ALONG COMES MARY

I’ve been in this online writing “world” for over a decade. Despite that, it had been a while since I’d attended a conference. I was selected to attend MATPRA, the Mid-Atlantic Travel Public Relations Alliance’s annual conference for travel media professionals. Gathering this year in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, I quickly applied. I wasn’t sure if writers local to the regions were more desired, but I got approved. MATPRA wrapped last week and it was a beautiful experience. The amount of networking and connections felt invigorating in an often isolating world.

One of the highlights usually for travel media conferences is the Media Marketplace. This is traditionally where visitor bureaus come together to represent their destination and share why a writer would want to cover the area. Since I adored my visit to Philadelphia last year, I know the mid-Atlantic is somewhere I want to see more of. MATPRA’s marketplace had over 50 representatives from numerous places. While I didn’t meet with every single one, I’m grateful for the connections I did make. 

As I plan, these five cities stand out as “tops” and I cannot wait to learn more about them. Have you been to any yet? 

View of the Blue Ridge Mountains from my room at Hotel Roanoke. (c) Mary Farah

Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania

Laurel Highlands packs such an exciting blend of activities in their region. It’s made up of Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties. Just about an hour from Pittsburgh, my antenna went up as I learned about Idlewild and SoakZone. It repeatedly makes “Best Of” lists and boasts a huge array for families to enjoy year-round. Best part? They have a trolley ride through Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. If that didn’t excite me enough…..

Latrobe is the birthplace of Mr. Rogers. We watch reruns every night thanks to Pluto TV. Mike and I have loved rediscovering and watching him with Mabel. We will flip to see where he got his start. On top of that, Latrobe is also where the banana split was first made and golfer, Arnold Palmer, hails from. 

Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

We all know I like a “funky” place. Clearfield County seems to check every box for me as far as quaint, history, unique, weird stuff, and trains. I loved visiting Griffith Park’s Travel Town as a kid. Now, with Mabel, I’ve discovered how much I enjoy transportation history and old trains. I cannot think of a better area for me to check out than Pennsylvania’s Clearfield County.  First stop? DuBois. 

Doolittle Station in DuBois began as a row of eateries. It’s evolved into a bed and breakfast, animatronic dinosaur museum, mini-golf, laser tag, a brewery, model train museum, and even goats on-site. Their impressive train car bed and breakfast has a car from Teddy Roosevelt’s campaign train and two cars from the Barnum and Bailey Circus. You know you want to say you stayed in a circus train car. 

Fall foliage in Laurel Highlands. Photo: Go Laurel Highlands

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

See a trend with Pennsylvania here? I hope to do a road trip through the state to these counties next year. The amount of outdoor excursions combined with family-oriented activities and the small towns, I’m there. Johnstown was one of the first cities I had the pleasure of speaking with at MATPRA’s marketplace. Thus, how my Pennsylvania road trip was conceived. This is one of my favorite aspects of getting out to a convention. So many ideas for stories have come while out in the field, doing my thing. 

Johnstown must be on any Marvel fan’s radar. The co-creator of Spider-Man, Steve Ditko, is from the city. Of course, he is a local legend. So much so that the sole Marvel-approved city mural is in Johnstown. Of course, die-hard fans flock from miles away to see the gorgeous work of art. If animation isn’t your thing, don’t worry. There’s family fun, hiking, American history, and a great blend of foodie choices. 

Staunton, Virginia

The MATPRA week took place in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. It was my first time in the state but I already hope to return. The hills were lush and the mountains endless. There’s a lot to explore and one of the towns that caught my eye is Staunton. Their eclectic variety of lodging is reason enough to visit. As I introduce Mabel to the art of a coffee house, Staunton has several to hop between. 

As I drove from North Carolina to Virginia, I noticed a lot of signs for wine. Virginia has good growing regions and Staunton has several wineries to stop and sip. I am also interested in their Grand Caverns. 

Calvert County, Maryland

How can I not love a state named Mary-Land? I’m not too familiar with my, um, the state, yet. I purposely chose to fly into Baltimore en route to Delaware in a few weeks to get the lay of the land. And check off another state seen at last. Next time I return, I hope it will be to get a taste of Calvert County. I loved meeting with this region and learning more about the eastern coast. 

Calvert County offers numerous coastal excursions. One that caught my eye is fossil hunting. Calvert Cliffs State Park offers 1,460 acres of both a wooded state park to the majestic Calvert Cliffs on the Chesapeake Bay. Formed over 15 million years ago, the cliffs contain more than 600 species of fossils. How cool would that be to explore? After that, it would be onto some seafood and museums. 

Bring on the Mid-Atlantic

I feel so inspired after my time with MATPRA. It was a pleasure to meet every attendee. I’ll admit I always feel nervous before any kind of group trip or conference starts. Even more so as I knew very few people at MATPRA. As soon as I arrived, I felt so welcome by everyone. I hope to plan some trips for stories in the new year.