The Group Travel Leader March 2024

The Military Aviation Museum is home to one of the world’s largest collections of flying vintage military aircraft.

IGNITE CURIOSITY AND A SENSE OF Adventure!

From exploring the skies to delving into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, discover a destination that combines adventure and knowledge in an unforgettable way. Our immersive experiences provide a perfect blend of education and excitement for students and educators alike.

CAFE

“FBY BRIAN JEWELL

light attendants, doors for departure, crosscheck and all-call.”

If you fly often, you have probably heard announcements like this on airplanes many times. But have you ever stopped to figure out what they mean?

One day early in my career, I found myself chatting with a friendly crew member during a slow period on a cross-country flight. So, I asked her: What does “doors for departure, cross-check and all-call” mean?

She explained that this is a safety checklist that helps flight attendants ensure an aircraft is ready to leave the gate. “Doors for departure” is an order to lock all the doors to ensure the plane can achieve proper pressurization at altitude. “Cross-check” means that after each flight attendant locks his assigned door, another flight attendant should come and check that it is locked correctly. And “all-call” means that after the cross-check, each attendant should call the flight leader at the front of the cabin to report that the doors were locked and checked. Only after this can the aircraft push back from the gate.

Over the years, I would come to learn that this was just one of dozens of checklists that have made commercial aviation the remarkably safe industry it is today. And it’s not just airlines — America’s top theme parks use extensive checklists to make sure rides are safe, public areas are clean and guests have reliably magical experiences. Checklists are integral to the success of many businesses, from hotels to factories. We even rely on checklists (as well as some cross-checks and all-calls) to ensure each issue of The Group Travel Leader goes to press error-free.

If checklists benefit flight crews, theme parks and magazine publishers, they can probably benefit you too. Integrating checklists into your business processes and trip operations could help you min-

EDITOR’S MARKS

imize trouble on the road and run a more efficient — and maybe even more profitable — travel organization. Here are a few business areas where you should consider using some checklists:

• Pre-trip accounting: From gathering customer deposits to issuing final vendor payment, your accounting system has a lot of moving parts. Checklists can help everyone get paid on time — including you.

• Packing: Having a thorough packing checklist can help ensure you’re never without an essential item while traveling. And if you share that checklist with your travelers, you can head off some on-the-road hassles before they materialize.

• Departing: Every time a tour group leaves somewhere — its point of origin, an attraction or a hotel — there’s an opportunity for something or someone to get left behind. Instituting a checklist and some cross-checks can keep prevent lost time and angry passengers.

• Post-trip follow-up: Your trip isn’t over the moment you get back home. Strategic follow-up with guests, vendors and team members can help you learn lessons and refine your operations. A checklist will help you complete this process well instead of getting distracted by all the other work waiting for you when you get home.

Using checklists doesn’t mean you’ll never encounter another challenge on the road. But it will help you travel with the confidence that you have done everything possible to prepare so you — and your customers — can have the best trip possible. Are you ready for takeoff?

FAMILY MATTERS

GROUPTRAVELCON TO DEBUT IN BRANSON

SALEM, Ohio — A new event is being designed for the future of group travel based on the wave of new travel organizers developing followings in their communities, clubs, tribes, and even among friends and family. The event is GroupTravelCon, and its mission is to help those entering the industry develop relationships and discover destinations that will result in successful travel clubs and groups.

GroupTravelCon will join the umbrella of The Group Travel Family of Brands, acting as the flagship travel conference for the future of group travel. GroupTravelCon will feature an annual gathering of experienced, new and emerging travel planners from a wide spectrum of group travel. By melding this mix of experience, the organization will deliver marketing tools and destination awareness to experienced professionals while offering encouragement and networking to the emerging travel planners.

“We see a steady registration of new travel groups across our offering of six travel conferences, and GroupTravelCon takes it to the next level in the future of the group travel industry,” said Jennifer Ferguson, general manager of The Group Travel Family of Brands.

The rollout of the new brand is focused directly on the needs of new and emerging leaders who have discovered they have a travel-gig skill set and are reaching out for training, networking and general assistance to succeed.

“That is a win for the travel industry,” said Ferguson. “They will be the future of filling hotels, restaurants and attractions.

GroupTravelCon will debut this October 28-30 at the Thousand Hills Resort Hotel in Branson, Missouri. The Thousand Hills Resort Hotel stepped up to act as the official lodging sponsor of GroupTravelCon based on the new and emerging travel groups that will experience the resort firsthand while attending GroupTravelCon.

GroupTravelCon has also been spearheaded by Anthony Stacy of Branson Restaurants/ IMAX, who has acted as the boots-on-the-ground promoter.

“Anthony and I began with a conversation about GroupTravelCon, and seeing the potential, he committed to making the event happen at Branson,” said Ferguson. “His enthusiasm and leadership has made GroupTravelCon a reality.”

Branson and Missouri travel industry interested in the event may contact Stacy at 417335-1840 or anthony@bransonimax.com.

Branson’s location in the middle of America and its name recognition as a top entertainment center have positioned it as the perfect destination for the inaugural GroupTravelCon. It is anticipated that many delegates will be first-time visitors to the area.

“We will welcome delegates who are newcomers to the travel game and give them the contacts, tools and training to be the future leaders of group travel,” said Janine Emanuel, GroupTravelCon event manager.

GroupTravelCon will feature a marketplace where travel planners will meet with the travel industry delegates. This will give emerging travel planners new destination, hotel and DMO information, as well as introduce a new wave of travel groups to the travel industry. While a business event, GroupTravelCon will maintain a casual and relaxed atmosphere where networking will take center stage. It is being designed as an intimate gathering, and all delegates will be included in every function, ensuring a natural networking experience.

To avoid the cattle-call style of large travel conferences, GroupTravelCon will maintain a strict 3-to-1 ratio of seller and buyer delegates. This means that for every one travel buyer delegate there will only be three travel industry delegates admitted. This feature will allow for comfortable relationship building and networking.

“We understand that group travel is based on relationships, and GroupTravelCon will nurture interaction,” said Ferguson.

For additional information on GroupTravelCon please contact Jennifer Ferguson at 800-628-0993 or jferguson@ grouptravelfamily.com.

KIOSKS TO OFFER REAL-TIME FEEDBACK

SALEM, Ohio — Delegates attending Group Travel Family of Brands conferences will have a new way to show satisfaction — or not! The organization has invested in state-of-the-art technology enabling conference attendees to express how they feel about every event function in real time.

The survey kiosks will be positioned at the exit doors of every conference function to let delegates quickly vote on their level of satisfaction. The concept is simple: As attendees depart a meal, seminar or marketplace, they simply touch the level of smiley face that represents their satisfaction with the event, and their votes are tabulated.

“We are interested in knowing what our delegates experience in real time,” said Jenine Emanuel, conference manager at The Group Travel Family.

“Delegates will be kept up to date on survey results on a daily basis,” Emanuel said. “The results will be posted on the conference app, as well as announced publicly at the following event function.

“The goal of The Group Travel of Brands conferences is to meet or exceed expectations, and the survey kiosk lets us know of delegate satisfaction as it happens,” Emanuel added.

Attendees will have a chance to use the survey kiosk at Select Traveler Conference, African American Travel Conference, Going on Faith, Small Market Meetings Conference and Boomers In Groups. These travel conferences focus on group leisure travel or the meetings market and are operated by The Group Travel Family. Contact Cassandra Blankenship at 800-628-0993 for more information.

GROUPTRAVELFAMILY.COM

Ben Everly with new conference kiosks

Sipping a beverage from Breckenridge Distillery

A breakfast spread at Founding Farmers restaurant

A slice of cornbread at Founding Farmers

A lineup of Chuckanut Bay Distillery spirits

Dining at the Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant

A meal at the Penny Farthing Bar and Restaurant at Chukanut Bay Distillery

AMERICA’S DISTILLERIES ARE SERVING GREAT FOOD

BY DIANA BOCCO

From the rolling hills of Kentucky’s bourbon country to the vibrant streets of downtown Manhattan, distilleries have become more than just producers of fine spirits — they are gateways to a sensory journey that marries the complexity of whiskey, gin and vodka with the subtleties of local and innovative cuisines.

The emergence of restaurants within distilleries has created a new dimension for group travel, offering an immersive experience that caters to both the palate and the spirit. Celebrated for their commitment to quality and authenticity, these dining spaces reflect the evolving landscape of American dining and drinking culture. They also offer groups an opportunity to discover the heart of distilling regions, experience the fusion of traditional and contemporary culinary arts, and savor the essence of handcrafted spirits.

Breckenridge Distillery BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO

Nestled in the heart of Colorado, Breckenridge Distillery has earned the title of the “World’s Highest Distillery.” Renowned for its acclaimed blended bourbon whiskey, Breckenridge Distillery has earned numerous accolades since opening its doors in 2008, including the Best American Blended title from the World Whiskies Awards.

Under the guidance of executive chef Robbie Reyes, the Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant is a celebration of American culinary traditions with a modern twist. The menu, which is both local and seasonal and integrates the distillery’s spirits, offers mouth-watering dishes like smoked pork belly buns and crispy pork with a touch of mustard and onion crumb.

For groups seeking an immersive experience, the distillery offers tours that take a closer look into the history and intricacies of bourbon production, complemented by tastings of unreleased products. The special Whiskey Blending Lab experience, for example,

invites guests to nerd out with distillers and craft their personal bourbon blend.

BRECKENRIDGEDISTILLERY.COM

Chuckanut Bay Distillery BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON

Founded in 2011 by Matt Howell and Kelly Andrews, Chuckanut Bay Distillery started with a simple potato vodka produced using an innovative bicycle-powered grinder. Today, Chuckanut Bay Distillery is a double gold medal winner at the New York International Spirits Competition and a favorite within the craft distillery scene in Washington.

For those looking for a bite to eat, the distillery’s Penny Farthing Bar and Restaurant (named after the quirky design of the late 18th-century bicycle), focuses on mouth-watering shareable plates like the whiskey queso dip or the unsurprisingly popular red-wine glazed baby back ribs.

For groups up to 20 looking for an immersive experience, Chuckanut Bay offers private tours that give visitors a peek into the distillery’s production process, from the warmth of active fermentation to the aroma of charred American white oak barrels. Mini cocktails and a souvenir glass are included.

CHUCKANUTBAYDISTILLERY.COM

Founding Farmers

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Launched in 2009, Founding Farmers and Distillers not only prides itself on its award-winning spirits but has also carved a niche in the culinary world with its restaurant, deeply rooted in farm-to-table offerings. The in-house distillery, Founding Spirits, is a testament to the establishment’s commitment to quality, producing vodka and other spirits that are as uniquely American as the corn they are distilled from and harvested directly from the heartland.

The distillery’s popular vodka, crafted from 100% premium corn, is a homage to the produce of American

farms, embodying the distillery’s grain-to-glass ethos.

With a firm belief in making everything from scratch, the culinary team handcrafts bread, ice cream and even chocolate. The menu draws inspiration from the nation’s rich culinary traditions, featuring all-American favorites such as chicken and waffles and hand-formed burgers accompanied by freshly cut fries.

Portland’s International Rose Test Garden

WEAREFOUNDINGFARMERS.COM

Journeyman Distillery

THREE OAKS, MICHIGAN

One of the few certified organic distilleries in the United States, Journeyman Distillery prides itself on creating spirits that also meet kosher certification standards.

