Prep Traveler, Spring 2009

prep

traveler

Spring/Summer 2009

Splish Splash PLUNGE INTO WATERPARK FUN

A Premier Tourism Marketing publication www.preptraveler.com

Also in this issue…

US Sports Congress Rewind NEW – Digital Publications for Sports and Performance Groups, page 4 The Hottest Student and Sports Destinations from Coast to Coast

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traveler

PERFORM • REHEARSE • EXPERIENCE • PLAY

Spring/Summer 2009

In this issue…

Features

US Sports Congress Rewind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Splish Splash

by Randy Mink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Columns & Departments From the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Regional Resources

West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Northeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

ScoreCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

On the cover Lost Paradise indoor waterpark recreates the tropics at KeyLime Cove, a new resort hotel in Gurnee, Ill. (Photo courtesy KeyLime Cove)

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Spring/Summer 2009 | PREP TRAVELER 3

From the Publisher: A Better Way to Plan Student & Sports Travel ur responsibility here at Premier Tourism Marketing (publisher of Prep Traveler) is to assist the readers of our print magazines, e-newsletters and websites to plan better group trips. It’s very simple at the core, but can easily get lost in an environment such as this.

O

When we first entered the student travel and youth sports markets in 2005 with Prep Traveler, we knew the marketplace was underserved and that a good publication would be helpful in communicating the values of youth travel. While we supplied ample amounts of “where to” destination stories and updates, we were always challenged to develop enough “how to” content - specifically how to run better trips and events.

New for Sports Planners, Too In addition, we have recently launched a new SportsTravelDirectory.com website – a one-stop resource for locating sports facilities and destinations across the U.S. and Canada. With nearly 400 destinations online, and dozens of facilities being uploaded each week, it’s already off to a great start! This website will be the first in the nation to aggregate facilities from a multitude of sports disciplines and allow you to compare size, features and specs side-by-side.

From our conversations with event planners it will be a welcome addition to the marketplace. Other features of the site include a group hotel booking engine, fundraising tips and ideas, sports apparel store and a new monthly e-magazine for sports event planners, InSite on Sports Events. A print version of Sports Travel Directory will be delivered to our sports event buyers this September, with intentions to provide a Planning Guide for this marketplace in spring 2010.

The Student Travel Planning Guide will help you plan better trips

Working on a recent project for the reunions market, I had an epiphany. The publication was a blueprint of how to plan and organize a successful reunion — a virtual “idiot’s guide” to everything you needed to do and, equally important, not to do to ensure a successful reunion event. The more I looked at this, the more I thought it applicable for the student & sports markets.

It’s an awesome responsibility you take on each time you commit to a trip or event, and one that frankly you should not have to take on alone. That’s why I’m committing the resources of my company to help you plan better group trips for your students by the creation of a Student Travel Planning Guide, the definitive resource to developing a student trip. This planning guide will be packed with advice, like how to select the right destination, negotiate with vendors, find quality tour operators, get new fundraising ideas, establish chaperone guidelines, deal with liability & trip insurance issues and more.

The Student Travel Planning Guide will help you plan better, safer trips and save families money. This will be delivered in a straight forward – no bias, no bull format. Expect to see your copy by the time the lights are on the Christmas trees this year – for a sneak peak, visit www.StudentTravelDirectory.com.

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As for Prep Traveler, the name and website will live on – we will deliver destination news and updates via InSite on Student Travel or InSite on Sports Events e-newsletters, which I hope you will sign up for to stay updated and in touch. To do so, visit the PrepTraveler.com website and enter your email on the sign-up box found in the center of the home page.

In these changing times, it’s critical that we take internal stock of our purpose and what we’re set here to provide. I’m confident this new direction will be a welcome addition in your mail bin or email box.

Happy Traveling,

Jeff Gayduk, Publisher jeff@ptmgroups.com P.S. Don’t forget to sign-up for your favorite edition of InSite directly on PrepTraveler.com!

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US Sports Congress Rewind

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he third annual US Sports Congress, held Dec. 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Ga., hosted industry professionals, national governing bodies, event marketers, brands and sports commissions from across the country. This first-of-its-kind event in the sports market provides attendees the opportunity to network and participate in sessions that pertain to the sports event industry.

The 2008 US Sports Congress was co-sponsored by the Association of Chief Executives for Sports (ACES) and Greater Savannah Sports Council, the organizing partners. Ben Wilder, director of the Greater Savannah Sports Council, said, “The Greater Savannah Sports Council was very honored to host the 2008 US Sports Congress. It was an outstanding opportunity and experience that will benefit us for years to come. I was especially impressed at how the event made sure we got the attendees out into our beautiful city.”

Congress activities included an opening reception at

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Event industry pros mix networking and experiencing the best of Savannah

the historic Olde Pink House, a golf outing at the Club at Savannah Harbor and a closing reception at Food Network’s star Paula Deen’s The Lady and Sons restaurant.

“The destination plays a large part in setting the tone for what we are accomplishing,” said Lou Mengsol, president of Innovations Consulting, the event management organization. “We’re very pleased with the experience and content we’re delivering to our attendees, and our organizing partners are a tremendous part of accomplishing this.”

While Savannah as a destination was impressive, there were plenty of reasons to stay indoors for the expert analysis and sessions. The array of presenters

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US Sports Congress Rewind

included IEG – “Selling Sponsorship in a Down Economy;” Mike Veeck, author of Fun is Good; and Tim Iley of the PGA. Each year these sessions enable destinations, national governing bodies, brands and sports marketers to experience from a unique perspective how they can each work together.

Balancing the event attendance base is critical, but it’s one of the components that makes the US Sports Congress so effective. The event organizers’ goal is to balance the ratio of national governing bodies to destinations and sports commissions. Nowhere is this more evident than in the trade show where, unlike some other events, networking flows freely and few attendees are bound by time constraints.

The US Sports Congress, first and foremost, is a networking event. Not only do attendees have the ability to form and strengthen crucial relationships, but there is dedicated time in the trade show to strategize how to actualize specific business. By attracting top-level executives from national governing bodies and destination marketers, the event creates a tremendous amount of synergy on the trade show floor.

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Mark Lingle, director of the World Sport Stacking Association, summed up his experience in these words: “An outstanding conference with dynamic speakers that were relevant to me and the sport. Sports conferences I have attended thus far do not compare to the US Sports Congress. The trade show receptions and the Congress after hours were unforgettable with great friendships and contacts made.”

The event has a mindful eye on the future and is looking at specific sessions that appeal to its attendee base. “One possibility is to bring in representatives from some of the professional leagues to conduct best practice sessions,” explained Mengsol. “We are really focused on creating a catalyst in which our attendees can prosper whether they are a national governing body, destination, sports commission, brand or sponsor.”

For further information about the US Sports Congress, contact Innovations Consulting, LLC at 608-363-0873.

