North America
Travel into the heart of a country and its people. The Friendship Force signature program of home hospitality puts you in the center of another culture. Join one of our exchanges today!
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NEW - ENJOY AN EARLY SPRING IN NORTH GEORGIA AND ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Big Canoe, Georgia and
Orlando, Florida, USA
February 22 to March 7, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Warm up with the hospitality of friends in Big Canoe, GA, and Orlando, FL
- Hike, boat and explore the trails and lakes of the Blue Ridge Mountains
- Get outside and discover the flora and fauna of Central Florida
- Visit the Kennedy Space Center and learn about the future of American Space Flight
- Explore local art, architecture and dining with your Friendship Force hosts
Warm up this winter with a trip to the American South. Visit Big Canoe, Georgia, and Orlando, Florida. Big Canoe is a gated community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a wonderful place to relax and get a taste of early spring. We will have the opportunity to explore the lakes of this area, hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoy boating opportunities.
We will learn about the art and history of North Georgia by visiting the Booth Western Art Museum and Dahlonega, home of the Georgia Gold Rush. Our trip will include a day trip to see the sites in nearby Atlanta and return to share picnics and barbecue with our hosts!
After enjoying the scenery and community of Big Canoe, we will continue to warm up with a trip to Greater Orlando, Florida. In Orlando, we will have an opportunity to see the beautiful plant and wildlife native to this region. Spring comes early here, so we’ll be able to spend lots of time outdoors exploring state parks which are home to manatees and a great variety of birds, which make their winter home here. We will enjoy nature hikes, have the option to go canoeing and swim in warm spring waters.
After exploring the natural wonders of Central Florida, we will visit the Atlantic Coast of Florida where you can visit the Kennedy Space Center or enjoy a day at the beach.
Our hosts will help us experience Orlando as a friend rather than a tourist. On our free days we can visit farmers markets or local art festivals.
Leave your coats at home and warm up with friendship and nature in Big Canoe and Orlando!
$405 USD. Includes FFI and host fees.
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SEE THE AMERICAN SOUTH THROUGH A PHOTOGRAPHER'S LENS
Atlanta and Golden Islands, Georgia, USA
April 14 to 24, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Receive instruction in digital photography and critiques of your photographs
- View Atlanta’s downtown area through the lens of a photographer
- Visit Georgia’s beautiful and unique Coastal Islands
- Experience Southern history and architecture on the Antebellum Trail
- Enjoy the famous “Southern hospitality” of FF Greater Atlanta
Join us in Atlanta, Georgia, where we will experience a modern city, natural beauty and historic places, learning the art of photography at the same time! We will have plenty to photograph on this unique exchange that features instruction in taking better photographs and a tour of Georgia’s coastal islands. We will focus our classes in digital photography, portraiture and architecture, and we’ll get individual feedback on our photographs.
We will tour downtown Atlanta and Buckhead with a focus on the area’s architecture. We will then turn our focus to nature and visit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which feature beautiful gardens and glass sculptures by famous American artist Dale Chihuly.
After a farewell party with our FF Greater Atlanta hosts, we will head to Georgia’s coastline to visit the state’s beautiful Golden Isles. Here we will have the opportunity to visit the beach, bike the coast line, take a dolphin tour and, of course, take more stunning photographs!
Before returning to Atlanta, we will tour the historic Antebellum Trail and see the few Georgia homes that survived the US Civil War, displaying the spectacular Neoclassical architecture of the 1800s.
$900 USD including FFI Fee, 4 night homestay, transportation, some meals, park entrance fees, photography class, double-occupancy for trip to coastal Georgia and tours of Jekyll Island, Cumberland Island, Savannah and St. Mary's
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- Provided by the Friendship Force Club of Louisville.
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DISCOVER BLUEGRASS AND BOURBON AS YOU EXPLORE THE RICH CULTURE OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH
Louisville, Kentucky and surrounding areas, USA
June 18 to 25, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Make yourself at home in the South as you enjoy an exchange focused on the unique culture the southern US.
- Learn the meaning of “Southern hospitality” from your friendly hosts, FF Louisville.
- Tour a private thoroughbred racehorse farm, as well as Churchill Downs, home of the world famous Kentucky Derby, and historic Keenland Race Track.
- Have a taste of Bourbon – a unique American whiskey that originated here in Kentucky. We’ll visit Bourbon distilleries along the great Bourbon Trail.
- Tap your feet along with the music at a bluegrass concert – this beloved musical style was born in the South and draws influences from Appalachian folk music, blues and jazz.
