The Group Travel Leader April 2023

GROUP TRAVEL LEADER THE

STUDENT TRAVEL ISSUE

BRING IT TO

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BY BRIAN JEWELL

If you had a formative travel experience as a student, raise your hand. Wherever I go around the country, I meet professionals at tour companies, destination marketing organizations, attractions, hotels and more. And I’m struck by how many of them say that significant travel experiences in childhood helped lead them into their grown-up careers.

That was certainly the case for me. In the years from middle school through college, I was blessed with powerful group travel opportunities that fundamentally altered the course of my life.

I remember each so clearly. The first was a trip to Washington, D.C., with my sixth-grade class. We took a motorcoach overnight from Lexington, Kentucky, which was thrilling for us kids. For my dad and the other chaperones, it couldn’t have been much fun, but they didn’t complain. We packed in as much as we could, visiting the monuments, touring the White House and even meeting our congressman. I still think of it every time I go to Washington.

In the eighth grade, I joined a student group from my church for a weeklong mission trip in rural Mexico. That trip inspired a deep love for Mexico, a place I’ve returned to many times.

A year or two later, the church youth group took another mission trip, this time to Costa Rica. And like Mexico, I would go on to visit again many times as well.

But my most powerful student travel experience came my sophomore year in college, when I spent a semester studying with a couple dozen other American students in the Mexican state of Michoacan. During the week, we took classes in Spanish language and Mexican history. On the

EDITOR’S MARKS

weekends, we explored other cities and regions around the country by motorcoach.

By the time I came home from that semester studying abroad, I was hooked. I would be a traveler for life.

As I meet tourism professionals today, I hear versions of that same story over and over. Travel is powerful, and many of the movers and shakers in the travel industry today were inspired by experiences they had as students.

That’s why it’s important for me to shine a spotlight on student travel each year in our April issue. Whether you deal with student groups every day, every now and then, or not at all, supporting the student sector is an important part of supporting the travel industry as a whole. After all, today’s student travelers will become tomorrow’s tourism leaders.

This is also a good reason to join in efforts to make travel accessible to more students. The TooFly Foundation, which offers passport and travel scholarships to disadvantaged minority students, is among several nonprofits doing important work in that area. You can hear my conversation with TooFly founder Bola Ibidapo and learn her inspiring story on a recent episode of our podcast Gather and Go (available in your favorite podcast app or at grouptravelleader.com/podcast).

If you’re one of the many tourism professionals who got your start in travel as a student, I hope you’ll join me in thanking the teachers, leaders, fundraisers and volunteers who made those trips possible. And when you have a chance to make a similar investment in a new generation of students, I hope you’ll seize the opportunity.

display at the Billy Graham Library

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Good times roll beyond the casinos in Atlantic City

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

In Atlantic City, there are many ways to roll. Sun seekers can loll on the beach. Shoppers will scurry to stores. Music lovers can settle in for a show or a free pipe organ concert. Sightseers board tour boats. It all proves that this city, best known for gambling, is about far more than slots and jackpots.

“Atlantic City is a destination with gaming. We’re not just a gaming destination,” says Heather Colache, tourism account manager at the Atlantic City CVB. “It’s an all-encompassing experience.”

Along the Boardwalk

Of course, the hopeful do pour into the nine casinos that dominate the city’s skyline, but they also duck into the local shops along its famed seven-and-a-half-mile boardwalk. There’s Fralinger’s for take-home saltwater taffy, specialty shops and boutiques at casinos, including 40 shops in the Quarter, and a Cuban-themed shopping mall at the Tropicana. The largest concentration of stores is Tanger Outlets, with some 60+ retail shops steps off the boardwalk. When tour groups arrive there together, the outlet’s staff hands

them coupon books, and off they go, in search of deals, partly motivated by New Jersey’s tax-free shopping on shoes and clothing.

Find the Unexpected

Atlantic City’s 17,500+ hotel rooms fill up regularly, and loads of restaurants make sure those guests stay well fed. Nearly every cuisine is represented, and some of the best local places are tucked away in neighborhoods. Colache recently dined for the first time at an Afghan-French fusion restaurant that has been there for years.

“The variety here is enormous,” she says, “from celebrity chefs to mom and pops.” The wide range extends to hotels, with rooms “to fit any budget,” Colache says. And properties are constantly being refreshed, she adds. “During Covid, all our hotels took it as a chance to do some remodeling. We’re a shore town; we keep things updated.”

A Warm Welcome

Arriving at the Jersey shore, motorcoach groups get a warm welcome. Gone are the days when buses parked in remote lots and passengers were shuttled into downtown. There’s ample and reasonable motorcoach parking (about $10-$25 a day depending on the season) in the city, and when a motorcoach pulls up to deliver passengers to their casino hotel, hotel staff climb aboard to explain group bonuses (provided by each casino) as well as the casino’s amenities and layout. If it’s a group’s first time to the city, the Atlantic City CVB can have a step-on guide give a city tour.

An assortment of transportation makes it easy to take in everything without wearing out the soles. Jitney buses prowl city streets. Tram shuttles are able to transport guests up and down the Boardwalk. And, for a breezy ride for two that’s been a boardwalk tradition since 1887, visitors can hail a wicker chair, pushed by a strong attendant. In a city where there are so many ways to roll, it’s one more fun way to do so. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Air and space museums, clockwise from top: The Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia; Kansas’ Cosmosphere; Wings over the Rockies in Denver

BY TED HUETTER, COURTESY MUSEUM

KIDS LOVE DISCOVERING AN AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

BY LINDSEY HYDE

America’s air and space museums are places where dreams take flight.

While they are popular among travelers of all ages, these museums offer excellent out-of-class learning experiences meant to enhance students’ educations. Here are eight air and space museums student travel planners should include on their itineraries.

Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum DENVER

Situated in north-central Colorado, Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum can be found in Hangar 1 of the former Lowry Air Force Base, which closed in 1994. The museum comprises over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space, but learning actually begins before students even walk through the museum’s doors. Outside its entrance sits a Boeing B-52, a type of plane utilized by the U.S. Air Force since the 1950s. While this plane alone can teach many lessons, groups have access to a collection of aircraft, space vehicles, military uniforms and artifacts once inside.

While groups can peruse the museum’s multiple exhibits on their own, the museum offers two guided tours. The 90-minute Aerodynamics Tour highlights the science behind the design and shape of different aircraft, while the 60-minute Space Tour covers things like the history of modern rocketry, space science and life outside of Earth’s atmosphere.

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center CHANTILLY, VIRGINIA

For nearly 20 years, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia has introduced visi-

STUDENT TRAVEL ISSUE

tors to aviation and space exploration. Visitors can explore the Boeing Aviation Hangar, which features multiple aircraft resting on the floor and suspended in the air. One example is the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which is known for dropping the first atomic bomb during World War II. The James S. McDonnell Space Hangar focuses more on space travel. Inside, groups can find the Space Shuttle Discovery, as well as the Mobile Quarantine Facility, where the astronauts of Apollo 11 stayed post-landing, among other things.

Student groups can request a one-hour docent-led tour or participate in a 25-minute demonstration, where museum staff show how things fly on Earth and in space. Plus, the museum’s free STEAM Labs educate students on science, technology, engineering, art and math through demonstrations, experiments and hands-on activities.

AIRANDSPACE.SI.EDU

Cosmosphere

HUTCHINSON, KANSAS

Cosmosphere, an international science education center and space museum, is an unexpected treasure of central Kansas. While founded in 1962, this oncesmall planetarium has grown into a 105,000-squarefoot museum. It features Carey Digital Dome Theater, which screens a selection of documentaries; Dr. Goddard’s Lab, an interactive show based in the father of modern rocketry’s lab; an interactive play area called CosmoKids; Justice Planetarium; and the Hall of Space, which showcases a collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts. Depending on the experience they are hoping to have, student groups can choose between two passes that provide them access to different attractions.

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The Museum of Flight in Seattle

OF FLIGHT

San Diego Air and Space Museum SAN DIEGO

Located in Balboa Park, the San Diego Air and Space Museum preserves and celebrates the history of aviation and aerospace. The museum is filled with air and spacecraft from multiple countries, and visitors can spend hours immersing themselves in its many exhibits and artifacts. One of its most prominent exhibits is the International Air and Space Hall of Fame, which celebrates those who have paved the way for air and space flight, such as Neil Armstrong. Other great exhibits include the American Women of Flight, which celebrates the contributions women have made to the world of aviation, and SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure, which explores mankind’s quest for the stars.

Student groups can request a 30-minute guided tour as well as an interactive workshop and a dynamic presentation. Examples of workshops include the Engineering Challenge: Solar Machines and Engineering Challenge: Mars Rovers.

SANDIEGOAIRANDSPACE.ORG

San Diego Air and Space Museum

A NASA Space suit at the San

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Texas Air and Space Museum

AMARILLO, TEXAS

On the grounds of the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in the Texas Panhandle is the intriguing Texas Air and Space Museum. This facility aims to honor the servicemen and women, aviators and astronauts of northwest Texas. Home to multiple exhibits, it showcases numerous aircraft, like the NASA Shuttle Training Aircraft, which Space Shuttle pilots used to simulate landings, as well as models by model-maker Jack Rude. Other exhibits highlight the lives of some of Texas’ great aviators, like Robert Speed, who built an airplane called Bearcat.

To help inspire the next generation, the museum offers regional primary and secondary education programs, where museum staff present an approved curriculum to the student groups who visit. Plus, volunteer tour guides are available for groups looking to learn more about the museum’s exhibits and artifacts.

TEXASAIRANDSPACEMUSEUM.ORG

PHOTOS BY RON FERNUIK, COURTESY TX AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

Historic aircraft at the Texas Air and Space Museum in Amarillo

Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

NEW YORK

Big-name air, sea and spacecraft fill the rooms of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City. Among highlights are the USS Intrepid — which was used during World War II, the Cold War and the Vietnam War — and Enterprise, the first space shuttle orbiter.

While here, students can immerse themselves in the museum and all it has to offer. Options include examining original artifacts, viewing historic video footage and exploring the many interactive exhibits. Groups can choose to take a self-guided or guided tour of the museum or take part in one of the museum’s hour-long educational programs, which are tailored to specific grade levels. The programs focus on topics related to STEM and social studies/history. Should groups want to take their museum experience to the next level, they can also choose to spend the night and sleep among the aircraft.

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The Museum of Flight

SEATTLE

History shines brightly at the Museum of Flight, which is in the Puget Sound region of Washington. Here, groups can cast their eyes on more than 175 air and spacecraft, tens of thousands of artifacts, millions of rare photos and much more. While it often boasts temporary exhibits, the museum is also home to several permanent ones, such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, which features a tribute wall honoring those who served in the war, as well as the B-52G Stratofortress 59-2584 Midnight Express, which was flown during Operation Linebacker II.

Students can enhance their experience by taking part in the museum’s Boeing Academy for STEM Learning programs. Available to those in grades K-12, the programs, which combine engineering challenges with hands-on scientific investigations, focus on aviation, space and robotics. Plus, the museum provides educational resources and information that students can utilize before, during and after taking part in one of the programs.

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The space shuttle Enterprise on display at New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

COURTESY INTREPID SEA, AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

Pima Air and Space Museum

TUCSON, ARIZONA

Nestled in southeast Arizona, the Pima Air and Space Museum first opened its doors in 1976. Known for being one of the largest nongovernment-funded air and space museums in the world, Pima offers six indoor exhibit hangars and 80 acres worth of outdoor displays. Given its large space and excellent collection, groups can spend multiple days at the museum. A few exhibits they can explore include Arizona Aviation, which celebrates the state’s centennial; Air War in Southeast Asia, which looks at the airpower used during the Vietnam War; and Women in Flight, which shows the role women have played in aviation.

