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AMERICAN TOURIST SITES: OFF THE BEATEN PATH

The websites discussed in this guide are a very subjective list. Major travel destination sites are not included. This is primarily a resource focused on American tourism sites which are “off the beaten path.” It includes information on “amenities and necessities” (food/dining establishments, gasoline availability, driving directions/maps, road/traffic conditions).
It also provides information on towns/cities, states, events.


America’s Byways: National Scenic Byways Online

• Sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
• “The National Scenic Byways Program … is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States”
• Provides information regarding 96 “gateways to adventure,” which include natural wonders, historical routes, native arts
• Established in 1992, this program has funded over 1500 projects in 48 states
• Browsable by region, state, specific “byways” projects
• Each “byways” profile includes the following: main page, overview, maps/directions, photos, calendar, “Before You Go” (information on the availability of camping, food, lodging)
• Registration (it’s free!) allows a user to plan trips, create “Travel Wishlists” and access to “Share Experiences”
• Free quarterly e-newsletter available
• Searchable
• Excellent resource for exploring many of America’s scenic highways and attractions


DiscoverOurTown.com (DOT)

• “One stop … No advertising … Straight to the point”
• Directory of cities/towns featuring information of interest for travelers and shoppers
• Profiles of cities/towns may include links to the following: lodging, dining, recreation, attractions/events, specialty shopping, transportation, publications, maps
• Comprehensiveness of information in a profile may vary, depending on cities/towns
• Searchable
• Not exhaustive, but DOT provides a very useful array of information on those locations which it covers


ePodunk

• Created and maintained by Laurie Bennett, Brad Edmonson and John Decker
• Declaring that “… there is not no such thing as an unimportant community,” this site offers “… in-depth information about more than 25,000 communities around the country”
• While profiles of major cities are included, the emphasis is on small towns and small cities
• Search by community; browsable by state
• A community profile may include up to 40 basic facts (population, geography, short description), primary emphasis is on directory information, with links to historic places, features which make the community unique, tourist data (events, cultural attractions, sports information, etc.), statistical data from the 2000 census, data on the economy
• Topics may be browsed by state for the following: airports, counties, colleges, museums, newspapers
• Outstanding; it’s the best site to consult for communities not often profiled in similar databases; also excellent for information on major cities


50 States of the U.S.A.

• This site is a sub-page from “Teacher Oz’s Kingdom of History,” created and maintained by Tracey Osborn
• Provides a wealth of information on almost every aspect of the 50 states
• “General State Information” links to general state sites and sites for state information by topic: state name origins/symbols, flags, etc.; geographic information (maps, distances, latitude/longitude); demographics (population/statistics/rankings); government (state government/law/elections), state news and city information
• “Specific States” links to basic information about individual states; individual state’s links vary (for example, Rhode Island has 7 links, while California has 32); these additional links may be cultural, genealogical, historical or municipal
• Comprehensive, with many more esoteric links than general state sites; excellent for research at all levels; map links and demographic links are especially useful; fascinating and easy-to-navigate


GasBuddy.com

• “Comprised of 170 gas price information web sites that help consumers find low gas prices”
• “Provides a live forum for consumers to post local recent low and high gas prices”
• Browse by state or Canadian province (not all provinces are represented, however)
• Searchable by zipcode
• Post highest/lowest prices for the last 72 hours; must register (it’s free) to post prices
• Also links to “Fuel Consumption Guide” (U.S. Department of Energy), sites on fuel tax rates, price charts for home heating oil/natural gas, additional energy-related sites
• Best and most extensive site for monitoring gas prices locally and nationally


I-95 Exit Information Guide Online

• Sponsored by Starsystems/USAStar Internet Services
• Directory of on-route services and “exit services” available on or along Route I-95 from Maine to Florida
• Browsable by state, this guide provides information on lodging, restaurants and gas stations within a 1/2 mile radius of an exit; also includes additional information on some services outside this radius
• Links to sites for road construction alerts, toll information, on-route rest areas, weather, camping/RV parks, mileage calculator (select locations only)
• Provides information on ordering the new print edition of the guide
• Outstanding; provides invaluable information for anyone driving on Route I-95


