Select Traveler September October 2020

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

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ENJOYING PUBLIC MARKETS | CHARMING ST. CHARLES | AMERICA’S ART TRAILS

Lift off

for historic

NEW JERSEY FRENCH LICK SHINES

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

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VOL.28 NO.5

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

NEW JERSEY:

HISTORY WITH A VIEW

Cape May, by Craig Terry

contents checking in: TAMMY MCCULLARS

toolbox: conference marketing: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

COVERAGE

ON-THEROAD TECH

ON THE COVER: Hot air balloons create expansive views of New Jersey’s spectacular fall foliage.

where

WE’VE BEEN

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MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL ELIZA MYERS HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS ASHLEY RICKS CHRISTINE CLOUGH RENA BAER KELLY TYNER KYLE ANDERSON MELISSA RILEY

KYLE ANDERSON

888.253.0455

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES

K YLE@ GROUPTR AVELLE ADER.COM

Founder and Publisher Partner VP & Executive Editor Associate Editor Senior Writer Creative Director Graphic Designer/Circulation Manager Copy Editor Proofreader VP, Sales and Marketing Director of Advertising Sales Accounting Manager

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art

TRAILS

S T. C H A R L E S

charm

36 public markets KNOWN FOR:

Select Traveler, the Magazine for Bank, Alumni and Chamber Travel Planners, is published bimonthly by The Group Travel Leader, Inc., 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507 and is distributed free of charge to qualified travel program directors throughout the United States. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and other travel-related companies, may subscribe to Select Traveler by sending a check for $49 for one year to: Select Traveler, Circulation Department, 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507. Copyright The Group Travel Leader, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

NAME OR ADDRESS CHANGES: If your copy of Select Traveler should be mailed to another manager in your organization, or if you personally know another travel director who is not receiving Select Traveler, please send your correction to: Select Traveler, 301 East High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507, or call (859) 253-0455.

Restart Your Travel Plans with Tourism Navigator

I

f you’re ready to plan group trips again, Tourism Navigator is the place to start.

The coronavirus pandemic and resulting government regulations have made group travel planning a complicated mess. Tourism Navigator helps you find critical information to plan successful trips to the places you want to go. And best of all, it’s 100% free.

Created by The Group Travel Leader, Tourism Navigator is a one-stop source for important opening and operational information from hundreds of destinations, hotels, attractions and restaurants around the country.

The coronavirus crisis brought a lot of upheaval to the tourism industry. Many sales professionals who worked at CVBs, hotels and attractions for years are no longer there, and the tour operators and group leaders who relied on them for help planning group trips are not sure who to turn to now.

Additionally, pandemic-related restrictions have been implemented at state and local levels, which means there is no uniformity for travel planners. And for those organizing trips to multiple destinations, finding current information on what is open and available is difficult, if not impossible.

“We’ve been talking closely with tour operators and other travel planners since the crisis began in March,” said Kelly Tyner, vice president of sales for The Group Travel Leader.

“Many of them are interested in restarting their travel programs, but they’re having trouble finding current group sales contacts or deciphering which destinations are open or closed. Tourism Navigator solves both those problems.”

When you visit Tourism Navigator, you’ll be able to search for information from the leading

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“The organizations that have uploaded information on Tourism Navigator are the ones who are most eager to welcome groups back.”

— K E LLY T Y N E R

group tour destinations and attractions in the country. For each one, you’ll get current contact information, including the name, phone number and email address of the person there responsible for group sales.

The Tourism Navigator listings also have up-to-date information on openings, closures and travel restrictions that apply to destinations, attractions, cruises lines and other travel companies. In addition, many detail the steps they are taking to keep visitors safe.

“The organizations that have uploaded information on Tourism Navigator are the ones who are most eager to welcome groups back,” Tyner said. “They have done a lot of work to put health and safety protocols in place, and they want to make sure you have all the tools you need to start bringing your travelers back to visit them again.”

To access this critical information and begin planning your group’s return to travel, visit Tourism Navigator at grouptravelleader.com/navigator.

Travel industry representatives who want to include information to Tourism Navigator can submit information at grouptravelleader.com/listing. .

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perspective P U B L I S H E R ’ S

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can report that the irrepressible desire to travel will ultimately overcome the effects of COVID-19. I can say that because I, like 175 other industry members, attended our Select Traveler Conference held August 19-21 in French Lick, Indiana.

Thanks to a remarkable effort by my partner, Charlie Presley, and his staff, we

held a conference that was originally scheduled for this March in Cheyenne, Wyo-

ming, then moved out of necessity to Wichita, Kansas, and then moved again to French Lick, Indiana. That last move was made just six weeks out, when Kansas officials nixed any large gatherings in Wichita.

For those of you who could not join us, let me say this: There were a lot of travelers at the French Lick Resort. In addition to our group, we saw golfers, families, small groups and other types of travelers. All wore masks while in the hotel. Personnel at all entrances took our temperatures each day and gave us an “all clear” wrist band to wear for that day in the property.

Our business sessions required masks and our meals were laid out with four people seated at tables normally set for eight. Our sales appointments were set at eight-foot tables with participants seated at opposite ends. A clear, plexiglass sneeze guard bisected each table.

During an open afternoon, I saw dozens of delegates walking alone or with a friend without their masks on miles of trails that criss-cross the venerable resort. I spent that time outside at its Pete Dye Golf Course, enjoying the sun and watching foursomes make their way along the links.

As I told attendees at our opening session, we were the first group of industry members who refused to allow this pandemic to win. Someone had to be the first, and I’m glad it was us.

I hope to see you at next year’s Select Traveler Conference in Panama City Beach in March!

Email me anytime with your thoughts at maclacy@grouptravelleader.com.

Mac Lacy 6

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P L A N N E R S

T A L K

B A C K

follow us @ gotripsinc

what is a tour your group has planned for 2021?

LAURIE STATUS

CENTRAL BANK OF SEDALIA SEDALIA, MISSOURI “One of the big trips that I had to cancel this year was to Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, so that trip will be back on the list for next year. I had several travelers who have been there several times, including myself, and we were excited to head back and enjoy the beauty of the South.

If you have never been to Savannah, that is one place I would recommend to travelers and even to first-timers. The beauty of Savannah and all it entails makes it a trip worth going on.”

KELLY PETICOLAS

PRINCIPIA LIFELONG LEARNING ELSAH, ILLINOIS “I feel that we are offering a diverse range of programs, from the standard European river cruise, which we have done for more than 20 years, to more adventurous programs like our trekking in Nepal, Bhutan, Iceland and Ireland.

We will be going to Antarctica for the first time this January.”

Travel ☼ Thoughtfully Designed ☼ ☼ Delightfully Executed ☼

MADDIE STOJANOVIC

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF FORT SMITH FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS “We are excited for our Sailing and Railing tour, which will take us along the beautiful coastline and majestic mountains in the northeastern United States in August 2021. Living in Arkansas, this is an attractive tour, since we will be traveling to a cooler region of the United States in the heat of the summer. We are looking forward to the fresh air the series of boat and train rides will bring.”

TAMMY MCCULLARS

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA “For 2021 we have scheduled Machu Picchu and Galapagos Wonders; Spotlight on the French Riviera, featuring Carnivale; and Croatia and Its Islands. We have recently scheduled an Albuquerque Balloon Festival trip and Spotlight on San Antonio Holiday. We have also rescheduled one tour, Discover Scotland, featuring the Royal Edinburg Military Tattoo, which was to take place in August 2020, for August 2021.”

888-55-TRIPS

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www.gotripsinc.com selecttraveler.com 7

TAMMY MCCULLARS PROGRAM ASSOCIATE

APPALACHIAN

checking in W I T H

T A M M Y

M C C U L L A R S

STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA

Appalachian State University began as a teachers college in 1899, becoming a university in 1968. The school now educates about 20,000 students a year. The university’s travel program for the more than 130,000 living alumni is over 30 years old.

