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August 2010 of Leisure Group Travel, America's premier magazine for group travel planners
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PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Lebanon Junction, KY Permit No. 414 A Premier Tourism Marketing publication • www.leisuregrouptravel.com PO Box 609, Palos Heights, IL 60463 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED AUGUST 2010
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Page 1: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDLebanon Junction, KYPermit No. 414

A Premier Tourism Marketing publication • www.leisuregrouptravel.com

PO Box 609, Palos Heights, IL 60463 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

AUGUST 2010

Page 2: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

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Page 3: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

con ten t s

18

ON THE COVER: 

Turnagain Arm at high tide, Chugach State Park, Alaska

(Photo courtesy Alaska Travel Industry Association/ ©2007 Michael DeYoung)

Vol. 20, No.4 August 2010

COLUMNS6 On My Mind

by jeff gayduk

8 On Tour

by marty sarbey de souto

10 On Girlfriend Getaways

by lisa kasanicky

12 On Adventure Travel

by christopher doyle

COVER STORY

COVER STORY18 THE ESSENCE OF ALASKA by jeff gayduk

32

ARKANSASADVENTURES

Land tours showcase the best of America’s Last Frontier

DEPARTMENTS15 On The Record

26 Western Girlfriend Packages by lisa kasanicky

30 On Our Radar: MIDWEST

37 On Our Radar: SOUTH

41 On Our Radar: NORTHEAST

FEATURESMIDWEST

28 Midwest Casino Update by nadia beidas

SOUTH

32 Adventures in Arkansas by jill m. rohrbach

NORTHEAST

39 Playtime in Pennsylvania by randy mink

42 On Technology

by john kammAl

aska

Tra

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try A

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tion/

©20

07 M

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oung

READER ’SCH ICE��

AWARDS

CAST YOUR VOTE

See Our Reader Service Page

Page 4: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

8th Annual Reader’s Choice Awards

NEWS AS IT HAPPENS • PERSPECTIVE • TOOLS

Need Instant Information?

Vote for your favorite travel companiesin our 8th annual Reader’s Choice

Awards poll. There are two ways to vote –either return this month’s Instant InfoSM

card, or visit LeisureGroupTravel.com andclick on the Reader’s Choice icon. Cast your vote by Sept. 15!

We’ve just unveiled a brand new online planning tool for group travel organizers. Instant InfoSM connects you directly with group-friendly

suppliers to help you research and plan trips. From the home page of Leisure-GroupTravel.com, click on the Instant InfoSM

tab. Search by state, keyword or category andchoose how you want to receive information.It’s the quickest way to plan your next group getaway!

Vol. 20, No. 4 August 2010

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

Publisher – Jeffrey [email protected]

Managing Editor – Randy [email protected]

Senior Editor – John [email protected]

Senior Editor – Elana [email protected]

Director, Design & Production – Robert [email protected]

Regional Sales Managers

Illinois – Jim McCurdyP 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

Eastern Midwest/Canada – Amy JanssensP 630.294.0318 • F [email protected]

Northeast – Ellen KlestaP 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

Southeast – Hutson LambertP 228.452.9683 • F 228.452.6370 [email protected]

Southern – Dolores RidoutP/F [email protected]

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

West/Midwest/Online sales Theresa O’RourkeP 630.794.0696 • F [email protected]

The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes noresponsi bility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made toensure the accuracy of the information published, but the publisher makes no warrantythat listings are free of error. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicitedphotos, slides or manuscripts.

Leisure Group Travel (ISSN-1531-1406) is publishedbi-monthly by Premier Tourism Marketing, Inc. 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406,Willowbrook, IL 60527. The magazine is distributed free of charge to qualified tour operators, travel agents, group leaders, bank travel clubs and other travel organizations. Other travel-related suppliers may sub scribe at thereduced rate of $12.00 per year. The regular sub scrip tion price for all others is$18.00 per year. Single copies are $4.95 each.

Send Address Change to: Premier Tourism Marketing, Inc.P.O. Box 609, Palos Heights, IL 60463

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

A publication

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4 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Page 5: Leisure Group Travel August 2010
Page 6: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

on my mind � jeff gayduk

THERE’S EVIDENCE THATthe travel industry is heading towardsrecovery. Hotels are raising rates asoccupancy levels improve, airplanesare packed, theme park turnstiles arerotating with modest increases in atten-dance projected for 2011. Closer tohome, tour operators are reportingstrong numbers compared to a bleak2009 and bus company yards are emptyas coaches are on the road.

It appears that better days are aheadfor the travel industry. But take a lookat cavernous state budget deficits andyou’ll quickly realize that this is not justa dark cloud hanging over our industry,it’s a hurricane. The numbers are shock-ing. 46 states are in the red, with a totalprojected shortfall of $90 billion infiscal 2011. My home state of Illinoishas the dual distinction of having boththe highest budget shortfall at $13.5billion, but also the highest percentileof projected revenue shortfall @ 36% ofour entire budget. Trust me, no one inIllinois is shouting “We’re number 1!”From California ($9 billion) to Florida($4.7 billion) to most points in between,the list is as wide as it is deep.

Why does this matter to tourism?It matters because tourism is the piggybank that’s being raided to pay for yearsof mismanagement and misappropria-tion. We’ve heard horror stories of CVBsbeing folded into chambers of commercein a “tax grab” or tourism budgets beingsiphoned off for road repairs. (The argu-ment – tourists need roads, don’t they?)So now, as the industry starts to getback on its feet, higher ups are diverting

tourism tax dollars instead of makingthe right decision – fix their own budgetissues.

BROKEN SYSTEMThe problem lies with how most

government budgets are spent. It re-minds me of when I was 18. I’d startout the night with $50 in my wallet,and by gosh if it wasn’t burning a hole

in my pocket because by the time Igot home it would all be gone. Such isthe case here. When times are good,budgets inflate, which leads to binges.Instead of developing rainy day funds,many governments keep adding pro-grams, staffing, this and that, here andthere. If you got it, spend it was themotto. Bottom line – if a privatecompany were forced to operate in thefree-spending way that most govern-ments do, we’d be out of business.

That being said, we can’t fix thesystem that’s in place, at least not today.What we can do is stop the raidingthat’s going on by protecting tourismtax dollars and ensuring they are notdiverted. The reason justified for theexorbitant taxes being charged to touristsis that it goes back into tourism mar-keting. Convention & visitors bureausreceive a percentage of hotel, car rentaland, in many circumstances, attractionsadmission prices to fund their operations.

When those funds are diverted, promisesare broken and the system fails.

As those funds dry up, visitor cen-ters close, marketing and advertisingexpenditures cease, and tourism repre-sentatives who wave the flag for areabusinesses start collecting unemploy-ment checks. With lack of promotion,service and marketing, fewer people areinclined to travel, which leads to a drop

in tourism, which of course leads to lesstaxes, only exacerbating the hole we’rein. It’s a vicious cycle that must stop.

Tourism is a proven driver of oureconomy. If left alone, it produces jobsand tax revenue for the local, state andnational economy. Tell your legislativerepresentatives that as an industry weare perfectly willing to stand on ourown two feet to support the economy,but cannot do so when our legs are cutout from underneath us.

Let’s keep traveling,

Jeff Gayduk, [email protected]

Standing on Our Own Two Feet

In May, Jeff visited Alaska, where last year

each resident received a check for $1,305

from the state government’s oil stipend.

6 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Tourism is the piggy bank that’s beingraided to pay for years of mismanagement

Page 7: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

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Page 8: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

on tour � marty sarbey de souto, ctc

WITH MANY AIRLINES chargingfor luggage nowadays, airport securityinspections and nary a porter to beseen in most rail stations and manyhotels, it’s time we readjusted ourclothing and packing advice for grouptour members.Most of us who travel for a living

have learned through trial and errorwhat works and whittled down ourluggage accordingly. Today I usuallytravel with a 14-by-20-by-8-inch“wheelie.” But many of our tour mem-bers are arriving with way too muchluggage and often with incorrect cloth-ing. I’m reminded of a friend who toldme of her niece arriving on a five-dayhiking trip with five pairs of blue jeansand five tops; she planned on one setper day. Most of us, whether we’re hik-ers or not, know that one doesn’t needa different pair of jeans for every dayof the trip.

COLOR COORDINATINGFor me, the learning curve began

the year I graduated from college whenmy mother, sister and I embarked onan eight-month budget trip to Europe.Mom laid down the law – one suitcaseeach, no more. So my sister and Ispent long hours trying on everythingin each other’s closet. Since she wastaller than me, we soon discovered weeach had to bring our own pants, butwe could share tops: blouses, T-shirtsand sweaters. To simplify further, wedecided to take only those tops andbottoms that could be color-coordi-nated. Out of that strategy came my

lifetime commitment to a black andwhite wardrobe, livened up with ac-cents like a red trench coat or a silver-sequined evening blouse.However, after eight months of to-

getherness on the road, we were both

sick of every item in our suitcases andon the last night, as we sailed intoNew York harbor aboard HollandAmerica Line, we ceremoniously threweach item of clothing over the ship’srailing into the murky waters below aswe said a fond farewell to each top andbottom of our now tattered and smellywardrobe.Today the black and white system

still works for me – not just for mytravel wardrobe but for my entirewardrobe at home as well. For you andfor each of your travelers, it may bekhaki or navy blue or gray – we eachhave our favorite “backbone color” onwhich to base a travel wardrobe, butwe need to teach our travelers the con-cept. Often the difficulty is not onlyteaching them what to take, but just asimportant, what to leave behind.

GIVE SOME GUIDANCEMost travelers are fairly reasonable

as long as they know in advance whatto expect. They become irritable whenthey haul their travel iron and all itsvarious plugs and converter along,

only to find that they weren’t advisedbeforehand that their hotel providesironing board and iron in each room.And while we as leaders can’t have acrystal ball, we can do some advanceresearch as to what the weather may

be, whether the theater night requiresdressing up or if the captain’s welcomecocktail party on our cruise ship implieslong dress or not.I recall leading a group on a Galápa-

gos cruise when one of my tour mem-bers mortified me by turning up at thecaptain’s farewell dinner with her hairin rollers! I sent her back to her cabinto pull her hair back in a chignon-of-sorts with a tropical flower stuck in it.Sometimes when we assume our travel-ers have common sense and knowwhat to bring, they haven’t a clue andneed our guidance.So, use your best research skills,

send them some online links thatmight be helpful, and insist that theystay within the luggage weight/dimen-sion limits required. The trip willprove easier and happier for all.

Packing for Today’s Reality

Tour members need our advice on what to bring and what to leave at home

Marty is founder and chair of the travel industry

training program at Berkeley City College in

Berkeley, Calif., where she teaches all aspects

of group travel. You can reach her by e-mail at

[email protected]. For information on her

latest book, How To Plan, Operate, and Lead Suc-

cessful Group Trips, click on Premier Tourism Mar-

keting’s educational website, groupuniversity.com.

8 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Page 9: Leisure Group Travel August 2010
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on girlfriend getaways � lisa kasanicky

I WOULDN’T TELL MY husbandthis, but I like being told what to do.On vacations, that is.

