ON T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R FAITH-BASED TRAVEL PLANNERS VOL. 24 - NO. 2
SUMMER 2021
DINNER CRUISE
DELIGHTS
BOOMING IN
BRANSON MISSISSIPPI
MUSEUMS
MEET THE MU SI C I A N
{
Celebrate the gifts of land and sea with epic Virginia Beach adventures the entire group can enjoy safely. With 400 square miles of wide open space, revel in hands-on experiences and unique access to a group tour that’s as safe as it is memorable.
VISITVIRGINIABEACH.COM/GROUPTOUR
}
GOF
THE MAGAZINE F O R FA I T H - B A S E D T R AV E L
[ SUMMER 2021 ]
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Mississippi Museums Back to Branson The Magnolia State boasts impressive cultural institutions.
This popular destination is giving groups reasons to return.
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Dinner a la Cruise Sightseeing cruises offer memorable meals and scenery.
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Meet the Musician Groups can have interactive music experiences in these destinations.
DEPARTMENTS Columns 6 EDITOR’S NOTES: On Returning to the Road ON THE COVER: The City of New Orleans steamboat offers dinner cruises on the Mississippi River. Photo by Claudia Uripos.
Spotlights 10 HOW TO: Ride the Silver Wave
12 PROFILE:
News 8 INTERNATIONAL OPENINGS: Israel, Jordan and Greece are welcoming groups again.
Paul Larsen
34 RETREAT: The Cove .
Mac T. Lacy Founder and Publisher
4
Christine Clough Copy Editor
Charles A. Presley Partner
Donia Simmons Creative Director
Brian Jewell VP & Executive Editor
Ashley Ricks Graphic Design/Circulation
Herb Sparrow Senior Writer
Sarah Sechrist Controller and Office Manager
Kelly Tyner VP, Sales and Marketing
888.253.0455
Kyle Anderson Director of Advertising Sales
Going On Faith is published quarterly by THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc., 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified group leaders who plan travel for churches, synagogues and religious organizations. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants, and other travel-related companies, may subscribe to Going On Faith by sending a check for $39 for one year to: Going On Faith, Circulation Department, 301 East High Street, Lexington, KY 40507. Phone: (859) 253-0455 or (859) 2530503. Copyright THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in a ny manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.
kelly@grouptravelleader.com
APPLY TODAY FOR THE FAMS YOU’D LIKE TO ATTEND!
Are you looking for new ideas in your old favorites or a new destination for your group to enjoy? Register for one of our 2021 FAMs to learn about these great destinations from the local experts. To apply for a chance to attend any of these complimentary FAMs, go to www.grouptravelleader.com/FAMs.
LOUISIANA’S RIVER PARISHES JULY 27-30
WITH THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER
GALLUP, NEW MEXICO AUGUST 2-6
Join us in Louisiana’s River Parishes just outside of New Orleans where you’ll learn about the history of Whitney, Destrehan and Oak Alley Plantations, enjoy a cooking demonstration and tasting at Spuddy’s Cajun Cooking Experience and take a thrill ride on ZipNOLA over the Manchac Greenway with views of alligators, turtles and other wildlife.
We are partnering with the City of Gallup to highlight this New Mexico hidden gem along Route 66. Gallup is THE destination for outdoor adventures, culture seekers, and art lovers. This is as real and authentic as it gets- Native American Culture, steeped in tradition, and surrounded by some of the best outdoor recreation and trails.
ALABAMA
LOUISIANA’S NO MAN’S LAND
We are working with Alabama Tourism Department to host a FAM showcasing Alabama’s Natural, Historic and Exciting Group Tour Wonders. Explore Birmingham, Huntsville, Muscle Shoals and DeSoto State Park and learn what Sweet Home Alabama has to offer your groups.
We are partnering with Louisiana Tourism to showcase the best of Louisiana’s No Man’s Land region that includes Lake Charles, Natchitoches and DeRidder. You’ll tour the Creole Nature Trail, Melrose Plantation, Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu for a King Cake Demo & Tasting, casino resorts and much more.
SEPTEMBER 13-17
GROUP THE
TRAVEL LEADER
OCTOBER 6-10
If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Tyner at:
888-253-0455 KELLY@GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM
EDITOR’S
NOTES BRIAN JEWELL
ON RETURNING TO THE ROAD
A
bsence really does make the heart grow fonder. I just returned from my first group trip of the postpandemic era, and it was fantastic. For two days in late May, I joined a group of 14 of our travel planner readers on a familiarization tour of Louisville, Kentucky, hosted by Louisville Tourism. The trip itself was a blast — visiting Louisville always is. But this FAM felt especially significant: For many, it was the first tourism outing they had taken in over a year. It was the first time many of us had seen each other after a long and frightening ordeal. And it was our first glimpse of the prosperous return to travel that we’re all hoping for. I came home from the trip with four takeaways that might help you as you begin to think about returning to the road. 1) It’s safe to go. This trip was originally scheduled for May 2020 but was rescheduled several times because of the pandemic. In the lead-up to this departure, we were all prepared to take the precautions that have become second nature: masking, social distancing, etc. But less than a week before the trip started, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that vaccinated people could unmask, and Kentucky dropped its mask mandate for those who have been vaccinated. As a result, everyone on the trip was able to do whatever made them comfortable without fear of getting sick — or being shamed.
2) There are still hurdles to clear. We’re making dramatic progress toward normalization, but we’re not there yet. There are real challenges facing the travel industry now, including a shortage of workers in service jobs and the loss of experienced veterans who went to work in other industries. On this trip, we found some places were adjusting their hours or limiting their services because of staffing shortages. And there was still some confusion about which safety requirements would and would not be in force. We’re all still figuring things out as we go. It will take a few months for these issues to be resolved. 3) We’re all a little rusty. If you’ve ever been on a FAM tour, you know they can be busy and very tiring. Many of us who take them often have built up a level of travel endurance. But after a year at home, that stamina has waned, and in Louisville we all felt more tired than usual. I also forgot some simple things in packing that I would have remembered in 2019. It will take time for us all to get back into the swing of things and re-engage the muscle memory that makes us great on the road. But we’ll get there. 4) It’s amazing to be back. I’ve been to Louisville dozens of times, but I never enjoyed it as much as I did this time. Some of that is because the city is better than ever. But I think it’s mostly because being grounded at home for so long made travel feel that much sweeter. We’ve been through a lot in the past 15 months, and we still have some things to figure out. But now we can travel, we can take off our masks, and we can hug our friends. We can do the things we were made to do. And we’ll never take them for granted again.
BRIAN JEWELL [ EDITOR ] brianj@grouptravelleader.com
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
WHEN YOU’RE READY TO RALLY,
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STEP
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SELECT YOUR SIZE ADDED VALUE: • 250 x 250 pixel banner ad on our website for twelve months • Sponsored Article in three issues of our e-newsletter • 300 x 250 pixel banner ad in six issues of our e-newsletter • Your own advertisers page on our website for one year • Three Facebook posts promoting your destination or company • Up to ten photos in our Photo Slideshow on our website for one year • Your destination video on our website for one year • Up to five itineraries on our website for one year
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888-253-0455
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NEWS WORTHY
Historic Thessaloniki in Greece
Courtesy GNTO
The Garden of Gethsemane
The Agean Sea in Greece is among several faith travel destinations now reopened to international visitors.
Courtesy IMOT
Jordan’s Wadi Rum Courtesy GNTO
FAITH TRAVEL HOTSPOTS REOPEN
I
BY B RI AN JE WE LL
t’s time to begin planning your faith-based trips abroad. After the coronavirus pandemic led to protracted border shutdowns worldwide, some countries that depend heavily on tourism have begun welcoming visitors again. Among these are some of the most popular international destinations for church groups, including Israel, Jordan and Greece. While each of these countries has its own health regulations and protocols in place — and those may change at any time if pandemic conditions deteriorate — their reopening signals a turning point for church groups, who can now look forward to taking trips they postponed in 2020 or planning new adventures to these faith-based destinations. Here’s an overview of the operational status and procedures required for travel to Israel, Jordan and Greece.
