Page 14 - Volume 13 Number 12

Spring flowers brighten the grounds of the West Virginia State Capitol Building in Charleston. Constructed between 1924 and 1932, it has recently undergone sig- nificant preservation efforts to ensure its future for another century and beyond. Its 333 rooms and 535,000 sq. ft. of floor space dwarf many other state capitols, even some in states much larger than West Virginia (both in size and populace).
others lean toward the cleaner lines of more contemporary, modern or post­ modern buildings. Whatever your taste, layovers in cities and towns of nearly any size can offer something
architecturally interesting to see. As with the museums discussed in Part I of this series, web searches can help you develop a wish list of must­ see buildings, organized by style,
purpose or era. Some potential ideas to get you started might include:
Architectural Tours: Many cities offer formal tours of their architectural sites. Such tours come in a variety of forms. In New Orleans, Louisiana, tours via horse­drawn carriage are popular (especially through the narrow streets of the French Quarter or the Garden District). In Chicago, boat tours along the Chicago River allow that city’s famous architecture to be viewed easier than from street level, opening up wider angle sight lines. In Philadelphia (and other cities), similar tours are offered via amphibious vehicles (known as “Ducks”) that both drive the streets and cruise the waterways. While in countless cities, big and small, architectural bus or van tours are available at reasonable rates. If you want to get some exercise at the same time, walking tours (both guided and self­guided) are popular in many cities around the globe.
12 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2019