Remember learning in school about that first Thanksgiving? The big feast between seventeenth century pilgrims and the native Americans who joined them? Is it just me – or is the actual event really hard to picture?

Our country has changed so dramatically since then. What did they actually eat? How did they prepare it? And what was the interaction really like between the two very different people groups?

There’s an amazing attraction in Plymouth where you can actually experience both a seventeenth century English village and a Native American one. It’s one of the amazing colonial tours available around the country, and this one is perfect for this time of year.

The Native American village introduces you to the Wampanoag people. The men and women you’ll see in traditional dress are not actors here. The Wampanoag people have been in New England for more than twelve thousand years. In their authentic seventeenth century homesite, you’ll be surrounded by soft furs, woven mats, and flickering firelight. You’ll find a Wampanoag stew simmering on the outside fire and your group can help scrape out a boat with original Wampanoag tools and techniques. Most importantly, you’ll see the arrival of the pilgrims through the eyes of an indigenous people.

The English Village is a fascinating look at the first permanent English settlement in 1627, just seven years after the settlers landed on the Mayflower. This village tour is self-guided. You and the other members of the group might stumble onto a Pilgrim supper in one of their timber-framed homes or into the midst of an interesting discussion on the street. You’re encouraged to join in, ask questions, and probably even answer some of your own since your language and vocabulary will vary quite a bit from theirs.

Besides the villages, you’ll find a reproduction of the famous ship itself, the one that brought the English people to the country. It’s called the Mayflower II, and you’ll find costumed actors here as well, anxious to share their amazing stories.

This time of year Plimoth Plantation offers an authentic “Thanksgiving” feast so you can picture what that day might really have been like. Some of the foods you’ll be served may not even sound familiar. For example: Ciderkin, a sallett, and stewed pompion. Don’t worry, though, there’s cheesecake for dessert and plenty of items (like the above) that you’ll love whether they are familiar or not. At the very least, the experience is a fascinating one, as is a visit to this amazing settlement at any time of the year.

Photo by Smart Destinations on Flickr.

I have a crush on New York City. And I have a crush on the movies. Film, motion pictures, the talkies.

Fortunately there’s a company that indulges both my crushes in a big way with their movie tours. It’s On Location Tours, and they’ve created guided tours around the city based on locations from favorite film and television. Here’s a glimpse at the goods. There’s no way you can’t find at least one thing of interest here.

T.V. and Movie Sites

Recognize the building in this photograph? It’s from a little 90s classic titled simply and poignantly, Friends. This building was used for the exterior of Monica’s apartment. Us Friends lovers would know it anywhere, and on the T.V. and Movie Sites tour we can take a closer look and get an awesome (incredibly staged) photo op in front of it. Other sites on this tour include the front stoop from the Cosby Show plus sites from Will & Grace, Law & Order, and The Devil Wears Prada. (But you know that’s not all, right?)

Central Park

The more than 800 acres that make up this New York City landmark are a beautiful place to explore on any day for any reason. But throw in some actual film locations from your favorite pop culture, and it becomes one of the most exciting things to do on a first time visit to the city. There’s something for everyone on this tour as many great films – both legendary and recent – have been filmed near the fountains, bridges, boathouse, and walkways of famous Central Park.

Gossip Girl, the Sopranos, and More

Three of the On Location tours are based on classic television. Ever want to discover the cupcakes from Sex and the City? There’s a whole tour built around that fashionable show. It’s the perfect choice for a girls trip to town, but absolutely any fan will love it. The Sopranos lent itself to some great NYC locations as well, and one tour focuses on those. The newest tour centers around the edgy new teen show, Gossip Girl. If you’re a fan of any of these popular shows, you’re going to love the tours that celebrate them.

Now, these are the five the company has created thus far. I do have a suggestion for them, though. Having stalked On Location Tours for some time, because well – I love what they do, I feel I can address them personally and suggest two words: Nora Ephron. I definitely think they should create a tour based on this self-proclaimed fan of the city. Ephron is a screenwriter and essayist who loves New York City as much as anyone can, and she paints it so well into her writings. She’s highlighted tons of great locations in the city, and there should definitely be a tour in her honor.

Not that I’m not completely thrilled with the choices they already offer! I’ll take a walk to Monica’s apartment any day of the week. And frankly, I’m just really happy this very cool company exists.

Photo by Smart Destinations on Flickr.

