The Group Travel Leader March 2018

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TRAI L 2018 TRAVEL GUIDE

KENTUCKY ARTISAN CENTER OPEN DAILY 9 - 6 SHOP ● DINE ● EXPLORE www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov

BEREA EXIT 77 859-985-5448 The Kentucky Artisan Center is an agency in the Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

“The Greatest “

by Augustin Zarate; “Noble Series” by Brook Forrest White Jr; “American Kestrel” by Jim Sams; “Art Pin” by Mark Needham; Glass by Stephen Rolfe Powell

Plan your visit at ArkEncounter.com Williamstown, K Y (south of Cincinnati)

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table ofCONTENTS VOL 28 | ISSUE 3

U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL

6 EDITOR’S MARKS

T R AV E L G U I D E

NEWS

CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUMS

8 FA M I LY M AT T E R S

HISTORIC SITES

10 C O N F E R E N C E S C E N E

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HIDDEN TREASURES PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS

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Blueberry pie is a dessert staple of Maine.

FEATURES

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Kentucky

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Discover the wonderfully diverse cuisine of the Bluegrass State.

Sweet treats DON’T MISS THESE SIGNATURE DESSERTS WHEN YOU TRAVEL.

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AMERICA’S CROSSROADS

INNOVATIVE INDIANA

OREGON SPOTLIGHT

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MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS DAVID BROWN

Founder and Publisher Partner Executive Editor Senior Writer Creative Director Art Director

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ELIZA MYERS CHRISTINE CLOUGH SAVANNAH OSBOURN KELLY TYNER STACEY BOWMAN ASHLEY RICKS

Online Editor Copy Editor Staff Writer Director of Sales & Marketing Advertising Sales Director Marketing & Circulation Manager

888.253.0455

KELLY@GROUPTR AVELLEADER.COM

The GROUP TRAVEL LEADER is published ten times a year by THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc., 301 East High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified group leaders who plan travel for groups of all ages and sizes. THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER serves as the official magazine of GROUP TRAVEL FAMILY, the organization for traveling groups. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and other travelrelated companies may subscribe to THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER by sending a check for $59 for one year to: THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (859) 253-0455 or (859) 253-0503. Copyright THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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FEEDING GIRAFFES AT THE ZOO WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TOUR ‘TIL WE HIT THE DESSERT TRAY AT SCHMIDT’S

Great tours are Made in Cbus. Pair a visit to the zoo Jack Hanna calls home with a cream puff at iconic Schmidt’s in historic German Village. As a leader in experiential tours, Columbus is a perfect fit for a group of any size (or taste)!

experiencecolumbus.com/tours

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s the travel industry sitting on a largely untapped mental health remedy? Patrick Marsden thinks so.

Marsden, a sales director for global promotional products company MaCher, is a millennial. And he is concerned about the emerging mental health crisis he sees among people his age.

“We are 25 percent more likely to be depressed than the baby boomer generation,” he told the United States Tour Operators Association during a talk at its annual conference in December. “One in four of us has been diagnosed with a mental illness that has been treated in the last year. And the average high school student in the U.S. has the same levels of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s. That is horrifying.”

Experts attribute this increase in depression and anxiety to numerous causes, among them economic instability, mounting debt burdens and pressure to excel in school, sports, work and other endeavors.

But nearly all recent research suggests the biggest factor might be our recently developed dependence on constant digital connectivity.

“Cellphones may be the cigarettes of our generation,” Marsden said. “Fifty percent of us are addicted to our phones, and 80 percent check them first thing in the morning.”

Part and parcel of the problem is the millennial generation’s love of social media — and Instagram in particular — which can cause members to check their phones for updates as often as 200 times per

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day. And the images and updates they see there are likely to cause social anxiety and feelings of inferiority as they compare their friends’ carefully curated posts with the messy realities of their own lives.

As concerning as the problem is, though, Marsden believes travel could be part of the solution.

“This is where we as an industry step in,” he said. “Our product has been proven to make our passengers feel better. That’s a well-researched and proven fact. Travel has a positive influence on mental health.”

Among the most interesting pieces of research he cited was a recent study in which the members of a small group on a trip to Morocco were asked to give up their phones for the last four days of the trip. Almost immediately, researchers noticed the participants’ posture improved, as did their conversations. They began to remember small interpersonal details about one another, details that are crucial in helping people bond and form social capital. They slept better, too.

Perhaps most importantly, though, the travelers reported making significant decisions about their relationships, careers and other major aspects of their lives, decisions they implemented after returning home.

There’s a lot we can take away from this. You may not have many millennials on your trips, but older generations have plenty of mental health challenges, too, although social stigmas keep many people from discussing them openly. And as people age, they are more likely to feel lonely and isolated.

When you bring people on trips, you’re bringing them into a traveling community that can relieve that loneliness. When you help them disconnect from technology, you give them opportunities to reconnect with themselves in a deeper way.

Travel isn’t just about seeing the sights. It’s about discovering — or rediscovering — the joy of living. Life is full of hardships, but a great trip can go a long way toward replacing anxiety with joy.

MARCH 2018

FAMILY MATTERS ‘BEEN YOUT UBED’ INTRODUCED AT CONFERENCES

GTF FOUNDER CHARLIE PRESLEY INTERVIEWS A CONFERENCE DELEGATE ON “BEEN YOUTUBED.”

GO AHE AD T OURS IS BUILDING BR AND AWARENES S SALEM, Ohio — Go Ahead Tours is making an impact on leaders of travel groups and inspiring an entire market of new group travel planners to see the world. As part of the world’s largest private education company, Go Ahead draws on over 50 years of experience and a rich network of local tour directors, historians and experts to create one-of-a-kind journeys for groups.

Go Ahead representatives recently attended the Select Traveler Conference, where they introduced their brand of travel to bank club, alumni association and chamber of commerce travel directors. Go Ahead brought the delegates up to speed on its destinations, as well as group travel policies and benefits available when traveling with the company.

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Go Ahead’s mission is to help travelers discover the world, and the company’s service to group travel planners is key to making that happen. While Go Ahead begins the travel planner support program early in the travel relationship, one key element is the reward of free travel for one traveler with each traveler that pays.

“Go Ahead has proven to be dedicated to the success of the group leader and recognizes the value that the leader brings to the table in being able to gather travelers in the community,” said Jennifer Ferguson of The Group Travel Family.

Robin Hauck is the director of business development at Go Ahead Tours and can be reached at 877-661-1875.

SALEM, Ohio — The age of social media marketing has reached the group travel industry, and one organization is helping group travel leaders with content in the form of free marketing videos. The Group Travel Family, a national operator of travel marketplaces that serve the group market, will offer to film, edit and deliver promotional videos to delegates attending their conferences.

The program, titled “Been YouTubed” after the popular video platform, has been developed over the past two years and, to date, has produced over 1,500 videos that feature group travel destinations, serving travel planners as well as the travel industry. The videos have been viewed 150,000 times by people interested in group tours and packages.

The “Been YouTubed” program allows travel planners or travel industry delegates attending a Group Travel Family event to film a short clip about their group, destination, tour or service.

It will be edited, produced and delivered free of charge in about two weeks.

“We just returned from the Select Traveler Conference, where 90 videos were filmed and will be distributed to help grow group travel,” said Joe Cappuzzello, president of The Group Travel Family.

When the travel planners or travel industry delegates receive them. the videos can be placed on social media feeds such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and used on web pages. The program’s goal is to elevate the awareness of group travel via social media.

“I encourage every delegate to participate in ‘Been YouTubed,’” Cappuzzello said. “It’s a free sales tool.”

“Been YouTubed” is available at the Select Traveler Conference, the Going On Faith Conference, the African-American Travel Conference, Boomers in Groups, the Small Markets Meetings Conference and the AgritourismWorld Summit. Information on these meetings is available by calling 800-628-0993 or online at www.grouptravelfamily.com.

WWW.GOAHEADTOURS.COM

MARCH 2018

GROUPTOOLS ROLLS OUT GROUP MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY SALEM, Ohio — GroupTools is bringing new technology to the group travel industry with a software platform that can be used by travel planners to better organize their workflow.

Group travel planners have always been responsible for the planning, the organizing, the marketing and even the bookkeeping for their trips. While advances in technology have lessened the workload, it has taken GroupTools to focus the effort on group travel.

“It has been a pleasure to work with GroupTools at our conferences and create an awareness of their services to group travel planners nationwide,” said Jennifer Ferguson of The Group Travel Family. GroupTools has reached out to the group travel market by attending the Going On Faith Conference, the Select Traveler Conference, the Small Market Meetings Conference and Boomers in Groups.

The goal of GroupTools is to create effortless group management.

“With GroupTools, you can plan your event, manage your attendees and identify new opportunities, all under one platform,” said the company’s Bruce Amick.

GroupTools allows travel planners to discover ideas, build travel packages, manage tour product, invite group members and collect payments, all automatically. This reduces the time a travel planner spends on those tasks and allows them to allocate their time to more important tasks.

Every travel planner knows the importance of communicating with group members and new prospects. GroupTools helps leaders engage with travelers and increases the level of conversation to build and solidify interest in the trip.

GroupTools is bringing technology to travel planners. Contact Bruce Amick at 570-226-7340 or visit www.grouptools.com for information.

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CONFERENCE SCENE

AMERICA’S BEST TRAVEL PROGRAMS GATHER IN LOUISVILLE

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ore than 110 upscale travel program directors converged in Louisville, Kentucky, February 4-6 for the 2018 Select Traveler Conference, where they were joined by 220 tour operators and destination representatives from more than 40 states and seven countries. The conference celebrated its 23rd year as the nation’s largest gathering of high-end travel programs representing banks, chambers of commerce, alumni groups and similar organizations.

“I want to personally thank Cleo Battle, Nicole Twigg, Saundra Robertson and the entire Louisville CVB staff for how they prepared for this prestigious group,” said Select Traveler Conference president and CEO Joe Cappuzzello.

“From our opening Super Bowl party until our planners left on their site inspection trips afterward, our hosts did a superb job.”

The Select Traveler Conference has built its reputation on delivering the nation’s most qualified traveling groups. At the opening Buyer Breakout session, these planners confirmed that status by identifying international destinations including Iceland, Italy and Ireland as among those to be most visited in 2018. The same group pegged domestic destinations like America’s national parks, the new Ark Encounter in Kentucky and New York’s Broadway district as some of its hottest tickets for the year ahead.

Key trends identified in that session included the continued rise of river cruising as one of the world’s most popular travel styles, an overall resilience among high-end travelers in the face of international conflict and a surprising number of trips being offered in 2018. In many cases, these programs are running as many as 25 major trips to different destinations this year.

“Our sponsorship levels are at an all-time high now, and I can’t possibly mention them all,” said Cappuzzello, “but it would be appropriate to at least mention our major meal and reception

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THE LOUISVILLE CVB AND ITS PARTNERS HOSTED AN EPIC SUPER BOWL PARTY.

sponsors. A big thanks goes to the Louisville CVB and the French Lick Resort for our two evening events; also to our breakfast hosts, East Coast Touring Company and Trips; and to our longtime luncheon sponsors, Collette Vacations and Globus Family of Brands. And this year, we enjoyed a superb evening reception compliments of one of our newest sponsors, the Tourism Authority of Thailand.”

In three marketplace sessions, more than 5,000 business appointments were held. The conference also featured a seminar by Mark Lindquist titled “Eight Steps to Reignite Your Passion” and one by Steve Haffner titled “Conquering Virtual MindBlocks.”

