LEISURE GROUP TRAVEL • FEBRUARY 2020
FEBRUARY 2020
A SCRUMPTIOUS WAY TO SEE THE WORLD • BEER AND BARBECUE IN MEMPHIS • MISSISSIPPI WRITERS TRAIL SHARES CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Beer and Barbecue in Memphis Exploring the best food of a signature American city
A SCRUMPTIOUS WAY TO SEE THE WORLD Culinary travel is a thriving industry
Mississippi Writers Trail Shares Cultural Contributions Trail tells tales of the state’s literary history
www.LeisureGroupTravel.com
What’s Cooking in New England?
Recreational cooking for groups is a popular pastime A Premier Travel Media publication • LeisureGroupTravel.com
A new perspective from the Sea
The perfect way to spend time as a group and travel the world!
Live La Dolce Vita! On a Costa Cruise, you can experience the best of Italy in this fully immersive international experience without the international price tag! With over 250 destinations that we travel to, some of the most popular destinations are in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and Dubai. Enjoy hassle free planning and multiple destinations in a single vacation. Travel in a group and enjoy a cruise that is the best value for the money and the perfect alternative to a traditional cruise experience. For more information and reservations, please contact your travel professional, visit costacruises.com or contact us at 1-800-GO-COSTA (1-800-4626782). Monday – Friday 9 am8 pm ET.
Ships’ Registry: Italy 8066 1/20
SI
SITE INSPECTION
Costa Ships Serve up a Taste of Italy An Italian-inspired lifestyle highlights the onboard experience
T
he luxury ships of Costa Cruises offer groups a boatload of vacation memories seasoned with the line’s trademark Italian flair. From entertainment to dining to decor, there’s a touch of Italy and its inimitable zest for life. All 14 ships fly the Italian flag. Nowhere is the Italian vibe more noticeable than in the main dining room of each ship. In addition to gastronomic offerings from around the globe, dinner time brings Italian specialties like fillet of beef alla Rossini and cappelletti with braised meat. Pasta is done al dente, and the wines come from vineyards across Italy. Each wine is chosen by the Italian Sommeliers Association and expertly paired with the authentic flavors. Some 400 items, prepared with quality ingredients and attention to detail, represent 16 regions of Italy. The mozzarella cheese made onboard appears in many dishes, including the pizzas and calzones at Pummid’oro Pizzeria. Costa has formed partnerships with many Italian food and beverage brands, including Barilla pasta, Illy coffee and Agrimontana ice cream. Birrificio Angelo LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
Poretti Pub offers up some of Italy’s best craft beer. The Aperol Spritz Bar serves the classic Italian aperitif, and in a classy corner of Costa ships, the Ferrari Wine Bar features Ferrari Spumante, the Italian bubbly of excellence. The Italian-inspired cruise line also values its relationship with Bruno Barbieri, Italy’s top chef. His menus give guests a chance to sample regional specialties from all over Italy. The author of 11 cookbooks and the star of popular TV programs, Barbieri is the Italian chef with the most Michelin stars. Reducing food waste is a big part of Costa Cruises’ sustainability initiative. Its 4GOODFOOD program, a global first for the cruise industry, encourages passengers to be responsible in their choices at the buffets through a “Taste Don’t Waste” campaign. Chefs are asked to create menus that don’t allow for a lot of excess waste, and galley staff are trained to prevent food loss. The line’s goal is to cut food waste in half by 2020. 4GOODFOOD has allowed it to donate surpluses to charitable organizations in ports of call.
Local sourcing and prioritizing seasonal availability of produce also reflect Costa’s commitment to sustainability, as do efforts to reduce environmental impact by way of recycling and reduced energy and water consumption. The brand’s new flagship, the Costa Smeralda, is its first vessel to be fueled by liquefied natural gas, an advanced technology that significantly cuts emissions. Known for its international passenger mix, Costa Cruises is Italy’s biggest travel company and one of Europe’s largest. A leader in the Mediterranean market, it also deploys ships in the Caribbean, Northern Europe, South America, the Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Far East, visiting more than 250 ports on five continents. A world of possibilities awaits your group on a floating Costa Cruises resort that embodies the beauty, style and hospitality of Italy.
COSTA CRUISES
800-462-6782 groupsales@us.costa.it www.costacruises.com
February 2020 ■ 3
CONTENTS
February 2020 Vol. 30 No. 1
FEATURES 9
A Scrumptious Way to See the World By Jason Paha Groups are integrating culinary experiences into their travel plans
SPECIAL SECTIONS 25
Religious Travel Planning Guide We spotlight some of the best faith-based locations to visit
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GROUP-FRIENDLY MUSEUMS GUIDE These fabulous museums will be the star of your group’s itinerary
DESTINATIONS 12
SOUTH
BEER AND BARBECUE IN MEMPHIS By Miles Dobis These group-friendly restaurants showcase the best of a signature American culinary city
16
MISSISSIPPI WRITERS TRAIL SHARES THE STATE’S CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS By Dave Bodle Trail expands on Mississippi’s rich literary history
20
MAKE MISSISSIPPI MEMORIES ON THE HOT TAMALE TRAIL By Dave Bodle
The tamale’s popularity has cemented its place in the Mississippi culinary scene
41 49
CENTRAL
ESCAPE ON THE LAKE By Mary Lu Laffey Dining cruises make a big splash with groups
EAST
WHAT’S COOKING IN NEW ENGLAND? By Mary Lu Laffey Recreational cooking for groups is a popular pastime
WEST
52 56
CRUSHING ON CANDY By Kathy Nolan Indulge your sweet tooth at these West Coast shops
INT’L
FLAVORS OF JAPAN By Randy Mink Sampling one of the world’s great cuisines on a one-week whirlwind tour
LATEST & GREATEST 24 SOUTH 48 CENTRAL 4
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51 EAST 55 WEST 59 INT’L
COLUMNS 6 ON MY MIND B y J e f f G ayd uk
8 ON TOUR B y M a rty S a rb ey
de
S o uto
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
SMOKY MOUNTAIN TOUR GUIDE
F
or centuries, people have been coming to these mountains for the inspiring beauty of God’s creation. The peaks and vistas of Mount LeConte are obvious but the coves and meadows here in the mountains make a haven for wildlife and explorer alike. Then there are the people. Understanding their connection to the land is necessary to understand the people of the Smoky Mountains. No one leaves here unchanged. We like to think it is a change for the better.
Check out the online version or download a print copy at: leisuregrouptravel.com/smoky-mountain-tour-guide
VISIT LEISUREGROUPTRAVEL.COM STILL HUNGRY FOR MORE GREAT CONTENT? Check out more recent articles on leisuregrouptravel.com • Mesa Area Offers Bushels of Agritourism Opportunities • Top Driving Safety Tips for Group Travel • Holocaust and Homeland Horrors
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Odyssey Chicago River Cruise
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et weekly digests of all the best online content with InSite, our free Friday e-newsletter, at: bit.ly/2nhxPvY
ON THE COVER: Photo courtesy of maroznc/iStock.com
February 2020 ■ 5
ON MY MIND
By Jeffrey Gayduk
Vol. 30, No. 1 February 2020 Editorial & Advertising Office 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 info@ptmgroups.com
Publisher – Jeffrey Gayduk jeff@ptmgroups.com
The Next Wave?
I
n doing research for a new book I’m writing on how to start a travel club, I started finding some pretty unique tour outfits. They weren’t traditional tour operators that focus on outbound. These operators, on the other hand, reversed the tide – promoting a specific type of trip or activity in a set geographic area. I’d call them receptive operators, but they’re really not. Receptives handle step-ons, hotels, meals and attractions, packaging it all up and reselling it. These folks do just one thing. Think kayak tours, Segway tours, bicycle tours, walking tours, art lovers’ tours, pizza tours or ghost tours. Just about anything you can imagine someone would want to see or do, there is now a tour & activity company. While these operators have always existed in some way, shape or form, their numbers have exploded thanks to online booking technology. Yes, that very same thing that caused the demise of tens of thousands of travel agents has spawned a new breed of tour company. The other main reason is consumers’ quest for new and different. No longer are travelers content to see a destination through the windshield of a bus or car. They want to experience it! And that’s what these operators do, with fully immersive activities that do deep dives into all different levels of travel. I interviewed TripAdvisor, one of the big aggregators of tour and activity data. Their estimate was 20,000 companies offering north of 50,000 different types of tours. That’s huge, but only the tip of the iceberg. Consider the relatively new Airbnb Experiences where locals share their part of the world via guided hikes, pottery classes, epic photo shoots or woodworking classes. Many of these companies are still in their infancy. And while you can expect some to wash out, consumer demand is definitely asking for more. Tours, activities and attractions is travel’s third largest sector, and the fastest growing according to Arrival. A recent survey by Skift shows that 67% of affluent travelers would rather spend their money on activities than a nicer hotel. This market is expected to surpass $183 billion this year and people don’t want to go back to being bored on vacation, so expect more unique tour & activity experiences in destinations big and small. Happy Traveling,
Associate Publisher – Dave Bodle dave@ptmgroups.com
Managing Editor – Jason Paha
jason@ptmgroups.com
Senior Editor – Randy Mink randy@ptmgroups.com Associate Editor – Miles Dobis
miles@ptmgroups.com
Production & Marketing Coordinator – Annie Gavin annie@ptmgroups.com
Chief of Content & Technology – Lance Harrell
lance@ptmgroups.com
Director, Design & Production – Lisa Hede lisa@ptmgroups.com
Vice President – Theresa O’Rourke Midwest, Frontier/Mountain West P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 theresa@ptmgroups.com
Regional Business Development Managers Midwest, Mid-Atlantic/New England – Tom Tobiason P 630.794.0696 • F 630.794.0652 tom@ptmgroups.com
South/West Coast – Cheryl Rash P 563.613.3068 • F 815.225.5274 cheryl@ptmgroups.com
The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes no responsi bility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information published, but the publisher makes no warranty that listings are free of error. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited photos, slides or manuscripts.
Leisure Group Travel (ISSN-1531-1406)
is published bi-monthly by Premier Travel Media, 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406, Willowbrook, IL 60527. The magazine is distributed free of charge to qualified tour operators, travel agents, group leaders, bank travel clubs and other travel organizations. Other travel-related suppliers may subscribe at the reduced rate of $12.00 per year. The regular sub scrip tion price for all others is $18.00 per year. Single copies are $4.95 each.
Send Address Change to: Premier Travel Media 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 A
Jeff Gayduk Publisher
6
■ February 2020
publication
All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Columbus group tours are designed to be as fun as they are intriguing. Choose
from a variety of guided tours and hands-on experiences, including a visit to the
recently opened National Veterans Memorial and Museum. For your groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next memorable getaway, visit experiencecolumbus.com/tours.
ON TOUR
By Marty Sarbey de Souto, CTC
Accidents and Illness on Tour
H
aving recently witnessed a serious illness and subsequent death in my family, I now ask myself “What if this had occurred with one of my tour members out on the road traveling? Would I have known how to handle it? Would most tour leaders know what to do?” Particularly if we frequently handle seniors on our travel programs, it’s possible an incident could occur on any trip, even with the best of advance preparation. But, it’s also possible that your travelers, be they seniors, children or anywhere in between, might need medical attention en route. A good start is to be sure that prior to departure all tour members have filled out a personal information form for you, the tour leader, answering questions about their health. The form should also require that each tour member list contact numbers
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of family at home as well as the name and contact information of their personal doctor at home. These contacts can be of invaluable help to you, the en route leader, who may find it necessary to seek local medical help and often arrive at a quick decision as the trip moves along. Often, these decisions must be reached between you, an ill or injured tour member and local medical people whom you may have found necessary to bring into the picture. Many times, you may find yourself dealing with the house doctor of the hotel where your group is staying. It might also be a local hospital or it could be a medical resource suggested by your coach driver or local step-on guide. You will want to do everything necessary to facilitate your tour member opting to be examined by local medical personnel so a decision can be reached as to
the best ongoing procedure to follow. You must be prepared to walk a fine line. On the one hand, you may need to insist the tour member be seen en route by local medical personnel even when the tour member in question insists “it’s nothing.” On the other hand, you may feel the trip participant just needs a little empathy and personal attention from tour personnel or medical resources along the way and the ill or injured individual is best served by waiting until you next pull into “civilization” rather then risking a visit to the local snake charmer. If the trips you are offering are considered adventure trips, it’s important the promotional material you are using to sell such a trip state the inherent risks. For example, Abercrombie & Kent, a well-known deluxe adventure travel company, states “There are many inherent risks in adventure travel of the type involved here, which can lead to illness, injury, or even death. These risks are increased by the fact that these trips may take place in remote locations, far from medical facilities. Guest assumes all such risks associated with participating in these trips.” That’s telling it like it is, not sugar-coating the possibilities of danger. The above-mentioned examples may sound extreme to you and may, in fact, frighten you from offering specific types of off-thebeaten-track travel experiences. However, publication of what’s involved is by far the most honest route to offering unique travel experiences for today’s traveler who is looking for more than experiences just like at home. A unique trip can often light the way to a travel undertaking, a future career path and a human experience unlike any other. Nevertheless, in offering this trip to your clientele, you should be sure to publish a responsibility clause along with it, absolving your organization/company.
Marty is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) with a long history in the travel/tourism industry. She has been a tour operator, worldwide trip leader, college tourism instructor and textbook author. Her consulting firm is Sarbey Associates (sarbeyassociates.com)
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
CULINARY TOURISM
A SCRUMPTIOUS
WAY
TO SEE THE
WORLD
GROUPS ARE INTEGRATING CULINARY EXPERIENCES INTO THEIR TRAVEL PLANS By Jason Paha
S
ure, the Roman Colosseum is astounding, but is it a better religious experience than assaulting your taste buds with fiery Nashville hot chicken? And certainly, the Eiffel Tower is breathtaking, but is a journey to Paris more enriching than biting into slowcooked Texas barbecue? The answer to those questions depends on what kind of traveler you are. For as long as wanderlust has existed, travelers have largely chosen their destinations for traditional reasons (IE: visiting the Roman Colosseum and Eiffel Tower). In recent years though, culinary travel, which was once a niche market, has significantly increased in popularity. Erik Wolf, executive director of the World Food Travel Association,
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February 2020 â&#x2013; 9
CULINARY TOURISM
Travelers are increasingly searching for lovely views to accompany their meals.
“93 percent of respondents participated in a unique food or beverage activity while traveling in the previous two years.” – WFTA Food Travel Monitor survey
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says in the 2019 WFTA State of the Food Travel Industry Report, consumers are more obsessed than ever with quality food and drink products and experiences. And because of this, food and beverage now make a profound impact on the experience that most travelers have today. Citing its 2016 Food Travel Monitor survey, the WFTA says 93 percent of respondents participated in a unique food or beverage activity while traveling in the previous two years, a considerable increase over past studies. That same survey found 80 percent of leisure travelers had been motivated to visit a particular destination because of a culinary activity or attraction. “People are more aware of food than ever before,” said Matthew Stone, hospitality and tourism professor at California State University, Chico. “From the Food Network and the Travel Channel, people are so familiar with the food part of travel. “Food is a way to connect with the culture,” Stone added. “In this time where we want to live like a local and travel like a local, food gets us connected to locals. I don’t need to visit the Willis Tower every time I go to Chicago, but I can go back to my favorite pizza place or find a new café. When I go back to Paris, I’ve seen the Mona Lisa and I don’t have to see it again. But I will go back to restaurants that I’ve been to before. Some attractions are static, but food isn’t.” Another reason culinary travel seems to have spiked in recent years is its appeal to modern travelers from a social and social media standpoint. “Everyone can enjoy food and go to a restaurant together,” said Stone, who is also the lead research advisor for the WFTA. “It’s one thing you can do while traveling that is social. Museums aren’t necessarily social, neither is the opera or symphony. You are together in the same place but you don’t get to interact the same way we do over food. “Culinary is a really cool way to not only connect with the locals, but to connect the people of your group together,” Stone added. “Culinary gives you shared experiences. Cooking classes, festivals, specialized tours. Younger generations are going to more food fests and wine fests. When they attend these fests, even for a short period of time, they feel like they are in on the local culture.” >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Food is considered a good way to connect with the local culture.
