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The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events
by Judy AllenPractical tools and expert advice for professional event planners Before planning an event, there is much that must be done behind the scenes to make the event successful. Before any thought is even given to timing or location of the event, before the menus are selected and the decor designed, there are proposals to be written, fees and contracts to be negotiated, and safety issues to be considered. This book takes you behind the scenes of event planning and explains every aspect of organizing and strategic planning. This book will be of value to both the professional event planner and to clients who are dealing with planners. Its comprehensive coverage includes: how to prepare winning proposals, and how to understand them if you are the client; how to determine management fees; negotiating contracts; safety issues; designing events in multicultural settings; and new technology that makes operations more efficient (such as online registration and response management, database project management tools). The book also includes practical tools such as sample letters of agreement, sample layouts for client proposals, forms, and checklists. Professional event planner Judy Allen offers first-time or professional event planners all the top-class advice they need to make their special events come off without a hitch.
The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events
by Judy AllenPractical tools and expert advice for professional event planners Before planning an event, there is much that must be done behind the scenes to make the event successful. Before any thought is even given to timing or location of the event, before the menus are selected and the decor designed, there are proposals to be written, fees and contracts to be negotiated, and safety issues to be considered. This book takes you behind the scenes of event planning and explains every aspect of organizing and strategic planning. This book will be of value to both the professional event planner and to clients who are dealing with planners. Its comprehensive coverage includes: how to prepare winning proposals, and how to understand them if you are the client; how to determine management fees; negotiating contracts; safety issues; designing events in multicultural settings; and new technology that makes operations more efficient (such as online registration and response management, database project management tools). The book also includes practical tools such as sample letters of agreement, sample layouts for client proposals, forms, and checklists. Professional event planner Judy Allen offers first-time or professional event planners all the top-class advice they need to make their special events come off without a hitch.
Business of Hotels
by Hadyn IngramThe fully revised edition of this well-known text by an experienced author, consultant and educator follows the structure and approach which has proved so successful since its first publication in 1980. The book examines the hotel as a businessproviding commercial hospitality. It focuses on markets, money and people, and uses examples from hotel operations throughout the world. This new edition is the outcome of a thorough revision of an established text. The new material includes a comprehensive profile of the hotel business in the 1990's and includes data, quotes and extracts from a wide range of authoritative industry sources.
Business of Hotels
by Hadyn IngramThe fully revised edition of this well-known text by an experienced author, consultant and educator follows the structure and approach which has proved so successful since its first publication in 1980. The book examines the hotel as a businessproviding commercial hospitality. It focuses on markets, money and people, and uses examples from hotel operations throughout the world. This new edition is the outcome of a thorough revision of an established text. The new material includes a comprehensive profile of the hotel business in the 1990's and includes data, quotes and extracts from a wide range of authoritative industry sources.
The Business of Resort Management
by Peter MurphyHow can owners and managers ensure that their considerable capital investments will return a competitive return on their investments? How can users and owners be sure they enjoy the promises of tantalizing marketing and real estate claims? Managing Sustainable Resorts Profitably combines business management principles with environmental and social concerns to offer development solutions to these questions. By taking an holistic and contemporary approach to the problem of developing sustainable tourism operations, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the strategies that need to be considered by various governments, developers and, in particular, the customer-investor. The major features of resort development covered by this book include:• Environmental scanning of principal external and internal influential factors• The curse and blessings of seasonality• Competition for people’s recreation and retirement dollars• Guest activity programming• Environmental issues• Cruise ships as mobile resorts• Staffing issues in isolated areas• Financial challenges for owners and operators alike• Risk Management• Mutually beneficial options for various stakeholdersBased on an analysis of global resort opportunities and trends, the book focuses on those generic features that differentiate regional resort management from urban-centric management needs and priorities. Using comparative case studies the author emphases best case/benchmark examples of a range of resorts – large and small, urban and rural - to illustrate what can be achieved.