The 2019 Select Traveler Conference takes place February 10-12 at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.

W W W.SEL EC T T R AV EL ERCONF.COM

SPONSORS LIVE AUCTION

DESTINATIONS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE MET WITH SELECT TRAVELER BUYERS. Photos by Dan Dickson MARCH 2018

STRONG ECONOMY YIELDS OPTIMISM AT ABA MARKETPLACE B Y S AVA N NA H O S B O U R N

The American Bus Association’s (ABA) 2018 Annual Meeting and Marketplace concluded at the end of January with resounding success.

Nearly 3,500 travel professionals converged in Charlotte, North Carolina, to cultivate new and old business partnerships, engaging in a total of 114,000 business appointments and 100 educational sessions led by industry experts.

“We’ve got the best group travel show out there,” said Peter Pantuso, President and CEO of ABA. “There’s nothing else like it out there, and people continue to come to the show because they know it’s going to be great for their business.”

According to Pantuso, many tour operators are experiencing their most successful years to date.

“The economy is doing well right now,” said Pantuso. “The stock market is up. Employment is up. People have got some extra money to spend, and when they’ve got some extra money, they travel.”

Despite the positive economic momentum of 2018, some delegates at the convention discussed the impact of the contentious political environment on the travel industry. According to the National Travel and Tourism Office, inbound U.S. travel decreased 3.6 percent in 2017, while France and Spain took the top slots as the world’s most visited destinations. Though political tensions may have precipitated this decline, there are also several other factors to consider, such as a strong U.S. dollar making international travel to the U.S. more expensive and other countries pouring more resources into tourism campaigns.

Association officials, however, don’t expect those factors to hold the domestic tourism industry back.

“We’re certainly seeing more people travel, and they’re not just looking at the same thing, but new destinations, which bodes well for smaller destinations,” said Pantuso. “My assumption for the current year is that we’re going to see a similar pattern as the economy continues to do well and people have more money to spend. The softening dollar may help with inbound travel.

All of those things coming together will allow us to stay the course.”

Throughout the event, the ABA Gives Back

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charity was able to raise more than $25,000 for the Isabella Santos Foundation, a local organization that supports pediatric cancer research.

Since it was founded, ABA Gives Back has raised over $400,000 for local nonprofits.

The association’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Marketplace will take place in Louisville, Kentucky, January 26-29.

W W W. BUSES .ORG

DELEGATES FILE INTO THE MARKETPLACE FLOOR FOR APPOINTMENTS.

A GUEST PERFORMER FROM “BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROL KING MUSICAL”

A PERFORMANCE FROM “ONCE ON THIS ISLAND: THE MUSICAL”

AN INDUSTRY PANEL DISCUSSES TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR 2018.

THE MYRTLE BEACH CVB WINS FIRST PLACE IN EXHIBITION DESIGN FOR ITS TROPICAL DISPLAY.

EXHIBITORS MEET WITH DELEGATES ON THE BUSINESS FLOOR.

Photos courtesy ABA

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Desserts

G I V E Y O U R G RO U P S W H AT T H E Y D E S E RV E

by BRIAN JEWELL

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or some travelers, appetizers and entrees are just detours on the road to dessert.

Memorable meals are an intrinsic part of great travel experiences, and there’s no more memorable way to finish a meal than by indulging in a great dessert, especially if you finish with a sweet local specialty.

From renowned favorites such as bananas Foster in Louisiana and Key lime pie in Florida to hidden treasures like Smith Island Cake in Maryland and kuchen in South Dakota, here are 10 signature desserts your group must try as it travels to states around the country.

A TRAVELER ENJOYS GRAPE PIE, A FAVORITE DESSERT IN NEW YORK’S FINGER LAKES REGION.

Artwork by Donia Simmons

By LCR Photography, courtesy Finger Lakes VisitorCourtesy Connection

GRAPE PIE New York With more than 120 wineries, New York’s Finger Lakes region has abundant grapes. That might explain why the grape pie, a dessert rarely heard of in other parts of the country, has become a signature of the region. Made with Concord grapes that have been cooked with a sweetened syrup and then covered with a pastry crust, these pies are served cold, often in pie tins as small as the palm of your hand.

The town of Naples has numerous places for groups to taste homemade grape pie, including Arbor Hill Grapery and Monica’s Pies.

Courtesy The Crown

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE Mississippi Ask a dozen residents of Mississippi what constitutes a Mississippi Mud Pie, and you’re likely to get a dozen different answers. Some make it with a chocolate crumb crust; others make it with a pastry crust. Some fill it with chocolate pudding; others fill it with brownie batter. It can be topped with whipped cream or ice cream. But no matter how the baker prepares it, this dessert is a decadent chocolate affair. Groups traveling the Mississippi Delta region can find classic examples to try at several restaurants in Indianola, including The Crown and Taste of Gourmet.

By LCR Photography, courtesy Finger Lakes Visitor Connection

SMITH ISLAND CAKE Maryland After enjoying a great crab entree on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, travelers can finish the meal with slices of Smith Island Cake, which was named the official state dessert in 2008. Originally created at a bakery in a village on Smith Island in the bay, this cake intersperses six to 12 layers of yellow cake with matching layers of chocolate icing. Groups can learn about the cake at the Smith Island Cultural Center, watch it being prepared at the Smith Island Baking Company and sample it themselves at the Bayside Restaurant.

Courtesy MD Office of Tourism

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Courtesy Louisiana Office of Tourism

BANANAS FOSTER Louisiana Like Louisiana itself, bananas Foster is all about flair — and flare. Created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans in 1951, the dessert is still flambeed tableside at this local institution and many other restaurants around town. The recipe features fresh bananas, vanilla ice cream and a sauce made with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur, combining hot and cold elements into a sweet, gooey delight. Groups can find it throughout New Orleans as well as at Bon Temps Grill in Lafayette, where it is incorporated into a bread pudding.

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Courtesy Real Racine

TH E A L L UVI A N H O T EL • T H E A L LU V I A N S P A V I KI N G C O O KI N G SC H O O L • G I A R D I N A ’ S

314 Howard Street | Greenwood, Mississippi 38930 | 662.455.4227 THEALLUV I AN. COM

TRUE DELTA VIBE. TIMELESS SOUTHERN CHARM. Treat your group to a unique melting pot of experiences and cultures that only Greenwood can deliver. Uncover the mystery of Blues legend Robert Johnson, learn the secrets of mouthwatering Southern cuisine at the world-renowned Viking Cooking School, or soak up the atmosphere and landmarks featured in the DreamWorks blockbuster film “The Help.”

And that’s just the beginning of a tour sure to end in rave reviews!

Talk to us about custom itineraries, group travel rebates and concierge services.

662.453.9197 www.visitgreenwoodMS.com

Paid for in partnership by Visit Mississippi.

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KRINGLE Wisconsin Though it is the official state pastry for all of Wisconsin, kringle is found most often in the city of Racine on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Like a strudel, kringle originated with the area’s Scandinavian immigrants and features sweet pastry baked into a ring and stuffed with sweet fruit or nut filling. The process takes three days from start to finish. Groups can watch bakers making kringle on behind-the-scenes tours at Lehmann’s Bakery and Larsen Bakery, or get demonstrations and tastings in the retail store at O&H Danish Bakery.

SOPAPILLAS Arizona Arizona’s Navajo Indians created fry bread, deep-fried servings of dough that have become a trademark Native American food throughout the Southwest. A close cousin of fry bread is a the sopapilla, a dessert common in Arizona and neighboring New Mexico. Sopapillas are often drizzled with honey or dusted with cinnamon and sugar immediately after coming out of the fryer, making them a hot, gooey, sweet treat that has become the area’s signature dessert. Groups can experience sopapillas in their pure form at Si Senor restaurant in Chandler, where they are served with every meal.

MARCH 2018

COLLETTE’S CULINARY EXPERIENCES SO MUCH more THAN A MEAL Courtesy Monroe Co. TDC

KEY LIME PIE Florida People around the country make Key lime pie, but nobody takes it as seriously as Floridians. The special limes required to make the pie are named for the Florida Keys, and the state has an annual Key Lime Pie Festival in Cape Canaveral. Served cold, the pie features a sweet, tangy lime curd and dollops of whipped cream. Groups are likely to find a great Key lime pie anyplace they stop for a meal in the Keys; Blonde Giraffe restaurant on Key Largo has won awards for its Key lime pie in numerous recent regional and state competitions.

home-hosted meals

Courtesy MA Office of Travel & Tourism

BOSTON CREAM PIE Massachusetts Food historians debate the origin of the Boston cream pie, which first came to prominence in the 19th century. But no matter who created it or whether it even came from Boston, this dessert has become a staple throughout Massachusetts. The classic Boston cream pie is rather a cake that has been layered with pastry cream and covered with chocolate fondant. Groups can enjoy the treat at the Omni Parker House in Boston, one of the sites that lays claim to the origin of Boston cream pie.

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There’s no better way to connect with local culture than sharing a meal in someone’s home. During a home-hosted meal, you have a unique opportunity to experience a slice of everyday life and discover culinary traditions passed down over generations.

Sometimes it isn’t just the food that makes a meal memorable, but the experience as a whole. When traveling with Collette, you’ll enjoy a variety of dining experiences, many of which you’ll remember long after the meal is done.

Call 844-445-5663 now or your local Travel Agent to learn about our booking discounts!

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Courtesy Maine Office of Tourism

BLUEBERRY PIE Maine Maine designated blueberry pie as its official state dessert in 2011, and for good reason: Maine is famous for its blueberries, especially the intensely flavorful “wild” blueberries that grow exceptionally well in its climate.

These berries tend to make Maine’s blueberry pies distinct from fruit pies found in other parts of the country. Travelers can see what all the fuss is about by sampling authentic blueberry pie at the Maine Diner in Wells, Dysart’s in Hermon or any of the Governor’s Restaurant and Bakery locations scattered throughout the state.

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Courtesy SD Department of Tourism

KUCHEN South Dakota Bake sweet dough into a round crust, then fill the middle with custard. Top the custard with a few pieces of fruit, such as prunes, peaches, blueberries and apples, and you’ll have kuchen, the official state dessert of South Dakota. This dish is attributed to the area’s Scandinavian and German roots — “kuchen” means “cake” in German — and is celebrated each September in the town of Delmont at the Kuchen Festival.

Groups can try the dessert any time of year at Pietz’s Kuchen Kitchen in the town of Scotland.

MARCH 2018

SAVOR THE FLAVORS OF KENTUCKY Celebrate the local flavors, spirits and delicious treats the bluegrass state is best known for.

From mouth-watering foods to bourbon, horses, outdoor adventure and bluegrass music.

Whatever your taste, it’s time to dig in!

kentuckytourism.com ¡ 1-800-225-TRIP

kentuckytourism.com · 1-800-225-TRIP

#TravelKY

Savor the Flavors of Kentucky Celebrate all the local flavors, spirits and delicious treats the bluegrass state is best known for like mouthwatering regional meals, bourbon, outdoor adventure and bluegrass music. While this year has been declared “The Year of Kentucky Food,” it’s only the beginning. Whatever your taste, it’s time to dig in!

Kentucky is known for a variety of mouth-watering cuisine – from savory barbecue to the tangy kick of our native Beer Cheese to the smooth taste of bourbon we offer a rich sampling of flavors for all tastes. Pair our delectable regional meals with iconic cultural

experiences and limitless natural beauty for the perfect experience for your group. Get a true taste of the state while enjoying a bounty of outdoor adventure, bourbon, horses, and bluegrass music, art, history and so much more.

