Select Traveler May June 2017

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

select T R A V E L E R

AMERICA’S DREAM DESTINATIONS

DREAM destinations

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PANORAMIC PENNSYLVANIA

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MIDWESTERN MUSINGS

spend a week in

CANADA’S

alpine icons

MAY/JUNE 2017

PRE-REGISTRATION OFFER!

$2,000 Savings per couple for Balcony Suites $1,000 Savings per couple on all staterooms 2018 river cruises at 2017 pricing PLUS our EGV points!

Valid through August 31st, 2017!

It's all Included!

Life’s a deluxe river cruise, only on Emerald Waterways. You haven’t had a vacation experience that exceeds your expectations like this. Our exciting, unique destinations and itineraries, exceptional contemporary amenities and service, and amazing range of thoughtful inclusions and options are designed so you can completely relax—and revel—in a truly deluxe trip. Our award-winning international fleet of Star-Ships is the river cruising experience you’ve always wanted, and more:

Exceptional Emerald Value Group Offers Available

✓ Innovative on board features like a heated pool with retractable roof and cinema†. This space also provides your group with an area to host functions ✓ Boutique hotel like accommodations with spacious cabins and our refreshing open-air balcony system in all our suites ✓ A ll on board meals and a collection of highlight dinners at Reflections Restaurant ✓ A refined selection of wine, beer and soft drinks to accompany lunch and dinner ✓ Tea and coffee available at all times ✓ Bottled water restocked daily in your cabin ✓ Enjoy each port with an included excursion ✓ Extra special included excursions courtesy of EmeraldPLUS ✓ Biking and hiking guided tours with Emerald Active ✓ Visits to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Panorama Balcony Suite

✓ Served right to your suite Continental breakfast, pre-dinner canapés and after dinner treats with Emerald’s Concierge Service* ✓ Excellent service from an English-speaking crew ✓ Knowledgeable local guides at each destination ✓ Complimentary bicycles on board for daily use† ✓ Complimentary WiFi on board ✓ All airport transfers to and from your ship ✓ A ll Personal lightweight headsets for included excursions for your listening ease ✓ N ow including Emerald Waterways Rivercruise Guarantee – enjoy peace of mind with our new river cruise guarantee that protects you from unforeseen changes to your itinerary once your trip departs ✓ Plus we even take care of all gratuities

Reflections Restaurant

NEW FOR 2018 Enjoy more amenities on your sailing with our new Emerald Group Value points!

†Cinema & bikes not available on the Emerald Radiance *Owner's One-bedroom, Riverview and Grand Balcony Suites only.

Contact our Groups Department to learn more.

Call 844.857.6021, visit emeraldwaterways.com or email us at usgroups@emeraldwaterways.com

Terms and conditions: For new bookings only. Not combinable with other offers. Minimum group size must be achieved in order to qualify. Savings of $1000 per person in balcony suites or $500 per person for staterooms applicable to any sailing in 2018. All offers are subject to availability and may be recalled at any time. $500 non-refundable deposit must be received on or before August 31, 2017 to qualify for this offer. Full payment is required 90 days prior to departure. 2018 itineraries, hotels and inclusions are accurate at the time of printing but are subject to change. Contact Emerald Waterways groups department for specific information on the Emerald Groups Value points, which vary by destination and departure date. ©Emerald Waterways | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | One Financial Center, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02111.

Ad Code: 17_EW100 April 2017

THE MAGAZINE FOR BANK, ALUMNI AND CHAMBER TRAVEL PLANNERS

DREAM

select destinations

T R A V E L E R

VOL.25 NO.3

MAY/JUNE 2017

CANADIAN ROCKIES: ETHEREAL BEAUTY Courtesy Fairmont Hotels

contents

ON THE COVER: Guests can canoe the breathtaking Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Photo by Miles Ertman

14 28 sports

domestic BUCKET LIST

checking in: ROSIE MOSTELLER

toolbox: known for: marketing: SOCIAL MEDIA

TRENDY PARK TRAILS ENGAGEMENT

career: WINE VACATIONS

10 12 44 46 48

MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL ELIZA MYERS HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS DAVID BROWN CHRISTINE CLOUGH SAVANNAH OSBOURN ASHLEY RICKS KELLY TYNER

4

STACEY BOWMAN

888.253.0455

ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR

STACE Y@ BANK TR AVELMANAGEMENT.COM

Founder and Publisher Partner Executive Editor Associate Editor Senior Writer Creative Director Art Director Copy Editor Staff Writer Marketing & Circulation Manager Director of Sales & Marketing

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DALLAS

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midwest SPECIAL SECTION

Select Traveler, the Magazine for Bank, Alumni and Chamber Travel Planners, is published bimonthly by The Group Travel Leader, Inc., 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507 and is distributed free of charge to qualified travel program directors throughout the United States. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and other travel-related companies, may subscribe to Select Traveler by sending a check for $49 for one year to: Select Traveler, Circulation Department, 301 East High Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507. 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.

NAME OR ADDRESS CHANGES: If your copy of Select Traveler should be mailed to another manager in your organization, or if you personally know another travel director who is not receiving Select Traveler, please send your correction to: Select Traveler, 301 East High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507, or call (859) 2530455.

te Experience the best of COLUMBUS on this one-of-a-kind

fam - Aug. 1-5, 2017

From fashion to microbrews and everything in between, there are plenty of creative ways to inspire your group’s trip to Columbus. This FAM will take you on unforgettable experiences that will explore all the local restaurants, attractions, dining and more that are made in Cbus.

Here is a sampling of the activities that await you in Columbus: • Craft your own card on an antique, hand-operated letterpress and then pick from dozens of scents to hand pour your own custom candle.

• Catch a baseball game at America’s best ballpark.

• Take a lesson in how essential oils are blended to create custom scents, then weigh, blend and pour the ingredients for your own beer soap crafted with local brews.

• Explore the largest Planetarium in Ohio at the nation’s top-rated science center.

• Be the first through the gate of the 30th anniversary of the Dublin Irish Festival. *Itinerary subject to change, based on availabilitity

We look forward to hosting you in Columbus!

Apply to attend at grouptravelleader.com/2017columbusfam This FAM invitation is limited to qualified tour operators with at least 2 years of professional experience and is non-transferable. FAM attendance is for business associates only and limited to 1 attendee per company. Travel accommodations to and from Columbus and personal incidentals are NOT included in the FAM trip and is the responsibility of the individual attending the FAM. This FAM includes four nights of accommodations, transportation during the FAM, and all meals and attractions as listed on the itinerary. A pre/post hotel FAM rate will be available for those wishing to extend their stay.

experiencecolumbus.com/tours

perspective P U B L I S H E R ’ S

I

t’s springtime, and I should be going somewhere.

Three springs ago, I was headed to China with Wendy Wu Tours. To this day,

I have never seen an evening skyline to match Shanghai’s from the Bund District.

Two springs ago, I cruised the Danube between Prague and Budapest with Mayflower Tours. Is there anything more relaxing than a late-afternoon beer on the top

deck of a river vessel that is making its way to the next city? Last year, I spent a week in Nice with Collette. A walk along the Mediterranean on the Promenade des Anglais makes for one of Europe’s most memorable strolls.

Maybe, I just did not do a good job of managing my opportunities this year. Our new staff writer, Savannah Osbourn, raised her hand immediately for our VIA Rail trip across Canada from Vancouver to Toronto. VIA Rail is hosting Savannah, and Anderson Tours is helping with some sightseeing plans in both anchor cities. A rail trip across the vast beauty of Canada — I’m jealous.

Our senior writer, Herb Sparrow, is joining a group for a moving tour of World War II sites in France with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. These trips are expertly organized and guided by America’s foremost museum for that historic war.

Imagine standing on the beaches of Normandy or paying your respects at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Herb will never forget this trip, I’m sure. Nor would I. I hope I’m the only person reading this article in May who is feeling somewhat travel deprived. I hope all of you who have travel followings will pull this issue from a beach bag with a canopy of trees above you and the sun melting into the horizon, or maybe read it online from a street-side hotel room in some distant city.

It’s a tremendous freedom we enjoy in this country to move about from place to place. Enjoy it with your travelers.

Don’t worry about me. The grass won’t grow for long under these feet.

Email me anytime with your thoughts at maclacy@grouptravelleader.com.

Mac Lacy 6

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Hannibal

S E Q U E L S R A R E LY L I V E U P TO T H E O R I G I N A L .

U N T I L T H E Y D O.

Relive the life of Twain or hit the road along the more than 280 miles of Route 66 in Missouri. With group tours in the Show-Me State, some stories are even better the second time around. Enjoy the encore.

Call 800.535.3210 or contact Donna Cordle Gray at DonnaCordle@legacydimensions.com for group info.

P L A N N E R S

T A L K

B A C K

how do you utilize the internet for your travel group?

PATTI MANVILLE

ASHLEY TAYLOR

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT AND TOUR COORDINATOR EAGLE BANK

HARVEST CLUB DIRECTOR | FIRST STATE BANK

FAIRFIELD BAY, ARKANSAS “On a trip, the most useful tool to make my people happy is to have Wi-Fi on the motorcoach. They all bring tablets and smartphones and love to be able to connect while on the bus during long travel days.

I also use apps on my phone to find rest stops or restaurants while traveling by motorcoach.”

LAURA BARKER DIRECTOR, SENIOR PROGRAMS AND TRAVEL | CITIZENS TRI-COUNTY BANK DUNLAP, TENNESSEE “Facebook has been a valuable tool for me. It is a great, easy way to post information to a large audience at one time. I also use TripAdvisor to find interesting, new restaurants that are highly rated.”

BARBOURSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA “Recently, my club created a Facebook page. Facebook is a free way to post publicly about your upcoming activities, events and trips.

Facebook offers Ad Targeting for any budget. With Ad Targeting, you can select the area and age range of the people you want to advertise to. When you create the ad, Facebook can then show the estimated amount of people the ad will reach. I use this often, and I have had some great responses.”

JUDY MATTY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AND CLUB DIRECTOR ANSTAFF BANK MOUNTAIN HOME, ARKANSAS “Google Maps is my best friend while on a motorcoach trip. The driver is in charge of where we are going, but Google Maps provides so many other helpful things, like restaurants, rest stops, medical facilities and traffic. The driver typically appreciates the help club directors provide, especially on travel days. Planning ahead is good, but the need for unexpected stops or finding attractions comes up frequently.”

BRENDA GARRISON VICE PRESIDENT | OAKSTAR BANK

Special Summer Pricing for Groups Full-day excursions departing daily from two locations: Chama, New Mexico & Antonito, Colorado

· · · · ·

Mid-May to Mid-October Group Friendly Restrooms Lunch Included ADA Accessible Bus Parking

Group Sales Office: 1.877.890.2737

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URBANA, MISSOURI “I use Facebook and email to contact a lot of my travelers with updates or announcements.

I also use it to communicate with them or wish them a happy birthday. I would like to see us post the trip event on our website in the future to reach some who do not use Facebook. Getting the word out seems to be the challenge of this job. It seems no matter what you do or how much information you send, there are always several people who tell me they didn’t know anything about it.”

www.cumbrestoltec.com/groups

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EXPERIENCE TIMELESS INSPIR ATION

Inspire your group with a visit to Biltmore, America’s largest home®, featuring acres of historic gardens, the nation’s most-visited winery, and two distinct hotels.

