is hoped that delays at the airport, particularly for passengers who have names similar to those on the watch list, can be avoided.

Collected information is:

-Full name (as it appears on the government-issued photo ID you travel with)
-Date of birth
-Gender
-TSA-issued Redress Number (if applicable)

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More info and official link regarding DHS-TRIP here …

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(Virginia Beach, Va., 2009) – The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center will open its new $25
million Restless Planet renovation in 2009, featuring 12,000 square feet of spectacular new habitats, exhibits
and aquariums. Home to 6,000 new animals and 367 new species – including Komodo dragons, exotic
cobras, hedgehogs, and so much more – Restless Planet will more than double the Aquarium’s animal
collection.
Restless Planet is the largest project undertaken by the Virginia Aquarium in 13 years. It was
designed by Chermayeff & Poole of Boston, architects for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the New
England Aquarium, and several other aquariums around the world. With these changes, the Aquarium is
now able to display 700 species and 12,000 individual animals.
Restless Planet features four habitats from around the world that existed in Virginia millions of
years ago. Visitors will explore immersive live-animal exhibits and engage in 36 new hands-on activities
designed to demonstrate the processes that shaped Virginia’s current landscape. Restless Planet will
include a Malaysian Peat Swamp, a Coastal Sahara Desert, the Red Sea, and Indonesia’s Flores Island –
the same environments and landscapes that Virginia experienced millions of years ago. The habitats will
recreate the look, feel and smell of those environments, as well as showcase many of the animals that
adapted to those environments.
Slog through the humidity of a Malaysian peat swamp and come face-to-face with tomistomas, the
world’s most endangered crocodile. Shuffle through North African desert sands where cobras and
scorpions reside. Explore a 40-foot tunnel in the Red Sea while eagle rays with 6-foot wingspans and hundreds of colorful reef fishes swim overhead. Then hike across an Indonesian volcanic island in search
of Komodo dragons, the world’s largest lizards.
In the Restless Planet’s two Science Shacks, visitors will learn how these exotic habitats relate to
Virginia’s past through an educational and entertaining mix of experiments, games, and unique artifacts.
For example, they can make coal, produce a volcanic eruption, create a new ocean basin, and study 750
million-year-old rocks from Mount Rogers and more recent artifacts from Virginia’s coal mining industry.
Children also will love playing the “Puzzled Earth” and “Where in the World” games. In the
Conservation Station, visitors will meet live animals up close in a “research tent in the field” setting
during daily programs led by the Aquarium’s educators.
The following provides more information about the individual Restless Planet habitats:
Malaysian Peat Swamp Habitat – Approximately 320 million years ago, vast peat swamps covered
parts of Virginia, ultimately leading to large amounts of coal found in the southwestern part of Virginia.
Today’s swampy coastal regions of Malaysia best represent the type of environment that formed
Virginia’s extensive, commercial Appalachian coal beds. Restless Planet houses this environment’s
inhabitants such as tomistomas, Malaysian fish, turtles and reptiles; and recreates the swamp with
dripping water, rumbling thunder, low-hanging plants and squishy flooring to highlight how Virginia’s
coal was formed.
Coastal Sahara Desert Habitat – Approximately 430 million years ago, Virginia was the hottest,
driest desert that sat on the edge of a shallow sea. The environment created extensive limestone deposits
currently found in the western part of the state. Today, a similar environment is found in the Sahara
Desert bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Restless Planet features many of the inhabitants of this
environment such as cobras, desert hedgehogs, scorpions, and short-snouted seahorses.
Red Sea Habitat – Approximately 205 million years ago, Virginia had a front row seat for
the formation of the Atlantic Ocean when the continent of Pangea was splitting apart. Today, the Red Sea
is rifting. To explain how the Atlantic Ocean was formed, spotted eagle rays with a six-foot wing span
and hundreds of exotic tropical fish will be showcased in a 100,000-gallon, 40-foot walk-through tunnel
aquarium, which is the largest in Virginia.
Indonesia’s Flores Island Habitat – Approximately 760 million years ago, Virginia’s tallest
mountain was an explosive volcano. Today, Indonesia is home to more volcanoes than any other country
and the island of Flores is home to 16 of those volcanoes. Restless Planet recreates this volcanic
environment to educate guests on how volcanoes are created. The Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on the earth, will greet guests through a 4-foot acrylic bubble right inside the dragon’s habitat.
In addition to Restless Planet, the Virginia Aquarium is also opening new Journey of Water
galleries, which follows the descending path of Virginia’s watershed from a gentle waterfall in the Upland
River Gallery to the near-shore depths of the Chesapeake Bay. A giant holographic globe will show how
Virginia and the continent changed over millions of years along with the plants, animals, and fish of
today. Children of all ages will enjoy a newly-renovated touch pool with, horseshoe crabs and other ocean
critters.
A visit to the newly renovated Virginia Aquarium will educate, engage, and inspire visitors with
the world they inhabit while generating awareness of the conservation challenges we face. The Virginia
Aquarium is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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More about the Virginia Aquarium …

