2011 april lgt cvr2cvrff

APRIL 2011

A Premier Tourism Marketing publicationwww.leisuregrouptravel.com

con ten t sVol. 21, No.2 April 2011

COLUMNS4 On My Mind

by jeff gayduk

8 On Tour

by marty sarbey de souto

10 On Reunions

by edith wagner

14 On Civil War

by jenny mcconnell

66 On Marketing

by dave bodle

COVER STORYCOVER STORY20 MELODIES OF BROADWAY

New musicals and old favorites await New York-bound groups by randy mink

DEPARTMENTS6 Meet Our Writers

50 On Our Radar: MIDWEST

62 On the Record

FEATURES15 Gettysburg by randy mink

19 Chocolate Dreams by randy mink

24 Gardens of New York State by alyssa cherwak

26 Civil War Sesquicentennial by dave bodle

29 New Reasons to Travel South by dave bodle

42 Indiana’s Quilt Gardens by randy mink

44 Minnesota Theater Sampler by emily k. weber

48 Kansas Looks Back by nancy wolens

54 California Show Gardens by sue arko

57 Yosemite & Mariposa County

59 Wyoming Ranch Getaways by heather lee

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54 CALIFORNIAON THE COVER:

Mary Poppins on Broadway (Photo by Deen van Meer, courtesy Disney Theatrical Group)

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4 April 2011 LeisureGroupTravel.com

on my mind � jeff gayduk

THERE’S A GENERAL consensus inthe industry that business is on the up-swing. I hear this in talking with grouptravel organizers, DMOs and tour serviceproviders alike. After a few dismal yearsfor most, that’s good news all around.

I’d like to know how things are inyour neck of the woods. That’s the intention of our 2011 Group IntentionsSurvey, which accompanies this publica-tion. This easy-to-complete-and-returnform asks a dozen questions about yourbusiness, where you’re going and generallyhow you’re getting there. It’s our goal toamass a collection of data that helps usguide our editorial content in the yearsahead. We think we have a pulse on theindustry, but you’re the boots on theground, so to speak.

Tell us where you’re going – we’ll helpyou get there! To sweeten the pot, we are giving away a Garmin portable GPSdevice to one lucky reader who returnsthe Group Intentions survey by June 1.Winners will be announced in the August edition of Leisure Group Travel.

CONTINUINGEDUCATION ONLINE

We continue to set the standard foronline development in the group travelindustry with our latest round of websitelaunches and enhancements. Leisure-GroupTravel.com underwent an entireoverhaul last year, with additional fea-tures added early this year including afresh new look, with easier navigation to over 12,400 pages of content. It’s thelargest library of resources in the market!

Also, brand new for 2011 is a mobileversion of LeisureGroupTravel.com, another industry first!

Not to be outshone, two of our resource websites have undergone majorredevelopment for 2011. GroupUniver-sity.com includes over a dozen how-toguides, niche market publications andthe second edition of Marty de Souto’sHow to Plan, Operate and Lead SuccessfulTours ($29.95). This is a site to sharpenyour knowledge base on all facets of the business.

OurTravelProtector.com, Leisure GroupTravel’s sponsored travel insurance site, hasalso gone through an extensive makeover.This site provides affordable group and individual travel insurance protectionwhere you set your own net rate.

Still to come in 2011, GroupTravel-Directory.com 3.0 – the latest version ofour popular directory search engine site,made #1 by group travel planners for its ease of use in locating destinations, attractions, hotels and tour companies.Watch for the new edition in May!

Please take a few minutes to completeand return your Group Intentions surveyand next time you’re online – whether atyour desktop or on the road – visit ourfamily of websites.

Happy traveling,

Jeff Gayduk, [email protected]

Vol. 21, No. 2 April 2011

Editorial & Advertising Office621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406Willowbrook, IL 60527P 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

Publisher – Jeffrey [email protected]

Managing Editor – Randy [email protected]

Senior Editor – John [email protected]

Senior Editor – Elana [email protected]

Senior Editor – Dave [email protected]

Director, Design & Production – Robert [email protected]

Director of SalesTheresa O’RourkeP 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

Regional Sales Managers

Illinois – Jim McCurdyP 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

Northeast & Eastern Midwest/Canada – Amy Janssens

P 630.294.0318 • F [email protected]

Mid Atlantic – Ellen KlestaP 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

Southeast/West Coast – Cheryl RashP 563.613.3068 • F [email protected]

Southern – Dolores RidoutP/F [email protected]

Florida & Caribbean – Prof Inc. P 813.286.8299 • F 813.287.0651 [email protected]

The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes noresponsi bility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made toensure the accuracy of the information published, but the publisher makes no warranty thatlistings 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 publishedbi-monthly by Premier Tourism Marketing, Inc. 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 sub scribe at thereduced 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 Tourism Marketing, Inc.P.O. Box 609, Palos Heights, IL 60463

All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in anyform without written permission of the publisher.

A publication

� jeff gaydukOn My Mind

Good Intentions

Train travel in Switzerland.

Lucerne - in the heart of Switzerland.Lucerne has it all: the great transport mu-

seum, the first and the steepest cogwheel

railways, a narrow-gauge panoramic train,

and historic steamships on Lake Lucerne.

Thanks to its attractions, its souvenir and

watch shops, the impressive mountai-

nous panorama and the nearby excursion

mountains of the Rigi and Mt. Pilatus,

the town is a destination for many travel

groups on their journey through the Lake

Lucerne Region. A train buff‘s paradise!

Engadin St. Moritz -UNESCO World Heritage site.The UNESCO World Heritage recognition

of the high-altitude engineering wonder-

land through Switzerland’s Engadin Valley

honors one of the most spectacular, tech-

nically innovative and harmonious narrow-

gauge railways. Since the extension of

the road system through these passes,

the construction of the Rhaetian Railway

and the Bernina Express, which reaches

as far as Veltlin, Upper Engadin has been

accessible to the entire world - and peo-

ple from all over the world love this valley,

which delights visitors with its incompara-

ble nature at all times of the year.

Sunstar Hotels - Alpine Emotions.Sunstar, founded in 1969, is the only

genuinely Swiss Hotel Group, with nine

first-class hotels nestled in the Alps and

offering a total of over 1,670 beds in 915

rooms. Arosa, Davos, Flims, Klosters,

Lenzerheide, Grindelwald, Zermatt and

Wengen are the best-known resorts.

Whether you come for a walking or winter

sports vacation, to visit a spa center or to

attend a meeting or other special event

– at Sunstar Hotels, guests with varied in-

terests will feel at home and enjoy “Alpine

emotions”.

For information on Switzerland, please visit MySwitzerland.com/steamFor bookings, call Rail Source International: 1-800-551-2085

Schynige-Platte cogwheel railway

Switzerland’s public transportation network is second to none. It’s fast, efficient, frequent and connects even the most remote places. Explore Switzerland with a single ticket for trains, busses and boats: the Swiss Pass.


Meet the Contributors to This IssueOn the Write Side

20,000

A sought after speaker and seminar facilita-

tor, Dave operates David’s Tour Connections,

a receptive tour operator that serves Myrtle

Beach, the Carolinas and Virginia and offers

outgoing tours as well. A former publisher of

travel trade publications, he heads up our

Southern editorial coverage. Enjoy Dave’s

features on pages 26 and 29 and his mar-

keting column on page 66.

dave bodle

see page 26

Leisure Group’s Travel managing editor

is happiest when he’s touring New York

City, which he visited last Christmas.

Randy also enjoyed his next out-of-the-

office escape, a Pennsylvania trip that

included Hershey, Chocolatetown USA.

See his articles on pages 15, 19, 20

and 42.

randy mink

see page 15

A communications major at Lake Forest Col-

lege in north suburban Chicago, our editorial

intern recently studied abroad in New Zealand

and the Netherlands, feeding her passion

for travel and learning about other cultures.

Emily has been a member of her college

cross country team and spent summers work-

ing at a YMCA camp in Wisconsin. Enjoy her

“Minnesota Theater Sampler” on page 44.

emily k. weber

see page 44

Alyssa, an editorial intern, is a senior ma-

joring in English at the University of Illi-

nois at Chicago, where she is a writer for

the Chicago Flame newspaper. Her in-

terests include fishing, trying new foods

and traveling. She has traveled to many

U.S. cities, but her most memorable trip

was to Guatemala. Enjoy Alyssa’s New

York State gardens article on page 24.

alyssa cherwak

see page 24

Founder and editor of Reunions maga-

zine, Edith is the editor in chief of Premier

Tourism Marketing’s Reunions Work-

book, the leading guide for reunion plan-

ners. Read Edith’s page 10 column on

ways to find and increase reunion

group business.

edith wagner

see page 10

A resident of Gilbert, Ariz., Sue is owner

of Free Spirit Vacations and Events and

co-owner of Red Hot Celebrations and

Travel Alliance Partners. She also is an

active member of the National Tour Asso-

ciation. The highlight of her life is when

she is able to travel with her 16-year-old

daughter, Jacey. Enjoy Sue’s “California

Show Gardens” feature on page 54.

sue arko

see page 54

Our long-time columnist is the author of

the e-book How to Plan, Operate and

Lead Successful Group Tours. A native of

Cleveland, she lives in El Cerrito, Calif.,

with her husband, Jose Souto-Martinez

of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her hobbies

are dancing, gardening, reading, writing

and traveling. Enjoy Marty’s column on

page 8.

marty sarbey de souto

see page 8

A senior at Trinity Christian College in

Palos Heights, Ill., our editorial intern is

majoring in English and history. Last fall

she attended Oxford University in Eng-

land, where she pursued her interest in

soccer with the Oxford University Women’s

Association Football Club. Enjoy Heather’s

Wyoming ranch feature on page 59.

heather lee

see page 59

1861

90

Become a fan of ours on

Facebook and we’ll keep

you informed of the latest

news in the industry by sending you

Facebook updates when news breaks. Simply search

for “Group Travel” and look for the Premier Tourism

Marketing logo! Leisure Group Travel is also joining

the Twitter craze. Go to Twitter.com/LeisureGroup to

get the latest “tweets” from the Leisure Group Travel staff.

1,200

272

Amish living inNorthern Indiana

The year Kansasentered the Unionas the 34th state

Minutes betweenHershey and Washington, DC

Varieties of rosesat Huntington Botanical Gardens

Words in Lincoln’sGettysburg Address

NUMBER CRUNCHING

13.4 Length of Manhattan Island in miles

Elana Andersen has been a stable force on Leisure GroupTravel’s editorial team since 2002. Her knowledge of the Western group travel market is unrivaled, and we’re proudthat she’s written more stories for the publication than anyother writer. Early this year after a night out with friends,Elana suffered a stroke. She’s currently home in Scotts Valley, Calif., rehabbing and spending time with family andfriends. We wish her a speedy recovery and our thoughtsand prayers go out to her and her family in this recovery period. Elana can be reached directly at [email protected].

620,000Men who diedin the Civil War

Thinking of Elana Andersen

WE OFTEN TEND TO THINK thatonce someone has enrolled in one ofour tours, that’s it. Nothing else to dountil we send out final documents andthen departure day when we all meetand off we go.

Not so. You need to keep in touchwith trip participants at various intervalsto keep their interest and excitementhigh and to keep a tight umbilical cordbetween you and them. You don’t wantthem canceling out of your trip becausesomething more interesting appearedon their horizon. And you want to keepthem informed so they may learn to bebetter travelers and not drive you crazycalling with questions every few days.

So, when do we contact them, whatdo we send them, and what additionalinformation do we give them?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MAILINGOnce someone has enrolled, I send

them an acknowledgement of theirbooking – not just a cold computer receipt but a gracious letter welcomingthem to the trip (the receipt can be attached if you wish). I enclose my firstinformation bulletin preparing them forthe trip. Since the initial brochure orflyer you’ve used to solicit their enroll-ment can’t possibly include all the pre-trip information they need, this post-enrollment bulletin picks up where theinitial publicity material left off.

Some of the topics I like to cover areanticipated weather, clothing and pack-ing suggestions, and baggage limitations.If it’s an international trip, a must wouldbe requirements such as passports, inoc-ulations and visas (if required). Foreigncurrency and suggestions for handlingmonies en route are also important for

international trips. I also touch on healthissues and, of course, travel insurance.

The subject of cameras and photog-raphy, seat rotation on motorcoaches,and en route medications are also worthmentioning. I like to suggest a coupleof books they might like to read (ormovies they might like to revisit) to givethem background information on areasthey’ll be visiting. Right now I’m plan-ning a fall 2011 trip to Berlin and East-ern Germany so I’ve suggested some ofthe old Cold War spy stories such as theJohn le Carré’s 1965 The Spy Who CameIn From The Cold with Richard Burton.

Some trip organizers like to do some-thing more elaborate (and costly) suchas sending a special T-shirt or flight bag(of course, these have to be priced intoyour trip budget from the outset).

EN ROUTE MAILINGIf there’s a fairly long flight involved

at the outset of your trip, I like to givethem some fun handout en route. Itcould be a puzzle you dream up or a vocabulary lesson of common phrasesor words they’ll be likely to encounterat their destination. Do your travelers toNew Orleans really know what beignetsare or do visitors to San Francisco knowthat Nob Hill and its old mansions represent wealthy homes of the so-called“robber barons” who built the firsttranscontinental railroad? On a trip toEngland last year, I ran a contest

throughout the entire trip with a prizeto the tour member who could comeup with the most words wherein BritishEnglish differed from American English– they came up with over 100 and stillcounting.

ON YOUR RETURNYour participants also deserve a

return-home mailing, welcoming themback to the “real world” of bill pay-ments, medical appointments, familysquabbles and other less glamorousparts of life. Give them something toremember with pleasure their time

with you: a photo, a souvenir, news ofan upcoming reunion or just a welcomehome letter. And a questionnaire tocomplete and let you know how theyfelt about the tour. (Be sure to put aplace on this form for them to referfriends to you). Do keep them on amailing list to receive advance notice ofyour next tour so they feel they’ve beengiven special treatment.

All a lot of extra work? Perhaps.Worth it? You betcha.


Marty is founder of the travel industry

program at Berkeley (Calif.) City College,

where she taught all aspects of group travel

for 32 years. She is a Certified Travel Coun-

selor (CTC) and continues to design and

lead tours as well as provide consulting

services.You may reach her at josemarty@

yahoo.com. For information on her book

How To Plan, Operate, and Lead Success-

ful Group Tours, click on Premier Tourism

Marketing's educational website, groupuni-

versity.com.

Keeping Tour Members in the Loop

� marty sarbey de souto, ctc

You don’t want them canceling out of yourtrip because something more interestingappeared on their horizon.

On Tour

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© 2010 Buffets, Inc.

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Reservations made easy. Visit www.buffet.com/leisuregroupemail: [email protected] or call 866-840-6654

Over 500 Locations

ANY BUSINESS INTERESTED INserving or selling to reunions wondershow to find them. And that was cer-tainly our question 21 years ago whenwe started trying to find reunions toshare our magazine (Reunions) with. Asit turns out, however, it was a matter ofhow to make reunions find us. Becausewhat we learned was reunions can beanywhere, organized by anyone, andthere is nothing that distinguishes thepeople from anyone else. In otherwords, there was no one convenientplace to find reunions.

