The Group Travel Leader October 2018

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water KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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by River or Ocean

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At Scenic, when we say all-inclusive, that’s what we mean. Your group will enjoy our many amenities: from transfers and gratuities to our exclusive Enrich, Freechoice and Tailormade onshore excursions, they won’t have to worry about opening their wallets. On board our river cruise ships, luxuriate in our industry-first Salt Therapy Lounge or savor a hands-on foodie experience at Scenic Culinaire, our exclusive cooking school. Debuting in January 2019, Scenic Eclipse, the World’s First Discovery Yacht, will offer its 228 guests luxurious discovery from Antarctica to the Arctic and everywhere in between.

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table ofCONTENTS VOL 28 | ISSUE 9

KENTUCKY

6 EDITOR’S MARKS

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12 C H A N G I N G H O R I Z O N S

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MADE IN KENTUCKY

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K E N T U C K Y ’ S M U S I C H E R I TA G E

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SHOP THE BLUEGRASS KENTUCKY OUTDOORS

O N THE COVE R

Sightseeing cruises showcase the beauty and wildlife of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park. Photo by A&J Fotos.

FEATURES

Stunning State Parks THESE OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS ARE OPTIMIZED FOR TOUR GROUPS.

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Smoky Mountain

MAJESTY Enjoy old favorites and new additions in this eastern Tennessee region.

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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

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WILDLIFE CRUISES

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AMERICA’S HEARTLAND

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MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS ELIZA MYERS

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

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CHRISTINE CLOUGH SAVANNAH OSBOURN KELLY TYNER KYLE ANDERSON DANIEL JEAN-LEWIS ASHLEY RICKS

Copy Editor Staff Writer Director of Sales & Marketing Account Manager Account Manager Graphic Design & Circulation

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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800.488.8998 | MyrtleBeachGroups.com Fresh Itineraries |Diverse Accommodations | Live Entertainment | History & Nature Coastal Carolina Cuisine | Incredible Shopping | Southern Hospitality

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EDITOR’S T HE

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BY B R I A N J E W E L L

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ow sharp is your saw?

Stephen R. Covey first popularized the concept of “sharpening the saw” in his 1989 bestseller “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Since then, the idea has been taken up by nearly every leadership, productivity and personal growth guru in the country.

The term comes from a simple illustration: Two woodcutters go into the forest to break down the trunk of a fallen tree. One immediately begins sawing away at the giant tree trunk. But he soon becomes tired, and his progress slows. The other worker, though, takes a few minutes to sharpen his saw before cutting into the tree. And although he started sawing after the first man, he manages to cut all the way through the trunk more quickly and with less effort because his saw is sharp.

To do your best work, you must sharpen your saw by investing in yourself. You need to expose your mind to new ideas, build new relationships, surround yourself with creativity and take time to restore your physical, mental and emotional energy.

Here are five simple ways to sharpen your saw while working in tourism.

people outside your field can help inspire new ideas that you can apply to your everyday life.

1. READ AND LISTEN. Staying mentally sharp requires learning new things, and there has never been a better time to do that. The abundance of great blogs, podcasts and audiobooks available today makes it incredibly easy to learn new ideas from national thought leaders, often while driving, exercising or traveling. Learning from

5. PRIORITIZE REST. Just as the woodcutter accomplished more in a shorter time by working with a sharp saw, you’ll get more done in fewer hours if you take regular time off to rest and rejuvenate. Aim for at least one day off a week, and do your best to avoid looking at work email when you’re at home. And if you travel for an extended stretch without a day off, plan some time off at home when you return.

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2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVENTS. Conferences and events have become staples of the tourism industry, but many travel planners and suppliers alike fail to take full advantage of them. In addition to attending business appointments and enjoying evenings out with old friends, soak up the content offered at seminars and breakouts. Leaning into these educational sessions will put you in a frame of mind to be creative and solve problems.

3. CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS INTENTIONALLY. The older we get, the less time we tend to invest in making new friends and maintaining relationships with old ones. But active, vibrant friendships are an important part of mental health and professional growth. So be intentional about growing relationships with people inside and outside the travel industry. You never know where they might take you.

4. LEARN NEW TECHNOLOGY. Technology is advancing more quickly today than at any other time in history. You might be tempted to settle with the tools you already know and let the rest of the tech world pass you by, but that’s a mistake. You don’t have to stay on top of every trend, but you should regularly try new technologies, apps and services. Some of them are incredibly simple and can save you lots of time.

OCTOBER 2018

FAMILY MATTERS UPSCALE TR AVEL PL ANNERS CAN DISCOVER FRENCH LICK IN FEBRUARY

SALEM, Ohio — The Select Traveler Conference is inviting travel planners to visit French Lick Resort in Indiana to experience an upscale resort destination. The conference has long served the bank club, alumni and loyalty travel program market.

The French Lick Resort will host the Select Traveler Conference February 10-12, 2019. Over 400 delegates from across the nation are expected to attend. The conference is the leading gathering of upscale travel groups in the industry.

Because of the central location of French Lick, the conference is opening attendance to qualified travel group planners who have built an upscale travel following.

“Select Traveler Conference serves a market of travel clubs that include domestic as well as international travelers,” said Charlie Presley of The Group Travel Family.

Travel planners interested in applying to attend the Select Traveler Conference may contact Kacie Honeywell at 800-628-0993 or khoneywell@grouptravelfamily.com.

Courtesy French Lick CVB

FRENCH LICK SPRINGS HOTEL WILL HOST THE 2019 SELECT TRAVELER CONFERENCE.

VISIT MCKINNE Y KEEPS DELEGATES CHARGED UP

VISIT MCKINNEY WILL PROVIDE CHARGING STATIONS FOR MOBILE DEVICES AT THE SMALL MARKET MEETINGS CONFERENCE.

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SALEM, Ohio — Keeping your phones and tablets powered can be a task, but it’s important to today’s communications needs. This is even more relevant at conventions and events. Visit McKinney recognized the need and kept delegates of the Small Market Meetings Conference powered up by placing charging stations on the marketplace floor.

Studies have found that over 23 percent of conference attendees nationwide run low on battery power at meetings, and a full 10 percent lose power altogether.

“Phone power has become an important concern, and Visit McKinney agreed to step up and sponsor charging stations throughout the marketplace floor,”

said Valerie Dennison of The Group Travel Family.

Dennison reached out to Visit McKinney with the opportunity and helped arrange the service.

“It’s a win-win,” Dennison said. “Delegates receive free and easy charging, and Visit McKinney has great destination visibility.”

The visibility comes from the Visit McKinney logo displayed on each charger on the marketplace floor. The Texas destination will gain valuable brand awareness, and meeting planners will get a muchneeded phone charge as well as a great destination for their next conference.

Contact Visit McKinney at www.visit mckinney.com or toll-free at 800-649-8499.

OCTOBER 2018

AUBURN-OPELIKA CVB HAILS SMALLER MEETING SITES SALEM, Ohio — Domestic tourism is a major economic force in America as more vacationers hit the road and as more people enjoy travel as a group.

Group tourism is booming because of a strong economy and the fact that 10,000 people turn 65 in America every day. That’s 91,000 busloads of new travelers each year, which account for a lot of hotel rooms, meals and museum admissions.

Along with the strong tourism uptick comes the desire to visit and experience new destinations and venues. The Group Travel Family has recognized the travel needs of group and meeting planners for over 25 years and has built a strong presence to help travelers discover towns and cities they would otherwise never experience.

“We pride ourselves in holding a travel conference in the midsize or smaller city that allows the travel planner to discover new destinations and venues,” said Joe Cappuzzello of The Group Travel Family.

The Group Travel Family is dedicated to group travel planners and operates seven national travel meetings each year. Conferences include the Select Traveler Conference, the Going On Faith Conference, the African American Travel Conference, Boomers In Groups, the AgritourismWorld Summit, the Small Market Meetings Conference and TravelTalks.

“I love these off-the-beaten-path locations you all choose, like Berlin, Ohio; South Bend [Indiana]; and now French Lick, Indiana,” said Cindy Pugh of the Auburn and Opelika Tourism Bureau in Alabama. “I love all of your shows and prefer them over the big obnoxious ones that are held at massive resorts with speakers that cost $100,000. Keep up the great work.”

From midsize destinations like Little Rock, Arkansas; Huntsville, Alabama; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Green Bay, Wisconsin; South Bend; and Ontario, California, to jewels including French Lick; Holmes County, Ohio; and Merrillville, Indiana, The Group Travel Family will keep spreading the word about tourism in the “real” America.

You can reach Pugh and the Auburn and Opelika Tourism Bureau at 866-880-8747 or visit online at www.aotourism.com.

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INDUSTRY NEWS NEW BOUTIQUE HOTEL COMING TO FOND DU LAC

Courtesy Fond du Lac Area CVB

CHAFFIN’S BARN SHOWCASES MAJOR RENOVATIONS FOND DU LAC, Wisconsin — The Hotel Retlaw, a new urban boutique hotel, will open in December.

The hotel’s history will be featured in the stories told by its staff and on display in photographs throughout the property. The hotel employs numerous environmentally conscious practices, including the use of organic and biodegradable products and progressive recycling and conservation.

The Hotel Retlaw will feature 127 rooms with featherbed-covered mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets and luxurious duvets.

The hotel’s signature restaurant, Jazzmine’s, will offer farm-to-table dining in a casual atmosphere and will feature a Wisconsin theme with certified organic offerings. Live jazz music will be featured nightly.

The Players Club will be a retro-style gaming and sport tavern featuring an array of classic board games, billiards and televised sports in a refined old-world ambiance reminiscent of a 19th century English gentlemen’s club. Player’s

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THE NEW HOTEL RETLAW IN FOND DU LAC WILL FEATURE INVENTIVE, MODERN DECOR.

Club dining will be refined-casual showcasing specialty burgers and premium steaks, flat-bread pizzas, Wisconsin cheeses and old-fashioned soda fountain treats.

Part of the revitalization efforts in downtown Fond du Lac and surrounded by entertainment, arts, shopping and nightlife, the Hotel Retlaw is located two miles from Lakeside Park and Lake Winnebago. Guests can enjoy open spaces and access to six recreational trails spanning 50 miles for biking, hiking and nature. The hotel is also a block from the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts.

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee —Nashville’s popular dinner theater Chaffin’s Barn showcased its newly renovated facilities on Aug. 2 with a performance of the popular musical “Sister Act.” The 53-year-old building received a major facelift over the spring and summer, including a new roof, new carpeting, all new restrooms, a newly paved parking lot with additional handicap spaces and changes to the lobby and mainstage theater.

Norma Luther, who purchased the theater in January 2017 from the Chaffin family, said, “Any building that is 53 years old needs a tune up. Our slogan when I took over was ‘the next 50 years,’ so it was only natural to add a new roof, carpet and related repairs.”

“Sister Act” ran through Aug. 25 and will be followed by Disney’s “Newsies” Sept. 20-Oct. 27 and “Elf the Musical” for the holidays Nov. 15-Dec. 29.

Chaffin’s also announced it will open a new restaurant, Chaffin’s Station, in Bellevue, Tennessee, in mid-September or early October in a former Applebee’s.

W W W.CHAFFINBAR NTHEATRE.COM

OCTOBER 2018

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NEWS FROM US

HISTORIC FARM TO BECOME TOURIST HUB LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Beginning this spring, visitors will be able to sample Kentucky’s iconic horse, bourbon and culinary experiences in one place at a 700-acre horse farm near Louisville.

Owner Steve Wilson has announced plans to expand Hermitage Farm into a world-class agritourism destination, with plans for a new farm-tofork restaurant featuring menu items grown in the on-site, five-acre garden, a country store stocked with local farm products and picnic lunches, specialty bourbon retail and tasting rooms, an art walk instillation and hayloft event space.

Visitors will also be able to dine inside renovated horse stalls.

Most of these updates plan to be open by next year’s Kentucky Derby, the first Saturday in May. Current visitor experiences include a main house, built in 1835, which is available for tours, weddings and event rentals, and a recently renovated stud barn that gives visitors a look at the daily activities of Hermitage Thoroughbred operations and the sport of combined carriage driving, which Wilson actively competes in.

The stud barn houses a carriage gallery, com-

plete with an 1882 era horse-drawn carriage used in the movie “Gone With the Wind.”

W W W.GOT OLOU ISV I L L E .COM

Courtesy Louisville Tourism HERMITAGE FARM WILL OPEN AS AN AGRITOURISM DESTINATION, VISITOR CENTER AND RESTAURANT IN LOUISVILLE NEXT SPRING.

NEW CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER TO OPEN THIS SUMMER CHICAGO — The Chicago Architecture Foundation is moving to a new location this summer just above the dock for the foundation’s river cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady Cruises where it will establish the Chicago Architecture Center.

The new 20,000-square-foot center will allow the foundation to add to its current historic architecture tours and tell new stories about contemporary architecture along the Chicago River, Lakeshore East and North Michigan Avenue.

The new center will have a welcome and tour center on the ground level and innovative exhibition spaces, including a digitally enhanced Chicago Model that will be expanded from 1,200 to nearly 3,000 structures and wrapped in an interactive, cinematic experience.

In addition to the Chicago Model, the center will feature a new, permanent skyscraper exhibit in a 26-foot gallery overlooking the Chicago River and the Michigan Avenue Bridge that will showcase some of the world’s most significant and famous skyscrapers and explain how architects continue to push boundaries in building tall today.

The center will also house a custom-designed lecture hall, a hands-on design studio and new space for the foundation’s store.

W W W.ARCHTECTURE.ORG

THE NEW CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER WILL SERVE AS THE LAUNCH POINT FOR THE CITY’S FAMOUS ARCHITECTURE CRUISES.

Courtesy Chicago Architecture Foundation

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Changing

BY B O B H O E L S C H E R

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oup tour planners depend not only on their personal experience and expertise, but also on the assistance, professionalism and follow-through of their employees and countless suppliers. When one of these fails to deliver as promised, it can cause a lot of problems and concerns.

But by avoiding panic, keeping your wits about you, and rationally seeking solutions, a workable alternative can always be found. Even during natural disasters like floods, tornados, forest fires or earthquakes, there’s always a reasonable, though perhaps not ideal, alternative available, and guests will understand and appreciate the efforts expended in arranging it.

I still remember what we subsequently called Black Friday, the August day during the late 1970s early in my career when I worked for the AAA in St. Louis. On this memorable occasion, we discovered to our horror that the tour program’s previous manager had failed to make any hotel reservations whatsoever throughout New England for a schedule of fall foliage departures that were virtually sold out. We were faced with operating nine departures of this highly popular itinerary without having any lodging secured at the peak of the autumn season, plus at a time when the pope was scheduled to make much-anticipated appearances in Boston.

Consequently, I had no other choice but to call just about every decent property in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. I was on the phone continually for hours on end in an attempt to cobble together enough rooms so that somehow, we could manage to accommodate our almost 400 guests.

Happily, we were successful in accommodating everyone in an acceptable fashion, at least partly because costs were of no concern, since the AAA’s reputation was at stake.

But if I and my colleagues had panicked and thrown up our hands in despair, the results would surely have been disastrous.

Recently, I encountered a much less daunting task caused by a Canadian Rockies hotel I had booked last spring on behalf of a consulting client for a 2018 fall tour. Despite several subsequent requests on my part, the property had never sent a confirmation to my client’s

DEALING WITH UNEXPECTED TRAVEL PROBLEMS 12

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office, so my assistance was sought when the document was still missing in mid-August. When I contacted the hotel, I was told that they did not have our reservation and no rooms were available, our arrival being over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.

I sent an email explaining our need for 30 rooms to more than two dozen comparable properties nearby, but the first responses we received from those that still had space were far more expensive than we were seeking. However, after a couple of days, a most attractive property emerged with rooms at close to the same rate we had originally anticipated.

Airlines are a different animal, so if your group should be faced with a significant delay or flight cancellation, never, ever go to the counter and start screaming. Instead, avoid the inevitable line at the counter completely and call the airline’s group desk; calmly and professionally explain the predicament, and see what the agent with whom you are speaking — and who can access the same computer reservation system that they have at the airport — can do for you.

Don’t forget to express your appreciation when alternative arrangements — good or even maybe not so good — are finalized.

Keep calm and tackle whatever your problem might be with your chin up.

You will find a solution.

OCTOBER 2018

EXPERT

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TONY MULA A SL ICE OF BROOK LY N BU S T OUR S

BY B R I A N J E W E L L

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ony Mula has Brooklyn in his blood.

“I’m a first-generation Italian American,” he said. “My parents both came from Italy in the 1960s, and I was born here and grew up in Brooklyn in the Bensonhurst neighborhood. Any Brooklynite you speak to, there’s a home-grown pride about where we’re from.”

Mula displayed that pride as he traveled the country and the globe throughout the 1990s in his career as a respiratory therapist.

“I came to realize that a lot of people are fascinated with Brooklyn: the food, the pizza, Coney Island and the Dodgers,” he said. “I would find myself describing Brooklyn to them in terms of movie locations.”

Over the years, many of the friends and business associates Mula met in his travels would make their way to New York. And they would ask him to show them around his borough.

“I became an unofficial ambassador for Brooklyn,” he said. “It was a passion of mine to show people my hometown. People started asking me to show their family members around.

“At the same time, I was getting tired of health care — I just couldn’t do it anymore. My friends encouraged me to start doing tours of the borough.

So I thought, if I could do it the right way, put it on a bus and show people clips of movies filmed here as we passed by locations, it could work well.”

With this model in mind, Mula launched A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours in 2005. His first tour was a pizza tour, which remains a popular option for visitors today. The tours included samples at various Brooklyn pizza restaurants, as well as a visit to Coney Island and a photo stop at the Brooklyn Bridge.

Business got a big boost in 2007 when A Slice of Brooklyn was featured on “The Today Show.”

