The Group Travel Leader October 2020

B LU E G R A S S & B LU E S K I E S

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N E W J E R S E Y J O U R N E YS

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ARTISTIC NORTHWEST ARK ANSAS

GROUP THE

TRAVEL LEADER

The outdoors IS IN

VOGUE

OUTDOOR

ISSUE

OCTOBER 2020

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL

What will your group tour discover in South Dakota? All the wonders of wide open landscapes and safe, responsible vacationing. You’ll see amazing monuments like Mount Rushmore Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial® and take in stunning scenery at Badlands National Park and Custer State Park. You’ll experience Wild West legends, Native American culture and so much more.

A tour of South Dakota’s great places is more than a road trip; it’s a classic American experience.

TourSDakota.com // 800-952-3625

AKTÁ AKTÁ LAKOTA LAKOTA MUSEUM MUSEUM & CULTURAL & CULTURAL CENTER CENTER

CUSTER CUSTER STATE STATE PARK PARK

800-798-3452 800-798-3452 // AktaLakota.org // AktaLakota.org

888-875-0001 888-875-0001 // CusterStatePark.com // CusterStatePark.com

The The Lakota Lakota phrase phrase “Akta “Akta Lakota” Lakota” translates translates to “honoring to “honoring the the people.” people.”

Located Located in Chamberlain in Chamberlain on the on the campus campus of St.ofJoseph’s St. Joseph’s Indian Indian School, School, the the museum museum strives strives to preserve to preserve andand promote promote the the artsarts andand history history of the of the Northern Northern Plains Plains Indian Indian people. people.

Experience Experience a living a living lesson lesson on the on the pastpast andand present present of the of the American American Indian Indian wayway of life of life through through historical historical exhibits, exhibits, interactive interactive displays displays andand contemporary contemporary art. art.

Guided Guided tours tours by request. by request.

OpenOpen year-round year-round andand freefree admission. admission.

Custer Custer State State ParkPark is South is South Dakota’s Dakota’s oldest oldest andand largest largest statestate park.park.

Encompassing Encompassing 71,000 71,000 acres acres in the in the Black Black Hills,Hills, the the parkpark is home is home to to oneone of the of the largest largest public public herds herds of bison of bison in North in North America America andand other other wildlife. wildlife.

Whether Whether it’s camping, it’s camping, hiking, hiking, swimming, swimming, fishing fishing or relaxing, or relaxing, there’s there’s something something herehere for everyone. for everyone.

PIERRE PIERRE — YOUR — YOUR ADVENTURE ADVENTURE ON ON THETHE RIVER RIVER

RAPID RAPID CITY CITY — YOUR — YOUR BLACK BLACK HILLS HILLS HOME HOME BASE BASE

Experience Experience South South Dakota’s Dakota’s capital capital citycity of Pierre! of Pierre!

TourTour the the Capitol, Capitol, memorials, memorials, TrailTrail of Governors of Governors and and OaheOahe DamDam & Powerhouse. & Powerhouse.

Pierre Pierre is home is home to museums to museums including including the the South South Dakota Dakota Cultural Cultural Heritage Heritage Center Center and and the the South South Dakota Dakota National National Guard Guard Museum.

Museum.

Outdoor Outdoor recreation recreation includes includes hunting, hunting, fishing, fishing, kayaking kayaking and and a cruise a cruise on the on the Sunset, Sunset, the the last last working working paddlewheel paddlewheel on the on the Missouri Missouri River.

River.

The The largest largest citycity in western in western South South Dakota Dakota will will givegive you you a long a long list of list of reasons reasons to make to make it your it your home home base. base.

Rapid Rapid CityCity provides provides immediate immediate access access to 10tobucket 10 bucket list parks list parks & monuments & monuments andand easyeasy day day tripstrips to to historic historic mountain mountain towns towns like like Deadwood.

Deadwood.

DineDine at aat firehouse a firehouse thatthat holds holds South South Dakota’s Dakota’s oldest oldest brewery, brewery, explore explore Chapel Chapel in the in the Hills—an Hills—an exact exact replica replica of Norway’s of Norway’s Borgund Borgund Stavkirke—and Stavkirke—and experience experience Lakota Lakota culture culture at various at various citycity sites. sites.

WALL WALL DRUG DRUG STORE STORE

WORLD’S WORLD’S ONLY ONLY CORN CORN PALACE PALACE

America’s America’s #1 roadside #1 roadside attraction. attraction.

Made Made famous famous by offering by offering freefree ice ice water water to weary to weary travelers. travelers.

There There is something is something for everyone for everyone in this in this wonderland wonderland of free of free attractions, attractions, shopping shopping andand dining. dining.

Located Located in Wall in Wall off Interstate-90 off Interstate-90 andand 8 miles 8 miles north north of Badlands of Badlands National National Park.Park.

There There maymay be one be one big attraction big attraction thatthat brings brings visitors visitors to Mitchell; to Mitchell; however however there there are are a million a million reasons reasons to stay. to stay.

StopStop

by Mitchell’s

by Mitchell’s a-MAIZE-ing a-MAIZE-ing attractions, attractions, refuel refuel at one at one of 60+ of 60+ restaurants, restaurants, andand thenthen kickkick youryour shoes shoes off at offour at our relaxing relaxing accommodations. accommodations.

FourFour hours hours to to Black Black HillsHills attractions. attractions.

I-90,I-90, ExitExit 332.332.

605-224-7361 605-224-7361 // Pierre.org // Pierre.org

605-279-2175 605-279-2175 // WallDrug.com // WallDrug.com

GROUP GROUP TOUR TOUR PLANNING PLANNING ASSISTANCE ASSISTANCE

800-487-3223 800-487-3223 // TourRapidCity.com // TourRapidCity.com

605-996-6223 605-996-6223 // VisitMitchell.com // VisitMitchell.com

CALLEY WORTH CALLEY WORTH South Dakota Department of Tourism South Dakota Department of Tourism TourSDakota.com TourSDakota.com calley.worth@travelsouthdakota.com calley.worth@travelsouthdakota.com 800-952-3625 800-952-3625

CONTENTS

GROUP TH E

TRAVEL LEADER

CHARTING THE EVOLUTION OF GROUP TR AVEL

COLU M NS

N EWS

6 Editor’s Marks

8 Family Matters 10 Travel Conferences Resume

22

ON TH E COV E R

18

Kentucky Spotlight

Outdoor Adventures

Beach Destinations

VOL 30 | ISSUE 8

OUTDOOR

MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS KELLY TYNER

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ART I ST I C ARK ANS AS

HEARTLAND TR AVE L G UI DE

The northwestern region of this state abounds in creativity.

Discover new experiences and great suburban destinations in America’s Midwest.

K E LLY T Y N E R 888.253.0455

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ISSUE

26

Travelers view one of America’s most stunning natural landscapes from atop the Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona.

Photo by Jordan Banks.

Founder and Publisher Partner VP & Executive Editor Senior Writer Creative Director VP, Sales & Marketing

KYLE ANDERSON ASHLEY RICKS ELIZA MYERS MELISSA RILEY CHRISTINE CLOUGH

kelly@grouptravelleader.com

Director of Advertising Sales Graphic Design & Circulation Associate Editor Accounting Manager Copy Editor

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 travel-related 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) 2530455 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.

HOP ABOARD AND TAKE IN THE SITES

BRING YOUR GROUP TOUR TO LIFE. Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay, our coastal city offers uncommon access to nature’s wonders and hands-on experiences for your group to share.

Plan your group’s Live the Life Adventure at VisitVirginiaBeach.com/GroupTour.

EDITOR’S MARKS

D

BY BRIAN JEWELL

r. Seuss died in 1991. But if you read his last book, you might think he saw 2020 coming.

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” is Dr. Seuss’ ode to adventurous spirits everywhere. In it, he encourages readers to chart their own path through life, take chances and rise above adversity.

Dr. Seuss couches his advice in a second-person story about all the ups and downs young people will experience in life. After a period of successes, he says, they’ll hit some obstacles, get caught in a slump and struggle through uncertainty. And that struggle is likely to lead them to what he calls “a most useless place” — the Waiting Place.

What happens there? People just stand around… waiting:

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

I’ve read this passage to my kids dozens of times.

But those words resonate with me now more than ever, because they seem to encapsulate the place our society — and our industry — is stuck at the moment.

We’re all waiting for something. Waiting for the masks to go, or a vaccine to come, or a cure to grow, or guests to come, or a tour to go. Everyone is just waiting.

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OCTOBER 2020

If you listen to the pundits today, you could easily be convinced that waiting is the only thing we can do.

But I reject that reasoning. And I’m pretty sure Dr. Seuss would too.

Here’s how he continues:

NO! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.

Staying and waiting weren’t viable options for Dr. Seuss, and they’re not viable for us either. If we wait for things to be perfect, we’ll wait our industry out of existence.

All around the country, destinations, attractions and other travel providers have taken extraordinary steps to ensure that guests can visit in healthy and safe ways. There are hundreds of places you can go right now. Life is too short to let waiting steal the joy of travel.

Sure, there will be critics. And yes, some of your travelers will be too nervous to go. But would that stop Dr. Seuss?

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day!” he writes at the end of the book. There’s a world to explore. “So… get on your way!”