Listings USA: Events

• Links to over 900 sites in 10 events-oriented categories, including entertainment, education, and other online events calendars
• Also browsable for event information by state and in 20 additional categories (commercial services, government, recreation, travel)
• Minimal commentary accompanies most links
• Searchable
• Great source for up-to-date information within a state or nationally


MapQuest

• One of the most popular sites for maps/driving directions, MapQuest provides detailed information for driving from address-to-address or from city-to-city in the U.S. and Canada
• Includes maps of selected routes, explicit directions, total mileage and estimated travel time
• Also includes maps/driving directions for select European countries
• “Street Map” has the capability for retrieving maps by address, airport or zipcode
• “Find a Business” locates businesses by name, category, city, zipcode
• Excellent, easy-to-use resource for travel planning
Similar sites include:
Free Road Trip
Maps On Us
Rand McNally


National Traffic and Road Closure Information

• Maintained by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
• This site acts a clearinghouse for links to traffic advisories/updates for all states
• “National Links” include sites for the following: 511 (“America’s Traveler Information Telephone Number”), construction information, weather/road conditions, state departments of transportation, regional and national traffic conditions
• Sites linked to the page are constantly updated
• Outstanding; brings up-to-date local, state and national traffic-related information together in one place


Road Trip USA

• Sponsored by Avalon Travel Publishers
• “Choose route numbers or names to access driving tours across more than 35,000 miles of classic blacktop; includes …” the small towns, funky attractions, roadside curiosities”
• Focuses on 11 regional routes, each of which receives short but incisive, description, links to “Highlights” and links to information about the states which the route passes through
• Provides information on Avalon’s print products
• Excellent; information on each route (and its sub-topics) is very well-written; does a great job for what it covers


Roadfood.com

• Maintained by Jane and Michael Stern
• “Devoted exclusively to finding the most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America”
• Reviews include the following: contact information, cuisine, price range, map, “must eats” (insightful commentary about “house specialties”), and information on what makes the restaurant unique (includes photo if available)
• Welcomes reviews and commentary
• Browse by state; also, keyword searching
• Free registration benefits include personalized website option and site updates from “Roadfood” alert service
• This site is excellent for its attentiveness to regional, non-franchised, inexpensive restaurants, which provide “local color” not usually found in reviews in other dining directories


Roadside America: Guide to Offbeat Tourism Attractions

• Maintained by Doug Kirby, Ken Smith and Mike Wilkins
• “Our website is chock-full of odd and hilarious travel desinations”
• Links to several thousand sites for attractions like the world’s largest easel, a concrete park, a spider web farm, peach-shaped water tower and many more equally unusual sites for tourists
• “Electric Map” links to the 50 states, allowing browsing for each state’s most bizarre sites-to-see
• “Tourism News” highlights news about bizarre sites (also includes other bizarre, often humorous, news)
• Welcomes submissions to “our ever-metastisizing database”
• Searchable
• “Souvenir Hut” provides information on ordering the new edition of Roadside America and other products
• Outstanding; a cornucopia of the truly bizarre and weird, this site is guaranteed to amuse even the most jaded connoisseur of non-traditional travel


Roadside Peek

• “Roadside Peek” is “… a photographic journey to the American roadside of the 20th century, with a special focus on mid-century style”
• Primarily concerned with “… the old routes across America” (with special emphasis on Route 66), the site chronicles hundreds of roadside attractions, many of which are rapidly vanishing
• Links to photos/commentary on drive-in theaters, coffee shops, motels, “eateries,” historic sites, “roadside icons” and “roadside haunts”
• Links to over 100 sites for newsletters, magazines, products (books, gifts, etc.)
• “Content is updated regularly”
• Searchable
• Outstanding; for anyone with an interest in American commercial architectural history, esoteric cultural history or nostalgia, this site is a great place for a “trip down memory lane” which is “off the beaten track”


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any websites linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 6/05; links last checked 11/07

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