Reunion organizers typically are verydevoted to their group, but there’s noway you can tell that without asking.Most reunion organizers do not simplyblurt it out, nor do they wear T-shirtsthat say “I organize my family reunion.”Although on the subject of T-shirts, youcan easily tell it’s a reunion group ifthey’re all wearing one of those kazil-lions of family reunion shirts that areubiquitous in summer. You’ll have apretty good clue that in that crowd thereis a leader, a decision maker and some-one you’d like to talk to.

Okay, so we’ve established that thebusiness of finding reunions is trickybecause there’s no way to really identifya reunion organizer unless you ask.And how do you do that without walk-ing up to everyone you encounter, andasking!

To start your very own collection ofreunions, start close to home. Ask any-one, where appropriate, if they have a

reunion, are going to a reunion or knowsomeone who is planning a reunion sothat you can inform them of your serv-ices. That, of course, is about as slow away as you can do it but probably themost accurate.

Branching out, I’d suggest you includereunions on the list of kinds of groupsyou serve. It will give reunion organizersideas. Use every church, school and clubbulletin you can find to offer tour serv-ices to reunion groups. Share several itin-eraries that might interest reunion groupsas examples. Plant the seeds.

WHERE DO YOUR OPPORTUNITIES LIE?

Tours for many reunions are essential,but how those tours are constructed cantake many different shapes. And, ofcourse, come in many sizes. As do all reunions.

Starting with the most parochial aretours of places that are of importanceto the family or reunion group. Thesetours are usually facilitated based upona list provided by the organizer or arepresentative of the reunion or some-times by a local historical society. Oftenhistorians or genealogists act as step-onguides for the tour.

Most reunions are interested in toursof the local attractions where they aremeeting. They could choose an estab-lished tour or declare specific thingsthey want to see or visit.

Taking tours a little further afield is not unusual for some reunions. Iwrote a story recently about reunions

in Norfolk, Virginia, where several military reunions added days to tourWilliamsburg and Jamestown whilethey were in the area.

Before the start of the recession, I waslearning about more and more reunionshiring motorcoaches. One summerweekend I stayed in a suburban Detroitbusiness park hotel filled with reunions.(Smart hotel: business travelers all week,reunions on the weekend.) There wereat least half a dozen buses from all overthe country. During the reunion thecoaches took members to picnics and onlocal tours or ferried them to malls, casinos and the zoo. Indicative of a goodreunion, most of the members weredragging their exhausted selves onto thebus Sunday morning hugging their pillows and clearly expecting to catch upon sleep on the triphome.

THERE IS A LIST AFTER ALLReunions magazine’s website does

have a list of upcoming reunions. Theremight well be a group listed that is wait-ing to hear from you!


Edith Wagner is founder and editor of

Reunions magazine. Visit reunionsmag.com

for more info, request a free sample of the

magazine and become a fan on Facebook.

Where Are All the Reunions?

� edith wagner

To reach reunion organizers, include reunionson the list of kinds of groups you serve

On Reunions

Reunion organizers

will find valuable

ideas in the

11th edition of

Reunions Workbook,

a step by-step

planning guide

published by

Premier Tourism Marketing. Subjects

range from choosing a date and location

to budgeting and setting up committees.

Also covered are accommodations, meals,

themes, activities and fundraising. To order

Reunions Workbook ($9.95), log on to

groupuniversity.com.

ArizonaArizona Broadway TheatrePeoria, AZ 85382(623) 776-8400 x109www.azbroadwaytheatre.com

Broadway Palm Dinner TheatreMesa, AZ 85205(888) 504-7256www.broadwaypalmwest.com

ArkansasMurry’s Dinner PlayhouseLittle Rock, AR 72204(501) 562-3131www.murrysdinnerplayhouse.com

CaliforniaCandlelight PavilionClaremont, CA 91711(909) 626-3296 x12www.candlelightpavilion.com

Welk Resort TheatreEscondido, CA 92026(760) 749-3182 x22139www.welkresort.com

FloridaBroadway Palm Dinner TheatreFt. Myers, FL 33907(239) 278-4422www.broadwaypalm.com

Sleuths Mystery Dinner TheatreOrlando, FL 32819(407) 363-1985www.sleuths.com

IllinoisCirca ‘21 Dinner TheatreRock Island, IL 61201(309) 786-2667 x303www.circa21com

Conklin’s Barn II Dinner TheatreGoodfield, IL 61742(309) 965-2545www.barn2.com

Tommy Gun’s GarageChicago, IL 60616(800) 461-0178www.tommygunsgarage.com

IndianaDerby Dinner PlayhouseClarksville, IN 47129(812) 288-2632 x128www.derbydinner.com

KansasCrown Uptown TheatreWichita, KS 67218(316) 681-1566www.crownuptown.com

New JerseyHunterdon Hills PlayhouseHampton, NJ 8827(908) 730-8007www.hhplayhouse.com

North CarolinaBarn Dinner TheatreGreensboro, NC 27409(336) 292-2211 x3022www.barndinner.com

PennsylvaniaAllenberry PlayhouseBoiling Springs, PA 17007(717) 258-3211www.allenberry.com

Dutch Apple Dinner TheatreLancaster, PA 17601(717) 459-5221www.dutchapple.com

Freedom Chapel Dinner TheatreChristiana, PA 17509(610) 593-7013www.freedomchapeldinnertheatre.com

Rainbow Dinner TheatreParadise, PA 17562(800) 292-4301www.rainbowdinnertheatre.com

Riverside Inn Dinner TheatreCambridge Springs, PA 16403(800) 964-5173www.theriversideinn.com

Station Dinner TheatreErie, PA 16509(866) 848-2022www.canterburyfeast.com

Pines Dinner TheatreAllentown, PA 18104 (610) 433-2333www.pinesdinnertheatre.com

TennesseeChaffin’s BarnNashville, TN 37221(800) 282-2276 x11www.dinnertheatre.com

VirginiaMystery Dinner PlayhouseRichmond, VA 23223(888) 471-4802www.mysterydinner.com

WisconsinArmory Dinner TheaterJanesville, WI 53547(608) 531-0186www.janesvillearmory.com

Fireside Dinner TheatreFt. Atkinson, WI 53538(800) 477-9505www.firesidetheatre.com

WyomingJackson Hole PlayhouseJackson, WY 83001(307) 733-6994www.jhplayhouse.com

TheaTers are lisTed alphabeTically by sTaTendta.us

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children’s Theatre,

Mysteries, and comedy

THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY of theAmerican Civil War will generate a renewed interest in our nation’s history,and domestic and foreign travelers alike will plan trips to Civil War sitesthroughout the United States.

For group travel planners, there is an array of opportunities for all ages,backgrounds and levels of interest andknowledge. Numerous states, townsand historic sites are planning expandedprograms, new attractions and eventsto commemorate this important anniversary.

Travel planners interested in devel-oping Civil War or history-themedtrips should first take the time to noteimportant dates throughout the four-year Civil War. This will enable trips tobe built around anniversaries and theevents associated with those times, including battle re-enactments, specialtours and performances. A Civil Warsite such as Manassas, Va., for example,is likely to be planning more eventsand activities on its anniversary than at other times during the Civil Warcommemoration.

While it may not necessarily be thefirst stop, a battlefield should be thecenterpiece of any Civil War trip. Visitors are eager to step foot on thehallowed ground where history wasmade. Museums and visitors centers aregreat starting locations for visitors to

develop an understanding of Civil Warhistory, but the bulk of passengers can’twait to see where it all happened.

It’s important as well to research thevariety of ways to visit a battlefield. InGettysburg, Pa., for example, bus toursare popular, but groups can also tourthe battlefield on horseback or on foot.Small groups can even ride Segway personal transporters.

While standard Civil War visits arebuilt around museums, tours and otherattractions, group travel planners canalso increase the value of their trips with

personalized appearances by Civil Warperiod presenters, special tours of arti-facts normally not on display, or groupor individual photos in period costume.

When it comes to authentic experi-ences, don’t stop at entertainment. Historically accurate restaurants and,depending on the size of the group,Civil War-era lodging are great ways toengage visitors during their entire stay.Guests can literally get a taste of CivilWar life and get a hands-on experiencethroughout their entire trip.

Planning trips around events aregood ways to attract people who mayor may not have been to Civil War sites previously. Events such as re-en-actments, living history camps, music festivals or even small-scale programsare great ways to enrich a visit to a historic site.

It’s worth the time to research opportunities beyond the destination’s“big draw.” Extraordinary museums areoften tucked away and offer unique experiences focusing on civilians andlesser-known heroes, or follow themessuch as Civil War medicine, faith orAfrican-American experiences.

When it comes to museums, be sureto craft an itinerary that blends bothself-guided and narrated sites. Toomuch of either can bore or be too over-whelming for your passengers. Whileguided tours are often the most engag-ing, many visitors enjoy some “downtime” to peruse the artifacts at theirown leisurely pace.

Depending on the level of interest, it might be wise to include more thanone Civil War site. Each tells a distinctstory and offers different experiences.Many of the sites are already connectedthrough partnerships such as the Jour-ney Through Hallowed Ground orCivil War Trails.

The best place to start is with thelocal visitors bureaus. Staffs there canhelp direct you to the best places tobegin as well as sharing with you someof those hidden gems that can be over-looked by group travel planners.

The 150th anniversary is a great opportunity for both Civil War desti-nations and tour planners. Students,seniors and everyone in between will be looking for ways to be a part of thisnational observance.


Jenny McConnell is the director of sales of

the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bu-

reau. Contact: 800-337-5015, jenny@get-

tysburg.travel.

Making the Civil WarCome Alive for Your Troops

� jenny mcconnell

Planning trips around events are goodways to attract people who may or may nothave been to Civil War sites previously.

On The Front

A statue of Confederate

Gen. Robert E. Lee crowns

the Virginia Memorial.

“What I personally

love the most is taking

a step back, finding

my favorite place on

the battlefield and just

setting back on a rock

and taking in the beauty

of the battlefield. Even

though so much death

and destruction took

place here, there is such

a peace that resonates

at Gettysburg.”

— A frequent traveler

to Gettysburg

This small Pennsylvaniatown with a big name in the history books prepares for the Civil Warsesquicentennial

LeisureGroupTravel.com April 2011 15

on location: northeast � randy mink

All Photos Courtesy of Gettysburg CVB


As the nation prepares to kick off afive-year commemoration of the 150thanniversary of the Civil War, this is aperfect time for Americans to reflect onthe epic conflict that pitted state againststate, friend against friend. Gettysburg,where the war’s greatest battle raged,will take center stage in that observance.

A visit to the battlefield and othersites brings home the tragedies enduredfrom 1861-1865 and puts into focus themonumental struggle between Northand South. Had it not been for theheroic feats on this Southern Pennsyl-vania farm land the first three days ofJuly in 1863, America would be a dif-ferent country. A Union victory thatmarked the beginning of the end forGen. Robert E. Lee’s ConfederateArmy, the Battle of Gettysburg is re-garded as the turning point of the CivilWar. The largest battle ever fought onAmerican soil saw more than 51,000soldiers killed, wounded or captured.

Geared for group travel, the town of8,100 annually welcomes three milliontourists and hosts 15,000 motorcoaches.Travel planners can choose from a widerange of tours, museums, and group-

friendly hotels and restaurants. Organ-izers also can arrange for living historyinterpreters, like Gen. Ulysses S. andMrs. Grant, to come on the coach orgive a presentation.

Gettysburg National Military ParkMuseum and Visitor Center, adjacentto the battlefield, is the focal point oftourism and obvious place to start.Opened in April of 2008, the state-of-the-art facility offers 21st centuryamenities for the nearly two millionwho visit Gettysburg National MilitaryPark every year.

In addition to 12 exhibit galleriesfilled with videos and interactive sta-tions, the Visitor Center presents “A

New Birth of Freedom,” a 22-minutefilm narrated by Morgan Freeman thatimmerses viewers in the sights, soundsand emotions of the battle and its after-math. Following the film, guests take anescalator to the Gettysburg Cyclorama,a colossal circular oil painting that givesthem the illusion of standing in themiddle of Pickett’s Charge, a battletableau complete with marching troops,men fighting with bayonets, cannonsmoke, and ground littered with can-teens, shoes, broken wheels, and deadsoldiers and horses. A sound-and-lightshow with narration enhances the 360-degree experience.

At 377 feet by 42 feet, the Gettys-burg Cyclorama, created by Frenchartists in 1883-1884 and fresh from afive-year, $12-million restoration com-pleted in 2008, is the largest painting in the U.S. The three-dimensional diorama and a sky that disappears intoan overhead canopy—features that hadbeen missing for more than 40 years—have been recreated.

Licensed battlefield guides at theVisitor Center can board a group’s mo-torcoach for a two-hour tour. The cen-ter has a dedicated group entrance andclassroom space. A bus drivers lounge isVisit the Eisenhower National Historic Site. | Visit the David Wills House in Downtown Gettysburg.

Shop in the Museum Bookstore. | Enjoy Civil War-era food in the Refreshment Saloon. Join the Friends of Gettysburg–help us preserve this hallowed ground.

Unl im i t e d In s p i r a t i o n

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTERGG

Commemorate the C iv i l War 150th wi th us

P L A N BATTLEFIELD TOURS

1195 Baltimore Pike | Gettysburg, PA 17325 | Tickets: [email protected] | www.gettysburgfoundation.org

g.

CYCLORAMA, FILM & MUSEUM EXPERIENCE.DON’T MISS THE

A rousing re-enactment of the Battle of Gettysburg takes place every July.

on location: northeast �

ONLINE EXCLUSIVESee Randy Mink’s article on

the National Civil War Museum in

Harrisburg, Pa., a 45-minute drive from

Gettysburg. Log on to http://leisuregroup-

travel.com/?p=22794.

located in the coach parking lot.With more than 1,300 monuments

and memorials, Gettysburg NationalMilitary Park boasts one of the world’slargest collections of outdoor sculptures.The towering Pennsylvania Monumentis the largest and most complex.

One memorial recalls the 272 wordsspoken by President Lincoln at the ded-ication of the Soldiers’ National Ceme-tery four months after the battle. Hiseloquent two-minute speech on Nov.19, 1863, is today known as the Gettys-burg Address (“that this nation, underGod, shall have a new birth of freedom;and that this government of the people,by the people, for the people shall not

perish from the earth.”) This cemeteryin Gettysburg National Military Park, afinal resting place for veterans throughthe Vietnam War, was officially closedin 1972, but plots remain for depend-ents of those interred.

For insight into Lincoln’s immortaladdress, tour the David Wills House, aNational Park Service-owned museumin downtown Gettysburg. Opened in2009, the attorney’s home is where Lin-

coln put the finishing touches on thespeech. Restored to its 1863 appearance,the house (privately owned for decades)showcases the bedroom where Lincolnslept on the night before the GettysburgAddress and Wills’ office. Exhibits in-terpret the battle’s aftermath and Wills’efforts to set aside battlefield land for acemetery for the Union dead. The homewas the center of the immense clean-upprocess after the July 1-3 battle and wasused to care for the wounded.

Downtown abounds with other mu-seums and historic houses, not to men-tion Civil War-themed shops andrestaurants. Steps from the David WillsHouse are the Cannon Ball Old Tyme

Malt Shop and McClellan’s Tavern, arestaurant in the historic GettysburgHotel. Named after Union Gen.George McClellan, the tavern servesthe Confederate Burger, Custer’s Meltand other sandwiches named for CivilWar generals. The Tavern in back of theFarnsworth House Inn remembers thewar with props and costumes from theHollywood movie Gettysburg and runsit continuously on the TV. Built in1810, the B&B inn bears 100 bulletholes from the battle. Group dinnerbuffets are available.

