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Exploring
the Seaway Trail!
New York State's Only NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY
by Cheryl
Newman
America’s
Byways
 Do
you enjoy scenic drives? Getting off the beaten track? Touring
cultural, historic, and natural sites? Getting to know local
communities? If so, America’s Byways are waiting for
you. Across the country, people are seeking out these unique
roadways that have been designated as either National Scenic
Byways or All-American Roads. New York State Seaway Trail
is proud to be part of the National Scenic Byway system, where
the journey is as important as the destination.
You may recognize many
of the 72 nationally designated scenic byways. There are well-known
byways such as the Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina), Big
Sur Coast Highway (California), Route 66 (New Mexico) and
the Natchez Trace Parkway (Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama).
There are also less familiar byways such as The Native American
Scenic Byway (South Dakota), Outback Scenic Byway (Oregon),
and the Lincoln Highway (Illinois). Each byway possesses unique
characteristics and intrinsic qualities. Byways celebrate
what is best about America.
“Highways are for
getting from points A to B. Byways are for learning what’s
special between points A and B. People are intrigued by a
byway’s story,” explains Rob Draper, Program Director,
National Scenic Byways Program, Federal Highway Administration.
Nominations for America’s
Byways come from local communities and agencies. It’s
a voluntary program that is managed by grassroots organizations.
As a visitor, you’ll find citizens ready to share what’s
best about their hometowns and their region. “Visitors
should feel warm and welcome on byways. They should immediately
sense the pride and love people have for the byway, the resources,
the story,” says Draper. The welcome mat is always out
when you travel along one of America’s Byways.
Taking the Scenic
Route
Every team has a star player.
Every family has a favorite relative. Every collection has
a prized possession. Within the collection of America’s
Byways, New York’s Seaway Trail is a star, a favorite,
a prized possession!
Stretching 454 miles from
end-to-end, the picturesque Seaway Trail parallels Lake Erie,
the Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
It’s a favorite alternative to driving the fast-paced
interstate and modern toll roads.
You can drive the entire
route in four leisurely days. But be warned! With the numerous
lighthouses, quaint villages, farm markets, shops, restaurants,
historic sites, parks, festivals, water sports and events,
you may find yourself wishing you had more time.
the Discovery Center
A great place to start
your trip is at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets
Harbor, New York. Housed in the historic Union Hotel, this
one-of-a-kind museum offers three floors of interactive exhibits.
Constructed in 1816-17, the Union Hotel is built of locally
quarried limestone. Its exceptional masonry is reported to
be the work of Scottish stonemasons who migrated to the area
from Canada after the War of 1812.
In July 2000, the Union
Hotel was completely renovated to serve as the Seaway Trail
Discovery Center. You can now add your name to a long list
of famous visitors, including Ulysses S. Grant who was stationed
in Sackets Harbor (1848-1852) for two tours of duty following
the Mexican War.
For years, people have
wanted to see the inside of this building, and now they can!
Teresa Mitchell is Executive Director and CEO of the Seaway
Trail, Inc. She describes the high level of interest in the
building, “Many visitors come to see the building itself.
Before this, people only had limited access. Now all three
floors are fully accessible with an elevator and public restrooms.
It’s a great example of Federal-style architecture with
many original features, such as the fireplaces.” Rooms
that formerly served as the dining room, kitchen, and hotel
rooms now contain exhibits that teach curious visitors about
the region’s history, nature, and culture.
Have You Ever Met
a Talking Cow?
 “This
ain’t no stuffy museum.” The moment you walk into
the Seaway Trail’s Discovery Center, you realize this
is a different kind of place. Nine exciting exhibit rooms
provide a taste of the adventures that await your family along
the Seaway Trail. The rooms have nicknames that reflect their
brightly colored themes and personalities—the Yellow
Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, and more.
Mitchell says, “We
didn’t want to duplicate other museums along the Trail.
Our goal is to open visitors’ eyes to the wonderful
variety of attractions that exist along the byway. We provide
a snapshot of what they can see and do as they travel through
the Trail’s ten counties. Hopefully, we’ll open
doors to new adventures and enrich their stay along the Seaway
Trail.”
