farming - Group Tour Media

Transcription

GroupTour
western
Nuts
about
farming
Take a crack at high-nutrient
agricultural tours
Grand Alaska
Dramatic landscapes, abundant wildlife
and vibrant culture illustrate the
Alaskan experinece
Fall 2015
GroupTour.com
WAREGEM
Flanders region of Belgium
What’s inside
Group Tour / WESTERN
Fall 2015 • Vol. 28 / No. 10
Departments
4
5
10
74
FROM THE
EDITOR
WHAT’S FOR
DINNER?
NEWS &
NOTES
OFF THE
BEATEN PATH
Features
6
Nuts about
farming
agricultural tours
70
Waregem
Flanders region
of Belgium
On the cover: ©iStockphoto.com/olgakr
2
Fall 2015 • GroupTour.com
12
Grand Alaska
Dramatic landscapes, abundant wildlife and
vibrant culture illustrate the Alaskan experience
AlASKA
11
Itinerary — Journey down
the Alaska Highway
Arizona
14 Itinerary — Celebrate
milestones in Flagstaff
15 Arizona Renaissance Festival
16 Queen Creek Olive Mill
17Yuma
California
19
20
21
22
23
24
26
Itinerary — Sip, stay and play in
Rancho Cordova and Sacramento Valley
Huy Fong Foods
McClelland’s Dairy
Hearst Castle
Sacramento agritourism
TCL Chinese Theatre
Bodega Bay
Colorado
28
29
30
Itinerary — Get a taste of Grand Junction
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Hawaii
31
32
Itinerary — South Maui attracts groups
for peaceful exploration
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation
Idaho
33
Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center
Montana
33
American Computer and Robotics Museum
Kansas
34
35
Itinerary — Walk through
Greensburg’s story
Flint Hills Discovery Center
Nebraska
38
39
Itinerary — Discover North Platte’s
agriculture heritage
Strategic Air Command
& Aerospace Museum
Nevada
40 Itinerary — Step back in time
in Virginia City
41 Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
42Elko
New Mexico
43 Itinerary — Travel the New Mexico
science byway
44Taos
45Tucumari
46 Old Town Albuquerque
North Dakota
48
49
49
Itinerary — Tour the real Fargo
Bagg Bonanza Farm
Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation
Oklahoma
50
51
Itinerary — Stop at Miami
on Historic Route 66
Sam Noble Museum
Oregon
52
53
53
Itinerary — Farmlandia Farm Loop
routes groups to food fun
Red Ridge
High Desert Museum
Texas
56
57
Itinerary — Trace Lubbock’s
ranching and agriculture roots
Texas Cotton Gin Museum
Utah
58
59
Itinerary — Get active or relax
in Zion National Park
Arches and Canyonlands national parks
Washington
60
61
62
63
Itinerary — Get ready for Lynnwood’s outdoor adventures
Tulalip Resort Casino
Argosy Cruises
Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
Wyoming
64
65
Itinerary — Embrace the spirit
of the Wild West in northeast Wyoming
National Bighorn Sheep Center
Western Canada
66
67
68
69
Itinerary — Step into First Nations
and Métis culture in Saskatchewan
Tumbler Ridge
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Winnipeg’s Exchange District
75
Advertiser Index
South Dakota
54
55
55
Itinerary — Discover culture along
the I-29 corridor
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Homes
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum
& Hall of Fame
Oct • Nov • Dec
3
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1-800-767-3489
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Brake for nuts
Publisher
Elly DeVries I President
Editorial
Mary Lu Laffey I Editor
David Hoekman I Managing Editor
Courtney Rivette I Web Editor
Cortney Erndt I Associate Editor
FROM THE
EDITOR
Art
Mark Dryer I Art Director
Jan Teeple I Graphic Designer
Audience Development
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Marketing
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(800) 767-3489 x111 [email protected]
AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, PE, QC, SK, YT,
CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
The American Pistachios Growers Association touts a tale
about the pistachio as a love nut. The story says in ancient
Persia, lovers would meet under pistachio trees to listen to
the crackling of nuts in the moonlight, which was a sign that
they’d be happy. Mental note to tour planners: most pistachio
trees ripen in September.
When researching agritourism stops in the American West,
to our delight we found plenty of nut farms that welcome
groups. Taking a tour, hearing a bit of history and tasting the
nutritional powerhouses make a memorable stop and, depending on the addition of spices, bragging rights back home.
In this issue, we also stopped in Alaska to explore the Last
Frontier by ship, by motorcoach and by air. See page 12. And
in Bodega Bay, California, for a yummy meal at the Inn of
Tides — where Hitchcock shot footage for his 1963 thriller,
The Birds, page 5. Then, headed overseas with a stop in Flanders, Belgium, to pay our respects at the Western Front of
World War I, page 70.
Are you ready to turn the page? There’s plenty more ideas
for stops packed inside — including 18 new itineraries.
Polly Roark I Account Services Coordinator
(800) 767-3489 x110 [email protected]
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(859) 273-6464 I IA, IN, MN, MI, WI, OH, TN, ON
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@MaryLuGroupTour
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(800) 767-3489 I AK, CO, ID, KS,
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P.S. On Nov. 1, when the winter issue of Group Tour
Northeastern is published and uploaded online, there will be
24 more itineraries for your consideration. Many will lead
you to the shopping haunts we researched for our cover
story about shopping, always a favorite activity for groups.
POSTMASTER
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WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
The Tides Wharf & Restaurant
Capture bird’s-eye view of Bodega Bay
Sonoma Coast,
Bodega Bay, Calif.
By Erin Albanese
Indeed, flocking to the Sonoma
Coast (despite its history of seagullsavagery) is a group must-do, even for
the fresh seafood and incredible views
alone. Movie star Tippi Hedren, known
for facing off with the film’s feathered
fiends, visits annually over Labor Day
weekend to sign autographs and reminisce with fans. For more about Bodega
Bay, see page 26.
The restaurant is located at The Inn
at the Tides, which includes an iconic
86-room hotel overlooking Bodega Bay.
“(Tippi Hedren) attracts a large
crowd for three days,” said Chris Wedel,
top Photo: ©istockphoto.com/photoquest7
assistant manager for the property.
“Thousands of people throughout
the year come to Bodega Bay and The
Tides who are interested in The Birds
movie. We are constantly being asked
questions about it. After so many years,
it’s still very popular.”
The presentation of fresh seafood
and the sight of Bodega Bay from the
restaurant is as much a masterpiece as
the movie itself. Established in the 1920s,
The Tides Wharf was the first seafood
restaurant on the Sonoma Coast.
Deemed suitable for cinematography by the Master of Suspense himself,
the seaside setting remains a place
where there is always something to see
in the bay below. Every table has a view
of the maritime happenings.
“Guests can watch seals at play,
several different varieties of birds and
fishing boats coming in and out of the
harbor,” Wedel said. “Kayakers, standup paddle boarders and wind surfers
also frequent the harbor.”
The menu is diverse and the restaurant is known for its ample portions.
Enjoying the view is best done with an
entree of salmon, Italian fisherman’s
stew called cioppino, scallops or a
basket of fish and chips, a burger, pasta,
steak, salad or a sandwich. Groups top
off their meals with homemade desserts crafted by the Italian chef.
Aside from its history and menu,
The Tides Wharf is much more than a
restaurant and former film set, Wedel
said, noting the bar where cocktails are
sipped by huge bay windows, a fresh
fish market, a coffee shop and a large
event space. The gift shop is the place
to find the perfect souvenir, shell or
saltwater taffy.
The surrounding area, with its
breathtaking Pacific coast terrain, captures the heart of many visitors (and
happy birds). The coastline features
Doran Beach and small beaches below
scenic rocky cliffs. The Bodega Head,
across the bay from the restaurant, is
ideal for whale watching and hiking,
and the horizon glows with sunrises
and sunsets.S
The Inn at the Tides
(707) 875-2751
innatthetides.com
Fish market,
The Inn at the Tides,
Bodega Bay
Oct • Nov • Dec
Photo: The Inn at the Tides
Cioppino, The Tides Wharf & Restaurant,
Bodega Bay
Photo: The Inn at the Tides
There’s no need to fear errant fowl
at The Tides Wharf & Restaurant in
Bodega Bay, California, a famous setting in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic
movie thriller, The Birds.
Groups can relax with piping-hot
clam chowder, tender calamari and
delectable Pacific red snapper.
5
Nuts about
farming
agricultural tours
By Erin Albanese
Photo: Courtesy of Dorris Ranch Orchard
nuts and its lifecycle fit in with agriculture
The agricultural industry has its nutty
tour trends, said Evan Oakes, owner and
side.
tour coordinator for Ag Venture Tours &
Groups touring fruit and vegetable
Consulting Inc. in Monterey, California.
farms get a taste of what a region has to
Groups have always been fascinated with
offer by visiting orchards and crops. Think
where their food comes from.
crisp apples in the fall and sweet strawberThey like to
ries in summer.
see every step of
But taking a
Hazelnuts, Dorris Ranch Orchard,
the crop-procrack at a nutSpringfield, Ore.
duction process,
farm tour is
from seed to
another angle at
harvest, he said.
seeing up close
Groups can
the good things
learn the latest
growing across
in cultivating the
the country, and
crops, technolearning about
logical advances
some favorite
snacks provides
in agriculture
and trends in the
a lesson in the
industry.
nutrient-dense
Pecans,
eating possible
macadamia
with nuts.
nuts, filberts and walnuts are all grown on
The U.S. produces about 3 million tons
of tree nuts a year, according to information
American trees and nut-crazy groups can
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
see them all. Just follow the shell trail from
New Mexico to Oregon and off the Pacific
and each nut has a different growing process.
Coast to Hawaii.
Tours of farms that show the story of
6
Royalty Pecan Farms
Pecans, Royalty Pecan Farms,
Caldwell, Texas
Royalty Pecan Farms
(800) 694-8362
royaltypecansshop.com
Wagon tour, Royalty Pecan Farms,
Caldwell, Texas
Photo: Courtesy of Royal Pecan Farms
You say “pee-cans”
and I say “puhkahns,” yet we
both must agree
the nut is perfect
in a pie.
The pecan is the
only nut native to America,
and the pecan tree is the state tree of Texas, said Rebekah
Stallsworth, welcome center manager at Royalty Pecan
Farms, located north of Bryan/College Station, Texas. The
family-owned and operated farm offers orchard tours and
many nut-themed events including a Pecan Harvest Festival
in November.
To explore the 500 acres of pecan trees, an Amish-built
covered wagon takes groups to the to main orchard to show
how the trees are cultivated year-round and harvested in
the fall. At the processing plant, they learn how high-quality
nuts are separated from the low-quality ones, and how the
excellent ones make it to the store shelves.
Visitors get to taste the yummy pecans and learn the nuts
are doing their bodies a favor as well.
“They are very healthy. Pecans are the highest in antioxidants of any of the nuts,” Stallsworth said.
Photo: Courtesy of Royal Pecan Farms
Caldwell, Texas
Oct • Nov • Dec
7
Heart of the Desert Pistachios from Eagle Ranch
Pistachios are one of the
world’s most perfect foods,
containing enough
nutrition for humans to survive on,
said Maria Massey,
regional store manager for
Heart of the Desert Pistachios
from Eagle Ranch in southern New Mexico.
Groups can learn about the cashew’s green cousin during
a tour of the 105-acre farm, where 13,300 trees produce
pistachios. The cute little nuts open their shells when ripe
to appear like smiling mouths. In fact, pistachio means,
“happy nut,” in Chinese.
“We harvest them off the tree, process them and bag
them here,” Massey said. “We are one of the few farms that
does it all on-site.”
The free walking tour includes the nut processing facility,
packing and shipping departments, and tasting. In September, visitors witness harvesting the nut, a must-see sight.
A couple of fun facts: One male pistachio tree can pollinate 10 female trees, but only the females produce nuts.
Pistachios are among the lowest calorie and lowest fat nuts.
Eating 49 of them per day is good for your health.
Valley Center, California
Photo: Courtesy of Bates Nut Farm
Heart of the Desert Pistachios from Eagle Ranch
(800) 432-0999
heartofthedesert.com
Bates Nut Farm
Nut roasting,
Bates Nut Farm,
Valley Center, Calif.
8
George Schweers, owner,
Heart of the Desert Pistachios
from Eagle Ranch,
Alamogordo, N.M.
Historically a walnut farm,
Bates Nut Farm now
offers a full-scale day
on the farm experience
to groups complete
with animals to feed, tractors
to see, hayrides, shopping at a gift shop and special events on
the 100-acre ranch. It’s a place to celebrate farm life on a fifthgeneration, family-owned farm with strong ties to nuts.
Though the San Diego County farm doesn’t grow walnuts
anymore, it roasts, packs and stores nuts that come from all over
the world. A stop at the roasting facility is included in the “Nuts
For You” tour, which covers the farm’s history, California’s nut
farming past, identification of nuts and nutritional components.
Of course, visitors will want to leave with a few bags of nuts,
and options include pistachios, pecans, cashews, peanuts, pignolias and sunflower seeds. Raw, roasted, spiced or unsalted, they
are the perfect complement to a day on the farm.
Bates Nut Farm
(800) 642-0348
batesnutfarm.biz
Photo: courtesy of Heart of the Desert Pistachios
Alamogordo, New Mexico
Dorris Ranch Orchard
Love sipping a hazelnut
latte or enjoy a good
chocolate-hazelnut
spread? There’s
a good chance
that decadent,
nutty flavor
came from Dorris
Ranch Orchard in Lane County.
Delicious in chocolate and coffee, filberts (hazelnuts) are harvested by the ton from the ranch’s
9,200 trees, which account for more than half of
commercial filbert trees in the United States.
The nuts have thrived on the 258-acre ranch,
the country’s oldest commercial filbert orchard,
since 1905. Groups can explore the orchards and
trails, learn about the ranch’s history and the
agriculture techniques developed by George Dorris, farm founder. Self-guided tours and facility
rentals are offered at the ranch, a national historic site
with a living history farm including historic structures.
Harvesting equipment,
Dorris Ranch Orchard,
Springfield, Ore.
Photo: Courtesy of Dorris Ranch Orchard
Springfield, Oregon
Dorris Ranch Orchard
(541) 736-4544
willamalane.org/park/dorris-ranch
Tropical Farms of Hawaii
Macadamia nuts
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/visualcommunications
Oahu, Hawaii
As a family-owned and operated business, the
welcoming ring of “Aloha!” makes groups feel at
home at Tropical Farms of Hawaii, in Oahu, where
the much-loved macadamia nut flourishes on the
surrounding acres, bordering the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
The farm’s setting has been used for several movies because of its tropical beauty.
Groups love the Kona coffee and the coconut shack, where they taste fresh coconut
and candy samples, but at the heart of the business is the big, crunchy macadamia nut.
A visit includes touring the fruit and nut trees, and a showcase of native Hawaiian plants like papaya and birds-of-paradise. A royal fishpond built 900 years ago
was formerly reserved for the royal family (non-royals caught fishing there would
be killed on the spot). There’s lots of information about Hawaiian history, custom
fruits and plants. It’s all presented in a fun, laid-back island style.
Tropical Farms of Hawaii
(808) 237-1960
macnutfarm.com
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/republica
BONUS CONTENT
Grow a group’s tour experience with these hand-picked flower farms,
sure to keep them coming back — just like perennials.
Check out our list at grouptour.com/bonus.
Oct • Nov • Dec
9
News &
Notes
News &
Notes
Five to join International Space Hall of Fame
The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo recently announced
the Class of 2015 for the International Space Hall of Fame, which is located at the
museum.
“It was a privilege to announce the
names of such a prestigious class of people
whose vision inspired literally generations
worldwide,” said Chris Orwoll, New Mexico
Museum of Space History executive director.
“The Inductee Class of 2015 embodies the
true spirit of space exploration by a group
of men who, although they never went to
space themselves, believed in the future and
possibilities of exploring the universe.”
To be inducted into the hall on Oct.
3 are Walt Disney, a U.S. entrepreneur,
animator and producer (1901–1966); Fritz
Lang, an Austrian-American writer and filmmaker (1890–1976); George Lucas,
a U.S. screenwriter, director and producer (born 1944); Georges Melies, a French
filmmaker (1861–1938); and George Pal, a Hungarian-born American animator
and producer (1908–1980). (877) 333-6589, nmspacemuseum.org
Photo: New Mexico Museum of Space History
aba’s
MarkeTplace
2016
a proven winner
louisville, ky
January 9–12, 2016
register
now!
#abalouisville
On view through Jan. 3, 2016, at The
Walt Disney Family Museum in San
Francisco is “Disney and Dalí: Architects
of the Imagination.”
The multimedia exhibition, guestcurated by filmmaker Ted Nicolaou,
tells the story of the unlikely alliance
between two of the most renowned artists of the 20th century: Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney, the
American entertainment innovator.
“Disney and Dalí: Architects of the
Imagination” is co-organized by The Walt
Disney Family Museum and The Dalí
Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, with
the collaboration of the Gala-Salvador
Dalí Foundation in Figueres, Spain, and
The Walt Disney Studios. The exhibition will be on view at The Dali Museum
from late January through June 2016.
While at The Walt Disney Family
Museum, groups can also visit its newest
exhibition, “Tomorrowland: Walt’s Vision for Today,” on view through Dec. 7.
Guest-curated by Academy Awardwinning director, writer and producer
Brad Bird the exhibition showcases Walt
Disney as a technological innovator, science fiction storyteller and futurologist
by spotlighting his vision of Disneyland’s groundbreaking Tomorrowland.
Groups of 10 or more visiting The
Walt Disney Family Museum are encouraged to book in advance to receive
a discounted rate. (415) 345-6853,
waltdisney.org/groups
Photo: Gift of Diane Disney Miller, collection
Walt Disney Family Foundation;© Disney
#abalouisville
www.BUses.org/MArKetPLACe
Reader Service Card #443
10
‘Disney and Dalí’ on
view at the Walt Disney
Family Museum
Journey down the
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway begins at Mile 0
in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and
unofficially ends in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The paved road’s tremendous length and
remoteness places groups in the extremes
of the Northern climate.
Head to Fairbanks, the state’s secondlargest city, to begin the group’s journey.
Be transported into a gold rush past or
engaged in art and culture.
This three-day itinerary was provided
by the State of Alaska
tourism office.
Delta Visitor Information Center at physical Mile 1,422, or with one of the oversized
mosquito sculptures nearby.
Be sure to stop at the Sullivan Roadhouse Historical Museum, located across
the highway from the visitor information center. The roadhouse was originally
constructed in 1905 and sat on the Valdez
to Fairbanks trail. Today, the museum
interprets this history with a variety of artifacts and information about the building’s
original owners and life in
Alaska at that time.
Before the group leaves
town, take a slight detour
and drive 25 miles south
of Delta Junction on the
Richardson Highway
to visit the 90,000-acre
Delta Junction State Bison
Sanctuary to see the large
beasts on their home
range.
Photo: © State of Alaska/Brian Adams
Day One
Fairbanks
Visit the new Morris
Thompson Cultural
and Visitor Center to
get the group’s bearings.
Pick up maps and tips
for planning a stay and
watch one of the informational movies in the
Dog sled, Chena Hot Springs, Fairbanks
visitor center’s theater.
Day Three
Many special events
Tok
take place in Fairbanks throughout the year,
Tok lies another 100 miles south on the
so be sure to check the local calendar.
Alaska Highway. Owing to its strategic loPick up some fresh produce from the
cation at the entry to Alaska at Mile 1,279,
Tanana Valley Farmers Market, which
Tok, once a construction camp, now serves
showcases a variety of Alaska-grown
mostly as a trade and services center for
produce, and Silver Hand arts and crafts.
travelers in and out of the state. It is also a
The Silver Hand program allows visitors to
trade center for a number of Athabascan
easily identify native artists’ work. A black
native villages in the surrounding area.
oval tag with a silver hand marking may be
After grabbing breakfast at the daily
attached to a piece the group purchases.
Pancake Toss competition at Sourdough
Head 13 miles down the Richardson
Campground, off mile 1.7 of the Tok CutHighway for a day trip to North Pole and do
Off, go shopping for birch baskets, mocsome early Christmas shopping before havcasins, boots and beaded jewelry made by
ing a picnic at Chena Lakes Recreation Area.
local Alaska Native artisans.
Pay a visit to the 7,000-square-foot
Day Two
Mainstreet Visitors Center for more inDelta Junction
formation about Tok’s lively dog-mushing
About 100 miles south of Fairbanks,
culture, history and other attractions.
Delta Junction is 1,390 miles from the
From here, groups can continue in sevAlaska Highway’s starting point.
eral different directions. Head south on the
On the way into town, stop for a photo
Alaska Highway toward Yukon, British Coat the large monument signifying the oflumbia, and the Lower 48, or head west toficial end of the highway in front of the
ward Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula.S
Photo: © State of Alaska/Chris McLennan
Itinerary/ ALASKA
Northern lights, Fairbanks
GO
Delta Junction,
Fairbanks and Tok
DO
Delta Junction State Bison Sanctuary
(907) 895-4484
adfg.alaska.gov
Mainstreet Visitors Center
(907) 883-5775
[email protected]
tokalaskainfo.com
Morris Thompson Cultural
and Visitor Center
(907) 459-3700
morristhompsoncenter.org
Sullivan Roadhouse Historical Museum
(907) 895-4415
Sourdough Campground
(907) 883-5543
sourdoughcampground.com
ASK
State of Alaska tourism office
[email protected]
travelalaska.com
Bookmark this! For more group friendly itineraries, visit grouptour.com/itinerary.
Oct • Nov • Dec
11
Grand Alaska
Photo: group tour media/Elly Devries
One of the
world’s tallest
totem poles,
Kake
Dramatic landscapes, abundant wildlife and
vibrant culture illustrate the Alaskan experience
By Elly DeVries
No destination captures captivating
beauty and grandeur quite like Alaska’s
vast expanses of wilderness. Yet the
viewing of towering icebergs and colossal mountains only scratch the surface
of the 49th state’s natural adventures.
Including territorial waters, Alaska
is larger than the combined area of the
next three largest states: Texas, California and Montana. However, at 663,300
square miles, it has the lowest population density in the nation.
With John Hall’s Alaska Cruises and
Tours, our group was in the thick of
boundless territory. Our 15-day trip
began in the metropolis of Anchorage
before traveling by motorcoach, rail,
Approaching a glacier, near
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
plane and ship to Whittier, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali, Sitka, Petersburg and
Juneau, among other transcendent locations. And all that John Hall’s Alaska
had planned was remarkable.
Elizabeth Hall, chief operating officer of John Hall’s Alaska, said guests’
reactions are by far the most rewarding
part of her job.
“If we can create emotion in whatever groups do, they are more likely to
take home the experience and remember it for years to come,” she said. “The
smiles, tears and moments where guests
are overcome with emotion are the exact
reasons why we love doing what we do.”
Explore wildlife domains
Photo: Group Tour Media/Elly DeVries
12
End of park road, Denali
(Elly DeVries kneeling)
An avid traveler, I have always
dreamt of visiting Alaska. This journal
describes moments that made my trip to
the Last Frontier extraordinary.
We sure kept our eyes peeled and
cameras close. At every stop, there was
remarkable wildlife waiting for our
visit. About 74,000 harbor seals live in
Alaska’s waters among other various
aquatic animals.
And eagles scan the saltwater coastlines, rivers and streams. Who knew
bald eagles are good swimmers? If they
can’t lift their prey from the water, they
swim to shore with it.
In Whittier, we viewed orcas, sea lions, sea otters, puffins and humpbacks.
And in Denali, grizzlies, moose, Dahl
sheep and caribou meander the land.
After crossing the Gulf of Alaska by
air, we stopped at the Alaska Raptor
Center in Sitka — Alaska’s only fullservice avian hospital and educational
facility. The center rehabilitates injured
bald eagles, raptors and small birds before releasing them back into the wild.