When it comes to exploring, groups can choose guided or self-guided tours. The museum offers several classes related to aviation and engineering.

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BY TED HUETTER, COURTESY MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

Arizona’s Pima Air and Space Museum

A display pavilion at the Museum of Flight

Longhorn cattle walk along Front Street during a cattle drive at Dodge City’s Boot Hill Museum.

POSTCARDS FROM KANSAS

BEGIN YOUR TRIP IN ANY OF FIVE GREAT CITIES

BY RACHEL CRICK

There’s nothing plain about the plains of Kansas. Centrally located in the U.S., the Sunflower State is where American heritage and culture converge on many fronts. Named for the Native Americans who once inhabited its lands, Kansas and its occupants played a central role in bygone eras, including the westward expansion, the Civil War, and more recently, the civil rights movement. It’s also known as the Wheat State because of its agricultural prowess, but its varying climate and terrain support a surprising range of industries, meaning a trip to Kansas can emulate both the comforts of the Midwest and the wildness of the West.

From cities devoted to modern innovation to laid-back cowboy towns, this state in America’s heartland is landlocked and loaded to give groups a good time.

KANSAS CITY

The Kansas City Metropolitan Area consists of two incorporated cities, one in Kansas and one across the state line in Missouri. Groups will find plenty to do on both sides — and easy access between the two. However, the Kansas side has a distinct combination of large-scale attractions and quaint wells of culture. A trip to Kansas City, Kansas, offers group travelers the opportunity to build a customized itinerary where entertainment, history and authenticity are represented.

One of the city’s largest attractions is the Kansas Speedway, a one-anda-half-mile long NASCAR racetrack. NASCAR newbies and lifelong fans can catch a race or get access to the infield on nonrace days. Other prominent attractions in the city are related to its rich history. Group tours of sites like the Quindaro Underground Railroad Museum, the Quindaro Ruins Overlook and the city’s John Brown Statue teach visitors about the fight between abolitionist and proslavery forces. At the Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center, groups will learn the stories of the Eastern European immigrants who once worked in the city’s meatpacking industry. These displays of culture and heritage offer perspective on the diversity of the present-day Kansas City community.

“You’re going to find a lot of unique cultural heritage here, a lot of unexpected things that you won’t find anywhere else,” said Alan Carr, executive director of Visit Kansas City Kansas.

When it comes to cuisine in Kansas City, its two essential dishes often surprise visitors. The first is its barbecue, which is known for a thicker, sweeter sauce. Group-friendly restaurants serving up this local favorite include Slap’s BBQ and Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que. The other culinary surprise is tacos, and street taco tours allow visitors to sample as many tacos as they’d like. Or, groups can eat their fill at Taco Republic.

VISITKANSASCITYKS.COM

LAWRENCE

Lawrence, founded in 1854 by free-state advocates, had contentious beginnings during the Bleeding Kansas era. The city was even sacked and burned during the Civil War. Despite its combative beginnings, today it’s a college town, home to University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, which has members from nearly 150 Native American tribes enrolled.

“We are a university town, a really fun, vibrant quirky college town,” said Andrea Johnson, director of marketing and communications at Explore Lawrence.

Many groups choose to make the college experience part of their itineraries with the Jayhawk Experience, which focuses on the University of Kansas’ athletic programs. Groups can see a display of the original rules of basketball and historic memorabilia, and tour some of the university’s sports facilities. The KU campus also includes group favorites like the Spencer Museum of Art, the Kansas University Natural History Museum and the Dole Institute of Politics.

In addition to its enthralling on-campus experiences, Lawrence is home to a buzzing downtown district, which features four blocks of local shops, eateries, art galleries and live music. Groups can enjoy the local scenery and walk the district together or on their own. For an off-campus history lesson, groups can visit the Watkins Museum of History in downtown Lawrence, featuring rotating exhibits focusing on the area’s history.

Lawrence has six breweries offering space for groups to enjoy traditional pub fare and craft beverages. One of the more prominent in town is Free State Brewing Company, the first legal brewery in Kansas after Prohibition. This laid-back local favorite serves quesadillas, fish and chips, and burgers. Merchants Pub and Plate, set in a historic bank building, offers farm-to-table selections using local ingredients. EXPLORELAWRENCE.COM

TOPEKA

Topeka is the unassuming capital of Kansas, with just over 125,000 residents. But this city on the Kansas River is also a hotspot for art and history. Established in the 1850s, Topeka was home to many abolitionists and even a stop on the Underground Railroad. About a century later, Topeka was the site of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court case that made school segregation illegal.

Groups can see historic attractions throughout the city, including the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site and the Brown v. Board Museum; the Historic Ritchie House, the city’s Underground Railroad Stop; and Constitution Hall, where the anti-slavery constitution for Kansas territory was drafted in 1855. That’s in addition to the state’s capitol building, which was recently renovated and restored to its former glory.

“In Topeka you’re going to get some of that big-city feel with attractions, but you’re going to have the small-town feel of hospitality as you come in,” said Melissa Sowers, vice president of convention sales and marketing at Visit Topeka.

On top of rich history, groups will find plenty of art throughout Topeka. They can see many murals scattered throughout the city’s districts and visit its art galleries and museums, such as the Rita Blitt Gallery and Sculpture Garden and the Mulvane Art Museum. Another one of Topeka’s popular group attractions comes around each April at an event known as Tulip Time, when 100,000 tulips

COURTESY VISIT TOPEKA

Tulip Time in Topeka

Exploring the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

bloom at the Ted Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee. After a day of exploring the city, groups can stop at Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant, where they’ll find delicious craft beers and a varied menu featuring pub food, steaks and barbecue. Another local favorite is Hazel Hill Chocolate, where groups can receive a behind-the-scenes tour to learn how the shop’s delicious treats are made.