“All travelers eat and drink,” said Jane Connelly, project manager for the WFTA. “They can return home with memories of chain hamburgers and chain coffee or they can leave with memories, photos and video of unique and memorable food and drink experiences.” When asked the primary reasons behind the burgeoning culinary movement, Connelly lists social media as one of the most prominent examples. With Facebook reporting 2.4 billion monthly active users (88 percent of which are mobile users) and Instagram having 1 billion monthly active users, there is a hefty number of people snapping and perusing photos. This inspires food-savvy travelers to up their eating game when they are on vacation. With so many social media lovers arranging restaurant and café reservations while traveling, destinations and tour operators are embracing the trend. Ninety percent of experts polled by the WFTA agreed that because of the importance of food and drink to a region’s sociocultural and environmental framework, food tourism should play a greater role, namely to educate visitors while they are being fed or entertained. “Some of the things we are seeing is more specific food tours,” Stone said. “It might be taking a food and wine tour of France or you can go to California or Belgium and have experiences no one else LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
is having but you. Groups are adding biking food tours or connecting art and food onto a tour. We are also seeing more focus on production, like olive oil and cheese (tours), going beyond simple wine tours.”
Tour operators’ emphasis on culinary tourism has proven beneficial to themselves, destinations and the travelers alike. Which suggests the culinary tour market will only continue to grow. “Overall, culinary travelers are spending more,” Stone said. “With culinary travel, you’re more likely to go to a sporting event or see performing arts. If (operators) can identify culinary travelers, they can identify travelers who will spend more money.” “Culinary tourism is a win-win-win type of industry,” Connelly added. “If done correctly, all players involved will enjoy the benefits of culinary tourism. For food-loving travelers, they get to carry with them unforgettable memories and experiences for the rest of their lives. For tour operators, they get to support local business and help preserve a destination’s culinary culture. And for the small business involved, they get an increase of clients and visitors who value the storytelling and people behind the small businesses.”
February 2020 ■ 11
SOUTH
REGION
&
BEER BEE BARBE BARBECUE in Memphis 12
â&#x2013; February 2020
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
These group-friendly restaurants showcase the best of a signature American culinary city
A Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous
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By Miles Dobis
city of iconic sights and sounds, Memphis conjures visions of Beale Street’s neon signs and the rhythms of Stax Records. After visiting iconic sites like Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum, your group can literally taste the city’s diverse culinary tradition at its legendary barbecue joints, brew pubs and classic diners. These restaurants can accommodate groups and showcase the best of Memphis cuisine. Sit in Elvis Presley’s favorite booth and order his signature fried peanut butter and banana sandwich at The Arcade—the oldest restaurant in Memphis. Founded by immigrant Speros Zepatos in 1919 and named for the Greek Revival style of his homeland, the restaurant is now under third generation ownership and remains one of America’s iconic diners. Easily accessible by the trolley line and located in the South Main Arts District, the Arcade has recently opened a new back room where groups can relax at large tables and chow down on house specials like the Downtowner Pizza (a Greek classic topped with feta cheese, artichoke hearts and olives) and the Southern-style breakfast entrees like country-fried steak and biscuits and gravy. Often voted the best barbecue in Memphis, Central BBQ is a sensibly priced and mouthwatering introduction to the city’s greatest culinary contribution. The bustling dining room serves no-frills classics like pulled pork sandwiches, ribs and smoked sausages on wax paper with traditional sides such as green beans, coleslaw and mac-n-cheese. Adventurous diners will want to try the barbecue nachos, a southwestern twist on a Memphis classic that consists of tortilla chips topped with melted cheese, barbecue sauce and jalapeño peppers. At Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous, visitors pass under a 1940s awning and descend to a basement dining room where seemingly every inch is crammed with Memphis memorabilia or hungry guests eager to taste some of the February 2020 ■ 13
nation’s best barbecue. This classic eatery was established in 1948 when Charlie Vergo discovered a coal chute in his restaurant and began selling pulled pork sandwiches and ribs to downtown Memphis workers. Today, your group can sit at a table with a traditional red-and-white checkered tablecloth and settle in for a family-style meal of ribs, pork shoulder and fried shrimp accompanied by freshly brewed sweet tea. A multistory seafood restaurant, bar and live performance venue, Lafayette’s Music Room provides groups with a Memphis culinary experience they won’t soon forget. Visitors can choose from two outdoor patios, an upper-deck dining space or the dance floor itself to sample cuisine inspired by the Mississippi Delta and New Orleans. House specialties include poboy sandwiches, shrimp-and-grits, baked oysters and wood-fired pizzas, and groups can enjoy two live performances by local blues and jazz groups. An eclectic dining space filled with midcentury soda posters, exposed brick walls, neon signs and industrial touches in the bar and entryway, Young Avenue Deli is the ideal spot for a group lunch as you tour the trendy Cooper-Young neighborhood. Sophisticated pub fare includes fried artichoke hearts, sweet potato fries and a “Super Veggie” sandwich made with roasted red peppers, lettuce, feta and black olives on a pita. You can also try over 100 beers available
Lafayette’s Music Room
in bottles or on tap, many from Tennessee breweries. Even if you aren’t hungry, feel like a local as you play a round of billiards, cheer for the Memphis Grizzlies on a massive projection screen or listen to up-and-coming musical acts in the performance space. Known to craft beer aficionados across the country, Wiseacre Brewing Co. is the perfect place for your group to take a load off after exploring the Broad Avenue Arts District. Opened by brothers Davin and Kellan Bartosch in 2013, the business has blossomed into an expansive backyard patio space where groups can hear local musicians and taste barbecue from Memphis food trucks while sipping a brew. Some of the most popular creations include Ananda (an IPA with citrus hop notes),
Loflin Yard
Gotta Get Up to Get Down (a stout made with Ethiopian coffee beans) and the Tiny Bomb (a pilsner spiked with wildflower honey to create a clover aroma). If your party is visiting on a Saturday, Wiseacre offers tours of the brewing facility that include four samples and a souvenir glass. An innovative space that melds the concept of a food hall with the Southern tradition of backyard get-togethers, Loflin Yard is a revitalized acre that has transformed into a social dining space. Group members can split up to order a drink from the restored carriage house, listen to live music on the lawn or enjoy a freshly prepared burger from the smokehouse. Afterwards, gather together under the expansive patio to people-watch or enjoy a barrel-aged nightcap.
Young Avenue Deli
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>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Relax and reconnect with your family at Colonial Williamsburg. You are invited to an unforgettable vacation filled with the people, places and programs that make art and history come alive.
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
Group Sales groupsales@cwf.org 800-228-8878 colonialwilliamsburg.com/ GroupTours
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Williamsburg, Virginia
History Comes Alive at Colonial Williamsburg Day 1
Day 2
A day in Colonial Williamsburg begins with a visit to the Capitol, a recreation of the building that served as the home for the House of Burgesses – colonial Virginia’s representative government. Here visitors can witness laws being passed and debates over American independence. Continue down Duke of Gloucester Street by foot or buggy to Raleigh Tavern, where you can debate American sovereignty with local patriots or learn about 18th-century brewing techniques. At the Apothecary you’ll learn about how much medicine has changed since the days of George Washington, while the Foundry demonstrates how buckles, knobs and utensils were created using metal castings. Take time in the afternoon to visit the many craftspeople that create objects using accurate period tools. Weavers, wigmakers and wheelwrights are all willing to share their knowledge and discuss their art. Be sure to see the Fife and Drum Corps march down Duke of Gloucester Street, one of the most iconic parts of Colonial Williamsburg. After a long day of walking, relax at one of the Historic Taverns and enjoy one of the evening programs.
Your second day begins with a journey through the Governor’s Palace, which evokes the grandeur of Virginia’s early state government before the capital was relocated to Richmond in 1780. Famous occupants included Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. Your group will pass through the elegant dining room and reception areas. Down the road lies the Colonial Garden, which grows herbs and vegetables using accurate 18th-century methods. Further down the Palace Green your group will find the George Wythe House, home to the prominent attorney who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. On the corner lies Bruton Parish Church, a threecenturies-old Episcopal worship center where several Founding Fathers worshiped. Be sure to observe a trial at the Courthouse, one of Williamsburg’s signature attractions. Groups witness court sessions, prosecutions and justice meted out at the pillory and stocks outside. Few visitors realize that half of Williamsburg’s 18thcentury population was black. Groups can learn about the stark contrast of freedom and slavery throughout the town. The DeWitt-Wallace Decorative Arts Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Southern furniture and one of the largest collections of British ceramics outside England. Conclude your day with a hearty, colonialinspired meal at Chowning’s Tavern. Illuminated by candlelight, this restaurant serves old favorites such as Brunswick stew and Welsh rarebit as well as Shepherd’s Pye and Bangers & Mash.
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William Faulkner typewriter in Oxford
Photo courtesy of Visit Mississippi
MISSISSIPPI TOUR IDEAS
WRITERS TRAIL
SHARES CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS Trail expands on Mississippi’s rich literary history By David Bodle
M
ississippi writers have made vast contributions to the literary world. The state has produced a poet laureate, a Noble Prize winner, a National Book Award recipient and a Pulitzer recipient. Every region of the state will have inductees in the Writers Trail. The Mississippi Writers Trail is an initiative of the Mississippi Arts Commission. They are partnering with the Community Foundation for Mississippi, Mississippi Book Festival,
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Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Mississippi Library Commission and Visit Mississippi. Although just in the first chapter, several prominent writers have had the markers unveiled.
MARGARET WALKER Jackson Born in Birmingham, Alabama, she moved to New Orleans with her family and attended school and college before moving
to Chicago. She is a Northwestern graduate. The following year, she began work with the Federal Writers Project, a President Franklin D. Roosevelt Depression project. She was an active part of the Chicago Black Renaissance, and in 1943 she married Firnist Alexander and moved to Jackson. She obtained a master’s degree from the University of Iowa and returned to obtain a Ph.D. in 1965. Her 1942 collection For My People won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition. One of her best-known works, >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
EUDORA WELTY Jackson Born 1909 in Jackson, Welty is considered an important author of the 20th century. Although many of her stories were set in the South and portray the region’s language and culture, many critics believe Welty’s themes transcend regional lines. Her novel The Optimist’s Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973, while a Presidential Medal of Freedom and Order of the South have also been awarded to Welty. Her house in Jackson is designated a National Historic Landmark and open to the public. Her parents built the Tudor-style home in 1925. She resided in the Eudora Welty House for almost 80 years, writing
in an upstairs bedroom. Guided tours of the house and garden are offered Tuesday through Friday and second Saturdays. A group rate is available and reservations can be made by calling 601-353-7762, or contact weltytours@mdah.state.ms.us. Visit online at eudorawelty.org/the-house/
Photo courtesy of Visit Mississippi
Jubilee, tells the story of a slave family during and after the Civil War. Walker was a literary professor at what is now Jackson State University from 1949-70. Open to the public, the Margaret Walker Center honors her academic and artistic contributions with collections and exhibits of her work. Open Monday – Friday; groups are welcome. You can make reservations by calling 601-979-3935, or email mwa@jsums.edu. Learn more about the Margaret Walker Center at jsums.edu/ margaretwalkercenter/
WILLIAM FAULKNER Oxford Born in New Albany, Mississippi, Faulkner was the oldest of four brothers. After his first birthday, the family moved to Ripley and just prior to his fifth birthday the family moved to Oxford. His mother, maternal grandmother and Callie Barr, the African American nanny that raised him, introduced and influenced Faulkner’s view of visual language. Less than the perfect student, he often played hooky, repeated the 11th and 12th grades and never received a high school diploma. However, Faulkner was an outstanding listener and grew up hearing stories about the Civil War, slavery, the Faulkner family and the region they lived in. Faulkner is best known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, not surprisingly based on Lafayette County where he resided much of his life. Some of his most notable works are The Sound and the Fury (sixth on the list of the
Rowan Oak
100 best English language novels in the 20th century), As I Lay Dying, A Rose for Emily and Light in August. In 1949, Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Twice he received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and twice the National Book Award. The Mississippi Writers Trail marker honoring William Faulkner is located at Rowan Oak, home to the writer and his family for more than 40 years. The 29-acre property is located just south of the Oxford Square. Faulkner’s years at Rowan Oak were prolific as he brought much of his outstanding work to life there. Both adult and youth groups are welcome Tuesday through Saturday. For reservations, call 662-234-3284. Visit online at rowanoak.com. Significant Faulkner materials reside at the University of Mississippi. mwp.olemiss.edu//dir/ faulkner_william/
Photo courtesy of JR Gordon
ELIZABETH SPENCER Carrollton
Eudora Welty House
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Born 1921 in Carrollton, Mississippi, upon graduation from Belhaven College in Jackson, Spencer taught at Northwest Community College for two years and obtained a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University. She accepted a position at the Nashville Tennessean, but returned to teaching at the University of Mississippi. In 1953, she was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to Italy to pursue a writing career. In Italy, she married John Rusher and the couple moved to Montreal in 1956 where they remained for 30 years before moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She taught creative writing until her retirement. Spencer’s first novel, Fire in the Morning published in 1948, was followed by eight additional novels and eight short story February 2020 ■ 17
MISSISSIPPI TOUR IDEAS collections. The Light in the Piazza, published in 1960, was adapted to the wide screen in 1962 and became a Broadway musical in 2005. Elizabeth Spencer was a five-time recipient of the O. Henry Award for short fiction. The Mississippi Writers Trail marker honoring Elizabeth Spencer is located in front of the Merrill Museum on the Carrollton Courthouse Square. visitcarrolltonms.com/
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS Clarksdale The Mississippi influence on playwright Tennessee Williams had a lasting impact. Born in Columbus, Mississippi, the family shortly thereafter moved to Clarksdale. Although Williams struggled early in his career with both education and his writing, The Glass Menagerie turned the tide for him. Among the Pulitzer Prize winners, other notable works are Summer and Smoke, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending and A Streetcar Named Desire. In total, he authored more than two dozen plays, 10 screenplays,
more than 70 one-act plays, numerous short stories and two novels. The Tennessee Williams Mississippi Writers Trail Marker is located at Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale. A young Tom Williams (later to become Tennessee Williams) often visited with his grandfather, Rev. Walter Dakin. The Cutrers and the Mansion inspired characters and settings in several of Williams’ plays. cutrermansion.com/
SHELBY FOOTE AND WALKER PERCY Greenville Friends since their 1940s teenage days in Greenville, Mississippi, the two began a correspondence that continued until Percy’s death in 1990. A highly regarded writer, Walker Percy wrote six novels, most notably The Moviegoer, numerous essays and two philosophical volumes. Shelby Foote had modest success as a novelist, but his reputation is mostly tied to his three-volume narrative history of the Civil War and his role as commentator on Ken Burns’ The Civil War.
