June 2021 Leisure Group Travel

JUNE 2021

7th Annual Iowa Tour Guide

Savor some of the finest food and attractions in the Hawkeye State

Immerse Yourself in These

Magical Museums

Groups seeking an interactive experience have several wondrous places to explore

Tour Tennessee Itinerary Guide

From Nashville to Dollywood, we have you covered A Premier Travel Media publication • LeisureGroupTravel.com

Columbus delivers experiences uniquely tailored to your groups. From traditional sites such as the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to far-from-ordinary experiences like pouring your own candle or taking a tour with your taste buds, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy. Citywide, our partners have taken the Live Forward Pledge to ensure health and safety protocols remain a priority for your group.

For guidance, visit experiencecolumbus.com/groups.

If you average 36 steps a day, it’s time to get away.

Experience a day or weekend of adventure. Take a guided tour. Visit our world-class art museums. Relax and play. Enjoy fine cuisine. Then, unwind at one of our official hotels. Make memories knowing we’re abiding by CDC guidelines for your safety.

Discounts available for groups of 15 or more.

For more information, please call 1-800-228-8878 or email groupsales@cwf.org Welcoming Guests Since 1937

Williamsburg, Virginia

Book your getaway today.

CONTENTS

June 2021 Vol. 31 No. 3

FEATURES 7

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THESE WONDROUS MUSEUMS By Jason Paha Groups seeking an interactive experience have several great places to explore

SPECIAL SECTIONS 25

IOWA TOUR GUIDE Explore a multitude of fabulous cities in America’s heartland

43

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE From Nashville to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is filled with entertaining destinations

64

MUSEUM GUIDE Planners seeking to take their group to a tranquil environment filled with culture would be wise to include a museum or two on their itinerary

DESTINATIONS 10

CENTRAL HAIL TO THE CHIEFS By Randy Mink Ohio, the “Mother of Presidents,” abounds with historical sites honoring native sons who made it to the White House

14

OHIO STOPS FROM HERE TO THE MOON By Isabella Wilkes Ohio was home to household names like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and the Wright Brothers

22

THE CIRCLE WISCONSIN MIDWEST MARKETPLACE IS A GREAT PLACE TO GATHER By Miles Dobis Tour operators and planners can meet with tour suppliers from around the Midwest

41

SOUTH THE SOUTHERN LITERARY TRAIL: A CALL TO PICK UP THAT NOVEL

By Gabriela Bittencourt

Visit some of the spots where our country’s best writers penned their masterpieces

55 58 60

EAST ESCAPE THE CROWDS IN THESE SMALLER CITIES By Isabella Wilkes These Eastern destinations are lively stops for those seeking a change of pace

WEST GRAPEVINE, TEXAS TO HOST HUGE ABA EVENT By Dave Bodle The American Bus Association Marketplace is headed to historic Grapevine FILMED IN TEXAS: FROM HOME MAKEOVERS TO BATTLESHIPS

By Dave Bodle

When touring Texas, there’s a good chance that what you’re seeing, you’ve seen as it was likely the site of a film, television show or documentary 4

■ June 2021

COLUMN 6 ON MY MIND B y J e f f G ay d u k

7

City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wiseman

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

2021 VIRGINIA GROUP TOUR GUIDE

V

irginia offers unparalleled history, cultural and performing arts, outdoor adventures and scenic vistas, music and beautiful trails, an exciting culinary scene and craft beverages to customize an unforgettable tour experience. The state’s commitment to customer service, safe travel, quality tours and partners with years of experience are a few reasons why groups come back year after year.

Check out the online version or download a print copy at: https://leisuregrouptravel.com/virginia-group-tour-guide

VISIT LEISUREGROUPTRAVEL.COM STILL HUNGRY FOR MORE GREAT CONTENT? Check out more recent articles on leisuregrouptravel.com • Ohio Town Honors Famous Resident with Impressive New Museum • Celebrity Cruises’ New Edge-Class Ship to Debut in 2022 • Take 5 with GroupConnect

G

et weekly digests of all the best online content with InSite, our free Friday e-newsletter, at: bit.ly/2nhxPvY

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

ON THE COVER: Exploratorium in San Francisco, California Photo courtesy of photographer, Amy Snyder © Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu

June 2021 ■ 5

ON MY MIND

By Jeffrey Gayduk

Vol. 31, No. 3 June 2021 Editorial & Advertising Office 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 info@ptmgroups.com

Umpiring Pinto Baseball

M

y 13-year-old son discovered the value of money early-on. Quite the entrepreneur, he was taking out trash and running light errands for senior citizens in our neighborhood back in 5th grade, mowing lawns in 6th and now that baseball’s back, he’s spending evenings and Saturdays calling balls and strikes in Pinto League baseball.

Having three kids grow up playing baseball/softball, I knew how unruly coaches and parents can be, so I had his back, sitting directly behind home plate for his first few games.

Anyone who has watched 7- and 8-year-old kids play baseball knows that it’s two hours of beanball and compound unforced errors. But this year is especially raw because there was no baseball last year. Everyone is starting fresh.

Boys are showing off shiny new cleats at the chagrin of the few that are forced to wear an older brother’s hand-me-downs. Dads are pressed against the backstop, filming first at bats while moms are cheering strikes like game 7 of the World Series.

There’s some serious crash coaching on the fly. Adjusting batter stances in between pitches while first graders make dirt castles at shortstop. Every pitcher is a knuckleball specialist, throwing some serious junk out there while batters are swatting at flies. Coaching this level requires herculean patience and everyone is trying to figure this game out and their role in it.

With this thought in mind, I imagine as we emerge from COVID that our industry is going through a similar process. Just as these kids are trying something new, we’re all trying to figure out new rules of engagement and back to touring plans.

At the same time, this is our opportunity to emerge new, different, better and unique. Hopefully you’ve spent time during this lull to re-envision your travel program. Some of this is forced upon us, with travel restrictions still in place internationally some of our trips are a no go so we must find suitable replacements. But beyond that, if you took a fresh look at your business, what would you do differently? How would your target change?

With a pent-up demand, group travel is poised to be more popular than ever.

Everybody here is starting over, so seize the opportunity to reinvent yourself or reinvest in your business, in yourself.

When we look back in 5 or 10 years, we’ll realize that many great ideas were launched in the year that travel took a hiatus, and that fortune favored the bold.

It’s not too late to get those new pair of cleats and start stealing bases.

Happy return to travel,

Publisher – Jeffrey Gayduk jeff@ptmgroups.com

Associate Publisher – Dave Bodle dave@ptmgroups.com

Managing Editor – Jason Paha

jason@ptmgroups.com

Senior Editor – Randy Mink randy@ptmgroups.com Associate Editor – Miles Dobis

miles@ptmgroups.com

Chief of Content & Technology – Lance Harrell

lance@ptmgroups.com

Director, Design & Production – Lisa Hede lisa@ptmgroups.com

Vice President – Theresa O’Rourke Midwest, Frontier/Mountain West P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 theresa@ptmgroups.com

Regional Business Development Managers Midwest, Mid-Atlantic/New England – Tom Tobiason P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 tom@ptmgroups.com

South/West Coast – Cheryl Rash P 563.613.3068 • F 815.225.5274 cheryl@ptmgroups.com

The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes no responsi bility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, but the publisher makes no warranty that listings are free of error. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited photos, slides or manuscripts.

Leisure Group Travel (ISSN-1531-1406)

is published bi-monthly by Premier Travel Media, 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406, Willowbrook, IL 60527. The magazine is distributed free of charge to qualified tour operators, travel agents, group leaders, bank travel clubs and other travel organizations. Other travel-related suppliers may subscribe at the reduced rate of $12.00 per year. The regular sub scrip tion price for all others is $18.00 per year.

Single copies are $4.95 each.

Send Address Change to: Premier Travel Media 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 A

Jeff Gayduk Publisher

6

■ June 2021

publication

All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

GROUPS GET INTERACTIVE

Immerse Yourself in These

WONDROUS MUSEUMS Groups seeking an interactive experience have several great places to explore

By Jason Paha

Interactive experiences are surging in popularity as the number of immersive exhibits have grown within museums across the country.

Like virtually everyone, museums had a difficult 2020 as an American Alliance of Museums survey found on average, U.S.

Photo courtesy of the Museum of Illusiions

W

hile there is certainly nothing wrong with visiting a museum and idly enjoying the wonders in front of you, many smaller groups prefer to go a different route these days.

The Museum of Illusions in downtown Chicago offers more than 80 mind-bending exhibits.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 7

GROUPS GET INTERACTIVE

museums lost 35 percent of their typical operating income in 2020 and expected to lose an additional 28 percent in 2021. In an effort to attract more attendees, museums are upping their creativity and are offering more virtual experiences to the public. Here are some museums offering interactive outings that will entertain as well as educate your group:

City Museum (St. Louis, Missouri)

the building ranging from a dragon slide to a rebar slide), including a massive 10-story slide. It also houses a Ferris wheel, tunnels, bridges, castles, secret passages, playgrounds, a circus and a train.

Naturally, since it is a museum, it contains an architecture hall, an art center and the cornerstone of any museum: the world’s largest pencil, which weighs 21,500 pounds (the eraser adds an extra 250 pounds) and is the equivalent of around 1,900,000 traditional pencils. citymuseum.org

Located in a 100-year-old warehouse in downtown St. Louis, City Museum’s exhibits consist mostly of repurposed architectural and industrial objects. While that may not sound like fun, City Museum, assuredly, was designed to give visitors a good time.

City Museum contains an abundance of slides (there are reportedly 30 slides in

City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri

Exploratorium (San Francisco, California) This public learning laboratory was founded from the belief everyone should learn about natural phenomena to better understand the world around them.

According to the museum’s founders, experimentation inspires curiosity and understanding while stimulating new ideas. In other words, the Exploratorium wants you to get active and start learning.

The museum contains more than 650 interactive exhibits and houses six indoor and outdoor galleries and hundreds of exhibits. Among the many compelling things you can do here include: dance with your shadow, levitate, touch a tornado, mix colors and break light apart, stop time, capture a wave and even listen to music through your teeth. Try doing those things anywhere else. exploratorium.edu

Photo courtesy of Zak Littrell and City Museum

International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)

8

■ June 2021

The only public museum in the United States dedicated solely to espionage, the International Spy Museum features interactive exhibitions and first-person accounts from top intelligence officers and experts. The museum covers 140,000 square feet and teaches visitors the tricks and trades of spies, both historic and fictitious. Among the museum’s permanent exhibits are the Briefing Center, where guests receive a cover identity and test their spy skills throughout the museum; Stealing Secrets, where visitors get a closer look at hundreds of imaginative inventions used to steal secrets; and Making Sense of Secrets, where you can try your hand at cracking secret codes. spymuseum.org >> LeisureGroupTravel.com

Museum of Illusions (Chicago, Illinois)

Photo courtesy of the Exploratorium

Located in downtown Chicago, the Museum of Illusions offers more than 80 mind-bending exhibits where visitors can experience the seemingly impossible.

Among its many hallucinatory exhibits include the Infinity Room, a multisensory experience that creates the optical illusion of infinite space; the Clone Table, where you will meet five clones of yourself; the Vortex Tunnel, where your mind will tell you the ground is moving when it is actually flat and stable; and the Infinity Tunnel, where visitors can take a mysterious look into a bottomless pit. chicago.museumofillusions.us

Otherworld Ohio (Columbus, Ohio) This 32,000-square-foot immersive art installation in Columbus contains 47 rooms filled with large-scale interactive art, mixed reality playgrounds and secret passageways. Guests are encouraged to explore and interact with a world of science fiction and fantasy. Featuring the work of more than 40 artists, almost everything in Otherworld was built to be interacted with and each of the 47 rooms is designed to resemble a science-fiction fantasyland. In 2019, Time magazine ranked Otherworld as one of the World’s Coolest Places. otherworldohio.com

The Exploratorium in San Francisco, California, contains more than 650 interactive exhibits.

The world’s most popular soda is the star of this 75,000-square-foot facility in downtown Atlanta. Opened in 2007, The World of Coca-Cola is home to numerous interactive displays, high-tech exhibits, video presentations and an art gallery. One of its more popular experiences is Taste It! where visitors can enjoy free samples of more than 60 soft drink products from around the world. You can also experience Scent Discovery, a new aromatic experience where your nose will be the guide. Here, a Coca-Cola ambassador will lead your group to guess the origin of a variety of scents. Your guide will also educate you on the anatomy of smell and help you determine which aroma profiles and Coca-Cola beverages may be your new favorites. worldofcoca-cola.com.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

Photo courtesy of Dominique Munoz and the International Spy Museum

The World of Coca-Cola (Atlanta, Georgia)

The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., teaches visitors the tricks and trades of the spy game.

June 2021 ■ 9

CENTRAL

REGION

HAIL CHIEFS TO THE

Ohio, the “Mother of Presidents,” abounds with historical sites honoring native sons who made it to the White House

10

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

All photos courtesy of Randy Mink

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

By Randy Mink f the 45 men who have served as president of the United States, eight have come from the Buckeye State. That’s a pretty impressive percentage.

A populous state with a strong economy based on both industry and agriculture, Ohio was a major force in national politics in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when, within a 52-year span, seven Ohio-born Republicans— Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding—were elected leader of the land.

William Henry Harrison, the first president from Ohio (a member of the Whig Party and grandfather of Benjamin), was not born in the state but spent much of his life there; he and three of the others died in office, two of them from assassins’ bullets.

While most of these Ohioans have faded into obscurity, they played important roles in shaping American history, even if they didn’t make it into the pantheon of presidents celebrated in popular culture and highly rated by historians.

“William McKinley is an often overlooked president because he is so overshadowed by his vice president and successor, Theodore Roosevelt,” says Ally Carlson of the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in Canton, Ohio, a city best known as home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Roosevelt, as we know, was big and brash, while McKinley was a quiet, reserved Victorian gentleman,” she says.” However, a lot of the things that Roosevelt took credit for were things McKinley really set in motion.” (McKinley expanded America’s footprint on the world stage, added territories and started negotiations for building the Panama Canal.)

The Canton museum’s McKinley Gallery showcases items from the world’s largest collection of McKinley memorabilia. In addition to exhibit cases, the room contains re-creations of the 25th president’s Canton law office, parlor in his Canton home and White House office, all with original furnishings. A pushbutton kiosk allows visitors to activate animatronic figures of McKinley and his wife, Ida. Positioned in

O

McKinley National Memorial, Canton, Ohio

the parlor, the robotic couple (a bit creepy, to be honest) converse on topics ranging from education to the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, where he was fatally shot by a 28-year-old anarchist.

