By Jane Ammeson

This seven-day itinerary explores Puerto Vallarta’s history, culture and environment.

The Banderas Bay city of 250,000 people was once a large trading port on the Pacific Ocean. 

The nearby Sierra Madre Mountains boast former mining operations for gold and silver, often targeted by pirates, smugglers and bandits.

Well-guarded mule trains once carried the precious minerals to the capital city of Guadalajara, Mexico.

While in Puerto Vallarta, take a trek to a mining village; board a ship for a day of swashbuckling fun; and visit movie locations for films like Predator and Night of the Iguana.

Day One

Arrive in Puerto Vallarta.

Make sure to check out Banderas Bay, Mexico’s largest bay on the Pacific and home to whales and dolphins. 

Take time to relax. Then, dine outside overlooking the waterfront at Vitea. The restaurant is located on the Malecón, a seaside promenade connecting Puerto Vallarta’s neighborhoods.

Day Two

Travel to the marina boardwalk by El Faro (the lighthouse) for a trip on the Marigalante (or the sister ship, Jolly Roger).

Make an all-day trek to Majahuitas Beach, one of several seaside villages south of Puerto Vallarta only accessible by boat or by hiking over the mountains.

After breakfast, enjoy pirate adventures — shows, singing and swordfights — while on board. Learn the story of the original Marigalante and hidden silver coins as well as the pirates who once roamed the waters here.

At Majahuitas Beach, eat a picnic lunch, snorkel, play beach volleyball, go on a treasure hunt, take a banana boat ride, explore the coastline or kayak.

Return for a meal at Restaurant El Arrayan, with classic Mexican cuisine. 

Day Three

After breakfast, walk along the Malecón. Visit neighborhoods such as Zona Romantica and Old Town, which border the northern side of the Cuale River. 

Visit Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a 19th-century church.

Walk across the rope bridge, which crosses the Cuale River. There’s plenty to explore, with shops and open-air restaurants engaging the senses.

Try one of Puerto Vallarta’s signature dishes, Pescado Zarandeado, grilled red snapper coated in spices, at Mariscos Tinos Puerto Vallarta, a second-floor restaurant is in the city’s Centro district.

Day Four

Travel northeast to San Sebastián del Oeste, a mining village dating to 1605.  

While there, visit Casa Museo de Doña Conchita Encarnación, a museum. Learn how 40 mules were loaded with silver and guards rode on horseback, carrying rifles to guard the silver on a trip that took 10 days roundtrip through the mountains to Guadalajara and back. 

Eat lunch at Comedor Lupita, a family restaurant where everything, including tortillas, is hand made. Then, stroll the village’s cobblestone streets, shop or sit in the gazebo in the town square (the zocolo) and visit a historic church. 

Enjoy the ride through the Sierra Madres before the evening arrives.

Day Five

In the morning, go whale and dolphin watching on tours by Wildlife Connection. Late winter and early spring are the best time to see humpback whales and, maybe, hear their songs. 

Dine along Banderas Bay at Famar, an inexpensive eatery. 

Next, travel south to Playa Mismaloya’s beach. Take a panga (water taxi) around the bay. This is also a great locale for snorkeling.

Travel up the mountain past Mismaloya, a quiet village. The nearby jungle-lined hills are where the 1987 movie Predator (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was filmed. Some artifacts from the movie remain, including a rusting Predator prop and tank. 

Among other movies filmed in the Mismaloya area was the 1963 classic The Night of the Iguana (starring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Elizabeth Taylor and based on the Tennessee Williams play).

Swim in the river’s waters and slide down the smooth rock, which makes for a natural waterfall.

Or take a walk and swim in the secluded bay on Playa Conchas Chinas, south of Puerto Vallarta. This is where the 1990 movie Revenge (with Kevin Costner) was filmed.

Day Six

Transfer to Outdoor Adventure for a canopy tour along some of Mexico’s highest (250 feet) and longest (1,000 feet) ziplines.   

Dine at Café de Olla, a downtown Puerto Vallarta favorite known for its authentic Mexican.

Return to your lodgings.

Day Seven

Make sure you have breakfast with huevos rancheros (eggs served ranch style) and fresh mangos and papayas.

Then, depart for home.

The Conventions & Visitors     Bureau of Puerto Vallarta
(888) 384-6822
(322) 224-1175
http://visitpuertovallarta.com

Vallarta Adventures
(888) 526-2238
www.vallarta-adventures.com

San Sebastián de Oeste
www.sansebastianmexico.com

Within close driving distance of San Francisco and San Jose international airports, Santa Clara, Calif., inspires students.

See firsthand the innovations of the world’s technology leaders. 

Plus, Santa Clara is home to California’s Great America and a historic mission.

