Gregarious groups on Ocean City holiday will want to check out family-owned-and-operated, local favorite Old Pro Golf, founded almost 50 years ago by owners Herbert J. and Aileen “Deany” Schoellkopf. Old Pro currently offers devotees of the game in search four uniquely creative and challenging Ocean City locations: Temple of the Dragon Mini Golf on 23rd Street; Renaissance Castle Mini Golf on 28th Street; indoor Undersea Adventure, Family Arcade and Prehistoric Dinosaur Mini Golf on 68th Street, and indoor course Safari Village, Family Arcade and Caribbean Pirates Mini Golf on 136th Street. Each fabulously *imagineered* course offers guests a wildly elaborate themed playing experience chock full of fascinating mechanized figures and obstacles, truly creative hole design and fabulously extensive use of water and landscaping-all elements well integrated and theme-consistent, contributing to one fine miniature golf adventure, indoor or out! Beat the heat or soak up the sun-the choice is yours-have a ball!

The “Ocean City Life Saving Station,” part of the Coastal System established by the United States Treasury Department for the saving of vessels in distress and lives in peril on the waters, was actively used by the U.S. Coast guard until 1964. After years of service and subsequent alternate duty as a town hall of sorts, and having fallen into a state of disrepair, the building was slated for demolition. A group of concerned citizens rallied round and formed The Ocean Museum Society; they managed to raise the adequate funds to salvage the building, which was moved to its present location at the extreme southern end of the Boardwalk, overlooking the Inlet and Assateague Island. The old station house was meticulously restored and official dedication as a museum commenced Christmas Day, 1978. Visitors to Ocean City’s tidy seaside showplace will experience, while wandering amongst the museum’s permanent collections and special exhibits, a fascinating history of metamorphosis from a small fishing town to a favorite world-class resort destination. Experience all the magic and wonder of the Ocean City Boardwalk of yesteryear as you chuckle with Laughing Sal and Bruno; let your imagination run wild as you encounter artifacts recovered from tragic wreckage of vessels long lost at sea; slip into the briny deep of the waters just offshore and meet an ever-changing menagerie of indigenous marine life with a visit to the Aquarium Room.

Situated mid-Boardwalk in Ocean City, Fun City Arcade is a first-rate, family oriented entertainment gallery featuring a fantastic variety of all the latest video and arcade games-tons of fun for all ages; expect plenty of prizes when you cash in at the awesome redemption center! Bum some quarters or change out a few bills , grab your travel buddies, duck inside and get your game on in the classically cool, perfectly noisy atmosphere of an old-school arcade. Bonus? No tokens to clunk around in your pockets once you leave!

Groups exploring the historic best of Memphis won’t want to bypass an opportunity to see the glorious sights along the fourth longest river in the world while enjoying true Southern Hospitality and a colorful, well-presented river history lesson from the spotless decks of one of Memphis Riverboat’s magnificent and masterfully-captained paddle wheel vessels. This family-run business tenders potential passengers an exciting range of popular options including entertaining and educational narrated cruises, romantic sunset trips, exclusive holiday events, private charters and delightful two-hour  “dinner and music” tours featuring buffet-style BBQ meals of pulled pork or grilled marinated chicken and delicious southern-style fixins accompanied by fantastic live music; each and every outing promising guests on Memphis holiday a satisfyingly authentic and personalized riverboat experience! The hands-down favorite  is the 90-minute sightseeing cruise on the 100-foot Island Queen, during which guests embark on a charming voyage across Tennessee history via a comprehensive and captivating narrative delivered by a knowledgeable guide and detailing decades of life on the mighty Mississippi River; light snacks and perfect refreshments are served on board. Ready to go?  Let the capable travel team at Exploring America make a Memphis Riverboats Cruise adventure part of your rock-and-soul itinerary and get rollin’ on “dat Ol’ Man River”!

