Meeting and traveling in the Northeast

AFRICAN AMERICAN GUIDE TO MEETING AND
TRAVELING IN THE NORTHEAST (continued)

NEW YORK

New York State offers attractions that appeal to a variety of interests. In Niagara Falls you can take an Underground Railroad tour and a boat tour that offers a spectacular view beneath the American and Horseshoe Falls.

In Syracuse, you can check out the permanent exhibit on the Underground Railroad at the Onondago Historical Museum. Rochester is home to a major landmark connected to the history of the women’s rights movement, the Susan B. Anthony House. Ithaca, in the state’s scenic Finger Lake’s Region, is home to Cornell University and photo-worthy sites like Ithaca Falls and Buttermilk Falls State Park. In Long Island, you can gawk at the mansions in the Hamptons and hike the Long Island Seashore Trail on Fire Island. In the capital city of Albany, one of the “must see” attractions is Corning Tower, which offers a magnificent view of the city skyline and the Hudson River from its observation deck.

BUFFALO
You’ll find several notable Black heritage attractions in Buffalo, including the Paul Robeson Theatre at the African American Cultural Center, the Langston Hughes Institute and the Jazz Cabaret that’s held on weekends at the Colored Musicians Club. Motherland Connextions offers a great Underground Railroad tour, and each August a live reenactment of the Underground Railroad Crossing of the Niagara River takes place in Broderick Park.

Art lovers can view regional works in the new building of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College, as well as the modern and contemporary pieces on display at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

NEW YORK CITY
The Big Apple’s famed Apollo Theater in Harlem has completed the first phase of its multi-million-dollar renovation, with the entire project expected to be finished by 2009. The World Trade Center Memorial and Museum is targeted for completion by 2009, while Freedom Tower, a new 1,776-ft. skyscraper at the World Trade Center site, expected to open by 2011. Before then, the National Sports Museum will open late 2006 in Lower Manhattan and the New Museum of Contemporary Art — first new art museum building in downtown Manhattan in more than 100 years — will open in late 2007 on the Lower East Side.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania was the first state to abolish slavery, so it’s not surprising that it had a major role in the Underground Railroad, with Old Lincoln Highway, also called Route 30, providing an escape route through central Pennsylvania. If you’re interested in seeing some of the sites, Quest for Freedom, an organization formed by historical societies in central and eastern Pennsylvania, offers information on its Web site.

One of Pennsylvania’s most important heritage tourism destinations is Valley Forge, site of the 3,600-acre Valley Forge National Historical Park. The new American Revolution Center at Valley Forge is set to open in 2007.

In Harrisburg, one of the most outstanding attractions is the State Capitol, which sports a 272-ft.-high Rotunda that was copied from the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Other things to see and do include the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival, the Susquehanna Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the nation’s largest indoor agricultural event.

LANCASTER
If you travel to Lancaster, try to catch “Living the Experience,” an interactive Underground Railroad reenactment presented by Bethel Harambee Historical Services of Bethel A.M.E. Church. Afterward, you‘ll feast on an authentic 1800’s meal.

Situated in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Lancaster is probably best known as a center of Amish culture. For a genuine encounter with Amish life, you can tour one of the area farms, take a buggy ride through the countryside, and enjoy a Pennsylvania Dutch meal of chicken pot pie and shoofly pie served family or smorgasbord style at a local restaurant.

The Landis Valley Museum showcases old Pennsylvania Dutch life in a 100-acre living history setting of more than 40 historic buildings, where you can watch cooking and craft demonstrations, ride in a wagon and stroll through heirloom gardens.

Downtown’s Lancaster Central Market is America’s oldest continuously-operating farmers’ market. Other downtown attractions include the Lancaster Cultural History Museum, Wheatland — the home of President James Buchanan — and the Fulton Opera House, one of only three operating National Historic Landmark theaters in the United States.

Groups of up to 3,000 will find adequate accommodations among the 6,500 guest rooms and 150,000 sq. ft. of potential meeting space in Lancaster County.

PHILADELPHIA
Make room on your Philadelphia itinerary for a tour of the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, constructed on the oldest parcel of land in the country that has been continuously owned by African-Americans. A museum on site contains the burial crypt of A.M.E. Church founder Rev. Richard Allen.

The African American Museum, located just north of the city’s historic district, showcases fine arts, textiles and archeological exhibits. At the Marian Anderson Residence Museum and the Paul Robeson House, you can learn about the lives of two legendary African-Americans with links to Philadelphia. Head to the Avenue of the Arts for a tour of Philadelphia International Records and get a fascinating look at a major rhythm and blues icon.

Of course, you’ll definitely want to see Philadelphia’s most famous attractions, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. A new attraction in the neighborhood is the National Constitution Center.

Another favorite tourist spot is Penn’s Landing, a riverside park on the banks of the Delaware River where the action includes ice skating, paddle boat rides, concerts at The Festival Pier, riverboat dinner cruises, and tours of the World Sculpture Garden and the Independence Seaport Museum.

Art lovers might be interested in browsing the Philadelphia Museum of Art or taking a drive around town to view some of the more than 2,00 murals created through the Pennsylvania Department of Recreation’s Mural Arts Program. You can get a map of mural locations at the Independence Visitor Center.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center contains more than 440,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a 30,000-sq.ft. ballroom and 52 meeting rooms. An expansion plan calls for an additional 220,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a 60,000-sq.ft. ballroom and 40 breakout rooms. There are 17,000 area hotel rooms, of which 8,500 are within walking distance of the convention center.