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WICHITA

The largest city in Kansas has surprisingly humble roots as a trading post and site for cattle drives, even sporting the nickname “Cowtown” for a brief time. Wichita was officially incorporated in 1870, but by the early 20th century it was an aircraft production hub, earning it the new designation of “Air Capital of the World.” Today it’s a prominent site for industry and a metropolitan mecca of culture, featuring plenty of museums, art and restaurants. It’s also home to a great deal of Native American history. One of the city’s signature landmarks is “The Keeper of the Plains,”

COURTESY VISIT KANSAS CITY KANSAS

Forrest Allen statue on University of Kansas’ campus Pictured: Take a cooking class with The League of Kitchens, to build cross-cultural connection and access to traditional cuisine.

a 44-foot-tall steel sculpture representing the convergence of all the Plains tribes. In addition to this sculpture, the city has many murals and multiple art galleries for visitors to check out.

“Wichita is not only a vibrant destination with over 50 museums and attractions and more than 1,200 restaurants, but it’s also a city full of passionate and friendly locals ready to greet groups with a welcoming spirit,” said Marisa Pechanec, convention sales manager at Visit Wichita.

Wichita is home to a district called Museums on the River. Here, groups can see “The Keeper of the Plains” up close and visit the Mid-America All-Indian Museum. Groups can visit the Old Cowtown Museum, a living history museum transporting visitors back to 1865. They can also tour the Wichita Art Museum and Botanica Wichita, a beautiful collection of gardens and horticultural library. Another prominent Wichita museum is the Kansas Aviation Museum, where groups will find historic planes and an exploration of the city’s aviation history.

Nature-loving groups can visit Tanganyika Wildlife Park for up-close encounters with sloths, lemurs and penguins, or visit the many species at the Sedgwick County Zoo. After a day of exploring the city, groups can treat themselves to a mouthwatering meal at restaurants like River City Brewing Company for some pub food and live music.

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DODGE CITY

To round out their Kansas itinerary, groups should visit Dodge City and step back in time to the lawless era of the Old West. Gunslingers, saloons and cowboys brought this historic town alive, and that energy can still be felt today by visitors. This small town in eastern Kansas was named for Fort Dodge, which was constructed to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Later, the Santa Fe Railroad brought the cattle trade through the city and established its legacy as a frontier town that captured the rowdy spirit and grit of the West.

“We have a ton of history that really captivates people,” said Robin Bailey, tourism coordinator at the Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

A step-on guide can accompany a motorcoach group along the Santa Fe Trail to immerse them in the stories of those pushing west in the 19th century. They can also see historic attractions, such as the Santa Fe Depot, constructed in 1898, and the Mueller-Schmidt House, the oldest building in the city still at its original site, complete with period furnishings. Other historic hotspots include the Boot Hill Museum, which contains over 60,000 Old West artifacts and the Long Branch Saloon, where visitors can sip on a sarsaparilla following their trip to the museum.

A trip to a city built on the cattle trade would be incomplete without a hearty steak, which Dodge City delivers. At Central Hill Station, a restaurant set in a historic freight house, groups can try a steak made on the only mesquite grille in the city. Cowboy Capital combines the feel of a historic saloon and a steakhouse. For a meal accompanied by entertainment, groups can attend the Long Branch Variety Show, where they’ll be entertained by Miss Kitty and the Can-Can dancers while they dine.

Meeting a lemur at Tanganyika Wildlife Park

COURTESY DODGE CITY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

A wagon in the Great Western Parade

IT’S GOOD ON THE GULF

DAYS END WELL IN PANAMA CITY BEACH

BY KATI HYER

For groups visiting Panama City, life’s a beach. This all-American beach town gracing the Gulf of Mexico’s Emerald Coast draws group travelers in to relax, explore and recreate in the sandy, sunny outdoors. And while PCB, as the locals call it, may be Florida through and through, those bound for this dreamy destination can expect sweet tea and Southern hospitality to accompany its white-as-sugar beaches.

“Here in the Panhandle, we’re not like the rest of Florida,” said Helen Adami, director of destination sales at Visit Panama City Beach.

“We are truly still in the South so we have that Southern charm. We call ourselves ‘the real fun beach,’ and here you can have fun no matter what you want to do — and most people love getting outside.”

“My favorite group recommendations are drinking a cocktail at a bonfire surrounded by friends, exploring one of our two state parks or going on adventures,” Adami said. Grab the beach umbrellas (and yes, reapplying sunscreen ad infinitum is required, but it’s more than worth it) and count down the days to these must-do outdoor group ideas in Panama City Beach.

BONFIRES ON THE BEACH

Thanks to its location on Florida’s coast, Panama City Beach enjoys unrivaled views of the water. Mornings offer gentle walks along the shoreline. Clear skies and midday sun are sure to spark the spirit in adventurers of all ages. But it’s the evening and the enchantment of spectacular sunsets where PCB stands out.

How can travel planners elevate an already captivating moment?

“There is nothing like watching the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico,” Adami said. “My top recommendation is gazing out over the Gulf as the sun goes down and having a beach bonfire at the same time. It’s incredible.”

Throw in skewers, marshmallows and graham crackers for a crowd-pleasing dessert experience. No need to

recall Boy Scout skills to start a fire, either: Planners can enlist the help of local companies to prepare seating, yard games and the bonfire itself.

“It’s hard to overstate this,” Adami said. “Sitting around with the group, watching the sunset with a cooler full of snacks and drinks, beverage in hand… It’s amazing.”

If using an itinerary on this beachy escape, Adami recommends incorporating the bonfire before heading out to dinner. Consider a meal at legendary Captain Anderson’s for a tried-and-true group-approved restaurant. The family-owned establishment right on PCB’s Grand Lagoon has offered views of fleets unloading their fresh Florida catch, like oysters, shrimp, grouper and red snapper, for more than half a century.

PHOTOS COURTESY VISIT PANAMA CITY BEACH

The sun sets over Pier Park in Panama City Beach.