The Business of Resort Management
by Peter MurphyHow can owners and managers ensure that their considerable capital investments will return a competitive return on their investments? How can users and owners be sure they enjoy the promises of tantalizing marketing and real estate claims? Managing Sustainable Resorts Profitably combines business management principles with environmental and social concerns to offer development solutions to these questions. By taking an holistic and contemporary approach to the problem of developing sustainable tourism operations, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the strategies that need to be considered by various governments, developers and, in particular, the customer-investor. The major features of resort development covered by this book include:• Environmental scanning of principal external and internal influential factors• The curse and blessings of seasonality• Competition for people’s recreation and retirement dollars• Guest activity programming• Environmental issues• Cruise ships as mobile resorts• Staffing issues in isolated areas• Financial challenges for owners and operators alike• Risk Management• Mutually beneficial options for various stakeholdersBased on an analysis of global resort opportunities and trends, the book focuses on those generic features that differentiate regional resort management from urban-centric management needs and priorities. Using comparative case studies the author emphases best case/benchmark examples of a range of resorts – large and small, urban and rural - to illustrate what can be achieved.
The Business of Sustainable Tourism Development and Management
by Susan L. Slocum Abena Aidoo Kelly McMahonThe Business of Sustainable Tourism Development and Management provides a comprehensive introduction to sustainable tourism, crucially combining both theoretical and practical approaches to equip students with the tools to successfully manage a sustainable tourism business or destination. Covering a range of crucial topics such as mass tourism, alternative tourism, human capital management, and many more, this book incorporates a global curriculum that widens the sustainable tourism debate to include theoretical perspectives, applied research, best-practice frameworks, business tools, and case studies, facilitating a more comprehensive sustainable tourism educational strategy. Information on how to effectively implement strategies that can be applied to business environments, entrepreneurship, and job skills to enhance career preparation is at the forefront of this textbook. Highly illustrated and with an interactive companion website including bonus learning materials, this is the ideal textbook for students of tourism, hospitality, and events management at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The Business of Sustainable Tourism Development and Management
by Susan L. Slocum Abena Aidoo Kelly McMahonThe Business of Sustainable Tourism Development and Management provides a comprehensive introduction to sustainable tourism, crucially combining both theoretical and practical approaches to equip students with the tools to successfully manage a sustainable tourism business or destination. Covering a range of crucial topics such as mass tourism, alternative tourism, human capital management, and many more, this book incorporates a global curriculum that widens the sustainable tourism debate to include theoretical perspectives, applied research, best-practice frameworks, business tools, and case studies, facilitating a more comprehensive sustainable tourism educational strategy. Information on how to effectively implement strategies that can be applied to business environments, entrepreneurship, and job skills to enhance career preparation is at the forefront of this textbook. Highly illustrated and with an interactive companion website including bonus learning materials, this is the ideal textbook for students of tourism, hospitality, and events management at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The Business of Tourism
by Claire Humphreys J. Christopher HollowayTourism as an industry is constantly evolving. Trends and attitudes are susceptible to changes in what people look for in a holiday, which can change within different economic contexts; generational shifts; the political landscape; and most recently, the Covid-19 global pandemic. This popular and comprehensive textbook helps students to not only understand these changes but study them with a critical mindset and historical perspective, desirable for success in assessments. The text also continues to retain its focus on ‘business’ and the operational aspects of tourism, making it especially useful for students considering a career and/or short term placement in the tourism industry. This 12th edition of The Business of Tourism includes updates to take in changes to the tourism industry and consumption behaviours as a result of: Brexit (the UK’s decision to leave the European Union) the pandemic and its impacts on nature; the operation of attractions; event tourism; hotel chains; transport; and governmental support Sustainability and the reduction of the negative impacts caused by tourism Chris Holloway was a former Professor of Tourism Management at the University of the West of England. Claire Humphreys is a former Head of Department and Principal Lecturer at the University of Westminster.
The Business of Tourism
by Claire Humphreys J. Christopher HollowayTourism as an industry is constantly evolving. Trends and attitudes are susceptible to changes in what people look for in a holiday, which can change within different economic contexts; generational shifts; the political landscape; and most recently, the Covid-19 global pandemic. This popular and comprehensive textbook helps students to not only understand these changes but study them with a critical mindset and historical perspective, desirable for success in assessments. The text also continues to retain its focus on ‘business’ and the operational aspects of tourism, making it especially useful for students considering a career and/or short term placement in the tourism industry. This 12th edition of The Business of Tourism includes updates to take in changes to the tourism industry and consumption behaviours as a result of: Brexit (the UK’s decision to leave the European Union) the pandemic and its impacts on nature; the operation of attractions; event tourism; hotel chains; transport; and governmental support Sustainability and the reduction of the negative impacts caused by tourism Chris Holloway was a former Professor of Tourism Management at the University of the West of England. Claire Humphreys is a former Head of Department and Principal Lecturer at the University of Westminster.