Born: Miami Education: McCullars studied information technology at Miami Dade Community College.

Employment: After working for the Broward County School System as a bookkeeper, McCullars moved to Boone, North Carolina, in 2000. She began working at Appalachian State University as the office manager before taking over the travel program.

Family: McCullars has a husband, two children, one stepson and 17 grandchildren.

Hobbies: McCullars enjoys photography and crafting.

Tammy McCullars poses for a group photo during an alumni trip to Zimbabwe.

BY ELIZA MYERS

T

he Tammy McCullars of 2005 might have been amazed to find out that a few years later, she would bungee jump in front of a crowd of people. In 2005, her main apprehension about group travel didn’t involve heights but rather standing in front of a crowd for her first trip leading the Appalachian State University’s alumni travel program.

“The trip was to the Italian and French rivieras, so I was excited because I had never been out of the country,” said McCullars. “But I was also a little apprehensive because I could sit and talk on the phone all day, but I always had a problem talking in front of people before this job.”

McCullars didn’t let her nerves slow her down and now talks regularly in front of people without hesitation. This helped her develop lasting friendships and take numerous adventures, such as bungee

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jumping on the A. J. Hacket Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand.

“I was the only one in the group who volunteered to do it,” said McCullars of her first bungee-jumping experience. “It was really cool to be volunteering to jump at 50-something years old. When I jumped, everyone in the group was cheering. On social media, I was called the best grandma ever.”

After 15 years of group travel, McCullars continues to fearlessly lead her alumni travelers to new parts of the world.

ME DI C A L MOV E

After McCullars’ husband had a heart attack in 2000, everything changed. McCullars decided to move from her birthplace in Miami to Boone, North Carolina, to separate her husband from a stressful career.

“I needed to get him away from everybody,” said McCullars. “They kept calling him. He was an electrical contractor.”

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After settling into what they imagined would be a relaxing retirement for both, McCullars started to feel antsy.

“I started to work some temp jobs because I wasn’t ready to stay home 24 hours,” said McCullars. “Then a job opened up at the university that was a perfect fit for me.”

The position included bookkeeping for the travel program, which eventually pivoted into running the entire travel program. After a few years, she could host trips like a pro.

“I grew into it,” said McCullars. “Although my family traveled in the U.S. when I was younger, my background did not include travel.

When you are young and live in south Florida, your vacations tend to be visiting the Florida Keys, Disney World and Busch Gardens.”

Every year since McCullars took charge, the travel program has grown and now boasts 2,500 past travelers. McCullars increased the number of trips from one or two a year to four to six. The group mixes international and U.S. tours with frequent river cruises. The alumni travel program partners frequently with Collette on tours inside and outside the U.S.

‘ FR IEN D RAIS I N G ’

If enough people sign up for a tour, McCullars and the executive director join the tour to talk about the university, entertain and problem-solve any issues that come up.

“In the alumni world, we are ‘friendraising,’” said McCullars. “We want to get the travelers interested in our program. If someone comes and travels with us, they can learn about what the university is doing. They might come to a football game or other activity. If we find out what they are interested in, we can point them to how they can be involved in that interest, whether it is sports or music or business.”

Before each tour, McCullars hosts an orientation luncheon to share important information. Then, to ramp up enthusiasm for the tour, McCullars will send out travel gifts, a biography of each traveler and photo-sharing information so the group can enjoy the images that McCullars and other travel hosts take.

Though COVID-19 has slowed the program, with four trips canceled for 2020, McCullars has added three U.S. trips for 2021, along with a Galapagos trip in January and one to the French Riviera in February.

“The travel industry will recover,” said McCullars. “Maybe there will be new precautions, but people will travel again soon. I can’t wait.”

also helps plan trips with them frequently, including an annual trip with the female family members. The group rents a house together to help bring together the family’s different generations.

Her travel enthusiasm is only exceeded by her enjoyment of connecting with people, both in her family and her travel family.

“We’ve had so many wonderful memories on these trips,” said McCullars. “To see it through the travelers’ eyes is just amazing. I love taking photos of them and then, at the end of the tour, giving them the photos to keep. I have made so many friends, it is just unbelievable. We all get so close. It is like having them a part of your family.”

T R A V E L

• Travel with a reputable company.

• Build lasting relationships with your travelers from the very first contact.

• Plan for anything and everything. You work with many different people and personalities while in locations around the world you have never been to.

Come home to the place where Elvis Presley’s dreams came true.

120 acres dedicated to the life and career of an American legend, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. See the gold records, the jeweled jumpsuits, the classic cars and all-new immersive exhibits that let you experience Elvis like never before.

F EE L S L IKE FA M I LY

With 17 grandchildren, McCullars is used to loving on family. She extends that care to her travelers each trip.

“Once they sign on, I make sure they feel like family and know I care,” said McCullars. “It helps that I am a nurturer and they are mine to take care of. Collette will sometimes open the trip to the public when we haven’t filled the bus. I’ve even had those people come to me with questions and asking for help. I try to make sure everything is going smoothly.”

McCullars has worked to instill wanderlust in her family members by telling them stories about the incredible destinations she has visited. She

tips

Memphis, TN

800-238-2000

Graceland.com

© EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved.

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T R A V E L

T O O L B O X

It’s 2020 –

expect the unexpected

I

BY B R I A N JE W E LL

f 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that disaster can strike when you least expect it.

As we collectively emerge from the pandemic and begin thinking about the future of travel, everyone in the tourism community will have a new perspective on emergencies. Unplanned challenges have always been a possibility for travelers. But with health, safety and government regulations at the front of everyone’s minds, a travel organization’s ability to adapt quickly and overcome obstacles will become more critical than ever.

If you usually work with tour companies or cruise lines to arrange your group’s trips, you probably rely on their expertise to navigate sticky situations with your travelers. But even when there are professionals by your side to act in the most difficult moments, how you handle difficulties and emergencies when they happen will set the tone for how your travelers react.

As you look forward to returning your group to the road in 2021 and beyond, here are some important steps you can take to handle the emergencies and challenges you don’t yet know are coming.

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PRE PA RE F OR THE PRE DI CTABLE Though it’s impossible to anticipate every emergency that may occur while you have a group on tour, most emergencies fall into predictable categories. From time to time, someone will get sick or injured while traveling with you. Prepare a crisis plan ahead of time so that you and your travelers will understand what happens in the case of a health emergency. Travel insurance companies often have dedicated personnel who take care of all the details when a client has a health issue on the road, so you should package insurance into all your tours.

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BUIL D IT INT O T HE BUDG E T Some travel emergencies are not only stressful but also potentially expensive. A canceled meal, an overbooked hotel or an unexpected interruption in service could leave you and dozens of your travelers stranded, hungry or unsure of how you’ll get home. If these things happen, you should spend the money necessary to keep your customers safe and get them home. Build some emergency funds into the budget for each trip you run. And make sure your organization is prepared for you to make some discretionary spending decisions should the need arise. You can sort out the financial details once everyone is home safely.

HAV E HE LP ON HA ND You can overcome many obstacles on the road with some quick thinking, a smartphone and a positive attitude. But from time to time, you might encounter issues that are too complex for you to solve on the go or on your own. For those, you need to have a reliable helper back home who can provide support and help with legwork while you manage the situation on the ground. Before each departure, arrange for someone from your organization to be on call to assist in case emergencies come up. Then lean on that person to help you through difficult moments.

PROJE CT P OS ITIVITY When unexpected problems come up during a trip, your travelers want to know that everything’s going to be OK, and they’re going to look to you for reassurance. So even though you may be freaking out on the inside, do your best to project an air of positivity and calm to the people depending on you. A smile and an upbeat attitude can make even the most difficult situation more manageable. If you can manage the situation with calm and positivity, you’ll win the admiration of your travelers. Some of them may be even more likely to trust you with their future trips.

