Great Day! Scheduled Tour Summary

Transcription

1 1 Great Day! Scheduled Tour Summary TEXAS & THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST TUE - MON APR 16-29, Departures, as applicable, from Willoughby, Beachwood, Independence, North Olmsted, Middleburg Heights, Medina, Mansfield, Columbus, Grove City, Washington CH. This 14-day tour is offered every three years and we invite you to consider it for As always, we ve scheduled the departure so that we will be arriving in San Antonio for the Illuminated Parade of Lights, part of their annual Fiesta Texas Celebration. There s nothing quite like this river parade as festive music fills the air and vibrant floats pass our seats on the banks of the San Antonio River. And, as always, this upgraded tour has rooms at a hotel right on the Riverwalk with cocktails and dinner each evening. Besides that portion of this tour, a staple since the first time it operated many years ago, we ve added a couple of new attractions that we think will enhance your travel experience even more.... We will be touring Elvis s Graceland Mansion in Memphis, dining at the spectacular Marlsgate Plantation, visiting the William J. Clinton Library & Museum, touring Little Rock and sitting back, after dinner, to enjoy the first of two live performances, this one being the musical Sister Act. Then it s on to Hot Springs, Arkansas (one of two visits our tours will be making this year) to learn and see the history of gangsters in this town, before arriving in Fort Worth, Texas, where we will be selecting our dinner from the Trailblazers Menu at the Cattlemen s Steakhouse in the Stockyards area... home of great steaks! Other fascinating inclusions will have you visiting the Waco Mammoth National Monument, a paleontological site and museum where fossils of 24 Columbian mammoths and other mammals have been uncovered. We are anticipating a stop, at lunch time, at Magnolia Market at the Silos that has been popularized on recent television series. Our passengers have always been fascinated and entertained at the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Texas Ranger Lawman Museum. Dinner will be served at a bistro this evening. All tour details are anticipated at the time that the Scheduled Tour Brochure was prepared and specific stops and/or other inclusions are subject to change or elimination without notice. Tours typically depart between 6:30 AM and 8 AM with the exact time shown on the itinerary you will receive approximately one to two weeks prior to the tour departure. Most tours return about 8 PM to 10 PM, although this may vary.

2 2 We will be touring a couple of missions and churches in San Antonio and, of course, The Alamo, originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero. It was founded in the 18th century as a Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound and is best known for the 1836 standoff between a group of Texans, led by Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, as they battled Mexican dictator Santa Anna. In Louisiana we will be enjoying two cities, Lake Charles and then two nights in New Orleans where you will be enjoying a dinner jazz cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the city and stroll the decks of this beautiful boat while listening to the swing-style music of the Dukes of Dixieland. Dinner will include selections such as chicken & sausage gumbo, steamship round, pork loin, bayou seafood pasta and all the side dishes & desserts, southern-style. We will be boarding the USS Alabama in Mobile Bay, touring the Monroeville Court House, made famous in the Gregory Peck movie To Kill A Mockingbird, the Rosa Parks Museum and dining at a Catfish House at dinner time. Our tour continues in Birmingham, and dining at their premier restaurant, The Bright Star, which is always a delicious dining experience with our passengers. But there s still more as we enjoy the second show on this tour, Newsies. This musical, a smash-hit on Broadway, is filled with song and high-energy dance numbers and is based on the New York City newsboys striking against unfair working conditions. Our staff is sure that this is a package which you ll enjoy, given the traditional inclusions that we ve offered for years, the new attractions added and our continuing practice of including many great meals in our tour. TEXAS & THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST APRIL Day package includes 24 meals $2844 per person in a double $2779 per person in a triple $2714 per person in a quad $3725 per person in a single Deposit to book, $100 per person; we accept all major credit cards and checks. Tours can now be booked online, 24 hours a day with a credit card. DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY FOLLOWS... PLEASE CONTINUE READING > > >

3 3 DETAILED ITINERARY FOR THIS TOUR Tuesday, April 16 th Coffee break mid-morning; lunch stop at Cracker Barrel Restaurant, Cincinnati area. There will be a mid-afternoon rest stop, arrive Drury Inn Nashville; cocktails and supper included. Time to relax and, if interested, take a swim in the indoor-outdoor pool. Wednesday, April 17 th We will be enjoying a breakfast buffet at the hotel this morning. A coffee break will be made midmorning enroute to Memphis; arriving about 12 Noon. Lunch stop at one of Elvis Presley s Graceland restaurants. Then we will be touring Graceland Mansion, exploring the personal side of Elvis Presley. From our first step inside the mansion to his Jungle Room and the various rooms, through his beautiful Meditation Garden, you ll be seeing how the King of Rock & Roll lived. Our journey into the past continues at Marlsgate Plantation on Bearskin Lake; it s a statelycolumned mansion, designed in Greek Revival, and shaded by ancient oaks and pecan trees. Following our tour we will be dining in style at this 1850 plantation home, the sight of many weddings and events. After dinner we will travel about 14 miles to the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel in Little Rock for a two-night stay. Thursday, April 18 th After breakfast, our Little Rock local guide will be taking us through the area, starting at the William J. Clinton Library and Museum, learning of the integration at North Little Rock High School and stopping for lunch at River Market. After stopping back at the hotel to freshen up, we will be guests at Murry s Dinner Playhouse to dine and then see the musical production of Sister Act before returning to the hotel. Friday, April 19 th Following breakfast, we will be traveling about an hour south to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where we will be seeing the city, known for its naturally-warm water and bath houses, many of which were frequented by famous people and even gangsters from the Chicago area. Our host will be entertaining us at the Gangster Museum of America. Stops will be made for lunch and a mid-afternoon rest break as we travel to the Radisson Hotel in Fort Worth. Fort Worth is known for its many ranches and steakhouses so we have reservations for a fabulous meal, one of the highlights of this tour, at Cattleman s Steakhouse in the Stockyards Tourist Area. Bon Appetit or whatever they say in Texas!