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
ISRAEL Israel made headlines early this year thanks to its highly effective vaccination rollout. Because of widespread vaccination, COVID-19 is largely under control in this small but popular nation. As a result, the Israeli government reopened its borders to foreign tourists on May 23. This decision is momentous for the travel and hospitality industries in Israel, which represent a high percentage of the country’s overall economy. But it comes with several caveats. First, only fully vaccinated travelers will be allowed to enter the country, at least for the time being. Visitors will need to show proof of a negative PCR test for COVID-19 before boarding an Israel-bound aircraft and will be tested for SARS-COV-2 antibodies upon landing in Tel Aviv. Additionally, the May opening applies only to small preformed groups of travelers, which authori-
ties say are easier to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. This means church groups may be able to visit the country before individual travelers, who are expected to be permitted later this summer. Anticipating a flood of pent-up demand, U.S. airlines have been racing to add capacity for flights to and from Israel. JORDAN Jordan was among the first countries in the world to allow foreign visitors after the pandemic closure when it opened its borders last September. The country is a popular destination for many faith-based groups because of its large number of biblical sites, including Mount Nebo, where Moses overlooked the Promised Land, and Bethany Beyond the Jordan, believed to be the site where Jesus was baptized. While some other countries have
By Brian Jewell
different rules for different categories of travelers, Jordan has a single set of regulations for all international visitors. The government requires that travelers show proof of a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours of departure from their home country. They must also fill out a health declaration form and install the AMAN app — a COVID exposure tracking application — on their mobile phones. The policy also includes a provision requiring all visitors to have a valid travel insurance policy in force at the time of their visit. Finally, all arriving passengers must undergo a second COVID-19 test upon their aircraft’s arrival in Amman. They must register and pay for the test, which costs around $40, before beginning their trips.
Petra in Jordan
By Brian Jewell
Greece’s Temple of Poseidon
Courtesy GNTO
Jerusalem’s Western Wall
Courtesy IMOT
GREECE Breaking with the rest of the European Union, which has been slow in its vaccine rollout and has not revealed plans to restart international travel, Greece reopened its borders to international travelers on May 15, approximately two weeks after the country reopened outdoor dining and other activities for local residents. The new policy will require that visitors show proof of a negative PCR test conducted 72 hours or less before departure from their home country. Alternatively, they can provide proof of vaccination that certifies they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 more than 14 days before arriving in Greece. People who have recovered from COVID-19 more than 90 days ahead of travel will also be permitted to enter the country. Travelers from the United States will not be required to quarantine upon arrival in Greece. But other public health measures remain in place; these include mandatory masking in public areas, a curfew and limits on large gatherings.
going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ]
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HOW TO
HOW TO R I D E T H E S I LV E R WAV E
I
BY B R I A N J E W E L L
sn’t it time your church group began traveling again? After more than a year of pandemic conditions that kept the majority of travel organizations off the road, it is now safe for groups to venture out again. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged that people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely travel without worrying about contracting or spreading the virus. At the beginning of the pandemic, many people believed that group travel and any travel involving older people would be the last segment of the tourism industry to recover. But the reverse has turned out to be true: Because older Americans were among the first to be vaccinated, they were also among the first to begin traveling again, launching what some experts have called a “silver wave” of senior travelers. The silver wave represents a great opportunity for you to get your church group traveling again. But making the most of it will take a bit of bravery, flexibility and creativity.
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
Here are five essential steps for every group and tourism organization to take in order to ride the silver wave back to prosperity in 2021.
R ESUME
RESE T
1
RESUME YOUR GATHERING Churches across the country scrambled to find ways to minister to and connect with their communities when in-person gatherings shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. Since then, many churches have managed to safely reopen for in-person services. If your church has yet to do so, now is the time to let your leaders know that you’re ready. Meeting in person will instill confidence that it’s OK to spend time in groups, which is a prerequisite for group travel. If your church is already meeting in person again, make sure your choir, Sunday school class, youth group or other constituency of travelers begin gathering together too.
R E F IN E
2
RESET YOUR THINKING A year is a long time, long enough to create new routines, habits and thought patterns. And in the year-plus that the travel industry has been dealing with pandemic conditions, many of the protocols and processes we first thought of as temporary have firmly entrenched themselves in our minds. While that’s understandable, it’s also dangerous because a tentative, wait-and-see attitude will hold you back from riding the wave of travel’s return. While the pandemic dominated our collective minds in 2020, it’s time to reset your thinking to a mindset of post-pandemic prosperity. It’s time to stop thinking about the risks and, instead, focus on the rewards that travel offers for your faith community.
R E B U IL D
R E STA RT
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REFINE YOUR MESSAGING Recent studies have consistently shown a huge demand for travel, especially among consumers who have been vaccinated. But many people are tentative to book the trips they want to take because they’re unsure about what the travel experience will be like. To ride the recovery wave this year, you need to cut through the confusion with strong, clear messaging: We are traveling. Don’t emphasize restrictions and safety measures in your communications; everyone already knows about masks and hand-washing. Instead, highlight the great experiences your trips will offer.
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REBUILD YOUR ITINERARIES If your go-to trip itineraries were created more than two years ago, they’re probably out of date and inaccurate; so it’s time to create new itineraries for your church with great travel experiences that are currently available. Check in with your destinations and suppliers to make sure the information you’re publicizing is accurate. If this is your first tour since the pandemic began, consider a shorter one to a destination close to home to help your customers ease back into travel. This is also a great year to focus on domestic trips, since many international borders are still closed.
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RESTART YOUR SALES When the pandemic hit, many organizational leaders pressed pause on their sales efforts, especially travel sales. And though that decision was understandable a year ago, today is different. To ride the silver wave in 2021, you need to start actively selling. Start a person-by-person campaign to reach out to existing members, especially the ones who are eager to travel. Touching base with church members should already be part of your ministry staff’s game plan for regathering in person. You can offer to help them by contacting the potential travelers and others among your group. Invite them back to church and, while you have them on the phone, tell them about the trips you’re planning as well.
going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 11
FACES
of FAITH
‘It’s About Connecting’
TRAVEL BY A SHLE Y R ICKS
PAUL LARSEN
[ ED-VENTURES ]
BY R E B E CCA T R E O N
“E
TRAVEL COMPANY: Ed-Ventures, a leading tour company that offers faith-based travel to destinations around the world
FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE: “I have not one favorite verse but rather many. I love the word of God, as every verse has its place as they point to Christ and how he would like us to live and love him and love one another.”
HOMETOWN:
very trip begins with a blank sheet of paper.” For Paul Larsen, president of Ed-Ventures Inc., a cookiecutter template just doesn’t cut it for faith-based travel. “Our tours are customized depending on what the group wants to experience and what memories they want to bring home with them afterward,” Larsen said. “Our trips aren’t just about seeing a site; they’re about experiencing the culture, the history and the people who live there today.” Many of the trips Ed-Ventures builds are customized to a group’s specifications; therefore, unique and creative components can be added, such as having a priest or rabbi lead the group and including activities within the destination that bring a place and its history to life. For Larsen, a faith-based trip is more about the spiritual connections that happen on the trip than the destination itself. “It’s about connecting — all of the sudden, you’ll have a different appreciation and a lens for a place,” said Larsen. “When talking about faith-based travel, people automatically think ‘holy lands’ as the destination. But it can simply be a trip to the Grand Canyon — you can really have a faith-based trip anywhere.”