Join us for two exciting new exhibitions in 2018: Glamour on Board: Fashion from Titanic the movie: February 9–May 13, 2018 Chihuly at Biltmore: May 17–October 7, 2018

ASHEVILLE, NC

866-851-4661 groupsales@biltmore.com

ROSIE MOSTELLER DIRECTOR OF THE DALTON WHITFIELD SENIOR CENTER

checking in W I T H

R O S I E

M O S T E L L E R

DALTON PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT DALTON, GEORGIA Run by the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department, the senior center’s travel club offers trips to anyone over 50. Rosie Mosteller came up with the name the Recycled Teenagers for the club, which serves about 2,000 members.

Mosteller and members of the Recycled Teenagers in the Holy Land

Born: Nashville, Tennessee Education: National Certification Council for Activity Professionals certification.

Employment: Mosteller spent many years as a stay-at-home mom before taking a job as the activity director of a local nursing home in 1981. She started working for the senior center in 1984 as assistant director and became director in 1989.

Family: Mosteller’s husband, John, travels with the Recycled Teenagers. The couple has three children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Hobbies: Mosteller enjoys travel, scrapbooking, photography, bowling and reading.

BY ELIZA MYERS

O

n a dune buggy ride in the middle of seemingly endless sand dunes, Rosie Mosteller and her group of 50 were suddenly drenched by a torrential rain.

“The rain was so cold,” said Mosteller, director of the Dalton Whitefield Senior Center and the Recycled Teenagers travel club. “You could hardly see, it was raining so hard.

Everyone in my group looked like drowned ducks.”

That soggy moment had the potential to ruin the trip. However, Mosteller’s response illustrates how she developed a wildly successful senior center group travel program. She helped her passengers take a long view of the incident.

“I told them that years from now, this is the part of the trip they’ll be talking about,” said Mosteller. “I said, ‘Right now, it might not be

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fun. But in a few years from now, you’re going to be laughing.’ And we still talk about that day.”

Mosteller’s positivity has proven contagious. Not only did she convince the group to treat the dune buggy disaster with a sense of humor, but she has also encouraged about 2,000 people over the age of 50 in northwest Georgia to become world travelers.

F R OM THE GR OU ND UP Though these days Mosteller leads seminars about how to run a successful group travel program, her first few years out of school involved little travel or interaction with seniors. She stayed home to raise her three children before taking a job in 1981 as activity director of a local nursing home, which sparked a passion for working with seniors.

During that time, Mosteller developed a friendship with the se-

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nior center’s director, who made her an assistant three years later.

In 1989, she became director of the facility, which meant the travel program also fell to her.

“At the time, we were just doing a few trips a year,” said Mosteller.

“People started coming to me and asking for more trips. I thought it was a good idea, too. I love travel. I could be on the road all the time.”

The program grew from offering a few trips a year to monthly day trips and an average of 15 annual overnight trips.

“It snowballed into this program that is separate from the senior center but still linked to the senior center,” said Mosteller. “It developed because when you ask people what they want to do, they want to travel.”

UN TE TH E R E D

time with her. She also encourages them to try adventurous activities while on tours, such as zip lining, whitewater rafting and indoor skydiving.

“I’ve been asked how I get people to go on my trips,” said Mosteller. “You’ve got to treat your travel club like a business. You’ve got to sell yourself. You’ve got to love it, and they will know if you love it.”

Mosteller’s charisma helped convince the seniors in Dalton to embrace their inner explorers and create some incredible memories. Despite this accomplishment, Mosteller remains humble.

“I don’t take any credit for it,” said Mosteller. “I think the Lord has just blessed me. I’m thankful for the job that I have.”

tips

Talking with Mosteller about her travel schedule can make your head spin with excitement. A sampling of the group’s upcoming trips T R A V E L includes South America, the Canadian Rockies, Southern California, Iceland, Hawaii, Poland, Alaska, Greece and a cruise on the Columbia River. Mosteller also plans day trips and less expensive domestic trips that sell out quickly.

• Be flexible. Know that not everything is going to “I try to find trips that start at $200 all the way up,” said Mosteller. work perfectly but that it will work out.

“If I’m doing my job as director of the senior center, I can’t just get locked into offering international trips. I want to give everyone a • Just remember: This too shall pass, whether good chance to travel.” or bad.

Much of the demand for Mosteller’s menu of trips is generated at an annual travel party, where about 400 people attend and many of • Life is short. Be thankful for each breath you take. the upcoming trips sell out on the spot. The Select Traveler ConferMake someone’s day with a smile. ence has also aided Mosteller over the past three years by helping her make connections with travel partners.

“The conference has helped me get to the point where I can let companies bid on a trip,” said Mosteller. “I can get four or five bids on a trip and then select the ones that I want based on the itinerary and prices. I’m thankful that the Select Traveler Conference started including parks and recreation groups because there are a lot of us out ASK US ABOUT NEW LOWER RATES! there traveling.”

FOLL O W TH E G IA N T To help ease the nerves of passengers intimidated by navigating massive airports, Mosteller has one solution: follow her 6-foot-5-inch husband, John.

“My husband is really tall, so I tell them to just look for the tall guy,” said Mosteller. “He helps lead them through the airport. We’re a great team. He may lead them, and I follow behind to make sure everyone’s with us. Airports are not people friendly anymore, so you have to be there with your group.”

Since John’s retirement in 2009, he accompanies the Recycled Teenagers on all their trips, which encouraged Mosteller to add more travel to the group’s schedule.

“I don’t send my people; I go with my people,” said Mosteller. “To me, that’s the secret of being a good group leader. You have to build that trust with the client from the first payment to when they get off the bus.”

Mosteller serves as her group’s security blanket, which is why seniors who had never set foot on an airplane felt safe enough to attempt it for the first

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CUBA

AT LAST!

4 - NIGHT AND LONGER CRUISES TO CUBA ROUND TRIP FROM MIAMI! Sail with Your Group in 2018 - Before Cuba Changes!

ISLANDS IN THE SUN CRUISES & TOURS, INC. BANKCLUBS@CRUS-SUN.COM WWW.CRUS-SUN.COM

800.278.7786

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T R A V E L

T O O L B O X

have you learned how to share?

C

BY BRIA N JE W EL L

hances are you’re already using social media in your personal life. So why not put it to work promoting your organization when you travel?

Group trips are ideal opportunities for social media promotion. They’re perfect for taking photos, shooting video, sharing travel highlights and engaging with others on the trip. If you learn to make strategic use of social media when you travel, you can add an element of fun and entertainment to the experience for the people traveling with you, as well as create some travel envy and pique interest in your program among those who aren’t joining you on the road.

Use these five tips to make the most of social media when your group travels. The time investment will be minimal, but the returns in connections and visibility can be fantastic.

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#YO UNEEDAHA SHTAG No matter which social platform you use, hashtags always make group experiences more fun. You should create a fun and memorable hashtag for your travel group — something like #SoonersTravel — as well as for each individual trip — like #SoonersTakeManhattan. Encouraging your travelers to use these hashtags when they post about the trip will give them something fun to rally around and may help remind them to post more. It will also make it easy for you to find what everyone is saying online by searching for those tags on Facebook or Twitter afterward.

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GO LIV E Video is all the rage on social media right now. Facebook is said to prioritize videos above all other content being shared by its users, which means that the best way to make sure your posts are seen by your target audience is to include video in them. You can do this by recording short video clips on your smartphone to post to the network. But even more exciting is the opportunity to “go live,” broadcasting events from your travels as they happen in real time. The most popular tool for this is Facebook Live, although Twitter offers its own live video app, called Periscope.

POST AND R EPO ST One of the great powers of social media platforms is that they allow you to extend the reach of a post by sharing, reposting, retweeting, etc. Make the most of this function by keeping an eye on your travelers’ social media feeds during a trip and reposting photos or other content from the trip that you would like other people to see. You should also have someone from your organization’s communications department reposting your content from the trip on the organization’s official social media accounts so that your entire membership can see the fun things you’re up to.

PLAY TAG The best part of social media is that it is, well, social. Posting photos, videos or status updates is good, but tagging your friends, fellow travelers or other key people in those posts is even better. Invite your travelers to be your friends on social media, and then tag them in your photos and posts as you make your way through a trip. When you do that, your posts are seen not only by your own personal network but also by the networks of all the people you tagged, giving your

BUY DATA

content a much wider audience.

One downside of using social media on the go is that all those photos and videos can eat up a lot of data. As long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi, that’s no big deal, but you can’t count on wireless being available throughout a trip. It might be smart to consider checking your data limits with your mobile provider before going on a trip and bumping up to a higher-level data plan, if necessary, to avoid big overages. And if you’re traveling abroad, buy an international data package for the month; doing so will allow you to use your phone wherever you travel without paying enormous data roaming fees.

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does

AMERICA count?

The Florida Keys take guests' breath away both from above and on the beach.

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By Andy Newman, courtesy Florida Keys News Bureau

DREAM destinations

Here are five dream destinations in the USA

BY RACHEL CARTER

D

ream destinations are places people spend their lifetime trying to get to — and then spend the rest of their life trying to get back to. At these bucket-list places, travelers can feel like they’re at the edge of the world or in the middle of nowhere, like they’ve traveled back in time or even journeyed to another planet.

Though many dream destinations lie overseas in faraway lands, America has plenty of gorgeous scenery and amazing hospitality of its own to offer. Here are a few of the great American destinations that should be at the top of every group travel wish list.

KEY WEST, FLORIDA

Key West, Florida, is the southernmost city in the United States, so far south that it feels more like the Caribbean than America. Key West has long attracted “folks trying to get to the end of the road and not be discovered,” said Jack Meier, sales manager for the Florida Keys and Key West, and that attitude permeates the city’s live-andlet-live vibe. It was home to Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams and even served as Harry Truman’s winter White House.

Given the city’s setting, it’s imperative that visitors get on or in the turquoise waters. Visitors have a range of cruising options, from small sailing schooners to large catamaran charters; on some, passengers can explore the mangroves or lunch on a sandbar. Groups can snorkel or dive in the living coral reef or see the colorful sea life via glass-bottom boats.

One of the oldest cities in the nation, Key West is home to 600 National Historic Landmarks. At Hemingway’s home, groups can arrange private tours and dinners on the lawn with a steel band, cigar rollers, brandy on the porch and the famous six-toed cats “holding court,” Meier said. At Truman’s Little White House, groups can have dinner on the lawn; parties of 20 or fewer can dine on Truman’s china at his dining room table before retiring to his porch to play cards at his poker table.

“These are destination-specific, history-laden things that you won’t be able to do anywhere else,” Meier said.

The Southernmost House is an oceanfront historic mansion that is the southernmost house in the nation. Although the 1896 inn has only 18 rooms, it can host private events for up to 300 and features a zero-edge pool, a pool bar and hammocks on the beach.

WWW.FLA-KEYS.COM

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WHITE MOUNTAINS, NEW HAMPSHIRE

The White Mountains in New Hampshire are “just a beautiful destination,” said Rachel Manners, director of sales for the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa. The gentle slopes are covered with trees that blanket them in the best autumn colors. The peak of Mount Washington, however, is anything but gentle: It is commonly known to have the most extreme weather on earth. The peak is one of several in the White Mountain National Forest, but it’s the only one visitors can summit on a cog railway. At the top, passengers can take in views from the visitors center panoramic deck or visit the 1853 Tip Top House.