Of note behind glass is Ida’s diamond tiara, which the museum in 2014 was able to purchase for $43,000 from Rick Harrison of the Pawn Stars reality TV show.

The McKinley museum doubles as a science center and regional history repository, and even has planetarium shows. Crowning the adjacent hill is the McKinley National Memorial, an imposing domed monument containing the entombed remains of William and Ida McKinley.

In downtown Canton, the Saxton McKinley House, where Ida grew up and lived with William during the 14 years he served in Congress, is part of First Ladies National Historic Site, the only museum and library devoted to the presidents’ wives. Its Education Center currently is displaying replica inaugural gowns; a Smithsonian film about the first

Animatronic figures of William and Ida McKinley.

June 2021 ■ 11

ladies plays in the 80-seat theater.

Tour organizers who want to impress their travelers with a gleaming new attraction should pencil in the Warren G. Harding Presidential Library & Museum in Marion.

Unveiled in May, the stately white-brick building—three years in the making— showcases the accomplishments and touches on the scandals of the last president from Ohio, who owned the Marion Daily Star newspaper. After viewing a 15-minute film, visitors move on exhibits that document Harding’s personal life and public career, from boyhood to death of a heart attack that cut short his term in office.

Distinguishing this presidential museum from others in Ohio, thanks to technological advancements at the time, is vintage newsreel footage with sound. Largescreen video monitors show coverage of Harding’s 1920 campaign, inauguration and funeral. Giant black-and-white photo panels also breathe life into the galleries, and a touchscreen allows visitors to access details about artifacts behind glass, such as

Carriage belonging to Rutherford B. Hayes, America’s 19th president.

Harding’s golf club and inlaid-wood humidor.

The Harding Home, located steps from the museum, just re-opened after a major restoration. Guided tours start on the front porch, which became famous in Harding’s 1920 “Front Porch Campaign,” when 600,000 citizens in a three-month period flocked to Marion, mostly by train, to hear the candidate speak (with no microphone) from

... r e h t e tog g n i l e Trav ver e r o f s rie Memo

Yellow Butterfly Winery

Create your group travel memories in Tuscarawas County, Ohio TravelTusc.com | grouptour@traveltusc.com Dover | Dennison | New Philadelphia | Newcomerstown | Sugarcreek | Zoar 12

■ June 2021

the top step. Newsreel clips in the museum show crowds of supporters, marching bands, women’s suffragettes and visiting celebrities.

Harding’s campaign, you learn, was the first to use endorsements and appearances by dignitaries, sports and military heroes, and show business stars in a significant way. Al Jolson, the 1920s’ leading entertainer, sang the official campaign song, “Mr. Harding, You’re the Man for Us.” Winning in a landslide against Democrat James Cox, Harding went on to become a popular president. His image was tarnished after his death, however, when the public started learning about corruption by two former cabinet members and two extramarital affairs, one resulting in the birth of a daughter.

Tour guide Shannon Morris, a former high school teacher, says he gets asked about the affairs but does not shove them under the rug. “People are often surprised we talk about that, but it’s the truth, so we cover it,” he says. “And that’s the way it should be.”

A mile or so from the Harding museum and home stands the majestic Harding Memorial, the final resting place of the 29th president and his wife, Florence. Ringed by 46 Doric columns, the circular white marble monument, open to the sky, is suggestive of an ancient Greek temple. It was dedicated in 1931 by President Herbert Hoover before a crowd of 100,000.

James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor spotlights another Ohio president who died in office. Assassinated by a madman at a Washington, D.C. train station just four months after taking the >> LeisureGroupTravel.com

oath in March of 1881, the nation’s 20th president lingered in bed for 10 weeks before succumbing to his gunshot wounds.

Exhibits in the visitor center, housed in the former carriage house and stable of Garfield’s farm, include commemorative souvenirs that reflected the public’s need to honor their fallen leader. Among memorial items are glass plates, glazed pottery, paper mourning ribbons and a plaque made of wood from the funeral catafalque. Also displayed are a bronze death mask, condolence letter from Queen Victoria, and mourning bonnet belonging to Garfield’s wife, Lucretia. An 18-minute biographical movie in the theater includes a dramatization of the shooting.

The visitor center sits behind the Garfield home, the centerpiece of the 160-acre farm that was dubbed Lawnfield by reporters who covered his 1880 precedent-setting front porch campaign. Ranger-guided house tours are available, while cell-phone tours of Lawnfield’s shady grounds (now eight acres) provide another perspective.

The leafiest presidential site in Ohio, though,

is the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums in Fremont, where a 25-acre public park with towering trees—a certified arboretum—surrounds Hayes’s 31room Victorian mansion. One path leads to the tomb of the 19th president and First Lady Lucy Hayes. The six iron gates to the Spiegel Grove estate, a property Hayes inherited from his uncle, are original to the White House.

Besides guided tours of the immaculately preserved brick residence, where 90 percent of the furnishings are original to the family, groups can take a guided or self-guided tour of the neighboring library/museum building, the first created (in 1916) to house presidential papers. Also available are a grounds walk that can be combined with a craft activity or tea, a “Backstairs” house tour from the servants’ viewpoint, and tours focusing on Lucy Hayes, Victorian mourning practices and other themes.

The museum awes visitors with the scope of its collections, as Hayes and his family had a sense of history and love of objects.

Pieces in the treasure house range from the

presidential carriage and White House china to souvenirs from the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition. Other items include Hayes’s Civil War gear (saddle, revolver, sword, drinking cup) and Army coat with a bullet hole—he was wounded four times. Even on display are the ice skates worn by Rutherford’s twin brother when he drowned in a skating accident at age 9.

Referring to the museum’s vast collections, Christie Weininger, executive director of the Hayes complex, said, “I feel that today he (Hayes) might have been a curator or be doing some kind of museum work.”

Other stops on the Ohio presidential trail include the William Howard Taft National Historic Site, Cincinnati; William Henry Harrison Tomb, North Bend; U.S. Grant Birthplace, Point Pleasant; U.S. Grant Boyhood Home & Schoolhouse, Georgetown; National McKinley Birthplace Memorial & Library, Niles; Lucy Hayes Heritage Center, Chillicothe; James A. Garfield Birthplace, Moreland Hills; and Garfield Memorial in Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery.

TAKE A TOUR

Walk in the Park PYRAMID HILL SCULPTURE PARK & MUSEUM

Travel Safely and Responsibly. Plan your Tour at TravelButlerCounty.com/Group-Tour LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 13

OHIO TOUR IDEAS

8 OHIO STOPS FROM HERE TO THE MOON AND BACK

Photo courtesy of Joe Yachanin/Great Lakes Science Center

Ohio was home to household names like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and the Wright Brothers

A STEM Learning staffer, JonDarr Bradshaw, conducts a “Capsule Chat” alongside the Apollo Command Module.

14

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

Photo courtesy of Armstrong Air & Space Museum

F

By Isabella Wilkes

rom the first men to take flight to the first man to walk the moon, Ohio is the nation’s hub for the explorations of the skies. Many historical sites and museums across the state have sought to capture moments in time where awe and wonder were felt by people across the nation who witnessed feats that were once thought impossible. From artifact collections to hands-on exploration exhibits, these eight stops in Ohio will round out your group’s exploration of the state’s aviation past.

Observatory Park, Montville

Observatory Park provides visitors a clear glimpse of the same starry night sky that inspired so many of the state’s accomplished astronauts. Guests are provided access to the Nassau Astronomical Station for freeadmission observation events, both day and night. The park’s six nature trails feature interactive stations that guide visitors through an exploration of nature, from the ground to the galaxies. For larger groups, the park provides amenities like shelter reservations, boat permits and camping gear.

Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland

The Great Lakes Science Center is an official NASA Visitor Center, charged with preserving Ohio’s extensive aviation history.

The Living In Space gallery highlights the not-so-romantic aspects of living aboard the International Space Station for months at a time, including how astronauts eat, sleep and go to the bathroom in zero-gravity conditions. The center is also home to the original Apollo Command Module, which traveled 26.5 million miles in space before making its way to its home in Cleveland. For science lovers, the Discover gallery takes visitors through the engineering complexities that allow us to send astronauts into space.

With private event rentals and in-house catering available, the Great Lakes Science Center is an expert in creating memorable experiences for you and your group.

Armstrong Air and Space Museum, Wapakoneta

Armstrong Air and Space Museum is a homage to the nation’s most celebrated LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

Exterior shot of the museum depicting the famous

from World War II to the Korean War. The museum offers a glimpse into the future of aircraft engineering with the Research & Development Gallery, which includes a plane that can fly three times faster than the sound barrier. The free admission museum is perfect for a large group visit.

Cincinnati Museum Center/ Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery, Cincinnati

astronaut, Ohioan Neil Armstrong. His lifelong love for aviation is highlighted in this museum, which features one of the first airplanes he ever flew and the space capsules he navigated around Earth and to the moon. Even the design of the building itself is meant to celebrate space exploration as it resembles a futuristic moon base straight out of your favorite sci-fi film. The museum also offers multiple audio-visual experiences and two space shuttle landing simulators, thrilling for both kids and adults.

In celebration of the renowned Ohioan space explorer, the Cincinnati Museum Center has dedicated an entire gallery to Neil Armstrong’s historic Apollo 11 mission. There are numerous immersive activities perfect for children of all ages: they can drive their own space rover, become a NASA flight director during a space launch or take fun quizzes about the American Space Race.

For an older audience, this exhibit offers unique artifacts from Armstrong’s space flight not found anywhere else, including the jacket worn under his spacesuit, his communications cap and the moon rock collected during the Apollo 11 moon walk.

National Aviation Heritage Area, Dayton

Center of Science and Industry, Columbus

“Moon base” architecture

The city of Dayton is a central location in the nation’s history of aviation. The National Aviation Heritage Area designates 11 different locations for your group to explore.

We recommend making your first stop to the National Parks Service Visitor’s Center and the Aviation Trail Parachute Museum.

From there, visit the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, where Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the world’s first airplanes, and the Wright Memorial. In Miamisburg, a nearby town, your group can witness the flight of a Wright Model B replica at the Wright “B” Flyer Museum and Hangar.

The Center of Science and Industry is home to Ohio’s largest, most state-ofthe-art planetarium. This 60-foot dome featuring the latest projection technology can transport your group to the deepest depths of the known universe. The featured screening, Worlds Beyond Earth, takes visitors through the creation of the universe and how the unique conditions of Earth allowed life to flourish. The planetarium can be rented out for large group events for up to 200 guests.

National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton

Astronaut John Glenn is an Ohio native, born and raised in the state he would later represent in the U.S. Senate. The home John was raised in has been preserved to reflect three distinct time periods that he lived through: the Great Depression, World War II, and America’s Space Race.

Costumed historians take visitors through the house while interpreting their life during these times.

With four separate bunkers featuring hundreds of planes on display, the museum wins the title for the largest military aviation museum in the nation. The museum features a full-sized replica of a space shuttle crew station that astronauts use for training. There are also multiple galleries featuring aircraft used in wars,

John & Annie Glenn Home & Museum, New Concord

June 2021 ■ 15

FOR INSPIRATION IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES WITH ROOM TO ROAM.

ExperienceSiouxFalls.com/SafeTours

ITINERARY

Indiana’s Heritage Trail

Enjoy Quilt Gardens in Amish Country SCAN FOR INFO

Designated a TOP 100 EVENT and a BEST OF THE BEST by American Bus Association, this one-of-a-kind experience starts annually May 30 and continues to September 15. We’ve packed 150,000 plants, with over 1 million blooms, into 16 giant gardens planted along the 90-mile Heritage Trail.

AMISH COUNTRY TOURS

Sonya L. Nash, CTIS/CTP sonya@amishcountry.org 800-262-8161 or 574-903-1148 www.AmishCountryTours.org

Day 1

Quilty Note Cards at The Quilt Shop at the Essenhaus The Quilt Shop, located on the grounds of Das Dutchman Essenhaus, offers an activity that will make one special “quilty” note card that is blank inside. Shopping and dinner at Das Dutchman Essenhaus features the famous two-meat, familystyle dinner. Manicured grounds invite a leisurely stroll or carriage ride through a covered bridge. Add a family-friendly faith-based production inside the Essenhaus Heritage Hall.

Day 2 Join your expert gardener and get the inside scoop on a guided tour of the official Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail. Your day will include the following with the guide to determine final routing/timing: Visit the Quilt Garden in Wakarusa and shop at the Wakarusa Dime Store for old-fashioned candy treats.

Explore additional downtown shops as time allows.

The Nappanee Center and Historical Collection Explore inside the Nappanee Center and see the quilts depicting historical Quilt Gardens while enjoying the fascinating display chronicling Nappanee’s storied past.

Sit down with local artist Linda Pieri and be shown painting secrets developed throughout the ages.

Emma Schrock Quilt Art Exhibit at the Nappanee Center We are sure you have heard of Grandma Moses, but have you heard of the “Grandma Moses of Elkhart County”? Emma Schrock was of Old Order Mennonite

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

faith. Enjoy an original Blue Gate Theatre Production where you will see an original musical brought to life in a 300+ seat theatre. Following your show, enjoy the popular Blue Gate Restaurant Buffet featuring multiple entrees, sides and soft serve ice cream.

Day 3 Meet your guide at your host hotel and depart for Amish Country Quilt Shop Hop & Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail Participants “hop” to numerous fabulous quilt fabric shops with a local expert guide to feed your “stash” of the latest and most beautiful quilting fabrics, supplies, kits, notions and gadgets.

Visit Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail Explore Lolly’s Fabrics, Yoder’s Department Store, Calico Point and more fabric stores as time and distance allows.

Shopping at Linton’s Enchanted Gardens Visit the Quilt Garden at Linton’s at your leisure than shop in the 25,000-square-foot gift emporium.

See the Quilt Garden on site. Haystack Dinner on an Amish family farm with Amish Quilt Trunk Show with Rebecca Haarer, a nationally known quilt historian and collector of vintage Indiana quilts.

-ORAmish Quilting Bee & Haystack Meal at an Amish homestead Join Elaine Jones and her family and friends in an Amish-quilting bee. Begin with a delicious homecooked, traditional Amish meal. Then pull up a chair around four original quilt frames filled with handpieced Amish quilts.

June 2021 ■ 17

SI

SITE INSPECTION

SCAN FOR INFO SCAN FOR INFO

Enjoy Attractions Along Illinois’ Waterways

From scenic cruises to downtown districts, these three Illinois regions offer plentiful activities

Y

our Illinois Waterways adventure begins outside the city of Hartford at the start of the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. The Corps of Discovery Expedition’s legacy is honored at the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site.

Continue north to the city of Alton and the Old Bakery Beer Company. Housed in a former bakery that dates back to the 19th century, this industrial space now offers group dining and a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the organic brewing process.