CO U N T ON CRE ATIVITY Most tours follow easily identified patterns, and it’s generally good that your travelers know what to expect when they come on a trip with you. But when a crisis emerges, “the way we’ve always done it” might not be the best approach to handling the situation. Instead of spinning your wheels trying to keep the trip as normal as possible, tap into your creativity to find successful ways through the challenges. Be willing to sleep in and eat at or visit a place that wouldn’t normally be on your itinerary. And engage your travelers in the decision making so they don’t feel powerless.

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C O N F E R E N C E

connection THE INDUSTRY RISES UP IN

FRENCH LICK, INDIANA Masked up for business

Twickenham Antebellum District

BY DAN DICKSON

M

ore than 175 group travel planners and travel industry professionals scored a major victory for tourism’s comeback when they gathered in French Lick, Indiana, for the Select Traveler and Going On Faith conferences.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual events were merged into a single meeting. It was the U.S. travel industry’s first major conference since travel shut down in March.

A hardy band of travel industry buyers and sellers, all with faces masked, sanitizers at the ready and practicing social distancing, gathered August 19-21 at Southern Indiana’s beautiful and historic French Lick Resort.

During the general session, Mac Lacy, a conference partner, asked all delegates to stand. Lacy then praised them for attending and for continuing to promote travel.

“Bringing the travel industry back from the worst health crisis in our lifetimes will require people with resilience and resolve,” Lacy stated. “Those people are in this room right now.

By coming, you have proven that you are such a person. You didn’t have to be here. A lot of our travel friends are not. But

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one day you’ll be able to look back and say: ‘I was there.’”

Charlie Presley, another conference partner, echoed the sentiment.

“This is the first travel conference of the year in the whole travel industry and you are part of it,” he said. “That is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for doing that.”

Presley also commended the operators of French Lick Resort for accepting this combined conference with just 40 days notice after the cities of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and then Wichita, Kansas, were forced to bow out due to state or local health mandates.

“We’ve had a relationship with Group Travel Family [the conference organizer] for 16 years and when they needed us, we just said: ‘Yes. Come on back to French Lick,’” said Joe Vezzoso, vice president of resort operations and sales. “It was an easy decision really. I think we’re all seeing improvement in the travel industry, and this conference is a great way to show that the industry is back in business.”

Delegates enjoyed the large resort property. Many could be seen in the casino, playing golf, hiking trails or just enjoying the

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Enjoying the French Lick Resort

Resort hospitality Opening photos courtesy French Lick Resort

wide and peaceful veranda on the front side of French Lick Hotel.

One night of the conference was designated a dine-around. Many delegates walked one or two blocks into the town of French Lick to sample a surprising range of restaurants.

“THIS IS MY 20TH YEAR AT SELECT TRAVELER CONFERENCE. I WANT TO LEARN WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO IN TRAVEL THESE DAYS. I ALSO ENJOY MEETING PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO TRAVEL. THERE’S SUCH A WIDE WORLD TO SEE.” — BRENDA HALL, NIGHTMARK TRAVELS

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TRAVEL WINS. VIRUS LOSES.

The Select Traveler Conference brings together travel groups for banks, chambers of commerce, and colleges and universities so that they can engage with travel providers and choose what trips they might want to take when restrictions are lifted.

A dedicated and optimistic Brenda Hall of NightMark Travels in Red Bay, Alabama, couldn’t be kept away.

“This is my 20th year at Select Traveler Conference,” she said. “I want to learn what I can and cannot do in travel these days. I also enjoy meeting people who love to travel. There’s such a wide world to see.”

Burdell Hensley of Blessed Byways Tours in Oskaloosa, Iowa, loved being at the conference.

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C O N F E R E N C E

connection “After what happened this year, we had to cancel 15 of our tours,” he said. “It’s been a year of inactivity, but it’s wonderful to be back with old travel industry friends so we all can restore the mojo. I’m fired up for next year.”

For many travel buyers, the conference was educational.

“People are ready to travel and by next year will get over the cabin fever and want to get out,” said Glenda Hills of HH Luxury Travel in Uniondale, New York. “I want to meet new people and find out from my peers what they’re doing now and will do differently in the future. There’s so much that’s unknown. I can learn from them because they’ve had different experiences where they live.”

“I’m here to learn how to sell travel in this new day and age, especially small groups, because some of my large groups don’t want to get on a motorcoach right now,” said Teri Gordon from Rejuvia Travel in South Bend, Indiana. “We used to go to Chicago a lot, but not everyone wants to go these days, so I’m searching for new destinations that aren’t too far away.”

“I need ideas for domestic trips that are maybe two or three states away,” said Gini Dolence, whose travel group, Misfits, is based in Salem, Ohio. “I want to get people who are timid back out with day trips, and then possibly work up to two to four night trips. We have to build it back.”

The travel destination providers in attendance have had just as rough a year as the travel buyers but all look for a more prosperous 2021.

“We hope to book some people for the rest of this year,” said Shelley Gutta of Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia.

“We’re always optimistic about that but we are also looking hard at 2021 and 2022. I love that people are so resilient and really want to be together, and even though we’re in tough times, we’ll be back better and stronger.”

Julie Hardy of Hardy Flying Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul, Illinois, operates an unusual attraction.

“We’re the same as everyone else here,” she said. “We want to get people moving again. My Alaskan reindeer miss people and so do I. Our place is a fun, unique ranch in the middle of nowhere.”

Sandy Price of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau is thinking positively.

“I want people to know Oklahoma City is open and our partners are taking all precautions for the safety of clients,” she said. “We want to assure people we will take care of them. I want them to know what’s going on now in Oklahoma City and what’s coming next.”

Cheyenne visits French Lick

Courtesy French Lick Resort

Thumbs up!

Courtesy French Lick Resort

Let’s talk!

Load up!

“I LOVE THAT PEOPLE ARE SO RESILIENT AND REALLY WANT TO BE TOGETHER, AND EVEN THOUGH WE’RE IN TOUGH TIMES, WE’LL BE BACK BETTER AND STRONGER.” — SHELLEY GUTTA, STONEWALL RESORT

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Magazine meetup

A safely designed marketplace Courtesy French Lick Resort

Masked musician

How can we help?

Welcome to French Lick Resort

Come to Louisville

This is fun!

I’m ready!

Safe spirits

Ark invitation

All photos by Dan Dickson except where noted

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S PONS OR S

MEAL SPONSORS BRING

ENCOURAGEMENT

AND

40 days and 40 nights

ENERGY

Words of wisdom

Let’s travel

Courtesy French Lick Resort

D

espite the effects of the virus on events, several meal sponsors attended in person to encourage and energize attendees for brighter days ahead. Veteran travel guru Bob Buesing from CATours in Mason City, Iowa, also appeared several times at the conference and in one motivational pep talk during a buyer breakout session explained the similarities between scenes in the baseball-influenced movie “Field of Dreams” and the current travel industry. In the film, the primary theme was “If you build it, they will come.”

Conference host and dinner sponsor Joe Vezzoso of the French Lick Resort spoke several times as well, always offering an industry veteran’s outlook on the difficulties of 2020. “Our owners have done everything humanly possible to protect our employees and project a positive outlook for this industry,” he told delegates. “I think you’ll find throughout your stay that we have put safety measures in place that will make your stay with us relaxing and enjoyable.”

Eddie Lutz, a breakfast sponsor, is from the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. It’s a biblical attraction that is growing and changing every year.

Lutz had big news.

“We’ll be holding the world’s largest Christian music festival at the Ark for 40 days and 40 nights, August 2 to September 10, 2021,” he announced. “Virtually every single major gospel group will perform at this event.”

Bob Cline of U.S. Tours in Vienna, West Virginia, was another breakfast sponsor. He always brings clever group tour ideas to the conference.

“We are a three-time winner of America’s most innovative tour operator because of some of the wild and crazy events that we produce, like our renting Graceland for a night,” he said. “Yes, Elvis Presley’s home, for what we call Blue Christmas.”

Jim Edwards of Collette attended personally to sponsor a lunch and encourage delegates.