The Business of Tourism
by Claire Humphreys J. Christopher HollowayTourism as an industry is constantly evolving. Trends and attitudes are susceptible to changes in what people look for in a holiday, which can change within different economic contexts; generational shifts; the political landscape; and most recently, the Covid-19 global pandemic. This popular and comprehensive textbook helps students to not only understand these changes but study them with a critical mindset and historical perspective, desirable for success in assessments. The text also continues to retain its focus on ‘business’ and the operational aspects of tourism, making it especially useful for students considering a career and/or short term placement in the tourism industry. This 12th edition of The Business of Tourism includes updates to take in changes to the tourism industry and consumption behaviours as a result of: Brexit (the UK’s decision to leave the European Union) the pandemic and its impacts on nature; the operation of attractions; event tourism; hotel chains; transport; and governmental support Sustainability and the reduction of the negative impacts caused by tourism Chris Holloway was a former Professor of Tourism Management at the University of the West of England. Claire Humphreys is a former Head of Department and Principal Lecturer at the University of Westminster.
Business Travel and Tourism
by John Swarbrooke Susan Horner'Business Travel and Tourism' provides a comprehensive, international overview of business tourism from both a theoretical and practical perspective. With the use of case studies from around the world, 'Business Travel and Tourism' explores a broad range of issues, including:* The global business tourism market* The design of business tourism facilities* The role of the destination in business travel and tourism* The social, economic, and environmental impacts of business tourism* The ethical dimension of business tourism* The marketing of business tourism products* The impact of new technologies on the business tourism market* How to organise successful conferences, exhibitions, and incentive travel packagesCase studies include Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong, Amsterdam RAI International Exhibition and Congress Centre, Hilton, Page and Moy Marketing, Lufthansa, Air France, and Legoland UK.'Business Travel and Tourism' is the first text to offer a comprehensive overview of the growing but neglected area of business tourism. With the use of a wide range of up-to-date case studies and major practical exercises to help students to broaden and deepen their understanding of this area of tourism, it is an invaluable text for all students on travel and tourism courses at degree and BTEC/HND level, or those taking tourism options in leisure, business studies, hospitality management or geography.
Business Travel and Tourism
by John Swarbrooke Susan Horner'Business Travel and Tourism' provides a comprehensive, international overview of business tourism from both a theoretical and practical perspective. With the use of case studies from around the world, 'Business Travel and Tourism' explores a broad range of issues, including:* The global business tourism market* The design of business tourism facilities* The role of the destination in business travel and tourism* The social, economic, and environmental impacts of business tourism* The ethical dimension of business tourism* The marketing of business tourism products* The impact of new technologies on the business tourism market* How to organise successful conferences, exhibitions, and incentive travel packagesCase studies include Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong, Amsterdam RAI International Exhibition and Congress Centre, Hilton, Page and Moy Marketing, Lufthansa, Air France, and Legoland UK.'Business Travel and Tourism' is the first text to offer a comprehensive overview of the growing but neglected area of business tourism. With the use of a wide range of up-to-date case studies and major practical exercises to help students to broaden and deepen their understanding of this area of tourism, it is an invaluable text for all students on travel and tourism courses at degree and BTEC/HND level, or those taking tourism options in leisure, business studies, hospitality management or geography.
Butcher, Blacksmith, Acrobat, Sweep: The Tale of the First Tour de France
by Peter CossinsThe first Tour de France in 1903 was a colourful affair full of adventure, mishaps and audacious attempts at cheating. Its riders included characters like Maurice Garin, an Italian-born Frenchman, said to have been swapped for a round of cheese by his parents in order to smuggle him into France to clean chimneys as a teenager, Hippolyte Aucouturier with his trademark handlebar moustache, and amateurs like Jean Dargassies, a blacksmith who had never raced before. Would this ramshackle pack of cyclists draw crowds to throng France's rutted roads and cheer the first Tour heroes? Surprisingly it did, and, all thanks to a marketing ruse dreamed up to revive struggling newspaper L'Auto, cycling would never be the same again. Peter Cossins takes us through the inaugural Tour de France, painting a nuanced portrait of France in the early 1900s, to see where the greatest sporting event of all began.
Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide
by Tari Haahtela Kimmo Saarinen Pekka Ojalainen Hannu AarnioPacked with beautiful photography and thoroughly updated throughout, this is the definitive guide to all 472 species of European butterflies with additional information on another 64 species found in North Africa and south and west Turkey. Detailed text and clear photographs – including views of both the upperwing and underwing where possible – allow identification of adult butterflies in the field. There is also useful information on their relative size, similar species, habitat, lifestyle and larval host plants, accompanied by accurate range maps which have been updated for this new edition. The result of collaboration between many European butterfly experts and photographers, and compiled by a Finnish team, this thoroughly updated and comprehensive guide represents the last word in butterfly identification.
Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide
by Tari Haahtela Kimmo Saarinen Pekka Ojalainen Hannu AarnioPacked with beautiful photography and thoroughly updated throughout, this is the definitive guide to all 472 species of European butterflies with additional information on another 64 species found in North Africa and south and west Turkey. Detailed text and clear photographs – including views of both the upperwing and underwing where possible – allow identification of adult butterflies in the field. There is also useful information on their relative size, similar species, habitat, lifestyle and larval host plants, accompanied by accurate range maps which have been updated for this new edition. The result of collaboration between many European butterfly experts and photographers, and compiled by a Finnish team, this thoroughly updated and comprehensive guide represents the last word in butterfly identification.
Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest (A Timber Press Field Guide)
by Robert Michael Pyle Caitlin C. LaBarA comprehensive guide to the butterflies of the Pacific Northwest from the region&’s foremost butterfly experts.
Buttoned-Up: The East London Line (Penguin Underground Lines)
by Gert Jonkers Jop Van BennekomLondon is a centre of cutting-edge fashion - in Buttoned-Up, the creators of 'the best fashion mag out there', Fantastic Man, tell the story of London style through the history of the button-down shirt - part of a series of twelve books tied to the twelve lines of the London Underground, as Tfl celebrates 150 years of the Tube with Penguin'Taking a seemingly singular point of focus, the top-button-buttoned shirt, [Buttoned-Up] is a sartorial romp along the Ginger Line, looking at the curious fashion phenomenon through the eyes of its greatest exponents, including the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, who is pictured like everyone else in the book, buttoned up to the top'-Design Week'Authors include the masterly John Lanchester, the children of Kids Company, comic John O'Farrell and social geographer Danny Dorling. Ranging from the polemical to the fantastical, the personal to the societal, they offer something for every taste. All experience the city as a cultural phenomenon and notice its nature and its people. Read individually they're delightful small reads, pulled together they offer a particular portrait of a global city' Evening Standard'Exquisitely diverse' The Times'Eclectic and broad-minded ... beautifully designed' Tom Cox, Observer'A fascinating collection with a wide range of styles and themes. The design qualities are excellent, as you might expect from Penguin with a consistent look and feel while allowing distinctive covers for each book. This is a very pleasing set of books' A Common Reader blog'The contrasts and transitions between books are as stirring as the books themselves ... A multidimensional literary jigsaw' Londonist'A series of short, sharp, city-based vignettes - some personal, some political and some pictorial ... each inimitable author finds that our city is complicated but ultimately connected, full of wit, and just the right amount of grit' Fabric Magazine'A collection of beautiful books' Grazia[Praise for Fantastic Man magazine]:'The best fashion mag out there ... Fashion-forward, clever, deeply engaged with the fashion world, ... Fantastic Man is better designed, better photographed and rafts more stylish than the competition. If you buy only one men's fashion magazine, it should be this one', San Francisco ChronicleGert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom are the creators of Fantastic Man, a formal and intelligent men's fashion magazine that positions itself above the commercial fray with a singular tone and elegant design. In 2010 they launched the female counterpart of Fantastic Man called The Gentlewoman, a modern ladies style journal.