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KEY WEST, Florida Keys — The historic seafaring town of Key West is to become a pirate stronghold Saturday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 6, when “brethren of the coast” and lively wenches invade the island for the 10th annual Pirates in Paradise festival.

Pirates in Paradise offers a packed roster of events for children and adults intrigued by the Florida Keys’ seafaring history and culture. Highlights include living history encampments, a plank-walking championship, nautical excursions and pirate sails, buccaneer bashes and much more.

Aspiring seafarers can experience sunset pirate cruises on the “pirate vessel” Schooner Wolf, scheduled to depart Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28-29, from Safe Harbour Marina, 6810 Front St. on Stock Island.

The Wolf’s sunset sails and themed excursions depart from Key West’s Historic Seaport Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 2-6. Stretching along the harborfront between Elizabeth and Grinnell streets, the colorful seaport was once the heart of the island’s maritime industries. Call (305) 296-9694 for reservations.

Pirates and wenches can demonstrate their daring during the fifth annual National Walk the Plank Championships, set for 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. Entrants in this typically hilarious competition are to plunge into the deep from the Schooner Wolf, moored at the foot of William Street in the Historic Seaport. Plank-walkers are judged on their costumed attire, overall style, pleas for mercy and splash.

The festival schedule also features the Official End of America’s Hurricane Season Party Monday, Nov. 30. Featuring the symbolic destruction of hurricane warning flags by National Weather Service meteorologists, the event commemorates the day the National Hurricane Center has designated the end of the 2009 Atlantic basin hurricane season.

Festivities are set for 4:30 p.m. beside the U.S.S. Mohawk Coast Guard Cutter. Now a military museum, the Mohawk is docked at Key West’s Truman Waterfront beyond the end of Southard Street.

Prior to the party, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham is to be welcomed to its new home port alongside the Mohawk, with the event celebrated by a maritime holiday party aboard the two vessels. 

Pirate aficionados can join buccaneers and wenches at the Fort Taylor Pirate Fest Thieves’ Market and Historical Encampment, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 3-6, at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park.

Costumed pirate re-enactors are to recall the Golden Age of Piracy with living history pirate encampments at the Civil War–era fort. Planned attractions include fight circles, treasure, weapons demonstrations, kids’ games, entertainment by pirate bands and strolling minstrels, and vendors offering arts, crafts, period clothing and accessories.

Visitors can access the park and fort past the end of Southard Street beyond Truman Annex. A festival day pass is $6 per adult and $4 per child under age 12 with park admission. Call (305) 292-6713 for more information.

The festival schedule also features land battles between pirates and British forces, maritime and pirate museum exhibits, a walking tour of Old Town Key West and piratical parties galore.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, scallywags are to stage the re-creation of the trial of notorious female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, based on official trial transcripts. Spectators can watch the rowdy re-enactment at Key West’s Old City Hall, 511 Greene St. Admission is $10 per adult and $5 per child.

In addition, several swashbuckling soirees are planned to celebrate the 90th birthday of “Queen of Swing” Norma Miller, a longtime friend of the festival, including a dance featuring Lou Ragland and the legendary Ink Spots.

For more information and a complete Pirates in Paradise schedule, visit http://www.piratesinparadise.com/ or call (305) 296-9694.

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Further travel information for Key West and events, official websites, and more…

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When: 10 am – 6 pm Saturday and 10 am – 5 pm Sunday – October 25-26, 2008

The Texas Clay Festival will feature over 60 of Texas’s finest clay artists and offers visitors the opportunity to meet the artists, view and purchase their work, and watch demonstrations throughout both days.