Visit Elsah and experience the “village where time stood still.” Before you depart, stock up on old-fashioned candy in the Elsah General Store. Your next stop will be the city of Grafton, whose attractions include the Grafton Winery & Brewhaus and the Hakuna Matata (a 49-passenger vessel that offers beautiful river cruises and group meals). Take an enclosed gondola or open chairlift 300 feet into the air on the Grafton SkyTour, which offers spectacular views of the rivers. Conclude your Grafton experience at Pere Marquette State Park—the largest state park in Illinois.

Located in Illinois’ Heritage Corridor, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is 19,000 acres of beautifully preserved 18

■ June 2021

grassland and was the nation’s first federally protected prairie. Follow the Illinois River downstream to the city of Ottawa and Tangled Roots Brewing Company, a “farmto-foam” craft beer establishment.

The region’s signature attraction is Starved Rock State Park. This landscape of exposed sandstone formations along the Illinois River was formed 15,000 years ago by melting glacier floods, and the park offers 13 miles of hiking trails to view spectacular waterfalls and archaeological sites. Continue to the city of LaSalle for a journey back in time aboard the Volunteer, a mule-pulled 1840s replica canal boat that travels along the I&M Canal. Begin your Quad Cities visit at the John Deere Pavilion in Moline. This glass-enclosed space houses vintage equipment, interactive tractor exhibits and previews of 21st century farming innovation. Be sure to stop for a sweet treat at Lagomarcino’s Confectionery, an authentic soda fountain and candy store that sell delectable chocolate and ice cream creations.

Bike rentals are available at the Quad Cities Visitor Center if you want to explore the Great River Trail, a multipurpose route that passes by the Quad City Botanical Center, Schwiebert Riverfront Park and the Rock

Island Arsenal. The Rock Island Arsenal traces its military history back to 1816 and encompasses a 946-acre island between Illinois and Iowa. Attractions on the island include the Rock Island Arsenal Museum (which houses weapons used in the Battle of Little Bighorn), the Colonel Davenport House and the Mississippi River Visitor Center. Groups will also enjoy spending time at the Black Hawk State Historic Site, a hardwood forest that provides a habitat to 175 species of birds and can be explored on four miles of hiking trails.

GREAT RIVERS AND ROUTES TOURISM BUREAU Katie Bennett 618-465-6676 kbennett@riversandroutes.com riversandroutes.com

VISIT QUAD CITIES

Nicki Brus 309-736-6828 nbrus@visitquadcities.com visitquadcities.com

HERITAGE CORRIDOR CVB

Kate Meehan • Neile Moriarty 844-944-2282 kate@hccvbil.com • neile@hccvbil.com HeritageCorridorCVB.com

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

SI

SITE INSPECTION

SCAN FOR INFO

Many Reasons to take an Illinois Road Trip

Route 66 features a host of attractions, including many affiliated with Abraham Lincoln

I

llinois is a popular destination for a variety of reasons and two of its most renowned attractions are the legendary U.S. Route 66 and the many destinations affiliated with the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. A drive upstate begins with a trip to Effingham.

Effingham

Standing 198 feet tall and stretching 113 feet wide, the Cross at the Crossroads is America’s second-largest cross and is a landmark for travelers who pass through Effingham each year. Firefly Grill is a beloved culinary destination for groups located on the shores of Kristie Lake. Firefly serves farmto-table food and strives for sustainability.

Tuscan Hills Winery is a family-owned business focused on creating well-balanced wines using grapes sourced from neighboring states. The winery offers wine, sangrias and craft beers.

Great Rivers & Routes

After departing Effingham, visit the only place in America where Route 66 meets the Great River Road. Visit the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston, which showcases the wares of more than 50 antique dealers LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

and is a must-stop location. The Ariston Cafe is a historic restaurant on Route 66 that has been serving excellent food since 1924. Pay a visit to Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Center and the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. Satisfy your hungry group with a stop at Old Herald Brewery and Distillery in Collinsville. This restaurant is a unique venue located in an old newspaper print facility and features beers and spirits.

Springfield

Springfield, located on historic Route 66, is where Lincoln made his home from 1844 to 1861 before becoming president. Step into the daily life of the Lincoln family as you enter the only home the Lincolns ever owned at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is the official library and museum of the 16th U.S. president.

Another intriguing stop is the Old State Capitol Historic Site, a reconstruction of the fifth State House. At the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site (located in Oak Ridge Cemetery), you can gaze upon the stunning granite monument where Lincoln, his wife and three of their children were buried.

Bloomington-Normal

Once owned by Lincoln confidante Judge David Davis, the David Davis Mansion in Bloomington is a 19th-century mansion that will give you a glimpse into the life Lincoln knew. The McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington traces its roots back to 1892. Located on the ground floor of the museum is the Cruising with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center and Gift Shop, which houses a 1,200-square-foot visitors center.

EFFINGHAM CVB

Jodi Thoele, 1800-772-0750 jthoele@effinghamIL.com VisiteffinghamIL.com

GREAT RIVERS AND ROUTES TOURISM BUREAU Katie Bennet, 618-465-6676 kbennett@riversandroutes.com riversandroutes.com

SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS SCVB Terry Truman, 217-789-2360 ext 5525 terry.truman@springfield.il.us VisitSpringfieldIllinois.com

BLOOMINGTON NORMAL AREA CVB Samantha Morehead, 309-665-0033 Samantha@visitbn.org Visitbn.org

June 2021 ■ 19

SI

SITE INSPECTION

SCAN FOR INFO

Good Times Await in Suburban Chicago

Suburban Chicago is a safe, secure and affordable base of operations for fun-seeking groups

E

veryone these days is looking for fresh air and elbow room, and suburban communities beckon with outdoor attractions that connect people with nature.

Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe offers 27 gardens and four natural areas that can be seen on a tram tour. Or groups can commune with plants and flowers at Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens in Palos Heights. World-renowned Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park features more than 30 large-scale art pieces on the campus of Governors State University.

Forest preserves and two state parks (Chain O’ Lakes and Illinois Beach) provide acres of greenspace for outdoor fun in Chicagoland. At Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village, you can visit a herd of elk or rent a canoe, kayak or rowboat on Busse Lake.

Groups at Lambs Farm in Libertyville can enjoy excellent shopping and delicious dining and also experience its mission of helping developmentally disabled adults. At Tempel Farms in Old Mill Creek, see a performance of the Tempel Lipizzans and then meet the majestic white stallions in their stables.

Suburban Chicago boasts two massive indoor shopping centers—Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg and Gurnee Mills in Gurnee.

20

■ June 2021

Woodfield Mall, with a new dining pavilion and nearly 300 stores, is Illinois’ top tourist attraction.

The suburbs of Chicago offer many educational tours that reveal how things are produced. Groups can explore Thornton Quarry, one of the world’s largest limestone quarries. At Lynfred Winery in Roselle, guests learn how wine is made. Tours of Lotton Art Glass Gallery & Studios in Crete focus on glassblowing. The Amazon Tour is fun and futuristic as you learn about the ordering process from A to Z. In Chicago’s historic Pullman neighborhood, tours can be arranged at Method Soap Factory. In Mundelein, the Peter Patterson Glassworks offers demonstrations and hands-on classes for groups.

Revel in the party atmosphere at Topgolf Schaumburg, a high-tech driving range featuring games in climate-controlled hitting bays overlooking a vast outfield, along with food, beverages and music.

Suburban Chicago abounds with theaters and other showplaces. The Lake Michigan shore in Highland Park is home to the internationally famous Ravinia Festival, the country’s oldest music festival. Comedy clubs include IMPROV Chicago at Woodfield

Mall and Laugh Out Loud Theater at the Streets of Woodfield. Marriott Lincolnshire Resort’s Marriott Theatre stages timetested musicals. At Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Schaumburg, groups enjoy a four-course banquet while cheering on jousting knights. Six Flags Great America theme park in Gurnee offers shows and rides. Museums and historical attractions also spice up tour itineraries. Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington Hills showcases antique music machines. At Chicago’s Pullman National Monument, a landmark district just a short drive from the southern suburbs, walking tours shed light on the industrial town where sleeper cars were manufactured.

MEET CHICAGO NORTHWEST Heather Larson, CMP, 847-278-3446 hlarson@chicagonorthwest.com chicagonorthwest.com

VISIT LAKE COUNTY

Jayne Nordstrom, 847-662-3993 jayne@lakecounty.org visitlakecounty.org

CHICAGO SOUTHLAND CVB Tobie Fitzpatrick, 1-888-895-8233 tobie@visitchicagosouthland.com tourchicagosouthland.com

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

SI

SITE INSPECTION

SCAN FOR INFO

Craft a Circle Wisconsin Adventure

Groups can enjoy beautiful lakeshores and exciting cities

W

isconsin beckons motorcoach groups with sophisticated cities, natural beauty and unmatched Midwestern hospitality. Circle Wisconsin (a membershipbased organization that promotes the state and develops relationships between suppliers and operators) can assist your group by recommending local attractions, offering itineraries and welcoming visitors to the Badger State. Wisconsin’s five regions offer distinct local character and an abundance of activities for groups of all sizes and interests.

Eastern Shores

Hugging the Lake Michigan coastline from Kenosha to Door County, this region encompasses Wisconsin’s largest city (Milwaukee) and inland body of water (Lake Winnebago). Popular attractions include the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center. Groups can spot historic mansions along the shoreline of Lake Geneva, climb preserved lighthouses near Sturgeon Bay and explore beautifully preserved marshland at Horicon Marsh. The Milwaukee area welcomes motorcoaches to the HarleyDavidson Museum, North Point Lighthouse and Milwaukee Zoo. LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

South Central Crossroads

Groups love to visit the charming town of New Glarus, which is nicknamed “America’s Little Switzerland.” You can learn about local heritage at the Swiss Historical Village and enjoy authentic Alpine cuisine at the Chalet Landhaus Inn. Stop in Janesville to walk through the Rotary Botanical Gardens or Beloit to catch a baseball game at the new Riverbend Stadium.

Northwoods & Lake Superior

Take the Madeline Island Ferry across Lake Superior to experience the only inhabited Apostle Island. A knowledgeable step-on guide can explain the region’s Chippewa history before letting group members explore the charming downtown. Other welcoming cities in the region include Hurley (which offers easy access to gorgeous waterfalls), Minocqua (where you can embark on a pontoon cruise or watch a water ski performance) and Eau Claire (site of an authentic logging camp).

Mississippi River Valley & Beyond

This rolling kettle moraine landscape is rich in French voyageur history and is home to some of Wisconsin’s oldest cities. Prairie

du Chien attractions include a preserved Fort Crawford, Villa Louis (an elegant Victorian mansion owned by a 19th century fur trader) and the spectacular Mississippi River views at Wyalusing State Park. Upstream is the city of La Crosse, the region’s largest city and a cultural hub best experienced on a Historic La Crosse Trolley Tour.

Wisconsin Heartland

Relive “The Greatest Show on Earth” in Baraboo, where the Ringling Brothers Circus would spend the winter. The city hosts the annual Big Top Circus Celebration, which includes hundreds of performers and breathtaking stunts. Embark on a forestto-water adventure in the Wisconsin Dells during an Original Wisconsin Ducks ride.

These amphibious vehicles make splashdowns in the Wisconsin River and Lake Delton. Stop in the charming town of Wausau to tour Hsu’s Ginseng Farms or see bird-themed art in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

CIRCLE WISCONSIN PO Box 20750 Milwaukee, WI 53220 414-545-1100 circlewisconsin.com

June 2021 ■ 21

WISCONSIN TOUR IDEAS

Midwest Marketplace Returns in Oshkosh The show offered well-received safety protocols and social events

By Miles Dobis

A

fter an unprecedented and turbulent year in the travel industry, its members showed their resiliency during the seventh Circle Wisconsin Midwest Marketplace in Oshkosh. Independent tour operators and representatives from dozens of CVBs, attractions and hotels gathered to reconnect and look forward to a promising future.

Circle Wisconsin, a membership-based organization that promotes statewide tourism, hosted the event at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center. The complex, beautifully situated in downtown Oshkosh along the Fox River, granted easy access to the

Midwest Marketplace appointment space

Make memories in

WALWORTH COUNTY, WI

262-728-6000 • VisitWalworthCounty.com 22

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

adjoining convention center and the city’s cultural attractions. The hotel was also very accommodating with health protocols, and their efforts resulted in one of the very first travel industry trade shows to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Best Western staff was incredibly collaborative with the necessary COVID adaptations we needed to make,” says Circle Wisconsin Executive Director Wendy Dobrzynski. “They went above and beyond managing the food services and hospitality in addition to the health protocols.” To keep attendees safe, plexiglass dividers were placed between buyers and sellers at appointment tables, all communal surfaces were frequently sanitized and masks were encouraged for all functions.

“We’re proud to be one of the very first industry events in the country to return,” says Dobrzynski. “And the reason we were able to execute this is because of the exceptional preparedness of the venue and our attendees.

What distinguished this event is its focus on the Upper Midwest and the small, intimate nature of the convention floor, so keeping everyone safe while maintaining our personality was the priority.”

Dobrzynski believes Midwest Marketplace’s goal to match every tour operator and every attraction for at least one meeting gives it an advantage. Buyers and sellers were matched for six-minute appointment sessions for thousands of one-on-one meetings. Unlike many trade shows, Midwest Marketplace encourages a casual and contained atmosphere, with the entire sales floor fit into one ballroom. Tour operators were encouraged to socialize freely in between sessions, enjoy a variety of refreshments and visit a convenience station outside the hall that featured free pharmaceutical and office supplies. ”It was great to return in-person,” says Julie Kronlage from Travel Dubuque. ”So many of our professional relationships develop at these shows, and it’s not the same during a Zoom or phone call. I’m glad Wendy and her team were able to make it happen with the precautions in place.”

Dobrzynski and her team excelled at evening activities that showcased the LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

Oshkosh area and its signature attractions.

Conference-goers were able to explore the Paine Art Center & Gardens (a Tudor Revival-style mansion filled with rare art) and the Oshkosh Public Museum before sampling delicious craft beer at Fox River

Brewing Company.

Despite surrounding circumstances, the 2021 Midwest Marketplace was an unqualified success, and participants eagerly awaited next year’s conference at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

June 2021 ■ 23

Be Inspired.

When you’re ready to explore again, visit the timeless, uncrowded Theodore Roosevelt National Park near the old west town of Medora.

Here among the wild horses and bison, wide open spaces and trails through ancient canyons, it becomes clear: the wait was worth it.

Visit us online to plan your getaway.

LegendaryND.com

JUNE 2021

Historic Byways

Venture through history and culture on these famous roads

Artistic Iowa

Galleries, museums and studios to unlock your creativity

Sophisticated Cities Architecture, art and dining await

Special Supplement

Greetings!