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TR AVEL LE ADER

Photo by: Jason Barnette

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

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

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

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

FAMILY M AT T E R S

S E L E C T T R AV E L E R C O N F E R E N C E S E T F O R PA N A M A C I T Y B E AC H I N 2 0 2 1 SALEM, Ohio — Panama City Beach, Florida, will welcome group travel planners and the travel industry February 28-March 1, 2021, as the host city of the Select Traveler Conference. The Select Traveler Conference is the nation’s premier travel meeting, bringing together group travel planners of banks, alumni and upscale groups with the travel industry.

The Select Traveler Conference will mark the first group travel industry conference of 2021 and showcase the rebirth of group tourism.

“Our travel planners have members with a pent-up demand for packaged travel, and they have told us that they will choose destinations and hotels that support them and show up at the conference,” said Charlie Presley of The Group Travel Family.

While the travel industry has been greatly affected in 2020, all indications are that group travel will lead the charge back to full speed beginning this fall and into the 2021 travel season. Most industry experts predict the group travel return based on the community outreach of the group leaders. Most of their travelers know one another and travel as much for the camaraderie as the travel experience.

“I think that is true; group travel is greatly about human interaction, and people are reaching out for that now,” Presley said.

While the Select Traveler Conference will be the first major group travel meeting of 2021, it will benefit from knowledge gained through the operation of sister conference Going On Faith that was held in August 2020. The Going On Faith Conference was successful in bringing church and faith-based travel groups together at the French Lick Resort.

“We learned how to manage safety concerns while delivering an enjoyable meeting and will bring that knowledge to the Select Traveler Conference,” Presley said.

The Sheraton Panama City Beach Golf and Spa Resort will be the official hotel of the Select Traveler Conference, which will use its attached convention center.

If you are a group travel planner or a travel industry member interested in building tourism knowledge and contacts while on the beach in February, reserve your spot at this meeting today.

Register at 800-628-0993 or with Tara Holl at tholl@ grouptravelfamily.com.

GROUPS ARE ALREADY RETURNING TO GREEN BAY A tour group visited SALEM, Ohio — It’s always good news with the building of tourism in that state and Green Bay’s Lambeau to report group travel success in today’s reports brisk interest from group travel leadField in early September. world. The Greater Green Bay Convention ers as they plan their 2021 travel schedules.

“Wisconsin has long had a strong presand Visitors Bureau, the Green Bay Packers and Circle Wisconsin have all been strong ence in the group travel market, and the supporters of group travel. And their efforts continued marketing outreach of Circle are paying off — a group of travelers visited Wisconsin will reward their members with the city in early September. group bookings,” said Charlie Presley of The Julie Gerczak of the Greater Green Group Travel Family.

Bay CVB reports that the group spent two Travel planners interested in reachCOURTESY GREATER GREEN BAY CVB nights at the Radisson Hotel and enjoyed ing Gerczak at the Greater Green Bay the sights in Green Bay and that Hillary CVB may contact her at 920-405-1154 or Nick of the Green Bay Packers welcomed the group to tour the julie@greenbay.com. Nick of the Green Bay Packers is available historic facility. at 920-569-7145 or nickh@packers.com.

Wendy Dobrzynski, executive director of Circle Wisconsin, Dobrzynski of Circle Wisconsin can be contacted at the state’s premier group travel industry association, is charged wendy@circlewiscinsin.com or 414-545-1100.

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AFRICAN AMERICAN TRAVEL CONFERENCE HEADS TO LOUISVILLE IN 2021 Louisville will host the AATConference in 2021.

COURTESY LOUISVILLE TOURISM

SALEM, Ohio — Diversity group travel directors from 20 states will gather in Louisville, Kentucky, for the African American Travel Conference (AATC), March 30-April 1, 2021. The conference brings together African American travel groups with the travel industry for the purpose of planning packaged travel and tours.

The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau will host the conference and showcase the city as a destination for future tour groups.

“AATConference travel planners book thousands of group tours with their strong community network and love of group travel,” said Jennifer Ferguson of The Group Travel Family.

The African American community participates in group travel at twice the rate of the population as a whole, according to research

by The Group Travel Family, a national leader in group travel research. The AATC delegates reported that their groups are ready to travel in 2021 and expect to begin their travel season with bookings at the conference.

Travel planners in diversity markets may contact Kacie Honeywell at 800-6280993 or khoneywell@grouptravelfamily. com for conference information. The travel industry is welcome and invited to register at aatconline.com.

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CONFERENCE

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F I R S T G R O U P T R AV E L G AT H E R I N G HELD SINCE MARCH

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ver the past several months, numerous travel industry conferences have been canceled or have moved to a virtual format. Many others yet to be held have already moved to a virtual format stretching well into 2021.

Not so for the Select Traveler Conference and the Going On Faith Conference, niche meetings that have long addressed America’s most upscale travel planners and its faithbased travel planners. Following safety protocols to the letter, this combined meeting defied the odds and denied the virus another casualty.

More than 175 group travel planners and travel industry professionals came and stood for tourism when they gathered in French Lick, Indiana, August 19-21. Because of the pandemic, the two conferences were merged into a single meeting by conference partner Charlie Presley and his staff at The Group Travel Family.

A hardy band of travel industry buyers and sellers, all with faces masked, sanitizers at the ready and practicing social distancing, gathered at southern Indiana’s beautiful and historic French Lick Resort.

During the general session, Mac Lacy, also a conference partner, asked all delegates to stand and praised them for attending against all prevailing odds.

“Bringing the travel industry back from the worst health crisis in our lifetimes will require people with resilience and resolve,” he said. “You are such people. You didn’t have to be here. A lot of our travel friends are not.

But one day you’ll be able to look back and say, ‘I was there.’”

Presley echoed that sentiment.

“This is the first travel conference of the

year in the whole travel industry, and you are part of it,” he said. “That is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for doing that.”

Presley also commended the management of French Lick Resort for accepting this combined conference with just six weeks’ notice after the cities of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and then Wichita, Kansas, were forced to cancel the meetings.

“It was an easy decision to take these on, really,” said Joe Vezzoso, vice president of resort operations and sales. “We’ve worked with Charlie and Mac for years, and I think we’re all seeing improvement in the travel industry. This conference is a great way to show that the industry is back in business.”

Delegates enjoyed the large resort property.

Many could be seen in the casino, playing golf, hiking trails or just enjoying the wide and peaceful veranda on the front side of French Lick Hotel. One night of the conference featured a dine-around. Many delegates walked one or two blocks into the town of French Lick to sample a surprising range of restaurants.

Major meal sponsors included Collette, U.S. Tours, the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, Globus Family of Brands and the French Lick Resort. Several thousand six-minute appointments were held over two days in a large ballroom using eight-foot tables dissected by plexiglass sneeze guards.

Brenda Hall of Nighthawk Travel in Red Bay, Alabama, summed up well the optimism that prevailed among attendees of the industry’s first face-to-face meeting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is my 20th year at Select Traveler Conference,” she said. “I want to learn what I can and cannot do in travel these days. I also enjoy meeting other people who love to travel.

There’s such a wide world to see.”

Protocols put delegates at ease.

Waitstaff served meals safely

COURTESY FRENCH LICK RESORT

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T R AV E L P L A N N E R S C O M PA R E NOTES IN FRENCH LICK

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he collective responses of more than 60 group travel planners who attended the breakout session at the combined Select Traveler/Going On Faith conferences in French Lick, Indiana, August 19-21, are both a tale of woe, and a tale of “go.”

The disruption of 2020 is measurable, but the determined optimism for seeing the world again in 2021 comes across loud and clear.

Fundamental changes to group travel are coming as well, according to this collection of veteran travel planners.

“If you want to know where this industry is going, ask the people in the trenches,” said conference partner and The Group Travel Leader publisher Mac Lacy. “These are veteran travelers themselves, and they have followers who trust them implicitly. When they say the coast is clear, their members will head to the airport. That’s apparent when they sit across from each other in masks and compare notes.”

The buyers at the session counted more than 300 group trips that have already been canceled between them in 2020 due to COVID-19.

For planners at smaller organizations, it was only two or three, but for planners with larger travel programs the numbers were well into the dozens. One determined respondent replied that they had not canceled any trips — only postponed them.

When the talk turned to 2021, those same planners ticked off destinations across America and around the globe for their return to travel. They all reported having a core group of travelers that are resolute and that will go as soon as they have a trip ready. Domestic destinations mentioned numerous times included favorites that are somewhat like comfort food — places like

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Breakout attendees shared ideas.

Destinations masked up for meetings.

COURTESY FRENCH LICK RESORT

the Ark Encounter in northern Kentucky; destinations such as Nashville, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri; and baseball trips to favorite cities. International favorites that came up more than once also had a familiar ring to them: countries like Spain, Ireland, Italy and Iceland, as well as Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises and destinations.

GROUP TRAVEL CHANGES ARE COMING The planners agree on several structural changes that will take place in group travel because of this pandemic: Groups will continue to get smaller, and the members will become more familiar with one another;

prices will likely increase as a result; fewer sites will be visited each day because of longer stays at each; fewer groups will be combined by tour operators because people will want to travel with those they know; and trips will sell out earlier because of lower traveler counts.

“It appears that this pandemic may have accelerated some of the changes already taking place in group travel,” said Lacy. “Groups were already getting smaller because group travelers value the same authenticity, the same local cuisine, the same discoveries off the itinerary that everyone else values. They were already moving toward being with a small group of friends or acquaintances for their trips, and most will pay what it takes to be in the places they want to be in.”

This demoralizing year has taken its toll on many planners’ psyches. When asked how they felt about trying to run a trip or trips in what remains of 2020, many responded, “forget it,” but many others said, “full speed ahead.” When asked about the use of videoconferencing platforms like Zoom for their programs, 21% replied that they were using them, and 79% said they were not. Facebook, newsletters, email and phone calls are the primary means of staying in touch with travel memberships through the pandemic.