4 4 Saturday, April 20 th Breakfast is again included before we travel into Waco to visit the Mammoth National Monument, a paleontological site and museum where fossils of 24 Columbian mammoths and other mammals have been uncovered. We plan on making a stop for lunch at Magnolia Market at the Silos, popularized on the recent television series. Our afternoon stops include the fascinating Dr. Pepper Museum and the Texas Ranger Lawman Museum. Dinner will be served at a Bistro this evening. We will be staying at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Waco this evening. Sunday, April 21 st After breakfast we will continue southward, arriving for 2 nights at the Drury Inn & Suites, right on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. This will be the perfect location for the highlight of the tour (tomorrow evening). A cocktail reception is included this evening, followed by supper. The evening is yours to enjoy the activities along the Riverwalk. Monday, April 22 nd A great breakfast buffet awaits you this morning before we depart on our tour. We will be visiting various sites such as a Spanish Mission, cathedral and, of course, the Alamo. A visit will be made at the Rivercenter to view The Alamo film at the Imax Theater. The Alamo, originally named Mision San Antonio de Valero, was founded in the 18 th century as a Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound and is best known for the 1836 standoff between a group of Texans, led by Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, as they battled Mexican Dictator Santa Anna. After supper we have reserved seats in Rows A & B along the Riverwalk for the Texas Cavailier River Parade of Lights... the highlight of this annual tour package. Tuesday, April 23 rd Breakfast is incldued and then we check out to travel eastward through Houston enroute to Louisiana with a stop for coffee and lunch enroute. We will be making a stop or two in the Lake Charles, Louisiana, area before dinner is included this evening. We ve got a great location for our rooms tonight... the Golden Nugget Casino Hotel with time to try your luck, if you are so inclined. Wednesday, April 24 th Details of this morning s activities, after breakfast, if any, are being finalized at this time. We will continue eastward through Louisiana to the Big E- Z, New Orleans. We will be staying two nights on Poydras Street, centrally located off Canal Street, the French Quarter and not too far from Harrah s Casino. There is always plenty to do in this area.

5 5 Thursday, April 25 th The day is yours to enjoy all that this historic city has to offer with the bus making drop-offs at the various points of interest such as Mardi Gras World, the National World War II Museum and more. We wiill depart the hotel for the dock to board the Steamboat Natchez for its evening dinner jazz cruise. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the city and stroll the decks of this beautiful boat while listening to the swing-style music of the Dukes of Dixieland. Dinner will include selections such as chicken & sausage gumbo, steamship round, pork loin, bayou seafood pasta and all the side dishes and desserts. Friday, April 26 th A few hour drive takes us to Mobile, Alabama, where we will be touring the USS Alabama, a retired Navy battleship. Then its off to the Monroeville Court House, made famous in the Gregory Peck movie To Kill A Mockingbird. We always attempt to take our passengers to enjoy local cuisine and this tour is no different as you dine on your menu choice at a catfish house. Tonight s acoommodations will be at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Montgomery. Saturday, April 27 th Following breakfast we will be touring the Rosa Parks Museum, learning about the efforts of this Civil Rights pioneer. Upon our arrival in Birmingham we will be taking a brief tour of what was originally nicknamed The Pittsburgh of the South due to its many steel-making companies. Dinner is served in Bessemer, Alabama at a historic landmark, the Bright Star Restaurant which has been serving meals in a classic setting since Sunday, April 28 th We will be traveling north towards the Louisville-Clarksville area after breakfast where we will be checking into the Radisson Hotel to freshen up before a dinner buffet, followed by a performance by the dining staff and then the smashhit Broadway musical that s filled one heart-pounding, high-energy dance number after another... Newsies. This story is based on the New York City newsboys striking against unfair working conditions. Monday, April 29 th A relaxing breakfast is included before we depart and head northward, towards home. While we have been traveling through the south, our lunch stop will be from the southern-part of Germany at the Munich-styled Hofbrauhaus Newport as we talk about all the great places that have been included in this tour package.