(Editor’s Note: Today the Altoona Mirror kicks off a monthly feature series on travel in the region. We begin our tour in Blair County).

Last summer, a family of four took their front-row seats at the ballpark where the minor-league home team, the Altoona Curve, was hosting the Erie SeaWolves. It was a stop on the family’s baseball-themed vacation that took them from their home in Ohio to Cooperstown in New York and points in between.

The man told a local resident sitting nearby that he appreciated how the town had embraced baseball by naming its Pittsburgh Pirates’ AA affiliate team after a pitch. Not exactly, he was told; the name is a play on words, but mostly comes from the engineering feat of the mid-19th century that helped railroads conquer the Alleghenies in Blair County. The man asked for directions, then promptly told his family they were stopping by Horseshoe Curve the next day.

The two features named Curve – the baseball team and the tracks in a horseshoe shape that move railcars over the mountain – are two of the major draws of visitors to the area, said Mark Ickes, executive director of Explore Altoona, the visitors bureau for Blair County. Other attractions in the top five are the two amusement parks – DelGrosso’s and Lakemont – and the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, he said.

Area’s history rules

In fact, the area’s history based on the romantic railroad is a big plus in drawing out-of-towners, but it should get locals out to the sights, too, Ickes said.

He acknowledged that some people are quick to dismiss what’s in their own backyard or think they’ll get around to visiting that landmark one day.

“It’s common that no matter where someone lives, he takes for granted that which is close by,” Ickes said. “But to have that interest, that curiosity, to spend an afternoon or an entire day of visiting what is in your backyard, to have knowledge of what is around you, is very important.”

It may not be as sexy as spending the weekend in New York City or further away, but it’s a lot cheaper, plus you have more time to explore rather than waste travel time on the front and back end of a trip.

The American Automobile Association said the average North American vacation costs $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals. “Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000,” according to AAA.

Other benefits of a staycation include no physical drain that comes with rushing from one mode of transportation to another, and it can’t be canceled by an airline or travel host. Plus, you don’t have to spend the vacation with strangers, and if the weather is lousy, you can adjust.

And, there is so much to see right here, Ickes noted.

“Gardner’s Candy Store Museum and Ice Cream Parlor in Tyrone is a gem,” he said. “Fort Roberdeau is another gem worth exploring. It was the westernmost Revolutionary-era post, built to protect a lead mine” and nearby settlers.

Built in 1778, it never was attacked, but “I don’t think most local people realize how important that fort was” to the development of the area, Ickes added. Today, the fort hosts events and special activities and provides daily tours beginning May 1.

But it was the railroad that put Altoona on the map, and the town hasn’t forgotten it.

“With the railroad being such a key ingredient to Blair County’s history and economy today, that return to yesteryear is special,” Ickes said. “Visit the Railroaders Museum. Go up to Horseshoe and see the train rounding the bend.”

The Altoona Model Train Museum is housed in the Antique Depot in Duncansville.

And a new attraction scheduled to open later this year is the Everett Railroad that will offer regular, short excursions out of the depot in Hollidaysburg.

Museums and the arts

Another local award-winning museum houses and displays a large range of art. The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art has four satellite facilities, including one in downtown Altoona, that is becoming a model for museums in rural areas with smaller budgets.

The area is also home to a number of organizations promoting the arts, including the Allegheny Ballet, the Altoona Community Theatre, the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, and the Heart of the Alleghenies, an artisans’ trail that roughly follows Route 22.

For the tots, A Quaint Corner Childrens Museum and Discovery Center in downtown Altoona is “a classic and key place for kids to explore,” according to Ickes.

Other historical or heritage sites to be seen include Baker Mansion, home to the Blair County Historical Society, and the society’s Royer Mansion and Dick Schoolhouse; The Mishler Theatre, home to the Blair County Arts Foundation and a beautiful early 19th century structure; and the Canal Basin Park in Hollidaysburg with exhibits describing the mainline canal system that pre-dated the railroad as a major mode of transportation through the mountains.

The area’s two amusement parks get a lot of positive press outside the area, in part, because of their affordability. DelGrosso’s Amusement Park in Tyrone, which will open for the season next month, has more than 30 rides and attractions, and a water park, and it regularly offers discounts to its admission that starts at $16.95 for a day pass. That compares with nearly $60 at Hersheypark for most entrants.

The smaller Lakemont Park is the eighth oldest amusement park in the country and lays claim to the world’s oldest roller coaster, Leap-the-Dips, a National Historic Landmark since 1996. Critics claim the park is becoming outdated, but it’s hard to beat its admission price, which can run less than $5 (excluding certain rides).

Check out parks and recreational areas

Blair County also is home to a number of parks, including the 958-acre Canoe Creek State Park, home to a 155-acre lake, wetlands and more. It has hiking trails, year-round fishing, a swimming beach and small-boat rentals in season. Tyrone has its Reservoir Park with a playground and picnic tables. And Hollidaysburg is home to Chimney Rocks park, in which hikers can scale the mountain and get a breath-taking view of the borough, and Discovery Garden at the American Legion Memorial Park.

Hiking trails in Canoe Creek park connect with the 17-mile Lower Trail – that name rhymes with flower – and is named after an attorney who jump-started the local rails-to-trails effort that converted former rail lines to trails for walking, biking and horseback riding.

That trail follows the Juniata River, which is a popular spot for fly-fisherman.

Central Blair Recreation Commission has 20 parks full of recreational opportunities scattered all over the area, including Prospect Park with a swimming pool and Juniata Memorial Spray Park. The Park at Morrisons Cove in Martinsburg is home to a swimming pool, bowling, roller skating and other activities.

Blue Knob All Seasons Resort may be known for its skiing, but, as its name says, it has activities all year around, including hiking, mountain biking and golfing. A number of golf courses dot Blair County.

While a lot of parks are chock-full of activities, one is designed to be a contemplative spot. The Wall that Heals is a one-half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Visitors are welcome all day, every day of the year, and there is no parking or admission cost. It is located on the grounds of the Veterans Administration Hospital on Pleasant Valley Boulevard in Altoona.

If you want to please your palate, Blair County is home to a winery and shops selling candy and food made right here, including Oak Spring Winery, Benzel’s Pretzel Bakery and Boyer Candy Co.

As the promotional materials for Explore Altoona say, your adventure awaits, in your own backyard.

Staff Writer Cherie Hicks is at 949-7030.