Charming main streets, sophisticated cities and gorgeous open-air prairies distinguish the Hawkeye State as a terrific option for group tours. Whether your group wants to savor an art gallery, embark on an agritourism adventure or discover centuries of engaging history, our state has activities that will appeal to you. Created in conjunction with the Iowa Group Travel Association (IGTA), this guide offers numerous ideas for tour planners tasked with preparing an unforgettable Midwestern itinerary. This is a resource you won’t want to skip!

Iowa’s 14 byways intersect the entire state and are a great option to consider if you’re planning a regional itinerary. In “Iowa’s Historic Byways,” we spotlight three routes and the incredible attractions you can find on them. Learn how local culture was shaped by the Mighty Mississippi along the Great River Road, discover Eastern European heritage on the Lincoln Highway and photograph the iconic covered bridges of Madison County. While on your motorcoach trip, be sure to enjoy the state’s hundreds of art galleries, studios and live music venues. Popular group tour stops include the Surf Ballroom (where Buddy Holly famously played his last concert), the American Gothic House and the Glenn Miller Birthplace Museum. Discover even more creative attractions in our “Artistic Iowa” feature.

Iowa has developed a strong agricultural legacy and continues to innovate with cutting-edge farms, delicious restaurants and educational centers that explain the harvesting process to visitors. In “8 Exceptional Agritourism Experiences,” we profile the historic reenactments at Living History Farms, the bison herd that lives on the Hawkeye Buffalo & Cattle Ranch and the tasty dairy treats available at the Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars. More memories await in the state’s metro areas, which we explore in “Iowa’s Sophisticated Cities.” Enjoy craft beer and hip nightclubs in Des Moines, admire classic Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in Mason City and learn about railroad history in Council Bluffs.

We hope you enjoy the 2021 Iowa Tour Guide, and know that IGTA is committed to creating an authentic and comprehensive group tour experience.

Iowa Quilt Museum

Thanks for reading,

Charles City

4

8

12

14 2

IOWA’S HISTORIC BYWAYS

Diverse landscapes and group-friendly attractions unfold on journeys along Iowa’s byways

ARTISTIC IOWA

Unlock your inner creativity

9 EXCEPTIONAL IOWA AGRITOURISM EXPERIENCES Authentic homesteads and delectable tastings await

IOWA’S SOPHISTICATED CITIES

Art, dining and architecture define these group-friendly cities

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch

IOWA’S

Historic Byways Diverse landscapes and group-friendly attractions unfold on journeys along Iowa’s byways

G

etting off the beaten path, avoiding interstates where possible, is a magical element worth considering in planning a group trip to Iowa.

Downtown Dubuque

4

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

The state’s 14 byways, two of them nationally designated, will captivate your travelers with slices of small-town America, glimpses of urban areas, and inspiring vistas of farmlands, forests

and river valleys. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound, and vestiges of Iowa’s cultural heritage loom at every turn.

Here is a look at three of Iowa’s alluring byways:

GREAT RIVER ROAD NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY Winding 328 miles along Iowa’s eastern edge, this portion of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway takes visitors to blufftop overlooks, riverfront parks and historic river towns.

What better place to learn about the nation’s most famous waterway than the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa’s oldest city?

Occupying a 10-acre downtown campus, the Smithsonian affiliate boasts 12 aquariums, an otter habitat, a stingray pool, history exhibits, a 4D theater and working blacksmith and boat-building shops.

Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, landscaped with waterfalls, a lake and nature trails, contains a Japanese garden with koi fish, plus rose, hosta and formal English gardens. The cable cars of Dubuque’s 1882 Fenelon Place Elevator, the world’s shortest, steepest railway, take riders on a nearly vertical, 296-foot trip to a lookout platform that affords views of three states—Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Some of the most spectacular Mississippi River views are had from the towering bluffs of Bellevue State Park in Bellevue. The park’s butterfly garden attracts some 60 species, with best viewing from late July to early September. In downtown Bellevue, groups can explore Lock and Dam No. 12 and prowl specialty shops housed in century-old buildings.

In Clinton, The Sawmill Museum tells the story of when logs ruled the river and lumber filled the rails. One of Iowa’s best Great River Road interpretative centers, it focuses on the lumber industry’s heyday in the late 1800s.

Celebration River Cruises’ 750-passenger Celebration Belle, a favorite with groups, offers sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises that sail out of the Quad Cities (Moline, Illinois), from April through October, with some departures from Dubuque. Themed music lunch cruises on the largest nongaming boat on the Upper Mississippi

Riverboat Twilight

include “Classic Oldies” (1950s and ’60s), “Hits of the Decades” and “Broadway & Movie Tunes.”

Groups also can tap into the rhythms of the river on Riverboat Twilight, a Victorian-style steamboat replica that offers a two-day cruise roundtrip from LeClaire (just north of the Quad Cities) to Dubuque. The package, available from early June to late October, includes meals, live entertainment, a hotel overnight in Dubuque and admission to the National Mississippi River Museum.

Tours of Isabel Bloom Studio in Davenport spotlight production of the company’s cement-cast sculptures.

Handcrafted by skilled artisans, the sentimental and whimsical pieces portray subjects ranging from angels and gnomes to children and animals.

In Muscatine, the National Pearl Button Museum at the History & Industry Center explains how harvesting clam shells in the Mississippi River made this town the world’s capital of pearl-button manufacturing. Groups in Muscatine also enjoy visiting the 1848 Pine Creek Grist Mill in Wildcat Den State Park and Muscatine Art Center.

IOWA TOUR GUIDE 5

LINCOLN HIGHWAY HERITAGE BYWAY The Lincoln Highway, America’s first improved continental highway, travels 460 east-west miles across the heart of Iowa. Completed in 1913, it transformed the role of the automobile and today offers reminders of the classic road trip. Old gas stations, vintage cafes, interpretive signs and roadside sculptures and murals recall a bygone era in dozens of small towns and some of the state’s largest cities.

In Cedar Rapids’ Czech Village neighborhood, groups gravitate to the National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library. A Smithsonian affiliate, it features videos, oral histories, artwork and artifacts pertaining to Czech and Slovak culture, with a strong focus on the lives of immigrants who journeyed from the Old World to mid-America at the turn of the 20th century. Exhibits also showcase the Velvet Revolution, the 1989 popular uprising that ended Communist Party rule in Czechoslovakia.

For a taste of Central Europe, the museum can arrange a buffet-style Czech lunch or a coffee with kolaches.

Grimes Farm and Conservation Center in Marshalltown, a combination nature preserve and working farm, encompasses prairie, forests, wetlands and agricultural areas. Groups can book a guided interpretive program, peruse educational displays, go up the observation tower and tackle the hiking trails.

6

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

At Shady Oaks Campground just east of Marshalltown, groups can tour the Big Treehouse. The hobby of Mick Jurgensen and his family since 1983, the 12-level structure encompasses more than 5,000 square feet of floor space. It has electricity, running water, a telephone, piped-in music, 13 porch swings and a spiral stairway from top to bottom.

In Gladbrook, northeast of Marshalltown, Matchstick Marvels dazzles visitors with detailed sculptures made from millions of ordinary kitchen matchsticks by local craftsmen Patrick Acton. Scale models on display include

the U.S. Capitol, Challenger Space Shuttle and a 13-foot-long rendition of the U.S.S. Iowa battleship.

Reiman Gardens, a 17-acre horticultural wonderland on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, is ideal for strolling and relaxing.

Enhanced by a lake and other water features, it has 26 distinct gardens, including rose, herb, vegetable, edible flower and home demonstration gardens. A tropical conservatory houses seasonal displays and a wing with hundreds of live butterflies representing 80 species.

National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library

Holliwell Covered Bridge, Madison County

COVERED BRIDGES SCENIC BYWAY Highlighting the 82-mile Covered Bridges Scenic Byway in south-central Iowa are the classic wooden spans made famous in the novel and movie The Bridges of Madison County. Two of the red-painted structures appeared in the 1995 romantic drama, which was filmed in and around Winterset.

For bus groups, the Madison County Chamber of Commerce can provide a step-on guide who talks about the bridges’ history and their role in the Academy Award-nominated Clint Eastwood/Meryl Streep movie. Tour members have a chance to walk through several of the six covered bridges that remain in the county.

Winterset Courthouse Square, a National Historic District, is surrounded by inviting shops and eateries. The Iowa Quilt Museum presents an impressive display of vintage and new American quilts.

Group itineraries also feature Winterset’s John Wayne Birthplace & Museum, a shrine to the movie actor who was born Marion Robert Morrison in a modest white house in 1907. The modern museum, located on the same block, is a treasure trove of Wayne artifacts—original movie posters, film wardrobe items, letters, photos, artwork, a customized car—and shows a documentary film about The Duke’s career.

Another group option in Winterset is a behind-the-scenes tour of the 1913 Iowa Theater, which includes popcorn, soda and a short video about movies made in and about Iowa. The area’s past comes alive at the 18-acre Madison County Historical Complex, a village with 14 buildings, including a country church, one-room schoolhouse, train depot, 1856 mansion and a barn full of antique farming equipment. ■ IOWA TOUR GUIDE 7

Pella Opera House

Figge Art Museum, Davenport

8

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

Surf Ballroom

c i t s i t r A Clayton County Barn Quilts

IOWA Unlock your inner creativity

A

rtistry abounds in Iowa, from public murals that are free to admire to the state’s rich contributions to music, painting and handicrafts. Do-it-yourself workshops, live performances and galleries are all excellent additions to a group itinerary, and these attractions showcase the very best of Iowa’s artistic spirit.

IOWA’S LEGENDARY MUSICIANS

Archset, Charles City

Step into rock ‘n’ roll history at the Surf Ballroom, the Clear Lake venue where Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens performed before a tragic plane crash marked the event as “The Day the Music Died.” Groups can step into a space that still resembles a 1950s oceanthemed dance club with nautical wall art, bamboo furniture and island décor. The property includes a wall of fame that commemorates all of the famous artists who have performed there, a museum of memorabilia and a souvenir shop. Your group can learn more about this important era in music at the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Association Hall of & Fame Museum in Arnolds Park. Signed guitars, rare LPs and vintage recording equipment line the exhibit walls in a space dedicated to the state’s contributions to rock history.

Glenn Miller (a big-band trombonist and most popular musician of the swing era) was born in Clarinda, and the city honors his legacy with the annual Glenn Miller Festival.

Visitors can learn about the bandleader’s childhood, rise to stardom, service in World War II and musical legacy at the Glenn Miller Birthplace Museum. You can also tour his modest childhood home, which is decorated with authentic 1904 furnishings. While in Clarinda, stop by the Carnegie Art Museum to see an expansive collection of international works housed in a renovated 1908 library.

IOWA TOUR GUIDE 9

HISTORIC MUSIC VENUES Visitors enjoying the Dutch heritage of Marion County will want to explore the Pella Opera House, which was built in 1900 and restored to its former glory in the 1980s. Tours can include a demonstration of the 1928 Barton theater organ or group seating for the concerts and touring musicals that perform at this landmark. During Tulip Time, the Opera House offers tours, concerts, a play on the founding of Pella and films with audience participation.

Groups can enjoy Branson-style entertainment at Browns Century Theater in Le Mars. Housed in a renovated bank building, this venue stages revues of patriotic, country, Celtic and Christmas music staged by the talented Brown family.

Buffet meals are served in the Browns’ newly renovated Central Event Center across the street.

COLORFUL VISUAL ART Public art tours are an excellent way for groups to absorb the local character and artistic richness of Iowa’s communities, especially in Charles City. An innovative sculpture collection of “Art you can sit on” comes in whimsical shapes, with installations found along both sides of the Cedar River. Additional pieces including “Wheels of

EXPERIENCE THE

“COOLEST” MUSEUM ALONG

HISTORIC

ROUTE 20

Change” (enormous gears resting on each other), “Almost Neon” (abstract shapes that represent window browsers) and “Archset” (a gate constructed from recycled gears and wheels) are installed in Central Park. More pieces can be found scattered throughout the community and make for an invigorating outdoor activity.

At the American Gothic House & Center in Eldon, your group can pose for a photograph in front of the building immortalized by Grant Wood’s 1930 masterpiece. The painting, which depicts a father and daughter modeled after Wood’s sister and dentist, can be replicated by positioning group members against the structure’s signature Gothicstyle window. Groups can tour the museum and nearby prairie gardens and can watch educational films on Wood’s legacy. Further art history awaits at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. This collection of nearly 3,000 works houses American Regionalist, Mexican Colonial and Haitian art in a stunning Modernist building along the Mississippi River.

Motorcoach groups can also admire the uniquely Midwestern tradition of barn quilts. These enormous geometric paintings replicate the patterns of hand-sewn quilts and often adorn barns, commercial buildings and even residential garages. You can spot over 30 of these creations during a drive through Clayton County in the northeastern corner of the state. Group members can even purchase a block design to craft their own quilt modeled after the murals.

Make-and-take studios are an excellent way for group members to create their own art in a relaxed setting and bring the handiwork back to friends and family. Popular with large parties is Studio Fusion in Fort Dodge. Budding artists can create simple pottery, Christmas ornaments and jewelry with the assistance of a friendly local artist or purchase a gift in the storefront. Groups are also welcome at the Blanden Memorial Art Museum in Fort Dodge’s Oak Hill Historic District. The museum’s permanent collection includes European paintings, African sculptures and Japanese prints in addition to rotating exhibits that showcase contemporary artists. ■

Ice House Museum celebrates 100 Years in 2022!

800.845.1955 CEDARFALLSTOURISM.ORG visit@cedarfallstourism.org #WeKnowHowToWeekend 10

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Falls— A comfortable overnight next to everything 319.266.6611

American Gothic House & Center

IOWA TOUR GUIDE 11

l a n o i t p e c x 9 E

IOWA AGRITOURISM EXPERIENCES Authentic homesteads and delectable tastings await

F

or Midwesterners, there’s nothing better than fresh squeaky cheese curds, smooth sweet ice cream and supporting local family-run farms and educational sites. Iowa is brimming with interactive and educational places that will leave you filled with cultural, local and historical knowledge of the area, and full from sweet and savory dairy products too!

DELICIOUS DAIRY PRODUCTS WW Homestead Dairy in Waukon started in 2011 with three farmers that had a mission to provide fresh, greattasting and natural dairy products for their community. Their dedication to their craft has allowed for quality products like ice cream, milk and cheese to come from cows that are maintained with care and deliberation. While

visiting, customers are encouraged to tour the creamery and farm to learn about the process of making dairy products and view the cows. You might even get the chance to bottle-feed a calf or milk a cow! Make sure to pick up some award-winning dairy products at the retail store, grab a scoop of ice cream at the ice cream parlor and try locally roasted coffee at the coffee bar.