In the summer, Alaska’s waters
teem with humpback whales that have
migrated north to feed. Bubble-net
feeding, a complex technique used to
capture many fish at once, is considered
one of the species’ most fascinating
behaviors. Whales dive below a shoal
of fish, then slowly begin a spiral dance
toward the water’s surface, blowing
bubbles in a circular motion. We observed whales use this impressive tactic
in several locations.
Glacial Gardens
Rainforest Adventure, Juneau
Absorb Tlingit culture
Upon arriving in Kake, we gazed
Stop in Juneau
Alaska’s capital city of Juneau hosts
the benefits of a small community
alongside the adventure of the Last
Frontier. We traveled up Mendenhall
Glacier, where we admired outstanding
views of icebergs amidst reflections of
the Coast Mountains.
As gold mining is a main component of the local economy, we took
a walking tour that highlighted the
Juneau Douglas Mines. Substantial
20th-century mines honeycomb the
surrounding hills of Juneau — the
Alaska-Juneau Mine and the AlaskaGastineau Mine.
Today, there are still more miles of
underground tunnels than there are
roads in all of Juneau. The city also has
more than 262 miles of hiking trails.
On some of which, we hiked and saw
a moose and her calf. We stopped at
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventures
and DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery
before encountering more wildlife.
After a long day of exploration, we
were treated with a feast of fresh king
crab, salmon and prime rib at Orca
Point Lodge.
at a 128-foot totem pole — one of the
world’s tallest — carved by Chilkats in
1967 for the Alaska Purchase centennial. Towering high over a native reservation amidst the Tongass National
Forest, the top of the authentic pole
was snapped by a gust of wind earlier
this year. The community continues to
debate how to move forward with the
cultural symbol.
For thousands of years, Kake has
been inhabited by the Tlingit (pronounced klingit), indigenous people of
the Pacific Northwest coast. They are
responsible for a temperate rain forest
of the southeast Alaskan coast and of
the Alexander Archipelago.
The coastal group controlled mountain passes into the Yukon interior,
where they were broken into three
Chena Indian Village,
Fairbanks
tribes — the Chilkat Tlingit along
Chilkat River and on Chilkat Peninsula; the Chilkoot Tlingit; and the Taku
Tlingit along Taku River. Extensive
effort has been put into revitalization
programs, but few people continue to
speak the tribes’ native language.
Although a small community,
the tribes’ character speaks wonders;
Tlingit people place a heavy emphasis
on family, kinship and keeping their
traditions inspirited. For these native
people, dancing is a form of expression
and communication.
Dancers’ masks represent creatures
of the natural and mythical worlds, and
elaborate headdresses allow them to
gyrate and gesture good wishes. Chilkat
blankets, with fringe to provide visual
effect, are used as dance robes. Drums
and carved rattles are used to accompany the rhythmic steps, and our group
felt welcomed and happy to join in.
Down the road from the Tlingit village is Ice Straight Point, just 22 miles
southeast of Glacier Bay National Park.
Icy Straight Point boasts of the best
whale watching in the state of Alaska.
And nearby in Ketchikan, flightseeing
over the magnificent Misty Fjords is
a sight that’ll keep groups perpetually
in awe.S
John Hall’s Alaska Cruises & Tours
(800) 325-2270
kissalaska.com
Travel Alaska
travelalaska.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
13
Itinerary/ ARIZONA
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/sam camp
Celebrate milestones
in Flagstaff
Wupatki National Monument, Flagstaff
GO
Flagstaff
EAT
Museum Club
(928) 526-9434
themuseumclub.com
Horseman Lodge
(928) 526-2655
horsemenlodge.com/group-booking
SEE
Grand Canyon National Park
(928) 638-7888
nps.gov/grca
Lowell Observatory
(928) 774-3358
lowell.edu
Sunset Crater National Monument
(928) 526-0502
nps.gov/sucr
Walnut Canyon National Monument
(928) 526-3367
nps.gov/waca
Wupatki National Monument
(928) 679-2365
nps.gov/wupa
ASK
Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau
(928) 213-2915
flagstaffarizona.org
It’s a time of celebration in Flagstaff,
located in the high country mountains of
northern Arizona.
Joyce Lingenfelter, travel industry
specialist at the Flagstaff Convention &
Visitors Bureau, noted there are several
exciting anniversaries in 2015 and 2016 for
attractions in the Flagstaff area.
She shared these itinerary suggestions
based on the celebrations.
Route 66’s 90th anniversary
In 2016, America’s Mother Road will
celebrate its 90th anniversary. Groups are
invited to join Flagstaff in celebrating this
Route 66 milestone with 66 Kicks on Route
66, a list of special events and ongoing
experiences for groups to commemorate
the iconic road.
Route 66 was commissioned on Nov. 11,
1926, and officially decommissioned in 1985.
Groups can plan their visit around
Flagstaff ’s annual Route 66 Days car show
Sept. 8–11, 2016. Include dinner with a side
of country line dancing or two-step lessons
at the famous Museum Club in Flagstaff,
also known as “The Zoo.”
A historic Route 66 walking tour is
available at no cost for groups and is an
easy walk on flat terrain, Lingenfelter said.
Request copies of the self-guided tour
brochure from the Flagstaff CVB staff or
find the tour online: flagstaffarizona.org/
route66.
For a day trip beyond Flagstaff, visit
Seligman, the birthplace of Historic Route
66, and get a frozen treat at Delgadillo’s
Snow Cap drive in.
National Park Service Centennial
The U.S. National Park Service turns
100 in 2016, and groups are welcome to
experience the national parks and monuments in the Flagstaff area. Aside from
Grand Canyon National Park, groups will
enjoy Walnut Canyon National Monument,
Sunset Crater National Monument, Wupatki National Monument and the Petrified
Forest National Park.
A group dinner location en route from
national monuments is Horsemen Lodge
steakhouse. The restaurant was completely
renovated in fall 2014 to serve travelers en
route from Flagstaff to the national parks
and monuments. With a long history of being a popular hangout for cowboys working on the nearby CO Bar Ranch, the steakhouse — named “Horsemen” in the effort
to pay homage to the ranching lifestyle —
is decorated with authentic cowboy attire,
memorabilia and artwork.
Pluto’s 85th anniversary
Flagstaff is celebrating the #YearOfPluto with the 85th anniversary of Pluto’s
discovery at Flagstaff ’s Lowell Observatory
in February 2015 and the arrival of New
Horizons spacecraft to Pluto’s atmosphere
in July.
There is a special event each month
featuring the faraway object and its
connection to this dark skies city, from presentations by the New Horizons principal
investigator to the new “Pluto at 85” exhibit
at the observatory visitor center.
Plus, Karma Sushi Bar & Grill, the
current restaurant to occupy the building where Clyde Tombaugh ate dinner the
night he discovered Pluto, is offering
a special Pluto Roll throughout the year.
Near downtown Flagstaff, Lowell Observatory welcomes visitors of all ages to
explore the modern visitor center, handson exhibits and scenic campus. Tours and
programs are offered throughout the year.
Lowell’s century-old Clark telescope is
housed in a historic wooden dome, where
night-sky viewing is offered much of the
year.
Flagstaff train station’s
90th anniversary in 2016
Just like passengers did 90 years ago,
groups today can travel to Flagstaff by train
and are welcomed into the historic 1926
Tudor-style train station building upon
arrival. The former Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad depot building is now
home to the Flagstaff Visitor Center and
Amtrak station operations.S
14
14
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
ARIZONA
Travel in time at Arizona Renaissance Festival
On weekends in February and
March, it is possible to engage in time
travel just below the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix
and northwest of Tucson.
Groups can experience the 16th
century, when a 30-acre site in Pinal
County morphs into a European-style
country fair. The occasion is the 28th
annual Arizona Renaissance Festival,
held every Saturday, Sunday, and on
Presidents Day Monday, from Feb. 6
through March 27, 2016.
a jousting tournament and a feast —
all rolled into one nonstop, daylong
adventure.
A discounted rate is available for
groups of 15 or more. The group
organizer is admitted for free and does
not count as part of the 15 minimum
required. Groups also can sign up in
advance for the Pleasure Feast, a 1
½-hour, five-course medieval feast with
music and comedy entertainment, and
a festival souvenir.S
Arizona Renaissance Festival
(520) 463-2600
renfestinfo.com
VISIT PHOENIX’S #1 ATTRACTION
®
Photo: Arizona Renaissance Festival
The World’s Only Global
Musical Instrument Museum
Jousting tournament,
Arizona Renaissance Festival, Pinal County
“The more the merrier,” said Sanja
Malinovic, marketing manager. “Gather
the group for an exciting trip back in
time to the 16th century at the Arizona
Renaissance Festival.”
Malinovic described the festival as
a 13-stage theater, a 30-acre circus, an
arts and crafts fair with over 200 shops,
Explore the world through music at MIM. This unique museum,
which displays more than 6,000 instruments and related objects
from every country in the world, offers an immersive, one-of-a-kind
experience for visitors of all ages.
Guided, self-guided, and behind-the-scenes tours are available.
Motorcoach parking is free.
For group tour information and rates,
e-mail [email protected].
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM
MIM.org | 480.478.6000 | Open Daily
4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050
(Corner of Tatum & Mayo Blvds., just south of Loop 101)
Oct • Nov • Dec
15
ARIZONA
Agritourism runs fresh
at Queen Creek Olive Mill
Just south of Mesa in Queen Creek
is Queen Creek Olive Mill, a dynamic
family owned agritourism experience.
Brenda and Perry Rea founded
Arizona’s only working olive farm and
mill some 18 years ago, after a vacation
to Arizona.
Perry, a former auto parts manufacturing executive from Michigan,
planted 1,000 olive trees on 100 acres
in Queen Creek.
“We grew very slowly,” Perry recalled.
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“I started fooling around making olive
oil.”
Now the farm has 7,000 olive trees
and he’s a certified olive oil sommelier.
Queen Creek Olive Mill has fulfilled
the Rea family’s dream of being an
agriculture destination and an experience, not simply a store.
The olives are grown without pesticides. As part of the farm’s sustainable
farming practices, its grove is irrigated
using micro-sprinklers that save water.
Solar panels on the roof generate 30
percent of the operation’s electricity, and
water from the olive washing process is
captured and used to irrigate gardens.
Photo: Group Tour Media/David Hoekman
928-697-3231 www.wetherill-inn.com
[email protected]
Perry Rea, owner,
Queen Creek Olive Mill, Queen Creek
Groups can participate in an olive oil
tasting, go on an Olive Oil 101 tour of
the facility and have a meal at Queen
Creek’s Eatery.
The tour covers the company’s history, qualities and standards of olive
oil, health benefits and why people
should buy olive oil locally.
The key to good olive oil is freshness, Perry said. As olive oil does not
improve with age, it should not sit in a
warehouse for weeks or months.
Brenda has developed a line of
beauty products called Olivespa that
use the mill’s extra virgin olive oil.
Motorcoach parking is available.S
To book a tour, call 602.251.0213
or email [email protected]
HEARD MUSEUM
American Indian Art and History
2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
602.252.8840 | heard.org
16
Queen Creek Olive Mill
(480) 888-9290
queencreekolivemill.com
ARIZONA
Yuma, in the southwest corner of
Arizona, is perfectly situated for outdoor adventure.
The Colorado River runs along the
city’s northern edge.
Yuma is where a group can travel
the cool waters of a mighty river while
viewing the natural wonders of a
desert.
“Something we have in abundance
is outdoor life,” said Linda Morgan,
executive director of the Yuma Visitors
Bureau. “We have lots of natural habitat
because we are on the Colorado River.”
The three national wildlife refuges
in the Yuma area — Cibola, Kofa and
Imperial — are one of the largest
refuge groups in the United States,
with more than 1,000 square miles of
habitat.
Morgan said Yuma was the second
community in Arizona to participate
in the Go Wild initiative with Arizona
Photo: VisitYuma.com
Yuma capitalizes on location for outdoor adventure
Birdwatching from canoe, Yuma
Watchable Wildlife Tourism Association. The association is a partnership of
the Arizona Game & Fish Department,
Arizona Office of Tourism, Arizona
State Parks and the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management.
The bureau has made an inventory of its nature tourism assets and
is developing a plan on how to best
promote them.
The Go Wild initiative allows the
bureau to respond quickly when a tour
operator calls for information on, for
example, a cookout, stargazing, birdwatching, biking, hiking, canoe tours,
jetboat tours, bighorn sheep viewing or
wild burro viewing.
“Whatever your tour group is
looking for, we can make it happen,”
Morgan said.
Groups can paddle the calm waters
of the Colorado River close to town
in canoes or kayaks with guides from
the City of Yuma Parks and Recreation
Department.
The three- to four-hour trip allows
paddlers to see birds and other wildlife,
Continued on page 18
Commit this to memory. You’ll be amazed at the stories
you can tell with Tucson as your guide.
Find out how easy it is to book a tour in Tucson,
Go to VisitTucson.org/TravelTrade
Oct • Nov • Dec
17
ARIZONA
Continued from page 17
the historic Yuma Crossing and the
revitalized riverfront.
Yuma River Tubing provides inner
tube trips from April through October,
weather permitting. Operators should
allow one to five hours, depending on
float length and river volume.
Jet Rent offers paddleboards, kayaks,
personal watercraft and pontoon boats,
while Yuma Kayaks offers paddle and
picnic tours.
Yuma Wetlands Park, once the town
dump, has a hummingbird garden,
burrowing owl habitat, pond and picnic ramades.
While Yuma River Tours and the
Colorado King sternwheeler is not
currently operating due to a business
transition, Morgan expects the business
to re-open.
Imperial Sand Dunes National Rec-
reation Area makes a great photo op.
Also popular in Yuma, Morgan said,
are agritourism offerings and history.
The area is known as the winter vegetable capital of the world and is home
to the Yuma Territorial Prison State
Historic Park.S
Yuma Visitors Bureau
(928) 376-0100
visityuma.com
tour
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11/18/14 3:18 PM
Sip, stay and play in Rancho
Cordova and Sacramento Valley
Rancho Cordova is the ideal base camp
for exploration of northern California’s
history, culture and recreation, with easy
access to Gold Country, Sierra Foothills
Wine Country, the state Capitol and the
Sacramento Valley region.
Marc Sapoznik, director of Rancho Cordova Tourism and Travel, shared this three-day
adventure that explores northern California.
Along the way, groups will have the chance
to see where gold was discovered and walk
through the streets of Old Sacramento. The
tour also features time to taste some of the
best food and brews the region has to offer.
Day One
Gold country and wine country
Start in Rancho Cordova. Travel to the
historic Marshall Gold Discovery State
Historic Park in Coloma, where fortunes
were made during California’s Gold Rush.
James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848
on the South Fork of the American River
in the valley the Nisenan Indians knew as
Cullumah. This event was the spark that
ignited the spectacular growth of the West
during the ensuing decades.
The gold discovery site, located in the stillvisible tailrace of Sutter’s sawmill, in present
day Coloma, is one of the most significant
historic sites around. During the walking
tour, see a replica of the original sawmill and
more than 20 historic buildings including
mining, house, school and store exhibits.
Travel along Highway 49 to historic Placerville to explore the historic downtown,
lined with art galleries, antique shops and
restaurants. After lunch, continue down
Highway 49 to the Sierra Foothills’ Shenandoah Valley, where world-class wine tasting
is offered at Amador County wineries.
Dine at Hotel Sutter in Sutter Creek before
heading back to Rancho Cordova for the
night.
Day Two
Capital exploration
Travel from Rancho Cordova to Sacramento. Explore the California State Railroad Museum, where train exhibits include
restored engines and railcars.
Afterward, head across the street to
explore Old Sacramento. Have lunch in
one of the historic district’s many restaurants, including riverfront establishments.
Following a hearty meal, hop aboard a
Hornblower Cruises boat for a narrated
tour of the Sacramento River.
Once off the boat, head to the Crocker
Art Museum to view its collection of California art.
Another option is to tour the California
State Capitol Museum.
Day Three
Waterways
Head to Gold River, home to Lake
Natoma and the Sacramento State Aquatic
Center, which offers miles of flat water
famous for rowing. It’s also ideal for stand
up kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding,
sailing and canoeing. Ply the placid waters
and take in the wildlife surrounding this
hidden gem onboard one of the aquatic
center’s many rentals.
For lunch, head to the Koreana International Marketplace in Rancho Cordova,
which features cuisine from around the
globe. Choose from Russian-Ukrainian,
Iranian, Mexican, Chinese, Korean and
Vietnamese flavors.
After lunch, head to Folsom State Prison Museum — yes, the one made famous
by Johnny Cash — for a tour.
To say cheers to the northern California
tour, head back to Rancho Cordova. Visit
the American River Brewing Company
for a sampling of its award-winning craft
brews.S
Photo: Courtesy of Rancho Cordova Tourism and Travel
Itinerary/ CALIFORNIA
Kayaker, Sacramento State Aquatic Center,
Gold River
GO
Coloma, Folsom, Placerville,
Rancho Cordova, Gold River,
Sacramento and Sutter Creek
SEE
California State Railroad Museum
(916) 323-9280
csrmf.org
Folsom State Prison Museum
(916) 985-2561, ext. 4589
folsomprisonmuseum.org
Hornblower Cruises
(888) 467-6256
hornblower.com/home/sac
Marshall Gold Discovery SHP
(530) 622-3470
parks.ca.gov
Old Sacramento
(916) 442-8575
oldsacramento.com
Sacramento State Aquatic Center
(916) 278-2842
sacstateaquaticcenter.com
SIP
American River Brewing Company
(916) 635-2537
americanriverbrewingcompany.com
SHOP
Koreana International Marketplace
(916) 853-8000
koreanaplaza.com
ASK
Rancho Cordova Tourism and Travel
(916) 290-5166
visitranchocordova.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
19
CALIFORNIA
Hot sauce makes a hot tour
do you speak
SONOMA?
Corkhopping
v. Enjoying wine tasting
at multiple Sonoma
County wineries.
Just 45 minutes north
of San Francisco.
World-class wineries,
redwood forests and
beautiful ocean coastline.
Free assistance with
your group tour.
SonomaCounty.com/
grouptour
1-800–576-6662
and owner David Tran relocated to Los
time to visit.
Angeles County after five years of mak“In grinding season,” said Martinez,
ing this sauce in Vietnam, continuing
“you get to see it from pepper to sauce.”
his production in this country.
Around 100 million pounds of chile
Enthusiasts won’t want to miss the
peppers are ground into paste, filling
opportunity to tour Huy Fong Foods
55-gallon blue drums, before they unin Irwindale, where an in-depth look
dergo the production process and are
at production, as well as tasting of
packaged for retail. Visitors can tour
samples, is offered. Open only for a few
the warehouse where the paste is stored
years now, it’s a step up from the comand view the bottling process.
pany’s beginnings in Chinatown, then
From Sept. 12 to Oct. 17, a selfthe L.A. suburb of Rosemead.
guided open house is held every SatThe 30-minute tours of the
urday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It features
650,000-square-foot facility are free.
cultural events, like a lion dance on se“You walk
lect Saturdays and
our entire prosamples of food
cess,” said Saproducts featurbrina Martinez,
ing Sriracha, like
a tour guide.
popcorn, chips and
“We run very
salad croutons.
uniquely. A lot
“It’s open to
of what we do is
anyone who wants
in-house.”
to come out and
For groups,
visit us,” Martiit’s recommendnez said. “A lot of
ed to call ahead
times, guests get
and schedule a
to meet David
tour, especially
Tran, the CEO and
Sriracha tour, Huy Fong Foods, Irwindale
during the fall
master mind of the
when the chiles
company.”
are ground into paste and the daily
Motorcoaches can park in a dediworkings of the company are very busy.
cated lot for buses that is separate from
During autumn (September
the visitors’ parking lot.S
through December) only groups of up
Huy Fong Foods
to 12 can be accommodated while the
(626) 286-8328
maximum group size expands to 26 for
huyfong.com
the rest of the year. But it’s also a fun
Photo: Huy Fong Foods
Sriracha — a hefty hot sauce made
from chili paste, distilled vinegar, sugar,
salt and garlic — has catapulted into
popularity in recent years. It’s a staple
on most restaurant tables these days,
and it has inspired chefs to craft innovative dishes.
In 1980, Huy Fong Foods founder
Be Amazed!
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in your next California tour program!
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Book your Reservation today!
Just one hour south of San Francisco.
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20
Groups of 15 or more
get a Discount
Free Motor Coach Parking
CALIFORNIA
Tapping into consumers’ growing
interest in buying local foods, especially
dairy products, McClelland’s Dairy in
Petaluma offers guided tours.
Ninety-minute tours of the familyowned dairy — first offered in 2009 —
are led by Jana McClelland or her father,
whose parents started the farm. For a
group of under 20 people, there is a $300
flat fee, with increments from there, and
room to accommodate up to 68 people.
“We’ll go through the whole introduction of the farm, back to my grandparents founding it in 1938,” Jana said.
After butter joined the farm’s product
portfolio, talk turned to starting tours.
“We make our own European-style
butter,” Jana said. “We’ll taste the butter
on a tour.”
This butter also is sold in the farm
store, a place where chicken eggs, Tshirts and mugs (depicting the farm
logo) are available for purchase.
Photo: Rachel LaFranchi
Experience a dairy farm at McClelland’s Dairy
Tour presentation, McClelland’s Dairy, Petaluma
Visitors get to see dairy cows in the
nursery, where petting is encouraged.
“People can get really hands-on with
the babies,” said Jana. Adult cows are
also viewed on the tour, either in their
outdoor environment or, in the case of
inclement weather, in their comfortable
housing, complete with individual beds.
Another fun activity on the tour is
the option to milk cows by hand. Next,
the visitors can see firsthand how indepth the milking is when they peek
into a viewing room of the parlor where
cows are milked, up to 100 by the hour.
There’s also a commitment to customize the content to certain interests, which
is something Jana really enjoys doing.
“I tailor the tour to the demographic,
whether it’s families with children or
a group of adults,” she said. “A lot of
times, they want to get more into the
economics of farming.”
It’s recommended to call ahead when
scheduling a group tour due to the
busy nature of this working farm. During the autumn months, a pumpkin
patch on the property provides a free
sugar-pie pumpkin to each visitor.
Motorcoach parking is available on
the paved driveway that runs in front
of the main office.S
McClelland’s Dairy
(707) 664-0452
mcclellandsdairy.com
A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience • Limited Engagement • Opens March 6, 2016
A Journey Through Faith and Art
Photo © Cittá del Vaticano
A 10,000 square foot exhibition including an extraordinary collection of historical and religious objects, some
of which date back to the first century, and works of art by Michelangelo, Bernini, Guercino and others.
Objects include bone fragments of Saint Peter to personal items of Saint John Paul II. This exhibit comprises
one of the largest Vatican collections ever to tour North America. Many items have never before been on
public view. From culture to history to art, explore how the Papacy has impacted-and been impacted by-the
world throughout the centuries.
Tickets include admission to the Reagan Library. Touch an authentic
piece of the Berlin Wall, and climb aboard Air Force One & Marine One!
The exhibition is organized and circulated in conjunction with the Congregazione per l'Evangelizzazione dei Popoli of the Vatican City State.
The exhibition is produced by Evergreen Exhibitions in association with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
For more information visit www.REAGANLIBRARY.com or call 805-577-2704
THE REAGAN LIBRARY ∙ 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, California 93065
Oct • Nov • Dec
21
CALIFORNIA
Hearst Castle is slice of Europe in California
HuntingtonTours.qxp_Tour mag ad small 02
Nature,
Art,
Culture ...