“COVID-19 led to cancellation of many of our tour departures this year, and now we are being very selective about what itineraries we operate. But, our philosophy remains: ‘We will travel again,’” he said. “Collette is ready when you are.”

Thanks, Joe!

Count me in

Words of encouragement

Let’s talk travel

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JUGGLING JEFF

The conference’s keynote speaker wasn’t glued behind a podium during his presentation. Funny, inspiring and energetic Jeff Koziatek delivered motivational messages on ways delegates could improve their personal and professional lives. He managed this as he juggled bowling pins or balanced large objects on his chin or remained upright on a large red ball while struggling to work out of a straight jacket. And he never skipped a beat with his rapid-fire chatter.

Koziatek stressed the human capacity in delegates’ business lives.

“You are the human being behind the human doing,” he explained. “You support the travel business, but you are more than what you do. The work must define what you value personally, professionally and relationally. If you make decisions that don’t align with your personal values because you’re stressed and anxious and grasping for straws, you’ll go down the wrong path.”

‘WE WILL TRAVEL AGAIN. COLLETTE IS READY WHEN YOU ARE.” — JIM EDWARDS, COLLETTE

We have a winner!

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CONFERENCE

LOOKING

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AHEAD

2021

TO

Panama City Beach is calling in March!

Photos courtesy Visit PCB

T

he travel industry will keep marching forward. The next Select Traveler Conference is scheduled for February 28-March 2, 2021 in Panama City Beach, Florida. It will be staged at the impressive Sheraton Panama City Beach Golf and Resort Spa, a AAA Four-Diamond resort property nestled pleasantly along St. Andrews Bay. Details are still being worked out for the site of the 2021 Going on Faith Conference. Travel buyers and sellers should be on the lookout this fall for an announcement on the location and dates for this popular faith-based travel meeting.

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MARKED by masterpieces

Groups can get up close to faces from American history at Rapid City’s City of Presidents sculpture walk.

Courtesy Visit Rapid City

Art trails are tours of discovery

BY PAULA AVEN GLADYCH

Y

ou don’t have to go to a museum to see some of America’s best art.

In destinations across the country, public art installations have become a way of drawing people into cities and celebrating the history and culture of the area. From traditional bronze sculptures to modern art, graffiti and murals, the following cities have curated art walks and trails that highlight the many art forms that have popped up in different neighborhoods. The best part: These art trails are all free to explore on your own time and at your own pace.

President Obama’s statue in Rapid City

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

Public art has become a staple in Rapid City, South Dakota. It started in 2000 when private donors built and installed life-size bronze sculptures of every president of the United States that is no longer in office. The sculptures stand on every corner of downtown Rapid City.

The sculptures are placed in an orderly fashion “that eliminates favoritism or political gain,” said Julie Schmitz Jensen, president and CEO of Visit Rapid City.

The City of Presidents can be seen as part of the Rapid City Historic Tour or on an art walk. Visit Rapid City has a brochure, a scavenger hunt and a self-guided walking tour of the installation. The most recent sculpture, Barack Obama, sits on the corner of Fourth and St. Joseph streets, a block away from Benjamin Harrison and George W. Bush.

Another public art installation in Rapid City, Art Alley, started in 2003 with various city artists putting up canvases of their art in the alley. Now, artists need to get a permit to paint in the alley, and most of the art is spray-painted on the walls and dumpsters.

“You can hear garbage trucks, delivery trucks and spray cans shaking in Art Alley,” said Schmitz Jensen. “It is simply beautiful.”

The alley covers two full city blocks, and the art is constantly changing, so returning visitors will always be delighted and surprised.

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Prairie Edge Trading Company

Rapid City’s Art Alley Photos courtesy Visit Rapid City

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“Ball, Ball, Wall Wall” at Laumeier Sculpture Park

“Cromlech Glen” at Laumeier Sculpture Park

Laumeier Sculpture Park’s Nature Trail Photos courtesy Laumeier Sculpture Park

ST. LOUIS

“ I T H I N K I T I S R E A L LY MAGICAL. WE’RE R E A L LY S P E C I A L . W E A R E A PA R K- A N D - M U S E U M H Y B R I D. W E AT T R AC T N AT U R E LOV E R S A N D A R T L O V E R S .”

— LAUREN ROSS, LAUMEIER SCULPTURE PARK

The Laumeier Sculpture Park sits on 105 acres in St. Louis County and features 60 to 70 large-scale outdoor art installations situated along 1.4 miles of walking trails. Opened to the public in 1976, the park began as a bequest from the Laumeier family, which originally owned the property. The family gave it to the County of St. Louis, asking that it be turned into a sculpture park.

Initially, the sculptures were all created by artist Ernest Trova, who gifted the park 40 of his works. But as the nonprofit arm of the organization was incorporated, the decision was made to expand the park’s scope to include other artists as well.

The park is still primarily dedicated to outdoor sculpture, but in 2016, it added the Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center, a gallery dedicated to showcasing works that weren’t meant to be displayed outdoors, like paper crafts and paintings.

The sculpture park is ever-changing, with a mix of permanent works and temporary exhibitions, said the park’s executive director Lauren Ross. The art is scattered along dirt, gravel and paved trails that wend their way through the park’s open grassy fields and dense woodlands.

“It’s a beautiful place,” Ross said. “I think it is really magical. We’re really special. We are a park-and-museum hybrid. We attract nature lovers and art lovers. I think that sometimes we have the ability to draw people in for one of those things only to discover they are more engaged with the other than they expected.”

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Chicago’s Activate art program

Graffiti art at Activate

Chicago’s Millennium Park

“Monument with Standing Beast” in Chicago

Photos courtesy Chicago Loop Alliance

CHICAGO

Visitors to the Chicago Loop have a chance to see free public works of art by some of the most famous artists of all time, including Picasso, Miro, Calder and Chagall. The Flamingo, a 53-foot-tall red sculpture

by Alexander Calder, sits in Federal Plaza. The Chicago Picasso is an unnamed 50-foot-tall steel sculpture in the civic plaza that was the first major public artwork in Downtown Chicago. It was dedicated in 1967.

Cloud Gate, lovingly nicknamed The Bean, is one of Chicago’s most iconic and memorable public art pieces because it looks like a large mirrored bean. It sits in Millennium Park.

Nearby, the Crown Fountain features 50-foot-tall video boards that sport the faces of regular Chicago residents spouting water at each other. Built in 2004, it was designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.

The installation is popular, especially in the summer, as residents and visitors alike flock there to cool off on a hot day.

Large public art installations pepper the city’s core, known as the Loop, but Chicago has gotten into more local-scale art in the past few

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years through its Activate program, which takes over unconventional spaces like loading docks and alleys with pop-up art exhibits, music and live performances.

“What we have tried to do is create a lasting impact,” said Kalindi Parikh, director of planning for the Chicago Loop Alliance. “Many murals of all different sizes and all different kinds of artists.”

New murals pop up all the time, including a large Muddy Waters mural on State Street. Visitors interested in seeing these murals can visit the online mural registry put together by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

Visitors who would like to tour the Loop’s public art with a knowledgeable guide can sign up for a free Chicago Greeter tour through Choose Chicago. The tours last two to four hours and can be customized to focus on an individual’s interests, including architecture, public art and foodie culture.

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BOSTON

Wall art in Boston

Boston’s “Quest Eternal”

Everywhere you look in Boston, you will see some form of public art, whether related to the city’s Revolutionary War past or the founding of our country.

Visitors who have a hankering to see the city’s more than 500 public art installations can follow along on Boston’s interactive public art map. A large cluster of art is situated around Boston Common and Public Garden, bordered by Beacon, Boylston and Park streets and is easy to walk. The bulk of Boston’s public art is between the Back Bay/ Beacon Hill area and central Boston.

“Public art has the ability to revitalize neighborhoods and foster community collaboration and engage people in conversations that they might not otherwise have,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, chief of arts and culture for the city of Boston. “We’re committed to bringing more accessible artworks to every neighborhood in Boston.”