Wait staff in colonial garb and can-dlelit rooms lend charm to the 1776Dobbin House Tavern, the oldest build-

LeisureGroupTravel.com

Groups can hire a guide for a two-hour tour of the Gettysburg battlefield.

Obtain Pennsylvania

visitor guides

and itineraries –

and contact group-

friendly suppliers

directly – at

leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

ing in Gettysburg. Many of the rooms,including the casual Springhouse Tav-ern in the basement, have fireplaces. Thesame atmosphere pervades the attachedbanquet room where large groups (up to150) enjoy buffet meals.

Gettysburg antique shops deal inCivil War bullets, cannon balls, weapons,uniform buttons and other memorabilia,while gift shops sell everything from toyguns and swords to soldier caps, flags,

Lincoln throw pillows, stovepipe hats,and Blue and Gray teddy bears.

The American Civil War Wax Mu-seum presents the North vs. South ri-valry through life-size dioramas. Scenesspotlight events like the Lincoln-Dou-glas Debates, Lincoln assassination andLee’s surrender at Appomattox Court-house. Visitors also learn about the Un-derground Railroad, black troops in the54th Massachusetts Infantry and ClaraBarton, the “Angel of the Battlefields,”whose efforts led to the founding of the

American Red Cross. A visit con-cludes in the Battle Room, whereflashing lights, sound effects and nar-ration enhance a film and large dio-rama. After the battle, an animatronicAbraham Lincoln rises from the floorto deliver the Gettysburg Address anda choir sings the “Battle Hymn of theRepublic.” Weekly living history en-campments take place from Aprilthrough October.

Several Gettysburg sites providetownspeople’s perspectives on the war.The Jennie Wade House Museum,for example, tells the story of a 20-year-old woman hit by a stray bullet,the only civilian killed during the bat-tle. Other attractions include ShriverHouse Museum, Gettysburg Dio-rama, Lincoln Train Station Museum,Soldiers National Museum, and Hallof Presidents & First Ladies.

For visitors, “night life” in Gettys-burg often means a ghost tour. Severalcompanies offer candlelight walks

that offer glimpses into the past throughthe spirits that are said to linger here.Many TV documentaries have featuredGettysburg, reputed to be one of themost haunted towns in the world.

The town’s Civil War 150th anniver-sary celebration will include special ob-servances, expanded programs and tours,and large battle re-enactments. The an-nual July 1-3 re-enactment, an ABA Top100 Event this year, presents continuousliving history each day, including mili-tary camps, medical demonstrations,ladies fashions, a period worship serviceand live Civil War music.

One highlight of the five-year com-memoration will be the 2013 openingof the Gettysburg Lutheran TheologicalSeminary’s Schmucker Hall, a buildingthat served as a Union lookout on July 1and a field hospital. The new museumwill tell the story of the battle’s first dayand faith and medicine in the Civil War.

This year and the next few will bethe ideal time to bring your troops toGettysburg, hallowed ground that notonly saw unimaginable horrors but actsof compassion and words of hope forhealing a divided nation.

For information on group travel, con-tact Jenny McConnell, Gettysburg CVB,800-337-5015, [email protected];gettysburggrouptours.travel. LGT

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The superb museum at Gettysburg

National Military Park is a must.


C hocolate World…a tourist attrac-tion whose very name sends mytaste buds into ecstasy. Where else

could I design my own candy bar andwalk out the door holding a master’sdegree in chocolate tasting? And, oh,the mega-gift shop—I was like a kid in,well, a candy store.The town of Hershey, established in

the early 1900s, was built on chocolate.You’re reminded of its industrial her-itage as you cruise down Chocolate andCocoa avenues, where the street lightsare shaped like Hershey’s Kisses. At Hershey’s Chocolate World the

place to start is the Great AmericanChocolate Tour, a free, 10-minute ridethrough the company’s milk chocolate-making magic. A virtual factory tour, the narrated tram trip follows the processfrom sorting cocoa beans to packagingcandy. Along the way, you’ll meet singing

cows. Hershey uses 250,000 gallons ofmilk daily from thousands of cows onhundreds of area farms. Upon leavingthe ride, everyone gets a product sample.Hershey’s Create Your Own Candy

Bar ($9.95) is another Chocolate Worldexperience. You won’t get your handsdirty, but you’ll have to sanitize themand don an apron and hairnet as youplay factory worker. You design thecandy bar and personalized wrapper bytouching a computer screen, then walkalong the assembly line to see it made.The half-hour Chocolate Tasting

Adventure takes place in a classroom,where a lady in a white lab coat lecturesfrom a podium and cuts away to videosof the wacky Dr. Livingston McNibcollecting cacao pods in the rainforest.Students sample five chocolate prod-ucts and try to pick up nuances in taste,appearance and smell. The list of vo-

cabulary words includes “woodsy,”“buttery,” “fruity” and other flavornotes. To the strains of “Pomp andCircumstance,” graduates are handed aHershey’s University diploma and full-size chocolate bar. Be sure to save lots of time for

Chocolate World’s shop, which bordersa “rainforest” of palms, banana plants and cacao trees under a glass roof. Thestore offers an overwhelming variety ofbags and boxes of Hershey brands, in-cluding Reese’s, Kit Kat and AlmondJoy. Pick up a Hershey’s or Reese’s logopillow, plush product characters, cocoabath products or the World’s LargestKiss (44.8 ounces). There’s even a T-shirt whose chocolate scent is supposedto last seven washings. The food court

has countless lunch choices, plus irre-sistible chocolaty baked goods. At The Hershey Story, The Museum

on Chocolate Avenue, groups can makecandy in the Chocolate Lab, taste hotchocolate from around the world andlearn the rags-to-riches story of entre-preneur and philanthropist Milton Her-shey. Other options in Hershey includetours of the historic Hershey Hotel andHershey Theatre, thrill rides at Her-sheypark, ZooAmerica North AmericanWildlife Park and Hershey Gardens.Contact: Hershey Groups, 877-

323-6903; hersheygroups.com. LGT

Chocolate DreamsGroups with a sweet tooth will find bliss

in Hershey, Pennsylvania


Happy product characters afford great photo ops at Hershey attractions.

See how candy is made on the virtual

factory tour at Chocolate World.

Radio City Music Hall, a

short walk from the bright

lights of Broadway, offers

a behind-the-scenes tour

of the Art Deco landmark

in Rockefeller Center.


BroADwAyMELODIES OF

Sister Act

The Lion King

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

Spider-Man

I t may not have the magic of MaryPoppins, lavish trappings of The LionKing or notoriety of Spider-Man,

Turn Off the Dark, but a little Off-Broadway production can satisfy one’scraving for New York theater as muchas a splashy musical.

I was reminded of that recently whenmy night on the town took place in anintimate basement theater under Sofia’sRestaurant on 46th Street, just stepsfrom the bright lights of Times Squareand blockbuster shows. The quirky, two-person comedy, Miss Abigail ’s Guide toDating, Mating & Marriage, kept uschuckling throughout and included au-dience participation. The prim andproper Miss Abigail, a sought-after re-lationship expert whose advice for cou-ples harks back to the 1950s, is played byEve Plumb, who portrayed Jan Brady forfive seasons on TV’s The Brady Bunch.

Though Miss Abigail holds court inthe heart of New York’s Broadway the-ater district, it is considered Off-Broadway, a term that refers to theaterswith 100-499 seats. Not that the casualtheater-goer always knows the differ-ence, says Jody Bell of Broadway-Space.com, the group sales division ofDavenport Theatrical Enterprises, pro-ducer of Miss Abigail. Some Broadwayhits, once their numbers start to dwin-dle, move to smaller Off-Broadwaytheaters to save on production costs,she explained, pointing to Avenue Q asa current example.

Bell said Miss Abigail is popular withsenior groups, as is the hit Broadwaymusical Million Dollar Quartet, a lookback at rock ’n’ roll stars Elvis Presley,Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and CarlPerkins on the day in 1956 when theygathered in a Memphis recording studio.

For this spring, she notes a movies-turned-musicals trend, citing Sister Act,Catch Me If You Can and Priscilla: Queenof the Desert, all of which opened or

began previews in March.With a total of six new musicals,

“we’re seeing one of the busiest springsin recent memory,” said Dennis Martin,director, group sales programs, Broad-way.com/Groups. “They’re selling everysingle seat.”

As Broadway ticket sales continuestrong, each of Broadway’s 40 theatershas been occupied, Martin said. “Whenone show closes, another one moves in.”

According to The Broadway League,Broadway attendance for the 2010 cal-endar year totaled 12.11 million, an in-crease over the previous year’s 11.88million. Attendance for the 2009-2010Broadway season topped that of the 10professional New York and New Jerseysports teams combined.

Martin notes that Whoopi Goldberg(who starred in the movie Sister Act) is a producer of the Broadway version, andBette Midler is one of Priscilla’s pro-ducers. Catch Me If You Can, based onthe Tom Hanks/Leonardo DiCapriofilm about a real-life con artist, was created by the team behind Hairspray.

Wonderland, a new spin on the clas-sic story of Alice and her LookingGlass world, opens April 17. This freshtake features a modern-day womanwho goes on a life-changing adventurefar below the streets of New York City.

Spider-Man, which garnered tons ofpublicity when actors got seriously in-jured in acrobatic stunts during earlyperformances, continues to be a hotseller, Bell said, admitting that “wewere swarmed with requests” (for tick-ets) the day after the first accident. “It’slike a rollercoaster—people enjoy theadrenaline…Everyone asks me aboutit.” Music and lyrics by Bono and TheEdge of U2 enhance the story of theMarvel comic book hero, the most ex-pensive Broadway show ever produced.(Spider-Man officially is still in pre-views, but at press time the latest word

is that it will finally open June 14 fol-lowing significant revisions. The showgoes on a three-week hiatus startingApril 19.)

“The revival to see,” Martin said, isHow to Succeed in Business (Without Re-ally Trying) starring Daniel Radcliffe (ofHarry Potter fame) and five-time EmmyAward winner John Larroquette (NightCourt, The Practice). They make theirBroadway musical debuts in this 50thanniversary revival, which openedMarch 27. Another new revival: ColePorter’s Anything Goes with Joel Greyand Sutton Foster, featuring songs like“I Get a Kick out of You,” “You’re theTop,” “It’s De-Lovely” and the title tune.

A revival of Godspell is coming thisfall, and “everyone is anticipating theopening of that one,” Bell said.

Student travelers have played a majorpart in the ongoing success of MaryPoppins and The Lion King, says BryanDockett, vice president national sales,Disney Theatrical Group. “The stu-dent/youth market is the core of ourgroup business.”

He said, “The youth market hasbeen a constant for us and has stayedstrong even during the whole recession”because parents are willing to spend themoney on school trips. “They wanttheir kids to have that experience anddon’t want them to miss out on it.”

Besides seeing the show, studentgroups can take advantage of Disney-created study guides that tie in thecontent of Mary Poppins and The LionKing with geography and other class-room subjects. Also for school groups,90-minute theater workshops focus ondance, music and how the whole showcomes together.

Student and other groups that booka performance of Mary Poppins can geta tour of the New Amsterdam The-atre, another add-on offered by DisneyTheatrical. Dockett said the tour, of-



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fered when the theater presented TheLion King (which moved in 2006 tothe Minskoff Theatre), was recentlyreintroduced after a hiatus. The tourexplores the history of Broadway the-ater and the Disney-City of New Yorkpartnership that in 1996 re-launchedthe New Amsterdam and played a keyrole in cleaning up 42nd Street, which,back in the early 1990s, was tawdryand “not a place to bring tourists,”Dockett said.

The Lion King, the seventh longestrunning musical in Broadway his-tory, opened in November of 1997.Still going strong, the colorful showjust enjoyed its best year in the last13, Dockett said, and Mary Poppinshad its second best box office sinceopening in November of 2006.Only Phantom of the Opera, whichopened in 1988, and Chicago (1996)have been on Broadway longer thanThe Lion King. Other long-runningcurrent shows: Mamma Mia (2001),Wicked (2003) and Jersey Boys (2005).

The newest form of entertain-ment in town is a traveling, 49-seattheater called THE RIDE. Onsuper-sized, custom vehicles outfittedlike a theater, with sideways-facing stadium seating, tour passengers rollthrough Midtown Manhattan on a 75-minute journey that combines com-mentary with sidewalk performances(designed just for THE RIDE) bydancers, singers, rappers and comedi-

ans. The 4.5-mile tour starts at theNew York Marriott Marquis in TimesSquare. Group tickets are $55. (experi-encetheride.com)

TV fans flock to Rockefeller Plazafor behind-the-scenes tours of NBCStudios in the GE Building, locationof the TV series 30 Rock. Guests walkinto studios used by such shows as Dr. Oz, Football Night in America, NBCNightly News and Saturday Night Live.Every tour member has a chance topose behind an anchor desk in a mock

studio, and two people can volunteer toread the news or do the weather. Thetour starts in the NBC Studios Store, agood place to shop for souvenirs of cur-rent TV hits like 30 Rock and The Of-fice, plus old favorites like Seinfeld andFriends. (nbcstudiotour.com)

If your group doesn’t catch a concert

or The Radio City Christmas Spectacularat Radio City Music Hall, they canget an eyeful of this Art Deco jewel onthe one-hour “Stage Door Tour,” an-other behind-the-scenes offering atRockefeller Center. A highlight ismeeting a Radio City Rockette andposing with the leggy dancer for a pic-ture. Walking through back corridors,tour members see posters of past con-cert performers (from Bette Midler toSteve Wonder) and movies that pre-miered at this larger-than-life theaterdating from 1932. For 45 years it pack-aged first-run movies with the Rock-ettes and other live acts until thatformat lost appeal. Radio City was indanger of being demolished after per-manently closing in 1978. Today thislandmark glistens from a restorationproject that started in 1999. More thanone million people walk through itsdoors during The Christmas Spectacu-lar’s eight-week engagement—that’stwice as many as the biggest Broadway

show draws all year. (radiocity.com)This summer Radio City’s cav-

ernous, 6,000-seat auditorium hostsZarkana, a Cirque du Soleil acro-batic spectacle that runs from June 9through Sept. 4. The story plungesZark, a magician on a quest to findhis lost powers, into a bizarre worldinhabited by surreal creatures.

Top of the Rock, the GE Build-ing’s three-level observatory, is yetanother Rockefeller Center must-see. Views of the skyscraper-stud-ded skyline and the vast expanse ofCentral Park unfold from open-airterraces on floors 68, 69 and 70. Inthe distance the Statue of Libertystands sentinel in New York Harbor.

(topoftherocknyc.com) Top of the Rock is an attraction

covered by New York CityPASS.Valid for nine days, the convenientticket ($79 for adults) lets pass holdersskip the lines and pays for itself if you see only five of the six attractions.



THE RIDE, a new Manhattan tour option, presents its own live entertainment.

Continued on page 25

Radio City Music Hall hosts concerts and

the annual Christmas Spectacular.

Mar

c Bry

an-B

rown

SPECIAL GROUP ADD-ONS!SPECIAL GROUP ADD-ONS!

