Whether you opt to swoop like flying squirrels through the lush canopy or tromp the wild woods far below, every Show-Me-State group travel itinerary should include a trip to Branson Zipline!

Their menu of expertly-designed world-class eco-adventures offers daredevils, mad-cap explorers and easy-going nature-lovers alike the ultimate sightseeing excursion. The activities require no previous experience and present visitors with an opportunity for a fully-customizable, multi-faceted, team-building outdoor fun-quest on one of the only themed zip courses in the world. Sail from platform to platform and traverse a series of “sky bridges” threaded through the fabled Ozark Mountain treetops as squirrels, armadillos, deer and other inhabitants of Wolfe Creek Preserve look on, a rapt audience to zippers’ aerial escapades.

Not down with dangling? Wend your way up Wolfe Mountain in an authentic Pinzgauer Swiss Army Troop Carrier. Once at the top, you’re cut loose with a guide to begin your descent down an Amish-built hiking trail. Your ears fill with fascinating fact, legend and lore as you thrill to the sight of guests “wooshing” by overhead; excellent photo ops here! Encounter and identify native flora and fauna and revel in the exquisite beauty of your natural surroundings, noting rickety old bridges and abandoned mining implements strewn about the wildflower-sprinkled woods. What stories they could tell!

A refreshment break at the half-way mark lets you pause to recharge and chat with fellow hikers or meet up with group members wrapping up a Canopy Tour before continuing down the mountain. Feel like yodeling?

Adventurous groups exploring The City by the Bay will find this wonderfully historic hundred acre zoo neatly nestled against the blue Pacific-a veritable urban oasis, home to more than 1,000 exotic, endangered and rescued animals representing more than 250 species, lush with bountiful, tranquil gardens  each creatively showcasing a wide diversity of native and exotic plants. The conservation-and-wellness minded San Francisco Zoo, operational since 1929, currently features dozens of remarkable exhibits-favorites like the Lion House, offering behind-the-scenes view of a big cat management area and Hearst Grizzly Gulch – one of the largest naturalistic environments dedicated solely to grizzly bears where visitors can get face time with a couple of rescued grizzly sisters- provide amazing access and entertaining insight into the lives and times of hundreds of fascinating Zoo residents. A lively colony of extremely social Magellanic penguins thrive and prosper on delightful Penguin Island, while the rich biodiversity of Latin America is represented in the Puente al Sur (Bridge to the South) exhibit and features giant anteaters, (members of the last living group of animals to have evolved in South America when it was an isolated island continent) white-faced whistling ducks, black-faced swans, a Maguari stork and other species native to South and Central America. The expansive 3 acre Leanne B. Roberts African Savanna exhibit displays happily cohabitating giraffe, zebra, kudu and oryx; many African bird species including the crowned crane, ostrich, spur-winged goose and Marabou stork also find peaceful refuge here; the dramatic Savanna links directly to the Jones Family Gorilla Preserve where visitors can experience Western Lowland Gorillas in exceptional habitat. Snow Leopards and Slender-Tailed Meerkats, Kune Kune Pigs and Black Howler Monkeys, Fishing Cats, Red-Ruffed Lemurs and Capybaras are all waiting for you at the beloved San Francisco Zoo! Come, while away a morning; join the animals for breakfast and discover over 1000 reasons why this beloved attraction remains so popular with locals and tourists, alike!

Exploring America > U.S. Cities > San Francisco Tours

Credit Marley White

Probably the most recognizable attraction in the whole United States, the Statue of Liberty is located on 12-acre Liberty Island in the New York City harbor. This beautiful statue was a gift from the French. While she took nine years to construct in France, upon her arrival in America after she had been crated into 350 separate pieces she only took four months to assemble in her new home. She stands as a universal symbol of democracy and freedom, especially for immigrants as they approached the island. She actually served a term of 16 years as a lighthouse when she first arrived! You’ll learn even more about the history and symbolism on the Promenade tour which takes you behind the scenes of this enormous sculpture. The observatory tour lets you climb one step further to the observation balcony where you can see spectacular views of the New York City harbor. Lady Liberty’s full name is Liberty Enlightening the World. She is modeled after the Roman goddess Libertas, (except for her face which was created in the likeness of the sculptor’s own mother) the goddess of freedom worshipped by the freed slaves of the country. With broken chains enveloping her sandaled feet, Liberty is built to appear as though she is walking forward toward progress, not standing still. To put to bed the rumors, her crown is in fact open to tourists but only advanced reservations can guarantee entry! Standing between your tour group and the top of the crown is a whopping 393 steps. For those still building up wind power in the lungs, an elevator is available inside her 305 foot tall structure. The crown is comprised of seven points, each one represents a different sea and a different continent, all after one sacred goal: peace.

Exploring America > U.S. Cities > New York City Tours