Housed within a historic building that dates back to the 1800s and famous for its flagship whiskey, Journeyman Distillery marries the legacy of its past with a forward-thinking philosophy in spirit making. The result is a space that even E.K. Warren, the original prohibitionist owner of the building, would approve of.

With 165 seats available, the distillery’s restaurant is a perfect destination for groups. The menu revitalizes traditional recipes by integrating spirits into the cuisine, such as adding a silver cross whiskey au poivre sauce to meatloaf. For groups seeking an exclusive dining experience, Journeyman Distillery can accommodate up to 20 guests at their Grain Depot location. Here, groups can enjoy private dining with stunning views of Welter’s Folly and the rye fields.

Journeyman also welcomes groups for tours, offering an insider’s look at the organic, kosher and handcrafted process behind their award-winning spirits.

JOURNEYMAN.COM

Great Jones Distilling Co. NEW YORK CITY

The first whiskey to open in Manhattan since the repeal of Prohibition, Great Jones Distilling Co. is not just reviving the spirit of whiskey-making but is also infusing it with the vibrant energy of New York City. With a dedication to using 100% New York-sourced ingredients, this distillery crafts whiskeys that embody the city’s dynamic spirit.

The restaurant at Great Jones Distilling Co. is also a celebration of New York’s culinary heritage, with each ingredient meticulously selected from local vendors. From the small local burrata to the barrel-smoked ribs with a spiced bourbon glaze and Faroe Island salmon, every plate is enriched by modern culinary techniques and the distinct flavors of local produce.

For groups embarking on a unique culinary and distilling adventure, immersive tour experiences include a closer look at the distillery’s whiskey-making process from grain to glass. Private tours for up to 20 guests are available, ensuring a personalized exploration of Manhattan’s only whiskey distillery.

GREATJONESDISTILLINGCO.COM

Whiskey at Journeyman Distillery

Cinnamon roll monkey bread at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery

COURTESY NELSON’S GREEN BRIER DISTILLERY

COURTESY JOURNEYMAN DISTILLERY

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery was founded by brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson after they serendipitously discovered perfectly preserved bottles of whiskey produced by their great-great-great grandfather during pre-Prohibition America. This led to the birth of the distillery and the creation of their popular Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey, which honors the original family recipe.

Seating over a hundred diners, the Restaurant at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery offers an experience that marries the essence of comfort food with a Southern twist and local flair. The menu is an exciting mix of traditional dishes like fried green tomatoes and Bavarian soft pretzels, with refined entrées such as their Wagyu steak and eggs and a boozy milkshake that has become a favorite among dessert enthusiasts.

For groups traveling through Nashville, the distillery also offers a number of guided tours, including a premium experience focused on craft distilling and mixology.

GREENBRIERDISTILLERY.COM

Georgetown, Kentucky

Georgetown, the heart of Kentucky’s horse scene, o ers pure small town charm, history and horse-centric fun including the Kentucky Horse Park, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm, & plenty of horsepower at Toyota’s largest facility in the world. It’s the ultimate spot for groups wanting to ride into Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region.

The restaurant at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery

The exterior of Journeyman Distillery

O’Shaughnessy Distilling MINNEAPOLIS

O’Shaughnessy Distilling is well-known for its choice to blend the rich traditions of Irish and American distillation. This is possible thanks to the distillery’s centerpiece, three triple copper pots, which allows for the production of American Whiskey with a unique twist that takes advantage of the traditional Irish triple distillation method. In addition to their flagship product, Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey, O’Shaughnessy also produces other popular spirits, including their Tower Hill Vodka and Guard and Gate Gin.

The culinary offerings at O’Shaughnessy integrate its spirits into beloved recipes for a distinctive dining experience. Whether it’s through its bourbon and honey-glazed steak or its whiskey root beer float, the restaurant is a celebration of the distillery’s craft.

Group experiences include whiskey-blending and cocktail-making classes, as well as distillery tours to learn about the triple distillation process.

OSDISTILLING.COM

Bourbon and honey glazed steak tips at O’Shaughnessy’s restaurant

COURTESY O’SHAUGHNESSY DISTILLING

Bardstown Bourbon Company

BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY

Set on 100 acres of active farmland, the Bardstown Bourbon Company is part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and a Napa Valley-style destination.

The culinary offerings at Bardstown Bourbon Company are a celebration of Kentucky classics that highlight local farmers directly on the menu. Dishes like country ham with bourbon grains and bourbon-braised short ribs — as well as their must-try bourbon chocolate custard dessert — showcase the seamless integration of spirits into cuisine, elevating the dining experience with a touch of bourbon-inspired innovation.

For groups seeking an immersive bourbon experience, Bardstown Bourbon Company offers a variety of tour options. From behind-the-scenes access to the distillation process to a fill-your-own bottle VIP experience and an exclusive tour with a master distiller, these tours offer an unparalleled insight into the art of bourbon making.

BARDSTOWNBOURBON.COM

Whiskey Lounge at O’Shaughnessy Distilling

Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar restaurant at Bardstown Bourbon Company

MINNESOTA

By Rachel Crick

Minnesota is where wild meets wonderful. Bordered by Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the country, the state’s fringes are home to fierce landscapes with a wealth of wildlife. They’re also the site of rugged beauty, dark skies and even the Northern Lights. The Twin Cities at the state’s core pose a different kind of wildness, from the plucky gangster history of St. Paul to the explosive art scene of Minneapolis. Throughout the state, comforting meals, welcoming stays and one-of-akind attractions await.

The International Wolf Center in Ely is a great place to see the majestic gray wolf.

POPULAR DEMAND

MALL OF AMERICA

One of the largest malls in America can be found in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington. It’s a prime destination for shopping and events, and its sheer size makes it a mustsee when in Minnesota. A visit to the Mall of America brings groups to over 500 shops, 60 restaurants, a Nickelodeon theme park and perhaps one of the 400-plus events it hosts annually. Visitors can easily spend an afternoon — or a whole day — roaming around the mall’s attractions, which include an aquarium, an escape room, mini-golf courses and a movie theater.

PAISLEY PARK

Minneapolis is the hometown of Prince, the late musician whose signature style and talent on a variety of instruments led him to a hugely successful career. Paisley Park, his home and recording studio, is in Chanhassen, a suburb of Minneapolis. It was a place for Prince and many other musicians to be creative and record music. Today, it’s a museum, open to the public for tours. Exhibits showcase his massive shoe collection, iconic costumes and some of his favorite musical instruments, so fans of Prince and the music industry will be enthralled by this estate’s charms.

WILDLIFE IN ELY

Ely is an excellent place to experience animals that few people ever get to see up close in the wild. The town is home to multiple wildlife centers, including the International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center. Groups can visit these centers to meet majestic gray wolves and black bears and tour their habitats. Additional wildlife, including a variety of bird species and woodland mammals, can also be found in the habitats. Educational programs and exhibits teach visitors about these animals and their importance in the ecosystems of North America.

Paisley Park

A black bear at the North American Bear Center

Nickelodeon theme park at the Mall of America

Inside the Mall of America

Northern Lights at Voyageurs National Park

UP AND COMING

NATIONAL EAGLE CENTER

Established to educate visitors about eagles, from their ecological importance to their cultural significance, the National Eagle Center is a group favorite in Wabasha. Part of the reason the center is so popular is it offers guided tours of an eagle habitat, which lets visitors glimpse these regal creatures in the wild. The center, located on the banks of the Mississippi River, was renovated and expanded in 2022 to include more education spaces, including an outside educational center. The renovation also added an expansive exhibit with about 40,000 artifacts related to eagles, such as fine art and political objects.

The dark sky preserve at Voyageurs National Park

An eagle demonstration at the National Eagle Center

UP AND COMING

VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK

Located in Cook County, along Minnesota’s Northshore, Voyageurs National Park consists of nearly 220,000 acres of lakes, forests, wetlands and islands. The beautiful national park is a favorite for water sports, as well as hiking and winter recreational activities. It’s also known for its dark sky preserve, which sometimes allows visitors see the highly sought Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Thanks to certain natural conditions such as solar flares, 2024 is expected to be one of the best times to catch glimpses of the Northern Lights in decades. Groups can head to the park on clear evenings to search the skies for this magical and elusive natural wonder.

NATIONAL LOON CENTER

Slated to open in 2025, the National Loon Center will be Minnesota’s fifth wildlife center and a draw to conservationists and nature lovers. Loons are waterfowl with glossy black heads, red eyes and black wings with white spots. They’re almost exclusively found in the northern United States and throughout Canada, making these distinct birds a draw for wildlife enthusiasts. The center in Crosslake, in central Minnesota, will feature interactive exhibits, advocate for their preservation and raise awareness about the issues facing the loon population. It’s also an educational facility dedicated to studying the birds. Groups can visit to learn about the fascinating work the center does.

A family of loons

A loon on a lake

The National Eagle Center

OVERNIGHT SENSATIONS

NANIBOUJOU LODGE

North of Grand Marais on the shores of Lake Superior, Naniboujou Lodge is a historic Northshore hotel built in 1929. Named for a Cree god, it was originally an exclusive club with members such as Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. Today, the lodge and restaurant is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its most notorious feature is its dining room, complete with the largest stone fireplace in the state and walls painted with bright, colorful Cree symbols. For those groups seeking the peace, solitude and beauty of the Northshore, they can’t do much better than Naniboujou.

THE SAINT PAUL HOTEL

Built in 1910, the Saint Paul Hotel has served as a landmark in its namesake city for more than a century. This beautiful 255-room historic hotel was renovated in 1982. It has hosted an interesting range of notable guests, from gangsters to presidents. Its Renaissance revival architecture features opulent touches throughout, such as crystal chandeliers, grand marble columns and gold accents. In addition to its luxurious guest rooms, the hotel also has a lobby bar, where groups can enjoy cocktails, and a restaurant, the St. Paul Grill, which features steaks and other elevated mains, from scallops to lamb chops.

The dining room at Naniboujou Lodge

The fireplace at Naniboujou Lodge

The Saint Paul Hotel

MEMORABLE MEALS

RED COW

LOLITO

The land of supper clubs may seem like a strange place to encounter tacos and margaritas, but groups will be pleasantly surprised to find them at Lolito in Stillwater. This town outside the Twin Cities has been recognized as having one of the best small-town food scenes in the country, and Lolito is one of its most unique offerings. The menu is full of Latin-inspired cuisine, from quesadillas and traditional tacos to dishes with a twist, such as fried tacos, duck enchiladas and lamb shank barbacoa. The bar menu is equally innovative, featuring creative cocktails made with mezcal and tequila.

The desire to create an upscale tavern — a place to find both fine wine and a good burger — led to the creation of the Minneapolis restaurant Red Cow. Its signature burger consists of a blend of Angus beef and ground bacon, topped with cheddar, candied bacon and beer mustard. Other popu lar menu items include the Barcelona burger, featuring a peppery twist, and their award-winning double barrel burger. Their wine, local craft beer and cocktail selection prove to be perfect additions to their mouthwatering mains, while milkshakes offer a sweet finish to the meal. The restaurant, now with locations all over the Twin Cities, serves lunch, brunch and dinner.

Lolito’s innovative cuisine

A Red Cow burger

PUSH THE BOUNDARIES

TURN YOUR GROUP LOOSE IN LOUISIANA

BY TOM ADKINSON

You could spend a lifetime — not the three hours and 45 minutes that Google maps says is possible — traveling across Louisiana from Slidell to Lake Charles, and you’d have no excuse for ever being bored.

