Leavenworth CVB hosts group of tour operators

a Special to the Times by Connie Hachenberg -  Date: April 22, 2002
 

Left: "Harvey Girl" Betty Ludwig gives a brief overview of the Harvey Girls and meals served to groups at the riverfront Community Center.  Kelvin Crow, left, narrated a tour of Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth.

A group of 17 tour operators visited Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth last week, according to Connie Hachenberg, director of the Leavenworth Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The tour operators were from Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas and were on a six-day “fame” (familiarization) tour of Kansas organized by the Kansas Tourism Division.

"It was the CVB's job to acquaint them with all of the wonderful attractions and experiences available to a tour group that overnights in Leavenworth," she said. "Usually an overnight tour consists of around 13 hours of touring, dining and shopping. The CVB has just 2 1/2 hours to show them all we had to offer here in our community"

Left: The Possum Holler Four barbershop quartet sings to the tour operators.

They arrived at 8 a.m. for a breakfast buffet at The Tea Room and were greeted by Hachenberg in a convict outfit and several Chamber ambassadors. "Everyone had their picture taken behind the CVB's Leavenworth jail front, of course." she said.  After eating, they boarded their motorcoach to take a city and fort tour given by Kelvin Crow.

Betty Ludwig, a volunteer "Harvey Girl," stepped on the motorcoach at the Riverfront Community Center to give a brief overview of the Harvey Girls and the meals served to groups at the center.

Highlights of the city and fort tour were the Richard Allen Cultural Center, the planned National Fred Harvey Museum and the experience of having actual former Buffalo Soldiers greeting groups at the monument site.

Quick stops were made at the First City Museum where they were entertained and educated by Larry Tate, the "oldest male stripper in town" (he strips the old paint from the carousel horses), and lastly at the Carroll Mansion where they were met and briefed by Mark Bureman.

Hachenberg said she sold an overnight tour that very day and believes they will see more business in the near future from these tour operators.
 For more information contract:

 

For more information contact:
Leavenworth Convention & Visitors Bureau
Connie Hachenberg, Director
518 Shawnee, P.O. Box 44
Leavenworth, Kansas 66048
Phone: (913) 682-4113  FAX: (913) 682-8170 
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Revised: 05/31/07.