Continue reading »]]> Bring Pigeon Forge coupons and get more “bang for your buck”!

Pigeon Forge attractions are teaming up to save you some money on fun things to do in the area. Just sign up for this newsletter and you will instantly receive Pigeon Forge coupons right to your inbox! You’ll save money on things like:

• Go Karts
• Laser Tag
• Mini-Golf
• Horseback Riding and
• Gatlinburg zip lines

Win this Polaris Razor and have an even better 2012 than you had ever dreamed! You  can get more details inside Lazerport Fun Center at traffic light 3 on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge! This offer may be ending soon so be sure to give it a go soon!

If you’re coming down to join in on the Spring Rod Run or just getting away from it all during Spring Break 2012, you can expect some excellent fun! The area just keeps getting better and better as new and expanded Pigeon Forge attractions continue blossoming alongside the flowers of the Smokies!

Vintage Cars will add to to the array of colors as the Parkway bustles with excitement during the Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run. Bringing classic car enthusiasts to the Great Smoky Mountains area for years, this is one event your youth group should check out! Great for youth groups interested in photography, automobiles, nature or just looking for a safe location to enjoy their Spring break and have some peace in the mountains.

Have a safe trip and be sure to enjoy your youth!!

For more details about this event see below:

Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run 2012

Continue reading »]]> Not much too exciting going on for youth groups visiting Pigeon Forge this Labor Day weekend but I have a few ideas I’d like to throw out as suggestions.

We all need to save money when and where we can in this day and age so that’s reason enough to visit this weekend. We have at least two large retailers offering deals and discounts in Pigeon Forge over this holiday weekend. Belz Mall will be having a large sidewalk sale like they do every year at this time and The Christmas Place will be putting up their huge tent where shoppers will be able to snatch up some early Christmas savings.

For something a bit more educational and entertaining, you might want to take your youth group over the mountain to Cherokee, N.C.  on Saturday the 3rd. It’s only a one day event but  think well worth the trip for any group interested in arts and crafts of any kind. The Cherokee are well known for their artistic abilities and your group can get a chance to see them in action at the Qualla Open Air Market. For those interested in going but needing more information please see below.

For a final idea to keep your youth group active in Pigeon Forge you might consider horseback riding in Gatlinburg. There is at least one riding stables around that I’m aware of that will try to work within your group’s budget. If I remember correctly the lady’s name is Cherie and she can be reached at 865-453-8644 and just let her know you have a group interested in hitting the trails. Gatlinburg horseback riding is the perfect activity for any group and an excellent way to see our beautiful east Tennessee countryside!

Thanks for stopping by our blog!

Sat. September 3rd through Monday the 5th
LABOR DAY TENT SALE
The Christmas Place
www.christmasplace.com
1-800-445-3396 or
865-453-0415

Sat. September 3rd Only
FREE Day long event
QUALLA ARTS OPEN AIR
INDIAN MARKET
Watch authentic Cherokee artwork in action!
828-497-3103 ext:203

Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual
Contact: Tonya Carroll (828) 497-3103 x203

Don’t miss this free daylong event, that offers traditional Cherokee food, where you will witness beadwork, basket weaving, sculpture, and woodworking crafted by Cherokee artisans practicing hundreds-of-years-old art techniques. The Open-Air Indian Art Market provides a great opportunity to ask questions of traditional and contemporary Cherokee artists. Artwork will be available for purchase.

Continue reading »]]> If  your youth group is contemplating visiting the Great Smoky Mountains area, you might want to consider horseback riding.   Gatlinburg Tn. and the surrounding areas offer a pristine environment that will allow your group to get back to the natural wonder of the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s fresh air,  beauty and peacefulness can reinvigorate all the individuals within any group.

Many of the area Gatlinburg riding stables are well equipped to handle large groups and are more than happy to put together “package deals” to make riding horses more affordable for your members.

With an abundance of wildlife and breath-taking views, horseback riding in the Smokies is an especially,  perfect fit for photography groups!  With experienced trail guides leading the way, your members will be able to capture the frames they want without worrying about anything else.

There is one riding stables website I came across that actively seeks groups (they also offer ziplines).  Just  submit the form with a little info about when and how many will be coming and they will quote you an exact group price. If your group is tax-exempt, this will even save you more money. By just investigating a little bit, you might be surprised how cheaply a large group can explore the Smokies on horseback!

Have a very fun and safe 2011!