One of Boston’s most well-known sculptures, Quest Eternal, shows a 27-foot-tall man reaching for the heavens in a pose reminiscent of floating or flying. It was sculpted by Donald De Lue in 1967 and is located in Allston.

Boston doesn’t have a city-sponsored public art trail per se, but the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture is working to integrate more pieces of public art into every neighborhood. The Boston Art Commission developed a curatorial vision to guide the commissioning of new artworks.

Boston also is commissioning long-term projects through its Percent for Art Program, which allocates 1% of the city’s capital borrowing budget to public art. Boston also commissions several murals and temporary projects every year as part of its Transformative Public Art Program.

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Photos courtesy Greater Boston CVB

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A path on the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden

Poydras Corridor Sculpture Exhibition in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS

The Big Easy is no stranger to the arts. Well known as the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans also has a proud public art history. William Andrews, director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, said there are a few must-see public art areas in the city. New Orleans City Park is full of public art, including the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The garden sits on 11 acres in the heart of the park, next door to the art museum itself. The more than 90 sculptures are displayed among mature trees, including oaks and magnolias, and two lagoons.

The garden has doubled in size since its inception in 2003. Many famous artists have works of art featured along the garden path, including Frank Gehry, Larry Bell, Katharina Fritsch and Tony Cragg. At the Louisiana Children’s Museum, which also is in City Park, a unique fog sculpture by Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya sends out a dense mist every 30 minutes, enveloping visitors to the lagoon outside the museum in wispy wet tendrils. The sculpture changes with the weather.

The Wave of the World by Lynda Benglis is another must-see art installation in the big lake in City Park. Fans of Dale Chihuly can visit his Rose Crystal Tower in the New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park.

On the way to the Poydras Sculpture Exhibition, visitors can walk past many murals in New Orleans’ central business district. The Poydras exhibition features 33 sculptures by local and international artists on Poydras Street between Convention Center Boulevard and South Galvez.

NEWORLEANS.COM

New Orleans’ Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden Photos courtesy New Orleans and Company

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S T A T E

o f

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boardwalks & dress blues

FINERY MEETS FUN IN HISTORIC NEW JERSEY

BY ELIZA MYERS

A

merica owes a lot to New Jersey.

The colony served as George Washington’s military headquarters for key moments during the Revolutionary War. During that time, victory seemed unlikely for the ragtag bunch of rebel soldiers, which made Washington’s triumph even more impressive.

Groups can engage in the nation’s history at Revolutionary War sites scattered across the state. And the Garden State honors its past beyond the Colonial period at Victorian-era towns, historic beachfronts and one of the country’s most prestigious colleges: Princeton University.

The state also has shopping hot spots and beach towns designed to entertain. Groups can forget their troubles on a fun-filled trip to New Jersey.

MORRISTOWN

Morristown boasts an impressive list of past residents.

Alexander Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Paine and Washington all helped change the course of history while in town.

Known as the military capital of the American Revolution, the city played a strategic role in the war. To honor the town’s importance, the Morristown National Historical Park became the country’s first National Historical Park.

Though today, the northern New Jersey city offers a charming downtown shopping experience, Washington’s time in the area consisted of struggle and desperation.

Groups can learn about how 10,000 Continental Army soldiers endured the war’s most severe winter in Morristown.

The park consists of four noncontiguous areas: Washington’s Headquarters, Fort Nonsense, Jockey Hollow and the New Jersey Brigade Area, which includes the Cross Estate Gardens.

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M O R RI S TOW N

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PR I NCETO N

ATLA NTI C C I TY

CAPE M AY

Morris Museum

Schuyler-Hamilton House in Morristown brings the Revolutionary War period to life.

Photos courtesy Morris County Tourism

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After the smash hit “Hamilton” appeared onstage, interest in the Morristown’s SchuylerHamilton House quickly grew.

Hamilton famously courted Betsy Schuyler in the mansion while he stayed there as a houseguest. Visitors can discover the Colonial-era medical practices in the site’s doctor’s office. Other displays showcase antiques, paintings and historic memorabilia.

Groups can find a more complete retelling of the region’s history at the Morris Museum.

The second-largest museum in the state sits inside a Gilded Age mansion with collections such as Native American artifacts, dinosaurs, period costumes and the renowned Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Machines and Automata.

While shopping in the pedestrian-friendly town, groups can admire the statues of Morristown Green. Bronze, lifelike sculptures commemorate moments in the town’s history, such as the meeting of Washington, Hamilton and Lafayette in 1780. morristourism.org

The Mills at Jersey Gardens

ELIZABETH AND NEWARK

Warinanco Park

Boxwood Hall Photos courtesy Elizabeth DMO

WHAT DO TOMMY HILFIGER AND GEORGE WASHINGTON HAVE IN COMMON? BOTH HELP DRAW VISITORS TO ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

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What do Tommy Hilfiger and Washington have in common? Both help draw visitors to Elizabeth, New Jersey. Thirty minutes east of Morristown and directly west of Staten Island, Elizabeth bills itself as the state’s starting point. Its proximity to the Big Apple and its Colonial past combine to form a city both cosmopolitan and historically reverent.

New Jersey’s fourth-largest city contains the East Coast’s largest indoor outlet shopping center, the Mills at Jersey Gardens. More than 200 outlet stores feature top brands such as Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Coach and offers the country’s largest Tommy Hilfiger outlet. And since New Jersey has no sales tax on clothing, shoppers can find attractive deals. The mall contains two levels of restaurants, shops and attractions, including a multiplex movie theater.

Founded in 1664, Elizabeth has its share of history. Groups can learn more about its Revolutionary ties at Boxwood Hall.

Built in 1750 by Elias Boudinot, a director of the U.S. Mint and president of the Continental Congress, the mansion entertained prominent visitors such as Washington, Lafayette and Hamilton. Saved from demolition, it opened in 1943 as a museum with Colonial and Revolutionary War artifacts.

Deemed one of America’s 50 Greenest Cities by Popular Science magazine, Elizabeth boasts 46 parks. Warinanco Park remains the most impressive. Designed by Frederick Olmstead, the 204-acre park contains hiking trails, boat rentals, water features and spectacular fall landscapes.

Elizabeth’s neighbor city, Newark, is New Jersey’s largest metropolis. Eight miles from Manhattan, the city has easy access to New York’s highlight attractions. It also has its own cultural gems. The Newark Museum offers American and Tibetan collections, sculpture gardens, the Ballantine Victorian mansion and a planetarium.

Sports lovers can catch a New Jersey Devils hockey game at the Prudential Center or cheer during a Major League Soccer showdown at the Red Bull Arena. goelizabethnj.com newarkhappening.com

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PRINCETON

Guests can feel smarter just visiting Princeton. The town’s namesake, Princeton University, put the city on the map as the home of one of the most elite Ivy League schools in the country.

One hour south of Newark, Princeton offers walking tours of its 1746 campus. Guides point out the school’s breathtaking architecture, manicured grounds and noteworthy former students.

Groups can enjoy some of the school’s art scene at the Princeton University Art Museum Princeton University Art Museum. More than 68,000 works span the history of art from ancient times to contemporary pieces. Guests can view art from a global perspective with displays from the Mediterranean, Western Europe, China, the United States and Latin America. Visitor favorites include galleries on Chinese paintings and calligraphy, ancient Americas art and pictorial Courtesy Princeton University Art Museum photography.

Princeton also played a role in the Revolutionary War. Groups can learn about this connection at the Bainbridge House. The 1766 mansion is one of the area’s best-preserved mid-Georgian buildings. Birthplace of Williams Bainbridge, hero of the War of 1812, the home also provided accommodations for the Continental Congress.

To enjoy some of the Garden State’s wild spaces, groups can wander through the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.

Visitors to the 70-acre park can choose from canoeing, hiking, cycling and horseback riding. Signs of the park’s history appear

Princeton University

on 19th-century bridges, cobblestone spillways and hand-built stone-arched culverts.