Make your New York Broadway experience even more magical with historic New Amsterdam Theatre tours.Call 800-439-9000 to speak to a Disney Theatrical Sales Group Specialist.

”★★★★! A perfect piece of musicaltheater.”

–NY Post

THE WONDER OF BROADWAY. THE MAGIC OF .

DISCOVER THE PRIDE OF NEW YORK

New York City | Las VegasOn Tour Across North America

© D

isne

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Dis

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For a sneak peek, visit

In New York City • On Tour Across North America

ect piece sicalr.”


New York is a state widely known forbustling city life, but it also has many

beautiful botanic gardens that offer an escape from the urban frenzy. Locatedthroughout the Empire State are gardensthat embrace horticulture from all over the world. Here are just a few examples:

Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden in Staten Island offersgroup travelers a garden experience mixedwith history, museums and theaters. Thegardens reflect different time periods andcultures. The Chinese Scholar Garden, a visitor favorite, embodies Chinese art andphilosophy through an arrangement ofshrubbery, rocks and ponds. Designed after the Villa Gamberaia in Florence is theTuscan Garden, where topiaries, formalwater elements and a vineyard give touristsa glance into Italian culture. Throughout theyear Snug Harbor hosts various events andconcerts. (718-448-2500, snug-harbor.org)

New York Botanical Gardens wasnamed by the New York Times a “New YorkMasterpiece.” Located in the Bronx, NYBGis recognized as a classical botanical gardenwhere plants are studied and exhibited. Its250 acres contain over one million plants in 50 gardens, including one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the U.S. The PeggyRockefeller Rose Garden displays over 600species of roses, which are in bloom sixmonths out of the year. Groups visitingNYBG in spring will enjoy the lilacs andtulips. Apart from flowers, guests can alsoexplore the native forest, comprised of treesup to 200 years old, along the Bronx River.(718-817-8700, nybg.org)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden features adozen gardens and several conservatories,including the aquatic house and a bonsai

museum. Entering the garden from the eastentrance, groups will be immersed in the Osborne Garden’s spectrum of colors pro-vided by such flowers as azaleas, rhododen-drons and wisteria. Those visiting in Apriland May get to experience the cherry trees in full bloom. (718-623-7200, b bg.org)

Occupying the former estate of WilliamRobertson Coe, an insurance entrepreneurand philanthropist, is the Planting FieldsArboretum State Historic Park. Located

in Long Island’s Oyster Bay, the park’s 409acres consist of greenhouses, gardens andmiles of hiking trails. The RhododendronCollection features over a 1,000 types ofvintage and modern species. The MainGreenhouse seasonally showcases poinset-tias, Easter lilies and chrysanthemums. Alsoopen to visitors is Coe Hall, the Coe familyhome featuring an Elizabethan-style interior. (516-922-9200, plantingfields.org)

The three-tiered Formal Italian Gardensat Vanderbilt Mansion National HistoricSite in Hyde Park are a restoration of thegardens built in the 1930s. The top levelconsists of annual plants, the middle ofperennials and pool gardens and the lowerlevel, built by gardening enthusiast FrederickVanderbilt, features a variety of rose species.In mid-spring, native trees such as dog-woods and redbuds are in bloom. Guests

can enjoy views of the Hudson River andtour the Vanderbilt Mansion. (845-229-9115,2.marist.edu/fwvga)

Also in Hyde Park is the Rose Garden at Franklin D. Roosevelt National HistoricSite. Featuring 28 types of roses, the gardenis the burial site of FDR and Eleanor Roo-sevelt. Groups can explore the grounds androse gardens or tour the FDR PresidentialLibrary and Museum. Guests are also invitedto visit FDR’s Top Cottage, the building hepurchased as a retreat from presidentialpressures. (800-337-8474, nps.gov/hofr)

In the Finger Lakes region of New York,in the town of Canandaigua, is SonnenbergGardens and Mansion State Historic Park.Open from May through October the parkconsists of nine formal gardens, each rep-resenting different cultures and historicaleras. Included are Japanese, rose and Italiangardens, plus a 20-acre arboretum and agreenhouse. Built in 1887, the Sonnenbergmansion is one of the few remaining QueenAnne-style manors in the country. (585-394-4922, sonnenberg.org)

The flora at the Buffalo and Erie CountyBotanical Gardens is dispersed between the Palm Dome and nine greenhouses. ThePalm Dome is a tri-domed Victorian conser-vatory that was built in the 1890s and housessuch visitor favorites as the orchid roomand begonia room. Also in the garden is theSouth Park Arboretum, where a collection oftree species is showcased. (716-827-584,buffalogardens.com)

These New York gardens give flowerlovers a chance to experience a kaleido-scope of colors, sights and smells from avast array of vegetation. Each garden offerstour groups a unique perspective on theworld of horticulture. LGT

Obtain New York

visitor guides

and itineraries –

and contact group-

friendly suppliers

directly – at


Discovering the Gardens of New York StateHorticultural wonderlands enchant

groups that appreciate a green thumb

New York Botanical Gardens is one

of the Bronx’s hidden treasures.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVERead about some of the best

attractions and restaurants in New

York’s Broadway theater district. Log on to

http://leisuregrouptravel.com/?p=23019

on location: northeast � alyssa cherwak

Beauty in the Bronx: New York Botanical Gardens

Participating sights include the Empire State Building Observatory, American Museum of Natural History (in-cluding a space show in Hayden Planetarium), Metropol-itan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art (just a few blocks from Rockefeller Center). In addition, CityPASS users can choose from either the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry or Circle Line sightseeing cruise,and either Top of the Rock or the Guggenheim Museum.(citypass.com)

Besides theaters and bright lights, Times Squareabounds with fun stores and high-octane tourist attrac-tions like Madame Tussauds New York and Ripley’s Be-lieve It or Not! Shop for baseball souvenirs at the YankeeClubhouse or indulge your sweet tooth at the M&M and Hershey stores. Keep your camera out at the Toys R Usmega-store, with its indoor Ferris wheel, toy demonstra-tions, and Empire State Building made with 180,000 Lego blocks.

Times Square and Midtown Manhattan, as any tourorganizer knows, packs in more than any group could possibly see in a week, much less a few days. There’s nobusiness like show business, and no place like New York,the heartbeat of America’s theater scene. LGT


Continued from page 22

In northwestern Georgia, the oldest Civil War

national military park recalls the 1863 Battle of

Chickamauga, the last major Confederate victory.

Days of

Blueand

Gray

Southern states and tour organizers are gearing up for the150th anniversary of the Civil War

In spring 1861 our nation and itsterritories entered a four-year con-

flict that would become the bloodiestwar in our history. Regardless of yourviews on the causes of the CivilWar—slavery, state’s rights or a com-bination of both—it remains ourcountry’s darkest moment.

The American Civil War took itstoll on the lives of our citizens, de-stroying families and often pitchingbrother against brother. Approxi-mately 620,000, or 13 percent of thenation’s men, perished in battle orfrom disease. Countless others weredisabled and eventually died fromtheir wounds. The cost of the CivilWar in terms of human life exceedsthe total of the Revolutionary War,War of 1812, Mexican American

War, Spanish American War, WorldWar One, World War Two, KoreanWar and Vietnam War.

This year our nation will examinethe 150th anniversary of this tragicevent’s beginning and continue theobservance for four more years. Vir-tually every state and American terri-tory were involved in the Civil War.However, with a few notable excep-tions (Gettysburg and Antietam),most of the battles were fought onConfederate soil.

To varying degrees, every South-ern state will commemorate the war’ssesquicentennial. Virginia will beginits observance in July 2011 by re-membering the first major battle, theFirst Battle of Manassas/Bull Run.Richmond, Fredericksburg and the

on location: south � dave bodle


A drummer boy receives instruction

at Shiloh battlefield in Tennessee.

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

Georgia Department of Economic Development

Shenandoah Valley all played a signifi-cant role in the conflict and have eventsplanned. West Virginia begins markingmajor events culminating in the 1863formation of the only state created as adirect result of the war.

A new and expanded North Car-olina Civil War Trails map has just beenreleased. Included are the final steps ofSherman’s March and General GeorgeStoneman’s raiders’ “Cold Mountain”territory activities. Sherman also left hisdestructive mark on Columbia, S.C.The state capital was severely punishedfor those first shots fired at Fort Sumterin Charleston. Plantations along thecoast and the Rice Museum in George-town depict why slave labor was neces-sary to the South’s agrarian economy.

The Blue and Gray Trail takes visi-tors through northwest Georgia fromChattanooga to Atlanta and some ofthe most dramatic events of the CivilWar. Here you’ll find the route for“The Great Locomotive Chase” of1862 and the site of the second largestbattle of the Civil War, the Battle ofChickamauga.

In Arkansas the Hindman Hall Mu-seum at Prairie Grove Battlefield StatePark is scheduled to open this summerafter extensive renovations. When theConfederates withdrew from the 1862Battle of Prairie Grove, it was clear thatMissouri and northwest Arkansaswould remain in Union hands.

Though a slave state, Kentucky de-clined to secede from the Union. Boththe Confederate and Union armiesconsidered Kentucky a must-have.Kentucky was the birthplace of bothAbraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.Tennessee, like an umbrella, protectedthe Deep South states. Any invasion ofGeorgia, Mississippi or Alabama had to

go through Tennessee. Second only toVirginia in the number of battles foughtwithin her borders, Tennessee is rich inCivil War history.

One of the turning points of the CivilWar was the siege and eventual loss ofVicksburg, Miss. With the South di-vided, no longer were blockade runnersable to get supplies west of the Missis-sippi River to Confederate forces.Corinth has the Civil War InterpretiveCenter and the Contraband Camp, bothunlike any other Civil War attraction.

Although not the scene of any sig-nificant military action, Alabama con-tributed more than 120,000 men toConfederate service—almost all of thestate’s white males capable of bearingarms. The Union blockade of MobileBay was devastating to both Alabamaand the Confederate cause.

For many tour operators, offeringCivil War themed product may bechallenging. Here are a few thoughts to


Explore POW issues at Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia.

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get us started: The first step is deter-mine if your clients are full-fledgedhistory junkies or just interested inlearning a little more about this impor-tant chapter in American history. Is amulti-day tour (campaign) the way togo, or are we simply looking for a stopon the way?

Regarding the latter, it’s my thoughtto add a piece of Civil War his-tory to every itinerary, where anappropriate attraction exists. Atrip to Nashville might includea visit to the Tennessee StateMuseum and its impressivedisplay and explanation of theBattle of Nashville. Likewise, atour to the Atlanta area wouldinclude a visit to the AtlantaCyclorama & Civil War Mu-seum. Of course, a visit to Vir-ginia should absolutely includea stop in Richmond and theVirginia Historical Society.Through Dec. 30, 2011, An AmericanTurning Point: The Civil War in Vir-ginia will be on display.

Introducing a Civil War character toyour group can be both informative andentertaining. In West Virginia, RickGarland does a great Gen. J.E.B. Stuartas a step-on guide. In Gainesville, Ga.,Joe Whitaker does group tours to sitesassociated with Gen. James Longstreet.The Ben Lomond House in Manassas,Va., a Confederate hospital during the

First Battle of Manassas, will providedoctors and nurses to share their experi-ences. Joseph McGill of the Charleston,S.C. office of the National Trust forHistoric Preservation, has slept in nu-merous slave quarters to bring to lightthe plight of African-Americans prior tothe Civil War. His story is fascinating.

Virtually every Southern state is richwith sites that mark both large andsmall battles and trails filled with mu-

seums, attractions and events. The placeto start is the state tourism offices.Many have websites dedicated to theCivil War Sesquicentennial. LocalDMOs can to provide specific profileson attractions and events in their area.

For groups whose interest is piquedby events of historical significance, amulti-day Civil War experience is cer-tainly a worthy product. The challengefor tour operators is developing and re-fining a tour that has not been a part of

their traditional offerings. There is somuch information available about theAmerican Civil War. How to wadethrough that input and determinewhat’s group-friendly is the question.

This writer’s recommendation is torely on professionals who have beenthere, done that and already have the T-shirt. I suggest using a receptive opera-tor or tour operator that is well versedin the American Civil War. They’ve al-

ready put a product togetherand can customize with ease.They’ll know if a re-enactmentat a battlefield is group-friendly.They’ve worked with the story-tellers who portray period char-acters.

For years Stars and StripesTours has been providing one-to three-day tours of Gettys-burg. The itinerary is fine-tunedand proven. From AbrahamLincoln delivering the Gettys-burg Address to a soldier host-ing your campfire dinner and

sharing his feelings, you can be assuredyour customers will have a memorableexperience.

Civil War Tours will help plan anddevelop your tour and offer suggestionson how to fill your coach. It is the onlycompany endorsed by the Civil WarTrails in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Mary-land, North Carolina, West Virginiaand Kentucky.

“We’ll do so much more than simplytake you to a museum or battlefield,”said Cathy Strite, president of CivilWar Tours. “Groups want to participatein the experience.” Personal visits fromperiod characters, special dinners atmuseums and sites, and guides with adeep knowledge all contribute to a suc-cessful tour.

Planning for the 150th anniversarycommemoration began in early 2009.Many exhibits and events are takingplace as you read this article. Now is thetime to provide your clients with theAmerican Civil War experience. LGT


on location: south �

John Brown Wax Museum in Harpers Ferry

chronicles the life of the famous abolitionist.

West Virginia Department of Commerce/Steve Shaluta


on location: south � dave bodle

From Ferris wheels high above andcoal mines down below to history,art, culture and of course Elvis

and Dolly, there’s no place like theSouth. With so many things to see anddo in the 11 Travel South states, you’llprobably need to extend your group’sstay. State by state, here are just a fewfresh options for 2011:

ALABAMAFor the eighth time Alabama

Tourism has introduced a themed cam-paign that covers the entire year. Nocampaign could be more appropriate

than the one that celebrates Year of Al-abama Music. A brochure entitled “100Places to Hear Live Music in Ala-bama,” a website dedicated to all thingsmusic, contests and events highlightwhat’s shaping up to be a memorable2011.

More than 200 live music venuesand 17 attractions are listed in the “100Places” brochure. Log on to yearofal-abamamusic.com for the venues thatwelcome groups. Plan your tour aroundattractions like the Alabama Jazz Hallof Fame in Birmingham, Dothan’sMusic Murals, Alabama Fan Club

and Museum, Hank Williams Mu-seum andNat King Cole’s Home.

Alabama Tourism director Lee Sen-tell said few things bring out the pas-sion, interest and devotion in peoplelike music. “Music provides a strongemotional experience for most. Ala-bama is excited to showcase our varietyof music, musical events and destina-tions.”

ARKANSASThe Clinton Presidential Center

and Library in Little Rock will host aSmithsonian traveling exhibition show-


Travel SouthNew Reasons

to

Check out Atlanta’s World of Coca-Cola, the reborn Gaylord Opryland and Myrtle Beach’s SkyWheel and Pirates Voyage.

Consider all thenew possibilities

for enhancingyour tours in the

Southern states

Looking for new group travel ideas?

We’ve got 52 of ’em. The Arkansas State

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Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Eureka Springs

Take a trip to the wild side – from exciting zoological

exhibits to wildlife refuges and magical botanical gardens.

Find out more by visiting our website or calling the toll-

free number for itinerary ideas.

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Safari by school bus.