At Franconia Notch State Park, a 10-minute ride in the aerial tramway’s 80-passenger car brings visitors to the summit of Cannon Mountain, where they will find an observation deck, a cafe, a bar, walking paths and views of Canada on a clear day.

Nearby, historic resorts are landmarks in their own right. The Omni Mount Washington Resort opened in 1902, and the 200-guestroom Spanish Renaissance hotel is a National Historic Landmark.

The Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa opened in 1865 and still has the state’s oldest operating elevator and a working farm that pays homage to its heritage.

At the resorts or nearby, guests can take kayak, rafting, zip-lining, snowmobiling and ATV tours. During a moose tour, guides “know where they go, so it’s pretty much guaranteed” to spot a moose, Manners said. Mountain View resort also partners with outfitters to offer dog sledding on property in the winter or “dog rolling” (on wheeled carts) nearby.

Guests can hurl axes at targets during axe-throwing competitions — “one of those things you can’t experience other places,” Manners said. Another activity groups can’t do anywhere else is chicken bowling, in which participants use a frozen wrapped chicken to bowl on the ice rink.

WWW.MOUNTAINVIEWGRAND.COM

MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN

Most of Mackinac Island in Lake Huron is a state park, but the 3.8-square-mile island is also home to the Grand Hotel, which will celebrate its 130th anniversary this year. Railroad and steamship companies opened the hotel in 1887 as a resort destination, and the tradition is alive and well today.

“Mackinac needs the Grand Hotel, and the Grand Hotel needs

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Mackinac to be what it is,” said Ken Hayward, the hotel’s executive vice president and managing director.

The 1980 movie “Somewhere in Time” was filmed at the hotel, and just like Christopher Reeve did in the movie, visitors can enjoy stepping back in time. No automobiles are allowed on the island, so there’s no traffic or congestion. People get around on foot, bicycle and horseback. Groups can rent bicycles and explore the island’s coast or ride into town to get some of Mackinac’s famous fudge. At the hotel, Jack’s Livery offers horseback trail rides or horse-drawn carriage rides, with the option to drive your own one-horse buggy or rent a private livery with a driver. One carriage-tour option can carry up to 40 people per three-horse hitch and takes visitors to explore Fort Mackinac.

Back at the hotel, guests can lounge by the pool, play croquet or bocce ball in the garden, or rock on the “world’s largest front porch.” Guests can take afternoon tea or dance with the big-band orchestra playing in the Terrace Room after dinner.

“When people come, they’re looking for something special; they’re looking for a memory,” Hayward said.

WWW.GRANDHOTEL.COM

ISLAND OF HAWAII

Mackinac Island

Courtesy Grand Hotel

Halema‘uma‘u

On the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting since 1983, has added about 500 acres of new land. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and it has been more active than usual in recent weeks.

“The volcano is the big headline; it’s pretty much spewing,” said Roxann Hendrickson, vice president of experience for Hawaii Meetings and Events.

KapohoKine Adventures offers a slate of volcano tours, such as the several-mile lava expedition hike, which leads to the most current active eruption site, or helicopter tours, which allow people to soar high above it. Hawaii Meetings and Events recently took a group on a daylong excursion that included taking a helicopSunset Key Beach ter from Kona International Airport to Hilo International Courtesy Florida Keys News Bureau Airport and then going to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to two active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa, the world’s largest shield volcano.

Kilauea Visitor Center is often the first stop to get acquainted with the park, but the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, built on the edge of Kilauea Caldera, offers views of the caldera and the main crater Halema‘uma‘u. A guide led Hendrickson’s group on an easy walking tour, explaining the island’s rare flora and fauna and delicate ecosystem.

“The forest is absolutely quiet and beautiful, you can hear the birds singing and see rare plants, but the pièce de résistance is seeing the volcano and seeing the crater,” she said.

From the rocky moonscapes of the volcano, helicopters then flew the group to the lush green slopes on the island’s west side, flying into the “long, narrow pinhole-type gorges — definitely not something you can access by foot,” she said. The helicopters landed at a private spot and let passengers off to hike to a waterfall for a dip.

WWW.HAWAIIMEETINGS.COM

DENALI NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA

By Keith Burnett

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Denali National Park and Preserve is one of the National Park Service’s largest units with 6 million acres — bigger than Vermont — and Denali, the 20,237-foot mountain formerly known as Mount McKinley, is its centerpiece. A single winding road bisects the wilderness, but groups don’t have to explore the park by bus or shuttle: Trains, planes and bikes are popular. Groups can take the Alaska Railroad straight into the park. When they

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get off the train at the Denali station, courtesy shuttles are available to explore the front country and take guests the first 15 miles into the park. Visitors can then take a shuttle to the Wilderness Access Center, where tickets are available for bus tours that go the remaining 90 miles into the backcountry.

At the historic mining district of Kantishna in the heart of the park, groups can stay at the Denali Backcountry Lodge and try gold panning in Moose Creek. An air-taxi ride between Kantishna and the McKinley Airstrip at the park entrance gives an aerial view of the glaciers, wildlife and the Alaska Range, or a scenic “flightseeing” tour will fly by the slopes of Denali. Groups can also arrange to take helicopters to Yanert Glacier to land on the icefield and try walking on the glacier in special boots.

Visitors often spend time exploring the Denali Visitors Center and the Murray Science and Learning Center, and most people stop by the kennels just up the road for a sled-dog demonstration. Interpretative programs are offered three times a day, and people can always visit the kennels to spend some time with the dogs — which usually have a litter of puppies every spring and summer. Wildlife viewing is plentiful, and travelers are all but guaranteed to see moose, caribou, bears, wolves and Dall sheep. About 50 to 60 ranger-led programs are offered every week in the summer, from discovery hikes to talks on the visitor center deck.

Moose in Denali National Park

Courtesy NPS

White Mountains

WWW.NPS.GOV/DENA

Denali sled dogs Courtesy Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa Courtesy NPS

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�eserved Sea�s

DREAM destinations

CANADA’S ROCKIES ARE REGAL FROM A FAIRMONT

BY MAC LACY

C Elk forage on Jasper’s Stanley Thompson Golf Course.

All photos courtesy Fairmont Hotels except where noted

hecking into any one of Fairmont’s properties in the Canadian Rockies is a heady experience. Checking into four of them over eight days feels like an alpine traveler’s quest for nirvana.

The Fairmont properties in Whistler, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff all occupy hallowed ground. As hotels, they are masters of all they survey.

My wife, Kim, and I had the opportunity to visit them a couple of summers ago after we purchased an eight-night package offered

by Fairmont for a Tourism Cares fundraiser at the United States Tour Operators annual conference. Faced with lots of packages from around the world, we zeroed in on this one. I had not been to the Canadian Rockies since I went on business 30 years earlier; Kim had not been since a family vacation during her childhood.

As soon as we bought the package, I emailed a couple of friends in the industry who could counsel us on when to go and what to see.

“That’s an incredible package,” Canada native Jim Warren of Anderson Tours told me. “It’s almost impossible to get into those properties in the summer months, so be sure to check on blackout dates.”

He was right. The high-season months of July and August were off limits, so our choices were early summer or early fall.

“If you go in June, you can count on having some snow on hiking trails and maybe even a few of the higher roads you’ll be driving,” said Bart Donnelly of Travel Alberta. “If you go in the fall, early is better than late for day hiking. By mid-October, it will be getting pretty cold in the higher elevations.”

We decided on late June and booked the dates. We’d fly into Vancouver and out of Calgary. Our route would be Whistler, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff.

WHISTLER: YOUNG AND HAPPENING We arrived in Whistler after maybe a two-hour drive from the Vancouver airport. Of these four Fairmont properties, Whistler skews the youngest. It’s a ski resort that is building its summer business. This is extreme sports country.

The weekend we were there, hundreds of runners were in town for a road race that left from its manicured downtown. Much of the Olympic Village from the 2010 Winter Games remains in downtown Whistler.

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The resplendent lobby at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Poolside at Fairmont Chateau Whistler

In the promenade directly behind the lodge, kids were constantly getting on lifts with mountain bikes. In the summer months, they careen down the mountainside, hitting banked curves for thrills and speeding down straightaways like they’re late for supper.

“Whistler would be the odd man out for most tours,” said Warren.

“They are first and foremost a skiing destination. Most tour companies are concentrating more on Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff.”

The lodge is spacious and open, with a busy bar in the back. Outside, a patio overlooks a swimming pool and a miniature golf course.

The pool was busy, even though the temperatures were in the mid-70s.

For Southerners like us, it seemed too cool for pool time, but the other guests were getting their money’s worth.

We took the incline up the mountain to ride the Peak to Peak Gondola, the world’s longest unsupported tram, between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Along the way, we watched a black bear make its way down a trail about 300 feet beneath us. We made it back down for a great dinner at the Rim Rock Café.

We left Whistler early in the morning because the drive to Jasper was the longest of the trip. Driving in the Canadian Rockies is not time wasted. There is nowhere that isn’t scenic. We stopped for a late

The incline at Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Breakfast at Fairmont Chateau Whistler

breakfast at the Rugged Bean Café in Lilliooet, British Columbia, and had an outdoor lunch at a local drive-in in Clearwater.

JASPER: SCENIC AND SERENE Jasper Park Lodge is the least pretentious property of the four Fairmont hotels in the region. The sense we got was that this family retreat in Jasper National Park has been visited by generations of families for decades. These folks probably don’t care if anything ever changes. The rustic lodge has a great bar off the back with windows overlooking the lake and golf course. I sat there one day and watched Jordan Spieth win the U.S. Open.

“The lodge at Jasper is a bit outdated,” said Warren, “but their occupancy level is very high, so it doesn’t seem to matter much. A cruise on Maligne Lake is a must in Jasper. It’s the most beautiful lake in the Rockies.”

I played the resort’s historic Stanley Thompson golf course with two Chinese businessmen from San Francisco. Somewhere on the back nine, I looked up and noticed a huge bull elk foraging just off our tee. We all took photos from a distance, but then one of the men got

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge cabin

Bing Crosby was a regular at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

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Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course Barside at Fairmont Chateau Whistler

right in its face for a close-up. Thankfully, that elk never blinked.

The drive from Jasper to Lake Louise was magnificent. The highways are designed for heavy visitor traffic, and Canada has built wildlife crossings over them to avoid accidents involving wildlife. Warren told me the crossings aren’t used much, but miles of highway have been fenced to make it safer for motorists.

We made a stop at Athabasca Falls on the way. This magnificent corkscrew waterfall drops several hundred feet into the Athabasca River and is worth a stop.

Tauck and Brewster coaches were sitting out front of Sumwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge like billboards, so we pulled in. This old favorite serves a buffet breakfast and features original art in its massive gift shop.

“That’s a great old place that a lot of groups use,” said Warren.

“They’re only open from May through October due to snow, and for years, they threw a big party for all the tour guides and drivers when the season closed.”

Several glaciers were visible above us on the drive to Lake Louise.