More outdoor beauty awaits at the Morven Museum and Gardens. The National Historic Landmark exhibits fine, folk and decorative arts inside the former New Jersey governors’ residence. Re-created Colonial gardens intertwine horticulture and history using heirloom annuals, century-old trees and other seasonal blooms. For an exclusive experience at the site, groups can attend a workshop, a lecture or a craft class. visitprinceton.org

Courtesy Princeton-Mercer Regional CVB

Princeton’s Morven Museum

Courtesy Princeton-Mercer Regional CVB

TOURS OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY POINT OUT THE SCHOOL’S BREATHTAKING ARCHITECTURE, MANICURED GROUNDS AND NOTEWORTHY FORMER STUDENTS.

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Courtesy Princeton-Mercer Regional CVB

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ATLANTIC CITY

A two-hour drive south of Princeton, Atlantic City resembles a beach playground for adults. The coastal town has nine casino hotels, each with its own gaming experience. Many casinos offer meal credits and other complimentary amenities for groups.

Caesars Atlantic City, the Borgata, and Bally’s Atlantic City stand out among the crowd for their clean atmospheres, variety of gaming options and attentive service.

These casinos lie within walkAtlantic City coastline ing distance of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, which, by itself, offers more than enough Cruisin’ One entertainment to fill a day.

Created in the 1800s, the fourmile-long boardwalk allows visitors to breathe in the sea air while enjoying a wonderland of carnival rides, midway games, shops, restaurants and other attractions.

Another great area for groups to explore is Gardner’s Basin. A few blocks away from the high-wattage coastline, the basin is home to the city’s fishing fleets, and visitors can hop on a local vessel for charter fishing.

Groups can also set sail on Cruisin’ One, the flagship boat of Atlantic City Cruises. The company offers dolphin watching, sightseeing and happy-hour excursions.

An up-and-coming area worth visiting is the Orange Loop on Tennessee Avenue. This hip neighborhood features a beer hall, a chocolate bar and an outdoor restaurant based out of a food truck. touratlanticcity.com

Courtesy Meet AC

Atlantic City Boardwalk

Courtesy Meet AC

Courtesy Meet AC

Cape May Lighthouse

CREATED IN THE 1800S, THE FOUR-MILE-LONG ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK ALLOWS VISITORS TO BREATHE IN THE SEA AIR WHILE ENJOYING A WONDERLAND OF CARNIVAL RIDES, MIDWAY GAMES, SHOPS, RESTAURANTS AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS.

Courtesy Chamber of Commerce of Greater CourtesyCape MeetMay AC

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CAPE MAY

The southern tip of the New Jersey coast is best explored with the senses. Wineries, breweries, distilleries and renowned restaurants dot the beach town, attracting anyone who views food as an art form.

Cape May was named the restaurant capital of New Jersey by The New York Times, and it’s best-known eateries lie along Beach Avenue.

Groups can also shop while sampling the town’s flavors at the eclectic local venues in the Washington Street Mall.

Founded in 1620, Cape May didn’t become a vacation spot until the 1800s when wealthy Southerners visited the area in droves.

America’s oldest seaside resort has retained its Victorian charm with old-fashioned architecture and natural spaces. Though a fire in 1878 destroyed many of the town’s original structures, the Victorian aesthetic persisted during the rebuilding.

Group planners can craft experiences that cater to their group.

Those that want to focus on the area’s spirits can book tasting tours.

Cape May’s trolley tours deliver a more general exploration of the town’s attractions.

Nautical outings range from passive sightseeing tours looking for whales and dolphins to hands-on fishing excursions. Eco-tourism is also emphasized at Cape May. The town often ranks among the top birding spots in the country for its spring and fall migrations.

For a day tour, visitors can walk through the Emien Physick Estate. Living-history interpreters guide guests through the Victorian mansion for a peek at life during Cape May’s heyday. capemaychamber.com

Birdwatching in Cape May

Courtesy Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May

Cape May’ Fins Bar and Grille

Historic homes in Cape May

Courtesy Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May

By Craig Terry

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S M A L L

WONDER Historic Main Street in St. Charles, Missouri, offers brick-lined streets with engaging local shops.

All photos courtesy Greater St. Charles CVB

HISTORIC ST. CHARLES IS A RIVER TOWN GEM

BY ELIZA MYERS

V

isitors can breathe a sigh of relief when they arrive in St. Charles, Missouri. Free from the hectic pace of nearby St. Louis, the river town features a scenic riverfront, historic architecture and welcoming locals.

Founded in 1769, Missouri’s original capital city preserves a colorful past in its historic district and museums. But St. Charles also offers modern visitors an upscale casino resort, a thriving wine region and an impressive art center.

Groups can explore this charming town’s historic lineage and high-end amenities on a tour of St. Charles.

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HISTORIC MAIN STREET

Missouri’s oldest and largest historic district has attracted shoppers since the 19th century. More than 100 local shops and restaurants lie in restored buildings that date back to the 1800s.

Called the Williamsburg of the West by Southern Living magazine, the 14-block stretch sells all kinds of products from Colonial reproductions to floral arrangements. After hours, while exploring the shopping paradise, groups can dine al fresco at one of the district’s many patio cafes.

The downtown is currently open with social distancing protocols.

Popular items to shop for in the area include infused olive oils, handmade soaps, clothing, antiques, books and specialty items like jewelry, original art and period-costume photography.

Visitors can stroll along the same brick-lined streets once walked by early explorers and pioneers. The town’s spot along the Missouri River made it an important port in the Colonial period. In the evenings, the downtown lights up under the glow of gaslights.

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Among the must-see stops is Jos Collective Market, where more than 50 local designers and artists sell their wares. The large store sells handmade furniture, clothes, kitchen supplies, jewelry and other rare items.

Chandler Hill Winery

AMERISTAR CASINO RESORT SPA

Groups can chase the thrill of winning big at the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa. The 130,000-square-foot casino offers multiple restaurants, a luxury hotel and an award-winning spa. Though the spa is now closed, the rest of the attraction is open with social distancing guidelines in place.

The towering casino anchors the western edge of St. Charles’ historic district. Groups walk into the casino’s stunning grand entrance before deciding between the latest electronic games, table games and live poker rooms.

More than 2,000 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines range in cost from 1 cent to $100. The casino’s new High Limit Saloon offers 89 games with video poker, video reel and traditional reel slots.

Other options include a baccarat pit and a poker room.

Groups can choose what style of meal to enjoy, since the casino offers a variety of restaurants from fine dining to casual eateries. Bugatti’s Steak and Pasta elevates the casino experience; Amerisports Bar and Grill keeps the experience laid-back.

Ranked in the top four luxury hotels in Missouri by U.S. News and World Report, the casino’s 400-suite hotel pampers guests. The hotel offers an indoor and an outdoor pool, as well as a health club, complimentary transportation and easy access to the casino.

LEWIS AND CLARK BOAT HOUSE AND MUSEUM

In 1804, St. Charles was the last civilized outpost before a vast unknown territory west of the Missouri River. This made the frontier town the most logical starting-off point for Lewis and Clark’s legendary journey to the Pacific Ocean.

To honor this moment in history, groups can visit the Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum. Visitors see full-scale replicas of the keelboat and pirogues the company used on the expedition. A National Geographic film, enhanced by a detailed diorama, delves into the dangers of the 7,000-mile trek.

Other informative artifact exhibits tell stories from the event. Reenactors provide living-history demonstrations and historical event appearances and re-create moments from the historic journey.

The attached gift shop specializes in Native American artwork and other historical items. Next door, Frontier Park displays a 15-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Lewis, Clark and Seaman, their hefty Newfoundland dog. Groups love this spot for a quick photo opp.

The Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum is open; face masks are required.

FOUNDRY ART CENTRE

A former train-car factory now houses a vibrant arts scene at the Foundry Art Center. The 1920s structure contains a 5,200-squarefoot exhibition space, a mezzanine that is home to 20 studio artists and the Grand Hall, a stage for touring performance groups.