New penguin exhibit at Little Rock Zoo

Garvan Woodland Gardens,Hot Springs

Make the high point of Arkansas

Play City.LGT/11

Spa City. Hot Springs is famous for natural thermal spas and historic Bathhouse Row. But with the South’s newest gaming center, stunning woodland gardens, delicious dining and more – you can call us whatever you like.

Visit hotsprings.org or call 1-800-922-6478 for your Group Tour Planner now.

Bloom City.

casing Elvis Presley on the threshholdof stardom, Elvis at 21, June 4-Aug. 21,2011. While in town catch the newAfrican penguins exhibit at the LittleRock Zoo. View the penguins fromabove and below the water. Kids have aspecial crawl-through tunnel for an up-close view. A visit to the state’s first legaldistiller, Rock Town Distillery, mayloosen up your group just enough totake the new Haunted Tours of LittleRock excursion.

In the Delta area at Jonesboro lookfor the new $1.9-million, 20,000-square-foot Plantation Park MusicTheater. The venue holds 1,200 withanother 500-seat balcony additionplanned. Country, gospel and bluegrassmusic are featured every Saturdayevening.

In the Northwest section of the state

the Osage Creek Performing ArtsCenter plans to open in summer 2011.The 16,000-capacity music venue willhost five to seven major concerts andfestivals/events in season.

Expected to open this spring is therenovated Walmart Visitor Center inBentonville. The approximate 20 per-cent square footage increase will in-clude a new 32-seat theater, newartifacts, touch tables and the SparkShop and Cafe.

GEORGIAIn Atlanta, The World of Coca-

Cola will be adding 3,525 square feetof exhibit space. The expansion willallow more items to be displayed andcreate a plaza for private functions andevents. In cooperation with AT&T theGeorgia Aquarium will be adding a

major dolphin exhibit. Opening in earlyApril, Dolphin Tales will be the largestexpansion for the world’s largest aquar-ium. The new addition will include aviewing gallery, 25-foot-long underwa-ter viewing window, interactive displaysand a live theatrical show with dolphinsand actors.

KENTUCKYFor many years coal fueled homes

and businesses in this nation, and inEastern Kentucky coal was king. InLynch, visitors to Portal 31, an oldmine recently opened as an attraction,can experience a day in the life of a fic-tional coal miner as they ride a rail carinto the underground chambers whereimmigrants from Italy and the BritishIsles mined 130 tons of coal.Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont,makers of “the world’s finest bour-bon,” has opened a new section ofits visitor center. Just south ofLouisville, this state-of-the-art fa-cility highlights the company’s his-tory and offers a tasting of thetop-selling spirit. The multi-mil-lion-dollar “Visitors Experience”includes new displays of photos andhistorical documents and a distill-ery tour. The center’s three-yearrenovation project will be com-pleted in 2012. MEGA Cavern is Louisville’s

newest tourist adventure. Tramtours highlight the history andsplendor of the natural cave, a con-stant 60 degrees. The cavern’s“Lights Under Louisville” holidaydisplay placed ninth in Best Christ-mas Light Shows compiled by thewebsite America’s Best & Top 10.

Positioned as “8 Blocks of Vil-lany,” the Newport Gangster Tourshares the seedy side of what was atone time called “Sin City.” TimeMagazine noted its “gaudy brand ofgambling and prostitution,” andOne of four state park lodges.

Book your next tour at Arkansas’s resort state park in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Here on scenic DeGray Lake, resort amenities combine with outdoor adventure including sunset lake cruises, swimming, hiking, golf, tennis and nature programs.

DEGRAY LAKER E S O R T S T A T E P A R K


camera shy.


Bobby Kennedy in his run for presidentpromised “he’d clean that place up” if hewon. Tales of the crime figures andmovie stars who made their way to thisnotorious destination make an enter-taining history lesson. Private tours areavailable year round.

LOUISIANAConsidered to be the definitive hur-

ricane exhibition, Living with Hurri-canes: Katrina and Beyond is a 6,700-square-foot interactive multimedia ex-hibition at the Louisiana State Mu-seum in New Orleans. To aid visitorsin understanding Katrina’s impact onLouisiana, the Gulf Coast and the nation, the exhibition combines con-temporary accounts, historical contexts,immersive environments and in-depthscientific exploration.

St. Landry Parish in South-CentralLouisiana has a new, state-of-the-artPlus Williamsburg & Virginia Beach

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the Civil WarSesquicentennial!

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visitors center. It is one of the first cen-ters in the South to focus on sustain-ability and green construction. Buildingmaterials salvaged during constructionwill be used by local artists to create artto be exhibited in the center. Also in St.Landry Parish, the Bayou Teche Pad-dle Trail will open this fall. Groups witha taste for the outdoors will see lush na-tive plants and wildlife along the way.

MISSISSIPPIMississippi will honor the 50th an-

niversary of the Freedom Riders andFreedom Summer 1961, a pivotal partof the civil rights movement. Officialactivities begin May 22. More than 125original Freedom Riders are slated toparticipate. Two of the state’s most famous na-

tive sons, bluesman Robert Johnsonand playwright Tennessee Williams,

will observe centennial birthdays thisyear. Throughout the state and prima-rily in the Mississippi Delta region,Johnson’s May 8 birthday will be cele-brated. Clarksdale will host the annualMississippi Delta Tennessee WilliamsFestival Oct. 14-15.

NORTH CAROLINACharlotte will be welcoming the long

overdue arrival of US Airways Flight1549, the plane that made the “miracle”landing on New York’s Hudson River.The famous aircraft will find a home at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

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The new Mint Museum Uptown has brightened Charlotte’s cultural scene.


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Motorcoach travelers know that Pigeon Forge is the perfect place to make memories. Could be because there’s so much to see and do here… shopping, shows, Dollywood® or the majestic beauty of our Smoky Mountains. Or it could be that warm welcome they receive, kind of like visiting an old friend. Whatever the reason, they know that every visit creates memories that will last a lifetime.

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Contact Brenda Ciapanna, Sales Manager, Visitor & Convention Bureau, [email protected], 800.523.3373 ext. 368

Experience the splendor of S O U T H C A R O L I N A ’ S L O W C O U N T R Y

Engage your group with itineraries for exploring the history, nature, cuisineand culture of Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Daufuskie Island.

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In Wilmington the RiverfrontConvention Center has opened and iswithin walking distance of hotels,restaurants and shopping. The center islocated across the river from the Bat-tleship North Carolina. Commis-sioned in 1941, she took part in everyPacific naval offensive, earning 15 bat-tle stars. The memorial to WWII vet-erans will celebrate her goldenanniversary with year-long activities.

Art is a common thread in threemajor North Carolina cities. In Raleigh,N.C. Museum of Art’s East Buildinghas reopened with American Chronicles:The Art of Norman Rockwell. The Mil-ton Rhodes Center for the Arts hasdebuted in Winston-Salem, featuringvisual art, music, theater, film anddance. Charlotte’s new Mint MuseumUptown brings the Mint Museum ofArt and Mint Museum of Craft + De-sign under one roof, doubling the per-manent collection. The Charlotteinstitution celebrates its 75th anniver-sary this year.

SOUTH CAROLINAIn Myrtle Beach a new Ferris wheel

will rise 18 stories above the newboardwalk. Starting in May, riders onSkyWheel Myrtle Beach will enjoygreat views from enclosed, climate-con-trolled gondolas. Legends In Concerthas moved to Broadway at the Beachadjacent to Planet Hollywood. A brandnew show, Stars in Concert at Cele-bration Music Theatre, now occupiesthe former Legends building in Surf-side Beach. WonderWorks will makeits South Carolina debut this spring atBroadway at the Beach. After 19 yearscountry music star Dolly Parton isgoing pirate. Completely renovating theDixie Stampede, she opens her new Pi-rates Voyage dinner show this spring.

The South Carolina Aquarium inCharleston opens its new 4-D Theatrethis year, allowing visitors to get closer to the wind, waves and water.Magnolia Plantation has preserved

and restored four original slave cabins,each reflecting a different period ofAfrican experience on the plantation.Boone Hall Plantation and Gardenshas opened a new exhibit telling theAfrican-American story through a rangeof audio-visual presentations.

A new Mast General Store iscoming to the heart of downtown Columbia, joining a vibrant galleryand music scene in South Carolina’scapital. The city’s Nickelodeon inde-pendent movie theater has moved into

the old Fox Theatre. South of the Border in Dillon has

opened a new Reptile Lagoon, billed asthe “largest indoor reptile exhibit in theUnited States.” The City of Gaffneyhas a new visitor center and art galleryin the circa-1913 former post officebuilding. In Greenwood the BenjaminE. Mays Historic Site is now open andshares the story of a son of a share-cropper who went on to become thelongtime president of Morehouse Col-lege in Atlanta.

In Norfolk, there’s always something to

celebrate. With hundreds of waterfront

festivals, the fun never stops. To plan your

itinerary, visit us online or contact Melissa

Hopper, Associate Director of Tour & Travel.

A friendly city that’ll really get your wheels turning.

vis itnorfolktoday.com | 1-800-368-3097

LeisureGroupTravel.com

TENNESSEEIn Memphis this year, Elvis Pres-

ley’s Graceland unveils The Roots ofElvis, highlighting Elvis’ early yearsand the influences that shaped him,and Elvis in the News, which exploreshow Elvis challenged the boundaries ofexpression.

One of Tennessee’s oldest homes,the Nell House, has been relocated andrestored at Casey Jones Village in Jack-son. Citizens of Trenton gathered on

the roof to watch the Civil War battleof Trenton unfold. Groups are still wel-come for special events and tours. Alsoopening this year is the 100-year-old,fully restored Brown’s Creek PrimitiveBaptist Church.

The newly restored and renovatedGaylord Opryland reopened only 195

days after Nashville’s May 2010 flood.New restaurants and redesigned lob-bies, guest rooms and suites await trav-elers. The show must go on and in truefashion the Grand Ole Opry nevermissed a performance during itsrestoration. Completion will be in timeto re-enter the Opry House for theshow’s 85th birthday celebration in Oc-tober. In White Creek the FontanelMansion & Farm, former home ofBarbara Mandrell, is now open.

Following the receipt of the2010 Applause Award, the mostprestigious award in the theme parkindustry, Dollywood will debut the$5.5-million Barnstormer ride in2011. The recently opened OleSmokey Distillery offers free toursand moonshine for sale.

One of the most significant ar-chaeological sites east of the Missis-sippi River, Gray Fossil Site andMuseum in Johnson City, is under-going a $2-million expansion. Thealready interactive museum will fea-ture two outdoor classrooms, a wetlab and cafe in its 7,000-square-footaddition.

Throughout 2011 the TennesseeValley Railroad in Chattanooga willbe offering special events and all-day excursions celebrating its 50thanniversary.

VIRGINIAIn the western region of the

state, Shenandoah National Parkand its main artery, Skyline Drive,will be celebrating their 75th an-

niversary.Speaking of anniversaries, the Citie

of Henricus, just south of Richmond,will be celebrating its 400th. Estab-lished in 1611, Henricus was the sec-ond successful English settlement inthe New World. Special programs willbe presented throughout 2011.

In Williamsburg, Busch Gardenswill be adding its tallest ride yet. MachTower will lift up to 30 riders 246 feet,rotate the platform 360 degrees andthen drop at speeds of up to 60 milesan hour.

With almost 180 wineries already,Virginia will add three more in 2011.Glass House Winery, a boutique win-ery, is part of the popular MonticelloWine Trail. Granite Heights Vineyard(near Warrenton) will produce jams andhoney along with wine. Saude CreekWinery near Williamsburg sits on thesite of a colonial tavern. George Wash-ington is said to have quenched histhirst there. We’re not sure if he spentthe night.

WEST VIRGINIAWest Virginia invites you to bring

your appetite in 2011. After dinner,plan to visit Morgantown’s new eventcenter and home to the West VirginiaPublic Theatre.

Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad hasadded a gourmet dinner service aboardthe Mountain Explorer Dinner Train.Trips depart Elkin for a scenic five-hour adventure on selected dates fromJune through October. Tamarack (TheBest of West Virginia) has added culi-nary demonstrations from the world-renowned chefs from The Greenbrier.

For more than 100 years TheBlennerhassett, a member of HistoricHotels of America, has been welcom-ing guests to its Parkersburg front door.Now the grand hotel is extending thedelights of its culinary school to grouptravelers. The Culinary School at TheBlennerhassett Hotel provides numer-ous options for all skill levels.

With so many places to explore andnew things to do, no wonder the Southis such a premier destination for groups.For information on each of the 11 TravelSouth states, go to travelsouth.com. LGT


Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland gleams

anew after renovations prompted by

damage from last year’s flood.


Idyllic Main Street communities filledwith craft and gift shops....heapinghelpings of fried chicken and fresh-baked bread....Clip-clopping horse bug-gies clattering down country roadswhere Amish farm families have livedthe simple life for generations.Northern Indiana’s Amish Country

seems to be custom-made for grouptours, offering hearty meals, fun shop-ping and loads of nostalgia. But since2008 the patchwork of small towns hasbeen stitching together another crowd-pleaser—the Quilt Gardens Tour. Designated an American Bus Asso-

ciation Top 100 Event for the third yearin a row, the driving tour is one of akind. Though the Quilt Gardens Tourspotlights a wide variety of gardens, it’shardly your garden variety tour. There’snothing like it anywhere else.From Memorial Day to Oct. 1, seven

communities will be showing off 18 allnew gardens patterned after Amish andcontemporary quilt designs. The patch-work quilt, perhaps more than anythingelse, symbolizes Amish craftsmanship. In addition to large gardens featuring

a total of 100,000-plus blooms, the tourfeatures 18 super-sized quilt murals at12 locations, many at garden sites. It fol-lows Elkhart County’s 90-mile, self-guided Heritage Trail Driving Tour.“The Quilt Gardens along the Her-

itage Trail is a boon for tour operatorslooking to reach new audiences—peoplewho may never have considered taking agroup tour, people who share a commoninterest,” said Sonya Nash, CTP, traveltrade manager of the Elkhart CountyConvention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s notthe cookie cutter group experience. It’s a

platform for like-minded people tocome together and have a terrific timepursuing their passion for hobbies suchas gardening, quilting or photography.And just as the gardens are all different,the Quilt Gardens experience allowseach tour to be different from the rest,tailored to meet special wants.”The Quilt Gardens Tour has sparked

tourism in this part of Indiana, a ruralarea only two hours east of Chicago andnot far from the Michigan border. Kar-leen Richter, of Elkhart-based Down theRoad Tours, says the flower displays havebrought buses into communities likeWakarusa, where groups not only see thequilt garden and mural but also visit theold-fashioned dime and hardware stores.Now in its fourth year, the Quilt

Gardens Tour continues to blossom ascommunities recognize its pulling power.

Richter said, “More people are gettingon the bandwagon—they know it’sbringing people in the door.”Richter’s Down the Road Tours is a

receptive operator that offers tours andstep-on service. Tour members get out


on location: midwest � randy mink

Quilts in

Bl mColor-splashed displays of floral artistry

blanket Northern Indiana’s Amish Country

Hand-painted outdoor murals are part

of the Quilt Gardens Tour.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

See Randy Mink’s article on four

of Indiana Amish Country’s best

heritage attractions. Log on to http://leisure-

grouptravel.com/?p=22875.