626-405-2100 | Pasadena, CA-adjacent
[email protected]
donated to the state of California and
tion is to view a 40-minute IMAX film
became a National Historic Landmark
about the history and inspiration for
and State Historical Monument.
building the magnificent estate. Time
Perched on a hill overlooking the
to wander through the gardens should
Pacific Ocean, the Grand Rooms tour,
also be allotted.
lasting around 40 minutes, is the most
“People are surprised by the physipopular for visitors, said Jim Allen,
cal setting,” Allen said. “They’re not
director of marketing and communicaexpecting to be on this mountaintop
8/14/15
tions.
with 360-degree views of the Santa
“It gives the first-time visitor a good
Lucia Mountains and a jaw-dropping
overview of the
collection of art
Hearst Castle.”
and antiques
The estate
(about 22,000
took 30 years
pieces). You have
to build — a
this depth and
testament to its
breadth of an
beauty.
art museum, like
Discounts
you’re in Europe.
are available for
It’s a small slice of
groups of 12
Europe, right here
people or more,
in California.”
and several
Even prior
tours are ofvisitors will find
fered, including
something to
The Upstairs
enjoy. Although
Roman Pool, Hearst Castle, San Simeon
Suites, Cottages
40 million people
& Kitchens, an
have taken tours
evening tour, Designing the Dream
since they began in 1958, a newer
Tour, Garden Tour and Hearst and
addition is the 44,000-square-foot
Hollywood. Each tour lasts between 40
visitor center and the IMAX theater.
minutes and two hours and 10 minMotorcoaches can park on-site, as
utes.
there is plenty of dedicated space for
Group sales staff can work closely
these larger vehicles.S
with a group to make sure interests and
Hearst Castle
needs are met.
(800) 444-4445
Allen suggested budgeting three
hearstcastle.org
hours for a visit because another opPhoto: Hearst Castle/CA State Parks
An iconic gem along California’s
glittering, rocky coast, Hearst Castle
in San Simeon is midway between San
Francisco and Los Angeles.
Once the private estate of William
Randolph Hearst, who founded the
country’s largest newspaper chain in
the late 1880s, in the late 1950s it was
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22
CALIFORNIA
Farm-to-fork comes naturally in Sacramento, noted Nicole Rogers, director of
the Farm-to-Fork program at the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“This region was farm-to-fork long before any of us and long before we could
give it a name,” Rogers said. “One of the
things that make farm-to-fork so special
is that we didn’t have to manufacture this
idea in a conference room or laboratory; this is just how we live. Food and
agriculture is how we support ourselves
financially, how we contribute to our
neighbors, the nation and the world.”
Operators can choose from farm
tours, more than 35 craft breweries, culinary tours, 200-plus wineries, hands-on
cooking classes and dinners on the farm.
At Del Rio Botanical, visitors can milk
a goat and make cheese. Or taste some
almonds at Blue Diamond Almond
Growers.
“Recently, we’ve been able to share
Photo: Sacramento CVB
Sacramento keys in on agritourism
Tower Bridge Dinner, Sacramento
our amazing bounty with visitors in
meaningful ways, and in ways that show
how special Sacramento and California
agriculture really is,” Rogers said. “With
hundreds of crops and 1.5 million acres
of farm land, we have some of the most
generous and kind farmers opening
their ranch gates to us.
“We have incredible opportunities to
have lunch while wine tasting, hop on a
tour bike for local brews, or shop with a
chef at a farmers market to learn about
how they choose their ingredients and
create their menus — and then have the
chef prepare lunch with the items the
group just shopped for.”
Groups visiting Sacramento in September can get in on the ultimate farmto-fork celebration. The Sacramento
CVB can arrange a VIP experience at
Legends of Wine, Farm-to-Fork Festival
and the Tower Bridge Dinner.
The bureau also can help with readymade itineraries, customized itinerary
assistance, step-on and meet-and-greet
services and welcome gifts for overnight groups.S
Sacramento Convention
and Visitors Bureau
(800) 292-2334
visitsacramento.com/grouptravel
FEED YOUR SOUL
AMERICA’S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL
Book Your Group Tour at VisitSacramento.com/GroupTravel
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Oct • Nov • Dec
23
CALIFORNIA
TCL Chinese Theatre:
Where Hollywood history meets technology
Photo: Lee Howard
on display to those taking
When a Hollywood
actress accidentally
a 30-minute VIP Tour of
what’s billed as “the world’s
stepped in wet concrete,
she unwittingly started a
most famous movie theater.”
tradition that’s still going
Visitors see plenty
strong almost 90 years
later.
of movie memorabilia,
including a gold lame dress
Actress Norma Talmadge’s career as a silent
that looks less curvy on a
star might have faded into
modern mannequin that
it did on Marilyn Monroe
obscurity. But the impresin 1953’s Gentlemen Prefer
sions she left of her footBlondes, plus Vivien Leigh’s
prints in the forecourt of
dress fashioned from curwhat’s now the IMAX at
Movie memorabilia, TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles
the TCL Chinese Theatre
tains in the 1939 epic Gone
with the Wind.
on Hollywood Boulevard
are
among
them,
along
with
the
much
“We get a lot of groups that come
in Hollywood are still there, along with
larger prints of Arnold Schwarzenegger
those of over 280 of Tinseltown’s elite,
through here and they love seeing the
from his 1994 visit. The star’s Terminacostumes,” said Levi David Tinker, who
and counting.
tor 2 black leather jacket and outfit are
has led group tours around the iconic
The tiny hand and footprints of
encased in the theater’s lobby. They’re
child star Shirley Temple from 1935
venue for more than 15 years. “They
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CALIFORNIA
are eight recently added IMAX speaklove seeing the inside of the theater,
ers, which, along with two extremely
seeing the beautiful artwork and archimodern projectors, make the theater
tecture, learning about its history and
America’s first for IMAX laser presenthe stories behind the hand prints.”
tations. Groups can stay for a unique
Depending on the group’s interests,
movie experience,
tours can focus on
and take a seat
a particular genre,
where countless
such as classic movstars have sat. Just
ies or action blockbusters. The venue
avoid stepping into
any wet concrete.
has hosted more
Motorcoaches
premieres than any
can drop groups
other, including
off in front of the
The Wizard of Oz,
Mary Poppins and
souvenir store on
the corner of HolStar Wars, and still
Marilyn Monroe’s prints, TCL Chinese Theatre
lywood Boulevard
lays out the red carforecourt, Hollywood, Los Angeles
and N. Orange
pet between 35 and
Drive. There also
50 times per year.
is bus staging on the Orange Court at
The theater has appeared in many
Hollywood Boulevard and Highland
films, from A Star is Born to Forrest
Avenue, just off of N. Orange Drive.S
Gump and was blown up in Iron Man
3. In reality, it’s been well maintained
throughout the years and its original
The TCL Chinese Theatre
1927 features are pointed out on tours.
(323) 463-9576
Hanging discreetly from the ceiling
tclchinesetheatres.com/theatre-tour
Sweet!
Factory Tours!
FREE Candy Samples!
Retail Store • Café • RV Parking
Tours Daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Store Open Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
JELLY BELLY VISITOR CENTER
One Jelly Belly Lane • Fairfield, CA 94533
JellyBelly.com • 1-800-953-5592
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Oct • Nov • Dec
25
CALIFORNIA
Hitchcock fans flock to Bodega Bay
Alfred Hitchcock fans often experience a sort of pilgrimage with a trip to
Bodega Bay, a tiny coastal town north
of San Francisco and just west of Sonoma and Napa’s wine country.
That’s because this is where Hitchcock’s famous movie, the horror-thriller The Birds (1963), was filmed.
415.981.PIER
“It’s something Hitchcock fans want
to take pictures of,” said Patty Ginochio, president of the Bodega Bay Area
Chamber of Commerce. Her company,
Sonoma Concierge, takes groups to
Hitchcock filming locations in the
Bodega Bay area.
“There’s a lot of history you’re not
going to get anywhere else,” she said.
There is no better time to visit than
in March, during the annual Hitchcock
Film Fest. The two-day roster of events
kicks off with a Friday-night soiree
akin to an Oscar party and held at the
Bodega Harbour Yacht Club.
“Everybody dresses up and we have
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CALIFORNIA
Bodega Bay School, Pastures Preschool
and Tomales Elementary.
Provided there is space, motorcoaches can park at Bodega Bay Grange
Hall, but if that area is full, overflow is
at Bodega Bay School two blocks from
the venue.S
Bodega Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
(707) 347-9645
visitbodegabayca.com
Photo: Bodega Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
hors d’oeuvres and music is playing,”
Ginochio said.
On Saturday, movies are screened at
the Bodega Bay Grange Hall. A Hitchcock expert provides commentary with
each movie. Other perks that day include
the option to pose and be photographed
with a Hitchcock statue, and view rare
Hitchcock memorabilia on display.
Proceeds from the event benefit
arts education at three local schools:
Bodega Bay
DINE.
SIGHTSEE.
CRUISE.
hornblower.com
•
415-788-7020
Immerse yourself in the story of the unli
friendship between two of the most wellknown innovators of the twentieth centu
Discover an interactive multimedia exper
of original paintings, story sketches, con
artwork, objects, correspondences, archi
photographs,
and
Immerse
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storyaudio.
of the unlikely
friendship between two of the most wellImmerse
yourself in
of the unlikely
known
innovators
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two
of the
most
Immerse
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the
story
of wellthe
unlikely
Discover
an
interactive
multimedia
experience
known
innovators
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twentieth
century.
friendship
between
two
of
the
most
wellof original paintings, story sketches, conceptual
Discover
an interactive
multimedia
experience
known
innovators
of the
twentieth
century.
artwork,
objects, correspondences,
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film,
of original paintings, story sketches, conceptual
Discover
an interactive
multimedia experience
photographs,
and audio.
artwork, objects,
correspondences, archival film,
FISHERMAN’S WHARF
Being SCARED has never been SO MUCH FUN!
of photographs,
original paintings,
story sketches, conceptual
and audio.
artwork, objects, correspondences, archival film,
photographs, and audio.
Located at 145 Jefferson Street • theDungeons.com/SanFrancisco
Oct • Nov • Dec
27
Photo: Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau
Itinerary/ COLORADO
Colorado National Monument, Fruita
GO
Grand Junction
DO
Rimrock Adventures
(888) 712-9555
rradventures.com
SEE
Cross Orchards Historic Site
(970) 434-9814
museumofwesternco.com
Dinosaur Journey Museum
(970) 858-7282
Enstrom Candies
(970) 242-1655
enstrom.com
Museum of the West
(970) 242-0971
Sprigs & Sprouts
(970) 234-1261
Suncrest Orchard Alpacas & Fiber Mill
(970)-464-4862
suncrestorchardalpacas.net
ASK
Grand Junction Visitor
& Convention Bureau
(970) 244-1480
visitgrandjunction.com
Get a taste of Grand Junction
Grand Junction, known as the Hub
of Colorado’s West Slope, is located in
western Colorado at the confluence of the
state’s two largest rivers: the Gunnison and
the Colorado.
“Grand Junction is perfect for groups,”
said Erin Chapman, sales coordinator for
Grand Junction Visitor & Convention
Bureau. “From scenic touring to a mild
Colorado River float trip to the adventure
that makes your heart race — we’ve got it
all. The Visitor & Convention Bureau can
help customize itineraries — from a few
hours to several days.”
Chapman designed this sample itinerary.
Day One
Dinosaur Journey Museum: Allow one
hour to discover a unique combination of
life-size robotic dinosaurs and hands-on
interactive exhibits about geology and the
prehistory of western Colorado.
Colorado National Monument: Visit the
natural beauty of the 23,000-acre monument with 11 canyons. Begin at the west
entrance from Interstate 70, stop at the
Monument Visitor Center and then continue the tour. Allow two to three hours.
Downtown Grand Junction: Visit the
Museum of the West and then enjoy lunch,
fine shopping along the open mall and
more than 100 sculpture exhibits of “Art on
the Corner.” Allow two to four hours.
Rimrock Adventures: Take a Colorado
River float trip followed by a buffalo brisket dinner. Reservations are needed for 10
or more people. Allow two to four hours.
Day Two
Grand Mesa: From Highway 50, visit
the largest flat-topped mountain in the
world. Allow three to four hours to travel the
nationally designated Scenic Byway through
this 10,000-foot-high “Island in the Sky.” Stop
at viewpoints on the 150-mile round trip.
Enjoy lunch on the Grand Mesa.
Grand Junction wineries: Continue on
Highway 65 to I-70 west and get off at Exit
42. Choose from two or three of the unique
wineries located in Colorado’s Wine Coun-
try. Allow two to three hours.
Day Three
Enstrom Candies: Allow 30 minutes to
one hour to visit the Grand Junction candy
store known for its world-famous almond
toffee.
Botanic Gardens/Riverfront Trail/Las
Colonias Park: The area is home to an herb
garden, cactus garden, rose garden and
orchid display that are maintained by local
gardening organizations. Western Colorado
Botanical Gardens also maintains several
other gardens, including the Children’s
Secret Garden and a tropical greenhouse.
Allow one hour.
Allen Unique Autos: Enjoy a glimpse
inside one of the world’s finest private
automobile collections. Each vehicle
was hand selected by rare car enthusiast
Tammy Allen because it possessed a unique
or extraordinary feature that made it one
of a kind. Allow one hour.
The Chateau at Two Rivers Winery: Eat
lunch (sandwich buffet) at the winery. Sitting at the gates of the Colorado National
Monument, Two Rivers includes a conference/event center and inn.
Cross Orchards Historic Site: Visitors
step back in time and experience early
pioneer life in western Colorado. The
Red Cross Land and Fruit Company was
established in 1899 and operated a massive orchard on the site until 1923. The
original packing shed and bunkhouse have
been preserved, and a summerhouse and
blacksmith shop have been reconstructed
and brought to life with volunteer docents.
Allow 90 minutes.
Suncrest Orchard Alpacas and Fiber
Works tour: The farm maintains a herd of
about 35 alpacas and welcome visitors to
tour the farm to see these animals. Visitors
learn about processing the fiber into yarn
and see finished products in the farm store.
Allow one to two hours.
Sprigs & Sprouts: Participate in olive oil
and balsamic vinegar tasting at this lavender farm and aquaponics operation. Allow
one hour.S
28
28
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
COLORADO
ProRodeo Hall of Fame inducts new class
Group tours are welcome at the
ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum
of the American Cowboy in Colorado
Springs.
Visitors learn about rodeo, its history and its impact on Western American
culture.
World champion cowboys Tom
Nesmith, Mark Garrett, Bob Wegner
and Harry Charters, along with rodeo
notable Jack Hannum, the Hendricks
Brothers specialty act and four-time
team roping head horse of the year Precious Speck (Walt) head the 2015 induction class for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Also enshrined were the rodeo com-
mittees from the Red Bluff (California)
Round-Up, the Guymon (Oklahoma)
Pioneer Days Rodeo and Iowa’s Championship Rodeo (Sidney).S
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
(719) 528-4764
prorodeohalloffame.com
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Oct • Nov • Dec
29
COLORADO
is located in Glenwood Springs, midway between Aspen and Vail.
The group-friendly park offers a
one-of-a-kind mountaintop adventure
that mixes classic cave tours with
modern thrill rides.
Glenwood Caverns originally
opened to the public as the Fairy
Caves in 1895, but closed at the onset
of World War I, said Heather Austin,
marketing and sales manager.
The caves were closed for 82 years
until new owners Jeanne and Steve
Beckley reopened the caverns in 1999.
“From there, it just grew,” Austin said.
The Beckleys added the Iron Mountain Tramway to provide year-round
access to the mountaintop location in
2003, and two years later, started adding rides and attractions.
Year-round attractions include an
Visit Rocky Mountain Park Inn
Estes Park Sparkles in 2015
Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park
turns 100 in 2015 and Estes Park is alive
with events for the entire year.
Stay at our group-friendly full service hotel and
enjoy year-long Centennial festivities.
Photo: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
blends classic and contemporary
Cliffhanger roller coaster, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Glenwood Springs
alpine coaster, Soaring Eagle Zip Ride,
4D motion theater and laser tag arena.
“The alpine coaster is our most
popular ride,” Austin said.
Seasonal offerings include the Giant Canyon Swing, Glenwood Canyon
Flyer, Cliffhanger roller coaster, Wild
West Express coaster, a climbing wall,
gemstone sluice box mining, a Ferris
wheel and a holiday light display.
The King’s Row cave tour includes
the most highly decorated cave room in
Colorado, Austin said.
“It’s just stunning,” she said. “It’s
beautiful down there.”
Motorcoaches usually drop off passengers at the base of Iron Mountain.
Groups ride the tram to the moun-
taintop, unless the tram is not operating due to bad weather. In that case,
motorcoaches can transport passengers
to the mountaintop.
Most groups stay at the park for
three to four hours.
The on-site Lookout Grille has custom menus available for groups.
Operators should contact Austin
for specific tour information. The tour
operator discount is 20 percent. Every
person must sign a release of liability
waiver before they can participate on
any ride or attraction.S
(970) 945-4228, ext. 133
glenwoodcaverns.com
Find out how you can
Photo: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Lose track of time.
800.803.7837 x 300
Rocky Mountain Park Inn
101 S. Saint Vrain Ave., Estes Park
Travel-Forever.com/14gtwa
Glenwood Caverns reflecting pools, Glenwood
Caverns Adventure Park, Glenwood Springs
Independently owned and operated by Forever Resorts.
30
South Maui attracts groups
for peaceful exploration
Groups will find the sunniest, driest
area of Maui on the peaceful southwestern
coast. Blessed with miles of sandy beaches
and clear views of the islands of Lanai,
Molokini and Kahoolawe, South Maui is a
place for exploration and agritourism.
The Maui Visitors and Convention
Bureau provided this three-day itinerary.
Day One
Pacific Whale Foundation Snorkel
Sail: Cruise along the beautiful Ka’anapali
coastline aboard the luxury catamaran,
Ocean Spirit. Travel to Honolua Bay, one
of Maui’s most popular snorkel spots. Take
a leisurely snorkel to witness the beauty of
the vibrant coral and marine life, including sea turtles and tropical fish. Then, head
to another reef for a guided reef tour with
a certified marine naturalist. Cruises are
offered daily out of Lahaina Harbor and
include a barbecue lunch.
Maui Ocean Center: The largest tropical aquarium in the western hemisphere is
Maui Ocean Center. The attraction replicates the natural ocean ecosystem, where
visitors encounter only animals that appear
in Hawaii, many of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world. The center features
one of the largest collections of live corals in
the nation and over 60 exhibits, including
interpretive displays, outdoor touch pools
and a 750,000-gallon “Open Ocean” exhibit
with a 240-degree-view acrylic tunnel.
Luau at Wailea Beach Marriott Resort:
The Te Au Moana luau experience is presented at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort.
Guests receive a fresh flower or carved
wooden fish hook necklace upon arrival
and witness Imu, Hawaiian underground
oven cooking. Dine amid the peaceful
ocean and dance under the Maui sky.
Discover the fascinating stories of Maui
and the Pacific through spectacular song
and dance presented by Hawaii’s premier
entertainment company.
Day Two
Alii Kula Lavender: The 13.5-acre farm
resides at an elevation of roughly 4,000
feet and is home to approximately 55,000
lavender plants and 45 varieties of lavender.
Groups can participate in guided walking
tours, guided cart tours, lavender treasure
hunts and craft classes. Gourmet picnics
also are available.
Maui’s Winery: Maui’s Winery boasts
a varied selection of wines, including
sparkling, pineapple, grape and the coveted
raspberry dessert wine. Personalized group
tours include a stroll through the historic
estate, views of the production area and
private trips to the vineyard.
Surfing Goat Dairy: Located on the
slopes of Maui’s Haleakala Crater in lower
Kula, Surfing Goat Dairy has been producing award-winning “Maui gourmet goat
cheeses” for nearly a decade. Groups can
tour the agritourism venue to learn about
the dairy operation.
Day Three
Maui Sailing Canoe: Sail, snorkel and
paddle the beautiful Wailea coast in a Hawaiian outrigger canoe. The tour includes
snorkeling with sea turtles, seasonal whale
watching and learning Hawaiian history
and culture.
The Shops at Wailea: The Shops at
Wailea is Maui’s premier shopping and
dining destination, home to more than 70
distinct boutiques, shops, restaurants and
galleries. The shopping venue is located in
the heart of Wailea Resort.
Maui Tropical Plantation: Narrated
tram tours allow groups to see 60 acres of
fields filled with papaya, guava, mango,
taro, macadamia nuts and coffee. Tours
also include a coconut husking demonstration and field stops for photo opportunities. Enjoy plantation-made fresh fruit
dishes in the restaurant and shop in the
Country Store for “made-in-Maui” gifts.S
Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority/Tor Johnson
Itinerary/ HAWAII
Wailea, Maui
GO
Maui
DO
Pacific Whale Foundation Snorkel Sail
(800) 942-5311
pacificwhale.org
Luau at Wailea Beach Marriott Resort
(877) 827-2740
teaumoana.com
Maui Sailing Canoe
(808) 281-9301
mauisailingcanoe.com
SEE
Maui Ocean Center
(808) 270-7000
mauioceancenter.com
Alii Kula Lavender
(808) 878-3004
aliikulalavender.com
Maui Tropical Plantation
(808) 244-7643
mauitropicalplantation.com
SHOP
The Shops at Wailea
(808) 891-6770
theshopsatwailea.com
SIP
Maui’s Winery
(877) 878-6058
mauiwine.com
ASK
Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau
(800) 525-6284
gohawaii.com/maui
Oct • Nov • Dec
31
HAWAII
Kona coffee cherries
Coffee Farm, Mill and Roastery Deluxe
Tour takes groups on a short walk
through the cloud forest to Mountain Thunder’s coffee orchard, where
groups can pick and taste the sweet red
Photo: Yoshi Canopus
While visiting Kona Coffee Country
along the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna
Loa on Hawaii’s Big Island, groups
can make a stop at Mountain Thunder
Coffee Plantation. The plantation has
grown, processed and roasted 100 percent Kona coffee since 1998. Mountain
Thunder is the largest organic coffee
farm in Hawaii.
The family owned and operated
business has two locations: Kaloko in
Kalaoa, Kona; and Kainaliu in the heart
of the Kona coffee belt. Both locations
offer free, walk-in tours. The Kaloko
location offers several organized VIP
tours for groups.
All private tours start at the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation Visitor
Center, where groups can sip free
samples of Kona coffee and Hawaiian tea while watching the Discovery
Channel feature about Kona coffee,
filmed at Mountain Thunder. After
groups watch the seed-to-cup process
unfold on screen, they get to experience
it in person.
The three-hour VIP Organic Kona
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/muchemistry
brews group experiences
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, Kona
32
coffee fruit. Visitors then go to the wet
mill to learn how to pulp the coffee
fruit and how it’s fermented and dried.
The next stop is the dry mill, where
hulling, sizing, grading and color sorting take place.
After a break for lunch (provided by
Mountain Thunder), the tour continues with the Roast Master for a Day
class. During the class, groups learn to
roast their own Kona coffee and chat
with a Hawaii barista champion. All
visitors leave with a half-pound bag of
their roast.
Two other tours — Roast Master for
a Day (two hours) and Organic Kona
Coffee Farm and Mill Tour (2½ hours)
— are also available. Aspects of those
tours are included in the VIP Organic
Kona Coffee Farm, Mill and Roastery
Deluxe Tour.
All group tour appointments must
be made in advance.S
(808) 345-6600
[email protected]
mountainthunder.com
IDAHO/MONTANA
Bird Aviation Museum and Invention
Center is located in Sagle, Idaho, in the
north Idaho Panhandle.
Founded by the late Dr. Forrest Bird
and his wife, Pamela, the museum
features about 20 private aircraft dating
from pre-World War I to the present.
The collection includes 1933 model
American Champion 8KCAB “Decathlon,” an Alon A-2 1967 vintage with
folding wings and a 1977 Riley Turbine
Eagle, which is considered the flagship
of the fixed-wing fleet.
“When guests visit the Bird Aviation
Museum and Invention Center, they
can expect to see historic contributions
from great aviators and innovators who
have made a lifelong impact on the way
we live,” said Rachel Schwam, executive
director.
The museum highlights a collection
of art, military service members, the
Flying Tigers, NASA, the Tuskegee Airmen and memorabilia dating to World
War I and World War II.
Photo: Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center
Bird museum displays aircraft and inventions
Classic cars and private aircraft,
Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center, Sagle
Also housed in the facilities are
exhibits of inventions and of inductees
from the National Inventors Hall of
Fame.
