Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/244474
•pg_54-67__BMT_pg3-58 1/8/14 9:35 PM Page 62 25 – this firehouse holds fascinating memorabilia of Pittsburgh Pirate great Roberto Clemente. For family entertainment try the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Also try Kenneywood Park. This amusement park features six roller coasters and much more. Rivers Casino and Meadows Racetrack & Casino are two great places to enjoy a little after dark festivities. In addition to gaming, they both have wonderful dining and entertainment venues. Pittsburgh is half way between New York City and Chicago. That makes it within a day's drive or a very short flight of 90-minutes or less to over 70 percent of the U.S. population, making it an ideal place for meetings and conventions. The green-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center has 236,900 sq. ft. of column-free space with lots of windows allowing for brilliant sunlight. Expansive terraces and balconies open to dazzling river views and cityscapes. The Center has 51 meeting rooms, two lecture halls, 37 loading docks and a 31,600-sq. ft. ballroom, the largest in the region. Downtown Pittsburgh has over 2,500 hotel rooms within walking distance. And the bustling Cultural District is home to 100 restaurants, six live theaters and plenty of nightlife action. RHODE ISLAND The Ocean state is known for its architectural beauty. Numerous walking tours will take you to such places as Newport's world famous Cliff Walk where you'll see extravagant Gilded-Age mansions perched upon the rocky cliffs just above the Atlantic Ocean. The Newport Gilded Age Trail will take you to opulent Victorian mansions, palatial summer residences and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Rhode Island has a rich cultural and heritage footprint. The Rhode Island Heritage Trail tour offers great sightseeing trips, such as, the Providence Arts and Cultural Trail. On this tour you can stop at the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society "Creative Survival," a permanent walk-through museum of 19th century Black life in Providence. Another part of this tour is a visit to the Providence Black Repertory Company, a creative environment that celebrates the artistic contributions of black artists throughout American history. History buffs will enjoy a tour of the Rokeby House, a National Historic Landmark and Underground Railroad stop. WASHINGTON DC Washington DC is the embodiment of the African-American experience. The contributions of African-Americans to the landscape and culture of our nation's capital runs deep. Benjamin Bannaker was part of the team that surveyed the original borders of the District of Columbia. And of course today we have President Barack Obama. But much has happened between these two giants of past and current history. The monuments and memorials that pay homage to the AfricanAmerican experience are many – the African American Civil War Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial are two of the better known. Other memorials and monuments also pay tribute to AfricanAmericans starting with the most hallowed of burial grounds, Arlington National Cemetery where Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshal and boxer Joe Louis are buried. The Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum documents African-American history from the local and community perspective. The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site is administered by the National Park Service and sits at 1411 W. St, SE in the Anacostia neighborhood of DC. Douglass lived in the house he nicknamed Cedar Hill for 22 years until his death. Free DC area attractions include; the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial to name a few and many VERMONT Vermont is an agricultural-paradise known for its abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. The farmers here make it easy to pick your own for the journey home. The picking season starts in early summer with berry season; in fall its Apple season. Follow Route 2 into the Lake Champlain Islands to Hackett's Orchard where you can wonder around trees weigheddown by 45 varieties of apples. Vermont is also known for its maple syrup, cheese and of course chocolate. There are several chocolatiers in Burlington, Stowe, Montpelier, Arlington and Brattleboro to choose from. But no vacation is complete without ice cream. Vermont's top tourist attraction is Ben & Jerry's Factory Tours in the town of Waterbury. Visitors view the manufacturing process and a little sampling is in order. In addition to its pristine lakes and wilderness, there is a full menu of winter sports activities from skiing to snowboarding. 62 United States Capitol building in spring, Washington DC B M & T ••• November/December 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Photo Credit:Orhan