TRAVEL TIPS TIP 1 Eat the local foods. TIP 2
Rochester, Minnesota
FAVORITE DESTINATION: The Holy Lands
HOBBIES: “Traveling across the room or over the ocean, fishing for walleye and people, giving back to my church and community.”
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
Take time to learn at least a few words in the language of the places you visit. “Hello,” “please” and “thank you” will build a bridge, earn you respect and perhaps be the beginning of a new friendship. TIP 3 Plan your trip with a trusted travel professional who will have a wealth of practical travel tips and will help you fulfill the goals of your travel and not just reach the destination.
Larsen’s parents started Ed-Ventures in 1974 after taking trips with their high school German students. The trips eventually became so popular that they left teaching and launched a travel business. With their experience in Germany, their itineraries included important religious sites in the region, like sites from the life of Martin Luther and the Reformers. Before long, one distinguishing aspect of their trips was the inclusion of expert guides who did more than offer anecdotes about a place. For example, a group led by a priest can incorporate a spiritual element to the trip, whether that’s walking alongside the group in the footsteps of Paul in Greece or adding mission-based volunteerism to the trip. “It’s really the fellowship with the people where you’re visiting,” said Larsen. “Some of the stories of a place speak very loudly, like being in the area in Poland where Pope John Paul II came from, but every trip offers a different experience.” The goal of Ed-Ventures trips is to do more than tour a place: It’s to give travelers life-changing experiences. Larsen recounted a story that he still finds particularly moving: While touring with one of the premier college orchestras in the U.S., the group visited a small Muslim village in Israel. They were rehearsing there in the city center when a group of children came and watched them and interacted with
the musicians, sharing that they also played instruments. The orchestra encouraged them to bring their instruments back to practice, and both groups ended up performing onstage together, much to the delight of the parents. For the local children and adults, as well as the visiting performers, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “That’s how powerful travel can be,” said Larsen. “It gets even more magnified on a faith-based trip — and that’s not uncommon for us.”
Paul Larsen and his wife Lynn in Jerusalem
Courtesy Ed-Ventures
SOME PEOPLE SEE A PILE OF TOOLS. WE SEE A WAY TO HELP IMPROVE A DESTINATION IN NEED.
Tourism Cares can help you see the world differently. By participating in our outreach, education and volunteering programs you’ll be able to more successfully connect needs to opportunities. And, you’ll gain the direction, networking, tools and skills required to shape a more resilient and sustainable future for the destinations and communities we all sell and rely upon. Join us and unite with your industry colleagues to harness the transformative power of travel.
Visit TourismCares.org. See the possibilities. Join these companies in seeing the possibilities.
going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 13
A
STATE OF FAITH
MAGNOLIA MUSEUMS MIS S IS S IP P I S IGN AT URE COLLECTIONS ARE WORTH THE TRI P
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Courtesy Coastal Mississippi
Mississippi highlights, clockwise from top: An exhibit at Biloxi’s Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art; Grammy Museum Mississippi; William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak.
going on faith [ summer 2021 ] Courtesy Visit Mississippi
Courtesy Visit Mississippi
1 OX FO RD
C LEV EL A N D
2
MISSISSIPPI
A
BY TO M A D KINSON
tour through Mississippi takes you to a diverse collection of top-notch museums, and some hold real surprises. Together, they demonstrate the depth of the Magnolia State’s talents and the impact the state has had on history. This Mississippi itinerary begins up north in Oxford, drops into the Delta at Cleveland, rolls into the state capital of Jackson, spends time in Meridian and ends with the gentle breezes of the Gulf Coast in Biloxi. Allow at least five days to make the most of these destinations; a solid week would be even better.
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4
JAC K SON
M ERID IAN
B ILOXI
1
2
OXFORD
CLEVELAND
HIGHLIGHT WILLIAM FAULKNER’S HOME
HIGHLIGHT GRAMMY MUSEUM MISSISSIPPI
In Celtic mythology, a rowan is a tree symbolizing security and peace, which may have been on writer William Faulkner’s mind when he purchased “the Bailey place” in Oxford and named it Rowan Oak. An Irish immigrant from Tennessee built it in the 1840s, and Faulkner acquired it and four acres in 1930. Rowan Oak became Faulkner’s private place, where he wove his memories and local stories into novels that earned him the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature. The house, now part of the adjacent University of Mississippi, is open for tours. The property now includes 29 heavily wooded acres and the Bailey Woods Trail leading to the University of Mississippi Museum. Inside Rowan Oak, you’ll learn about Faulkner’s family and see Faulkner’s outline for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Fable” scrawled on the walls of his study. Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County was fictional, but by learning about his diverse and peripatetic life — Oxford, New Orleans, Europe, Hollywood, State Department cultural tours — you begin to understand how Faulkner conjured the images he did. Tip: For entertainment in transit to the next stop in Cleveland, show “The Reivers,” based on Faulkner’s last novel and starring Steve McQueen. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: The University of Mississippi’s Blues Archive houses one of the largest collections of blues recordings, publications and memorabilia anywhere. It has more than 70,000 recordings, B.B. King’s personal record collection among them; 60,000 photographs; and 1,000 videos. Contact the archive for tour opportunities.
Just why did the Los Angeles-based Recording Academy put its second museum in tiny Cleveland, Mississippi? “Because without Mississippi . . . there would be no American music,” said Bob Santelli music historian and executive director of the original Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Cleveland makes sense as the site of the Grammy Museum Mississippi. Cleveland is on the Mississippi Blues Trail, it is between Memphis and Jackson, and Delta State University and the Delta Music Institute provide institutional cohesion. The impressive museum occupies a 28,000-square-foot building on the Delta State campus. There is much to learn there, including the oversized impact Mississippi has had on many types of music. Among many others, Mississippi has produced blues pioneers such as Robert Johnson and Pops Staples, opera star Leontyne Price, the “Father of Country Music” Jimmie Rodgers and that fellow from Tupelo named Elvis. The museum goes beyond Mississippi’s impact to explore many genres of music through more than two dozen exhibits. Through October 2022, check out the museum’s first self-generated exhibition — “MTV Turns Forty: I Still Want My MTV.” Yes, it’s hard to believe MTV is middle-aged. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Railroads put Cleveland on the map in the 1880s, and that heritage is recalled at the Martin and Sue King Railroad Museum, which features a huge O-gauge model railroad setup. After the museum, check out the more than two dozen boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops along Sharpe Street and Cotton Row.
MORE INFO | visitoxfordms.com
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MORE INFO | visitclevelandms.com going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 15
3
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JACKSON
MERIDIAN
HIGHLIGHT | TWO MISSISSIPPI MUSEUMS
HIGHLIGHT | THE MAX
“Two Mississippi Museums” is the umbrella term for a pair of stellar institutions that share a campus, a lobby, an auditorium and stories that needed to be told. They are the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which opened with great fanfare in 2017. “We are shying away from nothing,” said Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “Understanding where we are today is shaped in every way by where we have come from in our past.” The museums expanded how Mississippi tells its story, starting in prehistoric times and continuing unflinchingly to the civil rights movement. The civil rights museum’s eight galleries are sobering, enlightening and even uplifting. One, “This Little Light of Mine,” highlights people who laid down their lives for civil rights. Mississippians’ famous talent for storytelling shines in the history museum through artifacts such as Eudora Welty’s manual typewriters, music that flows from a re-created Delta Juke joint and a 500-year-old dugout canoe created by Native Americans who lived there before Europeans changed the course of their societies. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Just 15 miles from Two Mississippi Museums is the Waller Craft Center right beside the Natchez Trace Parkway in Ridgeland. It is home to the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi, whose carefully selected members offer distinctive Mississippi memories for sale. Pick your medium; it’s there.