When you visit a new city, instead of zipping directly to the few most popular attractions you’re familiar with, many groups like to take a cruise along the harbor (if there is one) or a walking tour to get a larger overview of the new city. Plus, this allows you to discover things about the city you don’t necessarily read about in the guide books. In Boston, the Back Bay neighborhood provides the best place to walk and discover the city – as well as the Freedom Trail, which guides you to Boston’s most historic sites. In Chicago, it’s the Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue. In New York City: Fifth Avenue.

It’s one of the most famous streets in the City and one of the best-known NYC streets around the world. And there’s a reason. First, you’ll find excellent shopping there. And second, many of New York’s most familiar landmarks belong there.

A Fifth Avenue Walking tour is a great choice for student travel to Manhattan, and here are some of the many attractions you’ll find there.

First, the shopping: Fifth Avenue brings you to the iconic Tiffany’s with the famous little blue boxes and the brilliant jewelry. Before you reach the famous store-of-diamonds, though, you’ll find many other popular designers and brand names. These include Bebe, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Sephora, Ralph Lauren, and of course Saks Fifth Avenue.

New York Public Library – One of a couple sites for the public library, this is a Manhattan landmark, a beautiful building, and a great place to rest your legs for the next stretch of the journey.

Rockefeller Center – This area between 5th and 7th requires a walking tour of its own. Besides the many park areas and buildings of interest above ground, there’s a shopping concourse below that connects them all. Hopefully Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Center is on your list as well – it’s an incomparable sky-high view.

Metropolitan Museum of Art – Another iconic and magnificent Manhattan landmark, the giant steps of this museum are bound to be familiar to you. And it’s a beautiful section of Fifth Avenue with the Met on one side and Central Park on the other.

Trump Tower – Rivaling the other skyscrapers in the city for height and extravagance, Trump Tower is another amazing Fifth Avenue site.

Central Park – Fifth Avenue stretches from one park to another, beginning at Washington Square Park and taking you straight to the beautiful, iconic Central Park with its more than 800 acres of walkways, picnic ground, statues, fountains, and more.

A Fifth Avenue Walking tour is a must for New York City group travel. Students and groups of any kind will love the experience, the scenery, and the many things to discover.

Photo by Kent Wang on Flickr.

You can’t quite see the marquee in this photograph, but we’ll get to that later. First, notice the happy faces, the shiny clothes. And the brightly lit awning, which in this case means only one thing: Broadway Across America.

This is perhaps the best live performance phenomenon since actual Broadway. You know why? Because it brings actual Broadway plots, songs, dance numbers, actors, set designs, and full-on awesomeness to places like Des Moines, Iowa, or in the case of this picture, Omaha, Nebraska.

We can’t all get to New York City when we want to. We just can’t. But chances are, there’s a theater near you – as in, a few hours’ drive and one meal in a drive-through away from your front door. And please run, do not walk, to the nearest ticket booth (they’re online actually, so you probably won’t need to run) and get yourself a seat for one of these performances.

I’ve seen a few, but my most recent experience was thus far the most amazing. It was Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and thus my title, as for some of you it may be a bit early for the holly and the ivy and Bing Crosby tunes and such. For me? Not so much. Halloween is the beginning of it for me. And this experience was like drinking Christmas spirit from a glass.

No Broadway-Across-America experience has ever left me quite this uplifted. The role of the housekeeper was played by Lorna Luft, who – I kid you not – is Judy Garland’s daughter. She has a big number somewhere in the middle, And. I. Cried.

No Broadway-Across-America has ever felt quite so actual Broadway for me. So when Lorna Luft belted out her songs and her line in this totally her own yet slight shadow of Judy Garland’s voice and mannerisms, I was seriously moved to tears. Sometimes you just know you’re living a once-in-a-lifetime sort of moment.

But the thing I loved most about the White Christmas production wasn’t the tears. It was all the happy. If you’ve seen White Christmas, you’ll remember it takes you back to a time when there were stage shows – not as a rare occurrence on special occasions, but at restaurants, clubs, and other places you might frequent on a Tuesday. This play made me feel I was there, at a traditional stage show put on by people who’d been preparing for it since they were 6 and first strapped on a pair of tap shoes.

The hard work behind the dance numbers in this production was evident if not during their awesomeness then certainly after them when the main character had to deliver a line and was delightfully out of breath.

Confession: There was on subplot I felt got watered down way too much from film to the stage. Other than that, this performance was perfection. and I’m so grateful to Broadway Across America for bringing it to my life.

Find one near you. Immediately. Theater tours are some of the most exciting any group can take.

