Magnolia Plantation and Gardens 1.) Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Charleston, S.C. With a history stretching back to 1676, the home contains stories from the American Revolution, the Civil War and beyond. Tours here showcase America’s oldest public gardens, wildlife nature trains and a boat ride. www.magnoliaplantation.com 2.) Hopsewee Plantation Georgetown, S.C. The hard work of […]

By John Metcalfe, courtesy Alton Regional CVB HARTFORD, Ill. — The new Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower provides an informative look at the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition where it began at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Dedicated last spring to commemorate the 206th anniversary of the expedition, the facility features two […]

Courtesy Hershey Foundation Harrrisburg, Pa. — Regional marketing has been successful in many parts of the country and a group of tourism-minded counties in Pennsylvania have designed and implemented such a program to make it easier for groups to visit their area. Dutch Country Roads, which is made up of the travel industry surrounding Lancaster, […]

The Parthenon Groups can step inside a replicated ancient Greece building that looks just as complete as the day when the original builders finished it in 438 B.C. at the Parthenon. The world’s only full-sized reproduction of the Greek Parthenon that houses Athena, the building stands out in the center of Centennial Park. Inside, the […]

Courtesy Alabama Gulf Coast 1.) Alabama Gulf Coast, Ala. Description: White sand and emerald water Features: Golf courses, seaside restaurants, fishing charters, historic Fort Morgan, and bird watching Website: www.gulfshores.com 2.) Brunswick and Golden Isles, Ga. Description: Mainland beach at Brunswick, as well as four barrier islands, called St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. […]

Courtesy Tourism Cares WASHINGTON — Tourism Cares hosted a painting project at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington Sept. 10. More than 250 volunteers associated with the travel, tourism and hospitality industries assisted with much needed painting projects at 12 locations, including the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the […]

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The late Bob Whitley, USTOA president for 32 years, will be honored this year with the NTA Pioneer award, and John Stachnik of Mayflower Tours will receive the Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement award. Both awards will be presented at the 2010 NTA Convention in Montreal, Quebec. The Pioneer award, established by the […]

Courtesy Prince William County/Manassas CVB WASHINGTON — The American Bus Association (ABA) has named the July 21-24 commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War’s First Battle of Manassas as the top U.S. event for motorcoach groups. The ABA tabbed Montreal Botanical Garden’s the Magic of Lanterns, an annual display of more than 700 handcrafted […]

SALEM, Ohio — The Missouri Travel Council and BankTravel have jointly announced the development of an educational component for bank travel club directors attending Missouri Bank Travel Exchange. The Missouri Travel Council, which operates the Bank Travel Exchange, is that state’s leading group tourism organization. “BankTravel looks forward to working with the Missouri Travel Council […]

JOPLIN, MO. — A record crowd of more than 300 delegates, including 160 church travel planners, journeyed to Joplin for the sixth annual Going On Faith Conference Aug. 24-26. “By all accounts, we had a very successful Going On Faith Conference this year,” said conference CEO Joe Cappuzzello. “We had religious travel planners from 20 […]