KUTZTOWN FOLK FESTIVAL / GREEN DRAGON
2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT / 1 MEAL
THURSDAY, JULY 5 – FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012
DAY 1: Travel to Kutztown, Pennsylvania where traditional Pennsylvania Dutch folklore comes alive at one of the oldest festivals in America. This German festival celebrates with the best early American arts and crafts, food and non-stop, live entertainment. Folk art and traditional crafts have been passed down over many generations from the 19th century from artistic wood carvers, metal crafts, quilters, pottery making and fine handmade furniture. When we depart the Festival, we travel to Ephrata where we overnight at the Hampton Inn & Suites. Dinner this evening will be on your own at Applebee’s next door to the hotel.
DAY 2: We check out of the hotel after breakfast and travel to the famous Green Dragon Market, one of the biggest Farmers Markets on the East Coast. Here you will find all kinds of food, as well as a vast selection of antiques, crafts, books, flowers and countless other bargains in seven indoor buildings and at outdoor vendors. We depart for home late afternoon with a stop for dinner on your own.
Price Per Person: Double $169; Triple $159; Single $229
EXPLORE PHILADELPHIA
TUESDAY, JULY 10 – THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS /
DAY 1: Travel to Philadelphia with a stop for lunch on your own. On arrival, visit the US Mint (closes at 3:00 p.m.) and the National Constitution Center (directly across the street) on your own. Here you will be able to view the actual minting process taking place and visit the store which sells many uncirculated coins. Next stop will be National Constitution Center. This 160,000 square foot interactive facility is dedicated to helping people better understand the Constitution and its impact on our lives, as well as preparing us to be better citizens. The Freedom Rising program followed by a self-guided tour of the multimedia interactive exhibits and artifacts offrs something to everyone from the serious scholar and the casual historian from the young to young at heart. Check into the Holiday Inn in Philadelphia’s historic district. This evening enjoy a three-course dinner at City Tavern followed by a visit to the State House of Colonial Pennsylvania (Independence Hall) to witness a debate between some of the founding fathers. Meal choices include Turkey Pot Pie, Beef Pie or Salmon (please make selection upon booking), Tavern country salad and Chef’s choice of dessert.
DAY 2: Start the day with a full American breakfast. After breakfast, we meet our guide for a guided tour of Philadelphia. We will spend the day exploring “America’s Most Historic Square Mile”. We visit Independence Hall, Congress Hall, the Liberty Bell, Christ Church, Elfreth’s Alley, the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church Burial Ground and the Free Quaker Meeting House. Lunch will be on your own. You will return to the hotel after the tour and will have time for dinner on your own this evening.
DAY 3: Enjoy a full American breakfast prior to check out. We depart the hotel and travel to Valley Forge for a guided tour of the famous Revolutionary War encampment site during the winter of 1777 - 1778. We depart for home following the tour with a stop for lunch on your own.
Price Per Person: Double $379; Triple $349; Single $499
ESCAPE TO THE CAPE
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 –
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS / 7 MEALS
DAY 1: On arrival in Cape Cod, we meet our guide at the Sagamore Bridge. We travel to Sandwich, the oldest town in Cape Cod where you will have time for lunch on your own before we begin our touring. You will view the Village Green, the Great Salt Marsh, a Cranberry Bog and Cape Cod Bay. Sandwich became the site of one of America’s largest glass factories. Next, we travel to mid-Cape where we will take a tour of Hyannis. Visit the John F. Kennedy Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, Hyannisport and a view of St. Francis Xavier Church, the summer parish of the Kennedy family. Please remember this is an active house of worship and there will be certain times that we cannot enter the sanctuary. Late afternoon, we check into the Holiday Inn Hyannis Hotel. Dinner will be at the Barnstable Tavern. Meal choices include baked scrod topped with cracker crumbs, grilled chicken with roasted mushroom sauce or pasta with prosciutto, peas and parmesan cream (please make selection upon booking).
DAY 2: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we depart with our guide for the Hy-line Docks to board the traditional ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. On arrival, you will board a local bus for a sightseeing tour. Learn about the history and lifestyles of the islanders as you pass through Vineyard Haven. You will have free time for lunch and shopping in the historic whaling town of Edgartown. Complete your day on the island in Oak Bluffs where you can stroll through “Cottage City” with its brightly painted cottages and decorative “gingerbread” trim. We travel back to the mainland for dinner.
DAY 3: After breakfast at the hotel, it’s off on a full day of touring with our guide. We travel historic Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway, a scenic byway winding through centuries of Cape Cod history, as it winds past hundreds of historic structures which characterize its early development. View the Eastham Windmill, a Cape Cod Lighthouse and drive through the Cape Cod National Seashore area and visit the Visitor’s Center. Sand dunes and the ocean surround you as you approach “Land’s End” – Provincetown. You are now at the extreme tip of Cape Cod. Take some time to enjoy the wonderful variety of restaurants, shops and galleries that make this artists/fishermen village so unique. Enjoy lunch on your own. This afternoon travel to the “south side” of the Cape to the seaside village of Chatham where you will view Chatham Light, a lifesaving beacon for sailors throughout the Cape’s history. 