The two writers are recognized together as a result of The Correspondence of Shelby Foote and Walker Percy. The story traces their lives from the beginning of their careers, including ambitions, artistic challenges and problems. Although serious problems were discussed, good-natured kidding and sly humor are transparent throughout the letters. Both markers are located in front of the E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center in Greenville. The Center is home to the Greenville Arts Council and houses GAC-sponsored exhibits. visitgreenville.org/things-to-do/family/ ee-bass-center/ As you build your Mississippi itinerary, be certain to include as many stops on the Mississippi Writers Trail as possible. You’ll soon be seeing them in every region of the state. Still in its infancy, the trail will be unveiling many more significant Mississippi writers. It’s a story we cannot wait to tell. Begin your Mississippi travel by visiting visitmississippi.org.
Ridgeland
TRAVELING I-55 TO MEMPHIS OR NEW ORLEANS? perfect pass through spot between Memphis and New Orleans or Dallas and Atlanta.
Photo courtesy of Martin Ely
Stop in Ridgeland on your way and enjoy our 150 + restaurant options, boutique shopping and outdoor recreational activitites. We are located just outside of Jackson, MS off the Natchez Trace Parkway (National Park). We are the
Cutrer Mansion
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This three-day Central Mississippi itinerary will delight your senses as you take in historic sights, soulful sounds and savory bites of Southern fare in cities large and small. Your trip begins in the capital city of Jackson and then heads east to Meridian, a community full of history, culture and natural beauty.
VISIT MISSISSIPPI
Karen Matlock kmatlock@mississippi.org 601.359.3528 Visitmississippi.org
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Mississippi
Let Your Senses Come Alive Day 1
As Mississippi’s vibrant cultural center and home of the state capitol, Jackson offers the best of Mississippi hospitality, cuisine, music, entertainment and history. Visit the state’s largest collection of museums, including the new Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. There are also wonderful touring opportunities at the Capitol, Old Capitol Museum, Mississippi Museum of Art, Mississippi Ag & Forestry Museum and Eudora Welty Home and Garden. What’s a visit to the “City with Soul” without feeding your soul? Fuel up at Cultivation Food Hall at the District at Eastover, the first of its kind in the Magnolia State. Showcasing a collection of boutique restaurant concepts, specialty coffees and classic, craft cocktails, the food hall features the best culinary talent with an emphasis on a variety of local, chef-inspired concepts. Looking for live music with your dining experience? For more than 40 years, Hal & Mal’s has been a downtown institution for authentic Southern cooking and live acts. Grab a drink at the bar, admire the eclectic music memorabilia lining the walls and catch a performance in the restaurant while you eat. There are numerous lodging options in the Jackson area, but for an authentic stay, check out Jackson’s only designer boutique hotel, the Old Capitol Inn.
Day 2 Meridian soared during the timber and rail booms and continues to thrive, creating a cultural legacy that includes Jimmie Rodgers, “The Father of Country
Music.” Today, Meridian is a cultural center for the performing arts. Explore Rodgers’ and other famous Mississippians’ cultural legacies at the Mississippi Arts & Entertainment Experience, a state-of-the-art facility celebrating the state’s numerous musicians, actors, writers and other creative artists. While downtown, check out the MSU Riley Center, a fully restored 1889 grand opera house which still hosts performing acts throughout the year. Take a moment to browse Crooked Letter marketplace, which has curated handcrafted goods, from artisans across Mississippi, creating a hub for unique artwork, pottery, jewelry, food and more. Experience true Southern cuisine at Weidmann’s, a local institution founded in 1870, where specialties like shrimp and grits, the muffaletta and fried green tomatoes show the range of regional influences.
Day 3 Laurel is a quintessential small Southern town, and HGTV’s Erin and Ben Napier are working to preserve the close-knit charm defining their community. Begin your day at the couple’s home goods store, Laurel Mercantile. The Mercantile provides maps to explore Laurel’s historic streets where you can see some of their finest work from their HGTV program, Home Town. Stop by the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, home to thought-provoking exhibitions and stunning collection of silver, American art, European art and Japanese woodblock prints. Visit a 10-acre replica of a 19thcentury settlement at Landrum’s Homestead and Village. Shop antiques, art, boutiques and more in the quaint downtown Laurel area. February 2020 ■ 19
MISSISSIPPI TOUR IDEAS
Make Mississippi Memories on the Hot Tamale Trail
The tamale’s popularity and relationship to blues music has cemented its place in the Mississippi culinary scene • By David Bodle
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ississippi’s culinary culture is a delightful mixture of homegrown favorites and international contributions that accompanied immigrants. Having enjoyed some great Mississippi soul food, traditional Gulf seafood dishes and fabulous dining with a rooftop view of “Ol’ Man River,” the only thing missing from my Mississippi dining experience was to be found on the Hot Tamale Trail. Truth be told, I never had tamales prior to that experience, but that didn’t stop my adventure.
The first thing I learned, and it’s important, is don’t eat the corn husk. You can, however, use it as a plate. Next, the selection of tamale fillers is almost endless and only limited by your imagination. Any type of meat or poultry made fresh or leftovers will work. Fresh fish and shrimp are popular near the Gulf of Mexico. Refried beans, roasted vegetables or just a Mexican-style cheese are tasty as well. From meat lovers to vegetarians to vegans, there are tamales for each of us. Although no two tamale recipes are the same, authentic is what’s important.
How Tamales Got to Mississippi
Photo courtesy of Southern Foodways Alliance
A little history on how the tamale found its way to Mississippi and the Delta Region in particular is in order. Many believe it began after the Civil War with an influx of migrant workers and their recipes. Following the war, infrastructure restoration was needed and cotton was ready for harvesting. There was work to be had and not enough help available. Mexican workers filled the void. An opinion offered by some historians credit the tamale’s Mississippi introduction to soldiers returning home with recipes following the Mexican-American War, which took place between 1846 and 1848. Still others believe tamales can be traced back to indigenous American Indian cultures. Tamales are on menus throughout Latin America, but it was Mexican workers that brought the recipes we see on the Hot Tamale Trail. They settled in the Mississippi Delta region, better known for catfish, cotton and blues music. For more than 100 years, the tamale has been a staple of the Delta region from Vicksburg to Tunica.
Tamales and the Blues Tamales at Abe’s Bar-B-Q in Clarksdale.
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In August of 2011, in front of Joe’s Hot Tamale Place in Rosedale, the 138th Mississippi Blues Trail marker was >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Photo courtesy of Visit Mississippi
Doe’s Eat Place
Photo courtesy of Southern Foodways Alliance
At last count, there were more than two dozen stops on the Hot Tamale Trail.
Abe’s Bar-B-Q in Clarksdale
revealed. Hot Tamales and The Blues was the state’s first culinary marker. Tamales first appeared in recorded music when Rev. Moses Mason, a Louisiana native, recorded gospel songs and sermons. Included was a secular song, “Molly Man.” The year was 1928 and the song was about hot tamales. Robert Johnson, the legendary Delta blues artist and Mississippi native, recorded “They’re Red Hot” in 1936. The tamale song was one of 16 Johnson recorded during a studio session in San Antonio. Throughout the Delta region, hot tamales are being served with some great blues music.
The Hot Tamale Trail
At last count, there were more than two dozen stops on the Hot Tamale Trail. To most of the vendors that prepare tamales, LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
it’s simply something they like to do and take pride in doing. Some are as simple as a street cart like Greenville’s Hot Tamale Heaven. Others offer drive-through service. In Corinth, Dilworth’s Hot Tamales drivethrough is unique. You can also find good tamales at Rick’s Express Citgo/ Corner Market in Greenville. Many others, like Abe’s Bar-B-Q in Clarksdale, offer full-service menus with tamales being a featured item. Steven’s Bar-B-Q is Greenwood’s favorite meat-and-three restaurant with great tamales. Just about every vendor on the trail can accommodate smaller groups. Others welcome larger groups. In Rosedale, White Front Café/Joe’s Hot Tamale Place welcomes groups and is happy to do a cooking demonstration. Tony’s Hot Tamales in Jackson is a perfect stop when touring the city’s two amazing museums, Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. When in the Biloxi area, add Doris’ Hot Tamales to your itinerary. Do not be fooled by the name: The Donut Shop in Natchez is “The Home of Big Poppa’s Hot Tamales.” On most weekends at Clarksdale’s Ground Zero, real Delta music is played and fried hot tamales are served. To learn more about the Hot Tamale Trail and the vendors you can add to your itinerary, visit the Southern Foodways Alliance online at southernfoodways.org/oral-history/hottamale-trail. If your visit to the Hot Tamale Trail inspires you to bring the goodness to your kitchen, try the recipe on the Southern Foodways website. To begin planning your Mississippi tour and discover other culinary traditions, visit visitmississippi.org/things-to-do/ food-drink/culinary-trail.
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Discover the events, the icons, and the places that have played a vital role in shaping the history of Jackson, Mississippi as well as its present and its future. Walk in the footsteps of those that blazed the trail to equality and freedom and changed the face of Jackson, and America, forever.
VISIT JACKSON 601-960-1891 visitjackson.com
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Jackson, Mississippi
Civil Rights Heritage Tour Day 1
Day 2
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum shares the collective stories of a Mississippi movement that changed the nation. The museum promotes a greater understanding of the Mississippi civil rights movement and its impact by highlighting the strength and sacrifices of its peoples. Visitors will witness the freedom struggle in eight interactive galleries that show the systematic oppression of black Mississippians and their fight for equality that transformed the state and nation. After learning of the people and places that led to Jackson being one of the most pivotal locations during the civil rights movement, take time to visit the historical locations individually. Visit the Medgar Evers family home, and ultimately the location where the civil rights leader was assassinated. Be sure to visit Medgar’s NAACP field office located upstairs from the Big Apple Inn on historic Farish Street, where Geno Lee and his family still serve tamales, smokes and pig ear sandwiches for lunch. Historic Farish Street was the cultural and social hub for many African-American Mississippians. Many of the marches and boycotts of the civil rights movement were planned and executed on these streets. Jackson’s first public school for blacks, now the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, played an enormous role in the formation of the roots of this area. This 125-acre district is in the heart of downtown Jackson and contains over 690 structures/sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Johnny T’s Bistro & Blues serves up a large helping of southern cuisine with a side of the blues and F. Jones Corner is one spot where you will find the most authentic late-night blues.
View the bullet riddled wall in front of Alexander Hall located on the campus of Jackson State University, where a peaceful sit-in led to the deaths of two young black men and wounded a dozen more. The Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) was founded in 1961 and is also located on the JSU campus. COFO organized the voter registration project during Freedom Summer (1964). While on campus, you will also find the Margaret Walker Center for The Study of The African American Experience. Both an archive and museum open to the public; the Margaret Walker Center is dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of the African American experience. Situated on what was once the Boddie Plantation, Tougaloo College, a historically black, private, liberal arts institution, was founded in 1869. On a campus covered with centuries old magnolias and oaks, the college played a vital role in the Mississippi civil rights movement in the 1960s. Students of history will appreciate the Lillian Pierce Benbow Room of Special Collections in the Coleman Library where thousands of documents, tapes, photographs, and artifacts tell the story of the civil rights struggle. While immersing yourself in the history of Jackson’s civil rights, do not forget to experience the food and the music that so many turned to for comfort during such a troublesome time. The James Beard Foundation award-winning Bully’s Restaurant has been serving up authentic soul food for generations. It was once the go-to spot for the African American community, now the small tables are filled with locals and travelers, businessmen and construction workers, families and friends. >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
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SITE INSPECTION
Get an Authentic Appalachian Experience
Groups visiting North Carolina can’t miss the majestic mountains of Haywood County
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orth Carolina is often praised for its friendly metropolitan cities and quaint beach towns, mostly situated in the central or eastern portion of the state. But Western North Carolina is also worth a look. Haywood County, nestled in one stretch of the Smoky Mountains, offers visitors plenty of outdoor adventures, Instagramworthy views, historic sites and unmatched Appalachian hospitality.
Things to do in Haywood County
Haywood County is not only blessed with magical landscapes, challenging terrain and beautiful wildlife, it also boasts five cozy mountain towns filled with history and charm. Waynesville, the largest town in Haywood County, is the perfect place to begin any North Carolina tour. The downtown neighborhood, anchored by bustling Main Street, is walkable, making it easy for guests to saunter from place to place. Some of the best locally owned boutique shops and markets are on Main Street, selling artisan crafts, stunning art pieces, intricate antiques, and much more. Groups can take their palates on a whiskeytasting adventure at the Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley and can LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
take a tasting tour of the distillery. Groups visiting Haywood County can’t miss the Blue Ridge Parkway. While beautiful any time of year, the parkway is jaw dropping during leaf-peeping season, when trees turn shades of red, gold, and orange. The parkway is 469 miles long, with 46 of those miles winding through Haywood County. Those driving along the parkway enjoy amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the larger Appalachian Mountain range, as well as the valleys and countryside surrounding the peaks. The most scenic part is between milepost 405 and 455. Of course, there are many other must-stop points of interest along the way, including Graveyard Fields (milepost 418.8) and WaterRock Knob (milepost 451). Straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country. The largest portion of the park sits in North Carolina, and Haywood County boasts some of the most remote and memorable areas to visit. Visitors can enjoy a range of hiking trails, including Little Cataloochee Church Hike, which takes them past old settlements of cabins, cemeteries and the trail’s namesake chapel.
Places to Eat in Haywood County
Haywood County’s five mountain towns are not lacking when it comes to food. In fact, this corner of the state is a true foodie heaven, serving up everything from traditional Appalachian cuisine to hearty Southern classic to international favorites. Visitors fuel their day with plates stacked high with flat cakes at Joey’s Pancake House in Maggie Valley or they can fill their bellies at Southern Porch with twists on southern staples like Pimento Cheese Shrimp & Grits or a Mac & Cheeseburger. Then, wash it down with a cold brew while enjoying live music on the expansive outdoor patio. Regional favorites can be found at The Sweet Onion in Waynesville, dishing out fresh mountain trout and their signature pastas. Pick up something sweet at Kandi’s Cakes & Bakes Shop in Waynesville, offering iced cookies, custom cakes and handcrafted pastries.
VISIT NC SMOKIES VISITOR CENTER Ben Wilder Tourism Development Manager 800-334-9036 ben@visitncsmokies.com visitncsmokies.com
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Latest
& Greatest
Walt Disney World Opening New Attractions FLORIDA — Coming in early 2020 to the Canada Pavilion in Epcot Walt Disney World Resort is an update of the popular O Canada! 360-degree show. Awesome Planet, a new film highlighting the diversity of the planet, also opens in 2020. Coming to the France Pavilion are Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Le Creperie de Parris, both opening summer 2020. Opening spring 2020, Ice Breaker will be SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch roller coaster. Cirque du Soleil will open spring 2020 at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World Resort.
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SOUTH REGION ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: To view more news items, visit leisuregrouptravel.com/ category/industry-trends-news
Country Music Hall Offers New Exhibitions
TENNESSEE — The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville has set its 2020 roster of new exhibitions, aimed at entertaining and enlightening country music audiences and interpreting the ever-evolving story of the music and the people who make it. The annual exhibition American Currents: State of the Music will return in 2020 to offer insight into the latest chapter of country’s ongoing evolution as a popular art form. In addition, the museum will devote separate exhibits to the lives and careers of Country Music Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson, award-winning powerhouse vocalist Martina McBride and acclaimed artist Chris Stapleton. (countrymusichalloffame.org)
Country Music Hall of Fame
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Spiritual Transformation Through Travel Religious trips offer life-changing experiences
2020 EDITION
Spiritual Getaways Choices abound when it comes to retreat locations
A Premier Travel Media publication â&#x20AC;˘ www.ReligiousTravelPlanningGuide.com
Faith-based Travel That Will Stir Your Soul Religious tourism is growing in popularity
“THE MUST-SEE OF 2020!”