“That really blew it up,” Mula said. “Ticket purchases were coming in from 8:45 that morning until midnight.”

As his company grew, Mula sought the advice of seasoned tour professionals in New York, who recommended he become a member of the city’s tourism bureau, NYC & Co. And his contacts there introduced him to the

GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

SALES TIP FROM TONY “ Don’t b e a f r a id to a sk p e ople wh at

t he y w a nt to do i n Ne w York . A lot of t i me s people tel l me t he y w a nt to se e

Brook ly n , but t he y don’t t h i n k t hei r

tou r op er ator w i l l t a k e t hem t here .

You ne ver k now what people may be i ntere sted i n se ei ng.”

group tourism market.

“Groups are now a big part of what we do,” he said. “I’ll have 12 groups in October alone. I try to go to ABA and IPW whenever possible.”

Today, groups that visit New York can have Mula or another Brooklynborn guide from the company meet them in Manhattan and step onto the bus to take them on any of several tours highlighting different aspects of Brooklyn, including holiday lights, chocolate and unique neighborhoods.

These tours showcase both traditional Brooklyn sites and newer businesses that have become part of the community with the borough’s growth.

“It’s incredible to watch what’s going on in my hometown because I can literally be a tourist here now,” Mula said. “I can go to microbreweries and experience all the new IPAs, or I can go find who’s making sake in Brooklyn or who is doing barbecue. And on tours, I want to showcase all the things that make Brooklyn great.”

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Photos courtesy Aramark ABOVE: GROUPS CAN TAKE GUIDED NATURALIST WALKS ON THE COASTAL TRAIL AT ASILOMAR STATE PARK IN CALIFORNIA THE WATERS OF LAKE TAHOE NEVADA STATE PARK ARE POPULAR WITH TRAVELERS.

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ithout a doubt, some of our country’s greatest treasures are our state parks, a tradition that dates back to the 1820s. Today, there are more than 10,000 state parks in the U.S., preserving unique regional natural wonders. Having so many preserved spaces in each state means getting to a park isn’t difficult. Wherever your group travels, there’s likely to be a fascinating state park nearby.

The beauty of these parks is varied and breathtaking, ranging from coast to coast, traversing mountains and deserts. Each park offers numerous activities, from fishing and birding to canoeing and horseback riding, the sorts of outdoor adventures that are suitable for group travelers.

Here are some worth visiting.

S TAT E PA R K S I N C L U D E S O M E O F A M E R I C A ’ S B E S T JACOBSBURG STATE PARK Northhampton County, Pennsylvania More than 1,000 acres of woods, fields and streams make up Jacobsburg State Park in Pennsylvania.

With equestrian outfitters Lehigh Valley Trail Rides, groups can enjoy a scenic and relaxing ride and take in the serene beauty of the park. More than 18 miles of trails wind through forest that displays the vibrant colors of fall. The outfitter uses natural horsemanship training techniques to ensure their horses are gentle and well mannered. What better way to take in the area’s natural beauty than atop a majestic horse?

— W W W. L EH IGH VA L L E Y T R A I L R I DES .COM —

JACOBSBURG STATE PARK IN PENNSYLVANIA

ASILOMAR STATE BEACH AND CONFERENCE GROUNDS Pacific Grove, California This Monterey Peninsula park’s name means “refuge by the sea,” and it sits on 107 acres of ecologically diverse beachfront land. Groups can enjoy several self-guided or staff-guided walking tours, including a history tour that highlights the architecture of Julia Morgan, a tour of the park’s dune habitat, a coast trail walk and a forest walk. Each offers visitors different perspectives on the park and its scenery. Other attractions include a monarch butterfly sanctuary and a bird walk with 60 species of birds. The conference center comprises two historic lodges and four cottages, including one that author John Steinbeck called home.

Courtesy Discover Lehigh Valley

A FIREWORKS CRUISE ON LAKE TAHOE

— W W W.V ISI TASI LOM A R .COM —

Courtesy Lafayette Travel

CALIFORNIA’S ASILOMAR STATE PARK

Courtesy Aramark

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Courtesy Aramark

RAVEN ROCK STATE PARK Lillington, North Carolina Raven Rock State Park spans nearly 5,000 acres of hardwood and pine forest and is popular for camping, hiking, leaf peeping and horseback riding. It also features new mountain biking trails. The park is famous for the picturesque Cape Fear River, which hosts guided rafting tours that wind through the scenic rock formations along several miles of calm water before hitting Class I and II rapids. Wildlife sightings are frequent on rafting trips, and guests can expect to see bald eagles and blue herons, among other birds. Also available are tubing adventures on the river with stops for lunch at a popular local restaurant called Mermaid Point.

THE NIGHT SKY AT DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK IN UTAH

— W W W. NCPA R K S .GOV/ R AV E N-ROCK-STAT E-PA R K —

Photos courtesy Bettymaya Foot

san elizario chapel

Dear culture vultures,

N O I S S I M A T O WE’ VE G .

Y L L A U T C A , E FOR YOU. THRE

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T I S I V E M O C Love, El Paso

DOW N LOA D O U R A P P CO N 16TAC T M A E G A N H R U BY F O R YOUR TRAVEL N E X T TOLE U RADER : MH RUBY @ D E ST I N AT I O N ELPAS O.CO M Courtesy Chicago Cultural Alliance

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OCTOBER 2018

There’s so much you can do when you set off for an adventure outdoors. Hike,

RANGELEY LAKE STATE PARK Rangeley, Maine On 869 acres in Maine’s western mountains, visitors can enjoy all the usual activities found at a state park: camping, hiking, picnicking, leaf peeping, photography, fishing and hunting. Four-wheeling and snowmobiling are popular trail options, and several local companies rent kayaks, canoes and mountain bikes. There are also fishing charters to enjoy the park’s salmon and trout. The park is also a popular destination for foraging: Rangeley’s Wilhelm Reich Museum features an outdoor classroom where groups can take a mushrooming workshop with local mycologist Michaeline Mulvey.

WITH IT’S YOUR CHOICE, CHOOSE THE EXCURSION THAT FITS YOU.

drive, cruise, or ride. You can delve into the natural world a dozen different ways. Visit paradise in tropical Costa Rica, with its sandy beaches, lush forests, exotic plants, incredible animals, and stunning waterfalls. Spend two nights in Monteverde’s lush cloud forest.

You wouldn’t go to Costa Rica and not stay in a cloud forest would you?

— W W W.V ISI T M A I N E .COM —

DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK Moab, Utah This canyon park with an unusual name near Moab is full of dramatic overlooks of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. There are multiple options for camping and hiking, but viewing the astounding canyons and rock formations by hot-air balloon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, meaning that there is no light pollution and stargazers can view the night sky much as it would have looked hundreds of years ago. With these ideal viewing conditions, park rangers provide programming such as full-moon walks and seminars using telescopes.

— WWW.STATEPARKS.UTAH.GOV/PARKS/DEAD-HORSE —

DEAD HORSE POINT, AN INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY PARK

GET A

LOCAL’S

PERSPECTIVE! Monteverde, Costa Rica

Offer the world to your travelers with journeys to all seven continents.

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

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LE ADER CST# 2006766-20 UBN# 601220855 Nevada Seller of TravelTRAVEL Registration No. 2003-0279

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BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK Terlingua, Texas On the high desert plains, Big Bend Ranch State Park features rugged environs made for the adventurous. The park has 238 miles of multiuse trails made for hiking, biking, backpacking, horseback riding and two- and four-wheel-drive-vehicle exploration.

The park stretches through west Texas along the Rio Grande River and borders Mexico. The park is known for its mountain biking — it hosts one of the country’s biggest mountain biking events, the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest — and local outfitters provide guided tours of the park’s bikes-only designated trails. History buffs will enjoy visiting nearby ghost town Terlingua and hipster destination Marfa.

— W W W.T PW D.T E X AS .GOV/STAT E-PA R K S / BIG -BE N D R A NCH —

MOUNTAIN BIKING IN TEXAS’ BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK

WAIANAPANAPA STATE PARK Maui, Hawaii On the road to Hana, 122-acre Waianapanapa State Park is a great stop, with panoramic views over a black-sand beach surrounded by jungle foliage.

Explorers will want to check out the ocean caves, sea arches, anchialine pools, cliff diving and blowholes. This hiker’s paradise offers two trails: One features a Hawaiian burial ground, a blowhole and the Ohala Heiau, an ancient sacred structure ending at Kainalimu Bay. The other, Kipapa O Kihapi’ilani Trail, is a three-mile loop with black rock caves, a lava tube and, at Pukaulua Point, ruins, a heiau and burial mounds.

— W W W. H AWA I ISTAT EPA R K S .ORG —

Photos courtesy Texas Dept. of Parks & Wildlife

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LAKE TAHOE NEVADA STATE PARK Lake Tahoe, Nevada Sand Harbor is a popular sandy lakeside beach that’s great for stand-up paddleboarding, photography, picnicking, hiking and cultural activities like movies, concerts and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. At nearby Zephyr Cove Resort, fishing enthusiasts can take a boating excursion with everything included, from refreshments to tackle. The four-hour trips run morning, afternoon and evening, and explore not just the lake’s scenery but also the species of fish found in the lake. Lucky fishermen will have their catches cleaned and bagged by the tour staff to take home. Two local restaurants, MacDuff ’s and Riva, will cook the fish.

LAKE TAHOE IN WINTER

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LUDINGTON STATE PARK Ludington, Michigan Eighty-two-year-old Ludington State Park is a local favorite for repeat visits. The park sits between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake and is popular for hiking, biking, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, row boating and more than five miles of white-sand beach.

Hikes take visitors through sand dunes, wetlands and marshlands and to a historic lighthouse. The view from the top of Big Sable Point Lighthouse is worth the effort to climb it for the stunning panoramic view of the lake. The gently flowing Sable River is also popular for kayaking and tubing, with most recreational equipment available for rent on the beach.

— W W W.V ISI T LU DI NGT ON.COM —

MANCOS STATE PARK Mancos, Colorado The southern part of Colorado is beautiful any time of year, but Mancos remains a fairly undiscovered gem for winter activities. Rural Mancos is one of the state’s designated art districts and a thriving agricultural area, but it offers plenty of outdoor adventure, too.

Heated yurts in the park and groomed trails make an excellent place to cross-country ski or snowshoe.

Snowmobiling is popular in the San Juan mountain range, and rainbow trout and perch are abundant when ice fishing on Jackson Lake. Nearby Hesperus Hill, a family-owned ski hill, also offers snow tubing.

— W W W.COLOR A DO.COM —

ZEPHYR COVE RESTAURANT AT LAKE TAHOE

LAKE TAHOE NEVADA STATE PARK Photos courtesy Aramark

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S M O K Y M O U N TA I N

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Courtesy Anakeesta

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A VETERAN VISITOR SHARES SOME PERSONAL PICKS B Y TO M A D K I N S O N

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

By Tom Adkinson

VISITORS TO THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS TAKE A PHOTO FROM ONE OF THE SCENIC OVERLOOKS AT ANAKEESTA IN GATLINBURG.

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reat Smoky Mountains National Park is a magnet for my soul. Driving in from points west in Tennessee, there are vantages outside Knoxville and Maryville where vistas open up to reveal row after row of soft, undulating ridges on the horizon.

Peace lies there.

At 500,000 acres, the park is huge, especially for a park in the eastern U.S., and it attracts millions of visitors. It is America’s most-visited national park. The visitor count was almost 11.4 million in 2017, bolstered by big attendance for the solar eclipse that year and not harmed significantly by a tragic wildfire in 2016.

Despite its popularity, I can find solitude, at least relatively speaking, in almost 600 miles of trout streams or along 800 miles of trails, all the while realizing that I share the park and surrounding region with many others, including groups of all sizes and types.

As a region, the Smokies appeal to myriad groups. It could be a hiking club using Townsend as a base for some day hikes, a multigenerational family reunion focusing on Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, a church youth group attending a denominational rally or a seniors group just wanting to soak up fall color in the mountains.

Here are some of the signature destinations your group shouldn’t miss when visiting the Smoky Mountains.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Getting a handle on the Smokies is a challenge. Let’s start with the national park itself and then examine some of the park’s Tennessee gateway communities.

Tourism professionals often marvel that some visitors say they are “coming to the mountains” yet they never enter the national park. Just hav-

ing those beautiful mountains as the backdrop for their visits satisfies them, but it shouldn’t.

Mother Nature spent too much time preparing for them to be ignored.

A wise group leader would begin a Smoky Mountains adventure at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. In addition to getting the lay of the land at an expansive 3D tabletop map, Sugarlands features one of the best National Park Service videos in the country. These 20 minutes ought to be part of everyone’s visit to the Smokies because they offer so much perspective on the land and the people.

Perhaps the easiest group activity is to drive to 5,049-foot Newfound Gap and straddle the line between Tennessee and North Carolina for a group photo. You can imagine the scene when Franklin Roosevelt visited in 1940 to dedicate the park, which citizens had donated to the nation after considerable public and private fundraising.

When you peer over the verdant ridges now, it’s unbelievable that about 80 percent of the donated land was logged over. What a difference almost a century of healing can bring.

The famous Appalachian Trail passes through Newfound Gap, and you can take an out-and-back walk on it. When recounting that stroll back home, remember to say you hiked on part of the Appalachian Trail, not the entire trail; too many people know it’s 2,190 miles long.

After Newfound Gap, drive on to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Tennessee at 6,643 feet. The walk from the parking lot to the futuristic-looking observation deck is a short quartermile jaunt that is steep and memorable. It may make you wish you exercised more.

There are many other opportunities for group trail time, and rangers at the Sugarlands Visitor Center are your best counselors. From Sugarlands, you can walk two flat miles into Gatlinburg on the Gatlinburg Trail, or you can enjoy a loop of

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ZIP LINING AT ANAKEESTA

slightly more than a mile to see a small waterfall and a settler’s cabin.

Courtesy Anakeesta A SMOKIES RHODODENDRON

ANAKEESTA’S CHONDOLA Courtesy Anakeesta

By Tom Adkinson

GATLINBURG Cherokees and earlier natives knew the Smokies well. Cherokees even helped the first American settlers who trudged over the mountains in the early 1800s to the spot that became Gatlinburg. It was a tiny hamlet when the national park was created, but that changed almost overnight.

What evolved is a compact, attraction-filled, largely walkable town hemmed in by the park on three sides.

Hotel rooms overlook a stocked trout stream, souvenir stores seem as abundant as the park’s famous synchronous fireflies, and the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway can whisk you away from the hustle-bustle for a 2.1-mile ride to Ober Gatlinburg. Ober Gatlinburg is a mountaintop amusement park with Tennessee’s only ski slopes, a substantial indoor ice arena and numerous other attractions.

Back in town, diversions include the incongruous but popular Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. First-timers to Gatlinburg, who may be most eager to see a black bear in the woods, are just as thrilled to see sharks, rays, sea dragons and electric eels. The largest of three massive tanks holds 750,000 gallons of saltwater and has a glass tunnel so you can watch toothy sharks glide overhead.

Among Gatlinburg’s newest attractions is an outdoor spot called Anakeesta. That’s a Cherokee word that means “the place of balsams.” Getting to Anakeesta is part of the fun because you must ride a “chondola” to get there. “Chondola” is a made-up word for a combination gondola and chairlift that takes you 600 feet up a ridge to Firefly Village.

Attractions there include a canopy walk — 16 suspended bridges and 14 viewing platforms suspended 40 to 60 feet off the ground— a mountain coaster, a combination zip-line/rappelling adventure, shopping and gem mining. Perhaps most impressive at Anakeesta are panoramic views of Mount LeConte, which, at 6,593 feet, is the third-tallest peak in the national park.

The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts offers a marked contrast to Gatlinburg’s chondola, sharks and mountain coasters. Visit the campus, view artwork by local, national and international artists in five galleries, and experience a completely different way to enjoy the Smokies.

AN ANAKEESTA ROPE BRIDGE Courtesy Anakeesta

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THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN WHEEL IN PIGEON FORGE

PIGEON FORGE The Smokies’ most active visitor town is five miles north and a world apart from Gatlinburg because it has something Gatlinburg doesn’t: flat land. It occupies a valley of the Little Pigeon River.

Slicing through town is a four-lane divided route named simply the Parkway that is lined with attractions, amusements, restaurants, theaters, mom-andpop motels, chain hotels, souvenir emporiums, miniature golf courses and one genuinely historic site. This is a kid-in-a-candy-store place built for fun and games.

There’s fun off the Parkway, too, and the most notable example is the Dollywood theme park.

Dollywood is Tennessee’s most-visited ticketed attraction. The stamp of local superstar Dolly Parton is all over this park’s music, food, crafts and thrill rides. It begins each season with entertainers from around the world for the Festival of Nations and then continues with multiple themed festivals before presenting weeks of holiday music and lights during Smoky Mountain Christmas.

A major park expansion — assuming you consider $37 million major — opens in 2019. Wildwood Grove is the area’s name, and it will be a tribute to the Smokies, with 11 family-oriented experiences.

Courtesy Pigeon Forge DOT OLD FORGE DISTILLERY IN PIGEON FORGE

A WILD BLACK BEAR IN THE SMOKIES

By Tom Adkinson

By Tom Adkinson

Do it all.

Bring your groups to a place guaranteed to put a sparkle in the eye and create ear-to-ear smiles. Experience a destination with more shows and shopping, more arts and crafts, more spectacular mountain views and more delicious down-home cooking. Take a detour from the ordinary to discover a town filled with fun for anyone, any age.

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DOLLYWOOD’S DREAMMORE RESORT

Courtesy Dollywood

PIGEON FORGE’S HISTORIC OLD MILL

By Tom Adkinson

A GLASSBLOWING DEMONSTRATION AT DOLLYWOOD

Courtesy Dollywood

FISHING IN GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Elsewhere in the Dollywood universe are the DreamMore Resort, the Splash Country water park and two dinner shows on the Parkway: Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Celebration, newly opened this year.