Discover the Dynamic Notes of Bourbon Learn about “America’s Native Spirit” on tours of historic distilleries in Bourbon Country. From craft to the world’s largest bourbon producers, many invite visitors to learn about their brands and have a taste during behind-the-scenes distillery tours. Book a tour of Kentucky Cooperage, Lebanon, where new charred oak barrels created for bourbon production.

Take in the nightlife along the Urban Bourbon Trail in Louisville, where you can find creative new bourbon cocktails. Make a stop on the Hot Brown hop, to try the classic Kentucky dish that pairs turkey, bacon and rich cheese sauce into a decadent meal.

Graze on the Tastes of the Bluegrass Wind through the picturesque scenic byways that traverse Kentucky thoroughbred country. Visit the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, where you can learn about over 40 breeds of horse. Explore the history and pageantry of the greatest two minutes in sports at the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs in Louisville. After a full day of horse farm tours, travel the Winchester Beer Cheese Trail to sample this delicious spread and wash it down with a cold Ale-8-One, Kentucky’s favorite soft drink.

Whet your appetite with a true Kentucky experience - wind through picturesque scenic byways that traverse Kentucky thoroughbred country and sample “America’s Native Spirit” during behind-the-scenes distillery tours.

Relish the Richness of Bluegrass Music, Art & Barbeque Tune your ears to the old favorite sounds of Bill Monroe or listen for contemporary sounds taking the airwaves by storm by top Kentucky artists Jordan Smith, Chris Stapleton, and Cage the Elephant. Experience our vibrant arts scene with a visit to Berea and see artisans working in their studios. Travel to the beautiful river community of Paducah, a certified UNESCO Creative City and home to the National Quilt Museum, the largest museum in the world devoted to quilts and fiber arts. Try a different work of art in the slow cooked goodness of Kentucky mutton barbeque and burgoo, a thick and hearty stew made with different meats and vegetables.

kentuckytourism.com · 1-800-225-TRIP

#TravelKY Looking for the best places to eat in Kentucky?

Explore the state’s expansive food scene and savor the most popular local farms, markets, breweries, distilleries and restaurants.

Fill Up on History Discover the story of Kentucky by visiting the birthplaces of Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali and Bill Monroe. You may know the story of one of our most famous native sons, Abraham Lincoln, but 2018 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and perfect time to learn the fascinating story of her life at the Mary Todd Lincoln home in Lexington. Visit the beautiful, historic mansion at My Old Kentucky Home State Park to see the grounds that inspired the Stephen Foster classic tune of the same name. Marvel at the ingenuity of the Shakers at Pleasant Hill, home to a large, restored Shaker settlement with over 3,000 acres of pristine countryside. While

there enjoy a meal of traditional favorites prepared with straight from the garden ingredients.

Feast on Epic Outdoor Adventure For outdoor adventure, find a hidden cove on one of the thousands of miles of waterways.

Our 17 state resort parks provide group-friendly lodging, delicious dining and activities. All that adventure leaving you hungry?

Enjoy fish caught fresh from one of our large lakes or visit the restaurant where the Colonel launched his famous recipe for delicious fried chicken.

Plan your next Kentucky vacation at kentuckytourism.com.

SMALL TOWN – BIG FUN ON THE U.S. 23 COUNTRY MUSIC HIGHWAY. Ashland is birthplace to The Judds, Billy Ray Cyrus and Jason Carter and is located along U.S. 23 Country Music Highway– a mecca for arts, family friendly festivals, entertainment and outdoor activities.

visitashlandky.com

800.377.6249

Matt Corbin — Blue Raven

kentucky RECIPES COME FROM THE LAND, AND HEART. Opening my own restaurant — a lifelong dream. Finding the best ingredients and doing as little as possible to them, that’s something special. Seeing a downtown come to life, knowing I’m a part of it. This is what good food can do.

Visit BetterInTheBluegrass.com for the full story.

kentuckytourism.com · 1-800-225-TRIP

#TravelKY

A LITTLE TOWN OF CHARM Spring is the perfect time to explore Kentucky’s second-oldest town.

Dine on a dinner train, spend the night in an old jailhouse, or peruse the scenic downtown shops. From Civil War museums to world-renowned distilleries, visit the Bourbon Capital of the World® and see what makes Bardstown, KY, so unforgettable.

KY’S OLDEST TOWN CRAFTS SPIRITED ADVENTURES! Experience 3000 acres of discovery at Shaker Village. Explore Old Fort Harrod.

Savor southern cuisine & signature bourbons at Beaumont Inn. Sip spirits at Olde Towne Distillery and Lemons Mill Brewery.

visitbardstown.com

HarrodsburgKY.com

800.638.4877

800.355.9192

HORSES & HORSEPOWER IN KENTUCKY HORSE COUNTRY: GEORGETOWN

MT. STERLING LOVES GROUP TOUR VISITORS!

Minutes from Kentucky Horse Park • Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm Nearby Keeneland Race Track • Group Horseback Riding Picturesque Downtown: Antiques, Specialty Shops, Cafes • Arts and Heritage Plus: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Tours • Ward Hall • Country Boy Brewing Nearby Wineries, Bourbon Distilleries • Close proximity to Ark Encounter 14 Hotels & 70+ Restaurants GeorgetownKy.com

888.863.8600

Conveniently located off 1-64 at Exit 110.

Offering comfortable hotels and restaurants that can accommodate large groups! Tour the Ruth Hunt Candy Factory and Arts Center in the historic downtown shopping and dining district.

New Holiday Inn Express opening in 2018!

www.mtsterlingtourism.com

859.498.8732

tops for groups at the top of the state

Left to Right: Ark Encounter, Coppin’s at Hotel Covington, Braxton Brewing Co., Mac’s Pizza Pub, Marriott RiverCenter, Newberry Bros. Coffee & Prohibition Bourbon Bar, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Mainstrasse Village, Newport Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo, Smoke Justis, New Riff Distilling, Hofbrauhaus Newport, Covington, BB Riverboats, Ark Encounter

#makeitNKY meetNKY.com

kentuckytourism.com · 1-800-225-TRIP

#TravelKY KITSCHY, FUNKY, FUN, FANTASTIC, RETRO, WEIRD, AND WAAAYYY COOL! Where it’s 56 degrees year round (underground), Dinosaurs Roam, Mike’s House is a Mystery, concrete Wigwams have no Indians, and everyone can fly on a zipline.

Paddle, hike, bike and ride the two-fer-one park: underground discoveries and above ground fun at Mammoth Cave National Park.

Where? CAVE CITY, KY. Make memories at cavecity.com 270.773.3131

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED IN PRESTONSBURG Prestonsburg is the Star City of Eastern Kentucky and a jewel in the Appalachian Mountains. Follow the path of the elk. Savor the local flavors of home-cooked meals while you gaze across the river.

Explore the wild beauty that convinced early settlers to make a home here. Move your feet to the mountain music that defines our state.

What story will the mountains share with you?

prestonsburgky.org

800.844.4704

FIRST TIME VISITORS AND LONG-TIME LOCALS EXPERIENCE WORLD CLASS HOSPITALITY Take a behind the scenes tour in the Saddlebred Capital of the World.

Shop in our charming downtown or grab some deals at the only Outlet Mall in Kentucky. Your mouth will be watering in anticipation for a taste at our local distillery and wineries. Shelbyville is located between Louisville and Lexington, within minutes of the Bourbon Trail®.

VisitShelbyKY.com • 502.633.6388

NOW OFFERING Kentucky River Jet Boat Tour for your Adventure Seeking Group!

Be one of the first Group Planners to offer this unique experience!

This two-day, one night tour includes: scenic drive, 155 mile tour on the Kentucky River, nature, history, and of course bourbon!

Overnight accommodations in historic downtown Frankfort.

www.visitfrankfort.com • 502.875.8687

SO MANY OPTIONS. TAKE YOUR PICK! • Taste what makes Owensboro the “International BBQ Capital of The World” at the BBQ Festival - May 11 and 12 • Hear why Bluegrass Music is king at the River of Music Party (ROMP) - June 27-30 • See the Blue Angels soar over our Riverfront Airshow- September 14-16

visitowensboro.com • 270.926.1100

BEER CHEESE, A N YONE? Ale-8-One is a much beloved ginger-citrus soda made in central Kentucky.

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Nestled in the heart of the state, the Bluegrass, Horses, Bourbon and Boone region is characterized by beautiful horse farms, classic bourbon distilleries and unique local festivals. Many of the most distinguished horse farms in the nation encircle Lexington, also known as the Horse Capital of the World. Groups can tour the farms that bred champion race horses like Secretariat, Man O’ War, Silver Charm and recent Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. There are many cultural attractions to experience outside Lexington as well, such as the stunning state Capitol in Frankfort and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg, once the site of the third-largest Shaker community in the country.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: At the beginning of June each year, Winchester attracts hundreds of visitors from across the state to its annual Beer Cheese Festival, where groups can sample various beer cheese brands on pretzels or crackers. Though the exact origins of beer cheese have been debated, there is no question that the distinctive snack dip has found a true home in Kentucky.

Another quintessential Kentucky product is Ale-8-One, a refreshing ginger and citrus soda produced in Winchester. The company is one of the nation’s oldest family-owned soft drink companies, and groups are sure to notice the drink’s familiar green bottle and red logo in restaurants, cinemas and grocery stores all over the state.

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Beer cheese All photos courtesy Kentucky Tourism

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Groups can sample spoon bread and other fine Kentucky cuisine at the historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant in Berea. For those willing to splurge, the Middle Fork Kitchen Bar in Lexington’s Distillery district features gourmet regional creations such as sweet potatoes breslin, duck confit and bread boule with brisket. Several other reputable venues to consider are Dudley’s on Short, Lockbox and Tony’s of Lexington.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: No trip to the Horse Capital of the World would be complete without a visit to the Kentucky Horse Park or Keeneland racetrack. Spanning 3,000 acres of beautiful Bluegrass countryside, the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill has hiking trails, historic buildings, shops, an inn and a restaurant. A few other notable landmarks are the Mary Todd Lincoln House and the state Capitol in Frankfort.

MARCH 2018

ENJOY A GERM A N TREAT

NORTHERN KENTUCKY RIVER REGION

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Southern tomato pie is a northern Kentucky variation on pizza.

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Sprawled along the banks of the Ohio River, the Northern Kentucky River region has big-city offerings with the feel and affordability of a smaller destination. In Newport, visitors can enjoy waterfront dining and attractions directly across the river from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, which can easily be reached via shuttle, bicycle or even walking thanks to several pedestrian bridges. MainStrasse Village, a German-heritage neighborhood in Covington, carries on the legacy of the German and Irish immigrants who moved to the area during the 1800s. Today, this storybook “German village” displays colorful handcrafted goods, antiques and German-inspired cuisine.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: One of northern Kentucky’s most distinct calling cards is goetta, a meat-and-grain sausage introduced to the area by German immigrants during the early 1800s. This breakfast patty combines pork, beef, onions and pin oats, creating a texture akin to sausage and hash browns mixed together. Each summer, MainStrasse Village hosts a threeday event called Goettafest to celebrate the dish, and Cincinnati holds its own Goettafest in the fall.

Southern tomato pie could be described as a variation on pizza; it features tomatoes, herbs, grated cheese and white sauce layered inside a pie crust. It can also be prepared as a dessert with buttered and sugared green tomatoes.