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Photo courtesy of the Angeles Crest Christian Camp
VOL. 10 • 2020 EDITION
Renew Your Spirit Through Travel
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elcome to the 2020 edition of Religious Travel Planning Guide. With religious tourism continuing to be one of the fastest-growing travel markets, more planners than ever are working with churches and other groups to develop programs with a spiritual element. Whether you’re organizing a oncein-a-lifetime retreat or an outing to a local shrine, this issue of Religious Travel Planning Guide will be a trusted resource. Full of ideas that will help you chart your course, the guide is a valuable research tool for anyone forming tour groups from churches, synagogues and other religious organizations. In this guide, we examine why faithbased tourism is important to both the travel industry and travelers alike; spotlight some of the country’s finest religious attractions; focus on some of the best religious retreat locations in America and discover how groups experience spiritual transformation through travel. We hope this 10th edition of Religious Travel Planning Guide, along with our online resources at religioustravelplanningguide.com, will inspire you to create meaningful travel programs for your community of faith. Happy Traveling,
F E AT U R E S
28 Faith-based Travel is Good for the Soul
BY JASON PAHA
Religious tourism continues to grow as more travelers embark on pilgrimages
30 Spiritual Getaways
BY RANDY MINK
Choices abound when it comes to retreat locations
32 Groups Experience Spiritual
Transformation Through Travel BY VANESSA DAY Religious trips offer some of the most life-changing experiences around
36 Take a Retreat to these
Faith-Based Attractions
BY DEVIKA HOSLA Explore the United States’ religious heritage and follow the path of Jesus Christ
SITE INSPECTIONS
35 Explore South Bend’s Religious Attractions
South Bend, Indiana is home to a variety of churches and museums
38 Religious History Comes Alive in Williamsburg
Jason Paha Managing Editor
religioustravelplanningguide.com
Journey back to the past with a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, America’s living-history museum COVER IMAGE: The Billy Graham Library, photo courtesy of David Berkowitz
Religious Travel Planning Guide
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Faith-based Travel is
Good Soul for the
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Religious tourism continues to grow in popularity as more travelers embark on pilgrimages By Jason Paha
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authentic experiences. A popular way for them to enjoy such ith an estimated 2.4 billion people (almost 30 experiences is by connecting to spiritual and cultural traditions. percent of the world’s population) claiming Tourists are clamoring to know more about the background of the to be Christian and another 3.5 billion location they are visiting in an effort to be more involved in the subscribing to Islamic, Hindu or Buddhist site’s spiritual aspects. faith, the majority of the planet identifies with a religious group. “Faith-based travel puts you with like-minded people also Which is good news for the faith-based travel industry. looking to strengthen their faith through travel, where they can see Religious tourism is one of the fastest-growing travel segments historic religious sights and experience once-in-a-lifetime events,” and according to recent studies an estimated 25 percent of U.S. said Kathleen Writer, president of Celtic Tours World Vacations. travelers are interested in taking a spiritual vacation. The World Perhaps the most notable religious event taking place in 2020 is Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates tourists take 600 the Oberammergau Passion Play, which has transpired every decade million national and international religious trips per year. It also since 1634 in Oberammergau, Germany. says 300 million travelers visit the world’s The play will unfold May 16-October 4 this major religious sites each year, which is a year and will feature 103 performances at fourth of all international tourist arrivals. the 4,500-seat Passion Play Theater. The The UNWTO says faith-based tourism play is expected to attract 450,000 visitors contributes $50 billion to $100 billion to the to the village of 5,500, an impressive global economy each year. tourism boon for the modest hamlet. While Clearly, faith-based tourism is important Oberammergau will attract a hefty crowd in to the travel industry. It’s also beneficial 2020, numerous other religious locales will to excursionists who utilize religious also draw their fair share of travelers. pilgrimages for a myriad of reasons including “The Vatican continues to be a draw for an opportunity to contemplate one’s faith, travelers,” Writer said. “Portugal has also the life of Jesus (or whatever religious figure been moving up as a desired destination for they follow) and to better understand and faith-based travel, with many churches and appreciate a religion. Research promoted sights for the faith-based. Medjugorje (a by the CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs (an town in Bosnia and Herzegovina) is another agency in the Netherlands) says tourists are Jerusalem spot that often is requested by groups.” increasingly looking for spiritual meaning Regardless of where religious travelers set and are searching for worthwhile events, their sights, tourism dollars not only flow to those locations, but spiritual and mindful relaxation and ways of slowing down. also to nearby destinations. A considerable trend among religious “Faith-based tourism connects people to their faith by visiting travelers is they enjoy blending the spiritual and secular elements places pertaining to specific church events,” said Nick Mancino of the destinations they visit. Thus, groups that visit Paris because of Regina Tours. “We know that (religious tourism) is growing they want to experience the majesty of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the by the number of people traveling and new companies adding the oldest church in Paris, will also venture to other famous landmarks faith-based aspect to their product.” like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles. And, of course, In many cases, these travelers prefer to do so in large numbers. those travelers will also visit many of the city’s restaurants and cafes, According to CBI, religious tourists prefer traveling in groups further boosting its coffers. The beauty of the faith-based market is its rather than as individuals. These tourists tend to be committed strength rarely wavers. Even when traditional travel staggers because travelers who save up for religious experiences, meaning the of an uncertain economy, the religious market is resilient and less religious tourism segment is less sensitive to economic ups and affected by negative news or safety fears. Which means faithdowns than the overall tourism market. A growing trend in the based traveling will likely continue to grow in ensuing years. faith-based market is travelers are increasingly searching for religioustravelplanningguide.com
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Choices abound when it comes to retreat locations
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Spiritual Getaways
Photo courtesy of the Angeles Crest Christian Camp
By Randy Mink
he foundation of a successful Christian retreat rests on a combination of lodging, meals, meeting spaces and a staff willing to address your group’s specific needs. And let’s not forget recreational options and the natural setting—many retreat centers are situated in some of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth. Planning a retreat that will make a difference in your church members’ lives calls for homework, and choosing the camp, conference center or school campus is certainly a key part of the process. Ideally, you will make a site visit and meet with the staff before making a commitment. If it’s a youth group, rustic cabins with bunk beds or dormitory-style lodging will suffice. For adults, you probably will want to elevate it a notch or two. Some retreat/conference centers and educational institutions have staff members who will help plan every aspect of your retreat. Others will just rent facilities and provide meals, leaving program development to you. On 206 waterfront acres overlooking the top of Chesapeake Bay, Sandy Cove Ministries in North East, Maryland, offers the ultimate setting for a seaside Christian retreat. Groups of all sizes have been coming to Sandy Cove for more than 70 years to reflect and renew their relationship with God. The hotelstyle Chesapeake Lodge & Conference Center, built in the 1980s, has 150 guest rooms and suites providing space for up to 600 overnight guests. There also are amenity-filled log cabins with full bathrooms, plus rustic cabins and a campground with both RV and tent sites. Photo caption
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Accommodations range from cottages, cabins and campsites to hotel and motel rooms with private bath. (laurelville.org) In the Blue Ridge Mountains near Hendersonville, North Carolina, the Episcopal Church’s Kanuga covers 1,400 acres, with a lake for swimming, fishing, canoeing and paddle boarding. Other recreational options: a gymnasium, climbing
and climbing wall. A chapel across from the pool seats 250 and is the largest indoor meeting space. The amphitheater is equipped with fiberglass benches, a campfire pit, and a stage with a movie screen and sound and lighting systems. (angelescrest.com) In western Indiana, the leafy campus of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Photo courtesy of Sandy Cove Ministries
In surveys asking guests how they describe Sandy Cove to their friends, the No. 1 response has been it is “the most soothing, relaxing, breathtaking place to retreat on Chesapeake Bay,” said Mark P. Fisher, Inspiring Growth CEO and former president of Sandy Cove Ministries. Meeting spaces at Sandy Cove include the Chapel, built in 1948 and updated in 2013; an auditorium seating up to 550; and meeting rooms for 20 to 100 guests. The Prayer Room, a quiet place to come and pray 24/7, has private prayer stations that guide you through a time of prayer and reflection, starting with adoration, then moving to confession and thanksgiving, and ending with supplication. Guests are invited to put their prayers to God on paper in “The Book of Remembrance.” Sandy Cove’s marina offers canoeing, kayaking and paddle boating. Other facilities include two outdoor swimming pools, an enclosed sports pool with hot tub, a fitness center with treadmills and other exercise machines, softball and soccer fields, indoor and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, tennis courts and a climbing wall, not to mention shuffleboard, mini golf and disc golf. (sandycove.org) In western Pennsylvania, Laurelville is the perfect Christian retreat center for communing with nature while connecting with God and fellow church members. Situated 45 minutes southeast of Pittsburgh, the woodland sanctuary lies in the foothills of the Laurel Highlands, which this year is enjoying notoriety as one of the Top 5 Emerging Destinations for 2020, as voted by readers of the website Travel Lemming. Founded by the Mennonite Church but open to all, it’s within driving distance of cities like Columbus, Cleveland and Harrisburg. Sprawling across 600 acres, Laurelville offers hiking trails, a swimming pool, ball fields, mini golf, and a gym for volleyball and basketball.
Sandy Cove retreat center overlooks Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.
wall, archery range, tennis courts and hiking trails. Groups can stay at the newly renovated, 61-room Kanuga Lake Inn or in cottages, guesthouses and dormitory-style buildings. Among the many gathering places are 18 meeting spaces, a historic chapel that seats 250 and three outdoor chapels. Kanuga has a labyrinth and meditation garden as well. (kanuga.org) Mountain views also provide inspiration at Angeles Crest Christian Camp, a 1½-hour drive from Los Angeles. Sitting at the pinnacle of the San Gabriel range, the campus spreads across 100 acres of Angeles National Forest. Promoted as “Southern California’s 5-Star Christian Camp,” Angeles Crest can handle groups of up to 250, with accommodations in two cabin areas. Each of the 19 cabins sleeps 14-16 persons in wood-frame bunk beds. The dining room offers all-you-caneat meals, and a large deck allows for outdoor dining in summer. Camp guests enjoy hiking trails, a swimming pool, and paddle boating and canoeing on the lake. Other recreational options include a paintball course, laser tag, sand volleyball, an archery range, zip line, trampoline
provides a peaceful setting 10 minutes from downtown Terre Haute. Founded in the mid-1800s under the leadership of Mother Theodore Guerin, a French nun who became Indiana’s first saint, the small Catholic school is awash in history. Retreat-goers, who stay in the cottage-like hermitages or nearby hotels, will find many points of interest, including a shrine and statue to Saint Mother Theodore, the exquisite Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the French-inspired Church of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. A herd of alpacas, raised for their soft fleece, highlight a walk through the organic farm and gardens, a project of the school’s White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. The outdoor Cosmic Walk, a spiral trail posted with 23 signs, takes you on a reflective journey through significant moments of the unfolding of life in the universe. The Sisters of Providence and other staff members at St. Mary-of-the-Woods will work with you to develop a retreat program on topics such as prayer, spirituality, contemplative living, Scripture and ecojustice. (sistersofprovidence.org) Religious Travel Planning Guide
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Religious trips offer groups some of the most life-changing experiences around
By Vanessa Day
he big travel buzzword these days is “transformation.” It’s hard to search a tour company or destination website without stumbling across this concept. Whether it’s used to describe a once-in-a-lifetime activity or a can’t-miss attraction, transformation is what people are looking for when they travel. Religious trips arguably offer some of the most life-altering adventures, as spiritual enlightenment and discovery lay at the heart of these tours. What is Transformational Travel? The idea of transformational travel only emerged in the last couple of years as travelers continued to seek out more meaningful experiences on their trips. Much of the trend has roots in the experiential travel movement, which encouraged people to connect with destinations and people through handson, educational experiences. However, the idea of personal improvement and selfgrowth has many people wanting trips that do more, creating a deeper impact on them internally. Since spirituality, prayer and self-reflection are some of the core concepts of religious travel, tour operators in this field have a head start on transformative travel. In fact, they don’t have to change much—if anything—when it comes to their travel offerings.
How Religious Travel Can Change You Religion and travel are both inherently cathartic. The combination of the two results in genuine, meaningful religioustravelplanningguide.com
experiences that go beyond traditional vacations. Faith-based tours focus on sacred places, practices, and people, allowing travelers the opportunity to explore something otherworldly that could lead to more personal development. Through powerful destinations, cultural immersion and concentrated learning, religious travel opens the door to inner change through outward adventures. Transformative Religious Destinations Vatican City, Italy Considered one of the most sacred places in the Christian religion, Vatican City is an independent state located in the heart of Rome in Italy. At the center of the city is St. Peter’s Basilica,
Vatican City
built over the tomb of the Apostle Saint Peter, the first of the Roman Pontiffs. Vatican City is also the permanent seat of the Popes. As a result, it has become a major spot for Christian pilgrimages.
While the Vatican is directly linked to religious history, it also played a significant role in the Renaissance and artistic innovation, making it a cultural reference point for non-Christians, too. In fact, millions venture to Vatican City every year to gaze in wonder at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Painted by Michelangelo, the ceiling is filled with intricate frescoes depicting moments of religious importance. The most famous piece is The Last Judgement that covers the altar wall, showing the Second Coming of Christ and the eternal judgment of God. The immaculate Basilica, the largest religious building in the world, combined with the Vatican Palaces, chapels, and tombs, provides visitors with a powerful place for reflection, prayer, and appreciation. Mecca, Saudi Arabia Located in the Sirat Mountains of Saudi Arabia, Mecca is the holiest Muslim city. The prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, and it is where Muslims turn five times a day in prayer. Most—if not all—devout and able-bodied Muslims try to make a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives. While entrance to the city is restricted to Muslims, non-Muslims can stay in nearby Medina, considered among the holiest cities in Islam. This is the location of The Prophet’s Mosque, the burial place of Muhammad, as well as two other prominent mosques. The Religious Travel Planning Guide
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sanctity of Mecca, and the surrounding regions, opens people to a completely different perspective and way of life. Western Wall, Jerusalem Arguably the most important site for people of the Jewish faith, the Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall,” draws thousands of people every year. The wall, located in Jerusalem’s Old City, is one of the support walls of the Temple Mount.
Every day, visitors gather in from of the wall to pray, either through spoken or written words. Those who choose to write their prayers place them in the cracks of the walls. The sheer volume of prayers stuffed into the stones sends a transformative message, regardless of religious affiliation. It’s a testament to the power of prayer and how one sacred place can bring together people from all backgrounds to worship as they want.