One of the most unexpected sights in the Smokies is a towering replica of the Titanic — yes, that Titanic. It’s both an attraction and a museum, with highly trained staffers in ships costumes who explain the surprising collection of Titanic artifacts. Another unexpected attraction is Pigeon Forge Snow, which offers 11 lanes of indoor snow tubing on real snow year-round. Don’t ask how, just slide.

Live entertainment, a hallmark of Pigeon Forge, is delivered in more than a dozen theaters. Mainstays include Country Tonite, the Smoky Mountain Opry and the Comedy Barn. Free outdoor entertainment is offered at the walkable Island in Pigeon Forge development, along with restaurants, shops and rides.

Pigeon Forge’s touchstone to history is the Old Mill and its related businesses. The mill was built in 1830 and continues grinding corn and other grains today.

Adjacent are the Old Mill Restaurant, especially good for a powerhouse breakfast before a mountain hike; the Pigeon River Pottery — check out the face jugs, along with artistic ceramic pieces; the Old Forge Distillery; and other heritage-oriented shops.

SEVIERVILLE Continuing north takes you into Sevierville, where more lodging, more restaurants and abundant shopping — consider the expansive Tanger Five Oaks development — are calling cards.

Weather usually isn’t a deterrent to fun in the Smokies, but Sevierville solves even that at Wilderness at the Smokies, which includes an indoor water park called Wild WaterDome. That’s in addition to lodging, two outdoor water parks and a three-story ropes course.

A guaranteed selfie location is on the Sevier County Courthouse lawn. It’s a bronze statue of Dolly Parton, guitar in hand, crafted by local artist Jim Gray and unveiled in 1988. Imagine the millions of people who have had their pictures taken with Dolly.

By Tom Adkinson

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DOGWOODS AND A HISTORIC BARN IN CADES COVE, A POPULAR SECTION OF GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

By Tom Adkinson

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TOW NSEND If the excitement and electric atmospheres of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg wear you out, the antidote is nearby in Townsend, which for years has billed itself as “the quiet side of the Smokies.”

It’s a calm community with only one traffic light on the Little River that even has a bicycle/walking path along the main drag. Most people know Townsend because it provides access to Cades Cove, a picturesque valley that nurtured an almost self-sufficient farming community before the national park was formed. The 11-mile loop road around Cades Cove is highly popular, and it leads to an enjoyable up-and-down, 2.5-mile trail to Abrams Falls.

Two Townsend attractions link it to the national park. One is the Great Smoky ] Mountains Heritage Center, whose mission it is to preserve and interpret the heritage of the people who inhabited the mountain communities before the park came along. There is an excellent museum and a collection of 13 historic buildings, including a cabin, a chapel and an underground still. Groups can book narrated Cades Cove tours on 18-passenger vehicles.

The second is Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR). You go to ABR to learn about its assistance to black bears, often sick, malnourished or injured. Since 1990, ABR has treated and returned to the wild more than 275 bears. Its rehab facilities are not public, but the education makes you appreciate any bear you see in the wild. ABR offers group-worthy programs in classroom settings, and it happily arranges hikes for small groups. One leads to a known bear den high in a tree.

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BREAKERS and

BRASSERIES

BY E L I ZA M Y E R S

All photos courtesy Discover Newport THE BREAKERS IS PERHAPS THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE GILDED AGE MANSIONS OVERLOOKING NEWPORT’S ATLANTIC COAST.

OLD MONEY MEETS NEW CUISINE IN NEWPORT

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edazzled dresses, stylish butlers and unimaginable wealth were hallmarks of Newport, Rhode Island, in the late 19th century.

At several historic mansions in Newport, groups can glimpse extravagant lifestyles of America’s historic elite. These over-the-top mansions sit atop rocky cliffs overlooking crashing Atlantic waves.

To see these homes and capture beautiful photos, visitors often explore breathtaking Ocean Drive or book a harbor tour, which also provides background information on the town’s days as a commercial whaling port.

“The City by the Sea” also boasts a sought-after culinary scene. Groups can sample the highlights of local food and drink on culinary walking tours through the heart of the city.

This legacy of wealth and iconic scenery makes Newport a favorite island destination for groups traveling in New England.

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G ILD E D AG E M ANS IO NS When visiting castles in Europe, travelers often journey for hours from one to the next.

In Newport, visitors can see the same number of impressive buildings in a matter of minutes.

During the Gilded Age, wealthy residents of Newport wanted to flaunt their wealth, so they built opulent building on top of opulent building.

“If a group is going to include one or two mansion tours, the great thing is they can drive by five more,” said Evan Smith, president and CEO of Discover Newport. “When people come here, the mansions are really bigger than life. When they get out of the bus, it is a wow moment. Sometimes things in brochures don’t meet your expectations.

These American castles exceed expectations.”

The town offers several mansions to tour.

Each features extraordinary architecture, furnishings and art. A tour can feel like an episode of “Downton Abbey,” with stories about the wealthy owners, butlers and maids. Shirley McClain’s recurring character on the British show represented the upper-class Newport residents.

Each mansion offers headset audio tours, so group members can walk through at their own pace. Optional guides in period dress tell visitors about how the town became a summer playground for America’s wealthiest families.

Among the most popular Newport summer mansions are Marble House, Rosecliff and The Elms. The Vanderbilt family constructed one of the grandest Newport homes, The Breakers, as a symbol of its social and financial standing.

THE DINING ROOM AT MARBLE HOUSE

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CU LI N A RY WA L K I N G T O U R S Colonial architecture mixes well with upscale cuisine. Two companies, Rhode Island Red Food Tours and Newport Foodies Stroll, offer culinary tours of Newport. Both companies make stops at five or more restaurants to sample the trendy culinary dishes.

“These walking tours take you deeper into the neighborhoods where the locals eat,” said Smith.

“The tour guides have picked each spot because it has really good food and it is a unique place that people are going to remember. These tours show you the secret spots that travelers might not find on their own.”

Each tour chooses a mix of restaurant types, including a historic tavern, a French-inspired brasserie, a rustic pub, a hip hamburger joint and a mom-and-pop bakery. Guides share interesting tidbits about Newport history and culture along the way.

Newport Cocktail Tours offers a walking tour that maps out seven of the best craft cocktails in town. Each location boasts historic interest, with some connected to Newport’s past as a major rum producer 150 years ago.

The contrast between highly stylized mansions and rugged coastline makes for a stunning picture.

Ocean Drive, a route on the southern end of the island, showcases some of Newport’s best rocky cliffs and palatial homes in the town’s high-rent district.

“Groups love this drive because the vistas are stunning,” said Smith. “There is one view after another of mansions and ocean waves crashing into the rocks. It’s a great place to dream.”

During the drive, step-on guides relate the history of each home they pass. They also point out celebrity-owned homes, including Judge Judy’s house. The route’s homes span three centuries of remarkable real estate. Homes built in the 1800s sit next to homes built last year and practically every decade in between.

Also known as Ten Mile Drive, the scenic route leads to stops along the Atlantic Ocean for photo ops, hikes, beach access and other activities.

Brenton Point State Park features unparalleled ocean views where guests can relax while watching waves crashing onto the shore. Nearby, Fort Adams State Park offers historical tours of its preserved coastal fortification, which was active from 1841 to the first half of the 20th century.

OCEAN DRIVE

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HARBOR TOURS

A HANDS-ON SAILING EXPERIENCE

SAILING NEWPORT HARBOR

To understand Newport and its connection to the sea, many locals recommend voyaging out on the water.

“In the must-see category for anyone I’m talking to, whether it’s an individual or a group, I tell them they have to get on the water,” said Smith.

“The scenery is spectacular, especially if you are from an inland state. You are seeing the skyline of one of America’s most historic cities. People say their favorite part of their stay at Newport was the harbor cruise.”

This New England seaport town was once among the five largest ports in North America.

The city’s seafaring legacy lives on in a strong fishing industry.

Newport offers eight vessels appropriate for group tours. Sailboats, schooners, powerboats and other vessels take groups out regularly for informative and scenic tours.

Excursions on Save the Bay’s 46-foot, 40-passenger Chesapeake Deadrise goes beyond the typical tour. Passengers can help crew haul up lobster traps for a hands-on way to discover sea life in Newport. The ship’s captain explains the history of Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay’s underwater ecosystem teeming with shellfish and other creatures.

Groups can dine at a waterfront restaurant for views of the harbor and local delicacies. The Pier on Howard’s Wharf gives demonstrations on the proper way to crack and eat a fresh lobster.

DISCOVER NE WPORT — WWW.DISCOVERNEWPORT.ORG —

PICTURE PICTURE 1639.

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EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE NOW. NOW.

Visit our website for sample experiential itineraries, group friendly restaurants Visit our website for sample experiential itineraries, group friendly restaurants and overnight packages.

28 and GROUP overnight packages.

TRAVEL LE ADER Contact: Chris Siravo, Sales Manager CSiravo@DiscoverNewport.org Contact: Chris Siravo, Sales Manager CSiravo@DiscoverNewport.org T HE

OCTOBER 2018

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WET YOUR APPETITE M A RINE LIFE CRUISES A RE NATUR A L W INNERS

BY E L I ZA M Y E R S

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eeing marine life in the wild is a view into another world.

Marine wildlife cruises allow groups to see the massive scale of a whale, make eye contact with a seal or watch a sky full of puffins. Coastal destinations sometimes specialize in species common in the area, though most wildlife cruises look for a variety of creatures.

Sometimes, cruise passengers even see land animals like wild ponies that often congregate along the coast. Other times, onboard guides know where local pods of dolphins frequent for guaranteed wildlife-viewing opportunities.

To catch a glimpse of fascinating coastal creatures, groups can try one of these wildlife-watching cruises.

WHALE WATCHING NEAR MONTEREY

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HUMPBACK WHALE CRUISES

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M O NTE R E Y, CA LI FO R N IA

Humpback whales grow to an average of 45 feet long, and seeing such a massive creature in person is an awe-inspiring experience. These whales frequently breach the water with common above-water behaviors such as tail slaps, leaps and group lunge feedings.

In the late 1980s, there were only about 400 humpback whales in Monterey. Since then, the local humpback population has grown to 2,200.

Although the species migrates to Mexico during the winter, humpbacks live in Monterey Bay from spring through late fall.

Although Monterey whale-watching cruises focus mostly on the humpback whales, participants also commonly spy blue whales, gray whales, minke whales and, occasionally, sperm whales. Monterey Bay became known as the whale-watching capital of the world because of its large and deep submarine canyon close to the shore. The underwater canyon’s proximity allows short trips from the harbor to view whales year-round.

Groups can have their own whale encounters onboard a cruise with Discovery Whale Watch or Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The latter company offers charters aboard catamarans holding 149, 70 or 47 passengers.

The tour staff includes photographers and drone operators to provide guests with souvenir photos and videos of their experience. The three-hour tours allow plenty of time to spot whales and watch them interact with the boat and each other.

W W W.SEE MON T ER E Y.COM

Courtesy Discovery Whale Watch

MARINE LIFE IN CAPE COD MONTEREY HARBOR SEALS Courtesy Discovery Whale Watch

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By Don Parkinson, courtesy Cape Cod CVB

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SEAL CRUISES

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CAPE CO D, MASSACH US E TTS

Though not as large as other ocean creatures, seals charm travelers with their expressive brown eyes, fluffy fur and playful demeanors. Wildlife cruises in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, showcase the local seal population. Sometimes thousands of harbor and gray seals swim and lay out along the shore at Monomoy Island, a barrier island and wildlife refuge off the coast of Chatham.

Guests can glide through narrow channels into isolated lagoons where these seals rest between feedings. Naturalists narrate tours with information on the various Cape Cod seal species and how the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 helped local populations of seals recover from near extinction. Narrators also keep an eye out for whales, schools of fish, seabirds and the occasional great white shark.

Monomoy Island Excursions accommodates up to 35 people on its 43-foot catamaran for a tour of the island and the nearby scenic Wychemere Harbor and Stage Harbor. During the 90-minute tours, guides not only watch for wildlife but also tell stories of the island and the historic Monomoy Lighthouse.

Other cruises venture out to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Five species of seals, along with humpback whales, minke whales and fin whales, feed at the sanctuary.

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DOLPHIN CRUISES

G U LF S H O R ES, A L ABAMA

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Though people are always curious about the bottlenose dolphin in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the dolphins are often just as curious about the people. Bottlenose dolphins exhibit considerable intelligence, such as using tools like marine sponges to forage for food. This intelligence makes seeing the underwater mammals even more compelling during dolphin-watching cruises in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area.

Cruises reveal the area’s diverse ecosystems, from evergreen forests and pine savannas to dune habitats and salt marshes. Friendly dolphins put on a show for passengers with playful behavior.

Since Gulf of Mexico bottlenose dolphins rarely travel more than 10 miles during their entire life, guides from cruise companies like Cetacean Cruises have named many of the dolphins in their area. Cetacean Cruises follows a pod of between 30 and 50 dolphins with two to three calves each year.

Nature cruises of between one and two hours get up-close to resident dolphins. The longer cruise weaves its way through hidden creeks and back bays for likely encounters with ospreys, herons, bald eagles and alligators.

Sail Wild Hearts also offers dolphin cruses in its 49-passenger boats. The company also offers sunset cruises and private charters. During the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration times, groups can combine an air show with a dolphin cruise.

W W W.GU L FSHOR ES .COM

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PUFFIN CRUISES

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KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA

It’s a story fit for a romance novel: After spending months alone at sea, puffins return to their nesting spot in search of their one chosen mate. Puffins mate for life, so the spring nesting time is a reunion for mated pairs, which stick together for 20 years, practically their entire lifespan.

What these 15-inch-tall birds lack in size, they overcome with striking, colorful beaks and impressive numbers. The birds live on rookery islands through the summer to nest and tend their young. Kenai Fjords National Park in Seward, Alaska, shelters several puffin coastal colonies, which groups can view on a wildlife cruise.

These cruises highlight the puffins, as well as other seabirds including black-legged kittiwakes, murres, oystercatchers and cormorants. Since Alaska offers some of the country’s most abundant wildlife populations, tours also commonly spot humpback whales, orca whales, Stellar sea lions, sea otters and even black bears. Even without wildlife sightings, cruises float past stunning scenery with towering glaciers and snow-capped mountains.

Major Marine Tours offers five cruise options that visit bird rookeries and other wildlife-viewing areas. The cruises range in duration. The 3.5- or 5-hour Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruises stay within Resurrection Bay for calmer waters.

Onboard naturalist narrators share facts about Alaska’s wildlife, history and geology. The longer cruise features a lunch of Alaska salmon and prime rib.

The company’s three longer cruises also venture outside the bay for more wildlife-viewing opportunities. All vessels include tabled seating in heated cabins as well as outside viewing space.

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A DOLPHIN CRUISE IN GULF SHORES

Courtesy Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

A HORNED PUFFIN IN ALASKA’S KENAI FJORDS

Courtesy Major Marine Tours

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ORCA WHALE CRUISES

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SAN J UAN IS L AN DS, WAS H I N GTO N

Onboard naturalists that narrate whale tours in the San Juan Islands know the local orca whales so well that when they see one, they can often name the whale’s mother and grandmother.

The San Juan Islands lie on the northern border of Washington in the Salish Sea. Unlike choppy ocean waters, the waters near the islands stay relatively calm allowing groups to easily view the year-round orca whale residents.

The thrill of spotting a pod of 25-foot-long orcas in the quiet Salish Sea draws guests from around the world to local whale-watching cruises. While scanning for whales, onboard naturalists relate interesting information about whale behavior and the difference between the fish-eating southern resident orcas and the mammal-eating transient orcas. The southern resident orcas are on the endangered species list, so tours also stick to responsible wildlifeviewing practices and urge passengers to help protect these giant creatures.

During a typical cruise, groups can also watch sea lions sunning themselves on rocks, bald eagles in treetops and cormorants nesting on bluffs. Minke whales, humpback whales, porpoises, river otters and seabirds also live in the area.

When not staring at the water, groups can bask in the surrounding beauty of the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range.

A BREACHING HUMPBACK WHALE IN THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS Photos courtesy San Juan Islands VB

W W W.V ISI T S A NJ UA NS .COM

PLAYFUL ORCAS

By Jim Maya Photography MARYLAND/DELAWARE STATE LINE

A SAN JUAN ISLANDS LIGHTHOUSE 528

Toronto Buffalo New York

Cleveland Pittsburgh Columbus

Philadelphia Baltimore

Washington, DC Richmond

Dover

OCEAN CITY

Northside Park

800.626.2326

OCOCEAN.COM/GROUPTRAVEL

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WILD PONY CRUISES

—

CH I N COTE AG U E IS L AN D, V I RG I N IA

According to legend, a shipwrecked Spanish galleon released wild horses onto Assateague Island years before Europeans colonized Virginia. Marguerite Henry detailed this story and the subsequent feral island ponies in her famous children’s book “Misty of Chincoteague,” which helped popularize the wild horse herds.

These herds still reside on Assateague Island, a barrier island between Chincoteague Island and the Atlantic Ocean. Residents and tourists stay on historic Chincoteague Island, since Assateague Island is protected by the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge protects not only the ponies but also abundant migrating and permanent waterfowl.

Cruises depart from Chincoteague Island for up-close views of the ponies as well as bald eagles, herons, white-tailed deer and sika elks. The Assateague Lighthouse and surrounding wilderness create gorgeous vistas during the boat tours.

Groups can cruise in the channel between the islands to access areas of Assateague Island where many of the ponies live. Daisey’s Island Cruises offer larger vessels for pony viewing.

To control the horse population, local “saltwater cowboys” round up a sampling of the healthy horses and swim them across the island channel for auction on Pony Penning Day. The July festival started in 1925 and draws crowds that reach 40,000.

CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND’S WILD PONIES Courtesy Chincoteague COC

W W W.CH I NCOT E AGU ECH A MBER .COM

PLAY AND GET AWAY ON THE

NORTHSHORE

Visit St. Tammany Parish and bring your appetite for great Louisiana cooking, and for living.

Come paddle the bayou, pedal the Tammany Trace, tour Honey Island Swamp, do the Dew Drop, toast the town at Abita Brewery or Pontchartrain Vineyards, and indulge your sweet tooth at The Candy Bank.

Less than an hour from New Orleans, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Baton Rouge.

8 0 0 - 6 3 4 - 9 4 4 3 • w w w. L o u i s i a n a N o r t h s h o r e . c o m /g r o u p s GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

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sound-off

STAFF

WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER YOU’VE HAD WHILE TRAVELING?

A couple of years ago, I had the bright idea of going camping in the Everglades in late spring, a time when most people avoid the area because of the heat and mosquitoes. I quickly realized that my small head net and thin flannel shirt were not adequate cover against the 10,000 mosquitoes that materialized the instant I left my car or tent.

The mosquitoes were so abundant that I could hear them outside my tent at night. On the plus side, I did get the chance to see wild manatees up close in the river, which almost made the trip worth it. Almost.

— Savannah Osbourn, STAFF WRITER

When I was in Greece, I got to help a local shear one of his sheep. It was hard to wrangle it, but in the end, it was cool getting to experience that and help the animal.

— Kyle Anderson, ACCOUNT MANAGER

Years ago, I joined a group on a safari in Kenya, one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife destinations. We went on various game drives each day and saw lions, giraffes, zebras and other animals from the safety of our safari vehicles. One afternoon, though, the guides got us out of the vehicles to walk about 100 yards away, where a rhinoceros family was quietly grazing. We got close enough to these large animals to touch them… but we didn’t touch them. I was amazed by these creatures; they seemed completely unimpressed with me.

— Brian Jewell, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

For my husband’s 30th birthday, I surprised him with a trip down the coast from Charleston, South Carolina, to the Golden Isles in Georgia.

Graham loves sea turtles, so the highlight of the trip was the Ride With Night Patrol experience at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. We went up and down Jekyll Islands beaches half the night looking for nesting sea turtles, new nest sites and turtle tracks. We

even got to see a huge sea turtle up close as she came out onto the beach to scope out a nest site before turning and heading back into the water.

— Ashley Ricks, CIRCULATION MANAGER

When I was 9 years old, my father woke me one day at dawn and told me to get dressed. We were in a beach house at Crescent Beach in South Carolina, which is now part of Myrtle Beach. We drove with my older brother and our uncle to the pier at Cherry Grove and slithered through a throng of people to stare at a world-record-size tiger shark stretched out in the back of a truck. It was 14 feet long and weighed 1,780 pounds. A local fisherman had caught it and managed to land it on the beach. It stood as the largest ever until someone caught one slightly larger 40 years later in Australia. The best part for me that day was that my younger brother did not get the wakeup call.

What can I say?

— Mac Lacy, PUBLISHER

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.

BRIANJ@GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM 34

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KENTUCKY 2019 GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

M

RE

M E E T I N G S PA C E T H A N A N Y H O T E L I N K E N T U C K Y

Better order more name badges.

With 53 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, an exhibit hall and 1,300 guest rooms, the Galt House can easily accommodate large groups and conferences. Start planning your next event at galthouse.com/meetings.

CONTENTS 8

SIGNATURE FLAVORS

10

THE BOURBON BOOM

18

MADE IN KENTUCKY

26

KENTUCKY’S MUSIC HERITAGE

34

SHOP THE BLUEGRASS

42

KENTUCKY OUTDOORS ON THE COVER

PUBLISHED BY

Clockwise from the top: A meal in Daniel Boone Country includes regional favorites such as soup beans, ramps and chow-chow relish.

Photo courtesy KY Dept. of Tourism.

NICHE TRAVEL PUBLISHERS 301 EAST HIGH STREET LEXINGTON, KY 40507 888-253-0455 WWW.GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

4

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Discover Berea Folk Arts

To customize your tour, contact Connie at connie@visitberea.com

Natur

e

1-800-598-5263

Shopping

c

Musi

Rela

xing

g

in Din

Learni

ng

VisitBerea.com • Exit 76 or 77 off I-75

ts

Even

Histor Fun

y

T

H E Y,

he time to visit Kentucky is now!

The memories your group will make and the stories you will hear, past and present, will last a lifetime. Bluegrass music, bourbon, pristine natural beauty and unique culinary flavors are all part of what makes everything “Better in the Bluegrass.”

The Kentucky Group Travel Guide will help you discover the many ways to explore the Bluegrass State. Beautiful horse farms are everywhere, offering a behind-the- scenes look at raising, training and caring for these magnificent creatures — from thoroughbreds to American Saddlebreds. And, if you like sports, you can’t miss the greatest two minutes in sports — the Kentucky Derby that’s held the first Saturday in May. Get a taste of Kentucky through the unique flavors of our state. Local food isn’t a trend but a way of life that is evident in our agrarian roots and our artisan culture. Across the state, chefs are cooking regional favorites and putting their own spin on traditional dishes. From the traditional down home Southern fare to upscale fine dining to street food and anything in between, there is a Kentucky restaurant or meal to fit your inner foodie.

While you are here, you have to try one of our very special spirits: bourbon! With 95 percent of the world’s supply crafted in Kentucky, it is more than a drink here — it’s a lifestyle.

Whether you are new to bourbon or an expert, whether you prefer your bourbon on the rocks or mixed, or if you want to eat your way through bourbon country, there is a bourbon experience waiting for you here.

Our charming small towns are an eclectic mix of beautiful historic architecture and Y ’A LL! revitalized energy with shopping, dining and entertainment. Discover vibrant arts and music, and learn of our history with visits to museums and memorials commemorating everything from the Civil War to the athlete known as the “Greatest of All Time,” Muhammad Ali. Travel to the UNESCO Creative City Paducah to tour the National Quilt Museum, the largest museum in the world devoted to quilts and fiber arts. Visit the newly opened Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum or check out the hometown of Bill Monroe or Chris Stapleton. No matter your favorite tune, you can always find live music across Kentucky.

Kentucky is also the perfect retreat for groups seeking adventure. We’re home to Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system in the world, as well as thousands of miles of waterways and trails. The most adventurous groups will enjoy whitewater rafting at Cumberland Falls, rock climbing in the Red River Gorge or admiring the breathtaking view from Natural Bridge. Kentucky has 17 resort state parks that offer lodging, recreation and access to some of the most picturesque locations in the country.

From horses, bourbon and bluegrass to our culinary delights and hospitality, I know you will find wonderful Kentucky travel itineraries for groups that will be an experience unlike any other, because it’s always “Better in the Bluegrass!”

Y O U R F R I E N D I N T R AV E L Kristen Branscum Commissioner Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism 866-660-8747 www.kentuckytourism.com

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

JOIN OUR

BEER CHEESE

TABLE KENTUCKY’S FOODS DEFINE ITS CULTURE

F

rom Hot Browns to chow-chow and goetta, the Bluegrass State is full of memorable flavors.

Groups touring Kentucky will find lots of distinctive foods to sample during their trips. Here are some of the signature dishes your travelers can enjoy in each region of the state.

WESTERN KENTUCKY BARBECUE BLUEGRASS, BLUES AND BARBECUE REGION

Maker’s Mark Distillery is now featuring an exclusive Dinner at the Distillery experience. Guests arrive on the property in late afternoon to tour a special outdoor exhibition of Dale Chihuly art and then sit down to enjoy a world-class dinner prepared by resident chefs Newman Miller and Alex Dulaney.

BEER CHEESE BLUEGRASS, HORSES, BOURBON AND BOONE REGION

GOETTA NORTHERN KENTUCKY RIVER REGION

H O T B RO W N

Invented by German settlers who settled in the greater Cincinnati area in the 1800s, goetta is a meat-and-grain sausage dish. Northern Kentucky celebrates its German connection during Goettafest. During the three-day weekend, visitors can enjoy entertainment and the beloved breakfast patty at Newport’s MainStrasse Village.

HOT BROWN

JAM CAKE

BOURBON, HORSES

AND HISTORY REGION After Louisville’s Brown Hotel first served an open-faced turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce and parmesan cheese, the Hot Brown became the go-to order for about 95 percent of the hotel restaurant’s customers. Groups can still order this signature sandwich at the Brown Hotel or at numerous restaurants in central Kentucky.

CHOW-CHOW RELISH

B U RG O O

DANIEL BOONE COUNTRY

The legacy of beer cheese began in the 1940s, when Clark County local Johnnie Allman reportedly first served his cousin’s sharp cheese recipe.

Winchester and surrounding Clark County celebrate their role in inventing beer cheese by promoting the Beer Cheese Trail and hosting the annual Beer Cheese Festival. The Beer Cheese Trail consists of eight restaurants with local beer cheese recipes.

This Southern relish is prepared with cabbage, green tomatoes, bell peppers and a vinegar-based sauce served over soup beans in Daniel Boone Country. Also known as piccalilli, chow-chow offers a tangy Southern flavor. It features ingredients from Appalachian home gardens and is a staple of daily diets in the area.

HOMEGROWN MEALS

JAM CAKE

COUNTRY HAM

APPALACHIANS REGION

WESTERN WATERLANDS REGION

CAVES, LAKES AND CORVETTES REGION

Agritourism plays a key role in this south-central region of the state. Groups can sample their way through the area with local cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheeses, blackberry cobbler from Jackson’s Orchard or homemade ice cream from Chaney’s Dairy Farm.

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

Blackberry jam cake with caramel icing ensures that juicy summer blackberries last long into the fall and winter seasons. The dessert mixes blackberry jam, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and whiskeysoaked raisins. The region is also known for salmon croquettes, made by frying salmon patties dipped in egg and bread crumbs.

Photos courtesy KY Dept. of Tourism

Farmers from the western corner of Kentucky carried the tradition of smoking hams for generations. Award-winning country ham brands like Broadbent, Harper’s and Colonel Bill Newsom come from the region. Ham dishes in this area typically come paired with a side of homegrown vegetables like pole beans or sweet corn.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

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

BUSES WELCOME!

“The Greatest “ by Augustin Zarate; “Noble Series” by Brook Forrest White Jr; “American Kestrel” by Jim Sams; Willow bark basket by Jennifer Zurick; “Art Pin” by Mark Needham; Glass by Stephen Rolfe Powell

PROOF ENOUGH KENTUCKY’S BOURBON WELCOMES GUESTS

BY ELIZA MYERS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

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here are more barrels of bourbon than people in Kentucky. To say that

Kentuckians take bourbon seriously is an understatement.

Kentucky supplies 95 percent of the world’s bourbon.

Whether or not they enjoy the strong flavor of bourbon, many visitors include a bourbon tour on their itinerary to learn about its fascinating history and distilling process.

Bourbon companies continue to offer new options for tour-

ing groups. Some cities, such as Bardstown and Louisville, will welcome several new bourbon experiences, including new

distilleries, bourbon-themed exhibits and the new Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center.

In northern Kentucky, New Riff Distilling recently released

its flagship bourbon to complete its tasting experience. Other new

bourbon attractions include distilleries in Lexington and Pikeville.

With so much fresh bourbon buzz across Kentucky, even

veteran travelers to the Bluegrass State will find untried flavors to sip and savor.

BA R DSTOW N

The reason so many distillers chose Bardstown for their base of bourbon operations is simple: the water. Springs in the area were ideal for making whiskey, so over the years Bardstown has attracted several distilleries, among them Heaven Hill, the Barton 1792 Distillery and the Willett Distillery.

T H E N E W $24 M I L L I O N B A R D S T O W N B O U R B O N C O M PA N Y F E AT U R E S A D I S T I L L E RY, A W H I S K E Y L I B R A RY A N D A F U L L- S E R V I C E R E S TA U R A N T.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Courtesy Bardstown Bourbon Company

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B A R D S T O W N B O U R B O N C O M PA N Y

The distilleries keep coming: The Bardstown Bourbon Company opened in 2016, Lux Row Distillers opened this year, and the Kentucky Owl Park is slated for 2020.

“We are called the bourbon capital of the world for a reason,” said Mike Mangeot, executive director of Bardstown/Nelson County Tourism. “There is so much going on here bourbon related recently.”

The 2016 Bardstown Bourbon Company features a $24 million, 45,000-square-foot distillery in the Nelson County Industrial Park.

In June, the facility also opened a whiskey library, a bar and a fullscale restaurant: Bottle and Bond. The restaurant serves seasonal local fare. Visitors can order from the restaurant’s extensive vintage whiskey collection, which includes some bottles that date back to the 1800s. The restaurant’s bar also offers wine, craft cocktails, craft beer and mocktails.

A St. Louis company relocated to Bardstown in April to begin distilling Kentucky bourbon. Lux Row Distillers, owned by Luxco, opened an 18,000-square-foot facility to house twelve 8,000-gallon fermenters and to offer tours. Luxco’s whiskey brands — Ezra Brooks, Rebel Yell and Blood Oath — will eventually move production to the new facility.

The Kentucky Owl Park will raise the bar for bourbon attractions with a planned $150 million lakeside complex with a distillery, a visitors center, a cooperage, rickhouses, a bottling center, a restaurant and a convention center. The 420-acre site will sit on a former quarry, which the company will transform into a freshwater lake and park. Plans also call for a vintage passenger train to run through the entire complex. www.visitbardstown.com

LOU ISV ILLE

Photos courtesy Bardstown Bourbon Company

Whisky Magazine

2018

DISTILLER of the Year

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Experience 200 years of spirit-making history and walk in the footsteps of bourbon legends at the world’s most award-winning distillery. Book a tour at BuffaloTraceDistillery.com/Visit-Us @BUFFALOTRACEDISTILLERY

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

@BUFFALOTRACE

113 GREAT BUFFALO TRACE, FRANKFORT, KY • 1-800-654-8471

During the 1700s, a section of Louisville’s Main Street housed so many bourbon distillers that the section earned the nickname Whiskey Row. After Prohibition, Louisville bowed out of the bourbon scene for many years.

With several distilleries already open and more on the way, though, Louisville is filling its streets with distillers once again. The Rabbit Hole Distillery opened in May as a husbandand-wife-owned craft distillery in the trendy NuLu section of Louisville. The distillery now serves moonshine and will eventually produce bourbon and rye whiskey.

On West Main Street, two historic buildings hold the Old Forester Distillery, which opened in June. The Old Forester is credited with creating the first bottled bourbon. The distillery will highlight the company’s heritage and demonstrate its bourbon-making techniques.

“You can see the barrels being made,” said Katie Kubitskey, marketing communications manager for Louisville Tourism. “They char the barrels right in front of every group. The flames go up as they toast the barrels. You can’t see that anywhere else.”

Slated to open later this year, Michter’s Micro-Distillery will operate inside the Fort WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

HISTORY MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME STATE PARK B A R D ST OW N If re-enactors at My Old Kentucky Home State Park seem convincing, it’s because the park hires professional actors who also star in the park’s summer musical, “The Stephen Foster Story.”

Charismatic guides tell stories and sing songs written by Stephen Foster, composer of the state song, “My Old Kentucky Home,” which was based on his time in Federal Hill.

The scripted tours reveal fascinating details about the prominent Rankin family, who lived there, and Foster, the family’s most famous guest. The tours also touch on how Foster’s song influenced feelings about slavery at the time.

Groups can add a culinary experience, such as a traditional mint julep demonstration. Interpreters start with fresh mint that grows in the on-site garden and then add house bourbon, spring water and a sprig of mint over crushed ice to finish the drink.

Everyone sips the Kentucky cocktail before taking home a souvenir cup. www.parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/ old-ky-home

Courtesy MOKH State Park

W INE COM E S F ROM G R APE S

BOURBON COME S FROM

BARDS TOW N

There’s no law that says bourbon has to be made in Bardstown, Kentucky. But once you tour our distilleries, walk our gently rolling hills and experience true Southern hospitality, you’ll start to get the sense that Bardstown was made for making bourbon.

Get to know where the world’s finest bourbons are born at visitbardstown.com.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

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“ T H E Y CH A R T H E BA R R E L S R IGH T I N F RON T OF E V E RY GROU P. T H E F L A M E S G O U P A S T H E Y T OA ST T H E BA R R E L S. YOU C A N’ T SEE T H AT A N Y W H E R E E L SE .”

—

KATIE KUBITSKEY, LOUISVILLE TOURISM

Nelson Building, known for its 1890s cast-iron architecture. Company officials hope the Louisville location will educate customers about one of the country’s first whiskey companies.

With so many options, how will travelers choose where to begin their Kentucky bourbon journey? Opened in August, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center and Exhibit acts as the official starting place of the bourbon trail and offers a concierge service to help visitors navigate the state’s bourbon scene. The welcome center occupies a space on the first floor of the Frazier History Museum.

The museum’s new permanent exhibit, “The Spirit of Kentucky,” offers hands-on exhibits that explain what factors in Kentucky’s water and climate make it an ideal place to distill bourbon. www.gotolouisville.com

DU ELING BA R R ELS BR EW ERY A N D DISTILLERY PIK E V IL L E

When Pearse and Deirdre Lyons, co-founders of Alltech, first emigrated from Ireland, they felt a close kinship with the hardworking people of Appalachia. Desiring to share this heritage with the world, they started construction of the Dueling Barrels Brewery and Distillery in Pikeville.

Though Pearse passed before its completion, his son attended the June opening of the 30,000-square-foot facility to continue his father’s dream.

One of the only distilleries to produce bourbon, moonshine, ale and beer, Dueling Barrels offers 45-minute tours about the processes behind the

O L D F O R E S T E R D I S T I L L E RY

By Kertis Creative, courtesy Louisville Tourism

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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company’s spirits, as well as information on the history of the region.

