European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse America s Best vacation places by James Washington Post Licking a vacation destination is nol always easy especially in you arc the kind of trawler and in arc Are Many who likes to try a Dilleree place each year now there is a guide thai can help you narrow the choices vacation places rated finding the Best vacation places in America by Sylvia Mcnair rates the country s most popular vacation spots 107 of them anyway. Fortuitously Lor the Book s publisher Rand Mcnally. It has appeared during the Sec America summer. The author acknowledges that some readers will quibble with her ratings but in is fun to compare your top choices with hers. Her pick As America s no. 1 vacation destination the City of Seattle and the mountains Anco sea that surround in nature has been especially kind to his Little Corner of Iho world she writes. Not Only is Seallie Rich in cultural attractions it Iii famous Lor its annual wagnerian opera performances evil in is also a jumping of place for splendid outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest. Among ils attractions Are two National Parks immediately to the East mount Rai raef and North cascades and Pugel sound to the West travellers headed or expo is in nearby Vancouver can Sample some of Seattle s scenery on the Way. Some of the other destinations on the list Are. In descending order los Angeles Hawaii Miami san Francisco Boston Chicago Denver and Mew York cily. Such standings should of course be taken with a Grain of Salt. It 15 difficult even impossible to rate something so subjective As an enjoyable vacation although Seallie s place at Iho top certainly has ample justification. The real help the Hook provides is ils listing of 107 specific areas to choose from for a vacation and its fairly detailed descriptions of what makes them Alla Clive. Six slates says Rand Mcnally wore deemed to have no vacation areas to meet vacation places rated s they Are North Dakota Nebraska Delaware Kansas Iowa and Indiana where the scenery indeed lacks the soaring grandeur of the Mountain Wesl. To determine each destination s standing Mcnair rated it in six separate categories. The Overall ranking was a composite of the results. The categories arc using her terms blessings of nature Iho scenery fun in the great outdoors the availability of hiking Goll and other recreational sports Basic necessities food and lodging discovering our heritage historical Sites and museums feeding the mind and spirit cultural attractions and entertainment for a amusement Parks performing arts Spectator sports. To make the Besl use of this Book you should ignore the composite ratings except As a Curi Ostly. Vacationers tend to choose a Doslin Alion not because in offers a Lille Bilot everything but because it has a lot of the specific things they like. Instead Lurn to the rankings in each of Iho six categories. They toll what a destination offers at least according to Mcnair s criteria in a Pursuit that inner cols you. For example if in is spectacular scenery Hal Tan Alizes you. Mcnair Rales the following As the 10 lop vacation spots most blessed by nature in descending order California s coastal Redwood forests and the nearby Inland mountains Snow tipped mount Shasta and Lassen volcanic National Park Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula jutting into the Gull of Alaska Washington s olympic Peninsula Seattle it is puzzling railway to the top of Europe by John a. Callcott United press International even on a blistering summer Day they Tell train passengers in Grin Elwald Switzerland Don t Sorgel a warm sweater and , yes if the Sun is thai Bright. Bui a sweater As usual who the Swiss nothing is left to Chance for this Iram is the spectacular Jungfrau railway which climbs to Iho highest Railroad station in Europe. And it can be cold Al 11,333 fool oven in the mid of summer besides gelling one of the world s greatest views visitors tiding up the Jungfrau soon will be Able to time Al Europe s highest gourmet restaurant. To to called lop of Europe the res Laurall is opening in july or August next year to celebrate the line s 75lh anniversary. Actually Throe Rosa uranus will be open Almaj. Two sell service and one specializing in Haule cuisine. Thai will be Haule or High cuisine indeed. The line was inaugurated in 1912 alter 16 years of blasting through the Eiger Mountain and its terrifying North face to reach the Jungfrau German for Virgin or so named by locals because the Mountain was so inaccessible. There was a tourist Lodge and a Small res Laurall at the lop but Bolh burned Down in 1972. A provisional cafeteria was built with room for 350 people but the new res Laurall right on the Edge of the sweeping Pletsch Glacier will accommodate 750 diners. According to the guinness Book of world records the highest Railroad station in the world is Al 15,705 feel at Condor Bolivia while the highest restaurant is Al the bolivian ski resort cd Chical Talaat a dizzying 17,519 feet. But the ride on the Jungfrau line the sights on the Way and the View Al the top make Lor a fabulous Outing. Surrounded by towering Alpine peaks the visitor sees All the Way to the Black Forest in Germany to the mall erhorn and beyond into Italy to Mont Blanc and the mountains of France and right Over to the austrian Alps. Looking Down Iho ale sch Glacier is Iho Lamous or Pracede la concorde which is right Al the Center of Switzerland. It is a huge Flat expanse of eternal Snow Large enough to accommodate a of 250.000 people l the houses were Buill on ice 2,625 fool thick the ride up includes a Slop at a Gigantic Hall of ice Complete with ice sculptures and watching husky dogs taking supplies up to a Mountain lop Observatory. For sheer excitement nothing can compare to watching climbers hanging on the Eiger North face which Over the years has claimed 40 lives. The Jungfrau Lino climbs at a 25 percent gradient Over 5.0 Miles and 4 4 Miles of the trip is inside a Tunnel through the Eiger Mountain. One Lalion on the Way is right behind the North face. A viewing window provides a look out on 1o the treacherous sheer Wall. For skiers there is one of the world s great runs irom the top. First c own to Konkordia Platz. Then putting on Sealskin Tor a two hour gentle climb and finally a sweeping run All the Way Down to the Rhone Valley in Southern Switzerland it s nol difficult but go with an instructor who knows the crevasses and other danger spots. Building the Jungfrau line was the idea of Adolf Guye Zeller a Swiss male magician. He Drew up All the plans end supervised the work but died before the line was finished. His two sons completed the task. To make the trip you first ride irom the Alpine resorts of Grinde Wald or Wengen to the Kleine Scheidegg station at 6,762 Leel then switch to the Jungfrau railway which handles 4,000 people a Day Al the Peak of the season. A round trip lakes about three hours and it s Worth every minute. Page 16 the stars and stripes s uni Oral Tot if i office you can lop of a ride on the spectacular Jungfrau railway with skiing even in the Middle of summer. Sunday Augusta 1966