Day One

Technology and education tour

Spend the day in Santa Clara learning about the technology that made Silicon Valley famous. 

Begin by visiting the Intel Museum and Intel Museum Store where students will be introduced to the micro-miniature world of computer chips. Hands-on exhibits offer an in-depth view of how computer chips are made and used in everyday lives. 

Enjoy lunch at one of the nearby Mercado Santa Clara’s many eateries.

From there, spend an hour or more touring through the three levels of the Tech Museum of Innovation. Its themed galleries are packed with interactive exhibits detailing technology’s future. 

End your day in Silicon Valley at the NASA Ames Exploration Center or tour Stanford University. 

One-hour walking tours of Stanford’s main campus are available. Admission is free to the Intel Museum and NASA Ames. The Tech Museum of Innovation and Stanford University offer special group rates. 

Day Two

Fun, meet physics

California’s Great America has the region’s best variety of coasters and exhilarating rides, plus concerts, festivals and special events. The park offers the most kids’ rides and the most water rides in the region, plus Planet Snoopy. It is the only theme park in California to offer a complete water park inside — free with admission. 

The park is open April through October, offering field trips, career building workshops and performance opportunities.  In October, don’t miss the theme park’s Halloween Haunt.

Meal coupons and discounted rates are available for groups of 15 or more. 

Day Three

World-class shopping

Shop Silicon Valley at outlet centers, upscale shopping malls or electronics superstores. 

Spend hours browsing through the largest collection of manufacturer and off-price outlets in Northern California at the Great Mall Of The Bay Area. 

From there, it’s a short drive to the valley’s most upscale shopping malls: Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair and Santana Row. Both feature luxury retail and specialty shops and restaurants. 

After lunch, continue your day at Stanford Shopping Center, home to restaurants and cafes in an exquisite outdoor setting.

Day Four

Santa Clara heritage tour

Beautiful gardens, adobe walls and California’s oldest institution of higher learning can be found at Mission Santa Clara de Asis, the eighth of the 21 world-famous California missions. 

Founded in 1777 by the Franciscans, Mission Santa Clara de Asis was dedicated by Father Junipero Serra. Later, the Jesuits opened a school on the mission site, which is now Santa Clara University. 

After your tour, see the surrounding Mission Gardens. The pale yellow barksia rose, purple wisteria and olive trees date to the 1800s.

If time permits, visit other Santa Clara heritage and historical sites.

Santa Clara CVB
(800) 272-6822
www.santaclara.org

During the Civil War, northwest Arkansas was caught in the crossfire between the North and the South. 

The area was the site of many skirmishes and battles including the Battle of Fayetteville and the Battle of Pea Ridge, arguably the most important Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi. The war left the area devastated. Crop, homes and businesses were burned and residents went hungry. 

On this two-day northern Arkansas tour, groups will learn about Civil War heroes and others tried by fire.

Day One

9 a.m. — Begin your Civil War trek at Ozarks at the Ridge House Museum, built in 1836. This was the home of Sarah Bird Northrup Ridge, the widow of John Ridge. John Ridge was a Cherokee and considered the first Native American novelist. Their house is the oldest home standing in Fayetteville. 

10 a.m. — Take a short stroll down to the Walker-Stone House. The facility was built by David Walker, a prominent lawyer, jurist and early settler of Fayetteville. He later sold the house to merchant Stephen K. Stone. During the Civil War, the house was struck by Confederate cannon fire when the Stone family lived there. 

11 a.m. — Travel to the Historic Downtown District of Fayetteville, a focal point for many local activities. The square is home to shops, restaurants, historic buildings and modern offices. Take your time and enjoy shopping in downtown Fayetteville. 

12:30 p.m. — Enjoy lunch at the Catfish Hole. Quality, award-winning products, people-centered management and a staff of dedicated employees have led to great success. 

1:30 p.m. — After lunch, travel to the Headquarters House. It was built by Judge Jonas Tebbetts in 1853, and it miraculously survived the Civil War. The Battle of Fayetteville was fought on its front lawn. 

Look at the doorway and see the scar of a minie ball, which is preserved in testament to the battle that ancestors endured and earned the intersection of College and Dickson the moniker “Bloody Corner.” 

3 p.m. — Check in to your accommodations. 

5 p.m. — For dinner, head down to the AQ Chicken House. The eatery first opened its doors in Springdale, Ark., in 1947. Back then, Highway 71 was a dusty, two-lane dirt road going nowhere. The original founder and owner, Roy C. Ritter, began serving what he called Southern-style chicken to tourists to let them know how good chicken could taste in the Ozarks. 

6 p.m. — Enjoy a driving tour around the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

8 p.m. — Return to your hotel.

Day Two

9 a.m. — Check out of your hotel and board the motorcoach. Trek the short journey to the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. 