Chatham’s location at the Cape’s “Elbow” makes it very vulnerable to winter storms and the guide will point out the Chatham Break and the dramatic changes to the shoreline that have occurred, thanks to Mother Nature. Stroll along Main Street, an exclusive mile of specialty shops. Tonight a lobster dinner is included. An alternate entrée will be available for any “landlubber” not wishing to eat shellfish. (Meal selection must be chosen upon booking.)
DAY 4: We check out of the hotel after breakfast and meet our guide for a tour of America’s Hometown – Plymouth. As one of the country’s first settlements, it is well known in the United States for its historical value. A photo stop will be made at the Forefather’s Monument, the largest, solid granite monument in the United States. It stands facing the harbor, welcoming those who come by water. Visit Plymouth Rock, the traditional site of disembarkation of the Pilgrims in 1620. Board the Mayflower II, a reproduction of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World. Learn about the 1620 voyage, the perils of maritime travel and the tools of 17th century navigation. You also visit Plimoth Plantation, the first permanent European settlement in Southern New England. This is the site of a living museum dedicated to recreating 17th century life in the New World with the Wampanoags. Here you will step back in time as costumed interpreters portray residents of the colony. Before departing for home, enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving turkey luncheon at the Plantation.
Price Per Person: Double $599; Triple $559; Single $779
EXPLORE MONTREAL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 – MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2012
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS / NO MEALS
PASSPORT OR PASSPORT CARD IS REQUIRED.
Day 1: Travel to Montreal and check into the Holiday Inn Midtown. Dinner this evening will be on your own.
Day 2: Breakfast this morning will be on your own. After breakfast, join a local guide for a three-hour tour of Old and New Montreal. The guide will highlight many outstanding landmarks including the narrow streets and quaint outdoor cafes of Old Montreal. You will also view the impressive skyscrapers and fabulous sights of the modern downtown area of New Montreal. After the city tour, you will have time for lunch on your own. This afternoon take a trip to the Casino du Montreal or stay in the downtown area for shopping. Dinner this evening is on your own.
Day 3: Check out of hotel after breakfast. You will have time to explore this fascinating city on your own before we depart for home with a stop in Lake George for lunch and exploring on your own.
Price Per Person: Double $295; Triple $255; Single $435
NIAGARA FALLS
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS / 6 MEALS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
PASSPORT OR PASSPORT CARD IS REQUIRED.
Day 1: Travel to Niagara Falls and check into the Best Western Fallsview. This hotel is located directly across from the Niagara Fallsview Casino and just a 10-minute walk from the Falls. It is a non-smoking property and features an indoor pool, restaurant and lounge. You will have time to freshen up before dinner at Betty’s Restaurant, one of the most popular local restaurants in the area. When seated, you will be given a choice of entrée. After dinner, you are free to spend time in the Park for the Lights on the Falls or visit the Niagara Fallsview Casino.
Day 2: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel (use the voucher provided with your room key). You have free time this morning to explore on your own. At 1:30 p.m. we will board the coach and depart for Niagara-on-the-Lake with a tour guide. We arrive at The Pillar & Post Inn, an enchanting property with 123 individually appointed guest rooms, the understated elegance of early Upper Canada surrounded in old fashion country charm. This is where you will enjoy an Afternoon Tea. After tea, we travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s main street for free time to shop. Dinner this evening will be at the Queenston Heights Restaurant on the edge of the Niagara escarpment with the Niagara River below. You will be given a choice of entrée when seated. After dinner, it’s back to the Falls where you will enjoy dessert at Elements Restaurant at the Falls.
Day 3: After breakfast at the hotel (use the voucher provided with your room key), we depart with a local guide for a 3 hour tour. You will travel the beautiful Niagara River Parkway and view the Floral Clock with various other stops along the way, including a winery tour. We return to the Clifton Hill area for lunch on your own. After lunch meet the bus and travel to board the Maid of the Mist for a close-up look at the Falls. We return to the hotel for time to freshen up before dinner at the Mandarin Restaurant featuring North American and International Cuisine. This award-winning buffet has an extensive soup and salad bar, grill tables, a prime rib counter, a sushi corner and a variety of hot foods, as well as a dessert and ice cream sundae bar.
Day 4: Check out of the hotel after breakfast (use the voucher provided with your room key). A stop will be made at the Duty-Free Shop prior to leaving Canada.