The quilt garden is a special treat for shoppers at the Old Bag Factory in

Goshen (above), a former factory filled with antique, art and craft shops.

and walk to the gardens or just admirethem from the bus. In order for travel-ers to view the patterns, gardens mustbe planted on a slant, not flat.

These official quilt gardens mustmeet other standards set by a commit-tee, which approves all designs. Gardenshave to be a minimum size, accessible tothe public and be maintained all season.

The flowers, all annuals that start fromseed at local nurseries, range from petu-nias and zinnias to marigolds anddahlias; 80 percent of the space must belive plant material. Volunteers are re-sponsible for planting and upkeep. Ad-mission to all gardens is free.

Richter said the gardens “are look-ing really pretty by the end of June,”with the peak period late July and earlyAugust. Her guides tell the story ofeach garden’s design and who plantedit. A sign at the garden has the same information.

Most of the gardens are located atpoints of tourist interest, such as AmishAcres in Nappanee, an historic Amishfarmstead with exhibits, a theater, shopsand a restaurant. Another is in Middle-bury at Das Dutchman Essenhaus din-ing/shopping/lodging complex, whereThe Quilt Shop offers hands-on classesfor tour groups. Das Dutchman Essen-haus, Indiana’s largest family-style restau-rant, serves all-you-can-eat, Amish-stylefeasts and has a must-visit bakery. KriderGarden in Middlebury, started by a man

who developed a thornless rose, boastsstructures and plantings from the 1933Chicago World’s Fair.

In Shipshewana, Menno-Hof, abarn-like museum that tells the story ofthe Amish and Mennonites, features aquilt garden and mural. On Tuesdaysand Wednesdays from May throughOctober, tour groups can explore the

Shipshewana Flea Market, the Mid-west’s largest flea market.

At the Old Bag Factory in Goshen,a bag factory turned artisan shoppingmecca, groups visit the log cabin shopof Quilt Designs, where Dave andShirley Shenk can give a talk on the artof quilting. Shirley designs the adjacentquilt garden and mural.

The new “Whirlwind Flag” quiltgarden at the Elkhart County Court-house in downtown Goshen gives

groups a chance to browse along MainStreet and pop into shops and cafes.Across from the courthouse, a red-and-white-striped awning marks theOlympia Soda Shop, an old-fashionedsoda fountain complete with counterand straight-backed wooden booths.

Attractions with quilt gardens in thecity of Elkhart include Ruthmere, a1910 mansion, and Wellfleet BotanicGardens, a landscaped city park on thesite of a former water treatment plant.Linton’s Enchanted Gardens is a gardenshop with a quilt garden and themeddisplay gardens. Classes in landscaping,garden care and flower arranging areavailable for groups.

In Bristol groups can see the new“Flower Basket” quilt garden at theElkhart County Historical Museum,then tour the museum, have a cateredbox lunch, and enjoy the “Stitches ofDevotion” hands-on quilt program anda presentation by professional story-tellers.

The Elkhart County CVB has sug-gested quilt- and garden-themed itiner-aries for groups. The three-night “QuiltGardens along the Heritage Trail” fea-tures gardens and murals, shoppingstops, meetings with quilt experts,quilting and pretzel-making lessons, atheater performance and dinner with acooking class on an Amish farm.

Offering a palette of colors andpalate-pleasing meals, Northern Indi-ana’s Amish Country is as cozy andcomforting as snuggling under a countryquilt. For tour planners, bringing groupsthere can easily become a pattern.

For information, contact the ElkhartCounty CVB, 800-262-8161, quiltgar-denstour.com or amishcountrytours.org.Email: [email protected]. LGT


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m

Tour members admire the quilt garden

in downtown Elkhart’s Central Park.


When visiting Minnesota, groupshave the opportunity to experi-

ence some of the finest singing, danceand theater productions in the country.Minneapolis-Saint Paul boasts moretheater seats per capita than any otherU.S. city outside New York.

The Guthrie Theater in Min-neapolis is a Tony Award winner thathas received recognition for theaterperformance, production, educationand professional training. The nation-ally acclaimed repertory theater made

its debut in 1963. In 2006 a new state-of-the-art building was constructedalong the Mississippi River housingthree different theaters with cumula-tive seating for 1,999 guests. Uniquefeatures include a thrust stage, a black-box studio and a 178-foot cantileveredbridge. Private backstage tours areavailable for groups of 15 people ormore. Tours with an architecture focuscan be booked. Live performances thisseason include Heaven, Arms and theMan, Arsenic and Old Lace, In the Red

and Brown Water, How Do They DoThat: God and Orla Fallon. (612-377-2224, guthrietheater.org).

The Ordway Center for the Per-forming Arts in Saint Paul opened in1985 after serving purely as an operahouse for five years. Today it offers awide array of events. Spring 2011 showsinclude the percussive dance extrava-ganza Stomp and a performance by theBeijing Modern Dance Company.(651-224-4222, ordway.org).

The Orpheum Theatre in Min-

on location: midwest � emily k. weber

MINNESOTATHEATER SAMPLER

In addition to natural splendor, the state offers groups a thriving arts scene

The cast of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile makes a toast at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro, Minnesota.

neapolis, dating from 1921, was originally a vaudeville housecalled the Hennepin. Some of the first performers includedthe Marx Brothers, who drew more than 70,000 guests. In1927 the Orpheum was transformed into a cinema house andin 1959 it began to bring in Broadway touring productions.The 2,600-seat theater underwent extensive renovations in1993 and is recognized for its ornate design. The interior,done in deep Victorian colors, is highlighted by a 2,000-pound chandelier made from brass and Italian crystal. 2011productions include Madagascar Live!, Jersey Boys, Wicked,Rock of Ages, Billy Elliot and Hair. (612-339-7007, hen-nepintheatretrust.org).

The State Theatre in Minneapolis was considered themost technologically advanced theater in the United Stateswhen it opened in 1921. Until 1973, the theater was prima-rily used as a movie house and in 1989 it was purchased by


TO E X P LO R E

Create unforgettable Minnesota experiences! Walk across the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. Gaze out over shimmering Lake Superior. Drive, hike or bike on numerous trails along lush river bluffs, native prairies, and 20+ Scenic Byways. Pick a festival for music, food, and fun! Discover professional theaters, star-studded concerts, art galleries and museums. For itinerary ideas visit exploreminnesota.com, traveltrade.exploreminnesota.com or call 1-888-VISIT-MN (1-888-847-4866).

THERE‘S MORE TO EXPLORE IN MINNESOTA

SM

The Guthrie Theater is one of Minneapolis’ cultural gems.

the Minneapolis Community Devel-opment Agency, which sparked a two-year renovation. The State Theatrehosts Broadway productions such asAvenue Q and Sweeney Todd. (612-339-7007, hennepintheatretrust.org).

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres inChanhassen, a Twin Cities suburb, is athree-theater venue that allows peopleto take part in a quality dining experi-ence while enjoying popular main-stream productions. It is the largestprofessional dinner theater in the na-tion and the largest privately ownedrestaurant in Minnesota. More than200 plays have been produced andshown in front of more than 10 mil-

lion guests since 1968. 2011 shows in-clude Jesus Christ Superstar, I Do! I Do!and Hairspray. (952-934-1525 or 800-362-3515, chanhassentheatres.com).

Commonweal Theatre Companyin Lanesboro hosts six productionsfrom April until December that rangefrom classic to contemporary andnewly developed productions. Becauseof the community’s significant Scandi-navian population, Commonweal con-sciously produces works by HenrikIbsen, a popular 19th century Norwe-gian playwright. Spring 2011 perform-ances include An Enemy of the Peopleand Sylvia with summer performancesincluding Little Shop of Horrors and To Kill a Mockingbird. (800-657-7025,commonwealtheatre.org).

Great River Shakespeare Festivalat Winona State University will takeplace from June 22 through July 31,2011 and showcase Shakespeare’s AMidsummer Night’s Dream as well asHenry IV, Part 1 and an American mu-sical favorite, The Fantastics. (507-474-7900, grsf.org).

Whether your groups are headedto the Twin Cities or beyond, they’llfind plenty of reasons to applaud the entertainment included in theiritinerary. LGT

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grouptravel.com/?p=22980

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Civil War days in Kansas come alive during reenactments at Fort Scott.

On Jan. 29, Kansas celebrated 150 yearsof statehood. It was that day in 1861when Kansas entered the Union asthe 34th state. By this time the terri-tory had already been through the tri-als and tribulations of BleedingKansas, a course of violent incidentsinvolving anti-slavery activists andpro-slavery advocates. At issue waswhether Kansas would enter theUnion as a free or slave state; the vio-lence foreshadowed the Civil War.

Throughout 2011 Kansas willhold a myriad of sesquicentennialevents to honor its statehood. In ad-dition, the Sunflower State will re-member its struggles and triumphsduring the Civil War because 2011also is the sesquicentennial of the startof the four-year conflict that rippedapart a nation. Following is just asampling of historical sites and eventsthat may enhance group itineraries:

Civil War on the Western Fron-tier, Lawrence, Aug. 12-21: Everyyear Lawrence hosts Civil War on theWestern Frontier, a series of eventsheld around the anniversary ofQuantrill’s Raid. On Aug. 21, 1863, as the conflict over slavery continued,Confederate guerrilla WilliamQuantrill and his raiders attackedLawrence, killing hundreds and de-stroying the city. After the raid,Lawrence residents came together to bury their dead and rebuild the city. This year Lawrence will againcommemorate its Civil War historythrough presentations, lectures andexhibits throughout Lawrence andDouglas County. The Lawrence Vis-itor Center presents “Lawrence: FreeState Fortress,” a 25-minute docud-rama about Lawrence’s part in Bleed-ing Kansas and the Civil War.(785-865-4499, visitlawrence.com)

KansasLooks Back

on location: midwest � nancy wolens

John Brown Museum, Osawatomie:At the John Brown Museum visitorscan tour the cabin of Rev. SamuelAdair and his wife Florella, half-sisterof abolitionist John Brown. The cabinwas a station on the UndergroundRailroad as well as John Brown’s head-quarters. It’s furnished with Adair fam-ily belongings and has an assortment ofCivil War weapons and items that tellthe story of pioneer life and the 1856Battle of Osawatomie. The cabin sur-vived the battle, one of the largest bat-tles in a series of events known asBleeding Kansas. The battle matchedJohn Brown and his army against JohnReid’s pro-slavery militia. On Sept. 17-18 the museum will host the FreedomFestival, a historical event with first-person narratives, a reenactment of theBattle of Osawatomie, period craftdemonstrations, modern military dis-plays and live music. (913-755-4384,kshs.org/portal_john_brown)Black Jack Battlefield Park,

Wellsville: On June 2, 1856 anti-slav-ery activist John Brown led his merce-naries to attack a pro-slavery militiaalong the Santa Fe Trail in the KansasTerritory. This combat is known as the

Battle of Black Jack. Black Jack Battle-field Park offers tours that examine theterritory bordering the battlefield as wellas the function of the Santa Fe Trail. Inhonor of Kansas’ 150 years of statehoodthe park will stage a battle reenactmenton June 2-4. (785-883-2106, blackjack-battlefield.org)Kansas Museum of History,

Topeka: One of the main exhibits fo-cuses on the Civil War. Artifacts includeJohn Brown’s pike, the actual knife-likeweapon John Brown used in his fightagainst slavery, and the original swordand equipment from James GillpatrickBlunt, free-state advocate and brigadiergeneral in the Civil War. In the specialexhibits gallery this year, the 150 ThingsI Love About Kansas will feature 150 objects, images and documents thatsalute the state’s rich history over thepast century and a half. (785-272-8681,kshs.org/portal_museum)Constitution Hall, Lecompton:

Visitors will be enlightened about thepolitical struggles Kansas had in the1850s. One of the more momentousoccasions occurred in 1857 when theLecompton Constitutional Governmentassembled in a second floor room anddrafted a pro-slavery constitution asfree-state and anti-slavery activists ral-lied outside the building. Guests can seethe Lecompton Constitution and pe-ruse various exhibits on the Kansas ter-ritorial government as well as free-stateand pro-slavery factions. (785-887-6520,kshs.org/portal_constitution_hall)Mine Creek Battlefield, Pleasan-

ton: On Oct. 25, 1864, about 2,800Union troops invaded and overthrewabout 8,000 Confederates along thebanks of Mine Creek. This was one ofthe largest artillery battles in the CivilWar. Visitors can walk the 2.6-mile trailthrough the battlefield and then peruseexhibits. (913-352-8899, kshs.org/por-tal_mine_creek)Fort Scott National Historic Site,

Fort Scott: Established by the U.S.Army from 1842-1853, Fort Scott is yet another attraction where visitors are immersed in the history of Bleed-ing Kansas and the Civil War. The sitehosts living history presentations andreenactments of military training activities. (620-223-0310, nps.gov/-fosc) LGT


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visitor guides

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friendly suppliers

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Civil War itineraries in Kansas might include Black Jack Battlefield Park.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVERead Nancy Wolens’ article on

Kansas’ Frontier Military Scenic

Byway. Log on to http://leisuregrouptravel-

.com/?p=22834.

Fort Scott National Historic Site preserves frontier military history.


