Located on Mobile Bay, historic Mobile offers over 300 years of French, British, Spanish and American history, culture and architecture. Enjoy many world class attractions and festivals, fresh gulf coast seafood and group friendly hotels. And, the Original Family Mardi Gras! Visit us soon and often.
Member: ABA, NTA, Alabama Motorcoach Assn.
Seasonal Dates: Open year round.
Nearby Attractions that Influence Group Travel:
Bellingrath Gardens and Home
USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park
Bragg Mitchell Mansion
Conde Charlotte House Museum
Estuarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Five Rivers Delta Resource Center
Historic Ft. Gaines Civil War Site
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center/IMAX Theater
Oakleigh Historic Complex
Mobile Carnival Museum
Mobile Museum of Art
Mobile History Museum
Richards DAR House Museum
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One South Water Street Mobile, Alabama 36602 Phone: (251) 208-2018 Phone: (800) 566-2453 E-mail:pkieffer@mobile.org Web: www.mobile.org
Colonial Williamsburg
Credit: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Founded in 1926, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation maintains the world’s largest American history museum, where visitors can engage in immersive, authentic 18th-century experiences. The historic campus in Williamsburg, Virginia, includes 89 original buildings and more than 500 meticulous re-creations of lost structures, as well as two world-class art museums.
Check out these itinerary stops for the perfect day at Colonial Williamsburg:
Governor’s Palace Credit: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Governor’s Palace
Home to seven royal governors and the first two elected governors of the state of Virginia, the Governor’s Palace was built to impress those who visited with displays of authority and wealth. Decorated with brilliant hues from the 18th century and items from Colonial Williamsburg’s extensive collections, the Governor’s Palace is a must-see. Be sure to also spend some time in the magnificent palace gardens.
The Capitol Credit: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The Capitol
Walk the halls where the colony of Virginia’s representatives struggled with the British governor over the meaning of American liberty. Learn more about the founding principles of our government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a new republic.
First Baptist Church dig site Credit: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
First Baptist Church and Williamsburg Bray School Sites
All Colonial Williamsburg’s work is grounded in research. The Foundation conducts ongoing historical, architectural, and archaeological research that underpins all exhibitions and programs in its Historic Area, art museums, and digital content. Groups can explore that research at the First Baptist Church and Williamsburg Bray School sites. The First Baptist Church, the first Black church in America, is actively being excavated by archaeologists. Meet the experts and learn more about this important piece of American history. Then, learn more about the Williamsburg Bray School, the oldest extant building dedicated to the education of Black students in the United States. Through ongoing research, the Foundation continues to uncover a fuller picture of life in 18th-century America.
Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg Credit: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is home to two world-class art museums. Located under one roof, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum house extensive collections of British decorative arts and American folk art. Explore one of the newest exhibitions, including “‘I made this…’: The Work of Black American Artists and Artisans” or “Stitched in Time.” The art museums were recently expanded and now display more of the collection than ever before.
Blacksmith at the Public Armoury Credit: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Public Armoury
In 18th-century America, many individuals contributed to support the American Revolution. At the Public Armoury, you’ll encounter an industrial complex alive with activity. Meet 20th-century artisans practicing 18th-century trades. You’ll see blacksmiths hammering hot iron and the intricate work of tinsmiths, as well as foodways historians preparing authentic 18th-century recipes.
Don’t Miss
Colonial Williamsburg is also home to Colonial Williamsburg Resorts. Guests can stay steps from the action of the Historic Area at one of five award-winning properties. With options to suit any budget, there’s no better way to experience all that Colonial Williamsburg has to offer.
Additionally, no trip to Colonial Williamsburg is complete without a meal in one of the historic taverns, featuring 18th-century inspired recipes and historic entertainment.
Whether your group craves crabs, oysters, fish, or all the above, seafood is the star of Maryland’s culinary scene. For deliciously authentic experiences, include stops along the Maryland Crab and Oyster Trail. You’ll find unique restaurants, seafood markets, and events like Tilghman Island’s Oyster Jam and Brew Fest in November.