Buying and Running a Guesthouse or Small Hotel 2nd Edition: How to build a valuable business and enjoy a great lifestyle (Successful Business Start-ups Ser.)
by Dan MarshallThis book will lead you through the entire process and help you with all the decisions you'll need to make along the way, such as researching your market; setting your objectives and making a plan; finding the right property; cooking and menu planning; dealing with reservations, reception and billing; purchasing and serving delicious food and wine; managing your cash flow and accounts; and creating the WOW factor.Contents: 1. Substantiating the Dream; 2. Which Property and Which Business Format?; 3. Getting Started; 4. Setting Your Standard;5. Reservations and Reception; 6. Food and Beverage; 7. Housekeeping Issues; 8. Marketing and Advertising; 9. Bookkeeping and Financial Aspects; 10. Ancillary Departments; 11.Staffing; Appendix; Index
BuzzFeed: The Travel-Lover’s Guide to the World’s Most Unlikely Destinations, Remarkable Experiences, and Spectacular Sights
by BuzzFeed Louise Khong Ayla SmithBuzzFeed&’s popular travel vertical Bring Me!—the #1 most viewed travel publisher on the web—delivers an insider&’s guide to hundreds of incredible places to see, explore, and experience around the globe.Have you ever wanted to soak in a bath of beer? What about climb a rainbow mountain? Can you imagine yourself discovering a garden oasis, or finding an underground city? For years, Buzzfeed&’s popular travel vertical Bring Me! has supplied wanderers with the best and most reliable travel content. Now for the first time, BuzzFeed brings together all their tips, tricks, advice, and knowledge on hundreds of unlikely destinations and unique experiences in this officially licensed travel guide meets bucket list, where travelers are encouraged to seek out new adventures or simply daydream right from their couch. Get ready to see, taste, and explore hundreds of interesting places around the world, from weird museums and underwater adventures, to food festivals and extraordinary art. BuzzFeed&’s Bring Me! offers thrill chasers the chance to see the world around them in exciting new ways.Featured adventures include:Driving go-karts through the streets of Tokyo (Japan)Kayaking across a glow-in-the-dark bay (Puerto Rico)Standing over a sea of clouds (France)Visiting the world&’s largest piece of pottery (Colombia)Riding above the forest on a pedal-powered zip line (Philippines)Taking a chocolate- and cheese-filled train ride (Switzerland)Embracing your inner feline at a cat museum (Netherlands)And more!
BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural: 101 True Tales of Hauntings, Demons, and the Paranormal
by Ryan Bergara Shane Madej BuzzFeedBased off one of the most popular web series on the internet, Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej present BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural, 101 of the scariest, spookiest, and creepiest locations around the USA and a few abroad, with 50 percent brand-new content and locales exclusive to the book.Hey there, demons! BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural has entertained viewers over the course of seven spooky seasons, covering the supernatural and otherworldly spirits, to ghosts, ghouls, unexplained paranormal activity, and everything in between. In their thrilling debut book, cohosts Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara (lovingly known as the &“ghoul boys&” to fans) deep-dive into dozens of haunted locations around the USA and a few abroad, including subjects from some of their most favorite and talked about episodes, as well as brand-new locations not previously seen before on their show. As they explore the history behind haunted houses, creepy graveyards, former insane asylums, abandoned buildings, and horrifying hotels, Shane and Ryan use their trademark wit and humor to dissect each terrifying tale with their most hilarious highlights and biting commentary. So hold on to your hell-bound soul, boys and ghouls—it&’s about to get demonic up in here.
By Any Means: His Brand New Adventure From Wicklow to Wollongong
by Charley BoormanFour million captivated viewers watched Charley Boorman complete his last adventure - LONG WAY DOWN - which took him from John O'Groats to Cape Town. Along with Ewan McGregor he achieved not only this amazing feat, but also circumnavigated the globe on the LONG WAY ROUND. In between these two incredible journeys, he found the time to compete in the Dakar Rally, telling his story in his bestselling book RACE TO DAKAR. Charley's passion for travel and adventure continues in his new challenge - BY ANY MEANS. Travelling from his home town in Co Wicklow all the way to Sydney, he will use any means he can to reach his destination, via transport as diverse as steam train, horse, boat, kayak, truck, and tuk-tuk. And of course his beloved motorbike! Whether crossing the Black Sea, trekking through Tibet, riding an elephant in India or hiking through the forests of Papua New Guinea, this will be a unique opportunity to meet fascinating people and explore extraordinary places. With trademark enthusiasm, dedication and good humour, Charley's new trip is set to be his most challenging yet.
