PUEBLO, Colo. (June 4, 2010) - Searching for a summer destination that offers lots of, well, bucks for those hard earned bucks?
How about building a trip around a Professional Bull Riders show?
Take in this month’s PBR Touring Pro event in Fort Myers, Fla., in conjunction with a beach vacation, then drive over to Disney World in Orlando. Watch today’s PBR stars compete in Calgary at a July Touring Pro competition and the famous Calgary Stampede, then meander into the scenic Canadian Rockies. Fly into Los Angeles, swing by Disneyland and drop down to scenic Laguna Beach in conjunction with an August Built Ford Tough Series show in Ontario, Calif.
Though the Ford Series slows down during the summer months, the big tour still stops in prominent vacation spots like Ontario and Memphis, Tenn. And over the next three months, the Touring Pro Division will stop in enticing tourist areas like Evergreen., Colo., Santa Barbara, Calif., and Livingston, Mont.
More than 60 PBR-approved shows are scheduled throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June, July and August.
Over 90 percent of them are Touring Pro or PBR International Division shows. And keep in mind, the prize money earned counts toward qualifying for the Oct. 20-24 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. With the Built Ford Tough Series at rest between mid-May and mid-July, many of the sport’s top stars will be competing on the Touring Pro and International Divisions.
“When you head into the summer, it’s a great time to see some of the big-name riders in a more relaxed setting,” said Lynn Wittenburg, a PBR vice president who heads up the event marketing department. “They don’t stop riding just because we stop having our Built Ford Tough events.”
For example, 2004 PBR World Champion Mike Lee, 1996 PBR World Finals average winner Ronny Kitchens and former PBR World Finals qualifiers Matt Bohon and Pistol Robinson have entered this weekend’s Touring Pro show in Ardmore, Okla. Fans conceivably can take in the Friday night show in Ardmore and then make a two-hour drive to Arlington, Texas, to catch Saturday’s Texas Ranger game against Tampa Bay. While in the DFW Metroplex, a family can visit the amusement and water parks and tour Cowboys Stadium.
“A lot of the big-name riders travel around and go to these vacation spot destinations so they don’t get rusty,” Wittenburg said. “You can combine a good summer vacation with a chance to see some of our key riders at vacation spots. So, why not combine your summer family vacation with a PBR event that you love?”
For those pondering where to go, here are eight suggestions:
Fort Myers, Fla. A Touring Pro Division show is scheduled for June 18-19 in this scenic city nestled along the shoreline of the Caloosahatchee River. Fort Myers is known as the historical heart of southwest Florida, beginning as a cow town in the 1800’s.
In recent years, Fort Myers’ historic downtown waterfront has undergone extensive renovation, with new restaurants, nightclubs, apartments, artistic venues, and cultural events overlooking the river at Centennial Park and the Fort Myers Yacht Basin.
With more than 2,000 royal palms on McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers is known as the “City of Palms,” a tradition started by plantings of Thomas Edison. Edison’s 14-acre Winter Home estate includes the famous inventor’s laboratory, botanical gardens (rubber plants were particularly important to him), and a museum. Next door is the winter residence of Edison’s friend and colleague Henry Ford. Legend has it that the V-8 engine was first thought up at Ford’s Florida get-away.
In nearby Cape Coral, there’s the Sun Splash Family Waterpark, featuring more than a dozen slides, pools, and tubes. Northeast of Fort Myers, tourists can try a swamp-buggy ride at the Crecent B Ranch Babcock Wilderness Adventures.
Evergreen, Colo. Tourists can visit the Denver area by attending the June 18 Touring Pro show in Evergreen. The city is nestled in the foothills west of Denver (about 35 minutes from downtown). At an elevation of 7,200 feet, surrounded by blue spruce and pine forests, the climate offers relief from the hot summers, with temperatures ranging from the high 70s to the low 80s.
One popular recreation area is Evergreen Lake. It sits above downtown Evergreen, which includes a mix of historic buildings and local businesses, including the well-known entertainment venue and restaurant The Little Bear.
The Lake is fed by tributaries from Mt. Evans and is known for its all-season recreational activities such as boating, fishing, birding, and concerts, and is bordered by mountain parks with miles of trails for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and horseback riding.
Calgary, Alberta. A PBR Canada Touring Pro show is scheduled for July 6-7. After that, some of the same contestants will compete in the bull riding segment of the July 9-18 Calgary Stampede Rodeo. The Stampede features 20 credentialed bull riders from various western riding associations. Some of the PBR contestants who have been invited to the 2010 edition are former PBR World Finals qualifiers Matt Bohon, Aaron Roy and Scott Schiffner.