The 36,800-square-foot building encourages public participation in art. At the open glass-front studios, visitors can interact and watch

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Foundry Art Centre

artists practice their crafts. Groups can take an art class from a professional; topics include pottery, mosaics, metalsmithing, Chinese painting and drawing.

The center’s high-caliber art exhibits change about seven times a year. The site also hosts national juried exhibitions.

Overlooking the Missouri River, the Foundry Art Centre lies in St. Charles’ Frenchtown district.

HISTORIC MISSOURI WINE COUNTRY

Augusta, Missouri, became the first federally approved American Viticultural Area in the country in 1980, eight months before Napa Valley, California. In the same county as St. Charles, the town is one of several in the region that produces prized wines at sites welcoming to groups.

Known as the Historic Missouri Wine Country, the region’s rare soil and microclimate ensure excellent growing conditions for dry red wines, white wines, dessert wines and port. Groups can sip their chosen drinks while watching the clouds float over the picturesque Missouri River Valley.

Wineries in Augusta, Defiance, New Melle and Femme Osage each produce signature varieties, with nearby quaint downtowns full of local shops to explore. A favorite stop, Sugar Creek Winery and Vineyards in Defiance, features hillside vineyards with views and access to hiking and biking trails.

Wine and cuisine complement one another at Augusta Winery.

Opened in 1988, the award-winning winery serves its wines in a boutique-style tasting room. The site’s Wine and Beer Garden opens on the weekends to serve local beers, pizza and live music.

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known

F O R

PUBLIC MARKET SQUARE

W

HO DOESN’T LOVE A PUBLIC MARKET? BUSTLING WITH PURVEYORS SELL-

ING LOCAL FOOD AND GOODS, THEY ARE OFTEN ENRICHING AND FASCINATING PEEKS INTO THE SOUL OF A CITY. THESE MARKETS ARE ESPECIALLY GREAT FOR GROUPS, TOO, SINCE LEADERS CAN SCHEDULE A TOUR OF THE MARKET, LET GROUP MEMBERS GO OFF TO ENJOY IT ON THEIR OWN OR DO BOTH. OPEN YEARROUND, FILLED WITH OWNER-OPERATED STALLS AND SHOPS, THE FOLLOWING MARKETS OFFER AN EXPERIENCE THAT GROUP VISITORS WON’T WANT TO MISS.

SAN ANTONIO

By Ann Purcell, courtesy Visit San Antonio

THE LARGEST MEXICAN MERCADO IN THE COUNTRY, San Antonio’s Market Square is a vibrant mix of festive colors, sounds and smells groups will love, said Dee Dee Poteete, Visit San Antonio’s director of regional communications.

“You can imagine experiencing the papel picado, the punched tissue paper, strung and fluttering over you; the music of a marimba band; the scents from an open food stall,” she said. “Groups should plan at least half a day for shopping and include one major meal. This is definitely a place to go for a stroll and maybe sit outside on a patio sipping a big margarita and watching the world go by.”

On a downtown plaza spanning three blocks and lined with shops, Market Square features more than 100 local vendors selling authentic Talavera pottery, handmade jewelry, leather goods, paintings and more. It’s just a few short blocks from the city’s main plaza, another attraction groups will want to visit. On weekends, Market Square comes alive with what Poteete calls “pop-up entertainment, festivals, celebrations and bands.”

And then there is the market’s Mi Tierra, the legendary, sprawling Mexican eatery that’s been owned by the same family since it opened in 1941. Festooned with elaborate decorations, it features strolling mariachi bands and a lovely panaderia filled with baked goods perfect for group members to take back to their hotel rooms.

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MARKETS READING TERMINAL MARKET

BY JILL GLEESON

S M U C K E R ’ S AT R E A D I N G T E R M I N A L M A R K E T

PHILADELPHIA Photos courtesy Reading Terminal Market

IF PHILADELPHIA IS AMERICA’S BIRTHPLACE, it’s also where the country’s public markets were born. William Penn established outdoor markets in the late 17th century, when he founded the city; they would eventually morph into Reading Terminal Market, one of the oldest and largest public markets in the country.

Open since 1893, it offers more than 80 merchants tucked into a National Historic Landmark building in Center City and is a great stop for groups, according to Kimberly Barrett, communications manager for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“When I’ve done group visits to the market, we usually start at Philbert, the gold pig in the middle of the market that’s essentially its mascot,” Barrett said. “It’s very easy to do a tour of the perimeter of the market, and there’s a ton of open seating right there in the middle. So, if I want to go get doughnuts from Beiler’s and then someone else wants to get a DiNic’s roast pork sandwich, we can each bring our different goods back and sit together.”

Groups that would like a guided tour of Reading Terminal Market can book one with Taste of Philly Food Tour, but Barrett also recommends a stop at the city’s legendary Italian Market. An open-air market that runs for 10 blocks in South Philly, it’s home to Pat’s and Geno’s, two cheesesteak stands known around the world.

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“WHEN I’VE DONE GROUP VISITS TO THE MARKET, WE USUALLY START AT PHILBERT, THE GOLD PIG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MARKET THAT’S ESSENTIALLY ITS MASCOT.” — K I M B E R L Y B A R R E T T, PHILADELPHIA CVB

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SHERMAN PHOENIX

CROSSROADS COLLECTIVE

MILWAUKEE Photos courtesy Visit Milwaukee

“THE MARKET IS RIGHT IN BETWEEN DOWNTOWN PROPER AND THE THIRD WARD, WHICH IS KNOWN FOR ITS BARS, RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING.”

THEY SAY LOCATION IS EVERYTHING and Milwaukee Public Market, which opened in 2005, definitely benefits from its neighborhood, said Claire Koenig, communications manager for Visit Milwaukee.

“It’s right in between downtown proper and the Third Ward, which is known for its bars, restaurants and shopping,” she said. “It’s also adjacent to our permanent festival grounds, which is on the lake, so for groups going to a festival, the art museum or just doing lakefront activities, you’re within walking distance of the market, too.”

The market boasts some 20 vendors serving everything from Middle Eastern cuisine to tacos, seafood, ice cream, wine and, of course, cheese. Group members anxious to try heralded Wisconsin cheese curds should head to West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe. Koenig also recommends the lobster roll from the St. Paul Fish Company and noted that for groups looking to get hands-on, Milwaukee Public Market offers cooking classes with vendors and city chefs in its demonstration kitchen.

Milwaukee, now in the midst of a bazaar boom, also offers Crossroads Collective, a food hall located across from the historic Oriental Theater, and Sherman Phoenix, an innovative market that champions businesses of color. Both opened in 2018. Third Street Market Hall is slated to debut next year across from the future home of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

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— CLAIRE KOENIG, V I S I T M I LWAU K E E

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NORTH MARKET

CHARLESTON CITY MARKET

COLUMBUS, OHIO

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Courtesy Experience Columbus

WITH A HERITAGE DATING BACK nearly a century and a half, Columbus, Ohio’s North Market hosts some 1 million customers a year. They can choose from more than 30 vendors, who, according to Lexi Sweet, Experience Columbus’ public relations manager, “really show off the diversity of Columbus in one small footprint.”

“What I love is that you can eat your way around the world,” she said. “We have Somali cooking, Vietnamese cooking; we have Japanese, Mediterranean. North Market is a good cross section of what you can get in Columbus.”

That includes Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, an artisanal brand founded at the market and now sold nationwide in stores like Whole Foods. Groups are sure to get a sample of it should they sign up for a food tour of North Market, which Sweet recommends.

“We work with a great company called Columbus Food Adventures,” she said, “to do mini food tours in the market, with sampling from the vendors and learning the history of some of them.”

Housed in a two-story brick warehouse from the 19th century conveniently located downtown, North Market bustles with beer festivals, wine tastings and other festivities and also features event space should groups wish to enjoy a private, catered meal. North Market Bridge Park, opening in spring 2021 in Dublin, a Columbus suburb, will also offer event space.