Tracing its roots back to the early pioneer days in Kentucky,

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transparent pie is a simple, custardlike concoction of sugar, butter, cream and vanilla baked into a pie shell. Magee’s Bakery in Maysville is renowned for its transparent pies.

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Modeled after the 400-year-old Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Germany, Hofbrauhaus Newport invites groups to dine like Bavarian kings in its 250-seat Bier Hall, or stop by for a tour and beer tasting. Otto’s is an intimate bistro in Mainstrasse Village with appetizing Southern dishes such as truffle fries, tomato pie, fried green tomatoes and bourbon-marinated pork.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: Anchored by the Newport Aquarium, Newport on the Levee is a vibrant waterfront entertainment district with shops, restaurants and weekly events during the summer. Just outside Newport, the Notre Dame-inspired Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption contains the largest stained-glass church window in the world. Religious travelers would be remiss not to visit the Creation Museum in Petersburg as well as its sister attraction, Ark Encounter, in Williamstown.

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The hot brown is a legendary culinary creation of Louisville.

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SIGNATURE FLAVORS: Before “cocktail” became an umbrella term for any mixed drink, it referred to a drink prepared the “old-fashioned way” with spirits, bitters and sugar. During the 1800s, a gentleman’s club in Louisville began featuring the Old Fashioned as a bourbon whiskey concoction garnished with a citrus rind, making it history’s first official cocktail.

Bread pudding, or bourbon biscuit pudding, started as a way for early settlers to use up leftover biscuits; they mixed the biscuits with eggs, sugar, vanilla, butter and bourbon to create a sweet side dish.

Nothing says Southern comfort food quite like a heaping Hot Brown sandwich. First served in 1926 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, the Hot Brown is an open-faced turkey sandwich topped with a generous portion of Mornay sauce, tomato and bacon.

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Bourbon cocktails with dinner

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North-central Kentucky’s Bourbon, Horses and History region is home to the state’s most celebrated annual event, the Kentucky Derby — one of three national horse races that make up the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Often called the most exciting two minutes in sports, this prestigious race takes place at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky’s largest city. In addition to its unique sports history, the Derby City encompasses a wonderful range of world-class museums, beautiful parks and waterfront attractions on the Ohio River.

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GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: The Brown Hotel continues to serve its signature Hot Brown sandwich in the J Graham’s Café and the elegant English Grill.

Consistently rated one of Kentucky’s finest restaurants, Jack Fry’s features upscale Southern fare such as shrimp and grits, veal tenderloin, pan-seared snapper and spicy fried oysters. A few other eateries worth checking out are Proof on Main, Harvest Restaurant and Lilly’s Bistro.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: In addition to visiting the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, groups can stop by several impressive museums in the area, such as the Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Frazier History Museum and the 21c Museum Hotel. Louisville also marks the beginning of Kentucky’s renowned Bourbon Trail, where groups can tour the facilities of prominent bourbon brands like Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark. Just an hour from Louisville in Hodgenville, the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park commemorates the life of one of the nation’s most influential leaders with a beautiful memorial building and a replica log cabin.

MARCH 2018

BURGOO TO DIE FOR

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Western Kentucky barbecue is served with a vinegar-pepper sauce.

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The Bluegrass, Blues and Barbecue region of western Kentucky combines two things the Bluegrass State does best: folk music and barbecue. Many legends have called these rolling green hills home over the years, from Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music, to John James Audubon, one of the world’s greatest naturalists. Beyond the region’s rich music history, travelers are sure to encounter mouthwatering barbecue in nearly every town they visit, from beef brisket to barbecue mutton and sliced pork shoulder. The city of Owensboro takes the crown as Barbecue Capital of the World. During the city’s International Barbecue Festival each spring, locals prepare over 600 pounds of mutton, 400 pounds of pork, 300 whole chickens and 60 gallons of burgoo.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: To make true western-Kentucky-style barbecue, local chefs slow-roast whole pork shoulders over a bed of hickory coals in a masonry pit for at least 12 hours, producing a smoky flavor and an extra-juicy texture. The meat is traditionally seasoned with a vinegar-pepper sauce, though sauce recipes vary by county.

Often featured at family gatherings and other large events, burgoo is a spicy, robust stew that combines a range of pork, chicken, beef, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and cabbage — everything but the kitchen sink — with an occasional splash of bourbon. The stew is now eaten around the state and is considered a signature

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dish at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville.

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Moonlite Bar-BQ Inn is a legendary staple of Owensboro; there, guests can enjoy a splendid buffet of traditional Kentucky fare such as barbecued mutton, burgoo, fried catfish, corn muffins and banana salad. Other choice venues include the award-winning Old Hickory Bar-B-Q and the Miller House in Owensboro’s historic downtown district.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: Coming this fall, the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro will become the world’s first facility dedicated to the bluegrass genre. Groups can learn more about Monroe’s illustrious career and personal life at his childhood home in Rosine. The Muhlenberg Music Museum in Central City commemorates local music icons such as the Everly Brothers, Jim Walker and Merle Travis.

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COUN TRY H A M CA LLING Western Waterlands favorites include baked ham, catfish, Silver Queen sweet corn and Kentucky Wonder green beans.

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Kentucky’s Western Waterlands region abounds with artisan communities, diverse cuisine and beautiful lakeside views. Encircled by two of Kentucky’s largest lakes, Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area Lake is one of the state’s greatest natural treasures. Designated a UNESCO Creative City, Paducah carries a vibrant collection of art galleries and eateries that groups can explore along the Paducah Riverwalk and Lower Town Arts District. Twice each year, over 30,000 visitors converge in Paducah for QuiltWeek, a national fiber-art show hosted by the American Quilter’s Society.

Fulton banana pudiding

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Housed inside a historic railway depot, the Freight House is Paducah’s first farm-to-table restaurant, featuring locally sourced meats, garden produce and craft beers. Patrons can acquire a sense of regional cuisine with offerings such as Kentucky blue snapper, cold smoked beets, braised pork shoulder and almond amaretto pound cake.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: During Kentucky’s earliest days as a state, nearly every farmer owned a smokehouse to hang and smoke ham. Today, western Kentucky carries on that legacy through award-winning country ham brands like Broadbent, Harper’s and Colonel Bill Newsom’s. Baked or fried ham is often paired with a side of homegrown vegetables like Silver Queen sweet corn or Kentucky Wonder green beans, an heirloom variety also known as pole beans.

Though few people would associate Kentucky with a tropical fruit like bananas, the little town of Fulton claims the title of Banana Capital of the World, hosting a banana festival each year in September. The highlight of the event is a one-ton banana pudding that serves up to 3,000 people.

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MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: Paducah’s National Quilt Museum is well worth the visit, displaying some of the finest fiber art in the world. Groups can arrange a private tour and a guided quilting workshop, allowing guests to take home their own creations. Hotel Metropolitan is a wonderful hidden gem. During the 1900s, the shotgun house served as the only African-American hotel in the region, accommodating renowned figures such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. Anyone traveling through the Land Between the Lakes region can take a short day trip to Marion to browse colorful handcrafted products made by local Amish families.

MARCH 2018

FRESH COBBLER & FINE CHEESE

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Diners can sample sliced pork shoulder in the Caves, Lakes and Corvettes region.

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True to its name, the Caves, Lakes and Corvettes region of south-central Kentucky is riddled with winding cave systems and tranquil lakeside retreats. Travelers can trek into seven public cave attractions that each feature their own spectacular qualities. Barren River Lake State Resort Park is one of the most popular boating and fishing destinations in the area, accommodating guests with spacious cabins, a 51-room lodge and a 146-seat restaurant, all overlooking the stunning 10,000-acre lake. In Bowling Green, Kentucky’s third-largest city, groups can take advantage of several unique attractions, such as the National Corvette Museum and the state’s only underground riverboat tour.

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ing Green’s most historic buildings, Steamers Restaurant is a chic, multilevel seafood restaurant that emphasizes fresh hook-to-plate cuisine. 440 Main provides an elegant dining venue in downtown’s picturesque Fountain Square, and Home Café and Marketplace offers a more casual setting with savory hot sandwiches like corned beef Reuben and grilled pimento cheese.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: Near Cave City, SIGNATURE FLAVORS: Surrounded by sweeping farmland, the Caves, Lakes and Corvettes region is known for homegrown produce and products, from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheeses to peach or blackberry cobblers prepared with fresh fruit from Jackson’s Orchard. Chaney’s Dairy Farm, just outside Bowling Green, invites visitors to tour the scenic property and sample over two dozen flavors of creamy homemade ice cream. Another trademark of the region is Monroe County-style barbecue, in which thin slices of pork shoulder are cooked over hickory coals and doused in a Worcestershire-based sauce called mutton dip.

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Housed in one of Bowl-

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Mammoth Cave National Park contains the longest known cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles of tunnels. At Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, groups can take a subterranean boat ride through a seven-mile-long cave that once served as a Civil War hideout and, later, a 1940s nightclub. Bowling Green is also home to the National Corvette Museum, which showcases over 80 models of Corvettes ranging from 1950s classics to sleek, modern designs. In Horse Cave, outdoor enthusiasts can visit sites like Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo as well as the Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum.

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KEEP THE CATFISH COMING Fried catfish is a staple of Kentucky’s Southern Shorelines.

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Featuring more miles of shoreline than the entire state of Florida, south-central Kentucky’s Southern Shorelines region covers several of the state’s most outstanding lake systems where groups can escape the crowds of larger cities to lounge by the water, play a round of golf or visit a local winery. Some of the most prominent aquatic destinations include Green River Lake, Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Kayaking, fishing, tubing and water-skiing are just a few of the outdoor activities available. The region also serves as Kentucky’s premier golf destination, encompassing 12 distinct courses that wind across rolling Bluegrass countryside, from the scenic Brian Ault Signature Series course on General Burnside Island to The Pines at Lindsey Wilson in Columbia.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: Hook-to-plate fried fish is the staple dish of Kentucky’s Southern Shorelines. Some restaurants in the region serve between 500 and 800 pounds of catfish per week. To complete the meal, visitors can add a side of pinto beans, cornbread, mashed potatoes or collard greens, which are traditionally cooked with smoked ham, salt and pepper. For dessert, groups can stop by Haney Appledale Farm near Somerset to sample the fresh apple pies.

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Groups can head over

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Potato salad, Kentucky collard greens, and coleslaw

to Coe’s Steakhouse in Russellville to sample some of its famous fried catfish. Mammy Frog’s Diner offers great local dishes like pinto beans and cornbread, taco salad and deep-fried greens. Larger groups can take advantage of Ruckel’s Restaurant in Eubank, Rowena Landing Restaurant in Lake Cumberland State Resort Park and Island View Restaurant in Dale Hollow Lake Resort Park.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: The Big South Fork Scenic Railway is a heritage railroad in Stearns that takes passengers through spectacular scenery along the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. In the surrounding communities, groups can tour local wineries, breweries and farms such as Heavenly Haven Farm or the Lake Cumberland Winery.

MARCH 2018

MORE CHOW- CHOW, PLEASE

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Daniel Boone Country locals enjoy Appalachian soup beans with chow-chow relish.