There must be something in Mississippi’s drinking water that generates so many talented people decade after decade. They shine in literature, music, movies, television, theater, art, journalism and more. Faulkner, Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Buffett, Jim Henson, John Grisham and Morgan Freeman barely start the list. Keep going with Eudora Welty, Marty Stuart, Leontyne Price, James Earl Jones, Jimmie Rodgers, Tennessee Williams and B.B. King. The names seem endless. That’s why the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in Meridian exists. The attraction shortens its name to the Max. This modern-design building with its sharp-angled exterior walls and a two-story circular Hall of Fame on the inside is an interactive tribute to an astounding aggregation of artistic, talented and accomplished Mississippians. Temporary exhibits are delights, and the permanent exhibits immerse visitors in the cultural influences that shaped the state. There are eyecatching galleries about the land — from the Appalachian foothills to the Gulf of Mexico — the concept of home, the power of church life and the importance of community. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Visit the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Museum to learn about the Father of Country Music and why he was the Country Music Hall of Fame’s first inductee. Afterward, reward your group with some fried green tomatoes and Comeback Sauce at Weidmann’s, serving Meridian since 1870.
MORE INFO | visitjackson.com
MORE INFO | visitmeridian.com
Grammy Museum Mississippi
Courtesy Grammy Museum Mississippi
Exploring the grounds at Rowan Oak in Oxford
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Courtesy Visit Mississippi
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
Courtesy Visit Mississippi
Twilight at The MAX
5 BILOXI HIGHLIGHT | OHR-O’KEEFE MUSEUM OF ART Here’s the recipe for a delightful, stimulating and unexpected attraction: Take an eccentric artist with wild facial hair and almost unbounded talent and add the nickname he gave himself, the Mad Potter of Biloxi. Make sure he wasn’t fully appreciated until after his death, and then open a museum about him designed by one of the world’s most famous architects. It is the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, and its primary namesake is ceramic artist George Ohr, he of Mad Potter fame. Some art historians consider him the precursor of the American abstract-expressionism movement. Ohr —1857-1918 — gained fame for his eccentricities, but he found little success in high art circles, even though he demonstrated extraordinary skill at the potter’s wheel. That recognition didn’t come until 50 years after he died. With a permanent collection and a diverse calendar of special programs, the museum even makes a statement with its design, the work of worldfamous architect Frank Gehry. Among Gehry’s other landmarks are the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Louis Vuitton Foundation building in Paris. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Put your group on the water with a 70-minute trip aboard the Sailfish. The excursion is called the Biloxi Shrimping Trip. This tour has been teaching visitors about shrimp and other Gulf of Mexico edibles since 1954.
Courtesy Visit Mississippi
The Frank Gehry-designed Ohr-O’Keefe Art Museum
MORE INFO | gulfcoast.org Courtesy Visit Mississippi
The MAX in Meridian
George Ohr pottery Courtesy Visit Mississippi
Cleveland’s Grammy Museum Mississippi
Mississippi Civil Rights Museum By Tom Adkinson
Courtesy Visit Mississippi
Courtesy Visit Mississippi
going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 17
BY B RI A N J E W E L L
TRAVEL
SNAP SHOT
Branson Landing features several new attractions and restaurants in 2021.
BRANSON, MISSOURI All photos courtesy Branson Lakes Area CVB
“Jesus” at Sight and Sound Theatre
“Dean Z — The Ultimate Elvis”
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
“J
esus is coming to Branson in 2021 — and we can all use a little Jesus!” Lenni Neimeyer is ecstatic about the latest debut in Branson, Missouri, where she serves as director of leisure group sales at the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. After a difficult year that severely restricted visitation to this tourism hotspot, things are looking up for Branson, and groups looking for travel opportunities will find abundant reasons to visit. At the top of the list is the show that has Neimeyer so excited: “Jesus,” a large-scale musical now playing at Branson’s Sight and Sound Theatre. “I just can’t stop talking about it,” Neimeyer said. “It’s just incredible. It’s truly a show that appeals to folks of all ages. They have sold out dates already.” With more than 2,000 seats, Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson is one of the country’s largest faith-based theaters. The company is known for producing original musicals that tell epic biblical stories with original scripts and scores, elaborate sets and Broadway-caliber performances. After many years in operation, the theater
is finally staging the story of Jesus, which makes this show a natural activity for church groups visiting the city. Live performance has long been a hallmark of Branson, which during the 20th century, built its reputation on variety shows and musical revues. Today, the city is home to more than 100 different shows, giving groups a wide range of options such as music, comedy, magic and acrobatics. Though the pandemic briefly paused the fun, performances have been resuming in Branson since last summer, and some new shows have joined the lineup of choices. Neimeyer said groups will especially enjoy “Nashville Roadhouse Live,” a high-energy show featuring Stevie Lee Woods, as well as the new “Ultimate Elvis Experience With Dean Z” at the Clay Cooper Theatre. “The show is amazing,” she said. “It will turn you into a crazy fan. This young man plays every instrument on stage and really looks like Elvis.” In addition to these shows, visitors returning to Branson in 2021 and beyond can take advantage of many other highprofile attractions, several of which are new or newly expanded.
WonderWorks
WONDERWORKS In March 2020, right before the pandemic shutdown began, WonderWorks opened its new museum in Branson. Already a popular attraction in several other domestic tourist destinations, WonderWorks is an imaginative science museum popular with groups of all ages. The museum building, which resembles a stately mansion that has been picked up by a tornado and then dropped upside down, features four floors of science exhibits, fun and games. At this location, groups will find several exhibits that focus specifically on the geology of Branson and the history of Route 66. There’s also laser tag, a science lab and a variety of group programming. WONDERWORKSONLINE.COM/BRANSON
AQUARIUM AT THE BOARDWALK Among the most exciting Branson openings in 2020 was the debut of the Aquarium at the Boardwalk. Built on the site of the former Grand Palace theater, this aquarium is marked by a giant, reflective octopus sculpture draped over its exterior. Inside, guests will find more than 7,200 individual sea creatures of more than 250 species. The visitor’s journey begins with a “5D” submarine adventure to the bottom of the ocean floor. From there, guests see areas such as a coral reef, a kelp forest and an imaginative exhibit called the Jelly Infinite Room that surrounds them with stunning bioluminescent jellyfish. AQUARIUMATTHEBOARDWALK.COM
BEYOND THE LENS In late 2019, Branson celebrated the opening of Beyond the Lens, a “techno-tainment” attraction that immerses guests in the world of Hollywood and pop culture. Visitors start by walking a red carpet complete with flashes of photographers’ cameras and then can re-create the experience of leaving their handprints in the wet concrete of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. From there, they can go on to multiple interactive exhibits that highlight various figures from media, history and science. Among the highlights is FlyRide, an immersive motion ride that simulates the feeling of flight, giving passengers a bird’s-eye view of 22 national landmarks. BEYONDTHELENS.COM
Beyond the Lens
A production number from “Jesus”
Aquarium at the Boardwalk
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A water and flame show at Branson Landing
BRANSON LANDING Among the area’s most popular free-time destinations is Branson Landing, a large open-air shopping, dining and entertainment development on the shores of Lake Taneycomo. The Landing is famous for its $7.5 million dancing-water-and-fire fountains, as well as more than 100 retail outlets. Groups can eat in restaurants owned by celebrity chefs, including Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen and the recently opened Guy Fieri’s Branson Kitchen and Bar. A new attraction, the Shipwrecked Treasure Museum, features more than 500 artifacts recovered from shipwrecks around the world. Interactive exhibits at the museum afford the opportunity to maneuver a robotic arm or untangle a variety of sailors’ knots. BRANSONLANDING.COM
IN SETTING THE STAGE FOR YOUR NEXT GROUP ADVENTURE There’s a reason Branson has consistently been voted a top group travel destination; we take vacationing together seriously.
