DRIVE OF THE MONTH: JULY AN ALL-AMERICAN TOUR

Though parades and fireworks can be seen and heard all over the country on the 4th of July, there's not a more all-American place to spend the nation's birthday than in the heartland: Hannibal, Missouri. Here in the hometown of writer Mark Twain, the traditional 4th of July activities and events take place as part of Tom Sawyer Days, a weeklong festival of fun and games inspired by Twain's fictional creations. (One of many events is a fencepainting competition, remembering the scene where Tom Sawyer persuades his friends to do his chores for him and even to pay for the privilege!) Hannibal not only has Mark Twain, it also has the Mississippi River on its doorstep, which makes for a great summertime drive. Known collectively as the Great River Road, a network of scenic roads winds along the river, heading south to New Orleans and upstream as far as the headwaters in Minnesota. North from Hannibal, the Great River Road takes in the fully recreated historic Mormon community of Nauvoo, once the largest settlement on the Western Frontier. Beyond Nauvoo is the river town of Davenport, Iowa, where a pair of all-American adventures await you. All summer long, there's minor-league baseball in a historic riverside stadium, and at the end of July, Davenport's rich musical heritage is celebrated in a four-day festival named after native jazz player, Bix Beiderbecke. Other roads to drive this month: The largest 4th of July fireworks show in the country, fittingly enough, is held at the heart of the nation's capital, at the National Mall in Washington D.C. The array of monuments and memorials

around D.C., and the diverse collections on display in the Smithsonian Museum, make the city an even more ideal place to spend the 4thand if the weather gets too heavy, you can head east on US-50 to the many different coastal resorts, like Rehoboth Beach in Delaware or bustling Ocean City in Maryland. Just two hours from D.C., but another world away on the idyllic Eastern Shore of Virginia, the town of Chincoteague holds its famous Wild Pony Swim the last Wednesday of the month (July 28th, 2010), in which dozens of wild ponies are herded across the marshes of wild and beautiful Assateague Island National Seashore. Way out west in Colorado, the towering mountain Pikes Peak inspired the song "America the Beautiful," but in early summer (July 19th, 2009; June 27th in 2010) this mountain sees a compelling contest between man and nature: the Pikes Peak Hillclimb, in which daredevils on motorbikes and in cars race up a gravel road to the 14,110-foot summit. Earlier in July, and 300 miles west of Pikes Peak via the amazing "Million Dollar Highway", the Wild West mining town of Silverton celebrates the 4th of July with a big Main Street parade featuring cowboys and bikers, a fun run and fireworks show, and a huge water fight between rival Volunteer Fire Departments

DRIVE OF THE MONTH: AUGUST FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

August is the time for spending lazy "quality time" with family and friends, for slumping on a beach, or for boating on a lake. It's also the time for aimless summer drives through the back roads of the rural heartland, hoping to come across a County Fair, a small town festival, or even a farmstand selling fresh corn or peaches. All over the countryin the Berkshires of Massachusetts, in the Finger Lakes of New York, or in the bluesy Mississippi Deltapeople

come together in beautiful places to celebrate different aspects of what makes America what it is. One of the many great summer festivals is held way up north on the shores of Lake Superior: Big Top Chautauqua has been drawing visitors to a giant tent south of Bayfield, Wisconsin, for over 20 years. A non-profit throwback to the traveling tent shows and chautauquas that used to bring culture to rural America, Big Top Chautauqua shows include big-name performers, musicals, lectures, concerts, and circuses. Best of all, the festival is located within a quick boat ride of the gorgeous Apostle Islands, one of many unexpected wonders of the upper Midwest. From Bayfield, the drive along two-lane US-2 heads west through scenic Duluth (birthplace of Bob Dylan), Grand Rapids (birthplace of Judy Garland), and on to the headwaters of the Mississippi River near Bemidji (birthplace of Paul Bunyan). Heading east, the road continues along the lake across the rugged Upper Peninsula, through places like Mackinac Island, Marquette, and Escanaba, where the lively UP State Fair takes place in the middle of August. Other roads to drive: Aficionados of classic American motor cars come together at the end of August through Labor Day for the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival in Auburn, Indiana, where many of these great cars were produced. Northern Indiana abounds with roadside Americana, and a drive along US-6, a section of the historic Lincoln Highway, brings you across rural farmlands, past Amish farm stands (popcorn is a prime local product), to the American Windmill Museum, and along numerous small towns and post-industrial cities like Elkhart (boyhood home of writer Ambrose Bierce) and South Bend. The Hoosier State's northern tier also has an unexpected chunk of natural splendor: the Indiana Dunes

National Lakeshore, where miles of tall sand dunes front onto Lake Michigan, less than an hour from Chicago. Who loves the American road better than motorcyclists? One place you don't want to have that argument is in Sturgis, South Dakota, where every August some 100,000 Harley riders and their friends come together for a giant rally. Before and after the big event, bikers can be seen riding all over the nearby Black Hills, enjoying the curving S-turns as the make their way to pay respects at such national landmarks as Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Wall Drug.

DRIVE OF THE MONTH: MAY HIT THE ROAD!

Across the country, the merry month of May marks the start of summer, and for many people, May also means it's time to go off to the races. Lovers of thoroughbred horses and mint juleps make their ways to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby (Saturday, May 2nd), while motorheads get together at the Indy 500 in Indianapolis (Sunday, May 24th). Out west in nonconformist California, a very different pair of races mark the onset of summer and bookend one of the country's greatest road trips: a leisurely cruise among the wineries and redwood trees of the Northern California coast. Starting in San Francisco, the world's largest and craziest footrace, the Bay To Breakers, takes place on May 17th, when some 75,000 runners make their way across the city. Top athletes complete the hilly 7.5mile course in just over 30 minutes, but most of the fun is in cheering on the rest of the pack, many of whom are dressed in outrageous costumes. Heading north from the City by the Bay, cross the Golden Gate Bridge and tour the famous wineries of Napa and Sonoma, where numerous country lanes off high-speed US-101 are lined by quaint towns and an abundance of great restaurants. Or if the weather's fine, make your way along coastal Hwy-1, which winds along the rugged coast through the pastoral valleys of Point Reyes and the historic logging town-turned-art colony of Mendocino. The incredibly scenic coast and valley roads come together further north, amidst the mighty redwood trees of Humboldt County, where another wacky race shows off the individualistic energy California is famous for. Held each Memorial Day weekend since 1969, the Kinetic Sculpture Race is a three-day celebration of people-

power, in which contestants pedal, push, and paddle creatively designed mobile sculptures between the towns of Arcata and Ferndale, racing along country roads and across sandy beaches and chilly bays. Other roads to drive this month: Ohio River: Starting off in Louisville, whether or not you make it to the Kentucky Derby, this mid-sized town offers a wealth of cultural and pop cultural interest, from the Louisville Slugger Museum (Home of the World's Largest Baseball Bat!) to the gold hoard held at Fort Knox. Heading upstream along the historic Ohio River, dainty old-fashioned towns like Madison, Indiana highlight relaxing riverside drives across the nation's rural heartland. A Tour de Texas: Southwest Texas, like the Hill Country area along US-83 west of San Antonio, is one of the most beautiful corners of the Lone Star State, and May is a lovely time to visit (especially if you can make it to the Kerrville Folk Festival, which takes place starting Memorial Day weekend). All over the region youll see bluebonnets, the Texas state flower, in peak bloom along the roadsides, while the rolling hills are still green from the winter rains, and rivers flow past sleepy Wild West hamlets like Rio Frio and idyllic Utopia.