Inventions include Dr. Bird’s Bird
Respirator, which helped to save real
lives and fictitious ones on early 1960s
television. When actor Richard Chamberlain as “Dr. Kildare” would call for
“the green box” during the medical
drama, the script was referring to the
Bird Respirator.
A variety of inventions are displayed,
from Bird’s medical respirator to the
Barbie doll from Ruth Handler and
Gatorade from Dr. Robert Cade.
Other notable inventors include
lesser-known names for well-known
products. Helen Free is honored for her
patent that evolved into the consumeroriented “dip and read” test to monitor
blood glucose levels.
The museum’s cafe is seasonal; it
offers pre-arranged lunch choices
for groups. Admission to the museum is free. Motorcoach parking is
available.S
Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center
(208) 255-4321, groups
birdaviationmuseum.com
When most people think of Bozeman, Montana, the Wild West and
nearby Yellowstone National Park come
to mind. Yet, Bozeman also offers a
surprising departure from outdoorsy
western pursuits — the American
Computer and Robotics Museum.
The museum offers a chronological
tour of the history of computing, communications, artificial intelligence and
robotics. It was founded in 1990, back
when few people even had computers. And its approach to explaining
the timeline of technology makes it as
well suited to the curious and historyminded as it is to computer geeks.
The collection starts from Babylonian tablets that are 4,000 years old.
Each room in the museum expands
from there. The museum covers the
telephone and early communication
technology, the brain, computer games
and early computers, such as a com-
Space display, American Computer
and Robotics Museum, Bozeman
plete 1956 Burroughs 205 vacuum tube
computer along with others, such as
the Altair, Osborne and Kaypro. An
Apple 1 computer, a gift to the museum from Steve Wozniak, one of Apple’s
founders, rounds out the collection.
“The key is that we explain the
timeline of technology and put it in
context, showing how each discovery
leads to the next thing,” said Barbara
Keremedjiev, the museum’s director of
Photo: American Computer and Robotics Museum
Computers and robots share storied history
educational programs. “It sets the tone
for a historical approach to understanding technology.”
Along with the permanent collection, groups will find changing exhibits
focused on special topics such as women
in technology, the human brain and
artificial intelligence. Ultimately, said
Keremedjiev, learning a little bit about
the past 20 years will make it easier to
understand changes over the next 20.
The museum tailors tours to focus on
each group’s interests. Motorcoach parking is available adjacent to the building.
Group tours are by appointment.
Pending circumstances, tours can be
arranged outside of normal museum
hours.S
American Computer
and Robotics Museum
(406) 582-1288
compustory.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
33
Photo: Greensburg Convention & Tourism
Itinerary/ KANSAS
Big Well, Greensburg
GO
Greensburg
SEE
5.4.7 Arts Center
(620) 723-2600
547artscenter.org
Big Well Museum & Visitor Center
(620) 723-4102
bigwell.org
Greensburg GreenTown
(620) 723-2790
greensburggreentown.org
Kiowa County Historical Museum
& Soda Fountain
(620) 723-1125
kiowacountyksmuseum.org
Twilight Theatre & Community
Auditorium
(620) 723-1092
twilighttheatre.org
ASK
Greensburg Convention & Tourism
(620) 723-4102
greensburgks.org
Walk through Greensburg’s story
An EF5 tornado on May 4, 2007, destroyed 95 percent of Greensburg. This level
of tornado is the highest in the EF scale.
“Although some tornado damage is
still evident, we have rebuilt as one of the
greenest cities in the United States,” said
Stacy Barnes, convention and tourism director for the city of Greensburg. “Located
100 miles west of Wichita on Highway
54 and 45 miles east of Dodge City on
Highway 400, we are a great destination
or a stop on a hub-and-spoke itinerary
out of either of these cities. Experience the
Greensburg story.”
Big Well Museum & Visitor
Information Center
The Big Well is a marvel of pioneer
engineering that was completed in 1888 as
the town’s original water supply. At 109 feet
deep, this is a breathtaking sight to see and
one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. The new
museum opened in May 2012 and once
again allows visitors to descend a spiral staircase into the Big Well and view exhibits that
feature Greensburg’s history, the tornado and
its rebuilding as a sustainable community.
Kiowa County Historical Museum
& Soda Fountain
This museum features exhibits about the
founders & pioneers of Kiowa County and
artifacts from the early days of the county.
Also visit the restored Hunter Drug soda
fountain for all of the old fashioned treats,
such as a green river or chocolate hickey.
5.4.7 Arts Center
The 5.4.7 Arts Center is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to raising awareness
of the visual and performing arts by providing an environment to create and learn
through exhibits, performances and classes.
This unique facility is the first LEED
Platinum-certified building in Kansas, and
uses wind and solar power.
Twilight Theatre &
Community Auditorium
Twilight Theatre is a 400-seat multipurpose facility that hosts movies, performing
arts events and can be rented for private
meetings and events. Tours are available.
Unique shopping
Greensburg has several one-of-a-kind
shopping experiences. From home décor
to Western wear and antiques, Greensburg
has a little something for everyone.
Greensburg GreenTown
A local nonprofit organization, Greensburg GreenTown provides information to the
public about sustainability and green building.
Tour the unique Silo-Eco home. Green tours
of Greensburg also are available with guided
tours of Greensburg’s greenest facilities.
Just outside of Greensburg…
Kansas Meteorite Museum & Nature
Center, Haviland
Known worldwide to meteorite hunters
and geologists, the Brenham Pallasite meteorite field is 6 miles east of Greensburg.
The Round Barn, Mullinville
Built in 1912 to house draft horses, the
16-sided barn in one of the 8 Wonders of
Kansas Architecture and is on the National
Register of Historic Places. The barn stands
out for miles and was used as a landmark
for training World War II bomber navigators. The barn is 10 miles west and 3.5
miles south of Greensburg.
M.T. Liggett’s Kanza Metal Art,
Mullinville
Artist M.T. Liggett’s kinetic metal artwork
lines nearly 1 mile of U.S. Highway 400
just outside Mullinville. Ranging in subject
from political themes to some of his favorite
people, his art is a must-see attraction.S
34
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
KANSAS
Tallgrass prairie takes center stage
at Flint Hills Discovery Center
Photo: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Photo: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Photo: Edwin Olson
One of the nalow the same cycle of
tion’s most endanburning once done by
gered ecological treanative peoples. Some
sures is celebrated at
of the center’s most
the Flint Hills Disinteresting displays
covery Center, which
describe how these
opened in 2012 in
fires keep the trees at
the university town
bay, remove dead vegof Manhattan.
etation, and stimulate
The center inthe prairie plants to
troduces groups to
grow taller and more
the unique geology,
abundantly.
biology and cultural
Many special
history of the surevents and classes
rounding Flint Hills,
are held at the center.
the largest unbroken
Staff members tailor
expanse of tallgrass
opportunities to a
prairie in the United
variety of ages and
Tallgrass prairie, Flint Hills
States.
interests and can
A visit begins
coordinate programs
with the multimedia film, Tallgrass Prairie: Tides of Time.
that combine visits to the center with tours of the Flint Hills.
Typically shown every 30 minutes on a curved, panoramic
And the building is an education in itself, with a terraced
screen, the movie features special effects simulating fog,
green roof, native plantings and limestone-and-glass archisnow, smoke and wind, immersing visitors in the seasonal
tecture that mimics the undulating lines of the prairie.
cycle of the prairie.
“Our exhibits and programming are based upon ongoing
After seeing the film, visitors can learn more about the
research being done in the Flint Hills,” said Fred Goss, direcFlint Hills on two floors of exhibits. Displays describe how
tor. “We’re only just beginning to understand the complex
bison grazed on these hillsides for thousands of years, and
web of life that sustains this endangered ecosystem.”S
how after the pioneers arrived, they found they couldn’t plow
Flint Hills Discovery Center
the land because of its rocky soil and so the hills were used to
(785) 587-2726
feed cattle. Thus the rich biodiversity of this region was kept
flinthillsdiscovery.org
largely intact, aided by periodic fires set by ranchers, who fol-
Exhibits, Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan
Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan
Oct • Nov • Dec
35
Trolley available for rent:
families, reunions, clubs,
businesses, holiday tours
Visit our new
Museum
Tour the Automobile
Restoration Program
at McPherson
College.
Just a short drive from anywhere,
McPherson has more than 400 guest
rooms and is the perfect place to
begin your next Kansas adventure.
Call for your free visitor guide.
(800) 324-8022 • visitmcpherson.com
C
onnect
with Our Stories
Walk down into this marvel of
pioneer engineering,
The Big Well. At 109 feet deep,
this experience will take your
breath away!
www.greensburgks.org
36
Buffalo Bill Bronze Sculpture
Oakley, Kansas  785–671–1000
[email protected]
plan your next Great
adventure in Kansas
tourkansas.org
GroupTourMag_Grp Tours 8/4/15 4:35 PM Page 1
Little Apple...
BIG TOURS
OR
N E I GH B O
M E R R IA M
www.visitmanhattanks.org
K A NSA
C
IT
Y
KANSAS
*****
Contact Marcia Rozell,
Tourism Sales Manager,
[email protected]
785-776-8829
S
*****
TO U R
to
Unique attractions in
Manhattan
W
RA
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N E X T DO
ST
CA
ITI
OV
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E
I LL
UR
YH
IX T
RR
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B
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Take your senses on a
journey as you experience
the Made in Merriam tour!
Delight in the aroma of
Mixture candles or sample
the popular dessert bread at
Strawberry Hill Povitica…
book today!
MERRIAM VISITORS BUREAU
www.exploremerriam.com
***** 866.707.6534 *****
Experience
Leavenworth, KS
Stay
Shop
Dine See
&Do
ola,
Pumpkin PaZo
rs,
Blues Maste
IS FALL!
e TH
r
o
Street Fair & m
877-725-4625
www.VisitSalinaKS.org
Founded in 1854
• All-terrain ATV Ranch Tours
• Secret Garden Tours
• Winery in the Making
• Elk Ranch
• Dairy Farm
• Lavender Patch
• Cheese Making
• Petting Zoo
• Pumpkin Patch
• Beekeeping
the
"The First City of Kansas"
Contact us today to
plan your next visit!
(913) 682-4113
FirstCityofKansas.com
STAR of
AGRI-TOURISM
ITINERARIES
620.223.3566 | 800.245.3678
[email protected] | www.fortscott.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
37
Photo: North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau
Itinerary/ NEBRASKA
Working Farm Tour, North Platte
GO
North Platte
EAT
Feather River Vineyard
(308) 696-0078
feather-river.com
SEE
Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center
(308) 532-9920
goldenspiketower.com
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historic Park
(308) 535-8035
outdoornebraska.ne.gov
ASK
North Platte/Lincoln
County Visitors Bureau
(308) 221-6864
visitnorthplatte.com
Discover North Platte’s
agriculture heritage
North Platte, located along Interstate
80 in central Nebraska, provides a number
of options for group travelers, including
several agricultural-themed tours.
Ginger Ady, the group tour specialist at
the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors
Bureau, put together this itinerary. She
said she is looking forward to customizing
itineraries for groups.
Day One
1–2 p.m. — Enjoy the panoramic view
of the Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard from
the two observation decks of the Golden
Spike Tower. The Guinness Book of World
Records certifies Bailey Yard as the world’s
largest railroad yard, with a mind-boggling
array of more than 315 miles of track, accommodating up to 150 trains a day.
2–7 p.m. — Spend the evening on the
bureau’s Beef and Wine Tour.
Upon arrival at the University Of
Nebraska West Central Research Center,
the group will be greeted with a comfortable hay-rack-like wagon to transport to
the first of four stops at the research farm,
the greenhouse. The group will learn about
several of Nebraska’s most notable plants
and get a firsthand look at state-of-the-art
plant research.
The next stop is the cattle pens. Visitors
enter a special facility where scientists conduct research that helps ranchers produce
the beef that today’s consumers demand.
Group members learn about innovations,
such as the ear tag technology that tracks every visit to the food trough. This documents
the amount of feed that was consumed and
helps determine how to get the most weight
gain and produce the best quality beef with
the lowest amount of inputs.
The third stop is the wind tunnel, to see
how researchers simulate the effect of wind
speed on spraying and irrigation.
The group then makes its way to Feather River Vineyard. After a brief tour of
the vineyard, the group is seated for a full
meal in the wine-tasting room. The dinner, cooked in front of the group, includes
salad, beef steak, vegetables and dessert,
along with Feather River’s finest wines.
The overnight is in North Platte.
Day Two
8:30–10 a.m. — North Platte Visitors
Bureau’s Working Farm Tour visits a thirdgeneration irrigated farm that produces the
traditional row crops of corn, soybean and
wheat as well as hay, alfalfa and cattle.
This 10,000-acre family farm is located
2 miles south of North Platte. The farm
is dedicated to teaching visitors about the
food they eat, while letting them experience a bit of farm life in a fun, safe and
interactive atmosphere.
What a group sees depends on the
season of the year, and the natural ebb and
flow of farm life.
As the group steps off the motorcoach
and on to Miller Farms, they will be
stepping into the heart of a family farm
and into a cornfield. The group sees how
gravity irrigation works and the different
hybrids of corn that Miller Farms grows.
From there, the group boards tractorpulled transportation, and moseys its way
to the pivot-irrigated corn. At the pivot, the
group will not only see a working pivot up
close, but will learn about grid sampling
fertilization and the efficiency of pivot irrigation compared to gravity irrigation.
The final stop is in the alfalfa and grass
field. The group will explore how hay and
other nutritional grasses are grown so that
the cattle are a well-rounded product
year-round.
At the end of the tour, Miller Farms
transports the group back to a paved road
where the motorcoach is waiting.
10:30–11:30 a.m. — Arriving at Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, the
group tours Buffalo Bill’s home. William F.
Cody built the home during the heyday of
his wild west show.S
38
NEBRASKA
B-17G Flying Fortress, Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Ashland
larger predecessor, the B-36, which is the
only American bomber never to drop a
bomb in wartime. The hangar houses
several other historically significant
aircraft, including a World War II-era
B-17, an F-86 fighter and one of only six
remaining B-58A supersonic bombers.
Hangar B displays the rest of the
aircraft collection, which includes
Photo: Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
Southwest of Omaha, the
300,000-square-foot Strategic Air
Command & Aerospace Museum in
Ashland preserves aviation and spacerelated history. It tells the stories of the
Strategic Air Command and those who
served, fought and won the Cold War.
During the Cold War, Offutt Air Force
Base near Omaha served as the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command.
Museum docent Terry Currey, a
former air traffic controller in the U.S.
Air Force, grew up in Omaha.
He said his classmates knew that
Offutt Air Force Base made Omaha a
prime target for the Soviet Union.
“We didn’t worry about it,” he recalled. “We wore it as a badge of honor.
The Strategic Air Command was the
sharp point of America’s Cold War
strategy.”
An SR-71A Blackbird reconnaissance plane is suspended in mid-air
just inside the building’s entrance. This
artifact, the world’s fastest aircraft, is
one of several on exhibit throughout
the museum’s two hangars.
Hangar A is highlighted by the massive B-52 bomber along with its even
Cold War comes into focus at
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Ashland
dedicated space artifacts and displays
on astronaut Clayton Anderson, a
KC-97, two Vietnam-era rescue helicopters, a C-47 and a Soviet MiG 21-F
fighter. The hangar is highlighted by
a B-29, the type of plane used to drop
the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki in 1945.
Exhibits are dedicated to significant
eras and events in aviation history.
Strategic Air Command was decommissioned in 1992 and reformed as
United States Strategic Command.
Private group tours are available
to groups of 20 or more and must be
scheduled at least two weeks before
the visit. Experienced docents lead
a two-hour guided group tour at no
additional fee. Motorcoach parking is
available.
The museum was previously known
as the Strategic Air & Space Museum.
Earlier this year, the board of directors
changed its name to the Strategic Air
Command & Aerospace Museum.S
Strategic Air Command
& Aerospace Museum
(402) 944-3100
sasmuseum.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
39
Itinerary/ NEVADA
C Street, Virginia City
GO
Virginia City
DO
Best and Belcher Mine Tour
Ponderosa Saloon
(775) 847-7210
Comstock Gold Mill
(775) 742-9694
Gold Hill Hotel
(775) 847-0111
goldhillhotel.net
Historic Fourth Ward School & Museum
(775) 847-0975
fourthwardschool.org
Mackay Mansion
(775) 847-0373
uniquitiesmackaymansion.com
Virginia & Truckee Railroad
(775) 847-0380
virginiatruckee.com
ASK
Virginia City Tourism Commission
Virginia City Visitors Center
(775) 847-7500
visitvirginiacitynv.com
When Virginia City’s mining industry
was at its peak, proceeds amounted to millions of dollars, equaling billions today.
Take a fascinating cultural and historical journey in Virginia City. Discover the
home of the richest silver deposit the world
has ever known, as well as Virginia City’s
most revered historical buildings. It’s all set
in the mountains above Reno and just 45
minutes away from Lake Tahoe.
This itinerary was provided by Virginia
City Tourism Commission.
railroad to the Comstock Gold Mill at the
recently renovated F Street Depot.
Known as the “Queen of the Short
Lines,” the group’s narrated tour goes to
Gold Hill and back, through tunnel No. 4.
At various times of the year, the Virginia
& Truckee Railroad offers themed trains,
like Polar Express trains, to celebrate holidays and events.
Let the conductor know the group
wants to get off at the Gold Hill Depot and
explore the Gold Hill Hotel, Nevada’s oldest operating hotel, built in 1859.
Morning
From Reno, have the motorcoach take
Lunch
I-580 to Highway 341, also known as Geiger
Grab lunch or a beverage at the Gold
Grade, and head east. Virginia City is about
Hill Saloon and catch the next train back to
a 35-minute drive from downtown Reno.
Virginia City. (45 minutes)
From Carson City,
take Highway 50
Afternoon
east to Highway
Next, Virginia
341. The drive is
City’s mining history
about 30 minutes
comes alive with
from downtown
an operating 1860s
Carson City.
Joshua Hendy two
Stop in the Virstamp Gold Mill,
ginia City Visitors
which was built
Center to purchase
in San Francisco.
discounted attracSee how gold was
tion tickets, get
processed from ore
Mackay Mansion, Virginia City
maps of the town
to recovery with this
and ask the knowlimpressive piece of
edgeable staff any questions the group may
machinery. This narrated tour is educational
have.
and fun. (30 minutes)
Visit the Historic Fourth Ward School
Up the street, check out the Mackay
for a guided or self-guided tour. This is the
Mansion. Originally built as the Gold &
last standing Second Empire, multistory
Curry Mine Office, the historic building
wooden school building in the United
became home to John Mackay, king of the
States. Sit in original wooden school desks
Comstock and one of the founders of the
and learn the school’s history.
University of Nevada, Reno. Tour highlights
The authentically preserved 1876
include mining artifacts, the original vault
Victorian building explores 19th-century
that housed millions in gold and silver buleducation, Mark Twain’s life and letterpress
lion, Tiffany silver and furnishings used by
printing. Throughout the museum, various
Mackey and his family. (30 minutes)
exhibits show the discovery and developBack on C Street, the Best and Belcher
ment of the Comstock Lode, and Virginia
Mine Tour inside the Ponderosa Saloon is a
City’s unique history. An elevator is availguided tour featuring more than 300 pieces
able. (45 minutes)
of historic mining equipment. Formerly
Head down to the F Street Depot and
the Bank of California, the building is now
catch a ride on the Virginia & Truckee Raila saloon, making a unique experience for
road. Learn about the significance of the
visitors. (25 minutes)S
Photo: Virginia City Tourism Commission
Photo: Virginia City Tourism Commission
Step back in time in Virginia City
40
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
NEVADA
One of four U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service refuges in southern Nevada, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge offers
5,380 acres of land, lakes and marshes.
“The abundance of wetlands on
the refuge supports a large and diverse population of wildlife,” said Dan
Balduini, public affairs officer at the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
During spring and fall migration,
thousands of waterfowl (25 different
species of ducks, geese and swans) dot
the lakes and marshes.
Underbrush near canals and lakes
provides an ideal avian habitat, making
Pahranagat a popular choice for photographers and birders alike.
Hiking and biking trails cross five
different habitat types. Groups can see
meadows, marshes, lakes, rivers and
desert within a single afternoon visit.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wilderness flourishes at
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
Waterfowl, Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge,
Alamo
“The 3-mile Upper Lake Trail encircles a lake and provides an excellent
opportunity to see waterfowl throughout the year,” Balduini said. “There are
a few short trails in the Visitor Center
area near a meandering stream that
lead to historic cabins.”
Refuge naturalists and volunteers
offer a variety of free, guided programs
for groups of seven people or more.
Most tours are one hour long.
Tour options focus on birding for
beginners, small desert animals, history
of Pahranagat Valley, astronomy and
night hikes.
The refuge is open every day of the
year, 24 hours per day.
“We hope the public gains an appreciation of fish, wildlife and plants at
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge and
in Lincoln County,” Balduini said. “The
overall goal is to inform the public about
the importance of conserving natural
resources for future generations.”S
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
(775) 725-3417, ext. 101
fws.gov/refuge/pahranagat
Oct • Nov • Dec
41
NEVADA
Located in the northeastern corner
of Nevada, Elko is situated on the
Humboldt River halfway between Reno
and Salt Lake City. Interstate 80 traverses Elko County, a convenient route
for motorcoach travel.
At an elevation of 5,060 feet, the city
of Elko offers unspoiled opportunities
for adventure. Thousands of miles of
trails in and out of national forests and
the Ruby Mountains provide excellent
opportunities for mountain biking,
ATV rides and snowmobiling.
In the heart of the Ruby Mountains
lies Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway,
which winds around the base of the
11,387-foot Ruby Dome. Four geologyinterpretive panels lead groups to meadows bursting with wildflowers, wildlife,
waterfalls and avalanche chutes.
For a change of pace, head back to
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Photo: Elko Convention & Visitors Authority
Adventure starts in Elko’s
‘Great American West’
Ruby Mountains, Elko County
the city. The corner of 14th and Idaho
streets is home to the Sherman Station
Ranch House and five outbuildings,
used as the headquarters of the Elko
Area Chamber of Commerce. Guided
group tours give visitors an opportunity to view memorabilia that documents
the station’s history and the Walther
family who built it.
The outbuildings include a stable
that dates to 1880, a blacksmith’s shop, a
creamery and a one-room schoolhouse.
“We have wonderful attractions for
groups,” said Juli Nelson, marketing
coordinator at the Elko Convention &
Visitors Authority. “The Northeastern
Nevada Museum was just rated No. 8
in True West magazine for being a top
western museum.”
A 3-minute walk from the Sherman
Station Ranch House, the Northeastern Nevada Museum offers visitors an
42
additional look into the region’s history
and art. An extensive wild animal exhibit in six galleries takes up more than
20,000 square feet.
Did the group know Northern
Nevada is the nation’s largest gold producer? Tours of the area’s gold mines
provide insightful information on
Nevada’s rich mining history.
Newmont Mining Corporation offers operation tours from April through
October at the Carlin Trend Mine. Participants are required to sign a waiver,
wear long pants and closed-toe shoes,
and participate in a safety orientation.
Nelson also noted the California
Trail Interpretive Center is another
popular group attraction.S
Elko Convention & Visitors Authority
(775) 738-4091
exploreelko.com
Travel the New Mexico
science byway
New Mexico has played a significant role
in the history of science and the development of the United States space program.
Mark Bleth, president of Albuquerquebased Follow the Sun Tours, the official
tour operator of Spaceport America, shared
this four-day New Mexico science byway
itinerary.
Day One
Arrive in Albuquerque
Start at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, established in 1969 as
an intriguing place to learn the story of the
atomic age, from early research of nuclear
development through today’s peaceful uses
of nuclear technology.
After lunch, the group travels to the
Very Large Array, featured in several
movies like Contact. The VLA, one of the
world’s premier astronomical radio observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a
Y-shaped configuration.