Along 240 miles of Interstate 10 is a world of entertainment, history, music, hurricanes (the cocktail type), food you generally don’t see frequently in other places, and alligators — big alligators.

You can feel the vibes of a jazz trio in the city where that musical form was born; drive for miles just a few feet above a swamp someone must teach you how to pronounce (Atchafalaya); learn how resilient Canadian farmers endured exile in the 1700s to become today’s Cajuns; and maybe toss down a $5 chip to see whether you’re lucky at roulette.

Not that other parts of Louisiana don’t have their attractions, but the collection of cities, towns and crossroad communities on the south side of Louisiana deliver hundreds of ideas for tour itineraries.

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans, of course, could be a destination unto itself. Europeans began poking around in 1542, and French settlement began in 1718. The Spanish were in charge for 40 years, the British wanted in on the deal and then came the Americans. With only a few exceptions — such as the War of 1812’s Battle of New Orleans — it seems there has been a party going on ever since.

One result of New Orleans’ joie de vivre and mix of cultures is jazz music. It sprang up here, and some historians even point to a specific location, Congo Square, where enslaved Africans were able to gather as early as the 1740s for community, dance and music.

The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park tells that story and even has a jazz band featuring National Park Service rangers. The park’s visitor center is in the French Quarter, just two blocks from Jackson Square. Nearby Preservation Hall is a mecca for traditional jazz and a stretch of just a few

Visitors to Lake Charles will enjoy kayaking on the bayou.

blocks on Frenchmen Street has a half-dozen destination jazz clubs to explore.

Mardi Gras, which began as a one-day blast preceding Ash Wednesday and the austerity of Lent, has grown into an entire season of parades and revelry throughout metropolitan New Orleans (to say nothing about similar frivolities in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and elsewhere).

Even if you’re not around for Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, you can get the sense of the festival’s magnitude at Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, where you can see how the biggest and gaudiest parade floats are built. As a bonus, you get a taste of king cake, too. More year-round Mardi Gras reminders are at the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge and the Mardi Gras Museum of the Imperial Calcasieu, a five-parish region around Lake Charles. That museum owns almost 600 Mardi Gras gala gowns, each costing up to $6,000 and most worn only once.

CAJUN COUNTRY

As you migrate west on I-10, you get a good look at the initially difficult to pronounce Atchafalaya (uh-CHAF-uhLIE-uh) Basin as you enter Acadiana, a multi-parish region otherwise known as Cajun country. Lafayette (population 121,000) is the hub of Acadiana, but stop for a swamp tour before getting there.

McGee’s Swamp Tours in Henderson has been introducing groups to the Atchafalaya Swamp for decades, explaining how cypress trees grow, pointing out herons, eagles and other birds and keeping an eye out for alligators — because everybody wants to see alligators in Louisiana. The Atchafalaya is bigger than Florida’s Everglades and is America’s largest river swamp. McGee boat tours are enlightening instead of ominous and thrilling rather than scary. You can float along on a traditional excursion boat or roar through the swamp on an airboat.

St. Martinville, another stop before Lafayette, is a small town, but a great place to grasp an enormous story. It is here that a tree and a poem help explain the origins of Cajun culture.

The poem is “Evangeline,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s tale of young lovers torn apart when the imperial British pushed colonists of French heritage out of Atlantic Canada and into exile. The refugees called it the Great Upheaval or the Great Expulsion, and many made it to south Louisiana, where the Acadian label eventually became Cajun. The time period was 1755-64.

The tree is a sprawling live oak along Bayou Teche, where the star-crossed lovers supposedly reunited. Today, this story would be called historical fiction, but it serves the purpose of explaining why you hear lovely Cajun-French accents from the refugees’ descendants.

LAFAYETTE

The exiled nascent Cajuns were hardscrabble farmers who learned to survive in a landscape that was far from ideal and very unlike their Canadian homes. They built pirogues (narrow, shallow-draft canoes) to navigate the slow-moving rivers (bayous) and learned to live on nature’s bounty (crawfish, waterfowl, fish and oysters), all the while celebrating family and good times.

More of their story comes to life in Lafayette at a yearround attraction called Vermilionville.

Through 19 restored and reproduced buildings, Vermilionville represents an Acadian village from 17651890. Its staff of woodcarvers, weavers, spinners and musicians make Vermilionville especially vibrant. Vermilionville can be filling, too, when you sample authentic Cajun recipes at La Cuisine de Maman (Mama’s Kitchen), a restaurant where excellent gumbo competes for attention with chicken and sausage jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, shrimp etouffee and other temptations.

A glass-enclosed porch at Mama’s Kitchen overlooks Bayou Vermilion, where you may see a traditionally built bateau full of Vermilionville passengers glide by. A Vermilionville restoration specialist built the boat.

Cajun food heritage is the reason former history teacher Marie Ducote abandoned the classroom and began carting visitors around Lafayette and the region on her Cajun Food Tours. A tour with Ducote hits several restaurants and food

BY PAUL BROUSSARD, COURESTY NEW ORLEANS & CO.

A Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans

outlets and includes the ultimate Cajun snack food, boudin. That’s a mildly spicy rice-and-meat sausage, whose makers don’t share their recipes. For a true boudin experience, drop off I-10 at Scott and pick from a half-dozen boudin restaurants. Scott calls itself the Boudin Capital of the World.

Lafayette delivers festival activity throughout the year, but especially notable ones happen in spring and fall.

The Festival International de Louisiane is a five-day celebration every April that fills downtown with music, dancing and food. Organizers call it “the largest international music and arts festival in the United States with a special emphasis on the connection between Acadiana and the Francophone world.” Annual attendance is more than 300,000, and musical artists come from almost two dozen countries.

Come October, it is the four-day Festivals Acadiens et Creoles that make all the noise. It includes two musical stages, art shows, craft displays, a fais do do (dance) and its own food event called the Bayou Food Festival. The Bayou Food Festival starts not with a ribbon-cutting but with a boudin-cutting.

COURTESY VISIT JEFFERSON PARISH

BY PAUL BROUSSARD, COURESTY NEW ORLEANS & CO.

Mardi Gras parade participant

An alligator in the bayou outside New Orleans

BY TOM ADKINSON

LAKE CHARLES

More cultural mixing is farther along I-10 in Southwest Louisiana, where Lake Charles is the big city (population 85,000). It’s almost to Texas, which helps explain the addition of cowboy influences to the region’s Creole and Cajun flavors. Proof of the mixture is that the sports teams at the local university, McNeese State, are the Cowboys and Cowgirls. Their mascot is a cowboy named Rowdy, while the city’s own mascot is Gumbo Gator.

Lake Charles offers a truly surprising pair of major attractions: casinos and yet another chance to see nature in the raw, including alligators, along the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road.

Even for groups that aren’t into gaming, three resort casinos add an extra dose of first-class rooms, entertainment, dining and sports to Lake Charles. There are 2,350 guest rooms spread between the L’Auberge Casino Resort, the Golden Nugget Lake Charles and the Horseshoe Lake Charles.

The Contraband Bayou Golf Club at the L’Auberge is the only public Tom Fazio course in Louisiana, and the Golden Nugget offers its 7,000-yard championship Country Club Course. A boardwalk links the L’Auberge and the Golden Nugget.

Outside the city is a natural treasure, the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, that takes you on as much of a 180-mile driving route as you care to explore. It goes deep into what is called the “Louisiana Outback.” It’s a quiet land of freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes, cypress swamps, coastal prairies and beaches — a variety of terrains you might not expect in one location.

This is one of the top nature photography and birding areas in the country (more than 400 species migrate through here), and it’s unusual enough that having a naturalist bring it into focus is a bonus.

Companies such as Grosse Savanne Eco Tours have experts with that expertise, and they can help you spot pink-billed roseate spoonbills, herons, sandhill cranes, kingfishers, turtles, otters, muskrats, deer and, yes, alligators. Big alligators.

A zydeco accordion player

COURESTY LAKE CHARLES CVB

A swamp prayer

Posing with a Boudin statue

BY TOM ADKINSON

BY TOM ADKINSON

Two casinos in Lake Charles

SKY STOPS

SPIRITS SOAR AT THESE AVIATION MUSEUMS

BY TOM ADKINSON

Practically everyone remembers his or her first flight, whether it was on a fancy jet airliner, a puddle jumper or perhaps even a private plane. At America’s aviation museums, travelers can relive those moments and see some of the world’s most innovative and inspiring aircraft. A surprising number of destinations have aviation museums, and they almost always are worthy inclusions on a tour itinerary. Here are six aviation museums to get your memories — and perhaps your dreams — rolling down the runway. Let’s fly west to east across the U.S.

Visitors to Pensacola won’t want to miss the Blue Angels practice flights.

MUSEUM OF FLIGHT SEATTLE

The Museum of Flight has more than 175 aircraft and spacecraft, including some giants — the first jet-powered Air Force One, a Blackbird spy plane (complete with drone), a supersonic Concorde and a B-29 Superfortress among them. It also displays float planes, sailplanes, helicopters and more. Check out the tiny Aeronca C-2, one of the first American planes practical for the average person to own. C-2s were practical but basic, too. The pilot sat on a plywood seat and had five instruments, a stick and rudder pedals. A heater and brakes cost extra. A later Aeronca plane, the L-3B, was a still-basic World War II observation and VIP transport plane nicknamed the Grasshopper.

The museum’s first location in 1965 was in downtown Seattle on the site of the 1962 World’s Fair (which produced the city’s famous Space Needle), but a few years later, it was moved about 10 miles south for more space and the availability of a significant building in aviation history, the Red Barn, where the Boeing Co. began. Another Boeing link in the collection is a replica of the company’s first plane — a float plane from 1916 that William Boeing and Conrad Westervelt built.

Groups get the benefit of complimentary tours from especially knowledgeable docents.

“We have generations of people in this region with aerospace backgrounds who volunteer here,” said Ted Huetter, senior public relations manager. “You can get stories from the real experts.”

MUSEUMOFFLIGHT.ORG

SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

SAN DIEGO

Of the many impressive holdings of the San Diego Air and Space Museum, one stands out because of its link to aviation history — a replica of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the first plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean nonstop. The original was built in San Diego — as was its replica — and some of the people who worked on the original also worked on the replica. Of note: It’s flightworthy but not likely to fly again.

The museum is one of the jewels in San Diego’s famous Balboa Park (17 museums and cultural organizations). Other standout holdings include: a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer; displayed without fabric on its wings to show the intricate woodwork; a mock-up of the Bell X-1; “a bullet with wings” that was the first plane to break the sound barrier; and the actual Apollo 9 command module that flew a 10-day mission around the moon and helped set the stage for Apollo 11’s lunar landing.

One of the museum’s biggest artifacts is a Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat. The massive airplane was built in San Diego, served missions in the Gilbert and Marshal Islands in World War II, went into the Coast Guard’s fleet, appeared in a movie (“The Devil at 4 O’Clock”) and was eventually donated to the museum. After a restoration, it was towed through the streets of San Diego and lifted by crane into the Pavilion of Flight.