9:30 a.m. — Arrive at the state park, which preserves approximately 400 acres of the battlefield where the Confederate army of the Trans-Mississippi under leadership of Gen. Thomas C. Hindman clashed in 1862 with the Union Army of the Frontier led by Gen. James G. Blunt. 

12:30 p.m. — Visit Pea Ridge National Battlefield Park. This U.S. national military park, located near the Missouri border, protects the site of the Battle of Pea Ridge, which was fought in 1862.

Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
(800) 872-1259
(501) 682-7777
www.arkansas.com

Day One

Visit Hagley Museum and Library, the charming home of E. I. du Pont, founder of the DuPont Company, where the group can immerse in a case study of the American Industrial Revolution.

Each student is presented with a brief biography of an individual who lived or worked at Hagley. The program provides insight to inquisitive youths about what life was like for various individuals. Students explore Hagley’s historical points of interest, such as Workers Hill, the roll mill, machine shop, waterwheel and steam engine. 

Next, travel to Fort Delaware, a top student travel destination in the first state. The fort was a Union fortress dating back to 1859 that once housed Confederate prisoners of war. It was originally built to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia. 

Young scholars should embark on a half-mile ferry ride from Delaware City to Pea Patch Island to experience a day of hands-on history. Students help the blacksmith hammer out new parts for a cannon and are close at hand when the 8-inch Columbiad gun fires a live gunpowder charge. Groups also see a replica of Pea Patch Island as it appeared in 1864 as well as artifacts from the island’s past.

Day Two

Take your students on a voyage back in aviation history and discover the Air Mobility Command Museum located at Dover Air Force Base. 

This expansive facility offers the chance to climb inside a C-133 airplane and see a World War II bomber complete with nose art. Future aviators will be soaring as they experience authentic flight simulation and view vintage aircraft and historical exhibitions. 

Adventurous student groups will be fascinated by a visit to the Fifer Orchards in Wyoming, Del.

The Gourds Galore tour educates curious minds about the wide variety of fruits that are members of the gourd family. Journey through the six-acre corn maze and discover trivia stations that will teach students about the biological classification of plants and the many members of the gourd family, including melons, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and cantaloupes. 

Day Three

An oasis of exploration can be found at the James Farm Ecological Preserve at the Indian River Bay. 

From the sandy beach at low tide, students will walk through seven distinctive habitats; from the salty flats of the low marsh, through the shrubby high marsh with bayberry, into the shade of loblolly pines and back into the sunny meadows that were once farm fields. 

The preserve also features more than three miles of marked hiking trails, three observation platforms, a boardwalk beach crossing, wildflower gardens and an amphitheater. 

Inquisitive students will experience a hands-on, waders-on day as they learn about the health of the Inland Bays, plant zonation and adaptation and wetland identification. 

Finally, venture to historic Lewes to encounter Fort Miles in Cape Henlopen State Park. 

During World War II, Fort Miles provided protection for the Delaware River, which was a critical coastal trading route for Wilmington, Del., and surrounding areas. 

Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the fort is popular with history buffs, families and student groups. The Nature Center is located in the old stockade at Fort Miles. Its exhibits include five 1,000-gallon tanks with local fish, a touch tank with marine invertebrates and displays that explain the different habitats within the park.

Delaware Tourism Office
(302) 672-6804
www.visitdelaware.com

New England is a distinctive U.S. region rich in history, culture, natural adventures and scenery.

This seven-day itinerary from Gloucester, Mass.-based Groupize covers a range of unique New England experiences.

Day One

Arrive in Boston and head to your hotel and spend the evening at leisure. Explore Boston, known as “The Hub of the Universe.”

Day Two

Head to Salem, Mass.

Visit the Salem Witch Museum, which tells the story of the 20 unfortunate and innocent souls persecuted and condemned to death during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. 

Then, visit The House of the Seven Gables, a 17th-century mansion that is the oldest wooden house in New England, built by a Salem sea captain and merchant in 1668. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne was a cousin of the home’s owners. Hawthorne’s visits to the residence inspired his 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables.

Continue to Portland, Maine, and take a guided walk. Spend the night.

Day Three

Travel to New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Enjoy a scenic drive through the panoramic locale, including a close-up look at Mount Washington. At 6,288 feet, it is the highest peak in the eastern U.S. north of the Smoky Mountains and east of the Mississippi River.

Then, shop in North Conway and Conway, or try outdoor pursuits such as ziplines, hiking, a waterpark or skiing. 

Spend the night in North Conway.

Day Four

Head to Vermont and visit Woodstock, a charming town with art galleries, shops, restaurants and heritage.