Many groups stop here to board sightseeing vehicles that carry them out to the Columbia Icefield.

a tale OF TWO TREASURES

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t’s tough to compare the Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff Springs Hotel. Each is historic. Each is magnificent. I think pulling into the Banff Springs is a bit more imposing, but the staff overcomes that immediately. Our hosts at the Chateau Lake Louise treated us to a luxurious suite. Our hosts at the Banff Springs treated us to resplendent breakfasts in their Bow Valley Grill.

Each hotel has an outdoor terrace that offers a worldclass view, but as a golfer, I’ll have to say the patio at the Banff Springs was my favorite. It’s huge, with dozens of hightops, where two or three people can have a drink and see the golf course stretching out beneath them hundreds of feet below, framed by the Rockies.

Call it a hunch, or call it serendipitous, but I think we did these properties in the right order. The Fairmont Whistler is young and impetuous. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge seemed old and familiar. Chateau Lake Louise was exhilarating. But the Fairmont Banff Springs felt like an exclamation point. It was a front-row seat to a sold-out performance.

For us, the Banff Springs was the summit.

Athabasca Falls

By Mac Lacy

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Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Canoes stand ready at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel at twilight

LAKE LOUISE: A LEGENDARY LADY Chateau Lake Louise is a crown jewel in the Fairmont collection.

Built more than a century ago for mountain climbers, this alpine icon draws a visit from almost every group that goes to the Canadian Rockies. Its veranda and huge lawn look out on Lake Louise and directly into Victoria Glacier. Mountaineering expeditions from this site are memorialized with wonderful old photography and biographies both in the resort and around the lake.

We arrived in time for a late lunch on the patio off the dining room.

The sun was bright and warm, and the patio was buzzing. I had a curry chicken dish that was my favorite lunch of the week, and we both had a celebratory beer.

“Most groups don’t stay at Chateau Lake Louise,” said Warren, “but they all want to go there, if only for an hour or so. Room rates there are more than most tour companies can pay, unless they’re running a very high-end trip.”

Kim and I had a list for Lake Louise. We wanted to hike up to Lake Agnes Teahouse and have morning tea and scones. We wanted to do a canoe trip out on the lake, and we wanted to have a meal in one of the hotel’s notable restaurants.

The hike was glorious. Going up involves about two miles of steady climbing, so we stopped a few times along the way to have a drink of water and enjoy the view. At the top, the teahouse was serving dozens of hikers and walkers.

The international tea menu is impressive. Kim had an Indian tea, and I ordered one from England. The setting is magnificent and is made all the better by the effort it takes to walk up there. College students work summers and stay in nearby lodging for a week or so before hiking down for a shot of civilization.

That evening, we had a wonderful meal at the hotel’s Walliser Stube restaurant. Stylish but not stuffy, this Swiss restaurant anchors one corner of the hotel’s lakefront. Kim had the Alberta lake trout, and I had wiener schnitzel.

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BANFF: A FRIENDLY FORTRESS Our drive from Lake Louise to Banff was the shortest of the trip. We took our time and were there in an hour or so. If its staff were not so gracious, the Fairmont Banff Springs could be intimidating.

Built more than 125 years ago by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, the Banff Springs is a massive mountain fortress perched high above the Bow River. It has nearly 800 rooms, and we were placed in a golfers’ wing quite a way from the main hotel. Perhaps they knew I had a tee time.

This was our last stop, and we relaxed a bit. We spent a day browsing the shops in downtown Banff. I played the golf course with two pilots from Switzerland. We bought some local art in one of the shops in the hotel and had dinner at its Samurai Sushi Bar. At the Banff Springs, we lived by one rule: Whenever we ran out of things to do, we’d grab a table on their alpine patio, sit facing the Bow River valley and toast our good fortune.

FAIRMONT HOTELS WWW.FAIRMONT.COM

Chairs overlook the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

By Mac Lacy

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S T A T E

o f

M I N D

a keystone collection

BY SAVANNAH OSBOURN

FOUR DESTINATIONS SHARE TOP BILLING IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

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s one of the United States’ original 13 Colonies, Pennsylvania played a pivotal role in the country's birth as a nation, setting the stage for the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as well as critical events like the Battle of Brandywine and George Washington’s bitter winter with his troops in Valley Forge.

When groups travel to the Keystone State, they can expect to experience these vivid and essential examples of history, but they will also discover picturesque country roads, old covered bridges, handcrafted goods, passionate art communities and world-class museums. With so many attractions from which to choose, here are some highlights from four key regions in the state.

PHILADELPHIA: ART AND FLAVOR With its proximity to New York and Washington, Philadelphia can be overlooked as a major destination, but the City of Brotherly Love has so much to offer beyond standard attractions like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

Located underneath the former Reading Terminal train shed, Reading Terminal Market is one of the oldest farmers markets in the country and features a vibrant community of more than 80 merchants. Throughout the stalls, groups can sample everything from fresh-roasted espresso at Old City Coffee to smoked fish at Wan’s Seafood and artisan breads from the Market Bakery.

In April, the city debuted the Museum of the American Revolution, which pays special tribute to many of the war’s unsung heroes, particularly Colonial women, runaway slaves and Native Americans. A few highlights include Washington’s original war tent, a replicated privateer ship and the

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Liberty One Observation Deck

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B ETHL EHEM

LA N CA ST ER

PH ILAD ELPH IA

WES T CHES TE R

first newspaper printing of the Declaration of Independence.

Following a museum tour, groups can circle the block to City Tavern, a reconstructed Colonial tavern that serves authentic 1800s cuisine. Owned by world-renowned chef Walter Staib, the restaurant was built during the 1970s over the original site of the tavern, where historic figures like Washington and John Adams once met to discuss the future of the Colonies over a glass of porter or Madeira.

All photos by Savannah Osbourn

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City Tavern

“It’s not just about the location,” said Staib. “The food connects people with the Founding Fathers and their everyday lives.”

Visitors can gather around a candlelit table and savor a bite of tavern lobster pie, mallard duck sausage or Martha Washington’s chocolate mousse cake, with harpsichord music playing in the background.

In contrast to the city’s historic offerings, the Barnes Foundation contains one of the finest private collections of impressionist and early modern art in the world.

“There are very few untouched private collections left,” said Deborah Glass, one of the docents at the museum. “It’s all the vision of one man.”

Founded by Albert C. Barnes during the 1920s, the museum displays the work of masters like Renoir, Picasso, Cézanne, Matisse and Rousseau, each painting carefully placed according to wall theme, known as an “ensemble.”

Around sunset, there is no better place to survey the city than from One Liberty Observation Deck. After a 75-second elevator trip to the top, groups can view up to three states and 30 miles of cityscape. While selections from more than 600 Philadelphia-themed songs play overhead, guests can explore the city through touchscreen maps that allow them to zoom in on attractions and read about their history.

LEHIGH VALLEY: HERITAGE AND INNOVATION With 184 years of expertise as an American guitar manufac-

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turer, C.F. Martin and Company carries a powerful reputation in the music industry, catering to artists like Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Ed Sheeran. At the company’s base in Nazareth, music-lovers can witness these guitars come to life through over 300 detailed processes.

Led by a guide, groups walk past dozens of worktables as skilled craftspeople carefully sand, cut and coat the instruments. Along the way, guests learn about the features that make Martin guitars famous, such as X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar and Dreadnought size.

Nearby, the town of Bethlehem is a living testament to American innovation, having served at different points in time as the world’s largest shipbuilder and the world’s second-largest producer of silk.

These groundbreaking feats are explored in the new National Museum of Industrial History, which opened last fall. The museum is in one of the buildings originally constructed by Bethlehem Steel, a company that defined the local community for more than 130 years and produced steel for structures like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Chrysler Building.

“We want to inspire young inventors and entrepreneurs,” said Glenn Koehler, marketing and outreach coordinator for the museum. “And part of that is understanding the basics of how machinery works.”

Groups can see pieces that were exhibited in the famous 1876 Centennial Exhibition, experience a simulated hot-airballoon ride over active factories and admire the elegant White House Loom that manufactured fabrics for every U.S. president from Hoover to Clinton.

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PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY: PLAIN AND FANCY

Martin Guitar Factory

National Museum of Industrial History

Down the street from the museum, the AAA four-diamond Sands Casino Resort is a one-stop shop for groups with 10 restaurants, over 20 retail shops and free nightly live entertainment, in addition to 3,000 slot machines and 200 table games.

“It’s more of a resort than a casino because we have so much variety to offer,” said Brad Decker, motorcoach marketing manager at the Sands.

Parents can drop off their kids at Cyber Quest while they enjoy the gaming area or grab a bite to eat, such as a savory steak from Emeril’s Chophouse by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse or a lobster tail pastry from Buddy V’s Ristorante, owned by Buddy Valastro from the TLC television show “Cake Boss.”

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Kitchen Kettle Village

Textile exhibit at the National Museum of Industrial History

Lancaster and the surrounding area are often referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a name derived from the Amish groups that migrated to the area from Germany and continue to contribute to the community today.

To gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for local Amish culture, it is worth paying a visit to the Amish Experience on Plain and Fancy Farm, which presents a compelling short film and theater experience called “Jacob’s Choice,” as well as guided tours of a replicated Amish home and a one-room schoolhouse. Groups can also take a tour of the surrounding farmlands, with potential opportunities to speak with members of the Amish community.

Travelers can close out theday with a rich selection of Dutch heritage cuisine at Miller’s Smorgasbord; this venue offers flights of local wines paired with items like seafood bisque or Amish caviar, which consists of cream cheese and pepper jelly on a club cracker.

The drive to Lancaster is characterized by sweeping green farmland, bright-red barns and the occasional horse-drawn buggy on the road. Those hoping to take home a piece of this pastoral paradise need look no further than Kitchen Kettle Village, a sprawling collection of over 40 artisan shops that feature local products such as red pepper jam, pineapple salsa, handcrafted quilts and award-winning wines.

Visitors can also watch a cheesestretching demonstration and take a carriage ride under one of Pennsylvania’s famous covered bridges.

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Across from the historic Strasburg Railroad, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania takes groups back to a time when trains fueled the lifeblood of society, with some of the oldest freight cars and locomotives in the country on display.

“A lot of our pieces are the only ones still in existence today,” said Troy Grubb, one of the staff educators at the museum.

As visitors wander around the towering machines, they can view intricate engine mechanics up close, step inside a storage car and walk below a 62-ton locomotive supported on rails.

One of the most beloved attractions in the region is the palatial Sight and Sound Theatre, which has captivated audiences for more than 40 years with its immersive, biblicalthemed productions.

“People may be familiar with the story, but we want to bring it to life,” said Katie Miller, corporate communications manager at the theater.

This year’s production of “Jonah” includes features such as bubbles in the air, jellyfish floating down from the ceiling, a lifesize whale flying over the audience and a 20,000-pound ship.

Another popular stop for groups is the Tanger Outlet shopping center, which will open 25 new stores on Labor Day weekend following an extensive expansion.

“Out of Tanger Outlet’s 44 locations, Lancaster is the No. 1 motorcoach destination,” said Monica Trego, general manager at the outlet.

Bus drivers and escorts receive $10 gift certificates when they preregister for a visit, and group members can take advantage of customized coupon booklets with coupons to neighboring restaurants and hotels.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Longwood Gardens

A statue at Longwood Gardens

A Longwood Gardens greenhouse

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BRANDYWINE VALLEY: SCENIC AND SERENE Winding through the wooded hills of Chester County, Brandywine Valley is replete with scenery, culture and history, most notably the site of the American Revolution’s Battle of Brandywine. Visitors will find no shortage of delicious menu items in Kennett Square, also known as the Mushroom Capital of the World, with options like cool, creamy desserts from La Michoacana Ice Cream or mouthwatering roasted artichokes from La Verona.