Guides known as “storytellers” greet groups in the welcome area.

After a video about Alltech and the region, participants head to the distilling and brewing room for a 45-minute tour and tasting. Groups can sample moonshine made from a copper pot similar to the ones bootleggers once used in the nearby mountains.

Tours explore Pikeville’s connection to the legendary Hatfield and McCoy feud, which inspired the name Dueling Barrels. Guides also tell stories about Appalachia’s role in the birth of bluegrass music and the development of moonshine.

The site can produce up to 40,000 beer barrels and 2,200 whiskey barrels annually. In addition to original drink recipes, Dueling Barrels also brews widely known brands like Kentucky Ale and Pearse Lyons Reserve. www.duelingbarrels.com

TOUR STARTS AT 9 AM

JA M E S E . PEPPER DISTILLERY L E X INGT ON

The James E. Pepper distillery opened in Lexington in 1776 and had become something of an industrial giant in the city before fading into obscurity in the mid-20th century. In 2008, however, the brand was revived by Amir Peay, a Californian with an interest in bourbon.

Peay first learned about the brand when he noticed the advertisement for James E. Pepper Whiskey on a 1910 boxing photo. After acquiring the brand, Peay underwent a decade-long distilling journey that led him to reopen the James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington in July.

a well

crafted experience

Here in Shelbyville & Simpsonville, Kentucky you’ll find smalltown charm and Southern hospitality.

-Book a Horse Farm Tour -Shop The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass -Indulge at one of our Atmospheric Restaurants -Sample the spirits at Jeptha Creed Distillery -Check out deals at the Downtown Boutiques -Savor a cocktail with Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

J A M E S E . P E P P E R D I S T I L L E RY

www.VisitShelbyKY.com 502.633.6388 Located between Louisville and Lexington.

Photos courtesy Lexington CVB

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

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NEW RIFF DISTILLING

Peay stayed as close to the original brand as he could, with old bourbon recipes, original whiskey bottles, photographs and even pieces of the still. The distillery’s flag, not seen since its closing, now flies inside the visitors entrance. Peay’s love of the history of the brand can be seen in the memorabilia on display inside the distillery. Tours explain the fascinating history of the brand and the founder, James E. Pepper, once notorious for his wealth and horse racing.

Though the new distillery won’t function on the mammoth scale of the original Pepper brand, a portion of the 1836 building that housed the last Pepper distillery can now produce about 33,000 cases a year, with room to grow.

After tours, groups can sip on rye whiskeys, such as the Old Pepper Rye and the Henry Clay straight rye. In the future, bourbon made on-site will be available for tastings. www.jamesepepper.com

N EW R IFF DISTILLING BE L L E V U E

Photos courtesy New Riff Distilling

An impressive distillery and event space opened in northern Kentucky in 2014 with one thing in mind: anticipation. New Riff Distilling wanted its first official batch of bourbon to stand out in flavor, which is why the company waited four years for the whiskey to age before releasing it to the public.

New Riff released its first bottles of bourbon to the public in September. The owner, Ken Lewis, envisioned New Riff as a fresh take on Kentucky bourbon. New Riff ’s just-released bourbon offers a rich flavor with an aroma of butterscotch, vanilla and some confectionary rye spices.

The closest bourbon distillery to Cincinnati, New Riff offers three different tours to taste this new product. Groups can watch the company’s process up close. At one point, participants can dip their fingers into a fermenter to taste whiskey mash.

“What’s nice about New Riff is that we are big for a little guy and little for a big guy,” said Hannah Lowen, vice president of operations for New Riff Distilling. “It’s an intimate experience, but we have a fermenter that is big enough for a wow factor. You can see every part of the process.

We were built with tourism in mind.”

The distillery’s Bonded Tour provides a firsthand look at the ins and outs of bourbon distilling. The Barrel Proof Tour takes groups to the West Newport Whisky Campus for a walk through the company’s barrel warehouses, which can hold over 20,000 barrels of whiskey.

Inside, the Lab grants behind-the-scenes access that ends with a more thorough tasting session. www.newriffdistilling.com

When’s the last time the smell of smoke in your clothes brought back the memory of a perfect day?

Your first time won’t be your last time.

It’s the timeless craft of a local cooperage that gives our town a certain something that other places can’t quite capture. To find out where you can see bourbon barrels being made, go to visitlebanonky.com.

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8/31/18 9:00 AM

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

BRING YOUR GROUP TO A CITY WHERE IT

POURS RAIN OR SHINE There’s a whole new group tour experience waiting for you in downtown Louisville, from the new gateway to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® at the Frazier History Museum, to our nine urban Bourbon distilleries. Add our unique brand of Southern Hospitality, and it’s clear why Forbes named us one of the “10 Coolest U.S. Cities to Visit in 2018.”

Because when you bring your group to Bourbon City, you get so much more than a tour.

Learn more at GoToLouisville.com/Travel-Professionals

@GoToLouisville

A

GIFTED

STATE TAKE A PIECE OF KENTUCKY HOME

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BY ELIZA MYERS

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

B

ourbon-soaked chocolate, quilt patterns

and paintings of Kentucky scenery — products created in the Bluegrass State all have stories to tell.

Throughout Kentucky, groups can get locally made goods as

well as experiences or tours that showcase the crafting behind

them. Bourbon-related items from Bardstown come with talks

by master distillers about the history of bourbon. Fiber art gifts remind travelers of the singular art quilts on display in Paducah’s National Quilt Museum. And at the Kentucky Artisan Center,

visitors can purchase paintings, pottery and other artwork and hear stories from local artists that dreamed them up.

Groups taste delicious Kentucky products and see how they’re

made at places like the Ale-8-One Bottling Company and Haney’s Appledale Farm.

Travelers can discover Kentucky-made items while learning

behind-the-scenes stories about each at these five locations.

K EN T UCK Y A RTISA N CEN TER BER E A

Before buying local artwork, visitors can interact with artists during their creative processes at the Kentucky Artisan Center.

Every Saturday, the center hosts demonstrations by Kentucky artisans so guests can interact with them.

“The artist demonstrations allow travelers to realize there is a person behind the work,” said Gwen Heffner, curator and

G RO U P S C A N T RY H A N D S - O N A R T P RO J E C T S AT M A K E PA D U C A H.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Courtesy Paducah CVB

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KENTUCKY ARTISAN CENTER

By Michael Matthews, courtesy Kentucky Artisan Center

KENTUCKY BOURBON MARKETPLACE

information specialist for the Kentucky Artisan Center. “That brings the process to life. We have educational handouts about the artist’s life and works at every demonstration.”

The 15-year-old Kentucky Artisan Center is more than a shop with local products. It aims to educate visitors about its 800 featured artisans and the processes they used. While travelers browse through crafted glass, ceramics, metal sculptures, woodworks, jewelry, specialty foods and books, they learn about the artists from informational displays and knowledgeable staff. Groups can also schedule food tastings, book signings and musical performances.

“We are one of a handful of artisan centers in the country,” said Heffner. “There is something for everyone here. We have $2 magnets up to $2,000 sculptures. There are some real one-of-a-kind pieces of art as well as things that can be reproduced like photographs. We feature the whole range of creative work.”

The site also displays approximately five rotating gallery exhibits a year that focus on a specific artist or theme. Groups can schedule gallery talks to learn more about the chosen works.

Directly off Interstate 75, the shop works well for groups seeking either a quick break or a longer educational experience. Workshops that teach a specific artform can allow visitors to learn enviable skills such as basket weaving.

The Artisan Cafe and Grill offers Kentucky favorites such as Hot Browns, fried catfish and bourbon bread pudding. www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov

K EN T UCK Y BOU R BON M A R K ETPL ACE

Courtesy Visit Bardstown

B A R D ST OW N

John Prine

The Everly Brothers

Legends of Thumbpicking

Merle Travis

Jim Walker

CENTRAL CITY TOURISM OFFICE tourismdirector@centralcityky.com

270-754-9603

200 North First Street • 9 am - 4 pm • Mon - Fri 20

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

Husband and wife Howard and Dee Dee Ford Keene saw a hole in Bardstown’s bourbon experiences. The Bourbon Capital of the World didn’t offer one nondistillery experience that could teach guests about bourbon, sell bourbon-themed gifts and offer bourbon tasting samples. To change that, they opened the Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace.

Though the shop recently sold to David Erickson and Stephen Vittitow, guests can still receive an education on bourbon before shopping and sipping. The site can set up demonstrations with master distillers to talk about this history of bourbon-making. Sampling drinks at the site’s Bourbon Tasting Bar also allows guests to try bourbons from various distilleries without visiting each one. The bar offers 120 brands of bourbon and several original cocktails. The Bardstown Bubble cocktail became the official drink of the 2016 Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

At the boutique shop, groups can hunt for bourbon-themed apparel, gourmet foods, cakes, barrelheads, jewelry and accessories. Bourbon balls remain a favorite gift, since even those who don’t like the taste of straight bourbon can appreciate the subtler taste when combined with chocolate.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

HISTO RIC KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN HOMEPLACE STA FFOR D SV IL L E Instead of imagining 1800s Appalachia by looking at artifacts, guests can relive the experience at Mountain Homeplace near Paintsville. On a typical visit to the 27-acre living-history museum, groups can smell bread baking in a wood-burning stove, listen to baby goats bleating and watch chickens roaming free. Draft horses loosen soil and pull wagons to give rides.

Re-enactors in period attire demonstrate skills once commonplace, such as quilting and forging horseshoes. The site’s five historic structures include a blacksmith shop, a home, a one-room schoolhouse, a church and a barn.

During tours, guides share details about day-to-day existence in Appalachia. One story explains the practicality of placing a washstand near the back door so that the stand’s mirror will catch the

Courtesy Mountain Homeplace

light from the door and the nearby window, saving 15 to 20 minutes of lamp oil a day.

For a more comprehensive explanation of the history, guests can wander through the Museum of Appalachian History. The attached gift shop sells regional arts and crafts. www.paintsvilletourism.com

tops for groups at the top of the state

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

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

meetNKY.com

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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“ T H E Y A R E CH A L L E NGED T O DE SIGN A N D BU I L D T H E I R OW N QU I LT BLOCK ... M A N Y T Y PE S OF GROU P S H AV E DON E T H IS A S A WAY T O E NGAGE I N T H E A RT OF QU I LT I NG.” —

L AURA OSWALD, PADUCAH CONVENTION AND VISIT ORS BUREAU

N AT I O N A L Q U I LT M U S E U M S I G N AT U R E E X P E R I E N C E

“They have bourbon-related products of all kinds,” said Mike Mangeot, executive director of Bardstown/Nelson County Tourism.

“It’s everything you can think of bourbon themed, from boxer shorts to baseball caps.” www.kybourbonmarketplace.com

NATIONA L QU ILT M USEU M PA DUC A H

Travelers get to tap into their own creativity to create personalized quilts at the National Quilt Museum. The Museum Experience program lets guests experiment with precut fabrics in a variety of colors. Guides walk them through the process of designing the block, quilting it and framing it.

In the end, participants take home a work of fiber art they made themselves.

“The experience starts with a VIP white-glove tour and then heads into the museum’s classroom,” said Laura Oswald, director of marketing for the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau. “They are challenged to design and build their own quilt block. That has been an incredibly successful way to share the quilting experience with people who are not quilters. Many types of groups have done this as a way to engage in the art of quilting.”

In the National Quilt Museum’s shop, visitors can browse fiber art made locally and internationally. Fiber-art-themed earrings, postcards, quilt books and other souvenirs reflect the talent on display in the museum. The shop offers other Kentucky-crafted products as well.

Courtesy Paducah CVB

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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Travelers can see fiber art in numerous other places across the UNESCO Creative City at several art shops. A favorite for groups is Ochre, where fiber artists work on quilts with landscape scenes and embroidered sayings.

The Art Guild of Paducah and the Bricolage Art Collective also sell fiber art and works from local artists. Ceramics, woodworking and paintings are some favorite types of art represented at these two shops.

For another hands-on experience, groups can turn to Make Paducah, founded by mural artist Kijsa Housman. Housman leads art demonstrations, such as ornament-making, for participants of all skill levels.

“In addition to Housman’s mural work, she is very popular on Etsy,” said Oswald. “She has all types of artworks in her shop, including pillows, chalkboards and all kinds of things that are perfect for gift giving. She has turned her Etsy presence into a physical space.” www.paducah.travel

A LE - 8 -ON E BOTTLING COM PA N Y

BRICOLAGE ART COLLECTIVE

M A K E PA D U C A H

W INCH E ST ER

For a ginger and citrus soda celebrated across Kentucky, guests can pop open an Ale-8-One inside the factory that has mixed the drink for 90 years. The beverage was developed in the 1920s, and today, Ale-8-One is one of the country’s oldest family-owned soft drink companies.

The drink is carried throughout Kentucky and Indiana, as well as parts of Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois. The name originated from Photos courtesy Paducah CVB

Birthplace of Beer Cheese harkness edward’s vineyard

Group Culinary & Outdoor Adventures!

• Beer Cheese Trail • Ale-8-One Tours • Creative Coffees Roastery Tour • Mt. Folly Farm, home of Laura’s Hemp Chocolates Interstate access, affordable hotels & only 15 min. to Lexington’s WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM restaurant & distillery district and 25 min. to The Kentucky Horse Park.

blackfish bison ranch

• Harkness Edward’s Winery • Hamon Haven Winery • Blackfish Bison Ranch • Bluegrass Heritage Museum • Holly Rood Historic Home

800-298-9105

tourwKENTUCKY inchester.com 23 GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

ALE-8-ONE

Courtesy KY Dept. of Tourism

H A N E Y ’ S A P P L E D A L E FA R M

a regional naming contest. The slogan “A Late One” referred to the beverage as the latest trend in soft drinks.

Groups can book factory tours by appointment on Thursdays and Fridays. The tour begins with a video that relates the history of Ale-8.

Guides then lead guests through several production areas to see the work that goes into each bottle.

Participants receive a free bottle so they can taste the original blend of ginger and a hint of citrus. The drink has a smooth taste with less bite than a typical ginger soft drink.

In the on-site gift shop, visitors can purchase more bottles to take home, as well as other Ale-8-themed items, including T-shirts, bottle openers and drinkware. The shop sells other Kentucky-made products as well, such as barbecue sauce and salsa.

The company also participates in annual events, among them the Winchester Pioneer Festival and the Beer Cheese Festival. It donates to more than 900 organizations statewide. www.ale8one.com

H A N E Y ’S A PPLEDA LE FA R M NA NC Y

Courtesy Haney’s Appledale Farm

What began as a roadside fruit stand has evolved into a 450-acre farm and market staple in south-central Kentucky. Haney’s Appledale Farm started in the late 1800s under the name Cloverdale. When Lawrence and Oreida Haney inherited the farm in 1944, they thought the name didn’t suit their business as apple farmers, so they changed it to Appledale.

Five generations later, the Haney family still owns the farm, which now grows more than 25 varieties of apples, as well as 10 varieties of peaches, pears and nectarines, on more than 70 acres. The business also runs a certified Farm Bureau Roadside Market and pie shop. xhibits Groups can schedule tours of the apple farm, market and pie shop. They will hear stories from the family and see how they run such an extensive operation. In season, participants can pick their own produce and enjoy slices of freshly baked apple pie. The farm’s freshly pressed apple cider is another farm favorite.

Jams, jellies, sauces, salsas, sorghum and apple butter all make excellent gifts or treats to enjoy later. The farm also sells other local goodies, such as gourmet cheese, candies and honey.

In addition to food, the farm store sells memorabilia from the nearby Mill Springs Battlefield, locally made homemade toys, cookbooks and local crafts.

The farm is near Lake Cumberland, which offers boat rentals and the Lake Cumberland State Resort Park. www.haneysappledalefarm.com

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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Detail: ZAINA’S STARBURST by Qurrat Thakur

PADUCAH, KENTUCKY SPRING PADUCAH, KY

Schroeder Expo Center April 24–27, 2019 Hundreds of Beautiful Quilts on Exhibit

FALL PADUCAH, KY

Schroeder Expo Center September 11–14, 2019

Aisles of Fabrics, Machines & Quilting Supply Vendors

World-Renowned Quiltmaking Instructors

For more information, visit QuiltWeek.com

NATIONAL BRAND PARTNER

UNMISTAKABLE

MUSIC

BLUE SKIES, BLUE MOON AND BLUEGRASS

BY ELIZA MYERS

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

B

luegrass music is among Kentucky’s greatest cultural legacies. Musicians

from Kentucky played key roles in craft-

ing the trademark sounds of bluegrass

so easily recognized today.

Groups can learn about how immigrants from England,

Scotland and Ireland helped shape bluegrass music at one of

Kentucky’s music museums. The Bill Monroe Museum, the Bluegrass Museum Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum delve into the roots of Kentucky

bluegrass, its talented musicians and its far-reaching influences.

Music fans can hear performances at the state’s many music

venues, which play traditional bluegrass as well as other genres, such as gospel, country, jazz and pop. Travelers sit back and

enjoy the sounds of the region and beyond at the Paramount Arts Center, the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center and the Mountain Arts Center.

BILL MON ROE M USEU M RO SIN E

When Bill Monroe formed the Blue Grass Boys band in 1938, no one imagined he would birth a new genre of music.

The group booked a regular spot on the Grand Ole Opry with its fast tempos, experimental style and instrumental virtuosity, signature elements that would become defining characteristics of bluegrass music. Monroe’s stardom and eventual influence earned him the moniker “The Father of Bluegrass.”