By the Light of the Moon: A gripping thriller of redemption, terror and wonder
by Dean KoontzCan you trust a madman? By the Light of the Moon is a thrilling tale of seedy motels, mad scientists and intrepid heroes from masterful storyteller, Dean Koontz. Perfect for fans of Richard Laymon and Stephen King. 'Perhaps more than any other author, Koontz writes fiction perfectly suited to the mood of America post-September 11: novels that acknowledge the reality and tenacity of evil but also the power of good; that celebrate the common man and woman; that at their best entertain as vastly as they uplift. By the Light of the Moon is one of those best, exciting and deeply moving' - Publishers Weekly When Dylan O'Conner, together with his autistic brother, Shepherd, pulls into a motel off the interstate highway, all he wants is a good night's sleep. Yet within the hour he finds himself bound, gagged and being injected with a mysterious fluid by a lunatic doctor, who claims Dylan will be the carrier of 'his life's work'.Comedian Jillian Jackson is midway through a tour of seedy venues, accompanied by her pet pot-plant Fred. But her plans for stardom are dramatically altered when she too falls victim to the eccentric scientist. The doctor warns his victims that he is being pursued and that they too are now targets. If they are caught, they will be killed. Both are sceptical.Before long, they are beginning to wonder if the lunatic doctor wasn't quite so mad after all... What readers are saying about By the Light of the Moon: 'Dean has style. The characters in his story are so lively and vivid, and he connects every piece of information together in such a manner that makes this book very special''This story has you glued to the plot from the start. Koontz will have you on the edge of your seat throughout''Dean Koontz has created a masterpiece'
By Thumb, Hoof and Wheel: Travels in the Global South
by Prabhu GhatePrabhu Ghate takes us off the beaten track on selected journeys in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Antarctica, and shows us that you don't have to be rich to travel simply, or even young for that matter – just young at heart, empathetic, and curious. The book should stimulate interest in a variety of trips in our extended neighbourhood, and in the South generally, where travelling is not only more affordable, but in countless ways more interesting. The author takes us through his adventures and brushes with history, whether the building of the Berlin Wall, wandering into Somaliland, running smack into a civil war in Cyprus, taking a front seat in the People Power revolution in the Philippines, getting arrested during the Dirty War while trying to track down a group of Sikh settlers in a remote part of Argentina, catching a cargo boat down the Mekong from China, or riding a paddle steamer up the Nile for ten days in what is today South Sudan. By Thumb, Hoof and Wheel is entertaining, educative, and completely from a different world – a world that is rapidly changing with the forces of global homogenization. Experience a bit of it before it is lost forever.
The C&O Canal Companion: A Journey through Potomac History
by Mike HighA comprehensive guide to one of America's unique national parks, The C&O Canal Companion takes readers on a mile-by-mile, lock-by-lock tour of the 184-mile Potomac River waterway and towpath that stretches from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, and the Allegheny Mountains. Making extensive use of records at the National Archives and the C&O Canal Park Headquarters, Mike High demonstrates how events and places along the canal relate to the history of the nation, from Civil War battles and river crossings to the frontier forts guarding the route to the West. Using attractive photographs and drawings, he introduces park visitors to the hidden history along the canal and provides practical advice on cycling, paddling, and hiking�all the information needed to fully enjoy the park's varied delights. Thoroughly overhauled and expanded, the second edition of this popular, fact-packed book features updated maps and photographs, as well as the latest information on lodgings and other facilities for hikers, bikers, and campers on weekend excursions or extended outdoor vacations. It also delves deeper into the history of the upland region, relaying new narratives about Native American settlements, the European explorers and traders who were among the first settlers, and the lives of slaves and free blacks who lived along or escaped slavery via the canal.Visitors to the C&O Canal who are interested in exploring natural wonders while tracing the routes of pioneers and engineers�not to mention the path of George Washington, who explored the Potomac route to the West as a young man and later laid out the first canals to make the river navigable�will find this guide indispensable.