Groups exploring historic Memphis will want to be sure their itinerary includes a stop at the landmark National Civil Rights Museum, established in 1991 and located at the former Lorraine Motel, where beloved civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. This premier institution recently underwent a $27.5 million renovation, and more than 40 new films, oral histories and interactive media features joined an already robust collection, while the museum’s updated, modern design reminds visitors of its duty to keep civil rights issues moving forward and a 7,000-pound bronze signature statue, “Movement to Overcome”, featured in front of the grand staircase in the new lobby, serves as a monument to the struggles of previous generations. Through a comprehensive series of well-executed interactive exhibits including A Culture of Resistance, The Rise of Jim Crow, Is This America?, World in Transition, Join the Movement and The King’s Last Hours, important historic collections and a range of dynamic speakers and special events, a tour of the museum leads guests on an immersive journey through five centuries of history, from the dawn of the resistance and through the Civil War and reconstruction to significant events of the late 20th century that inspired people the world over to rise, step away from a heritage of stolen futures and mournful predisposition, shake off the heavy chains of segregation and stand for equality.

Groups of nature loving historians exploring Memphis and the surrounding area will truly enjoy a rest stop at Northern Mississippi’s premier family recreation area in Holly Springs National Forest – “Lands of Many Uses” – a wonderfully quiet and inviting woodland wonder split asunder by deep gullies marked by old split-rail fences, dotted with dozens of sparkling lakes, forested with loblolly and shortleaf pines, dogwood, magnolia, sweet gum and oak and sprinkled with flowering native shrubs, all twined about in the Summertime with grape-scented Kudzu. The park is a breathtaking feast for the eyes year-round: in Spring, when the dogwood blooms and again, when the hills are ablaze with splendiferous Autumnal color; the woods and wetlands provide all manner of resident and migratory wildlife ample habitat and excellent spotting and bird-watching opportunities abound. Holly Springs National Forest is the perfect place to bring a picnic lunch and break from a hectic travel agenda – revel in the beautiful surroundings and enjoy magnificent views of 260-acre Chewalla Lake from the day use/campground area – once an Indian Burial site – threaded with miles of well-marked, peaceful and scenic hiking trails. Kick back on the beach, grab a handful of sweet berries to fortify you along the way as you head for the hills, hunt the elusive wild mushroom, do a little bird watching, explore the tiny island on Chewalla’s western shore, fish for your lunch, jump in a kayak or go for a refreshing swim. Get out of the lake and hop in the shower – (bathhouses are available ) just a few miles away, the historic and colorful plantation town of Holly Springs awaits, offering visitors a fascinating look at the old South when cotton was king; explore well-preserved antebellum homes, slave dwellings, museums, churches and other intriguing points of interest – there are hundreds in the area – then sit down to some tasty Southern cuisine at one of the great eateries in Holly Spring, “Mississippi’s Best Kept Secret!”

At one time, Cotton was King in Memphis. For hundreds of years, African people were shipped across the seas to America and sold into the booming slave trade that ensured the Delta’s cash crops were planted, tended and harvested; the city of Memphis rapidly became Tennessee’s leader in the trade business. Eventually, the anti-slave movement saw the uprising of noble citizens who enlisted themselves in the abolition wars to assist runaways seeking their freedom in the Northern states. Jacob Burkle, German immigrant and stockyard owner, was one of them, a man who risked his life and livelihood to help slaves on their way by operating an “underground railroad station” from his modest home near the banks of the Mississippi. Visitors to the Burkle Estate, just a few minutes from iconic Beale Street, are treated to a well-presented tour of the white clapboard house and grounds, wonderfully preserved and recreated in the manner of its day of service with historical documents, period furniture, quilts and other relevant artwork and well-attended by knowledgeable guides who supply – in animated detail – heartrending stories of the dark days of slavery during Jacob Burkle’s time, and the way in which many were aided, en route to possible freedom, with safe haven provided in his home. Guests will learn how slaves creatively transmitted coded information to escape captivity, and see the cellar, crawl spaces and secret passages they used to hide in the Burkle home before continuing their perilous journey North.