Hansen’s Dairy

12

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor

Call WW Homestead Dairy to reserve a tour time during their tour season, which is April through October.

Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor, previously named Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor, was founded in 1913 by Fred H. Wells. What started out as a milk delivery service grew into the world’s largest family-owned ice cream producer, helping Le Mars be named the Ice Cream Capital of the World. When you visit the Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor, you won’t just be getting a delicious scoop of ice cream, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities like a flavor personality quiz, photo booth and learn about the process of making ice cream with their virtual production line.

Sample as many flavors of ice cream as you’d like and customize your order to get the most out of your time at the ice cream parlor. Enjoy your sweet treat overlooking downtown Le Mars from the second-story rooftop. Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor offers a theatre show of the history of their business and of Le Mars.

Hansen’s Dairy is a seventh-generation dairy farm that serves and sells its products locally. You’ll get a chance to view the animals up close, bottle feed calves, milk a cow by hand and pet and feed the kangaroos. The trolley will take you around the farm showing you the facilities where the dairy products are produced. Ever wonder how butter is made? You’ll get the chance to learn and make some yourself.

The Manchester Trout Hatchery has functioned as a broodstock station where trout are spawned, incubated and hatched since 1976. The hatchery produces over 600,000 rainbow, brook and brown trout for stocking every year.

The Manchester Trout Hatchery offers guided tours, public presentations and educational class assistance.

Hawkeye Buffalo & Cattle Ranch have been producing quality and ethically raised meat products as a family since 1854. Their farming philosophy is to create an even balance between nature and nurture when it comes to their herds while connecting old-fashioned farming techniques to new innovations.

The ranch’s priority of a high-quality diet and environment for their stock ensures the best quality in their meat products, all while encouraging purchases from a family-run farm. Take a tour of the ranch and hand-feed buffalo and cattle while learning about the ranch’s history.

AGRICULTURAL ADVENTURES Living History Farms creates an interactive learning environment that educates, entertains and connects people to Midwestern rural life experiences. The outdoor museum’s interpretations of over 300 years of a farming lifestyle will paint a picture of the advances and changes that Midwesterners saw throughout the centuries. With the museum’s goal of connecting people to the rural way

Hawkeye Buffalo & Cattle Ranch

of life, visitors will get the chance to experience three working farm sites and learn from costumed museum staff through demonstrations of the time period each farm focuses on.

Enjoy a hayride, pick your own pumpkins and browse the Apple Market Store at Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, which can accommodate groups with a cozy campfire and access to the hay maze.

Manning Hausbarn

In Manning, a 350-year-old authentic German hausbarn was brought over from Germany in 1996. Manning is home to a large German-American population, and the Manning Community Foundation’s Heritage Park works hard to preserve the cultural and traditional atmosphere in the community. The German Hausbarn gives visitors a glimpse into life on a German homestead with the wellpreserved features and architecture that has survived centuries, wars and traveling from across the Atlantic. While visiting the German Hausbarn, see the Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park’s other attractions like the 20th century bungalow, Trinity Church and gift shop.

The National Farm Toy Museum in Dyersville is a collection-based museum that preserves and educates people on the history of agriculture through toy models. The museum offers group reservations, birthday parties and field trips. There are many showcases and events to take part in, including the Summer Farm Toy Show. ■ IOWA TOUR GUIDE 13

s a ’ w ISOPHISTICATED o CITIES Art, dining and architecture define these group-friendly cities

I

owa is defined by its cosmopolitan cities as much as its expansive prairies and charming small towns. Groups looking for world-class dining, live entertainment and diverse cultural districts should include a stop in Iowa’s metropolitan communities to add urban flair to an itinerary.

Downtown Davenport

DES MOINES

DAVENPORT The largest community in the Quad Cities boasts spectacular river views and a variety of entertainment options that are easily walkable from downtown hotels. A few of many groupfriendly attractions include the Figge Art Museum (which houses works by contemporary masters like Jasper Johns and Jackson Pollack), Vander Veer Botanical Park (where a year-round skylight garden displays tropical plants) and Modern Woodmen Park (home of the Quad Cities River Bandits).

14

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

Cheers from Des Moines Mural

From one of the largest farmer’s markets in the country to Selfie WRLD (a venue that features over 27 Instagrammable rooms and spurred a TikTok video that was viewed over 1.3 million times), Des Moines has an itinerary for you. Groups can enjoy the gold-domed State Capitol, State Historical Museum or the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates.

Or try something out-of-the-box like local sunflower fields or a historical cemetery tour. Whether you’re a new group or a repeat visitor, Des Moines’ itineraries will introduce you to both the greatest hits and the hidden gems.

COUNCIL BLUFFS

Bayliss Park

Situated across from Omaha on the Missouri River, Council Bluffs was a crucial city during America’s westward expansion. Learn about this vital history at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, which chronicles the history of the Union Pacific Railroad and explores the city’s role as a transportation hub. Other historic sites include the Lewis & Clark Monument Scenic Overlook (where the Corps of Discovery met local Otoe and Missouri tribes) and the General Dodge Home, an opulent mansion that belonged to Civil War general and railway industrialist Grenville Dodge.

MASON CITY

Stockman House

Distinct architecture abounds in Mason City, which is home to the largest concentration of Prairie School buildings in Iowa and the only surviving Frank Lloyd Wright-designed hotel.

Learn about Wright’s career at the Stockman House & Interpretive Center before you join a Prairie School tour through the Rock Crest–Rock Glen Historic District. Groups can also celebrate Broadway composer and Mason City native Meredith Wilson with a visit to Music Man Square—an indoor 1912 streetscape that houses an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

Dyersville, Iowa

CEDAR FALLS

Cedar Falls dining

Cedar Falls and surrounding Black Hawk County offer plenty for groups.

Barn quilts—folk art designs that adorn outbuildings throuhgout the county—are easily visible from public roads, and many families welcome groups with advanced notice. Notable museums include the Ice House Museum (where you can admire rare ice harvesting tools), the John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum (which explains the company’s history with rare artifacts and interactive stations) and the Sullivan Bros. Iowa Veterans Museum. You can also enjoy live entertainment at the Cotton Theatre. ■

Come see why people confuse Dyersville with Heaven: Newest Attraction: If You Build It Museum (Movie & Ghost Player Museum) • Home of the Field of Dreams Movie Site • Basilica of St. Francis Xavier • National Farm Toy Museum • Dyer-Botsford House & Doll Museum • Plaza Antique Mall • TOMY Outlet Store • Textile Brewery • Wineries • B&B’s and Hotels • 26-mile Heritage Trail Located 25 miles west of Dubuque, IA on Hwy 20! • 563.875.2311 or visit us online at dyersville.org

DYERSVILLE

Iowa

IOWA TOUR GUIDE 15

SOUTH

REGION

THE SOUTHERN LITERARY TRAIL:

A Call to Pick up That Novel

Visit some of the spots where our country’s best writers penned their masterpieces

By Gabriela Bittencourt

H

Historic Landmark and is open to the public. eudorawelty.org/the-house/

ave you been neglecting that abandoned, dusty book that’s been sitting on your shelf? Or, maybe you’re a bibliophile who can’t leave the house without a book in hand. In either case, you can embark on a journey that will embrace your love of literature when you visit the Southern Literary Trail.

The trail is the first tri-state literary trail in the United States. It celebrates acclaimed 20th century writers and playwrights of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Here you’ll get to know the pillars of American literature: Lillian E. Hellman, Flannery O’Connor, Tennessee Williams and many more. Here are some of its stops:

T ennessee Williams Home & Welcome Center (Columbus, Mississippi) Columbus is the birthplace of Tennessee Williams, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright known for writing A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. He lived in this

colorful 1875 Victorian home, which today is regarded as a National Literary Landmark. visitcolumbusms.org/places-to-visit/ tennessee-williams-home-and-welcomecenter-c-1875/

argaret Walker Center for the Book M (Jackson, Mississippi) This center, which is an archive and museum

E udora Welty House and Garden (Jackson, Mississippi)

Photo courtesy of JR Gordon

Born in 1909 in Jackson, Welty is considered an important author of the 20th century. Her novel The Optimist’s Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Her house in Jackson is designated a National

Eudora Welty House

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 41

dedicated to the preservation, interpretation and dissemination of African American history and culture, honors the work of Margaret Walker. Walker became the first African American poet to receive the Yale Younger Poets Prize, for her debut collection For My People. Open to the public, the center houses significant records like the papers of Walker and a large oral history department that includes nearly 2,000 interviews. jsums.edu/ margaretwalkercenter/

The Wren’s Nest (Atlanta, Georgia) The Wren’s Nest is a cultural center that celebrates the timeless legacy of the Brer Rabbit tales and promotes the art of storytelling. This center is an educational resource for students of Atlanta as well as creative junkies. Doubly, it serves the community as a literary museum. wrensnest.org

argaret Mitchell House and Museum M (Atlanta, Georgia) This home is the birthplace of the

42

■ June 2021

legendary Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell’s first and only novel. Today, her home functions as a literary museum and place of literary meditation. It also is a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places. exploregeorgia.org/ atlanta/arts-culture/museums/margaretmitchell-house

Lillian E. Smith Center (Clayton, Georgia) This educational center, where Lillian E. Smith lived and worked, is also a retreat for artists. Named after the author of Strange Fruit and Killers of the Dream, the center is surrounded by beauty and is an ideal location for recreational, social and instructional activities. Today, it functions as a residence for aspiring writers as well as a center for visitors. piedmont.edu/lillian-smith-center

F lannery O’Connor Childhood Home (Savannah, Georgia) Southern Gothic author Flannery O’Connor is a literary titan. She is the three-time winner of the O. Henry Award and posthumous winner

of the National Book Award for Fiction for The Complete Stories. At her childhood home, visitors can imagine what growing up was like for young O’ Connor.

The building, which now operates as a museum, carries rare books within its library. flanneryoconnorhome.org

onroe County Museum (Monroeville, M Alabama) The Monroe County Museum does not solely operate as a place of history, it also serves to bring newcomers and townspeople together as thousands of bookworms visit the town of Monroeville each year. It is the setting to one of the most famous American novels, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Here, you’ll get to know Harper Lee, the novel’s author, as photos and memorabilia give a glimpse into her childhood. Another exhibit is Truman Capote – A Childhood in Monroeville, which focuses on the famous author’s childhood in Monroeville and how these early years are reflected in some of his popular writings. monroecountymuseum.org.

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

TOUR

TENNESSEE 2021 EDITION

ITINERARY GUIDE

SEE NASHVILLE Like Never Before INSIDE: VISIT LORETTA & JOHNNY’S HIDEAWAY HOMES

PIGEON FORGE AND DOLLYWOOD ARE GREAT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

TAKE AN ADVENTURE IN THE SMOKIES

Photo by: Jason Barnette

Experience • explore • savor When you’re ready to travel, we’re ready for you! Your group will have a blast making biscuits and cocktails, dancing the Virginia Reel, and devouring fine southern delicacies like BBQ and catfish. If that’s not enough fun, we might throw in a little magic.

(We’ll definitely throw in masks and hand sanitizers.)

Call or email today and we’ll start planning a trip your group will never forget.

frances@visitclarksvilletn.com • VisitClarksvilleTN.com • 931.245.4345 25 Jefferson Street, Suite 300 Clarksville, TN 37040

WELCOME LETTER

THIS INAUGURAL TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SUPPORT OF THESE ADVERTISERS. CLARKSVILLE When you’re ready to travel, we’re ready for you! A visit to Clarksville, TN brings all the charm and hospitality one would expect from a quintessential southern city. This off-the-beaten-path but easily accessible community is 40 minutes northwest of Nashville along I-24. Have a blast making biscuits and cocktails, dancing the Virginia Reel, and devouring fine southern delicacies like BBQ and catfish. If that’s not enough fun, we might throw in a little magic!

Frances Manzitto 931-245-4345 frances@visitclarksvilletn.com visitclarksvilletn.com/groups NASHVILLE Fifth + Broadway, a brand-new shopping/dining magnet in downtown Nashville, has re-energized the Music City. Occupying a city block across from Ryman Auditorium and Bridgestone Arena, the 6.2-acre, mixed-use development features stores clustered around an open-air street and a dining landscape that includes everything from signature restaurants to cafes and lounges. Its multi-level Assembly Food Hall represents popular Nashville eateries. The rooftop terrace is the perfect venue for tour groups to hold their welcome reception in Nashville.

Carolyn Feimster, Travel & Tourism Manager 718-757-8489 Carolyn@CJFMarketingInternational.com Fifthandb.com PIGEON FORGE Visitors flock to Pigeon Forge to relax and make memories. Great food abounds at restaurants like the Old Mill and Local Goat. Visitors can experience 80 unforgettable attractions like Dollywood and Titanic Museum Attraction. Nature and scenic views are free at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Evenings come alive with a lineup of dazzling stage shows. The Island—home to the 200-foot-tall Smoky Mountain Wheel—and Mountain Mile offer endless shopping, rides and dining. Learn more at MyPigeonForge.com.

1-800-285-7557 or 865-453-8574 groupsales@mypigeonforge.com MyPigeonForge.com TOWNSEND Bring your group to the “Peaceful Side of the Great Smoky Mountains,” home of the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.

Take a step back in time while exploring the rich history of the Native American and Mountain Culture of East TN. Walk through our Historic Village - home to 13 historic furnished structures and our one of a kind Transportation Gallery. 1 – 1 ½ hours (self-guided tour) customized tours available upon request. ADA Compliant for Indoor Galleries only. Special Group Rate for 15 people or more.

Sherry Harris 865-448-0044 sherryharrismkt@yahoo.com gsmheritagecenter.org

tourtennessee.com

TENNESSEE WELCOMES YOU! Hope abounds in Tennessee. Every morning, I look out the window at the mountains of East Tennessee and they are teeming with wildlife. This year, the nation has sought refuge in the clean air of the Smoky Mountains. Not only are the streams filled with fish and game, but visitors too are streaming onto the parkway leading into the most visited National Park.

In times of trouble, people revert back to what they know and they know that Tennessee has a safe, comfortable feeling about it. Think barbecue, apple fritters, fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. They remember Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry and Elvis at Graceland. They remember their Davy Crockett childhood and how it really was the greenest state in the land of the free. Home to three presidents, Tennessee has made its contribution on the world stage. Most remember Jack Daniels and Ole Smoky Moonshine more than the presidents.

And the music. Oh, the music that has been born in Tennessee. Memphis blues, Music City USA and the birth of Country have been pressed into our culture. That music comes from people though. Sorry Carolina, but nothing could be finer than Dollywood on a sunny Fall afternoon, a Friday night at the Opry or Beale Street jazz.