Gary Tonkin, Director of
America’s Byways Resource Center, was one of the Discovery
Center’s first visitors. He shares, “It’s
an extraordinary building with something for everyone. People
with lots of different interests should enjoy the Center—birdwatchers,
historians, campers, sportsmen, gardeners, lighthouse enthusiasts
and inquisitive travelers. After stopping here, visitors will
have a new appreciation for the resources along the Seaway
Trail.”
Learning Along
the Way
Today, travelers want to
bring home more than a tan and a few souvenirs. Research by
the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) confirms
that the learning aspect of travel is important to U.S. travelers,
with one in five adults—30.2 million—having taken
an educational trip to learn or improve a skill, sport or
hobby in the past three years.
Elderhostel Programs
 In
an innovative partnership, the Seaway Trail has teamed up
with Elderhostel, Inc., which offers quality, affordable,
educational adventures for seniors (age 55 or older). Elderhostel
programs are offered year-round throughout the United States
and in more than 70 countries worldwide. “Over the four
years we’ve been doing this, I’ve noticed what
appears to be a healthier, more active senior,” says
Teresa Mitchell. “They’re healthier and they want
to do more.”
The hostelers stay in historic
Sackets Harbor and enjoy a variety of workshops and field
trips to learn about history, nature, and culture along the
byway. Local people act as instructors and field lecturers.
It’s a chance to see things through the eyes of residents
who live and work in the area.
The weeklong agenda also
includes special-interest classes and entertainment. Evenings
might in-clude opportunities to learn about brewing beer,
yoga, and antiques. Folks enjoy outdoor picnics at a lighthouse,
meals at local restaurants.
The People Behind
The Byway
 It
takes a lot of people to manage a byway as big as the Seaway
Trail—and many are volunteers. Someone needs to worry
about visitor services, signage, maps, safety, road conditions,
interpretation, special events, the Discovery Center and fundraising.
Along the Seaway Trail, the folks working behind the scenes
are two non-profit corporations and five full-time staff members.
The two non-profits complement one another, but fulfill distinct
and separate roles.
Seaway Trail, Inc. is a
not-for-profit corporation focused on byway management, administration,
and promotion with over 650 members. The 16-member Board of
Directors is made up of individuals representing different
geographic regions along the byway (ten counties) and a broad
array of interests (boating, camping, agriculture, private
sector and fishing). A $75 annual membership to Seaway Trail,
Inc. provides a variety of valuable benefits to byway businesses
and organizations, including listings on the Web site and
in Seaway Trail’s JOURNEY magazine.
The Seaway Trail Foundation,
Inc. is a not-for-profit organization focused on education
and fundraising. The nine-member Board of Directors works
together to solicit donations, develop corporate giving campaigns,
and foster educational opportunities along the byway for visitors,
including the Elderhostel and the Discovery Center programs.
There are different categories of tax-deductible Foundation
memberships: individual, family, patron, and corporate. A
$25 annual individual or a $35 family membership provides
free admission to the Discovery Center Museum and a 10% gift
shop discount. The Foundation has also established an endowment
fund for educational scholarships and to develop long-term
stability for the organization.
Henry Hanka, America’s
Byways Resource Center, helped facilitate a joint strategic
planning session last year with the two non-profit boards.
Hanka was impressed with the strength and diversity of the
board members, “Although their objectives are different,
both boards are committed to serving byway visitors and strengthening
the overall Seaway Trail. It’s a good group of dedicated
citizens and smart business people. They are people who are
already doing a lot in the region, and are willing to do more.”
Partnerships
Partnerships are also important
to the work of the Seaway Trail. Key organizations and agencies
provide critical support:
• The New York State Department of Transportation has
erected signs to help visitors find their way and recognize
important historic sites connected to the War of 1812.
• The State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego
built and maintains information kiosks along the Trail.
• The National Park Service designated the Seaway Trail
as a National Recreation Trail.
• The American Automobile Associa-tion (AAA) is a strong
Trail promoter. AAA members can “Show Your Card and
Save” at the Discovery Center.
• New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic
Preservation owns and maintains the Discovery Center building.
Cheryl Newman is a
Byways Resource Specialist with America’s Byways Resource
Center, located in Duluth, Minnesota. The Resource Center
provides assistance to nationally designated scenic byways.
She lives along Minnesota’s North Shore Scenic Drive
(an All-American Road).
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