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Splish Splash More and more waterparks give student groups a chance to plunge into fun

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A tipping bucket drenches guests at African-themed Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

By Randy Mink

our feet dangle in the air as the wooden chairlift ascends Mount Gushmore, the “snowcapped” centerpiece of a wacky, whimsical place called Blizzard Beach, one of two themed waterparks at Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort. Painted in loud beach colors and with skis attached to its underside, the aerial conveyance glides peacefully skyward as screaming “skiers” clad in swimsuits “schuss” down slippery chutes of “melting snow.”

Adding to the festive atmosphere of this zany place—an alpine-flavored ski resort plopped into the middle of a tropical lagoon –are the sounds of music, everything from “Frosty the Snowman” to Beach Boys hits. The mascot is an alligator on skis.

The tourist-friendly Orlando area boasts some of the country’s best aquatic adventure kingdoms. In fact, it’s the birthplace of the modern waterpark, a phenomenon that began in 1977 with the opening of Wet ’n Wild. After Typhoon Lagoon, also at Disney World, the second- and third-most-attended waterparks in the country are Blizzard Beach and Wet ’n Wild, according to the World Waterpark Association. (www.waterparks.org) 10 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

Michigan’s largest indoor waterpark, like Blizzard Beach, has an alpine theme but it’s actually located at Boyne Mountain, a real ski resort. Reflecting the resort’s Austrian theme, Avalanche Bay’s decor represents a SwissAustrian village hit by an avalanche and offers everything from a surf wave and lazy river to an 800-gallon water avalanche from Splasherhorn Mountain.

America has more than 1,000 of these water playgrounds, from municipally-owned parks that rival some of the commercial enterprises to the growing number of waterpark hotels sprouting up in tourist hotspots and suburban areas.

Student groups take to these liquid attractions like ducks to water. Speeding down steep slides…careening on rafts that tackle high-banked turns… relaxing on calm rivers… frolicking in wave pools – what’s not to like?

The latest technological innovations include surfing simulators, which allow guests to test their skills on a continuous wave, and roller coaster-type rides that move on jets of water and conveyor belts. Also big are bowl rides that involve sliding down a chute or tube into the top of a preptraveler.com

Relaxing on a float trip at Dollywood’s Splash Country.

largest indoor waterpark square footage (250,000 in three separate parks). The Dells’ Noah’s Ark is the largest outdoor splash zone (70 acres), offering 49 waterslides, two wave pools, mini-golf and a 176-seat 4-D theater with drenching special effects.

In the German-flavored town of New Braunfels, Tex., Schlitterbahn is the fourth-most-visited waterpark and is building a resort complex in Kansas City, Kan. In spring, the New Braunfels location offers student groups an Aqua Lab program that focuses on the technology behind the rides, plus a Sound Waves Music Festival for band, choir and dance groups. Other Schlitterbahn locations are in Galveston and South Padre Island, Tex.

giant funnel and swishing around inside before dropping down (or getting flushed) into a splash pool.

The high degree of safety makes waterparks ideal for student groups. Self-contained and well-supervised, the parks inspire confidence from group planners.

Groups are good business, so the parks go out of their way to accommodate them, offering private facilities and special meal plans as well as admission discounts. Youth groups at Wet ’n Wild, for example, can opt for a catered, all-you-can-eat meal or an unlimited soft drinks and lemonade plan that keeps kids hydrated all day. New for 2009 at Dollywood’s Splash Country, adjacent to Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is the Big River Pavilion, which accommodates groups of 40-96. It may be used for three hours, free of charge, with the purchase of a minimum of 40 buffet meals. A PA system is available for awards and other presentations.

Perhaps the biggest trend is the growth in resort hotels with indoor waterparks. These parks have the obvious advantage of being open year-round, oblivious to weather conditions. Waterpark hotel rooms in 2007 grew by 20.9 percent, compared to a 1.4 percent growth rate for ordinary hotel rooms. At present there are more than 200 indoor waterpark projects at new and existing hotels. Some resorts restrict their water facilities to guests only, but others welcome outsiders for an admission fee.

The Wisconsin Dells, with 18 indoor waterparks and three outdoor parks, is the “Waterpark Capital of the World” and home of the first U.S. indoor waterpark, the Polynesian Resort Hotel & Suites (1989). The Dells’ African-themed Kalahari Resort, with its massive indoor and outdoor water complex, just opened an indoor theme park to expand its offerings. Under one roof you’ll find a Ferris wheel, go carts, laser tag, 24 lanes of bowling, 18 holes of miniature golf, three climbing walls, five private party rooms and 200 arcade games. The Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, claims the largest waterpark under one roof, and a third Kalahari opens in Fredericksburg, Va., in December 2010.

Great Wolf Lodge, the northwwoods-themed water park giant, just opened a $100-million resort in Concord, N.C., near Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Besides indoor and outdoor splash zones, facilities include a technology center for teens, a 100-game arcade with ticket redemption center and an 18-hole miniature golf course.

Great Wolf properties also can be found in Sandusky; Wisconsin Dells; and Kansas City, Kan., among other locations.

Lost Paradise indoor waterpark and RipTide Reef Arcade are the big draws at KeyLime Cove, a new tropically themed resort in Gurnee, Ill., between Chicago and Milwaukee. Wild rides include the Hurricane Vortex and giant slides like Screaming Banshee.

Tsunami Washout Wavepool provides more thrills.

Like Disney World, some of the biggest waterparks complement sister theme parks. Adventure Island is just a quarter mile from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, while Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. is three miles from companion Water Country USA, a ’50s and ’60s surf-themed park celebrating its 25th anniversary.

An admission ticket to Six Flags New England theme park gets patrons into adjoining Hurricane Harbor, the region’s largest waterpark, as well. Other Hurricane Harbors are bonuses at such Six Flags locations as Louisville, St. Louis and Gurnee, Ill. (across from KeyLime Cove).

In Santa Claus, Ind., groups can combine Holiday World amusement park with Splashin’ Safari, which boasts Zoombabwe, the world’s tallest enclosed waterslide (10 stories high). The world’s tallest water ride opens this year at Holiday World.

Accessible from Splashin’ Safari, Pilgrim’s Plunge will drop a 10passenger boat 131 feet at a 45-degree angle. Also new at Holiday World/Splashin’ Safari for 2009 is HoliWatch, a free wristband-style system using radio frequency identification technology that group members can use to locate each other in the park and leave messages. The watches (yes, they’re waterproof) can be swept at 10 HoliWatch InfoCenters. Another unique park amenity: unlimited free soft drinks.

Oceans of fun await students at America’s waterparks. After a day at one of these splash zones, an ordinary trip to the swimming pool will never do.