Wittenberg, Germany A quaint town in Eastern Germany, Wittenberg was the site of a major Christian revolution. This is the town where, in 1517, Martin Luther hung his 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church, kick-starting the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s grave lies inside the church where he began the movements centuries ago. Thousands of religious groups visit the town every year to recognize the importance of Luther’s actions, and what it meant for the great Christian population. Golden Temple, India Located in Amritsar, Punjab, the Golden Temple is the holiest gurdwara— or place of gathering and worship—for the Sikhs. Known as Harmandir Sahib, which means “abode of God,” the temple is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Sikh religion. It is a place of spiritual reckoning, meditation, and self-reflection. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine every day to worship within its sacred walls. Entry is open to people of all backgrounds and faiths, reinforcing its original purpose of providing people a safe place to gather and pray in their own way. Ashrams, India Spirituality has always been a part of the Indian culture, which has drawn millions of people there over the years. The beauty of the country is that spirituality here doesn’t necessarily apply to religion. It can also be about awakening the soul through physical or mental practices. Ashrams are some of the most common places people visit to accomplish a feeling of self growth and evolution. Ashrams are spiritual hermitages where people gather and strive towards a specific goal. There are all kinds of ashrams people can visit and stay at, from yogic to puritan to meditation. These places strive to help people with their self-development goals, whatever they may be, through disciplined courses and practice.
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Explore South Bend’s Religious Attractions
South Bend, Indiana is home to a variety of churches and museums
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religious holiday can be a rewarding one in many ways. Whether you are a family that prays together, a spiritual group of friends or a church congregation, follow the path of the Lord in South Bend, Indiana. Cathedral of Saint James Founded in 1868, the Cathedral of Saint James has the distinction of being the oldest Episcopal congregation in South Bend. Dedicated to James, a disciple of Jesus, he preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. The cathedral church and the adjoining parish hall were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Notre Dame campus Built in the neo-Gothic style in 1888, the Roman Catholic church, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, is one of the 57 chapels located on the campus of University of Notre Dame. A masterpiece in more ways than one, the church affords the status of being a minor basilica given to it by Pope John Paul II in 1992. A popular spot with the students of Notre Dame, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is where many Masses are celebrated and the Rosary is prayed every day at 6:45 p.m. religioustravelplanningguide.com
St. Augustine Catholic Church In 1916, several African American Catholic families moved to South Bend from Pascagoula, Mississippi. Seeking a place to worship, the families found a black parish that was established in 1928 by Father George Connor. By the 1930s, the number of parishioners jumped to 60 and they sought a new home. Saint Patrick Church and St. Hedwig Parish Dating back to the late 1800s, Saint Patrick Church is an iconic landmark. Boasting beautiful interiors, the main altar is made of Italian marble. Depicted in the stained-glass windows above the altar are popular Catholic saints – Ambrose, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Patrick, Joseph and Brigid. As part of the National West Washington Historic District and across the street from historic St. Patrick Church, St. Hedwig Parish was founded in 1877. St. Paul’s Memorial United Methodist Church Clem Studebaker laid the first stone for what would later become St. Paul’s, which was dedicated in 1903. The church is notable for its stunning stained-glass windows and
the largest pipe organ in Indiana. St. Paul’s is also home to an ancient baptismal font, the oldest in the country and made from the marble ruins found in Rome. You can tour by appointment. Recommended Lodging Recommended lodging includes The Inn at Saint Mary’s, Hilton Garden Inn and Gillespie Conference Center. The Hilton Garden Inn at South Bend has a variety of amenities any group would need when on a trip. It houses a full-service restaurant (Bistro 933) that serves breakfast and dinner. The hotel also has a pool, provides free Wi-Fi, a full business center and a fitness center. The nearby Inn at Saint Mary’s offers free airport shuttle service among its amenities. You’ll also find free breakfast, a cocktail lounge and a café that proudly serves Starbucks at this hotel across from the University of Notre Dame. HILTON GARDEN INN, INN AT SAINT MARY’S AND GILLESPIE CONFERENCE CENTER LeAnn Allen, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing 574-323-2461 Leann.allen@hilton.com www.gillespieconferencecenter.com Religious Travel Planning Guide
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Explore the United States’ religious heritage and follow the path of Jesus Christ
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By Devika Hosla
iscover the impact of the Christian faith with visits to iconic museums, institutes and centers that showcase the best of religious heritage in the United States. Follow the path of Jesus Christ and be thankful for all the blessings and miracles in your life as you learn about biblical history. Pray to and praise the Lord with like-minded travelers while on your faith-based journey. Ark Encounter, Williamstown, KY Ark Encounter is a modern engineering marvel as it features a full-size Noah’s Ark built according to the dimensions given in the Bible. Spanning 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high, this incredible creation amazes visitors young and old. Ark Encounter opened in 2016 and contains 132 bays, each standing about 18 feet high arranged into three decks. Bays on the first deck contain models of animals believed to be on the ark. The second deck features additional animal models along with dioramas of Noah’s workshop. Bays on the third deck contain displays presenting what many believe may have happened inside and outside the ark during the flood.
RETREAT to these Faith-Based Attractions
Photo courtesy of Ark Encounter
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BibleWalk, Mansfield, OH Affiliated with Diamond Hill Cathedral, BibleWalk features lifesize figures and scenes from the Bible made out of wax, fiberglass and vinyl. A walk through the museum showcases a wax tableau of The Last Supper along with Jesus and the Children and The Women at the Well. Along with housing a collection of rare Bibles, religious Photo caption
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Billy Graham Library, Charlotte, NC Learn about the legacy of Christian evangelist Billy Graham through presentations, pictures, music and artifacts at the Billy Graham Library. Styled like a dairy barn, the library showcases themes like “The Man,” “The Message,” “The Ministry” and “The Mission” with the Gospel of Jesus Christ being at the forefront. Offered daily at the library is the Journey of Faith tour that chronicles the journey of the evangelist to the world.
Photo courtesy of the Creation Museum
Creation Museum, Petersburg, KY The 75,000-square-foot Creation Museum showcases a literal interpretation of the creation narrative from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Starting from Creation and ending with the return of Christ, some notable exhibits at the museum include the realistic Garden of Eden, dioramas of the Flood and full-size dinosaur skeleton replica of an Allosaurus. Other attractions are Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium with interactive displays of a world-class insect collection and
Allosaurus exhibition at the Creation Museum religioustravelplanningguide.com
picturesque Botanical Gardens with over 550 varieties of plants, a three-acre lake, fountains and a koi pond. The museum also houses a planetarium and a 4D theater with daily shows and offers fun family activities like outdoor zip lining and a free fall experience. Boston Theological Institute, Boston, MA A consortion of 10 theological schools and seminaries encompassing Orthodox, Jewish, Protestant and Catholic schools in the Boston area, the Boston Theological Institute focuses on the enrichment and advancement of theological education. In addition to offering certificates and courses in theology, the institute hosts conferences to promote interreligious learning and has an extensive collection of theological material in its on-site library. Holy Land Experience, Orlando, FL The Holy Land Experience is a Christian-based theme park with shows and exhibits that brings the world of the Bible to life. Attractions at the park are educational, inspirational and historic and include the Holy Land Experience Scriptorium museum with the Van Kampen Collection of biblically related artifacts and an exact replica of the Garden Tomb where the body of the Lord Jesus Christ was buried. There is also the largest indoor replica of Jerusalem dating to 66 A.D. and the 2,000-seat Church of All Nations where worship concerts, church services and live productions are held. Museum of the Bible, Washington D.C. The sprawling eight-floor, 430,000square-foot Museum of the Bible showcases rare artifacts related to biblical history and Christian culture. With its impressive entrance comprising glass panes with engraved translations of Psalm 19 in 16 languages, the museum affords a 140-foot-long Grand Hall Ceiling with illuminated manuscripts, nature and art and the 40-feet-high bronze Gutenberg Gates
Photo courtesy of Ron Cogswell
artifacts and folk art, popular exhibits at the museum are the Christian Art Gallery and The Walk of the Parables featuring 39 original oil paintings by noted religious artist Mark Pedro. The museum also has dinner shows throughout the year like the King’s Christmas Story and the Inn Keeper.
Museum of the Bible
inscribed with the fist lines from the Book of Genesis in Latin. Other attractions in the museum include manuscripts and treasures from the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Library and over 40,000 objects and antiquities from the time of Abraham through the New Testament period. Museum of Biblical Art, Dallas, TX Housing 11 galleries including the National Center for Jewish Art and European Art Treasury, the Museum of Biblical Art showcases over 2,500 works that include paintings, sculptures, rare books and lithographs. Along with works by famous artists like Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall and Max Webber, other prominent galleries at the museum are an on-site Art Conservation Lab and the Via Dolorosa Sculpture Garden. Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT Owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Square is a complex comprising attractions like the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle and Seagull Monument. The North Visitors’ Center at the square features a replica statue of Jesus Christ, Christus housed in a domed room with painted with clouds, stars, planets and other heavenly bodies. There are free 45-minute guided walking tours offered at the square every day along with activities like orchestra, choir and organ recitals. Religious Travel Planning Guide
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History Comes Alive at Colonial Williamsburg
Journey back to the past with a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, America’s living-history museum
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roups seeking a spiritually enlightening, historical journey will savor a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where they will experience the wonders of America’s largest livinghistory museum. Sitting on 301 acres with 500 public buildings, homes, stores and taverns reconstructed and restored to their original appearances, Colonial Williamsburg revives the spirit of life from the 18th century. More than just a city, Colonial Williamsburg is a recreation of life as it was during some of the most formative years of our nation’s history. With more than 50 sites to visit within the city that include merchant shops, government buildings, religious sites, public gathering spots, there are countless opportunities for learning. Among Colonial Williamsburg’s many attractions is the Bruton Parish Church, an Episcopal church that was established in 1674, making it one of the oldest Episcopal churches in America. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 and is a well-preserved early example of colonial religious architecture. 38
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During colonial times, the Anglican Church served as the only official religion. Although Catholics and other non-Protestants were denied religious freedom, the government allowed many non-Protestants to worship in meeting houses like Williamsburg’s Presbyterian Meeting House. Explore the inside as it would have been hundreds of years ago to all those who entered.African-American religion played an important role during life in colonial times and visitors can pay a visit to a local home where a self-guided tour will allow for greater insight into the religious heritage of Africans and their Virginia descendants. And just across the street from the home is a plaque that marks the original site where African-American Baptists met. During a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, guests will have the chance to meet costumed interpreters who get into character to tell the story of incredible Americans who helped shape our country as we know it today. Step into the past with Gowan Pamphlet, a revolutionary Baptist preacher whose story of perseverance and drive will serve as an example for generations to come.
Pamphlet was once an enslaved tavern worker but went on to found an all-black Baptist church. Ann Wager is another individual whose story comes to life in Colonial Williamsburg, and it is a story that exemplifies the spirit of nation-building. Wager was the teacher of the first official school for African Americans in Virginia. Wager taught between 20 and 30 boys and girls each year, with most being enslaved African-Americans. Every day there are interactive events that allow visitors to take part in experiences that are otherwise rarely a part of our modern world. Stroll through the quaint car-free streets, take a carriage ride, shoot a musket, participate in a local court session, or visit the local silversmith shop. Colonial Williamsburg is a place for all interests and for all ages, and there is no shortage of learning and fun to be had at any time of year. COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG Group Sales groupsales@cwf.org 800-228-8878 colonialwilliamsburg.com/GroupTours religioustravelplanningguide.com
DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS OF 15 OR MORE Meet America’s founders, dine on world-class fare, and step through lush gardens during a customized tour of Colonial Williamsburg. Don’t let a historically good time pass you by!
Book your group trip today: call 1-800-228-8878, email groupsales@cwf.org, visit colonialwilliamsburg.org/grouptours
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here’s nowhere else quite like the Billy Graham Library. The interactive Journey of Faith tour is a virtual trip through history for the whole family. See how God’s love changed millions as you experience inspiring videos, photo galleries, and memorabilia. Explore Billy Graham’s childhood home, stroll the peaceful Memorial Prayer Garden, relax over lunch and specialty coffees, or shop the Christian bookstore. An extraordinary journey starts here.
ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE
“They were all amazed at the majesty of God.”
—LUKE 9:43, NKJV
Monday to Saturday, 9:30–5:00 • BillyGrahamLibrary.org • 704-401-3200 • Reservations required for groups of 10 or more; email LibraryTours@bgea.org or call 704-401-3270. • 4330 Westmont Drive • Charlotte, North Carolina A ministry of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Franklin Graham, President
©2019 BGEA
EXHIBITS & MEMORABILIA
“#1 thing to do in Charlotte”
CENTRAL
ESCAPE LAKE ON THE
Photo courtesy of Entertainment Cruises Chicago
REGION
DINING CRUISES MAKE BIG SPLASH WITH GROUPS By Mary Lu Laffey
Odyssey Chicago Cruise
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The Odyssey Chicago River architecture cruise is a two-hour cruise on the Chicago River, with a three-course plated brunch or lunch menu.
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n the southern tip of Lake Michigan, the third largest of the Great Lakes, dining cruises float creative onboard options along with the best views of a destination. To see the shoreline from the vantage of water is one thing, to see it over a meal with a slice of history and a side of entertainment is quite another.
Credit the Great Lakes for bringing explorers to the Midwest, so there is a bit of association with those who came before. And there’s a huge bit of fun oozing from the service attitude of inland cruise operators. Like dining choices, informed narration and entertainment possibilities. In Chicago, most groups board Lake Michigan cruises at Navy Pier, the city’s most popular attraction. The pier provides easy drop off and pick up locations for The Spirit of Chicago, Mystic Blue and an >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Mystic Blue Cruises
Photo courtesy of Entertainment Cruises Chicago
Windy City Cruises
Edelweiss Boat Tours
Holland Princess
upscale, tri-deck yacht dubbed Odyssey, all part of Entertainment Cruises Chicago. Entertainment Cruises Chicago’s fleet was early to anchor on the lake. All boats are climate-controlled, meaning cruising is available throughout the year. All offer dining packages on two or three-hour cruises. Exclusive-to-group decks ensure privacy as well as accessible views of the city’s trademark skyscrapers soaring from green spaces in bloom or blanketed in snow. Recently, its service-first attitude expanded LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
to the Chicago River with the launch of the Odyssey Chicago River (architectural) dining cruise. The upscale cruise uses Europeaninspired, glass-enclosed, single-level boat design on the Chicago River. The enclosure allows 360-degree views of the inland skyline. On a clear night, even the stars pop out between the rooftops. Groups choose from all-inclusive or custom packages at a number of price points; all include a live DJ, dance floor and exclusive decks. Price is mostly determined by meal selection. The tripledeck Spirit of Chicago and Mystic Blue Chicago, both 600 capacity, serve freshly prepared meals via a buffet. Both sport a laid-back, casual attitude toward cruising. Shuffleboard and other games, like giant Jenga, are provided — and are favorites for school groups. On the more sophisticated Odyssey Lake Michigan (capacity of 749), the kitchen prepares three-course plated meals and offers optional add-ons. entertainmentcruises.com. For meeting and conference groups, corporate yacht charters are increasingly popular. In Chicago, Windy City Cruises’ Sophisticated Lady sails into that market. Packages include a three-hour private yacht rental, catered food and beverage. The key word is private. No other group will be on board the three-level yacht, which accommodates 49 passengers. Sophisticated Lady is docked at Burnham Harbor, near Soldier Field and McCormick Place. The cruise heads north from the harbor presenting clear views of many of Chicago’s lakefront landmarks from the Adler Planetarium to Navy Pier and north by the beaches before circling back to the dock. It is BYOMusic on board; the sound system accommodates iPod and MP3 players. windycitycruise.com In Milwaukee, two-hour tours on an Edelweiss Milwaukee River Cruise start at either of two dedicated docks on the Milwaukee Riverwalk. Cruises can accommodate groups from 20 to 149. Vessels are climate-controlled. Cruises parallel the Riverwalk as it wends through the downtown, not far from the “Bronze Fonz” statue depicting the character of Fonzie from the set-in-Milwaukee 1970s sitcom Happy Days. Consistently named the city’s favorite narrated cruise, seated February 2020 ■ 43
dinner cruises are available to groups of 20 or larger on the Lakeside Spirit, Edelweiss I, Edelweiss II and the Harbor Lady. Think Sunday’s Champagne Brunch or Thursday’s Beer and Brat Cruise or the Historic Narrated Boat Tour. All cruises enter Lake Michigan for a turn along the city’s lakefront. The stretch on the big lake provides a stunning view of a dynamic skyline that includes Santiago Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion entrance to the Milwaukee Art Museum. Cruises sail May through October. edelweissboats.com Each May, when groups prepare to be awed by upwards of 5 million tulips at the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan, the 65-foot Holland Princess feeds that awesome feeling with lunch and dinner cruises. The 150-passenger (130 seated), Victorian-era riverboat features a glassenclosed deck and awning-covered seating up top. Both areas provide camera-ready
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Odyssey Chicago sapphire deck
views of Lake Macatawa, its channel to and on Lake Michigan, passing iconic Big Red Lighthouse on its way. The Princess departs from Denton Park, which has convenient drop-off and pick-up locations. Cruises offer great sightseeing on Lake Mac, the channel that was hand-dug by early settlers
to access Lake Michigan and, weather permitting, onto the big lake. Karaoke, bingo and other games are included in a package. The Princess specializes in the senior and student markets. Open Memorial Day weekend through September. hollandprincess.com
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At the heart of the Midwest, visitors can enjoy an authentic cultural experience. In the micro-urban cities of ChampaignUrbana, escape the modern life and travel back to the Amish Country, kiss a reindeer at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch and discover one of America’s best kept secrets— the Europeaninspired estate— Allerton Park and Retreat Center.