Tennesee is a safe bet. It’s comfortable and clean. People trust Tennessee because in hard times and good times, it remains the same. It is full of wonderment and wonderful people.

We’d like to invite you and your groups to experience all that Tennessee has to offer. We’d like to invite you to Tour Tennessee.

Pete Smith Tour Tennessee

Cover Photo Courtesy of Fifth + Broadway

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

■

45

TENNESSEE ITINERARY

HIGHLIGHTS:

Available: Year-round Tour Highlights: • Cocktails Fifth + Broadway Rooftop Deck • Fashion + Food + Fun Visitors Pass of discounts • Choice of one Group Morning Tour: – Homes of the Stars Tour – Redneck Tour • National Museum of African American Music • Fun Add-on Options: – Country Music Hall of Fame with Recording or Songwriter Session – Musician’s Hall of Fame – Johnny Cash Museum – Patsy Cline Museum – George Jones Museum – Glen Campbell Museum – Two-Day Hop-on HopOff Trolley Tour Tour Inclusions: • Two Nights Renaissance Hotel • Hotel Breakfast Vouchers • Lunch at Assembly Food Hall • Honky Tonk Guide Book • Luggage Handling • All Taxes & Tips • One Free with Every 16 Paid

A Fifth + Broadway walkway to Ryman Auditorium

FIFTH + BROADWAY, AND THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL:

NASHVILLE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Luxury like never before starts with a cocktail at Fifth + Broadway’s outdoor entertainment deck high above the Ryman Auditorium. Connected to the luxurious Renaissance Hotel, you are in the heart of Nashville’s new culinary and fashion scene.

DAY 1

DAY 2

ARRIVE NASHVILLE – RENAISSANCE DOWNTOWN HOTEL – ROOFTOP COCKTAILS AT FIFTH + BROADWAY

MORNING TOUR OPTION – FREE DAY

⊲ On arrival in Nashville, check in to the

a uniquely Nashville themed city sightseeing tour either: The Homes of the Stars Tour will drive past homes of some of the biggest names in Nashville like Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, Dolly Parton, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Reese Witherspoon, Little Big Town and more. This is a great tour for country music fans and Nashville celebrity fans alike.

Nashville Redneck Comedy Tour is a laughfilled experience. You will see the most famous and historic sites. See all of the popular landmarks in Music City, maybe a country star, and some cowboy wannabes. Ever wonder if you qualify to be a hillbilly or a redneck? Find out aboard this fun-filled two-hour wild ride.

After your sightseeing tour, lunch is a $20 voucher at the Assembly Food Hall, a Europeanstyle market with casual dining both indoor and open air, high atop Fifth + Broadway. With eats and

luxurious Renaissance Hotel attached to Nashville’s new culinary & Fashion scene Fifth + Broadway. To begin the evening, you gather as a group at Fifth + Broadway’s rooftop terrace and entertainment deck. Enjoy a cocktail high above the Ryman Auditorium with a view of the lights and activity in the Honky Tonks below. At this welcome reception you receive a Fashion + Food + Fun Visitors Pass of discounts for the eclectic shops below.

This evening is yours to explore the live music stretching from here on Fifth Street all the way down Broadway to the Wildhorse Saloon on Second Street. You are in walking distance to three dozen great restaurants and clubs such as Blake Shelton’s Ole Red and Kid Rock’s Big National Museum of African American Music Honky Tonk.

46

■

Photo courtesy of Fifth + Broadway

Duration: 3 days/2 nights

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

⊲ To begin the day, your group has the option of

tourtennessee.com

FLEXIBLE PRICING: entertainment for all ages, this venue is changing the way Nashville lives, works, and plays. Enjoy premier shopping & ridiculously good food at Apple Store, Ariat, Free People, Cava, Hattie B’s, Shake Shack, Slim & Husky’s and much more all while taking in the downtown views.

Then the balance of your day is free to enjoy the shows as you wish. Broadway Ave. cuts through the heart of Downtown Nashville, from 1st Ave and the Tennessee River to the Ryman Auditorium at Fifth + Broadway. You will find many shops and boutiques such as Ernest Tubb’s Record Store, Betty Boots and several Western Shops. Plus, attractions like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Musicians Hall of Fame. But the real reason you are here are the showbars.

Choose from Honky Tonk Central, Robert’s Western World, The Stage, Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, Whiskey Bent, Legends Corner, AJ’s Good Time Bar (AJ is Alan Jackson), Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Rooftop Bar, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row and several more.

Plus, there are two great showbars right inside Fifth + Broadway. The Twelve Thirty Club and the Rooftop Terrace at Assembly Food Hall where food, drinks, atmosphere and music collide for another Nashville Experience. You are literally in the heart of Music City and the sound of Country Music is pulsing everywhere you go.

Many of the showbars in “The District” are much more than you would imagine. There are rooftop bars, three and four story showplaces with music on every floor, full-scale restaurants and/ or sandwich shops as well as souvenir stores.

Its as much, if not more, music and fun than any Dancin’ Fool or Music Fan can handle.

Whether you schedule this as a three-day trip or you add a third night, there’s plenty of great music to fill your time.

CONTACT: TOUR TENNESSEE 2772 Florence Drive • Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 877.687.7622 ustoursamerica.com/nashville-like-never-before

• Customizable Comps • Commissionable or Net Rates • Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals • Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available Tour Tennessee will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know what you want.

DAY 3 ONE MORE DAY OR DEPART FOR HOME

⊲ This morning before leaving Nashville, your

group has admission included to the new National Museum of African American Music.

The museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating more than 50 music genres and styles that were created, influenced and/or inspired by African Americans, including spirituals, blues, jazz, gospel and R&B. Using artifacts, objects, memorabilia, clothing and state-of-the-art technology, each of the galleries is designed to share a unique narrative and perspective on music and history. The museum will tell the story of how a distinct group of people used their artistry to impact and change the world. tourtennessee.com

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

■

47

TENNESSEE ITINERARY

FLEXIBLE PRICING:

FOOTHILLS PARKWAY & CADES COVE, TN:

HIGHLIGHTS:

THE PEACEFUL SIDE OF THE SMOKIES

Duration: 4-days/3-nights Available: Spring • Summer • Fall

• Foothill Parkway

Come see The Peaceful Side of the Smokies with a day outing that is beyond compare in and near the town of Townsend, TN. You ride open-air jeeps on the Foothills Parkway, tourist vans into the mountain village of Cades Cove.

• Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center

DAY 1

Tour Highlights: • Country Tonite • Pink Jeep Tour

⊲ Your groups arrive in Pigeon Forge for a three-night

• Heritage Center Sunset Concert

stay. After hotel check-in, you enjoy a delicious dinner at Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant, a Southern favorite.

Then at Country Tonite Theater, you enjoy a fantastic show. In this fast-paced production, you will enjoy a variety of dynamic singing and dancing, sidesplitting comedy, powerful gospel and American patriotism. From the strong talent of the youth performers to the experienced veterans, the love of God, family and country resonates throughout the show.

• Admission to Anakeesta • Admission to Dollywood Tour Inclusions: • Three Nights First Class Lodging • Three Hotel Breakfasts • One Luncheon

CONTACT: TOUR TENNESSEE 2772 Florence Drive Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 877.687.7622 tourtennessee.com/the-peaceful-side-ofthe-smokies

DAY 2

• Three Dinners

FRIDAY – TOWNSEND, TN – PINK JEEP TOUR – FOOTHILLS PARKWAY – CADES COVEY

• All Admissions & Sightseeing

⊲ Your morning begins with great excitement onboard

• All Taxes, Tips & Luggage Handing

Photo courtesy of Great Smokey Mountains Heritage Center

• Two Free with Every 30 Paid

tourtennessee.com

Tour Tennessee will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know what you want.

THURSDAY – COUNTRY TONITE

• Cades Cove

Come see the peaceful side of Townsend.

• Customizable Comps • Commissionable or Net Rates • Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals • Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available

the open-air Pink Jeep Tour. Your adventure guide will narrate as you motor along “the prettiest drive in America” with scenic viewpoints offering spectacular views of the highest peaks in the Smokies.

This tour ends at the Apple Valley Mountain Village in Townsend, where your bus is waiting. Here you savor lunch at the Apple Valley Café followed by a visit to The General Store.

Then, you visit the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, a Tennessee Mountain History Museum with 13 historic buildings, including cantilever barns, a chapel, and a sawmill, smokehouse and wheelwright shop. Two galleries display Native American and early settler artifacts.

Another display chronicles the evolution of transportation from horse-drawn buggies to motorized vehicles.

Also this afternoon, you journey in tourist vans, with another adventure guide, on an 11-mile, one-lane looping road into remote Cades Cove. This hidden valley is framed by picturesque mountain peaks and was hunted by the Cherokee for centuries before Europeans arrived around 1820. Many of the original 19th structures from that community of almost 300 people still stand.

Here, you are literally walking through history with nature (CONTINUED ON PAGE 51) TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

■

49

TENNESSEE ITINERARY

HIGHLIGHTS:

Available: Spring • Summer • Fall Tour Highlights: • Johnny Cash’s Storytellers Museum & Hideaway Farm w/lunch • Loretta Lynn’s Ranch Tour

Clarksville is a great place for groups to visit.

• Southern Lights Tobacco Farm Tour – Dinner with music by Charlie Cushman

COUNTRY LEGENDS IN CLARKSVILLE, TN:

LORETTA & JOHNNY’S HIDEAWAY HOMES

• Ft. Campbell Tour with Lunch • Dinner & Dancing at Murph’s Country Music Barn Tour Inclusions:

Just outside the lights of Nashville, Clarksville is the perfect host for a unique music tour. Here in the countryside away from all the noise and clatter is where Johnny Cash escaped and Loretta Lynn still lives.

• Two Nights Lodging, Clarksville • Two Hotel Breakfasts • Two Lunches • Two Musical Dinners

DAY 1

• All Taxes & Tips on these services

CLARKSVILLE, TN – DINNER & DANCING AT MURPH’S COUNTRY MUSIC BARN

⊲ Today, you travel to Clarksville, TN for a two-

• Luggage Handling

Photo courtesy of Visit ClarksvilleTN

• One Free with Every 16 Paid

Clarksville is full of delicious delights.

50

■

Photo courtesy of Visit ClarksvilleTN

Duration: 3-days/2-nights

night stay. After, you have time to freshen up at the hotel.

You re-board your motorcoach for a jaunt off the beaten path, down a narrow farm road and around the bend where lives Murph’s Country Music Barn. Tonight, you enjoy dinner with plenty of rhythm and dancing. It starts with a lesson in line dancing followed by Murph’s band playing country, soft rock and music from the 60s.

DAY 2 JOHNNY CASH’S STORYTELLERS HIDEAWAY – LORETTA LYNN’S RANCH – DINNER WITH LIVE MUSIC

⊲ This morning after breakfast, travel Bon Aqua to visit the Storytellers Hideaway Museum and Farm. This was the place Johnny Cash used to escape from public life. The Farm is a must-stop for anyone interested in knowing more about the man behind the country music icon, as well as the region’s rich history. Start at the Storytellers Museum – this is a loving

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

restoration of a building that Cash once owned.

He had created a little stage here, and held small intimate concerts for the community. You will be able to experience a live mini concert from the renovated stage, and view rare video footage about Cash at a significant historical event that happened here, along with the history of this property.

The Museum has an extensive collection of Cash photos and memorabilia. Explore the displays in the Farmhouse, and learn stories of the private side of Cash. The Car Shed includes the incredible One-Piece-At-A-Time car – which is based on Johnny’s 1976 #1 hit song – as well as the lavish Johnny Paycheck Cadillac, among other vehicles. Lunch will be included with your visit to the Farm.

Next, head to Hurricane Mills to visit Loretta Lynn’s Ranch to get a glimpse into the personal life of country music’s most awarded female vocalist. You’ll tour Loretta’s Plantation Home, Frontier Homestead (including a replica of Butcher Holler) and the Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum. There is also the Native American Artifact Museum, and Grist Mill Museum, tourtennessee.com

FLEXIBLE PRICING:

Fort Campbell Military Base

Photo courtesy of Visit ClarksvilleTN

which includes Loretta’s fan and doll collection.

Loretta Lynn’s Ranch also hosts many events throughout the year.

Return to Clarksville where you tour the Southern Lights Tobacco Farm, enjoy dinner and a show. Clarksville was once the second largest tobacco market in the U.S. and home to the largest tobacco warehouse in the world. L earn about Clarksville type 22 tobacco and the influence that this tobacco had on this area.

After the tour, your group has dinner here followed by music with entertainment by Grammy award-winning, Clarksville native Charlie Cushman. During his 40-plus years

in the business, Charlie has performed with numerous country and bluegrass artists. His music graces more than 20 Grammy-nominated projects and 15 winning projects, including Tim O’Brien’s Best Traditional Folk Album, “Fiddler’s Green” in 2005 and Vince Gill’s “These Days” which won Best Country Album in 2008. He was awarded a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with The Earls of Leicester in 2014.

DAY 3 FT. CAMPBELL TOUR WITH LUNCH – DEPART FOR HOME

⊲ Last stop on tour is a voluntary visit to Fort

Campbell Military Base, home of the famed 101st Airborne Division’s Screaming Eagles. See the Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum, tracing the history of the Screaming Eagles from WWII engagements to Vietnam to Operation Desert Storm. See the various aircraft, military equipment and monuments on display. These massive machines are sure to capture the imagination of everyone and perhaps a few private memories as well.

Following the tour, lunch (included) is at a Military Dining Facility where you eat like the soldiers eat and have a chance to visit with them in their dining hall.

• Customizable Comps • Commissionable or Net Rates • Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals • Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available Tour Tennessee will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know what you want.

CONTACT: TOUR TENNESSEE 2772 Florence Drive Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 877.687.7622 ustoursamerica.com/lorettajohnny-hideaway-homes/

THE PEACEFUL SIDE OF THE SMOKIES

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49)

by your side. The Cove is one of the Smokies best wildlife viewing areas with herds of white-tailed deer, black bear, coyote, turkey, raccoon, and others.

Returning to Townsend, dinner is at the Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro serving regionally inspired dishes in a rustic setting. It is also a true farm-to-table experience as they use fresh produce grown on-site.

Following dinner at the Amphitheater in the Heritage Center, you enjoy a Friday Night Sunset Concert.

DAY 3 SATURDAY – ANAKEESTA – DOLLYWOOD

⊲ Begin at Anakeesta, Gatlinburg’s newest theme park. Strolling across this whimsical mountaintop, you will discover quaint shopping, sweet treats and slow-smoked southern barbeque all with scenic views of downtown Gatlinburg. Enjoy shopping, live music, quick bites, outdoor seating and an elevated dining experience at Cliff Top in Black Bear Village.