The Wilderness Hotel in Wisconsin Dells claims the nation’s

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ADVERTORIAL

West Student

New & Noteworthy ALASKA State Celebrates 50 Years The Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center honors the state’s golden anniversary with the opening of a new fourstory, glass-walled exhibition space on May 20. Its inaugural exhibition, entitled Gold, features the 56-pound Normandy Nugget, a gold-plated room and a stash of gold doubloons retrieved from a sunken Spanish galleon. Life in Alaska Leading to Statehood, another featured exhibition, recalls the 1950s through photography, school yearbooks, the statehood ballot and other memorabilia. Contact: 907343-6173, anchoragemuseum.org.

Ride the Ducks has just made a big splash in San Francisco.

ARIZONA New Music Museum The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix is set to open in early 2010. With musical instruments from every country in the world, MIM will pay homage to the history and diversity of instruments and introduce museum guests to their varied and unique sounds. MIM will be an engaging, entertaining and informative experience, in which the uninitiated and the knowledgeable will feel welcome. Museum guests will gain an appreciation for both the musical similarities and differences among divergent cultures, countries and ethnicities through state-of-the-art exhibits. Integrated audio and video experiences will enable guests to appreciate the sounds of instruments from around the world as well as to see these instruments played in their cultural contexts.

The museum will display about 5,000 instruments, from the exquisite heirlooms of royal courts to handcrafted pieces passed down through generations. Some will have been played by famous artists. The collection will be organized into galleries representing major regions: Europe, United States and Canada, Latin America, Oceania, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central and South Asia, Middle East and Africa. Live performances in an intimate auditorium will make MIM a center of world music performance. Contact: themim.org.

CALIFORNIA

the ground up, are modeled after the DUKWs that carried troops and supplies during WWII. The ticketing and boarding location is at Fisherman’s Wharf. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more. Contact: 415-922-2425, sanfranciscoducks.com.

Elephant Sanctuary The San Diego Zoo’s Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey opens in June. The $44-million, seven-acre habitat will feature Asian elephants, a California condor, sloths, snakes and rodents, as well as life-size replicas of animal species that dotted the Southern California landscape more than 10,000 years ago. A herd of eight elephants will roam a 2.5-acre exhibit that will include a 120,000-gallon pool, gentle rolling hills and the Conrad Prebys Elephant Management Facility, where visitors can see keepers and veterinarians at work with the animals and tour the facility for educational and interactive experiences.

Additional highlights of Elephant Odyssey include a tar pit replication, fossil dig, children’s play area and a tunneled walkway through a herd of elephants. Contact: 619-231-1515, sandiegozoo.org.

San Francisco Quackers Ride The Ducks, the amphibious tour operator, has just made a big splash in the San Francisco tourism industry. The 90minute sightseeing tour includes about 60 minutes on land and 30 minutes on the water. It winds through the city’s historic streets and neighborhoods, splashes down into McCovey Cove and “quacks” along the bay. Sights along the route include Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Ghirardelli Square, Union Square, SOMA, AT&T Ballpark and Bay Bridge. Passengers enjoy their complimentary Wacky Quackers, yellow-billed duck whistles, as they quack at pedestrians. The vehicles, built from 14 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

Tiger Temple Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo this spring opens a new exhibit that will showcase the park’s 11 tigers including Odin, the internationally acclaimed white Bengal tiger. Odin’s Temple of the Tiger will be housed in the former Jungle Theater, redesigned to create a more expansive area for the cats with improved arena seating to enhance guest observation. This new attraction will demonstrate tigers’ natural behaviors and highlight their affinity for water and agility on land. Contact: 707-643-6722, sixflags.com/discoverykingdom. preptraveler.com

Sounds of Music The GRAMMY Museum, with four floors of dynamic and interactive multimedia presentations, just opened in L.A. Live, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. The 32,000-square-foot facility explores all forms of music, the creative process, art and technology of the recording process, and the history of record music’s GRAMMY Award.

There are artist profiles, films, timelines, memorabilia, a 200-seat soundstage and a mock studio where visitors can experience the actual recording process, with industry experts leading the way through mixing and producing.

Contact: 213-765-6800, grammymuseum.org.

res of music, dance, crafts and storytelling. The three-day event is free and offers entertainment on seven main stages. The festival has been held in various locations since its founding in 1934. This is the first time it is being held in a Western state.

Contact: 800-735-6814, buttecvb.com, nationalfolkfestival.com.

West Student

New & Noteworthy

NEW MEXICO Nuclear Option The National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque opens at a new location this spring as the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. The $10.5-million facility will offer exhibits on both the technical side of nuclear science and its historical development. The 30,000-square-foot building will be adjacent to the Sandia Science and Technology Park in southeast Albuquerque.

It will house 13 permanent major exhibits. The museum’s historical aircraft and military vehicle collection will be displayed on nine acres surrounding the building. Contact: 505-245-2137, atomicmuseum.org.

OKLAHOMA Cherokee Heritage Center

Starting this summer, visitors to Denver can rent bikes for free.

COLORADO Free Bikes in Denver A new citywide bike sharing program – “Denver B-Cycle” – will put 500 free bikes on the streets of Denver by this summer.

Visitors and residents will be able to go to one of 30-40 bike stations, swipe a credit card, and ride off on a bike to sightsee around the city, attend meetings or run errands. Bike rentals are free as long as the bike is returned to the same location by 10 a.m. the following business day. All of the bike stations will be situated within three or four miles of downtown and will be near convenient locations such as light rail stations, museums, campuses and hotels. Metro Denver has 850 miles of off-road, paved bike trails, one of the largest bike networks in the nation. Denver is also filling the downtown area with bike lanes and “shared lane” arrows. Contact: visitdenver.com.

MONTANA Folk Fest Moves West Butte is host to the annual National Folk Festival, July 10-12, 2009 and July 9-11, 2010. This is the country's largest and most prestigious celebration of traditional American folk arts and attracts renowned performers and artisans in various genpreptraveler.com

The Cherokee Nation’s Cultural Tourism Department has completed the second and final renovation to the Cherokee Heritage Center in Park Hill. The entrance to the museum store and allnew grand atrium is framed by three tall columns, remaining signatures of the former 1850 Cherokee Female Seminary, the first institution of higher learning for women west of the Mississippi. The Cherokee Heritage Center, which sits on a 44acre complex, was established in 1963 by Chief W.W. Keeler to house tribal historical documents, photographs and exhibits. The living village was inaugurated in 1967 and the museum and gift shop followed in 1974. The center also features the Tsa-La-Gi Ancient Village and Adams Corner Rural Village. The Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized tribe of more than 280,000 Cherokee citizens, with its capital located in Tahlequah, Okla.

Contact: 888-999-6007, cherokeeheritage.org.

TEXAS New Museum for San Antonio The Briscoe Western Art Museum opens in 2010 along San Antonio’s Riverwalk, within easy walking distance of the Alamo and other attractions. Named for cattle rancher and former Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his late wife Janey, the museum will showcase art, artifacts and interactive exhibits that tell the story of the American West, with emphasis on South Texas and San Antonio. The main building is the landmark 1930 Carnegie Library, which later housed the Hertzberg Circus Museum. An enclosed bridge will connect it to a new building with two more floors of exhibits and an event Pavilion. Contact: 888-365-7472, briscoemuseum.org.