SANDIEGOAIRANDSPACE.ORG

PHOTOS COURTESY MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

The entrance of the San Diego Air and Space Museum

COURTESY SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

The Blackbird at the Museum of Flight

A gallery at the Museum of Flight

EAA AVIATION MUSEUM

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN

When you land in Oshkosh, either literally or figuratively, be prepared for the intriguing and unusual — and often historic — aircraft at the EAA Aviation Museum. EAA stands for Experimental Aircraft Association, which began as a local club for people who built and restored their own aircraft and now is a worldwide organization with 200,000 members.

The year-round museum has more than 200 aircraft, many with great stories. Consider the single-engine racer that Ettore Bugatti (of auto racing fame) was building in a Paris furniture factory on the eve of World War II. As the German army neared Paris, the plane was hidden in a barn in the countryside, staying there for 30 years. It came to the U.S. in 1970, changed hands and eventually was donated to the museum. The beautiful plane never flew.

Another gem is Spaniard Juan de la Cievra’s autogiro, the direct predecessor to the helicopter. Spinning rotor blades on top of what looks like an otherwise normal single-engine plane acted like wings and permitted very slow flight and nearly vertical takeoffs.

Pay special attention to the Pioneers of Flight exhibit, a tribute to World War II aviation called the Eagle Hangar and Pioneer Airport. Pioneer Airport recalls the early days of flight and features more than 50 vintage planes in seven period hangars. It operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and can be booked for short flights. Not everyone can brag about taking off from a grass runway.

EAA.ORG/EAA-MUSEUM

BY CONNOR MADISON, COURTESY EAA MUSEUM

Eagle hangar at the EAA Aviation Museum

Gallery at EAA Aviation Museum

A plane taking off at Pioneer Airport

BY SAM SASIN, COURTESY EAA MUSEUM

BY CONNOR MADISON, COURTESY EAA MUSEUM

NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

The Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903, and only eight years later, the U.S. Navy had its first airplane. The long story of naval aviation comes to light through more than 150 aircraft (airplanes, helicopters and flying boats) at Pensacola’s National Naval Aviation Museum.

That story includes the NC-4, a flying boat that crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1919, years before Charles Lindberg’s flight. The NC-4’s journey required refueling in Canada and the Azores before reaching Portugal. Its top speed was 85 mph. Other aircraft include a Ford Tri-Motor (an early airliner), a Flying Tiger P-40B Tomahawk from early in World War II and A-4E/F Skyhawks, the blue and gold streaks the Blue Angels performance team used from 197486. (Marvelous trivia: The Skyhawks on display are close together, but in flight, they are even closer — only 36 inches apart.)

Today’s Blue Angels are based at the nearby Naval Air Station Pensacola, and their practice flights zoom over the museum and along the coast past Pensacola and back. Practice days are posted, so keep looking up.

The Great American Dollhouse Museum

Let your imagination wander through United States history from the Native American era through the 20th century. An unrivaled collection of over 200 dollhouses and miniature scenes, this treasure continues to captivate visitors young and old.

You’ll be mesmerized as you are transported through avenues and alleys, peering into the open backs of homes and businesses in awe of the décor, detail, and activity within.

The Blue Angels

Posing for pictures at the National Naval Aviation Museum

UDVAR-HAZY CENTER CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the Capital Mall in Washington, D.C., houses significant aviation artifacts — starting with the 1903 Wright Flyer that Orville and Wilbur Wright flew to inaugurate the age of powered aviation — but the Smithsonian had too many artifacts and not enough room to tell all the stories it wanted to tell.

That explains the Udvar-Hazy Center next to Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The Smithsonian opened this gargantuan facility in 2003, and it attracts more than a million visitors a year who absorb the story of flight from early ballooning to space travel.

A relatively tiny Piper J-3 Cub was the first artifact placed in the enormous Boeing Aviation Hangar, which is the length of three football fields and 10 stories tall. Soon enough, it had companions that include the Enola Gay B-29 Superfortress bomber, an Air France Concorde, a Boeing 367-80 transport jet, planes from the German Luftwaffe, aerobatic biplanes, helicopters, sailplanes, ultralights and even a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The Blackbird’s top speed is classified, but it is more than 2,100 miles an hour (coast to coast in 1:04:20).

Most docents are pilots, flight instructors and engineers, and none work from a script while leading tours.

If your brain can take in more information, the center also includes the McDonnell Space Hangar, where the centerpiece is the space shuttle Discovery, and the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar, where skilled technicians prepare aircraft for display.

AIRANDSPACE.SI.EDU/VISIT/ UDVAR-HAZY-CENTER

PHOTOS COURTESY UDVAR-HAZY CENTER

Udvar-Hazy Center

An artifact at the Udvar-Hazy Center

The Udvar-Hazy Center’s space hangar

MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, transcends its unpretentious name by showcasing one of the largest collections of World War I and World War II aircraft in the world.

Most of its vintage planes are airworthy, and visitors get a special thrill when one of them roars to life and flies off into the blue Virginia sky.

The museum’s first plane has a convoluted history. It is a World War II Curtiss P-40 fighter built in Buffalo, New York, and provided to the Soviet Union through the World War II Lend-Lease program. It crashed, and its remains were recovered north of the Arctic Circle in Russia.

The museum now has more than 65 planes in five hangars. They include a P-51 Mustang, a B-25 bomber, a PBY Catalina flying boat, a Curtiss Jenny, a Sopwith Strutter and even a bright red Fokker DR1 triplane of the type the Red Baron flew in World War I.

Groups can have a meal amid the aircraft while talking with mechanics who work on the planes and pilots who take them out for a spin. If you visit from May through late September, flight demonstrations are included in admission through the Summer of Flight program. Brave visitors can ride along a flight over the countryside in a Stearman biplane or a replica 1931 WACO biplane.

MILITARYAVIATIONMUSEUM.ORG

A plane at the Military Aviation Museum

Pictured: Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to explore the preservation of the traditions, languages,

art of Alaska’s Native People through statewide collaboration and education.

Staff Sound-off

WHAT’S THE BEST CONCERT YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO?

The Eagles, hands down. My friend’s husband woke up sick the day of the concert, so she called me an hour before to see if I could go. It was the best concert I’ve been to! Deacon Frey, Glen Frey’s son, preformed in Glen’s place along with Vince Gill. They sounded just like the records. Pure talent!

3 11 on March 11th in Las Vegas — three nights of shows at the MGM Grand.

Afriend and I attended Leonard Cohen’s world tour stop at the Chicago Theater in May of 2009. He was backed by some amazing musicians and vocalists and played for nearly three hours. Cohen’s songs, including “Suzanne,” “Hallelujah,” and “Bird on a Wire,” have been covered by many other musicians throughout the years, but he did them best. My friend and I had a bucket list of things to do together and attending a Leonard Cohen concert was on it.

Carrie Underwood — she is a rockstar!

One that stands out was Def Leppard and Styx. I got to go with my dad when I was 16, and that was special because his first concert was also Def Leppard and Styx in the ‘80s. I was even wearing his vintage shirt from their Pyromania tour.

I’m not a huge concert person, but Drake and George Strait would be my two wish list concerts.

Igot to see Keith Urban in a private show at the Opryland Hotel in 2010. There were about 1,000 people seated around banquet tables in a ballroom — not exactly an ideal venue — but Keith and his band played just as hard as they would have in a sold-out arena. The sound was huge, and the level of talent was mind-blowing. To be honest, I wasn’t much into country music at the time, and I didn’t know any of the songs, but the experience made me a fan, and to this day Keith Urban is still my favorite country artist.

Depeche Mode on the Memento Mori World Tour — my husband surprised me with tickets to see my favorite band for my birthday last year.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to Staff Sound-Off, the column where our staff members answer questions about their travel practices and preferences. We hope you enjoy these tips. If you have a question you’d like to see us answer, send it to me and it may appear in a future issue.

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is a collection of churches, courthouses, schools, museums and other landmarks that played a pivotal role in advancing social justice in the 1950s and 1960s.

tncivilrightstrail.com

Scan to download the digital passport.

The experience is unforgettable . Because the lessons should never be forgotten .

There’s no better place to learn about the struggle for black equality while walking in the footsteps of the Movement’s heroes. It’s all here, from the world-class Mississippi Civil Rights Museum to the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden and Emmett Till Interpretive Center. Plan your journey today at VisitMississippi.org/CivilRights.

What Happened Here Changed the World.

After Rosa Parks’s arrest on December 1, 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger, more than 5,000 people gathered at Holt Street Baptist Church on December 5, 1955 to listen to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver a compelling speech promoting nonviolent protest strategies. This event marked the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the most successful boycotts in history. It was also at this location and on this day that Rev. King was named president of the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA).

information contact: Shawna.Faniel@tourism.alabama.gov or call 334.353.1907

As the World Watches

The U.S. Civil Right Trail draws interest from across the globe

BY BRIAN JEWELL

Mark Ezell believes the stories of the Civil Rights Movement can change the world.

As commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development and chair of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance, Ezell has seen firsthand how interactive encounters with the Civil Rights legacy can make lasting impacts on travelers. And he believes the U.S. Civil Rights Trail — a collection of more than 130 sites related to the social and political movement of the 1950s and 1960s — has power to do real good.

“Our dream is to increase the number of visitors, domestically and internationally, to come to these important sites, learn, transform hearts and change the world,” Ezell said. “Because that’s what has happened to us. I’m a perfect example of someone who had not been exposed to the National Civil Rights Museum [in Memphis]. I went in the first few months after I became commissioner, and it was one of the most powerful experiences I have had in my five years [on the job].”

Launched in 2018, the U.S. Civil Rights Trail is a coopera-

tive effort to showcase historic sites, churches, museums and other places of interest integral to the Civil Rights Movement. The trail stretches from Topeka, Kansas, to Wilmington, Delaware, to Sarasota, Florida.

In the six years since its launch, the trail has brought significant levels of media coverage and public interest to its member sites and attractions. Its website, civilrightstrail.com, has logged more than 5 million visits from 43 countries. And the trail’s 23-episode podcast has won accolades from the U.S. Travel Industry Association.

But according to Ezell, those accomplishments are early steps on a longer journey.

“We have the ability to expand our reach, both in the number of sites and in the visitor experience,” he said. “And we believe there are new levels of success we can bring in our promotion, marketing, support and our creation of sites. That will help communities and change visitors.”

THE FREDERICKSBURG CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS HISTORIC PLACES AROUND THE CITY, IS ONE OF THE NEWEST SITES ON THE U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL.

Courtesy USCRT

Ordinary People. Extraordinary Courage. A Singular Focus.

The Civil Rights Movement was a lightning bolt in the history of our nation forged through the efforts and sacrifice of thousands of individuals, many of whom we’ll never know.

But with the U.S. Civil Rights Trail in Kentucky, we’re shining a light on a number of the stories, people and events that not only changed Kentucky, but forever changed the country.

We invite you to explore Whitney Young’s birthplace, Lincoln Hall at Berea College, Louisville’s downtown Civil Rights Trail and the Muhammad Ali Center, and to visit the SEEK Museum in Russellville.

kentuckytourism.com

Adding New Sites

Every year, the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance considers applications for new sites and organizations interested in joining the trail. For 2024, the trail is adding four new sites — one each in Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and Virginia.

In Memphis, Tennessee, the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery houses the work of Ernest Withers Sr., a photojournalist who captured many iconic images of the Civil Rights Movement.

“This museum on Beale Street is one of those gems we’re going to draw attention to,” Ezell said. “His photos told the story of the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, especially during the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike, which ended with the tragic assassination of Dr. King.”