Continue reading »]]> After looking around a while I managed to find a new, exciting adventure available for youth groups in Pigeon Forge, Tn. Adventure Park at Five Oaks, on the Sevierville and Pigeon Forge city line, would be a great choice for groups looking into one place where members would have a choice of outdoor fun!
This park has always been a popular place for visitors to the area seeking horseback riding, but with their new addition of zip lines, it’s even more attractive for groups like yours! With tours leaving every 15 minutes on the zip lines and on the half hour for trail rides, there will be very little, if any, waiting for the fun to begin!
If your group is planning a trip to the Smokies, take a look at their Pigeon Forge zip line website for more details and to get a look at their gallery for an idea of what it might be like. From  what I understand, the complete zip line and trail riding tour is available for one low, “combo-package” price for each of your members and an even better group discount rate will apply if there are enough in your group!

For a great afternoon, I see this as a good place to consider for groups visiting Pigeon Forge! Come back soon as we will look into other options for Pigeon Forge attractions!

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Continue reading »]]> With Fall officially kicking off, student, youth ministries and youth groups will hit the roads looking for unique destinations and fun new experiences. Today we will be looking at the “Show me” state of Missouri and explore some places that might be of interest to you and your group.

To start off, let’s take a look at some historic sites beginning with Ste. Geneviève. Rich in history, this quaint little village today of about 4,400 people is the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri. The architecture alone makes this a perfect spot to visit for students interested in this field of study.  Described as “French Creole colonial” , the Louis Bolduc House was the first authentically restored building in the area and is a wonderful example of a style known as “posts-on-sill” construction and is a National Historic Landmark. Some of the others you will want to visit include; La Maison de Guibourd Historic House, the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site and the Beauvais-Amoureux House.

Other notable places that make my top 10 list include:

1. Ste. Geneviève
2. Jefferson City the state capital (The Governors mansion in particular)
3. Kansas City (Crossroads Arts District)
4. St. Louis (the Mississippian mound builders)
5. Springfield (Battle of Springfield Driving Tour)
6. Independence (Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum)
7. Branson (Try a Branson zip line tour for an exciting, unique adventure)
8. Rolla (Students of agriculture, particularly; viticulture- growing of grapes/vineyards)
9. Lee’s Summit (Longview Chapel Christian Church)
10. St. Charles (Historic Main Street)

There are plenty more reasons to load the tour bus up and head to Missouri with your youth group and I urge you to explore all the possibilities waiting for you in this beautiful state!

Continue reading »]]> Known as one of the premiere destinations for families, Branson, Mo. is also a great place to consider for youth groups. The choices for things to do are endless from the famous Silver Dollar City, to the relatively new Titanic attraction, there will be plenty for your youth group to choose from as you depart for this wonderful midwestern destination.

One thing that would be especially fun for any youth group is Branson Kayaking! You  can choose from Table Rock Lake or Taneycomo Lake and they offer group rates to kind of help out on your budget a little bit. If you are part of a large group you, you should probably call in advance so they have all the kayaks or canoes you need ready and waiting.

The Veterans Memorial Museum looks like it would be a great learning experience while you are visiting Branson. With memorabilia from World War I Hall, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and more, this is probably something you should keep in mind for a day of learning.

If it’s adventure you seek, think about taking the group to a zip line fun park attraction. If your group has  never been ziplining, it’s something you should seriously consider. An experience unlike any other your youth group will find a day at Branson Zziplines an enjoyable and unforgettable experience!

And to conclude, there is plenty to do in and around the great tourist destination of Branson, just do a little more looking around discuss some ideas with the group and safe, fun summer!

Top 10 Branson Destinations:

1. Adventure Ziplines of Branson
2. Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure
3. Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex
4. Table Rock Lake or Lake Taneycomo Kayak
5. Splash Country Waterpark
6. Haunted House & Monster Asylum
7. Branson Auto Museum
8. Ralph Foster Museum
9. Branson Landing
10. Table Rock State Park

Continue reading »]]> A brand new website has just started up and you just might want to pay it a visit. Concentrating on Pigeon Forge attractions and the things to do in Gatlinburg and Sevierville. Offering information about everything from Gatlinburg riding stables to ziplines in the Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge area.

