| ARIZONA |
| Hike the Grand CanyonXanterra South Rim, operator of lodges and other services in Grand Canyon National Park at the South Rim, and the nonprofit Grand Canyon Field Institute (GCFI) offer a “Learning & Lodging” program that combines field adventures with naturalist guides, comfortable accommodations and some meals. The two-day, two-night program focuses on the formation of the canyon and its human history. Group size is limited to 12. |
| www.grandcanyonlodges.com or www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute |
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| KANSAS |
| Super Soccer Center Taking Shape Overland Park adds to its wealth of athletic facilities with the opening of the Overland Park Soccer Complex in fall of 2009. Located in the Overland Park Community Park, the complex will feature 12 synthetic-turf, lighted fields, a fieldhouse with meeting rooms, wireless Internet access, a grandstand at Championship Field, and multiple concession and restroom areas. There will be 1,500 parking spaces and a bus-loading zone. In the fall of 2007, the Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau established the Overland Park Sports Alliance to tap the amateur sports market and promote the new soccer complex. The Mid-America Sports Complex and Blue Valley Recreation Complex host teams from the region and beyond. |
| Contact: www.opcvb.org |
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| UTAH |
| Wild Whitewater Awaits Paddlers O.A.R.S., a leader in Western outdoor adventure trips since 1969, offers custom programs for youth groups of all kinds. Rafting the Colorado River through Utah’s Cataract Canyon is one of the most popular options. River trips of varying lengths combine easy floating and Class III rapids. Miniexpeditions on foot explore dramatic red-rock formations, petroglyphs and prehistoric ruins in Canyonlands NationalPark. Mountain biking and Jeep excursions also are available. Trips start and end in Moab. Other youth adventure destinations include Idaho’s Main Salmon and Lower Salmon rivers, California’s South Fork of the American River and Lower Klamath River, and Oregon’s Rogue River. Trips focus on peer leadership, trust, teamwork and building selfesteem.For church groups, River of Life programs feature hand-picked guides who share the spirituality of the group. Discounts are available for groups of 11 or more. |
| Contact: www.oars.com. |
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| NORTH DAKOTA |
| Fargo Sports Attractions For fun in Fargo, head to Scheels, touted as the world’s largest all-sports store. Focal point is the indoor Scheels Wheel, a 45-foot, 12-car Ferris wheel dating from 1953.Other store features include a shooting gallery, sports simulator games, mounted wildlife and a café that serves great fudge and exotic sandwiches stuffed with elk, bison, wild boar and shredded ostrich. There are four acres of retail space on two levels. Hot sellers are North Dakota State University’s Bison team logo items.Nearby at West Acres Shopping Center is the Roger Maris Museum, a shrine to the New York Yankees slugger and Fargo native. Besides exhibits showcasing uniforms, balls, bats, trophies and other memorabilia, a video room (with retired seats from Yankee Stadium) shows Maris in action.The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a professional baseball team in the Northern League, play at Newman Outdoor Field. (Moorhead is the Minnesota city just across the Red River from Fargo.)Contact: www.fargomoorhead.org. |
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| WYOMING |
| Exploring the Wonders of Yellowstone |
| The non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute offers field courses that provide insights into one of America’s most popular national parks. Yellowstone “Ed-entures” are one-day programs that can be tailored to a small group’s activity level and interests. Included are in-park transportation, snacks and an optional walk or hike. Groups up to 26 can be accommodated.Eight-hour programs range from backcountry hiking excursions and wildlife watching to an indepth look at the Old Faithful area’s geysers, mudpots and hot springs. |
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| Contact: www.yellowstoneassociation.org. |