Find the Perfect Outdoor Experience
Maryland’s state parks and waterways are a fundamental part of its allure. Immerse your group in natural beauty by exploring mile after mile of serene mountain trails, or provide front-row seats to the largest estuary in the United States by embarking on the Chesapeake Bay Loop. Eager to see it all from the water? Choose one of many guided boat excursions throughout the state.
Feel the Power of History and Culture
History buffs will feel at home in the nation’s seventh-oldest state. Let your group witness the incredible bravery of Harriet Tubman as you follow in her footsteps and discover the Underground Railroad. Provide a dose of military history at destinations like Antietam, Monocacy battlefield, and Fort McHenry, the birthplace of the national anthem. Enjoy winter-themed celebrations like Winterfest in Ocean City and Christmas on the Potomac, or simply soak up the culture of historical cities like Baltimore, Annapolis, and Frederick. If you’re open for providing your group with the trip of a lifetime, Maryland is open for you.
A visit to Calvert County, Maryland, provides an opportunity to discover historic sites nestled between waterfront towns and the Chesapeake Bay. Encounter Southern hospitality and heritage while exploring museums, lighthouses, galleries, and shops. Migrate through the award-winning Birding Trail with a hop-on guide, sip your way around the Wine & Ale Trail, or explore the Calvert County Barn Quilt Trail. Finish the day at a waterside restaurant, and plan a return visit!
Make moments that matter with your group in hip and historic Frederick County, Maryland. Experience Frederick County’s storied past at Civil War battlefields, and wander quaint downtowns lined with locally owned boutique shops. Indulge in world-class restaurants, and wind down at dozens of tasting rooms. Frederick County is easily accessible from major highways and 45 minutes from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. For more information, contact Becky Bickerton at bbickerton@fredco-md.net.
Garrett County, located in western Maryland, offers an array of outdoor activities, lodging, and entertainment to appeal to everyone in your group. Located just a few short hours from Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, northern Virginia, and western Ohio, it is the perfect meeting spot for groups that are spread out. Make memories to last a lifetime in Garrett County, Maryland. Contact Kim Folk (kim@garrettchamber.com), groups director, to learn more.
Hagerstown, Maryland, is a charming city along the Cultural Trail, offering whimsical art and stories from the past. Follow the trail to Hagerstown’s theaters, museums, and art galleries. Along the way, dine at one of the local eateries. Visit Hagerstown offers many incentives, including lodging rebates, free guide services, and fuel cards. Contact Tiffany Ahalt, director of sales, for more information.
Stories of the Underground Railroad are rich and rooted deep into Montgomery County’s cultural fabric. A multitude of historic sites and outdoor activities, including C&O Canal National Historical Park, Josiah Henson Museum & Park, Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, and Button Farm Living History Center, make Montgomery County a choice group destination—next door to Washington, D.C.—for heritage experiences.
Featuring Broadway musicals performed in-the-round, Toby’s provides each guest with a dynamic experience because no seat is more than 30 feet from the stage. Celebrating over 40 years with an exceptional buffet-style dinner, Toby’s is convenient to Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. The 2023 show schedule includes “Grease,” “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville,” “Sister Act,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and “A Chorus Line.”
When Father Edward J. Flanagan purchased the Overlook Farm in 1921, it became the new, permanent site of Boys Town. Over the decades that followed, schools, churches and homes were built, and tens of thousands of young lives were transformed. When you visit the Village of Boys Town, a National Historic Landmark District, you’ll get an unforgettable glimpse into the history of an organization that has given new hope to so many at-risk children over the past 100 years.
Father Flanagan TombDowd Chapel ExteriorBall of Stamps
Lanier Mansion Credit: Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
Step back in time to the 1840s at Lanier Mansion, a time capsule of U.S. history and stories from the heart of America’s heartland in Madison, Indiana. The historic mansion is one of 12 locations within the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites system. Today, it serves as a modern-day look into history-in-the-making during the country’s westward expansion along the Ohio River during the early 1800s.
