Newsletters
In This Issue:
Musings From the MAD Hatter
Get ready to hit the road: it's already May! Spring is well under way, which means April showers are drying up and summer vacation planning is in fourth gear. I'm stuck in the office for much of the summer, but I hope to get out with our new Pacific Tour Pack on a weekend adventure or two. What are your summer plans? Drop us a line and tell us how you plan to use MAD MAPS this summer. Or email and let us know your favorite roads, restaurants, and attractions. Who knows? They may make it onto our next maps. And don't miss our Reader's Story contest; see the top right of this newsletter for info! --Jenny Lefferts |
MAD Meanderings Retailer Spotlight: The Morton Arboretum
Located outside Chicago in the leafy Illinois suburb of Lisle, The Morton Arboretum doesn't seem like a place you'd find MAD MAPS -- but we're there! Founded in 1922 by Joy Morton, the entrepreneur behind the Morton Salt corporation, the Arboretum's 1700 acres are dedicated to the planting and conservation of trees. Its more than 4,000 species of trees, shrubs, and plants from around the world encompass a Visitor Center & Plant Clinic, the Arboretum Store (that's where you'll find MAD MAPS), the Gingko Restaurant & Café, a Children's Garden, the Sterling Morton Library, a 1-acre Maze Garden, and 16 miles of hiking trails, including a paved trail around the restored Meadow Lake. The Arboretum provides educational programming, conducts research, and offers year-round nature-related activities for all ages. The completely non-smoking (yep, that's right-even outside!) facility is open 365 days a year from 7:00 AM until either 7:00 PM or sunset (whichever comes first). Entrance fees range from Free for 3 and under up to $9 for adults aged 18-64; there are discounted rates for youths and seniors. Check out the Morton Arboretum at www.mortonarb.org. It's located at 4100 IL Route 53 in Lisle, IL 60532. Reach them at 630-968-0074 or trees@mortonarb.org. Scout's Loop of the MonthKen Aiken recommends: Acadia National Forest
Featured on U.S. Regional Touring Atlantic Part 2: New England
This is an all-day tour, but you might make it no farther than the first destination area, which showcases Mount Desert Island, the village of Bar Harbor and the road through Acadia National Park. There's more of Acadia National Park at a less-visited section on its southern peninsula. This is where you should have a meal at Beal's Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor--a one-pound lobster with your name on it awaits. If the weather holds, head for a covered picnic table on their working dock overlooking Southwest Harbor. Continue on and learn the history of your meal at the lobster hatchery at Mount Desert Island Oceanarium in Bar Harbor. Things are definitely brewing on the scenic roads I've chosen to head you back to your starting point in Brewer, connected to its sister city of Bangor by three bridges. This New England day trip is as good as it gets. Order your map today! |
Reader Contest:Send us YOUR MAD MAPS trip stories! We want to hear about your experiences, adventures, disasters, and triumphs with MAD MAPS. Tell us your MAD MAPS vacation adventure story and you might win your very own set of 4 MAD MAPS in a heavy-duty canvas case! To enter, e-mail us at contest@madmaps.com with your 250-word (max.) story OR tag your YouTube video, blog post, or Flickr stream "MAD MAPS" and send us the link. Deadline is June 1, so send yours today! We'll read/view all submissions and select our top 5. Then we'll include/link to those in the July newsletter. Top 5 winners will receive a MAD MAPS Tour Pack of their choice! Winners will be notified by email. Product Spotlight:USRT 220/New England 
What could be finer than a summer in New England? Maine lobster and blueberries, summer theater in Vermont, water play on the beaches of Cape Cod -- it's summer as it was meant to be! Plan now and spend your Fourth of July touring six of the original 13 colonies. Let our USRT 220 New England Regional Scenic Tour Map guide you on 33 trips throughout the upper Northeast. Our hand-picked routes take you from the tip of Cape Cod to the Canadian border, and from the shores of Maine to the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. Printed on water-resistant and tear-proof paper, you'll find these maps even more valuable than before. Order yours today at www.madmaps.com |
