THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 1, 1994 TAG: 9411010272
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: BRISTOL, VA. LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Craig Seaver says the Natural Tunnel State Park he manages is a hidden treasure that's hard to spot on the Virginia road map and often gets confused with the highly promoted Natural Bridge south of Lexington.
A new map of scenic roads in Virginia is designed to help tourists who like to take trips to places such as Natural Tunnel but have a hard time convincing backseat drivers they won't get lost.
``Southwest Virginia has rugged terrain, and it can be difficult to get places,'' Seaver said. ``This map will help lead folks into this area.''
The Department of Transportation this week began distributing 1.4 million of the free maps at interstate welcome centers and 35 tourist information centers around the state.
``With this map we are issuing an invitation to take the road less traveled,'' Transportation Department Commissioner David Gehr said during a ceremony Friday at the Natural Tunnel park near the Virginia-Tennessee border.
``We hope the map will be a major marketing tool for tourists who want to trade traffic for tranquillity,'' said Secretary of Transportation Robert Martinez.
It took 18 months to produce the Scenic Roads Map, which was paid for with a $288,000 federal grant and $74,000 in state matching funds. A few other states have scenic maps, but Virginia is the only one to get a federal grant for it, transportation department spokeswoman Lynda Webster said Monday.
Gehr said Virginia can benefit from increased tourism and by enticing visitors to stay longer. He said Virginia gains more money for highways when tourists buy gasoline.
``We believe vacationers who stop at one of our welcome centers and pick up a copy of this map are likely to find themselves spending more time in Virginia than they might have originally intended,'' Gehr said.
The map also will show Virginia residents that there are many day trips they can take, he said.
The map is similar to the official state map, which also is available free in the tourist information and welcome centers and includes 55,000 miles of highways. The scenic map highlights the 1,200 miles of official Virginia Byways and another 1,100 miles of proposed byways while leaving out all other highways except those leading to the byways.
The map shows state parks, recreation areas, Civil War battlefields, places to view wildlife and wilderness, wineries and historical and cultural attractions.
On the back, there are highlights of attractions in different regions - Richmond to Williamsburg, the southwestern mountains, northern Virginia, the Alleghany Highlands - along with Civil War spots. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
The Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County is one of the state's scenic
spots featured in a new road map being distributed at interstate
welcome centers and tourist information centers.
KEYWORDS: TOURISM
by CNB