Lenni Neimeyer, CTIS, CSTP | lneimeyer@bransoncvb.com | 417-243-2105 20
going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
CURRENTS AND
CUISINE
DIN N E R C RUIS ES OFFER FOOD, FUN AND SCENERY B Y P AULA AV EN GL A DY CH
Passengers enjoy dinner and a view in San Diego Bay with Flagship Cruises and Events.
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An elegant dinner with Flagship Cruises Courtesy Hornblower Cruises and Events
Spirit of Baltimore
Courtesy City Cruises
Courtesy Hornblower Cruises and Events
othing is more relaxing than going out for a scenic cruise on a river or lake. Faith travelers looking for some waterfront fun should book a local dinner cruise. Travel planners can find them in waterfront destinations on both coasts, as well as on lakes and rivers across the country. Groups can learn more about the history of a city while enjoying a wonderful buffet or plated dinner onboard. After dinner, travelers get to enjoy live music, play interactive games, enjoy craft beers and cocktails or just lounge on the boat’s observation deck, spotting local wildlife and relishing the local scenery. Here are five dinner cruises that your group travelers will love. going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 21
BB RIVERBOATS — NEWPORT, KENTUCKY Cincinnati and Ohio are separated from northern Kentucky by the Ohio River. BB Riverboats, a family-owned cruise company, has plied the river between the two states from its home berth in Newport, Kentucky, since 1979. The Belle of Cincinnati is the largest of the company’s paddle-wheel boats and can carry up to 700 passengers for dinner cruises and up to 1,000 for sightseeing cruises. The River Queen, the smallest riverboat in the fleet, can host up to 240 people for dinner cruises and up to 400 for sightseeing cruises. “There’s a lot of history along the Cincinnati riverfront: football and baseball stadiums, historic bridges and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center,” said Randie Adam, vice president of marketing and visitor experience at the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau. The neighborhoods overlooking the river are situated on scenic hills that overflow with history. The Captain’s Dinner Cruise happens during the week and includes DJ entertainment and a buffet with two dinner entrees. On weekends, the Admiral’s Dinner Cruise includes a live band and four entrees on the buffet. On Sundays, the company offers its Family Dinner Cruise, which offers a lighter buffet. There are lunch cruises daily and 90-minute Cincinnati sightseeing cruises that don’t include food. Themed cruises include dinner cruises that partner with Stonebrook Winery or area bourbon distilleries for tastings onboard. BB Riverboats offers holiday brunch cruises and an all-day cruise upriver to Augusta, Kentucky, so passengers can experience a lock and dam. Once in Augusta, they can get a bite to eat and walk around the town before having dinner on the boat and cruising back downriver to Newport. bbriverboats.com
CELEBRATION BELLE — DUBUQUE, IOWA; MOLINE, ILLINOIS The Celebration Belle, a 750-passenger paddle-wheel riverboat, plies the Mississippi River from Moline, Illinois, to Dubuque, Iowa. From dinner and daily sightseeing cruises to four-hour themed cruises and multiday cruises, the company can accommodate just about any group travel request. The riverboat, which was built in 1986, has been cruising the Mississippi for 35 years and has two enclosed dining decks and two observation decks that are great for watching the scenery go by. The Mississippi River and the towns that grew up around it are rich in history, from the advent of river commerce and westward expansion to slavery and the Civil War. Narrated sightseeing cruises offer an in-depth look into how the Mississippi has affected the Quad Cities area and how it continues to affect the lives of those who live along its banks. All meals are prepared fresh aboard the riverboat, and the Celebration Belle is one of the only cruise ships on the river with an elevator, making it handicap accessible. “We’re known for our buffets, but currently, we have switched to plated meals, which went over well,” said Susan Yarolem, director of sales and marketing for the Celebration Belle. For lunch, guests may enjoy a marinated baked chicken, vegetables, a potato, a roll and dessert. The Celebration Belle offers themed cruises throughout the year, including music cruises like Classic Oldies, Christmas Music, Broadway and Movie Tunes, and Keys and Country, which feature pianists playing country songs. Fall foliage cruises are popular, and the company’s four-hour cruises include homemade sticky rolls and fruit when passengers board and a hot lunch and live entertainment later on. All-day cruises take passengers from one destination to another, launching either from Dubuque or Moline, and include breakfast, lunch, a prime rib dinner and live entertainment. celebrationbelle.com
Celebration Belle
Cruising the Ohio River with BB Riverboats
Courtesy BB Riverboats
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ] Courtesy Celebration Belle
Fun and games aboard the Spirit of Baltimore
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
Photos Courtesy City Cruises
SPIRIT OF BALTIMORE — BALTIMORE City Cruises offers sightseeing tours, dining cruises and private events aboard its two ships: the 450-passenger Spirit of Baltimore and the 460-passenger Inner Harbor Spirit. Passengers travel past some of Baltimore’s most famous landmarks on a one-hour narrated sightseeing tour or dinner cruise along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Along the way, they see the USS Constellation, a masted sloop commissioned in 1855 that was the last sail-only warship to serve in the U.S. Navy and is now a museum; the National Aquarium; Harbor East, the city’s modern waterfront destination full of restaurants and shops; Fells Point, the area that has best preserved the city’s Colonial past; and Fort McHenry, the pentagonal fort famous for its role in the War of 1812, when its defenders successfully repelled the British naval attack on Baltimore Harbor. Francis Scott Key wrote the famous poem that eventually became “The Star-Spangled Banner” while marveling that the large American flag flying over the fort was still there after the terrible bombardment. Brunch, lunch and dinner cruises feature a variety of cuisine paired with craft beer, award-winning wines and specialty cocktails. The two-and-a-halfhour dinner cruises take groups on the Patapsco River, past many of Baltimore’s historic landmarks. While onboard, guests enjoy a chef-inspired buffet that includes entrees, salads and desserts. Entertainment is provided by a DJ, who gets the crowd dancing and participating in interactive games. City Cruises also offers private charter experiences. Groups can determine when they would like to cruise and for how long. They can also choose their menu and drink packages and decide if they want onboard entertainment. cityexperiences.com/baltimore/city-cruises going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 23
Fine food onboard Odessey Lake Michigan
Odessey Chicago River
City Cruises’ Spirit of Chicago Photos Courtesy City Cruises
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ODYSSEY LAKE MICHIGAN AND ODYSSEY CHICAGO RIVER — CHICAGO Travelers can glide past some of Chicago’s most iconic buildings and neighborhoods in a glass-enclosed riverboat or tour Chicago’s waterfront from Lake Michigan on one of City Cruises’ tour boats. The Odyssey Chicago River is a 200-passenger, glass-enclosed riverboat that offers dining cruises on the Chicago River. While guests are sampling the buffet and drinking their specialty cocktails, a guide is educating them about the city’s famous architecture as they get close-up views of some of Michigan Avenue’s most famous buildings. The views are even better at night, as the city’s skyscrapers are lit up from within. The Odyssey Lake Michigan is a 749-passenger, four-level dining vessel that cruises along Chicago’s waterfront on Lake Michigan. Guests see the dazzling Chicago skyline at night while enjoying a scrumptious plated meal and onboard entertainment. Groups of up to 232 guests can host a private dinner on Topaz Deck, which offers wonderful views and a dance floor. The boat’s observation deck offers 360-degree views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago waterfront. Owned by City Cruises, the company also operates the Spirit of Chicago, a four-level dining yacht that can hold 600 passengers for a buffet-style dinner with an onboard disc jockey spinning tunes and playing interactive games. For a more intimate cruise experience, book your group on the Chicago Elite, a 150-passenger dinner cruise boat with two fully enclosed dining decks and an open-air sky deck that offers panoramic views of Chicago. Special holiday cruises are offered throughout the year, including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day brunch cruises, fireworks dinner cruises and “sights and sips” cocktail cruises on both Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Architectural lunch cruises are offered on the river. cityexperiences.com/chicago/city-cruises
San Diego Bay
FLAGSHIP CRUISES AND EVENTS — SAN DIEGO Flagship Cruises and Events offers dinner cruises around San Diego Bay on its boats California Spirit and Spirit of San Diego. Groups taking a sightseeing tour of San Diego Bay or a lunch, dinner or holiday cruise will get to see the San Diego skyline from the water, which is especially spectacular at sunset with the sun reflecting off the buildings and making everything sparkle, according to Candice Eley at Visit San Diego. On the other side of the bay is Coronado and Point Loma, and passengers get an up-close view of the famous Coronado Bridge as they travel beneath it and of military boats berthed in the bay. The California Spirit, the company’s newest and largest vessel, has two climate-controlled interior levels and an open-air deck on top and can accommodate up to 600 guests, including 300 diners. The elegant boat has mahogany and cherry wood interiors and a state-of-the-art multimedia system. Each deck can host dancing with either a DJ or live band. It also has two full-service cocktail bars. The Spirit of San Diego can host 296 guests for dinner and 575 guests reception-style. It also has two enclosed decks and a 2,700-square-foot observation deck. Both boats can be booked for private groups or functions. For daily dinner cruises, three-course meals are freshly prepared onboard and made with locally sourced ingredients and sustainably sourced seafood. Each dinner comes with a complimentary glass of champagne. Premium dinner cruises are available on Saturday evenings, with grilled New York strip steak, roasted chicken, surf and turf, and seared Pacific mahi-mahi. On Sundays, the company hosts prime rib dinner cruises. Holiday brunch and dinner cruises are also available. flagshipsd.com
Courtesy Hilton San Diego Bayfront
A Flagship Cruises dining area Courtesy Flagship Cruises & Events
SHOOT FOR THE MOON. EXPERIENCE HUNTSVILLE. Our Mission Is Exceeding Expectations.