PITTSBURGH
The nation’s first Black opera company, the National Negro Opera Company, was founded in 1941 at Pittsburgh’s Cardwell School of Music. Several other Pittsburgh attractions highlight the city’s African-American heritage in the performing arts, including the African Drum and Dance Ensemble, the Kuntu Repertory Theatre, the Afro-American Music Institute and the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, named for Pittsburgh natives actor/dancer Gene Kelly and African-American jazz pianist and composer Billy Strayhorn.

The new African American Cultural Center, targeted for fall 2007 opening one block from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, will house exhibits on jazz, the Negro Baseball Leagues and other subjects.

RHODE ISLAND

Nicknamed “the Ocean State,” Rhode Island has more than 400 miles of coastline and more than 100 public and private beaches. Many of these seaside destinations are situated in South County and on Block Island, a popular resort area known for its restored Victorian hotels set against a backdrop of rolling hills and the Mohegan Bluffs.

The Rhode Island Tourism Division has mapped out several themed tourism trails, such as the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Trail — which features the region that has been called the “birthplace of American industry” — the Farm Heritage Trail and the Newport County Gilded Age Heritage Trail.

In Newport, you can tour Colonial landmarks like the Chase-Cory House, the Hunter House, Prescott Farm and the Samuel Whitehorne House Museum. On a stroll along the 3.5-mile Cliff Walk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll be surrounded by some of the grand estates that gave the “Gilded Age” its name.

PROVIDENCE
Two notable African-American cultural attractions in Providence are the Rhode Island Black Repertory Theatre and the museum of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society. The Providence Heritage Trail features such sites as the Meeting House of the First Baptist Church in America, the Old State House, the State Capitol, Providence City Hall, the Russian Sub Museum Juliett-484 — a 300-ft.-long, diesel-powered Cold War veteran submarine — the Culinary Archives & Museum at Johnson & Wales University, Roger Williams Park and Zoo and the Providence Children’s Museum. Don’t miss the spectacular Waterfire experience at the Water Place Park and River Walk.

VERMONT

Vermont has smallest capital city, and one of the smallest capitol buildings in the United States. One of the most interesting features of the State House in Montpelier is its floor that’s imbedded with fossils.

The Green Mountains and Lake Champlain are two of the best-known sights in a Vermont landscape renowned for its beauty. The Connecticut River Byway, which runs for 500 miles along the Vermont-New Hampshire border, was recently designated as a National Scenic Byway. Vermont is also famous for its more than 50 covered bridges, including the Cornish-Windsor Bridge, the longest wooden bridge in the country and longest two-span covered bridge in the world.

Vermont’s 52 state parks provide great settings for hiking, fishing, foliage viewing and weekend concerts, and most of them are located close to towns with plenty of shopping outlets and other tourist attractions. The state also has several skiing and year-round vacation resorts.

BURLINGTON
Burlington’s Discover Jazz Festival, held each June, is touted as one of the best in the world. If you miss it, you’ll still find plenty to see and do in the area, from touring Ethan Allen Homestead, the home of Vermont’s founding father, to taking a dinner cruise on Lake Champlain aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen, floating past great views of the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains.

Avid shoppers can check out the Church Street Marketplace and neighboring Burlington Town Center, or head for Essex Shoppes & Cinema to browse the national outlet stores and local specialty shops.

STOWE
Stowe may be best known as a winter destination, but this mountain resort area is actually buzzing with interesting activities all year long. You can hit the slopes during the snow season, while in the summer months you can enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, tennis and golf, take in a play at the Town Hall Theatre or attend a local festival.

Any season is a great time to pamper yourself at one of two world-class spas — the Spa at Stoweflake and the Spa at Topnotch — and visit area attractions like Historic Stowe Village, the West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park and Stowe Studio Arts.

WASHINGTON, DC
Groundbreaking for Washington, DC’s new Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial is planned for this fall, with the project‘s completion targeted for 2008. Located on the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson and FDR Memorials, the memorial will feature a 30-ft. likeness of King and a crescent-shaped stone wall inscribed with excepts of his sermons and public addresses. King’s birthday on January 15, 2008, is the date set for the opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. time capsule, planted 20 years earlier in Freedom Plaza.

Plans for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture are in the initial development and fundraising stages. The list of local Black heritage attractions that are currently open to the public includes the Frederick Douglass National Historic site in Anacostia, the Emancipation Statue and Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial in Lincoln Park, the Benjamin Banneker Memorial Circle and Fountain, the National Museum of African Art, the “Black Wings” exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum and the statue in Union Station of A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

Certainly, at least one of the following sites should make your “must see” list on a visit to the nation’s capital: the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Mall — encompassing the Korean Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial and Washington Monument — the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, and Washington National Cathedral.

The Adams Morgan and Georgetown neighborhoods are favorite venues for shopping, dining and live music. The Newseum, a journalism-themed museum opening in 2007, will house The Source, Wolfgang Puck’s first East Coast restaurant.

The Washington Convention Center contains a total of 2.3 million sq. ft., including more than 700,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 125,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a 52,000-sq.ft. ballroom.

The Northeast is a region alive with fascinating cultures, a well-preserved history and a beautiful and varied landscape. Add in all of the great places to eat, shop and be entertained, and you’ve got plenty of reasons to pick a Northeast destination for a meeting or incentive trip.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Connecticut Office of Tourism— 888-CT-VISIT
Delaware Tourism Office— 866-2-VISIT-DE
Maine Office of Tourism— 888-624-6345
Maryland Office of Tourism— 866-MD-WELCOME
Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism— 800-227-MASS
New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development— 603-271-2665
New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth & Tourism Commission— 800-VISIT-NJ
New York State Department of Economic Development— 800-CALL-NYS
Pennsylvania Tourism Office— 800-VISIT-PA
Rhode Island Tourism Division— 800-556-2484
Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing— 800-VERMONT
Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation— 800-635-MEET