South on our radar
From New Orleans to the Carolinas, planners organizing tours in the South will find many new itinerary brighteners in the region. Here is a quick glimpse at what’s creating a buzz: FLORIDA The new Northwest FloridaPanama City International Airport is on track to open in May 2010 as the first international airport to be built in the U.S. in the last 16 years. Southwest Airlines, the first to announce service to Panama City Beach, will operate eight daily flights beginning May 18. Located on Panama City Beach’s expansive West Bay, the airport and Industrial District Authority aim to make its terminal the first in the nation certified to LEED standards under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program of the U.S. Green Building Council. The airport will be developed in conjunction with a nature preserve that will include Florida’s largest expanse of undeveloped coastline. The refuge, called the West Bay Preservation Area, will protect 40,000 acres around the West Bay, including 33 miles of undeveloped shoreline and an additional 44 miles of tributaries and creeks. Visitors to the preserve will enjoy hiking, fishing and bird watching. (visitpanamacitybeach.com) GEORGIA BabyLand General Hospital, where Cabbage Patch Kids dolls are “delivered” and “adopted,” plans a Grand Opening Celebration and Reunion on May 8, 2010, at its new location in Cleveland, hometown of creator-entrepreneur Xavier Roberts. The gracious, threestory Southern-style mansion, a showcase of fun and fantasy being built on 100 acres, will offer mountain views from 72 windows. Actual move-in date is expected before the end of 2009. BabyLand is working with lodging facilities, restaurants and other attractions to do Cabbage Patch Kids girlfriend getaways. (cabbagepatchkids.com) LeisureGroupTravel.com
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is adding a $110-million dolphin exhibit that will open in November 2010. The 1.3-million gallon exhibit will include dolphin encounters, viewing windows and dolphin shows. (georgiaaquarium.org) The Allure of the Automobile presents 18 of the world’s rarest cars from the 1930s to the mid-1960s at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art from March 21June 20, 2010. Included are masterpieces by Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Ferrari. The exhibition traces the evolution of the motorcar, examining the contrasts between European and American design, and significant changes in automotive styling and engineering before and after World War II. (high.org)
KENTUCKY The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington will host the 2010 Alltech FEI Games from Sept. 25-Oct. 10. Held every four years, the competition features the world championships for eight equestrian sports. This will mark the first time the event has been held in the United States. The City of Lexington is planning a 17-day festival to run concurrently with the 2010 Games. From May 29-Oct. 15, the Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse will present A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse, a major exhibition that honors the horse of the Near East, with particular emphasis on the Arabian horse. In September, the Morgan Horse Pavilion, built by the American Morgan Horse
prime time With our 200-year history, Greenbrier County is a great location for your next tour. Conveniently located less than four hours by motorcoach from many major Mid-Atlantic cities, Greenbrier Valley is an easy getaway for those cherished times. To request a copy of the Group Tour Planner, please contact Group Sales at 800-833-2068 or amy@greenbrierwv.com
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on our radar: south ❖
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ust 45 minutes south of Memphis lay Antebellum splendor featuring shops, restaurants, museums, daily historic home and garden tours, golfing, camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, civil rights history, extensive Civil War history, AND Graceland Too - a shrine to The King built by his biggest fan!
Institute, opens on the Horse Park’s grounds and will highlight the Morgan’s history with interactive exhibits. (feigames2010.org, kyhorsepark.com) LOUISIANA The Restoration Pavilion, opening next year at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, will allow the public a permanent behind-the-scenes view of how conservators restore and preserve tanks, airplanes, boats, weapons and other priceless pieces of equipment from the war years. The facility, part of the second phase of the museum’s $300million expansion, will also serve as a storage area for macro artifacts and parts of the museum collections. (nationalww2museum.org/expansion.restoration.pdf ) New Orleans’ Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in March introduces Para-
Holly Springs Tourism & Recreation Bureau 148 East College Avenue Holly Springs, MS 38635 Toll Free: 888-687-4765 Phone: 662-252-2515 Fax: 662-252-2696 info@visithollysprings.com www.visithollysprings.com Contacts: Suzann or Stephanie
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Greenbrier County Convention & Visitors Bureau
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he Greenbrier Valley’s rich history and myriad recreational pastimes provide tour groups with an endless choice of leisure activities year round. The region’s mix of quaint downtowns, eclectic shopping, live performance venues and breathtaking scenery ensures that groups will have an outstanding experience no matter what the participants’ interests and preferences.
Washington Street Gallery in Downtown Lewisburg features one-of-a-kind works of contemporary fine art.