The political environment has not helped in 2020. Several responded that they would sit tight until after the election in November before venturing out, and several others mentioned governors in their states that had more or less brought travel to a halt.

When asked what they enjoyed most about attending the Select Traveler and Going On Faith conferences, most cited the opportunity to share ideas with other planners. Next were those who came to “recharge their travel batteries,” followed by those who came for the opportunity to meet with new destinations for their groups.

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One in Five

groups has restarted its travel

BY BRIAN JEWELL

Nearly one-fifth of America’s travel groups have resumed trips, according to a new survey conducted by The Group Travel Leader in early September. Among those who have not started traveling, most are waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine to become available.

When asked “What factors will influence your decision to operate trips again?” 19% of the 160 tour operators and group travel planners who responded said they had already begun operating trips. Similarly, when asked when they expect their next group trip to depart, 21% said they expected to travel in 2020.

Among the respondents who have not begun traveling yet, a majority (51%) said the availability of a vaccine will be among key factors influencing travel decisions.

About 28% said they would wait to see when cruise lines and major tour companies resume normal operations. Only 11% said they would wait for mask mandates to be dropped before traveling again.

The survey included the option for respondents to write in other factors they would be considering, and about 33% did so. Among their concerns were the opening of international borders to American travelers; the availability of rapid, reliable COVID testing; and decreasing case counts.

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WHEN DO YOU EXPECT YOUR NEXT GROUP TRIP TO DEPART?

2 3.2 % JULY 2021 OR LATER

2 1.2 % SOMETIME IN 2020

16. 2% 39 .4 %

JANUARYMARCH 2021

APRIL-JUNE 2021

Hopeful Signs Though spikes in COVID cases during June and July prevented the summer travel comeback many had hoped for, the survey results give reasons for optimism.

“These results are encouraging in several ways,” said Brian Jewell, vice president and executive editor of The Group Travel Leader. “There is a sizable contingent of intrepid groups that have already begun traveling, and we expect their early successes will inspire other groups to do the same.

“The other encouraging takeaway is that many groups plan to travel again once a vaccine becomes available,” Jewell said.

“Several vaccine candidates are in the late stages of clinical trials, and U.S. public health officials believe they can begin distributing a safe and effective COVID vaccine by the beginning of 2021. This indicates that tourism could see a strong rebound in the spring.”

According to the survey data, many group travel planners have similar expectations. Some 16% of respondents expect to operate their next trip sometime between January and March, and another 39% expect their next departure to take place between April and June. Only 23% thought they would wait until July.

“The lion’s share of travel planners expect to be on the road again before next summer,” Jewell said. “Since it can take well over six months to plan a successful trip, now is the time for the travel industry to begin outreach and marketing efforts in earnest. Destinations and attractions risk missing out on the spring rebound if they continue with skeleton workforces and a wait-and-see approach to sales.”

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Better Communication Needed Despite the positive indicators, responses from travel planners point to some troubling disconnects and misperceptions among travel planners. When responding to the question about what factors would influence the decision to travel again, numerous planners gave responses that indicated they aren’t aware of the steps the tourism industry has already taken to protect guests’ health.

One respondent expects a return to travel “when destinations are able to welcome groups back.” Another said trips would resume “when there are reasonable policies in place to be allowed to enter safely.”

“We have group leaders that are anxious to travel, but they’re waiting until there is more clarity surrounding at least regional travel,” one tour operator said.

“Since each locality/state has different mandates and they change with regularity, it makes long-range planning difficult.”

Jewell said these responses indicate that the travel industry has not done an effective job communicating with travel planners.

“Hundreds of destinations and attractions around the country have already opened their doors to welcome groups back, and they’ve put new procedures in place to keep guests and employees safe,” Jewell said. “Our Tourism Navigator tool has up-to-date contact information and operational status for many of them.

But it appears there is more work to do, as many travel planners are unaware that that these destinations are ready for them.”

For complete up-to-date travel information, planners can visit Tourism Navigator at grouptravelleader.com/navigator. Travel industry representatives can complete Tourism Navigator listings for their organizations at grouptravelleader.com/listing.

WHAT FACTORS WILL INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO OPERATE TRIPS AGAIN? 6 0% 50%

51%

40 % 3 0%

33% 28%

2 0% 19% 10% 0%

11% WE’RE ALREADY TRAVELING AGAIN

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A COVID-19 VACCINE BECOMING AVAILABLE

MASK MANDATES BEING DROPPED

CRUISE LINES AND MAJOR TOUR COMPANIES RESUMING NORMAL SCHEDULES

OTHER

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A CUSTOM CONTENT SERIES FROM EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS

Celebrate spring in Columbus, where safety comes first

B

BY VICKIE MITCHELL eing a leader is nothing new to Columbus. It’s Ohio’s capital, home to bunches of nationally known corporations as well as the state’s largest university, Ohio State.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Columbus has continued to be a leader, taking safety seriously. Its mask mandate came early and is more stringent than the state’s. Almost 200 businesses -- including restaurants, tourist attractions and hotels -- have signed the Live Forward pledge, a commitment to follow all local, state and federal health and safety guidelines regarding the pandemic. More businesses are signing up by the day.

LINDEY’S RESTAURANT & BAR IN GERMAN VILLAGE. Photo by Larry Hamill

John Glenn Columbus International Airport is one of three airports in the world to earn Global Cleanliness Accreditation, a cleaning industry accreditation achieved by taking aggressive measures to prevent outbreaks and pandemics. The Greater Columbus Convention Center, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and several popular hotels are also working toward accreditation.

So Columbus makes good sense for travelers. Its emphasis on safety, easy driving distance from other Ohio cities and bordering states and a broad lineup of attractions make it a safe and fun bet.

FLAMINGO TOPIARIES AT FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS. HIGH BANK DISTILLERY

Courtesy of High Bank Distillery

Photo by Kate Liebers

Outdoors is in Spring is always about getting out, and it’s likely that being outdoors will be more popular than ever in 2021.

Something new at the zoo

THE TOPIARY GARDEN AT THE OLD DEAF SCHOOL PARK. Photo by Rod Berry Photography

In July, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium opened Adventure Cove, a 60-foot-long acrylic tunnel that makes visitors feel like they are underwater with the zoo’s playful California sea lions. It is the first time in nearly 50 years that the zoo has had a sea lions on display. Next year, animal shows are expected to take the stage in a new 200-seat open-air amphitheater.

Groups can also visit a rotating lineup of exotic animals in the new Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters exhibit. They’ll see some of the creatures that have accompanied Hanna, the zoo’s director emeritus, on the late-night TV talk show circuit, which he’s done for decades to the delight of television viewers.

Head for the Wilds FLAMINGOS AT COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM.

For an even more exotic adventure, groups might opt to travel 80 miles east to The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center that is affiliated with the zoo. Giraffes, cheetahs, white rhinos and other rare species live in a natural, open-range setting, and groups can travel among them, viewing the animals safely from open-air safari buses.

A garden spot

Photo by Grahm S. Jones

Two miles from downtown, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a way to unwind in lush gardens and see what’s growing in a four-acre community garden and an 1895 glass conservatory. The Conservatory displays the world’s largest collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass artwork in a botanical garden and can be found throughout the grounds.

GIRAFFES AT THE COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM.

GROUP EATING AT MILESTONE 229.

Photo by Grahm S. Jones

Photo by Levi Ely

Down on the farm About 30 minutes north of Columbus, groups can spread out at the family-run Glass Rooster Cannery. In September, a group of 17 on a four-day tour through Ohio dined in the farm’s spacious barn. Because the farm hosts only one group at a time, the visitors had the place safely to themselves.

NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM

A springtime stroll Spring is also a nice time for a stroll through German Village, one of historic preservation’s success stories. Neighborhood walking tours were offered for groups of 10 or fewer this fall; larger groups were split and sent in different directions--some on an architectural exploration, others to the Book Loft, where 32 rooms are stuffed with books and staff regulate the number of shoppers to prevent overcrowding. Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus, a group favorite in German Village, has opened for indoor dining, with social distancing measures. Other Columbus restaurants are spreading tables onto sidewalks and other outdoor spaces.

Follow the taco trail Columbus Food Adventures brought back its popular Taco SAHARA CAMELS Truck Tour in the fall, with modifications--all stops were outdoors and groups (limited to 10) followed the guide’s vehicle from stop to stop. By spring, the food tour company plans to have more tours to choose from.

MEMORIAL GROVE AT THE NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM

Outdoors and in at museums The National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) and the Columbus Museum of Art have beautiful outdoor areas, and both are also welcoming visitors indoors, keeping them safe through a timed ticketing reservation system. NVMM, celebrating its second year, works well for social distancing with exhibits along a chronological, one-way route and a separate entrance for groups.

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART

Turn to Experience Columbus for assistance No doubt, trip planning will be different in coming months, which makes the services offered by Experience Columbus even more valuable. Roger Dudley, director, tourism sales, is in constant contact with attractions and businesses as they adjust and revise their protocols and procedures. Dudley can keep planners updated and informed about reservation requirements, maximum group sizes, business hours and staff changes as he assists with tour planning.

Beyond regular business hours, a new chatbot at experiencecolumbus.com can answer planners’ questions; the new Live Forward Live podcast, also available on the website and through streaming services, can pique travelers’ interest through its lively interviews with zookeepers, musicians and other locals.