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Apple stack cake

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Daniel Boone National Forest is the epicenter of the state’s natural attractions, spanning 708,000 acres of magnificent, mountainous terrain in north-central Kentucky that draws people from all over the nation to hike, camp, rock-climb and fish. Some of the state’s most distinct geological features can be found in this rugged region, including landmarks like Natural Bridge, Cumberland Falls and Red River Gorge, widely considered one of the top mountain-climbing destinations in the country. The forest also contains a significant portion of the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail, a nationally acclaimed trail system that begins in Kentucky and extends 290 miles south into Tennessee.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: Also known as piccalilli, chowchow is a tangy Southern relish prepared by chopping up cabbage, green tomatoes, bell peppers and other vegetables, and then pickling the ingredients with a vinegar-based sauce. Many Kentucky restaurants serve chow-chow with Appalachian soup beans, cornbread and fried potatoes. Another regional staple is the apple stack-cake. During 19th-century Appalachian weddings, attending families each brought a layer of sweet dough to place over the crushed apple spread.

GREAT GROUP RESTAURANTS: Many state parks throughout this area have restaurants that welcome groups and

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offer breathtaking views, among them Sky Bridge Station, the Sandstone Arches Restaurant and the Riverview Restaurant. Miguel’s Pizza in Red River Gorge is an iconic hangout for mountain climbers and hikers that specializes in handmade crusts, sauces and locally sourced toppings.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: Though Red River Gorge holds more than 100 natural sandstone arches, there is none more majestic than the 65-foot-high Natural Bridge in Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Visitors can ride the Sky Lift to the summit or follow a one-mile path. Adventure seekers will appreciate attractions like the Red River Gorge ZipLine Tours, the Torrent Falls Climbing Adventure and Treetop Adventure at Levi Jackson State Park. At Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, guests will hear the thunderous roar of Cumberland Falls, also known as the Niagara of the South, as soon as they pull into the parking lot.

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Jam cake is a specialty of Kentucky’s Appalachians.

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Eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian region features a wealth of history and cultural landmarks, from the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud that took place on either side of the Tug Fork River to the music legends commemorated along the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway. Groups can explore this wooded and hilly landscape at popular retreats such as Cave Run Lake, Breaks Interstate Park and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. There are also many charming downtown areas to visit in communities such as Morehead, Pikeville and Mount Sterling.

SIGNATURE FLAVORS: Salmon croquettes provide a quick and tasty Southern entree, made by molding canned salmon into patties, dipping them in an egg wash with crushed saltine crackers or bread crumbs, and then frying them on the stove. Another traditional Southern delicacy from this region is blackberry jam cake with caramel icing, a great fall or winter treat made with seedless blackberry jam, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and whiskey-soaked raisins.

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Based in downtown Pikeville, the Blue Raven specializes in traditional Appalachian meat dishes such as chili-rubbed pork, beef brisket and lamb chops. Pig in a Poke is a popular family-owned barbecue restaurant with a spacious patio that overlooks the river.

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS: Designated a National Scenic Byway, the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway takes groups through the hometowns of some of Kentucky’s greatest country-music legends, such as Loretta Lynn, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Billy Ray Cyrus and Patty Loveless. Fans can also stop by the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum in Paintsville to browse special exhibits and memorabilia. Travelers might also enjoy a visit to the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center in Ashland, which features interactive exhibits that highlight regional history and culture. KYTOURISM.COM/FOOD 34

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NEW IN THE CROSSROADS

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veryone’s always looking for the latest and greatest, and the same is true for travelers — doubly true for those who have traveled extensively and have already seen all the old standbys.

In Missouri, the founder of Bass Pro Shops has opened a museum and aquarium that’s more like a temple to wildlife conservation. In Kansas, visitors can experience Evel Knievel’s daredevil jumps, and in Oklahoma, will soon be able to track road-trippers on Route 66. In Arkansas, a former fried-chicken factory has been redeveloped as a food hub that houses a culinary school. These top new Crossroads attractions offer groups new experiences they won’t soon forget.

JOHNNY MORRIS’ WONDERS O F W I L D L I F E N AT I O N A L M US EUM AN D AQUAR I UM Springfield, Missouri

It had been a lifelong dream of Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris to create a place for people to learn about conservation and to celebrate those who hunt, fish and serve as stewards of the land and its wild resources.

That dream came true when Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium opened in September 2017, said spokeswoman Shelby Stephenson. WOW, as it’s known, consists of

Visitors walk through an aquarium tunnel at the new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri.

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two main components: the wildlife galleries and the aquarium adventure.

The wildlife galleries are like dioramas at a natural-history museum but more immersive; the aquarium has 1.5 million gallons of water and more than 35,000 live animals that represent over 800 species of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

“When you walk through WOW, it’s taking you on a journey around the world, through some of the most diverse habitats on Earth,” Stephenson said, from the Arctic to the Amazon, from desert sands to ocean floor.

In the Great African Hall, guests see the African plains, hear the elephant trumpet and the lion roar, smell the hot dirt and dust, and feel the warmer temperature. In the Sheep Mountain gallery, bighorn sheep peer down from their rocky perches at the people walking among them.

“It’s really an immersive experience,” Stephenson said.

Shipwreck Reef on the aquarium side is “one of our show-stoppers,” she said. Visitors feel like they’re walking through a decommissioned ship that Morris intentionally sunk off the coast of Florida to provide reef habitat. Rusty walls surround guests, and aquariums showcase how sea creatures use the ship as habitat. Giant Caribbean spiny lobsters live in crates, and eels make homes out of pipes.

WOW offers guided group tours and is attached to the Bass Pro Shop headquarters, where groups can dine at Hemingway’s Blue Water Café. www.wondersofwildlife.org

EVEL KNIEVEL MUSEUM Topeka, Kansas

Evel Knievel was, first and foremost, a showman. And the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas, is a showcase of the showman’s overthe-top life.

Courtesy Evel Knievel Museum The museum opened in May 2017, an endeavor by three partners, one of whom had amassed a huge collection of all things Evel Knievel and another who owns Historic Harley-Davidson.

The museum covers 13,000 square feet on two levels. Big Red, the now-restored Mac truck that Knievel used to haul his show, is a centerpiece of the lower level. Exhibits include original and replica jump bikes, his leathers and helmets, and videos, pictures and text to tell the story of Knievel’s life from his childhood through his more famous jumps, said museum director Bruce Zimmerman.

Upstairs, guests will see his Caesars Palace jump helmet, his custommade Cadillac pickup and an Indy 500 racecar that he sponsored in 1977. A display of Knievel-licensed products features a vast array of toys, a pinball machine and even curtains for a kid’s room. Also upstairs is an original Skycycle X-2 that Knievel used to jump Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

At interactive displays, guests can touch X-rays of Knievel’s broken bones or watch footage of the jump that caused the injury. The interactive jump planner allows visitors to select the bike, the outfit, the ramp angle and the jump obstacle “to see if you would be successful,” Zimmerman said.

But the crown jewel is a 4-D virtual-reality motorcycle jump. A guest straddles a bolted-down jump bike, dons headphones and virtual-reality goggles and “jumps” over a line of police cars.

Evel Knievel Museum Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.

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“They’ll whoop and holler, they’ll lean, they’ll steer, because they feel like they’re actually doing it,” Zimmerman said. “It fools the senses.” www.evelknievelmuseum.com Bentonville’s Brightwater center

WOW’s Great African Hall

B R I G H T WATE R : A C E N TE R FOR THE STUDY OF FOOD Bentonville, Arkansas

Courtesy Brightwater

Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food opened in January 2017 in a former Tyson fried-chicken plant that shut down in 2005 and sat vacant for 12 years.

Developers reimagined the facility as a community-focused food hub, and the adaptive reuse project “transformed 70,000 square feet of food factory into an artisanal food playground,” said executive director Glenn Mack.

Brightwater serves as the anchor tenant of Eighth Street Market. The 27,500-square-foot culinary school includes demonstration, culinary, pastry, production and seasonal kitchens, as well as several classrooms and kitchen laboratories, a beverage classroom, a hydroponic greenhouse and an outdoor garden.

With advanced notice and the right availability, Brightwater can provide guided tours of the facility, including of the greenhouse and

Courtesy Springfield CVB

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garden; arrange cooking demonstrations; and lead cooking classes.

Groups of more than 16 people can be split up among separate kitchens.

The center can also dish up a meal for groups.

Alternatively, groups can also stop by Eighth Street Market and “just wander around and have a food experience,” Mack said.

Visitors can taste what’s on tap at the Bike Rack Brewing Company.

Yeyo’s Mexican Grille is a family-run taqueria and mescal bar that uses produce from the family farm less than five miles from downtown Bentonville.

Markham and Fitz is a bean-to-bar chocolatier that was founded in 2014.

In a public common area, visitors can see into the Brightwater kitchens and watch students at work. Groups can also grab a bite from the Brightwater or Yeyo’s food trucks, which usually serve in front of Bike Rack Brewing along with other food trucks. www.brightwater.org

ROUTE 66 EXPERIENCE Tulsa, Oklahoma

A historic sign on Tulsa’s Route 66

Many people dream of driving Route 66 from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean in California.

And Tulsa, Oklahoma, is where east meets west on the Mother Road where the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Memorial Bridge spans the Arkansas River.

That’s why the people behind the Route 66 Experience plan to build the attraction next to the bridge, said Ken Busby, executive director of the Route 66 Experience and founding chair of the Tulsa Route Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees

By Rhys Martin

Grove, Oklahoma

, WOW. V i s i t C h e r o k e e Nat i o n . c o m © 2017 Cherokee Nation Businesses. All Rights Reserved.

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66 Commission. Organizers have raised $13.5 million of the project’s estimated $23 million cost and hope to finish raising capital this year to break ground by early fall, he said. Although they were originally targeting a November 2019 opening, it will more likely be in 2020.

The Route 66 Experience will include an interpretive center, a drive-in movie theater and two restaurants, along with a visitor center and retail store. The interpretive center would not be a collecting museum. “We’re really focusing on virtual,” Busby said. Organizers are working on a virtual Route 66 road trip that would allow guests to select a section of the Mother Road and “drive” it in a Mustang convertible or on a Harley-Davidson.

“You’ll hear the engine and feel the rumble, and you’d get to see the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo — things along the way that are real highlights,” he said.

A smartphone app will connect visitors and those driving Route 66 and allow them to share experiences in real-time, such as seeing drivers’ locations on a map or making recommendations for roadside stops.

At the open-air Route 66 Historical Village on the west side of the river, a new visitor center is under construction and will be complete this spring.

Travelers can stop at the village to see historic train engines, passenger cars and automobiles. www.rt66exp.com

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There’s nothing one-dimensional about Oklahoma. This is home to the world’s largest collection of Western art and artifacts. It’s where the rhythm of Native culture reverberates in traditional powwows. This is the land of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, where the food is as legendary as the music. Pay us a visit and travel back in time amid gleaming classic cars at the National Route 66 Museum.

Find adventures and itineraries at TravelOK.com/Group.

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ars, breweries and brewpubs; restaurants, cafes and coffee shops; theaters, concert venues and outdoor amphitheaters; art galleries, art museums and art centers. Historically, downtowns were the heart of the city.

Today, downtown districts are pumping new life into communities with locally owned businesses and independent eateries that showcase these cities’ local flavors and distinctive flair.

Here are some downtowns worth visiting in America’s Crossroads regions.

L AW R E N C E , K A N S A S

Downtown Lawrence has been the heart of the city since its founding in 1854, and Massachusetts Street is still the heart of Lawrence’s historic downtown today.

Mass Street, or simply Mass, as the locals call it, is the main drag, and “we have all kinds of activities happening, day and night,” said Andrea Johnson, director of marketing and communications for Explore Lawrence.

Mass is lined with restaurants, bars and live-music venues that are booked with both local and touring musical acts. Many groups will put together a downtown dine-around or a pub crawl for an evening out, Johnson said.