The region is also known for its thriving art scene. In a renovated 19th-century mill, the Brandywine River Museum commemorates the talented Wyeth family, from N.C. Wyeth’s colorful illustrations

of knights and pirates to his grandson Jamie’s critically acclaimed realist portraits. From June to September, the museum will feature a special Andrew Wyeth exhibit to honor the 100th anniversary of his birth with over 100 of his paintings in chronological order. After browsing the exhibits, groups can enjoy a sweeping view of the Brandywine River from the Millstone Café, which offers locally sourced soups, salads and sandwiches from resident chef MacGregor Mann.

Longwood Gardens provides a serene natural escape from the bustle of nearby cities. In 1906, prominent businessman Pierre S. du Pont purchased a historic arboretum in Kennett Square to prevent its destruction by a lumber mill. Over the next 40 years, he transformed the property into one of the most exquisite horticultural display gardens in the country, encompassing over 1,000 acres of flowerbeds, topiaries, fountains and meadow footpaths.

Each year between January and March, Longwood Gardens hosts an Orchid Extravaganza within its Conservatory, exhibiting nearly 4,500 colorful orchids.

“It’s a beautiful winter experience to come inside and see it,” said Nina Kelly, director of marketing and communications at Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau.

This spring, Longwood Gardens will reopen the Main Fountain Garden after a twoyear, $90 million revitalization project, celebrating with a series of firework and fountain shows called Summer of Spectacle.

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TEN-GALLON F U N

Texas Horse Park

All photos courtesy Dallas CVB

HERE ARE FOUR THAT SCORE IN DALLAS

BY ELIZA MYERS

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hether your preferred adrenaline rush comes from shifting into high gear during a race car drivingschool experience or from watching the dirt fly at a famous rodeo, Dallas has the sport experience for you. The city offers a mix of hands-on activities like riding a horse with purely entertaining outings like a tour of the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium.

Home to six major professional sports teams, Dallas offers a variety of high-caliber sporting events. Sports reign supreme in the Dallas metro area, with a few standout experiences perfect for groups.

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Sports enthusiasts and casual fans alike will enjoy the larger-thanlife events and firsthand experiences at these sports attractions in the Greater Dallas area.

TOUR OF AT&T STADIUM When people think about Dallas, many picture the Dallas Cowboys. To match the grandeur of one of the most visible and successful sports entities of all time, the Dallas Cowboys play their home games in the $1.2 billion AT&T Stadium.

It’s hard not to be impressed by this expansive stadium, one of the largest domed structures in the world. Groups can tour this mammoth facility to learn how the owner, Jerry Jones, strived to make the 2009 venue an icon that would thrill both fans and lovers of architecture.

Guided tours highlight stories from the stadium’s creation and other interesting facts, such as how the retractable roof opens and closes in 12 minutes. Even the stadium’s video screen is a marvel, since it is the world’s largest.

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Participants also go behind the scenes in the stadium with chances to stand in the Sky Box, the Cowboys’ locker rooms and Jones’ private man cave. Some tours even allow groups to throw the ball around the field.

“I would say one of the most popular group tours in Dallas is at the AT&T Stadium,” said Larry Kelly, marketing and communications director of the Dallas Sports Commission. “It’s not just the football facilities, but there is a lot of artwork that the Jones family has in the stadium. The artwork is one of the things that makes the stadium so unique.”

Art and sports rarely both find themselves at the same attraction, but the AT&T Stadium displays enough museum-quality contemporary art that the stadium also offers specialized art tours. Guides for these tours offer in-depth information on the collection, the artists and how the artwork ended up hanging in a football stadium.

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY Watch the world blur by during a 160-mile-per-hour, four-lap passenger ride at the Texas Motor Speedway. With the comfort of knowing your professional driver has previously circled the 1.5-mile track hundreds of times, you can enjoy the thrill of racing maneuvers like drafting, passing and side-by-side racing.

This exciting experience, in partnership with the Team Texas High Performance Driving School, highlights a tour of the Texas Motor Speedway, one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit.

“The speedway’s tours take you down to Pit Road and Victory Lane,” said Kelly. “They include laps around the speedway at the end of the tour with a professional driver.”

The colossal facility can fit four AT&T Stadiums inside for an estimated seating capacity of 191,000. The tour includes information about how one of the country’s largest sports facilities comes to life to host the NASCAR Sprint Cup, among other racing events.

The Team Texas High Performance Driving School also offers the 10-Lap Driving School experience for the higher-level adrenaline seeker. After a 30-minute classroom training session and on-track training in a van, participants can race around the track 10 times themselves with an instructor seated shotgun.

MESQUITE CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO Watch practiced cowboys hang on to giant bucking bulls with all their might at the exciting Mesquite Championship Rodeo. Since 1946, cowboys have entertained spectators with saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, team roping, bull riding and more.

“It’s approximately a two-hour rodeo,” said Kelly. “They will have various rodeo events depending on what cowboys have signed up to participate.”

Performances run every Saturday night from June through September in the air-conditioned Mesquite Arena. Though events vary, visitors can count on watching daredevil clowns, fast horses, massive bulls and the brave cowboys that compete.

Located 15 minutes from Dallas in Mesquite, the action-packed show draws about 200,000 people each season. To complete the Western experience, groups can dine at Eddie Deen’s BBQ Pavilion for Texas fare such as slow-smoked beef brisket and hickory-smoked ribs.

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TEXAS HORSE PARK Though horses once proved almost essential to survival for early Texas settlers, the animals are now celebrated as pets and champions at the Texas Horse Park. To experience the sport of horseback riding, groups of all experience levels can arrange for an hourlong, guided beginner trail ride through the 500-acre park.

The park provides miles of preserved riding trails for the public.

Groups can not only feel the excitement of guiding a powerful horse, but also absorb the sights and sounds of serene lush meadows and tree-lined trails during their ride.

The park opened in 2015 with a visitors center, horse barns and a 105,000-square-foot indoor covered arena that hosts equestrian events and other group functions.

“They have a really cool facility there that can host group events,” said Kelly. “It has floor-to-ceiling windows, and its design is very rustic. It’s located about 10 miles from downtown, so it’s very accessible to groups if they are staying downtown.”

Groups can continue their break from city life at the adjacent 6,000-acre old growth Great Trinity Forest, which features an aerial adventure park with a series of zip lines, cargo nets and swinging bridges.

www.visitdallas.com

Mesquite Championship Rodeo

AT&T Stadium

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A

CA YUGA

CO UNT Y

SAMPLER

BY ELIZA MYERS

TASTE THE FRESH GOODNESS OF THE FINGER LAKES

The Apple Station Courtesy Cayuga County Office of Tourism

Owen Orchards

Strawberry Field Hydroponic Farm

Courtesy Cayuga County Office of Tourism

By Kristian Reynolds, courtesy Cayuga County Office of Tourism

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hat pairs well with award-winning wine and sweeping views of crystal-clear lakes? How about a bite of a scrumptious apple cider doughnut, homemade raspberry ice cream or a ripe, just-plucked strawberry ?

To be fair, these tempting local goodies would couple well with almost anything, but they especially delight groups seeking a local culinary experience in Auburn, New York, and surrounding Cayuga County. Set amidst the gorgeous scenery and popular wineries of New York’s Finger Lakes region, Cayuga County offers many decadent local flavors at farms and shops that are part of the county’s Sweet Treat Trail.

From tasty pancake mixes to apple wines, these five farm-to-table stops allow groups to pamper themselves.

STRAWBERRY FIELD HYDROPONIC FARM Succulent red strawberries in flawless condition await hungry visitors from June through October at the Strawberry Field Hydroponic Farm. The fruit is not picked from plants grown in the ground. Their lengthy season and spotless condition result instead from the hydroponic growing system that supplies the plants with the necessary nutrients through the watering system.

Groups equipped with scissors can wander through the vertically stacked pots of strawberries and snip the berries while standing. Since the plants hang at arm’s length, seniors and handicapped guests can pick the strawberries without bending over.

Linda Eldred, the owner, leads group tours at the site with stories about how she first decided to try hydroponic farming in 2009.

She can arrange a chocolate fountain for groups to dip their freshly picked strawberries, serve strawberry-infused lemonade or hand out miniature jars of strawberry jam.

“The farm also has a wonderful shop with strawberries and other local, seasonal products,” said Meg Vanek, executive director of the Cayuga County Office of Tourism. “It’s a really popular stop among groups. I’m local, but I go there because I love their products.”

Local honey, cheese, produce, artisan oils and baked goods help showcase the delicious culinary offerings of the area.

OWEN ORCHARDS Every year, apple cider doughnut enthusiasts flock to Owen Orchards for a taste of the farm’s famous baked good. However, this heavenly treat is only part of the experience.

“They are known mainly for their apples, but they also have pumpkins and gourds,” said Vanek. “They have wagon rides that go back into the orchard. It’s beautiful scenery. Groups can arrange their own wagon rides around the farm.”

During the fall season, visitors can browse the 15 varieties of trees in the orchard on the hunt for the perfect apple or pick one out in the on-site farm store. The shop offers homemade apple-based baked goods alongside local produce, condiments, cheese and preserves.

At the shop, the orchard displays its apple cider press to demonstrate how all-natural apple cider is made. The cider press produces more than 10,000 gallons of apple cider each year for eager customers.

The farm also showcases its original 1920s tractors to illustrate how Owen Orchards has grown tasty apples for five generations.

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NEW HOPE MILLS In the 1850s, 15 water-powered industries flourished along the banks of Bear Swamp Creek. Today, one of those companies still operates because of the enduring love of a carefully crafted pancake mix.

New Hope Mills continues to produce celebrated pancakes mixes and other flour mixes as it has since 1823. Although the company now grinds flour in a larger facility in Auburn, New York, groups can visit the New Hope Mills Cafe to taste the renowned pancakes for themselves.

“New Hope Mills is very popular with groups,” said Vanek. “You can arrange to eat their pancakes in the cafe. They also provide tastings of local products.”

The cafe serves some of the company’s baked goods, locally roasted coffee, specialty drinks and more. Groups can also enjoy the company’s attached shop, which offers local products such as soaps, pottery and handmade photo cards.

REESE’S DAIRY BAR When customers taste the delectable creaminess of a frozen treat from Reese’s Dairy Bar, they know immediately that this isn’t your ordinary store-bought ice cream.

“You can tell it is homemade ice cream,” said Vanek. “You can tell the difference. All of their ice creams, ices and dairy products that they are most known for are really wonderful.”

The staff makes ice cream, sherbets, Italian ices, French custards and other indulgent sweets by hand using local ingredients. Flavors change with the seasons to stay fresh. Guests can tell when raspberry season has started because that’s when that flavor of ice cream becomes available.

Reese’s serves comfort foods like hot dogs and burgers, as well as desserts. Groups can either come for a full meal or stop by for the mouthwatering desserts crafted from family recipes tweaked over the years since the shop’s opening in 1973.