Visitors are invited to observe demonstrations in wheel throwing, sculpture, raku firing, hand building and surface decoration techniques throughout the weekend. Watch and learn the ceramic techniques that artists use to shape and decorate their work. Questions and feedback are encouraged and the friendly atmosphere is a hallmark of the festival.

Clay work donated by participating artists will be included in a silent auction that takes place on both days of the event.  Auction proceeds are used to help potters in need, award clay related scholarships, and fund festival events. Auction bids are final on Saturday at 3:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm.

As a special treat, this year’s Texas Clay Festival welcomes internationally known potter, author and educator Robin Hopper from Victoria, British Columbia. Robin will be signing copies of his books during both days of the festival.

Visit the web site at www.texasclayfestival.com.

While in Gruene, plan to shop in the many unique stores, dine in any of the fine restaurants and even kick up your heels a Gruene Hall, Texas’ oldest dance hall. Gruene is located just four miles north of New Braunfels.

Highlights of the U.S. Winter Outlook (December through February) include:
•Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored across much of the western and central U.S., especially in the north-central states from Montana to Wisconsin. Though temperatures may average warmer than usual, periodic outbreaks of cold air are still possible.
•Below-average temperatures are expected across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic from southern and eastern Texas to southern Pennsylvania and south through Florida.
•Above-average precipitation is expected in the southern border states, especially Texas and Florida. Recent rainfall and the prospects of more should improve current drought conditions in central and southern Texas. However, tornado records suggest that there will also be an increased chance of organized tornado activity for the Gulf Coast region this winter.
•Drier-than-average conditions are expected in the Pacific Northwest and the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys.
•Northeast: Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather in this region is often driven not by El Niño but by weather patterns over the northern Atlantic Ocean and Arctic, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation. These patterns are often more short-term, and are generally predictable only a week or so in advance.
•California: A slight tilt in the odds toward wetter-than-average conditions over the entire state.
•Alaska: Milder-than-average temperatures except along the western coast. Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-median precipitation for most areas except above median for the northwest.
•Hawaii: Below-average temperatures and precipitation are favored for the entire state..

Information released by “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” (NOAA) on October 15, 2009.

Details: United States Winter Weather Outlook 2009 by NOAA

The highway is the only Florida road to achieve All-American status, the highest recognition possible under the National Scenic Byways program established by the U.S. Congress in 1991. Only 30 other roadways in the nation have earned the prestigious designation.
Originally completed in 1938, the Overseas Highway incorporates 42 bridges over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. They include the Seven Mile Bridge at Marathon, which stretches 6.79 miles across open water and was referred to on its completion as “the eighth wonder of the world.”
In 1982, 37 of the original bridges including the Seven Mile Bridge were replaced with wider spans. Many of the old bridges still can be seen running alongside the newer ones.

To earn All-American Road status, a thoroughfare must possess characteristics of national significance and one-of-a-kind features, making it a visitor destination in itself. Designation also is based on a roadway’s cultural, historic, natural, recreational, scenic and archeological qualities.

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Travel information online:

 - Key West, FL

 - Florida State

WASHINGTON – U. S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced 42 new designations to the America’s Byways® collection, including five All-American Roads and 37 National Scenic Byways in 26 states. This increases the number of America’s Byways® to 151.

“By enriching the National Scenic Byways program with their own unique historical or aesthetic quality, these new additions help our national road system tell our country’s story,” said Secretary LaHood. “These routes continue to offer Americans exciting new opportunities to explore the nation – whether they travel close to home or across the country.”

With Massachusetts and New Jersey included in the 2009 designations, 46 states have America’s Byways® in them.

Created in 1991, the National Scenic Byways program is a collaborative effort to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. It has funded 2,672 projects for state and nationally designated byway routes in 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

The following are the 2009 All-American Road (AAR) and National Scenic Byways (NSB) designations:

Additional information about the America’s Byways® collection can be found
online at http://www.byways.org.

Location: Daley Plaza

Christkindlmarket hours are:

Wednesday, November 25 (Tree Lighting Ceremony) 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day, November 26 – 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
November 27 to December 23
Sundays – Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
December 24 – 11 am to 4 pm – only

Admission is free.