Museums & Attractions
- The National WWII Museum recently partnered with celebrity chef John Besh to open two private dining rooms adjacent to the on-site American Sector Restaurant. The new venues, created from a restored 19th-century residence, pay tribute to icons of the WWII era: The Louis Armstrong Room, which salutes New Orleans' own jazz pioneer, and the Marlene Dietrich Room, which honors the star who went on to become a volunteer and entertainer for Allied troops during WWII. Each of the two new venues has capacity to host up to 12 guests. For more information, call 504.528.1944 or visit www.ddaymuseum.org.
- The Mint Museum Randolph, in Charlotte, N.C., is presenting Chanel, Designs for the Modern Woman through Dec. 31. The Mint Museum's Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress collection has more than 50 works by the French designer Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel. Her fashions and accessories, including her famous Chanel No. 5 perfume, earned her a place on Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century. The museum has among its rarities an early example that dates from 1926-1930, as well as a selection of her tailored two-piece suits, evening wear and fashion accessories that comprise this presentation of Chanel fashions. For more information, call 704.337.2000 or visit www.mintmuseum.org.
- The Tampa Museum of Art will present No Limit: Janet Biggs from Oct. 7 to Jan. 8, 2012. For more than a decade, New York-based video artist Janet Biggs has explored the relationships between athleticism and human ambition, individualism and community, and free will and control. Her work has focused on sports and natural environments and has ranged from the claustrophobic pool with synchronized swimmers to the expanse of the High Arctic. This exhibition is the first full survey of the artist's career. For more information, call 813.274.8130 or visit www.tampamuseum.org.
- Camp Canaan recently introduced a new zip line called the Canaan Zipline Canopy Tour, located on the Catawba River near Rock Hill, S.C. The tour, which takes about 2.5 hours, crosses the Catawba River in several places. The company offers groups two packages. The first is a full-day option that includes a team-building low ropes course, lunch and the zip-line tour. The second option is a half-day canopy tour including lunch. For more information, call 803.327.6932 or visit http://canaanzipline.com.
Programs & Packages
- La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa, located along the shores of Lake Conroe near Houston, is offering meetings packages following a recent $130 million expansion and renovation. The "Perfect Meeting Package Promotion" must be booked before March 31, 2012. For 20 or more rooms per night with a two-night minimum, planners can choose up to three perks, including a $500 resort credit, two complimentary upgrades to the executive floor, 10 percent off team-building events, 10 percent off recreation activities, 10 percent off spa services and flexible attrition. With over 50 rooms per night, the option is for five perks, including one complimentary round of golf for every 50 rooms per night, a complimentary guest suite for every 50 guest suites utilized per night and $1,000 resort credit. There are packages for over 75 rooms per night and over 100 rooms per night, as well. For more information, call 954.816.8889 or visit www.latorrettalakeresort.com.
Kudos
- Gaylord Entertainment recently launched its "GET Green" corporate sustainability program. As part of the launch of this initiative, the company announced the first in a series of strategic, long-term goals and commitments—reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 20 percent by 2015 and pursuing LEED certification for all future developments, including major additions and new builds. Initially, GET Green will build off three major environmental focus areas: energy efficiency and emissions reduction, waste reduction and water conservation. At every hotel, the company has created "GET Green Teams," which meet regularly to generate ideas for improvement and implement key measures. For more information, call 877.677.9352 or visit www.gaylordhotels.com/getgreen.
Event Calendar
- The Richmond region is presenting NASCAR Weekend Sept. 9-10 at Richmond International Raceway. Fans can cheer on their favorite drivers at the 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series on that Friday and the 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series the following day. For more information, call 866.455.7223 or visit www.rir.com.