With summer beckoning, Missourians are looking for the perfect getaway to enjoy with friends, family, and fellow travelers on group tours. Fortunately, some of the best outdoor and indoor fun is surprisingly local and easy to reach on planned group tours by bus, car, motorcycle, train, boat, or bicycle right in mid-state Hermann and Fulton, MO.
Whether you love water sports at Lake of the Ozarks, wandering the Hermann Wine Trail, or enjoying award-winning bratwurst at iconic restaurants, you can plan your trip to be truly memorable.
Must See Hermann
Regardless of how you travel, group tours going to Hermann will want to visit Lake of the Ozarks or Truman Lake. Lake of the Ozarks offers something for everyone: beaches, boating, fishing, hiking, water sports, spas, lakeside dining/pool bars, golf, go-karts, water parks, and retail therapy at outlet malls with top brands. Truman Lake, the largest flood control lake in Missouri, is a fisherman’s playground, home to trophy largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Other onsite activities include boating, biking, golf, hunting, walking trails, and equestrian trails.
Any Missourian will then enjoy winding through some of the prettiest scenery in the state along the Hermann Wine Trail, which meanders for 30 scenic miles along the Missouri River between Hermann and New Haven. Along the trail, six family-owned wineries are open for tasting and tours. From quaint country farm settings to historic wine cellars, you will experience a rich history and variety of wine styles. Open year-round, you can enjoy daily wine tastings and participate in six trail events featuring wine and food pairings.
Group tours relish exploring Hermann’s five-block national historic district, immersing themselves in its Old World charm and German heritage dating back to 1837. The district is home to 360 historic buildings established between 1838 and 1910. This site includes the 1848 Pommer-Gentner House and the 1845 Strehly House. Period furniture, tools, and gardens give visitors a glimpse into life in early Hermann. Other interesting buildings include the 1906 Hermann City Hall, the 1877 Concert Hall, the 1871 German School, the 1896 Gasconade County Courthouse, and many others.
After a full day of activity, visitors to Hermann will be hungry for a culinary adventure at a popular restaurant in the city: Hermann Wurst Haus. Owned by award-winning Wurstmeister Mike Sloan, Hermann Wurst Haus offers authentic Germanic European style meats, meals, and all the trimmings with Old World hospitality.
Sloan serves up his hearty meals and German-styled bratwurst sausages to tour groups and guests in decidedly American-sized portions just ten to fifteen-minutes away from busy Interstate 70, which connects Kansas City to St. Louis. The restaurant serves up a culinary bounty of Sloan’s 45 flavors of bratwurst and 12 flavors of bacon, among other mouth-watering offerings like beer marinated brisket, house smoked turkey, and even German bologna.
Over the years, Sloan has accumulated more than 600 international, national, state, and regional awards, including 16 best-of-show honors and 29 international awards from the German Butcher’s Association in Frankfurt, Germany.
Must See Fulton
Another historic vacation getaway destination for Missourians is Fulton, MO, located about 20 miles east of Columbia and 22 miles northeast of Jefferson City. Right off the I-70, Fulton is particularly welcoming to bus tours, including those going to Columbia or Jefferson City, and even those going from Denver, CO to Springfield or Kansas City, MO.
Those on group tours to Fulton often stop at Westminster College or William Woods University. In 1946 at Westminster College, Winston Churchill delivered his “Iron Curtain” speech - one of the most significant of his career. The college houses the National Churchill Museum, which brings to life the story of Winston Churchill and the world he knew.
Group tours will visit Fulton’s Auto World Museum, where some of the most memorable automobiles known are on display in historical context. This includes both vintage cars and more modern classics in a journey that covers 100 years.
Tours then enjoy downtown Fulton’s Brick District, paved with brick. Here, visitors are sure to get a kick out of perusing one-of-a-kind boutiques and enjoying live entertainment and annual events.
Of course, no tour to Fulton would be complete without dining at Fulton Wurst Haus, the sister location of Hermann Wurst Haus. At Fulton Wurst Haus, the bratwurst and Wurstmeister Mike Sloan’s never-ending quest to discover new taste combinations are reason enough to make a stop.
With mouthwatering choices like the popular bacon, potato, and cheese bratwurst, the jalapeno bacon bratwurst, along with many other delicious combinations, Sloan encourages customers to double up on brats purchased at the deli to avoid suffering pangs of regret after leaving.
As summer calls Missourians out of their homes and into the great outdoors for travel and group tours, adventure, natural beauty, historic sights, and award-winning culinary fare await them in Hermann and Fulton. Now is the time to make plans for your summer vacation trip with friends and loved ones that will create cherished shared experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
For more information, visit www.hermannwursthaus.com and fultonwursthaus.com.