It’s fun to take movie tours to Washington D.C. and New York City, because of the bus and walking tours available to actual movie locations around the city. New York, for instance, brings you outdoor settings from several favorite sitcoms plus tons of popular movies. Washington D.C. does as well. But really, if you want to focus on Hollywood, is there really any more natural destination than Los Angeles?

Hollywood itself has all those classic move-land sights that film lovers will enjoy, like the big white letters on the hill, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and the Kodak Theater, which is sort of a new classic. It was built as a permanent home for the Annual Academy Awards but also holds several other shows throughout the year, including the American Idol Finale. And in 2011, Cirque du Soleil finds yet another permanent U.S. stage when it brings a movie-themed production to the Kodak for regular performances.

The Hollywood Museum is another must-see for movie lovers, with pictures, trivia, exhibitions, and memorabilia from film. You’ll see things here like Rocky’s boxing gloves and that distinguished coat or dress that so-and-so wore in that one amazing film…. Stuff like that.

Studios – Another way to celebrate Hollywood is to go behind the scenes and experience it. Studio tours are popular attractions for Los Angeles tours, especially if you choose the right ones. Some can be kind of on the boring side. You aren’t likely to see actual stars, they’re a little long. And getting led from empty sound stages to locked warehouses and all the alleyways in between can get kind of old. Some, like Paramount above, are far more impressive in just a drive-by in which you can just imagine all the magic that takes place beyond the gated entrance.

But some of the movie studios are beautifully designed for exciting tours. Universal Studios, for instance, is all about entertaining you even as it takes you behind the scenes for special effects, what it’s like to film on location, and all kinds of fun info and memorabilia in their backstage tours. Warner Brothers studios falls somewhere in between the two. It’s hardly a theme park, but it does have some interesting sights.

Stalking Tours – Did I say stalking? I mean walking. Only I don’t, because these tours usually take place on a bus. Gray Line, for instance, offers some fun bus tours in which you’ll drive by the homes of actual celebrities. The tours also include some of the classic Hollywood stuff I talked about above.

Theme Parks – Los Angeles is a world leader for most theme parks within a manageable radius. Disney Land is a popular place for LA tours of course. Plus, Universal – as mentioned – has made itself one of the most exciting destinations for the area. Six Flags Magic Mountain has an X-treme theme in this part of the world, and Knotts Berry Farm rounds out the list for coaster mania.

Together, all these attractions make L.A. an exciting tour, but especially for movie lovers.

Photo by Marcos Santiago on Flickr.

Why only visit an exciting city when you can be part of the attraction?

Performance groups, pay attention. There are several amazing destinations in the country that welcome high school students throughout the year to specific festivals and performances. Imagine you and your group traveling beyond the four walls of the band room and taking all your hard work and practice to the streets of a city you’ve always wanted to visit. You’ll be the performers, the action, the show. You’ll meet other performers your age and get to tour some of the attractions that make the destination so exciting in the first place. Here’s a glimpse at what I’m talking about.

New York City – Among others, you’ll find the Festival of Music where you can perform in the Sarah Vaughan Concert Hall in Newark Symphony Hall. Then catch a classic Manhattan attraction and eat at Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, or the popular and dramatic Mars 2112.

Atlanta – In this vibrant city you’ll perform at the Alton Keith Performing Arts Center. You’ll want to do your best for the awards ceremony that follows, and you’ll enjoy a truly southern picnic as part of this Festival.

Boston – Boston is an exciting, modern city with loads of historical sites as well. Its Back Bay is a must-see section for any visitor. Bands and orchestras will perform their pieces for the Boston Festival of Music at the Duxbury Performing Arts Center. Choirs will be at the Silver Lake Performing Arts Center.

Chicago – This city will have you thrilled from your first glimpse of its world-famous architecture to every step along the Magnificent Mile. Performance tours will split up in Chicago between Harper College and Elgin Community College. For an added attraction in this city, how about a meal and theatrical tournament at Medieval Times?

Orlando – For performance tours that put all the rest to shame, you’ll love four days in Orlando, Florida at Disney World’s Magic Music Days. You know there’s plenty to do in this exciting location. You’ll get a hopper pass to enjoy all the Disney major theme parks at your leisure and you’ll enjoy the time of your life as young performers gather for some of the most fun you’ll ever experience.

Traveling with your band or choir is a once-in-a-lifetime experience (if not once-a-year, which sounds even better). You’ve spent hours together working and sweating your way through songs you’ve now perfected. It’s time to let them see a stage prepared just for you and groups like yours, and then let your hair down for some fun.

Photo by pdxjeff on Flickr