Last week I took my family on vacation to Gettysburg, Lancaster County, and Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Yes, there is American history outside of Troy!

The small town of Gettysburg is the site of the largest Civil War battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere, lasting only from July 1-3 (1863), and ending with the climactic "Pickett's Charge". Yet, it gave victory to the North and turned back General Robert E. Lee's massive Army.

Over 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or captured in that battle. There were a total of 172,000 soldiers on the battlefield, more than the combined population of present Albany and Troy. Some 634 cannon had been positioned in an area encompassing 25 square miles and an estimated 569 tons of ammunition were spent. Some 5,000 dead horses and the other wreckage of war laid strewn on the battlefield with the dead soldiers. When you stand there, it's hard to imagine that scene as the area is so picturesque today.

The Gettysburg National Military Park incorporates nearly 6,000 acres, with 26 miles of park roads and over 1,400 monuments, markers, and memorials. From a number of look outs you can see almost the entire battlefield and very little has been done to it so you really do visualize what it was like in 1863.

The small village of Gettysburg has more than 25 museums and attractions. Most of their 19th century buildings are restored. Guess what most of their local economy is based on. Heritage tourism.

Strasburg is a town in Lancaster County and is Pennsylvania Dutch country. The village has 18th century restored homes, brick lined streets, Amish farms, but Strasburg is famous for trains. There is the Railroad Museum Of Pennsylvania with over 100 locomotives and cars from the mid-19th and 20th centuries. The National Toy Train Museum has five operating layouts. The Choo Choo Barn - Traintown U.S.A. has Lancaster County in miniature on a 1,700 square-foot hand-crafted sensational train display with 18 operating trains and over 135 animated figures and vehicles.

But the real treat is riding a real steam engine at the Strasburg Rail Road. The 45 minute trip takes you to Paradise, PA, riding in restored 19th century wooden coaches on one of America's oldest short line steam railways. Chartered by the Pennsylvania legislature on June 9, 1832, Strasburg Railroad has operated for more than a century.

We rode Steam Engine #90 originally used on Colorado's Great Western Railway and built in 1924. Strasburg's economy is based on, yup, heritage tourism.

Route 30 runs right through the heart of Amish country in Lancaster County. As you drive along this road, lined with stores from every national chain you can think of, you come across a horse and buggy every few minutes driven by a member of the Amish. The Amish are a very conservative Christian faith group and many of their beliefs are identical to those of Fundamentalist and other Evangelical churches. There are 20,000 of them in Lancaster County.

The Amish migrated to the United States, during the 1720's, especially here as a result of William Penn's "holy experiment" in religious tolerance. Members usually speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch but learn English at school, which are one-room buildings run by the Amish. Formal education beyond Grade 8 is discouraged. They do not own or use automobiles (but can ride in them). Nor do they use electricity, or have radios or TV sets. Men follow the laws of the Hebrew Scriptures with regards to beards and usually dress in a plain, dark colored suit (often with a straw hat). Women usually wear a plain colored dress with long sleeves, bonnet and apron.

With that said, why are there hundreds of retail stores fighting for space along Route 30? Certainly the Amish aren't buying all these modern gadgets! It's quite simple, the economy of Lancaster is driven by heritage tourism. Thousands of visitors each year flock there, or to Strasburg, or nearby Gettysburg and to participate in the rich history of the area. We relive the Civil War, the days of steam driven trains, and view life style and customs that are foreign to most fast paced Americans today.

Heritage tourism is the driving force of this region and they are making an economic killing.

As I look around Troy, I know that we have a more diverse history than any of the three areas I visited. Sadly, I see many missed opportunities to make Troy a similar heritage destination.