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West Sports

New & Noteworthy ARIZONA

A new Mesa Historical Museum exhibit looks at baseball’s past in Arizona.

Spring Training Exhibit Play Ball: The Cactus League Experience just opened at the Mesa Historical Museum.

The exhibit celebrates the history of professional baseball in Arizona from the sport’s barnstorming days before statehood, researched to be as early as 1909, to the inauguration of the Cactus League in 1947 and up to present day. The interactive exhibit focuses on the legendary boys of summer who reported for spring training in the Arizona desert. Play Ball features a “knothole” fence; an infield complete with vintage dugout, sky mural and photo opportunity; interactive souvenir, concession and ticket booths; and a threedimensional bus depot.

This year’s Cactus League season (extending into early April), with the addition of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Glendale and Cleveland Indians in Goodyear, will set a record for number of games (245) played.

Fourteen teams will play in 11 stadiums in nine Arizona cities. Contact: 480-835-7358, playballexperience.com; cactusleague.com.

ing in California are no more than four driving hours from Bakersfield. Bakersfield has become a sought-after destination for statewide tournaments due to its ability to attract teams from Northern and Southern California. Rates at Bakersfield hotels average 40 percent less per night than the state average.

CALIFORNIA

The Bakersfield CVB offers online housing for sports tournaments. Contact: 866-425-7353, visitbakersfield.com.

L.A. Sports Museum The Sports Museum of Los Angeles (SMLA), with one of the largest and broadest collections of sports memorabilia and collectibles in the world, recently opened in downtown Los Angeles, just south of STAPLES Center and L.A. Live.

The 30 galleries cover football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, biking and other sports. What makes the museum unique is that the collection belongs to just one person— museum founder and CEO Gary Cypres. Contact: 888-5408223, sportsmuseumla.com.

Soccer in Bakersfield Bakersfield is home to the Kern County Soccer Complex, one of the largest soccer facilities in California. Bigger than any complex in San Diego, Los Angeles or the Bay Area, the venue includes 25 fields, including 21 regulation-size fields (four lighted), four modified fields, parking for over 1,500 vehicles and four restroom/concession facilities.

Separate tournament headquarters and referee buildings are located near the center of the complex. The fields can be modified for lacrosse as well.

Conveniently located, Bakersfield is the population center point of California. That means 90 percent of all people liv16 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

Science of Hockey Science on Ice, a permanent exhibition that explores physics, physiology and flying pucks, debuts March 29 at Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. It is presented in partnership with the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, National Hockey League and USA Hockey.

Visitors will be able to sit atop a Zamboni ice resurfacing machine to investigate the properties of ice and discover how the rink’s icy floor is made. They learn about reaction time as a goalie or shooter and while waiting out their sentence in the Penalty Box make quick math calculations involving fractions and percentages using digital and traditional clocks. Guests record their own version of the top plays in a broadcasting booth. In the Locker Room they learn about players’ nutrition and exercise, design a virtual jersey and find out if hockey players actually end the game weighing more than they did at the start.

Discovery Science Center, Orange County’s only Smithsonian Affiliate, is recognizable from Interstate 5 by its 10-story solar cube and Delta III Rocket. More than 100 interactive exhibits touch on everything from outer space preptraveler.com

completed prior to the 2010 season. Contact: 210820-2100, sanantoniosports.org.

West Sports

New & Noteworthy New in Lewisville Railroad Park, a new 287-acre park and athletic complex scheduled to open in spring 2010 in Lewisville, will feature 10 soccer fields, four baseball fields, four youth football fields, walking trails, a skate park and dog park. The park has been designed with a railroad theme, including concession stands, restrooms and other buildings resembling the city’s historic railroad station formerly in Old Town Lewisville. Located just east of the Water’s Ridge Explore physics, physiology and development and touching the Elm Fork of the flying pucks at Discovery Trinity River, Railroad Park will have three manmade Science Center in Santa Ana. lakes designed to prevent flooding while offering an attractive park setting. Only about 150 of the park’s acres are and dinosaurs to hurricanes and earthquakes. Contact: 714being developed. Lewisville, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 542-2823, discoverycube.org. is in southern Denton County. Contact: cityoflewisville.com.

COLORADO

Super Bowl 2011

Denver Sports Gathering

The Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau is now accepting contact information from those interested in volunteer opportunities with the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, in preparation for Super Bowl XLV, which will be played in the Dallas Cowboys’ new $1.1-billion stadium in 2011. Thousands of volunteer opportunities will be available, with a variety of skills needed. Those interested can go to www.arlington.org/volunteers to enter contact information and receive the latest news.

The NASC Sports Event Symposium, produced annually by the National Association of Sports Commissions, will be held April 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency Denver. The sports event industry conference includes educational sessions, case study presentations and best practices roundtable discussions. Pre-scheduled appointments can be made with event owners, suppliers and host organizations in the NASC Sports Marketplace.

Contact: 513-281-3888, nascsymposium.com.

Strikes and Spares

TEXAS San Antonio Places to Play San Antonio is aggressively adding to its soccer/lacrosse facilities. SOAR (the Gordon Hartman Soccer and Special Needs Park in northeast San Antonio), ready in August, is a conversion of an old quarry, offering 15 fields and a 10,000-seat stadium.

Near SOAR will the new Classics Elite Complex, which has eight existing fields and five more that will be completed by late summer. Another soccer/lacrosse complex will be the Culebra Creek Complex in northwest San Antonio. It will have 12 fields and open in August of 2010.

San Antonio also offers new baseball "destination" complexes.

The Missions Baseball Academy is a partnership of the San Antonio Missions (AA Professional Baseball) with a senior men's league and a 15-and-over youth league. The McAllister Little League is developing a 10-field complex capable of hosting the Little League World Series. Construction has begun and is expected to take one year. The Southeast Skyline Pony League is developing a seven-field Pony League complex. Construction will be done in two phases, with the first phase this spring. It will be preptraveler.com

The United States Bowling Congress is building a new campus in Arlington that will feature a training facility, museum and hall of fame. Construction is under way, with completion set for early 2010. The property is located across the street from Six Flags Over Texas in the heart of Arlington's Entertainment District. It is about three blocks east of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, and about six blocks east of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium set to open this year.

WASHINGTON Coming to Spokane The Spokane Regional Sports Commission expects to enhance its ability to attract youth and adult tournaments with the new Joe Albi Sports Complex, a project that will include renovation of aging Merkel Field and adjacent Joe Albi Stadium. New facilities in 2010 will include eight lighted full-size soccer fields, a complex of five lighted softball fields (including a championship field with additional seating), lighted skateboard and BMX bike parks, renovation of existing baseball fields, a playground, walking trails and concession stands in the softball and soccer areas.