DOLPHINS AND MORE

A trip to the home of the “World’s Best Beaches” doesn’t need to be confined to the shore, either. With the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Powell Lake in the state park to the east, the West Bay to the north and Saint Andrews Bay rounding out its western end, Panama City Beach is surrounded by bodies of water just begging to be explored.

Adami was quick to suggest investigating Panama City Beach’s green-blue waters from the Gulf: “We also have some great attractions like boats with dolphin tours,” she said. Pontoon, jet ski and boat rentals abound to invite visitors to enjoy the pristine waters.

“One of my favorite ways for groups to get on the water is a catamaran cruise where you will always see dolphins,” Adami said. A typical route includes interior

views of the city and Saint Andrew Bay before passing by the jetties to the Gulf of Mexico. Typically a two-hour tour, planners can rent out private cruises for the whole group. For groups with divergent interests, individuals and smaller groups can take part in larger step-on cruises with other travelers. “We joke that we pay the dolphins well because they always show off for us. You can’t experience that anywhere else and it’s just beautiful,” Adami said.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Back ashore, groups can enjoy either or both of the two state parks bookending Panama City Beach’s 27 miles of white sand. Check out St. Andrews on the east end and Camp Helen to the west.

“I’d say both are fantastic for groups,” Adami said, ticking off an outdoor lover’s bucket list. “Snorkeling, swimming, hiking, migratory bird watching, visiting the jetties, going to the beach — they’re both really pretty places for those activities. The senior groups like to see the state parks and just explore.”

Part of the magic of coastal Florida is the presence of myriad ecosystems so densely packed together. The parks of Panama City Beach are no exception. Groups can expect to see dunes with sea oats swaying in the breeze, bike through flatwood pine forests, and canoe, kayak, or paddleboard in Grand Lagoon, all within just a few moments’ walk.

Visitors to St. Andrews State Park can rent a pontoon boat or take the tram and ferry (reservations strongly recommended) to pristine and undeveloped Shell Island, the seven-mile barrier island that forms the southern part of the park. Get in the water with a scuba or snorkel mask to enjoy thousands of different species in the shining waters around Panama City Beach. Allow groups to put a line in. (Florida saltwater fishing licenses required.)

PAST AND PRESENT

History lovers will enjoy Camp Helen State Park, a public space today but an erstwhile company retreat for a since-shuttered textile company. Camp Helen is home to restored lodges and a coastal dune lake, one of those ecological puzzles where freshwater and saltwater interchange and provide more than ample points of interest for students of wildlife and nature.

For group members angling for attractions of the more modern kind, consider Pier Park, Panama City Beach’s outdoor shopping, entertainment and dining mall.

“Pier Park is great for those days when you don’t want to be outside and prefer to check out a movie,” Adami said.

No matter the trip plans, a spin around the SkyWheel Panama City Beach at Pier Park provides a unique place for rest, print-worthy photo opportunities, and incredible views of the outdoor landscapes and ecosystems that make Panama City Beach so special.

A group setup on the beach at twilight

The coastline at St. Andrews State Park

A beachside bonfire

INDIGENOUS VOICES

THESE MUSEUMS SHOWCASE NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE

BY DIANA BOCCO

BY FRANK BUFFALO-HYDE, COURTESY MEAD ART MUSEUM

For generations, Native Americans have been passing down their stories and traditions through art and literature. You can find them in the dances to thank spirits for a bountiful season and the sound of ancient voices in the wind as men and women drum, weave and harvest.

And while museums have done a fantastic job at highlighting the recorded history of Native American communities, a closer look into the contemporary art and mythology of Indigenous nations has yet to be embraced by many collections. For group travelers wanting to learn more about modern Native American voices and perspectives, here are five new exhibits and experiences highlighting Indigenous storytelling, music and traditions.

Boundless at the Mead Art Museum is among several significant new museum exhibits nationwide showcasing native art and culture.

Native Truths at Chicago’s Field Museum

BY JAY YOUNG, COURTESY FIELD MUSEUM

NATIVE TRUTHS: OUR VOICES, OUR STORIES FIELD MUSEUM CHICAGO

With a collection of over 24 million objects rotating in and out of its halls, the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) is one of Chicago’s largest and most beloved museums.

The newest addition to the museum is Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, a massive permanent exhibit dedicated to telling the story of Indigenous people through words, music, dance and art. Alaka Wali, the museum curator, worked with an advisory committee of 11 Native American scholars, museum professionals, artists and community people to guide the creation of Native Truths.

“They really guided the whole process of how we came up with the stories we wanted to tell and then selecting the objects to showcase,” said Wali.

The final result is a massive exhibit featuring a mix of historical objects from the museum’s collection paired with contemporary objects by over 100 contemporary Native artists.

“From the beginning, we wanted to make this hall a representation of present-day Native American concerns,” said Wali. “And part of that was to get across the message that Native peoples were never erased and are still with us. They’re still thriving, and so that’s what this exhibit is about: those stories about how they did that.”

The result is an exhibition that combines the old and the new.

“We have over 50 artworks that we commissioned and purchased for this exhibition plus a number of historical pieces that connect and speak to each other,” said Wali. “This includes examples of present-day contemporary beadwork by Karen Ann Hoffman, an Onida artist, sitting next to a pair of moccasins that were made probably in the late 19th century, providing a juxtaposition between the old and the new.”

As Wali puts it, the exhibit is “almost too big to describe with words” and contains not only works of art but also benches built using pine gifted by the Menominee tribe in Wisconsin and large, colorful photographs taken by Native American photographers covering the walls.

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BY DANIELLE SEEWALKER, COURTESY LONGMONT

DUALITY LONGMONT MUSEUM LONGMONT, COLORADO

Dedicated to celebrating the local history and culture of Longmont and the St. Vrain Valley in Colorado, the Longmont Museum contains over 30,000 artifacts, photographs and documents.

