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Monthly Archives: January 2014

Riverfront Market District

Daytona Beach, Florida, contains the Riverfront Market District which is where your group can shop, dine, and enjoy some entertainment. This area is a beautiful part of the city and is full of cultural attractions for your group to visit. You will never run out of things to explore and experience while enjoying the Riverfront Market. There are several stores and shops in the area for you to browse. You will find places such as Aberrant Art Gallery, Carousel Antiques, High Flying Hobbies, Yours Truly, and Atlantic Sounds. You will also find Nicole’s Beach Street Mall which sells jewelry, antiques, and gifts. There are a variety of dining options at the Riverfront Market District for your group to enjoy. For example, you can dine at the Cellar Restaurant, Chef Papa’s Café, Tia Cori’s Tacos, and the Original Stavro’s Pizza House. Chef Papa’s Cafe serves sandwiches, pasta, and seafood. The Cellar Restaurant serves delicious Italian food. Your group will enjoy the culture and entertainment as part of your visit to the Riverfront. You can take a tour of the Angell and Phelps Chocolate Factory, watch a Daytona Cubs game at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark or learn about history at the Halifax Historical Museum. The group may also want to relax at the Halifax Harbor Marina. The historical museum contains exhibits from various time periods in history. One of the exhibits is known as Victorian Households. The News Journal Center is a place where you can watch live theatrical performances in two different venues.

Shedd Aquarium

shedd aquariumHere is the place that allows you to see sea creatures from all over the world in one place! The different exhibits here a great way to see what type of water life live in what parts of the world and other interesting facts about them. There is also a jelly fish exhibit that will show you more types of jelly fish than you probably knew existed.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier

Credit City of Chicago

The Navy Pier is the place to go if you are a tourist in Chicago! Fireworks are displayed throughout the year. There are tons of attractions available for the public to see, including Circus Zircus, a circus that is run by kids! If your tour group wants an educational splash to their fun adventures, visit the Chicago Children’s Museum, where kids ten and under and their families get the chance to climb aboard a ship, hide in a treehouse, invent different machines, drive a fire truck, and make wonderful artistic masterpieces to take home! There are loads of fun activities for everyone to enjoy! You will love the amazing view of Lake Michigan. The construction of the Navy Pier was started May 1914 and in 1916 it became the largest pier in the world at 292 feet wide and 3000 feet long. It was used for all sorts of things, from attracting visitors and ships to being used by the military during the First World War. The introduction of cars meant the decline of the pier. People wanted to see movies or drive their brand new car instead. In 1927, it was named the Navy Pier in honor of the veterans of World War I. In 1976, the pier was restored and one year later declared as Chicago landmark! The 150 million dollars spent on the reconstruction in 1994 was well worth it, because once the renovation was completed the pier began seeing 8 million visitors each year! The Navy Pier is a place of large history with bundles of fun for everyone!

Legends in Concert

There are not too many places where you can go to see so many different famous yet infamous people under one roof. A lot of these actors and singers perform just like the original artists. Some of them may even be just a little bit better. You can see Elvis and Michael Jackson like you have never seen them before. They have a great house band that sounds very good as well. There are even a couple of acts that ask for some audience participation. If you are looking for a place to sit down and listen to some good music, you should definitely give Legends a chance.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

Credit Denise Matthews

Credit Denise Matthews

Hershey’s Chocolate World is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This location is a must-do on your group tour. There are several attractions available for visitors to enjoy. Featured fun-filled attractions include the following: HERSHEY’S GREAT AMERICAN CHOCOLATE TOUR RIDE, HERSHEY’s CREATE YOUR OWN CANDY BAR ATTRACTION, the HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE TASTING ADVENTURE, HERSHEY’S WRAP HAPPINESS, and the HERSHEY TROLLEY WORKS TOUR. The HERSHEY’S GREAT AMERICAN CHOCOLATE TOUR RIDE is a free simulated Hershey’s Factory ride with a free sample of delectable chocolate. Guests will get to see, hear, feel, and smell the delicious transformation from the coco bean to HERSHEY’S famous chocolate. The HERSHEY’S CREATE YOUR OWN CANDY BAR ATTRACTION is a one-of-a-kind authentic experience. Your group will get the opportunity to choose what kind of candy bar you would like to create. The process includes the following steps: designing your own ingredients, designing your own wrapper, and letting your imagination run wild. The HERSHEY TROLLEY WORKS TOUR is an informative guided tour through CHOCOLATE TOWN USA. Visitors will explore the town built on chocolate.