M U S I C L O V E R S F RO M A RO U N D K E N T U C K Y F L O C K T O H E A D L I N I N G C O N C E R T S AT T H E PA R A M O U N T A R T S C E N T E R I N A S H L A N D.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Courtesy Paramount Arts Center

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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B I L L M O N RO E M U S E U M

Courtesy Ohio County Toursim Commission

PA R A M O U N T A R T S C E N T E R

A museum dedicated to his life and legacy opened in 2018 in Rosine, his hometown. The Bill Monroe Museum features memorabilia from his life, such as the last car he drove, the porch swing from his Tennessee cabin and the last mandolin he ever played.

The museum also features awards and other exhibits from his long-lasting career as a recording artist and performer at the Grand Ole Opry. He remains the only person to be inducted into halls of fame that honor bluegrass, country and rock ’n’ roll.

The museum sits across the street from the Rosine Barn Jamboree, which plays live bluegrass music every Friday night. Groups can listen to modern takes on Monroe’s musical stylings and visit the nearby Bill Monroe Homeplace.

Guided tours of the homeplace reveal how the Monroe family of eight children worked at the farm without the aid of machinery.

Restored in 2001, the home holds family belongings, early-20thcentury furnishings and rare photographs of Monroe. The family’s cemetery plot lies just down the road.

“Rosine is a music attraction itself,” said Jody Flener, executive director of the Ohio County Tourism Commission. “Everything works together to retrace Bill’s life. When groups come, we can arrange for musicians to play at all the places they visit. We also arrange a special guided tour with storytelling. We have people in Rosine who knew Bill that can tell stories about him.” www.visitohiocountyky.com

By Angy Hall Ross, courtesy Paramount Arts Center

We are: Rich in Kentucky history and culture We are: The hub of Bourbon Country We are: “Event”ful We are: Full of small-town charm and southern hospitality We are: Kentucky Distilled Your Group’s Kentucky Experience awaits!

Minutes from Lexington, Louisville, & the Ark Encounter.

Visitfrankfort.com Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist Commission 800-960-7200 • salesdirector@visitfrankfort.com

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

PA R A MOU N T A RTS CEN TER ASHL AND

In 1971, the future didn’t look good for the Paramount Arts Center. The theater was built in 1931 as one of the first transitional theaters to show “talking pictures,” but its gorgeous Art Deco designs were hidden under layers of paint, dust and an oily residue from the coal furnace used to heat the theater.

However, not long after its 1971 closing, a foundation was formed to save the theater and return it to its former grandeur. Today, groups can see the theater much as it appeared on its opening night, with sizable copper and glass chandeliers, gold-leaf details and decorative murals of 16th-century theatrical characters.

“The way the building has been restored is just beautiful,” said Melanie Cornelison-Jannotta, artistic director of the Paramount Arts Center.

“You can see Art Deco decorations throughout the whole building. The experience feels as if you were going back in time and watching a show from the 1930s. Yet we have high-tech equipment that allows us to bring in so many performances that we weren’t able to do before the renovation.”

Groups can arrange an architectural tour of the building to hear the stories behind its Aztec, Egyptian and geometric designs. Afterward, groups can watch a performance in the intimate WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

1,421-seat theater. From touring Broadway productions to a local inhouse theater performances, the theater features a variety of regular acts. The theater also features a regular lineup of Christian, country music, jazz and bluegrass concerts.

Staff from the Paramount Arts Center regularly accommodate groups with specialized tours and experiences. For example, ghostly tales from the historic building have led to several paranormal tours for interested groups. www.paramountartscenter.com

K EN T UCK Y M USIC H A LL FA M E A N D M USEU M

K E N T U C K Y M U S I C H A L L O F FA M E A N D M U S E U M

OF

R EN FRO VA L L E Y EN T ERTA IN M EN T CEN T ER MOU N T V ER NON

Loretta Lynn’s purple sequined gown, the Osborne Brothers’ banjo and Dwight Yoakum’s skintight jeans have all been known to inspire conversation. The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum seeks to tell the stories of the state’s impressive contributions to all musical genres at Mount Vernon’s Renfro Valley, the “Country Music Capital of Kentucky.”

“I think it’s really surprising to people how many musicians, broadcasters and managers were from Kentucky,” said Avery Bradshaw, director of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “People really do learn a lot here. One example is that two of the Backstreet Boys are from Kentucky. That’s one thing a lot of people don’t know.”

Courtesy KY Music HOF

Corbin Loves Company!

S

urrounded by the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, Corbin is located in the outdoor adventure mecca of Kentucky, and is the perfect destination for your next group tour. Conveniently located off of I-75 at exit 25 by the shores of the beautiful and pristine Laurel Lake, Corbin is home to the Cumberland Falls, Daniel Boone National Forest, the Original KFC, Sanders Park, and the 7,000 seat Corbin Arena which hosts a variety of entertainment and different shows. Corbin is home to a host of locally owned restaurants who can accommodate large groups and satisfy any pallet. Whether you enjoy history, outdoor adventure or shopping and culinary treats, Corbin, KY can offer a variety of itineraries for your group! We cannot wait to see you … Corbin Loves Company!

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

www.corbinkytourism.com 606-528-8860

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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“PEOPL E LOV E T H E V E RY F R I E N DLY AT MOSPH E R E H E R E .

W E H AV E BE AU T I F U L SCE N E RY W I T H T H E MOU N TA I NS I N V I E W. T H E R E IS A R ICH TA L E N T F ROM E A ST E R N K E N T UCKY.” — CL AY T ON CASE,MOUNTAIN ART S CENTER

Exhibits highlight the careers of Kentucky natives Billy Ray Cyrus, the Judds, John Michael Montgomery and Rosemary Clooney, among others. Groups visiting the museum first listen to a presentation about the museum and its induction process. The museum can arrange a live music performance before groups explore the exhibits. Guides walk with the visitors to answer questions and add interesting information to exhibits. One exhibit follows a timeline of Kentucky’s evolving musical history that reaches from the 1750s to the present.

The entryway to the building once served as John Lair’s horse stables. Renovators spent time converting the structure into a museum to preserve the memory of Lair, who founded Renfro Valley when, in 1939, he began broadcasting his own radio program to promote Kentucky bluegrass music.

Nearby, the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center features regular live bluegrass, gospel and country music. Two theaters offer musical entertainment every weekend from April through December; recent acts there have included the River City Boys, David Church and Trace Adkins. The complex also houses a shopping village for music-themed and locally made items. www.kentuckymusichalloffame.com www.renfrovalley.com

MOU N TA IN A RTS CEN TER PR E ST ON S BU RG

K E N T U C K Y M U S I C H A L L O F FA M E A N D M U S E U M

Each summer and holiday season, bluegrass, gospel, rock and country songs ring out during Billy Jean Osborne’s Kentucky Opry Courtesy KY Music HOF

… e l l i e to Paints v m o c l

P Country Music Highway. Home to Loretta Lynn

aintsville is located in the heart of the US 23

and Crystal Gayle, a visit to Paintsville would not be complete without a tour of “Butcher Holler.”

W e

Visit the US 23 Country Music Highway Museum which features 14 exhibits displaying memorabilia about the many country music stars who call Eastern Kentucky their home.

Bring your dancing shoes and join us for live bluegrass music during Front Porch Pickin’ every Thursday at 7pm.

Step back in time at the Mountain HomePlace, an 1850’s Appalachian working farm. Tour the grounds and view the double-pen cabin, one-room school, blacksmith shop, church, farm animals, and much more.

Centered between two deep mountain lakes, Paintsville offers beautiful mountain vistas and small town hospitality at its best.

OF

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

at the Mountain Arts Center. The variety show draws from the talented musicians of the area to entertain in the same vein as the Carolina Opry.

Groups enjoy the in-house productions that change each year with new themes. Last year, the production’s theme was “Coming Home.”

Loretta Lynn’s mountain homeplace provided the backdrop.

When groups arrive, local comedian Freddie Goble, known as Munroe, gets them laughing right from the start. From there, group leaders can choose from various options, among them a meet-andgreet with the cast, tours of the facility and a performance. Besides the Kentucky Opry, the center also offers several other acts, such as Broadway productions and headliner concerts, throughout the year.

“People love the very friendly atmosphere here,” said Clayton Case, executive director of the Mountain Arts Center. “We have beautiful scenery with the mountains in view. There is a rich talent from eastern Kentucky. We know a lot of folks that went from here to Nashville to find fame. There are so many stars from eastern Kentucky.” www.macarts.com

M O U N TA I N A R T S C E N T E R

Photos courtesy Mountain Arts Center

BLU EGR A SS M USIC H A LL OF FA M E A N D M USEU M OW EN S BORO

At the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, groups can make their own music, even if their members have never touched an instrument.

“We offer a Saturday Lesson music program where there is a large supply of instruments on hand,” said Carly Smith, marketing Photos courtesy Mountain Arts Center

KENTUCKY

S

avor ...

THE SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF GEORGETOWN.

MALL TOWN CHARM. PURE SMALL

SCOTT COUNTY

– Equine Activities –

• Minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park • Old Friends Retired Thoroughbred Farm • Group Horseback Riding

– Picturesque Downtown – • Specialty Shops • Antiques

• Scott County Arts and Cultural Center • Cafes and One-of-a-kind Restaurants • Georgetown and Scott County Museum

– Other Charming Attractions –

• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, KY, Inc. Tour • Golf • Country Boy Brewing • Bourbon 30 Spirits • Ward Hall • Yuko-En Japanese Friendship Garden • Nearby Wineries and Bourbon Distilleries • Close proximity to the Ark Encounter

and Keeneland Race Course

INTERSTATE

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INTERSTATE

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

31

director of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Our instructors can lead group music tutorials. They can pull people out of the crowd and place an instrument into their hands. You can have a band of novices who have never played an instrument before cobble together a song.”

Originally called the International Bluegrass Music Museum, the rebranded museum will reopen in the fall in a new space a few blocks away. The move will allow for more exhibit space, a full-size concert theater, an outdoor concert space and a restaurant. The $15.3 million venue will host regular concerts, as well as the hall of fame itself, with inductees chosen by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

The museum will showcase recorded interviews with hundreds of bluegrass musicians and industry members at interactive kiosks.

“There is plenty to learn about how the music started, but you can also experience it,” said Smith. “We plan to mix it up with the artists we feature. We’ll feature any music with roots in bluegrass, which encompasses more Americana genres. You’ll see some country and all kinds of genres we can tie in because they are all related to each other.” www.bluegrassmuseum.org

Y O N D E R M O U N TA I N S T R I N G B A N D

HISTORIC B L U E G R A S S M U S I C H A L L O F FA M E A N D M U S E U M

Photos courtesy Bluegrass Music HOF

FALL in love with

Grant County!

GRANT COUNTY IS HOME TO:

• The Ark Encounter • Lake Williamstown & Williamstown Marina • Events: Country Christmas - Dec. 1 • 35 min. south of Cincy/45 min. north of Lexington

visitgrantky.com 1-800-382-7117

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF THE ASSUMPTION COV INGT ON With 82 hand-poured stained-glass windows from Munich, Germany, the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption is among the most beautiful churches in the country. The 24-footwide, 67-foot-tall window on the north transept of the basilica is one of the largest stained-glass windows in the world. Two rose windows mimic the dazzling colors and design of those of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Built in 1895, the ornate Gothic Revival basilica combines styles from 13th-century Europe with local materials such as limestone. Interior murals depict biblical scenes.

Guided tours detail the challenges of constructing this ambitious church and why, in 1915, church officials eventually abandoned long-held plans for two additional towers. www.covcathedral.com

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

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STORIED

STOREFRONTS

LOCAL SAYS IT ALL IN THESE KENTUCKY COMMUNITIES

BY ELIZA MYERS

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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S

hop in Kentucky and you’ll come home with more than gifts. Wandering through stores

in the Bluegrass State can offer a peek into the heart of the city.

At a favorite local bakery in Danville, visitors can discover a tra-

ditional Appalachian bread. In Louisville, chocolate shops showcase the work of pastry artists. The Bowling Green Farmers Market

offers interactive group demonstrations to enhance the shopping experience.

In historic towns like Midway and Maysville, a downtown shop-

ping excursion also provides a way to admire the interesting architecture of buildings that house local businesses. Much of the charm of a city comes from shopping experiences authentic to the area.

These towns allow groups to learn about Kentucky by engaging

in some retail exploration.

DA N V ILLE

From 1785 to 1792, Kentucky officials met in a series of conventions in Danville that ultimately led to Kentucky’s separation from Virginia. Kentucky owes its existence to Danville, which served as the state’s first capital; the state’s first constitution was also signed there.

Groups can discover this history at the Constitution Square Historic Site, an open-air museum that celebrates the early history of Kentucky. The Gift Shop at Constitution Square features history-inspired gifts, such as history books, historic Danville photo prints and CDs with music composed during the early 1800s.

Danville’s shopping options don’t end in the past. The town prides itself on its moniker, “Where Preservation Meets Progress.”

T R AV E L E R S E N J O Y S H O P P I N G I N S T O R E S H O U S E D IN DANVILLE’S HISTORIC DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Courtesy Danville-Boyle Co. CVB

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“ W E NO T ON LY WA N T T O PR E SE RV E OU R H IST ORY, BU T W E WA N T T O M A K E H IST ORY. W E’R E V E RY M UCH A N A RT- F R I E N DLY COM M U N I T Y. YOU’L L F I N D A RT E V E RY W H E R E .”

— JAMEE PEYTON, DANVILLE-BOYLE COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

“Our history is what draws people,” said Jamee Peyton, assistant director of the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We not only want to preserve our history, but we want to make history.

We’re very much an art-friendly community. You’ll find art everywhere.

You’ll go into someone’s shop and find local art there.”

Groups often start at the Constitution Square Historic Site, then move on to tour the quaint and historic downtown. Many first stop at Burke’s Bakery, a Kentucky institution that is featured in travel magazines such as Delta Sky. The bakery is known for salt-rising bread, a traditional Appalachian bread, as well as doughnuts and gingerbread men.

Shoppers can pick up a caramel treat at Cerci on Main or get healthrelated items at Plank on Main and a handbag at A&L Accessories.

Travelers also enjoy touring downtown’s local pubs, microbreweries and historic landmarks. www.danvillekentucky.com

LOU ISV ILLE

ART CENTER MARKET

At Louisville’s Butchertown Market, an 1800s meatpacking facility is now a one-stop shop for locally made products and cuisine. The Butchertown Market houses chic boutiques, bourbon-themed shops and the city’s first brandy distillery: Copper and Kings.

“Louisville Tourism can arrange champagne or mimosa drinks to welcome groups to Butchertown and elevate the experience,” said Katie Kubitskey, marketing communication manager for Louisville Tourism.

“Groups that set it up can also see how an on-site chocolatier at Cellar Door Chocolates makes chocolate, from the bean to the bar.”

Courtesy Danville-Boyle Co. CVB

Creativity.

Heritage.

Experience.

Creativity is the common thread that connects people from around the world to Paducah, Kentucky’s rich American heritage and globally-celebrated culture.

Create an itinerary with our collection of new and immersive tours, performances and hands-on Paducah Signature Experiences exclusively for groups!

Paducah Signature Experience: “A Creative Stitch” at the National Quilt Museum

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

For more event planning and group-friendly resources, visit Paducah.travel/groups 1-800-PADUCAH 9/10/18 10:57 AM

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

The gourmet chocolate shop takes scheduled groups to its kitchen to demonstrate chocolate-making and offer samples. The quirky shops continue from there, with locally crafted jewelry at Work the Metal, bourbon-smoked spices at Bourbon Barrel Foods and handcrafted lotions at Moss Hill.

The Butchertown Market sits within the larger Butchertown Historic District, which includes the 1866 St. Joseph Catholic Church. Greek Revival homes and shotgun houses in the area put the neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We also like to recommend Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass,” said Kubitskey. “They will send a shuttle to your hotel for free and take you to the shops. It is the opposite shopping experience of Butchertown Market.

It has brand-name items.”

Groups can arrange a wine and appetizer reception before meandering through the 366,750-square-foot shopping center. Groups can schedule a fashion presentation for VIP access and insider tips.

Most groups opt for the raffled $100 gift card, a branded tote bag, a coupon book and swag from various retailers. Shoppers can save up to 70 percent on designer brands such as Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th. www.gotolouisville.com

BOW LING GR EEN

Groups can add a little fire to their shopping excursion at the SoKY Marketplace. Bowling Green’s indoor farmers market offers exclusive group cooking experiences, such as a bananas Foster demonstration.

OUTLET SHOPPES OF THE BLUEGRASS

Courtesy Louisville Tourism

DOWNTOWN BOWLING GREEN

Courtesy Bowling Green Area CVB

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M AY S V I L L E

Other options include a local baker showing how to make toaster pastries or cinnamon apple chips.

Even without the added interactive experience, groups love browsing the farmers market products, which include soaps, breads and seasonal items.

Groups interested in shopping Bowling Green’s downtown should start at Fountain Square Park.

“Our downtown has a lot of locally made items, which people like because you can’t just get them at any shop,” said Beth Noffsinger, public relations manager for the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The heart of downtown is historic Fountain Square Park. The park is a great place to stop and take a break for a while. If you wanted, you could grab carryout from a restaurant and stop there to eat.”

From the park, visitors can easily walk to other shops, like Barbara Stewart Interiors, for jewelry, furnishings and other items. Candlemakers on the Square pours candles on-site and offers locally produced art. Art also lines the walls at the Love Art Gallery and the Pots Place Gallery, which sells work from eight local potters.

After a day’s shopping, visitors can stop for a treat at Mary Jane’s Chocolates. Or if bourbon sounds more appealing, Corsair Distillery offers tours and tastings for up to 15 people. www.visitbgky.com

Courtesy Maysville-Mason Co. CVB

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HISTORIC

M AYSV ILLE

Historic Maysville is packed full of charm, history and local retail.

The town sits on the banks of the Ohio River.