Contact: 509-456-5812, spokanesports.org.

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Midwest Student

New & Noteworthy ILLINOIS Holocaust Museum to Open The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will open April 19 in the Chicago suburb of Skokie. The date coincides with the anniversary of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the largest revolt by Jewish prisoners against the Nazis during the Holocaust. The largest museum of its kind in the Midwest, the 65,000-square-foot facility will include an orientation film, audio testimony of Chicago-area Holocaust survivors and more than 500 artifacts, documents and photographs.

Built Light, Inc.

inside Lincoln State Park, near Lincoln City. The play will run until Aug 15 and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Contact: 800-264-4223, lincolnamphitheatre.com.

IOWA Rock Music Camp Rock Camp USA in Davenport is in its fourth year at the River Music Experience. During the two-week summer program, young musicians ages 8-18 are given the opportunity to perform like professionals. They meet other musicians their age and form a band with them. Participants receive instruction from professional musicians and instructors and rehearse their songs, record them and perform a live concert. Students receive a CD of the dress rehearsal and a DVD of their performance. Contact: 563-326-1333, rivermusicexperience.org.

SOUTH DAKOTA Crazy Horse Memorial

Chilling reminders of Nazi atrocities await visitors to the new Illinois Holocaust Museum.

Students learn about Native American culture at the Crazy Horse Memorial, a tribute to the North American Indian. When the mountain carving (17 miles from Mount Rushmore) is completed, the figure of Chief Crazy Horse mounted on his steed will be 563 feet high, 641 feet long.

Crazy Horse Memorial offers Native American performances.

The largest artifact will be a wooden, German-made train car of the type used to transport thousands of Jews to concentration camps during World War II. Other exhibits will focus on the neo-Nazi conflict in Skokie in 1977 and genocide around the world. A youth exhibition for ages 8-11 will examine issues like bullying, name-calling, prejudice and hate crimes.

Contact: 847-967-4800, ilholocaustmuseum.org.

INDIANA Outdoor Drama to Honor Lincoln The Lincoln Amphitheatre will celebrate the bicentennial of our 16th president’s birth with a new play entitled Lincoln. The play premiering June 12 will illustrate Abraham Lincoln’s life, from his boyhood when he lived in what is now known as Lincoln City, Ind., to the legacy he created as president. Lincoln has already received national endorsement from the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission as well as the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

A play ticket includes a meal, viewing the Lincoln archives, scenic walking tours where Lincoln himself once walked as a boy, and free popcorn and soft drinks during the 15-minute intermission. Artisans will demonstrate pioneer tasks such as weaving and spinning as well as play period music.

The covered amphitheater seats 1,500 and is located in woods 18 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

Students can begin a visit by viewing the short DVD Dynamite and Dreams, which provides an overview of the memorial, on ongoing project that spans decades. During the summer months, visiting artists and craftspeople display their work, dancers perform on the viewing veranda, and there is a weekly performance series featuring Native American authors, dancers, artists and poets. In three large galleries built from native pine, the Indian Museum of North America contains art and artifacts reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of the American Indian people. There are performance venues for small youth groups. Contact: 605-673-4681, crazyhorsememorial.org. preptraveler.com

The University of Illinois’ rec center recently reopened for sports of all kinds.

ILLINOIS New Campus Rec Center The newly opened Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the largest facility of its kind in the country, offering 340,000 square feet of indoor rec space under one roof, including 12 wood courts for basketball, volleyball and badminton. The ARC, which had been closed since 2005 for renovation, also has 12 racquetball courts, three squash courts, a mini multi-activity court for indoor soccer, seven multipurpose rooms, and indoor and outdoor 50-meter pools. Other amenities include a cafe, wireless Internet, meeting rooms and 150-seat auditorium. In conjunction with the ARC, Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE) sports three wood basketball courts and a full-size multi-activity court for indoor soccer and roller hockey.

Contact: 217-265-0779, campusrec.uiuc.edu/facilities.

MINNESOTA New Home for the Twins Target Field, the Minnesota Twins’ new 40,000-seat ballpark, is set to open in 2010, marking the team’s 50th season of playing

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Midwest Sports

New & Noteworthy

baseball in the Upper Midwest. Located adjacent to the Target Center in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood and historic warehouse district, the open-air, natural-grass park is expected to offer superior sightlines from every seat in the house and spectacular views of the city skyline.

Target Field, with a facade of glass and Minnesota limestone, will feature one of the closest seating bowls to the playing field in Major League Baseball and approximate the size of PNC Park in Pittsburgh and San Francisco’s AT&T Park. A 360-degree open

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Midwest Sports

New & Noteworthy main concourse, twice as wide as the current Metrodome, will provide uninterrupted views of the playing field. “Knotholes” along Fifth Street will allow fans to watch the game without buying a ticket. Artwork will celebrate the heritage of baseball and the Twins. Contact: minnesota.twins.mlb.com.

Top Skaters to Compete The 2010 Adult Figure Skating Championship will be held in Bloomington from April 13-17, 2010, at the Bloomington Ice Garden. Over 600 athletes and their families, coaches and officials are expected to attend the event, which is hosted by the Figure Skating Club of Bloomington. Eight national champions in various championship events will be crowned as well as champions in other open events. The events are held in singles, pairs, ice dancing and interpretive, and competitors are divided into five different age groups ranging from 21-30, to 61+.

Contact: 800-346-4289, bloomingtonmn.org.

About 3,000 of the seats are in a reserved section directly above the ice. Another 1,000 are in bleachers on the ends behind the goals, which are the student sections for high school games. The remaining 1,000 seats are for the 36 private luxury suites, club lounges and club-level seating that circles the arena between the suite level and reserved section. The lobby, with a stage for live music and a fireplace, will eventually serve as a hub connecting to a $12-million multi-sheet tournament facility. UPC is heated almost entirely by recycled waste heat, and the ice floor utilizes geothermal technologies. Waterless urinals and toilets with lowvolume flushing save over 1,000,000 gallons of water annually.

The UP Center and recently renovated Moorhead Sports Center in neighboring Moorhead will host the 2009 IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships April 9-19. Featuring the world’s best players under 18, including future Olympic, world and National Hockey League stars, the annual event will showcase teams from the United States, Canada, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Slovakia and Czech Republic. Canada is the defending gold champion. Contact: 701-356-7656, upcenterfargo.org.

OHIO New Ballpark in Avon

Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

MISSOURI

The Lake Erie Crushers, the newest addition to the Frontier League, open their new ballpark in June, in time for opening day. Located in Avon, the park has a 5,000+ capacity, picnic and patio areas for group outings, concessions, artificial turf and a state-of-the-art sound system. The ballpark also will host high school, college and amateur tournaments. Contact: 440-9343636, avonprobaseball.com.