The Free State Brewing Company is Kansas’ oldest brewery and has separate rooms for group dining and gatherings. Merchants Pub Groups can explore Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district on canal boat rides.

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Mizzou students in Columbia

and Plate, which is housed in a historic bank with the original vault, offers various group-dining options.

Final Friday is an art walk the last Friday of every month, and in the spring and summer, the city shuts down the street in front of the Granada Theater for the Live on Mass free outdoor concert series.

Groups can visit the Lawrence Arts Center anytime, and the center also hosts the annual Free State Festival, a celebration of film, art, music and ideas.

Shopping is a major downtown draw, with a mix of high-end national chains and hip local boutiques. Weaver’s department store on Mass opened in 1857 and is the oldest continuously operating department store west of the Mississippi, Johnson said.

Groups also have several new and not-so-new lodging options in downtown, including a modern TownePlace Suites and the Eldridge Hotel, which was twice burned down by pro-slavery forces and is a “really cool, elegant, historic” hotel. www.explorelawrence.com

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

Columbia, Missouri’s downtown is better known simply as the District and is bordered on three sides by colleges: the University of Missouri, Columbia College and Stephens College.

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The abundant student traffic infuses the District with a young energy, and “there’s a huge focus on art and a great music scene,” said Megan McConachie, strategic communications manager for the city and the Columbia Lawrence’s Free State Beer Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It has the feel of a cool neighborhood in a big city.”

Many of the original buildings have been Courtesy Explore Lawrence repurposed as art galleries and restaurants, and abutting the District is the North Village Arts District, an industrial area with plentiful art galleries that also does a First Friday art crawl every month.

The dining scene is driven by local, chef-owned restaurants with upscale food. Although many of the city’s group dining options are outside of downtown, Shakespeare’s Pizza is a casual downtown eatery that welcomes groups, and Sycamore “is a really fantastic upscale restaurant that does accommodate groups,” McConachie said. Visitors never know what flavors await at Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream, “the only ice cream shop in town that has a liquor license,” she said; it could be lavender honey or a red wine ice cream with Ghirardelli chocolate.

In downtown, the Broadway is a newer DoubleTree by Hilton hotel with 114 rooms and a rooftop bar, and the Tiger Hotel is a historic 62-room boutique property that has recently been renovated.

The Missouri Theatre is a pre-Depression-era movie palace and vaudeville stage that was built in 1928. Today, the University of Missouri owns and operates it and welcomes groups for concerts and other performances.

Visitors often like to check out Ragtag Cinema, an independent movie theater housed in Hittsville, a former Coca-Cola bottling plant where groups will also find a bakery and a record store. www.discoverthedistrict.com Courtesy Explore Lawrence MAR CH 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY

Ragtag Cinema in Columbia, Missouri

Courtesy Columbia CVB

Oklahoma City doesn’t have just one downtown; it has several different downtown districts, each with its own distinct OKC personality.

Bricktown is a former warehouse quarter directly east of the convention center that is now a hip hub of nightlife. The neighboring Boathouse District is an up-and-coming destination for outdoor adventure.

The Bricktown Canal cuts through the industrial-chic entertainment district just below street level, and the Bricktown Water Taxi offers narrated water-taxi tours, private charters and dinner cruises.

“It just gives you a really good overview of OKC in a fun way,” said Tabbi Burwell, communications manager for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In Bricktown, groups can dine at Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse, catch a show at Michael Murphy’s Dueling Piano Bar, or play games at Brickopolis or HeyDay. Hotel development is booming in Bricktown, with several projects in the works. On the east side, the AC Hotel Oklahoma City Bricktown opened in December with 148 rooms.

In May 2016, a $45-million whitewater rafting facility opened in the Boathouse District within walking distance of Bricktown. There, groups can raft down both its recreation and Olympic channels, looping

Courtesy Columbia CVB

Beautiful

Acres of sunflowers, bathing in golden light. A violet-peach sunset over the lush, rolling Flint Hills. A million stars gazing down upon a stone fence that stretches for miles. There’s no place like Kansas for placing yourself into nature’s canvas.

800.2.KANSAS · TravelKS.com

Near Lawrence

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Paddling near the Boathouse in Oklahoma City

around four times. Visitors can also canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard, as well as zip line across the river, zoom down three-story-high stainless-steel slides and tackle the SandRidge Sky Trail, an 80-foottall, six-level aerial obstacle course structure.

The city is also building a six-mile-long modern streetcar system that will link several districts in and around downtown OKC, including Bricktown, when it opens later this year. The Oklahoma City Streetcar will help serve the city’s planned new convention center, which will soon break ground, and its new adjacent 70-acre downtown park. www.visitokc.com

EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

Courtesy OKC CVB

In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, nothing is flat, including its downtown, which is lined with historic stone buildings and elegant Victorian homes stair-stepping up hillsides and steep streets. Motorcoaches aren’t allowed on downtown’s hilly, hairpin roads, but a tram can easily shuttle groups from a nearby parking area to the downtown district.

“Our whole downtown area is on the historic register,” said Gina Rambo, publicist with the Eureka Springs Advertising and Promotions Commission. “The town was founded in 1879, so a lot of these building have been there since the late 1800s.”

DO TIME IN

JEFFERSON CITY History and Ghost Tours Available | www.MissouriPenTours.com 866-998-6998

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/missouripentours

/missouripentours

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Downtown Eureka Springs

The Eureka Springs Tram Tour showcases that history, including the historic downtown business district that is dotted with natural springs and the adjacent neighborhood, where many of the ornate homes are now bed-and-breakfasts, Rambo said.

During a Downtown Underground Tour, groups can see what used to be street level of downtown Eureka Springs; it went underground when the city raised Main Street, also known as Mud Street because it flooded so often — an entire story. The Mud Street Café is housed in the original first level of an 1888 building, which means it’s now in the basement. There’s a window in the floor that shows the spring beneath the building that caused the flooding.

Downtown is almost free of chain stores and restaurants, and is instead packed with chef-owned eateries, independent boutiques and art galleries where visitors can find works by local artists.

Every May for the past 30 years, the monthlong May Festival of the Arts is packed with art exhibits and demonstrations, live performances and music in the park. It kicks off with the ArtRageous Parade through downtown and peaks with the annual White Street Studio Walk, a street party thrown by the artists themselves.

Eureka Springs has 64 natural springs within city limits. www.eurekasprings.org

Courtesy Eureka Springs CAPC

Take whatever you expect from Columbia, and unexpect it. Then take a day, a weekend, a road trip, to see how a midsized Midwest town likes to have a good time. Just don’t feel like you need to take out a small loan or a lot of vacation days to get here. visitcolumbiamo.com

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ill Rogers appeared in 71 motion pictures, most of them silent, although 21 were talkies. President Dwight Eisenhower was one of seven sons, six of whom survived to adulthood. Mark Twain’s real-life boyhood friends inspired his novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” When former President Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas, he would walk into a local bar in his sneakers and shades and start playing sax with whomever was on stage.

Throughout America’s Crossroads, these cities show off the best of their celebrities, politicians and hometown heroes.

WILL ROGERS Claremore, Oklahoma

Cowboy, movie star, radio personality, entertainer, journalist. It’s difficult to give Rogers a single title because he did so much in his lifetime.

“Will Rogers was one of the biggest superstars in American history and probably the first international superstar,” said Tad Jones, executive director of Will Rogers Memorial Museums.

Rogers was born on a ranch in what is now Oologah, Oklahoma, where he learned his trademark roping, but he claimed Claremore as his hometown. The museum was built in 1938 and sits on land that Rogers and his wife, Betty, bought early in their marriage.

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home in Hannibal preserves sites that inspired the author’s famous characters.

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Rogers’ success as an entertainer launched him into other fields. He had the highest-rated radio broadcast on Sunday nights and wrote a newspaper column that reached 40 million readers each week.

The museum showcases a large collection of artifacts donated by his family, including original movie posters, and plays one of his “talking” movies every day. The museum also runs four documentaries about Rogers’ life throughout the day.

Visitors enjoy Rogers’ collection of saddles from around the world and touch the shoes on the statue of him for good luck.

In the “The Final Journey” exhibit, guests will find items Rogers had with him in the plane crash that killed him August 15, 1935, including a pocket watch, a suit and the typewriter he used to type his daily newspaper column “from 1926 until the day he died,” Jones said.

Guided tours are available of both the museum and Rogers’ birthplace ranch, 12 miles away. There, groups can tour his family’s two-story white house, including the room where he was born, and see an Amish barn, peacocks and Longhorn cattle. www.willrogers.com

Will Rogers’ burial site is located just outside his museum in Claremore.

Courtesy Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Will Rogers Memorial Museums

“I NEVER MET A MAN I DIDN’T LIKE.” — Wi l l R ogers

“IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH, YOU DON’T HAVE TO REMEMBER ANYTHING.” — Ma rk T wa i n Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal Courtesy Hannibal CVB

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MAR K T WAI N Hannibal, Missouri

Hannibal’s Mark Twain Riverboat

Courtesy Hannibal CVB

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Just as Huckleberry Finn wouldn’t exist without Twain, Twain wouldn’t exist without the boyhood influence of his hometown, Hannibal, Missouri. The city will celebrate its bicentennial in 2019 with a jampacked year of activities, “so it would be a great time to visit,” said Megan Rapp, assistant director of the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, whose pen name was Mark Twain, spent the ages of 4 to 17 in Hannibal. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum complex includes seven buildings: two museums with exhibits, while the rest are “historic buildings that played an important factor in his life and his works,” Rapp said.

The most notable is his boyhood home. But visitors can also see the Becky Thatcher house, the Huck Finn cabin, his father’s justice of the peace office and Grant’s Drug Store. Except for Grant’s Drug Store, which is closed for a full restoration and will reopen in a couple of years with new exhibits, all are open for people to explore.

The Mark Twain Riverboat is a replica paddle wheeler that cruises the Mississippi River from May til November. The triple-decker riverboat offers one-hour sightseeing trips with live narration about different points of interest that Twain mentions in his books, as well as evening dinner cruises complete with live music and dancing.

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Twain “was known as much for his stage performances as he was for his writing during his life,” Rapp said. Local historical interpreter Richard Garey performs “Mark Twain Himself” at the Planters Barn Theater, and Jim Waddell performs “Mark Twain Live” at the Cave Hollow Theater.

The theater is part of the Mark Twain Cave Complex, which includes the Mark Twain Cave along with the Cameron Cave and the Cave Hollow West winery. Groups can take guided tours of the labyrinth caves, watch the performance at the theater and enjoy a tasting at the winery. www.visithannibal.com

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER Abilene, Kansas

Before he ever became president, Eisenhower had a museum.

His boyhood home in Abilene, Kansas, opened for tours in 1947 and still has all the original furnishings nearly as they were when Ike’s mother passed away in 1946.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home sits on a 22-acre campus that features five buildings, including a visitor center, his family home and the Place of Meditation, where Eisenhower, his wife, Mamie, and their firstborn son are interred.

“The campus itself is one of the highlights,” said museum curator William Snyder. “We are unique among the presidential libraries because we have more than one building.”

Those buildings will remain open to the public when the museum closes this spring to renovate its five major galleries and exhibits. The museum plans to reopen June 1, 2019, to start the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Snyder said.