The Lanier Mansion is also known as the “crown jewel” of Madison’s Historic District, which spans 130 blocks and displays homes and historic buildings featuring 19th-century architecture. An afternoon at the mansion lets groups imagine what life might have been like for James F.D. Lanier and his family during the mid-1800s. The former home of the clerk of the Indiana General Assembly and prominent banker and businessman displays one of the country’s most impressive preservations of Greek Revival architecture.
The mansion was designed by Indiana-based architect Francis Costigan. Greek Revival features shine through its white Corinthian columns on the south portico, exterior Doric pilasters, ornamental-decorated windows and doors, decorative plaster moldings, and interior floor-to-ceiling columns.
Guided tours begin at the Lanier-Madison Visitor Center on the west side of the state historic site and explore the entire interior and exterior of the mansion grounds.
Lanier Mansion Credit: Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
“Our tour covers all three floors of the beautifully restored mansion,” says Devin Robinson, program developer at Lanier Mansion. “Groups will get to see and experience the reproduction of wall coverings, carpeting, and furnishings from the time period as they walk through the house, as well as learn about the Lanier family, their history, and their contributions to the state of Indiana.”
Group tours must be scheduled in advance by phone, and all group tickets must be purchased in person. Special discount tickets are available for school and adult groups of 15 or more.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Credit: Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
The high-tech city of Huntsville, which sprawls at the foot of a mountain in north Alabama, is equally at home in the 19th century or the 21st. Huntsville’s attractions reflect the heritage of Alabama’s first English-speaking city, the strife of the American Civil War, and the accomplishments of America’s rocket scientists. Huntsville is nicknamed the “Rocket City” for its close history with U.S. space missions.
Marvel
Look into humanity’s journey into space and stand under the awe-inspiring Saturn V Rocket at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The center houses the most extensive collection of space artifacts in the world. Feel the anticipation Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team must have felt as they prepared to put the first man on the moon, and peer inside NASA’s most recent mission to the moon with Artemis I. See a piece of the moon, catch an interactive presentation in the Intuitive Planetarium, or enroll in adult Space Camp.
The Weeden House Museum and Garden Credit: Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Explore
In downtown, step back to 1819 at the oldest house in the state open to the public at TheWeeden House Museum and Garden, which served as the living quarters for officers during the Civil War. Tag along with a local expert on a guided tour to learn about the city’s past and see the largest concentration of antebellum homes in Alabama. Immerse yourself in the life of early 1800s Alabamians and see where the first state constitution was signed at Alabama Constitution Hall Park.
Tour
Overlooking the city, Burritt on the Mountain offers the best view of the valley and natural beauty of Round Top Mountain. Learn about its ecology, revisit the lives of 1800s farmers, and tour the eccentric Burritt Mansion.
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment Credit: Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Discover
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment, one of the country’s largest, privately owned arts facilities, is a historic textile mill turned workspace for 200-plus local artists, makers, and small businesses. You are sure to find a unique item to take home. Plus, there’s the Downtown Secret Art Trail, Spaces Sculpture Trail, and the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Craft Beer Trail Credit: Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Taste
Huntsville’s diverse culinary scene guarantees you’ll find something that sends your taste buds out of this world! Encounter everything from award-winning restaurants to food truck rallies to mom-and-pop eateries. Follow the Craft Beer Trail or get fancy on the Craft Cocktail Trail.
There is much more to experience, enjoy, and explore in Huntsville, like the botanical garden and the city’s growing music scene with the addition of The Orion Amphitheater. For more information, go to huntsville.org and make plans to visit soon.
Lead image: U.S. Space & Rocket Center Credit: Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Krewe of Freret, Mardi Gras, New Orleans Credit: Louisiana Office of Tourism
You can’t fully experience Louisiana without enjoying a festival or event. Across the state, groups can attend over 400 festivals, cultural celebrations, musical gatherings, and food-focused functions throughout the year. With its melting pot of cultures from around the world, Louisiana became the cultural and festival destination it is today thanks to its geography. The Mississippi River served as an early gateway to North America for the French, Spanish, Africans, Italians, and Canadians, as well as many other cultures. This unique blend of cultures and heritage influenced and continues to shape Louisiana’s legacy as a global festival destination.