Another new trail site, the recently opened International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, is located on a block that was once a hub for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The museum covers various aspects of African American history and the Black experience in America, including exhibits detailing South Carolina’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement.

“They do the important work of the slavery story, which needs to be told, but also the story of Civil Rights,” Ezell said.

The new trail site in Alabama is Montgomery’s Holt Street Memorial Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to more than 5,000 people promoting nonviolent protest methods in the wake of Rosa Parks’ arrest. The meeting led to the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott.

And in Virginia, the Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail highlights 21 places around downtown Fredericksburg and the surrounding community that were significant to the Civil Rights Movement. Ezell called the Fredericksburg trail “a little bit of a hidden gem and an untold story.”

By Justin Fox Burks, c ourtesy TN Dept. of Tourist Dev.

Deepening Connections

In addition to adding new sites, the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Marketing Alliance is looking at ways to deepen connections between sites, both within specific communities and across the trail as a whole. Ezell said he recently drew inspiration from an alliance board meeting in Montgomery, where numerous Civil Rights sites work closely together to create an immersive and moving visitor experience throughout the community.

“That has really excited us,” Ezell said. “We started realizing the importance of stakeholder engagement. In Tennessee, for example, how are we working with the Civil Rights Reading Room people at the Nashville library and the Green McAdoo Cultural Center people [in Clinton] and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis? How are we engaging them with us and each other?

“There are more than 130 sites on the trail, mostly in the South. How do we get them to be connected with us at the state level, within their cities and also to each other? How are they building on each other so that a visitor can connect a lot more of the stories?”

To accomplish that, the marketing alliance is conducting survey work with its trail sites and creating new strategies and marketing plans that will be implemented in the coming years.

The work, Ezell said, is not just about promoting sites but also facilitating deeper change for visitors and communities.

Travelers planning a trip on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail can find all the latest news about Civil Rights sites and events

CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM

“We get to promote a lot of great things in tourism, but there aren’t many that can also be transformative to people,” he said. “The Civil Rights sites have certainly been transformative to me. They have helped me grow, learn change and be a better person who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and America. That feels good inside your heart.”

ABOVE: AN EXHIBIT AT THE WITHERS COLLECTION MUSEUM AND GALLERY IN MEMPHIS.

RIGHT: TENNESSEE TOURISM COMMISSIONER MARK EZELL

BARBEQUE

At 93, attorney Fred Gray continues the fight for civil rights

FRED

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

By deciding to become a lawyer instead of a pastor, Fred Gray changed his career path and the course of American history.

General Counsel

The Alabama native became a leader in the civil rights movement just a few months after he opened his Montgomery law office in 1954. Civil rights leader Ed Nixon had inspired Gray’s leap into law. “He told me ‘Lawyers help people, and we are always looking for lawyers,’” said Gray.

So, Gray went to law school in Ohio — Alabama law schools were segregated at the time — and returned to his home state, determined “to destroy everything segregated I could find. I’ve been trying to destroy everything segregated I could find since then.”

He’s still at it at 93, working in his law practice, which has offices in Montgomery and Tuskegee, most every day.

Alabama Tourism director Lee Sentell has enjoyed getting to know Gray these past 20 years and has learned much from him.

“People are amazed that Attorney Gray, who was Rosa Parks’ and Martin Luther King’s personal attorney, is still working and speaking. His memory and recall are perfect,” said Sentell.

Although many of Gray’s clients were high profile, Gray was not as widely known, largely because his role in the civil rights movement was behind the scenes.

Gray was, as King described, “the general counsel” of the protest movement.

The two worked closely together on the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Gray fresh out of law school, King the new pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. King was the protest’s voice, Gray its legal counsel.

“I wasn’t the one talking to the public, but I had to keep the law straight,” said Gray. “It was my responsibility that everything they did was legal.”

GRAY AT THE TUSKEGEE HISTORY CENTER

GRAY

All photos courtesy Alabama Tourism

GRAY COFOUNDED THE TUSKEGEE HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS MULTICULTURAL CENTER

The Work Continues

In the ensuring decades, Gray’s legal expertise continued to be called upon in numerous landmark civil rights cases. He also ran for public office and was elected to the Alabama legislature, the first time an African American had been elected to that legislative body since Reconstruction.

He also cofounded the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center (now the Tuskegee History Center). “He enjoys showing off the center, which he created with funds from President Bill Clinton,” said Sentell.

Although the center opened in 1997 as a memorial to the black men who died or suffered after being intentionally misinformed about the nature of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, its exhibits have expanded since then. It explores the three cultures that have influenced Tuskegee—Native American, European American and African American—and examines important advances made by students at the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), the first institution of higher learning for African Americans. And the center details the struggle for civil rights, making it an essential stop on the U.S. Civil Rights History Trail, Gray says. “We have in our small museum a glimpse of every aspect of the civil rights movement from the right to vote to civil rights amendments made to the Constitution to all the cases from slavery forward.

“With our exhibits, you see who these people were, what they did and how they did it,” said Gray.

The center also reminds that the work to guarantee equal rights for all continues. “You are able to look at the problems we are facing now,” said Gray.

Not surprisingly, Gray has received many prestigious awards, including the Thurgood Marshall Award, the American Bar Association’s highest honor. In 2022, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in this country. President Joe Biden rang Gray to tell him the news.

No doubt, those awards are meaningful. But Gray reminds, they were never his motivation.

“My goal was to see that African Americans had all of the rights and privileges as all other citizens of the United States.” That work, he says, is not done. “The struggle for equal justice under the law continues, and I’m still at it; I filed a civil rights case about a year ago to get the Confederate Monument moved from the square in Tuskegee.”

GRAY IN FRONT OF AN EXHIBIT AT THE TUSKEGEE HISTORY CENTER

MID-SOUTH THE VIRGINIAS & D.C.

THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM IN MEMPHIS INCLUDES THE LORRAINE MOTEL WHERE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WAS ASSASINATED IN 1968.

Jackson

Sumner

Little Rock

Memphis

Nashville

Louisville

Eloquence & Innocence

The Mid-South honors the loss of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Emmett Till

BY RACHEL CRICK

Atrip through the mid-South introduces travelers to some of the Civil Rights Movement’s most memorable figures and martyrs, from the Little Rock Nine to Martin Luther King Jr. They can also experience the roots of Black culture, with stops at music museums, historic districts and educational institutions.

Beginning in Mississippi’s capital, Jackson, this itinerary takes travelers north to Sumner, then through Tennessee with stops in Memphis and Nashville. It ends with a stop in Louisville, Kentucky.

Courtesy USCRT

Jackson, Mississippi

Mississippi’s capital entices visitors with literature, art and music. Groups can tour cultural attractions such as Malaco Records, the largest blues, gospel and Southern music recording studio in the country; the Mississippi Museum of Art; and the Eudora Welty House and Gardens, a literary house museum. But Jackson’s culture is also deeply intertwined with its Civil Rights heritage. Medgar Evers, a prominent NAACP member and activist, was assassinated in 1963 at his home in Jackson. The quaint, mint-green home was declared a National Historic Landmark and named the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument and can be toured. Travelers can also visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which contains exhibits examining the lives and slayings of prominent figures from the movement, such as Evers.

VISITJACKSON.COM

MAHOGANY MEMPHIS HIGHLIGHTS

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Opened in 2018, Mahogany Memphis is an upscale, Black-owned restaurant showcasing Creole influences throughout its menu to give diners a variety of mouthwatering choices. It serves lunch and dinner (and brunch on the weekends), and some of its most popular menu items include lamb chops, catfish and Cajun fried chicken. Sides such as mac and cheese, loaded smashed potatoes and greens are crowd-pleasers. Visitors can also enjoy a delicious craft cocktail with their meal.

MAHOGANYMEMPHISTN.COM

THE MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART

Sumner, Mississippi

This small town of Sumner in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, only has a population of a couple hundred, yet it’s worth visiting for travelers who want to understand the solemn reality of racial injustice during the Civil Rights era. The town explores the tragic story of Emmett Till, a Black 14-year-old boy who was kidnapped and lynched for allegedly offending a white woman. An all-white jury acquitted his murderers. Till’s murder — and the lack of justice for his killers — outraged the nation and sparked an uptick of support and activism for the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors can tour the Tallahatchie County Courthouse — now a museum — where Till’s murder trial was held. Across the street from the courthouse, they will find the Emmett Till Interpretive Center.

Courtesy Visit Mississippi

Courtesy USCRT

Courtesy USCRT

Courtesy Visit Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

EUDORA WELTY HOUSE AND GARDENS

Photo by Alex Shanksy, courtesy Memphis Tourism

Everywhere you look, you catch glimpses of a bright, shining movement. In the photos dotting the walls of local gathering spots. In the sounds reverberating through the music venues. In the art spaces and museums. And you see it in the faces of the people you meet, like Dr. Robert Smith. We invite you to come to Jackson, Mississippi— City With Soul—and experience the Freedom Movement like nowhere else. Start planning your trip at visitjackson.com.

Dr. Robert Smith, Pioneer of the Freedom Movement

Little Rock, Arkansas

The capital of Arkansas is also known for its connections to former President Bill Clinton, making the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum one of the city’s most popular attractions, along with an eclectic assortment of other museums. Little Rock is also known for the Little Rock Nine, nine Black students who were supposed to attend Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Met with protests by both Arkansas’ governor and its citizens, these students were escorted to their classes by federal troops, bringing them into the center of the effort to integrate schools. They are honored at both the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and a memorial at the Arkansas Capitol. For further exploration of the state’s Black history, travelers can visit the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

LITTLEROCK.COM

8TH AND ROAST HIGHLIGHTS

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

When two best friends got the chance to go into business with their favorite coffee shop and hangout spot, they jumped at the opportunity. And 8th and Roast became what it is today, a Nashville coffee shop and roastery that emphasizes fair trade, high-quality and sustainably sourced coffee. Shop visitors can enjoy everything from drip coffee to a hand-poured cup of joe to specialty coffee drinks. Pastries and hot breakfasts, including quiche and breakfast sandwiches, are served. 8THANDROAST.COM

LITTLE ROCK NINE MEMORIAL

Memphis, Tennessee

In the southwest corner of Tennessee, Memphis’ connections to the blues, rock ’n’ roll, jazz and soul music, and musicians like Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and B.B. King, provide plenty of musical attractions for groups to explore. These include Beale Street Historic District, where many Blackowned nightclubs, restaurants and shops thrived, and WDIA Radio Station, the first station in the country created for a Black audience. Downtown, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel displays exhibits related to the movement, including the hotel room where Martin Luther King Jr. was staying when he was assassinated on the hotel balcony in 1968. Visitors to Memphis will also want to see Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, where King gave his last speech the day before his death.

MEMPHISTRAVEL.COM

BEALE STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT

Courtesy USCRT

Courtesy USCRT

Photo courtesy Nashville CVC

At the heart of America’s inland waterways, you’ll find a sophisticated rivertown that inspires. Paducah, Kentucky, is a confluence of cultural heritage and creativity where art is a way of life.

Celebrating 10 years as a UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is a destination for those who crave rich, authentic cultural experiences!

Immerse yourself in history, art and culture through unique experiences, self-guided tours and historical trails—including the new African American Heritage Driving Tour.

