Snow Hill, Maryland - Maryland's Chesapeake Country
Scenic Byway has been voted as the winner of Scenic America's first-ever Byways
Madness contest! The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway stretches 419 miles from
Chesapeake City to Crisfield on country roads along the bay's edge and is part
of the Great Chesapeake Bay Loop. This scenic byway is just one of many in
Maryland.

America's scenic byways faced off against each other
playoff-style, with the competition structured similar to college basketball's
annual March Madness. The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway beat out some pretty
big names and destinations, including Big Sur Coast Highway and the Pacific
Coast Scenic Byway, which took second and third, respectively.

Chesapeake Country All American Road joins only 55 others
throughout the nation that claim the All-American Road title. The designation
means the byway has features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States
and are unique and important enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves.
The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the
nation's scenic but often less-traveled roads and promote tourism and economic
development.

"The inclusion of the Chesapeake Country All-American Road
in the National Scenic Byways network will open new doors for federal funding
that can help Maryland communities preserve, showcase and monetize their
historic, cultural, natural, recreational and tourism resources," Senator Ben
Cardin said. "The Chesapeake Country All-American Road weaves together some of
the very best historic and natural landscapes that Maryland has to offer, and
its recognition by the National Scenic Byways program helps secure its status
as a treasured resource that will flourish into the future."

Scenic byways are an economic engine for small towns and
gateway communities across the country. A healthy national byways program
drives economic growth through tourism, commerce, and travel revenue, not to
mention investment in infrastructure and transportation improvements.

Scenic America, the sponsor of this national contest, has a
vision for five areas of focus, including preserving and enhancing community
character, honoring parks and open space, celebrating America's scenic byways,
undergrounding utility infrastructure, and promoting beautiful highways.

The Chesapeake Country All-American Road Alliance, a
nine-county effort with a partnership with the Maryland Office of Tourism, has
completed a byway-wide interpretive plan. The group also unveiled the new logo
last fall, which travelers will see throughout the byway.