Greenbrier County CVB Amy Kaczynski, Director of Sales & Promotions 540 North Jefferson Street, Box 17, Suite N Lewisburg, WV 24901 amy@greenbrierwv.com 800-833-2068 www.greenbrierwv.com
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Rachael Stebbins Director of Marketing & Communications 304-645-1000 rstebbins@greenbrierwv.com
keet Pointe, where visitors will mingle with hundreds of free-flying parakeets and purchase feed sticks for the birds. In May the Audubon Nature Institute will unveil Cool Zoo Splash Zone, a water park right in the middle of Audubon Zoo. Guests can ride waterslides and get dunked by a huge alligator dumping hundreds of gallons of water. (auduboninstitute.org) NORTH CAROLINA Civil rights takes a front seat when the International Civil Rights Center & Museum opens on Feb. 1 in Greensboro in the F.W. Woolworth building where a landmark protest started. One exhibit allows visitors to experience the conversations of the four young men in a re-created North Carolina A&T dorm, prior to their historic 1960 act—seating themselves at the whites-only lunch counter. Artifacts include the original counter and stools. The museum will have 14 signature exhibits and a changing gallery. (336-274-9199, sitinmovement.org) The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh unveils a new 127,000square-foot, $73-million building in April. Dramatically expanded exhibition space will be highlighted by daylit galleries and dozens of new art acquisitions that will be on view for the first time. The aluminum-clad exterior will be surrounded by outdoor gardens showcasing large-scale sculptures. (919-839-6262, ncartmuseum.org) SOUTH CAROLINA The new, state-of-the-art South Carolina State Farmers Market will open April 17 at the center of the state, just off the intersection of Interstates 26 and 77 near Columbia. Featuring separate areas for major wholesale vendors and the retail sale of South Carolina agricultural products, the LeisureGroupTravel.com
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Georgia: A Winter Wonderland visitor-friendly market will feature a children’s play area, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, a specialty foods shop, school bus drop-off area, an RV park, a fish market, a meat market, bakery and several restaurants. The site will also be home to South Carolina Department of Agriculture laboratories, a 200-seat conference center and offices. The new market will be three times larger than the old one. (scstatefarmersmarket.com) TENNESSEE Titanic Pigeon Forge, a $25-million project, opens in April 2010 to tell the story of the ill-fated ship, its one voyage and its passengers and crew. The attraction will display hundreds of priceless Titanic artifacts in 20 galleries on two decks that will also contain exact replicas of the “Grand Staircase,” a first-class suite, a third-class cabin and the Marconi wireless room. The bridge will offer interactive features similar to those of its sister ship in Branson, Mo. Visitors will be able to touch an iceberg, experience the chill of 28-degree water, sit in an actual life boat, “steer” the ship and send an SOS message. (titanicpigeonforge.com) WEST VIRGINIA The underground Casino at The Greenbrier will debut in April at the famous resort in White Sulphur Springs. The casino, for hotel guests and Sporting Club members, will feature 320 slots and some 40 gaming tables, including blackjack, craps, baccarat and mini baccarat, roulette and poker. The resort’s temporary Tavern Casino, discreetly located in a lounge in the Virginia Wing, opened in October and will be available for private parties and groups when the larger casino debuts. (greenbrier.com) LeisureGroupTravel.com
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rom shopping malls to outlet centers, neighborhood shops to internationally known art galleries and antique treasures, Georgia is a holiday shopper’s paradise. Georgia’s mild winter temperatures allow for plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors. Stone Mountain Park hosts their annual family tradition “A Southern Christmas”, November 13 through December 30. Head south and discover 100 miles of pristine coastline along Georgia’s Coast. Experience the magic of Holiday Island on Jekyll Island in December, with more than a month of family friendly festivities. The annual Fantasy in Lights display can be found at the picturesque Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain from November 20 through December 30. End the year at the Peach Drop, the largest New Year's celebration in the southeast, in downtown Atlanta. Georgia’s mild winter climate is perfect for a holiday getaway.
Visit www.ExploreGeorgia.org
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What’s New and News for 2010 Mississippi Gulf Coast
• Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art – Frank Gehry • • •
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designed complex opening 2010 Biloxi Arts District – across street, north of Beau Rivage Restoration Historic Properties Biloxi - Biloxi Lighthouse - Magnolia Hotel - Old Brick House Gulfport Restorations Downtown – historic restoration of 25th Avenue to include palm trees, historic lampposts creating walkable district. Grass Lawn – Replicated 1836 mansion Four Gulf Coast Events have received national or regional recognition - Biloxi Seafood Festival - Mardi Gras - Winter Classic, Olympic-Style Horse Show - St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
Contact: Janet Harrington Manager, Leisure Sales and Group Travel MS Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 6128, Gulfport, MS 39506 Ph: 888-467-4853 Fax: 228-896-6788 Email: janeth@gulfcoast.org Web: www.gulfcoast.org
Coming 2011
• Jefferson Davis Presidential Library • Infinity at NASA • Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum December 2009 37