THE APPLE STATION Participants sample various wines to determine which ones contain the boldest apple and blueberry flavors at the Apple Station. The farm combines a winery, an apple orchard and an old country store for an indulgent group stop.

“They grow apples and blueberries, and then use those to create wines,” said Vanek. “If a group wants to add a wine tasting to their journey, this is a good way to do it.”

The Finger Lakes region draws guests every year for its acclaimed wine offerings. This winery adds an agritourism element, allowing groups to explore and pick their own apples. Just walking on the grounds surrounds participants with gorgeous scenery that attracts weddings as well as tour groups.

Open from March to December, the family-owned business sits at the north end of Cayuga Lake. Visitors can sample fruits, wines, sweet cider and baked apple cider doughnut produced on-site; they can also buy regional goodies like jams and cheeses from the country store, designed to mimic a filling station.

www.tourcayuga.com

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MIDWEST special SECTION

PAST

PRESENT

BY ELIZABETH HEY

THESE FIVE SITES HONOR MIDWESTERN INGENUITY Courtesy Living History Farms

Courtesy National Willa Cather Center

I

n the Midwest, great minds settled the land, brought innovation and spurred our nation forward. Red Cloud, Nebraska, supports the largest collection of nationally designated historic sites dedicated to an American author — Willa Cather.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park showcases the Wright Brothers’ work and became the birthplace of aviation.

The Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, tell the 300-year story of how Iowans transformed fertile prairies into the most productive farmland in the world. And the re-created Farm at Prophetstown, near Lafayette, Indiana, showcases a 1920s farm as it transitioned from animal to tractor power. In Kansas, the Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve’s 10,894 acres remains the only place in the national park system dedicated to the natural and cultural history of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.

Courtesy Visit Denver

Top: Flynn Mansion shows off a decadent lifestyle at Living History Farms.

Bottom: Willa Cather

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NATIONAL WILLA CATHER CENTER

RED CLO UD, NEBRASKA The newly opened National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud will be dedicated June 3. The ceremony follows the 62nd Annual Willa Cather Spring Conference, June 1-3, which has several events open to the public. A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Willa Cather focused on the themes of westward expansion, railroads and the settlement of the plains.

The preconceived notion that Cather was a frumpy Midwestern writer is not true. The center’s collection contains many of Cather’s personal possessions. The newest museum exhibit is called “American Bittersweet: The Life and Writings of Willa Cather.” Exhibits tell the stories of Cather’s life on the Nebraska prairie, her travels abroad and her adult life in New York City. The center houses an expanded bookstore and archives, and hosts numerous workshops and film screenings.

“In recent years, Cather has become more widely recognized as a prominent writer of the 20th century,” said Ashley Olson, executive director of the Willa Cather Foundation. “Although lauded for her Midwestern novels, her scope included stories based in Canada, the Southwest and Virginia.”

Groups can connect with Cather’s life and stories by taking a guided tour of Cather’s childhood home and six other historic Cather sites in Red Cloud. Hiking trails include three loops on the 612-acre Willa Cather Memorial Prairie. The Red Cloud Opera House has a full schedule of productions.

WWW.WILLACATHER.ORG

DAYTON AVIATION HERITAGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

DAY TON , OHIO Until 1903, the Wright brothers researched and engineered their flying machines in Ohio, and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park tells their story. It’s a little-known fact that Orville and Wilbur Wright invented what is generally considered to be the first successful airplane in Dayton before testing it at Kitty Hawk.

The brothers’ story starts at the Wright-Dunbar Interpretative Center, which is in the neighborhood where the Wrights lived during the years they were inventing their plane. Nearby are the Wright Cycle Company and Hoover Block, where the brothers operated their printing company. Wilbur and Orville started their careers as printers, and in this location, the Wrights edited and published newspapers.

“The Wrights were working on bicycles before they invented the airplane,” said Dean Alexander, superintendent of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. “A ranger-guided bike tour to the sites gives a better understanding of these two brothers.”

Between 1904 and 1905, the brothers tested their planes just northeast of Dayton at Huffman Prairie Flying Field, located within WrightPatterson Air Force Base. On-site are replicas of their hangar and catapult. A walking trail through the prairie includes exhibits that detail how the brothers perfected their invention.

One mile away, the Wright Brothers Aviation Center displays the 1905 Wright Flyer III they flew at Huffman. Another site is the Wrights’ Georgian Revival mansion, Hawthorn Hill, in west Dayton.

WWW.NPS.GOV/DAAV

“The Wrights were working on bicycles before they invented the airplane. A ranger-guided bike tour to the sites gives a better understanding of these two brothers.” — DEAN ALEXANDER Willa Cather’s beloved Red Cloud Opera House

Wright Brothers bicycle tour Courtesy National Willa Cather Center

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Courtesy Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park

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Schoolhouse demonstration

Farm at Prophetstown Courtesy Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette

Courtesy Living History Farms

LIVING HISTORY FARMS

1850 Pioneer Farm

Courtesy Living History Farms

A student tour at Living History Farms

URBAND ALE, IOWA The Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, showcases the evolution of American agriculture. Guides demonstrate how Native Americans grew crops in the 1700s. They also model how farmers used oxen to open the prairies in the 1850s and how horses revolutionized agriculture in the 1900s.

One of the three working farms is the 1700 Ioway Indian Farm, where Indians tanned hides in the sun next to bark lodges and cooked on an open fire. The 1850 Pioneer Farm represents a 4-year-old farm that was established when Iowa became a state in 1846. And on the 1900 Horse-Powered Farm, draft horses pull machinery to plant, cultivate and harvest the property’s three main crops.

The 1875 Town of Walnut Hill re-creates a bustling frontier town, with craftsmen and merchants along the community’s main street. The Victorian Domestic Spaces tour takes groups inside the Italianate 1870 Flynn Mansion and the Gothic-style Tangen Home. At the Flynn Mansion, groups can enjoy Victorian teas, and in winter and spring, the staff offers cooking classes, with instruction on topics such as wood-stove cooking and Norwegian baked goods.

“The town of 1875 is the most robust for groups to see, and they host historic dinners in two venues,” said Jessica O’Riley, tourism communications manager at the Iowa Tourism Office. “From October through March, horse-drawn wagon rides take guests to the 1900 farm, where they’re served foods from the period followed by Victorian games in the parlor.”

WWW.LHF.ORG

Courtesy Living History Farms

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FARM AT PROPHETSTOWN

BATTLE GR OU ND, I NDIANA As part of Prophetstown State Park, the Farm at Prophetstown illustrates Midwestern farm life. Interpreters use antique tractors to work the fields, and they complete barn chores twice daily. Visitors can help feed livestock, collect eggs and work in the garden. Livestock includes Standardbred horses, a miniature horse, heritage chicken breeds, Hereford cattle, Oxford/Suffolk cross sheep and Berkshire hogs.

Buildings include a replica Sears Roebuck and Company catalog farmhouse, a barn, a corn crib, chicken coops, a hog house, a machine shed, a milk house, a tenant house and a brooder house. The farm is also a training ground for sustainable agriculture, homesteading and gardening. Farm-to-table cooking, sewing and quilting are practiced here, too.

In addition to touring the farmhouse, groups of up to 40 can have meals inside, including breakfasts that feature bacon processed on-site and pasture-raised meats. In warmer months, dining extends onto the front porch and yard.

“Group leaders can plan a catered meal that can be served in the barn, or typically, groups rent a tent for the side yard between the house and barn,” said Ashley Gregory, director of sales at the Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The farm also hosts farm-totable dinners featuring five courses.”

In spring, a tractor-drawn trolley navigates fields of wildflowers. It takes groups to the re-created Native American village, also in the state park, where naturalists conduct Native American programs. In the fall, hayrides celebrate the prairie.

WWW.PROPHETSTOWN.ORG

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Prophetstown State Park

Horses at Prophetstown Courtesy VisitLafayette Denver Photos courtesy Visit Lafayette-West

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Tour

SOUTHEAST INDIANA

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

GIRLFRIEND

Getaways

Photos courtesy Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

TALLGRASS PRAIRIE NATIONAL PRESERVE

Aurora and Lawrenceburg

OHIO

Indianapolis

INDIANA

1

Cincinnati

KENTUCKY

Louisville

Lexington

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

STRONG CIT Y, KAN SAS Grass meets sky, stretching to the horizon at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas. The visitor center offers a 10-minute introductory film. Guided tours of the limestone, 1881 Spring Hill Ranch house; the three-story, limestone barn; and outbuildings showcase ranching life.

“At one time, there were 170 million acres of tallgrass prairie, and today, about 4 percent remains, mostly here in the Kansas Flint Hills,” said Heather Brown, chief of interpretation and visitor services at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. “Ranger-narrated bus tours during summer months introduce groups to the prairie’s natural and historic aspects, allow them to see our 80-plus bison herd and get people into the prairie to actually stand in the grass.”

Summer brings thriving prairie grasses and cattle grazing as clouds skirt along the rolling hills. Fall arrives with tallgrasses reaching their maximum heights, from waist-high to well over a person’s head. Seed heads are in bloom, and their stems turn hues of gold and bronze.

Forty miles of hiking trails weave through wildflowers that peak in late May and early June, but continue to bloom through the fall. The Southwind Nature Trail winds its way across a tree-lined creek bed, and the Bottomland Trail features interpretive panels about the prairie’s natural and cultural history.

WWW.NPS.GOV/TAPR

www.TOURSoutheastIndiana.com 800-322-8198

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MIDWEST special SECTION

TAKE

THE TOUR

BY ELIZABETH HEY

GREAT GUIDES STAR IN THESE MIDWESTERN CITIES Courtesy Detroit Metro CVB

Courtesy Visit KC

C

Top: Detroit’s Riverwalk is a downtown favorite.

onvenient city tours take the hassle out of navigating the streets in a bustling metropolitan location. Kansas City, the city of fountains, barbecue and jazz, is rich in history, and tours highlight what makes this city so vibrant. As a waterfront city, on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee offers tours by land and water. Citywide tours in Springfield, Illinois, explore Lincoln history from the Old State Capitol to the Lincoln Tomb, where he is buried.

St. Paul’s most popular tours showcase the city’s fascinating gangster history and the beauty of the Mississippi River, which cuts through the heart of the Twin Cities. And in Detroit, there are multiple opportunities to experience the Motor City’s architecture, culinary scene and landmark sites.

Courtesy Visit Denver

Center: A double-decker bus in Kansas City, Missouri Bottom: Arthur Bryant’s

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

When groups visit Kansas City, KC Barbeque Tours is always a winner — at least for carnivores who love to eat. With more than 150 barbecue restaurants, there’s plenty of Kansas City barbecue history, and chatting with the pit masters is always a highlight. Samplings at well-known barbecue eateries and hidden-gem joints include at least one meat and side dish per stop.

Double Decker Bus Tours takes groups from the Spanish-tiled Country Club Plaza to historic Westport and Freight House districts.

The tour picks up and drops off at the doorsteps of nationally recognized attractions such as the National World War I Museum and Memorial, the College Basketball Experience, the Arabia Steamboat Museum, the Boulevard Brewing Company and the historic River Market. Segway Bike and Stroll tours highlight the museums, green spaces, entertainment and tastes of Kansas City.

Making its rounds to the wineries, breweries and distilleries of the city, the Barley Bus Tour is another popular option. Three stops per tour, behind-the-scenes action and tastings make for several fun hours while seeing the city sites.