Plan your experience at Paducah.travel

1-800-PADUCAH

Nashville, Tennessee

Known worldwide as Music City, Nashville’s upbeat tempo and laidback rhythm are sure to delight visitors. The city is home to famous attractions such as the Country Music Hall of Fame, complete with rotating exhibits and plenty of programming, but it’s also home to the National Museum of African American Music. Other related sites include Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. held the 1961 annual Southern Christian Leadership Conference meeting. There’s also Fisk University, founded in 1866 to educate Black students. It’s the city’s oldest institution for higher education and the first historically Black college to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Alumni include Ida B. Wells and John Lewis.

VISITMUSICCITY.COM

ROOTS 101 MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

The Roots 101 Museum was founded in 2020 to educate visitors on the history, struggles and accomplishments of African Americans, as well as to highlight Black culture, art and music. The museum, located in downtown Louisville, features exhibits from African art and the origins of Black music in America to the crimes perpetrated by hate groups. It frequently hosts community events and is also the site of the city’s Breonna Taylor Memorial.

ROOTS-101.ORG

FISK UNIVERSITY

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is Kentucky’s largest city and comes with plenty of opportunities to experience the essence of the state’s culture. Some of its most popular offerings include trips to Churchill Downs and the Derby Museum, as well as outings to Whiskey Row, a preserved historic district boasting bourbon distilleries and experiences. It also has two Civil Rights sites: the Muhammad Ali Center, which lets visitors explore the legacy of the famed athlete, activist and philanthropist; and the Louisville Downtown Civil Rights Trail, which marks 11 of the existing locations in the city that were significant to the Civil Rights Movement, including places where activists staged demonstrations to campaign against segregation. Travelers can complete an educational, self-guided tour with stops at each.

GOTOLOUISVILLE.COM

Courtesy USCRT

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THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC IN NASHVILLE

A LOUISVILLE CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL MARKER

Photo courtesy Roots 101 Museum

EXPERIENCE HISTORY WHERE IT HAPPENED

2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which ended racial segregation in schools. When the Little Rock Nine courageously integrated Central High School three years later, they became symbols of bravery to inspire a nation. Walk in their shoes on this historic anniversary in Little Rock, where you’ll find rich experiences that illuminate the African American struggle for civil rights. Learn more at CivilRightsTrail.com and visit Arkansas.com to plan your trip today.

Harpers Ferry

MID-SOUTH THE VIRGINIAS & D.C.

Fredericksburg

Farmville

Danville

Washington D.C.

Richmond

From the Civil War to Civil Rights

The Virginias and D.C. commemorate the struggle for equality

BY RACHEL CRICK

Stretched between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, the Virginias are rich in both history and beauty. Settled by the British in the 17th century, the area was the first of the original Colonies. As such, it’s not only Civil Rights history visitors will find here — the states also played an integral role in the Civil War.

This itinerary begins at the far eastern tip of West Virginia, where two rivers converge around the idyllic Harpers Ferry. Then, it takes travelers west to our nation’s capital, before heading south with stops in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Farmville and Danville.

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Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Set in a breathtaking West Virginia national park and surrounded on two sides by rivers, Harpers Ferry is a nature lover’s paradise. In between outdoor activities like hiking and biking, visitors can walk around the picturesque 19th century downtown and check out its shops and eateries. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is saturated in Civil War history. The town, thanks to its position between two rivers and its mountain views of three states, had many strategic advantages during the war. To learn more about the role it played, travelers can visit John Brown’s Fort, where the radical abolitionist attempted an unsuccessful armed revolt against slavery in 1859; this revolt is said to have foreshadowed the impending war. There’s also plenty of other significant historical sites to find on a self-guided tour of the town.

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MODERN HOMESTEAD HIGHLIGHTS

REEDSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA

A couple hours outside of Harpers Ferry, Modern Homestead is a collection of restored guest houses where travelers can find luxurious lodging. These quaint, restored cottages are surrounded by beautiful gardens and a seasonal green house, and they’re not far from historic West Virginia sites and shopping. Guests can opt for spa services during their stay, or take advantage of the on-site café, which offers cozy specialty coffee drinks, hot teas and cider, as well as fresh-baked pastries.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Washington, D.C.

As the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. possesses an unrivaled collection of historic monuments, nationally recognized landmarks and world-class museums. Highlights include seeing the monuments on the National Mall, catching a production in the city’s exciting theater scene, exploring any of the Smithsonian museums, visiting the Library of Congress and touring government buildings, such as the White House. As a hotspot of U.S. history, it should come as no surprise that there are several Civil Rights Movement sites. These include memorials honoring pivotal figures in the centuries-long battle for racial equality, including the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Travelers can also visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture to learn about and appreciate the roots of Black culture.

WASHINGTON.ORG

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Steeped in history dating back to Colonial times, the town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, offers an engaging combination of old and new. From restored 18th century buildings, military parks and Civil War-era cemeteries to craft breweries, art galleries and upscale restaurants, this small town near D.C. has plenty of variety. In addition to Civil War cemeteries and battle sites, it also has a brand-new Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail, “Freedom, a Work in Progress,” which was created through a partnership between the city and the University of Mary Washington. Stops on the trail include the Fredericksburg Area Museum, the Slave Auction site and the university’s campus, among others. Following the trail to find its 21 stops teaches visitors more about the area’s extensive Civil Rights history.

Courtesy Washington.org

Photo by Trellis Smith, courtesy Modern Homestead

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Founded by a husband-and-wife team, the Lindseys, Lillie Pearl serves traditional soul food with a modern twist in Richmond, Virginia. The menu features craft cocktails and elevated mains such as braised short ribs, lobster, shrimp and grits, and pork chops smothered in a smoked bacon shallot cream sauce. Sides, such as baked mac and cheese and collard greens, are popular with diners. And desserts, such as the peach cobbler bread pudding, offer a spectacular finish to each meal.

LILLIEPEARLRVA.COM

The

in Fredericksburg, Virginia follows the stories and sites of the local Civil Rights movement and highlights the role of Black residents in Fredericksburg’s history.

LILLIE PEARL HIGHLIGHTS

Photo courtesy Lillie Pearl

Courtesy Visit FXBG

A FREEDOM RIDERS HISTORICAL MARKER IN FREDERICKSBURG

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia’s capital city has an impressive arts and culture scene, even possessing one of the country’s largest comprehensive art museums, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. History buffs will enjoy the city’s collection of Civil War museums and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an oasis of natural beauty. At the state Capitol, travelers can visit a significant Civil Rights Movement site, the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial. The memorial depicts, in a bronze and marble statue, Barbara Johns and other students who walked out of school in protest of segregation. Their cases were later joined with others and brought to the Supreme Court as the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

VISITRICHMONDVA.COM

FOODE HIGHLIGHTS

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA

Located in historic downtown Fredericksburg, Foode opened in 2011. Founding partner and executive chef Joy Crump was a competitor on Top Chef in 2014; that’s why it’s no surprise the menu is exciting, bold and delicious. With an emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients, its menu often changes, but the restaurant offers brunch, lunch and dinner, alongside specialty cocktails and delicious desserts. Some of its most popular dishes are elevated classics, including chicken and waffles, burgers, and shrimp and grits.

FOODEFREDERICKSBURG.COM

VIRGINIA CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL

Farmville, Virginia

Home to both Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University, Farmville, Virginia, is a quaint college town with a storied history. Opportunities for outdoor recreation abound at High Bridge Trail State Park, an 1853 bridge that was damaged during Confederacy’s retreat at the end of the Civil War. Farmville also has plenty of historic buildings, including churches and homes. Another building of significance, Robert Russa Moton High School, was constructed in 1939 to educate Black students. Today, it’s a National Historic Landmark. When two students led a walkout protest at the school, it became a Civil Rights Movement site. It now functions as a museum, with exhibits honoring the fight for the desegregation of and improved access to public education.

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Danville, Virginia

On Virginia’s southern border, the small town of Danville was once the Confederacy’s last standing capital. It has plenty of Civil War and Civil Rights era history for history buffs to explore, as well as some newer additions, like breweries, wineries, shops and restaurants. The town’s museums are some of its most popular attractions, including the Danville Science Center and the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History. Located in the building that once housed the Danville Public Library, the latter museum has a permanent exhibit dedicated to a protest that occurred at the library. In 1960, 16 Black students entered the library to protest its “whites only” policy. They were refused service, and later, both the city’s libraries closed. Today, the museum exhibit includes accounts from the original protestors.

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Courtesy Virginia Tourism Corporation

Photo courtesy Visit FXBG

BLOODY MONDAY HISTORIC MARKER

Virginia is the historical home of revolutionaries, brave thinkers and passionate doers of all kinds. Some of the world’s greatest achievements happened in Virginia, but for too long, the incredible stories of bravery, innovation and passion of Black Virginians have gone unshared. Today, Virginia is committed to embracing those once silenced voices and telling their stories honestly and completely. Learn more at virginia.org/blackhistory

Sammy T’s Fredericksburg, Virginia

Birmingham Selma

Montgomery Albany

Atlanta

Faith Triumphs Over Violence

The Southeast memorializes its marches and martyrs

BY RACHEL CRICK

The landmarks and memorials dotting the Southeast provide a testament to the Civil Rights Movement’s key figures and bear witness to its bloodiest conflicts. They also enshrine the places where the fight for justice and equality was victorious.

From the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the boyhood home of Martin Luther King Jr., this itinerary spans two states and encompasses two state capitals. It begins in Birmingham, Alabama, then takes travelers south to Selma. From there, the path winds east to Montgomery and then to Albany, Georgia. The final stop is Atlanta.

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Birmingham, Alabama

Founded as an industrial hub for iron and steel during the Reconstruction period, Birmingham has since become Alabama’s most populous city. Visitors will enjoy its culinary scene and outdoor attractions, but many of the city’s most popular attractions relate to its role in the Civil Rights Movement, during which it became a backdrop to much of the violence and tension in the region. Visitors can tour the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum chronicling the movement’s struggles and triumphs. They can also see the places of worship that were integral to the movement, such as 16th Street Baptist Church, the site of the 1963 bombing that killed four young Black girls, and Bethel Baptist Church, which was the headquarters for the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.

BIRMINGHAMAL.ORG

BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE

Selma, Alabama

Selma is steeped in the history of the Civil Rights Movement, frequently finding itself in the national spotlight because of its relevance to voting rights campaigns. One of the city’s Civil Rights Trail sites, since named a National Historic Landmark, is the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the infamous Bloody Sunday beatings. These horrific beatings, carried out by state troopers against 600 voting rights advocates, were televised and are credited with an increase in public support for the movement. The Selma Interpretive Center, next to the bridge, explores the movement with exhibits and marks the beginning of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. When in Selma, visitors can tour the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute to hear from volunteer guides with firsthand accounts of the fight for voting rights.

SELMAALABAMA.COM

Courtesy USCRT

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16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

When in Selma, visitors can tour the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute to hear from volunteer guides with firsthand accounts of the fight for voting rights.

YO’ MAMA’S RESTAURANT HIGHLIGHTS

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

Serving brunch and lunch in downtown Birmingham, this Black-owned, woman-owned restaurant’s roots can be traced back to 2007. What began as a popular vendor serving chicken and fish at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Florida eventually became a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Alabama. Today, the restaurant delights visitors with made-from-scratch meals. Customer favorites include chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, fish tacos, barbecue burgers and chicken wings.