Courtesy Explore Charleston

GROUPS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING the historic Charleston City Market would do well to leave an afternoon or even the whole day open for it. Four blocks long, the market features a jaw-dropping 300 vendors, with the surrounding streets home to businesses like Peninsula Grill, regarded as one of the best restaurants in the city. Within the market building itself, groups will find iconic Charleston goods including sweetgrass baskets, originally made for rice cultivation by the Gullah people, descendants of enslaved West Africans.

“The City Market has been the cultural center for Charleston since 1804, when the land was donated by the Pinckney family,” said Doug Warner, Explore Charleston’s vice president of media and innovation development. “It was a city market for produce and meats and other things, and about eight years ago, it went through a pretty extensive renovation, so now you’ve got local craft vendors, too.”

In addition to sweetgrass baskets, groups can find other made-inCharleston items from Brackish Bow Ties, feather accessories favored by celebrities, to stoneground grits. It also makes a great jumping-off point for other adventures in the area.

“A majority of the walking tours and carriage tours actually start in the market,” Warner said. “That really goes back to it being the heart of our city.”

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marketing Y O U R

P R O G R A M

NEW TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS

BY ELIZA MYERS

M

ost travelers know the feeling of relief when technology saves the day.

Perhaps that means searching online for the nearest eatery for a “hangry” group member. Or it could mean Googling a quick group game to occupy travelers when an unexpected wrench is thrown into the day’s itinerary.

With the current pandemic travel restrictions, technology can also help make travel safer. These technologies are especially vital in today’s world, perhaps even more so than others, since they help passengers feel safe enough to book the trip in the first place.

To prepare yourself for when your members feel ready to hit the road again, think through these technological options that can prove indispensable for modern group travel.

CLEANING CHECKLIST

During the pandemic, group travel providers have brainstormed how to safely load groups back onto the motorcoach. Companies like Motor Coach Industries (MCI) have shared information on new technologies that can reduce the risk of onboard contamination.

For your next trip, consider chartering motorcoaches that have UV-C lighting for heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems designed to reduce airborne viruses, bacteria and mold by up to 99.9%. Another motorcoach protection is a new roof-hatch ventilation kit that keeps fresh air circulating. Airborne viruses are more of a concern in an enclosed space like a bus, and this method mimics the outdoors with more air movement.

To keep drivers safe, many motorcoach and bus companies sell transparent shields and partitions for around the driver’s cockpit. This and the other methods have already

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been tested by bus companies across the country.

Motorcoach companies like MCI have also released recommendations for cleaning procedures. MCI advises a daily whole-coach disinfection using low-pressure fogging technology. Other ideas given for group leaders include clear partitions between passenger seating rows and unavailable seats clearly marked to properly space travelers.

MCI shares safety checklists that group leaders and tour operators can customize before sending them to their members to make sure everyone feels safe with the protocols.

WISHING FOR WI-FI

Under normal travel conditions, wireless internet (Wi-Fi) is one of the most soughtafter technologies for motorcoach travel.

Though seniors rarely request it, as more boomers try out group travel, the desire to stay connected with family, friends and work via the internet will intensify.

If wireless connectivity is important to your travelers, you can either charter a motorcoach that already offers Wi-Fi or install a Wi-Fi system yourself. For commercial-grade Wi-Fi vehicle capacities, you might expect to pay between $273 and $651 for the setup.

Other motorcoach amenities popular for groups are onboard restrooms, DVD players and electronic charging outlets. For an upscale experience, some motorcoach companies even provide satellite TV. Watching live sports while on the road can prove quite enjoyable for passengers.

To keep your technology flowing throughout the trip, choose hotels with free Wi-Fi. Hotels that charge for internet can irritate travelers, so choosing properties that provide free internet access will help keep your travelers happy. Sometimes, you can also work with hotel providers to bargain for free internet as part of your group’s package.

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SOUTHEAST INDIANA

SAFETY PROTOCOLS INTERNATIONAL CALLING AND DATA

All travelers abroad must decide for themselves what to do about their cell phones. For group leaders who need to stay in contact with work associates back in the states, as well as call for local help, ensuring connectivity in a foreign country can prove imperative.

Loyalty program directors sometimes receive this additional plan for free if they have a phone issued by their company.

Other times, directors are left on their own to figure out how to continue to call, text and post on social media while on a trip.

Perhaps the simplest way to ensure a seamless transition is to purchase an international plan with your phone’s carrier service. Before you automatically choose this option, read through the various plans carefully. With many carriers, users can rack up fees from unknowingly using too much data, even with an international plan.

If you have cellular data turned on, many of these international plans may be activated by background data from apps refreshing, email syncing and device updates. Add international plans to each device before your trip or turn your phone to airplane mode if you wish to avoid fees.

Frequent travelers often cite carriers’ international plans as a reason to switch companies because these plans can vary widely in price. AT&T and Verizon’s international plans are similar because they offer a day pass for $10, then discounted rates for longer stays, which also differ depending on how much data you need.

Many travelers relish T-Mobile and Sprint’s international plans because they both provide some free international texting and basic data at no extra cost. For faster data and more services, both charge extra fees.

Other options for group leaders include international and local SIM cards. You can either use these SIM cards with your own unlocked, GSM-compatible phone or rent or purchase a phone when you arrive. Check the rates of these different options, though, because these cards may end up more expensive than carrier plans.

If you don’t need to make calls or text with a local phone number, you could consider GigSky, an international SIM card just for mobile data. The pricing is less expensive than many international phone plans, depending on the carrier. Google Fi is another inexpensive option that can provide data by switching between cellular networks to use Wi-Fi to call and text whenever available. Check to make sure your phone is compatible before you purchase either option.

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Fall Mums, Farms & Markets Meet a friendly herd of alpaca, tour a greenhouse, visit an orchard and find locally made specialty foods and fresh produce in the Fall.

“Fun Farm & Market Experiences!”

- Clarksville Parks & Rec, Clarksville, IN

OHIO Indianapolis

INDIANA

1

Cincinnati

KENTUCKY

Louisville

Lexington

South of I-74 & west of I-275, 20 minutes west of Cincinnati

www.TOURSoutheastIndiana.com 800-322-8198

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W H E R E

w e ’ v e

B E E N

Lakeland Chamber of Commerce LAKELAND, FLORIDA TRIP: Israel TOUR OPERATOR: The Israel Adventure DATE: May and June 2019 The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce took 43 travelers to see the highlights of Israel. The group explored historic and religious sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Galilee and Bethlehem.

“The group especially enjoyed their boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, seeing an ancient gate in Tel Dan and visiting the most historical sites in Jerusalem, such as the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. They also loved learning from The Israel Adventure’s Dr. Joe Davis, a professor of theology in the College of Christian Ministries and Religion at Southeastern University. His knowledge of the land made the stories come to life.”

— SARAH BREED, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Gail’s Globetrotters DENTON, TEXAS TRIP: Northern Lights of Finland TOUR OPERATOR: Collette DATE: December 2018 For eight days, the group journeyed across Finland with stops at Helsinki, Ivalo and the Lapland region. The trip was a small group tour restricted to no more than 24 passengers.

“The adventure was amazing with so many highlights, but our biggest thrill was seeing the northern lights on several occasions, as well as spending three nights in a glass igloo cabin at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Each cabin came with its own sauna. What I heard most was how much they enjoyed the pristine beauty of the area. The reindeer sled ride in search of the northern lights was a once-in-alifetime experience we will never forget.”

Courtesy Ark Encounter

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— GAIL MARTINEZ, OWNER

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TOGETHER

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HOP ABOARD AND TAKE IN THE SITES

BRING YOUR GROUP TOUR TO LIFE. Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay, our coastal city offers uncommon access to nature’s wonders and hands-on experiences for your group to share.

Plan your group’s Live the Life Adventure at VisitVirginiaBeach.com/GroupTour.