For more information contact: ROGER DUDLEY EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS www.experiencecolumbus.com rdudley@experiencecolumbus.com

614-222-6136

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Cajun Country Swamp Tours

A buffalo safari at Custer State Park

COURTESY CAJUN COUNTRY SWAMP TOURS

Alaska’s Iditarod

Apostle Islands National Seashore COURTESY JOHN HALL’S ALASKA

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COURTESY NPS

COURTESY CUSTER STATE PARK RESORT

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EVERY THING

BY CAROL GRANT, COURTESY DISCOVER CRYSTAL RIVER FLORIDA

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Swimming with manatees in Florida is one of many signature experiences available to groups exploring America’s outdoors.

OUTDOOR

ISSUE NOW IS THE TIME TO DO S O M E T H I N G S P E C TA C U L A R O U T D O O R S

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BY ELIZA MYERS

here’s nothing like overlooking the Grand Canyon from atop a mule to awaken your senses.

Unique outdoor experiences can quicken the pulse and ensure memories that last a lifetime. And thanks to America’s diverse landscapes, groups have plenty of opportunities for unforgettable adventures.

After months of travel restrictions, many travelers are eager for unforgettable outdoor outings like staring eye to eye with a buffalo or peering down at New England’s vibrant foliage from a hot air balloon. Groups looking for an unforgettable adventure should try any of these accessible and enthralling outdoor experiences.

Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour at Custer State Park C U STE R CO U NT Y, SO UTH DA KOTA

Rated a Top 10 Safari by MSN, the Buffalo Safari Jeep roams through the 71,000 acres of South Dakota’s Custer State Park unencumbered from May through October.

The open-air vehicle can move up close to pronghorns, elk and some of the park’s 1,300 buffaloes.

Guides share historical and educational facts about the park and its wildlife along the way.

The two-hour rides depart daily from the State Game Lodge. Groups can add the Chuck Wagon Cookout for a Wild West feast and cowboy entertainment. A souvenir cowboy hat and a bandanna allow participants to look and feel the part. Groups can choose a sirloin steak or a hamburger with a long list of sides, including cowboy beans and cornbread.

Live entertainment completes the experience.

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Mule Ride at the Grand Canyon National Park G R A N D C A N YO N , A R IZO N A

Since the late 1800s, the sure-footed mule has been a time-honored method of transportation at the Grand Canyon National Park. Groups can try this style of travel through Xanterra’s mule ride trips.

The trips range in length, and riders see different scenery based on the outings they choose. The company’s overnight adventures ride to the bottom of the canyon and spend the night at the Phantom Ranch.

This way groups can gape at canyon vistas from below without having to foot the journey themselves.

The two-hour Canyon Vistas Rim Ride starts at the South Rim and runs along the canyon for stunning views. Wranglers stop along the way to deliver interpretive information on geologic formations, human history and fire ecology.

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Hot Air Balloon Ride With High 5 Ballooning D E R RY, N E W HA M P S H I R E

Guests watch as the world slowly shrinks below on a hot air balloon ride with High 5 Ballooning of Derry, New Hampshire. The company’s tours float above the Merrimack River Valley with views of the White Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the Boston skyline.

In-flight music accompanies sweeping landscapes. Passengers slowly descend to gently touch the basket to the surface of a lake. Another highlight is floating above the treetops close enough to pluck a pine cone or a leaf.

The balloons fly from April 15 to November 15.

Fall is a popular time because of the spectacular

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W hitewater Raf ting at the New River Gorge OA K H I LL , WEST V I RG I N IA

Rafting the New River Gorge COURTESY NPS

views of New England’s famous foliage. Sunrise flights are scheduled seven days a week, weather permitting.

Each one-hour flight ends with a champagne toast to celebrate the enjoyable voyage. Participants receive a personalized certificate for a hot air balloon ride and a souvenir balloon cup.

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Early on, paddlers recognized that the New River Gorge’s rapids were special. The first whitewater rafting outfitter opened in the gorge in 1968. Today, the New River is a world-class rafting destination that attracts both adrenaline chasers and the gentle wave seekers.

Several outfitters can customize whitewater rafting trips down the New River, among them River Expeditions in Oak Hill, West Virginia. The company’s signature trip remains the Lower New River Gorge, which alternates from rapids to calm pools for breaks between the action. Giant holes, roller coaster waves and the New River Gorge Bridge help to pack in the fun.

The Upper New River appeals to groups with young children or adults looking for a low-impact water outing. A few mild rapids, stops for swimming and plenty of panoramic scenery make the trip a more serene ride.

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Swim With Manatees at Crystal River C RYSTA L R I V E R , FLO R I DA

Moss-laden cypress trees hide all kinds of secrets in the Louisiana swamps. Cajun Country Swamp Tours in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, penetrates the swamp wilderness to reveal the alligators, egrets, herons and other wildlife that call the area home.

The tours are run by a father-and-son team from the area. The ecotours traverse the wild terrain aboard crawfish skiffs, having as little environmental impact as possible. These quiet boats can accommodate groups of up to 24, with additional arrangements possible for larger groups.

The two-hour tours run all year. For the best wildlife opportunities, groups should plan to arrive during spring or from late fall to early winter.

Passengers will not only learn about the ecology of the area but also hear some local lore for additional insight into Cajun culture and natural history.

Massive, slow and adorable, manatees interact well with humans because of their docile, curious nature. Groups can swim next to these creatures in Crystal River, Florida, where each winter they gather in groups of up to 1,000.

Manatees stay in the area year-round, though November through March is peak season. The animals prefer Crystal River’s Kings Bay due to the 70 natural springs in the area.

A relative of the elephant, manatees like to investigate humans floating near them. They will even nuzzle some lucky swimmers. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge facilitates these encounters with about 30 companies in the area that offer guided manatee tours. One company, Fun 2 Dive, can handle the needs of larger groups.

Boardwalks at the Homosassa Springs and the Three Sisters Springs allow groups that want to view manatees but not swim. Other companies provide tours by boat, kayak and paddleboard.

C A J U N C O U N T RYS WA M P TO U R S .C O M

D I S C OV E R C RYS TA L R I V E R F L .C O M

Cajun Country Swamp Tours B R E AUX B R I D G E , LO U I S IA N A

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Dog Sledding in Alaska

A Grand Canyon trail ride

COURTESY XANTERRA TRAVEL COLLECTION

J U N E AU, A L A S K A

Kayak the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Dogsledding expeditions with Alaskan huskies make every rider feel like an intrepid explorer. Groups can spend time with dog sled teams at any time of year, but authentic sled rides require wintertime visits.

Winter in Alaska is a wonderland with snowy, white landscapes and chances to view the aurora borealis. Planners should opt for a tour operator seasoned in winter trips to Alaska, such as John Hall’s Alaska Cruises and Tours. The operator offers Alaskan winter itineraries that include dogsledding adventures with Trail Breaker Kennels in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Founded by a four-time Iditarod champion and a Yukon Quest champion, Trail Breaker Kennel has taken groups across Alaska since 1976. The company offers one-hour dog sled rides with each sled carrying four people.

Tours also reveal how Trail Breaker Kennel became one of the top racing kennels in the world. Attendees can meet the cuddly, powerful huskies while learning how they prepare for the 1,000-mile Iditarod race.

Visitors to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Bayfield, Wisconsin, find it difficult to comprehend its substantial size until they paddle it. Guided kayak trips take groups onto the dark-blue waters of Lake Superior past sandstone cliffs, sand beaches and sea caves.

The lakeshore protects 12 miles of mainland wilderness and 21 of the 22 Apostle Islands. Groups can explore the park’s raw natural beauty on guided half-day, whole-day or multiday trips.

Visitors can access the park’s popular sea caves by kayak in the summer. In winter, these caves transform into ice caves, which draw people from around the world to explore the otherworldly interior.

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore also contains one of the nation’s largest and most complete collection of historic lighthouses. Ranger-guided tours are provided to some of the lighthouses during summer months.

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N P S .G OV/A P I S

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S TAT E S P O T L I G H T

W

hen Kentucky picks up a statewide hobby, it does so with style.

Lots of states have distilleries, but the tradition and class of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is hard to match. Other places also allow gambling, but the sophistication and beauty of horse racing draws those who would never otherwise set foot in a casino. At various locations across the state, groups can explore the state’s love of quilting, nature, history and downhome cooking.

ARTWORK BY DONIA SIMMONS

By Eliza Myers

Winter snow blankets a pasture at the Kentucky Horse Park, where visitors can meet champion Thoroughbreds year-round.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY KENTUCKY TOURISM

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National WWII MuseumPaducah’s National Quilt Museum Big South Fork Scenic Railway

POPULAR DEMAND KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

Guests can see majestic horses munching on grass amid 1,200 acres of rolling bluegrass farmland at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The park offers daily equine presentations of different horse breeds and former racing legends like Funny Cide. Groups can learn about horses from centuries past at the International Museum of the Horse. The horse-related attractions continue outside the park at nearby horse farm tours, the Keeneland Racetrack and Louisville’s Kentucky Derby Museum.

NATIONAL QUILT MUSEUM

Contemporary quilt designs are a far cry from the typical homemade family quilt. Groups can discover the creative approaches to fiber art at the National Quilt Museum. Hands-on workshops include participants designing their own quilt blocks. The museum is located in Paducah, a designated UNESCO Creative City.

