Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Groups can start their day in Pigeon Forge at the Blackwoods Morning Variety Show, held at the Smoky Mountain Opry Theater. Smooth harmonies showcase pop, country and gospel hits. There’s also family-type comedy and a 30-minute preshow. For the Christmas season, the multimillion-dollar production of “Christmas at the Smoky Mountain Opry” features live animals in the Smoky Mountains’ largest Nativity.
Singers from the Blackwoods show also act as step-on guides for faith-based history tours of the national park. Groups have several stops that might include an old church, a cemetery or a homestead where all that’s left standing is the chimney. At different places, the Blackwoods break out in song.
“Many groups come to the area especially for our faith-friendly shows, spring through Christmas,” said senior sales manager Joy McNealy for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. “Every day of their tour, they can enjoy a different performance.”
Wildwater’s Pigeon River Canopy Tours is the area’s only zip-line canopy tour that crosses over the Pigeon River. Riders zip 120 feet over the water as they navigate the forest on 12 platforms and four sky bridges. Ground school takes place before the trip to alleviate first-time jitters. Class III and IV white-water rafting and Class I and II float trips please all levels of thrill seekers. Afterward, groups can chow down on a barbecue lunch at the Pigeon River Adventure Center.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Focus on the Family’s Welcome Center in Colorado Springs delivers fun for groups. At the center’s 164-seat theater, a 12-minute continuously looping film, “Welcome Home,” offers a glimpse into the heart behind the ministry. The theater also shows “The Last Chance Detectives,” an hourlong drama about four teenagers who solve mysteries.
Young-at-heart attractions include the Whit’s End Soda Shoppe. The Solid Grounds coffee bar serves free coffee and tea. Also in the center, the G. Harvey Art Gallery displays the namesake artist’s oil paintings; each tells a story of courage, faith and compassion. The massive bookstore is full of inspirational books, music, movies and gifts.
Exploring the mountains, the Broadmoor’s Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway is worth the ride. Sitting at 14,115 feet in elevation, it’s the second-most-visited mountain in the world next to Mount Fuji in Japan. The three-and-a-half-hour round trip starts in Manitou Springs at the quaint depot on Ruxton Avenue and ascends through several climate zones.
In May, the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Located just outside the park entrance, the completely renovated center will offer an expanded first floor, a new theater and interactive, educational exhibits.
“Groups can be here more than a week and still not have time to do everything,” said Amy Long, vice president of marketing and partnerships for the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have more than 55 attractions that qualify as family and group friendly, and there’s a series of videos on YouTube called ‘55 Attractions in Five Days’ that describes how to pack as much in as possible.”
Space Foundation Discovery Center’s newly opened visitor center features the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Science on a Sphere, a 3-D globular movie screen. Programs showcase geography, weather, oceanography and much more. The not-to-be-missed El Pomar Space Gallery is home to the Space Foundation’s collection of space artifacts.