“We hold the unofficial title of ‘Festival Capital of the United States’ for a reason,” says Charlie Whinham, public information officer for the Louisiana Office of Tourism. “In Louisiana, we don’t have a festival season. We have festivals nearly every week of every month of the year. It’s truly amazing.”
CULTURAL FESTIVALS
Visitors flock to Louisiana for the most popular party of them all: Mardi Gras. Beginning on Fat Tuesday at the end of February, the streets of New Orleans swarm with costume-adorned participants, decorative floats, and live music performers parading down the streets of the French Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods of the Crescent City.
“We sprint out of the gates running at the beginning of every year for the Mardi Gras season—with a tidal wave of festivals following throughout the rest of the year,” Whinham says.
Mardi Gras, Vermilionville, Lafayette Credit: Louisiana Office of Tourism
Mardi Gras spills into a lineup of cultural festivals like the Black Heritage Festival of Louisiana in Lake Charles, the African American Music Festival at Xavier University in New Orleans, and the Adai Caddo Pow Wow, a celebration of heritage and cultural traditions of the Native peoples of the northwestern region of Louisiana, held in Robeline.
To round out the year of celebrations, locals celebrate Cajun-style Christmas. Along the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, the Festival of the Bonfires on Christmas Eve serves as a long-standing holiday tradition in Louisiana. Along the levees in the river parishes of St. James, St. John, and St. Charles, locals light hundreds of flaming bonfires that light the way for “Papa Noel,” or the Cajun Santa Claus. The festival, influenced by old-world French and German colonizers, remains an ode to summer and winter bonfires customary in their homelands.
MUSIC FESTIVALS
Every spring since 1970, one of the state’s largest and most recognized jazz festivals featuring music, entertainment, and soul takes over the heart of the birthplace of jazz. The annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans combines local music and culture, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Ethnic influences from African dance and drums shaped what we know as jazz today. The festival’s distinctive American style of music that developed in the early 20th century fills the streets with sounds, rhythm, and the true spirit of jazz music.
But there are more than just jazz music festivals to enjoy across Louisiana.
French Quarter Festival Credit: Louisiana Office of Tourism
In the center of Lafayette, the “Happiest City in America,” the largest international music festival in the United States takes over the city streets. The five-day Festival International de Louisiane transforms downtown Lafayette into a colorful celebration of music and entertainment. Other popular festivals like the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in Opelousas, and the Cajun Music and Food Festival in Lake Charles celebrate musical influence of the region.
Groups will also enjoy The Ponderosa Stomp, an annual American roots music festival featuring the convergence of rock ’n’ roll, blues, jazz, country, swamp pop, and soul, and the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, which mixes an array of traditional and emerging genres with food and art vendors throughout the festival grounds.
FOOD FESTIVALS
Boiled crawfish, zesty Cajun dishes, juicy jambalaya, and mouth-watering gumbo—these local delicacies are among some of the foods that groups will find at festivals around the state.
The family-friendly Louisiana Peach Festival features homegrown flavors, farm-fresh produce, local music, and art vendors. The community-rooted celebration has been a long-standing tradition in Ruston since 1951.
“When the Ruston peach season swings, you’ll want to make your way to the Louisiana Peach Festival,” Whinham says. “Ruston peaches are about the size of, practically, a softball, and they’re the freshest, sweetest peaches you’ll ever taste.”
At the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival outside of Lafayette and the Louisiana Crawfish Festival in the St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans, groups can chow down on crawfish until their bellies are stuffed to the brim. Other seafood festivals like the Amite Oyster Festival, Gulf Coast Shrimp and Jazz Festival in Lake Charles, and the St. Tammany Crab Festival give visitors a taste of Louisiana’s coastal fare.
Finally, in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, located in Lafourche Parish, a mix of many local flavors can be found at a number of festivals in the area that blend cultural heritage and cuisine. From the French Food Festival and the Creole Classic Fest to the La Fete Des Vieux Temps, or “Festival of the Old Times,” every dish, tune, and cultural influence comes to life in the Louisiana bayou.