BIG SOUTH FORK SCENIC RAILWAY An equine encounter at the Kentucky Horse Park

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National Quilt Museum

The natural wonders of the Appalachian Mountains go by mile after mile at the Big South Fork Scenic Railway in Sterns. The historic track winds through wide-open vistas, raging rivers and deep forests. The three-hour, 14-mile train ride traverses the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, with a stop at the Blue Heron Coal Mining Camp.

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Inside a bourbon rickhouse

A Hot Brown at Louisville’s Brown Hotel Wilderness Trail Distillery

UP AND COMING WATERFRONT BOTANICAL GARDENS

Once a landfill, the Waterfront Botanical Gardens in Louisville opened in 2019. The 23-acre urban garden features the Pollinator Garden and the Kentucky Native Garden, among other blooming displays. An accompanying education center is slated to open soon.

FRESHWATER FALLS AT THE NEWPORT AQUARIUM

The Freshwater Falls exhibit recently opened at the Newport Aquarium in Newport. Visitors can discover what lies beneath freshwater streams with plants, animals and other creatures living in 13 tanks. One tunnel showcases the hidden habitat beneath a typical Kentucky waterfall.

WILDERNESS TRAIL DISTILLERY

The newest stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the Wilderness Trail Distillery. Set on a 163-acre campus in Danville, the distillery was one of the first destinations on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. The 2012 distillery later expanded its production to graduate to the iconic Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

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MEMORABLE MEALS MOONLITE BAR-B-Q INN

Opened as a 30-seat roadside restaurant in 1963, the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn was a favorite local establishment for years before growing into a 350-seat, world-renowned restaurant. The acclaimed eatery in Owensboro offers a buffet, homemade sides, burgoo and desserts.

MONA’S CREATIVE CATERING AND FINE FOODS

Family recipes handed down from one Kentucky family to the next have made their way onto the menu at Mona’s Creative Catering and Fine Foods.

The Pikeville favorite serves soups, salads, sandwiches, daily specials and plenty of tasty dessert options.

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O V E R N I G H T S E N S AT I O N S INN AT SHAKER VILLAGE

Rooms that reflect both the needs of the modern world and the simplicity of the Shakers lie spread across 13 historic Shaker buildings at the Inn at Shaker Village. The Harrodsburg inn features 72 rooms, suites and private cottages; all are part of the the larger Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. The site sits on 3,000 acres, with 34 original Shaker structures, live demonstrations and seasonal Kentucky dishes at the Trustee’s Table restaurant.

BROWN HOTEL

A downtown Louisville staple, the Brown Hotel offers Old World elegance with a Georgian-revival facade and opulent interiors. The hotel is known for its fine dining and is the birthplace of the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich.

A historic building at Shaker Village

KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM

Taste straight from the barrel!

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Tours & Tastings

We invite you to be our guest and Blend your own bottle!

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The Bottle Experience Try a sample from Bourbon 30 labels and J. Mattingly 1845 Private Reserves.

The Barrel Experience Taste uncut, unfiltered bourbon & whiskey straight from the barrel.

Premium Bourbon Experience Bottle your own bourbon or whiskey straight from the barrel, or create a blend!

J. Mattingly 1845

www.jmattingly1845.com 130 S. Water Street 25 G R O U P T R A VGeorgetown, E L L E A D E R KY .CO M 40324 502.219.2551

Visitors examine the artwork at Bentonville’s 21c Museum Hotel, one of several institutions around town that highlight creative works.

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AN ARTISTS ENCLAVE NORTHWEST ARKANSAS H A S A N AT I O N A L F O L L O W I N G

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BY TOM ADKINSON

or generations, visitors would come to the picturesque northwest corner of Arkansas to enjoy Ozark Mountain vistas, hike forested trails, fish for trout in various lakes and rivers, or simply relax in nature’s beauty.

They still come for those reasons, but for almost a decade now, something else is pulling people to this part of Arkansas in numbers that delight tourism promoters.

It’s an ever-growing trove of art experiences. There are paintings and sculptures by world-famous artists, bold outdoor murals, intellectually challenging contemporary creations, live performances and a group of photogenic penguins.

Observers often point to the 2011 opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville as a catalyst.

“I recall that the first year’s anticipated attendance was 200,000 to 300,000,” said Kaylene Griffith, president and CEO of Visit Bentonville. “The reality was that 500,000 came, and that validated everything.”

Crystal Bridges was the first major art museum to open in the U.S. since 1974, and its $200 million endowment allowed benefactor Alice Walton to make quite a statement. The facility itself is stunning. Architect Moshe Safdie, whose buildings are around the globe, made sure of that, and inside are wide-ranging works by artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Mary Cassatt, Thomas Hart Benton, Maxfield Parrish, Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol.

Bentonville was already on the map, of course, because its leading hometown business is a little outfit named Walmart. Alice Walton, the business-savvy, philanthropic and art-loving daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, only added to its fame.

R EGIONA L I DE A S Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville are practically in a straight line only 25 miles long on U.S. 71, and tour leaders can structure activity-filled itineraries with minimal time on the road. Add a one-hour jaunt east to the mountain town of Eureka Springs, and you quickly identify more destinations than you can cram into a single itinerary.

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Relive history at the gateway to The West. Explore the Ozarks by train. Discover world-renowned outdoor art...Tour Tour Fort Smith!

“We have the visual arts by day and performing arts to fill your evenings,” Griffith said, speaking of the whole region, which she said works very cooperatively to help groups.

Visible public art is abundant: If you don’t notice the more than 100 sculptures, murals and artistic neon signs in Bentonville or the many colorful murals in Fayetteville, you’re not looking. Watch for Fayetteville to blossom even more in the coming years with development of the 50-acre Cultural Arts Corridor in the heart of the city.

Right now, your group can take advantage of a Fayetteville Art Walk interactive map. Walk, bike or ride in your motorcoach to view some of the 60 public art installations. A whimsical one is “Bearly Legal,” a mural that shows bear cubs perching on the side of a building. A somber one is the World Prayer Peace Fountain sculpture, an 8,000-pound globe inscribed with “May peace prevail on earth” in more than 100 languages.

A N A RT HOT E L A N D A N E W M USEU M Art even has a famous forum in the lodging sector because of the 21c Museum Hotel, which opened in Bentonville in 2013. Located on the town square, the 104-room boutique hotel also is a contemporary art museum, a culture civic center and a penguin sanctuary.

The penguins — green plastic critters, not feathery ones — are emblematic of how art can play a role in a visit and directly involve people. The penguins aren’t anchored in place, so guests and staff often relocate them. You might see one peering out of a guest room window, waiting for a treadmill in the exercise room or standing beside a table in the Hive restaurant.

The art inside 21c is by living artists, and that same spirit prevails at a new Bentonville attraction that opened in early 2020: the Momentary. It is a contemporary art space satellite to Crystal Bridges housed in a 63,000-squarefoot building that was once a cheese factory. It’s not your ordinary museum experience, with its offerings of visual and performing arts, artists-in-residence with whom you can chat and even culinary arts experiences.

Even as the Momentary is still basking in the glow of its opening, Crystal Bridges is readying for a celebration of its own. Next year marks its 10th birthday, and an exhibition called “Crystal Bridges: The First Decade” will be a major reason to schedule tours here. The exhibition will feature 10 experiences that will invite you to see more than 40 works of art from the museum’s collection.

Other major exhibitions in 2021 are “Crafting America,” a diverse presentation of craftsmanship that even includes a custom electric guitar designed for Prince, and “In American Waters,” a look at maritime scenes from artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, Thomas Hart Benton, Winslow Homer and Kay WalkingStick.

Carolyn Joyce

cjoyce@tourfortsmith.com

(800) 637-1477

tourfortsmith.com 28

A RT A N D H IS TORY Art exists in many forms, a fact born out by looking to the past at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville or the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale.

The Museum of Native American History houses more than 10,000 artifacts from the many cultures of the first Americans, dating back 14,000 years. From ancient hunting implements to decorative pottery to intricate beadwork, the talent

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of their makers is obvious. Whether the artifacts were originally utilitarian, ceremonial or decorative, they are another element of an art tour in northwest Arkansas.

The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History examines a more recent period. It starts with some prehistoric artifacts and then focuses on the settlement of the Ozarks through six historic buildings, including a log cabin, a general store and a country doctor’s office. The folk art of quilting is in the spotlight every September at the Ozark Quilt Fair.

Although the aforementioned locations have museum shops and galleries, an hour’s drive through the mountains takes you to Eureka Springs and myriad opportunities for art purchases, possibly even from artists you get to meet.

Much of Eureka Springs perches on hillsides that provide a great setting for the Victorian architecture of its earliest years. It was founded in 1879, but Native Americans knew the area for centuries because of its supposedly healing natural springs. It developed as a Victorian resort city with a peak population of almost 10,000; a classic reminder of that era is the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa. In recent decades, Eureka Springs evolved into an artcentric community of about 2,000 people.

You won’t find big-box stores, malls or factory outlets here. Instead, there are shops, galleries and studios around almost every bend in its winding streets.

Two popular examples are the Quicksilver Art and Fine Craft Gallery and the Zarks Gallery. Pop into them or other galleries and studios, and you might not leave empty-handed.

Victory Theater in Rogers COURTESY VISIT ROGERS

A Fayetteville mural

COURTESY EXPERIENCE FAYETTEVILLE

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GARDEN STATE GETAWAY DISCOVER THE QUIET SIDE OF NEW JERSEY

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BY BRIAN JEWELL

here are nearly 9 million people in New Jersey. But for travelers, the Garden State offers a remarkable variety of ways to escape the crowd.