Have dinner in Socorro, then travel
on to Elephant Butte and overnight at the
Elephant Butte Inn that sits adjacent to the
largest lake in New Mexico.
Day Two
Spaceport America and free time
Travel to the Spaceport America Visitor
Center in the heart of the historic district
of Truth or Consequences. The tour will
travel to Spaceport America, which is the
first purpose-built spaceport, 45 minutes
southeast in the most northern part of the
Chihuahuan Desert. Spaceport America is
home to Space X and Virgin Galactic with
the iconic Gateway to Space Building. Learn
about the history of space in New Mexico
and see the future of the second space age.
The tour features guides, videos, exhibits,
a G-Shock Multi-Axis Trainer and behindthe-scenes crew member engagements.
In the afternoon, the group can have
free time to enjoy the one of the best
therapeutic hot springs in the world, enjoy
a round of golf at 4,400 feet at Sierra del
Rio at Turtleback Mountain Resort, go on a
guided fishing trip at Elephant Butte Lake,
or just relax and walk the beach.
Day Three
The Chili Pepper Institute at New Mexico
State University, Old Mesilla, White Sands
Missile Range and White Sands National
Monument
Popular Science rated the Chili Pepper
Institute in Las Cruces in the top 25 geek
trips for groundbreaking agricultural science. For those who are “geeked out,” there’s
a break in historic Old Mesilla for lunch.
The tour continues at White Sands Missile Range Museum. Established in 1945,
White Sands Missile Range is America’s
largest overland military test range. At
White Sands, the world entered the atomic
age when the first atomic bomb was tested
at Trinity Site on July 16, 1945. Less than a
year later, America entered the space age at
White Sands when V-2 rockets roared into
space from America’s first launch complex
carrying test instruments and biological
experiments. Since 1945, the missile range
has conducted more than 42,000 missile
and rocket firings.
Stop at White Sands National Monument and be amazed by the world’s largest
gypsum sand dunes covering 275 square
miles of desert.
The overnight is in nearby Alamogordo.
Day Four
New Mexico Museum of Space History and
Roswell Museum featuring Dr. Robert Goddard’s workshop
Start the day in Alamogordo at the New
Mexico Museum of Space History and discover the cradle of the U.S. space program.
Travel to Roswell and the Roswell
Museum and Art Center. Roswell isn’t all
about aliens; it’s also the birthplace of Dr.
Robert Goddard’s successful launches of
liquid fueled rockets. His experiments are
the basis of every vehicle that has ever been
to space.
The tour returns to Albuquerque for the
overnight.S
Photo: Courtesy of Spaceport America
Itinerary/ NEW MEXICO
Visitor Center, Spaceport America,
Truth or Consequences
GO
Alamogordo, Albuquerque,
Elephant Butte, Las Cruces,
Roswell, Socorro, and
Truth or Consequences
DO
Spaceport America
(844) 727-7223
spaceportamerica.com
SEE
National Museum of Nuclear Science
& History
(505) 245-2137
nuclearmuseum.org
New Mexico Museum of Space History
(575) 437-2840
nmspacemuseum.org
Roswell Museum and Art Center
(575) 624-6744
roswellmuseum.org
The Chili Pepper Institute
(575) 646-3028
chilepepperinstitute.org
White Sands Missile Range Museum
(575) 678-8800
wsmr-history.org
ASK
Follow the Sun Tours
(866) 428-4786
ftstours.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
43
NEW MEXICO
Tour Taos
Meet on the
wild side.
Book your meeting for 2016 today
With incredible convention and meeting facilities, gaming action,
award-winning dining and unparalleled alpine scenery, there’s no
better place to go wild for your next meeting.
• 273 luxury rooms and suites
• 45,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space
• Championship golf course*
• Fine and casual dining
• Full casino
• Ski Apache*
• Fishing*
• Horseback riding*
• ZipTour
Booking info:
Charles Meeks 575-464-7780 | [email protected]
Jo Kazhe 575-464-7065 | [email protected]
InnoftheMountainGods.com
Mescalero, NM near Ruidoso
FULL CASINO | LUXURY RESORT
CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF
*For restrictions please contact Charles Meeks or Jo Kazhe. Must be 21 or older to
enter casino. The Mescalero Apache Tribe promotes responsible gaming.
For assistance, please call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).
Taos, located in northern New
Mexico, is home of the United States’
oldest pueblo community and one of
country’s newest national monuments.
Taos Pueblo, 3 miles northeast
of Taos Plaza, is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and a National Historic
Landmark. People have lived in the
multistory adobe buildings for more
than 1,000 years.
Pueblo residents lead tours and
present the pueblo’s history and traditions for groups.
Rio Grande del Norte National
Monument was established March 25,
2013. Its 310,500 acres include rugged,
wide-open plains at an average elevation of 7,000 feet, dotted by volcanic
cones and cut by steep canyons with
rivers tucked away in their depths.
The monument’s recreational opportunities — whitewater rafting, rock
rappelling, hiking and mountain biking
— are covered in a booklet published
by MARKETAOS, a public-private
initiative.
“The monument is a treasure
owned by every American citizen,” said
John Bailey, BLM field manager of Rio
Grande del Norte National Monument.
“I am grateful to the funding sponsors
for making this visitor guide project
happen. Now visitors can learn what
locals have known for centuries.”S
Taos Visitor Center
(877) 587-9007
taos.org
Discover
Nature
FarmingtonNM.org
44
History
NEW MEXICO
Tucumcari shows its Route 66 origins
Tucumcari is brimming with nostalgia and legends.
The city in eastern New Mexico is
on the Historic Route 66, and the highway, known as the Mother Road, will
celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2016.
Eve Calderon, executive director of
the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber
of Commerce, said the New Mexico
Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari is a
popular attraction.
“The museum is filled with photos
and old cars,” Calderon said. “There’s a
diner exhibit and it’s really symbolic of
what you would have seen on Route 66
in the 1950s.”
A good photo spot for groups is the
Route 66 Monument near the museum.
The base of the sculpture is a tire, road
and tread topped by a larger-than-life
chrome tail fin.
The Mesalands Community College
Dinosaur Museum and the Tucumcari
Historical Museum are also popular
stops, Calderon said.
Tucumcari is known as the City
of Murals. Some 45 murals have been
painted on the exterior of downtown
buildings and inside some of them. Nearby Ute Lake and Conchas Lake
state parks are good spots for picnicking and hiking.S
Tucumcari/Quay County
Chamber of Commerce
(575) 461-1694
tucumcarinm.com
Photo: Tucumcari/Quay County C of C
White Sands National Monument
Painted skies illuminate your journey.
Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari
Some of the businesses on Route
66 in Tucumcari like the Blue Swallow
Motel and Tee Pee Curios have their
original neon signs, Calderon said,
evoking the highway’s heyday.
AlamogordoNmTrue.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
45
NEW MEXICO
Old Town Albuquerque is the city’s heart
Now a historic zone, Old Town
Albuquerque looks much like it did
centuries ago.
Centered around the plaza, which
serves as the epicenter for activities and
events, Albuquerque’s Old Town encompasses about 10 blocks of historic
adobe buildings.
San Felipe de Neri, the historic Roman Catholic church in Old Town, was
the first building constructed in the
square. The church is open daily.
The Pueblo-Spanish style architecture of Old Town is characterized by the
use of adobe. The flat-roofed buildings and their soft contours mirror the
Southwestern landscape. Long portals
(porches) line the fronts of most buildings, while bancos (benches) are often
found built into back walls of the portals.
Photo: Old Town Tours
Old Town Albuquerque is somewhat hidden near the center of modern
Albuquerque.
This “original Albuquerque” was
established in 1706, 70 years before the
American Revolution, when King Philip
of Spain gave colonists permission to
settle an area of the Rio Grande Valley.
Plaza, Old Town Albuquerque
A wide variety of Southwestern artwork is available in the area, including
jewelry, sculptures, paintings, weavings
and handcrafted work. Old Town is
home to more than 150 stores, 35 galleries, five museums and New Mexicanstyle dining.
Old Town Tours offers history-
46
NEW MEXICO
the hidden treasures.”
Brown said the company works with
operators to customize group tours and
can set up private tours.S
Old Town Merchants Association
albuquerqueoldtown.com
Photo: Old Town Tours
walking tours during the day in Old
Town Albuquerque and ghost tours in
the evening.
Manager Julia Brown said the
15-year-old company offers the Spook
Troop, a ghost hunting tour for kids,
and an adults-only Toast A Ghost!
Haunted Pub Crawl.
“We are definitely the experts on
Old Town Albuquerque,” Brown said.
“We know the shops, the people and
Old Town Tours
(505) 246-8687
toursofoldtown.com
San Felipe de Neri Church,
Old Town Albuquerque
A place to learn, to imagine,
to think and to draw your own conclusions.
New Mexico Museum of
nuclearmuseum.o g • 505-245nuclearmuseum.org
505-245-2137
601 Eubank Blvd SE • Albuquerque, NM
Space History
Alamogordo, NM
575-437-2840 x 41132
www.nmspacemuseum.org
Oct • Nov • Dec
47
Photo: Fargo-Moorhead CVB
Itinerary/ NORTH DAKOTA
Bonanzaville, Fargo
GO
Fargo and Moorhead,
Minnesota
EAT
Maxwells
(701) 277-9463
maxwellsnd.com
The Boiler Room
(701) 478-1990
boilerroomfargo.com
SEE
Bonanzaville
(701) 282-2822
bonanzaville.org
Fargo Brewing Company
(701) 478-2337
fargobrewing.com
Hjemkomst Center
(218) 299-5511
hcscconline.org
Plains Art Museum
(701) 232-3821
plainsart.org
Red River Zoo
(701) 277-9240
redriverzoo.org
ASK
Fargo-Moorhead Convention
and Visitors Bureau
(701) 282-3653
fargomoorhead.org
Tour the real Fargo
Many have seen the movie or the hit TV
show on FX, but what is Fargo really like?
According to the Fargo-Moorhead
Convention and Visitors Bureau, Fargo is
a community of deep-rooted Scandinavian tradition, friendly people, a budding
downtown, and tasty food and drink to
satisfy even the most discerning pallets.
The bureau provided this three-day
itinerary.
Day One
Downtown
This restaurant may be in a basement
just off Broadway, but The Boiler Room
certainly doesn’t feel like it! Enjoy sophisticated twists on nostalgic dishes while dining at one of Fargo’s newest locally owned
restaurants.
After breakfast, wander through downtown Fargo’s eclectic shops featuring handmade goods, boutique clothing, artisan furniture and local art. While downtown, don’t
forget to snap a photo with the historic and
iconic Fargo Theatre sign and grab lunch at
one of the local eateries. Both quick service
and fine dining options are available.
While downtown, don’t be afraid to
cross the river to Fargo’s sister city, Moorhead, Minnesota. Pop over to Rourke
Art Museum, featuring art from multiple
genres and artwork from the museum’s
founder, James O’Rourke. While enjoying
the art of the area, head over to the Plains
Art Museum to see its national rotating
and regional exhibits.
When the group is ready for a break,
head to the edge of downtown to try some
of the Fargo Brewing Company’s freshly
tapped beer. Fargo Brewing Company’s Tap
Room is open for sampling and sits right
next to the brewing space. Sign up for a
tour of the brewing space.
In the evening, head over to the Sons
of Norway for dinner and some authentic
Scandinavian entertainment.
Day Two
Around town
After breakfast, head over to the Red
River Zoo to meet the endangered northern climate animals who call the zoo home.
Stop at the Fargo-Moorhead Visitor
Center and see the real woodchipper. The
actual prop that was used in the movie
is housed in the visitor center — a great
photo opportunity.
Ready for a little adventure? Head over
to Scheels for an indoor Ferris wheel ride
and indoor sports games. The store offers
entertainment and food, as well as great
shopping.
While at Scheels, stop at Gramma
Ginna’s cafe for lunch and some delicious
fudge, made fresh in the store.
Head south about 30 minutes to try Red
Trail Vineyard’s home-grown wine.
Dinner is at Maxwells in West Fargo.
The restaurant serves elegant and adventurous cuisine with an exceptional wine
list. After the meal, enjoy the area’s nightlife
or head downtown for some music.
Day Three
Some History of Town
Start with a bagel and a cup of coffee a
Boppa’s Bagels — a favorite local hidden
treasure.
Take the bagels to go and eat them on
the grounds of Bonanzaville, a pioneer village on 12 acres with more than 40 historic
buildings and thousands of artifacts to
explore. Wander through the exhibits and
learn more about the history of Fargo.
Grab some lunch downtown before
heading back across the river. Explore the
Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, featuring
the culture and heritage of the citizens of
the community. Check out the Hjemkomst
Viking Ship and the Stave Church — both
replicas of actual Norwegian structures.
The group can finish its exploration of
Fargo at the Fargo Air Museum.S
48
NORTH DAKOTA
Among the fields near Mooreton
stands Bagg Bonanza Farm, the only restored bonanza farm in North Dakota.
“Everything is an exact replica,”
said Norma Nosek, the president of the
board of directors for Bagg Bonanza
Farm.
Since 1986, the Bagg Bonanza Farm
Historic Preservation Society has been
working to restore every building at
the site, as well as begin agricultural
production plots.
While on the farm, groups have the
opportunity to learn about bonanza
life.
“Some people don’t know what
bonanza farms are, or how they evolved
and failed,” Nosek said.
Bonanza farms were large farms
that pioneered the development of
farm technology. The farms generally
Photo: Bagg Bonanza Farm
Bagg Bonanza Farm is restored,
refurbished and ready for groups
Farmhouse, Bagg Bonanza Farm, Mooreton
grew and harvested wheat.
Throughout the tour, groups will be
informed of the Bagg Bonanza Farm’s
history.
The farm was established in 1915,
when F.A. Bagg inherited land, buildings and machinery from his uncle.
He moved 1 mile down from his late
uncle’s farm and set to work building
what still stands today.
“This farm is actually small for a
bonanza farm,” Nosek said. “To be considered a bonanza farm, the owner had
to have at least 5,000 acres. F.A. Bagg
had 9,000 acres, but some other farmers in the area had 16,000 acres.”
Groups can look around and see
the sprawling fields surrounding the
farm and imagine the magnitude of the
operation.
The farm is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. And by
reservation, the farm is open for group
meals and meetings from April through
October, any day of the week.
Bagg Bonanza Farm
(701) 274-8989
baggbonanzafarm.org
Fort Mandan provides a link to the
Lewis and Clark expedition that opened
up the West.
When the winter of 1804 was closing in, Lewis and Clark began preparations for the impending season. They
chose a spot along the Missouri River
to build a camp, beginning construction in November. The Corps of
Discovery would stay there until the
following spring. Two centuries have
passed since then, but their time along
the river has not been forgotten.
The Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan
Foundation operates the re-created
winter quarters, as well as the Lewis
& Clark Interpretive Center. Both are
located in Washburn, about 40 miles
north of Bismarck.
“We get people from all over the
world who come to see our interpretive
center and fort,” said Nicolette Borlaug,
the foundation’s marketing coordinator.
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Washburn
“They’re blown away by the size, quality
of our exhibits and the interpretive staff.
We’re really proud that we can overdeliver on our promises.”
Costumed interpreters staff Fort
Mandan year-round, eager to show
visitors what the experience was like for
the Corps of Discovery. There’s always a
program going on, and groups interested
in a specific topic can call in advance to
set up a custom program.
With newly installed exhibits, the
Photo: Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation
At Fort Mandan,
step into Lewis and Clark’s world
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center has
been delighting both repeat visitors and
first timers. Many of the new items on
display represent items used on the expedition, including one of only six working
air rifles remaining in the world.
The amount of time groups spend
at each site varies. At minimum, plan
to spend one hour and 15 minutes at
the museum and 45 minutes at the fort,
Borlaug noted.
Both sites are open year-round, with
plentiful motorcoach parking. Admission discounts are available for groups
when scheduled ahead of time.
“We are always ready to welcome
group tours of any size,” she said. “Both
sites are included in group admissions.
Call us in advance to reserve your visit.”S
Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation
(877) 462-8535
fortmandan.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
49
Photo: Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
Itinerary/ OKLAHOMA
Lobby, Coleman Theatre, Miami
GO
Commerce, Miami
SEE
Coleman Theatre
(918) 540-2425
colemantheatre.org
Dobson Museum
(918) 542-5388
dobsonmuseum.com
Route 66 Vintage Iron
Motorcycle Museum
(918) 542-6170
route66vintageiron.com
ASK
Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
(918) 542-4435
visitmiamiok.com
Stop at Miami on Historic Route 66
Miami, located in northeast Oklahoma,
offers a wide range of attractions for group
tour visitors.
One major attraction is Historic Route
66, which runs directly through the heart
of Miami.
“Group travel is a huge priority for the
Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
staff, and we love to see motorcoaches
parked in front of the historic Coleman
Theatre on Route 66,” said Amanda Davis,
the bureau’s executive director.
The bureau provided this two-day
itinerary.
Groups that register with the bureau
receive assistance with rates, catering and
other items.
Day One
Morning options
Start with breakfast at Chapters Bookstore on Route 66. This unique bookstore
and coffee shop will help the group get the
morning started.
Tour the Coleman Theatre. Built in
1929, the theater has been completely restored to its original glory. Group tours can
be arranged by appointment.
Visit the Dobson Museum, home to
Indian artifacts, displays of furniture and
toys used by the first settlers, an area mining display, collections of old documents,
newspapers, photographs, and memorabilia from baseball player Mickey Mantle’s life
and career. Group tours can conveniently
be set up at any time.
Travel north to Commerce to view
Mantle’s boyhood home. Take a close look
at the old tin barn that bears the dents and
dings from serving as his backdrop. Inside,
home tours are available to groups that
make arrangements in advance with the
Miami CVB.
Afternoon options
For Lunch, Miami has many restaurants
to choose from, including Waylan’s Ku-Ku
Burger.
Route 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle
Museum is home to a large Evel Knievel
Collection. The museum is full of vintage
motorcycles and features a wall of helmets
from every decade.
Choose from bowling at Playland Lanes,
golf at Peoria Ridge or a movie at the Miami Cineplex.
Ready for gaming fun? Choose from 14
casinos in the area and find many dinner
options among them.
Day Two
Morning options
Travel south to Grand Lake of the
Cherokees. Just 20 minutes from Miami,
it’s well worth the short drive.
While south of town, follow Highway
125 to the 9-foot-wide Ribbon Road, the
last original section of Route 66. Walk
along this historic pavement, which was
put in place before Route 66 was even
named.
Grab the list of 15 historic places in
Miami and get ready to experience some
fabulous sites. Don’t miss the Miami Marathon Oil Company Service Station or the
Coleman Mansion.
Afternoon options
Choose from Miami’s many fine restaurants. A group also can make arrangements
to have lunch on stage at the Coleman Theatre. Dine on the stage where history was
made. Vaudeville greats from Will Rogers
to Sally Rand, the fan dancer, performed
there during the 1920s and ’30s.
Allow time for shopping.
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College,
home of the Norsemen, sits a few blocks off
Route 66. The library has a gallery that tells
about the British flyers who trained at the
Number 3 British Flying Training School, a
branch of the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Miami, during World War II.
Travel south to nearby Vinita to experience some of the area’s wineries.
After dinner, take in a performance at
the Coleman Theatre or a concert at one of
the local casinos.S
50
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
OKLAHOMA
Clash of the Titans, Hall of Ancient Life, Sam Noble Museum, Norman
of the giants that once roamed the land
that was to become Oklahoma.
“We have the world’s largest Apatosaurus at 92 feet and the world’s smallest
in the ‘Clash of the Titans’ exhibit,” McIntosh said. “We used to call the Apatosaurus the Brontosaurus back in the day.”
Don’t miss the ride on the 26-foot
elevator, appropriately called the Dinovator, to stand eye-to-eye with the
Jurassic giant.
“Most of the dinosaurs we have in
the collection and on display come
from Oklahoma,” McIntosh said. “Oklahoma is at the crossroads with different
flora and fauna than anywhere else.”
In Noble Drilling Corporation Hall
of Natural Wonders, visitors learn
Photo: Sam Noble Museum
Take the long view of history at the
Sam Noble Museum — where the story
of both the natural and the cultural
world covers more than 4 billion years.
“We are the state of Oklahoma’s
natural history museum, located on the
campus of the University of Oklahoma
in Norman,” said Pam McIntosh, who
works with the museum’s development
and communications. “We have 12
collections and over 10 million objects
and specimens in our collection.”
In the museum’s permanent and
temporary exhibits, visitors encounter
interactive elements inviting them to
join in the exploration. Trained volunteers are stationed throughout the
museum, helping to bring these stories
to life. Gallery guides also help visitors
experience the best of the museum.
“As you walk through the exhibits,
you watch life develop over millions of
years,” she said. “We have a lot of cool
dinosaurs.”
The journey begins in the Noble
Corporation and Noble Energy Orientation Gallery. It’s impossible to miss
the largest element in the gallery —
a Sauroposiedon proteles skeleton.
The dino’s 40-foot-long neck and skull
seems to say hello to arriving visitors.
In the Siegfried Family Hall of
Ancient Life, journey through 4 billion
years of Oklahoma’s prehistory. Walk
through an ancient coal swamp and see
Photo: Sam Noble Museum
Sooner science comes to the forefront
at Sam Noble Museum
Ozark highlands exhibit, Hall of Natural Wonders, Sam Noble Museum, Norman
more about the state’s landscapes.
Two other exhibit areas explore
cultural history — the McCasland
Foundation Hall of the People of
Oklahoma takes a look closer to home
with a treasure trove of Native American objects. Exhibits also come into
more modern eras, focusing on Native
American experience in Oklahoma
over the last few centuries.
The Merkel Family Foundation Gallery of World Cultures takes a broader
approach as it features works from
around the world.
The 198,000-square-foot Sam Noble
Museum, with roots dating back to 1899,
also is home to the Paleozoic Gallery,
Conoco Oil Pioneers of Oklahoma Plaza
and the hands-on Discovery Room. The
current building opened in 2000.
Groups of 15 or more receive reduced
admission fees when making a reservation two business days in advance.
Guided tours require a two-week notice.
Reservations can be made in advance for groups of 20 at the Rosebud
Café. Box lunches also can be ordered
in advance for groups.
Bus parking is available in the museum’s parking lot.S
Sam Noble Museum
(405) 325-4712
samnoblemuseum.ou.edu
Oct • Nov • Dec
51
Photo: pete’s mountain vineyard & Winery
Itinerary/ OREGON
Pete’s Mountain Vineyard & Winery, West Linn
GO
Milwaukie, Portland,
West Linn and Wilsonville
TASTE
Allium Bistro
(503) 387-5604
alliumoregon.com
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store,
Restaurant & Bakery
(503) 607-6455
bobsredmill.com
SEE
Bosky Dell Natives
(503) 638-5945
boskydellnatives.com
SIP
Pete’s Mountain Vineyard & Winery
(503) 656-2130
[email protected]
petesmountainvineyard.com
Ribera Vineyards
(503) 638-7323
riberavineyards.com
ASK
Travel Oregon
(800) 547-7842
[email protected]
Farmlandia Farm Loop
farmlandiafarmloop.com
Farmlandia Farm Loop
routes groups to food fun
Portland’s urban buzz is surpassed only
by its proximity to pastoral beauty. When
groups are yearning to explore the tranquil
countryside, check out the Farmlandia
Farm Loop.
Just minutes from downtown, groups
will find farms, wineries and vineyards
celebrating Oregon’s rural life and bounty
along the 14-stop agri-tour. From farm
stands and U-picks to plant nurseries and
bakeries, the Farmlandia Farm Loop offers
a tasty tour of Mount Hood territory.
This itinerary was provided by Eileen
Garvin of Travel Oregon.
Whole grain goodness
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store, Restaurant & Bakery, marks the northernmost
point on the Farmlandia Farm Loop. Stop
at the store, restaurant and bakery to stock
up on a variety of Oregon-grown grains,
flours and cereals.