Nicknamed the Bluegrass State, Kentucky forms a unique piece of the American cultural landscape. The Friendship Force of Louisville invites you to discover its folk and country music, famous thoroughbred horse farms and race tracks, and its beautiful “blue” countryside.
You’ll hear traditional Appalachian folk music as well as bluegrass music, which combines elements of folk music with elements of blues and jazz. Visit historic distilleries and have a taste of Bourbon, a type of American whiskey. Come and experience many other attractions.
Come! Visit us, and share our warm hospitality and cherished traditions.
$545 USD. Includes FFI and host fees, group activities and local transportation.
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- Provided by the Friendship Force Club of Dayton.
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NEW -DISCOVER THE PAST AND FUTURE OF FLIGHT ON THE AVIATION TRAIL!
Dayton and Wapakoneta, Ohio, USA
July 7 to 14, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- See the US Navy’s aerobatic squadron, The Blue Angels, in the Dayton International Air Show
- Learn about the great pioneers of aviation who called Ohio home – the Wright Brothers, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong
- Experience the development of flight at the National Museum of the US Air Force
- Learn about the future of aviation with lectures sponsored by your hosts
- Fly in a replica Wright “B” Flyer – the first of the Wright Brothers’ designs to be built in quantity
Ohio is known as the “birthplace of aviation pioneers” as the home of the Wright Brothers and American Astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. We will explore the sites that led these great men to make giant leaps for mankind and modern aviation.
To kick off our exchange, we’ll enjoy the Dayton International Air Show featuring the US Navy’s demonstration squadron the Blue Angels, who will perform in-flight aerobatics and a show you will not forget. We will visit the Wright Brothers sites and learn about how the Wright brothers planned and prepared for their first flight.
We’ll also discover more about modern flight beyond our orbit at the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum and John Glenn Site. Both of these men made great strides in the quest for manned space flight, and their home state has commemorated their accomplishments.
Additionally, we’ll discover the National Museum of the US Air Force and the history and development of flight from World War II and beyond.
In addition to these great opportunities to learn about the great aviators of Ohio, we will share meals with our Friendship Force hosts and attend lectures relating to the future of aviation. We’ll also have an option to experience a flight in a replica of the Wright-B Flier.
Get your ticket! This is a flight you won’t want to miss!
TBD
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NEW - FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS – EXCHANGE RECIPES AND FRIENDSHIP IN THE AMERICAN MIDWEST
Northern Illinois, USA
Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, USA
July 31 to August 14, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Enjoy local specialties like Wisconsin cheese and visit an eco-friendly cheese factory
- Get a taste for the ethnic diversity of this region – including German, Polish, French, Thai, Mexican, Korean and more!
- Eat fresh from the garden: tour urban gardens, farmers markets and an organic farm
- Learn new cooking techniques and recipes and share your home food culture with your new friends in the US
- Experience the home hospitality of three Midwestern USA Friendship Force Clubs
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.” –Virginia Woolf.
Come to America’s Heartland to dine well and share friendship, recipes and more in Northern Illinois, Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
We’ll tour urban gardens, an eco-friendly cheese factory and an organic farm to find out where our food comes from (and sample it, too!). We’ll dine at fine restaurants and around kitchen tables. We’ll enjoy the unique fare of our region and invite you to share your favorite foods from home with us!
In each city, ambassadors will enjoy a custom food tour while learning about local history, culture and architecture.
It’s time to eat, drink and be merry! Join us at the dinner tables, restaurants, gardens and farms of America’s Heartland and make friends from the heart!
$790 USD (includes FFI and host fees, group activities and transportation between clubs)
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- Provided by the Friendship Force Club of Memphis.
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FEEL THE VIBE OF ROCK’N ROLL IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
Memphis, Tennessee and Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
August 28 to September 3, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Appreciate the influence of Memphis on the Blues and Rock ‘n Roll and experience the influence of this vibrant music on Memphis
- Discover the Blues and experience Southern History and dine at Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club on Sweet Magnolia’s tour of Clarksdale, Mississippi
- Access four stages with live Gospel music at the Music and Heritage Festival on Main Street in Memphis
- See Memphis guided and accompanied wih live music by a Memphis Musician on the Memphis Mojo Bus tour
- Visit Graceland, home of Elvis Presley
Come to Memphis to experience the birthplace of modern music: The Blues, Gospel, Country-Western and the culture of Rock ‘n Roll. Whether you are a Southern Belle, a child of rock ‘n roll or somewhere in between - Memphis has something for you.
