Consider the Jazz Festival in Chicago - a great time to visit this exciting destination.

Where have we been? The blog has been quiet for a while, but never fear. Our hard-working travel coordinators have been doing just that - coordinating exciting getaways for large groups, seniors, reunion groups, and as always, students. The writing staff has been working on new website content to showcase the full extent of our group travel packages.

Our website content features exciting destinations, sample itineraries, and special events, because we want to make sure you find what you're looking for whether you come to us with your own ideas or if you need some. If you're traveling with a group for an upcoming event, to see a concert perhaps, or to finally visit that once-in-a-lifetime attraction, you've come to the right place. We specialize in customizing every part of your tour, and we're expert at doing this for large groups. There are a lot of details involved in planning travel for anyone. These details are compounded when you're traveling with a group, and taking care of them is our joy. You get the experience without the stress. Good deal, right?

But we know sometimes people have a group and the desire, but they don't actually have the perfect travel idea. Maybe you haven't even chosen a destination. Maybe you don't know what to do once you get there. We want our online content to answer all these questions before you even ask them. Take a look at some of our new content by following the link above. Our sample travel itineraries are a great way to get ideas for your next tour and a great beginning when you contact one of our travel coordinators to personally customize your own unforgettable tour.

More group travel ideas…

Chicago Events and Itineraries | Branson Group Travel | Charlotte Tours and Attractions

You know better than we do what you can expect from Girl Scouts Rock the Mall.

You know the feeling of joining thousands of your Girl Scout sisters, surrounded by the museums, monuments, and government buildings of our nation's capital, and participating in the Girl Scout tradition of a Sing-a-Long on the National Mall.

You know what your organization represents, starting with its founder, Juliette Gordon Low, who overcame many obstacles to create a place for girls of every background - a place for them to learn adventure out-of-doors, to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. She encouraged girls to prepare not only to make a home but to thrive in the professional arena as well —in the arts, sciences or business. It's an organization for girls becoming active citizens. And this is your chance to celebrate.

Rock the Mall will happen on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Saturday, June 9, 2012. And to make this year even more exciting, you'll be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Juliette Gordon Low's dream. And even though you know better than us about her philosophy and how your organization carries it into the future every single day, we might know more about traveling with a large group of people. We may have been customizing travel for youth and student groups since 1997. And we may have all the tools you need to make this trip once-in-a-lifetime and stress and hassle-free.

Check out our website page on Group Tours to Girlscouts Rock the Mall for more. See how we can build an exciting itinerary around your stay. Learn about some of the unforgettable attractions you'll experience, like the National Mall, the Smithsonian, and the Points of Light Volunteer Pathway on the Extra Mile which honors, among many other worthy persons, Juliette Gordon Low.

Consider joining this amazing celebration. We'll take care of the details, you bring the enthusiasm.

Ever notice the "Employee Recommended" section at your favorite bookstore? Or "Contributor Favorites" in a fashion magazine? This post is just like that, showcasing the favorite and most popular tours our travel coordinators customize. Take a look at some of our faves to get ideas of your own. And in the spirit of pleasant traveling: Happy Summer Solstice!

NYC Fashion

Where: New York City

It's one of our newer faves. This several-day New York City tour hits all the highlights - Statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock (or the Empire State Building for another favorite observation deck), Times Square, and Rockefeller Center. But at its heart you'll explore the fashion industry, going behind-the-scenes of fashion publications, the Fashion Institute, and the National Design Museum. You'll also tour the headquarters for Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss plus visit famous shopping centers like Macy's Herald Square, Bloomingdale's, and Fifth Avenue.

Black History

Where: DC, Atlanta, or Boston

There are several cities perfect for this popular theme. We send groups to Washington DC to explore the Lincoln Memorial and discover the inscription to Martin Luther King, Jr., where he stood to deliver his famous words, "I have a dream." Nearby you'll explore the Smithsonian's Museum of African Art and the African-American Civil War Museum. Mt. Vernon offers a memorial to the thousands of slaves once buried unsung and in unmarked graves throughout the Mt. Vernon estate and surrounding areas. Besides what you'll find today, a beautiful memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., will soon be added to the many monuments on the National Mall.

Boston is also a favorite for black history tours. There you'll find the Black Heritage Trail, which features schools and other components of community built by the black population of Boston, which was known for being completely free as early as 1790. In Atlanta you'll find the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., and a National Historic Site in his honor plus many other attractions perfect for black history tours.

DC Law and Order

Where: Washington DC

We love to build any lengthy visit to Washington DC, any tour that incorporates as many museums and DC attractions as possible since the city is so rich with variety and with educational value that's entertaining as well. This tour necessitates several of the most popular choices though. For instance, the Museum of Crime and Punishment is one of the most exciting museums in DC, highlighting the history of infamous criminals and their crimes plus the process of crime scene investigation. In the Supreme Court you can view decision-making and other proceedings (or lectures on alternate days) and gain a deeper appreciation for the justice system. At the International Spy Museum you'll learn about all things espionage and even get to try it for yourself.

Many other attractions make this tour one of our DC favorites.

TV and Movie Walking Tours

Where: Manhattan, Washington DC

New York City and Washington DC both offer this highly entertaining tour, which can be included on any itinerary. Imagine exploring an unfamiliar city by visiting its most familiar sights. That's what you get, for instance, when you take the TV and Movie Sites Tour in Manhattan and visit exterior locations from The Cosby Show, Men in Black, Friends, and many more. Or take the Central Park Movie Walking Tour, and see the bridges, walkways, fountains, and boathouse that you've noticed in countless favorite films. DC offers this experience as well - a tour that truly makes you feel a part.