Visit the nearby President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site. The birthplace and boyhood home of Coolidge, the son of a Plymouth, Vt., storekeeper and cheesemaker who went on to be Massachusetts’ governor, U.S. vice president and served as 30th U.S. president from 1923 to 1929. 

A Republican, Coolidge was sworn in as president by his father (a notary public) in August 1923 while visiting Vermont after President Warren Harding suffered a fatal heart attack in San Francisco.

Head to the Plymouth Cheese Factory, founded by John Coolidge, President Calvin Coolidge’s father. The original factory was built in 1890 by him, James Brown and three local farmers. The operation closed in 1934, but got reopened in 1962 by President Coolidge’s son, John. 

The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation purchased the factory in 1998, and Plymouth Artisan Cheese now operates at the site.

Continue on to Killington, Vt., home of 4,241-foot Killington Peak and the surrounding year-round Killington Resort. Spend the night. 

Day Five

Travel to Stockbridge, Mass.

Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum, founded in 1969 with help from its namesake and his wife, Norman and Molly Rockwell. He lived in Stockbridge for the last 25 years of his life. 

Dedicated to the artist, the museum houses the world’s most significant collection of Rockwell’s work. 

Continue south along the Connecticut River to Mystic, Conn. Visit Mystic Seaport, the largest maritime museum in the U.S. Its grounds include a re-creation of a 19th-century seafaring village. Spend the night in Mystic.

Day Six

Drive east today to Newport, R.I. 

Visit The Breakers, the 70-room Cornelius Vanderbilt mansion where the family summered and entertained on a grand scale. The National Historic Landmark was completed in 1895.

Take a ride on scenic Ocean Drive, with 10 miles of panoramic Atlantic Ocean views. 

During the afternoon, explore Newport. Try the 3½-mile Cliff Walk, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Gilded Age mansions on the other.

Spend the night in Newport.

Day Seven

Head to Plymouth, Mass., the historic town where the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

To learn their story, see Plymouth Rock in Pilgrim Memorial State Park and the reproduction Mayflower II and visit Pilgrim Hall Museum.

Continue to Boston, visiting its historic North End to see Paul Revere’s house and the historic Old North Church. Walk along the Freedom Trail.

Spend the night in Boston before heading home.

Groupize
(888) 327-9025
http://ilovegroups.com

From Parliament Hill to a Cold War bunker, Ottawa offers students memorable moments and activities that support a variety of learning objectives.

Day One

Learn about the origins of Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region by visiting a number of national sites or museums.

•Enjoy a Discover the Hill outdoor tour by the National Capital Commission. This is a guided tour of the grounds of Parliament Hill. In Discover the Hill, students are involved in learning through game-like activities designed to entertain and enrich.  

•Experience the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Explore 1,000 years of human history and see the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles.

•Visit the historic residence and workplace of Canada’s Governor General, Rideau Hall. 

•Tour the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stables. 

•Students can tour the Royal Canadian Mint’s manufacturing facility, where the art and craft of coin making is revealed. 

•Explore the Canadian Museum of Nature, and learn about natural history and sciences. 

Day Two

Canada’s Capital Region showcases culture from all over Canada and around the world.

•Take a guided tour of the National Gallery of Canada, which is the permanent home of the world’s most comprehensive collection of Canadian art, including Inuit art. 

•Aboriginal Experiences offers visitors a unique look at First Nations culture in a native village, including traditional Native cuisine, powwow dance performances, guided tours and craft workshops.  

•Catch a show at the National Arts Centre (NAC), which offers exciting student and teacher programs, or Ottawa Little Theatre.

•Discover the history that created the Canada’s capital with Ottawa Walking Tours.

•Thirty-five kilometers (about 22 miles) from Ottawa and four stories underground lies a Cold War bunker that is home to the Diefenbunker-Canada’s Cold War Museum.

•Stop by ByWard Market, one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets. Get a BeaverTail pastry.

Day Three

Today is a day for the outdoors. 

•Camp Fortune — Spring, summer and fall try the Aerial Experience. In winter. it’s a ski destination.

•Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush — Four seasons of activities from guided naturalist and maple tours to maple themed meals, Aboriginal tree-to- table programs and more are available.

•Take the Heritage River Tour with RiverRun Rafting and go back in time with an interpretive and gentle paddle down a scenic section of the Ottawa River.

•Gatineau Park — Hike, snow shoe, ski, mountain bike — all 10 minutes from downtown Ottawa. 

•Borrow a bike from “RentABike” on the Rideau Canal beside the National Arts Centre and tour more than 170 km of bike trails.

Day Four

Chill out in Ottawa’s relaxed and cool atmosphere.

•Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Canada’s Capital on the motorcoach with an area expert — an Ottawa step-on guide from either See Our City (Conference/Aide Tours) or Amerigo Tours.