I realized this on a recent media tripto Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz.Before I left, I was emailed a completeitinerary of where I should be andwhen. My job was to simply complete alaundry list of work projects (along withactual laundry), charge up a tote bag’sworth of electronic devices, get myragged nails done, pack, prep the familyfor my imminent departure and getmyself to the resort. Exhausting! That’swhen the thought struck me: At leastonce I get there, I can just do whateverI’m told. Ah, freedom.

A woman’s life is complicated, andfamily and career obligations are the pri-mary roadblocks in setting off on a girl-friend getaway. As group travel planners,you can help clear the road by creatingitineraries that ease the minds of femaletravelers. The less planning they haveto do, the more likely they’ll bite. Girl-friend getaway packages aren’t just aboutgetting the best deal anymore, they’reabout relinquishing control, being opento new experiences and creating lastingmemories with close friends.

When planning girlfriend getawayitineraries, here are a few tips that Ipicked up from my Sedona excursion:

Suggest a getaway kick-off spot:Pinpoint a place where, at the outset ofthe trip, the group can convene after aday of traveling. If it’s a bar or restau-rant, find out the signature cocktail orsuggest a favorite dish. The icing on thecake would be to pre-arrange with thevenue that each person in the group be

given a token gift (such as a canvas totefilled with local coupons and area mapsor reusable water bottle).

Recommend a daily theme: By plan-ning each day around a central activity,it’s easier for the group to know what topack, wear and expect – a spa day, shop-ping day, adventure activity or sit-by-the-pool-and-do-nothing day. Spice upthe itinerary with a few specific spots tohit each day in keeping with the theme.

Create some easy op-outs: Pad theitinerary with options. Among the groupon my Sedona trip, several were high-octane ladies (crack of dawn hike up themountain, heck yes!) along with a fewlaid-back members (take me to the hos-pitality suite, stat). The solution was thatour host identified alternative activitiesalong the way. Not up for the white-

knuckles jeep tour? How about a yogaclass?

Sprinkle in local flavor: With a littlegoogling or friendly chat with the localvisitors bureau, you can hunt down someoff-the-tourist-map stops. For example,one day of our trip was spent exploringSedona and its outskirts. Who knewthat the town hid a small but thrivingwine industry? Throw in a few localfavorite haunts for pizza, vegetarian

food, night life or whatever best fits thegroup’s demographics.

Plan a “bond-voyage”: Girlfriendgetaways are all about bonding, and afinal round-up of the group punctuatesthe trip with an exclamation point.Whether it’s a morning hot air balloonride or final evening of cocktails, suggesta spot that brings them together one lasttime. Maybe even throw in an extratrinket that reminds them of your awe-some girlfriend getaway planning.

Mancations may be gaining in popu-larity but girlfriend getaways are a travelphenomenon here to stay. Take them upa notch by creating custom, hassle-freeitineraries. Just tell them what to do,and they will come!

Give ’Em What They Want: A Hassle-Free Girlfriend Package

10 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Lisa Kasanicky is author of The Complete Idiot’s

Guide® to Girlfriend Getaways (Alpha Books,

2009) and founder of ArizonaSpaGirls.com — a

girlfriend-to-girlfriend guide to spas, salons, beauty

and wellness. The book offers travel details on

more than 70 destinations in the United States and

Canada ideal for female-focused group travelers.

Girls like their freedom but appreciate thestructure of a well-planned trip

Page 11: Leisure Group Travel August 2010
Page 12: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

on adventure travel � christopher doyle

THE TOURISM INDUSTRY is inserious transition. And, the rate andcomplexity of such change furrows eye-brows and is forcing industry execsworldwide to re-tool, re-invent andre-structure.

A whole new era of leisure tourismhas arrived; the rules of engagement arechanging; technology is upending thevery foundation of travel; legends inthe industry are retiring, enabling awhole new wave of innovative thinkersto build on their predecessors’ successes;and expectations for responsible prac-tices from both trade and consumers areat all-time highs.

Driven in part by sea changes in theways which people become aware ofand access information, coupled withcomplex global social, political, eco-nomic and environmental factors – andthe way in which the media treats anddelivers it all –tourism professionalsmust adjust and conduct business dif-ferently to realize sustainability. Thebuzzword of the day, “sustainable,” is

likely (and rightly so) here to stay. Inthe adventure tourism community, de-spite our forward leaning and oft-pro-gressive approaches to responsible andsustainable tourism development, wemust continue to investigate new ways

in which we might conduct ourselvesfor the good of the people and placeswe send our clients.

So, for those who are selling pack-aged leisure tours for traditional desti-nations and attractions with traditional(proven) approaches, we share heresome of the developments, observa-tions and experiences from within theadventure tourism industry. Adventure

tourism, like the very products we sell,tends to reside at the fringes and aheadof what’s new, different, real, unusualand transformative and may be tellingof what leisure travel can anticipate inthe future.

Because distinctions between adven-ture tourism and the mass travel indus-try in terms of products and services areblurring, it may prove useful to providebackground about adventure travel andto convey what we at the AdventureTravel Trade Association (ATTA) aretuning into these days. And, as tradi-tional leisure and luxury travel increas-ingly migrates toward the “adventure”travel spectrum, it’s important to havethe proper context and for our two sec-tors to share learnings along the way.

“Adventure travel,” at its core, includesa combination of physical activity,cultural immersion and engagement innature. And, know that “adventure” isa truly subjective concept – one thatdoesn’t have to strike fear into potentialclients. What’s adventurous to one

Adventure Travel Emerges as a Vital Force in the Industry

Know that “adventure” is a truly subjectiveconcept—one that doesn’t have to strikefear into potential clients

Christopher Doyle is vice president of Seattle-

based Adventure Travel Trade Association

(adventuretravel.biz). Christina Heyniger, of Xola

Consulting, contributed to this article.

12 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

A group of winter walkers explores Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.

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Page 13: Leisure Group Travel August 2010
Page 14: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

person may be a “walk in the park” foranother; it’s simply the notion of ex-tending beyond one’s comfort zonethrough special activities.

Adventure tourism, once consid-ered a “niche,” is becoming a morepowerful factor in the overall traveland leisure market because:• It’s resilient when other sectors

flux… and rebounds faster• It’s bigger than most people realize,

so it has real impact ($52 billion in 2009)• It’s transformative and turns

customers into passionate evangelistsand advocates• It’s a driver of economic develop-

ment where it’s often needed most – It’sthe life system for the non-urban areas,propping up multiple industries• It’s focused on nature, activity and

culture; it focuses on the triple bottomline of people, planet and profit

The lead indicators we’re monitor-ing closely these days to help us fur-ther pursue creative, collaborative anddiverse approaches to serving travelersinclude the:• Continuous evolution of micro-seg-

ments of consumers and markets• Emergence of the global middle

class• Increasing importance of “sustain-

able tourism” and climate/environment• Agri-, rural, community-based, in-

digenous, culinary and arts/crafts tourism• Pricing pressures and the value

equation• Expansion of the number and types

of source destinations, many offeringmore structured and higher quality ofadventure tourism products• Growing awareness/recognition

of entrepreneurship and small business’importance to markets• Increasing adoption of new tech-

nologies, social networking tools,channels to access news, information,products, services & resources

Changing lifestyles and valuesamong the U.S. populace also are fig-uring prominently in how we addressthe industry with their:• Increasing importance of “green”

products and services• ”Enlightenment” …more mature

and informed views emerging onsustainability, climate change, environ-mentalism• Increasing demand for immediacy

and customization• Change in personal and household

consumption spending patterns (shiftfrom material to experiential purchases)• Increasing emphasis on health,

wellness and recreation• Shift toward more education, ex-

perience and global perspectives• Emphasis on taking control, assum-

ing responsibility for personal impacton the world, increasing self-reliance,

thinking small, local and sustainable• Fragmentation into “micro-seg-

ments” as a result of pronounced shiftsin demographics, attitudes and behaviorpatterns, with both trading-down andtrading-up changes in spending patterns

So, on behalf of the ATTA, well sup-ported by our 600-member network oftour operators, destinations, agents, jour-nalists, and accommodation and serviceproviders, we share these insights to helpour industry as a whole. We’re workingto establish industry best practices andethical standards across our operations,across continents. And, in the broadercontext of industry efforts, we view our-selves as a vital part of a global commu-nity of businesses proactively workingto solve local economic-developmentissues. Perhaps our shared experienceshere might offer the overall leisure travelmarket some ideas to ponder. LGT

Working together to influence

the manner in which adventure

travel is introduced, executed and sus-

tained in any given destination world-

wide will drive the core content of the

Adventure Travel Trade Associa-

tion’s (ATTA) seventh Adventure

Travel World Summit (ATWS), the

annual global assembly of adven-

ture tourism executives Oct. 4-7 in

Aviemore, Scotland.

For the 2010 ATWS, the gathering

is themed “Share & Inspire” to stimu-

late further partnership throughout the

industry and to inspire innovative

ideas and future leaders to build for

the industry’s sustainable future. The

event is brought to tourism industry

leaders by the Seattle-based ATTA

(adventuretravel.biz), a privately held,

global membership organization ded-

icated to unifying, networking, profes-

sionalizing, promoting and responsibly

growing the adventure travel market.

ATTA’s Summit programs connect

delegates (primarily tour operators,

destination marketing organizations,

tourism boards, media, agents, ad-

venture lodges and service organi-

zations) with speakers, journalists

and sessions designed to help ad-

venture travel organizations turn

challenges and opportunities into re-

sults-oriented endeavors. Delegates

participate in executive-level net-

working, business and professional

development programs, educational

seminars and emerging adventure

destination product review opportu-

nities.

Host destination of the 2010 Adven-

ture Travel World Summit is Scotland.

Major Sponsors include Eddie Bauer,

Global Rescue, Cairngorms National

Park Authority and VisitScotland. (ad-

venturetravelworldsummit.com)

14 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

on adventure travel �

ADVENTURE TRAVEL WORLD SUMMIT2 010

Page 15: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERSfrom Leisure Group Travel readers whoresponded to the question: How do youget a busload of strangers to mix andsocialize? What are your techniques forpromoting group camaraderie on tours?

As an ice breaker for motorcoachgroups, we jumble our name tags. SoJohn Doe may become Jane Goodgalby receiving her name tag. Part of theice breaker is for individuals on thetrip to find their own name tag andswitch with the person who has it. Oneindividual may have the name tagsof several different people before theyare able to find their own. Name tagswitching is not allowed on the coach(or other mode of transportation). So,switching is done at rest stops, foodbreaks, layovers and tour stops. This isparticularly fun on trips that involveseveral different modes of transporta-tion and more than one motorcoach!

Our travelers enjoy becomingdifferent people…we have seen menact like women (accidentally going tothe women’s restroom because of thename tag)…and people acting likethe person they have the name tag for,if they know them real well. Some-times travelers will turn over the tagto make it difficult for others to findtheir name. This is a great happy noteto start the trip on.