The adventurous will enjoy the 16-bridge Treetop Skywalk, or will want to climb Anavista Tower for 360-degree views from tourtennessee.com

downtown Gatlinburg’s highest point. You will also find meandering pathways in the multi-sensory Vista Gardens featuring music and scenic overlooks.

Then by early afternoon, you arrive at Dollywood, known for its world-class entertainment, amazing thrill rides, and family friendly adventure. At Dollywood you’ll enjoy live stage shows, the Dolly museum, real train rides, the American Eagle habitat, and for the very brave ride the Wild Eagle Coaster.

You’ll also enjoy watching Dollywood’s master craftsmen and artisans at work proudly continuing the centuries-old traditions of hand-making their arts & crafts with daily demonstrations.

Your Dollywood admission includes a dinner voucher for use in the park.

DAY 4 DEPART FOR HOME

For more Information contact: Tour Tennessee: • 877.687.7622 tourtennessee.com/the-peaceful-side-of-the-smokies

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

■

51

Pigeon Forge, when lit up, is quite a sight.

Photo courtesy of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism

TENNESSEE ITINERARY

HIGHLIGHTS: Duration: 4-days/3-nights Available: Nov & Dec 2021 & 2022 Tour Highlights: • Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas • Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland

• Smith Morning Variety Show • Guided Tour of the Mountains • Winery Tour & Tasting • Shopping & Free Time in Gatlinburg Tour Inclusions: • Three Nights First Class Lodging • Three Hotel Breakfasts • Two Dinners • All Admissions & Sightseeing • Luggage Handling • Two Free with Every 30 Paid

PIGEON FORGE & DOLLYWOOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

HOLLY DOLLY CHRISTMAS When there’s snow on the mountains, there’s holiday music in Pigeon Forge.

Bring your group and enjoy the gift of a Christmas in the Smokies. It’s a perfect way to celebrate the season.

ARRIVE PIGEON FORGE – DOLLY PARTON’S STAMPEDE HOLIDAY SHOW – SHADRACK’S LIGHT TOUR

⊲ This afternoon, you arrive in Pigeon Forge for a three-night stay at the Country Cascades Resort.

Dinner this evening is a four-course feast at Dolly Parton’s Stampede Christmas Dinner Attraction. The holiday festivities get playful as Elves from the North and South Pole will compete in a friendly rivalry while serving up a festive dinner. Snow falls softly as the breathtaking scenes fill you with tidings of good cheer. The Stampede arena is magically transformed into a true fantasyland complete with twinkling lights, evergreens, poinsettias,

The Dollywood Nativity scene celebrates the true meaning of the season.

52

■

old-fashioned holiday costumes and familiar holiday music. You will also love the live nativity; it is both dramatic and spectacular. The true meaning of Christmas comes alive right before your very eyes as three kings ride atop camels on their way to Bethlehem. The stunning beauty of angels ascending from above will amaze you as the songs inspire audience members of all ages.

Following the show, your group will experience a Winter Wonderland of Christmas light displays at Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland en route back to the hotel. Starts the 2nd weekend in November, based on availability.

DAY 1

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

DAY 2 Photo courtesy of Dollywood Parks & Resorts

• Christmas Dinner at Applewood Farmhouse • Dolly Parton’s Stampede Christmas Show Choice of: – Admission to Titanic – Country Tonite Matinee Show

SMOKY MOUNTAIN TOUR – GATLINBURG SHOPPING – COUNTRY TONITE OR TITANIC

⊲ Today, you’ll enjoy a Step-On Guided tour

of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

America’s most visited national park, it will be followed by an afternoon strolling the sidewalks and shops of Historic Downtown Gatlinburg. Explore and unwind with some free time while indulging your taste buds by enjoying lunch on your own this afternoon at any one of the many delightful local restaurants.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at the delicious Applewood Farmhouse. At Applewood, all meals are served with their signature Applewood Julep, tourtennessee.com

FLEXIBLE PRICING:

apple fritters and homemade apple butter. Dinner includes homemade vegetable soup, salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and apple cobbler. Choose your entree from Southern fried chicken / sugar cured ham / homemade meatloaf / grilled chicken / chicken & dumplings / pork loin and more (menu subject to change).

After dinner, depart for this evening’s entertainment at the Country Tonite Theater or a visit to the Titanic.

The Country Tonite Christmas Show abounds as the talented renditions of Christmas favorites combined with beautiful choreography, brightly decorated holiday sets and colorful costumes bring the enchantment of Christmas to the Country Tonite stage. The popular cast covers a number of holiday classics for a nostalgic, spirited holiday celebration that will be enjoyed by all.

At Titanic, more than $100,000 has been invested in all the trimmings: twinkling lights, lush garlands, wreaths and towering Christmas trees.

The cheery crew will join costumed merry-makers in stirring your memories of holiday gatherings gone by, while setting the scene for many more.

DAY 3

Spend the balance of the afternoon at Dollywood Theme Park. While in the park enjoy, “Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival,” which is the eight-time award winner of America’s Best Christmas Event. You’ll find this park features four million holiday lights, more than 20 rides and attractions with elaborate Christmas decorations, twinkling lights and holiday-themed menus. Once in the park, there are many spectacular holiday performances you won’t want to miss. One is, “Christmas in the Smokies,” a 12-member cast performing hometown holiday favorites that celebrate the joy of the season. Also, be sure to experience the, “Parade of Many Colors,” or “Glacier Ridge” based on availability. Dollywood Theme Park is known for its world-class entertainment, amazing thrill rides, and family friendly adventures all are sure to treasure.

DAY 4 DEPARTURE

⊲ Begin your day with the hotel’s delicious

Deluxe Mountain Breakfast served in Grandma’s Kitchen (on-site) then depart for home. (B)

• Customizable Comps • Commissionable or Net Rates • Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals • Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available Tour Tennessee will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know what you want.

CONTACT: TOUR TENNESSEE 2772 Florence Drive Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 877.687.7622 tourtennessee.com/hollydolly-christmas

SMITH FAMILY MORNING SHOW – THE ISLAND – MOUNTAIN VALLEY WINERY – DOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS

⊲ After breakfast, depart your hotel for the

tourtennessee.com

Country Tonite is a show your whole family will savor.

Photo courtesy of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism

Country Tonite Theater and enjoy the Smith Family Variety Show. This show is filled with Southern music and culture. You’ll enjoy their unique brand of music and comedy in this intimate, familial style show. Their talented blend of classic country, bluegrass, gospel, oldies rock-n-roll, and clean family comedy pleases all.

Then enjoy free time, shopping and lunch on your own at The Island in Pigeon Forge, which boasts 23 acres of entertainment in an inviting setting perfect for groups trying to escape the everyday. With over 80 shops, restaurants and attractions, our location combines all things fun, in a safe environment where you can eat, shop and play. The Island’s diverse selection of activities makes it a one-stop-shop of fun for all ages. The Island Show Fountains are programmed to music and lights year round and you can purchase a ticket to ride “The Wheel” which is 200 feet tall. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy.

After lunch, depart for Mountain Valley Winery where you will enjoy a tour and a tasting of some of Tennessee’s award-winning wines.

TOUR TENNESSEE ITINERARY GUIDE

■

53

Bring your group to the destination where you’ll never run out of things to do: Pigeon Forge. We’ve got fun for everyone, including Dollywood, unique tours, fantastic shows and shopping, Appalachian arts and crafts, downhome cooking and the majestic Great Smoky Mountains. Contact our group sales department for help with itineraries and travel plans.

PI G EO N FO RG E TOU R S .CO M 1- 8 0 0 -2 8 5 -75 57

EAST

A

ria quo cupta qui unt. Fugiae expernatur secullandi optam verferuptam, quo tet qui tem hicium rem qui aut pero tem. Ut dissimus ati as est dolut atus.

Verepel lectem aut odis nam fugit, sequaer spereni scipsum laut quunt officipsa dicilitatio ex erumque nossequassum quo dolore parchiciis eati autemod itiisin natiis comnissit re, am, natemporecea quis ipsam quia volorposto blacestion culluptatem nus vel ex et es et imus, quiae cumque mint.

Ni doluptatia cum dolupta tendio dundae sincienimpos si omnienis et omnia pa aligene aut ellabor epudandia venis modiae. Nem nis et optatur, sum estrumquo di dessundis pro con pa cullaut auta sit parum nobis destinations are lively stops for those seeking dolecumquid quiam harumque et quam quam aut entotatis andandit pos et hari

By Isabella Wilkes teceped.

REGION

ESCAPE THE CROWDS in These Smaller Cities

These Eastern

a change of pace

Mac Glassford via Unsplash

SECOND CITY TOURISM, a trend in which travelers explore lesser-known destinations to reduce NOBITATUSDA EUMQUAE overtourism, was popular prior to the pandemic. As cities and borders are re-opening, it is again Ita et anti rat volecullor atio. Moluptatum growing in popularity. For mindful travelers,volor exploring the region’s aut voluptaquae alibus magnis nem lesser-known destinations is a way to dive deeper into the local culture while also avoiding crowds. haruptatem quibus.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 55

Photo courtesy of Full Send Productions/ Market New Haven

REGION

The Green in New Haven is an excellent park to have a picnic and enjoy the great outdoors.

Here are some Eastern locales that are excellent Second City stops.

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND Annapolis is the quintessential seaside town, filled with quaint shops and historic landmarks that take you back in time to the foundation of the country. However, this city has far more to offer than its busy Main Street.

A lesser-known fact about Annapolis is it is actually one of the country’s best locations to explore the arts. The city’s Arts District is teeming with art galleries, ornate wall murals, restaurants and multiple live music venues. You definitely want to set aside a whole day to take advantage of all this district has to offer, like painting classes or window shopping at the fine arts boutiques.

Although the Arts District is great to explore year-round, the first Sunday of every month, from May through November, is the First Sundays Art Festival.

56

■ June 2021

Exploring the countryside of Annapolis is another way to take you outside of the highly trafficked parts of the city. One of the most picturesque towns in the countryside is Historic London Town and Gardens in Edgewater, which replicates what life was like for some of the country’s first settlers. Visit the town’s historic center or enjoy the South River it sits on by renting a kayak or paddleboard.

HERSHEY AND HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA If you’re wanting to take a break from the Hershey Museum and can’t bear to take another bite of chocolate, Hershey and Harrisburg offer so many other sites to explore to round out your visit.

The Hershey Gardens has multiple attractions to explore, including the conservatory, the indoor Butterfly Atrium, a garden shop, and a 23-acre botanical garden.

With so much beauty to take in during your visit, planning a guided tour is a great way to

see it all while learning of the history of its founder, Milton Hershey.

For thrill-seekers, the Adventure Sports complex in Hershey is a must-visit. They have attractions for all ages and groups, from batting cages and a driving range to an arcade and miniature golf. Adventure Sports also has special offers and accommodations for groups.

Harrisburg also provides an extensive offering of activities and experiences unique to the town’s culture. The local restaurant scene is teeming with artisans who have been creating a flavor and style unique to the region for decades. In order to explore as much of the culinary scene as you can, embark on the Harrisburg Food Tour, a threehour group tour of the city’s most distinct food and beverage establishments.

To explore Harrisburg from a different vantage point, The Pride of Susquehanna Riverboat tour takes passengers down the river to enjoy the scenic views of the city’s >> LeisureGroupTravel.com

skyline. It also offers dinner cruises for special events and holidays, food and drink tastings, and live music events. The boat is a historical landmark in itself; it is one of six remaining authentic paddlewheel riverboats in the United States.

ALBANY, NEW YORK

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT New Haven, along with being the epicenter of research and medical innovation with Yale University, is also the cultural epicenter of Connecticut.

The area surrounding New Haven offers plenty of opportunity to escape the bustle

of the city and immerse yourself in nature.

Right in the middle of the city is The Green, a wonderful park to have a picnic and enjoy the greenery. Many events take place in The Green throughout the year, but the most popular is the New Haven Jazz Festival in August. Or, go just outside the city to explore East and West Rock State Parks and the Farmington Canal’s bike trails.

The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. Yale has collected an extensive stockpile of ancient artifacts, animal skeletons, diamonds, and more that are featured in the museum’s displays. Or, for a different perspective on history, Yale’s University Art Gallery is just as historic and expansive as the Museum of Natural History.

The museum collects art from all over the world and across time and organizes its 300,000 pieces by region and medium.

With permission of Discover Albany

Founded in 1624, Albany is one of the oldest cities in our nation. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t always something new or unexpected to explore that will take you away from crowds.

If you have watched the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Albany is filled with landmark locations where Alexander Hamilton and the Schuyler family frequented.

The Schuyler Mansion is a protected state park, allowing you to step into the parlor where Hamilton married Eliza Schuyler. Or, visit the Olde English Pub, one of the only

remaining buildings in Albany where these historic figures would have visited.

Albany is home to the country’s first brewery, founded by the Dutch settlers that arrived in this area around 400 years ago.

Because of this, Albany has a rich culture of beer brewing, but is also at the forefront of innovation of new and exciting brews made with time-honored techniques. There are tasting tours available at many of the area’s most famous breweries, like Albany Distilling Company, CH Evans Brewing Company and Nine Pin Cider Works.

Schuyler Mansion in Albany is a protected state park, allowing you to step into the parlor where Alexander Hamilton was married.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 57

WEST

REGION

Grapevine, Texas to Host Huge ABA Event The American Bus Association Marketplace is headed to historic Grapevine from January 8-11, 2022

By Dave Bodle

Photo courtesy of All photos courtesy of Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau

Photo caption black

Grapevine, Texas will be the host city for the American Bus Association Marketplace in 2022.

58

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

C

entrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grapevine is the go-to destination whether your group enjoys indoor or outdoor options.

Here are just a few items to warm your appetite for Grapevine and entice you to register for ABA Marketplace.

WINE TIME IN GRAPEVINE Texas is the fifth-largest wine-producing state and Grapevine is certainly the epicenter of the state’s wine culture. No trip to Grapevine is complete without stopping by one (or more) wine tasting rooms. There are more than a half-dozen to enjoy, each with its own story to tell. Grapevine’s Urban Wine Trail is the place to start.

GRAPEVINE’S HISTORIC PAST A great place to begin experiencing the city’s heritage is the Historic Nash Farm.

History comes to life through exhibits, touchable displays and interpretive programs. Groups are welcome and can participate in seasonal events, too.

Although shopping may not be historic, you’ll discover plenty of historic gift ideas in Grapevine’s Historic Downtown. A must-stop on any tour of the area, there’s live entertainment venues, art galleries, restaurants and more than 80 shops from antiques to chocolates. The Grapevine

Grapevine is a wine-producing Mecca.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

Take a train ride and explore all Grapevine has to offer.