• Calypso Waterpark, Canada’s largest theme waterpark, is a 25-minute drive east of Ottawa. New is Summer Tower, the tallest free-standing waterslide in North America with a 2.5-G loop and 10 waterslides.

•Ottawa’s favorite downtown shopping destination, Rideau Centre, offers student tour programming such as meet and greets with complimentary refreshments, meal vouchers for tour guides and drivers and an exclusive student coupon book.

•Take an evening tour. Haunted Walks offers Crime and Punishment and Ghosts and the Gallows tours.

•Take in an exciting National Hockey League game with the Ottawa Senators or some Major Junior A hockey with the Ottawa 67s.

Looking for more evening activities?

•“From the Ground Up” at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum is an evening of workshops, interactive presentations and demonstrations.

•A Musical Taste of our Canadian Heritage is a 90-minute bilingual production of the history of music in Canada. Odyssey Showcase is held in April and June each year and is now offering evening performances for school groups.

Another program offered by the National Capital Commission (NCC) is The Click! Photo Treasure Hunt for seventh- and eighth-graders. To learn more about NCC’s programs visit: www.canadascapital.gc.ca/teacher-resources.

Ottawa Tourism
(800) 363-4465
www.ottawatourism.ca/students

Surrounded by the Euganean Hills and crossed by several waterways, Padua, Italy, is a city that blends historical tradition and culture.

Padua’s squares, porticoes and old cobbled streets tell the story of a wealthy, beautiful medieval town that was renowned for its art and culture.

While Padua’s historic locales can be done in a day, why rush with a group?

This four-day itinerary does it justice.

Day One

Arrive in Padua at mid-afternoon, at the railway station on the north side of the city center. 

If you don’t want to waste time, your group can check its luggage into lockers to begin sightseeing right away — or go to those accommodations and leave bags. 

To start off, visit the Scrovegni Chapel and the Eremitani Civic Museum, Padua’s city museum. 

The reconstructed Ovetari Chapel is adjacent, along with the remains of Andrea Mantegna’s historic frescoes. All are in or near the ruined Roman amphitheater, now a pleasant park. 

A note: These attractions could also be seen on the day your group departs.

If you skip both and head to your hotel, consider exploring your neighborhood and embracing its sights and sounds.

When it’s time to eat, try a huge plate of pasta at Trattoria le Sette Teste, Via Cesare Battiste 44.

Day Two

For breakfast, try a local cafe for latte and pastries with locals en route to work.

Then, head to Palazzo Bo (or Palazzo del Bo or simply the Bo) — the oldest part of the University of Padua — for a 45-minute guided tour. See astronomer Galileo’s lectern and the first permanent anatomical theater.

Afterward, head southeast of the Bo and visit the tomb of Antenor, the legendary founder of Padua, located at Piazza Antenore. 

For lunch, try Caffe Pedrocchi, at Via Febbraio 15. Heaven for the romantic intellectual, Caffe Pedrocchi has hosted the French novelist Stendahl (whose real name was Marie-Henri Beyle) and German writer Johann Wolfgangvon Goethe, among other luminaries.

Refreshed, visit the University of Padua’s vaunted museums. All of these offer guided and self-guided tours.

The Botanical Garden and Museum claims to be the oldest in Europe, and it contains several ancient and nearly extinct species. 

The Museum of Archaeological Sciences and Art is housed in Palazzo Liviano. 

The Renaissance/baroque Palazzo Cavalli is home to the Geological and Paleontological Museum.

For dinner, try the gnocchi at Al Bersagliere Trattoria (or Antica Trattoria) near the Prato della Valle. 

After dinner, linger at Prato della Valle (the meadow) — Padua’s and Italy’s largest public square.

Day Three

Today, tour the Palazzo della Ragione and the Basilica of St. Anthony. 

On Via Roma, Palazzo della Ragione is Padua’s historic legislative hall, but now it’s an exhibition center. 

Afterward, eat at one of the food stalls nestled around its ground floor.

Piazza del Santo, the Basilica of St. Anthony and Donatello’s statue of Gattamelata are a short walk due west from the palazzo. The equestrian sculpture can be viewed quickly, but the basilica is a rambling mash-up that can take hours to truly explore — and tours are available. 

For dinner, try Pizzeria al Duomo. Located south of the basilica, it offers acclaimed pizza at moderate prices.

Day Four

After breakfast, check out and head home.

However, if your group hasn’t yet seen the Scrovegni Chapel, be certain to stop in before leaving Padua. 

Giotto di Bondone, a painter and architect from Florence, gave a great impulse to the renewal of painting in Padua, with the chapel’s frescoes a source of inspiration for several generations of artists active in the city in the 14th century.