The on-site restaurant serves breakfast,
lunch and dinner created with Bob’s Red
Mill products and other local, seasonal fare.
The bakery sells more than a dozen types
of whole-grain breads and pastries.
One mile down the road, Bob’s Red Mill
World Headquarters, a working mill, offers
group-friendly guided tours and discussion
about the milling process.
Field and flower
Justy’s Produce & Flowers in Milwaukie
offers a delightful selection of organically
grown fruits, vegetables and plants. It’s
run by Justy Papst, the fourth generation
of a Swiss family to farm the land. The
store comprises 2,500 square feet of fresh,
gorgeous flowers, sweet berries, just about
every vegetable a group could think of, as
well as hormone-free milk, cheese, butter
and eggs.
Bosky Dell Natives nurtures more than
300 species of Northwestern native plants
at its West Linn site for retail and wholesale. Beginning and experienced gardeners
alike can find the right plants to attract
birds and butterflies, for cooking or for just
creating beautiful, natural ecosystems.
With plants for coastal areas, drought
tolerant varieties and woodland species,
Boskey Dell has plants for every region and
gardener.
Into the vineyards
Visitors to Pete’s Mountain Vineyard &
Winery in West Linn enjoy estate-grown
pinot noir and pinot gris, just 20 minutes
from downtown Portland. The tasting
patio affords sweeping views of the vineyards, Mount Hood and the Willamette
River Valley. Enjoy the natural beauty and
delightful wines in the company of friendly
winemakers Mike and Kristy Thayer. The
vineyard is only open by appointment.
Darrel and Molly Roby craft smallbatch red and white blends, as well as
classic pinot noir at Ribera Vineyards. The
grapes are grown on site and sourced from
the Willamette Valley. The elegant tasting
room, crafted with reclaimed wood from
a historic Seattle building, is available for
private events, as well as tastings. Call Ribera Vineyards to make an appointment.
Alfresco
To celebrate the culinary richness
of Mount Hood territory, chefs Pascal
Chureau and Ian Ragsdale from West
Linn’s Allium bistro have partnered with
Field & Vine Events for their annual
Dinners in the Field series. Headlined by
Chureau and Ragsdale, the series includes
about a dozen six-course dinners, each
designed to showcase the fresh, seasonal
bounty of local farmers, winemakers and
breweries. Each dinner’s intimate setting
includes a tour of the hosting farm or
vineyard.S
52
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
OREGON
Sip and savor at Red Ridge
Photo: Red Ridge
Since it’s establishment in 1973,
Durant Vineyards has grown into the
multifaceted Red Ridge in Dayton.
For more than 40 years, the Durant
family has been growing wine grapes.
To share the love for their product, Red
Ridge offers group wine tastings.
The Classic Tasting Flight serves
four estate vineyard wines. The four
different wines explore elevation, terroir and how Durant’s winemakers aid
in crafting signature wine.
The Wine Sensory Pairing is a tasting with the same four wines, complemented by proteins and starches.
In 2004, Red Ridge expanded to
establish the first olive orchards in the
state. Four years later, the Oregon Olive
Mill was primed to produce its first
batch of extra virgin olive oil.
Olive oil tastings are complimentary
at the Red Ridge Gourmet Gift and
Garden Shop, but private tastings for
The Estate Experience, Red Ridge, Dayton
groups are available.
The Official Blue Glass Tasting comes with a guided tour of the
Oregon Olive Mill and a tasting of
four estate-milled extra virgin olive
oils using EVOO competition tasting
glasses. This experience is designed to
help consumers recognize quality extra
virgin olive oil.
The EVOO Expert Tasting includes
the guided tour and the tasting of four
extra virgin olive oils. These are paired
with proteins, starches, vegetables and
sweets.
The Estate Experience is similar
to the EVOO Expert Tasting, but also
comes with a wine tasting.
After a tasting, groups may peruse the Red Ridge Gourmet Gift and
Garden Shop. Visitors may purchase
their favorite extra virgin olive oils and
wines they may have sampled. Salts,
herbs, plants and pottery also are available for purchase.
Afterward, take a walk around the
farms’ grounds. Groups will encounter a nursery, lavender fields and
gardens.S
Red Ridge
(503) 864-8502
redridgefarms.com
High Desert Museum tells Oregon’s stories
Photo: Abbott Schindler
Located near Bend in the heart
of central Oregon, the High Desert
Museum features the plants and wildlife
capable of surviving in the arid climate.
It tells the story of both the native people
and those who immigrated to the region.
Trained staff and volunteers act as
museum interpreters — key components
of both indoor and outdoor exhibits.
“The High Desert Museum is
much more interactive than a typical
Raptors of the Desert Sky Program,
High Desert Museum, Bend
museum,” said Damian Fagan, communications manager. “Much of the
experience is outdoors and involves an
interaction with the animals native to
the high desert.”
The Raptors of the Desert Sky
program, a summertime free-flying
bird show starring rescued raptors, is
especially popular with guests.
“The program is a great opportunity for photos as the birds’ flight path
goes right over the group,” Fagan said.
For an unhurried visit, Fagan recommends allowing a minimum of four
hours. Patrons should try to join at
least one of the 30-minute curator talks
scheduled throughout the day.
Group rates are available for parties
of 10 or more individuals. Both the
driver and guide receive complimentary admission.
The museum’s Rimrock Cafe serves
snacks and lunch. Groups may preorder box lunches; however, only food
purchased from the cafe may be eaten
in the museum dining area.
Groups load and unload at the main
entrance walkway. Motorcoach parking
is available in the main museum lot,
within an overflow lot located within
walking distance.S
High Desert Museum
(541) 382-4754
highdesertmuseum.org
home of the
McMinnville,
OregOn
EvergreenMuseum.org
Oct • Nov • Dec
53
Redlin Art Center, Watertown
GO
Brookings, Sioux Falls,
Sisseton, Vermillion
and Watertown
SEE
Fort Sisseton Historic State Park
(605) 448-5474
gfp.sd.gov/state-parks
National Music Museum
(605) 677-5306
nmmusd.org
Redlin Art Center
(877) 873-3546
redlinart.com
South Dakota Agricultural
Heritage Museum
(877) 227-0015
agmuseum.com
ASK
South Dakota Department of Tourism
(800) 952-3625
travelsouthdakota.com
Discover culture along
the I-29 corridor
South Dakota is known as the Land of
Great Faces and Great Places. The wide
variety of opportunities and contrasting
landscapes makes The Mount Rushmore
State a must-see travel destination.
This two-day itinerary from the South
Dakota Department of Tourism follows
Interstate 29 from north to south in the
eastern part of the state and concentrates
on cultural attractions.
the artist’s son. Wetlands and waterways
provide an alluring habitat for wildlife.
Visitors have plenty of room to stretch their
legs on more than a mile of walking trails,
or relax with a picnic at six small gazebos,
one large gazebo and the Redlin Pavilion.
Next is Brookings with the South
Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, the
Children’s Museum of South Dakota and
the 70-acre McCrory Gardens.
Overnight in Brookings.
Day One
Enter South Dakota on Interstate 29,
Day Two
heading south to Sisseton. In the Sisseton
Side trips off Interstate 29 can include a
area are Fort Sisseton
prairie village, featuring
Historic State Park, a
a collection of restored
restored 1864 cavalry
turn-of-the-century
outpost; Sica Hollow
buildings, in Madison;
State Park, a scenic rathe tribal casino in Flanvine steeped in Dakota
dreau; or Palisades State
Indian legend and crissPark and Devil’s Gulch
crossed by a National
near Garretson.
Recreation Trail; the
In Sioux Falls, stop
Nicollet Tower; and
at the city’s namesake,
the Sisseton Whapeton
the Falls of the Big Sioux
College.
River, where the river
Fort Sisseton is a
streams over glittering
colorful reminder of
pink quartzite; tour the
South Dakota’s fronCenter for Western Studtier history. Originally
ies, the Siouxland Herinamed Fort Wadtage Museums or enjoy a
National Music Museum, Vermillion
sworth, it was estabPlains Indian art gallery.
lished after the Dakota
The city of Vermillion
Conflict in nearby western Minnesota. The
lies to the south and just west of Interstate
outpost became known as Fort Sisseton,
29. More than 13,500 rare musical instrunamed for the nearby tribe of Native
ments make the National Music Museum
Americans. Today, the fort is recognized as
one of the great institutions of its kind. The
one of the best-preserved frontier forts in
museum is located in a restored Carnegie
the United States.
library building on the south edge of the
Traveling south, stop in Watertown to
University of South Dakota campus.
visit Bramble Park Zoo and the Redlin Art
The W.H. Over Museum has displays of
Center.
South Dakota’s natural history and cultural
Redlin Art Center is home to more than
heritage.
150 original oil paintings by Terry Redlin,
Just before leaving the state, visitors can
one of America’s most popular artists. The
stop at an old-fashioned soda fountain in
surrounding Conservation Park is careElk Point for a tasty treat. North Sioux City
fully contoured to complement the graceful
is the city farthest south on Interstate 29
Egyptian-revival architecture designed by
before crossing the border into Iowa.S
Photo: South Dakota Department of Tourism
Photo: South Dakota Department of Tourism
Itinerary/ SOUTH DAKOTA
54
SOUTH DAKOTA
DeSmet celebrates Little House on the Prairie
July, an outdoor pageant.
DeSmet is enjoyable for all ages,
said Dianne Mollner, assistant
director of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Historic Homes. “I see parents
with children, grandparents with
grandchildren and adults of all
ages visiting the homes,” she said.
“We appreciate bus tours anytime, but during pageant there is
a lot more going on for visitors,”
she said.
Any size bus tour is welcome to
visit, but a couple of days’ notice
is appreciated.
Only “20 visitors can be in a house at
one time so larger groups are toured in
a round-robin fashion,” Mollner said.S
Photo: Deb Thompson
Fans of the Little House on the
Prairie books by Laura Ingalls
Wilder can walk in her footsteps
and visit the setting of five of her
books in DeSmet.
By the Shores of Silver Lake, The
Long Winter, Little Town on the
Prairie, These Happy Golden Years
and The First Four Years all take place
in this rural community 90 minutes
northwest of Sioux Falls.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic
Homes has preserved five homes that
have a historic significance to Mrs.
Wilder and her life on the prairie. The
guided tour leads visitors through the
homes while sharing stories of her life.
Four of the five homes are located
at the visitor center, but the fifth home
requires a short drive to the house that
Pa Ingalls built in town.
The historic homes give fans a won-
House That Pa Built, DeSmet
derful glimpse into the life of Laura,
but beyond the homes there are other
Laura Ingalls Wilder-related attractions
that can provide a full day of activities. The Ingalls Homestead showcases
the life of the Ingalls family in the late
1800s, Pa’s cottonwood trees, Silver
Lake, the cemetery where the Ingalls
are buried and, during weekends in
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Homes
(800) 880-3383
discoverlaura.org
Sturgis is home to one of the biggest
and best motorcycle rallies in the world,
so it’s only natural that you would find
the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall
of Fame there.
Established in 2001 in an old donated church, the nonprofit, memberand donor-supported museum began
showcasing rare restored bikes and
memorabilia.
Within a year the collection outgrew
the location and had to move to a closed
post office.
Fast forward 13 years, and the board
of directors is looking to expand the
museum once again. The board blames
its expanding collection.
Many of the pieces in the museum
have a profound story. A bike called
“Million Mile Harley” was ridden 1 million miles in less than 20 years.
Several exhibits, including “Early
Days,” showcase some of the first motorcycle models. The “British Room” pres-
Photo: sturgis motorcycle museum & Hall of fame
Ride in style through history at the
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, Sturgis
ents a collection of British two-wheelers.
“We have one exhibit room that is
always dedicated to women in motorcycling. The actual exhibit changes, but
the subject is always about women,” said
Christine Diers, executive director.
Each exhibit tells the story of how
pop culture, history, art and literature
has been impacted by motorcycles.
The museum’s goal of preserving the
past, educating the masses and keeping
motorcycle culture alive is self evident
among the vintage Indians, Harley-Davidsons, posters and photographs.
“We want to provide a history of
motorcycles as machines and the changes that have occurred over the years. In
addition, we are a hall of fame, and as
such we honor the men and women
who have made a significant impact on
the sport and lifestyle of motorcycling,”
Diers said. “Finally, we are here to honor
the history of the Sturgis Motorcycle
Rally, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in August.”
Tour operators can contact the museum for group rates.
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum
& Hall of Fame
(605) 347-2001
sturgismuseum.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
55
Photo: Visit Lubbock
Itinerary/ TEXAS
National Cowboy Symposium & Celebration,
Lubbock
GO
Lubbock
DO
ABC Pro Rodeo
(806) 777-3019
abcrodeo.com
National Cowboy Symposium
& Celebration
(806) 798-7825
cowboy.org
SEE
American Wind Power Center
(806) 747-8734
windmill.com
Apple Country at Hi-Plains Orchards
(806) 892-2961
applecountryorchards.com
Bayer Museum of Agriculture
(806) 744-3786
agriculturehistory.org
National Ranching Heritage Center
(806) 742-0498
nrhc.ttu.edu
ASK
Visit Lubbock
(800) 692-4035
visitlubbock.org
Trace Lubbock’s ranching
and agriculture roots
The west Texas city of Lubbock was
shaped by a legendary ranching history and
an agricultural heritage.
“Whether it’s at the National Ranching
Heritage Center for a look into the life of
early settlers, or a tour around the area’s
largest cotton gin, a rich history awaits
group tours in the Hub City,” said Alyssa
Kitten, communications coordinator at
Visit Lubbock.
Planners can select agricultural events
and attractions when building a Lubbock
itinerary. These options were suggested by
Visit Lubbock.
Agriculture events
National Cowboy Symposium &
Celebration — Cowboy poets, musicians,
storytellers, artists, chuck wagon cooks and
cowboys celebrate the largest presentation
in United States ranching every September.
Catered lunch space and motorcoach parking are available.
Lubbock Winter Rodeo Series —Held
every Saturday night from October
through April at the South Plains Livestock
Pavilion, guests can watch professionals
and amateurs participate in a wide variety
of rodeo events. Group rates and motorcoach parking are available.
ABC Pro Rodeo — This annual event,
held in April at the City Bank Coliseum,
includes favorite rodeo events such as steer
wrestling, barrel racing, mutton bustin’ and
bull riding.
Texas Tech Rodeo — Held each fall, this
intercollegiate competition is the highlight
of the year for the Texas Tech University
Rodeo Program and includes team roping,
bull riding and steer wrestling. Group rates
and motorcoach parking are available.
Agriculture attractions
American Wind Power Center —Home
to more than 170 rare and fully restored
windmills spread out on 28 acres of rolling hills, American Wind Power Center is
known as the largest windmill museum
in the world. After viewing the collection,
check out the 6,000-square-foot Legacy of
the Wind mural that represents the past,
present and future of the windmill. It took
the artist, LaGina Fairbetter, two years to
paint the larger-than-life mural. Docentled tours are available by reservation, and
catered lunch space and motorcoach parking are available.
National Ranching Heritage Center
— This 16-acre site houses 48 structures
dating to the 1700s, which have been authentically restored and furnished. Visitors
will experience the real West like they never
have before at the NRHC. Docent-led tours
can be reserved, and catered lunch space
and motorcoach parking are available.
Apple Country at Hi-Plains Orchards —
West Texas breezes carry the fresh scent of
more than 6,000 apple and peach trees to
visitors. Pick apples or purchase jams, jellies, local raw honey, fresh veggies from the
garden, and apple pies and cakes in the gift
shop, bakery or Country Café.
Bayer Museum of Agriculture — The
Bayer Museum of Agriculture features
interactive exhibits and historical displays
dating to the pioneering years of agriculture. Unique exhibits include 71 pedal tractors, 700 collectible toy tractors, a 1920s
replica blacksmith shop, an exhibit on the
history of cotton ginning and more.
Regional cotton growing operations and
cotton gins — Lubbock is the heart of cotton country, and Visit Lubbock works with
a variety of cotton growers and cotton ginners throughout the region who open their
facilities to guests. The best time to experience cotton growing is in the early fall, and
peak ginning season is during the winter.S
56
Season
Fall
2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
TEXAS
Texas Cotton Gin Museum recalls earlier era
Cotton was once a big part of the
Washington County economy.
The Texas Cotton Gin Museum in
Burton keeps the legacy of cotton alive
by maintaining and preserving the 1914
Burton Farmers Gin, the oldest operating cotton gin in the United States.
The gin, short for engine, is open
for guided tours.
Each April during the Burton Cotton Gin Festival, cotton is ginned and
baled at the museum.
Curator Jerry Moore said in the
1920s everyone who could walk went
to the fields from August to October to
pick cotton. Wagons of cotton would
then go to the gin to be processed.
“In the 1920s, this was a state-ofthe-art gin,” Moore said.
The gin, a mechanical marvel, separated the cotton seeds from the plant’s
soft white fibers.
In just 12 minutes, a wagon full of
cotton weighing about 1,500 pounds
would be cleaned and processed into a
finished bale of cotton. A bale of cotton
weighs about 500 pounds.
Modern cotton gins bale 90 bales an
hour.
The gin’s original steam engine was
replaced in 1925 by a Bessemer Type IV
diesel oil engine.
Originally, the gin could accept
Tour, Texas Cotton Gin Museum, Burton
only hand-picked cotton. In 1950, the
gin added a burr extractor and a stick
machine so it could process machinepicked cotton, which includes pieces
of the plant’s burr and stem along with
the seed cotton.
Farmers could sell the bale to a cotton buyer, store it at a cotton warehouse or sell it to the gin.
From a bale of cotton, the textile
industry can produce 300 pair of men’s
jeans, 896 women’s blouses or 210
sheets.
The gin was in operation until 1974.
At that point, it was costing the Burton
Farmers Gin more money to keep
the gin operating than it was making.
Smaller cotton farmers could not compete with larger farms, and the clothing
industry shifted to polyester fabrics.
Dairy farms and ranches replaced cotton in the Burton economy.
Group tours are available by
appointment.S
Texas Cotton Gin Museum
(979) 289-3378
cottonginmuseum.org
FUN! Wrangle a Day-Tour.
Visit Dallas’ Southfork Ranch
Texas Cotton Gin Museum, Burton
Put some giddy up in your Dallas tour agenda! Tour
Southfork Ranch—a fun and interesting icon location
that offers guided tours, shopping, a museum plus a
deli and catering. Come see where TV’s Dallas was
often filmed. Open all year; group rates apply.
Southfork Ranch
800.989.7800 x 215
Travel-Forever.com/15dgta
Southfork Ranch is privately owned and operated by Forever Resorts L.L.C
Oct • Nov • Dec
57
Photo: NPS/Caitlin Ceci
Itinerary/ UTAH
Hiker on West Rim Trail,
Zion National Park, Utah
GO
Zion National Park
STAY
Zion National Park Lodge,
Xanterra Parks & Resorts
(888) 297-2757
zionlodge.com
ASK
Utah Office of Tourism
(800) 200-1160
visitutah.com
Zion National Park
(435) 772-3256
nps.gov/zion
Get active or relax
in Zion National Park
The first national park in Utah, Zion’s
canyons and mesas boast an exquisite
beauty, even in a state known for dramatic
landscapes. Zion Canyon is the breathtaking centerpiece of this 147,000-acre
parkland that protects a spectacular landscape of high plateaus, sheer canyons and
monolithic cliffs.
Opportunities to see and explore Zion
National Park abound for groups of all
ages and abilities, from the scenic byways
that slice through the park to the trails that
wind through the backcountry.
Wildlife watchers can stop at numerous
lookouts, while hikers can venture out on
trails ranging from easy interpretive nature
walks to challenging hikes.
Rock climbers know Zion National Park
for its immense rock walls of red and white
Navajo sandstone that rise more than 2,000
feet into the sky.
With several local guiding outfits offering beginner classes and guided climbs
in areas near Zion National Park, arrangements can be made to add it to an itinerary.
Visit Utah put together this Must-See
Zion Guide for visitors. Choose the group’s
passion and begin.
Hiking
Hikers find trails that lead to sweeping vistas, clear pools, natural arches and
narrow canyons. Angels Landing and the
Narrows are among the best hikes, and
not only in Zion National Park. They
frequently make top 10 hikes lists across all
the national parks. Remember, stop in the
visitor center to inquire about conditions
before setting out.
Views from the coach
It’s not necessary to venture off-road to
experience Zion National Park. The Zion
Canyon Scenic Drive, Zion Park Scenic
Byway and Kolob Fingers Road Scenic
Byway are three must-drive roads in Zion
National Park, including the lesser-visited
Kolob Canyons section.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is a 6-mile
road through some of Zion’s most outstanding scenery. This road is closed to
vehicle traffic from April to October, but
regularly scheduled shuttle buses provide a
great way for groups to relax and enjoy the
scenery, or to take a hike and then catch a
later bus back down the canyon.
The Zion Park Scenic Byway (54 miles
one way) follows Highway 9 from its
western terminus at exit 16 on I-15 to its
eastern junction with U.S. 89 at Mount
Carmel Junction. The road east from Zion
to Mount Carmel Junction, completed
in 1930, was considered one of the great
road-building accomplishments in history
at the time.
The Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway
(5 miles one way) in the northwestern corner of Zion National Park features the dramatic desert landscape associated with the
main section of the park: towering colored
cliffs, narrow winding canyons, forested
plateaus and twisting side canyons.
Lodging
Rustic Zion National Park Lodge is the
only accommodation inside the park. The
lodge offers bike rentals and narrated tram
rides. The lodge’s year-round restaurant
serves local favorites and a variety of ways
to keep groups entertained.
Birding and wildlife
With more than 200 species of birds,
Zion National Park is a birder’s paradise.
The Peregrine falcon, the bald eagle and
the California condor are found in the
232-square-mile sanctuary of Zion, nesting and resting undisturbed. The threatened Mexican spotted owl also calls Zion
home.S
58
UTAH
Two of Utah’s five national parks,
Arches and Canyonlands, are easily explored from Moab, a small town that’s
an ideal base camp for adventure seekers. Although they’re neighbors, Arches
and Canyonlands have differentiating
landscapes.
More compact and busier, Arches
is renowned for having the world’s
highest concentration of natural arches
— more than 2,000 of them — shaped
by the elements. A group favorite is a
3-mile round trip hike to Delicate Arch,
a picturesque red sandstone structure.
Other formations include Balanced
Rock, which seems as though it might
topple at any moment, and the equally
precarious-looking Landscape Arch,
the longest in the park at over 300 feet.
More challenging hikes include the
more than 7-mile Devil’s Garden loop.
Try the strenuous three-hour journey
through the Fiery Furnace, a maze-like
terrain with narrow ledges, usually
led by a park ranger and booked in
advance.
Moab Adventure Center offers
guided tours on this route as well as a
sunset bus tour as part of its extensive
menu of jeep rides, horseback rides,
mountain biking, hot-air ballooning,
Colorado River rafting and boating,
and many other ways for groups to
experience the area.
“For four hours, our guides give
information on the flora, fauna and geology of either the Arches or Canyonlands,” said Jamie Pearce, the center’s
manager. “For a full day, it’s Canyonlands in the morning, lunch in Moab
and Arches in the afternoon.”
For groups of up to 50, the same
company also offers scenic flights over
Canyonlands’ three distinct districts.
Back on the ground, visitors aiming to hike The Needles, dotted with
red and white-banded pinnacles, and
the even more remote Maze, should
prepare like a professional. Most people
head for the easier and more accessible trails at Canyonlands’ Island in
the Sky, glorious in name and in vistas.
Photo: Lee Howard
Immerse in the limitless Arches and Canyonlands
Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, near Moab
At Grand View Point, there are daily
ranger talks on geology.
A short detour between Moab and
Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point State
Park has a sizeable visitor center with
informative exhibits and a panoramic
view outside. Moab and its surrounding parks have found plenty of fame in
the movies. And at Dead Horse Point,
it’s easy to see why the dramatic landscape led Thelma & Louise to seek out
the end of the road here back in 1991.
