Trail Notes: On The Road Again

“Ever wondered where your heritage

is, where your family originated, or where your family made a difference in the course of this great nation? If so, this special issue from Family Tree Magazine is your ticket to historical family bliss.”

No, that’s not a magazine salesperson spinning hype, or even a self-promotional editor telling you how great his work is (we’ll get to that in a moment). That’s Samir A. Husni, PhD, professor at the University of Mississippi — aka “Mr. Magazine.” On his Web site <www.mrmagazine.com>, Husni picks “What’s Hot” from the latest crop of magazines. When our inaugural Heritage Travel special issue hit newsstands earlier this year, he decided we were on to something.

“Conceived in the true spirit of America’s love of the road and distant places, it is loaded with features like 10 of America’s most historic locales and 25 historic places to spend the night,” Husni went on. “Complete with a 16-page pull-out calendar of events full of events from coast-to-coast, this magazine could inspire thousands to put some miles on the family car.”

But Husni wasn’t the only one who thought Heritage Travel was, well, road-worthy. The magazine — available only at newsstands and bookstores or from our Web site at <www.familytreemagazine.com> — flew off the shelves. Readers wrote, asking for more. Even potential advertisers contacted us, wanting to make sure we alerted them about the next Heritage Travel. (And, trust us from more than two decades of experience in the magazine business, that almost never happens.)

So, you know the saying “back by popular demand”? That’s Heritage Travel. Honestly, we had no plans for another edition in 2002. Our hard-working staff was actually looking forward to a break. But who are we to argue with success? We hustled to create the new issue you now hold in your hands.

And that’s not all. Next year, in 2003, we’re planning to publish three special issues of Heritage Travel. Tentatively, they’ll go on sale March 25, May 27 and Sept. 23, 2003. As before, these issues will be available only at newsstands and bookstores, or from our Web site. (If you’re a subscriber to Family Tree Magazine, note that Heritage Travel is not included in your regular subscription for six bimonthly issues. And if you’re not already a subscriber, give us a no-risk try at <www.familytreemagazine.com/subscribemag.html>.)

Can’t think that far ahead? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter at <www.familytreemagazine.com/newsletter.asp> and we’ll remind you when future editions of Heritage Travel are about to go on-sale.

Meanwhile, we think you’ll find this issue even better than our “hot” premiere issue. (If you missed that first issue, by the way, a few copies are still available by clicking on <www.familytreemagazine.com/mags> or by calling toll-free 888-419-0421.) We’ve got a special emphasis on holiday heritage this time, whether you’re hitting the road for Halloween (page 56), Thanksgiving (page 70) or Christmas and New Year’s (page 6). And our popular pull-out calendar of historic and ethnic-heritage events is back and better than ever — we’ve made it easier to find events by month or by state. The fun begins on page 29.

Now it’s your turn again. Let us know what you think — and what you’d like to see in Heritage Travel in 2003. Write us at Family Tree Magazine, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236, or send us an e-mail at FTMletters@fwpubs.com.

Happy trails!

From the November 2002 issue of Family Tree Magazine