— Janet Tyson

Italian Government Tourist Board
(212) 245-5618 (New York)
(312) 644-0996 (Chicago)
(310) 820-1898 (Los Angeles)
(416) 925-4882 (Toronto)
www.enit.it/en

Turismo Padova
www.turismopadova.it

Winnipeg offers learning experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom. This vibrant city, the capital of Manitoba, was recognized as the 2010 Culture Capital of Canada. 

Moving forward, Winnipeg’s 740,000 residents bring a cosmopolitan flair to the city as well as a welcoming spirit ready to welcome visitors. 

As students arrive in diverse and friendly Winnipeg, they’ll find opportunities to connect with culture around every turn. This tour focuses on the stories Winnipeg has to tell, sure to pique young travelers’ curiosity.

Day One

Masonic mysteries are revealed on the Hermetic Code Tour of Manitoba’s Legislative Building. This one-of-a-kind landmark is packed with mysterious architectural touches — hidden hieroglyphic inscriptions, Free Mason symbols and numerological codes have baffled historians and visitors for a century now. 

Legends of power, corruption and heroism are related during Exchange District walking tours. These experiences take students through the district that served as Winnipeg’s center of finance and wholesale trade during the 1880s.

Day Two

Change is good, or at least that is what they say at the Royal Canadian Mint. Here, you can see billions of Canadian and foreign coins in production on this fascinating tour.

Then, test the universal laws of science and explore the wonders of technology and illusion at The Manitoba Museum Science Gallery. More than 100 exhibits present a challenge to overcome — as well as operating instructions and a short explanation of the science at work.

Day Three

Visit those daring young men and their flying machines at the Western Canada Aviation Museum followed by a steam train ride on the Prairie Dog Central Railway.

The planes and other aircraft at the museum were retrieved from all over Canada (including the bottom of lakes and from mountainsides); they’re now restored and curated to tell the story of the country’s aviation heritage. 

The railway is a short line railway owned and operated by The Vintage Locomotive Society Inc., and it is one of the oldest regularly scheduled vintage operating trains in North America. 

In the evening, go on a haunted outing with Heartland International Travel and Tours. 

Choose from a historical tour of Winnipeg’s ghosts where you might catch a glimpse of an orb or apparition in special places, hear historic tales about the paranormal at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site or communicate with spirits at the St. Boniface Museum — all places where Winnipeg’s cultures have melded together and history was made.

Tourism Winnipeg
(855) 734-2489
(204) 943-1970
www.tourismwinnipeg.com

Be immersed in Nashville’s familiar-yet-diverse music culture. Listen to stars in the making at famous venues and even cut a group recording. See how the other half lives at sprawling mansions and feast on authentic Southern cuisine. 

This four-day itinerary shows the way.

Day One

In the morning, begin with a trip downtown to tour the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Built in 2006, the $123 million facility is the perfect attraction to whet musical appetites. 

Next, walk down the Music Mile and explore the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. 

In the afternoon, grab lunch at Two Twenty Two in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s lobby.

Next, head to Historic RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers recorded some of their famous hits. 

Then, head back toward Broadway and tour the Ryman Auditorium and Hatch Show Print.  

In the evening, enjoy dinner at a Nashville restaurant and attend a taping of the Grand Ole Opry. Or, check out a songwriter’s in-the-round performance at the Bluebird Cafe.

Day Two

Enjoy breakfast at the Loveless Cafe.

Next, tour Cheekwood’s gardens and fine art collection. 

Then, head to Belle Meade Plantation for a look at antebellum Southern life.

Grab lunch at a Belmont Boulevard eatery. 

Tour Belmont Mansion, an estate owned by Adelicia Acklen, known for her spunk and elaborately adorned home. 

Wrap up your afternoon with a visit to The Hermitage, home of U.S. President Andrew Jackson. 

Dine at Capitol Grille, located in the Hermitage Hotel. Then it’s off to the symphony in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. If theater is preferred, take in a show at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Day Three

Pancake Pantry is the first stop in the morning.

Next, check out Hillsboro Village, located near Vanderbilt and Belmont universities. Its collection of shops, boutiques and restaurants is a perfect setting for a morning stroll. 

In the afternoon, head to the 12South neighborhood and embark on a shopping adventure at Katy K’s Ranch Dressing, offering vintage Manuel suits and spangled gowns by Nudie’s of Hollywood. 

At night, head to east Nashville, home to several neighborhoods undergoing a renaissance. Hit the Art & Invention Gallery and its adjoining studio, Garage Mahal. 

For dinner, check out Margot Cafe and Bar, housed in an antique gas station. 

End the evening with local music at Family Wash or The 5-Spot.

Day Four

Begin the day with a trip to The Parthenon, the world’s only full-scale reproduction of the Greek temple with the same name. 