Moab Adventure Center can arrange
for its own buses to collect from certain
hotels in town or motorcoaches can
drop off at their center. Usually, their
guides step on visiting buses to begin
tours.S
Arches National Park
(435) 719-2299
nps.gov/arch
Canyonlands National Park
(435) 719-2313
nps.gov/cany
Moab Adventure Center
(435) 259-7019
moabadventurecenter.com/trips
Oct • Nov • Dec
59
Itinerary/ WASHINGTON
Salish Lodge & Spa and Snoqualmie Falls,
near Lynnwood
GO
Lynnwood
DO
Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary
(425) 388-5108
narbeck.org
Northwest Stream Center
(425) 771-6671
streamkeeper.org/aasf
SHOP
Alderwood
(425) 967-8994
alderwoodmall.com
ASK
City of Lynnwood Tourism Division
(800) 662-2044
lynnwoodtourism.com
Just 16 miles north of Seattle, Lynnwood is minutes from wineries, casinos
and more. And just outside of the hustle
and bustle, Lynnwood is minutes away
from ferries and mountains.
The City of Lynnwood Tourism Division provided this three-day itinerary.
along any one of the many paved or dirt
paths near Lynnwood, including the 19-mile
Interurban Trail and 17-mile Centennial Trail.
Visit the Northwest Stream Center, an
environmental education and interpretive
facility, and restored wetland, located at
McCollum Park in Everett. New spawning
beds, fish habitat structures, and diverse
habitats including wetland, mixed forest
and salmon spawning streams are located
within this 20-acre site.
Another wetland, set north of Paine
Field and Boeing’s Everett plant, Narbeck
Wetland Sanctuary is a once neglected
swamp that has been
transformed into an
award-winning wetland model. On the
inner-trail loop, interpretive signs explain
the importance of
wetlands. An observation blind in the shape
of a giant beaver
lodge allows groups to
observe wildlife on an
adjacent pond.
Day One
River rafting in the Northwest is a
spectacular experience and wildlife viewing
by water is the best way to explore hidden
places. The Skykomish River surrounds
groups with thundering waterfalls, awesome granite gorges,
amazing mountain
landscapes and oldgrowth forests brimming with foliage and
wildlife.
If you are more of
an observer, visit one
of the more than 20
waterfalls in the area.
Hike to Bridal Veil
Falls near Index or explore the 7-mile loop
trail and be awed by
Lund’s Gulch Trail, Lynnwood
the 265-foot Wallace
Day Three
Falls near Gold Bar.
Enjoy a hike along
Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington
Lund’s Gulch Trail and experience the
state’s most popular scenic attractions,
sounds of Lund’s Gulch Creek as it weaves
with more than 1.5 million visitors each
its way through the old forest to Puget
year. At the falls, you will find a two-acre
Sound. The stream, which is home to
park, gift shop, observation deck, the Salish
various aquatic life, forms a small marine
Lodge and restaurant and the famous 270estuary as it empties into Puget Sound. The
foot waterfall.
trail ends on the shore of the Puget Sound
After the adventure, visit Alderwood
and is the perfect spot for an afternoon
mall in Lynnwood. Stop at REI, the ultipicnic.
mate outdoor enthusiasts’ shopping experiOr, those who prefer larger species, can go
ence. Scale the Pinnacle, a free-standing
whale watching. Grey whale or Orca whale
indoor climbing wall or take in a lecture
watching near the San Juan Islands gives visior film by one of the region’s many outtors a glimpse of local wildlife and habitat.
door adventurers. Dine in one of the five
End the day with dinner and a movie
full-service restaurants at Alderwood mall
at Alderwood mall. The 16-screen statebefore returning to the group’s Lynnwood
of-the-art movie theater includes IMAX
hotel for the evening.
movies. Dine at one of the five full-service
restaurants or grab a late-night snack at
Day Two
the food court before returning to the
Take a bike ride, roller blade, jog or walk
Lynnwood hotel for a good night’s rest.S
Photo: City of Lynnwood Tourism Division
Photo: Salish Lodge & Spa
Get ready for Lynnwood’s
outdoor adventures
60
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
WASHINGTON
With seven on-site restaurants, live
shows, a full-service day spa and Vegasstyle gaming, Tulalip Resort Casino
in Quil Ceda Village knows how to
entertain groups.
“The resort is a uniquely beautiful,
four-star experience,” said Amy Spain,
executive director of the Snohomish
County Tourism Bureau. “What’s not
to love?”
Decorated with Tulalip tribal art at
every turn, the facility offers an indoor
oasis pool and 370 guest rooms.
“Groups will truly feel taken care of
and pampered,” Spain said.
Dining options range from sumptuous culinary artistry to traditional
open fire pit cooking. Fine dining is located at the award-winning Tulalip Bay
restaurant, while Eagles Buffet offers an
array of diverse selections.
Photo: Tulalip Resort Casino
Entertainment, dining and gaming
abound at Tulalip Resort Casino
Tulalip Resort Casino, Quil Ceda Village
The annual Taste of Tulalip, an
elegant and indulgent weekend of exceptional food and wine pairings, will
take place Nov. 13–14 of this year.
“We have packaged itineraries that
are tailored to individual group needs
and desires,” said Charlie Birdsbill,
leisure tour and travel administrative
assistant at the resort casino.
“The resort staff bends over back-
wards for each guest and the sales staff
see that every detail for groups is taken
care of — from meet-and-greet services, to private dining and group outings,
to the surrounding activities and attractions,” Spain said. “All that and the
unparalleled natural scenic beauty of
Snohomish County — this wide-open,
inviting place can truly make you feel
different from the moment you arrive.”
Within 10 minutes from the resort,
world-class golf courses (like Kayak
Point Golf Course) await. Other group
options include a Boeing Tour at Future
of Flight, the Flying Heritage Collection, whale watching, river rafting, hot
air balloon rides and scenic flights.S
Tulalip Resort Casino
(360) 716-6500
tulalipresortcasino.com
LYNNWOOD WASHINGTON
Coming to �e Paciﬁc
N��west?
Plan to Stay in Lynnwood
15 Minutes North
of Seattle
Lodging 40%
Less than Seattle
10 Minutes from
Boeing Tour
Legendary
Shopping
Parking Always Free
LynnwoodTourism.com
TO AV I AT I O N A DV E N T U R E S
This is where opportunities take flight!
Check out high flying events and attractions at Snohomish.org
ORDER
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Oct • Nov • Dec
61
WASHINGTON
Groups cruise along Seattle’s skyline
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/RiverNorthphotography
Step aboard and take a ride with
Argosy Cruises. The Seattle-based company’s four sightseeing cruises have
been catering to groups for more than
60 years.
The sightseeing cruise that started
it all back in 1949 is the Seattle Harbor
Cruise Tour. Groups can remain inside
the boat or move to the outdoor decks to
get a better view of Seattle’s skyline, Great
Wheel, Space Needle, and natural beauties like towering Mount Rainier, and the
Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.
“We are showing groups views of
the city that you can’t see any other
way,” said Rebecca Nelson, marketing
assistant and social media producer.
Sailing through the waters of Puget
Sound and Lake Union, the Locks
Cruise Tour gives groups an up-close
look at how the Hiram M. Chittenden
Locks work. Groups feel the boat being
lifted by the rising water.
“That’s a fun part of that tour for
the staff and for groups,” said Nelson.
“Groups can definitely see the boat
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/jamesanderson
Argosy Cruises Terminal, Seattle
d Museu
an
EXPERIENCE
15,000 YEARS
OF HISTORY
mrsr.com
www.columbiagorge.org
990 SW Rock Creek Dr. Stevenson, WA
888-STEAM-11
Printing Sponsored By: City of Stevenson &
Skamania County Lodge Taxes
Argosy Cruises
(888) 623-1445
argosycruises.com
TRAIN RIDES AND MUSEUM VISITS
ELBE, WASHINGTON
62
view of Mount Rainier, the University
of Washington Husky Stadium and
many homes of the rich and famous.
“We provide groups with glimpses
of these little hidden places that they
wouldn’t see from land,” Nelson said.
A narrator is on every cruise, pointing out landmarks and retelling history.
Tours run year-round. Groups of 20
or more are eligible for a group quote.
The Argosy cruise to Tillicum Village on Blake Island features a salmon
bake, storytelling and Native American
dance.S
GROUP RATES
m
M
a
ic R ilroa
en
d
ainier
Sc
t. R
Argosy Cruises, Seattle
going up.”
During the 150-minute cruise,
groups learn about local fishing communities, the Sleepless in Seattle floating community and Gas Works Park.
Gas Works Park is a converted gas plant
that now serves as 20 acres of outdoor
fun with beautiful views of the city.
For two hours, the Seattle Lakes
Cruise Tour engages groups with history of the region and views of pristine
wilderness. Since the settlement of
Europeans to the more recent biotechnology hub, this land has seen quite the
transformation.
The Lake Washington Cruise Tour is
dedicated to the 200-foot deep lake. The
90-minute tour gives groups a waterside
WASHINGTON
Diverse entertainment abounds in Tacoma
Musicals, plays, comedians, classical
musicians and even a show featuring
stunt dogs — the Broadway Center for
the Performing Arts delivers entertainment. The Tacoma-based nonprofit
manages three historic theaters across
the city — Pantages Theater, Rialto Theater and Theatre on the Square. It also
manages the historic Tacoma Armory
“We all work together to make sure
Tacoma’s arts scene is healthy and
vibrant,” said Mariesa Bus, marketing
assistant manager.
has groups on their feet.
Local performance groups also
perform at the theaters, such as Northwest Sinfonietta, Puget Sound Revels,
Tacoma City Ballet, Tacoma Concert
Band, Tacoma Opera, Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and Tacoma Youth
Symphony Association.
At the Broadway Center for the
Performing Arts, groups of 10 or more
can experience memorable, top-quality
performances at discounted rates.S
Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
(253) 591-5894
broadwaycenter.org
RIDE
THE REEF
2,569,949
Photo: ACT Photography
$
Rialto Theater, Tacoma
The center’s 2016 season contains
an assorted lineup of guest performers.
“The great thing about Broadway
Center’s season is it is rich in diversity,
as one of our values is to ‘reflect our
community both onstage and off,’”
Bus said. “So, although I am personally
excited about Broadway legend Audra
McDonald, the return of Black Violin
(Feb. 25, 2016), as well as the musicals
in our season, I am just thrilled that
there really is something for everyone.”
McDonald is a six-time Tony
Award-winning actress and singer. A
soprano, she engages the audience with
her mastery of voice.
Black Violin fuses hip-hop and classical music to create a performance that
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Photo: Creative Commons/Public Domain
Itinerary/ WYOMING
Devils Tower
GO
Alladin, Buffalo, Hulett,
Sheridan and Sundance
SEE
Keyhole State Park
(307) 756-3596
wyoparks.state.wy.us
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
(307) 684-9331
jimgatchell.com
Fort Phil Kearney State Historic Site
(307) 684-7629
fortphilkearny.com
STAY
The Historic Occidental Hotel
(307) 684-0451
occidentalwyoming.com
Historic Sheridan Inn
(307) 674-2178
sheridaninn.com
ASK
Wyoming Travel & Tourism
(307) 777-7777
wyomingtourism.org
Embrace the spirit of the
Wild West in northeast Wyoming
Catch the Wild West spirit on a road
trip that is rich in Western history and lore.
Throughout a northeast Wyoming tour,
there are vistas with spectacular natural
attractions, like Devils Tower and Keyhole
Reservoir, and plenty of places to experience top-notch hospitality.
This sample three-day itinerary was
developed by Wyoming Travel & Tourism.
Day One
Elm City Tour
Plan for a stop at the Northeast Welcome Center in Beulah. Inside, groups can
get a preview of the history, culture, nature
and wildlife that define the region.
Continue to Sundance, where Butch
Cassidy’s crony earned his nickname as
the Sundance Kid; Harry “Sundance Kid”
Longabaugh spent 18 months in the jail in
the late 1800s. The jail is still standing and
the nearby Crook County Museum offers
more outlaw tales.
Head northeast toward Aladdin with
a population of 15 and great pride in the
century-old Aladdin General Store. The
store sells modern conveniences, as well
as Western wear, jewelry, knickknacks and
antiques. Request to explore the treasures
in the attic, then arrange for the group to
sip a glass of lemonade on the front porch
as visitors did in the store’s early days.
The town of Hulett is about 25 miles
west; it is the gateway to Devils Tower.
Continue south to the famous monolith,
considered a sacred place by Native Americans. Check in to lodging; there are lodging
options ranging from bed and breakfasts to
historic motels in Hulett and Pine Haven.
Day Two
Great outdoors
For those in the group that are interested
in fishing, hit the road early for Keyhole
State Park for walleye, catfish, small mouth
bass and northern pike. Others in the group
may wish to find a spot on the dock to soak
in the stunning scenery of the Black Hills.
Continue to the town of Buffalo and a
stop at the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
for a look at 19th-century frontier life.
The museum has several original wooden
wagons that carried plucky pioneers along
the trails to the West, and each is captivating in its simplicity. Be sure to visit or stay
overnight at the Historic Occidental Hotel.
Teddy Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill Cody, Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid all boarded
here in their time. Wind down for the
night at the Occidental Saloon, which dates
to 1908 and offers an Old West drinking
ambience, complete with bullet holes in
the bar.
Day Three
On to Sheridan
Follow the historic Bozeman Trail to the
north toward Sheridan.
About 40 miles north of town, watch
for the archaeological ruins of Fort Phil
Kearny, circa 1864.
Sheridan was named the best Western
town in the nation by True West magazine
and a walk through its historic downtown
makes it easy to understand why. Stop
at the Mint Bar, which has been serving
drinks since 1907 (and housed a backroom speakeasy during Prohibition).
At Trail End State Historic Site, explore
the meticulously maintained antique mansion of rancher and former state governor
John B. Kendrick and the landscaped
grounds. For evening entertainment, the
on-site Carriage House Theater hosts regular productions staged by the Sheridan Civic Theatre Guild. Rest easy at the Sheridan
Inn, a National Historic Landmark where
Buffalo Bill and Will Rogers also stayed.S
64
Season
Fall
2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
WYOMING
Find the town of Dubois nestled
in northwest Wyoming near the Wind
River and Absaroka Mountains. Once
headquarters for old-time cow outfits
and railroad tie crews, Dubois is now
the social center for upper Wind River
livestock and dude ranches.
The area is home to grizzly bears,
wolves, moose, mule deer and large
herds of elk and bighorn sheep.
The National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center is located in downtown
Dubois. Exhibits inside the facility
prepare groups for an adventure tour
to view the Whiskey Mountain herd
of bighorn sheep, the largest wintering
herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
in the lower 48 states.
Inside, dioramas represent the seasonal habitats of the bighorns including the plants and other animals that
share the territory.
Displays include the geology of the
Wind River and its flora and fauna.
A highlight of the center is the information provided about the Mountain Shoshone, known as Sheepeaters.
Steatite tools, horn bows and the petroglyphs left by their ancestors provide
insight into their lives.
Interactive exhibits engage groups
though computer games, identifying animal tracks and fur samples. An
audio program shares first-person accounts of residents from the area.
Groups can make their own drawing of a petroglyph based on an original design that was created hundreds
of years ago, view the film Life of the
Bighorn and sit in on a free weekly
interpretive program.
Under the auspices of the National
Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Association, the center is dedicated to educating the public about the biology and
habitat needs of the Rocky Mountain
bighorn sheep. Dioramas with fullscale taxidermy mounts present the
bighorns’ habitat, interactive exhibits
about wildlife management and wildlife films.
Between November and March, the
Photo: Jennie Hutchinson
Pull into Dubois and step out in bighorn country
Bighorn sheep display,
National Bighorn Sheep Center, Dubois
National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive
Center’s winter tours provide groups
an opportunity to view wildlife on the
winter range.
The tours start at 9 a.m. with an average tour lasting three to four hours or
upward to five hours. Fall and winter
season tours are best, as the wild sheep
are close to the valley floor.
Four-wheel-drive vehicles seat six
people each. Binoculars and spotting
scopes are provided.
Although Dubois is located in
the snow shadow of the Wind River
Range, no tour has ever been cancelled
because of weather. Snowy weather at
the higher elevations usually forces the
bighorns to the lower elevations, which
means better viewing.
Dubois Chamber of Commerce
(307) 455-2556
duboiswyomingchamber.org
National Bighorn Sheep Center
(307) 455-3429
(888) 209-2795, tour information
bighorn.org
Wind River Visitors Council
(800) 645-6233
windriver.org
Dinner & TheaTre
The only live professional theatre in Jackson, Wyoming!
320-seat theatre and 65-seat Saddle Rock Saloon
Rowdy Western Broadway Musicals like
OklahOma, annie GeT YOur Gun or CaT BallOu
June 3 – August 27, 2016, Monday thru Saturday
Dinner Seatings at 5:00 p.m and 6:30 p.m. – Curtain Call 8:00 p.m.
We have The OnlY sinGinG servers in JaCksOn!
Discounts for groups of 20 or more for lunch or dinner and show,
and one complimentary dinner and show ticket for every 20 paid seats.
Call 307-733-6994
www.jhplayhouse.com
[email protected] • 145 W. Deloney Ave., Jackson, WY 83001
Oct • Nov • Dec
65
Itinerary/ SASKATCHEWAN
Standing Buffalo First Nation Powwow,
Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan
GO
Batoche, Regina and
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
SEE
Wanuskewin Heritage Park
(306) 931-6767
wanuskewin.com
Royal Saskatchewan Museum
(306) 787-2815
royalsaskmuseum.ca
Batoche National Historic Site
(306) 423-6227
pc.gc.ca
ASK
Tourism Saskatchewan
(306) 787-2199
trade.tourismsaskatchewan.com
Saskatchewan is located in the heart of
North America, bordering the states of Montana and North Dakota and settled between
the provinces of Manitoba and Alberta.
About two times the size of Germany with
an area equal to the state of Texas, there’s a
lot of ground to cover in Saskatchewan.
A cultural tour from Tourism Saskatchewan provides an opportunity for groups
to step into the culture of its early residents, both First Nations and the Métis.
of the Saskatchewan summer. Beads, bells,
porcupine quills and feathers decorate the
brilliant dress of dancers who step, swirl
and jingle in time with powerful drumming and the chant of singers. The stately
grace of the women’s jingle dance, the passion of the men’s fancy dance, the energy
of the youth dance — each has its own
history that has been preserved through
the centuries. Friendly competitions, dining and companionship are all part of the
tradition of powwow.
Day One
First Nations near
Day Three
Saskatoon
Métis culture
Learn to build a
The history and
teepee, create Abculture of Saskatchoriginal handcrafts,
ewan’s Métis people
prepare a hide or
also continues.
try some bannock, a
At Batoche Nationwhole grain flatbread.
al Historic Site, groups
Explore the First Naexplore Métis history,
tion’s experience to
and learn about Louis
gain knowledge of the
Riel and how he led
Batoche National Historic Site, Saskatchewan
land and their culhis Métis people in an
ture at heritage sites,
armed uprising against
museums, galleries and events around the
the Canadian government in 1885. The site
province to witness the pride of the First
features the remains of the village of BatoNations people.
che, including the church of St. Antoine de
At Wanuskewin Heritage Park, just at
Padoue, the rectory, as well as the trenches
the edge of Saskatoon, groups learn about
used by Gen. Frederick Middleton’s army.
First Nations culture through four interMétis traditions can be experienced in
pretive trails, a medicine wheel, teepee
numerous events throughout the province
rings, a buffalo jump and a recently renoincluding Back to Batoche Days, which are
vated interpretive center. There are opporheld in July.
tunities to try traditional First Nations food
The North West Resistance took place
like pemmican, which is similar to jerky.
on the prairies and parkland of western
Canada in the spring of 1885. Its story is
told in chapters everywhere, from WinDay Two
nipeg in Manitoba to Fort Saskatchewan in
First Nations in Regina
Alberta. It is a particularly unique story in
The First Nations Gallery at the Royal
Saskatchewan, where the Métis and First
Saskatchewan Museum in Regina focuses
Nations each have their own stories of conon the art, traditions and lifestyles of Sasfrontations and battles with government
katchewan’s Aboriginal peoples. Authentic
forces, as well as the subsequent fallout and
Native heritage programs allow groups to
its impact on Canadian history. The Trails
be immersed in this fascinating and spiriof 1885 were established to commemorate
tual culture.
this significant event.S
Powwows rank as one of the highlights
Photo: Tourism Saskatchewan
Photo: Tourism Saskatchewan
Step into First Nations and
Métis culture in Saskatchewan
66
Season
Fall 2015
2015
• GroupTour.com
• GroupTour.com
WESTERN CANADA
Tumbler Ridge: Dinosaurs, landscapes
and now, a Global Geopark
Photo: northern BC Tourism
Northern British Columbia’s Tumbler Ridge may be small in number
(population: 2,983), yet, amid the
foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, all offerings are on a grand scale,
including the remains of prehistoric
beasts who once roamed the landscape.
In this tightknit, forward-thinking
community, locals like to think big
too — a happy fact celebrated by the
recent unveiling of a new 7,722-squarekilometer (2,981 square-mile) Global
Geopark, a designation meant to protect and promote geological heritage
and sustainable local development.
It was Charles Helm, a local doctor,
who first saw Tumbler Ridge’s potential
as a geopark; fitting inspiration, as it was
Helms’s son, Daniel, who co-discovered
the area’s original dinosaur trackway,
or footprints, in 2002. To Helm, the
designation was a natural fit — Tumbler
Ridge’s distinctive blend of geology, palaeontology, topography, scenery and human history, combined with a plethora
of outdoor adventure options and a topnotch museum, have transformed the
former coal mining town into a thriving
outdoor adventure playground.
As British Columbia’s first UNESCOrecognized Global Geopark, Tumbler
Ridge joins a distinguished Global
Geoparks Network that includes 111
Photo: Northern BC Tourism/JF Bergeron
Windfall Lake, Tumbler Ridge
Stonesheep, northern British Columbia
significant sites across 32 countries.
The designation was achieved, in part,
because of the community’s impressive
Peace Region Palaeontology Research
Centre, a repository and scientific hub
for the study, assessment and interpretation of fossil treasures unearthed in
the Peace River Region. The center’s
crown jewel, the Dinosaur Discovery
Gallery, is an educational draw that displays meticulous palaeontology exhibits, including a full-scale re-creation of
a 100 million-year-old dinosaur-track
environment, a massive fossil record of
Triassic marine fish and reptiles and an
interactive theater that brings the prehistory of the Peace Region to life.
And there’s yet another feather in
Tumbler Ridge’s cap: here, southwest of
Dawson Creek, adventurers are never
far from geological wonders or extraordinary landscapes. Enthusiasts can
explore a network of hiking trails that
lead to a mammoth 51 geosites, many
boasting waterfalls, rock formations,
alpine meadows and lakes, mountain
summits and caves, canyons and more.
Keener groups can team up with
Wild River Adventure Tours, for example, and jet boat the Murray River
to Kinuseo Falls, a spectacular waterfall
that is a neck-craning 19 stories high,
or lace up for a heart-thumping hiking
tour of the Shipyard (unique rock towers) and the “prow” of Titanic Rock.
For a final excursion, curious explorers will be compelled to sign on for
Dinosaur Trackway Tours, guided
one- and two-hour interpretive excursions that shed light on the Flatbed
and Wolverine tracksites. Insider intel
highlights little-known facts and cool
stats. The Wolverine site is best appreciated by dino enthusiasts at dusk, via
an illuminating lantern-light stroll that
reveals footprints and dinosaur skin
impressions in all their glory.S
Destination British Columbia
Travel trade: hellobc.com
Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark
trgg.ca
Tumber Ridge Museum Foundation
(250) 242-3466
trmf.ca
Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society
(250) 242-4860
(250) 242-3984
wnms.ca
Oct • Nov • Dec
67
WESTERN CANADA
‘Royal horned face’ dinosaur on display
at Royal Tyrrell Museum
Photo: Courtesy of Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Alberta
According to Travel Alberta, an article published by Current
Biology reports that researchers at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of
Palaeontology announced the discovery of a new dinosaur species in the province of Alberta, a region known globally as one
of the richest sources of dinosaur fossils in the world.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is located
in the Canadian badlands, just northwest of Drumheller,
Alberta, in Midland Provincial Park.
