Rand McNally Announces Top Road Stops for 2003 Best of the Road Winners; Annual Program Selects Best Spots in Maine, California, New York/Ontario, Louisiana and Indiana

Business Wire, August 13, 2002

Business/Travel Editors

SKOKIE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2002

You might feel the chill of a passing ghost in the creaky halls of Myrtles Plantation. The 200-year-old house in St. Francisville, La., has been declared one of the most haunted places in America. Hearing the spooky tales on the candlelight nighttime mystery tour is definitely worth a stop, according to the editors at Rand McNally, who named the plantation a 2003 Best of the Road(TM) winner.

Myrtles Plantation is just one of 27 places named today by Rand McNally as part of its 2003 Best of the Road(TM) awards program. Now in its second year, the program sends Rand McNally editors on the road to uncover local dining spots, unique shopping, and new takes on well-known attractions on scenic road trips in the United States and Canada. The award winners debut in the new 2003 Rand McNally Road Atlas, unveiled today.

Each trip is about 150 to 200 miles long, can be driven in two or three days, and can be enjoyed during at least three seasons of the year.

"The Best of the Road(TM) trips make a perfect vacation or a long weekend getaway," said Laurie Borman, editorial director of Rand McNally. "Americans are re-discovering road trips and are taking more that are shorter and closer to home. For a trip that isn't run of the mill, travelers can look to Rand McNally for recommendations year after year."

The 2003 Rand McNally Best of the Road(TM) trips and winners:

Maine: Coasting to Acadia

Coastal Maine may be the ultimate seaside retreat. Maine's Route 1 delivers plenty of hearty adventures and unique discoveries from Freeport to Bar Harbor. Best of the Road(TM) winners are

- L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools in Freeport,

- Edgecomb Potters Gallery in Edgecomb,

- Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head,

- Lobster Pound restaurant in Lincolnville,

- Bryant Stove and Music, an antique shop in Thorndike,

- Acadia National Park's Wildwood Stable in Seal Harbor.

California: From Pacific to Palms

Starting in San Diego and ending up in Palm Springs, this trip offers beaches, mountains, deserts, and a host of world-class attractions. This slice of Southern California seems made for vacations. Best of the Road(TM) winners are

- Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge in Imperial Beach,

- The Vegetable Shop farmer's market in Rancho Santa Fe,

- Borrego-Palm Canyon Trail in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park,

- Palapas of Araby Cove, a collective of artist studios and shops in Palm Springs,

- The Living Desert zoological park in Palm Desert.

New York/Ontario: Beyond Niagara Falls

The natural wonder of Niagara Falls is a tough act to follow, but there's more to see along this rolling country route through tiny hamlets, sprawling farms and fruit orchards. Best of the Road(TM) winners are

- Duff's for buffalo wings in Amherst, near Buffalo, N.Y.,

- Hillebrand Estates Winery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.,

- Ten Ren Tea, Toronto,

- Hand Works art gallery, Bloomfield, Ont.,

- The Penitentiary Museum, Kingston, Ont.

Louisiana: Let the Good Times Roll!

There's more to Bayou Country than Mardi Gras. This carefree escape through city and country takes a snaky path through lowland Louisiana for the best of things Cajun. Best of the Road(TM) winners are

- Johnny's Po Boys restaurant in New Orleans,

- New Orleans Pharmacy Museum,

- Tabasco Factory and Country Store on Avery Island,

- Atchafalaya Experience Swamp Tour in Lafayette,

- Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville.

Indiana: Hills & Architecture

Travelers on this drive through the wooded hills and forests of southern Indiana will find friendly locals, homemade vittles and many cultural surprises, too. Best of the Road(TM) award winners are

- Architectural Tour in Columbus,

- The Covered Bridge dating from 1880 in Beanblossom,

- West Baden Springs Hotel in West Baden Springs,

- Pluto Bath at French Lick Springs Resort & Spa in French Lick,

- Buffalo Run Grill ranch and restaurant in Lincoln City,

- Historic New Harmony, a town with spiritual roots and an artistic bent.

Descriptions and details of each 2003 Rand McNally Best of the Road(TM) trip and stops appear in the new 2003 Rand McNally Road Atlas, on sale this month at major retailers. Complete trip descriptions and routes are available on randmcnally.com, as well as complimentary Best of the Road(TM) Road Explorers Trip Guides, which are customized trip plans in guidebook format.

The new edition of the Road Atlas features hundreds of miles of scenic routes marked with dotted green lines adjacent to roads. Stretches of the Best of the Road(TM) trips are along these Rand McNally-designated scenic routes.

About Rand McNally

Rand McNally & Company, founded in 1856, is America's indispensable travel guide, providing mapping, routing and trip-planning tools for the consumer, business, education and commercial transportation markets. The company produces print and electronic products featuring national and local maps for the United States and Canada, including the Rand McNally Road Atlas and Thomas Guides. Rand McNally offers trip planning on randmcnally.com and operates retail stores across the United States. For more information, call (800) 333-0136 or visit www.randmcnally.com.