We also start and end each day witha joke to keep laughs and smiles on ourbus! So, as long as the group is laugh-ing and smiling…that means they arehaving a good time.

On holidays, we try to have a “meet& greet/hotel reception” in conjunction

with the holiday. We were traveling onHalloween and the hotel provided ourreception on Halloween night so wecould have a Halloween party…thiswas a huge success. Travelers were toldahead of time that we would have aparty and to bring their costume. Wedid games and costume awards. Travel-ers put a lot of thought into what theywore. We even made an unplannedstop where they could buy masks (reallycheap)! This particular year we hadseveral “Bill Clintons” and only one“Monica Lewinski” (a guy dressed asa lady). They acted the part and poor“Monica” didn’t know what to do!The whole group partied for hours andeveryone was laughing the entire trip!It really made for great stories (andpictures) when we returned home!

Susan WhitleyActivities Coordinator

Stanly County Senior CenterAlbemarle, NC

One of the best ways I’ve found to geta tour group to mix is to have membersintroduce themselves and tell why theychose that particular tour/destination.I usually get a great variety of interest-ing answers. On an Orient tour one

on the record �

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 15

How Do You Get Your Travelers

to Mix and Mingle?

SUSAN WHITLEY JEANNE SLEETH TINA HORLEY

passenger had been told as a child thatif she dug a hole deep enough, shewould end up in China and was alwaysfascinated with the prospect of visitingthis country. Others may have been tothe destination many years prior andwant to see the changes that have takenplace or had relatives that came fromthe area and were tracing their roots.Whatever the reason, serious or silly,it’s a great conversation starter!

Tina HorleyProduct Manager/Tour Manager

Senior Tours CanadaToronto, ON

It depends on the trip as to what Ido. On trips greater than three days, Ihave the “People Bingo” game that weplay. It has blocks just like bingo. Ineach block is a description for a person– blue eyes, brown eyes, wears a goldwedding ring, first bus trip, name be-gins with the letter “S,” etc. I copiedthis game from one of the group maga-zines. They have to ask questions abouteach other and get their names. Some-thing else that I like to do, especiallyon longer trips, is have each passengercome up to the microphone and givetheir name, information about them-

Page 16: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

selves as to family, where they work orretired from, and anything they want totell the group. At the end of the trip Ihave them come up and say what theyliked about the trip.

Jeanne SleethClassic Club Officer

Empire BankSpringfield, MO

My favorite game—and this one worksfor complete strangers or a full loadof church folks who’ve known eachother for years—is “2 Truths and a Lie.”It only requires a pencil, small pad ofpaper and microphone with a longstretchy cord. After explaining thegame, draw seat/row numbers froma prepared drawing bag and ask oneperson in that row to volunteer toparticipate. Once the rules have beenexplained, almost always one or morein each row of 2-4 seats is ready toparticipate. Here’s how it’s played:

The challenger has to tell us threethings about himself or herself thatthey don’t think we already know.Two must be true and one must be alie. They jot down the lie and hand itto the escort who is bringing the mike.The crowd listens and then discusseswhat they think is true and what theythink is a lie and why. The group mustthen come to a consensus (or vote) onwhich tall tale is the lie. If the crowdcorrectly guesses the lie, the teller hasto admit it. But if they don’t, theyget to sit down and reveal nothing.

Believe me, it gets the interactionmoving on the coach and opens oppor-tunities for chit-chat at every pit stop,restaurant and attraction along theway. At the end of the day, they’re alllaughing together about who is the bestliar as well as about the newly exposedtruths their friends have revealed. Thisgame is so much fun—and such a greatinteraction tool—that sometimes it’s

the only road game we play on a one-day trip. By the end of the day, even theshyest ones have come up with threewhoppers to tell.

Of course, depending on the groupand funds available for prizes, you canhave a run-off for best overall liar (re-quiring an additional reveal challenge)and you can vote on the participantwith the most surprising or unbelievabletruths. Or you can give the winners dur-ing the first leg the first seating optionon the second leg. 

Linda Logsdon, A.C.C. Von Bears Travel

Tulsa, OK

Our company, which has primarilyurban/suburban travelers, recentlypurchased another company with pre-dominantly rural customers. On thefirst trip I escorted with the new com-bined clientele, I used a unique trick toget them to mingle. I waited until folkswere getting off the coach for our morn-ing rest stop to hand out the name tags.I gave each person someone else’s nametag and while we were stopped every-body had to find the rightful ownerand also find their own name tags. Thepassengers enjoyed the activity and itwas a good way to introduce everyoneon the first day of a multi-day trip.When escorts pass around the micro-phone on the coach and have peopleintroduce themselves, often the otherpassengers can hear but not see them.I think face-to-face introductions withthe name tag game make it easier to re-member names and faces.

Shannon Murray, Tour CoordinatorCrossroad Tours

Olathe, KS

Ask everyone for a picture they carry intheir wallet. Child, grandchild, mate,parent, dog... it doesn’t matter. Whilethe group is off the motorcoach, scotch

tape the photos in random order abovethe seats. As they go to re-board, explainthey must find their relinquished photo,have a seat in that location, and explainwho is in the photo to their new seat-mate. Reassure them it’s only temporary.At the next stop they can move back totheir assigned seatmate and take theirphoto. I had one gentleman who carriedno photographs so became AndrewJackson on his $20 bill! Another de-clared to the group, “I think I’ll try herhusband again... he talked to me!”Great laughs and conversation were created for the balance of the trip!

Anita Judd-JenkinsVice President, Heritage Club Director

Home National BankArkansas City, KS

My favorite way to get people to mix isto put all the name tags in a basket andhave them draw out one. At the firstrest break, I tell them to “find yourself,”introduce yourself and tell each othersomething about yourself. We have alot of fun teasing the guys wearing girls’names. They wear the tag until they are“found.” Lots of fun and a very quickway to get them chatting!

Sandy Jamison, Tour CoordinatorGreen River Lines/Hansen Tours

Peru, IL

I give four people the title of being“It.” These people have to be inter-viewed by the other passengers. Allthis proves is that they are really speak-ing to one another. Also, you have toget their autograph, so they are givenpaper and pen. They must have theperson they are introducing themselvesto write down their name and get theanswers to the following questionslike: Where are you from? How oftenhave you traveled by motorcoach?How many children or grandchildrendo you have? Before you know it, they

on the record �

16 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

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are laughing and talking among them-selves. The one who meets the mostpeople, has the most grandchildren, orso on, wins a gift card from CrackerBarrel. They have only until dinnertime on the first day of travel to breakthe ice.  

Elaine JohnsonCross Country Tours-Trailways

Spartanburg. SC

Get the best prices and service in group travel today.Every tour is totally customized to the needs andbudget of your group.Ask for a free quote!

• Book it all – air, hotels, motor-coach, sightseeing, activities,guides, meals, shows, meetingspace, exclusive events, insur-ance – even a tour manager.

• You decide your selling price,so you set your profit.

• Flexible payment options.

• Any type of group – student,alumni, religious, family,reunion, retirement, club...

• Destinations near home oraround the world – create yourown itinerary, or we’ll help you.

• Every group receives the bestpossible price and personalizedservice from our staff.

• Cruise Groups – gain addedvalue from every cruise withhotel nights, transfers andsightseeing before the cruise,while ensuring your groupdoesn’t miss the cruise depar-ture. Book exclusive shoreexcursions from ports-of-call,or inspiring post-cruise travel.

• Staff in our global office net-work provide local assistancewith on-the-road issues.

Customized Groups: Tel: 800-808-9547 | Fax: 800-808-9548 | [email protected]

Superior Value | CustomizedService

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 17

IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE

of Leisure Group Travel, our On the Record column

will look at holiday travel. Please send us your

response to this question:

What challenges do you face in planning and executing holiday

season trips? What have been some of your most successful holiday trips?

Along with your comments, please include your name, company

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

photo of yourself. A selection of responses will be printed in the

October 2010 issue. Thanks in advance for your

valuable opinions.

Send to: Randy Mink, [email protected]

For more reader responses on how group

leaders get passengers to socialize, go to

LeisureGroupTravel.com.

In order to get people to mix or social-ize, you may want to do games likebingo or trivia, or just let people meeteach other on their own.

Richard FisherCoast to Coast

South Holland, IL

Page 18: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

18 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Ask your travelers what destina-tions are on their bucket list,and certainly Alaska is goingto rank at or near the top.And

the vacation most typically associatedwith Alaska is a cruise. This was defi-nitely my mindset before I had traveledto our 49th state, and while I enjoyedthe cruise on my first visit, it wasn’tuntil I got off the ship that I experi-

enced the essence of Alaska.Likewise, many Alaska vacationers

feel they’ve tackled the state afterthey’ve taken that Inside Passage orGulfof Alaska cruise.What a surprise awaitsthem when they too get off the boat.

I recently had the opportunity totravel back to Alaska, courtesy of theGlobus family of brands and theirPlatinum Producers conference, an

exclusive event for their top groupcustomers. The trip was hosted byPremier Alaska Tours, Globus’ landpartner, with support from DMOs,hotels, attractions and restaurants.

It was 11 years since my last visit tothe Land of the Midnight Sun. Thefirst trip was courtesy of HollandAmerica’s Nieuw Amsterdam when wetook the last cruise of the season from

Package tours showcase the best of America’s Last Frontier

The majesty of tidewater glaciers enthralls ferry and cruise boat passengers in Prince William Sound.

on location: west � jeff gayduk

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Vancouver up through the Inside Pas-sage, disembarking in Seward. On thecruise, we experienced great scenery,first-class entertainment, delicious cui-sine and port calls that provided aglimpse of Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell andKetchikan, places that are now wel-coming thousands of cruise passengersper day. When our cruise was finished,we picked up our rental car and com-menced on our journey to Alaska’s in-

terior, taking in the most spectacularfall foliage scenery imaginable (notethat it was early September). Reflectingback on that trip, my most vivid mem-ories are not of the midnight buffet orLido deck, but of the unspoiled vistasthat awaited around nearly every curve.

Mike Schields, director of groupsales and emerging markets for theGlobus family of brands and a formercruise industry executive, commented,

“While the most common way formost people to see Alaska for the firsttime is on an Inside Passage cruise, themost comprehensive and exciting wayto see this great state is on the landpackages. On the many programs thatthe Globus family of brands offers, theopportunities to see wildlife and in-credible scenery are all magnified. Youcan see and touch Alaska close-up andalso have the opportunity to customizeyour experience with things like flight-seeing over glaciers, jet boats on themany rivers, fishing and hiking, andmore. From 8 to 80, Alaska has some-thing for everyone, and its potential,especially as a family destination, is un-matched.”

The comment was echoed by TimWorthen, CEO of Premier AlaskaTours. “The vast majority of our Alaskaguests travel on a cruise ship. Many addon extensive pre/post land tours in orderto get off the ship to touch and feel moreof Alaska.They want to see the animalsin Denali or get up closer to the moun-tains with a nice hike. Alaska is twice asbig as Texas so it is hard to experience itwithout traveling inland on a land tour.”(Worthen should know. A 25-year vet-eran of Alaska tourism, he’s seen the in-dustry grow up before his eyes.)