Planners organizing group tours will find many new itinerary brighteners in the region Midweston our radar

Take a look at what’s happening in the Midwest:

ILLINOISThe Field Museum in Chicago

presents Whales: Giants of the Deep, an exhibition running from May 20,2011, through Jan. 16, 2012. It willfeature fully articulated whale skele-tons, hands-on activities, videos, andthe latest findings in whale biology andevolution. Organized by the Museumof New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa,the exhibition will show how whaleshave influenced the indigenous peoplesof the South Pacific. On display will be a pataka taonga (storehouse of treas-ures) carved with whale-like imagesand filled with adornments andweapons made of whale bone and teethfrom places such as New Zealand andFiji. (888-343-5385, fieldmuseum.org)

By fall of 2012, “The Block,” a

downtown Peoria construction site onceoccupied by a Sears store, will be a park-like cultural campus anchored by thePeoria Riverfront Museum and Cater-pillar Experience. The latter attraction

Field Museum visitors will see

a replica of a blue whale’s heart.

will present a high-tech, interactive lookat the past, present and future of Peoria-based Caterpillar, Inc., the world’s lead-ing manufacturer of construction andmining equipment, diesel and naturalgas engines, and industrial gas turbines.The Peoria Riverfront Museum will fea-ture regional history and art exhibits,the Illinois River Encounter gallery, a 3-D IMAX theater and planetarium. Apartner in the project is Peoria’s Lake-view Museum, the largest private mu-seum in Illinois outside of Chicago andone of fewer than 50 U.S. museumsspecializing in both the arts and sciences.Other partners include the AfricanAmerican Hall of Fame Museum andIllinois High School Association, whichis developing a center that will explorestudent and team achievements aroundthe state. (buildtheblock.org, peoria.org)

KANSASThe booming Village West area in

Kansas City, Kan. will welcome its firstcasino in early 2012. A joint venturebetween Kansas Speedway and PennNational Gaming, the initial phase ofthe new Hollywood Casino KansasSpeedway at Turn 2 will include a100,000-square-foot gaming floor with2,300 slot machines and 86 tablegames. Additional phases include a300-room hotel, a spa, convention center and an entertainment district.Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedwaywill be located at the intersection of I-435 and I-70, next to Legends, Nebraska Furniture Mart and Cabela’s.(hollywoodcasinokansas.com)

MISSOURIThe Jefferson City Convention and

Visitors Bureau is expanding the tourprogram at Missouri State Penitentiary(MSP) to include twilight, specialty history, photography and ghost tours,in addition to the two-hour historictour and a four-hour in-depth tour.Participants on twilight tours will begiven a lantern in order to navigate the

prison at night. Before it closed, MSP,which opened in 1836, was the oldestcontinually operating penitentiary westof the Mississippi. It housed inmatessuch as heavyweight champion SonnyListon, who learned to box during histime in the big house, notorious gangster“Pretty Boy” Floyd and James EarlRay. Tours include the gas chamberwhere 40 men and women were exe-cuted, the buried cells, several housingunits and the upper yard. In 1967 the

Missouri State Penitentiary was namedthe “bloodiest 47 acres in America” by Time magazine because of the highnumber of serious assaults on thegrounds between 1963-1964. (866-998-6998, missouripentours.com)

OHIOThe first phase of Horseshoe Casino

Cleveland, the first full-service casinoin Ohio, will open in early 2012 in thehistoric Higbee department store build-


ing on Public Square at Tower CityCenter, adjacent to the city’s entertain-ment district. The $350-million tempo-rary casino precedes a $600-millionpermanent casino, expected to be com-pleted in 2013. The Phase II casino will overlook the Cuyahoga River. The temporary casino, occupying fourfloors, will feature about 2,100 slot machines, 65 table games and a WorldSeries of Poker room, plus a food court,buffet restaurant and bar with enter-tainment. Casinos in Cincinnati, Toledoand Columbus are expected to openlater in 2012. Ohio voters in 2009 approved a constitutional amendmentauthorizing casinos in the state’s fourlargest cities. (horsehoe.com)

The first phase of the GreaterCleveland Aquarium will open thisfall in the historic Powerhouse on thewest bank of the Flats in downtownCleveland. It will feature an 800,000-gallon main tank with a 250-foot-long

Civil War Days at The GroveJULY 23 & 24, 2011Step back and re-live scenes from the War betweenthe States at this annual historical re-enactment. Scenes and activities may include:• Authentic Union and Confederate encampments

• Ladies’ Bath House

• Blue vs. Gray skirmishes at 2 p.m. each day

• Visit the field hospital

• Refreshments at the Camp KitchenShop at theSuttler’s for Civil War era articles

• Meet President Lincoln, General Grantand Jefferson Davis

Candle Light Civil War Camp ToursJULY 2011Experience first hand what life was like in a Civil Warcamp as our Civil War re-enactors take you on acandle light tour of the Confederate and UnionCamps during our Civil War Living History Days.

Pre-registration required.

The Grove National Historic Landmark1421 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview, IL 60025

(847) 299-6096

Overnight Accommodations at the Wyndham Glenview Suites (847) 803-9800

special rate $89

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on our radar: midwest �

viewing tunnel, plus 10 exhibitionareas, including one exhibit inside a60-foot-high chimney. The $33-mil-lion attraction will be the first aquar-ium development in the U.S. by NewZealand’s Marinescape, the world’sleading developer of walk-throughaquariums. Design work for a $40-million second phase has begun andincludes a series of glass atriums alongthe Cuyahoga River with exhibits on rivers and oceans of the world.(greaterclevelandaquarium.com)

WISCONSINThe Milwaukee Museum of Art

this summer will present the exhibitionThe Emperor’s Private Paradise: Treasuresfrom the Forbidden City, a collection ofmore than 90 artifacts from the Qian-long Garden in Beijing. It begins June11 and runs through Sept. 11.

The Qianlong Garden, a walled,two-acre jewel in the immense Forbid-den City complex, was built in the18th century as part of the QianlongEmperor’s 12-acre retreat. Most of the murals, wall coverings, paintings, furniture, jades, cloisonné and otherobjects—to be on display at only threemuseums worldwide—have never beenseen by the public. When they returnto Beijing, they not likely will leave the country again.

Providing an evocative setting for visitors, the traveling exhibition willcombine film footage of the garden andmusic with such features as water, windand birdsong. The Milwaukee Museumof Art’s “Summer of China” celebrationwill include additional exhibitions ofChinese art. (414-224-3842, mam.org)

The Harley-Davidson Museumin Milwaukee is going deep into itsarchives this summer to present Collection X: Weird Wild Wonders of

the Harley-Davidson Museum, whichwill run June 11 through Aug. 21. The exhibit will showcase an array oftreasures from the H-D archives, from secret prototypes and fantastic folk-artcreations to “what were they thinking?”contraptions. Visitors will see hundredsof items that include one-of-a-kind vehicles, clothing, artwork, photos,and some of the rarest and weirdest ofcollectibles. (877-436-8738, h-dmu-seum.com)

ANY SIZE GROUP. SUPERSIZED EXPERIENCE.

Once your group discovers the thrilling attractions and versatile accommodations Wisconsin Dells has

to offer, there’s one thing you’ll all be able to agree on – “The Waterpark Capital of the World!®” is THE

place for group tours. [email protected] | (800) 223-3557

MeetInTheDells.com

The Milwaukee Art Museum features

rare Chinese treasures this summer.


T he warm Mediterranean climate,lingering fog and maritime breezesare perfect for plant growth from

all around the world. Tour groupssearching for outdoor garden experi-ences, from native to creative, will findwhat they are looking for in California.

Beginning in the northern part ofthe state, San Francisco is the home ofGolden Gate Park, encompassing morethan 1,000 acres. It is larger than NewYork City’s Central Park and bordersthe Pacific Ocean. Like Central Park, itis an expansive, approachable and wel-come escape from the traffic and con-gestion of the city. Among parkattractions, the Japanese Tea Garden,San Francisco Botanical Garden andConservatory of Flowers are favorites oftour groups.

The Japanese Tea Garden, the oldestpublic Japanese gardens in California,was created by Baron Makoto Hagiwara

for the Mid-Winter Exhibition of 1894.On four acres densely packed with waterfeatures, groups experience an intenseawakening of the senses with the sounds

of an azalea-covered waterfall, sights ofdecorative lanterns and statues, andsweet smell of wisteria and other fra-grant blooms.

A kaleidoscope of colors and scentswelcomes visitors to the San FranciscoBotanical Garden (formerly known asStrybing Arboretum). Displaying morethan 7,500 varieties of flora from aroundthe world, the 55-acre garden is dividedinto four sections.

The Conservatory of Flowers inGolden Gate Park is the oldest remain-ing municipal wooden conservatory inthe United States. It features exotic-looking blooms, a tropical area, a waterlily garden and a rotating collection ofpotted plants. The distinctive Victorianarchitecture and colorful history haveearned the conservatory a place on theNational Register of Historic Places.

Los Angeles County Arboretumand Botanic Garden, located in the


on location: west � sue arko

In early spring, wisteria frames

The Huntington’s Japanese Garden.

Lushly landscaped Balboa Park, in the heart of San Diego, abounds with specialty gardens and cultural attractions.

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heart of the historic Rancho SantaAnita in the city of Arcadia, is home toplant collections from all over the world,including many rare and endangeredspecies. Additionally, it houses outdoorhistorical landmarks representative ofCalifornia’s history. A narrated tram tourtravels through five botanical sections:Africa, Australia, The Americas, TheAsiatic and Historic Circle. Visitorstravel from Madagascar Spiny Forest, acollection of succulents with twistedtrunks punctuated with needles, to asoaring vista on Tallac Knoll, displayingthe beauty of the arboretum’s collectionof over 18,000 plants.

Huntington Library, Art Collec-tions and Botanical Gardens in SanMarino is an oasis of art and culture setamidst 150 acres of breathtaking gar-dens with 14,000 varieties of trees andplants showcased in more than a dozenprincipal garden areas, including Japanese, Rose, Shakespeare, Camellia,Jungle, Palm and Chinese. Like aFrench Impressionist painting, the gar-dens, lawns, arbors and pathways evokea feeling of tranquility. It houses thelargest public collection of camelliasand azaleas in the world in addition tomore than 1,200 varieties of roses in

the Rose Garden. The Chinese Gar-dens guided tour visits the traditionalSuzhou-style garden featuring a 1.5-acre lake, seven pavilions, a canyon waterfall and five hand-carved stonebridges set against a wooded backdropof mature oak, pines, camellias, bambooand blossoming plum trees.

The San Diego area’s mild Mediter-ranean climate makes it possible to growmore different kinds of plants than al-most anywhere else in the United

States. The Flower Fields at CarlsbadRanch, a springtime extravaganza, con-tain thousands of ranunculus plants cov-ering the hillside above the Pacificshoreline, separated into ribbon-likebands of color. Guided tours explain theplanting process and growing cycle anddescribe the variety of flowers grown.Picture paths allow groups to walk intothe fields and take breathtakingly color-ful photos. Favorite features include theAmerican Flag of Flowers, a brilliant


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The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies cel-ebrates the music, dance and com-

edy of the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, withone amazing difference: Every memberof the Follies cast is from 57 to 81 years“young.” The Follies has been seen bynearly three million patrons and is pre-sented every November through mid-Mayin the historic Plaza Theatre, located inthe heart of downtown Palm Springs.

Each Follies edition is entirely new andfeatures a rotating roster of renownedguest stars and variety acts. The Follies’21st season opens with television andfilm star John Davidson (Nov. 2-Dec. 31,2011).

The heart and soul of the Follies arethe 16 ladies and gentlemen of the cho-rus, who have spent their entire careersperforming in television, film, Las Vegasshowrooms and upon the Broadwaystage. They have now returned to thething they enjoy most: singing and danc-ing for Follies audiences. Riff Markowitz,with his blend of cutting-edge satire andOld World savoir faire, is your personalguide through FolliesLand.

A D V E R T O R I A L

FABULOUS

PALM SPRINGS FOLLIESAmerican flag comprised of red, white

and blue anemone flowers planted on

the hillside, and the Sweet Pea Maze, a

living maze of fragrant and colorful

sweet pea blossoms.

Located in the heart of San Diego,

Balboa Park is renowned for the lush

landscaping and lovely gardens that offer

a magnificent backdrop for its cultural

attractions. The park contains more than

eight gardens, including the Alcazar

Garden, award-winning rose garden,

Japanese Friendship Garden, desert

garden and historic Botanical Building.

These are only a sampling of the

numerous gardens, farms and flower

shows that make for great inclusions on

any group tour itinerary. Something is

always blooming in California. Come

and let your senses run free. LGT

on location: west ❖

Stroll through 120 acres of breathtaking gardensSee world-class artworks • View rare literary treasuresIndulge in afternoon Tea • Group Tours available

THE HUNTINGTONNOW OPEN • CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDEN!

1151 Oxford Road • San Marino, CA626-405-2240

www.huntington.org • [email protected]

Nestled among natural monuments,vineyards and historic Gold Rush

landmarks, Mariposa County is morethan just California’s gateway toYosemite National Park. Alive with pos-sibilities for group travelers, it’s a world-class destination for all seasons, withpicture-postcard scenery, friendly locals,charming foothill communities and, ofcourse, great outdoor recreation. Spring comes early in Mariposa

County and is an ideal time for grouptrips. There is nothing quitelike watching Yosemite’swinter wonderland trans-

form into the sights and sounds ofspring. With three of the tallest water-falls in North America and wildflowersunlike any others, Mariposa Countybeckons groups to witness the spring-time splendor. Besides unmatchablescenery, the area offers endless activities,from hiking, golfing and rafting to fish-ing, cycling and horseback riding. To see what Mariposa County has to

offer, you really need a week to 10 daysto take it all in. But groups can see and

do a lot on a three-day/two-night springitinerary that begins at lunchtime in his-toric downtown Mariposa, where theButterfly Cafe is highly recommended.(Mariposa, named for the Spanish wordfor butterfly, is gearing up for the annualMariposa Butterfly Festival April 29-May 1.) After lunch, head over to must-see

museums like the California StateMining and Mineral Museum, theGold Rush History Center, Mariposa

County Historical Court-house and the Old JailHouse. (This is a good time

on location: west �

Mariposa County, home ofYosemite, abounds with group-friendly delightsin the heart of the

Golden State


Rafting on the Merced River is popular with groups. There are many

outfitters to choose from.

classic

CaliforniA

All Photos Courtesy of DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc.

for the driver to drop luggage at yourhotel.) Once you’ve explored the richhistory of Mariposa, a perfect next stopis Casto Oaks Fine Wine & Art, whereyou can enjoy beautiful artwork whilesampling wines. Before dinner, work insome time for shopping in downtown’santique shops, art galleries and bou-tiques. Restaurants offer everythingfrom casual fare to fine dining withwine pairing from a local winery. By day two, it’s time for the wonders

of Yosemite National Park. Groups enjoythe drive along scenic Highway 140,“The All Season Motorcoach Highway,”that follows the Merced River, knownfor its Class 3 and 4 whitewater rafting

in late spring and summer. You’ll soonarrive at the Yosemite Valley floor. Aswinter recedes, the park comes to life indramatic fashion. Roaring waterfalls areat their peak. After taking a two-hournarrated valley tour, enjoy a buffet lunchserved at the Garden Terrace atYosemite Lodge. After lunch, visit theAnsel Adams Gallery, the Indian Mu-seum, the Yosemite Cemetery, IndianCultural Exhibit, Historical Post Office,and save time for souvenir shopping.Then check into Yosemite Lodge at theFalls, a splendid lodging choice for en-joying the full impact of the waterfalls. After breakfast at your hotel on day

three, save time to shop and stroll beforeboarding your motorcoach and departthe Yosemite Valley on the Highway 41

corridor. Stop by Inspiration Point (alsoknown as Tunnel View) for a stunningvista. Also stop by Wawona PioneerHistory Center and look for deer graz-ing on the only golf course in a nationalpark. Once outside the park, stop byYosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Rail-road. It’s all aboard for a one-hour nar-rated steam train excursion over railsused for logging at the turn of the 20thcentury. An outdoor barbecue awaitsyour return to the station. The SugarPine Railroad is only minutes awayfrom Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, an up-scale resort perfect for group confer-ences, reunions, weddings and retreats.You just may want to stop there andtake in a massage at the all new Ascent,the Spa at Tenaya Lodge.Groups lucky enough to spend three

days immersed in the history andsplendor of Yosemite and MariposaCounty will come away feeling theyhave seen the best of California.For more information, contact the

Yosemite/Mariposa County TourismBureau at 866-425-3366; homeof-yosemite.com. LGT

Obtain California

visitor guides

and itineraries –

and contact group-

friendly suppliers

directly – at


A stop at Tunnel View captures the majesty of Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite’s Wawona Golf Course is the only golf course in a national park.



If looking for a memorable place tobook a family reunion, look no fur-

ther than Wyoming’s dude ranches. Theopportunities are endless.

Featuring abundant grasslands, spec-tacular mountains, canyons and deserts,Wyoming’s natural beauty is picture-perfect and world-renowned. The stateis home to two national parks and twonational monuments that draw touristsby the millions. Yellowstone NationalPark is known around the world for its

hot springs, geyser activity and glacialice forms. Grand Teton National Parkboasts the jagged Teton Range Moun-tains with some peaks soaring over amile and a half. Devils Tower NationalMonument is a stump-shaped rock for-mation that rises 1,280 feet. Fossil ButteNational Monument features brightlycolored fossil beds at the base of a bluffthat rises more than 7,500 feet above sealevel. Along with these noted landmarksare countless national forests and rivers

that provide settings for the duderanches in Wyoming.