Then, visit Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Its interactive ArtQuest gallery, educational programs, gift shop and café are top-notch student draws. 

Enjoy lunch at the Frist Center Cafe. 

Next, pull in to the Lane Motor Museum, where you can discover 150 unique cars and motorcycles. 

The next stop is the Adventure Science Center, featuring loads of interactive exhibits, a moonwalk simulator and planetarium. 

For the evening, dine at the Nashville Delicatessen, where you can enjoy a great meal with a family atmosphere. 

Then, attend a Tennessee Titans football game, Nashville Predators hockey game or other professional sporting event.

Nashville CVB
(800) 657-6910
www.visitmusiccity.com

Discover architectural treasures and historic battlegrounds along with inspiring music and dance traditions in upstate New York’s Capital-Saratoga region.

Day One

Learn about Albany’s Dutch heritage and eclectic architecture in the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center gallery, then pick up a map for a walking tour.

Ask about tours of the Capitol, with its Million Dollar Staircase carved with 300 portraits of famous New Yorkers. Take a tour on the trolley or hop on the Albany Aqua Duck that rolls through historic neighborhoods and then splashes down into the river for a water view. 

Then, check out the acoustics of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, with its tradition of attracting some of the world’s top musicians in classical, jazz and traditional music. 

Before the show, browse through the neighborhoods antique shops and galleries or follow a walking tour to see the highest concentration of Tiffany windows per square mile in the United States. 

Day Two

Begin the morning at Saratoga National Historical Park and learn about military history.

The Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War, took place on these grounds about 15 miles from Saratoga Springs. 

Next, head to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Spring. Learn about the greatest thoroughbreds the track has ever seen. Interactive programs present 300 years of horse racing history, a discovery paddock and tours.

Day Three

Start at Saratoga Race Course, the oldest in the U.S., and watch the thoroughbreds run in Saratoga Springs. 

Arrive early and have breakfast trackside, watching the horses work out. After breakfast, go for a 45-minute tram and walking tour of the track’s backstretch area, watching the Paddock Show and Starting Gate demonstration. The racing season runs July 29 to Sept. 7. 

Bring a picnic basket and walk the nature trails to see the many mineral springs and geysers. Among the few naturally carbonated springs in the country, Saratoga mineral water is steeped in legend and lore. In summer, go swimming at the park’s Peerless Pool or Victoria Pool, the first heated pool in the U.S. 

Finally, enjoy an evening of performing arts in the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) amphitheater, with 5,000 reserved seats. SPAC is the summer home of the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra. 

Nearby, on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park, is Spa Little Theater, which hosts the Homemade Theater and the Lake George Opera Festival. Both offer year-round plays and concerts as well as a summer opera season.

New York State Division of Tourism
(800) 225-5697
www.iloveny.com

Plymouth County dates back 500 years, with its namesake being Plymouth.

The site of the first permanent settlement of English colonists in New England, Plymouth is known for Plymouth Rock — the celebrated landing place of the Pilgrims. 

Plymouth was already named Plymouth when the Pilgrims arrived in 1620. Capt. John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) had named the place Plymouth in 1612 because of its resemblance to Plymouth, England.

But Plymouth County is more than just Pilgrims history. 

For instance, the Toll House Cookie originated in 1930 in Whitman, when restaurant owner and baker Ruth Wakefield attempted to make chocolate cookies by placing chocolate chunks in the batter without melting them first.

Try this three-day itinerary, where student groups can gain educational lessons while experiencing fun.

Day One

In Plymouth, history is just the start. 

Board the replica of The Mayflower, Mayflower II, in Plymouth Harbor; gaze upon Plymouth Rock; check out the Mayflower Society House; and visit Plimoth Plantation to get a deep sense of the United States’ early foundations.

Plimoth Plantation is a re-creation of the Pilgrims’ settlement from 1627. Its museum has a detailed and authentic native home site sharing the indigenous Wampanoags’ story.

Plymouth also boasts the oldest continuously operating museum in the United States, Pilgrim Hall. The museum has been the conservator of artifacts brought to Plymouth in 1620 and has other historic and significant items in its collection.

Plymouth is home to the longest-assembled Christian congregation in the United States. First Parish Church marked its 400th anniversary in 2006. English Separatists, later known as the Pilgrims, formed the church in 1606 in England.

Day Two

Start the day with a four-hour whale watch with Captain Tim Brady & Sons from Town Wharf in downtown Plymouth to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in the Atlantic Ocean off the Massachusetts coast. If you want a shorter morning on the water, try Lobster Tale Cruise or the paddle-wheeler Pilgrim Belle.