Music fans heading to the the river city blues birthplace of Memphis will be thrilled to find a stop at this historic institution – a shining tribute to decades of struggle, upheaval, change and triumph that inspired people everywhere to re-think the way they listened – at the top of their itinerary.  Visitors to this popular attraction located on legendary Beale Street on the corner of Highway 61 at the world-famous FedExForum sports complex and across from Gibson Guitar are introduced to the fearless musical pioneers who overcame daunting racial and socio-economic barriers to craft the music that would ultimately shape a city and shake the world to its core. The Rock ‘n’ Soul  Museum, developed in unique cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution, tenders guests a personalized Blues City music experience they won’t soon forget, with a convenient digital audio tour showcasing more than five hours of  music – more than 100 songs –  and fascinating information accompanying guests at their own pace through seven galleries jam-packed with musical instruments and artifacts and surprising treasures, serving up a comprehensive cross-section of the rich history of that unmistakable, unforgettable sweet Delta sound. Summarily? The Memphis Rock and Roll museum delivers a toothsome “biography” of the transformation of a gritty southern city mentioned in more songs than any other on EARTH  – to a music mecca and the heart of the rock and soul industry – the whole story – through its amazing series of exhibits and presentations. Ready to listen? Step inside.

Fans of Gibson’s legendary instruments won’t want to miss an opportunity to check out the Beale Street Showcase in Memphis. When this small company started crafting mandolins in 1894, it likely had no idea the impact it would make on the music world. Today, Gibson is the foremost builder of electric guitars and is best known for their Les Paul and Chet Atkin models, and of course, B.B. King’s Lucille, which ultimately became the guitar of choice for artists like Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Peter Frampton, and John Lennon and George Harrison. Entertaining and informative forty-five minute tours consist of an intimate viewing ( from behind trusty safety goggles ) of the facility as Gibson’s skilled Luthiers craft some of the finest guitars in the world, affording lucky guests an opportunity to witness the entire intricate process of their creation, from binding and neck-fitting to painting, buffing and tuning; these artists turn out the iconic musical instruments that have inspired and shaped some of the most important musical careers in history. Tour tickets can be purchased inside the Gibson Retail Shop, located one block south of Beale Street, directly across from the FedEx Forum and The Westin Hotel; reservations are recommended. Be sure to set aside a little extra time to visit the Gibson Factory Store, where you can pick up a souvenir of your visit, daydream a little, get your hands on and test drive a fabulous selection of special guitars – and maybe even wind up with that Les Paul you’ve been dreaming of!

Groups looking toward an unforgettable Memphis holiday will definitely want to plant a visit to Davies Manor Plantation – Century Farm, National Wildlife Federation-certified Backyard Habitat, and site of the oldest family home in Shelby County, Tennessee. The extensively-restored 1807 two story white oak chink and log plantation home rests on a lovely wooded piece of what was once a thriving 2000 acre operation, along with an assortment of wonderful outbuildings including a small cabin at one time occupied by Moses Frazier, a slave who toiled at Davies Manor for 50 years; prior to the Civil War, the Tennessee plantation supported approximately 23 enslaved African Americans. Tours begin with a short familiarization video and take guests through the log home and around the grounds and a series of carefully planned demonstration gardens and interpretive exhibits, providing an informative and realistic cross section of Colonial plantation/farm life while highlighting the inevitable changes to the estate that resulted from multi-generational occupancy. Careful excavation of a small “mound” in the front yard of Davies Manor revealed a few very small potsherds from the Woodland Indian Period; this is not surprising due to the presence of an Indian trail that wanders from Stage Road through the property and over Anderton Springs. The well-preserved structures and their rough-hewn contents are a testament to the true rigors of life on a typical southern plantation, and visits afford guests a priceless opportunity to trace the Davies family history through most of the 19th century and on to the present day with its challenges of maintaining and preserving the historic property for future generations.