All-Star Hoopla

WISCONSIN

St. Louis will host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 14 at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Besides the 80th annual contest pitting the National League against the American League, related events will include All-Star FanFest, the Home Run Derby, Futures Game, All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game and free concerts. All-Star FanFest, the world’s largest baseball fan event, will take place July 10-14 at America’s Center, offering more than 40 exhibits and activities.

St. Louis Cardinals and Hall of Fame players will be on hand for autograph sessions, and there will be clinics and seminars.

Contact: stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com, stlsports.org.

Sports Central

NORTH DAKOTA Hockey Heaven The Urban Plains Center (UPC), a 5,000-seat hockey arena, recently opened in Fargo. The $25-million facility, the home of the new USHL hockey team Fargo Force, also hosts high school hockey, concerts and other events. It is the largest arena built in Fargo-Moorhead since the Fargodome in 1992.

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The Wausau area’s Greenheck Sports Complex offers a wide range of facilities for competitive and non-competitive activities.

Stiehm Stadium is a football field with artificial turf, a 400meter rubberized running track around the perimeter and a seating capacity of 3,500. The soccer complex has five full-size fields, one with lights and bleacher seating for 500-plus. Also available are two watered softball diamonds, one lighted with scoreboard, dugouts and seating for 500; a baseball diamond with lights and spectator seating; and 12 lighted tennis courts.

There also are 10 basketball courts, six of them in adjoining buildings making it convenient for team tournaments. The ice arena has one Olympic sheet of ice with seating for 1,100 spectators, five locker rooms, training room, weight room, concession area with seating, gymnasium and racquetball court. The ropes course is ideal for team-building experiences, and the rock climbing wall inside Greenheck Field House is suitable for beginners and experienced climbers. Contact: 715-359-6563, greenheck.dce.k12.wi.us. preptraveler.com

South Student

New & Noteworthy ALABAMA Spotlight on State History To celebrate the Year of Alabama History campaign in 2009, the Alabama Tourism Department has published the 94-page brochure Historic Alabama: A Guide to Landmarks and Events.

It gives insight into the history of 163 towns and cities across the state and features more than 700 museums, events and historically significant sites. The publication features Civil War and Civil Rights sites, places of aviation and space exploration, Native American civilizations, and remnants of pioneer life in Old Alabama Town in Montgomery, Pike Pioneer Museum in Troy and Huntsville’s Constitution Village, the birthplace of Alabama. Contact: 800-252-2262, yearofalabamahistory.com.

GEORGIA New Museum Honors Soldiers The new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park opens June 19 on a 200-acre campus linking Fort Benning and Columbus. Galleries in the 190,000-square-foot museum will tell the Infantry story from pre-Revolutionary days to the present. Featured will be a 3-D IMAX theater, simulator attractions and themed restaurant. The campus will

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The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center opens June 19 in Columbus, Ga.

include a World War II Company Street, Memorial Walk of Honor and seven-acre parade field for Infantry school graduations. Admission to the grounds and museum will be free; there will be a charge for the simulators and IMAX movies.

Contact: nationalinfantryfoundation.org/museum.

KENTUCKY Horsing Around As the first major addition to the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse since its opening in 1978, the

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South Student

New & Noteworthy new Arabian horse galleries will open this fall. The expansion, funded by the Purebred Arabian Horse Trust and American Arabian horse community, will increase the Lexington museum’s permanent exhibition space by nearly 30 percent. The museum will receive collections of art and artifacts from the Arabian Horse Trust and Arabian Horse Owners Foundation. A special exhibit in 2010, A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse, will be featured in the museum’s changing galleries. Running from June 1 through the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Sept. 25-Oct. 10), it will be the most comprehensive exploration ever of the significance of the horse, and particularly the Arabian horse, on Near Eastern cultures. The 2010 Games at the Kentucky Horse Park mark the first time the event has been held outside of Europe. Contact: 800-678-8813, kyhorsepark.com.

TENNESSEE Elvis Lore Graceland, the 1939 Memphis mansion that Elvis Presley called home, is celebrating its 70th anniversary with new exhibits.

Elvis in Hollywood spotlights the singer’s movie career with memorabilia from his silver-screen successes, while Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture showcases Elvis in action as he entertains crowds in a video presentation. The Elvis Presley Auto Museum will introduce new additions, including the six-door Mercedes Benz limousine featured in the movie Elvis on Tour. Contact: elvis.com.

The student group rate is $12.75 per person. For an additional fee, the theater offers workshops that are specific to students’ needs. Students can learn every aspect of theater, including singing, dance, comedy and the audition process. Contact: 800-792-4308, countrytonitetheater.com.

VIRGINIA Mr. Jefferson’s Home Monticello, the Charlottesville, Va., home of Thomas Jefferson, has begun operations at the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center, which has scheduled its grand opening for April 15. On that date, the facility’s major interpretive features – four innovative exhibitions, a new introductory film and a hands-on discovery space – will be unveiled.

The new center, the largest capital project in the Thomas Jefferson Foundation’s history, is located at the site of the former ticket office. The 42,000-square-foot facility consists of five pavilions arranged around a central courtyard and houses ticketing operations, an expanded gift shop and cafe. Classrooms in the Carl and Hunter Smith Education Center serve Monticello’s curriculum-based school group tours, plus workshops and programs for all age groups. Contact: monticello.org.

Country Music Hotspot

Group student rates and performance opportunities available.

800-238-2010 Elvis.com

22 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

Country Tonite provides student groups the chance to perform as the opening act at one of Pigeon Forge’s most popular shows. Their performance will be put on a DVD and made available for purchase at the gift shop.

After watching the twohour show, students can take a backstage tour to see the role played by production elements such as lighting, sound and stage design. Students also get the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with the cast and crew of the show.

John Brown’s Fort

WEST VIRGINIA John Brown’s Raid Harpers Ferry and surrounding communities will celebrate the Sesquicentennial of John Brown’s Raid this year with more than 65 events from April to December. The sesquicentennial is among the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America in 2009. Most activities will be in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Jefferson County. John Brown, an abolitionist, attacked the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry in 1859 to secure arms and munitions to free area slaves. Brown was captured, tried for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia and hanged. The raid was a failure but made Brown a martyr. At the Jefferson County Museum in Charles Town, groups can see the wagon that carried Brown to his execution and desk from his jail cell. Groups can also visit the Jefferson County Courthouse, where he was tried, and the site where he was executed. Contact: johnbrownhf.com, wvtourism.com. preptraveler.com

South Sports

New & Noteworthy FLORIDA New Baseball Complex Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte has completed renovations just in time for the upcoming baseball season. The Southwest Florida baseball facility, which is the new spring training home of the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays, includes six major league-caliber baseball fields and has added more seating, concessions, restrooms and a 360-degree concourse. When the facility is not being used by the Rays during spring training, the fields are available for tournaments, concerts and other performances. In addition, the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center recently opened in downtown Punta Gorda. Aside from hosting performances and concerts, the event center holds sporting events such as the AAU State Gymnastics Championship, which took place in December. Contact: 800-652-6090, charlotteharbortravel.com.