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 19

Excursions in Prince William

Sound provide close encounters

with glaciers and wildlife.

Jeff

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HOME BASE: ANCHORAGEFast forward to May 2010, I land in

Anchorage at 10 p.m. (yes, the sun isstill shining, somewhat disorienting).Anchorage is Alaska’s hub of passengerair traffic, with non-stop service toWest Coast gateways and seasonalservice to Chicago, Dallas and Min-neapolis. The airport is also a world-wide hub of air cargo due to its uniqueglobal location.

For its size (just under300,000) Anchorage is re-markably cosmopolitan.Retailers like Nordstrom,performing arts centers,live theater and a wide va-riety of upscale restaurantsrival that of a city three times its size.With its relatively flat terrain, Anchor-age is simple to navigate,but the views ofsix mountain ranges provide motivation

to go explore.Anchorage is also the epi-center of Southcentral Alaska and thejumping-off point for day tours to placeslike Prince William Sound, Valdez,Eagle River and Wasilla, the IditarodTrail Sled Dog Race headquarters.Departing on morning two, our

group traveled to Girdwood, then tookthe short drive to Whittier, where weembarked on the 26 Glaciers Cruise onPrince William Sound. As lunch wasserved onboard, our catamaran sped to-ward College Fjord, with glacial sight-ings and U.S. Forest Service rangercommentary en route. Wildlife sight-ings are never guaranteed, but our groupwas fortunate to encounter hundreds ofseals while they frolicked in the chillywaters. We also had a close encounterwith a glacier not ever experienced onlarge cruise ships. Our ship navigateddeftly through the ice with its reinforcedhull – we could almost touch the pass-ing glacial melt. The Kenai Peninsula is a popular

trip from Anchorage. In Kenai FjordsNational Park, glaciers, earthquakesand ocean storms are the architects. Iceworms, bears and whales make theirhome in this land of constant change.

on location: west �

Cruise excursions reveal

the splendor of Kenai Fjords

in Southcentral Alaska.

Camera-toting tourists are always

on the lookout for whales and

other entertaining marine life on

Kenai Fjords cruises.

20 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

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on location: west

22 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Discover Kenai Fjords via a cruise andwildlife tour, or if your group desires toget up close and personal with a gla-cier, try glacier hikes or helicopterhikes. Guests need to be physically fitand dress appropriately for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, so it’s not foreveryone.

There’s a variety of float trips andwhitewater expeditions availablethroughout the area. Glacier DiscoveryTour includes a ride aboard the AlaskaRailroad from Anchorage to SpencerLake.After a brief transport, your groupis served lunch and then launched inrafts. Spencer Lake is full of crumbling

icebergs that are so close you can touchthem.Groups navigate the Placer Riverthrough Class I and II rapids that arefun but mild. As Worthen points out,“Many guests are now doing jet boatrides, flight-seeing, hiking, and I amamazed how many 65-year-olds dowhitewater rafting. The baby boomergeneration is a lot more adventurousand wants time to explore.”

HEADING NORTHAlaska’s Interior is the next stop for

most groups, including ours. This re-gion is home to Denali National Parkand Fairbanks, the state’s second largestpopulation center and epicenter of theAlaskan Gold Rush.

Getting to Denali takes a half-dayand you can either coach or take thetrain. We coached up and saved thebest for last as our return trip aboardthe Alaska Railroad was a memorymaker. Our GoldStar (an upgrade fortour groups) service included plushseating in an upper-level dome car, pri-ority seating in the lower-level diningroom and a private outdoor viewing

GLOBUS & COSMOS PROGRAMS

Both Globus and Cosmos have a varietyof tour programs in Alaska. According

to Stephanie Parr, director of contractingfor Globus, “Alaska is so much more thenthe ports of call visited by those travelingon cruise ships! Our interior packages helptravelers experience the destination andlearn about the incredible strength andhumor of the Alaskan people, their uniqueway of life, their connection to the beautifullandscape and their pride in their state.Globus family of brands partners with somany wonderful Alaskan companies toensure that you have an opportunity to experience bits of real Alaska!

“Globus is pleased to partner with incredible companies in Alaska, and as aresult of these partnerships is able to offer

authentic experiences for those wishing touncover Alaska. Whether it’s on one ofour Globus or Cosmos touring vacations,or independently with Monograms, weprovide memorable opportunities. Forgroups wishing to incorporate differentexperiences, we can also customize a landtour making it unique to your group.”

Here’s a rundown of the current Globus & Cosmos product:

GLOBUS

Spectacular Alaska!10 days from $2,579 land only; air-inclusive pricing availableAnchorage, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali National Park

Nature’s Best: Alaska7 days from $1,949 land only; air-inclusive pricing availableFairbanks, Denali National Park, Anchorage

Ultimate Alaska & the Yukon13 days from $3,109 land only; air-inclusive pricing availableAnchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Tok, Valdez

COSMOS

Alaskan Adventure14 days from $1,409 land only; air-inclusive pricing availableAnchorage, Fairbanks, Denali National Park

Alaska & the Yukon12 days from $2,219 land only; air-inclusive pricing available12 days from Anchorage, Tok, Whitehorse, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Denali National Park

Keep an eye out for wildlife on

bus tours of Denali National Park.

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A l a s k a R a i l r o a d . c o m

� e Alaska Railroad showcases adventure with a full summer schedule of day tours and vacation packages including stops at two National Parks. Travelers journey through alpine forests, coastal regions, and traverse two major mountain ranges – in a land twice the size of Texas. Ask about 10% discount for groups.

For information call 1-800-544-0552or (907) 265-2494.

ALASKAVacations begin here.

deck. There’s simply no better way totake in the mountain vistas, rivers andlakes, flowers and fauna than from thecomfort of the Alaska Railroad.

Denali is home to Mt. McKinley,the highest peak in North America at20,320 feet. Consider yourself lucky tosee the peak, as we were on our visit.“The Great One” (or “Denali” in thenative tongue) shows off its summitjust 20% of the time. Some 400,000visitors experience Denali NationalPark each year, mostly from Maythrough September. Although the parkis vast (roughly the size of Massachu-setts), automobile access is limited tothe first 15 miles for tourists. After astop at the welcome center, groups hopaboard the four-hour Denali NaturalHistory tour, or the eight-hour TundraWilderness excursion. Both programsare operated by the National ParkService aboard modified school buses.Certified driver/naturalist guides pro-vide rolling commentary on the historyof the park while keeping a keen eyeout for wildlife. Several interpretativestops along the way enhance the expe-rience, including the Wilderness Ac-cess Center, where the film Across Timeand Tundra is shown.

Worthen said, “When I started inthe travel industry 25 years ago inAlaska, all tours operated with just onenight in Denali National Park with theTundra Wilderness bus tour. Recentlymany of the tour patterns have changedto two nights in Denali because of somany great activities, and this is one ofthe highlights of a land tour.”

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LeisureGroupTravel.com

It Pays to Live in Alaska – Literally

Alaska’s rich oil reserves and smallpopulation base pay big dividends

for its residents. Alaska takes care of its residents with perks like free collegetuition and the annual oil stipend. Fromoil funds in 2009, a check for $1,305was cut for every man, woman andchild in the state sans felons, provingonce again that crime doesn’t pay!

Page 24: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

24 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

on location: west �

THE RUSHTO FAIRBANKSAlthough our group didn’t make it

to Fairbanks, it’s a regular stop onGlobus’ Alaska itineraries. In 1902Italian immigrant Felix Pedro struck

gold just 16 miles north of Fairbanks.This event coincided with the buildingof a trading post on the banks of theChena River. The rush to Fairbankswas on, with prospectors flooding the

area to pan for gold. History lives ontoday with visitor attractions and mod-ern-day mining operations celebratingthe quest for gold. Groups can see thelargest display of gold at the Universityof Alaska’s Museum of the North, visitthe Pedro Monument in tribute to thatfirst discovery and try their hand atgold panning. Fairbanks is also one of the best

viewing spots for the aurora borealis,commonly referred to as the northernlights. These mysterious yellow, greenand red lights brighten the nighttimeskies in a colorful display as curtains ofcolored light in the upper atmosphere,caused by magnetic disturbances fromthe sun, collide with atoms. While in-tensity varies, the most common yel-low-green glow occurs heavily betweenlate August and April.Popular touring options in Fairbanks

include a visit to the El Dorado GoldMine. Guests ride the Tanana ValleyRailroad for an adventure into the goldfields, a two-hour guided tour that takesyou through a permafrost tunnel. Meetand talk with Alaska miners, and after ashort course in gold mining, grab a“poke” and try panning for gold.Groups enjoy the Riverboat Dis-

covery sternwheeler cruise, a three-hour journey into the heart of Alaska.See a bush floatplane taking off, visitthe home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher,and gain insight into the ancientAthabascan Indian culture.

I DID AWHAT?When I first heard we were headed

to a dog kennel I was less than en-thused. I’m a big fan of pooches, buthey, we’ve all been to the humane soci-ety once or twice, right? Martin Buser’sHappy Trails Kennel is far from a dogkennel. It’s more like a crash course inAlaska’s famous sled race, the Iditarod.

• 586,000 square miles

• Equal to 20% of the entire U.S. land mass

• More wilderness than the other 49 states combined

• 47,330 miles of coastline on two oceansand three seas

• The highest mountain peak in North America (McKinley)

• 17 of the 20 highest mountains in North America

• 3,000,000 lakes and rivers

• Most (and largest) glaciers on earth

• 1,800 islands

• 70 volcanoes (biggest volcanic eruptionin recorded history)

• Longest sheltered waterway on earth

• Largest temperate rain forest in North America (Inside Passage)

• Most Northern, Western and Easternstate in the U.S.

* Courtesy Alaska Travel Industry Association

Groups in Fairbanks enjoy the Riverboat Discovery sternwheeler cruise.

ALASKA FAST FACTS

Alaska Travel Industry Association/©2007 Michael DeYoung

Page 25: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 25

Our host for the day was Martin him-self, a three-time winner of the 1,150-mile race from Anchorage to Nome.Martin and 40-something of his furrycompanions welcomed us. He ex-plained the history of this celebratedevent, outlined the preparation neededby both racer and the team of dogs, andshared some course strategy. As he sad-

dled up a demonstration team, therewas a cacophony of “pick me” howlingand barking as every member of thepack tried to grab his attention for thejaunt around the ground. We left therewith a great appreciation for this event,and a team to root for next March!

The Globus family has added moreof these up-close-and-personal-type

experiences for their groups. Other en-counters include meeting an actualmountain climber who has ascendedMt. McKinley, a bush pilot who deliv-ers mail in Alaska, or an Inupiat (Es-kimo) who lives on the edge of thefrozen ocean. “The guests have appre-ciated the special programs where wehave lined up interactions with localswho tell of their lifestyle,” according toWorthen. “They can help bring Alaskaalive.”