VISIT CHAMPAIGN COUNTY
Caitlyn Floyd caitlynf@visitchampaigncounty.org 800-369-6151 visitchampaigncounty.org/ planners/groups
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Illinois
Amish Country & Beyond Day 1
Located in a historic bank in the heart of Tuscola, The Vault Art Collective is an artist-owned cooperative with 50 local artist owners. Making art for everyone is core to its mission, with a variety of mediums for sale. Participate in a meet and greet as your group hears from one of the local artists on their work and take some time to see the depth of talent in Central Illinois. Next door is Flesor’s Candy Kitchen, perfect for lunch and a candy-making demonstration. Sisters Ann and Devon Flesor revived their grandfather’s Candy Kitchen, which originally opened in 1901. Groups can learn from Devon, who creates small-batch, sugary confections, while Ann hand-dips the candies. As they don’t use preservatives, the candy is made daily, with thousands of pounds of candy being produced annually. Enjoy lunch on site and enjoy their homemade ice-cream and their old-fashioned soda machine. We’re off to the heart of Amish country for tours of the many craftsmen in the area. Go behind the scenes when you tour Amish woodworker Das Holz Haus, which creates custom, handcrafted furniture and cabinetry focusing on intricate details that make your house a home. The Amish buggy is a common sight in the Amish Country and you won’t leave without getting to ride one. Visit a local Amish buggy maker and experience an in-depth tour of his buggy shop. End your time in Amish Country with an authentic meal in an Amish home. As your host guides you through their living space, take notice of the handmade items as well as the similar lifestyle that the home reflects. After you’ve taken a moment for a silent prayer, your host will begin serving your delicious home cooked meal. You’ll also venture
through the family’s farm to witness their daily work. Spend the evening at a setting like no other. A historical treasure hidden near the upper Sangamon River in Monticello, the Allerton Park and Retreat Center offers an extraordinary curation of art, nature and history. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, this private residence from artist and philanthropist Robert Allerton was donated to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1946 and was named, “One of the American Institute of Architects’ 150 Great Places in Illinois.”
Day 2 Start the day in the tranquil gardens at Allerton Park & Retreat Center. Take a walk through the formal gardens and discover the art showcased throughout the park and be on the lookout for local wildlife as they wake and wander the property. Your group will end the day at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, situated in the midst of flat plains, tall prairies and rich soil. The 100-year-old barn that started as a small Christmas tree farm with two reindeer has grown into a major tourist attraction. With over five acres of Christmas trees, 16 reindeer and a diverse Midwest farm, you’re in for a true farmcation. This special country getaway offers unique attractions for all ages. Start your group visit with the Reindeer Experience Tour where you come face to face with Alaskan Reindeer. If you’ve never kissed a reindeer, Klondike and the other reindeer aren’t shy to let you give a peck. Guests will then enjoy a wild-west themed theater Texas BBQ lunch at their southernstyle banquet facility. February 2020 ■ 45
At the crossroads of I-57 and I-70, a vibrant community awaits. With 17 hotels, over 65 restaurants and countless attractions, the city of Effingham is a hub for activity in Central Illinois. Here, you’ll find wide open spaces; great food, brews and wine; a bit of culture around every corner and hospitality that rivals the South.
Effingham, Illinois
Experience Effingham Day 1
Arrive in Effingham and make your way to John Boos & Company to see what all the hype is about. With celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali using cutting boards and butcher blocks from this company, guests certainly will want an up-close look at Boos Butcher Blocks. John Boos and Company is the oldest industry in Effingham, Illinois and has been in business continuously since 1887. The company has four dry kilns that will dry up to 210,000 board feet of lumber on a continual basis. After visiting John Boos, have dinner on a John Boos table at a one-of-a-kind restaurant. Firefly Grill in Effingham is much more than just a restaurant; it is a culinary experience that brings thousands of people each year to the Effingham community. Firefly Grill has been recognized in several publications including Chicago Tribune, Bon Appetit and the St. Louis Post for its unique atmosphere and efforts to go green.
Day 2
EFFINGHAM CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
Jodi Thoele jthoele@effinghamil.com 217-342-5305, 800-772-0750 visiteffinghamil.com
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Effingham is a great place to explore the arts. Take in the sights by walking along the streets of Downtown Effingham and viewing Sculptures on the Avenues. This outdoor art exhibition features more than 25 works of art from some of the Midwest’s best known and unknown sculptors. Stop by the Visitor Center to get a guide with a map and background information regarding each piece. Next, head to Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, also in the downtown area, for a slice of one of the best pizzas in town. Joe’s is known for its great pizzas and pastas,
which feature homemade sauces from the Trupiano family’s secret recipe, as well as delicious sandwiches, salads and desserts. End the day with a show at the Effingham Performance Center. This is a 1,564-seat theater that hosts 40 performances a year. A wide range of local, regional and national acts are scheduled to perform.
Day 3 Start your day in Effingham with the best cup of coffee in town at Joe Sippers Cafe. Locally-owned, Joe Sippers offers a true coffee house experience with their own roasted coffee and espresso, homemade baked goods and various blends of tea, along with numerous items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After a delicious breakfast, take a walk over to StangARTS, an art studio and gallery wrapped into one. As a venue for art and music, StangARTs features a funky style and positive mood while offering art classes and paint parties for groups of all ages. Local artist Jamie Stang focuses on showing art’s ability to bring a sense of self-achievement and enlightment by going “outside the lines.” Her step-by-step instructions give you guidance on how to become a more creative you. Spend the remainder of your afternoon shopping the unique boutiques and consignment stores in Downtown Effingham. With a variety of shops lining Jefferson Avenue, you’re guaranteed to find something you can’t live without. For the last stop of the day, head over to Tuscan Hills Winery, a beautiful winery with an old-world vibe and great wine. Established in 2011, Tuscan Hills Winery focuses on offering exceptional quality wines. >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Get ready for miles of smiles on a tour with a distinctly feminine flair. See exquisite quilts and quilt gardens. Watch artisans at work in their studios. Visit Amish homes and discover secrets to making melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls.
Northern Indiana
Amish Country Girlfriends Getaway Day One
Nappanee’s colorful history comes alive when touring Coppes Commons. Originally, the factory for Coppes Cabinets that once produced the famous Hoosier Cabinet, the 100,000-square-foot renovated factory now houses a variety of small businesses perfect for shopping for locally made, hand crafted and fresh baked goods. After, groups are given a fascinating historical glimpse into Coppes Kitchens on this self-guided tour, enjoy an out of this world ice cream flash frozen right before your eyes at over 320 degrees below zero from Rocket Science. Sit down with local artist Linda Pieri and enjoy painting secrets developed throughout the ages. Linda helps each person discover their creative artist. Everything is provided including: easel, canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, brush basins, palettes and paint clothes. Check in at your host hotel before departing for a Haystack Dinner at Yoder’s Home-style Banquets and Amish Buggy Rides.
Day Two
AMISH COUNTRY OF NORTHERN INDIANA Sonya L. Nash, CTIS/CTP Sonya@amishcountry.org 800-262-8161 AmishCountryTours.org
Breakfast at your host hotel before meeting your guide in the hotel lobby for the Grab Bag Back Roads Tour & Quilt Gardens of Amish Country. Travel scenic back roads passing horse-drawn buggies, tidy farm homes and whitewashed barns. Learn about the lifestyle of the Amish, the area and the history, traditions and customs of the Amish. Leo and Lorene Miller welcome you to their Old Order Amish Home where Leo has been hand-weaving rag rugs for years. Leo will demonstrate how he weaves and creates his beautiful and functional rugs.
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Meet LaVern and Rachel, the Amish-Mennonite dynamic duo that has made Teaberry Wood Products. They produce beautiful wooden baskets, whimsical vertical puzzles, charcuterie boards and charming home décor. David and Michelle Muir invite you to join their family at Fruit Hills Winery’s new wine tasting room in the scenic fruit hills of Bristol. Featuring several varieties such as Riesling, Cabernet and Traminette (Indiana’s signature wine), your group will be sampling 18 different wines. Tonight, it’s dinner and theatre at Das Dutchman Essenhaus and Heritage Hall featuring the famous chicken family-style dinner. Das Dutchman Essenhaus offers a unique combination of dining, lodging and shopping opportunities. Manicured grounds invite a leisurely stroll or perhaps a carriage ride through a quaint covered bridge. Today dine on the famous family-style dinner complete with homemade pies fresh from their bakery. You’ll want to take one or two home afterwards too from their selection of 31 flavors of pie.
Day Three Ben and Elizabeth Miller, an Amish family from Shipshewana Indiana, founded Ben’s Pretzels in 2004. Ben and his wife spent years perfecting the Amish/Dutch dough recipe. Your group will enjoy a short presentation highlighting Ben’s story followed by an opportunity to roll your own pretzel and watch it being baked. Enjoy a homemade cinnamon roll, just out of the oven, plus coffee or tea as you watch Elaine, the Amish baker; demonstrate how she makes her special delicacy at The Carriage House. February 2020 ■ 47
Latest
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Zephyr Theatre to Be Completed in 2020
Jackson Park
ILLINOIS — The Obama Presidential Center is expected to open in 2022 in historic Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, not far from where Barack and Michelle Obama lived and where the first lady grew up. It will include three buildings—a museum, forum and library—that will form a campus surrounding a public plaza for performances, markets and fairs. Exhibits will tell the Obamas’ story within the context of civil rights and African-American, Chicago and U.S. history.
Explore
Where else
can you rappel down sandstone bluffs in a national forest at dawn, enjoy delectable cuisine at a trendy local bistro for lunch, and wind down the evening with a wine sampling followed by a theatrical performance... all without traveling more than a few miles?
Only Carbondale.
126 S Illinois Avenue Carbondale, IL 62901 618-529-4451 carbondaletourism.org
■ February 2020
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: To view more news items, visit leisuregrouptravel.com/ category/industry-trends-news
Obama Presidential Center to Open in 2022
MINNESOTA — Completion of the Zephyr Theatre is planned for 2020 in Stillwater. Housed in the former Zephyr train depot along the shores of the St. Croix River, the 330-seat, three-story auditorium will host at least six shows produced by its own professional theater company each season and also will present occasional music concerts, dance performances and touring productions.
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CENTRAL REGION
Harry S. Truman Library Undergoing Renovation
MISSOURI — The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence is undergoing its first major renovation in more than 20 years and the largest since the museum opened its doors in 1957. Slated for completion in late summer or early fall of 2020, the $25 million project is planned to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the start of Truman’s presidency.
Harry S. Truman Library
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
EAST
REGION
RECREATIONAL COOKING FOR GROUPS IS A POPULAR PASTIME
O Fig Cooking School
WHAT’S COOKING in New England?
LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
By Mary Lu Laffey
ne way for groups to experience a destination like a local is to step into a kitchen. Especially for a cooking class. Especially in New England. New England simmers with recreational cooking classes, first-hand experiences, even food-centric workshops. All welcome groups to whisk, fold, toast or roast local fare to dine on-site and “take-out” a memory to recreate at home. Keith McManis, director of sales & marketing at The Essex Resort & Spa in Essex, Vermont, says the resort’s cooking academy is a big draw for groups. “All classes are suitable for leisure groups,” said McManis, adding that larger groups outside the typical eight to 12 participants can be easily arranged. Courses include Vermont-centric themes like VT Beer Makes It Better — think Chef Alumna Brandy All’s Rookie’s Root Beer BBQ Sauce or cooking with Vermont Maple. Class takeaways: Vermont maple adds a flavor layer to a vinaigrette served with Vermont Goat Cheese and kicks up the profile of pan-roasted Statler chicken when added with ginger. And, there’s a dessert of Maple stout cake. essexresort.com In adjacent Connecticut, Heide Lang, founder and culinary director at The Fig Cooking School, calls her classes “recreational cooking.” Keeping students in the mix is her signature at the school’s renovated storefront location. Find The Fig in the coastal village of Milford, Connecticut on Long Island Sound, about an hour north of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Yankee Magazine named The Fig Cooking School & Pantry as one of the Top 10 Best Cooking Schools in New England. And with good reason: Lang. Trained at the French February 2020 ■ 49
Culinary Institute in New York, Lang developed her culinary identity by balancing a formal education with memories of homecooked meals. She blends both into classes tailored for a group; her teaching kitchen can accommodate up to 45 guests. “The best part of my job is to watch the group work to create a fabulous meal and then to sit and watch the joy as they experience the meal together,” said Lang. “I also love the ‘a ha’ moments when people learn a new technique or ingredient and they are inspired to cook a new way when they go home.” Sample menu? The Farmers Market Favorite class includes easy-to-find ingredients: Quiche with summer veggies, roasted tomato caprese and musclun-argula salad with tarragon vinaigrette plus chocolate-chip strawberry shortcakes. Lang customizes classes based on the interest of the group. “Many groups choose our French, Italian or Mexican themes,” she said. figcookingschool.com Across the state line in Massachusetts, the ArtEpicure Cooking School celebrates the synergy between art and cuisine. Located among artist studios and galleries in the Brickbottom Artists Building in Somerville, Chef Mark DesLauriers welcomes groups in increments of 14 for a hands-on class, cooking demonstration or a themed dinner. Customized
Salt Water Farm opens its seaside doors for smaller cooking classes.
classes are a specialty. DesLauriers offers a class called Southern Cooking for Yankees that blends a bit of history of the cuisine and often the food science involved. Because many groups traveling in New England have little exposure to actual Southern cooking, ArtEpicure created a class in Southern cooking. Groups learn the basics about Southern fried chicken, herbed cheese grits, collard greens and pecan chocolate-chip pie; make them and then settle in for a Southern dining experience. Be sure to nosh before arriving as it takes a few hours for the meal to
ROOKIE’S ROOT BEER BBQ SAUCE Chef Alumna Brandy Allan at The Essex Resort & Spa uses a local Vermont root beer for this barbecue sauce. Chef recommends using it to top grilled chicken or enhance a burger. Ingredients: • ½ cup blended oil • 2 yellow onions, small dice • ¼ cup garlic, minced • ¼ cup Rookie’s Root Beer • 1 tablespoon cumin, ground • 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ cup molasses • 2 cups ketchup • ½ cup cider vinegar • 2 tablespoons cocoa • ½ cup whiskey or bourbon • 1 tablespoon espresso powder
Directions: Sweat onion and garlic in blended oil. Add Rookie’s Root Beer, and reduce by half. Add remaining ingredients, then whisk to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree with stick blender and enjoy. Recipes from The Cooking Academy are featured each month on The Essex Resort website, www.essexresort.com.