“Visitors are surprised at the vibrancy and vitality of Kansas City and the vast arts, culture and history that we have to offer,” said Toni Alexander, communications manager with Visit KC. “And when it comes to our barbecue tours, people should pace themselves so that they can sample everything because they certainly won’t leave hungry.”

WWW.VISITKC.COM

MILWAUKEE

Tours take many forms in Milwaukee, by both land and water, but the city’s beer history and German brewing heritage makes a good starting place. Hop Head Tours offer educational and historic custom group tours that visit the breweries, wineries and distilleries of your choice. Bike tours visit the historic sites of Blatz, Schlitz, Pabst and Miller Brewing and emphasize Milwaukee’s brewing heritage.

Untapped Tours also offers a historic city tour with breweries, attractions and food stops.

Milwaukee Food and City Tours explores neighborhoods originally settled by Italian, Irish, Polish and German immigrants. Year-round, this company hosts walking and bus tours that point out architectural highlights, cultural hot spots, and great restaurants and shops while sampling flavors along the way.

By water and for smaller groups, Sea Dog Sailing focuses on Lake Michigan trips with the city’s architecture and landmarks as backdrop. For large groups, Edelweiss Cruises offers elegant dining and cocktails. Milwaukee Boat Tours sails the Milwaukee River on themed cruises in a relaxed atmosphere. River paddling with a guide while skimming past city sites is available with the Milwaukee Kayak Company.

“There’s no shortage of interesting tours in Milwaukee, whether by boat, bike, kayak or on foot,” said Kristin Settle, director of communications for Visit Milwaukee. “We love to show off our city, and tours allow groups to explore like a local.”

WWW.VISITMILWAUKEE.ORG

“We love to show off our city, and tours allow groups to explore like a local.”

— KRISTIN SETTLE, VISIT MILWAUKEE

Pabst Brewing Company

Milwaukee Boat Tours

Milwaukee's Hoan Bridge Photos courtesy Visit Milwaukee

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Paddlewheeler in Saint Paul

A Lincoln re-enactor at Springfield's Old State Capitol Courtesy Springfield CVB

Lincoln's tomb

Courtesy Visit Saint Paul

“The owner of Springfield Walks brings 17 years of guide experience to every group, and he’s a wealth of information.” — GINA GEMBERLING

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

Courtesy Springfield CVB

History, in its many forms, remains front and center in Springfield, Illinois. Springfield Walks brings local insight and lore to its city tours. One of the most popular is the in-depth Lincoln Experience, a half-day tour that visits Lincoln sites throughout the city, including the Lincoln home, the Old State Capitol and Lincoln’s Tomb.

The Springfield Haunted History Tour showcases the haunted side of this prairie town. Groups will engage in a light paranormal investigation and hear the history behind the hauntings of an old local inn, a hidden cemetery and the Hickox house. Another popular otherworld tour, Lincoln’s Ghost Walk: Legends and Lore, takes place in the evening. This 90-minute walking tour uses the Lincoln sites as a backdrop for strange and bizarre stories surrounding Lincoln’s life and death. It delves into Lincoln’s spiritual and Christian beliefs, and his visions and dreams of death.

The Saturday night Bootleggin’ Pub Crawl, within the Old Town District, uncovers Springfield’s wicked Prohibition history. Participants can order from a secret drink menu while listening to stories that recount raids on stills and sidewalk assassinations involving the city’s former gangster world.

“The owner of Springfield Walks brings 17 years of guide experience to every group, and he’s a wealth of information,” said Gina Gemberling, executive director of Visit Springfield, Illinois, Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I can highly recommend his stepon guide service, too.”

WWW.VISITSPRINGFIELDILLINOIS.COM

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ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

Ranked No. 2 in the nation for parks and public spaces, St. Paul offers tours that take in its beauty and history. Padelford Riverboats sail along the Mississippi River during historically narrated 90-minute cruises. Chef’s Club Dinner Cruises bases its menu on fresh, local ingredients, and the Beer and Bacon evening cruise features local craft beers and bacon-infused appetizers.

“A river cruise is an important part of any group’s St. Paul experience because it’s the reason that the city is here,” said Nick Cusick, marketing and media relations manager for Visit Saint Paul. “The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area runs between St. Paul and Minneapolis.”

Always popular, the Gangster Bus Tour visits the most notorious spots in the city’s gangster history and points out other sites along the way. The tour is led by a re-enactor of usually a sheriff or a gangster from that period who goes indepth about gangster history. According to Cusick, St. Paul’s gangster history rivals that of Chicago. Often, groups will add the Wabasha Street Caves tour. Once dedicated to mushroom growing, the cave doubled as a nightclub frequented by John Dillinger, the Barker Gang and others.

Groups can also glide through the heart of St. Paul on Segways. The Magical History Tour takes in the State Capitol, St. Paul Cathedral, the F. Scott Fitzgerald homes and more.

WWW.VISITSAINTPAUL.COM

Wabasha Street Cave

A segway tour of St. Paul

Photos courtesy Visit Saint Paul

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DETROIT

Spirit of Detroit

Fox Theatre

Photos courtesy Detroit Metro CVB

Architectural excursions are plentiful in the Motor City. Preservation Wayne, Detroit’s oldest and largest architectural preservation organization, offers tours that focus on famed architect Albert Kahn, known to architectural historians as “the man who built Detroit.” Detroit Urban Adventures provides a tour called Detroit’s Rise, Fall and Renewal, which showcases the old and the new.

Feet on the Street Tours has the motto “Come Hungry, Leave Happy.” Culinary Escapes offers an insider’s view of dining in Detroit.

Taste-Full Tours features themed tours, including Beer and BBQ, Sip and Knit, and Motown Chowdown.

“We have many walking options, but we also customize motorcoach tours with a step-on guide,” said Renee Monforton, director of communications at the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Downtown and architectural tours surprise visitors with the breathtaking quality and historic value of the buildings here in Detroit. Brew and food tours are quite popular, too.”

The Detroit Experience Factory organizes walking, car, bus and bicycle tours for groups. Usually organized around a theme, they can be customized. Their Detroit Innovation Tour highlights the city’s most innovative projects, and visitors can get an insider’s perspective on the city’s reinvention. The vibrancy of downtown Detroit is evident as Segway riders zoom past city sites with Inside Detroit Tours. Major landmarks and historic sites along the way are the RiverWalk, Hart Plaza and the Detroit Opera House.

WWW.VISITDETROIT.COM

Kansas City Kansas

visitkansasCitykS.com 800.264.1563

Detroit's Guardian Building

Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.

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known

FOR

TOURIST TRAILS

LA PURISIMA MISSION

KNOB CREEK DISTILLERY

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS TRAIL Courtesy California State Parks

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL Courtesy The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences

CALIFORNIA’S FIRST CATHOLIC MISSION was founded in July 1769 in present-day San Diego, and its last was established in 1823 in what is now Sonoma. All 21 of the state’s missions are roughly located along U.S. Highway 101 between San Diego and San Francisco.

Of the 21 missions on the California Missions Trail, only three are managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation; the rest are still under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church, which means many still hold Mass or other religious celebrations, for example, Christmastime Las Posadas processions at the 1787 La Purisima Mission in Lompoc.

La Purisima is “about as close as you’ll get to what it was like in the 1700s,” said Dennis Weber, a spokesman for the state parks department. La Purisima, which was rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, is surrounded by open space, and visitors can explore its 37 furnished rooms. Groups can also watch living-history demonstrations on candle making and weaving, visit the animals in the barnyard and explore the gardens.

Each mission has its “own little thing going on,” Weber said.

Some missions are little more than ruins; others are mostly intact or fully restored; but all are accessible by car or bus. At San Juan Bautista State Historic Park, visitors will find the 1797 San Juan Bautista mission, as well as several preserved 1800s buildings, around the town square.

TO THE UNINITIATED, BOURBON CULTURE may seem a bit staid. After all, some of Kentucky’s biggest bourbon names have been distilling for a couple of centuries. Woodford Reserve started distilling on its site outside Versailles in 1780, Jim Beam started producing whiskey bourbon in 1795, and Four Roses has been around since the late 1800s.

But there are a lot of new things happening in Kentucky’s bourbon scene, and that’s reflected on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which has grown to feature 10 member distilleries in areas between and around Louisville and Lexington. That growth can also be seen — and sipped — on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which started with seven stops and now has 13, “and will probably be at 18 next year,” said Adam Johnson, senior director of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences.

“New brands are trying to get out there, and older brands are creating new experiences,” he said.

Angel’s Envy Distillery and the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery are recent additions in Louisville. All the large distilleries offer tours, although it’s best for groups to contact the facilities in advance or plan to visit on a weekday. Some of the craft distilleries may be too small for very large groups, but the “craft guys may be able to spend more time with a group,” he said. Planners can always call Kentucky Bourbon Trail Experiences to get help narrowing their options.

WWW.PARKS.CA.GOV

WWW.KYBOURBONTRAIL.COM

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BY RACHEL CARTER

ROTH CHEESE

BOSTON

GREAT WISCONSIN CHEESE TRAIL

By Roth Kaese

IN WISCONSIN, CHEESE “IS OUR HISTORY,” said Kristina LeVan, public relations coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Immigrants from around the world settled in the state and brought their cultures — pun intended — with them.

“It’s not just enjoying cheese; it’s part of who we are,” LeVan said.

The Great Wisconsin Cheese Trail features more than two dozen stops, and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board offers a free map that highlights 169 dairies, creameries and cheese factories around the state. Options range from large, long-standing cheese producers to smaller, newer craft creameries.

Alp and Dell Cheese Store in Monroe made the 2016 World’s Best Cheese: the Roth Grand Cru. The factory typically introduces up to five new cheeses a year but specializes in Gruyere, Fontina, Havarti, Gouda and Butter Kase. Visitors can watch cheese being made in the viewing hall as part of a self-guided tour or arrange for a guided tour.

Carr Valley Cheese has eight locations in the state, including two factories with stores and stand-alone retail locations. The factory in La Valle offers visitors the best show, and the store in Sauk City includes a cooking school with a test kitchen.

About 45 minutes west of Madison, visitors can watch cheesemakers at work at Arena Cheese and arrange for a narrative of the process.

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Ellsworth offers more than 280 cheeses at the store, although the co-op is best known for its curds.

FREEDOM TRAIL Courtesy Freedom Trail Foundation

BOSTON’S FAMOUS FREEDOM TRAIL is only 2.5 miles long, but it covers 250 years. The trail highlights 16 sites where the foundation and future of America were shaped, among them the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, Boston Common, Faneuil Hall and the Paul Revere House.

The most popular option is the 90-minute Walk Into History tour, which features 11 of the trail’s 16 sites. A three-hour group tour covers all 16 sites, although visitors don’t go inside all of them. Both tours are led by costumed Freedom Trail Players, who talk about the history and significance of each stop.

At Old North Church, travelers can explore two recently added living-history areas in the Clough House. Guests can taste how Colonial-era people enjoyed chocolate, including sipping the same cocoa concoction John and Abigail Adams drank, at Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate Shop. Visitors can also watch a master printer operate a 1700s printing press at the Printing Office of Edes and Gill.