Vintage Railroad located in the Historic Downtown is a ride back in time. Groups are certainly welcome.

GRAPEVINE’S EXCITING PRESENT In April of 2021, Grapevine held a ribbon cutting of Grapevine Main Station, a $114 million development embracing the town’s railroad past while including modern amenities. A gateway to Grapevine, it is just steps away from Trinity Metro TEXRail, a 27-mile line servicing Fort Worth with a stop at DFW Airport. It’s within walking distance of Historic Downtown.

The Grapevine Main Station development includes Peace Plaza, with its interactive water feature, and an art installation by local artist Linda Lewis that will be prominently displayed. Harvest Hall is a seven-kitchen European food hall. Globally inspired and made from scratch, cuisine combines with two lounges serving craft brews, wine and artisanal cocktails. Also open is the Hotel Vin, a luxury 120-room Marriott Autograph Collection.

Grapevine Mills is just two miles north of DFW Airport and features 180 stores for shopping, entertainment and restaurants. Among them is Neiman Marcus Last Call, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th, Ann Taylor Factory Stores and many other favorites. There’s fun for all ages at LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Aquarium. The latter features a Sea Turtle Rescue Center and a behind-thescenes tour for groups. Finally, although there are events happening every week in Grapevine, three Signature Events may be calling your name. Main Street Fest takes place in mid-May with two days of

Grapevine Main Station

craft brews and plenty of fun. Grapefest is traditionally held in mid-September and is the largest wine festival in the Southwest.

Christmas Capital of Texas is 1,400 events in 40 days from November through December.

When ABA Marketplace online registration begins, make sure you include Sightseeing Tours on your agenda.

There are three scheduled for Grapevine, “Canvas, Glass and Bronze,” “Grapevine Food Tour” and “Christmas Capital of Texas.” Also, there are five neighboring communities: Dallas, Fort Worth Arlington, Mesquite and McKinney, that will also be offering sightseeing tours. Watch for the ABA Marketplace Registration Page announcement. buses.org/events/event/ aba-annual-meeting-marketplace-2019grapevine-tx The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau website is a wealth of information and a great place to begin your planning. grapevinetexasusa.com June 2021 ■ 59

TEXAS TOUR IDEAS

Filmed in Texas:

From Home Makeovers to Battleships 60

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

T

When touring Texas, there’s a good chance that what you’re seeing was likely the site of a film, television show or documentary

he Texas film industry is doing well and has the sites to prove the state is more than just cowboys.

Here are just a few popular destinations with some Texas film history.

Austin

The Austin Film Commission offers a number of reasons why Austin is a popular destination for film, television and commercial production. As a result, Made in Austin lists a significant number of favorites that were filmed there: Go back to 1974 when Robert Redford starred in The Great Waldo Pepper, or the 2000 film Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock.

More recently, there is 2003’s Secondhand Lions and 2005’s Friday Night Lights. The TV show Fear the Walking Dead has also been filmed in Austin from 2018 to the present. On the website, more than 45 productions have called Austin home. Stop at Top Notch Hamburgers where Matthew McConaughey coined the phrase “Alright, Alright, Alright” in Dazed and Confused.

The 12-year production of Boyhood starring Ethan Hawke, features sites like the Dart Bowl, the Continental Club and Pedernales Falls. Take a look for yourself then plan to include a few film sites on your next visit. austintexas.org

By Dave Bodle

Much of the movie Pearl Harbor was filmed at the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay in Corpus Christi.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

Photo courtesy of Travel Texas

Waco Fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines and their extremely popular home improvement show, HGTV’s Fixer Upper, are in the right place upon arriving in Waco.

The Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau has created the Magnolia Trail, a self-guided tour that takes visitors to locations mentioned on the Gaines’ TV show or on their social media, blog and website.

CVB tour companies offer tours that show houses featured on the show. Whatever route you choose, make certain to include Magnolia Market and a cupcake from its bakery. wacoheartoftexas.com June 2021 ■ 61

Photo courtesy of Travel Texas

TEXAS TOUR IDEAS

The Alamo in San Antonio has played a significant role in Texas films.

San Antonio

Corpus Christi

Marfa

Recognized for its location diversity, San Antonio offers unique locales from urban to rural, historic to contemporary and artistic to industrial. There’s a site for almost every storyline and time period and the choices are almost endless.

Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality showed up on the famous Riverwalk, PeeWee’s Big Adventure had Pee Wee Herman at the Alamo and the original 2001 movie Spy Kids went on to have three sequels.

The iconic Selena features the legendary performer speaking at Central Library and singing in front of the Alamo and the bar at John T. Floore Country Store is one of the recognizable scenes from 8 Seconds starring Luke Perry. Going back over the past 119 years, nearly 1,000 films and TV shows have been shot at least partially in the San Antonio area. visitsanantonio.com

A visit to the Corpus Christi Film Commission shows a diversity of locations available to creative directors of photography. Of course, there are beaches, natural habitats and parks, but also downtown hospitals, medical locations and a wide variety of attractions.

Remember back in 2001 when Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett was released? Surprisingly, much of the filming was done at the USS Lexington and Lexington Museum on the Bay. Jennifer Lopez played the role of Tejano in Selena and filmed a scene with actor Jon Seda at Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass. The Legend of Billie Jean was filmed in 1984 and the Dock Side Surf shop in Flour Bluff was featured in a scene. August Evening, Kill or be Killed, All She Can and The King were all filmed, or partially filmed, in Corpus Christi. visitcorpuschristitx.org

A visit to West Texas where Marfa is located and one look will tell you why it’s the perfect location for the 2007 film There Will be Blood. The story is loosely based on Oil! a 1927 novel. The movie portrays Daniel Day-Lewis as an oilman and his merciless pursuit for wealth.

The rich history of Texas film extends far beyond the few we’ve shared. For a look at that history through a more local lens, make time to explore the Texas Film Trails.

There’s sure to be a stop, or two, for any Lone Star State itinerary.

62

■ June 2021

Texas Drive-Ins Film Trail At the pinnacle of popularity there were more drive-ins in Texas than any other state. From the classic to the contemporary, this trail takes you to 20 of the state’s remaining drive-ins. You might not be >> LeisureGroupTravel.com

able to stop for a show, but a drive by will certainly bring back some memories.

Texas Westerns Trail Communities throughout the state have been settings for a multitude of Western films. Seventeen locations are featured on this trail with 18 film and TV series highlighted. Remember True Grit, Lonesome Dove, Hud and Streets of Laredo?

Fear the Walking Dead Trail Season 4 of the spin off of The Walking Dead brings a family of post –apocalyptic survivors to Texas. In Central Texas, a number of existing locations were transformed into abandoned spaces. See if you recognize Volente Beach Resort & Waterpark in Leander and the Dell Diamond baseball stadium in Round Rock.

Texas Classic Trail Highlighting 25 filming destinations across Texas, the Texas Classic Film Trail is a journey down memory lane. From the Dairy Queen on Burnet Road, Austin in Friday Night Lights, Southfork Ranch in Parker which was featured in the TV show Dallas, Pilot Point Town Square in Bonnie and Clyde and The Royal Theater Archer in The Last Picture Show, you’ll definitely feel like you’ve been there.

The acclaimed filmmaker Richard Linklater was honored with the inaugural Texas Film Trail, highlighting 15 of his iconic film locations. His incredible storytelling has taken audiences throughout his home state of Texas.

Here are a few stops on the Trail. When in Austin, a stop at AFS Cinema unfolds vintage film posters and so much more.

Will you recognize the Cockrell Butterfly Center/Houston Museum of Natural History as seen in Boyhood? Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew in Austin was a setting in Dazed and Confused and is still a great place for some classic Texas BBQ. With so many film settings throughout Texas, it’s likely a few will cross your path.

Begin your planning at https://gov.texas. gov/film/trails LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

Photo courtesy of Travel Texas

Richard Linklater Trail

The West Texas town Marfa is perfect for telling the story through film of a wealthy oilman.

June 2021 ■ 63

2021 MUSEUM GUIDE

ENTICING MUSEUMS

Museum of American Art

Photo courtesy of the Charles Hosmer Morse

Await Your Group

64

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

P

lanners seeking to take their group to a tranquil environment filled with culture would be wise to include a museum or two on their itinerary. Not only do museums educate and engage those who visit, they also entertain, inspire and are a great way to bring people together. Whether your group wants to immerse itself in famous works of art, enjoy vibrant, colorful quilts, learn about American Indian history or simply tour a beautiful, historic mansion, these museums have something that will appeal to each traveler in your group.

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 65

Photo courtesy of Bob Wilcutt

2021 MUSEUM GUIDE

Ashland Henry Clay Foundation

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, welcomes your visit to the museum and National Historic Landmark located in the heart of Lexington, Kentucky. Tour options available for purchase include private prebooked mansion tours, large pre-booked group/bus tour and virtual tours. The Henry Clay Estate is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.

– 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. The 17-acre Arboretum is open daily to visitors for self-guided tours from daylight until dusk, free of charge. (henryclay.org)

The Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (18481933), including the artist and designer’s jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows, and his chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In 2011, the Morse Museum opened a wing to exhibit its collection of art and architectural objects from Tiffany’s celebrated Long Island home, Laurelton Hall, the largest repository of these materials anywhere. (morsemuseum.org)

C.M. Russell Museum The award-winning C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana, collects, preserves, researches and educates on the art and life of America’s cowboy artist Charles M. Russell. The museum contains more than 3,000 pieces of Western art in a complex that covers two city blocks and encompasses 16 exhibition galleries, an outdoor sculpture garden, and Russell’s home and artist studio. With nearly 1,000 Russell creations, the museum presents Russell’s authentic reflection of Western history. (cmrussell.org)

66

■ June 2021

>> LeisureGroupTravel.com

Iowa Quilt Museum

Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

Quilts are both an iconic part of American culture and history and a vibrant artform. The Iowa Quilt Museum is located in beautiful Madison County, home of the famous covered bridges. The museum, located in downtown Winterset in a former JCPenney storefront, is just steps away from two quilt shops in an award-winning shopping district. Featuring rotating exhibits of both historic and contemporary quilts, each visit is a new experience, so schedule your groups to visit again and again. (iowaquiltmuseum.org)

American Indian history comes to life at the Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center located on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota. The museum is devoted to preserving and promoting the arts and history of the Northern Plains Indian people. View beautiful exhibits of contemporary art and historical artifacts. Your group will leave enriched in Northern Plains Indian history. Free admission. Open year-round. (aktalakota.org)

LeisureGroupTravel.com <<

June 2021 ■ 67

let’s get the party started

Must be 21 or older to enter the casino floor and to gamble, and must present a valid state or federal photo ID upon request. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem?

Call 1-800-522-4700. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. ©2021, Caesars License Company, LLC.

www.harrahscherokee.com

AFFIX POSTAGE HERE

JUNE 2021

7th Annual Iowa Tour Guide

finest Savor some of the ns in food and attractio the Hawkeye State

Immerse Yourself in These

Magical Museums

an Groups seeking nce interactive experie us have several wondro places to explore

Tour Tennessee Itinerary Guide

Dollywood, From Nashville to we have you covered

A Premier Travel Media

Travel.com publication • LeisureGroup

HOW DOES LEISURE GROUP TRAVEL HELP TRAVEL PLANNERS? Leisure Group Travel discovers destination sites and offers best practices and solutions that help group travel organizers create enticing, group-friendly itineraries in popular and off-thebeaten-path locations.

Reader Info Center 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527

karandaev/Bigstock.com

FOLD HERE

CONTINUE YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION

Your readership is important to us and we want to continue sending you Leisure Group Travel. Confirm your contact information on the reverse side so America’s leading group travel publication keeps coming to your home or office!

Only in Leisure Group Travel: √ Trends √ New Destinations √ Insight √ Best Practices

RESPOND BY JULY 31!

 Seaside Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC

I ’d like to receive the InSite from Leisure Group Travel weekly e-newsletter. Email:

 60+

3

1) Email readerservices@ptmgroups.com 2) Stamp and mail 3) Fax to 630-794-0652

CONVENIENT WAYS TO RETURN

 Sales & marketing advice

 Themed articles (culinary, adventure, etc.)

 Case studies

 Operations advice

 Itineraries

 Destination features

3. What would you like to see more of in Leisure Group Travel?

 Kalona Historical Village, Kalona

Winterset

 Iowa Group Travel Association  Iowa Quilt Museum, Winterset  J ohn Wayne Birthplace & Museum,

 Tour Tennessee

 Pigeon Forge Department of

REQUIRED Date _____________ Signature _______________________________

 Mail  Call me at _____________________________________  Email me at ___________________________________________

Please contact me via:

 Fort Dodge CVB

Commerce

 Dyersville Area Chamber of

Cities, Dubuque

 Cedar Falls Tourism  Celebration River Cruises, Quad

 40-59

 Under 18

 19-39

Iowa Tour Planner

Visitors Center

 Fifth & Broadway, Nashville  Great Smoky Mountains

Tourism

 Butler County, OH  Chicago Suburbs, IL  Circle Wisconsin  Experience Columbus, OH

Inn, Oshkosh, WI

 Amish Counrty of Northern Indiana  Best Western Premier Waterfront

Tour Tennessee Itinerary Guide

Williamsburg, VA

2. What age clients do you serve?

–––––––––––––––––––––

1. Annually, how many overnight trips does your company operate?

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation,

No thanks, discontinue my subscription

American Art, Winter Park, FL

 Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of

Lexington, KY

 SOUTH (all)  Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate,

Center, Chamberlain, SD

 WEST (all)  CENTRAL (all)  C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, MT  Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural

Center

Outdoors, IL

RESPOND BY JULY 31

 Vacation Okoboji Tourism

Mason City

 Matchstick Marvels, Gladbrook  Riverboat Twilight, Le Claire  Travel North Iowa, Clear Lake,

 Visit Clarksville

 Iowa Quilt Museum, Winterset, IA  Joplin CVB, MO  North Dakota Tourism  Route 66 & Abraham Lincoln, IL  Tuscawaras County CVB, OH  Visit Walworth County, WI

 Experience Sioux Falls, SD  Great River Road and the

Pssst, it’s F R E E!

HELP US HELP YOU!

The Instant Info Center is a service from Leisure Group Travel that helps you learn more about destinations featured in the magazine. Select all that are of interest.

Yes, Continue to send Leisure Group Travel

Phone __________________________________________________________________________

City __________________________________ State _____________ Zip ____________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________

Company _______________________________________________________________________

Title ___________________________________________________________________________

Name __________________________________________________________________________

SM