You can’t appreciate the Blues or Rock ‘n Roll without the stories of the South, the taste of Southern food or a visit to Clarksdale, Mississippi. After a welcome party with Friendship Force hosts in Memphis, Sweet Magnolia Tours will take you South to visit the Hopson Plantation and visit the birthplace of the Blues. We’ll also dine at Morgan Freeman’ Ground Zero Blues Club. We’ll visit the graveside of Robert Johnson, the legendary guitar player who claimed to have sold his soul to the devil to be the best guitar player in the world. After exploring more of Mississippi’s heritage, music and sampling Southern Cuisine, we’ll return to Memphis.
In Memphis, we’ll visit Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. Graceland is a legend in its own right and an important destination to appreciate the rise of Rock ‘n Roll. We’ll continue our tour of Memphis visiting Sun Studio, the Smithsonian Rock ‘n Soul Museum and the famous Peabody Hotel. We’ll get a backstage pass to Memphis on Back Beat Tour’s Memphis Mojo bus. This bus tour is guided and accompanied by Memphis musicians and will give you a true appreciation for the past and future of Rock ‘n Roll. Don’t worry, you will have time to visit Beale Street and find your favorite Memphis Blues Club.
Before you go, enjoy gospel music at the Music and Heritage Festival on Main Street and celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Friendship Force Memphis at your farewell party at the Majestic Restaurant.
$625.00 USD, includes bus tour (with meals), one-night stay in hotel, host fees and FFI fees
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NEW - A TASTE OF NEW ENGLAND
New Haven, Hartford and Shoreline Connecticut, USA
Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
October 9 to 17, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Learn how to make your own clam chowder in our New England cooking class
- Visit historic sites in New England including the homes of Harriett Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain
- Tour Yale University – the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States
- Experience early New England life at Old Sturbridge Village
- Visit the New England coast and discover colonial architecture in Newport, Rhode Island.
On this exchange, you will get more than a taste of New England cuisine. Your hosts have arranged for you to also get a taste of the history of New England from the founding of the United States to its role in the United States anti-slavery movement in the 19th Century and the present day.
You will tour the homes of famed Connecticut authors Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. You will then travel north to the neighboring state of Massachusetts where you visit Sturbridge Village where you will experience a taste of rural New England life during the 1790s to 1830s recreated in this living history community.
As you travel south to Rhode Island. The scenery of New England in the Fall will add a delightful flavor to your visit. The trees showcase their bright orange, red and yellow leaves at this time of year.
In Newport, Rhode Island you will whet your appetite for the history and elegance of this region when you visit the coast and home of the largest number of preserved colonial homes in the country. You will tour the Newport Mansions which depict the Gilded Age’s elegance in its architecture, interior design and landscape.
In addition to visiting other sites such as touring the campus of Yale University, your hosts will share their knowledge of their home state and incorporate your interest during the free day planned in the program. We’d also like to share New England cuisine with you in a cooking class and hands-on demonstration where you’ll learn the secrets of dining New England style!
$420 USD (includes FFI and host fees, bus and entrance fees, cooking class and most meals)
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- Provided by the Friendship Force Club of Las Vegas.
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NEW - DISCOVER THE OTHER SIDE OF LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas, Nevada
November 28 to December 5, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
- Hoover Dam and new bridge
- Red Rock geological and scenic tour
- Las Vegas show(s), depending on ambassador wishes
- Museum(s), depending on ambassador wishes
- In-home hosted dinner and party to get to know your new friends
Ambassadors will see the sights of Las Vegas and the beautiful region surrounding the city of lights. We will visit Red Rocks, an area that shows the geology of the valley, some Indian petroglyphs, and indigenous flora and fauna. The Hoover Dam is a well known landmark and the new bridge is quite a feat: ambassadors will drive across the bridge and then see from atop Hoover Dam.
Show(s) are plentiful and we will talk with ambassadors about which one(s) they want to see, so that they are not limited to just one. They will get to see shows from the audience and will also get a backstage tour of one of the shows to see the costumes and workings of the show up close. Along with the glitz and glam, you can also learn more about Las Vegas history, regional culture and numerous other topics in some of our 39 Las Vegas museums.
Ambassadors are given the flexibility to make the program what they want it to be. The host club takes ambassadors on outings and provides the option for ambassadors to choose some things that are of particular interest to them.
Join us to see the other side of Las Vegas!
$290 USD (includes FFI and host fees, most meals and some entrance fees) Shows are at an extra cost.
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