THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502100083
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TRAVEL-WISE
SOURCE: STEPHEN HARRIMAN
LENGTH: Long : 153 lines
LAST YEAR was the first time orchardists in the rural countryside of Nelson County (south of Charlottesville) welcomed visitors on a self-guided driving tour at apple-blossom time. There was one problem.
``The orchardists complained that visitors were not driving far enough into the orchards to get the full benefit of the views,'' says county tourism director Frankie Love. ``In many cases, people turned around too soon and missed the best parts.''
This year, road signs and detailed directions will help visitors find their way through the orchards. Apple-blossom time in Nelson County is generally mid-April; that's about as close as you can pin down Mother Nature. To keep tabs, call (800) 282-8223.
Also this year, the county is sponsoring a watercolor contest for amateur and professional artists. Paintings must be done during April on site at any designated site along the ``Apple Blossom Tour'' route. Cash prizes of $50 go to winners in both amateur and professional categories. Artists must register in advance by calling (804) 263-5239. FROM HERE TO THERE
The Norfolk Botanical Garden Society is sponsoring a day trip to Maymont Flower and Garden Show in Richmond on Feb. 24 (leaves 7 a.m., returns 6 p.m.). Garden writer Robert Stiffler will be the host. The $89 cost includes continental breakfast, transportation, lunch, admission to show and afternoon lectures, drinks and gratuities. Info or reservations: Maggie at Lynnhaven Travel (804) 486-1911. JEFFERSONIAN DESIGNS
The response to a story about Thomas Jefferson's Monticello a couple of weeks ago indicates that there are many readers who cannot get enough of the man. OK, this is for you.
There is an exhibition on the planning and inspirations behind Jefferson's ``Academical Village,'' which became the University of Virginia, at the Octagon House (New York Avenue at 18th Street) in Washington. It runs through April 16.
More than 50 drawings by Jefferson are displayed in the same configuration as they surround ``The Lawn'' in Charlottesville. Included are notes mentioning the sources that inspired Jefferso - he consulted frequently with prominent architects William Thornton and Benjamin H. Latrobe - and calculations of how many bricks a particular building would require.
The Federal-style Octagon House, which really is a hexagon, is worth seeing in its own right. It was designed by Thornton for Col. John Tayloe, a Virginian, and served as home to President James Madison and wife Dolley during the fall and winter of 1814, after the British burned the White House. Also, it's allegedly haunted.
Open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Admission. Info: (202) 638-3105. MUSEUM OF THE MONTH
Heard about this one from Weissman Travel Reports, an information service for travel professionals, which rates it No. 1 on its Top 10 list of ``one-of-a-kind museums.'' It's the Mutter Museum of Philadelphia, and it's not for the squeamish.
It's a repository of frightful medical curiousities, including the tumor extracted from President Grover Cleveland's cancerous jawbone, Chief Justice John Marshall's gall-blatter stones, a chunk of John Wilkes Booth's flesh, the liver shared by the famous 19th century Siamese twins, and the skeleton of a 7-foot-6 giant alongside that of a 3-foot-6 dwarf.
Also, it houses the Chevalier Jackson Collection of Foreign Bodies, which is to say drawer upon drawer of objects that the ``Father of Laryngology'' extracted from people who had swallowed them.
These exhibits were collected by the distinguished Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter (retired 1856) not for their shock value but for use as medical educational aids.
The museum, at 19 S. 22nd St. (between Market and Chesnut) with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations are requested. Info: (215) 563-3737. MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Neighbor Maryland will celebrate its 361st birthday March 25-26 at St. Mary's City, site of its first capital and now a living history museum. Pretty interesting place. It's where archaeologists found some sealed lead coffins several years ago but failed in their attempt to capture samples of 17th century air presumably trapped inside.
During Maryland Days (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day) there will be pageantry, seafood, crafts and music. The official birthday commemoration will be held at 2 p.m. March 26 on the lawn in front of the reconstructed State House of 1676.
St. Mary's City is at least a four-hour drive from South Hampton Roads via U.S. 17 to U.S. 301 (north) to Md. 234 (east) to Md. 5 (south). Admission during Maryland Days is free, but there is a $3 donation per car for parking. Info: (800) 762-1634. ALSO SCHEDULED
There are reports (1) that Elvis will be at the White House Feb. 25 to meet with Bill, Hillary and 12 other space aliens in Congress and (2) that the new and much ballyhooed Denver airport will actually open Feb. 28. I just do not know what to believe any more. TERMINAL THREAT
New York's JFK Airport is the most crime-ridden of the world's major international airports, according to a two-month investigation by Bueiness Traveler International magazine using uniform crime-reporting statistics.
Zurich Kloten is second, Newark International third, Philadelphia fourth, Miami fifth, London Gatwick sixth and Frankfort Main seventh. Atlanta Hartsfield was the safest airport of the domestic facilities surveyed.
The magazine's February issue explains how gangs of distraction thieves operate, details specific scams at specific airports that warrent extra caution and includes tips on how to avoid being a victim. B&B GUIDES
The new Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia guide is out, listing 183 inspected properties throughout the state. Cost: $3 for shipping and handling. Write BBAV, P.O. Box 791, Orange, Va. 22960; (703) 672-0870.
The sixth edition of ``Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns'' contains descriptions of more than 1,800 establishments across the country and a coupon for a free, second night's stay at any one of those inns when you pay for the first night. The certificate is good until Dec. 31. You can also get a discount of 25 percent off the guide's $19.95 (plus $2 shipping) retail price by mentioning the publication where you read about the offer; (714) 499-8070. CARIBBEAN DREAM
Order your free 268-page Caribbean Vacation Planner by calling (800) 356-9999. THE ROMANOVS IN FLORIDA
One of the largest collections of Romanov treasures ever to leave the Kremlin museums will be on display through June 11 at the new $6 million Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla. ``Treasures of the Czars: From the Moscow Kremlin Museums,'' is an exhibition of 270 pieces from the collection of the royal family that ruled Russia for 300 years, among them the sable-lined crown used in the coronation of Peter the Great in 1682 and the jewel-laden tercentenary Faberge egg given by the last czar, Nicholas II, to his wife, Alexandra, in 1913. The exhibition will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Tickets, which must be bought for a specific day and entry time, may be ordered by calling (800) 777-9882 - with Visa or MasterCard - or by mail for an additional charge of $1. Admission is $12; $10.75 for 60 and older; and $5 for ages 5-16. MUSHER MADNESS
If you're not quite ready for the Iditarod in Alaska but are a little taken by the adventure of dogsledding, maybe this is for you. The Minneapolis-based nonprofit Wilderness Inquiry offers six-day dog-sledding forays into Canada's Superior National Forest during February and March. Cost is $845, including instruction, food, camping gear, staff services, sled and dogs. Info: (800) 728-0719. MEMO: Travel-wise is compiled from wire-service reports, news releases, trade
journals, books, magazines and the deepest recesses of the writer's
mind. Send comments and questions to Travel-wise, The
Virginian-Pilot/The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, Va. 23501-0449; phone (804)
446-2904. by CNB