Price Per Person: Double $515; Triple $495; Single $625
LANCASTER
JONAH @ SIGHT & SOUND / MARKET BASKET TOUR
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – WEDNEDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT / 2 MEALS
Day 1: Travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A stop will be made en route for lunch on your own. We will check into the Country Inn of Lancaster where you will have time to freshen up before the 4:15 p.m. performance of “Jonah” at Sight & Sound Millenium Theater. After the show, enjoy dinner at Miller’s Smorgasbord.
Day 2: Check out of the hotel after breakfast and meet our step-on guide for a Market Basket Tour. First stop will be the Basket Warehouse where everyone gets a market basket and opportunity for shopping. Then, it’s off to Sturgis Pretzel, the first commercial pretzel bakery in America. Founded in 1861, this historic location is still maintained today by the Sturgis family. Located in beautiful Lititz, Pennsylvania, this tour provides a fun and insightful look at the birth of pretzel baking in the region. During the tour, you will get a hands-on lesson in pretzel twisting, learn about the history of pretzel baking in America, see the original 19th-century pretzel ovens built by Julius Sturgis, and receive a small sample bag of hard pretzels baked by America's original pretzel-baking family. Next stop is Wilbur Chocolate, where you can take a deep breath and listen to the curious sounds of the manufacturing plant. This old-fashioned candy store offers a friendly atmosphere that will stir delightful memories of yesteryear and put a smile on each visitor's face, young and old. Watch as they make their own hand-made fudge. Leave with a box of Wilbur buds. You will have time for lunch and shopping on your own in downtown Lititz. Receive a loaf of raisin bread from Michael’s Bakery at the Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market. Final stop before we depart for home will be Kitchen Kettle Village where you will receive a jar of jelly and the opportunity to shop.
Price Per Person: Double $239; Triple $219; Single $289
GETTYSBURG & THE CIVIL WAR
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2012
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS / 6 MEALS
Day 1: Travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with a stop for lunch on your own. On arrival, visit the Gettysburg Visitor’s Center where you will see a film narrated by Morgan Freeman which introduces you to the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg placing those monumental events into the larger context of American history and helping you understand that what happened in the past is very relevant in the present day. You will see the Cyclorama, a massive, 360-degree “Battle of Gettysburg” painting in the round which was first exhibited in 1884. Today, this colossal experience is exhibited the way the artist originally intended with the painting (measuring 377 feet around and 42 feet high), a canopy that removes the building’s architectural features from your sight and a three-dimensional diorama, which carries the painted scene into the foreground. All of these elements combine for an illusion of immersion and you will feel as though you are surrounded by the fury of Pickett’s Charge on the third and final day of the Battle of Gettysburg. After our visit, we join a guide for a battlefield tour. Prior to checking into the 1863 Inn of Gettysburg, enjoy a buffet dinner at the Dobbin House.
Day 2: After breakfast, we visit the Jennie Wade House Museum. Authentically furnished from cellar to attic, the museum is a shrine to Jennie and to life and living during the American Civil War. Jennie Wade was the only Gettysburg citizen killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. The walls of the old house tell the story of the building and of those in it during the Great Battle. You can see the holes in the door through which the bullets entered the small kitchen to take the life of Jennie. Next, take a step back in time as you visit the Shriver House Museum, dedicated to the civilian experience during the Battle of Gettysburg. Restored to its 1860’s appearance, you will be able to visualize what life was like back in the mid-1800’s and gain a better understanding of how the battle affected the 2400 citizens who called Gettysburg “home”. Tours include every room in the home, plus the Confederate sharpshooters’ nest in the attic. Prior to a guided historic walking tour, enjoy lunch on your own in the downtown area. You will also have free time for shopping, sightseeing or relaxing prior to dinner at the Carriage House Inn. After dinner, it’s off on a ghost story bus tour.
Day 3: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we embark on a full day of touring. First stop is the David Wills House Museum. This museum is dedicated to the memory of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the remarkable recovery of a town devastated by war. The museum features five museum galleries and two recreated rooms, the David Wills Law Office and the Lincoln Bedroom and guides you through the days, weeks and months after the battle. It illustrates President Lincoln’s historic visit to the devastated town, the immortal words of the Gettysburg Address and the legacy of hope and healing that they brought and continue to bring to our nation. Next, visit the Lincoln Train Museum which features over 1,000 toy trains and dioramas illustrating the railroad’s role during the Civil War, including a complete Civil War military railroad. Visitors may board the simulated Presidential Train with President Lincoln as he travels to Gettysburg to dedicate the National Cemetery. As you travel to Gettysburg for the dedication, see the Civil War countryside passing by while listening to the personal thoughts of President Lincoln preparing to deliver a few appropriate remarks. Then, it’s off to the Hall of Presidents Museum featuring the area’s only complete wax collection of American Presidents and their first ladies. Enjoy lunch on your own prior to the guided walking tour of the National Cemetery. Our final stop today is the Eisenhower Farm Tour. This is the National Historic Site of the home and farm of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, the farm served the President as a weekend retreat and meeting place for world leaders. Enjoy a dinner buffet at General Picketts and see Living History and Looking for A. Lincoln at Battle Theater.