For the past four years, a PBR rider has clinched the bull riding title at the Stampede. Ross Coleman won in 2006, Brian Canter claimed the title in 2007, Mike Lee was the 2008 champion and J.B. Mauney finished No. 1 in 2009.
Calgary offers an outstanding travel package, because the city is within 1.5 hours of the Canadian Rockies, one of North America’s most scenic mountain ranges. Each year, millions of visitors tour Banff National Park to gaze at the bright blue-and-emerald-colored lakes, and drive beneath the towering gray-colored jagged peaks.
Livingston, Mont. A Touring Pro Division show is scheduled for July 28, a time when tourists should be able to beat the heat in a small town that’s become known for cowboys and culture. Two years ago, Budget Travel named Livingston as one of the “10 Coolest Small Towns in the United States.” The magazine pointed out that its list of towns “all have fewer than 10,000 people — but they can rival larger cities when it comes to good food, culture, and quality of life.”
Livingston is the home of numerous artists, musicians, filmmakers, and writers. Many authors frequently attend each other's readings at Conley's Books & Music, bands play several nights a week at The Owl Lounge and western artists show their works at Visions West Gallery.
“The great thing about all of these small town events is the fan,” Wittenburg said. “We’re really able to get out to our fan base knowing we have the greatest fans in the world. We’re able to go into some of these towns that are so hospitable and there’s so much to do.”
Another big plus about attending Livingston’s Touring Pro show is the town is only a hour north of the main entrance to Yellowstone National Park. A family easily can use Livingston as a base and make multiple visits into the park.
Santa Barbara, Calif. A Touring Pro Division show is scheduled for Aug. 5 in this coastal city renowned for its fair weather, downtown beaches, and Spanish architecture. The Touring Pro show will be held in conjunction with the city’s annual Fiesta (originally called “Old Spanish Days”), traditionally celebrated every year in early August. The 2010 edition, scheduled for Aug. 4-8, includes Mission tours, Spanish dancers, Mariachi bands and parades and western riding events.
Molalla, Ore. Longtime PBR Built Ford Tough Series star Ross Coleman will head up a Touring Pro show that bears his name on Aug. 6-7. Molalla is near the scenic Mt. Hood National Forest, which extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than sixty miles of forested mountains, lakes and streams to Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mt. Jefferson. The Forest encompasses some 1,067,043 acres.
Tourists take in fishing, camping, boating and hiking in the summer. A popular destination is Timberline Lodge, which offers a ski area that’s always open.
Molalla also is near Portland, a notable tourist area with lots of water and wooded areas as backdrops.
Memphis, Tenn. The Built Ford Tough Series stops in Elvis Presley’s stomping grounds on Aug. 20-21. The city’s 60-plus standout attractions include music museums, art galleries, pro-sports arenas, Mississippi riverboat tours and the Memphis Zoo.
A must-visit is Graceland, the a large white-columned mansion and 13.8-acre estate that was home to Presley. The rock legend purchased Graceland in early 1957 for approximately $100,000. He died at the estate on August 16, 1977, and was buried on the property alongside family members.
The Graceland grounds include a museum containing many Elvis artifacts, like some of his famous Vegas jumpsuits, awards, gold records, the Lisa Marie jetliner, and Elvis' extensive auto collection.
After taking the Graceland and Beale Street music business tours, travelers can hit the flipside of Memphis at the W.C. Handy House Museum, Shelby Farms (billed as one of the largest urban parks in the country with 4,500 acres), or the Ornamental Metal Museum.
Ontario, Calif. By attending the Aug. 28-29 Built Ford Tough Series show, travelers can tour the Los Angeles area, which is known for its famous diverse beaches. Along the Pacific shore, Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey and Palos Verde are high-class residential beach communities. Venice Beach, on the other hand, is known for roller-bladers and muscular weight lifters. Long Beach is a thriving seaport with a vibrant commercial district. The scenic Laguna Beach has a large artist's community.
Hollywood is the historic home of the nation’s old movie studios, and Beverly Hills is the most notable hometown of its film stars. Travelers can drive along the western terminus of historic Route 66 on Santa Monica Boulevard, or stroll along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Strip. In nearby Burbank, there are tours of modern movie and television studios. In Anaheim, there’s the original Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.
For a complete list of this summer’s Touring Pro events, click here.