NORTH CAROLINA NASCAR Shrine The NASCAR Hall of Fame opens in spring of 2010 across from the Charlotte Convention Center. A film in its 250-seat Full Throttle Theater will serve as an introduction to the history of NASCAR. The Great Hall, an open area just inside the facility, will include rotating displays and a signature “Fan Billboard” featuring large video scenes, lively graphics and

24 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

The King, Richard Petty is sure to be one of the first inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame opening in spring of 2010.

the latest NASCAR news. Glory Road will be a ramp leading to the second floor and will feature 15-18 historic NASCAR race cars and slabs of racing surface from many NASCAR tracks. The Hall of Honor will house NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees and The Heart of a Champion, a film showcasing the champions of NASCAR. Visitors also will get a behind-the-scenes look of what each member of a NASCAR team goes through to prepare a car for an event and a chance to “drive” in a racing simulator. The Heritage Speedway area will cover the history of NASCAR with interactive components and an adjacent theater highlighting stock car racing before the formation of NASCAR in 1947. The Hall of Fame also will include a memorial area where the visitor can reflect on deceased heroes of the sport.

Contact: nascarhall.com.

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TENNESSEE New Softball Fields New fields have helped the Chattanooga Sports Committee land a national softball event.

Downtown’s Warner Park will be the focal point of the USA/ASA (Amateur Softball Association) Junior Olympics 10-Under Girls Fastpitch National Tournament in July, 2010.

Frost Stadium, one of the park’s six professional-level softball fields, seats 3,000 and is known as the “Field of 1,000 Dreams.” The event will be Chattanooga’s first ASA national tournament since 1999 and bring more than 50 teams to town, with an estimated economic impact of over $1 million. If numbers dictate, the tournament will use the new Summit of Softball fields, off Interstate 75 in Ooltewah. Contact: 423-756-8689, chattanoogasports.org.

sions. The 300-foot irrigated fields feature dugouts with restrooms and water fountains. Located just minutes from I-81 and 25 minutes from downtown Roanoke, the complex won the 2008 Best New Facility Award (25,000-50,000 population category)

from the Virginia Recreation and Parks Society. It is located within the 125-acre Greenfield Recreation Park, which features a cross-country course, soccer fields and a hiking trail. Contact: 540-992-0011, botecourt.org/recreation.

South Sports

New & Noteworthy

Field of 1,000 Dreams

Botetourt Sports Complex

VIRGINIA Ballparks with a View Botetourt Sports Complex in Troutville has hosted more than 30 local, regional and national tournaments since opening in June of 2007. Its four championship level softball and youth baseball fields, all with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, are arranged around a central, three-story tower with space for tournament operations, scorekeeping and concespreptraveler.com

Spring/Summer 2009 | PREP TRAVELER 25

Northeast Student

New & Noteworthy DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Ford’s Theatre Reopens Coinciding with the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, Ford’s Theatre just reopened for tours and performances after an 18-month renovation.

Tours will include a 45-minute presentation by a National Park Service ranger or a one-act play. The plays are One Destiny, which tells the Lincoln assassination events of April 14, 1865, through the eyes of the men who were there, and The Road to Appomattox, which takes a look at Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. After the presentation, visitors proceed across the street to the Peterson House, where Lincoln died the next morning.

wax figures from the worlds of politics, history, sports and movies. Scavenger hunts serve as a teaching resource as students search for answers about each figure’s contribution to history and test their knowledge on touch-screen quizzes stationed throughout the attraction. Sleepovers are available and might include a scavenger hunt, pajama fashion show or karaoke.

Recent additions to Madame Tussauds include a Presidential Gallery and stars like Penelope Cruz, Denzel Washington and the Washington Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas. The attraction, within walking distance of the National Mall and the White House, is at the corner of 10th and F Streets. (202-942-7300, madametussaudsdc.com)

Capitol Visitor Center The theater’s revamped museum opens this spring with historical artifacts and 21st century technology. The $50+-million capital campaign also includes the new Center for Education and Leadership to be housed across the street in a building acquired by Ford’s Theatre in 2007. Student programs will explore the life and legacy of President Lincoln. Contact: 202-638-2367, fords.org.

President Obama in wax at Madame Tussauds.

The Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., the largest project in the U.S. Capitol’s 215-year history, has opened its doors. Located underground on the east side of the Capitol, the facility is roughly three-quarters the size of the building itself. Exhibition Hall has rare documents and a touchable model of the Capitol dome. Two orientation theaters show the 13-minute film Out of Many, One. The smaller House Theater and Senate Theater, each decorated to evoke the respective legislative chambers, present 10-minute films about each body of Congress as well as live feeds from the House and Senate when they are in session.

Computer stations allow visitors to look up members of Congress past and present, test their congressional knowledge and take a virtual tour of the Capitol. The center has two gift shops and a 530-seat restaurant. The planting of 85 trees, restoration of historic fountains, and the addition of water features and granite pavers across the East Front Plaza serve to revitalize the landscape. Contact: 202-226-8000, visitthecapitol.gov.

MARYLAND Underground Railroad Guide

Cast in Wax Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. has created a free Educational Curriculum Guide designed in accordance with the U.S. Department of National Social Studies Standards and National Council for the Social Civil Rights Movement Studies Standards. Also available are educational seminars in which Madame Tussauds studio artists give groups an interactive presentation on what it takes to create and maintain one of life-like 26 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

Visiting the historic sites that depict the slavery struggle has been made easier with a new edition of the Underground Railroad: Maryland’s Network to Freedom map and guide. This detailed guide highlights all 41 sites, programs and facilities in Maryland that tell the history of the Underground Railroad. At each location, visitors will learn about personal stories from the slaves who fought to gain freedom as well as those who helped them along the way.

Programs range from the Frederick Douglass Driving Tour of Talbot County to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The updated guides are available at Maryland’s 11 Welcome Centers. Contact: 800-719-5900, visitmaryland.org.

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Northeast Student

New & Noteworthy NEW YORK Lincoln Center Tours Lincoln Center, the world’s largest performing arts complex, is undergoing a dramatic transformation as major redevelopment unfolds across its 16-acre campus. Revitalized public spaces, new restaurants, and striking new theaters have started to emerge.

Beginning in May, events are planned throughout 2009-2010 for the center’s 50th anniversary. Visits can be tailored to the interests and needs of individual groups.

Tour guides give a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the center tick, including information about the transformation under way. A tour includes visits to up to three theaters—David H. Koch Theater (formerly the New York State Theater), Avery Fisher Hall, Metropolitan Opera House, Vivian Beaumont Theater and Alice Tully Hall. A look-in at a rehearsal is included wherever possible. The “Meet the Artist” package takes place in one of the intimate theater spaces and includes a private performance and talk by an opera singer, musician, dancer or actor who shares insights about his or her art. Contact: 212-875-5370, lincolncenter.org.