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be prepped before serving. artepicure.com In Cranston, Rhode Island, Chef Walters Cooking School (CWCS) offers recreational cooking classes that combine innovation with classic methods. Credit Master Chef Walter Potenza and his award-winning school with the Mediterranean Diet 21 — live well through food. The major ingredient at his award-winning school is fun — and no note taking. The class cooks with a chef and after the class, the recipes are emailed. Recipes are seasonal and depend on local markets and purveyors. CWCS is home to the largest program of hands-on recreational cooking and cooking-related classes in Rhode Island. Groups choose from cooking classes from regional Italian cookery to farmer’s market favorites and comfort food classics. chefwalterscookingschool.com Farther north in Maine, Salt Water Farm opens its seaside doors for smaller cooking classes under the tutelage of founder and chef Annemarie Ahearn. Class size restriction may require dividing the group into several classes. The smaller size helps everyone in getting to know each other. Classes include, but are not limited to, making pasta, a Penobscot Bay bouillabaisse, even pies (from scratch) or baking bread. All courses are sourced locally, taking advantage of seaside produce and product. Many use traditional New England cooking techniques. Classes on the farm prepare students to enjoy making the recipes and to recreate them at home using their area’s hyper-local ingredients. Taking a bit of the Salt Water Farm and memories of New England with them. saltwaterfarm.com >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
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National Museum of the U.S. Army to Open
VIRGINIA — The National Museum of the United States Army will open June 4, 2020 in Fort Belvoir. A project of the U.S. Army and nonprofit Army Historical Foundation, it will be the first museum of its kind to document the Army’s 244-year history. Admission will be free. Fort Belvoir is 20 minutes from the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Empire Outlets Opens on Staten Island NEW YORK — Empire Outlets, New York City’s only outlet shopping destination, has opened on Staten Island, just steps from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. An outdoor mall on five levels, it features familiar retail names like Brooks Brothers, Columbia, Jockey, Old Navy, Crocs, Levi’s, Guess, Nike, H&M, Nordstrom Rack, Banana Republic and American Eagle. In the Bronx, a $300 million project to reshape an area along the Harlem River into a cultural hub will include the Universal HipHop Museum, where curators will seek to celebrate hip-hop culture through thematic music, artifacts, video, photography and live performances. Scheduled for competition in 2022, the project also will feature a waterfront esplanade, an outdoor theater and a food hall.
LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
EAST REGION ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: To view more news items, visit leisuregrouptravel.com/ category/industry-trends-news
Philadelphia Museum of Art Presents Exhibition
PENNSYLVANIA — The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents the exhibition Off the Wall: American Art to Wear through May 17, 2020. Focusing on the period of 1967 through 1997, the exhibition features over 100 one-of-a-kind works by more than 50 artists employing a wide range of techniques, including free-form crochet, hand knitting, machine knitting, macrame, leather work, beadwork, embroidery, applique, hand painting and resist dye.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Valley Forge Visitor Center Undergoing Renovation
PENNSYLVANIA — Renovation of the Valley Forge National Historical Park Visitor Center is set for completion in late 2020. It will offer new interpretive exhibits and a high-definition orientation film chronicling the 1777-1778 winter encampment during the Revolutionary War. A temporary visitor center is serving guests during the construction project.
Valley Forge National Historical Park
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WEST
Crushing REGION
ON CANDY
E
Indulge your sweet tooTH
at these West Coast Shops
By Kathy Nolan
veryone longs to feel like a kid again, especially a kid in a candy store. In fact, 65 percent of candy produced today is consumed by adults over 18. Traced back to the Egyptians, candy originated when ancients combined fruit and nuts with honey. The term candy was derived from the Arabic qandi, meaning “made of sugar.” Affectionate Aztecs believed chocolate was an aphrodisiac. It may not sound romantic, but chocolate does contain phenylethylamine, which stimulates the same reaction in the body as falling in love. In the 1800s, physicians regularly prescribed chocolate to patients who were suffering from a broken heart. Here are some locales on the West Coast where you can enjoy this sweet treat.
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B. CANDY Step inside an explosion of color and confections to explore, celebrate, and embrace the whimsical world of California’s B. Candy stores in Corona del Mar and Huntington Beach. The flagship store is filled with bulk candy, homemade ice cream, heavenly cakes, sugar cookies, fantastic toys and foreign favorites from Europe and Australia. Grab a waffle cone-shaped stool at the counter and try a signature chocolate-covered potato chip and caramel milkshake or channel your inner unicorn with a must-have mini rainbow cake. bcandy.com
GHIRARDELLI SQUARE During the 1849 Gold Rush, Domingo Ghirardelli created the original sugar rush when he sailed from Italy to sell confections and supplies to miners in California. >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Guests can marvel at chocolate flowing through historic equipment when they take a pilgrimage to Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop at Ghirardelli Square, an iconic chocolate landmark located near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Enjoy free gourmet samples and have a famous ice cream sundae topped with handmade hot fudge made from rich Ghirardelli chocolate. ghirardelli.com
CANDY BARON Another hot spot to indulge your sweet tooth on San Francisco’s famous wharf is Candy Baron. Facing Pier 39’s famous carousel with unsurpassed views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, sugar lovers can curb their carb cravings from a dazzling display of world class candies and famous taffy. In the past 20-years, more than one million pounds of salt water taffy has been sold from the bustling storefront. thecandybaron.com
DANDELION CHOCOLATE Chocoholics can learn more about chocolate making, tasting, ingredients and sourcing with a guided group tour at Dandelion Chocolate, another sugary San Francisco staple. Tour the active bean-to-bar chocolate factory with an expert guide who will lead you through the production process from cacao bean to finished chocolate bar. Taste cacao fruit and roasted cacao beans from different origins, sample warm melted chocolate as it is refining, and try the finished single origin dark chocolate bars. Leave with a hot chocolate gift card to use in the café. Entertain up to 24 guests on a one-hour tour. dandelionchocolate.com
SWEET MICKEY’S Sweet Mickey’s in Seattle, Washington is best known for its house-made fudge, lots of licorice, gobs of gummies, creamy chocolate truffles, old fashioned ice cream, salt water taffy and nostalgic candies. Owner Randy Brinker opened the charming store as a tribute to his grandmother, a local baker and confectioner. “I have always wanted to show my gratitude for Grandma Mickey’s selflessness in raising us, and the fond memories she gave me growing up,” Brinker said. “The bright colors, the sweet smell of caramel and chocolate … it is all still so vivid. When LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
B Candy
I think of sweets, I think of Grandma Mickey.” sweetmickeys.com
CREO CHOCOLATE FACTORY AND CAFE Creo Chocolate is a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate factory and tasting room housed in a restored 1924 building in Portland, Oregon started by a family of raspberry farmers. To continue the family’s heritage tradition, cacao beans are sourced directly from a multi-generational family farm in Ecuador. Chocolate bars are custom-crafted to bring out the distinctive flavors from the cacao beans harvested in Hacienda Limon in Los Rios. Enjoy tastings of the gourmet chocolate made from heirloom single-origin, above 70 percent cacao and organic evaporated cane juice. Look behind the scenes of an award-winning chocolatier during a one-hour tour with a chocolate maker. Learn where chocolate comes from and see how it is made at Creo. creochocolate.com
JELLY BELLY CANDY COMPANY Jelly Belly Candy Company was founded in 1898 and began making world-famous jelly beans in 1976. Today, more than seven million guests have sampled 100 jelly bean flavors and more than 50 confections in Fairfield, California. A free Jelly Belly self-guided factory tour is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour takes place on an elevated quarter-mile tour lane with interactive exhibits, 4K video and free samples. The Jelly Belly Visitor Center is home to a large Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly locations always draw a crowd.
store, Chocolate and Fudge Shoppe, Jelly Belly Café, and the Chocolate & Wine Experience. Sample six local vintner wines paired with decadent chocolate confections and a receive souvenir Jelly Belly wine glass. Additionally, for an up-close-and-personal tour of the Jelly Belly factory, the company offers the Jelly Belly University Tour on weekdays. Guests are guided on the main floor to experience a working candy factory and watch master confectioners up close as they make Jelly Belly jelly beans. Tour guests wear lab coats, gloves and hair nets on the exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the candy factory. At the end of the tour, guests receive a discount on a souvenir photo and a discount card for the Jelly Belly Candy Store. jellybelly.com February 2020 ■ 53
SI
SITE INSPECTION
Exciting Attractions in Colorado Springs
2020 is a big year for Colorado Springs, with several new and returning attractions set to open
W
here can groups find outdoor recreation, ancient culture, Western and mining history and Olympic glory? Colorado Springs. Located less than 70 miles south of Denver, Colorado Springs is home to some of the most famous attractions in the country, including Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, Garden of the Gods Park, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.
Things to Do in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is known as Olympic City USA. And for good reason. It’s home to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. And soon it will welcome a new Olympic sports-oriented attraction, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which will open in spring 2020. The 60,000-squarefoot museum honors the competitors, events, and history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games through artifacts, media and technology. For over 60 years, Flying W Ranch was a popular spot in Colorado Springs for visitors to enjoy horseback riding and Chuckwagon dinners. In June 2012, the Waldo Canyon Fire destroyed the historic 54
■ February 2020
ranch. A nonprofit foundation was born from the tragedy to restore the old ranch. This Memorial Day Weekend, the Flying W Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner & Western Show will return with a new set of guest experiences. Groups will be transported back to the Old West as they dine on savory Chuckwagon barbecue and listen to the tunes of the Flying W Wranglers music group in a new performance venue. An icon of the Colorado Springs backdrop, Pikes Peak - America’s Mountain has been attracting people for decades. It offers elite hiking trails, fishing lakes, and a historic highway that leads to the top. In fall 2020, the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex will offer guests an upgraded way to discover the mountain. The 38,000-square-foot building will include a newly designed and constructed Visitor Center providing 360-degree views of the area, as well as interactive displays highlighting the history and geology of Pikes Peak. Visitors to Colorado Springs know that one of the most memorable ways to reach the top of Pikes Peak is via The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cog Railway. In fall 2017, after 126 years of operation, the railway closed to focus on maintenance. Now, the world’s highest Cog Railway will re-open in May
2021. The refreshed railway will feature a brand-new track and new train cars that will safely transport visitors up the mountain.
Where to Eat in Colorado Springs
Groups can fuel their day of adventure at a range of Colorado Springs restaurants, from high-end establishments to casual cafés. Cut into plates of the finest steaks and fresh seafood at MacKenzie’s Chop House or enjoy savory plates of Rocky Mountain Trout or Grilled Wapiti Elk Chop at The Cliff House at Pikes Peak. For something a little more laid back, groups can head to Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, Red Gravy, or Paravicini’s for house-made pastas, soups, and salads; or munch on platters of Bison Poppers and Venison Eggrolls, then sip local craft beer at Colorado Mountain Brewery. For something completely different, try The Airplane Restaurant, where groups can eat inside a fully intact Boeing KC-97 tanker.
VISIT COLORADO SPRINGS Floy Kennedy Director of Travel Industry Sales floy@visitcos.com 719-685-7635
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
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Stealth Fighter Coming to Reagan Library CALIFORNIA — The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institution in Simi Valley, has announced its Operation Nighthawk Landing project, a joint effort with Lockheed Martin to bring an F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum for permanent exhibition has been completed. The F-117 Nighthawk, Tail No. 805, nicknamed Unexpected Guest, flew more combat sorties (78) than all other F-117s combined.
WEST REGION ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: To view more news items, visit leisuregrouptravel.com/ category/industry-trends-news
Mt. Bachelor Opening New Mountain Park
OREGON — Mt. Bachelor, in Bend, and one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S., is currently adding to its learning and family terrain with the addition of the new Woodward Mountain Park. The additions include three new lifts (two surface lifts and one fixed-grip quad) and three different venues, each designed specifically for learners, experimenters and performers. Mt. Bachelor’s Sunrise Lodge base area was also remodeled in order to elevate architecture as well as streamline mountain processes. (mtbachelor.com)
Mt. Bachelor
Hill Country Mile a ‘Great Street’
TEXAS— The historic downtown shopping district, the Hill Country Mile in Boerne, Texas, was recently awarded the designation of a Great Street in Texas by the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association. The mile contains highend boutiques, dining and art galleries. Numerous architectural projects have been completed over the past few years, embracing the city’s historic roots. Boerne is only the fifth Texas city to receive this award. (visitboerne.org) Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Through April 2020, the Reagan Library is home to Egypt’s Lost Cities. This exhibition contains monumental statues, religious images carved in stone, exquisite jewelry and more, all lost more than 1,200 years ago to the rising tide of the Mediterranean Sea, only to be found two decades ago by underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio. (reaganfoundation.org) (reaganlibrary.gov)
LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
February 2020 55
INT’L
OF
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JAPAN >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
SAMPLING ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT CUISINES ON A ONE-WEEK WHIRLWIND TOUR
Randy Mink Photo
By Randy Mink
LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
Now that word is a mouthful … and it was probably the most mouthwatering food I tasted on my recent trip to Japan with Goway Travel. Our group’s weeklong trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima was filled with visits to temples, shrines, gardens and other traditional sights, but each day brought culinary adventures as well. I was surprised we were able to sample so many different dishes and experience so many cooking techniques in such a short amount of time. It wasn’t all rice bowls and sushi. We had everything from ramen noodles to Kobe beef to dozens of foods I’d never heard of—like okonomiyaki. This popular dish, known as Hiroshima’s soul food, is served in some 2,000 restaurants in and around the city of a million-plus. Okonomiyaki first appeared after World War II as a cheap, filling food to satisfy the hunger of workers. (Hiroshima, of course, was the victim of the atom bomb in 1945, and the museum and monuments in Peace Memorial Park were the chief stops on our itinerary.) So what is okonomiyaki? There are many variations, but the standard version features pork, eggs and noodles. Made with a thin, crepe-like base layer and piled with ingredients, the humble-looking pancake is cooked on a long, flat griddle. Besides sliced pork belly, eggs and soba noodles (made from buckwheat flour), the patty contains dried green seaweed flakes, green onions, bean sprouts and cabbage. Some people add toppings such as oysters or squid. What made it extra delicious at our modest lunch restaurant was the house-brand sauce, a thick, Okonomiyaki, a Hiroshima specialty sweetened Worcestershire-type sauce I liberally poured on, a condiment so good I had to buy a bottle to take home. We ate at tables just steps away from the counter, where patrons on stools had ringside seats to watch the chefs work their magic. One day in Kyoto, our small Goway group bellied up to the long counter at Manten Tempura and got a close-up look at the cook preparing our lightly battered treats. Served fresh from the vats of oil, the piping-hot morsels in our multi-course lunch included shrimp, eel, green pepper, mushroom, radish, pickled kelp and other tempura items that we dipped in bonito broth. Other culinary highlights in Kyoto were dinner at a steakhouse for tender cuts of famed Kobe beef and a real spectacle the next night featuring kimono-clad waitresses and a geisha performance at Yoshido Sanso, a traditional Japanese inn, or ryokan. In a private room our group savored an exquisitely choreographed kaiseki meal consisting of small dishes presented one at a time, starting with an assortment of appetizers like salmon sushi and conger eel tofu. The parade of haute cuisine continued with red snapper and tuna sashimi, tempura, grilled sablefish and fig with sesame sauce. Seafood is a staple of Japanese cuisine, and what better place to indulge than Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market, one of the biggest fish markets
Randy Mink Photo
Okonomiyaki.