Home to the world’s largest space museum and U.S. Space Camp, “Rocket City” is no stranger to celebrating man’s greatest achievements. This iconic destination is ideal for making your next event out of this world with unique venues, as well as plenty of dining and entertainment options when the business day is done.
(800) 843-0468 | HUNTSVILLE.ORG
going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 25
MEET
THE
B Y P AULA AVEN GL A DY CH
MUSICIAN
G R O U P S C A N IN T E RA C T WITH ENTERTAINERS IN THESE DESTINAT I O N S
Visitors enjoy concerts and can meet artists at a gospel music festival in Chicago’s Millennium Park.
M
usic makes the world go round. From jazz and bluegrass to Appalachian folk and delta blues, U.S. songwriters and musicians continue to push the envelope when it comes to musical innovation and ingenuity. Faith groups wanting to add a bit of musical adventure to their trips can arrange private performances, meetand-greets and other experiences with musicians in destinations around the country. Here are a few to consider for your group’s next outing.
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Courtesy Choose Chicago
An Asheville busker Courtesy Explore Asheville
going on faith [ summer 2021 ] A second line band in New Orleans
By Chris Granger, courtesy New Orleans & Co.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Many of country music’s biggest stars call Nashville home, so opportunities abound for groups to meet with songwriters and musicians as part of their visit to the city. One of the most popular experiences is the Nashville Studio Tour. Groups can go behind the scenes and enjoy a private acoustic performance with recording artist Meghan Linsey from NBC’s “The Voice” and record producer Tyler Cain. As part of the tour, groups have the chance to ask Linsey and Cain questions about the music industry and their careers, as well as record a group vocal with Linsey that they can take home as a souvenir. Groups that want a music-themed tour of Nashville can visit the historic RCA Studio B, Nashville’s oldest remaining recording studio. The studio, founded in 1957, was the birthplace of more than 35,000 songs by artists such as Elvis Presley, Martina McBride and Dolly Parton. Visitors learn about the equipment in the studio used to record some of the most popular songs of all time before taking a tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. For an intimate songwriting experience, Songwriter City offers the Hitmakers and Storytellers experience, where groups listen to hit songs from the songwriters who created them and learn how those songs made it into the repertoires of some of the greatest recording artists. The experience can include up to five songwriters that play along with their colleagues on their songs as they tell the touching and sometimes funny stories about how the songs came about. The Listening Room Café, founded by Chris Blair, a singer and songwriter, is a wonderful, intimate music venue that attracts some of Nashville’s top songwriters and entertainers. visitmusiccity.com
A Nashville trolley tour Courtesy Nashville CVC
Nightfall in Nashville
A gospel performance in Chicago
Courtesy Choose Chicago
CHICAGO Delta blues music was developed at the start of the 20th century by the descendants of former African American slaves who turned traditional chants, spirituals and praise songs into their own musical style using acoustic guitars and harmonicas. Chicago put its own spin on the 1950s Delta blues by adding electric guitar, bass, drums, piano and harmonica played in front of a microphone to the more traditional acoustic sounds. Groups with a yen for Chicago blues can host a private event at the House of Blues Chicago with a local band, DJ or headlining artist. Small groups can tour Chess Records, the home of America’s greatest blues label, which produced records for such legends as Muddy Waters, Etta James and Chuck Berry. The Rolling Stones not only recorded there but also memorialized the famous recording studio in their song “2120 South Michigan Avenue.” Visiting groups can book private events with the Old Town School of Folk Music, hiring solo professional artists up to 11-piece bands, dance instructors and callers, workshop leaders and more for any type of event. The school has performers in nearly every musical genre, including traditional African percussion, jazz, blues, Cajun/zydeco and folk pop. The school also leads music and theater-based teambuilding workshops, and dance workshops and instruction in Latin dance, Middle Eastern belly dance, Hawaiian hula and West African dance. Winter’s Jazz Club offers groups a cozy setting to enjoy jazz music. Kingston Mines, the largest and longest continuously operating blues club in Chicago, since 1968, has two stages that have played host to some of the world’s most popular blues musicians, including Magic Slim, Sugar Blue, Mike Wheeler and Junior Wells. The club hosts numerous shows on the weekends. Groups can come to listen to music, have cocktails and enjoy a meal from Doc’s Kitchen. choosechicago.com going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 27
Courtesy Nashville CVC
An Austin Detours adventure Courtesy Visit Austin
The Austin City Limits auditorium
By Alison Narro, courtesy Visit Austin
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band By Chris Granger, courtesy New Orleans & Co.