YOMAMASRESTAURANT.COM

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16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH IN BIRMINGHAM

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EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE

NATIONAL VOTING RIGHTS MUSEUM AND INSTITUTE

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Photo courtesy Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant

Montgomery, Alabama

As Alabama’s capital, Montgomery bore witness to many pivotal moments and figures within the Civil Rights Movement. The city is even known as the movement’s birthplace, thanks to the many protests and demonstrations held there, from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Selma-to-Montgomery March. There are abundant opportunities for visitors to explore its rich history, from touring the capitol to visiting iconic trail sites such as the Civil Rights Memorial Center, which features four galleries dedicated to highlighting the movement and its heroes. Several additional museums, such as the Freedom Rides Museum and the Rosa Parks Museum, tell the story of the bus boycott. There’s also the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor for several years.

LANNIE’S BAR-B-Q SPOT

SELMA, ALABAMA

Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot has been serving Selma residents barbecue since the 1940s. During the Civil Rights Movement, it doubled as a gathering place for the community, meaning it saw (and fed) many of the movement’s key leaders. It’s still famous for its soul food, including barbecue pork, fried catfish, fried okra, collard greens, potato salad, and of course, its beloved barbecue sauce, passed down from generation to generation and guarded as a family secret.

CIVIL RIGHTS MEMORIAL CENTER

Albany, Georgia

Located in Georgia’s Southwest corner, Albany is a hub for nature and Native American culture. Its major attractions include the Chehaw Park and Zoo, Flint RiverQuarium, and Thronateeska, a three-museum campus exploring history and science in the region. Travelers should also visit the Ray Charles Plaza, featuring a memorial to the late musician, and explore the city’s extensive Civil Rights heritage. One trail site, the Albany Civil Rights Institute, is located in Old Mount Zion Baptist Church, the birthplace of many activist and advocacy groups, and features a large database of research and resources detailing the Civil Rights Movement in Albany. The city is also home to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to a crowd following his speech at Old Mount Zion Baptist Church.

VISITALBANYGA.COM

FREEDOM RIDES MUSEUM

HIGHLIGHTS

RAY CHARLES MEMORIAL IN ALBANY

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MONTGOMERY’S DEXTER AVENUE KING MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH

Photo by Art Meripol, courtesy Alabama Tourism

Atlanta

From touring the World of Coca Cola to visiting the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta has no shortage of activities. There’s film history, art and a diverse food scene, which travelers can experience with a trip to one of its many food halls. But Atlanta also has a rich Civil Rights history, being the birthplace of one of the movement’s most pivotal figures, Martin Luther King Jr. King’s birth home can be found within the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, a must-see landmark that also features the church where King was baptized, Ebenezer Baptist Church. Another relevant site is the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a museum that takes visitors through a range of exhibits that document the movement and the global fight for human rights.

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MADAM C.J. WALKER MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS

ATLANTA

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

NATIONAL

HISTORICAL PARK

of Madam C.J. Walker, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who became the first self-made American female millionaire. Walker invented and sold haircare products and cosmetics for Black women. She was also an activist. The building housing the museum was once one of Walker’s beauty shops and contains vintage hair tools and exhibits dedicated to Walker. The floor above the beauty shop once belonged to WERD, the first Black-owned radio station in the country, and is now an integral part of the museum.

MADAMECJWALKERMUSEUM.COM

Courtesy USCRT

This Atlanta museum honors the legacy

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Photo courtesy Madam C.J. Walker Museum

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By Ralph Daniel, courtesy Explore Georgia

EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

AN EXHIBIT AT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

you.

WHERE DREAMS MARCHED

A TOUR PLANNER’S GUIDE TO HISTORY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.

Birmingham’s Civil Rights District has been named a National Monument. Bring your guests to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute – a comprehensive telling of the struggle for Civil Rights, Kelly Ingram Park – where protesters and police clashed, and the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four little girls were killed in 1963. Walk where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many other brave men and women stood their ground in the fight for the rights of all Americans. Birmingham’s history is this country’s history. We look forward to sharing it with you.

Greensboro

Rock Hill

Columbia

Charleston

Raleigh-Durham

MID-SOUTH THE VIRGINIAS & D.C.

GREENSBORO’S INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER AND MUSEUM CAN BE FOUND AT THE FORMER F.W. WOOLWORTH STORE WHERE BLACK COLLEGE STUDENTS STAGED A LUNCH COUNTER SIT-IN.

Education Overcomes Ignorance

The Carolinas raised students who refused to submit

BY RACHEL CRICK

Bordered by the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains on one side and a popular strand of Atlantic beaches on the other, the Carolinas offer more than just natural scenery. Their rich history, dating back to pre-Colonial times, includes a history with the Civil Rights Movement. A trip through the Carolinas introduces travelers to figures whose peaceful protests rippled through the region. It also showcases places sacred to the movement, from resilient churches to famous lunch counters.

Beginning at the Atlantic, in Charleston, South Carolina, this itinerary steers travelers northwest to Columbia, north to Rock Hill, then into North Carolina for stops in Greensboro and the Raleigh-Durham area.

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Charleston, South Carolina

A trip to the harbor and seaside city of Charleston combines leisure with education. Walking tours of the city, ecological tours of its barrier islands, and stops at historic plantations and homes complement shopping sprees in the Charleston City Market, and walks on coastal beaches give travelers a well-rounded itinerary. To explore some of the city’s Civil Rights heritage, they can visit Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Founded in 1816, it’s the oldest AME church in the region. Its current building was rebuilt in 1891 after being burnt down. It has witnessed many tragedies, including the racially motivated shooting in 2015 that took the lives of nine worshipers. The church is a testament to both the movement’s ongoing importance, as well as the fortitude of Charleston’s Black community.

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CHAYZ LOUNGE HIGHLIGHTS

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Travelers can get dressed up and usher in an unforgettable evening with a trip to Chayz Lounge in the River District of West Columbia, South Carolina. This snazzy, upscale jazz bistro is both a live music venue, offering regular performances of contemporary jazz and rhythm and blues music, and a restaurant, serving upscale entrees, fine wines and craft cocktails. Its mouthwatering entrees include Cajun pasta, Creole shrimp and grits, and garlic braised short ribs.

CHAYZLOUNGE.COM

MOTHER EMANUEL AME CHURCH

Columbia, South Carolina

South Carolina’s capital comes equipped with a variety of attractions, from great greenspaces at state parks and gardens to thought-provoking museums, such as the South Carolina State Museum or the Columbia Museum of Art. Travelers visiting on Saturdays can hit the Soda City Market to check out local goods and food trucks. Another iconic city sight is the South Carolina State House, where a protest against segregation took place in 1961. Visitors can tour the Capitol and see the adjacent monument enshrining the fight for civil rights. The home of a prominent Civil Rights Movement leader, Modjeska Monteith Simkins, can also be found in Columbia. A visit to the cottage, which was once used as a meeting place and lodging for activists, will teach travelers about this great American hero and her contributions to the movement in the state.

EXPERIENCECOLUMBIASC.COM

Courtesy USCRT

MODJESKA MONTEITH SIMKINS HOUSE

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Photo courtesy Chayz Lounge

Rock Hill, South Carolina

Located in York County, Rock Hill, South Carolina, sits just south of the North Carolina border. Travelers can visit the city’s greenspaces, check out its expanding public art scene or even spend an afternoon at the Carowinds, a nearby renowned amusement park. They can delve into the area’s rich history by learning about the only federally recognized Native American tribe in the state, the Catawba, or the Revolutionary War battles that took place in Rock Hill. The city also has its share of Civil Rights history. Black students staged a sit-in protest after being denied service at the McCrory’s Five and Dime lunch counter. These sit-ins marked the beginning of protests lasting more than a year in Rock Hill. Today, there’s a marker in front of the original building the students occupied.

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SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE

RESTAURANT

Courtesy Visit York County

BLACK MAGNOLIA SOUTHERN PATISSERIE

HIGHLIGHTS

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

Who doesn’t need a sweet treat when they’re traveling? From awardwinning cinnamon rolls to massive, salted chocolate cookies and a bourbon banoffee toasted pecan sticky bun that won a national recipe contest, the rich, scratch-made goodies at Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie will make fans of any traveler. Visit the Black-owned, woman-owned bakery, located in the historic Revolution Mill in Greensboro, and try its many artisan pastries to fuel tours of the city.

BLACKMAGNOLIASO.COM

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THE

OCCUPYING WHAT WAS MCCRORY’S FIVE AND DIME

Photo courtesy Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie

Greensboro, North Carolina

Once a prominent railroad hub, Greensboro remains a vibrant destination by celebrating both the old and the new. Thriving breweries, entertainment venues and a science center showcase what’s new, while the area’s tranquil parks, gardens and history museums pay tribute to the city’s character and past. An important part of this past is the Civil Rights protests originating in Greensboro that echoed throughout the state in 1960, when four Black college students staged a sit-in at the lunch counter of an F.W. Woolworth store. These students are honored at two sites in Greensboro: the February One Monument on the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s campus, and the original Woolworth’s, which is now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum and a top attraction in the city for tours.

VISITGREENSBORONC.COM

311 GALLERY HIGHLIGHTS

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Trendy Raleigh is home to a robust art scene that includes 311 Gallery. Located in the Warehouse District downtown, this intimate gallery is Black-owned and focused on showcasing contemporary art in a range of mediums from local and national juried exhibitions. The gallery prioritizes nurturing creativity by offering studio space for artists; it also aims to curate a diverse array of art. Travelers can stop by to view the art or peruse the gift shop.

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Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

Though often packaged together because of their proximity, Raleigh and Durham both have distinct personalities. Raleigh, the hip capital city, offers museums such as the North Carolina Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Travelers can see how the city remembers Civil Rights leaders at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Gardens, a public park providing a tranquil place to celebrate the legacy of King. At Shaw University, Estey Hall is the oldest building on campus and the first in the country constructed for the higher education of Black women. In Durham, a town defined by Duke University, visitors can see beautiful historic landmarks related to the college. To learn about the area’s African American Heritage, they can visit the Hayti Heritage Center, an education center in a building that was once an AME Church.

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DISCOVERDURHAM.COM

Courtesy Visit Raleigh Courtesy Visit Raleigh

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL GARDENS

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BELL AT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL GARDENS

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Photo courtesy Visit Raleigh

MID-SOUTH THE VIRGINIAS & D.C.

WILLIAM FRANTZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEW ORLEANS WAS WHERE 6-YEAR-OLD RUBY BRIDGES BECAME THE FIRST BLACK STUDENT TO ATTEND IN 1960.

Panama City

Lafayette

Baton Rouge

Monroeville

New Orleans

Justice

Becomes the Law

BY RACHEL CRICK

The cities along Interstate 10 encompass the land where landmark legal decisions were made. It’s also the land where Civil Rights activists paved the way for changes by taking back power and where progress was sometimes even peaceful.

Beginning in Lafayette, Louisiana, this itinerary takes travelers east, through Louisiana’s capital city and the Big Easy, before making stops in Alabama and Florida.

Courtesy USCRT

Lafayette, Louisiana

In the heart of Acadiana, Louisiana’s French region, Lafayette has special connections to Cajun and Creole culture, from zydeco music to French-themed festivals. Travelers can take food tours of the city or head to Acadian Village for an enriching and authentic Cajun experience. Lafayette also has connections to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1953, four Black students attempted to enroll in Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and were denied. The students, along with the NAACP, filed a lawsuit and won, paving the way for desegregation before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. This peaceful victory is commemorated with the Pillars of Progress Memorial, which visitors will find on the college’s campus.