Day 4: Check out of the hotel after breakfast and visit the American Civil War Wax Museum for a self-guided tour that presents a concise history of the Civil War era and the Battle of Gettysburg. Throughout five hallways of scenes, the American Civil War Museum recreates history with life-sized dioramas of the Civil War. The tour begins with the economical, social and political causes of the war and ends with the untimely assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Following the self-guided tour, you enter into the internationally acclaimed, digitally enhanced Battleroom Auditorium. Amidst the sounds of thunderous battle cries and bullets, witness a life-sized recreation of the Battle of Gettysburg. Discover how a small town in rural Pennsylvania became known for one of the bloodiest battles in American history. An animated Abraham Lincoln delivering the immortal Gettysburg Address follows the battle re-creation. Before we depart for home, you will have time for lunch on your own.
Price Per Person: Double $579; Triple $499; Single $819
BRANSON / ST. LOUIS
10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS / 18 MEALS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 –
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012
Day 1: Travel to Cambridge, Ohio where we overnight at the Comfort Inn Cambridge. Dinner this evening will be on your own at the Cracker Barrel adjacent to the hotel.
Day 2: Check out of hotel after breakfast and travel to St. Louis. Accommodations will be at the Lumiere Place Hotel & Casino with a buffet dinner at your leisure. This evening you will receive a $10 free slot play at the casino.
Day 3: We check out of the hotel after breakfast and travel to the Gateway Arch for a tram ride to the top of the Arch. If you are afraid of height , you can sign up for the Making of the Arch Movie. You will have free time at Union Station for lunch on your own. After lunch, depart for Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis for a tour. Prior to leaving St. Louis, take a drive through Forest Park. We arrive in St. Charles and check into the Country Inn & Suites. Dinner this evening will be at R.T. Weiler’s Restaurant.
Day 4: After breakfast at the hotel, we check out of the hotel and depart for a tour of St. Charles with a costumed guide. Then, it’s off to Branson. Enjoy a buffet lunch at the Sirloin Stockade Restaurant in Rolla, Missouri. We arrive in Branson late afternoon and check into the Barrington Hotel. Dinner this evening will be at Ruby Tuesday’s (West 76). After dinner, enjoy the Hughes Brothers Show at the Hughes Brothers Celebrity Theater.
Day 5: Start your day with a deluxe breakfast. Depart with our guide for a two-hour area tour. After the tour, it’s off to the Showboat Branson Belle for a lunch cruise. You will have free time for shopping at White River Landing prior to the cruise. After the cruise, we depart for Stone Hill Winery for a tour and tasting. Enjoy dinner this evening at Mel’s Hard Luck Diner, with some free time for shopping at Grand Village. Tonight enjoy the Gatlin Brothers & Debby Boone Show at the Mansion Theatre.
Day 6: Enjoy a deluxe breakfast before we depart for the Discovery Imax Mall. Here, we will see the John Denver Tribute Show. You will have time after the show for shopping and lunch on your own. This afternoon we see the Lennon Sisters Christmas Show at the Andy Williams Moon River Theater. We return to the hotel so you can freshen up before dinner at the Plaza View Restaurant with Kenny Parrott. After dinner, sit back and enjoy the Festival of Lights drive through Christmas Lighting Display.
Day 7: After a deluxe breakfast, we depart for the Titanic Museum where the Legend continues. You will have time in old downtown Branson for lunch on your own before we travel to the Yakov Smirnoff Theater for the Yakov Smirnoff Show. We return to the hotel to freshen up prior to dinner at Landry’s Seafood Restaurant. After dinner, it’s off to the Welk Resort Theater for the Tony Orlando show.
Day 8: Enjoy a deluxe breakfast at the hotel. For those of you who wish to attend Mass, you may do so at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. We will return to the hotel after Mass to pick the group up, check out of the hotel and depart for St. Louis. We stop in Rolla for lunch at the Miller Grill inside Benton Square and then continue on to St. Louis. On arrival, we tour the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Accommodations this evening will be at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in Maryland Heights. Enjoy the dinner buffet at your leisure or use the $20 voucher at other restaurants. You will also receive $5 cash for use in the casino.
Day 9: Check out of the hotel after a breakfast buffet and travel back to Cambridge, OH where we overnight at the Comfort Inn Cambridge. Dinner will be on your own at the Cracker Barrel adjacent to the hotel.
Day 10: Depart for home after breakfast.
Price Per Person: Double $1,469; Triple $1,339 Single $1,899