The museum’s new contemporary Native American art exhibition, called Duality, is a labor of love by artist and guest curator Gregg Deal from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

“For Gregg, Duality was all about being a native person from this continent and having tradition in ceremony but also living in contemporary American society,” said exhibitions curator Jared Thompson.

From vibrant paintings and intrinsic ceramics to sculpture, video and delicate beadwork, the exhibit features the work of 15 artists bringing a modern look into Native American art.

“Many people tend to think of Native Americans in the past and not in a modern sense,” Thompson said. “Duality is hoping to challenge that perception by providing a snapshot into what contemporary art looks like now among Native American communities.”

Notable examples featured in the exhibit include sand paintings by JayCee Beyale, who Thompson said is a great example of the duality of modern Native Americans. “He’s actually Navajo, a nation with a tradition of sand painting, but he is also Buddhist, which also has a tradition in sand painting,” Thompson said.

There’s also the work of New Mexico ceramicist Virgil Ortiz.

“He comes from a long line of potters, and his work is just so beautifully crafted,” Thompson said. “And he was heavily influenced by sci-fi, but also both his grandmother and mother were renowned Pueblo potters, and you can see both influences in his work.”

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Artwork from the Duality exhibit at Colorado’s Longmont Museum

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CREATIONS OF SPIRIT HIGH DESERT MUSEUM BEND, OREGON

The High Desert Museum, founded in 1982, interprets the region known as the High Desert, a massive basin spanning eight to 10 states including Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and even corners of Northern Arizona.

“We use art and history and culture and the natural world to tell these very rich, layered stories about the high desert, the story of a place,” said Heidi Hagemeier, director of communications for the museum.

The museum’s new exhibit, Creations of Spirit, embraces the Native American love of storytelling by combining nine historical objects on loan from the Smithsonian with seven original present-day creations. In addition to an interactive piece, there are also six other commissioned works displayed that are practical objects, including harvesting baskets, traditional Plateau flutes and a tule reed canoe and paddles. All these objects were used in Native communities before becoming part of the exhibit and will return to those communities to be used in education.

“It’s all about this concept of objects being imbued with spirit or personhood, so that the object is fulfilling its purpose when it’s in use,” said Hagemeier. “So a root gathering basket can be used to gather roots in the field and have dirt stains on them, and yet they’re also beautiful and artsy and a connection with your ancestors.”

Music, video and projections help create a completely immersive experience where stories almost come alive. “It really is kind of an immersive space that you come in,” said Hagemeier. “The tule reed canoe, which actually went out on the water, is against a projection of water and landscape, so it almost looks like it’s out in space. And you hear Philip Cash Cash, his flute playing. It’s all very special.”

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COME WEAVE WITH CHILL BASKETS AKWESASNE, NEW YORK

The Akwesasne of New York are a nation of basket makers, with the ancestral knowledge of waving passed down among women for generations. “Weaving is part of our ancient history,” said Penny Peters, manager of Akwesasne Travel/Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. “I think a part of it is just the families that have continued to pass it down and keep the passion for it alive.”

At the Come Weave with Chill Baskets workshop, visitors will have a chance to work directly with award-winning basket maker Carrie Hill to create their very own piece of art.

“Carrie follows that exact storyline of how weaving was passed from generation to generation, but she’s also put her modern-day twist on it, kind of added her own creative touches as an artisan,” Peter said.

The tour takes groups to Hill’s workshop, where she shares her tools, her family history and how her love for basketry was born — all while visitors work on their own weaving projects.

“Carrie talks about the sweet grass used for the baskets, how it’s picked and how it’s used,” Peter said. “Sweet grass is kind of endangered right now, so she talks a little bit about the fear of this tradition being lost because we don’t have any more trees.”

While the space inside Hill’s workshop fits about eight people comfortably, Peters said it’s possible to accommodate large groups and customize the visit. “We have done experiences where half of the group goes to the nearby lacrosse factory and half go to Carrie’s workshop, and then they switch.”

Group tours need to be arranged in advance by calling Akwesasne Travel directly.

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BY HEATHER DUCHOW, COURTESY HIGH DESERT MUSEUM

A native artist and her family at the High Desert Museum’s Creations of Spirit exhibit

COURTESY AKWESASNE TRAVEL

A demonstration at the Akwesasne Nation’s Come Weave with Chill Baskets workshop

Ready to plan your group adventure? Download the full itinerary and more at TravelOK.com/Group.

Craving some authentic Oklahoma flavor? Dig in at Sam & Ella’s Chicken Palace in Tahlequah. The “fowl” language is just a nod to their kitschy décor — they actually specialize in hand-tossed pizzas! Next, tour 28,000+ Western and Native American artifacts, including the world’s largest collection of rodeo photos, at Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Then, head to Yukon to horse around with a majestic herd of Clydesdales on a guided tour at the Express Ranch. Wrap things up at the historic Fort Reno, a “temporary” military camp established in 1874 that would later play an integral role in Oklahoma’s transition to statehood.

How did American Indians become national and commercial symbols?

Learn more in Americans

Visit the museum in Washington, D.C. Open daily 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Free English-Spanish audio tour available. AmericanIndian.si.edu

BOUNDLESS AT THE MEAD ART MUSEUM AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

Originally created to house the fine-art collection of Amherst College, the Mead Art Museum is now home to over 20,000 objects including paintings, ceramics and historical artifacts from cultures around the world.

Set to debut in September, Boundless is the museum’s newest curated exhibit. The result of a dialogue between Frost Library, curators, students and members from local Native communities, the exhibit will explore the connection between Indigenous writers and the artists and illustrators bringing their words to life.

Both the library and Amherst College hold significant collections of Native American literary and cultural documents, including rare original books by 19th-century Dakota authors, works by poet and abstract painter Fritz Scholder, and ledger art by Lakota contemporary artist Dyani White Hawk. Some works of historical importance, like an exquisite 1887 copy of “History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan” with an original porcupine quill decoration on the cover, have never been part of an exhibition before.