The announcement follows the discovery of a nearly complete fossilized skull of a previously unseen horned dinosaur
in the province’s southwest.
“I like to joke that you can recognize it as being a new species from 100 meters away,” commented Dr. Caleb Brown,
post-doctoral fellow at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and co-author of the Current Biology article announcing the discovery.
The dinosaur, a member of the Ceratopsidae family whose
official name is Regaliceratops peterhewsi meaning ‘royal
horned face,’ is notably different from other known relatives
in both the size and shape of the horns on its face and a distinctive, crown-like frill at the back of its skull. The beaked,
herbivorous dinosaur dates from the Cretaceous period, a
time that saw the highest diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs.
Dr. Brown explained, “The discovery is scientifically significant because it provides evidence of unexpected evolutionary
traits in horned dinosaurs.”
The fossil specimen, nicknamed “Hellboy” by its researchers in reference both to the horns above its eyes reminiscent
of the Dark Horse comic book character of the same name, as
Art: Courtesy of Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology,
Drumheller, Alberta. Art by Julius T. Csotonyi.
Peter Hews and skull of Regaliceratops peterhewsi that he found
Artistic life reconstruction of the new horned dinosaur
Regaliceratops peterhewsi in the palaeoenvironment
of the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada
68
well as the grueling, multiyear process of excavation, preparation and study, was first discovered in a cliff near the Oldman
River by a member of the public, Peter Hews.
The find was reported to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of
Palaeontology, who then assigned a team to retrieve and research it. Led by Dr. Donald Henderson, curator of dinosaurs,
the excavation of the site took place over two summers, while
preparation in the museum’s laboratory took an additional
18 months.
“Hellboy” is now the centerpiece of the Royal Tyrrell Museum’s new Fossils in Focus exhibit.
“The rate at which we are finding new species today is
higher than any time previously. It is a very exciting time for
dinosaur research in Alberta,” Dr. Brown said.
For dinosaur enthusiast groups that want to follow in the
footsteps of palaeontologists, Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial
Park offers one-, two- and three-day guided excavation programs in which participants take part in real dinosaur digs
that contribute to ongoing scientific research at the Royal
Tyrrell Museum.
Motorcoaches can park for free in designated parking
spaces in the museum lot. A semi-private room is available
for group meals.S
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
(888) 440-4240, outside of Canada
(403) 823-8223, group services
tyrrellmuseum.com
Travel Alberta
Traveltrade.travelalberta.com
WESTERN CANADA
Find free-time favorites in
Winnipeg’s Exchange District
Photo: Courtesy of Travel Manitoba
Established at the turn of the 20th century, the Exchange
District is the original center of commerce and culture in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. Located in the heart of Winnipeg, the
Exchange District National Historic Site boasts a spectacular collection of terra cotta and cut-stone architecture.
Today the architecturally rich area teems with incredible shopping and cultural opportunities. Groups can visit
unique retailers, galleries, eateries and discover more on
their own. Tourism Winnipeg can arrange stops and attraction tours to fit schedules and tour group preferences.
Grab a sword and armor and head over to Imagine
Games & Hobbies, where gaming tables can be rented to
battle friends and foes at the steampunk favorite, Warmachine, and any other games that puts players face to face
with fantasy foes.
Every Friday and Saturday night, live bands alternate with
Winnipeg’s hottest DJs at Whiskey Dix. Over 12,000 square
feet of space, three bars and high tech lights and sound
ensure everyone dances the night away.
A visit to the Exchange during the summer must include
a visit to Old Market Square, which plays host to numerous
summer events and festivals, including the TD International
Jazz Festival.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Bee Gees, Tragically Hip and Gene Simmons are just
some of the big-name acts that have appeared in the 2,305seat Centennial Concert Hall, making it one of the city’s top
entertainment venues.
Photo: Courtesy of Travel Manitoba/Dan Harper
View of 20-block Exchange District National Historic site, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival,
Old Market Square, Exchange District, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Movie buffs head to Cinematheque, which is run by the
Winnipeg Film Group. This intimate theater screens top
art house film titles in Canadian and world cinemas on
Arthur Street.
In summer months, tour an exceptional collection of
turn-of-the-20th century buildings led by knowledgeable
and dynamic guides hosting the Exchange District Historic
Walking Tours.
Explore nine permanent galleries and an ever-changing
variety of specialty exhibits that explore the human and
natural history of the province at The Manitoba Museum.
Climb aboard the Nonsuch, a 17th-century merchant ship,
watch an animated underwater adventure that takes groups
back 450 million years and view treasures from around the
world. A planetarium and hands-on science gallery are also
on-site.
Catch live scheduled entertainment in the ornate theater
at Pantages Playhouse Theatre. An Exchange District landmark, it has played a vibrant role in Winnipeg’s arts community since it opened in 1914.
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre presents more than
250 performances annually. It was Canada’s first Englishspeaking regional theater. Catch a play at the main stage or
warehouse venues or at a festival.S
Tourism Winnipeg
(204) 954-1978, groups
tourismwinnipeg.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
69
Waregem
By Mary Lu Laffey
Flanders region of Belgium
Step into a salient called Flanders fields
Photo: Creative Commons/Redvers
The poppy
During that time, the only sign of
vegetation was the occasional scarlet
red poppy. It would rear its stubborn
head from piles of dirt, seemingly
barren land and often in soil that was
freshly turned for burials.
After the armistice of Nov. 11, 1918,
the barren countryside was still for the
first time in four years.
In the spring of 1919, the poppy
rose again from the tumbled soil,
blooming in patches and great swathes
of color from one end of Flanders to
the other. Its ability to flourish in such
upheaval surprised the world and it
became the symbol of the Great War.
A poem by Canadian physician from
Guelph, Ontario, Lt. Col. John McCrae,
The backstory
also solidified the honor.
During the Great War, Belgium lay
Reportedly, McCrae was inspired to
in the path of Germany’s plans to enFlag at entrance into In Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres
write “In Flanders Fields” after a friend
ter France. Wave after wave of attacks
died during the Second Battle of Ypres,
by infantry through combat, cannon
a few miles from Waregem. The poem and poppies remain
fire and chemical warfare pushed into the area of Flanders,
the most recognizable symbols of the war. In the U.S., popbut the Belgians and Allies held firm. The entire country of
pies are sold on Veterans or Armistice Day weekend to honor
Belgium is about the size of Maryland.
veterans of all wars.
America joined the Allied Forces and entered the war on
April 6, 1917, and is credited to helping end the war a year later.
The Allies thwarted the German march to France at the
cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and destruction of the
countryside in Belgium.
A wildflower to some and a weed to
others, the poppy became a symbol of
hope in the battlefields of World War I.
Especially during fighting in Flanders,
a region of Belgium along the Western
Front.
While there is no such thing as a
bloom schedule for poppies, Christopher Arseneault, then site superintendent at the Flanders Field American
Cemetery and Memorial in Waregem,
Flanders, never tired of answering
email inquiries about what was the best
time to visit to see “the poppies.”
Arseneault met our group at the
cemetery gates and escorted us to the
visitor center.
Poppies in bloom,
Flanders, Belgium
70
Photo: courtesy of VisitFlanders
‘In Flanders Fields’
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
— Canandian Lt. Col. John McCrae
Flanders Field
American Cemetery and Memorial,
Flanders, Belgium
More than 81,000 American service
members died in Europe and in European waters during the Great War,
including 1,048 on Belgian soil.
A visit to an American cemetery
like the one at Flanders Field is a “gut
check” for all of us, Arseneault said.
“We remember every day.”
is an urn emblazoned with the emblems of the four divisions that fought
in Belgium in World War I: the 27th,
the 30th that returned to Belgium
during World War II, and the 37th and
91st Divisions.
In the fall of 1918, the 91st Division
fought during the Ypres-Lys offensive
at this location. The government of
Belgium granted its use as a permanent
burial ground in perpetuity without
charge or taxation. Flanders Field is the
only World War I American cemetery
in Belgium.
The Brooding Soldier,
Flanders, Belgium
The cemetery
Flanders Field American Cemetery
and Memorial is one of 25 American
military cemeteries administered by the
American Battle Monuments Commission. It is the smallest of the permanent American military cemeteries in
Europe. The 6-acre Waregem site was
dedicated officially in 1937.
As time passes, fewer and fewer
visitors are next of kin, and more and
more are descendants of the 368 buried
in the cemetery, or the 43 listed on the
pink marble Tablets of Missing in the
chapel. An inscription on a chapel wall
acknowledges the 21 unknown soldiers
buried there.
“Our orders are the same today as
after the war,” Arseneault said. That is,
“green grass and white headstones.” To
that end, the white marble headstones
styled in Latin crosses or Stars of David
are washed each day with a soft brush
and receive anti-moss applications
twice a year.
The cemetery is divided into four
rectangular plots, each with 92 graves.
Linden trees line a garden walk that
surrounds the cemetery. Flowerbeds
bloom at the corners of the grounds.
At the center of each corner garden
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Last Post ceremony
A stop at Menin Gate Memorial in
Ypres to attend a Last Post ceremony
should not be missed. With the exception of the German occupation during
World War II, the ceremony has been
held 365 days a year, since the memorial opened in 1927.
Like clockwork each day at 8 p.m.,
the sound of buglers from the local fire
brigade announce the closing of traffic
at the grand marble gate while hundreds of visitors and residents gather
under the dome.
The program is short, but gut wrenching. It opens with the bugling of “Last
Post” or “Taps” as visitors stand in view
of 54,389 names of the missing in action
from Britain and the Commonwealth.
Each is cut into grand marble walls.
“Taps” is followed with a moment
of silence, then the presentation of
Oct • Nov • Dec
71
American Battle Monuments Commission
abmc.gov
Flanders Field American Cemetery
and Memorial:
[email protected]
Open daily except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1
No admission fee
Flanders tourism
visitflanders.us
Guelph Museum is partnering
with Frederick Travel Waterloo
Lt. Col. John McCrae
to offer a special tour honoring
Guelph, Ontario’s, native son, John McCrae.
In the “Footsteps of John McCrae: Tour of France and
Belgium,” the group travels to Europe with Guelph Museums’
curator and recognized John McCrae expert and curator,
Bev Dietrich. The late physician, Lt. Col. McCrae, wrote the
legendary poem, “In Flanders Fields,” commemorating the
battlefront and soldiers who fought in Flanders during World
War I.
The tour includes important World War I landmarks, and
opportunities to see places where Lt. Col. McCrae served as a
soldier and a doctor,
and where he was
inspired to write
“In Flanders Fields.”
Ingrid
Nardella at
Frederick Travel
Waterloo is the
contact for
information
about the eightday itinerary and
possible individual
add-on days in
Europe.
Day One
Toronto — Paris
This evening,
board a non-stop flight to travel from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Paris. In-flight meals and entertainment
are available.
Last Post Ceremony,
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium
72
Footsteps of
Canadian
John McCrae
Day Two
Paris
Arrive at Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport.
Meet the motorcoach driver and transfer to the Mercure
Porte d’Orléans for two nights. The hotel is located in the
center of the city. In the afternoon, enjoy a three-hour city
tour of Paris. A welcome dinner will be arranged in a typical
Parisian restaurant.
Day Three
Versailles — Paris
Spend half of the day visiting the Palace of Versailles.
Return to Paris mid-day. Spend the afternoon and evening as
free time to explore the City of Lights.
Photo: public domain/illustration by ernest clegg
Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
wreaths by invited guests. The program ends with “Reveille,” and the symbolism that it conjures of a new day ahead.
Our group was told that the Last Post ceremony began
as an expression of gratitude from the Belgian people
to those who
fought and gave
their lives for
freedom on
Belgian soil. If
any members of
the group had
relatives that
fought in World
War I, the officiants would
like to know.
Because two
of my uncles
served in the
Wreaths at Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium
Great War, I was
invited to present a wreath during the ceremony, an honor I shared with
a Canadian whose grandfather also served. Unlike his
grandfather, my uncles returned home.S
Tour leads from Paris to Ypres
Day Six
Ypres region
Transfer to Essex Farm for a guided
tour of Essex Field Dressing Station
and Essex Field Cemetery. The Canadian medical officer John McCrae served
Day Seven
Ypres — Poperinge
Start the day with a trip to St.
George Memorial Church. The church
was built between 1927 and 1929 to remember the 250,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in one of
the four battles in Flanders. Then travel
to Poperinge to visit Talbot House, now
a living history museum. Arrangements
can be made for an early dinner at a
local brewery restaurant.
‘Mother Canada,’ part
of Canadian National
Vimy Ridge Memorial,
Pas de Calais, France
Photo: Creative Commons/Cbone
Day Five
Ypres
Walk to the In Flanders Fields
Museum and the square. The museum
shows how World War I affected the
lives of thousands of people of different
nationalities. Visit the bell tower. The
balance of this afternoon is left open for
individual exploration and reflection.
Have dinner and depart for the Menin
Gate. Advance arrangements can be
made for the group to lay a wreath. At
7:30 p.m., gather at the gate. Each evening at 8 p.m., the Last Post is sounded.
Day Nine
Lille — Paris Have breakfast and check out of the
hotel. Transfer to Lille to board a train
to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for
the return flight to Toronto. Options
are available to extend individual stays
in Europe.S
here. Lunch will be arranged locally.
This afternoon, continue to Sanctuary
Wood on the top of Mount Sorrel and
Hill 62, a Canadian memorial.
Day Eight
Calais — Boulogne — Ypres
Depart to the North Sea (English
Channel) and along the coast to the
Boulogne region. On the way, the
group will have many photo stops,
including Calais for a view of the white
cliffs of Dover. The itinerary continues
with a stop at Wimereux Communal
Cemetery. Wimereux contains 2,847
Commonwealth burials of the First
World War, two of them unidentified. Buried among them is Lt. Col.
John McCrae, author of the poem, “In
Flanders Fields.” Return to Ypres for a
farewell dinner and overnight.
GO
Boulogne, Calais, Paris
and Versailles, France;
Poperinge and Ypres,
Flanders
SEE
Canadian National Vimy Memorial
and Wimereux Communal Cemetery
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
cwgc.org
In Flanders Fields Museum
inflandersfields.be/en
Palace of Versailles
en.chateauversailles.fr
In Flanders Fields Museum,
Ypres, Belgium
St. George Memorial Church
stgeorgesmemorialchurchypres.com
STAY
Albion Hotel Ypres
albionhotel.be
Mercure Porte d’Orléans, Paris
mercure.com
Photo: courtesy of visitflanders
Day Four
Paris — Ovillers-La-Boisselle —
Vimy — Ypres
In the morning transfer to OvillersLa-Boisselle. Visit the Lochnagar
Memorial Crater. Remain in the region
for lunch. Continue to the Canadian
National Vimy Memorial and then to
Ypres (more frequently being called by
its Flemish name of Ieper). Check in to
the Albion Hotel Ypres for five nights.
Dinner will be arranged at the hotel.
ASK
Frederick Travel Waterloo
(800) 578-8958
(519) 745-1860
fredericktravelwaterloo.com
Oct • Nov • Dec
73
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Tour bus in the Rocky Mountains,
Banff National Park,
Alberta, Canada
Creativity rules the road
Group tours will survive and evolve,
according to Anderson Vacations veteran
By David Hoekman
Photo: Courtesy of Jim Warren
Jim Warren chuckled when he read
a blog post that suggested group tours
would be dead in 10 years.
Warren, the director of business
development
USA for
the Calgary,
Alberta-based
Anderson
Vacations,
saw the post
while attending the Travel
Alliance Partners (TAP)
Tap Dance
Jim Warren
conference in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Anderson Vacations, led by president and CEO Corey Marshall, is one
of the founding members of TAP,
which pioneered the Guaranteed Departures program.
Warren was chuckling because
when he was younger, he never thought
he would go on a group tour.
“It wasn’t until we got in our 40s and
50s that we started to see the value in
group tours,” he said. “As people move
on in their age and want convenience
and security, comfort and service, the
group tour will continue to exist.”
That does not mean, however, the
group tour of the future will look like a
group tour of 10 years ago or of today.
“As our seniors group that has always been 65-plus become the 75-plus
and 80-plus and gets replaced, the new
group coming in is looking for different things,” said Warren, who works
out of Kearney, Nebraska.
74
New developments for tours
Warren, who does a lot of itinerary
planning and develops group travel
from the United States into Canada
and Australia and New Zealand, said
Anderson Vacations is developing a lot
more tours where people have a day full
of options rather than every tour being
filled with activity from dawn to dusk.
“People want to walk more; they
want to do more activities,” Warren
said. “So, I think operators are going to
see that as a definite change from the
traditional tour. Those tours still are
the bread and butter of how we operate, but as we develop new itineraries,
we are certainly looking at ways we can
be more creative.”
The eating part of tours has become
a feature, as opposed to something passengers need to do. Culinary tours, wine
tastings and craft beers have become
focus points for operators, Warren said.
Anderson Vacations, he said, loves
to put out new ideas.
“We’re finding that alumni groups like
the new ideas,” Warren said. “They want
places that aren’t on a common route. For
example, the west side of the Canadian
Rockies as opposed to the east side.”
Warren advised operators to take
a look at smaller sized groups and not
to fall into the mindset that if a tour
doesn’t reach 25 passengers, they won’t
deal with it.
“Most operators can customize a
group down to 10,” Warren said. “Operators can really make it interesting when
they have smaller numbers. Operators
can go off the schedule if things are happening. If wildlife is coming out at night,
change the days around. An operator
can say, ‘Sleep in this morning because
we’re going to look for bears tonight.’”
Combining non-competing groups
is an option for group leaders.
“We’re starting to see that,” Warren said. “We’ve just launched a new
website with a mix and match section
for groups. I think operators are going
to see more of that.”
Signature tours
Anderson Vacations is strong in
western Canada tours.
“We have programs in the Canadian
Rockies,” Warren said. “We have a huge
variety of itineraries that include just
Alberta or that include British Columbia
and Alberta, and some that include the
rail companies: Rocky Mountaineer and
VIA Rail. We range from one-day tours to
22- or 23-day tours through the Canadian Rockies up into the Yukon and Alaska.
We have a wonderful 25-day tour that
goes by train all across Canada to Nova
Scotia. Our signature product would be
British Columbia-Alberta, for sure.”
The company has a big and growing
inbound business from Australia.
“It’s not uncommon for the Australians to come for two months,” Warren
said. “I escorted a customized tour last
year that by the time it was finished, it
was 35 days. We started in Alaska and
went all the way down to San Francisco.
They like to see everything. They look
at this as a once-in-a-lifetime trip.”S
Anderson Vacations
(866) 814-7378
canadastravelsolution.com
Photo: ©istockphoto.com/doranjclark
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Advertiser index
Advertiser......................RSC#.....Pg.
Airbase Arizona of the
Commemorative Air Force................ 538......... 18.
www.azcaf.org
Huntington Library............................ 435......... 22.
www.huntington.org
Sonoma County Tourism.................... 142......... 20.
www.sonomacounty.com
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center........... 514......... 46.
www.indianpueblo.org
Southfork Ranch................................ 365......... 57.
www.southfork.com
American Bus Association (ABA)....... 443......... 10.
www.buses.org
Inn of the Mountain Gods
Resort & Casino................................ 433......... 44.
www.innofthemountaingods.com
The Ronald Reagan Presidential
Foundation & Library........................ 195......... 21.
www.reaganfoundation.org
Aquarium of the Bay......................... 227......... 27.
www.aquariumofthebay.com
International UFO Museum............... 409......... 46.
www.roswellufomuseum.org
Tour Kansas....................................... 446......... 36.
http://tourkansas.org/
Arizona Renaissance Festival............ 145......... 15.
www.renfestinfo.com
Jackson Hole Playhouse..................... 543......... 65.
http://www.jacksonplayhouse.com/
Vallejo CVB........................................ 124......... 25.
www.visitvallejo.com
Best Western Stovall’s of Anaheim.... 257......... 22.
www.stovallshotels.com
Jelly Belly Candy Company................ 390......... 25.
www.jellybelly.com
Visit Tucson........................................ 179......... 17.
www.visittucson.org
Bishop Area Chamber
& Visitors Bureau.............................. 546......... 24.
http://www.bishopvisitor.com/
Kitt Peak National Observatory........ 306......... 16.
http://www.noao.edu/kpno/
Visitor Activities, LDS Church............ 118......... 59.
www.visittemplesquare.com
Las Vegas Territory............................. 524......... 42.
www.lvterritory.com
Walt Disney Family Museum.............. 227......... 27.
www.waltdisney.org
Logan, Utah....................................... 393......... 59.
www.explorelogan.com
Wetherill Inn...................................... 401......... 16.
www.wetherill-inn.com
Los Rios River Runners...................... 153......... 45.
www.losriosriverrunners.com
Winchester Mystery House................ 302......... 20.
www.winchestermysteryhouse.com
Lynnwood Tourism............................. 482......... 61.
www.lynnwoodtourism.com
WN Casa de Shenandoah, LLC........... 553......... 41.
casadeshenandoah.com
Amador Council of Tourism............... 278......... 23.
www.touramador.com/
City of Alamogordo........................... 341......... 45.
www.alamogordo.com
City of Aztec...................................... 547......... 46.
www.aztecnm.com
Cliff House......................................... 227......... 26.
www.cliffhouse.com
Colorado Railroad Museum............... 542......... 30.
www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org
Colorado Springs CVB....................... 150......... 29.
www.visitcos.com
Columbia Gorge Interpretive
Center Museum................................ 116......... 62
www.columbiagorge.org
Eagan CVB......................................... 545......... 76.
www.eaganmn.com
El Dorado County COC....................... 278......... 23.
www.visit-eldorado.com
Elephant Butte Inn............................ 552......... 47.
ebresort.com
Elko CVA............................................ 505......... 42.
www.ExploreElko.com
Embassy Suites Riverfront................. 278......... 23.
www.sacramento.embassysuites.com
Evergreen Aviation Museum............. 445......... 53.
www.sprucegoose.org
Fairfield Conference
& Visitors Bureau.............................. 390......... 25.
www.fairfield4fun.com
Madame Tussauds San Francisco
/ The Dungeon.................................. 227......... 27.
http://www.madametussauds.com/sanfrancisco/
Mesa Market Place Swap Meet......... 538......... 18.
www.mesamarket.com
Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad............... 305......... 62.
www.mrsr.com
Musical Instrument Museum............. 537......... 15.
mim.org
National Museum of
Nuclear Science & History................ 514......... 47.
www.atomicmuseum.com
Connect with
Group Tour Media
anytime, anywhere.
/GroupTourMagazine
@GroupTour
/GroupTour
/GroupTourMedia
New Mexico Museum
of Space History............................... 467......... 47.
www.nmspacemuseum.org
Palm Mountain Resort and Spa......... 347......... 22.
www.palmmountainresort.com
Palm Springs Air Museum.................. 347......... 22.
www.palmspringsairmuseum.org
PIER 39.............................................. 227......... 26.
www.pier39.com
Farmington CVB................................. 301......... 44.
www.farmingtonnm.org
Rocky Mountain Park Inn.................. 315......... 30.
http://rockymountainparkinn.com
Follow The Sun Inc. -- FTS Tours......... 552......... 47.
ftstours.com
Sacramento CVB................................ 278......... 23.
VisitSacramento.com/GroupTravel
Hard Rock Cafe - San Francisco......... 227......... 26.
www.hardrock.com
Silver Reef Casino............................. 339......... 63.
www.silverreefcasino.com
Heard Museum.................................. 554......... 16.
www.heard.org
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom............ 124......... 25.
www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom
Hornblower Cruises & Events............ 227......... 27.
www.hornblower.com
Snohomish County Tourism Bureau... 483......... 61.
www.snohomish.org
Oct • Nov • Dec
75
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