Alaska is truly a place where evenseasoned travelers are humbled.Stephanie Parr manages the contract-ing department for Globus. She’s onthe road constantly, discovering newdestinations and refining itineraries.“Each visit has provided me withunique opportunities and experiences.Rafts of sea otters in Prince WilliamSound or a mama black bear and cubs.Time spent with an Iditarod championat his kennel, a talk with a naturalist inDenali, awe-inspiring flight-seeing. It’sjust such a dramatic, bold landscape anda humbling place to visit!”

Photos don’t do Alaska justice.They can show the tall mountains, agrizzly bear or a winding river, but theydon’t put you there to experience it.They don’t get you up close and per-sonal with the Alaskan people whoshare their stories and love for thisland. And they don’t help you capturethe vastness of this land where seem-ingly around every corner another 50-mile-long valley stretches out in frontof you. That’s the Alaska land tour ex-perience that awaits. LGT

——————————————For more information, contact the

Alaska Travel Industry Association,800-667-8489; travelalaska.com.

Hard work does pay off, at least ifyou’re one of the Globus family of

brands top group producers. The com-pany hosted 18 of its best customers inAlaska this May for its 2nd annual Plat-inum Producers conference. According toMike Schields, director of groups andemerging markets for the firm, “Three

years ago, we did a careful analysis of ourtop producers and started to see patternsemerge. From this initial study we con-ceived the idea of Platinum Producers.”

During the conference, participantsgathered for a half-day roundtable busi-ness forum where they discussed salesand marketing strategies. Topics includeddirect mail, travel presentation tips, web-site development, e-marketing, customerservice techniques and socialnetworking. This unique forum allowsparticipants to learn from each other in anon-competitive environment.

The list of attendees at this year’sevent was as diverse as the groupmarket. Customers represented radio sta-tions, religious groups, banks, park dis-tricts, alumni groups, schools andindependent travel clubs. “It really indi-cates the growth and diversity of thegroup marketplace,” said Schields.

GLOBUS WELCOMES PLATINUM PRODUCERS TO ALASKA

Visitors to Happy Trails Kennel learn all about the Iditarod sled dog race.

“The event has three main purposes.First, we want to reward top producersand thank them for a job well done.Second, obviously these groups aredoing something right, so we soughtto create an environment where theycould share ideas that would collec-tively grow their businesses. Third, it gives our best customers a chanceto personally experience one of ourtop destinations, and bring theirgroups back.” —Mike Schields

Obtain Alaska

visitor guides and

itineraries – and

contact group-

friendly suppliers

directly – at

leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

Jeff Gayduk

Page 26: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

26 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

From sunsets framed by craggymoun-tains to dusty trails that harken back

to a simpler time, the road West is pavedwith fun and memorable getaways forfemale travelers. Rates often vary by sea-son thanks to the drastic weather changesbrought on by arid air, so off-season val-ues are usually available. As diverse asits landscape, the Great American Westoffers group travelers a potpourri of un-forgettable experiences.

ARIZONAThe Scottsdale and Phoenix metro

area may be spa central but just lessthan two hours north sits one of theworld’s top relaxation havens.Mii amo,a destination spa at EnchantmentResort in Sedona, caters to womenlooking for a getaway that takes well-ness to a new level.Tucked in a red rockcanyon dotted with juniper and cotton-wood trees, the resort’s crowning spotis the 24,000-square-foot spa completewith a cafe and demo kitchen, indoorand outdoor pools, whirlpool, indoorand outdoor treatment rooms, and fit-ness studio. Guests can stay in the Miiamo spa village for a full wellness im-mersion or in Enchantment’s casitaguest rooms and visit the spa as dayguests.The “Girlfriends Getaway”(from$1,239 per person) includes two nightsat Enchantment Resort, breakfast eachday, one spa service, one private groupsession (yoga, guided hike, tennis clinicor tarot card reading) and a welcomebottle of wine and cheese plate. Sug-gested side trips include Pink JeepTours, Verde Valley wine country tour,shopping atTlaquepaque Arts &CraftsVillage or psychic reading at the Cen-ter for the New Age. (miiamo.com)

CALIFORNIAWhile the southern beaches and

northern vineyards are among Califor-nia’s superstar destinations,Alisal Guest

Ranch and Resort in Santa BarbaraCounty offers female travelers a trip to asimpler time laced with cowboy hospi-tality. Once the site of a working cattleranch, the 10,000-acre property is dot-ted with charming, ranch-style cottagestucked among shaded meadows with aspring-fed lake, golf, fitness and ridingtrails all nearby. A getaway for the ad-venturous crowd, “Cowgirl Bootcamp”is a women-only, all-inclusive packageavailable at predetermined dates through-out the year or privately for groups of 10ormore.Bootcamp includes three nightsaccommodations, welcome gift basket,evening cocktails, three meals daily in-cluding wine with dinner, a massage,wine maker’s presentation, lakesidepicnic lunch,daily horseback rides,activ-ities such as line dancing and barrel rac-ing lessons, and nightly entertainment($2,800,double occupancy).Outside theranch, a must-do day trip is the Danishvillage of Solvang, where the girls canpose with a giant wooden clog or indulgein a fresh-made strudel. (alisal.com)

UTAHFor women looking for adventure

with a side of serenity, Red MountainSpa is a fitness and health destinationwhere adventurous outdoor programsfor all levels are tempered by a menu ofspa treatments, luxury accommoda-tions and savory cuisine. The propertyis about a two-hour drive from LasVegas and is nestled in the red rockbluffs of Snow Canyon State Park insouthwest Utah, near Zion NationalPark, Bryce Canyon and the north rimof the Grand Canyon. A playgroundof activities awaits – from self-guidedhikes and back-country wildernesstreks to stargazing, cooking demos andcreative expression classes. The seven-night “Fitness Boot Camp” packageanswers the call of women looking tojump-start their fitness regimen withthe support of comrades. Starting at$299 per person per night (based ondouble occupancy), the package in-cludes accommodations, three mealsdaily, guided morning hikes, fitness

Go West, Girlfriends

on location: west � lisa kasanicky West

Resort packages in the Great American West lure ladies looking for spa indulgences and outdoor activity

California’s Alisal Guest Ranch offers the “Cowgirl Bootcamp” package.

Page 27: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

consultation, metabolic profile, per-sonal training session, heart rateworkshop with take-home heartmonitor, boot camp classes, massageat Sagestone Spa, cooking demos andwelcome gift. (redmountainspa.com)

COLORADOLocated in Southwest Colorado’s

San Juan Mountains, Telluride is askiing destination beloved for itsOld West charm.The walkable town

square offers a variety of dining options, unique shops and galleries.Telluride Ski Resort offers terrainfor every level – from wide, groomedtrails to challenging mogul runs inremote areas.Connected to Tellurideby a free gondola transportation sys-tem, the high-elevation town ofMountain Village offers a bevy ofski-in, ski-out rental houses withample room for girlfriend getaways.(tellurideskiresort.com)

EASILY ACCESSIBLE + EVENTS & FESTIVALS + 9 MILES FROM ASPEN + SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE = YOUR NEXT BEST MEMORY

Sky Ute Casino Resort

The Southern Ute Indian tribe is proud of its cul-

tural, artistic and military heritage—and the new

Sky Ute Casino Resort. This premier Colorado

property hosts national and international groups

drawn to the splendor of the San Juan Mountains’

picturesque rivers, valleys and abundant wildlife.

The Aspen Dining Room, with 70-foot windows, is

one of four dining options.

Walk away a winner and discover a new type of

Las Vegas casino offering everything from slots,

craps and roulette to high-stakes gaming. Millions

have been spent on air purification. Just steps from

the casino floor are over 20,000 square feet of

space for conferences, weddings and banquets.

The June 2011 opening of the Southern Ute

Cultural Center & Museum is fast becoming the

ideal casino partner regarding heritage tourism. It

will feature a 52,000-square-foot structure in a liv-

ing culture museum containing more than 12,000

square feet of permanent and temporary exhibit

space. (skyutecasino.com)

Tulalip Resort Casino

With 370 luxurious guest rooms, rejuvenating

spa and award-winning dining, the AAA Four Dia-

mond Tulalip Resort Casino is the premier gaming

destination in Washington State. The 192,000-

square-foot casino features the best selection of

games and the most cash back of any Northwest

casino. Enjoy some 2,000 slot and video poker ma-

chines, 50 gaming tables, bingo, live keno and the

well-appointed Slehal Room.

Guest rooms in the 12-story hotel feature floor-to-

ceiling windows, Italian tile and granite countertops.

Standard amenities include 47” HD televisions, pil-

low-top beds, walk-in showers with three body

sprays, and complimentary local calls and Wi-Fi.

Tulalip Resort Casino offers five restaurants to

suit any taste. Headlining the culinary offerings is

Tulalip Bay, featuring sophisticated cuisine by

James Beard House invitee Chef Dean Shinagawa.

The full-service, 14,000-square-foot T Spa boasts

native-inspired treatments in addition to a full range

of skin and body therapies. (tulalipresort.com)

Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino

The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, located in

Lemoore, is in the heart of Central California’s San

Joaquin Valley, midway between Los Angeles and

San Francisco/Sacramento and only 20 minutes

from Interstate 5 and Highway 99. Guests of the

crescent-shaped, 255-room hotel enjoy beautifully

appointed rooms, valley and pool views, and a vast

array of amenities. In addition, there are a variety

of dining options and lounges, a conference center,

a full-service spa, outdoor swimming pools,

Jacuzzis and poolside cabanas. Private rooms for

special events, with over 6,000 feet of banquet

space, accommodate small and large groups.

Casino gaming features 2,000 of the newest slot

and video games as well as the best classics. Try

a hand at one of 42 table games or play bingo in

the 1,200-seat, state-of-the-art Bingo Hall. The

Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino offers ways to win be-

yond your wildest dreams. (tachipalace.com)

C A S I N O S H O W C A S E

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28 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Group travelers will find this anexciting time to travel to Mid-

west casinos and experience all kinds ofnew developments, from expansionsand upgrades to brand new facilities.

ILLINOISGroundbreaking for the new casino

in the Chicago suburb of Des Plainestook place in April. Located nearO’Hare International Airport, thecasino is scheduled to open in spring orsummer 2011. The 147,000-square-

foot facility will have a 43,000-square-foot casino floor. The name has notbeen determined.