Fields of Freedom Film

The Gateway Theater located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, features a one-of-a-kind film titled Fields of Freedom. The film is 30 minutes long and was produced for 7 million dollars. The production is about the third and final day of the famous Battle of Gettysburg that occurred in 1863. The movie features a voiceover of former president George H. W. Bush reading stories written by soldiers’ in their journals. The film is shown on two, three story tall screens in order to fully submerge the group into the graphic documentary experience. A riveting score, Pickett’s Charge is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra’s amazing music. The digital screens are the largest in the United States. Gettysburg is the only place you can see this movie. The film also features a portion of the Gettysburg Address. This stop on the group tour will enhance your historical experience! Call and book your trip today!

Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course

Get your Tarzan on when group travel leads you to Go Ape! Strap on the harnesses, pulleys, carabiners and pass that safety training to ascend into the treetops! Once your tour group gets over that first jump you’ll enjoy smooth sailing from there on out! If anyone disagrees with heights, they are welcome to explore the trails below the course and watch you soar from below! Obstacles aside from zip lines include: cargo nets, swaying rope bridges and ladders along with the need for leather gloves for a 600 foot long line! 15 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg there is no lack of chow nearby after your heart pounding adventure that is certain to stir your appetites!

Public Hospital Museum

Otherwise known as the “Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds,” this is clearly not an ordinary museum with dinosaurs and globes. This establishment was the very first of its kind in North America in the 1700s; a treatment asylum for the mentally disturbed and occasionally hostile. Inside the hospital you will find containment cells, medications, clothing and devices used in attempt to control the mad hundreds of years ago. This is one museum where you will want to read everything you come across as the revelations may be surprisingly shocking and gruesome enough that you will never complain about going to the doctor again.

Alligator Farm

Maximo from the Alligator Farm

Credit Alligator Farm

What began in the late nineteenth century as a small exhibition of native Florida reptiles ultimately evolved into the quintessential Sunshine State attraction. The Alligator Farm, today, functions as a modern zoo serving the public and scientific community, alike, with an array of entertaining productions and displays and ongoing research and conservation efforts. Wildlife shows like Florida’s Forest Friends, Realm of the Alligator and the Rainforest Review capture visitors in their thrall while fascinating exhibits like the Birds of Africa, Florida Native Reptile and Animal House and the Wading Bird Rookery provide wonderful up-close and personal opportunities to view and even interact with the Farm’s residents in their natural habitats. Encounter rare and mysterious Albino Alligators –legend has it simply gazing upon these legendary creatures will bring good luck – and pay a visit to 18 foot Gomek, one of the largest crocs to have ever lived at a zoo. Adventurous types with a need for speed may opt for an aerial view of the zoo’s birds and beasts as they zip through the sky and tackle more than 50 crazy obstacles on their choice of two thrilling Crocodile Crossing adventures. Once you’re back on “terrifying firma” in search of a “bite,” Toucantina tenders tasty tidbits and frosty refreshments certain to wet parched whistles and satisfy even the wildest appetites – chow down in the shade overlooking a friendly crew of Galapogos Tortoises doing their very cool regal reptile thing!

Oldest Lighthouse & Museum

Lighthouse

Credit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum

The historic city of St. Augustine is the site of the oldest navigational aid in the United States; the original, a Spanish watchtower, was converted into Florida’s first lighthouse in 1824. A second lighthouse was completed in 1874 to replace its predecessor, taken by the sea after a long battle with erosion in 1880. Constructed of Alabama brick and Philadelphia iron, it rises an impressive, candy-striped 165 feet above sea level and contains 219 steps; its massive lens consists of 370 hand-cut glass prisms arranged in a beehive shape 12 feet tall and six feet wide. Visitors to the Old City are invited on self-guided tours of the Lighthouse, Museum and Shipyard Playground, with a variety of fabulous, fun and informative guided tours offered to enhance an already fascinating experience. Climb to the top and enjoy stunning 360 degree views of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean; be regaled with the colorful stories of lightkeepers, sailors and fishermen who’ve shaped and protected the coast of Florida for more than 500 years and ponder centuries of maritime history and trivia as you marvel at three stories of intriguing exhibits and authentic artifacts, many from the sites of old shipwrecks.