For those involved in curating the exhibit, it’s been all about nourishing a better understanding of Indigenous literary history, which often doesn’t get the present-day recognition it deserves. Boundless is hoping to correct that by encouraging conversation among readers and art lovers alike.

AMHERST.EDU/MUSEUMS

OKANA Resort and Indoor Waterpark  OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

In October, a group led by Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and a number of city officials broke ground for what will become the massive OKANA Resort and Indoor Waterpark.

Located next door to the First Americans Museum — which chronicles the collective histories of Oklahoma’s 39 First American Nations — the resort will provide an ideal destination for both solo and group travelers. Tentatively scheduled to open in 2025, OKANA will be one of the Chickasaw Nation’s most ambitious projects.  At the center of it all will be a 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon and an indoor waterpark. Outdoors, the lagoon will welcome guests with water slides, an inflatable water obstacle course and a golden beach during hot summer days. In winter, the whole space will transform into a winter wonderland, complete with an ice-skating ring and ice tubing.

The two-level indoor waterpark, which in itself will cover over 100,000 square feet, will include everything from wave pools, action riders and water slides to fountain shows and water-based treasure hunts.

Visitors will find additional options for adventure and entertainment at the resort’s other attractions, which will include an amphitheater, a conference center and a 25,000-square-foot First Americans Retail Gallery, where Native American artists will sell their handcrafted work.

BY COURTNEY LEONARD, COURTESY MEAD ART MUSEUM

Mixed media native artwork at the Mead Museum

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Breaking ground on Okana Resort in Oklahoma City

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NationalCowboy&WesternHeritageMuseum

RedEarthFestival

Experience a combination of history, innovation, culture and energy during your next group visit to Oklahoma City.

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Palmetto palate

BRING YOUR FOODIES TO SOUTH CAROLINA

BY TOM ADKINSON

Food is a major tour concern, but it usually isn’t what your clients rave about back home. South Carolina can change that.

Throughout the Palmetto state, opportunities abound to learn how certain crops are cultivated, why coastal environments thrive, why chefs became chefs, and how to enjoy food and immediately walk off the calories. Here are five examples.

Savor the Flavors of Charleston Tour Charleston

Charleston, where boosters claim the Ashley and Cooper rivers merge to form the Atlantic Ocean, offers more restaurants and tasting experiences than you can shake a stick at.

How can you deal with so many choices? One way is eating and walking with Bulldog Tours on its Savor the Flavors of Charleston stroll. This 2.5-hour walking/eating/learning experience features three restaurants and two food-oriented specialty shops — and provides some exercise. It covers about 1.25 miles near the Charleston City Market.

“It deliberately adds up to a whole meal — if not more,” said Zach Ford, director of sales, noting that city-certified guides describe how Charleston’s food scene fits into South Carolina’s storied culinary history.

Tour restaurants vary. Among possible stops is Handy and Hot, a Vivian Howard restaurant. Howard is famous from “Somewhere South” and “A Chef’s Life” on public television. Enjoy a bacon, egg and pimento cheese biscuit from the chef, who also is a best-selling cookbook author.

Another prospect is Poogan’s Smokehouse, with the slow-smoked

BULLDOG TOURS BY RHONDA MOTT, COURTESY CHARLESTON TEA GARDEN

COURTESY

Harvest at Charleston Tea Garden

meats Southerners love. This stop offers a slider trio (pulled pork, pulled chicken and smoked sausage) with three sauce choices, plus collard greens and cornbread. Get a taste of the sea at the Oyster House (shrimp and grits, she-crab soup and hushpuppies), and save room for fried chicken, deviled eggs and banana pudding at Rudy Royale.

The Charleston locaton of the popular Spice and Tea Exchange offers items such as a Gullah Geechee spice blend — and just for this tour, a pimento cheese sample called among the best in the city.

Sweets wrap up the tour at the cafe of third-generation French chocolatier and pastry maker Christophe Paume. The tour provides a hand-painted chocolate truffle and a macaron.

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Charleston Tea Garden Wadmalaw Island

Iced tea may be “the house wine of the South,” but only one place in the South produces the leaves brewed for that thirst-quenching beverage. That’s the Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island about 25 miles from Charleston.

Colonists brought tea bushes (Camellia sinensis) to South Carolina in the late 1700s, but commercial production failed for 150 years. Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville was successful from 1888-1915, but that ended when the owner died.

The effort emerged from the soil again in 1963, when William Barclay Hall repurposed a 127-acre sweet potato farm using plants from Summerville. His research led to his American Classic tea, the first ever made only with American-grown tea.

In 2003, Hall partnered with the Bigelow Tea Company, which had decades of experience in specialized teas. Wadmalaw Island, connected by bridge to the mainland, became a destination for tea connoisseurs, or at least the tea curious.

A 90-minute visit includes a narrated trolley tour through approximately 70 acres of cultivated tea plants, plus a factory tour and time at a tea bar to taste as much hot or cold tea as you like. You can extend your visit with a pre-ordered box lunch enjoyed at picnic tables beneath shady live oak trees or under the shelter of a big front porch.

Charleston Tea Garden produces nine varieties of tea, including Charleston Breakfast, American Classic and Earl Grey. The most popular is Peachy Peach, although Rockville Raspberry has plenty of fans. A quick-selling tea is called First Flush, made only with the first cutting of new leaves each spring.

An impossible-to-refuse photo opportunity is with Waddy, the human-sized metal frog perched on a front porch bench and holding a Charleston Tea Garden mug. CHARLESTONTEAGARDEN.COM

BY RHONDA MOTT, COURTESY CHARLESTON TEA GARDEN

Posing with Charleston Tea Garden’s mascot, Waddy

BY RHONDA MOTT, COURTESY CHARLESTON TEA GARDEN

A tour trolley at Charleston Tea Garden

A Charleston restaurant tasting

Travelers sample dishes from numerous restaurants on Bulldog Tours’ Savor the Flavors of Charleston tour.