“You can walk our whole area in a three-block radius,” said Lacey Holleran, tourism director for the Maysville-Macon County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “That includes our floodwall murals, our museums and our historic architecture, which is amazing for a town of our size. You can spend from a half day to a full day exploring the short block radius.”

Along brick-lined streets, guests will find art galleries, antiques, restaurants and general stores. The Eat Gallery looks like a diner from the outside; inside is a beautiful jewelry store. Downtown also features Elementz, a rustic-yet-modern home goods shop.

The Kentucky Gateway Museum Center’s shop offers several distinctive Maysville souvenirs. Groups also enjoy touring the museum to discover the city’s intriguing past. Its Kathleen Savage Browning Miniatures Collection depicts the history of the town’s founding in intricate, tiny detail.

The city also nurtures artists with several art-themed shops, photography studios and the Ohio River Valley Artist Guild. The Maysville Visitors Center sells Maysville-themed items.

Groups staying for the evening can watch a performance at the Washington Opera Theatre, the fifth-oldest continuously running theater in the country. www.cityofmaysville.com/tourism-department

WICKLIFFE MOUNDS STATE HISTORIC SITE W ICK L IFFE

When people see Wickliffe’s mounds along a bluff on the Mississippi River, many questions arise: What purpose did the mounds serve? Who built them?

Wickliffe Mounds State Park attempts to answer those questions with a site that re-creates what life was like for prehistoric Native Americans. Re-enactors demonstrate activities such as stonegrinding corn, making clay pots and throwing spears, and offer guests the opportunity to join in on the action.

Visitors can see several remaining mounds, including one that stands 10 feet above ground.

Guests can even walk inside a mound, since the museum sits in an excavated mound. www.parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/ wickliffe-mounds

From Riverfront to Broadway Ashland showcases natural beauty, engaging activities and authentic experiences all centrally located off I-64 & Kentucky’s Country Music Highway.

Downtown Riverfront • Paramount Arts Center • Highlands Museum & Discovery Center • Floodwall Murals • Ashland’s Historical Tour • Central Park • Specialty and Antique Shopping

VisitAshlandKy.com 800.377.6249 GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

Affordable Accommodations

Over 850 Rooms Delta by Marriott - Newly Remodeled in downtown Ashland

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MI DWAY

M I D WAY

During the railroad heyday of the 1930s and 1940s, up to 30 trains a day rumbled through the middle of Midway, a town halfway between Lexington and Frankfort. Though the passenger trains dwindled over time, freight trains still chug through downtown several times a day.

Midway’s railroad past has led to a downtown full of architectural gems. Shoppers can enjoy this ambiance while ambling past numerous local shops. The town sits in the Woodford County Midway Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visitors can relive the past at Fisher’s Antiques and Yeagers Antiques.

The Back Room features modern home accessories, and the Midway Boutique Kentucky offers clothing, equine-themed gifts and University of Kentucky apparel.

Midway also honors the artists of the area at the Damselfly Studio Gallery and the Kennydid Gallery. For a local treat, shoppers can stop

by Kentucky Honey Farms or the Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain. Darlin’ Jeans Apple Cobbler Cafe dishes out more filling fare inside a renovated barley mill.

The Historic Midway Museum Store showcases distinctive gifts, including jewelry, home accessories, Kentucky crafts and Keeneland apparel. The shop sits in a Victorian building with Italianate details from the 1880s. Groups can revel in the store’s shopping options and learn about its fascinating history. www.meetmeinmidway.com

Courtesy Historic Midway Museum Store

Explore.

More.

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

HISTO RIC KENTUCKY FORT BOONESBOROUGH STATE PARK R ICH MON D One of America’s first folk heroes, Daniel Boone, founded Fort Boonesborough in 1775. Boone faced Kentucky’s wild frontier to construct the state’s second-oldest European-American settlement.

Fort Boonesborough State Park re-created much of the original working fort with cabins, bunkhouses and furnishings. Seasonally, resident artisans offer demonstrations for a taste of Kentucky pioneer life. Recovered saddle buckles, cooking utensils and animal bones found at the original fort are on display in the fort’s museum.

Visitors begin tours with a short film about Boone and Fort Boonesborough’s exciting past before visiting the cabins and listening to interpreters describe 18th-century life. Weavers, soapmakers, spinners and woodworkers explain the various skills needed to survive.

Courtesy Fort Boonesborough State Park

Also within the park, the Kentucky River Museum offers exhibits on how the Kentucky River influenced the area’s commerce and development. Each September, the fort re-enacts the 1778 Siege of Boonesborough, when the Shawnee Native Americans tried to capture the fort. www.parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/ fort-boonesborough

What’s more Kentucky than

Bluegrass, Bourbon & Barbecue?

Owensboro is the perfect recipe for groups!

VISITOWENSBORO.COM WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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BRING YOUR

PADDLE SPEND SOME TIME IN KENTUCKY’S OUTDOORS

BY ELIZA MYERS

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

W

hether under the ground creeping along a cave wall or above a

gorge zipping over trees, groups will find awe-inspiring outdoor

adventures in Kentucky. The state’s diverse environments and abun-

dant resources have led to a wide range of outdoor activities for ambitious thrill-seekers and quiet nature lovers alike.

Mammoth Cave National Park is the state’s crowning jewel,

boasting the longest cave system in the world. Even though more than 365 miles of the five-level cave system is mapped, explorers continue to locate new caves.

The adventures continue aboveground with horseback rides, elk

viewing and zip lining through a rocky gorge. The state also has

1,900 miles of designated navigable waterways, the most for any state in the continental U.S.

Groups with a variety of ages and activity levels can find outdoor

activities to fit their needs in the Bluegrass State.

C AV ING IN M A M MOTH C AV E MAMMOTH CAVE

Holding lanterns in their hands, travelers at Mammoth Cave feel enveloped in a limestone labyrinth and transported to another time. The nostalgic Violet City Lantern Tour and Star Chamber experiences both offer lantern-lit tours with tales of the cave’s earliest explorers.

S H E LT O W E E T R A C E A D V E N T U R E R E S O R T TA K E S G RO U P S RAFTING ON THE CUMBERLAND RIVER.

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Courtesy Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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The rugged Violet City Lantern Tour navigates steep hills through some of the cave’s most massive and oldest passageways. The milder Star Chamber offers two miles by flickering flame past cavern dwellings once used to house tuberculosis patients.

Groups can find everything from wheelchair-accessible tours to the belly-crawling Wild Cave Tour. The two-hour Domes and Dripstones, the most popular tour, showcases some of the most dramatic cave features. The shorter Frozen Niagara Tour touches on some of the same features but lasts only a little over an hour.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cave is “grand, gloomy and peculiar,” as it was described by Stephen Bishop in the early 1800s. Most tours set aside a time to switch off all the lights to demonstrate the utter darkness of the cave. With the lights off, visitors can’t even see their own noses.

The park accommodates all sizes of groups, including ones with some members who don’t wish to travel underground. Forested hills and hollows encompass more than 52,000 acres for guests to explore on the surface.

“Mammoth Cave is a great gathering spot for groups,” said Molly Schroer, management assistant at the Mammoth Cave National Park.

“There are a lot of activities to do underground and aboveground.

We have many hiking trails, canoe rentals, a horse rental operation and bike trails. We also have a lodge here, so you can also easily eat nearby and spend the night.” www.nps.gov/maca

ZIP LIN ING AT R ED R I V ER G ORGE C A M P T ON

Happy screams ring out over Red River Gorge as travelers zip over the rock formations of this scenic area near Campton. The attraction is just outside Daniel Boone National Forest, which preserves approximately 29,000 acres of the Red River Gorge canyon system.

The surrounding wilderness offers breathtaking panoramas, especially while zooming above the overlooks at up to 55 miles per hour.

“You are zip lining through the trees, so it sometimes looks like you are going to run right into them,” said Joyce Belcher, executive director of the Cliffview Resort and Red River Gorge Zipline. “On the long zip lines, you will zip above the gorge. You will see the rock formations. It is beautiful scenery.”

Participants who weigh between 70 and 250 pounds can go on the two- to three-hour tours. Guides lead groups down all five zip lines.

The first stretches for 300 feet. The distances increase as the tour progresses until the final zip, which spans 1,900 feet.

Groups cross four canopy bridges as they walk from one zip line to the next. The final two zip lines, known as Dual Racing Zips, allow participants to race two at a time across the canyon.

Staying at the nearby Cliffview Resort earns groups a discount.

The resort allows easy access to the surrounding hiking, rock climbing and geologic wonders of Red River Gorge. www.redrivergorgezipline.com

Kentucky’s

LINCOLN MUSEUM Visit historic downtown Hodgenville to experience Lincoln’s life and legacy.

The collection features life-size dioramas, Civil War memorabilia, a unique artwork collection, and gift shop.

Group Rates • Motorcoach Friendly Guided Tours by Appointment ADA Compliant

OPEN YEAR ROUND 66 Lincoln Square • Hodgenville, KY 42748 (270) 358-3163 www.lincolnmuseum-ky.org

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

PA DDLING W I T H SH ELTOW EE TR ACE A DV EN T U R E R E SORT COR BIN

Half your travelers love the idea of rafting next to a giant waterfall; the other half find it terrifying. Not to worry: Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort (STAR) in Corbin offers the perfect compromise.

Part of the group can raft through whitewater rapids, and the other members can take a leisurely ride aboard the Cumberland Star Riverboat.

The 65-foot, double-decker riverboat f loats through Lake Cumberland for a relaxing journey. After the more adventurous group has ventured down the Cumberland River, the 100-passenger boat picks up the tired rafters. Then the entire group can reunite for a meal onboard the vessel.

The whitewater rafting trip begins at the base of Cumberland Falls, a powerful waterfall known as the Niagara of the South. After participants see the water pounding down into the river from the base of the falls, the raft continues down the river on Class III rapids.

The trip works well for beginning rafters and children ages 6 and up.

“Some groups come back year after year,” said Dania Egedi, general manager of STAR. “We really try to experience the river and not just get down it. We let people out at a rock where they can jump in. We also stop and swim through some rapids, which is a neat experience.”

STAR offers groups many more rafting options, such as canoe and kayak trips down the Cumberland and Big South Fork rivers. The Big South Fork River draws many paddlers because of its striking views

M A M M O T H C AV E N AT I O N A L PA R K

Courtesy NPS

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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R E D R I V E R G O RG E Z I P L I N E T O U R S

Courtesy Red River Gorge Zipline Tours

of cliff lines and enormous boulders. Both rivers offer chances to see wildlife, especially blue herons, eagles and deer.

The options continue from there to land adventures including zip lines, a climbing wall, geocaching, bike rentals and hiker shuttles.

STAR can function as a one-stop shop with lodging and catered dining options. The wide range of accommodations includes rustic camping, resort cabins and covered wagons converted into bedrooms with electricity, heating and air conditioning. www.ky-rafting.com

HOR SEBACK R I DING W I T H W HISPER ING WOODS R I DING STA BLE S G EORG ET OW N

JENNEY WILEY S TAT E R E S O R T PA R K

WHISPERING WOODS R I D I N G S TA B L E S

Courtesy Whispering Woods Riding Stables

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KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

Jessi Wilbers relies on jokes to calm the nerves of anxious riders at Whispering Woods Riding Stables in Georgetown.

“I’ll say to them, ‘Have you all ridden before? No? Me neither,’” said Wilbers, lead trail guide and promotional manager for Whispering Woods Riding Stables. “They love that one. Rides here are like real trail riding that you would do with a group of friends. We talk and hang out. When we take beginners, I help them with the turns and remind them what do.”

Horseback-riding beginners and seasoned riding veterans alike enjoy riding through the 250 acres of trails and forests at Whispering Woods. Guides explore trails based on the preferences and comfort levels of the riders.

Courtesy Jenny Wiley State Resort Park

WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

“We don’t go the same way over and over like some places,” said Wilbers. “With kids, I go on straighter paths. With more experienced riders, I won’t stay on the trail at all.

Larger groups that need two trail guides can divide into beginner and experienced teams, so some can ride at a faster pace if they want to. The woods offer numerous ways to reach the same destination, so guides can make sure the group meets up at the end despite taking routes with varying degrees of difficulty.

Groups can choose from 50-minute to 90-minute rides. Guides assign horses to participants based on weight and rideability. Riders receive a helmet, a saddlebag for storage and a horseback-riding lesson. During the ride, groups can spot foxes, raccoons, possums and other wildlife.

Guides lead groups to a flat, open area for a photo shoot before heading back. www.whisperingwoodstrails.com

ELK TOU R S AT J EN N Y W ILE Y STATE R E SORT PA R K PR E ST ON S BU RG

When daylight breaks over the mountains and an elk bugle pierces the air, bleary-eyed travelers not accustomed to the early hour perk up quickly. Groups agree to these tours starting at 5:30 a.m. because they expect something incredible. They find that memorable experience on an elk tour at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg.

“We get a lot closer to these elk than just viewing round dots on

the side of a hill,” said Trinity Shepherd, park interpreter for the Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. “People can see them with the naked eye.

The elk are usually around 100 yards or closer.”

After a 150-year absence, elk were reintroduced to Kentucky in 1997; the elk now number 10,000. The tours shuttle guests to see the area’s largest elk herds, which reside on privately owned lands normally closed to the public. Set tours run from September through March, though the park will arrange additional dates for interested groups.

In addition to the early morning tours, the park offers an evening tour that concludes at dark. Both tours include a meal as part of the package. Discounts are available to groups also staying at the park’s lodge.

As guides search for elk, they share information on creatures and how they relate to the area’s history, culture and ecosystems.

“It’s not just an elk tour,” said Shepherd. “There is so much more.

In the mid-1800s, we didn’t take care of this resource. We were not good stewards of the land. To have these animals back, as well as white-tailed deer and turkeys, is a great testament to conservation efforts. You used to have to take a plane to go see them. To be able to see elk in this state is not something to be taken lightly.” www.parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/jenny-wiley

Harrodsburg brings together group experiences that are both unique and memorable. It’s no wonder its been honored with accolades including:

· Named one of Smithsonian Magazine’s “20 Best Small Towns to Visit”

· Named one of BBC NEWS Magazine’s “Five Hidden US Travel Destinations”

Group-friendly activities & adventures with over 300 affordable rooms just minutes SW of Lexington

HarrodsburgKy.com • 800-355-9192 WWW.KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

• Award-winning Downtown • Unique Shopping/ Dining • Year-round arts, cultural & music events

KENTUCKY GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE

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Is It Any Surprise Horses In Kentucky Hold Autograph Sessions?

Kentucky Makes Legends

BetterInTheBluegrass.com

T I K C O e r D he

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O C T O B E R 2 01 8

B Y K R I S T Y A L P E RT

By Lane Sauve THE SUN SETS OVER EAGLE HARBOR IN EPHRAIM.

THESE HEARTLAND WATERFRONT CITIES MAKE GREAT STOPS n the early days of America, building a city near a water source like a river or lake meant survival. Living near water provided locals with easy access to and a direct link for transportation and commerce.

Today, waterfronts have transformed from a means to survive into opportunities to thrive as cities around the United States have tapped into the fun and endless adventure that living near the water provides. The Midwest is home to some of the nation’s largest lakes and rivers, and the cities that border them have developed personalities just as big.

Memorable experiences await at these amazing waterfronts in America’s Heartland.

PELLA |

IOWA

The story of Pella, Iowa, began at sea, when four ships set sail from the Netherlands bringing hundreds of Dutch pilgrims, including Pella’s leading founder, the Rev. Hendrik Pieter Scholte, to a land that promised religious freedom. In pure Dutch fashion, when the ship’s cleanliness didn’t match their standards, instead of complaining, the pilgrims set to work cleaning from top to bottom to make their temporary home more livable.

The scene played out once again when those 800 Dutch immigrants arrived near the shores of Iowa’s largest lake, between the Skunk and Des Moines rivers, in what would become Pella. The settlers worked together to build their new home from the ground up.

GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

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PADDLE BOARDING IN ILLINOIS

The town’s Dutch roots are still prevalent throughout Pella, where many visiting groups opt for boxed lunches from one of the local meat markets with fresh Dutch Gouda cheese and Pella bologna before heading down to the picnic tables along Cordova Park near the lake.

“I love watching the nature that encompasses the lake,” said Jill Vandevoort, executive director for the Pella Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Bird-watching is fantastic. There are flocks of pelicans that stop in migration each spring and fall, and hundreds of eagles call Red Rock their winter home.”

Smaller groups can rent a pontoon boat or work with CanoeSport Outfitters to arrange ecotours of Red Rock Lake. Groups of all sizes can enjoy the hiking, boating and windsurfing opportunities around this lakeside settlement.

W W W. PEL L A.ORG

Cour

LAKE FOREST |

rest ke Fo

tesy C

f La ity o

VENTURING OUT ON LAKE MICHIGAN NEAR THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST Courtesy City of Lake Forest

ILLINOIS

Set along the shores of Lake Michigan, charming Lake Forest, Illinois, was founded in 1861. Architect and landscape gardener Almerin Hotchkiss designed this Chicago suburb as a city in a park, laying it out in an organic way that followed the curves of the lake’s ravines and bluffs.

“I enjoy spending a day at Forest Park Beach playing in the sun, sand and water,” said Sally Swarthout, director of parks, recreation and forestry at the City of Lake Forest in Illinois. “We have a wonderful boardwalk for strolling, and I love to use our boating center; it gives me the opportunity to rent a kayak or take a small sailboat out onto Lake Michigan.”

Visitors to Lake Forest can also take advantage of the many opportunities to get on the water, whether by fishing, skiing or paddleboarding. Offshore, groups can head to a fabulous English-inspired brunch or afternoon tea at the famous Deer Path Inn or whip up some s’mores in one of the fireplace picnic pavilions along the beach.

Sailing lessons are available for groups, as are sunset cruises onboard a Colgate 26 sailboat.