A well put together site and obviously done by a staff of professionals in the fields of content writing, graphics and SEO. This online directory should do quite well in the numbers of visitors it gets and hope they give us a link to help our page rank in the search engines as well.
You should be able to find whatever it is you’re looking for whether it’s lasertag , minigolf , go kart tracks or you name it. Family fun in Pigeon Forge is never far away, but for visitors packing their bags in other states and getting ready for that summer vacation, directories like this can come in very handy!

If you’re coming to Pigeon Forge on vacation this year, keep in mind there is going to be more to do than ever! With the addition of the Titanic museum and so much more, there is definitely something for everyone in your family to be excited about. Wait till you see this ship with mountains as a backdrop!

Continue reading »]]> Growing up right across the state line in a small town called Michigan City, Indiana, I can tell you firsthand what a great state Michigan is! My dad had one favorite destination in particular because he found it to be relaxing and that little place is called Saugatuck. One of my favorite things to do as a small child there was ride the paddle boats with my sister but being aware that most of you are of high school and college age this might not be on your list of fun. However, a  day or two on the shores of Lake Michigan might be just the thing for your youth group and if you’ve never had the chance to visit this Great Lake, keep Saugatuck in mind for a quaint little place to relax after final exams are done for the year!

Here are some other great Michigan destinations:

1. Ann Arbor : Some nice museums! [Especially for you OSU fans ]
2. Sault Ste. Marie : Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
3. Muskegon : Museum of Art
4. Mackinaw City: Historic Sites
5. Traverse City: Grand Traverse Lighthouse & Museum and home of Google SEO experts PeakPositions
6. Frankenmuth: Bringin’ Back the 80′s Festival
7. Dearborn: Henry Ford Museum
8. The Sunrise Coast:  Maritime Heritage & Attractions
9. Port Huron: Huron Lightship Museum
10. Lansing:  Abrams Planetarium at MSU

These are not necessarily the best attractions for youth group ideas in Michigan, but it’s my job to come up with 250 words or so every other  day on three blogs and well, sometimes I just wing it. have a fun safe summer and enjoy your youth!

Continue reading »]]> There are plenty of reasons a youth group might want to visit the great state of  New Jersey, a state that claims over 50 resort cities and towns including; Cape May, Wildwood and Atlantic City just to name a few. But today we will be concentrating on just a list of 10, each one with a historical value attached that might give tour  operators and group leaders a place to start.

1. Weehawken-Where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had their famous duel.
2. Paterson- This is where Alexander Hamilton built the country’s first planned industrial city.
3. Elizabethtown- The home of Princeton University (originally founded as The College of New Jersey).
4. Menlo Park- Home to the first laboratories used by Thomas Edison.
5. Morristown- George Washington made his headquarters here.
6. New Brunswick- The first intercollegiate football game ever was played here.
7. Hoboken- The first baseball game was played here.
8. Caldwell- Grover Cleveland’s birthplace.
9. Haddonfield -The site of the world’s first discovery of a dinosaur skeleton?
10. Trenton- The “Battle of Trenton” took place on December 26, 1776 and was an important turning point in our revolt.

Continue reading »]]> When it comes to transporting your youth group or youth ministry, you will want to select a good bus company / charter service. Buses have really changed over the years and today’s fleet is nothing like your grandma and grandpa might have used but we will get into that more in the next post. Today, we are going to take a look at some of the largest carriers in the United States and why you might want to choose them.

U.S.A. bus charter has been around for quite a while and the CEO of their company has been in the travel business for 25 years. They provide your group with a contract in writing and have many testimonials to prove they back up what they claim. One of the best features about this company is the fact you can get answers to your questions, 24 hours a day. Claiming to be the largest in North America, you may want to look closely at them to haul your precious cargo.

U.S. Coachways Inc. is another large bus charter company and is family owned and operated.  The last thing your group will want to do is spend valuable tour time on the side of the road! This company has a reputation for maintaining a reliable fleet of buses, with inspections of each bus every month to assure they meet safe and reliable standards. This company also provides 24 hour service reps to allow you the “peace of mind” that someone is always there to help when and if  issues arise.

Trailways is a name known by many and their choice of buses will enable your group to select exactly what you’re looking for. From a mini-coach for groups of 15 or less to a luxury motorcoach with a capacity to hold up to 57 passengers and everything in between. I was impressed with their ongoing training requirements for all their drivers. You may want to visit their website and see for yourself the qualifications they require in their drivers.

There are places online that offer services to take care of all your needs but this post is only to show you a few of the options available to your group.