There has never been a better time for groups to travel off the beaten path. New Jersey is known for its closeness to major metro areas, but its mountains, beaches and farmland make great settings for socially distant group adventures.

If you have groups going to the mid-Atlantic, plan some time in northern, central or southern New Jersey to experience art, history, luxury and outdoor fun.

FIRST RESORTS Northern New Jersey is dominated on its eastern side by proximity to New York City. Metro-area cities such as Newark and East Rutherford are in this part of the state, as are New York landmarks such as MetLife Stadium.

But an hour’s drive west takes travelers into beautiful mountainous terrain where they’ll find first-class resorts and a variety of unique attractions.

In Vernon, the Mountain Creek Resort is an outdoor lovers paradise. Comprising more than 1,000 acres spread between four mountain peaks, the resort is a popular ski destination. But guests come during all four seasons to enjoy golf, mountain biking and a treetop aerial course.

Groups can take advantage of mountainside accommodations and an on-site restaurant at the resort.

Just five miles away in Hamburg, the Crystal Springs Resort focuses on luxurious experiences for guests. Billing itself as a “golf, spa and culinary resort,” Crystal Springs

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features six golf courses, two spas and 11 restaurants, cafes and pubs. Groups can choose to stay overnight in the resort’s rustic lodge or in its elegant hotel, and special packages with culinary experiences and other activities are available.

Groups traveling in the area should plan to stop at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, a former iron and zinc mine that closed in the 1980s. Mine tours showcase the tools and technology miners used to extract materials, and the on-site museum features a collection of beautiful, fascinating luminescent minerals.

On the western edge of the state, the Lakota Wolf Preserve in Colombia is a sanctuary for endangered wolves, as well as foxes, bobcats and lynx. Groups can take a tour of the preserve to see these beautiful animals up close and learn more about them from the private couple that founded the organization.

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Groups traveling in southern New Jersey can enjoy the views and sample the products at numerous Cape May County wineries and vineyards.

vegetables. It features a farm market, a bakery, a cider plant, greenhouses, gardens and a farm trail. Groups can get guided tours of the orchard or arrange a tasting in the 150-year-old barn at the on-site winery.

Groups shouldn’t leave central New Jersey without stopping at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton. About 10 miles from Princeton, this institution is a 42-acre public sculpture park founded in 1992 on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Visitors will find a collection of more than 270 sculptures by both wellknown and up-and-coming artists. An indoor museum features seasonal exhibits in eight galleries.

SHORE THING

COURTESY CAPE MAY CO. DEPT. OF TOURISM

IVY LEAGUE In central New Jersey, travelers will find a mix of historic institutions, fine art and peaceful farmland.

Perhaps the best-known city in the area is Princeton, home to the famous Ivy League school of the same name. Princeton University is scenic and historic, and walking tours highlight many of its unique buildings.

The university’s on-site art museum has a collection of 92,000 works to explore.

Beyond the campus, groups visiting Princeton can learn more about area history at one of its Revolutionary War sites. More Revolutionary War battles were fought in New Jersey than in any other state, and a walking tour on one of the battlefields offers a great way to explore the outdoors and appreciate the region’s heroic legacy.

Also in Princeton, Terhune Orchards has become a popular agritourism stop for groups. The 200-acre family farm grows more than 35 varieties of fruits and

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With miles of coastline and a legacy of amusement, southern New Jersey has always had a reputation for fun.

A short drive from both New York and Philadelphia, the area has long attracted city dwellers that want to get away from the crowds. Today, groups can enjoy the region’s delights with numerous outdoor and out-of-theway experiences.

You may know Atlantic City as the gaming mecca of the East Coast — the city features nine casino resorts that rival any in Las Vegas. But it was the sand and sea that first brought visitors to the area, and today’s travelers can get a taste of this timeless appeal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

Construction of the boardwalk began in 1870. Today, it stretches four miles and is 60 feet wide at its broadest point. Visitors can stroll the boardwalk for views of the surf as well as the city that has been built alongside it. Many enjoy spending time at the Steel Pier, the boardwalk’s classic amusement area with its giant Ferris wheels and lots of other fun and games.

Another great area for groups to explore is Gardner’s Basin. A few blocks away from the high-wattage coastline, the basin is home to the city’s fishing fleets, and visitors can hop on a local vessel for charter fishing, as well as dolphin watching and sightseeing cruises.

About 40 miles away from Atlantic City, Cape May sits at the southernmost point of New Jersey and has gained notoriety for its historic architecture. After taking a sightseeing tour in the area, many groups also spend time visiting one of the stops on the Cape May Wine Trail. There are six wineries in Cape May County.

Enthusiasts and casual wine drinkers alike will enjoy the variety of wines produced in Cape May, which is at approximately the same latitude as Bordeaux, France.

Among the most special varieties is Malvasia, a light white wine that originated in the Mediterranean but also grows well in South Jersey.

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BEACHES ANSWER THE CALL SURF, SAND AND ROOM TO SPREAD OUT BODE WELL FOR THE COASTS

COURTESY MARYLAND OFFICE OF TOURISM

Wild ponies roam the surf at Assateague Island National Seashore.

A S S AT E A G U E I S L A N D N AT I O N A L S E A S H O R E MARYLAND

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BY JILL GLEESON

here is something about water that draws us in, soothing and energizing us at the same time.

Perhaps it’s because our bodies are largely made up of water, or maybe we love it because 71% of the planet is covered by it.

Whatever the reason, beaches and seashores make for some of the best group destinations in the country. Guaranteed crowd-pleasers, the best of them offer not only stellar sand, surf and sun, but also plenty of fun ways for groups to explore the area’s rich natural bounty. From getting out on the water to hiking, biking and so much more, the Northern Outer Banks; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; Galveston, Texas; Martin County, Florida; and Assateague Island National Seashore prove there’s more to do at the water’s edge than sunbathe.

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Home to some of the most famed equines in the world, Assateague, a barrier island that sits between the Atlantic Ocean and Sinepuxent Bay, is split between Maryland and Virginia.

The Maryland side is blessed with both the Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park. Groups should begin their experience at the Assateague Island Visitor Center on the mainland, which offers interpretive displays about the island’s ecosystem, including the wild horses. Ranger-led hiking tours along the island’s stunning trails can be booked at the center, and groups can rent kayaks, bikes and stand-up paddleboards through Assateague Outfitters.

Less than 10 miles from Assateague, Ocean City, Maryland, offers the Assateague Adventure cruise, which will whisk groups away on an 80-minute cruise and is available for private charters.

“It’s kind of like a pontoon boat setup,” said Connie Spindler, public relations coordinator for the Maryland Department of Commerce, Office of Tourism. “It leaves Ocean City, goes down into the bay and into Assateague. Not only do you get a boat ride but they do have the capability of beaching so people can get off and explore. They talk about the plants and the shells and other aquatic life they’ll see there. It’s really cool.”

Or groups can relax while watching the Assateague ponies play with Wild Horse Cabanas, a new company that will set up seaside cabanas on demand, outfitting them with items such as ice-filled coolers, chaise lounges, pillows, towels, greenery and outdoor rugs and just about anything else needed to make the group feel like they’ve landed in a luxe oasis.

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Hang gliding in the Outer Banks

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore COURTESY KITTY HAWK KITES

NORTHERN OUTER BANKS NORTH CAROLINA One of the most beloved beach destinations on the Atlantic coast, the Northern Outer Banks, which includes Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk, is forever tied to American aviation triumph. The Wright Brothers took to the air near Kitty Hawk in 1903, and today Kitty Hawk Kites gives adventurous group members a chance to do likewise, with beginner hang gliding lessons. Up to 20 people can take a three-hour lesson at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, site of the tallest living sand dune on the Eastern Seaboard and a great spot for a soft landing.

For more earthbound adventure, groups can also arrange a cruise through Kitty Hawk Kites to see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, which have been known to joyously leap alongside the boat or even surface next to it. In the summertime, “you’re never not going to see a dolphin,” said Lorrie Love, tourism sales and events manager for the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.

Meanwhile, anglers will enjoy fishing a few miles offshore — or in Roanoke or Pamlico sounds if the seas are rough that day — for fish like flounder, croaker, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. Or, the group can head 45 minutes north from Kitty Hawk to Corolla, North Carolina, for a look at the Northern Outer Banks’ famed wild horses.

Starry-eyed groups will also want to book a Milky Way tour, which Love is working with a local photographer to debut in April 2021.

“We’ll probably do it at Coquina Beach in Nags Head,” she said. “It’s part of park service land — there’s no vacation rental homes or hotels in sight, so there’s no light. The stars are really magnificent and bright.”

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ISSUE

COURTESY SLEEPING BEAR DUNES VB

SLEEPING BEAR DUNES N AT I O N A L L A K E S H O R E MICHIGAN Groups that haven’t seen Lake Michigan in general — and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in particular — might not quite believe their eyes when they do, according to Jamie Jewell, executive director of the Leelanau Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

“Most people don’t realize how vast Lake Michigan is,” Jewell said. “Because it’s a lake, they think you can see the other side. It’s Caribbean blue on a beautiful sunny day; it’s clean fresh water — no salt. I think we have the best of everything. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Best of everything” includes 70,000 acres of protected land, two islands and diverse ways of exploring it all. Jewell suggested groups start at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, where they can pick up maps leading them on a self-guided geology tour of the lakeshore. That includes the nine-milelong Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, which features overlooks with incredible views, interactive displays, hiking trails and the soaring Dune Climb that takes visitors up a massive dune and then down to the water’s edge.