Next, be certain to see the statue Faith, a soaring 81-foot granite piece pointing heavenward with one foot on Plymouth Rock. President Abraham Lincoln donated funds to this project, which was completed in 1889. Nearby, explore the iconic Plymouth Rock — which has a harborside portico marking its spot.

Also, check out Jenney Grist Mill, where miller John Jenney evokes the 1630s life at the mill. The mill also offers a guided walking tour of Plymouth.

Plymouth National Wax Museum and the 1749 Courthouse, the oldest wooden courthouse in the U.S., are other places to stop.

Day Three

The oldest church and meetinghouse, Old Ship Church in Hingham, was built in 1681. Pay a visit to it to start a day exploring Plymouth County beyond Plymouth.

Nearby Hull is home to Paragon Carousel on Nantasket Beach, Hull Lifesaving Museum, Fort Revere Memorial Park and offers panoramic Boston Harbor Island and lighthouse views. Hingham’s World’s End, a 251-acre property with landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, overlooks Hull and Boston Harbor. The U.S.’ oldest lighthouse, Boston Light, was established on Little Brewster Island in Hull on Sept. 14, 1716.

In the afternoon, take some snapshots at Scituate Lighthouse, where during the War of 1812 its keeper’s 15- and 16-year-old daughters played fife and drum to scare away British soldiers who’d planned to burn Scituate to the ground. Also, visit Maritime & Irish Mossing Museum in Scituate, where memorabilia of regional seafaring traces the region’s nautical past.

If your group still has time, consider stopping by South Shore Natural Sciences Center in Norwell or at Massachusetts Audubon Society-operated North River and Daniel Webster wildlife sanctuaries near Marshfield or North Hill Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary near Duxbury.

Plymouth County CVB
(800) 231-1620
(508) 747-0100
www.seeplymouth.com

Detroit has had a profound impact on the world — from putting the world on wheels to the Motown sound. 

This three-day itinerary features attractions and historical sites that can illuminate and excite an educational experience in Michigan’s largest city and southeast Michigan.

Day One

Tour Ford Field. Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the 65,000-seat home of the National Football League’s Detroit Lions, Super Bowl XL and the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four. Visit a Ford Field suite and an NFL locker room, walk down the tunnel to the field and stand on the turf for the players’ perspective.

Head to The Detroit Zoo. An animal-lover’s paradise, the zoo in Royal Oak offers large open spaces and wonderful outdoor animal environments. The Wildlife Interpretive Gallery is a must-see. This historic building has been resurrected as a butterfly/hummingbird garden, theater, exhibition space, art gallery and multimedia interactives. 

Enjoy lunch at The Detroit Zoo.

Shop at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills. Blending theme entertainment and dining with more than 200 value-oriented and regular-priced stores, Great Lakes Crossing boasts six themed and architecturally distinctive areas in a 1.4-million-square-foot structure. Dinner is at Great Lakes Crossing.

Day Two

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. 

Then, visit Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and learn about the African American experience at the world’s largest museum of its kind. Featuring innovative exhibits that celebrate significant events and accomplishments of African Americans, one of its most popular exhibits, “And Still We Rise,” explores a cultural journey and is a testament to the courage, determination, ingenuity and spirit of African Americans as they pursue the full rights of U.S. citizenship. 

Enjoy lunch downtown, with metro Detroit as a melting pot of cultures and flavors. From the ever-popular Saganaki (flaming cheese) and other Greek meals in Greektown, homemade tamales in Mexicantown and the Detroit favorite, the Coney Dog; pace yourself. 

March down to The Parade Company, and visit the working studio of one of the largest, oldest and most spectacular parades, America’s Thanksgiving Parade. Wander through a wonderland of fantasy and floats and see the world’s largest collection of antique papier-mâché heads. 

Cruise along the Detroit River on the Diamond Jack Riverboat Cruise. Special group tours are available for school groups for the two-hour narrated cruise. 

Hit the lanes at the Majestic’s Rock & Bowl and enjoy a pizza party. Bowl a game at the oldest active bowling center in the U.S. and Detroit’s home of Rock ’n’ Bowl. The Majestic offers 16 lanes of glow-in-the-dark fun and music by DJs.

Day Three

Spend the day at The Henry Ford, which brings the American historical experience to life in Dearborn. 

See President John F. Kennedy’s limousine, Rosa Parks’ iconic bus and thousands of uniquely American innovations and artifacts in the Henry Ford Museum. 

Next door, Greenfield Village features 83 historic buildings, including Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Laboratory, costumed period presenters and artisans and rides in a Model T. The IMAX theatre has daily showings of motion pictures on a screen six stories wide and eight stories high.

Lunch is on your own at Michigan Café in The Henry Ford or Eagle Tavern in Greenfield Village.

Detroit Metro CVB 
(800) 338-7648
www.visitdetroit.com