February 2020 ■ 57
Randy Mink Photo
Tokyo hot pot restaurant
Hiroshima-Miyajima specialty. These warm little sponge cakes typically are filled with red bean jam or chocolate. In Tokyo, our group had two cook-ityourself encounters. At a casual barbecue restaurant we took off our shoes and slid onto benches surrounding tables equipped with a burner in the middle. With help from our guide, we ordered a la carte—slices of duck, chicken, wagyu beef, yams, other vegetables— and then cooked them over the hot coals. In a restaurant that featured hot pot cuisine, we again did our own cooking—this time submersing noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, other vegetables, and thinly sliced raw beef, pork and chicken into the steaming communal pots of broth and soy milk before us.
Randy Mink Photo
in the world. A tourist attraction as well as a locals’ hotspot, the market teems with vendors hawking their wares. Part of our group headed to a sushi restaurant, but I decided to wander, take photos and try something from a street stall. With some 100 fishy businesses to choose from, I had plenty of lunch options. It was my first full day in Japan, and I was overwhelmed by the language and just the tempo of life in Tokyo. But the English words “Tuna Steak” on a food wagon caught my eye, so I went over and ordered a Coke and skewer of tuna nuggets for $5, waiting while the woman seared the meat with a gas torch. Colorful signs at Tsukiji Outer Market showed bowls and platters of assorted seafood (much of it raw), including salmon, salmon roe, sea urchin, eel, scallops, shrimp and snow crab. Fatty tuna (a prized delicacy), medium-fatty tuna and tuna sushi rolls also were part of many combos. I’m not a fan of shellfish, but Miyajima Island, a five-minute ferry ride from the outskirts of Hiroshima, was paradise for some in our Goway group. On Miyajima’s main shopping street, fellow travelers had a field day sampling the island’s famous oysters, mussels and clams after exploring the seaside Shinto shrine (a Japan icon) and hilltop Buddhist temple. Our guide, Goway Asia product manager Brittany Banks, got grilled oysters on a stick, while a travel consultant from Idaho savored a small plate of oysters covered with melted cheese. I found my own indulgence, snacking on maple leafshaped sweet buns (momiji-manijyu), another
Goway Travel leader Brittany Banks buys grilled oysters on Miyajami Island.
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One way to sample the local cuisine is no more complicated than going to your hotel’s included breakfast buffet, which will offer a vast selection of both Japanese and Western foods. At the Shiba Park Hotel in Tokyo, brave ones among us tried slivers of sauteed burdock (a brown root vegetable), salted plum (definitely an acquired taste) and cups of natto (foul-smelling fermented soybeans whose bland taste can be enhanced with soy sauce or wasabi mustard). Though I would have done some of these food adventures on my own, having a guide with knowledge of Japanese cuisine, dining etiquette, language, culture and travel logistics made the journey hassle-free and a fun learning experience. Many restaurant menus have English translations, but many do not. Happily for those of us not so adept with chopsticks, forks are generally available. Toronto-based Goway Travel, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, not only offers Japan highlights tours with set itineraries but can tailor trips to suit the group. Culinary tourism is big these days, and Goway can customize a Japan experience based on food. An itinerary, for example, could include a meal in a Kyoto home, high-end whiskey sampling, a brewery tour or brewery museum, and a visit to Tokyo’s fish market with a sushi-making lesson at a restaurant there. A sports-centric tour could focus on baseball (Japan’s most popular sport), sumo wrestling (the national sport), soccer and martial arts. The U.S. is Goway’s biggest market. >> LeisureGroupTravel.com
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INT’L ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: To view more news items, visit leisuregrouptravel.com/ category/industry-trends-news
US Connections Creates Themed Tours
New Destination to Tempt Chocoholics
SWITZERLAND — Lindt Home of Chocolate, a new attraction in Kilchberg, Switzerland, is set to open in summer 2020. It will feature museum exhibits, an interactive multimedia experience with audio guide, and a show production facility that demonstrates Lindt’s latest manufacturing and automation technologies. Tours promise “chocolate tasting to your heart’s content.” In the world’s largest Lindt chocolate shop, guests can watch as a master chocolatier puts finishing touches on freshly produced pralines, bars and other delicacies. They can indulge in Lindt drinking chocolate at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe while looking out over the striking chocolate fountain. Chocolatemaking courses let guests make their own creations. Kilchberg is about 20 minutes south of Zurich. (lindt-spruengli.com)
LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
ENGLAND — Supporting the growing trend in ancestral tourism, US Connections, a large-scale collaboration between 13 destinations led by Destination Plymouth, has developed over 40 new tourism products for international visitors that are available to book in 2020, marking the official 400th commemoration year of the Mayflower. The US Connections themed tours have been developed in response to research conducted Mount Batten Tower amongst U.S. consumers and travel trade. Tour guides, visitor attractions and businesses from across the 13 regions of England have worked together to develop new bookable tours and experiences showcasing history, stories, local culture and often unexplored parts of England relating to these themes. The bookable products include an organ recital of the Star Spangled Banner in Gloucester Cathedral, an “American Military Trilogy” tour with Travel England Tours visiting prisoner of war graves, Slapton Sands and Normandy Hill in Plymouth and Devon, and the Pilgrim, Mice and Kings tour which takes visitors to the home villages of Mayflower Pilgrims. For more information, visit EnglandConnections.com.
Princess Cruises to Return to South Seas Paradise
TAHITI — Princess Cruises will return to Tahiti in fall 2020, offering a series of roundtrip cruises for the first time since 2015. The 670-passenger Pacific Princess will operate five 10-day “Tahiti & French Polynesia” departures from Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, calling Bora Bora, Raiatea, Huahine, Rangiroa and Moorea. Cruises begin October 5, 15, 25 and November 4 and 14, 2020, with fares starting at $1,999. The Pacific Princess also Princess Cruises will offer longer sailings in the South Pacific. A 19- or 29-day “Hawaii & Tahiti Grand Adventure” cruise departs Vancouver on September 16, 2020, and a 25- or 35day “Tahiti, South America & Panama Canal Crossing” departs Tahiti on November 14 or 24, 2020. (princess.com)
February 2020 59
GROUP-FRIENDLY MUSEUMS
Photo courtesy of Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Great American Museums
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â&#x2013; February 2020
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Whether your group is looking to be surrounded by famous works of art, time travel
through history or be amazed by one-of-a-kind aquarium
exhibits, these museums have something that will appeal to each traveler. They very likely will be the star
attraction of your itinerary.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City, Missouri
Discover art from across time and cultures at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, from an Egyptian sarcophagus to Monetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Water Lilies. Visitors are welcomed warmly and invited to explore the original Nelson-Atkins Building, the contemporary Bloch Building, and the beautiful Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. Enjoy the Italian courtyard restaurant, the coffee shop, and shopping at the Museum Store. Admission is free, and groups of 10 or more receive discounts to ticketed exhibitions. (nelson-atkins.org)
FREE admission, cultural festivals & community events all year long. LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
nelson-atkins.org
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GROUP-FRIENDLY MUSEUMS
National WWI Museum and Memorial
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Ranked among the top five museums in the nation by Yelp and the No. 1 attraction in Kansas City by TripAdvisor, the National WWI Museum and Memorial is dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding WWI and its enduring impact. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of WWI artifacts in the world and takes visitors of all ages on an epic journey. (theworldwar.org)
Located in downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a leading science museum dedicated to sharing the power of science, sparking wonder and fueling innovation for the future. A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature is a new interactive and immersive exhibition at Frost Science, on view until April 12, 2020. This special exhibition exposes and explains the mathematical patterns that abound in the natural world. Learn more at frostscience.org.
Kansas City, Missouri
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Miami, Florida
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Spend a day of discovery at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Miami’s only planetarium, aquarium and science museum. The museum offers a range of memorable options for groups of 10 or more. Whether you are planning a visit for a few hours or have all day, we’ll make it easy for you to customize your trip. Enjoy special itineraries, group activities and lunch options.
Plan your group visit at frostscience.org/groups, email groupsales@frostscience.org or call 305-434-9564.
1101 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 I 305-434-9600
@FROSTSCIENCE
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is supported by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County. This project is supported by the Building Better Communities Bond Program and the City of Miami. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Frost Science is an accessible facility. All contents ©Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. All rights reserved.
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GROUP-FRIENDLY MUSEUMS
The Mob Museum
Huntington Library
The Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas offers a bold and authentic view of organized crime from vintage Las Vegas to the back alleys of American cities and — increasingly — across the borders and networks of the entire world. Explore the real stories and actual events of Mob history through interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind Mob and law enforcement artifacts found inside our restored 1933 former courthouse and post office building located just minutes from Fremont Street. (themobmuseum.org)
What began in 1919 as Henry Huntington’s pursuit of his interests in reading, horticulture and the arts blossomed into one of the most varied museums in the United States. Visit the botanical gardens and wander through 120 rolling acres of rare flowers, idyllic ponds and breathtaking sculptures. Head to the library, where you’ll find rare works like Gutenberg’s Bible, then swing by the art galleries and enjoy pieces by American and European masters. (huntington.org)
Las Vegas, Nevada
San Marino, California
BRING YOUR MOB TO THE MUSEUM
Enjoy an array of special offerings designed to enhance group visits, including engaging field trips, distillery tour & tastings, an interactive Crime Lab and private guided tours.
themobmuseum.org | 702.724.8631 64
■ February 2020
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
Ronald Regan Presidential Library and Museum
The Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida, houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (18481933), including the artist and designer’s jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows, and his chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In 2011, the Morse Museum opened a wing to exhibit its collection of art and architectural objects from Tiffany’s celebrated Long Island home, Laurelton Hall, the largest repository of these materials anywhere. morsemuseum.org/
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum is the only place in California where you can tour an Air Force One airplane (which served seven U.S. presidents) and a Marine One helicopter (which served President Lyndon B. Johnson). In 2019, the museum added a F-117 Stealth Fighter guests can view in awe, and it also opened a gallery featuring a stunningly realistic hologram of President Reagan. Twice a year, the museum presents traveling exhibitions that entertain and educate visitors. reaganfoundation.org/library-museum/
Winter Park, Florida
Simi Valley, California
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM
Tiffany at the
Morse The Morse Museum houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
445 n. park avenue winter park, florida 32789 (407) 645-5311 morsemuseum.org
One of California’s most beautiful and unique destinations! • Docent-led group tours • Two restaurants with tour group options • For info on Egypt’s Lost Cities or FBI call 805.557.2704
Tour Through Air Force One 27000
View a Full Scale Replica of the Oval Office
Touch an Authentic Piece of the Berlin Wall
40 Presidential Drive • Simi Valley, CA 93065 • 805.577.2704 • ReaganLibrary.com LeisureGroupTravel.com <<
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SI
SITE INSPECTION
Savor the Good Life in Virginia Beach
With so many beautiful locales and enjoyable activities, Virginia Beach is a modern paradise
H
appiness is just a stroll in the sand away when you visit Virginia Beach, where the easy pace of beach living will have you saying yes to all forms of new experiences. With an iconic three-mile boardwalk, bustling beachfront resort area, three distinctive beaches, 18,600 acres of parks and a lively downtown area, Virginia’s largest city is the perfect locale for all members of your group.
Beaches and aquatic fun await
With miles of coastline, Virginia Beach offers visitors a wide variety of aquatic fun. One of the best ways to experience Virginia Beach’s coastline is from the water and taking a boat tour is a fun way to take in the beauty of this place. Rudee Tours offers dolphin- and whale-watching tours that are fun for the whole group. Groups can also opt to explore on their own and rent vessels from places like Bay Venture Boat Rentals.Surf & Adventure Co. Ocean Rentals offers surf and stand-up paddleboard lessons as well as kayak and stand-up paddleboarding tours. For a tastier excursion, don’t miss Surf and Adventure Company’s Blue Pete’s Dinner Tour, for an unforgettable kayaking experience. 66
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Virginia Beach Boardwalk
The famous Virginia Beach boardwalk at the oceanfront is a 28-foot-wide marvel that stretches three miles and features a separate bike path. Entertainment is offered nightly during the summer months and four oceanfront stages provide live musical acts. At Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium, take to the trees at the largest adventure course on the East Coast with 13 trails of zip lines and aerial rope obstacles soaring up to 40 feet in the air. While you’re at the aquarium, explore over 800,000 gallons of sea life as well as handson exhibits, an outdoor aviary, nature trail and marshlands.
Chesapeake Bay Beach
Beachgoers seeking kinder, gentler waves can visit Chesapeake Bay Beach, which is revered for being a fisherman’s paradise. The Chesapeake Bay is brimming with fish of all sorts, which means there’s plenty of fishing fun to be had. Tour Cape Henry Lighthouse, the first lighthouse commissioned by President George Washington, completed in 1792. For more than 50 years, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel has captured worldwide attention as a modern engineering wonder.
At First Landing State Park, groups can hike the park’s seven different ecosystems— from pine forests to marshes and estuaries— exploring the same land the Jamestown colonists first saw when they arrived in the New World in 1607.
Sandbridge Beach
Located 15 miles south of the Resort Area of Virginia Beach, Sandbridge is a secluded beach hideaway of five miles of pristine sand dunes and dancing sea oats. The beach’s secluded, grassy sand dunes are nestled between the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, an 8,000-acre fresh water refuge with maritime forests, fresh water marshes, ponds, ocean beach and large impoundments for wintering wildfowl. Book a guided tour with Blue Goose Tram Tour through the refuge and False Cape State Park to the historic Wash Woods site. Guests can enjoy an eco-friendly safari or they can comb the beach for seashells.
VISIT VIRGINIA BEACH
Jim Coggin (757) 284-9022 jcoggin@visitvirginiabeach.com www.visitvirginiabeach.com
>> LeisureGroupTravel.com
RETRACE THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR PAST
BRING YOUR GROUP TOUR TO LIFE. By land, air, and sea, there’s no shortage of ways for your group to have an epic adventure for the history books here in Virginia Beach. Enjoy hands-on experiences and uncommon access to storied sites in our coastal city. Plan your group’s Live the Life Adventure at VisitVirginiaBeach.com/GroupTour.
REDISCOVER ATLANTIC CITY
The Story Continues Entertainment and excitement await in Atlantic City, including our world-famous Boardwalk, the ultimate in tax-free shopping, award-winning dining, live entertainment, and great attractions, like the Absecon Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey. Experience an exciting getaway and create a lifetime of memories in Atlantic City.
TourAtlanticCity.com
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