Groups can also rent bikes from Crystal River Outfitters in Glen Arbor, Michigan, and explore the hard-surface, 22-mile-long Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. The company offers kayak tours on the Crystal River as well, but groups that want to hit the water won’t want to miss the Manitou Island Transit ferry to South Manitou Island, now on hold but due to return in 2021. In addition to the pleasant boat ride, groups can hike to see the wreck of the Francisco Morazan, which sits mostly above water. The ferry company also offers two motorized land tours of the island.

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G A LV E S T O N TEXAS Galveston, Texas, a coastal city and barrier island that sits off the state’s southeast coast, is famed for charming Victorian architecture and a rich cultural heritage, but groups looking for eco-adventures will find as much to do outdoors as in. Among the locale’s most singular experiences are Artist Boat interpretive kayak tours that allow groups to paint while paddling.

“You go to a nature area on the bay side — there are lots of estuaries and areas to explore,” said Michael Woody, chief tourism officer for the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau. “And you have a little easel hooked to your kayak, and you paint as you’re looking at the beautiful scenery. It’s great for groups.”

Woody also said Galveston State Park, which offers ranger-guided group tours, is ideal for group fishing, hiking and birding. Another Galveston favorite is dolphin tours, which not only allow visitors to see the marine mammal, but also give a fascinating peek at the island’s industrial tools of the trade, which include oil derricks and dry docks. If group members would like to get more hands-on, Sea Star Base Galveston offers sailing lessons as well as sunset cruises.

About 50 miles from Houston, Galveston gives groups much to do beyond lazing on its 32 miles of shoreline, though that’s appealing too.

“There’s something called the causeway cure,” Woody said. “It’s when you come over the causeway onto the island, you have this feeling of calm and relaxation. You’re on an island now. There’s palm trees, there’s the beach — you’re just filled with calm.”

G A LV E S TO N .C O M

Sea kayaking in Galveston

Sunrise on Martin County’s Treasure Coast COURTESY MARTIN CO. OFFICE OF TOURISM

MARTIN COUNTY FLORIDA They don’t call it the Treasure Coast for nothing. Just north of West Palm Beach, Florida, Martin County is “a great place to hub-and-spoke,” said Nerissa Okiye, tourism director for the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing. “We are on the east coast of Florida, with almost 22 miles of beautiful beaches and coastline, but then we back up to Lake Okeechobee. We have a rich agricultural history, with working farms that are open with farm tours and farm-to-table dining. You really have everything from the rural old Florida feel to luxurious resorts on the beach.”

Those posh properties include the Marriott Hutchinson Island Beach Resort, Golf and Marina in Stuart, Florida, where the Island Princess docks. Groups can take a twohour nature cruise aboard the boat and spot local wildlife like ospreys, manatees and dolphins. Full moon, sunset, brunch and dinner cruises down the St. Lucie and Indian rivers, as well as private charters, are available, too. And for group members who are fans of our feathered friends, Okiye also recommends booking a birding tour with the Audubon Society in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, home to the rare Florida scrub jay.

But perhaps Martin County’s most unique eco-experiences are the night walks to see nesting loggerhead sea turtles. Organized by the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in Jupiter and Stuart’s Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, they are by special permit only and present a rare opportunity to see the endangered animals in their natural habitat. Speaking of the Coastal Center, the institution offers special private guided tours, trail walks and beach walks groups will love, as well as eco-volunteering opportunities like oyster reef restoration.

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COURTESY GALVESTON ISLAND CVB

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Reiman Gardens

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here’s always something going on in America’s Heartland, from new attractions to facelifts of old ones. Group travelers can visit beautiful gardens, experience the latest 4D interactive ride, enjoy a variety of adult beverages, catch a baseball game or become immersed in the wonders of the sea at these new Heartland offerings.

SYCAMORE FALLS AT REIMAN GARDENS

A mes, Iowa

COURTESY REIMAN GARDENS

In 2021, Reiman Gardens will open a $3.4 million addition to the Iowa State University botanical garden called Sycamore Falls that will feature multiple waterfalls over native limestone walls, sculptural terraces and a large reflecting pool.

The installation replaces a three-acre garden that represented the natural landscape and contours of Iowa.

“Those types of gardens are difficult to maintain,” said Edward Lyon, director of Reiman Gardens. “They get lots of weeds and, in the past, we haven’t had a huge enough volunteer base to make it look good.”

As part of the gardens’ new master plan, the facility came up with a distinctive design to attract more visitors to that corner of the property. The focal point of the new gardens is a large asymmetrical tower built out of downed trees from the university campus. The tower is what visitors see first when they enter the gardens.

A waterfall comes straight down the wall below the tower, eventually turning into a bubbling stream that cascades into a large reflecting pool at the bottom. When guests walk beneath the tower sculpture and look up, they feel like they are surrounded by trees.

With 20 individually themed gardens and the world’s largest garden gnome, the gardens display a variety of gardening styles, from a formal rose garden and a home demonstration garden to a year-round, indoor butterfly exhibit.

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COURTESY REIMAN GARDENS

The brand-new Wichita Stadium

RIVERFRONT STADIUM

Wich it a , K a n sa s

In 2020, Wichita celebrated the arrival of its new AAA baseball team, the Wichita Wind Surge, by building a state-of-the-art baseball stadium for the club. Riverfront Stadium replaced a stadium that had stood in Wichita since 1934 and that had fallen into disrepair.

“It is gorgeous,” said Jared Forma, senior vice president and general manager for the Wichita Wind Surge. “It is a big, spacious, comfortable, state-of-the-art multivenue stadium.” Along with 70 Wind Surge games every year, the stadium will also host football and soccer games, concerts and a winter festival that turns the baseball diamond into an ice skating rink.

The stadium itself has extra legroom, making every seat feel like a private box seat, and tickets to games, even for the best seats in the stadium, are only $15. The $75 million stadium can hold 10,000 people

COURTESY WICHITA WIND SURGE

Branson Aquarium

Wilderness Resort COURTESY BRANSON AQUARIUM

COURTESY WILDERNESS RESORT

and includes meeting spaces for groups of 30 to 450 people, including a picnic patio and a deck, that can be used on non-game days.

The Riverfront Stadium was supposed to open for the Wind Surge’s inaugural year in 2020, but because of the pandemic, the team won’t begin playing until April 2021. Forma hopes that corporations and group travelers will come out and enjoy all the new stadium has to offer, including the unparalleled views of Wichita’s downtown skyline and the Kansas River.

M I L B .C O M / W I C H I TA

WI LDERNESS HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT

Wi scon si n Del l s, Wi scon si n

Reiman Gardens in Ames features beautiful plants, insects and the upcoming Sycamore Falls.

The Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort is one of the most popular destinations in Wisconsin Dells, but that hasn’t stopped it from expanding and reimagining its many attractions. In 2020, the resort focused on building attractions that could be used by larger groups, like a three-story laser tag arena; escape rooms; and Take Flight, a 4D film adventure where guests are strapped into motion seats they can feel like they are soaring above national parks, iconic monuments and major destinations throughout the United States.

From the time they check in for the ride to the moment they board, guests are immersed in an airport setting, with interactive televisions and a kids club. The ride vehicle tilts, rolls and heaves for seven minutes, and visitors experience the sensations of scent, wind and water. Guests won’t see the large screen until the ride starts and the rows of seats rise up in front of the huge screen, which is 65 feet wide and 48 feet tall.

The Twister Room Escape gives participants 60 minutes to find and recover valuable items from the aftermath of a monster tornado and get to safety before a second powerful tornado hits. The escape room is based on the 1974 Super Outbreak, when more than 30 F4 and F5 tornadoes cut a wide swath across the U.S. during a 24-hour period.

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Hands-On Fun

Get Your Craft On!

OHIO’S LAKE ERI E SHORES AND ISLANDS CH EERS TRAI L

Sa ndu sk y, Oh io

To showcase the many wineries, breweries and distilleries in the area, Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores and Islands visitors bureau devised a Cheers Trail that takes visitors to 19 locations in the area that are famous for their spirits. The trail stretches as far east as Avon Lake to the islands on Lake Erie.

Guests can visit as many locations as they want and take as long as they want to get stickers in their Cheers Trail passport book. Once they have visited six locations, they can turn in the passport at the visitors center for a prize: a Cheers Trail wine or pint glass. After 12 locations, they can trade in their stamps for a Cheers Trail corkscrew. And if they successfully visit all 19 locations, they will be entered into a drawing for an overnight stay vacation to the Lake Erie Shores and Islands region.

“It has been extremely popular,” said Jill Bauer, public relations manager for Lake Erie Shores and Islands. “People love it. People are trying in groups to get multiples.” Some wineries have restaurants, outdoor patios and live entertainment. Others are on the corner of a farmers market. Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay each have two wineries and a brewery, so taking the ferry out to the islands can nab guests a total of six stamps in their passports.

S H O R E S A N D I S L A N D S .C O M

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A Lake Erie brewery

COURTESY LAKE ERIE SHORES & ISLANDS

AQUARIUM AT TH E BOARDWALK

Bra n son , M i ssou r i

Aquarium at the Boardwalk is expected to hold a soft opening this month. The 46,000-squarefoot, $50 million aquarium was built on the site of the former Grand Palace theater and is part of a larger redevelopment of the area.