W W W.CI T YOFL A K EF OR EST.COM

PORT CLINTON |

OHIO

Better known as the Walleye Capital of the World, Port Clinton, Ohio, has one of the fishiest reputations of all Lake Erie’s waterfront destinations. It’s unlikely you’ll find a household in Port Clinton that doesn’t contain at least one fishing rod and reel, and many of the locals are happy to offer fishing tips and advice for out-of-towners.

The town loves walleye so much that each year on New Year’s Eve, the entire community gathers to ring in the New Year by dropping a 20-foot-long, LED-lit, 600-pound fiberglass replica of a walleye fish.

Port Clinton is home to the largest, most complete bait and tackle store in Northwest Ohio at the Fisherman’s Wharf, where visitors can book charter fishing trips to head out and test their luck on the waters. Fishing is a year-round sport in Port Clinton, where spring is prime trophywalleye season, summer is reserved for catfish, fall is for fishing the shallows around the islands, and winter allows the lake to take the form of a small village with ice shanties built directly on top of the frozen waters.

“The water is what makes or breaks us, and we’re fortunate that it’s made us who we are,” said Hugh Wheeler Jr., mayor of the city of Port Clinton.

W W W. PORT CL I N T ON.ORG

LAKE MICHIGAN VIEWS FROM EPHRAIM IN DOOR COUNTY

By Lane Sauve

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EPHRAIM |

WIS C ONSIN

Settled by a group of Norwegian Moravians in 1853, the picturesque lakeside village of Ephraim, Wisconsin, has remained true to its Scandinavian roots. It boasts copious cultural sites and numerous Norwegian traditions, like the annual Fyr Bal (pronounced feer ball) summer festival that starts with waterside fun and ends with a beachy bonfire.

Visitors can enjoy the views of Peninsula State Park and the various islands that dot the water on a sailing cruise, by kayak or by parasail. From the water, travelers get gorgeous views of Ephraim’s white steeples set amongst the surrounding landscape.

“One of the most memorable views in Ephraim is watching as the sun sets over the water of Eagle Harbor,” said Lane Sauve, tourism administrator of the Ephraim Business Council. “It’s a wonderful time to gather with family and friends and relax as the sky turns from pink to orange to purple and the sun disappears on the horizon. There is no better place to see the sun set than along the shoreline in Ephraim.”

Groups can experience Ephraim the way locals do, slowly strolling along the shoreline in Peninsula State Park with an ice cream cone from Wilson’s Ice Cream Parlor in hand.

“THE WATER IS WHAT MAKES OR BREAKS US, AND WE’RE FORTUNATE THAT IT’S MADE US WHO WE ARE.” — HUGH WHEELER JR., MAYOR OF THE CIT Y OF P ORT CLINTON

W W W. EPH R A I M-DOORCOU N T Y.COM

MACKINAC ISL AND |

MICHIG AN

The Michigan island of Mackinac began as a fishing colony in the 1860s. Irish fishermen, coopers and net-makers trekked to the island each spring to fish, dry, pack and salt the fish caught along the shores, shipping and selling it in the markets in Canada and New York. It wasn’t long before wealthy Midwestern industrialists discovered this hidden gem, and in the 1890s, many socialites set up summer cottages on the island as a way to escape to the shores and explore the bluffs of the island.

Mackinac Island has retained its Victorian charm. Horse-drawn buggies are still the preferred mode of transportation, as cars and motorized vehicles are not allowed on the island. Visitors can opt for electric scooters or rent one of the 1,500 bikes on the island to get around.

Groups can rent kayaks and paddleboards or book a parasailing adventure or a sunset boat cruise to enjoy the stunning views.

“It is a special feeling to be in the Straits of Mackinac,” said Tim Hygh, executive director of Mackinac Island Tourism. “No two sunsets are the same here.”

TRADITIONAL DUTCH ARCHITECTURE IN PELLA Courtesy Pella CVB

W W W. M ACK I NACISL A N D.ORG

A DINNER CRUISE ON THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC

Courtesy Mackinac Island Tourism GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

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ONCE YOU ARRIVE, THE JOURNEY TAKE A TRIP KEEPS GOING. THROUGH OUR PAST.

WWW.CIRCLEWISCONSIN.COM

|

(414) 545-1100

MILWAUKEE MID-CONTINENT PUBLIC MUSEUM RAILWAY

NATIONAL OLD WORLD RAILROAD WISCONSIN MUSEUM

Dancing Horses Theatre: Open Year Round!

Animal Gardens Petting Zoo: Open May-Oct.

Still to come in 2018!

Reservations suggested for family entertainment at its Best!

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Wisconsin’s #1 Must See Live Attraction!

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FELIX VALLE HISTORIC SITE SHOWCASES THE FRENCH COLONIAL HISTORY OF STE. GENEVIEVE

SOME MIDWESTERN TOWNS ARE MELTING-POT PERFECT oasting settlers from Germany, Sweden, Norway and even the Eastern and Western portions of the United States, America’s Heartland is an international crossroads for culture.

The Midwest is where archaeologists go to sort through varied finds from early Native American and European settlers. It’s been called the nation’s breadbasket because of the rich farming history of the region, but you could also call it a melting pot.

From a French settlement that keeps its history alive through lively festivals to a small Indiana town that made its mark on the map for having the first “escape-proof ” jail, here are some of the most storied towns of the Midwest.

GALENA |

ILLINOIS

Galena is best known as one of the country’s first “Boom Towns.” Named for its abundance of a very dense and very valuable mineral of the same name that was first mined by the Native Americans that inhabited the region, Galena was the site of the first major mineral rush in the nation. Overnight the town sprung to life as 15,000 people began calling Galena home.

“The architecture and footprint for our historic downtown still remains,” said Jay Allen, director of sales for Galena Country Tourism, “especially with the buildings on and near 90

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Main Street, like the DeSoto House Hotel, which is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois.”

The hotel opened in 1855 and is one of the favorite places to stay in town. Most of the main attractions revolve around one of Galena’s most famous residents, Ulysses S. Grant, who came to the town with his family in 1860 and worked in his father’s leather goods store before heading off to fight in the Civil War. Visitors can tour the original Grant Home or explore the Galena and U.S. Grant Museum for an inside look at Galena’s unique historical context.

A hop aboard the town’s narrated trolley rides will give groups a glimpse at the town’s best features, like its 125 shops and dining establishments, along with some great local wineries and a distillery.

RAFTING IN ELKADER

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ELKADER |

IOWA

In Elkader, Iowa, legacy is more than a word; it’s the foundation for the town’s existence. In 1846, when early settlers read about the heroics of a young man making a difference in the lives of thousands on the other side of the world, they decided to name the town in his honor to secure his legacy.

Abd el-Kader was a young Algerian Sufi scholar who unexpectedly found himself leading his entire country in successfully resisting French colonialism between 1830 and 1847, saving a Christian minority in Syria from tribal violence. Elkader remains the only town in America named for an Islamic hero. The community has an Algerian restaurant, Schera’s, well known for its beer launch parties, and the town is home to one of three whitewater parks in Iowa as well as a restored 1903 opera house, the Historic Motor Mill Site and Pedretti’s bakery, a local favorite since 1968.

“I think the most interesting thing about Elkader historically is its connection with the country of Algeria,” said Benjamin Friedrich, marketing director for Art in the Park Elkader, a fine-art festival held on the third weekend in August. “The city is sister cities with a city called Mascara in Algeria. Their relationship is very sweet, and Elkader has hosted a ton of high-level Algerian officials. When Elkader suffered the effects of a major flood in 2008, Algerians played a big role in helping them recover and rebuild.”

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A HISTORIC SIGN FROM ELKADER’S PAST Courtesy Iowa Tourism Courtesy Office Project AWARE

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Hands-On Fun

Get Your Craft On!

STE. GENEVIEVE |

MIS SOURI

Walking the streets of Ste. Genevieve is like taking a stroll through time. The village was founded in the early 1700s, making it Missouri’s oldest town. Over the years, residents have held on to the stories and buildings that shaped Ste. Genevieve, preserving the town’s charm, ambiance and historic buildings.

The town is full of original vertical log structures, narrow streets and fenced gardens that surround historic 18th-century architecture. Many have likened the town to the French wine country because it was settled by French Canadians who farmed the rich alluvial soil and prepared it for the grapes that grow along the Route du Vin today.

“Ste. Genevieve was named after the patron saint of Paris, France,” said Sandra Cabot, director of Ste. Genevieve Tourism. “The French name Genevieve is a proper female noun, which is why we still use an ‘e’ on Ste. Genevieve to keep it in its feminine form.”

The town is famous for its historic sites, local art and wineries. The tourism board is happy to help arrange custom tours for groups to make the most of a visit to this provincial destination.

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CROWN POINT |

“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!”

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INDIANA

Before there was Las Vegas, there was Crown Point, Indiana. No, this little Indiana city wasn’t a gambling mecca or a buffet haven; from the early 1900s until 1938, Crown Point was best known as the place to get married — and to get married quickly. Incorporated in 1868, the town soon adopted a no-waiting, 24-hour wedding operation at the Crown Point Courthouse, where couples of consenting age and proper sobriety could be wed on the spot.

“Rudolph Valentino, Mohammed Ali, Red Skelton and other famous faces have wed in the historic courthouse in Crown Point’s downtown,” said Erika Dahl, director of communications for the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority in Indiana. “A block south of the courthouse is the old sheriff’s house and jail where gangster John Dillinger was held after his capture in Arizona.”

The jail is the other defining feature of this petite Indiana city, where Dillinger famously escaped from what was known as the “escape-proof” building. Dillinger allegedly carved a gun out of wood, took a hostage and escaped the jail only to be caught outside a theater in Chicago a few months later.

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Call 1-800-322-8198 or order it online at:

www.TOURSoutheastIndiana.com/planner OHIO Indianapolis

INDIANA

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Cincinnati

KENTUCKY

Louisville

Lexington

South of I-74 & west of I-275, 20 minutes west of Cincinnati

www.TOURSoutheastIndiana.com 800-322-8198

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S TILLWATER |

MINNESOTA

Stillwater has a rich history: The town was one of the wealthiest settlements in the Midwest because of the log boom in the late 1800s.

“Stillwater was one of the largest lumber-producing towns in the world,” said Christie Rosckes, marketing director for Discover Stillwater and the Stillwater Convention and Visitor Bureau. “It’s because of the successful lumber barons and lumberjacks that we have so many beautiful historic mansions and a large downtown district.”

The town was established in 1848, making it the first city in the state and earning it the title “Birthplace of Minnesota.” In 1888 Stillwater went on to seal its fame as one of the first towns west of Chicago to have electric lights. It soon became home to the first electric streetcar railway in Minnesota.

Visiting groups today can hop aboard a paddle-wheel riverboat cruise on the St. Croix River to enjoy a lunch, dinner or Sunday-brunch cruise with a live jazz band. Offshore options include touring the restored lumber-baron mansions or taking in the sights on a 45-minute narrated trolley tour. The town’s numerous boutiques, restaurants, breweries and galleries make it a great spot for soaking in the historic roots of Minnesota, and the do-it-yourself workshops at Sawdust Savvy and Kari’s Create and Paint Studio give a more immersive look at the town’s productive roots.

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“RUDOLPH VALENTINO, MOHAMMED ALI, RED SKELTON AND OTHER FAMOUS FACES HAVE WED IN THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE IN CROWN POINT’S DOWNTOWN.”

DOWNTOWN STILLWATER

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CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE PRODUCES PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES OF SHOWS SUCH AS “THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.”

GREAT THEATER HIGHLIGHTS THE HEARTLAND here’s an unmistakable air of anticipation that circulates through the walls of a theater before a live performance, felt by both performers and audience members alike. Live theater can unite an entire room, with every theatergoer and performer engaged in the excitement of entertaining storytelling.

Few places embrace that magic better than America’s Heartland, where the region’s rich history of storytelling has given rise to a number of renowned theaters and playhouses. From a dinner theater in Wisconsin that makes guests feel part of the performance to fresh acts appearing in Kansas City’s oldest theater, here are some of the best venues for live theater in the Midwest.

DERBY DINNER PL AYHOUSE |

CL ARKSVILLE, INDIANA

Opened in 1974, the Derby Dinner Playhouse is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating professional dinner theaters in the United States. Over the years, it has become known for professionally produced Broadway musicals, comedies, children’s theater and concerts with nationally known and local bands.

The dinner options at the Derby Dinner Playhouse are as highly reputed as the performances. Audience members get a homestyle buffet of classic American dishes each night. The buffet opens an hour and 45 minutes before most shows. The vocal ensemble the Footnotes performs a preshow while guests enjoy entrees like fried chicken, carved 94

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turkey and grilled fish.

In addition to its dinner offerings, the playhouse also offers several breakfast and lunch matinees accompanied by corresponding buffets.

“Our stage is surrounded by tiers of dining tables with seating arranged in the round,” said marketing director Annie Myers. “It gives each guest a perfect view of the stage and provides an intimate setting.”

Onstage in early 2019 is “Love, Sex and the IRS,” “The Robber Bridegroom” and “Newsies.”

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FOLLY THE ATER |

K ANSAS CIT Y, MIS SOURI

The story of the Folly Theater is as dramatic as the performances that grace its stage each night.

After nearly seven decades of wear and neglect, the building that once introduced Kansas City to the Marx Brothers, Gypsy Rose Lee, Fanny Brice and Al Jolson was sentenced to be demolished. But a group of passionate locals rallied around the historic theater and, in 1981, reopened the Folly Theater to display its beautiful restoration and new position on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The Folly has an extremely diverse lineup, from choirs and jazz to Americana and drag queens,” said marketing manager James Maiden. “The Folly Theater is Kansas City’s oldest theater, and I love that it has a long and diverse history of burlesque, vaudeville and opera.”

The Folly produces three different series, including the Folly Jazz Series, the longest-running jazz series in Kansas City; an Americana/folk series; and the Folly Kids Series.

Several other organizations have performed at the Folly for years, including the Heartland Men’s Chorus and the Friends of Chamber Music. New additions to the Folly include the drag show “Murray and Peter Present” and the Youth American Grand Prix’s national dance competition. Group rates are available for Folly-produced shows.

“THE MUSIC MAN” AT DERBY DINNER PLAYHOUSE Cour tesy D erby Dinn er Pl ay

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CLEVEL AND PL AY HOUSE |

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Heralded as America’s first professional regional theater, the Cleveland Play House has been delighting audiences since it opened in 1915. The playhouse is in downtown Cleveland, where the performances are spread throughout three state-of-the-art venues within Playhouse Square.

“THE ROYAL” AT CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE CourtesyPlay IowaHouse Tourism Office Courtesy Cleveland

THE FOLLY THEATER IN KANSAS CITY

Courtesy Folly Theater GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

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The Cleveland Play House’s performances are an eclectic mix of contemporary plays, classics, musicals and groundbreaking new performances. Groups enjoy priority reservations, free parking, exclusive dining options and free preshow conversations with the staff and performers. The playhouse also offers a suite of nine educational programs that include immersive experiences for audiences of all ages.

“We get to tell stories that matter,” said associate artistic director Robert Barry Fleming. “It’s the one of the remaining communal meeting places we have where we can have a conversation and meditate and reflect on themes and narratives that speak to our common humanity.”

The 2018-19 season opener is Susan Hill’s classic ghost story “The Woman in Black.” That will be followed by the 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Sweat.” The rest of the season is filled with exciting performances, including “An Iliad,” “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood,” “Tiny Houses” by Chelsea Marcantel and “Native Gardens” by Karen Zacarias.

“WEST SIDE STORY” AT THE GUTHRIE

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GUTHRIE THEATER |

MINNE AP OLIS

The Guthrie Theater’s moxie was displayed first on opening night, May 7, 1963, when it raised the curtain on a jaw-dropping production of “Hamlet” directed by the theater’s founder, Tyrone Guthrie. The mission from Day One has remained the same: to create a resident theater that performs the classics with the highest professional standards.

The theater welcomes groups with plenty of amenities. It offers multiple on-site dining options, including quick-service cafes and kiosks and the celebrated restaurant Sea Change, which features a menu of sustainable seafood dishes. Groups can get an exclusive look behind the curtain with backstage tours, costume rental packages and architectural tours.

“The Guthrie is devoted to both classic and contemporary plays, and next season will be an exciting combination of time-honored favorites and brilliant new work,” said Joseph Haj, artistic director for the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

The 2019 season opens with a sharp-witted new drama, “The Great Leap,” and goes on to include favorites like Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” “Metamorphoses” and “Guys and Dolls.” The theater also hosts concerts and events.

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By Roland Halbe, courtesy Guthrie Theater

PROFESSIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY AT THE GUTHRIE

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FIRESIDE DINNER THEATRE |

FORT ATKINSON, WIS C ONSIN

Culinary arts have always been the hallmark of the Fireside Dinner Theatre. The establishment got its start as an intimate, pyramid-shaped restaurant opened by Dick and Betty Klopcic in 1964. The dining room centered around a cozy fireplace, which is why they named it the Fireside. But it was the service and the quality of the food that brought visitors from near and far.

As demand increased, the business grew. In 1978, the restaurant expanded into another building with a 435-seat theater in the round and welcomed artistic director Ed Flesch to the team. Opening night included a memorable performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” and since then, the Fireside Theatre has mounted more than 200 productions.

The shows are primarily Broadway musicals with a few original performances mixed in. The 2019 season includes “Legends of Country,” “My Fair Lady,” “Menopause the Musical,” “That’s What I Call Rock ’n’ Roll,” “Annie,” “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” and “A Christmas Story.”

“We hear all the time from guests who have seen productions in bigger venues and enjoyed ours so much more because they could see and hear everything better,” said marketing manager Julie Nordeen. “They feel like they’re part of the production.”

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SIGNATURE DRINKS AND SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD AT THE FIRESIDE DINNER THEATER Courtesy The Fireside Dinner Theatre

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