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These are four of our favorites. We love themes, and we love educational attractions that entertain even as they teach. Have our faves inspired you?

Holocaust Memorial Museums around the country offer incomparable additions to educational student tours. My experience at the one in Washington DC proved all my research along these lines. The museums give us not just a window into history but a window to the present and the future. Through it we see our world as it is shaped by hatred and bigotry. Beyond it, we see how we can be catalysts for change, so atrocities like the Holocaust will remain in history.

Being from the Midwest, I'm thrilled, if you haven't heard of it yet, to tell you about the Holocaust Museum in my region. It is also an amazing experience and should be included in Chicago educational tours.

The building that now holds the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is relatively new and was dedicated on April 19, 2009. The keynote speaker, President Bill Clinton no doubt gave his prominent endorsement because of the importance of telling the stories within and because of the learning center that turns the stories into powerful lessons.

Exhibits within this museum present the Holocaust as well as more recent events and genocides still happening today - all in the context of the attitudes and misplaced philosophies that lead to such tragedy. Students learn to recognize hateful tendencies at their root, in their smallest degree, so we can all learn to face them and squelch them before they grow. Some Holocaust stories are so shocking, so abhorrent, we can't imagine how they came to be. Others, like the use of propaganda to promote Hitler's cause, seem all too familiar as we face the reality that seeds of ignorance can spread throughout a group with little effort.

In the Make a Difference exhibit, middle graders and other young students will find interactive hands-on activities. The displays here help children place themselves in the world, to realize their impact on it. It's a favorite section of the museum for students and their eager administrators.

The Illinois Holocaust Museum is one of Chicago's newest and brightest attractions for students. It is both a memorial and a learning center, a place of remembrance and a place to look forward. It is an absolute must for educational tours.

Photo by kongtemplation on Flickr.

When you call a travel professional, they'll have several questions for you up front. Where do you want to go? And what do you want to see there? How large is your group? Questions like these help your trip coordinator know how to build your itinerary.

What exactly is an itinerary, you say? Let me elaborate for you. An itinerary isn't just a list of attractions you'll visit. It's an invaluable resource for you. It keeps your group members on the same page. It's the difference between a hassle-free experience and stress galore. A good itinerary could be the first pages of a great travel journal, complete with all the little reminders you need to describe every exciting moment of your journey.

An Itinerary Tells You What You'll See

The main objective for an itinerary is, of course, to list which attractions are included in your specially customized tour. Companies like ours have tons of sample itineraries online, and they're a good place to begin. But we customize each and every tour we build, so that really, no two are exactly alike. Your itinerary is personalized. It has your interests and your dreams built right into it.

An Itinerary Tells You When, Where, AND How Long

Do you know how long it takes to see the Met in New York City? A crazy long time. You really can't even schedule enough time in one day for your group to explore all the exhibits there. But what about Willis Tower in Chicago? Do you need half a day for that experience? Probably not. Imagine how helpful it will be to build your tour based on the knowledge of someone who knows these things. Your itinerary has to take into consideration not just how long you want to spend at a given attraction but how long it will take your group to get from one to the next. This depends on your chosen transportation and definitely on the size of your group.

An Itinerary Keeps Your Group Together With Important Details

This is a big one for educational travel as it can really put parents at ease. But it's invaluable for any group to encourage confidence in an unfamiliar environment. An itinerary should include the address and contact number for its attractions. It's one thing to follow blindly - and certainly student group should always attempt a follow-the-leader sort of format. But how much better if at least the chaperons are armed with the ability to get to any attraction on the itinerary on their own if necessary?

This feature also prepares you for various security measures at each attraction. Can you carry a bag? Do you need your ID? It's much easier to keep a group together if no one gets held up at the door!

An Itinerary Tells You How You'll Get There and Who Will Lead

Some groups fly to their destination and then use public transportation, a format we often recommend for New York City, for instance. Other groups arrive on a bus and use it for transportation throughout the tour. A good itinerary will tell you not just when to be at a given attraction but when to leave it. You'll know exactly when to meet back at the bus or public transit. Some attractions are best experienced with a professional guide, and we'll definitely encourage this where advisable. Some groups like to have a guide throughout their tour. These professionals can make all the difference between a ho-hum experience and one that's personal, in-depth, and entertaining as well as educational.

A Good Itinerary Never Forgets the Meals

This is easy to miss if you're building your own tour. Easy to miss, and easy to avoid in favor of DIY mealtimes. But do-it-yourself isn't always the most cost-effective for groups. Some restaurants, such as those in large museums, offer group vouchers to help meals go smoothly and cost the same for everone. Sometimes, of course, it is best to let everyone spread out, eat where they choose, and return at a given time. A good itinerary will probably have a combination of both. Also - and I share this from painful experience - make sure you know whether your hotel includes or even offers breakfast to its guests.

Having experience with it, I can't recommend enough a detailed itinerary when you're traveling with a large number of people. It's an amazing experience when the choices are yours but the details are taken out of your hands and set in place by someone expert in them.

It's been a while since we posted around here, and I thought I'd take a moment to let you know what's up. This is a photograph of me in front of the US Capitol in June 2010. While there I got to see many of the exciting attractions we love so much to include in Washington DC educational tours for students and other groups. I can't wait to tell you about everything I learned, everything I loved in that vibrant city.

However, blogging will be hit and miss a bit here. I'm facing some health treatments that will take a little time. When it's all said and done, I'll be back, healthy, and more excited than ever to share with you the thrill of museums, theater, parks, and historical attractions all over the globe. So hang in there with us, and in the meantime be sure to visit our student travel home page and discover all we have to offer - from art tours to Broadway, London to Paris, and more.