The aquarium has been “conceptualized over the last three years and began construction in February 2019,” said Aileen Stein, director of marketing and creative development for Kuvera Partners, the entity that is developing the aquarium. “The new attraction is the first phase of development of Branson Boardwalk, an entertainment complex at the center of the Highway

76 Entertainment District in Branson.”

The aquarium houses 5,000 animals, from a rare golden pufferfish and a giant Pacific octopus, to sharks and rays. After riding the aquarium’s Submarine Adventure, guests journey through many different ocean environments, including the Jellyfish Infinity Room, the Amazing Rays tank and the Coral Reef, home to many colorful fish and sharks. Younger guests will enjoy the interactive touch pool — where they can meet many friendly sea creatures — or hearing mermaids tell their stories of life in the sea at the Mermaid Palace. Group visitors will take advantage of discounted admission and timed tickets so they can optimize their time at the aquarium.

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Head for the ‘Burbs

BEAT THE TRAFFIC IN THESE HEARTLAND SMALL TOWNS B Y PA U L A AV E N G L A D Y C H

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reat suburban destinations abound in America’s Heartland, hugging cities like Chicago; Omaha, Nebraska; Minneapolis; Detroit; and Indianapolis.

These suburbs are close enough to major cities to sample their delights and just big enough to be destinations themselves.

Nap er v i l le, I l l i noi s

From history, golf and nature parks to tuk-tuk rides and a public art walk, Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, is a tourist destination in its own right. The city, on the banks of the DuPage River, enjoys easy access to just about anywhere in the Midwest and is a short hop by train to downtown Chicago.

The city boasts 18 hotels, including Hotel Arista, a AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel and spa, and three full-service hotels within walking distance of Naperville’s famous Riverwalk. Completed in 1981 to commemorate Naperville’s 150th birthday, the three-mile walk takes visitors along the DuPage River and abounds with fountains, covered bridges and beautiful light poles that hearken back to Naperville’s history as the oldest settlement in DuPage County.

More than 75 restaurants pepper the area. Group travelers can take advantage of Naperville’s public art program, Century Walk, which features more than 40 public art pieces, including murals, sculptures and mosaics.

The Naper Settlement, a living-history outdoor museum that showcases many historic buildings in the area, is a must-visit. Groups can visit 30 historic buildings as they learn, with the help of costumed interpreters, about 19th-century Illinois and how it changed over time.

Smaller groups can organize a motorized tuk-tuk tour of the city; visitors who are looking for a bit more excitement can visit WhirleyBall, a unique entertainment complex where guests can battle it out with bumper cars and lacrosse sticks, a game of HyperBowling or laser tag.

Naperville offers a peaceful destination south of Chicago for history, arts and outdoors lovers.

COURTESY NAPERVILLE CVB

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Wa con ia , M i n nesot a

Waconia is 30 minutes west of Minneapolis and is best known for having the second-largest lake in the metro area, along with three wineries, two breweries and a distillery. Group visitors who want to immerse themselves in the area can have a meal at Lola’s Lakehouse, one of the few restaurants situated on a lake in the area, or take a boat ride out to the island in the middle of Lake Waconia for a picnic and hiking.

All of Waconia’s libation destinations are within a five-mile radius of each other, making it easy for groups to check them off their list in one day. Or groups can take a step back in time with a customized barn quilt tour through Carver County. An attraction called At the Farm has a miniature farmers market and a 100-year-old barn, where groups can sit down for a tea party in the Antiques Loft. The Andrew Peterson Farm is another great place to visit, especially if groups are interested in Swedish history. The farm was founded in the 1800s by a Swedish immigrant whose life was detailed in a daily journal from the time he left Sweden until the day before he died in Waconia; that journal became the source material for the “Emigrants” book series.

Groups staying in downtown Waconia can shop, dine, catch a movie or take a step-by-step painting class through Unearthed Arts, a cooperative art gallery. The kitschy Garage Bar and Bowl, a sports bar and bowling alley built in an old garage, is a great place to catch a meal and compete with fellow travelers.

D E S T I N AT I O N WAC O N I A .O R G

ARTS • CULTURE • ADVENTURE

Hudson

Biking the Wabash Trace in Council Bluffs

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At the Farm in Waconia COURTESY DESTINATION WACCONIA

The Henry Ford in Dearborn

Dearborn’s Greenfield Village

BY BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY

COURTESY THE HENRY FORD

Dea rb or n , M ich i g a n

A suburb of Detroit, Dearborn wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for Henry Ford. The famous automobile magnate was born in Dearborn and chose to locate his Ford Rouge Factory there. Thus, Dearborn attracts millions of Ford fans annually from all around the world. The Henry Ford complex has four attractions and is one of the most visited sites in the state of Michigan, said Jennifer Ollinger, manager, domestic and international marketing, for the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Henry Ford Museum is a collection of everything Americana, from the history of slavery and women’s suffrage to civil rights. It houses the bus that Rosa Parks made famous, including the seat she refused to give up for a white passenger. The museum is connected to the Greenfield Village, an outdoor historical village with more than 80 structures. All of the buildings have historical relevance, including Henry Ford’s birth home, the Menlo Park lab where Thomas Edison perfected the light bulb and Orville and Wilbur Wright’s bicycle shop. Visitors can take a steam train ride around the perimeter of the village or hop in a Model T or a horse-drawn carriage for their visit.

A tour of the Ford Rouge Factory is a must. The facility makes the Ford F-150. It tells its story through a 4D experience and then a tour of the assembly plant from the catwalk above the plant floor.

An Automotive Hall of Fame sits next door to Henry Ford and tells the story of the people who created the automobile industry.

M I C H I G A N .O R G

The Center for the Performing Arts in Noblesville COURTESY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

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Cou nci l Blu f fs, Iowa

Nobles v i l le, I nd ia n a

Council Bluffs sits across the river from Omaha, Nebraska.

Visitors staying in Council Bluffs can walk across the beautiful Bob Kerry pedestrian bridge to the Old Market, Omaha’s arts and entertainment district that is full of shops, restaurants and art galleries, or drive five minutes to visit Omaha’s world-class Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium or the beautiful Lauritzen Gardens.

Council Bluffs is well known for being an outdoor destination, with its extensive paved trail system that includes the Wabash Trace Nature Trail, a converted railroad trail made of crushed limestone. It has a beautiful performing arts center, with classrooms and gallery space, and an up-and-coming public arts scene.

“We have really evolved over the last five to 10 years,” said Emma Schwaller, senior content manager for the Council Bluffs Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have a bunch of new local restaurant options and attractions.”

Group travelers can visit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and the RailsWest Railroad Museum, combined with a stop at the Golden Spike Monument that commemorates the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Or they can visit the historic Squirrel Cage Jail, an 1885 Gothic-style building — said to be haunted — that served as a jail until 1969. The Loess Hills National Scenic Byway runs through Council Bluffs and is a must-see for visitors that have never seen the prairie and forest-covered bluffs and rolling hills of this part of the state.

About 30 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, Noblesville is the seat of Hamilton County. The historic downtown is home to the county courthouse, boutique shops, restaurants and antique shops. Groups can catch a show at the popular Ruoff Music Center, a large outdoor amphitheater, or visit some of the city’s great parks, where they can canoe, kayak or tube down the White River. The Potter’s Bridge, built in 1870, is the only remaining covered bridge in Hamilton County, and there is a wonderful nature trail along the river that is great for hiking or bicycling.

The 1950s-era Nickel Plate Express travels through Noblesville; it offers themed train rides along 15 miles of track through northern Hamilton County and the rolling countryside and back to downtown.

Groups can rent out the train for wine and appetizers or take the Reindeer Ride during the winter months.

Noblesville, when paired with its small-town neighbors in Hamilton County, has much to offer. In nearby Fishers, the Conner Prairie outdoor living-history museum gives group visitors a taste of what life was like in 1800s Indiana. Costumed interpreters guide guests through several themed historic and scientific exhibits.

Nearby Carmel has a 1,600-seat concert hall that offers access to the symphony orchestra and performances by famous jazz musicians.

“People love how easy it is to get to our destination and get around our destination,” said Katie Utken, marketing and communications manager for Visit Hamilton County. “We’re always developing new and exciting things. Many of them didn’t exist five to 10 years ago.”

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Staff Sound-off

WHAT’S A DOMESTIC DESTINATION YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT?

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PUBLISHER MAC LACY

e’ve always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. As much as we’ve traveled, we’ve never been to this iconic American geological site. We feel the same way about Denali. We’ve been to parts of Alaska, but not to Denali.

So, we still have some domestic outdoor masterpieces on our list.

I

GRAPHIC DESIGN & CIRCULATION ASHLEY RICKS

T

I

VP, SALES & MARKETING

have always wanted to visit the Mighty 5 National Parks. I will cross this off my bucket list next summer when my family takes our first ever RV trip through Utah, Nevada and Arizona.

’ve always wanted to spend some time in Oklahoma! I would love to experience one of the huge pow wows like the Red Earth Festival; hang out in OKC’s Bricktown district; and even take a drive down Route 66 to the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DONIA SIMMONS

KELLY TYNER

his is a tough question for me. There are so many places I want to visit. My top five are New England & Maine in the fall, Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Zion National Park, Arches National Park and the Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail. So much to do; never enough time!

I

T

he Badlands in South Dakota because I’ve heard so much about it!

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES

VP & EXECUTIVE EDITOR

’ve been to almost every state, but Hawaii has eluded me for decades. Everyone says the beaches are great, but I’d be most interested in experiencing Polynesian culture and exploring Hawai’i Volcanos National Park.

BRIAN JEWELL

KYLE ANDERSON

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@GROUPTR AVELLEADER .COM

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