Empress Casino in Joliet had a firein March 2009 that destroyed theproperty’s exterior, entertainmentpavilion and back offices. Soon afterthe fire, the casino underwent majorreconstruction and added new carpet-ing, lighting, wall finishes and ceilingtreatments. There is a new high-limitgaming area on the lower level, withslots, tables twice as large as before

and a VIP players lounge. The prop-erty will be renamed HollywoodCasino Joliet after it unveils a newshore-side structure joining the casinoboat and parking garage at the end of2010. The exterior will sport the1930s Art Deco design found at sev-eral new Hollywood properties ofPenn National Gaming. Groups canexperience new dining options at theFinal Cut Steakhouse, Epic Buffetand the sports bar Hollywood Sta-dium. (empresscasino.com)

on location: midwest � nadia beidas

M I D W E S T Casino UpdateGaming meccas across the region entice players with flashy new features

Wisconsin’s

Menominee

Casino Resort

Page 29: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

INDIANATravelers will experience the taste of

chef and TV host Paula Deen’s cook-ing at Horseshoe Southern Indiana.The new restaurant, Paula Deen Buf-fet, will open Sept. 3. Seating 525, itwill feature her Southern culinary delights accompanied by ColonialSouthern touches reminiscentof Deen’s hometown, Savannah,Ga. Casino goers can purchasecookware, aprons, cookbooksand selections of her furnitureline at a Paula Deen retail store,designed after the kitchen seenon her Food Network show.(horseshoe-indiana.com)

Hollywood Casino inLawrenceburg upgraded itssteakhouse, renamed Final CutSteakhouse; it replaces Bogart’s.Next door, the H Bar lounge justopened. Also new are MarqueeCafé restaurant and Hollywood& Grind coffeehouse. The two-level Boogie Nights nightclub isin the connector of the casino’sold barge and has bright deco-rations of retro furniture, movieposters, disco ball and lavalamps. (hollywoodindiana.com)

MICHIGANFireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek

opened in August 2009 with a 107,000-square-foot casino floor and 2,680 slotmachines. Popular selections includeWheel of Fortune, Jaws, Wizard of Ozand Monopoly Money Grab.The casinohas 78 table games, including roulette,craps, blackjack, big six and baccarat. Ahigh-limit table game area has specialservice for VIP players. In the PokerRoom, game selections include Omaha,Texas Hold ’Em and Stud. Bingo play-ers will enjoy high-stakes bingo sessionsheld daily. (firekeeperscasino.com)

MINNESOTASeven Clans Casino Red Lake

opened its doors in December and has300 machines, four blackjack tables andtwo poker tables. Its hotel has 40 roomswith master suites that have balconies,whirlpool tubs and fireplaces. (seven-clanscasino.com)

MISSOURIAmeristar Casino Hotel Kansas

City will add 80 deluxe rooms,20 suitesand a fitness center by the end of 2011.The property has a 140,000-square-footcasino, full-service hotel, nine diningvenues, entertainment, an 18-screenmovie theater, video arcade, children’sentertainment complex and a 15,000-square-foot event space. (ameristar.com)

On the Mississippi River near St.Louis, River City Casino opened itsdoors in March. The gambling area is90,000 square feet and features over2,000 slot machines and 55 table games.

The architecture reflects the 1904World’s Fair and Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouseis in the style of Judy Garland’s homein Meet Me in St. Louis. (rivercity.com)

OHIONew casinos will open in 2012 in

Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo.Hollywood Casino Toledo isset for the first half of 2012, andHollywood Casino Columbusthe last half of the year.

The Cincinnati casino, atthe Broadway Commons site inthe northeast corner of down-town, will anchor a new enter-tainment district. In Cleveland,a casino will open in 2013 onthe banks of the CuyahogaRiver adjacent to QuickenLoans Arena (Cleveland Cav-aliers) and Progressive Field(home of the Cleveland Indi-ans). The Cincinnati andCleveland sites have yet to benamed. In November 2009, thestate passed a constitutionalamendment to authorize casinogambling.

WISCONSINMenominee Casino Resort in

Keshena, located on the tribal reserva-tion, plans to expand. In the first phaseof construction, the hotel will add apool, cabana bar and a conference cen-ter with a ballroom (capacity of 600 to1,000) and five smaller meeting roomseach seating 50. Construction shouldbe completed in November. (menom-ineecasinoresort.com) LGT

Newly refurbished Empress Casino in Joliet, Ill.

will soon be renamed Hollywood Casino Joliet.

Obtain Midwest

casino information

and contact

group-friendly

suppliers directly

at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 29

Page 30: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

30 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

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

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

ILLINOISBroadway in Chicago’s fall season

will be highlighted by return engage-ments of Disney’s The Lion King (Sept.29-Nov. 27) and Wicked (Dec. 1-Jan.23, 2011). Also on tap is Irving Berlin’sWhite Christmas (Dec. 15-Jan. 2, 2011).The new holiday musical, direct fromBroadway, tells the story of two showbizbuddies putting on a show in a Vermontinn and finding their perfect mates inthe bargain. Berlin hits include “BlueSkies,” “How Deep is the Ocean?” andthe classic title song. Billy Elliot The Mu-sical, a hot ticket since opening March18, runs through Jan. 15, 2011. Early2011 Broadway in Chicago shows in-clude 9 to 5: The Musical (Jan. 18-31),based on the hit movie and featuringDolly Parton’s Tony Award- andGrammy-nominated score; Burn theFloor (Feb. 1-13), starring 20 championdancers doing everything from theViennese waltz to the tango, samba andsalsa; and Hair (March 8-20), a revivalof the hippie-era rock musical. (312-977-1710, broadwayinchicago.com)The Lewis & Clark Confluence

Tower just opened in the Alton area.Located in Hartford, about 25 minutesfrom St. Louis, the tower is two miles

from the Lewis & Clark State HistoricSite, which is National Trail Site #1 onthe Lewis & Clark Trail. The Lewis &Clark Expedition departed from CampRiver Dubois in 1804. Built in com-memoration of the historic expedition,the 180-foot tower has three viewingplatforms at 50, 100 and 150 feetconnecting two towers that representCaptains Meriwether Lewis andWilliam Clark and the Mississippi andMissouri rivers. Each level tells storiesabout the area’s history, including the

village of Hartford, the Meeting of theGreat Rivers National Scenic Byway,Lewis and Clark and the confluence oftwo great rivers—the Mississippi andMissouri. On a clear day, visitors cansee the Gateway Arch in downtown St.Louis. A byway visitor center in thenorth tower has exhibits and videos.(618-465-6676, confluencetower.com)

INDIANAThe Indianapolis Museum of Art

(IMA) has opened 100 Acres: TheVirginia B. Fairbanks Art & NaturePark. Located on 100 acres of wood-lands, wetlands, lake and meadow adja-cent to the museum’s 52-acre campus,it is one of the largest museum artparks in the country and the only oneto feature the ongoing commission ofsite-specific artworks. The park has aLEED-certified visitor center andnumerous walking trails that highlightthe indigenous landscape. As with theIMA galleries, admission to the parkis free. Inaugural installations includeFree Basket, a Surrealist-inspired sculp-ture in the form of a basketball court

The hit musical Wicked returns to Chicago for the holidays and beyond.

The new Kauffman Center will energize Kansas City’s performing arts scene.

Joan

Mar

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Kans

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Page 31: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

that invites recreational play, and Indi-anapolis Island, a floating island in thelake that will serve as an experimentalliving structure inhabited by one or twoart students. Bench Around the Lake is a series of serpentine, vivid yellowbenches. (imamuseum.org)

MISSOURIThe $414-million Kauffman Center

for the Performing Arts, destined tochange the downtown Kansas City sky-line forever, is set to open in fall 2011.Designed by world-renowned architectMoshe Safdie, famous for his use ofdramatic curves, simple geometric pat-terns, and abundant windows and openspaces, the building will sit on a hilljust south of the Kansas City Conven-tion Center. It will be the home of theKansas City Symphony, the Lyric Operaand other arts organizations. The facil-ity will contain a 1,800-seat ballet, operaand theater hall; a 1,600-seat sym-phonic concert hall; and a multipurpose

facility called Celebration Hall.

OHIOKalahari Resort in Sandusky, home

of America’s largest indoor water park,recently unveiled its new African-themed Safari Outdoor AdventurePark, which features a zip line tour,ropes course and climbing walls.Known as an under-one-roof getaway,the resort marked its fifth birthdaywith its fourth major expansion. SafariAdventure Animal Park, which openedlast summer, offers encounters withAfrican animals including giraffes andzebras. On the zip line tour, guests sail40 to 60 feet above the outdoor waterpark. The three-story ropes course,themed to resemble an African treehouse village with thatched huts, spansover 750 feet of rope and includes 48climbing elements. The two 32-footclimbing walls feature auto belayingand race timers for competitive adven-turers. (kalahariresorts.com/oh)

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 31

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32 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Activities in Arkansas match youradventure meter whether it

cranks to high, low, or somewhere inbetween. Groups will find a range ofoptions, from canoeing and caving todune buggy rides and zip line tours.

A new zip line canopy tour openedin the Arkansas Ozarks in July. At theBuffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca, theBuffalo River Canopy Tour offers ad-venturers a treetop view of the lushOzark terrain as they glide along a cablelike a bird in flight. Harnessed to thecable on a zip pulley, participants areguided through a course of 12 zip lines

reaching platforms on each tree. Set ona mountain overlooking Ponca Creek,the course is the equivalent of aboutnine football fields (or half a mile).Thelongest zip line is 400-plus feet, and theelevation ranges from 40 to 60 feetabove the ground.Tours are two-and-a-half to three hours with guides pro-viding interpretation along the way.

Gokart4wheeling in NorthwestArkansas now offers two- and four-seatdune buggies.The company, located inWinslow, provides guided dune buggytours in which you drive your ownbuggy on designated trails. Private,

group, team-building and party toursare available.

If cycling is more your style of ad-venture, Arkansas’ mountain bikingopportunities are amazing. The Natu-ral State is quickly gaining a footholdas one of the nation’s premier spots formountain biking. Trails include thestate’s two IMBA Epics: The WombleTrail, a single-track route across theOuachitas maintained by mountainbikers since the 1980s, and the 50-mileSyllamo Mountain Bike Trail Systemin Mountain View. Each year the In-ternational Mountain Biking Associa-

Spelunkers get down and dirty on the Wild Cave Tour at Blanchard Springs Cavern in Mountain View, Arkansas.

Take it up a notch in the Natural State’s great outdoors

AdventuresAdventures

on location: south � jill m. rohrbach

Page 33: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

tion, IMBA, selects a handful of trailsaround the world that receive this spe-cial “Epic” status. The Ouachita Na-tional Recreation Trail, running east towest through the OuachitaMountains,is also popular.

From day hikes to multi-day back-packing across the Ouachita or Ozarkmountains, Arkansas offers more than250 hiking trails totaling more than1,500 miles. Arkansas also offersequestrian facilities and guided horseriding trails.

StoneCreek Ranch and Resort nearMountain Home caters to groups.Here you’ll find highly-trained cuttinghorses. The guest ranch focuses on

horseback riding vacations with its in-door and outdoor arenas and trail rid-ing. There’s no merely plodding alongwith horses nose-to-tail at StoneCreek,where guests can also experience cattlesorting, the cutting horse experience oreven a cattle drive.

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch nearJasper and the Buffalo National Riveralso offers trail rides, but it has becomeincreasingly known for its excellentrock climbing opportunities. Withmore than 300 routes for all levels ofclimbers, the ranch is known for someof the finest sandstone sport climbinganywhere. Certified and experiencedguides will show you how to climb

safely.Most of the quality rock climb-ing and bouldering in Arkansas is inthe western and northern regions ofthe state, where the Ozark and Oua-chita mountain ranges are located.

