Sep 18

Youth Group Ideas In Missouri

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.
youth-group-historic-sites

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!

May 20

Youth group fun in Branson

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

May 13

Pigeon Forge attractions keep getting better all the time.

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!

May 13

Fun Michigan destinations

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!

Dec 01

New Jersey comes in at #8 on the SYTA list

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.

Nov 06

Choosing the right bus charter service

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.

Nov 02

Choosing a reliable tour operator for your youth group

Choosing a reliable or reputable tour operator will be a top priority while making plans for your next youth group outing. There is one website in particular you might want to take a look at which is, the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). There you will find some common sense ideas to keep in mind to assure your student or youth ministry trip is a success.

On their website they recommend asking these 4 questions:

1. What is my dollar buying?
2. What is the tour company’s policy concerning reservations, deposits and cancellations?
3. What is my responsibility and that of the tour operator?
4. How do I know whether a tour company is reliable?

By going over these four questions carefully you can eliminate many issues that might come up before you ever commit to a package. Do some searches in Yahoo, Google or Bing using the tour operator’s company name with some keywords like disappointing, unhappy, recommend and see if  others have given them good or bad reviews.

If they are members of  the USTOA this will assure they have met stringent guidelines put in place by that organization and this can go a long way in giving you “peace of mind” about your choice.

The Yahoo directory has a very large list of tour operators for you to get some initial  ideas on what’s available in the way of tour operators and you may want to explore this list.

Just be sure to take all necessary precautions before choosing who is going to have the privilege of carrying you and your youth group safely to your next U.S. destination.

Oct 29

Take your group to the “Keystone State” of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania gets it’s nickname because it was in the middle of the 13 original colonies much like the “keystone” used in construction to lock together the arch in a door or window. Given this fact,  it’s no wonder why this state has so much to offer the many students that make this their destination of choice each year.

Below we are going to do things a little different. Since this state was the beginning of so many “firsts” we are going to make a list of of these and then it is up to you and your group leader to find out what city this took place in. As I was doing my research for this article, I  had no idea this great state could boast the beginnings of so many important firsts!

  1. Cable television
  2. Nation’s Capitol
  3. Hospital
  4. Motion picture theater
  5. Library
  6. Zoo
  7. Newspaper
  8. Electronic computer
  9. Television and radio broadcast
  10. Railroad Locomotive

Oct 26

California among top 10 SYTA favorite destinations

When it comes time to plan your youth group’s next rendezvous, you might want to consider California especially if your focus is on the performing arts or education. This state offers a wealth of sites to see for either agenda. In today’s article we will look at some locations that are considered by many young adults, to be some of the best around this golden state.

In future posts, we will look more closely at all the options for students of the performing arts or those seeking to see firsthand the many historical sites located in California. Let’s take a look below at just ten of the most visited by

  1. Disneyland
  2. Universal StudiosS
  3. ea World & the Zoo Of San Diego
  4. Sequoia National Park
  5. Bodie: California ghost town
  6. Mark Twain’s Calaveras County
  7. Hollywood district
  8. Alcatraz Island
  9. Old faithful geyser
  10. Fisherman’s Wharf

Oct 23

Popular Halloween costumes in 2009 for the ladies in your youth group

Well, without a doubt it will be a tough choice for the young ladies in your youth group this Halloween when it comes to “what to where”. The selection can be made a little easier however by narrowing the field down into either actresses, sports figures, politicians or singers. The trick is to get the makeup and wardrobe perfect and when possible add a prop to make your impersonation undeniable. Below we will look at some you might want to consider.

  1. Hillary Clinton
  2. Kate Winslet
  3. Anne Hathaway
  4. Caster Semenya
  5. Arianna Huffington
  6. Beyonce Knowles
  7. Princess Fiona
  8. Emma Frost(X-Men)
  9. Gossip Girls
  10. Michael Jackson

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