For more information, call the Louisiana Office of Tourism at 225-342-9282 or visit louisianatravel.com.
ANOTHER FUN CAPITAL
Red River Balloon Rally, Bossier City Credit: Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau
Shreveport-Bossier is known as the “Festival Capital of North Louisiana”—and for good reason. More than 60 events are hosted there throughout the year. Downtown Shreveport is home to Festival Plaza, where many of the events are held. Check out the Mudbug Madness Festival, Let the Good Times Roll Festival, Red River Revel Arts Festival, Red River Balloon Rally, and the State Fair of Louisiana. shreveport-bossier.org
Main image: Krewe of Freret, Mardi Gras, New Orleans; Credit: Louisiana Office of Tourism
Colorado Springs, aka Olympic City USA, is an inspiring destination full of outdoor adventure, stunning scenic beauty, and unique experiences. Several walkable downtown areas, such as Downtown Colorado Springs, Old Colorado City, and Manitou Springs, are perfect for shopping, unique dining, and craft beverage experiences.
“Colorado Springs is supremely group friendly,” says Lindsey Pevey, group sales manager with Visit Colorado Springs. “With so much to see and do, we hope your guests can spend at least two nights in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. The staff at Visit Colorado Springs is happy to help you create the perfect itinerary.”
Marvel
Garden of the Gods Park is a designated National Natural Landmark located on the west side of Colorado Springs. The free city park, open year-round, can accommodate full-size motorcoaches. The towering red sandstone rocks give this 1,340-acre park an otherworldly feel. Guests can drive and walk through the park, have a picnic, and take a trolley, Segway, or horseback tour. Before heading into the park, visit the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center to learn about the park’s geologic and human history, dine in the new Gateway Café, pick up treasures in the gift shop, and see the 15-minute time-travel movie.
The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway Credit: The Broadmoor
Ride
A trip to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak is a must for all visitors. Climb aboard The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway for a 9-mile trek up “America’s Mountain.” Once at the top, you’ll have spectacular, 360-degree views from the accessible walkway and the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center. The views from the summit are so inspiring, they moved Katharine Lee Bates to pen the words to “America the Beautiful.” Learn about the mountain and its inhabitants through the interactive exhibits, enjoy a snack or meal in the café (you must try the high-altitude doughnuts!), and get yourself something to commemorate your trip in the expansive gift shop.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum Credit: Jason O’Rear
Learn
With one ticket, see two amazing places that make Colorado Springs Olympic City USA. The new Podium Package provides entry to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. The museum is a great place to hear the stories and celebrate the achievements of Team USA. The training center gives you an up-close view of how athletes earn a spot at the museum. Both the museum and training center are accessible and will accommodate a variety of guest requests.
Flying W Ranch Credit: VisitCOS
Explore
Flying W Ranch is a Colorado Springs icon that has been serving up authentic Western fun since the 1950s. After a 2012 fire destroyed most of the ranch’s structures, it reopened in 2020 and is more spectacular than ever. Guests arrive in the early evening to explore the ranch, see the animals, and take part in fun activities, such as riding the mini train, climbing the stairs on Christmas Rock, ax throwing, practicing archery, and feeding the goats. When the dinner bell rings, guests are treated to a delicious chuckwagon supper of smoked meats, baked potatoes, baked beans, applesauce, biscuits, and spice cake. The evening culminates with the beautiful harmonies of the Flying W Wranglers, who will serenade your group with fireside favorites like “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”
Royal Gorge Bridge & Park Credit: Royal Gorge Region
View
Royal Gorge Bridge & Park is located about an hour southwest of Colorado Springs. It is a magnificent geologic wonder that is spanned by the walkable Royal Gorge Bridge located 900 feet above the Arkansas River. Guests can also get across the gorge on the free gondolas. The more daring can dart across on the Cloudscraper Zip Line for an additional fee. The park includes other attractions like the Royal Rush Skycoaster, Via Ferrata, and Plaza Theater. Several cafés and eateries provide rejuvenation as you take in the magnificent views.