With several show caves in thestate, there are plenty of options for un-derground exploration. But adventur-ous souls will want to experience aWild Cave Tour at Cosmic Cavern inBerryville or Blanchard Springs Cavernin Mountain View. The tour at Blan-chard Springs offers visitors an intro-duction to spelunking in a structuredenvironment where Forest Service in-terpreters guide the tours. Participantsshould be in good physical shape, wear

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 33

Experience an adrenaline rush on the bike trails at Cane Creek State Park and rapids of the Cossatot River.

in Arkansasin ArkansasAr

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Campaign Across Arkansas.

As America marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, visit the sites across The Natural State where our forefathers fought and travel back in time to a restored village where the 19th century comes to life.

Find out more by visiting our website or calling the toll-free number for itinerary ideas.

Historic Washington > Prairie Grove Re-enactment

Pea

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Looking for new group travel ideas?

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

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Historic Mather Lodge, Petit Jean State Park > Check out our 52 Arkansas State Parks today.

Page 35: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

Make the highpoint of Arkansas

The Heart of Historic Hot Springs National ParkThermal baths and spa.A national park outside any door.Great dining choices.Twin cascading outdoor pools.Championship golf courses.Private beauty and facial salon.

Relax at The Arlington

For Reservations: (800) 643-1502www.ArlingtonHotel.com

Page 36: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

sturdy boots, and come prepared toget dirty and have fun. Tour partici-pants should expect to climb verysteep slopes, crawl on hands andknees, pass under low ceilings, andtravel through red clay. The tour endsat the Titans, a group of tall spectac-ular columns. Hard hats, kneepads,gloves, lights, and belts are provided,along with a souvenir T-shirt.

Plenty of fun canoeing, rafting andkayaking Arkansas waterways awaits.The Natural State has more than 9,000miles of streams, and a good deal ofthis mileage is perfect for floating.You’ll find rugged whitewater raftingand peaceful float trips ideal for first-timers. Designated a National Wildand Scenic River, the Cossatot Riveroffers adventurers the most challeng-ing whitewater in Arkansas. The

stream snakes over and between up-turned Ouachita Mountains’ strata tocreate Cossatot Falls, with rapids anddrops rated up to Class V in difficulty.

North Arkansas’ Buffalo NationalRiver was the country’s first nationalriver, is roughly 150 miles long and in-cludes nearly 95,000 acres of publicland along its corridor. Perhaps themost famous of all Buffalo River floatsare those that take place between Ponca

and the Arkansas Highway 7 crossing.Something for everyone can be foundin this 25-mile section: class I and IIrapids; the highest waterfall in mid-America (at Hemmed-in-Hollow);the 11,300-acre Ponca Wilderness;towering cliffs; and an excellent as-sortment of swimming holes.

No matter your outdoor preference,a mild climate coupled with four beau-

tifully distinct seasons brings a fresh ad-venture each time. For example, hike thesame trail in the spring and winter andthe experience is totally different. LGT

on location � south

America’s First Resort

Hot Springs is famous for

natural thermal spas and

historic Bathhouse Row.

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visitor guides and

itineraries – and

contact group-

friendly suppliers

directly – at

leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

Groups enjoy the cowboy lifestyle at

StoneCreek Ranch near Mountain Home.

Page 37: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 37

From Louisiana to Tennessee, new attractions provide group travel planners with fresh itinerary ideas

These are just a few of the developments creating a buzz in the South:

LOUISIANAThe Louisiana State Museum in

New Orleans will remember the dev-astation caused by Hurricane Katrinaand showcase the renewal with a newexhibit that opens Oct. 26. Livingwith Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond, a$7.5-million installation on the groundfloor of the historic Presbytere in theFrench Quarter’s Jackson Square, willtell the stories of people caught in thehurricane’s wrath. Combining eyewit-ness accounts, historical context,

immersive environments and in-depthscientific exploration, Katrina andBeyond enables visitors to understandthe 2005 storms’ impact on Louisiana,the Gulf Coast and the nation.In one gallery visitors will move

through the “Evacuation Corridor,”overhearing residents’ voices as theyweigh their options as Katrina ap-proaches. A state-of-the-art “StormTheater” shows Katrina’s full fury withmoving and dramatic footage of thehurricane’s onslaught. Another gallerytakes visitors past a leaking floodwall

and into an attic and onto a roofwhere they can view the flooded citysurrounding them. They’ll hear a first-hand account of a St. Bernard Parishfamily’s rescue. Artifacts range frommusic legend Fats Domino’s babygrand piano found in his floodedNinth Ward house to a Coast Guardrescue basket to seats from the LouisianaSuperdome. The forensics of Katrinaunfold in Gallery Three, where visi-tors discover how the levees failed in a display with digital animation. The

fourth gallery will celebrate recovery andshowcase the ingenuity of Louisianansin rebuilding their lives and commu-nities. (800-568-6968, katrinaandbe-yond.com).

LOUISIANA/TENNESSEECruise West, a leading small-ship

cruise line, has announced two newitineraries sailing on the Mississippi,Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland riversin spring of 2011. The overnight voy-ages, with eight departures from March19-May 7, will take place aboard the

Spirit of America, formerly the Spirit of Glacier Bay. Highlights on the seven-night Mississippi River itinerary be-tween New Orleans and Memphis willinclude Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie,La.; the antebellum and Victorian archi-tecture of Natchez, Miss.; VicksburgNational Military Park, scene of theCivil War battle that gave the Northcontrol of the Mississippi; and historicHelena, Ark. The second new river voyage, a seven-

night excursion between Memphis andNashville, follows the Mississippi northto Cairo, Ill. at the confluence of theOhio River, then cruises upriver to theTennessee and Cumberland. Stops willinclude New Madrid, Mo.; Paducah,Ky.; Fort Smith, Ark; Clarksville, Tenn.;and Fort Donelson National Battle-field in Dover, Tenn., site of the firstmajor Union victory. (800-296-8307,cruisewest.com)

NORTH CAROLINAHarrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel,

50 miles west of Asheville, has openeda new Motorcoach Lounge, enablingit to accommodate greater numbersof group visitors. It includes a comfort-able waiting area for motorcoach guests,state-of-the-art digital arrival and de-parture screens, and a large Driver’sLounge with TV monitors and a deskfor computers. The lounge connects tothe first floor of the casino’s new eight-level parking garage containing fivemotorcoach bays for pick-up and drop-off of customers. Other elements in thecasino’s $633-million expansion, set forcompletion in 2012, is a 21-story guestroom tower that was topped out in Apriland an events center for concerts thatopens Labor Day weekend. New restau-rants for 2011 include a 150-seat foodcourt, 600-seat buffet and Ruth’s Chris

Southon our radar

Guests on Mississippi River cruises will have time to enjoy New Orleans.

New

Orle

ans M

etro

polit

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VB

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38 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Steak House. Paula Deen’s Kitchenopens at the end of this year, and BRIOTuscan Grille debuts in early 2012.(828-497-7777, harrahscherokee.com)

TENNESSEEOle Smoky Moonshine, Tennessee’s

first legal moonshine distillery, justopened smack in the heart of Gatlin-burg’s Parkway. Ole Smoky offers avariety of products, including originalunaged corn whiskey moonshine, applepie moonshine, sweet tea moonshineand peach moonshine. The recipesare from local families who have mademoonshine in the mountains for morethan a century. Dave Pickerell, formerlythe master distiller for Maker’s Mark,assisted with the refinement of therecipes. A highlight of the facility isthe authentic working moonshine stillwhere visitors learn the science of thedistilling process as well as the history

and lore of moonshining in EastTennessee. (olesmokymoonshine.com)

Also in the Smokies, Bush’s BeansCafe & Visitor Center just opened inthe company town of Chestnut Hill,the home of Bush’s Beans factory. ASevierville-area fixture since its found-ing by A.J. Bush and his sons, Bush’sBeans gained new-found popularity inrecent years with a spate of televisioncommercials featuring A.J.’s great-grandson, Jay, and his trusty recipe-blabbing dog, Duke. The center consistsof an extensive gift shop, a detailedreplica of the general store that operatedon the site from 1897 until its closingin the mid-1990s and a restaurant thatserves an array of down-home special-ties, including dishes containing beans.One of the most intriguing of these isPinto Bean Pie, which tastes like a crossbetween chess and pecan pie. A high-tech museum has a theater featuring

Jay Bush and his dog in a History of Grillingmovie, a walk through a giant replica can ofBush’s Baked Beansshowing a bean’s jour-ney from beginning toend, interactive exhibitsthat allow visitors tolearn their weight inbeans and photo kiosksthat let them create apicture with Duke andtools from Bush’s origi-nal canning process in1908. (bushbeans.com)

VIRGINIAThe Newport News

Tourist DevelopmentOffice offers groupsthe “Paranormal Tour”for the upcoming Hal-loween season. The two-night tour begins with a

ranger-led “Owl Prowl” through New-port News Park. Start the next day witha ghost tour of Ferry Plantation in Vir-ginia Beach, which holds stories of anative Indian tribe and Grace Sher-wood, Virginia’s only convicted witch.Groups venture back up the Peninsulato hear stories and battle cries of sailorspast at the USS Monitor Center at TheMariners’ Museum in Newport News.

After lunch, groups travel to End-view Plantation to see video and listento actual electronic voice phenomenon(EVP) recordings from investigationsconducted by RTL Paranormal, a localinvestigation group. The adventurecontinues with a visit to Lee Hall Man-sion and a candle-lit, Civil War-themedevening at The Boxwood Inn, a gracious1896 Southern mansion. Tour membersfeast on a traditional plantation din-ner, followed by an actual paranormalinvestigation with team members fromRTL Paranormal. They will teach thegroup about the tools and methodsused to capture evidence of ghosts.(Contact Trista Attoh, 757-926-1442or 888-493-7386; [email protected];newport-news.org)

on our radar: south

Newport News’ “Paranormal Tour”

visits several plantation homes.

Page 39: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 39

W hen itinerary planners thinkPennsylvania, the colonial

sights of Philadelphia, Amish lifestylesof Lancaster County and Civil Wardrama at Gettysburg immediately cometo mind. Groups also gravitate to at-tractions like Valley Forge NationalHistorical Park, Hershey’s ChocolateWorld, Longwood Gardens, and thepicturesque towns of Bucks County

and the Brandywine Valley.But more and more tour organizers

are adding a splash of glitz to their tripswith visits to Pennsylvania casinos. Be-sides gaming action, groups enjoy con-certs, cabaret shows and fun diningvenues, including buffets. Some casinosoffer horse racing.To entice motorcoachgroups, most casinos provide each pas-senger with food and slots play offers.