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AUSTIN, TEXAS Austin, which bills itself as the live music capital of the U.S., has more than 250 live music venues in its famous downtown and hosts numerous music festivals throughout the year, among them the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the Austin Area Jazz Festival, the Austin Reggae Festival and Blues on the Green. Groups that want to tap into Austin’s extensive musical scene can take in a live show at any of the city’s musical venues. They can also tour the venue from which the live music show “Austin City Limits” broadcasts. Founded by country music legend Willie Nelson, it is one of the oldest music performance television shows in the U.S., and it is still going strong on PBS and other radio and television stations across the country. Groups can tour the camera rooms and visit backstage. Another musical experience, called Lyriculture, is run by female musicians who connect individuals and groups with great singer songwriters for a group bonding activity. They can write music for your organization, or all of the participants can create a song together and sing it at the end of the workshop. Arlyn Studios will organize album listening sessions or special minitours of the studio and then offer groups a private performance by a local musician. Visit Austin is happy to help groups organize more personal musical experiences. To learn more about Austin’s music scene, groups can book a tour through Austin Detours, a tour group run and managed by musicians. Musicians are the tour guides, and they will take passengers to three or four live music venues a night. Musicians will also perform for the passengers between venues. austintexas.org NEW ORLEANS New Orleans is synonymous with jazz. Wandering the streets of NOLA, you can’t escape the cool sounds of jazz from local street musicians and secondline brass bands. Groups can learn more about jazz music by visiting Preservation Hall, the city’s iconic New Orleans music venue, which got its start in the 1950s in the French Quarter. It offers acoustic New Orleans jazz performances nearly every night of the year. The performances feature ensembles made up of 50-plus local master musicians. Groups can book an event at Preservation Hall for a 45-minute performance from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, followed by a question-andanswer session with the musicians. A visit to the New Orleans Jazz Museum, also in the French Quarter, is a must for any group interested in learning how the musical style was born. Groups wanting to get away from the city and enjoy live music can enjoy a two-hour Mississippi River cruise on the riverboat City of New Orleans. Passengers will enjoy traditional live jazz music and craft cocktails onboard while learning about the history of New Orleans. If jazz isn’t your group’s cup of tea, the New Orleans Opera, which has been operating since the 1700s, offers groups the chance to attend its dress rehearsals. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra offers a variety of musical selections every season. During its rehearsals, the conductor and guest artists will speak with the audience about concert preparation and what to expect during the final performance. Open rehearsals were canceled for the 20202021 series but will resume for the 2021-2022 season. neworleans.com
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Asheville, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is rooted in bluegrass and Appalachian folk traditions, but the area is considered one of America’s top music cities, attracting musicians from every genre, who can perform for private groups. The owner of Skinny Beats Drum Shop works with groups by performing at private events or hosting groups of about 18 people at his shop for drum lessons or percussion sound experiences. LaZoom Tours offers the Fender Bender: Band & Beer Bus, which takes groups to two or three local breweries a night while a band entertains guests on the company’s wacky purple converted school bus. The tours can accommodate 35 passengers and last two and a half hours. The Moog Music Factory is uniquely Asheville. The plant, started by Bob Moog, inventor of the synthesizer and a longtime Asheville resident, is open for group tours daily. Groups learn about the history of the synthesizer and see how it is manufactured. At the end of the tour, groups can stick around and make music on the different instruments made there. To learn more about Moog, travelers can visit the Moogseum, an interactive museum that honors Moog’s life and work. Groups of about 10 can learn how synthesizers were used to enhance popular songs in a variety of styles. Groups interested in seeing how records are made can visit Citizen Vinyl, a record-pressing plant that opened in downtown Asheville in 2020. The third floor of the building was home to a radio station during the 1920s and 1930s and is where Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, played for a radio performance in 1939. Citizen Vinyl plans to offer group tours of the plant. exploreasheville.com
Drumming in Asheville
Asheville street performers
An Asheville garden concert
Photos courtesy Explore Asheville
2021 SPECIAL EXHIBIT: MARC CHAGALL AND THE BIBLE
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PLAIN
AND
SIMPLE
A MIS H DE S T IN AT ION S OFFER A WELCOME RESPITE FOR GRO U P S B Y REBECCA TREON
Groups can get to know Amish families during home and business visits in Amish Country of Northern Indiana. Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB
V
isiting an Amish community is like peeking into another time and place. Roughly 270,000 Amish people live across 30 states, with notable communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Famous for their simple, agrarian lifestyle, the Amish eschew technologies like electricity, phones and cars. They’re known for woodworking, farming, quilting and their cuisine, which includes hearty, scratch-made dishes like pies, noodles and cheeses. The Amish sect began in 16th-century Europe as a radical wing of the Protestant Reformation movement known as Anabaptists. Fleeing religious persecution from both Catholics and Protestants, they came to the colonies in the mid-1700s. Amish communities are called
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Ordnungs, and most children attend school only to the eighth grade, attend religious services in someone’s home instead of a church and remain in the community all their lives. Most Amish communities welcome respectful guests who are curious about their lifestyle. They request no photos of their faces, but many Amish offer opportunities to see how they live and work by visiting museums, giving tours, sharing a traditional family-style meal or teaching a skill. Their lifestyle takes travelers to a simpler time, surrounded by pastoral beauty — and that’s what’s so appealing about a visit to Amish Country. Here are four places where your groups can immerse themselves in the Amish culture.
Holmes County, Ohio, Amish scenes, clockwise from top left: An Amish store; visiting an Amish farm; an Amish buggy on the backroads; a farmer delivering flowers; laundry day at an Amish home.
HOLMES COUNTY, OHIO In Holmes County, Ohio, the towns of Berlin and Mount Hope attract the most visitors, though there are Amish communities throughout the state. “With so much available farmland and an abundance of hardwoods, this was the perfect crossroads for an Amish settlement,” said Tiffany Gerber, executive director of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau in Millersburg. “The terrain is similar to the Alps, and the area already had a number of Swiss immigrants, so Amish who settled here — especially the dairy farmers — created a symbiotic relationship.” Visitors should start at the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center, which features a unique 265-foot circular mural known as the Behalt Cyclorama. It chronicles the history of the Amish from the 1500s to the present. It also has a barn and one-room schoolhouse that shows how the Amish lived in the preCivil War era.
Photos courtesy Holmes Co. COCTB
Holmes County has several local companies, including Yoder’s Amish Home, Troyer’s Amish Tours and Amish Heritage Tours, which take groups on Amish backroads, visiting Amish homes, going for buggy rides and dining family-style. “Many farms have small businesses where they sell baskets, candles or candy, or the children will come to the table and sing hymns,” said Gerber. “The tours give you a true glimpse into the daily life of the Amish and allow you to immerse yourself in the culture.” Several area restaurants serve Amish food in a family-style setting: Der Dutchman, Berlin Farmstead and Dutch Valley, belonging to a family-owned restaurant group that also includes inns, shops, and theaters that celebrate Amish culture and heritage. visitamishcountry.com
going on faith [ goingonfaith.com ] 31
The Amish Village in Lancaster
The Henry Ford
By Brian Evans, courtesy Discover Lancaster
A Lancaster buggy ride
By Michael Crabb, courtesy Discover Lancaster
An Amish cheese shop in Northern Indiana
Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB
A Northern Indiana quilt garden Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB
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going on faith [ summer 2021 ]