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Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Aircraft Museum Shines Anew Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, fresh from a $115million makeover at a Staten Island shipyard, has reopened at Hudson River Park’s Pier 86 on Manhattan’s West Side. The project, begun in late 2006, included an inside-and-out paint job for the 65-year-old aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the refurbishment of 16 of the 30 historic aircraft onboard, the redesigning and installation of new hands-on exhibits, and restoration of spaces never before available for public viewing.

Spring/Summer 2009 | PREP TRAVELER 27

Northeast Student

New & Noteworthy The Growler submarine and British Airways Concorde also have returned to the docking site of the Intrepid, which saw service during World War II, the Cold War and Vietnam War. The carrier also served as a prime recovery vessel for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini space programs before it was retired in 1974. Contact: 877-957-7447, intrepidmuseum.org.

Philadelphia’s Lights of Liberty Show

PENNSYLVANIA Lights of Liberty The Lights of Liberty Show, Philadelphia’s nighttime soundand-light spectacular and the only show of its kind in America, begins another season of moonlight trips through history on April 17. On the evening journey through Independence National Historical Park, tour members walk in history’s footsteps, experiencing the American Revolution as it happened, where it happened with 3-D surround sound and a lightweight wireless headset. The show’s soundtrack includes an original musical score played by Philadelphia Orchestra musicians and celebrity narration by Walter Cronkite, Ossie Davis, Charlton Heston, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella and others.

Hand-painted images and dazzling special effects are projected up to 50 feet high onto some of America’s most historic buildings. During the stirring finale at Independence Hall, audience members are moved as the Declaration of Independence scrolls up the iconic building and “God Bless America” plays. Contact: 215-629-5801, ext. 209, historicphiladelphia.org.

Come See Alan Gilbert Rock the Hall.

The New York Philharmonic begins an exciting new era with the debut of Music Director Alan Gilbert.

Group discounts, preferred seating, personal consultant, and educational add-ons including: Masterclass, Sectionals, Clinics, Concert Talks and more!

Book your visit with Group Sales at 212 875 5672 or email groups@nyphil.org

28 PREP TRAVELER | Spring/Summer 2009

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Northeast Sports

New & Noteworthy Zip Line Canopy Tour

MASSACHUSETTS Boston Ballpark Tours Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is adding “Twilight Tours” (April through September) to its schedule of year-round tours during the day. The oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, famed for the 37-foot-tall left field fence known as the Green Monster, dates from 1912 and underwent renovations this winter. Available on game days are post-game field tours and batting practice tours. The “Meals on the Monster” package on non-game days includes lunch, souvenir dirt and a 40-minute tour. Contact: 617-226-6666, redsox.com.

Aerial Trek in the Woods Zip Line Canopy Tour opens June 1 as the newest adventure by Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont. Zip lines and sky bridges suspended in the trees are part of the aerial trek that adventurers will be able to enjoy. Aside from the exhilarating experience that comes with flying through the trees, participants will be treated to views of the Deerfield River. Tours will last about three hours for a group of eight people. The tours are for ages 10 and up, and all experience levels are welcome. Along with the zip line tour, Zoar Outdoor offers whitewater rafting trips, kayaking and canoeing lessons, rock climbing instruction and fly fishing programs. Various experience levels are offered for each adventure.

Contact: 800-532-7483, deerfieldzipline.com.

PENNSYLVANIA Learning the Ropes Stone Valley Vertical Adventures, located in Central Pennsylvania and operated by Penn State University, offers groups the chance to maneuver through various ropes and climbing courses at one of the biggest challenge course facilities on the East Coast. Courses include the Odyssey III, Carolina TWall, Team Development Course, Alpine Tower II and Giant Swing, which all strive to make team members work together in a variety of ways in order to complete each obstacle. The courses are open to various groups, and participants must be 12 years of age or older. Contact: 814-863-1164, psu.edu/stone_valley.

Butler BlueSox Pullman Park, constructed in 1934 and rebuilt in 2008, is the new home of the Butler BlueSox, one of 11 teams in the newly formed Prospect League, a collegiate wooden bat baseball circuit, one of 20 such summer leagues in the U.S. The team’s 24player roster will consist of about 12 players from the Tri-State area and 12 from other parts of the country. The inaugural season runs from June 4 to Aug. 8. Besides 27 Bluesox home dates, Pullman Park will host the National Collegiate Baseball Association’s Division II World Series beginning May 15.

Located in the heart of Butler, just north of Pittsburgh, Pullman Park from 1935-1950 hosted minor league teams affiliated with preptraveler.com

the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates. The park today is home to the Butler High School Golden Tornadoes and is available for clinics, tournaments and concerts. It recently hosted a boxing match seen on ESPN2. The ballpark’s original seating capacity of 1,300 was increased to 4,000 seats in 2008. Contact: 724-263-9874, butlerbluesox.net; 724-283-0116, racb.net.

New in State College C³ Sports has recently unveiled a new sports facility in State College. The community center has a 12,000-square-foot gymnasium, two full-size basketball courts, three volleyball courts and 24-foot high rafters that provide plenty of room for a variety of sports. Other additions include batting cages, a roll-out turf with new pitching machines, a lobby with flat-screen television panels and a cafe. C³ Sports has basketball, volleyball, soccer and baseball leagues but can also accommodate other sports or groups. Contact: 814-272-0629, c3sports.org.

Bucks County Honors Champs The Bucks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame just announced its first induction class. Being inducted into the Bucks County Chapter gives the inductees the opportunity to be nominated for the Pennsylvania State Sports Hall of Fame, whose members include sports legends Arnold Palmer, Connie Mack, Jim Thorpe, Chuck Bednarik and Steve Van Buren. Bucks County’s first class of inductees includes Troy Vincent, Pennsbury High School, 1996-2004 Philadelphia Eagles, recipient of the 2002 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award; Jeff Manto, Bristol High School, member of the Philadelphia Phillies 1993 National League Champions; Walter Bahr, Penn State soccer coach, long-time captain of the U.S. National Team and member of the 1948 Olympic team; and the 1955 Morrisvillle Little League World Championship Team.

The Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau will be housing the Sports Hall of Fame plaques and inductees’ pictures in the Bucks County Visitors Center in Bensalem. The Hall of Fame wall is set to be unveiled after the April 16 induction banquet.

Contact: visitbuckscounty.

Spring/Summer 2009 | PREP TRAVELER 29

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Cross-country or across town, we’re on your way.

With over 500 locations nationwide, we’re a tour group favorite.

Not only will your travelers appreciate meals that are hot and ready the minute they walk in, but thanks to our fully loaded buffet, everyone will find exactly what they’re hungry for, no matter what their dietary restrictions. Plus, both your driver and your group leader get their meal for free. To book your reservation for a party of 20 or more, just call Barb or Brittany when you’re ready to schedule your next visit. www.buffet.com/ preptraveler

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