Though hardly a Nevada, the Key-stone State in recent years has becomea top East Coast gambling destination,taking a chunk out of Atlantic City’sgaming revenues. Pennsylvania legal-ized gaming in 2004 as a way to raisemoney for property tax relief, authoriz-ing slot machines at a maximum of 14locations. The first casino opened in2006, and the 10th will open this fall.To augment revenues from slots, statelawmakers in January approved livetable games—dozens of blackjack, crapsand roulette tables have been installedthis summer at all the casinos. Pennsyl-vania already is No. 1 in slots revenuesamong East Coast states.The majority of Pennsylvania casi-

nos are found in the eastern part of thestate, with several in the Philadelphiaarea. The newest gaming parlor is ex-pected to open this fall along theDelaware River in Philadelphia. Offer-ing views of the city skyline, SugarHouse Casino will occupy the site ofthe former Jack Frost sugar refinery. Itwill feature a peaceful riverfront prom-enade, an environmental green roof de-

sign, a restaurant and two bars, not tomention 1,700 slot machines. (sugar-housecasino.com)In Bensalem the $250-million

Parx Casino opened last December,

on location: northeast � randy mink

Playtime in PennsylvaniaAs the state’s young

gaming industry expands,a diverse array of casinosand racetracks gives

group travelers chances to strike it rich

The year-old Rivers Casino, on the Ohio River in downtown Pittsburgh,

offers more than 3,000 slot machines and 60 brand new table games.

Page 40: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

replacing the temporary slots parlor,PhiladelphiaPark Casino & Racetrack,which had opened three years earlier.The highest grossing casino in Penn-sylvania, Parx is planning a $100-mil-lion expansion over the next three tofive years. (parxcasino.com)

Harrah’s Chester, just off I-95 and10 minutes from the Philadelphia air-port, offers harness racing from Aprilto December, plus simulcasts of thor-oughbred and standardbred racing.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem,an hour north of Philadelphia, made itsdebut in May of 2009. Situated on thesite of the historic Bethlehem Steelplant, it plans to open a 300-room hotelnext May. Culinary offerings at thisLehigh Valley entertainment hub in-clude Emeril’s Chop House and Burg-ers by Emeril, two signature restaurantsfrom celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, his

first in the Northeast. (pasands.com)In upstate Pennsylvania, outside of

Wilkes-Barre, Mohegan Sun at PoconoDowns features live harness racing eightmonths a year. The $208-million reno-vation effort dramatically transformedPocono Downs into not only Pennsyl-vania’s first casino (in 2006) but the area’sleading entertainment complex. Ownerof the casino and racetrack is the Mohe-gan Indian tribe, which operates Con-necticut’s Mohegan Sun Resort &Casino, the world’s second largest casino

(after Foxwoods Resort & Casino, an-other Indian casino in Connecticut).(poconodowns.com)

Mount Airy Casino Resort, set inthe Poconos Mountains, is where“Mother Nature meets Lady Luck.” Be-sides gaming fun at Pennsylvania’s firststand-alone casino, guests can unwindin the spa or enjoy the 18-hole golfcourse that sweeps across terrain bor-dered by ponds, lakes and streams. Greatnames from the past perform at Gyp-

sies nightclub, where recent headlinershave included Mickey Rooney, BobbyVinton, Roy Clark and the Village Peo-ple. (mountairycasino.com)

Hollywood Casino at Penn Na-tional Race Course in Grantville isthe only gaming facility in CentralPennsylvania, offering more than2,400 hot slots and the new tablegames. The Hollywood-themed com-plex also has thoroughbred racing andoff-track wagering. (hcpn.com)

In the Pittsburgh area, The Mead-

ows Racetrack & Casino has year-round harness racing. Guests also enjoy3,700 slot machines, 62 table games anda 24-lane bowling center. (meadows-gaming.com)

Rivers Casino, since opening inAugust of 2009, has brought in loadsof visitors to downtown Pittsburgh.Through its multi-story glass facade,guests have views of the Ohio River,skyline and Mt. Washington. Locatedon the North Shore, next to HeinzField (home of football’s PittsburghSteelers), Rivers Casino boasts 60 tablegames and more than 3,000 slots, in-cluding the state’s only $500 machine.Other amenities include five first-classrestaurants, bars and lounges, and a1,000-seat amphitheater for outdoorconcerts. (theriverscasino)

In the northwest corner of Penn-sylvania, near Lake Erie, Presque IsleDowns & Casino offers live andsimulcast horse racing. Located on I-90in Erie, the complex is less than 90minutes from Cleveland and Buffalo.(presqueisledowns.com)

Gaming and racing, along fine din-ing, live entertainment and a dash ofglamour, make a winning combinationfor groups. The odds are, your crew willenjoy playing in Pennsylvania. LGT

on location: northeast

Mount Airy Casino Resort lures gaming enthusiasts to the Poconos.

Night harness racing entertains guests at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Obtain Pennsylvania

casino information

and contact

group-friendly

suppliers directly

at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info

40 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Page 41: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

LeisureGroupTravel.com August 2010 41

New developments are giving group travel planners some fresh ideas for shaping itineraries

Here are a few things making waves on the East Coast travel scene:

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIAThe Smithsonian Institution is devel-

oping its latest museum on the NationalMall, the National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture. Set toopen in 2015, the museum will be locatedbetween 14th and 15th Streets, adjacentto the Washington Monument andacross from the National Museum ofAmerican History. While the museum’scontent is currently under development,it will explore African American historyon a national level, examining such top-ics as slavery, the Reconstruction, theHarlem Renaissance and the civil rightsmovement. (http://nmaahc.si.edu)

MASSACHUSETTSThe highly anticipated Art of the

Americas wing and adjacent glass-en-closed courtyard at theMuseum of FineArts, Boston (MFA) will open Nov. 20.The new wing, a contemporary struc-ture within the museum’s classic 1909Beaux Arts building, enables the MFAto more than double the number ofAmerican works on view and featuremore than 5,000 objects ranging frompre-Columbian gold and Native Ameri-can textiles to portraits of Revolutionar-ies and Abstract Expressionist paintings.These will be displayed on four floorsin 53 galleries, including nine periodrooms and four Behind the Scenes edu-cational galleries. Digital displays andinteractive touch screens in many of thegalleries enhance the appreciation ofworks of art and stylistic periods.The new wing, located to the east of

the museum along Forsyth Way, featuresa central glass building flanked by twopavilions of glass and granite, one northand one south. The American collectionis arranged chronologically on four floors,allowing visitors to travel through time asthey rise vertically. Iconic works on view

include Paul Revere’s silver Sons ofLiberty Bowl (1768), paired with JohnSingleton Copley’s portrait (1768)of the silversmith and patriot in theColonial Boston Gallery; WinslowHomer’s canvas Boys in a Pasture (1874)in Homer and Eakins: The Civil WarGallery; and LouisComfort Tiffany’sstained-glass windowParakeets and Gold FishBowl (about 1893) inthe Aesthetic MovementGallery. The SargentGallery will showcasemore than 40 paintings,watercolors and draw-ings by John SingerSargent.The Shapiro Family

Courtyard will be a dy-namic central meetingplace within the MFA.The transformationalexpansion and renova-tion project is designedby internationallyrenowned architectsFoster + Partner ofLondon. New landscap-ing will feature morethan 1,000 holly bushes

and 50 trees. In 2011 the MFA’s newLinde Family Wing for contemporaryart will open. (mfa.org/thenewmfa)

QUEBECThe new “Food Tour” by Tours Voir

Québec gives food aficionados theopportunity to explore what’s been cook-ing in Québec City through the years.For 2½ hours, visitors will not only learnabout the evolution of Québec City’sculinary history, they can also sampleit at grocers, bakeries, restaurants andother stores. The French, British andNative peoples have all influenced localhistory and gastronomy. Tour memberswill sample cheese, crepes, maple prod-ucts, pastries, chocolate, beer and winein the Old City’s picturesque Saint Jeanneighborhood. (877-266-0206, tours-voirquebec.com/en/home)

Northeaston our radar

Paul Revere is a signature work at the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Page 42: Leisure Group Travel August 2010

on technology � john kamm, ctp

WHILE IT MAY BE A BIT early topop the champagne corks, many adven-ture tour operators are reporting an up-swing in business, 2010 over 2009. Evenwith sales trending in a positive direc-tion, IT managers are challenged withtight budgets. Since they are responsiblefor the “machinery” required to run thebusiness, many are finding innovativeways to keep everyone on task, on track,on schedule and happy.

Improvements in customer serviceand automation don’t always go together– it takes a disciplined plan and an eyefor detail. Mat Unger, adventure systemsmanager for Natural Habitat Adven-tures, explains, “Our reservation systemknows a great deal about each of ourclients; it has all the information abouttheir tour. We are able to leverage thisinformation with new tools for ouragents so that the client gets the infor-mation they need to plan and prepareand our agents can continue to build arelationship with them. Automated,boiler-plate documents just don’t cut itanymore,” Unger asserts, “especially be-cause we have five product brands androutinely prepare separate versions ofthe documents for agents, agents’ clientsand travelers booking directly.”

Online form completion and trackingprovides another opportunity to im-

prove customer service. Terms and con-ditions of travel, insurance applications,medical information, releases etc.; dou-bly onerous if the process is confined topaper and snail-mail. “Working in theluxury market, we are very focused onthe guest experience before, during andafter their trip,” explains Micato Safaris’technology director, Sean Wilsen. “Tak-ing our required forms online is a win-win for our clients as well as our staff.The on-line forms engine presents onlythe documents the client needs to com-plete, it tracks the completion processand keeps guests and staff alike in-formed if anything is missing.”

Matt Zeugin, IT director for OARS,echoes support of developing onlinetools for clients and staff to interact.“Our focus has been to leverage the in-formation we have about the client andtheir trip and using it to provide ourstaff with automatically generated emailsand documents. Staff members can addor adjust the contents of the documentbefore it is delivered. Even with the vol-ume of bookings we handle during the

seasons, the combination of high techand high touch assures that we deliverthe best possible customer experience.”

When asked about tech challenges, allagreed that Internet bandwidth contin-ues to be a major issue. Because an in-ternet connection is the backbonesupporting online reservations, onlineforms, email, corporate intranets, VOIPphone systems, remote staff and branchoffices connected to the central reserva-tions system, the most efficient solutionis to locate resources where they willsupport the greatest number of usersand services while minimizing the im-pact on the Internet connection.

“Our optimal configuration hasproved to be locating the reservationand operations database servers on ourlocal area network,” Zeugin points out.“This provides the most horsepower forour users and enables us to manage de-velopment, access, security and backupprocedures, all of which can require ad-justments at any time.”

“Budgets or bandwidth, we will neverhave as much as we would like,” admitsUnger. With careful management andthoughtful innovation, companies canleverage their technology resources toimprove customer satisfaction.

Technology & Adventures 2010

IT managers are finding innovative waysto keep everyone on track

John Kamm is CEO of TourTech Systems, Inc.,

developers of TourTools®, the most popular

tour reservations solution in North America. Visit

www.tourtools.com for more information.

Become a fan of ours on Facebook

and we’ll keep you informed of the

latest news in the industry by sending

you Facebook updates when news breaks. Simply search for “Group

Travel” and look for the Premier Tourism Marketing logo! Leisure Group

Travel is also joining the Twitter craze. Go to Twitter.com/LeisureGroup

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

42 August 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

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