LANCASTER COUNTY AND PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY Amish culture is an important part of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which has come to be known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country. (“Dutch,” in this case, is an anglicized version of the word “deutsch,” or “German.”) “The Amish community here is sizeable and it’s an important part of our culture and heritage here,” said Joel Cliff, director of communications and advocacy for Discover Lancaster. “There are communities throughout the state, but there’s a concentration here in Lancaster County.” Cliff suggests travel planners start with the Visit Lancaster website because it delves into Amish history and daily life. It also gives details on how guests can explore and experience the Amish community in different ways. Groups can visit the Countryside Road Stand, featuring fresh produce, jellies and food items, or Riehl’s, a working farm with a quilt and craft shop. Amish restaurants Hometown Kitchen and Katie’s Kitchen serve hearty traditional fare like brown buttered noodles, ham balls and shoofly pie. There are three interpretive attractions in Lancaster County: The Amish Village, the Amish Farm and House and The Amish Experience, each of which offer tours of a traditional Amish community. There are also a number of local companies that offer buggy rides to groups. “That is a really good way to explore,” said Cliff. “In a traditional mode of transportation, you see the countryside and stop at a roadside stand or an Amish business and you learn about their lifestyle.” More intimate tours are also available for small groups with receptive operators The Amish Experience. It can take visitors to a farm to see a variety of Amish businesses like a dairy, a buggy maker, a quilter or a furniture maker. The tours offer intimate views of Amish life. “You get the chance to sit down and have a cup of coffee with a family and talk about their lives,” said Cliff. “People find out that they have a lot more in common with the Amish than they ever would have thought.” discoverlancaster.com ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA Encompassing the Indiana communities of Shipshewana, Goshen, Middlebury, and Nappanee, Elkhart County is known for its Amish settlements. The towns are connected by the 17-mile Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. As groups travel from one destination to the next, they’ll get a glimpse of the area’s famous Quilt Gardens, planted with flowers to resemble quilt squares, as well as its Amish inhabitants. The Amish were drawn to Indiana for its farmland, but there is a thriving entrepreneurial spirit there today. “People value the quality they put into what they make,” said Terry Mark, director of communications and public relations at the Elkhart County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “Our RV manufacturers hire many Amish to do their cabinetry and they are known for their quilts, crochet and weaving, as well as their housewares, bookends and lamps.” Visitors can start with the Menno-Hof Amish Mennonite Information Center, which explains the faith and life of the groups. Next, The Heritage Trail is a selfguided tour available on CD or PDF that takes drivers through the area with notable stops where many Amish have their wares for sale or offer buggy rides. The CVB has created day-trip or multi-day itineraries and will help with personalized trips. For meals, Mark recommends Das Dutchman Essenhaus, a local favorite for 50 years. Serving classic Amish dishes like roast beef, potatoes, homemade noodles and 31 types of pie, the complex offers lodging and village shops, plus a pool, mini-golf and bicycle and carriage rides. Backroads Amish tours take visitors to an Amish school or to a variety of artisan shops making baskets, noodles, jellies and leather goods. With
advanced arrangement, visitors can go to a homestead for a meal or have a hands-on experience like a cinnamon-roll making class. “These are fascinating to watch and of course have tasty results,” said Mark. “I always make sure to eat one.” visitelkhartcounty.com KENTUCKY AMISH COUNTRY There are Amish communities in some 10 counties across Kentucky, with a total of 8,000 residents. The largest settlements are in Marion (Crittenden County), Munfordville and Horse Cave (Hart County) and Casey County. The Amish in Kentucky arrived later than those in other, more well-known settlements, sometime in the mid-20th Century. Marion, in Crittenden County, is home to the state’s largest Amish community. “We don’t have tours that are as commercial as some states,” said Michele Edwards of the Marion Tourism Board. “We have a map for a self-guided tour for guests who want to visit Amish farms, stores and restaurants in the area.” The map details greenhouses, produce markets, bakeries and furniture and craft stores. Christian County is home to thriving Amish communities that own businesses and welcome guests. In Hopkinsville, the tourism board’s website has a complete listing of family businesses people can drive to. All are closed on Sundays. The Amish Farmers’ Market at Oak Grove is a general store selling many Amish-made products, but there are a number of other markets in the area, like Habegger’s, Sunny Valley Country Store, R&S Grocer and Lavern’s Country Market. Other businesses include furniture making, handicrafts and quilting. kygetaway.com
A Kentucky Amish community
An Amish garden shop in Kentucky
Photos courtesy KY Dept. of Tourism
Slow down. Take it in. Shopping, Food & Brews, Places to Stay, and more.
Living life simply. Holmes County & beyond. Get your Amish Country Ohio Map & Visitors Guide online at visitamishcountry.com or call us at 330-674-3975.
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CENTERED
Chatlos Memorial Chapel Groups can enjoy spiritual retreats and spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the Cove in Asheville.
THE COVE
Photos courtesy The Cove
B
BY K RISTY ALPERT
illy Graham’s reach extended to all corners of the globe, but in a small slice of North Carolina, groups can soak in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains landscape that often inspired him. Billy and Ruth Graham lived most of their lives together in a small mountain town just outside Asheville, where they raised their five children. After much prayer and planning, the couple finally opened their dream center just a dozen miles from their mountain home. The Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove in Asheville was designed as a year-round center for believers to study the Word, commune with others, retreat from the demands of daily life and receive training and teaching from some of the best Bible teachers. Today, the Cove encompasses 1,200 acres of rolling hills and landscaped property; it is looked after by the Grahams’ grandson, Will Graham, vice president and associate evangelist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. The five main buildings at the Cove include spaces for sleeping, gathering, playing and dining alongside fellow Christians, and each provides a great home base for journeying through the faith and furthering an authentic walk toward truth.
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LOCATION Asheville, North Carolina SIZE: 1,200 acres of forested hills CAPACITY: 500 overnight guests CONTACT INFO: 828-298-2092 thecove.org
LODGING The Cove can host groups of as many as 500 participants. Two dedicated inns on the property provide respite for groups that are meeting or attending events on the grounds. The Shepherd’s Inn and the Pilgrim’s Inn feature a combined 126 guest rooms, and six suites are also available. Some of the guest rooms are equipped with a gas fireplace, two queen beds and an ample sitting area that makes sharing rooms an easy option. Five rustic cabins are set along a quiet wooded lane. All the rooms at the Cove are furnished in a cozy rustic decor with real wood accents and warm fabrics that provide a sense of calm and relaxation. Private decks look out over the tree-lined landscape, making a lovely spot for a morning devotional or an inspirational sunset. The lobby areas inside the inns provide comfortable common spaces for guests to mingle, gather for impromptu Bible studies or prayer circles or sip a hot cup of coffee around the fireplace.
SPECIALTIES The Cove specializes in biblical training through special events: seminars, personal spiritual retreats, military marriage retreats, pastor renewal retreats and special “Evenings at the Cove” that feature popular Christian artists. Groups can also hold private ministry events, retreats or conferences. No matter which type of gathering, meeting attendees always get exceptional service that extends far beyond check-in and checkout. Aside from the two inns, which feature meeting space in their lobbies, groups can gather in the Chatlos Memorial Chapel for a service or meet in the training center, which includes two auditoriums. The main auditorium can seat 451 guests, and Auditorium 303 can seat up to 119 guests. The 14 meeting and breakout spaces for guest group participants are equipped with the latest technology, plus an optional beverage and snack service. Every meeting at the Cove comes with a dedicated event planner and audiovisual expert to attend to all meeting guests’ needs and ensure that every detail is covered. Meals at the Cove are held in the dining room, where floor-to-ceiling windows open the room to gorgeous mountain views. Menus are chef-driven, with buffet-style dining that features farm-fresh salads and delicious desserts.
ACTIVITIES There are three ways to visit the Cove: Guests can attend a Cove program, hold their own events or take a tour. The Cove regularly hosts events featuring the top Bible scholars for seminars and intensive Bible trainings, but it also hosts worship nights and spiritual retreats throughout the year. Meeting guests can take advantage of the several miles of hiking trails on the Cove’s 1,200 acres, including a roughly four-mile hike to the scenic overlook deck. The Chatlos Memorial Chapel and Ruth’s Prayer Garden are popular daytime tours, and the deck on the backside of the training center always fills up with meeting attendees looking to soak in the scenery in the rocking chairs or around the fire pit. Visitors can shop the bottom floor of the training center at Ruth’s Attic Bookstore for decor items, books by Christian authors, Bibles, clothing, jewelry, coffee and more. They can also take a stroll through the bottom floor of the training center to explore the life and travels of Billy, Franklin and Will Graham through memorabilia and information about the ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The outside walls of the bottom floor are lined with pictorial displays and television screens that depict the ministry through the years.
VENTURING OUT The Cove is 15 minutes from the heart of Asheville. This charming Southern city boasts a vibrant arts scene, which is best explored in the River Arts District inside the former factory building that has been transformed into live artist studios. Groups can explore the dome-topped Basilica of St. Lawrence to see renowned architect Rafael Guastavino’s finest work before heading to the 19th-century Biltmore Estate to see his handiwork in the details of Richard Morris Hunt’s design. The Biltmore was once home to the Vanderbilt family, but today the home and expansive gardens and grounds are open so visitors can explore this National Historic Landmark. Brunch is a major event in Asheville, and restaurantgoers line up for the chance at a seat inside Biscuit Head, Cúrate and Rhubarb. For the best views in the city, many travelers opt for the Montford at the top of the Hyatt Place Hotel for artisanal small plates and the best sunset-viewing spot in all of Asheville.
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BIGGER
Plan your visit at ArkEncounter.com Williamstown, KY (south of Cincinnati)