“It’s all about history, hats, horses andhospitality. Experience the West in truecowboy country.” That’s the slogan forthe Wyoming Dude Ranchers Associa-tion, founded in 1926. Dude ranches,also known as guest ranches, are typi-cally family-owned and -operated. Theyprovide tourists the opportunity to ex-perience life in the West. Horsebackriding, fishing, hiking and cattle driving

WyomingDude RanchGetawaysWestern-style fun awaits buckaroos of all ages on family reunions in the Cowboy State

on location: west � heather lee

Saddle up for adventure

at a family-friendly

Wyoming ranch retreat.Wyoming Office of Tourism



are a few of the activities available to suitevery age range at a reunion.

No two Wyoming dude ranches arethe same. One ranch that specializes infamily reunions is Medicine BowLodge and Guest Ranch, located 22miles from Saratoga. Medicine Bow sitsat approximately 8,500 feet in theSnowy Range of the Rocky Mountainsin Medicine Bow National Forest. Anewly refurbished lodge features vin-tage log walls, a stone fireplace andseating for as many as 30, with spacesfor games and entertainment. Cabinsare also available.

The wide range of activities at Med-icine Bow Lodge means no one will beleft out. As owner Debbie Bishop ex-plains, “One of the wonderful amenitiesat our ranch is that we can cater to whatour families desire during their staywith us. A typical day for family re-unions would start off with a breakfastbuffet in the dining room. Then theywould have the choice of horseback rid-ing, hiking, fishing, relaxing in a ham-mock or sitting with loved ones as theyreminisce about the growing-up years.”

Medicine Bow also has eventsplanned every night. Sunday night isgame night, Tuesday dance night,Wednesday a cookout, Thursday en-tertainment night, Friday a rodeo andSaturday night a sunset ride. Activitiesfor children include building with clayand access to a kiln that allows themto take their projects home. Saratoga, a25-minute drive from the lodge, pro-vides golf, fly fishing, museums, spasand shopping in a quaint town. (800-409-5439, medbowlodge.com)

Another ranch known for its chil-dren’s program is Red Rock Ranch.Located just outside Jackson Hole, theRed Rock provides an ideal atmosphere

for families. Available for groups of 28-30, the entire ranch can be bookedto provide a reunion with its own pri-vate paradise. Schedules are customizedfor each group, with such activities ashiking, fishing, swimming and horse-back riding. Guided hiking programsspotlight the scenic landscape withviews of the Teton Mountain range. Aconference center is available for gath-erings and events. Red Rock boasts a70% return guest ratio, with 90% of itsguests being families. (307-733-6288,theredrockranch.com)

The Hideout Lodge and Resortsits on 300,000 acres of land near Shell.While not offering traditional kids’ pro-grams, the Hideout has other special-

ties and takes pride in its lodging andculinary excellence. The Hideout offersa vast array of livestock and diversity ofterrain, as it is one of the biggest andoldest ranches in the area. Open yearround, the Hideout offers winter activ-ities such as riding, snowshoeing andsnowmobiling. Summer diversions in-clude trap shooting, 4x4 riding, fly fish-ing and a local dinosaur dig site.(800-354-8637, thehideout.com)

If booking a large group, try BillCody Ranch in northwestern Wyoming.Located 30 minutes west of Cody and30 minutes east of Yellowstone, theranch includes 16 cabins, a familychalet, executive log homes and a mainlodge capable of handling groups of 60-70 people. Open mid-May throughSeptember, Bill Cody Ranch has 85horses that are available for two-hour,four-hour or all-day rides. All cabinshave TVs and are decorated with mod-ern, Western furnishings. (800-615-2934, billcodyranch.com)

Another ranch that caters to largegroups is Lost Creek Ranch Lodgeand Spa. It is located between GrandTeton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest near JacksonHole. The ranch is capable of accom-modating groups up to 55. Horsebackriding, trips to Grand Teton NationalPark, a spa, weight room, and yoga andpilates classes are available. (307-733-3435, lostcreek.com)

The range of activities at Wyomingdude ranches will suit every interest ata family reunion. From horseback rid-ing to hiking, dude ranches providememories that will last a lifetime.Waking up every morning to the sunrising behind the mountains, groupswill remember their Wyoming vaca-tion forever. LGT


Obtain Wyoming

visitor guides

and itineraries –

and contact group-

friendly suppliers

directly – at


The jagged peaks of the Teton Range enthrall guests at Lost Creek Ranch.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVEGo online and see the article

on the group-friendly attractions of

Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming. Log on

to http://leisuregrouptravel.com/?p=23107.

FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERS from Leisure Group Travel readers whoresponded to the query: Tell us aboutyour best garden or theater tours. Whatmakes them special and what perks doyou add in to make them different?

There are many garden walks inChicago and its suburbs. The most enjoyable for my group was initiated viaThe Garden Conservancy (www.gar-denconservancy.org). When you contactthem, you will pay a small fee for theircatalog detailing garden walks through-out the U.S. After doing this, I selectedthe date and area we preferred. Whenyou know how many you will have par-ticipating, you send a check for thatnumber, and tickets will be issued.

We visited two gardens in the morn-ing and had lunch in a lovely restaurantlocated in close proximity of the two gar-dens we were visiting in the afternoon.One owner, located on a high hill aboveLake Michigan, had a beautiful screenedporch where he served us coffee/tea and cookies – absolutely beautiful! It ismost interesting to learn how the own-ers became so interested in gardeningand nature. Each garden was differentwith totally different atmospheres. Onelocation had a mansion-like home withswimming pool, a lovely arbor, extensivepatio, etc. The garden included theswimming pool in its layout of flowers,trees, bushes, etc. Awesome!

I highly recommend garden walks –even the slow walkers have a good time.

Esther M. ScottAssistant Vice PresidentHinsdale Bank & Trust

Hinsdale, IL

on the record �

alissa Preston MicHael lundquist Ginny Howell

roses, fragrant Carolina jasmines andwisteria mingle with the majestic oaktrees. Spanish moss hangs from each treeto complete the magical Old South im-agery. The tour ends in Savannah, wherewe enjoy the gardens in the city squaresand famous private homes completewith their own gardens. A trip to theSoutheast is a must for anybody whoenjoys gardens and good times.

Michael LundquistNational Group Sales Manager

Globus family of brandsLittleton, CO

We have a fabulous new tour that combines the romance and ease of traintravel on a deluxe “hotel on wheels”plus the exciting world of opera, balletand choral music in Russia andUkraine. Among the special touches:the artists will come on board to meetwith the guests and demonstrate onboard in addition to the performances.One special musical performance willbe monks in a monastery singing.

Eleanor Flagler HardyPresident

The Society of InternationalRailway Travelers

Louisville, KY

On The RecordReaders Offer Tips onGarden and Theater Tours

Some of the best gardens can be visitedin the southeastern United States. Atthe Globus family of brands we havecrafted several custom programs thatvisit these majestic gardens and famousestates. We start our 9-day “Gardens of the Old South” tour in Atlanta, withvisits to Martin Luther King’s homeand the Swan House, an elegant, classi-cally styled mansion built in 1928. Onevisit to these lavish gardens will takeyour breath away. These gardens featurea pair of cloverleaf pools, cascadingfountains, a terraced lawn and rosestumbling over a stone retaining wall.The Swan House garden is one of themost photographed sites in Atlanta.The next site visited is Biltmore Estate,near Asheville, N.C. If you love gardens,you will marvel at the 80 varieties ofroses in the Rose Gardens, 50,000 tulipbulbs in the English Walled Garden,1,000 poinsettias that decorate BiltmoreHouse every Christmas and the mostcomplete collection of wild azaleas inthe United States.

In Charleston, S.C., there are visitsto Magnolia and Middleton Place plantations, where trails through thegardens will transport you to a forgot-ten era. The colorful azaleas, camellias,


Both the Columbus Jazz Orchestra andBalletMet offer unique VIP experiences.Before a CJO concert, groups get abackstage tour of the gilded historicSouthern Theatre before meeting theband’s personable artistic director,Byron Stripling, the former lead trum-peter and soloist for the Count BasieOrchestra. After the show, you can go on stage to meet the entire bandand get your copy of the CJO’s “TheColors of Jazz” CD autographed.

BalletMet also allows groups exclu-sive backstage access to meet theirdancers and see their intricate sets andcostumes up close. If your group isn’tvisiting during a show, they can watchthe dancers rehearse and get a hands-onlook at the costume shop, before takinga low-impact dance/stretch class led bythe BalletMet Academy faculty.

Columbus’ hands-on garden experi-ences are unique, too. Franklin ParkConservatory lets you pick herbs from

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on the record �

IN THE JUNE ISSUE

of Leisure Group Travel, our On the Record column will look

at online marketing. Please send usyour response to this question:

How are you using online tools—websites, email, social networking

—to grow your business?

Along with your comments, please include your name, company

name and location. Also for publication, send a high-resolution

photo of yourself. A selection of responses will be printed in the June2011 issue. Thanks in advance for

your valuable opinions.

Send to: Randy Mink, [email protected]

their new community garden campusto create your own wood-fired pizza.You cook it yourself outside in theirLive Fire Cooking Theater.

One of Columbus’ suburbs, Ga-hanna, is known as the Herb Capital of Ohio. They offer all kinds of funhands-on classes that let you do every-thing from making one-of-a-kindherbal blends to herb-infused vinegar.

Alissa PrestonTourism Sales Manager

Experience ColumbusColumbus, OH

I have done tours for garden clubs usually coming from Ohio to theGeorgia and South Carolina coasts.We have planned stops at the DanielStowe Botanical Gardens in Charlotte,where lunch has been arranged alongwith a speaker who will talk about any garden subject that the group isinterested in. This was especially pop-ular with Massillon, Ohio-area groups

as the stained-glass roofin the entrance camefrom the Baptist Churchin Massillon. The peo-ple at Daniel Stowe arevery easy to work withand the gardens arebeautiful. Even on amorning when it wassleeting, the pansiesdidn’t care; they stillshowed their beautifulfaces. This particulargarden group continuedon to Charleston, wherewe had a Master Gar-dener take them to anumber of the privategardens in Charleston.They then had lunch atMiddleton Place Plan-tation, where anothergarden expert talked tothem about the Middle-ton gardens, which date

back to the 1800s .We hosted the Ohio Association of

Garden Clubs on Jekyll Island. Theybrought two motorcoaches and whileone toured the Jekyll Island HistoricDistrict, the other toured the districtwith the in-house horticulturist, CliffGowran. Cliff gives them a tour high-lighting the historic plantings in thedistrict. They had high tea at the JekyllIsland Club Hotel hosted by GinnyHowell Tours. Tea was served in Ginny’sprivate collection of tea cups, tea potsand assorted handmade doilies. One ofthe ladies from the local garden clubcame and talked with the group. Theycontinued on to Savannah, where eachgroup was treated to a tour of HiddenGardens. They were then taken to MassySchool to see the original layout of thecity. This group ended in Charleston atMiddleton Place for lunch. The Middle-ton horticulturist welcomed the groupand talked about the upkeep of the gar-den and the flowers, which are plantedfor year-round beauty.

Ginny Howell Ginny Howell Tours

Jekyll Island GA

6300 Seawall • Galveston • TX • victoriancondo.comDirector of Sales & Catering • Jennifer Kirk

[email protected] • 800.231.6363 ext. 2231www.facebook.com/galvestonvictorian

Galveston is the place for family and militaryreunions, educational field trips and seminars.

Space to Work. Room to Relax.

The Victorian Condo Hotel Resort and Conference Center is a favorite destination for those planning reunions, church and school events.

Our staff has the expertise to meet your expectations for meeting facilities and to provide options for your groups’ outings to the Island’s world-class attractions.

Over 10,000 square feet of of indoor and outdoor meetings areas, for groups of 12 to 300.


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I’VE DREADED THIS MOMENT. I knew it couldn’t be avoided. I knew itwouldn’t be easy. However, today’s sub-ject has become part of our social cultureand now permeates the business world.Although most of you know consider-ably more about social media, I’m readyto tackle the subject.Let’s be straightforward. I am not a

social media fan for business. I justdon’t get how it works for my interest.As a writer am I supposed to post onmy Facebook page everything that’spublished? I guess that makes somesense, but everyone I care about (that’syou!) is already reading my stuff. How about my little tour & receptive

business? Should David’s Tour Connec-tions have a Facebook page? Probablythat’s a good idea, but where do I getfriends/fans? My website that’s under

construction? Maybe I can put a Face-book link there when it’s completed. I know how to drive traffic to my web-site, so maybe the interested viewers willlink to my Facebook page. Then there’s Bodle Communications.

This small company helps both tour & travel and golf suppliers package andpromote their products to the appropri-ate markets. Surely, there’s a place forsocial media in this venture as well.You can see where I’m going. I have

a vague sense of social media’s value,but I’m just not ready to race full steamahead. My guess is that you might befeeling the same way about your business.One of the challenges with under-

standing social media is it constantlychanges. An article titled “Social mediahere now, gone tomorrow” by Julie Hat-field in SATW Traveler December 2009/January 2010 issue was not announcingthe demise of social media. Ms. Hatfieldwas simply stating that social media ischanging and evolving everyday. Even with all that change there are a

few basic principles regarding socialmedia. More than 85 percent of Ameri-cans who use social media sites say acompany should be present and interactwith its customers via social media. ThisSeptember 2008 information fromOpinion Research also reports that morethan 40 percent of those surveyed saidcompanies should use social media tosolve customer problems and solicitproduct and services feedback.On the other hand, in a Knowledge

Networks report from May 2009 thereappears that social network users do nothave a strong association with businesssites and their own purchase decisions.Although 83 percent of the Internet

population (ages 13-54) participates insocial media, less than 6 percent look tosocial media sites for purchasing deci-sion guidance. Throughout this article I’ve used the

terms social media and Facebook almostinterchangeably. Surely, social media en-compasses Facebook, but it also includesSMS/TXT, Twitter, blog sites and manyothers. They all share one common ele-ment. At the risk of oversimplificationall social media are web-logs, short forblogs. So, what does that mean?Although still less than 100 percent

sold on social media for business, I’mwilling to give it serious considerationfor my business. First, I’m going to havemy 15-year-old grandson help me set upFacebook accounts for each of my smallbusiness ventures. Next, I’m going totreat each like a blog and dedicate a min-imum of 45 minutes each week to postcontent. I’m going to keep a notebookhandy to record blog subjects and ideas.I’m going to post comments on otherindustry blogs hoping to stay connected. Social media can be challenging,

especially as our time becomes moreand more restricted. We all are assum-ing more and more responsibilities inour businesses. However, one thing I know and fully accept is that morethan 80 percent of marketers in 2011will be using social media, up from 42percent in 2008. In 2010 more than 82 percent of these marketers were increasing their social media budgets. Obviously, these people know more

than I do. Maybe it’s time for me totest the waters.


Contact Dave at 843-712-1140

or email [email protected].

Are Social Media Fears Founded?

� dave bodleOn Marketing

See our page-flip edition & past issues at

LeisureGroupTravel.comWe can help showcase your business

to groups. Call us 630.794.0696 [email protected]

• Group Itinerary Planning Guide

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