COURTESY BULLDOG TOURS

Colonists brought tea bushes (Camellia sinensis) to South Carolina in the late 1700s

South Carolina Chef Ambassador Abbeville

Erica McCier enjoyed life as a visual arts teacher and never imagined becoming a chef and restaurant owner. That was until kidney disease, the boredom of dialysis, a successful kidney transplant and uncounted hours watching the Food Network showed her a different path.

She went to culinary school, learned how to cater private events, experimented with a pop-up restaurant and eventually took the plunge.

The result is Indigenous Underground, a fine-dining experience unexpected in tiny Abbeville (population 5,000). It’s in South Carolina’s Old 96 District, about 85 miles west of Columbia and 45 miles south of Greenville.

It also resulted in McCier’s becoming one of three 2023 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors. That program spotlights top-notch chefs who promote the state’s agricultural products and foodways.

It also enhances their presentation skills, which McCier proves with programs for travel groups. She can deliver a cooking demonstration or construct special wine and beer dinner pairings at Indigenous Underground (56 seats, black tablecloths, black walls and very bright local art).

“My recipes reflect the foods I grew up with. My grandfather was a farmer, so I know this food,” she said, noting that she wants at least 70% of her ingredients to come from Certified South Carolina farmers.

She translates those ingredients into beautifully presented dishes worthy of a big-city restaurant. Her calling card is a Soul Roll, an

Asian/Southern spring roll with seasoned collard greens, black-eyed peas and a special chili sauce. Her bourbon molasses lamb chop is an impressive entree.

The first recipe she developed for Indigenous Underground remains a favorite. Check out her black-eyed pea gumbo (andouille sausage, chicken and grilled shrimp in a light tomato roux). Think of it as traditional South Carolina with a Chef McCier twist.

Titan Farms

Ridge Spring

Georgia is the peach state, right? Well, no. A single South Carolina farm produces more peaches than the entire state of Georgia.

Titan Farms has 6,000 acres and 1 million peach trees covering 15 square miles at Ridge Spring. Visiting provides a glimpse at its massive operation and sweetens the experience with peach ice cream and other peachy treats. Although huge, Titan Farms remains a family operation.

“We’re not your traditional family farm, but we’re my family farm,” said Lori Anne Carr. She and her husband, Chalmers, are the hands-on owners of this spread near I-20 between Columbia and Aiken.

Visits begin by learning about the fuzzy fruit with so many uses and a world-encircling history. Chinese cultivated peaches 3,000 years ago, and their popularity spread west to Russia, Persia, Greece and Europe. Spanish colonists brought them to North America.

Peaches’ popularity helped Titan Farms become the East Coast’s largest producer. There is a “sideline” operation with 1,000 acres of

Dining al fresco across from Abbeville’s Trinity Episcopal Church

PHOTOS COURTESY ERICA MCCIER

South Carolina chef ambassador Erica McCier, center

McCier’s signature

COURTESY ERICA MCCIER

A lamb entre at Indigenous Underground

broccoli and 600 acres of bell peppers, both with two crops a year.

Growing peaches is complex — far beyond planting trees and waiting. Titan Farms uses a web-based irrigation system, radio signals, weather stations and soil moisture probes to determine precise water and fertilizer application.

While cultivation is interesting, nutrition is, too. Takeaways include learning that a 60-calorie medium peach has no fat or cholesterol and delivers vitamins A and C, mostly in the skin.

After the presentation, Lori Anne Carr or another staffer will narrate an eight-mile drive to Titan Farms’ primary public facility — Sara’s Fresh Market at Trenton.

Here’s where you can savor homemade peach ice cream and load up on jellies, jams, dressings, sauces, peach bread, peach fritters and peach salsa. You get the idea. Bonuses are arrays of Titan Farms bell peppers and broccoli, plus watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes and more from other local growers.

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“My recipes reflect the foods I grew up with. My grandfather was a farmer, so I know this food.”

— ERICA MCCIER

PHOTOS COURTESY OLD 96 DISTRICT TOURISM

Fresh peaches and farm stands in South Carolina’s Old 96 District

Explorer Eco-Cruise

Murrells Inlet

Enjoying fresh seafood is fundamental to a South Carolina tour, so carry that experience to its roots with a two-hour trip at Murrells Inlet near Myrtle Beach aboard the aptly named Explorer, an 80-passenger pontoon boat.

Captain and onboard naturalist Howie Strickland offers a two-hour eco-tour of the only saltwater estuary on the East Coast. He bills it as a birdwatching eco-tour to see bald eagles, herons, pelicans, oystercatchers and snowy egrets, but much of the focus is on and under the water.

“Think of the estuary as a giant marine nursery,” Strickland said.

Strickland proves the estuary’s vibrancy two ways. Early in the trip, he puts out a crab trap for later retrieval and then pulls a small dredge on the bottom. What the dredge collects goes into a touch tank for passenger to observe.

The “catch” often is a mix of sea spiders, seahorses, sea urchins and small crabs, which allows Strickland to talk about the ecosystem’s diversity and discuss the food chain that eventually leads to a healthy home for flounder, spots, red drum, black drum and Spanish mackerel.

Watching shorebirds quietly stalk their tiny prey next to the marsh grass or seeing a pelican dive on a bigger morsel, reinforces Strickland’s narrative.

A tour treat is when 54-foot-long Explorer eases into an isolated beach. Passengers unload for a beach walk and opportunities to collect banded tulips, heart cockles, whelks and other shells.

Back at the dock, several group-friendly restaurants that feature seafood aplenty are within walking distance. Among them are the Claw House, Drunken Jack’s and the Dead Dog Saloon.

“Count on fresh fish,” Strickland said. “I call it a ‘boat to throat’ experience.”

CRAZYSISTERSMARINA.COM

A seafood platter at a Murrell’s Inlet restaurant

A wildlife sighting on the Explorer

Up close with a sea urchin

The Explorer beached during a tour

Murrell’s Inlet waterfowl

COURTESY MYRTLE BEACH AREA CVB