Groups can request a variety of themed tours, such as the Pirates and Patriots tour, the African-American Patriots tour, the Revolutionary Women tour and lantern tours. The Historic Pub Crawl includes beer tastings at four historic pubs on the Blackstone Block, and through this fall, groups can see the USS Constitution, aka Old Ironsides, in dry dock as it is being restored.

WWW.THEFREEDOMTRAIL.ORG

WWW.TRAVELWISCONSIN.COM

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marketing Y O U R

P R O G R A M

DON’T SEE NATIONAL

BY ELIZA MYERS

I

magine two options: exploring Yellowstone National Park’s 3,000 square miles of incomparable beauty with a three-hour drive-by, or a three-day tour with a slew of options including close encounters with wildlife, luxury camping and kayaking to a hidden geyser. The first option allows for a few photos and a chance to quickly move to the next item on the itinerary. But the second allows a more immersive experience, for a lasting impact on the group.

National parks have long sold well for many affinity travel programs, though the touring styles have differed. Some tours still focus on flying past as many natural wonders as possible on a tour, which leaves little time to stop and soak in the scenery. A tour of a park might even be a day long; but with little variety beyond shuttling guests from one view point to another, it might fail to engage participants.

Instead of following the CliffsNotes version of touring a national park, you could, without sacrificing novelty, find or create tours that stay longer at one park. Your group could develop a love for a particular national park, not through a list of mustsees but by incorporating the park into a variety of engaging activities.

WAKING AND SLEEPING What better way to fully experience Glacier National Park than by waking to a view of a glacial lake surrounded by the Rocky Mountains? The park’s Swiss-chalet-styled Many Glacier Hotel proves that groups can embrace both wilderness and comfort. Many national parks offer similar accommodations that become selling points in themselves.

You can also opt for outside-the-box accommodations near many national parks, such as luxury camping with Far and Away Adventure into Yellowstone National Park. By seeking tours with these scenic accommodations, you can offer your groups more time in the parks and less time shuttling to and from the park.

Groups can also benefit from accommodations that allow individuals in the group some autonomy, such as Zion Lodge, which connects guests to the park’s shuttle. This setup makes it easy to incorporate free time into the itinerary.

Groups unable to stay overnight at a park property can extend their time in the park with meals. For an immersive culinary experience, look for cuisine authentic to the area and, if possible, with a landscape to admire over dinner.

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HANDS-ON SCENERY Whether you plan your own trips or browse premade itineraries, you should always try to offer national park trips with interesting ways to experience the scenery. Astronomy programs, boat rides and hot-air balloons jump off the page on an itinerary.

Group members that might not want to plan guided activities on their own could welcome a way to explore Arches National Park by hot-air balloon instead of the standard tour. These activities make your tour more tempting, as well as engage with the scenery in a physical way that can prove more memorable.

A trip to the Grand Canyon becomes an even better story when coupled with a mule ride down the canyon trail. Denali National Park can similarly come alive when groups book a dogsled ride.

For a twist on a typical national park trip, travel planners can opt for an educational tour. From natural history to literature, intriguing topics relevant to America’s national parks prove easy to find.

“On one of our trips to Alaska, a professor talked about Jack London and the gold rush,” said Cary Allyn, director of the Vanderbilt Travel Program. “She had wonderful talks about why Jack London found Alaska so appealing. We’ve also had lectures about wolves, flora and fauna, and Native Americans that lived there.

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PARKS — LIVE THEM Our educational focus is one thing that makes Vanderbilt trips so special.”

PLAY WITH OPTIONS Knowing you will include immersive activities at national parks is one thing, but knowing which to choose can prove challenging. Some loyalty program directors handle this by segmenting their tours to appeal to various levels of physical fitness. This can allow the tour to either embrace outdoor adventure for more active travelers or stick to soft adventure for the less-mobile members.

Oberlin College offers annual OBIEAdventures for members seeking highly active trips to national parks and other wild areas of the country.

“The ages really vary on these trips,” said Danielle Young, executive director of the alumni association. “The group is often kayaking, biking, hiking or camping.”

Instead of watering down the tours because of worries that older members might not be as interested, Oberlin College presented an adventure product that they thought would

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attract only younger alums but that ended up also interesting older members.

If segmenting tours with highly active and passive activities won’t work with your group, optional excursions can help all types of travelers feel welcome on the tour. For example, one afternoon in Theodore Roosevelt National Park allows members to choose between a guided horseback ride and a ranger talk about the president’s Maltese Cross Cabin.

Though finalized details may differ greatly, immersive park tours allow participants to connect more deeply with these national treasures.

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C A R E E R

C O R N E R

SPECIAL

interest tours

WINE TOURS

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BY BRIAN JEWELL

N

othing says luxury in travel like good wine.

If you have sophisticated travelers among your membership, chances are that some of them enjoy wine and wine culture.

For these travelers, a wine tour might be the most exciting trip you could offer. And wine-focused tours might be clever ways to entice some of your members that haven’t traveled with you before to give your trips a chance.

To give you some insight on how to put together wine tours that will win with your travelers, we spoke with representatives of two high-quality wine regions — New York’s Finger Lakes and Oregon’s Willamette Valley — and gathered five tips for helping you plan a wine trip for your group.

1) FIND AN INVITING WINE REGION TO VISIT.

For many people, a wine vacation means a pilgrimage to Napa Valley in California or to the French countryside. And although these are worldclass wine destinations, trips to these areas can be expensive and crowded. So before taking the leap to California or Europe, consider visiting one of the other wonderful wine regions in the United States.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley, which stretches roughly from Portland to Eugene, is a great West Coast alternative to Napa or Sonoma.

“We’re home to a little over 500 wineries in the valley, and most of them are pinot noir producers,” said Becca Barnhart, public relations and marketing manager for the Willamette Valley Visitors Association. “We have wine throughout the entire region.

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It’s really different, and there’s wonderful geographic diversity.”

The Finger Lakes region of central New York is another interesting wine destination, featuring more than 130 wineries, many that sit overlooking the lakes.

“The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail was the first wine trail in America,” said Laury Poland, president of the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Alliance.

“That lake is under 40 miles from tip to tip, so traversing the trail is not very time consuming.”

2) PLAN WITH EXPERTS.

The country’s most prominent wine destinations have quite a bit of infrastructure dedicated to moving tourists from winery to winery. But you don’t need a wine train or a commercial wine tour company to give your group an excellent wine experience.

Working with local tourism offices and visitors bureaus will help you put together itineraries that include the best stops in the area and identify which wineries are well equipped to work with groups.

“Sometimes smaller wineries don’t allow large buses, because they don’t want a 54-person group to overwhelm their tasting room,” Poland said. “If you have more than eight people, you need to call ahead. If you go on our website, you can look at maps of the lakes and plot out the wineries you want to visit.”

In Oregon, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association has produced themed itineraries and maps, such as “Long Weekend in Oregon Wine Country,” that offer information about wineries, and ideal timing and routing; that way, travelers can spend their time enjoying the wineries instead of organizing their trip.

Top: A New York vineyard, courtesy Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Alliance Bottom: The founders of Oregon White Truffle Oil, courtesy Oregon Wine Country M A Y / J U N E

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3) ASK FOR SPECIAL EXPERIENCES.

One of the downfalls of planning wine-themed tours is that they can become somewhat repetitive as wineries tours and tasting experiences begin to blend together in the minds of travelers. To make the trip more memorable, consider asking wineries for special experiences that will thrill wine novices and experts alike.

“Some of our wineries offer a tasting class with the winemaker along with the winery tour,” Barnhart said. “If you contact them ahead of time, they can often open up the cellar and do a barrel tasting or a private tasting. Some sort of activity like that is always available if you ask.”

In the Finger Lakes, Poland said the Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery offers a high-end activity for groups that is very popular, called the 1886 Reserve Tasting Room Experience.

“This winery produces phenomenal wines, and they have opened the 1886 Reserve Room for higher-end, more-exclusive tastings,” she said. “It changes every month to focus on a different type of wine. You get the local flavor and history and one-on-one attention from the winemakers and owners.”

4) INCLUDE OTHER FOODS AND DRINKS.

Wine tasting might be the headliner on your wine tours, but you shouldn’t focus on wine to the exclusion of other food and drink experiences. Many areas that have interesting wine cultures also enjoy fabulous culinary scenes with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. And some are branching out into other types of beverages as well.

The 1886 Reserve Tasting Room Experience in New York features high-end food pairings along with the wines visitors taste,

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giving them a lunch’s worth of small bites. And that’s just one example: Poland said many of the wineries in the area include restaurants run by celebrated chefs where visitors can linger over a meal and enjoy lakefront views and live music during the evenings.

The Finger Lakes is also home to a growing craft brewing and distilling scene, and including a handful of these kinds of stops on the tour will help engage travelers who might prefer beer and spirits to wine.

5) DON’T FORGET OTHER ATTRACTIONS.

A good wine trip should include plenty of winery tours and tastings, but it would be foolish to overlook the other enjoyable experiences that destinations offer. To keep the days interesting — and keep the travelers sober — consider interspersing the wine activities with visits to other area attractions.

“We have an adventure company called Evergreen Escapes in Portland that offers a Wine and Waterfalls tour,” said Barnhart.

“It’s a full day of tastings and waterfall excursions, because we have a lot of waterfalls that are really accessible.”

Since the Willamette Valley is such an outdoor paradise, locals encourage visitors to mix their wine tasting with activities that will help them enjoy the natural abundance of the area.

“We try to stay health conscious and make sure you’re doing something active, and then you get rewarded by going to a winery,” Barnhart said. “We have options such as you-pick farm tours or covered-bridge tours. There are also included cultural and historical opportunities for museums and shopping in downtowns.”

Top: Williamette Valley Vineyard, courtesy Oregon Wine Country Right: Wine tasting, courtesy Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Alliance Left: 1886 Reserve Tasting Room Experience, courtesy Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Alliance

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W H E R E

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walnut creek chamber of commerce and visitors bureau WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA TRIP: Croatia, Pearl of the Adriatic TOUR OPERATOR: Jet Vacations DATE: October 2016 The Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce explored exotic Croatia for nine days in October. The group added a pretrip jaunt in Montenegro and a posttrip journey to Venice, Italy. In Croatia, the tour stopped at numerous cities, among them Dubrovnik, Ston, Split and Motovun.

“We were overwhelmed by the treasure trove of historic architecture and preserved works of art in Croatia. The tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park was a magical display of waterfalls and dense forests. The spectacular hilltop views from Motovun appear to have changed little since the 12th and 13th centuries. We even found time to hunt for truffles in the Mirna Valley. The spectacular coastline of Croatia is something everyone should see.”

— MARCIE HOCHHAUSER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

southwest bank FORT WORTH, TEXAS TRIP: Magnificent Michigan and Mackinac Island TOUR OPERATOR: Cruises and Tours Worldwide DATE: June 2016 For five nights, the Southwest Club learned why Michigan often wins praise for its stunning scenery. Besides Mackinac Island, the group toured Frankenmuth and Traverse City.

“Our travelers are still talking about this trip. Our stay at the Grand Hotel included a horse-drawn-carriage tour of the charming, unspoiled Mackinac Island. There were numerous highlights, including the Henry Ford Museum, Castle Farms of Charlevoix, Leland’s Fishtown and beautiful Lake Michigan.”

— JILL BALL, ASSISTANT TRAVEL CLUB DIRECTOR

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