Exhibits will be more interactive, with more touch screens and technology, “to enhance, not to overpower” the extensive collection of artifacts from Ike’s 40-year military career and eight years as president. Among the artifacts are the 1914 Rauch and Lang electric automobile that belonged to Mamie’s parents, along with a picture of Ike driving it, and Eisenhower’s 1942 Cadillac staff car that went all over Europe with him during World War II. The 14-foot table around which Allied Forces planned Operation Overlord, the code name for the D-Day Battle of Normandy, will be “stunningly displayed in the new Eisenhower Boyhood Home

Photos Courtesy NPS

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exhibits,” Snyder said. “It’s a Sheraton table, and it was over 100 years old when Ike was sitting at it.” The renovation project will also add theater experiences that show actual footage throughout the galleries. www.eisenhower.archives.gov

take your next tour somewhere

new

Eisenhower’s Place of Meditation

What tour doesn’t need to stop somewhere new to ensure

Groups can learn about Dwight Eisenhower’s life and career at his presidential library in Abilene.

an experience that’s fascinating, fresh and fun? In Oklahoma City there’s something new to discover on every corner.

From our gleaming new downtown to the Old West at the National Cowboy Museum. From a new appreciation of our spirit at the Oklahoma City National Memorial to being welcomed like a new friend everywhere you go. Add us to your next itinerary and you’ll soon discover that around here, things are more than just new. They’re OKC new.

“THE SUPREME QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP IS INTEGRITY.” — D w i g ht D. Ei sen hower

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The Little Rock Governor’s Mansion was home to the Clintons.

BILL CLINTON AND HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON Little Rock, Arkansas

For 16 years, 12 as governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton and his family called Little Rock home. Hillary Clinton was an attorney with the Rose Law Firm, and their daughter, Chelsea, attended Little Rock public schools.

When visiting the city to learn about the Clintons, most people start at the Clinton Presidential Library. President Bill Clinton chose to build his library and museum in a defunct industrial district. The modern center, built 14 years ago, perches in the middle of a 30-acre urban park that’s an extension of the city’s walkable downtown. Its on-site restaurant, 42 Bar and Table, reopened in November after extensive renovations, and from the patio, visitors can take in the nightly light show as LED lights illuminate the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge that stretches over the Arkansas River.

But there’s more to learn about the Clintons beyond the glass walls of the center. People can visit plenty of public places with ties to the former first family, such as the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library, the

Photos courtesy Little Rock CVB

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Old State House Museum and the Robinson Center, or even eat at one of Clinton’s favorite Little Rock restaurants, Doe’s Eat Place in downtown.

Eleven of Arkansas’ 45 governors, including Bill Clinton, have lived in the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion since it was completed in 1950.

The mansion is in downtown Little Rock and offers free tours of its buildings and grounds. Because it’s the governor’s full-time residence, tours must be scheduled in advance.

Groups can schedule free guided tours of the Arkansas State Capitol, where Clinton served as governor from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1992, or take self-guided tours of the Capitol grounds and monuments. www.littlerock.com

The Clinton Presidential Library is a fixture of the Little Rock skyline.

The Clintons attend a ceremony in Little Rock.

Courtesy Clinton Museum

TourKansas.org LEAVENWORTH

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your adventure begins at visitkansasCitykS.com 800.264.1563

Buffalo Soldiers Monument Fort Leavenworth, KS

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Plan your group tours at VisitLeavenworthKS.com A M E R I C A ’ S

& Request your free tour planner at 913-758-2948 C R O S S R O A D S

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QUILT GARDENS HAVE BECOME A HALLMARK OF THE AMISH COUNTRY IN NORTHERN INDIANA. Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB

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HERE’S A TRIP THROUGH AMISH NOODLE MAKERS Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB

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AN “EDIBLE QUILT” IN AMISH COUNTRY

Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB

AN AMISH HOME VISIT

Courtesy Elkhart Co. CVB

RIDING THE WABASH AND ERIE CANAL IN LAFAYETTE

Courtesy Lafayette-West Lafayette CVB

AN ANIMAL ENCOUNTER AT CONNOR PRAIRIE

Courtesy Visit Hamilton County

GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

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ndiana is for innovators.

The Hoosier State has a long-established record as a tourism hub of the Midwest, with several marquee attractions that have brought in visitors for decades. But in communities large and small, local entrepreneurs and tourism leaders are continually creating new ways for groups to have fun and explore the culture and character of the state.

Follow this path from the Amish Country in the north to the riverfront towns in the south to discover new ways for your group to experience Indiana.

AMISH C OUNTRY In the far northern reaches of the state, large Amish populations have made Elkhart County a popular destination for travelers who enjoy the Amish culture, crafts and cuisine. The area boasts several well-established Amish-themed attractions, which are mainstays on many group itineraries. But local tourism leaders have also been busy innovating new experiences to help connect group travelers to the area’s Amish heritage in interactive ways.

“We’ve been trying really hard to develop new, authentic experiences where our groups can meet Amish people in their homes and businesses,” said Sonya Nash, director of group and experiential sales for the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “There’s a new program called Asking Amish. We have found a lovely lady who loves to cook and welcome people into her home. She’ll sit down with a cup of coffee and answer all a group’s questions. Nothing is off-limits. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about this different lifestyle.”

The CVB has also worked with a local step-on guide to create a series of tours it calls Backroads Experiences. These excursions can be half- or whole-day experiences and feature distinct topics such as local cuisine and Amish handcrafts.

The popular Brown Bag tour visits a number of

shops, and participants get a treat or a souvenir from each one.

LAFAYETTE AND WEST LAFAYETTE Sitting across the Wabash River from one another, the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette are best known as the home of Purdue University.

And although groups often enjoy campus tours and other elements of the college town, some new developments offer to add more diverse experiences.

The city has two new breweries — Brokerage Brewing Company and Teays River Brewing and Public House — that offer opportunities for travelers to taste local microbrews and learn about beer-making. And a longtime attraction, the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art, has added a new sculpture garden that features a quarter-mile walking trail and 24 sculptures, all by Indiana artists.

Some of the most interesting new experiences, though, involve behind-the-scenes looks at distinctive industrial operations, such as RDM Aquaculture. This seafood-farming company got its start raising shrimp and has now added crawfish and oysters to its portfolio.

“Groups walk through the facility, and they get to see the shrimp from the infant stage,” said Ashley Gregory, director of sales for the Lafayette/ West Lafayette Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“They tell you about how they grow the shrimp and about the filtering system they have developed there. They do a little tasting at the end. It’s really the best shrimp I have ever had.”

HAMILTON C OUNT Y In the center of the state, Indianapolis is a natural stopping point for groups traveling Indiana. But many of the area’s attractions as well as affordable accommodations and dining options can be found in the suburban communities of Hamilton County.

Cities such as Fishers, Carmel and Noblesville are seeing rapid growth in their entertainment

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GROUPS CAN TAKE PART IN CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTMENTS AT CONNOR PRAIRIE IN HAMILTON COUNTY.S.

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By Alan Simmons, courtesy Visit Hamilton County

FRESH PIES AT BREAD BASKET CAFÉ AND BAKERY IN HENDRICKS COUNTY

A CRAFT WORKSHOP AT MAKER 13 IN JEFFERSONVILLE Courtesy Visit Hendricks County

Courtesy Clark-Floyd Cos. CTB

and dining scenes and are offering some distinctive amenities to tour groups.

“It seems like every day there’s an announcement about something new in Carmel,” said Whitney Riggs, communications coordinator for Visit Hamilton County. “This spring, the new Sun King Distillery will open in the Carmel Arts and Design District. It will be a distillery tasting room with beer and spirits. They’re going to be right next door to a new place called Anthony’s Chophouse, a restaurant with a rooftop bar.”

Another new highlight in Carmel is the Christkindlmarkt, a German-style Christmas market and outdoor ice-skating rink open during the holiday season.

The town of Fishers is booming too, with a new Ikea store and a Topgolf attraction. Those businesses are anchors of the Yard, a new culinary hub that will have 10 to 12 local restaurants and a Sun King Brewery taproom.

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he first time I walked through the West Baden Springs Hotel, it was in ruins.

The second time, it was a masterpiece.

When it opened in 1902, the West Baden Springs Hotel was the pride of French Lick, a tiny town in southern Indiana. Dignitaries from around the country attended its opening ceremony, and everyone who entered was in awe of the 200-foot-tall dome covering the hotel’s massive atrium. Advertising at the time called it the Eighth Wonder of the World.

But time wasn’t kind to the hotel; it closed during the Great Depression, and after a brief period of use as a Jesuit school, it sat empty and crumbling for decades. In the early 2000s, though, a group of preservationists banded together to save the landmark structure and reopen it as a hotel.

That’s when I first toured the property. Work had just begun on shoring up the structure, and my hosts and I had to step over rubble and age-old debris. But even in this condition, the property’s potential was obvious, and its domed atrium was striking.

The hotel finally reopened in 2007, 75 years after it closed. The owners spent more than $100 million on the restoration, and when I visited again shortly after the opening, I was amazed at the makeover. The hotel’s historic architecture was beautifully preserved, and guest rooms were rebuilt with a host of modern luxury conveniences.

For groups traveling through southern Indiana, an afternoon or overnight stop at the West Baden Springs Hotel will make a lasting impression.

— BRIAN JEWELL

HENDRICKS C OUNT Y Just west of Indianapolis, the communities in Hendricks County have developed some special tours and experiences for groups as well. Among the most popular is the Ho-Ho-Holiday Tour.

“Group operators like to package around the time that we have Gingerbread Christmas in our county,” said Josh Duke, communications manager for Visit Hendricks County. “It’s a huge holiday shopping event, and people come from across the region. It includes a juried arts-and-craft show, with the best of the best products. It’s always the first Saturday in December, so the first weekend in December is big for tour groups.”

Many groups that come for the Gingerbread event in Plainfield also stop at the Mayberry Café in Danville. Inspired by “The Andy Griffith Show,”

MARCH 2018

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ood fans will find plenty of memorable experiences on a trip through Indiana. In addition to meals at local restaurants, here are some special opportunities for groups to connect with the culinary heritage of the Hoosier State.

Southern Indiana — Schimpff’s Confectionary in Jeffersonville is a family-owned, European-style candy company that has been in the same location since 1891. Groups can get private demonstrations of candy-making techniques, sample old-fashioned candies and enjoy a treat at the soda fountain.

BREAD BASKET CAFÉ AND BAKERY IN HENDRICKS COUNTY

Amish Country — The Elkhart County CVB can arrange for a local celebrity chef to do culinary programs for groups that feature edible plants and incorporate the colors of the area’s famous quilt gardens.

Hendricks County — The Bread Basket Café and Bakery, an Indianapolis-area favorite, can do private group events and culinary demonstrations, during which bakers show participants how they create latticework pie crusts.

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Courtesy Visit Hendricks County

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Hands-On Fun

Get Your Craft On!

“All the different hands-on activities are a blast, no talent required!

You are treated like their guest and everything is planned out for you.

We loved it!”

– Triumph Community Bank Travel Club, East Moline, IL

Request Your FREE Planner Call 1-800-322-8198 or order it online at:

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this restaurant has photos and memorabilia from the TV program as well as private dining space for groups.

Another popular stop for groups is Beasley’s Orchard, where travelers can taste locally grown fruit and join the staff in shooting an apple cannon. And travelers with a flair for the arts often enjoy visiting the glass studio of local artist Lisa Pelo, who can lead hands-on workshops for groups.

SOUTHERN INDIANA Just across the Ohio River from Louisville, the southern Indiana towns of Clarksville and Jeffersonville offer group lodging as well as some distinctive attractions of their own.

Recently, the staff at the Clark-Floyd Counties Convention Tourism Bureau has worked to develop new experiential itineraries for groups.

