Butler County has something interesting to offer to everyone. Even for those who make a career out of traveling the world.

Four travel journalists from Canada spent Tuesday and Wednesday seeing parts of the county.

They are visiting the area because they are attending the Travel Media Association of Canada conference, which began in Pittsburgh Wednesday night.

As a preview to the conference, the group took a tour of the county with the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau.

“I love the rolling hills and the small towns,” said Nathan Fong, a chef and a travel journalist from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fong writes for the Vancouver Sun newspaper and magazines. He has a travel segment on the Canadian channel Shaw TV, and is set to have his own cooking show in China.

While he has been around the world, spending nearly 150 days per year away from home, Fong said he was impressed with the rural county.

“There's a lushness in its architecture,” he said. “And I love the history. It's what I think of when I think Americana.”

Joining Fong on the trip from Vancouver was his photographer Michel Chicoine.

The Quebec-native said the county lends itself to photography.

“It has beautiful architecture,” he said. “There are a lot of things to take pictures of.”

Chicoine said he also is a big fan of the supposedly haunted buildings in the county.

“The ghost stories about the Harmony Inn were very interesting,” he said. “It seems like everything in the county is haunted. I love it.”

Anna Bokma, a writer from Hamilton, Ontario, agreed.

“I like all the haunted stories,” she said. “And the 'Night of the Living Dead' cemetery was very cool.”

She was referring to the cemetery in Evans City where parts of the famous zombie movie were filmed.

Bokma said she has been a travel journalist for two years. During that time, she has seen everything from big city attractions to a small commune in Virginia.

Bokma said her daughter is into ghost stories, so the lore in the county is what really caught her attention.

“We may have to visit the area around next Halloween,” she said.

Diane Slawych, a freelance journalist from Toronto, caught notice of the flying saucer in Mars.

“When I travel, I like to see things I can't see at home,” she said. “I don't see that at home.”

Slawych, who has been to more than 87 countries, said while big cities are typically the main tourist destinations, it also is important to venture outside the metropolitan areas.

“People should try to make a side trip to the smaller towns,” she said. “There's a lot to see.”

The group arrived in the county Monday night at the Hampton Inn.

The next day they explored the southwestern part of the county, including Harmony, Mars, Evans City, and Cranberry Township.

The group began Wednesday at the Cabot Gun Co. in Jefferson Township.

It was a unique visit since the journalists are not familiar with firearms.

“Canadians and Americans have different views on guns,” Bokma said. “But it was very interesting.”

Bokma enjoyed the fact that Robert A. Bianchin, the president of the company, is a Hamilton native.

Slawych admitted she knows little about guns, but said she still found the company fascinating.

She said the craftsmanship behind the company's signature Cabot 1911 handgun was enough to hold her attention.

“The way they have perfected it — it's an art piece,” she said.

Next, the group toured Butler with Chelynne Curci, the Main Street manager with Butler Downtown.

Fong said he appreciated the small businesses on Main Street. Miller's Quality Meats particularly caught the chef's attention.

“I love old-time butchers like this,” he said. “You rarely find an old-style butcher like this anymore.”

Fong said the business and the farms were perhaps the most appealing parts of the county.

“It's sad to see suburbanization take away the impact of Main Streets,” he said. “Shopping malls are cold and soulless. I'd rather support small businesses and local farms.”

Fong also enjoyed the prices around town, particularly those in the Element Cafe on Main Street.

“You can tell we're in a small town — these muffins would be double the price in a city,” he said with a laugh.

Cummings Candy and Coffee also was a favorite with the group.

“Here you have a family that has been around since 1905,” Fong said. “It's great.”

Bokma bought a bag of chocolate-covered potato chips from the shop. It was something she had never heard of before.

“They're good,” she said. “I like anything chocolate.”

A trip to the city wouldn't be complete without a stop by the Butler County Historical Society to learn about jeeps.

Pat Collins, the administrative director for the society, gave a tour of the jeeps that the society watches over.

“It's really interesting, the whole jeep story.” Bokma said. “It seems that's what this place is known for.”

It's a story none of the guests had heard before.

In fact, none had ever heard of the county before the trip was planned.

Chicoine said the culture in Western Pennsylvania is much different from where he has lived.

“It seems like everyone here likes sports,” he joked. “But, seriously, there is a lot different about it.”

But those differences are perhaps what the group enjoys most about traveling.

“It's been a great couple days,” Bokma said.

The four journalists left for Pittsburgh Wednesday night. They will return to the county Sunday to conclude their trip with a post-conference tour focusing on farms and restaurants.

So where do you take out-of-country visitors in Butler County?

So far group visited the Mars space ship, the Night of the Living Dead Museum and Cemetery, Baldinger's Market, the Harmony Historic District, the Harmony Inn, the Appalachian Rock Shop, The Snowman in Portersville, the Jennings Environmental Education Center, Playthings Etc., the Log Cabin Inn, Cabot Gun, Downtown Butler, the Chop Shop restaurant, and the Maridon Museum.

On the post-conference tour, the group will visit the Doublewide Grill restaurant, Enchanted Olive, Con Yeager Spice, Rustic Acres Winery, Freedom Farms, Zanella Milling, Rebellion Ciderworks, North Country Brewing, Jennings Environmental Education Center, The Snowman, and Siba.