LAFAYETTETRAVEL.COM

BACKSTREET CULTURAL MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS

NEW ORLEANS

What began in 1988 as a small collection of photographs and memorabilia soon grew into a museum celebrating African American culture in New Orleans. Its exhibits on Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, Skull and Bone Gangs and other topics include beautiful costumes, photographs and an expansive film collection that documents over 500 jazz funerals. The museum hosts community events and welcomes travelers to learn from this unique collection of cultural artifacts.

BACKSTREETMUSEUM.ORG

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Home to the Louisiana State University Tigers, abundant history, several museums and beautiful greenspaces, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, attracts travelers with a wide range of interests. It also has extensive Civil Rights history, with several landmarks on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. A marker in Baton Rouge commemorates the longest march of the movement, 105 miles from Bogalusa to the Louisiana State Capitol, where activists delivered grievances to the governor. Louisiana’s Old State Capitol is also of interest, and not just for its architecture, because it was the site of a free-ride network organized during the 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott. And at another protest site, S.H. Kress Department Store, students were arrested for sit-in protests that later led to a court decision keeping peaceful protesters from being arrested.

VISITBATONROUGE.COM

By Sarah Green, courtesy Monroe County Museum

Courtesy MO SHS

OLD MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE MUSEUM

Photo courtesy New Orleans & Company

LOUISIANA STATE CAPITOL

Courtesy Visit Baton Rouge

New Orleans

New Orleans’ reputation precedes it — from the raucous nightlife of Bourbon Street to the haunting allure of the paranormal to its signature medley of cuisine, the Crescent City is a bucket list item for many travelers. But the city also played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors can tour the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, a National Historic Landmark where several legal decisions were responsible for integrating schools in the South. The results of these landmark decisions can be seen at William Frantz Elementary School, where 6-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first Black student to attend in 1960. History was made on Canal Street, where lunch counter protests and boycotts were staged, and at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, where Black and white activists alike were able to meet and strategize during a time when sitting together was illegal.

NEWORLEANS.COM

Monroeville, Alabama

Monroeville is known as the Literary Capital of Alabama thanks to two beloved authors who spent their childhoods there: Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Lee’s timeless classic, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” is set in Maycomb, Alabama, a fictional town based on Monroeville. The novel entered the cultural consciousness as a commentary on racial injustice from the perspective of a child; it mirrors Lee’s own experience watching her father, an attorney, defend a Black man accused of murder. Travelers can explore the Old Monroe County Courthouse Museum, where the trial that inspired the events in Lee’s novel took place. The museum features exhibits detailing the city’s literary legacy. Groups can also familiarize themselves with the town on a self-guided walking tour or search for all the markers on the Literary Bronze Sculpture Trail.

GEAUX RIDE HIGHLIGHTS

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

Bringing a bit of color to nights in Baton Rouge, Geaux Ride is a Blackowned bike tour company that promotes wellness and positive mental health in the city. Offering bikes that glow in the dark as part of an interesting and colorful excursion, the company provides tours of the city, social rides, bike bar crawls and self-guided experiences for a distinct way to see Baton Rouge. Tours can be accompanied with a variety of tunes.

GEAUXRIDEBIKES.COM

Courtesy USCRT

Courtesy USCRT

U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

Photo courtesy Geaux Ride

PILLARS OF PROGRESS MEMORIAL IN LAFAYETTE

Panama City, Florida

Like many other Florida destinations, visitors are drawn to Panama City by its warm weather and beautiful beaches. This Panhandle city is known for a great selection of on-the-water activities, from paddleboarding to dolphin swims. Visitors can also peruse the city’s laid back, artsy community with trips to galleries, theaters and shops. At the Bay County Courthouse downtown, the Gideon v. Wainwright historical marker commemorates a legal victory that paved the way for a more just legal system. After Clarence Earl Gideon, man accused of committing a burglary, was denied legal counsel, he sued; the Supreme Court eventually ruled in Gideon’s favor, and as a result, all states are required to provide legal counsel if a defendant cannot afford their own.

DESTINATIONPANAMACITY.COM

“YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO AN ATTORNEY. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY, ONE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOU.”

You know the line – now see the place where it all started. The Bay County Courthouse is one of five Florida sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and the origin of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Gideon v. Wainwright decision in 1963. Learn more at destinationpanamacity.com/ civilrightstrail.

BLACK CAFÉ HIGHLIGHTS

LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA

Located in downtown Lafayette, Black Café is a Black-owned coffee shop and café serving both java and some light fare. The café is most famous for its Scotch eggs — boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and fried — but it also serves sandwiches, salads, desserts and pastries, including beignets. The shop prides itself on the bold flavors of its black coffee, but it also serves café au lait, chai lattes and other coffee house classics. BLACKCAFELFT.COM

Photos courtesy Destination Panama City

SUNSET IN PANAMA CITY

GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT HISTORICAL MARKER

SEAFOOD IN PANAMA CITY

Photo courtesy Lafayette CVC

105 miles that paved a movement

In 1967, a group of Civil Rights activists led by A.Z. Young, Gayle Jenkins, and Robert “Bob” Hicks marched from Bogalusa to Baton Rouge, determined to be heard. Follow them up the State Capitol steps on the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail.

MID-SOUTH THE VIRGINIAS & D.C.

GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK IS JUST A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE OLD COURTHOUSE, WHICH HEARD THE FAMOUS DRED SCOTT CASE IN 1847.

Kansas City

Topeka St. Louis

Abilene

The Movement Spreads

The Midwest’s courts demanded desegregation

BY RACHEL CRICK

As the U.S. expanded westward, so did the quest for Civil Rights, as early as the Abolitionist Movement in the years leading up to the Civil War. While perhaps not as defined by the Civil Rights Movement as the South, the Midwest lays claim to some of the key legal victories for the movement as a whole, the effects of which were felt through the whole country.

Beginning in St. Louis, this Midwestern itinerary winds its way through Missouri to Kansas City, and then into Kansas with stops in Topeka and Abilene.

Courtesy Missouri Tourism

St. Louis

No one can visit St. Louis without seeing Gateway Arch National Park, featuring the 630-foot-tall steel and concrete arch, the city’s crown jewel. Additional museums, parks and iconic architecture make this capital city a treat for travelers. Just a block away from the Gateway Arch, they will find the Old Courthouse, which heard the famous Dred Scott case in 1847, in which an enslaved man, Dred Scott, sued for his and his wife’s freedom. Another monument of an important legal battle in St. Louis is the Shelley House. The home, in an area of the city restricted to white homeowners, was bought by a Black family, the Shelleys, who were sued. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Shelley family in 1948, creating a beacon of hope for the Civil Rights Movement.

EXPLORESTLOUIS.COM

SOUL FIRE FOOD CO. HIGHLIGHTS

TOPEKA, KANSAS

Don’t pass through Topeka without taking some smoky and savory goodness to go. Soul Fire Food Co. began as a food truck and opened a storefront in 2021, but it still does carry-out exclusively. Travelers won’t mind once they taste this Black-owned restaurant’s smoked ribs and pulled pork, Indian fry bread, and soul fries loaded with cheese sauce and barbecue sauce. Either find the food truck or visit their storefront on the east side of town.

SOULFIREFOOD.COM

OLD COURTHOUSE

Kansas City, Missouri

Spread between Missouri and Kansas, Kansas City is known for jazz, barbecue and its urban water features. Visitors seeking to learn more about local culture can head to the 18th and Vine District to check out the American Jazz Museum, which highlights the musical genre’s history, as well as some prominent jazz musicians. Close by, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum teaches visitors about the Negro Leagues and baseball in Kansas City. It explores the topics of segregation and later integration through the lens of America’s favorite pastime with photographs, memorabilia and 10,000 square feet of exhibits. The city is also home to several other art and history museums, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the National World War I Museum, which are popular attractions.

VISITKC.COM

NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM

DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY

Courtesy USCRT

Courtesy Visit KC

Courtesy USCRT

Courtesy Visit KC

Photo by Sean Johnson, courtesy Soul Fire Food Co.

Be

Free

If you’re a lover of arts and music, this city is for you! Each year, thousands visit Topeka to enjoy events like Fiesta Topeka, For the Culture KS, India Mela and more. Topeka is a city rich in history and proud of our commitment to diversity and civil rights. In May 2024, we’ll celebrate the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision with multiple activations across the city including art installations and a spoken word operetta.

Topeka, Kansas

Kansas’ capital city, Topeka, is made colorful by plenty of art, culture, and of course, tulips. Each April, the city’s gardens host a floral festival called Tulip Time, which involves thousands of the beautiful blooms. The city’s history is fortified with its connection to Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court case that ended legal school segregation throughout the country. Located at Monroe Elementary, as well as a segregated elementary school in Topeka, the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park enshrines this important legal case and the brave activists who fought for victory. Visitors can take self-guided tours of the park, watch a 30-minute film on segregation and view exhibits, including a replica 1954 segregated classroom.

VISITTOPEKA.COM

VINE STREET BREWING HIGHLIGHTS

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

When visiting the 18th and Vine Museum District in Kansas City, make sure to stop at Missouri’s first Blackowned brewery, Vine Street Brewing. Opened in 2023, the brewery has enriched the Kansas City craft beer scene. It offers a varied selection of beer, with intriguing flavors such as guava, lavender and blueberries making appearances on the menu alongside more traditional brews. The brewery partners with Black-owned food vendors to provide visitors with delicious food to pair with their craft brews.

VINESTBREWING.COM

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

Abilene, Kansas

The small town of Abilene, Kansas, is only home to about 6,500 residents, but it still packs a punch. It’s former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s hometown and home to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. Eisenhower was president from 1953 to 1961, when the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum. His actions to propel the movement forward included signing the 1957 Civil Rights Act, which aimed to protect Black voters’ rights and established the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Eisenhower also desegregated some areas of the federal government, including the armed forces. Travelers to Abilene can visit the library and museum to learn about the man who wielded his executive power for the advancement of Civil Rights.

ABILENEKANSAS.ORG

EISENHOWER’S BOYHOOD HOME

NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Courtesy Abilene CVB

Photo courtesy Visit KC

Courtesy Visit Topeka

Courtesy Abilene CVB

EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

TO THE FUTURE

In Kansas, we celebrate our history by retelling it at every turn. From entering the Union as a free state to bringing about the landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down segregation. Our future is bright, because of our past.

The Kansas experience is a salute to the bold. To the courageous. To the dreamers. To the stars.

Discover Where Bon Appetit & Bon Voyage Meet

A good meal nourishes your body, but a great meal feeds your soul. Distinctive culinary inclusions are peppered into every tour worldwide to add some flavor to your travels and connect you to local culture in delectable ways.

Home-Hosted Meals Interactive Classes

Discover what everyday life is like in another part of the world when you’re invited to a local’s home to have a seat at the table.

Roll up your sleeves and grab an apron. Learn the secrets behind local dishes, sharpen your skills, and sample the fruits of your labor after a cooking class.

Regional Specialties

Whether it’s navigating a street food market in Southeast Asia or sitting down to dinner and a traditional fado performance in Portugal, relish a range of local experiences.

Visit collette.com/groups, call 855.903.8687, or contact your local travel professional for more information.