“The first one is called Learn to Play the Ukulele,” said Kate Bewley, the bureau’s director of sales. “We partnered with a local music store that was already doing group ukulele classes. So you come in, get a ukulele, get GROUPS CAN TAKE CREATIVE FINGERa couple of songs with instructions on how PAINTING CLASSES AT THE SOUTHEAST to play them. Then you walk out with your INDIANA ART GUILD IN DEARBORN ukulele — it’s yours to keep.”

COUNTY. Groups can also have hands-on arts workshops at Maker 13 in Jeffersonville, a studio where instructors teach various techniques using wood and metal tools, sewing machines and other specialized equipment.

Maker 13 serves as an anchor for the city’s new arts and culture district, which also includes its Vintage Fire Museum.

“It’s a really beautiful setting that will Courtesy Dearborn Co. VTB promote our arts and culture,” Bewley said.

“It will be a fun, whimsical area with seating, shade and green space. We will have artists in residence, and groups will be able to come over and work on public art pieces that will stay in our community.”

DEARBORN C OUNT Y To the east of Jeffersonville, near southeast Indiana’s shared border with Ohio and Kentucky, Dearborn is a popular stopover point for groups traveling in the region. The Dearborn County Visitors and Tourism Bureau has a knack for developing inventive group experiences with local businesses and has added a number of new offerings to its menu.

“One of our new partners is Casey’s Outdoor Solutions,” said Sally McWilliams, the bureau’s group sales manager. The owner has an 1800s log home, and because he’s into landscaping, there is every kind of stone and rock. Men love seeing all the stones, and women love looking at the plants. We can use the site for activities, like a beekeeping presentation. They might get a small plant in addition to the demonstration and honey tasting.”

Another option is the Southeast Indiana Art Guild in Aurora, where instructors can lead groups through activities such as painting silk or creating gourd birdhouses. Food can be catered in, and the art guild sits across the street from the Great Crescent Brewery, which may be more attractive to some members of the group.

This year marks a milestone in Dearborn County, as the VTB celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Tour for the Cure. Under this program, local restaurants, hotels and attractions donate money to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer for every traveler who visits the area on a group tour. In 10 years, it has raised more than $80,000.

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Amish Country is jam-packed with food for every tastebud!

Shipshewana Flea Market is the perfect spot to enjoy homemade treats from fresh hot pretzels and churned ice cream from local vendors to Amish/Mennonite cooking in their sit-down restaurant. You’ll want to pack your bags full of fresh fruit and produce from the Famous Farmer’s Market aisle, take home tasty jams/jellies, and enjoy other homemade items from the Midwest’s Largest Flea Market. Relax at the Farmstead Inn and enjoy FREE hot breakfast before another great day in Amish Country.

Amish Acres in Nappanee has a Candy Kitchen that provides a unique hands-on experience for your group. Step into the Log Cabin Fudge Shop and work with our Candy Confectioners to make a sweet treat to take home (or to enjoy while you’re still on the bus - wink, wink!). The Threshers Dinner is not to be missed while visiting. Dine under the hand hewn beams of the 150-year-old Restaurant Barn and be sure to save room for dessert featuring homemade pies straight from the bakery oven!

Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury is home to Indiana’s largest Family Restaurant serving generations-old,

authentic family recipes since 1971 including 31 different kinds of pie (go ahead, try more than one!). While you’re there, be sure to take a peek at the Village Shops where you’ll be sure to find the latest trends in home decor and fashions. Top off your adventure with live theatre, year-round, that is enriching, creative, hopeful and suitable for the entire family at Heritage Hall.

Take a quick a break from the amazing food to see the Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail ... an ABA Top 100 Event! Experience 19 super-sized quilt patterned gardens and 21 hand-painted quilt murals that blanket six Amish Country communities. Perfect for groups of any size and is viewable free of charge ANNUALLY May 30 thru October 1!

STATE SPOTLIGHT

OREGON

P H E L P S C R E E K V I N YA R D S H O O D R I V E R VA L L E Y

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D IPSOT IRLTLLEARNYD’RSO W DO W D I SPTOI LRLTELRAYN R POR TL AND DANCIN’ V I N E YA R D S MEDFORD DESCHU TES BRE WERY BEND

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BARLE Y BROWN’S BAKER CI T Y

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BY E L I ZA M Y E R S

here is no need to hurry

across Oregon. Instead, local breweries, vine-

yards and distilleries offer ample opportunities

for visitors to sit back, sip and taste the difference of locally crafted libations.

Oregon citizens have long revered high-quality

local products, which is one reason the state helped lead the country in burgeoning local wineries in the

1970s, craft breweries in the 1980s and distilleries in the past decade.

This history allows groups to drink delicious

concoctions while also sampling an authentic part

of Oregon culture. Many times, groups can also pair acclaimed local cuisine with the beverage of choice for an added regional effect.

These wineries, breweries and distilleries that

welcome groups didn’t appear overnight. They all

come with stories of determined individuals with a passion for creating the best possible product that not only tastes great, but also reflects the local community.

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Courtesy Phelps Creek Vineyards

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Courtesy Barley Brown’s Beer

PHELPS CREEK VINEYARDS At an elevation of 1,100 feet, groups can swish wine, relax and take in stunning views of the Hood River Valley at Phelps Creek Vineyard. Just outside Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge, this boutique winery focuses on producing estate-grown pinot noir and dijon clone chardonnay.

Alexandrine Roy traveled from her own fourth-generation winery in Burgundy, France, to bring French winemaking to owner Bob Morus’ 30-acre vineyard. Since its 1990 opening, the vineyard has garnered acclaim for its carefully crafted pinot noir.

Groups can book a tour to follow the life of a wine grape from the vineyard to the cellar to a finished wine in a bottle. Guides lead guests past rows of pinot noir grapes while describing the growing season and offering fruit to taste.

After learning all about the process, groups can try to pick out individual flavors of current-release wines. Customized experiences can add artisan cheese selections and other local bites to the tastings.

BARLEY BROWN’S BREWPUB When a Mexican family opened an authentic Mexican restaurant in Baker City, it looked like a bad omen for Tyler Brown. Brown helped run his family’s own Mexican-style restaurant, which was the only one in town at the time. However, the eventual closing of his family’s restaurant allowed him to open his own brewery 16 years ago.

Barley Brown’s Brewpub is now one of the most awarded breweries in the country, with 24 Great American Beer Festival medals.

He credits the local El Erradero’s opening with allowing him to take a chance on a brewery endeavor he wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

Brown originally worked to convince locals to try local craft beer by handing out samples at the door. Today, regulars and visitors alike love favorites like Coyote Peak Wheat and Tumble Off Pale Ale. Groups can sample from eight fresh ales on tap, dine on locally sourced fare and listen to live music on the taproom stage, which is perched 10 feet off the ground.

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Courtesy Portland’s Distillery Row

PORTLAND’S DISTILLERY ROW When craft distilleries nationwide boomed in the early 2000s, Portland producers decided to capitalize on the movement to band together in 2010. The distillers created Portland’s Distillery Row, a nonprofit to market their tasting rooms in vacant warehouses.

Called the epicenter of the emerging craft distillery movement, the former industrial district now houses a slew of independent makers of small-batch spirits. The nonprofit has attracted attention from liquor connoisseurs, bartenders around the world and casual visitors looking for an afternoon activity.

Instead of choosing one of the row’s eight distilleries, guests can sample as many cocktails as they want with the purchase of the Distillery Row Passport. Groups can also opt for the DX Pedicab’s Portland Distillery Tour to learn secrets behind the distilling process while sampling various unusual flavors.

Favorite liquor samples include House Spirit’s Aviation Gin, Eastside Distilling’s Burnside Bourbon, New Deal Distillery’s Hot Monkey Vodka and Stone Barn Brandyworks’ October Dapple Apple.

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Courtesy Dancin Vineyards

DANCIN VINEYARDS Moving wine exclusively by gravity seems backward with advances in modern technology. Yet this Old World technique and others have proven key to the success of Dancin Vineyards in southern Oregon.

Owners Dan and Cindy Marca found that the greater the number of modern pumps and alterations to the wine, the more flavor that was lost from the wine.

The couple decided to learn from history and use only traditional and labor-intensive methods, such as fermentations punched down by hand every eight hours. Groups can learn about the Marcas’ complicated recipe for authentic, artisanal wine on a tour of the vineyards.

Tours also reveal the couple’s long struggle to start a winery.

They searched for over a decade for the perfect location before purchasing the 10-acre hillside property near historic Jacksonville in 2007. The vineyard’s northwest-facing slope, forested location and high elevation make it ideal for growing pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.

After touring and sampling from Wine Press Northwest’s 2017 Oregon Winery of the Year, groups can enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and local cuisine, such as Italian-sausagestuffed mushrooms and wood-fired pizzas.

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Courtesy Deschutes Courtesy Brewery VisitDelaware.com

DESCHUTES BREWERY Why should a brewer use whole-cone hops and German-built brew kettles? Groups can discover the secrets behind Deschutes Brewery’s unique recipes and techniques on a guided tour of the world-famous 1988 brewery. Visitors can sip some of the first beers, such as Black Butte Porter and Jubelale, at the original Public House brewing facility where they were developed.

Tours visit the tasting room and the production facility to learn about the brewing process while watching bottles zipping through the assembly line.

The process is impressive to behold, since Deschutes Brewery ships to 28 states and around the world from its main brewing facility. As of 2016, Deschutes was the eighth-largest craft brewery in the United States.

Visitors can also learn about the brewery’s sustainability practices, community outreach and history while sampling favorites like Mirror Pond Ale and American Wheat. A meal with fresh local ingredients from a beercentric menu can be added to the tour.

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sound-off

STAFF

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO DESSERT WHEN CELEBR ATING SOME THING SPECIAL?

Well, it’s not chocolate. For 35 years of marriage, I’ve taken grief about all my fruit desserts, but so be it. I’m a sucker for citrus: lime, lemon, whatever. Raspberry, strawberry, blackberry — something that has to be picked, I guess. Anything but Death by Chocolate. I’ve never understood that. Maybe I just don’t do decadence. I’ll go with creme brulee.

That is my absolute go-to in any dessert emergency. And make it small — I don’t do large, either.

— Mac Lacy, PUBLISHER

Butterscotch pie is definitely one of my favorites. It’s not easy to find, so it’s always a special experience when someone in my family makes it.

— Savannah Osbourn, STAFF WRITER

My go-to dessert is definitely carrot cake. Being a college student, if I get the chance to have carrot cake, I consider it to be my ‘vegetable’ for the week.

— Kyle Anderson, SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR

When I was a child, my grandmother made a chocolate eclair cake that stacked layers of chocolate graham crackers between light French-vanilla pudding, all topped with a rich chocolate ganache and served cold. Years later, the recipe resurfaced and my mom began making it for my birthday. Now my wife makes it, too. So when my birthday rolls around each summer, I feast on chocolate eclair cake … two of them.

In my family we have a recipe for every occasion, and often the calendar revolves around the desserts I want to bake. Every year I make king cakes for Mardi Gras, pies and cheesecakes at Thanksgiving, and everyone has their own unique birthday cake they get on their special day.

— Ashley Ricks, CIRCULATION MANAGER

— Brian Jewell, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

I S S U E M A R C H 2 01 8

EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to Staff Sound-Off, the monthly column where our staff members answer questions about their travel practices and preferences.

We hope you enjoy these tips. If you have a question you’d like to see us answer, send it to me and it may appear in a future issue.

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