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Day 1: Sunday, February 28 – Heading South! -
Leaving the Minnesota winter behind, our group looks ahead to warm
temperatures, sunny weather, and to visiting exciting places in
Arizona. Noon lunch is included in Sioux City, Iowa. Traveling
through a portion of Nebraska and Kansas, we get acquainted with our
travel companions before arriving to Topeka, KS and to our hotel.
(L)
Day 2: Monday, March 1 – Cowboy Hall of Fame! - After
lunch in Perry, OK, we are introduced to the “ways of
the old west,” through exhibits and paintings at the
Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Later at the
Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial we walk among the
memorials and memories of the victims and rescuers whose lives were
changed at the bombing site of Murrah Federal building.
This afternoon we follow “Americas Mother Road” old
Route 66, to Elk City, OK and the Holiday Inn. (B) (L)
Day 3: Tuesday, March 2 – Great Plains of Texas! -
This morning we enter the panhandle of Texas. The rolling grasslands
of the Great Plains flow for mile after
mile. We pass the Palo Duro Canyon which was once the
home of the Comanche’s. Today it is the home of big
ranches which cover millions of acres. Even though Texas is on the
huge side of being big, we only travel through a small portion on
our way to Carlsbad, NM and our accommodations for the evening. (B)
(L)
Day 4: Wednesday, March 3 – Carlsbad National Park and
White Sands National Park! - It is hard to believe, but
Carlsbad is an agriculture area. Due to dams and canals they raise
cotton, alfalfa, and vegetables. Just 20 miles south in the
Guadalupe Mountain foothills, lie the showpiece of Carlsbad
National Park, the Carlsbad Caverns. Each person will be
getting speakers before taking an elevator down to a series of huge
rooms that form one of the world’s largest caves. After viewing the
stalagmites, stalactites, and columns, we travel to Alamogordo to
visit one of the strangest sites in the world, White Sands
National Park. With a ranger aboard our coach drives into the
Tularosa Basin where we hear how these huge snow-white
dunes were formed. It looks barren! You’ll be surprised to learn
about the wildlife and flowers that live and thrive in these
peculiar surroundings. It’s a short ride back to Alamogordo and to
our motel. (B)
Day 5: Thursday, March 4 – Tombstone! - Leaving New
Mexico, our Arizona Adventure begins by traveling west to
Tombstone. To understand the West we begin in this (San Pedro)
Valley. After reading the Tombstone’s in Boot Hill, we’ll go
downtown to see where the famous fight of the OK Corral took
place. There’s time to explore this unique little town and visit the
gift shops before we leave. Then it’s off to Tucson for a two-night
stay. (B) (L)
Day 6: Friday, March 5 – Highlights of Tucson! -
Aaahh! Sunshine, dry air and mountains! Our day begins by driving
through the Saguaro National Monument to the Sonora
Desert Museum. This is a living museum containing around
300 live species of birds and desert animals, grasses, cactus and
plants native to the area. Next it’s off to Old Tucson Studios
to see where the “West Was Won” many times over in
great western movies. Highlights include stagecoach rides,
live gunfights, saloon shows and stunt demonstrations.
Later this afternoon, we check out the architecture of the old
Spanish Mission, San Xavier. Before
returning to our hotel, we spend some time checking out various
airplanes at the Pima Air Museum. (B)
Day 7: Saturday, March 6 – Barleen’s Arizona Opry! -
The Casa Grande (big house) was built by a prehistoric people
called Hohokam. No one knows why they left or where
they went. A Ranger tells us about their culture, irrigation and
farming methods used over 600 years ago. This was a walled village
and the Visitors Center features a small museum which houses more
exhibits of their lives. This afternoon we travel to Mesa where we
check into our hotel. This evening at Barleen’s Arizona Opry
you’ll enjoy a scrumptious meal and lively entertainment. (B) (D)
Day 8: Sunday, March 7 – Phoenix Area Tour! - A
local guide joins us for an orientation tour of Phoenix and
the surrounding area. After learning about the colorful people who
settled the Valley and how it grew, the afternoon is spent at the
Mesa Market Place. After shopping for craft items, books
and unusual buys, we return to the hotel for a free evening and
manager’s reception. (B)
Day 9: Monday, March 8 – Tortilla Flats! - Our coach
ride up the Apache Trail is not pulled by a
20-mule-team hitch, but we are visiting an old mining town,
Tortilla Flats. After free time in this “one horse town,”
and before returning to Scottsdale, we travel back to Canyon
Lake for a luncheon cruise on the Dolly Steamboat. Later a
stop at the Goldfield Ghost Town will have you watching your
back while strolling on dusty streets and wooden sidewalks. (B)
Day 10: Tuesday, March 9 – Wildlife World Zoo – Are
you ready for a walk on the wild side? Today you can walk with the
Wild Ones at the Wildlife World Zoo. There are 2400 animals
with 400 of them on the endangered species list. They have parrot
feeding, giraffe feeding, and wildlife encounters. Adjoining the Zoo
is the Aquarium. Your ticket includes all three buildings of
aquatic species. The evening is free to visit friends or enjoy our
accommodations. (B)
Day 11: Wednesday, March 10 – Sedona! - We’ve
visited an early Indian culture and this morning we’re visiting a
second. They called themselves the Sinagua Indians.
They lived in a 20 room dwelling reached by ladders. We call this
dwelling Montezuma Castle. Even though, this 5 story dwelling
perched on a vertical cliff is not a castle and had nothing to do
with Montezuma. Next our coach brings us through scenic red rocks to
the small town of Sedona. We board a Sedona Trolley
for a tour and a ride out to the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
The chapel is tucked between two large red sandstone peaks with a 90
foot cross dominating the structure. Leaving the red rocks behind we
enter the lush gorges of Oak Creek Canyon.
Early evening we arrive in Flagstaff for a two night stay. (B)
Day 12: Thursday, March 11 - Grand Canyon! -
The Grand Canyon is the highlight today! This morning we take
our motorcoach to the Grand Canyon National Park. A noon
lunch will be included on arrival to the park. Then we travel along
the southeast rim of the canyon with picture stops at overlooks with
spectacular views. After taking many pictures and buying some
souvenirs, we return to the hotel in Flagstaff. (B) (L)
Day 13: Friday, March 12 – Petrified Forest National Park!
- Our Arizona Adventure continues as we travel
east to the Petrified Forest National Park. Petrified logs
lay where they fell millions of years ago. Dinosaurs and other
reptiles once roamed the area, and many fossil bones and fossil
plants have been found in the park. Early afternoon we leave Arizona
and travel to Albuquerque, NM for our overnight stay. (B)
Day 14: Saturday, March 13 – Land of Enchantment! -
New Mexico is called the “Land of Enchantment.” We
experience this enchantment in Santa Fe by following the Old
Pecos Trail into historic downtown ending at the Plaza. This is
the end of the Santa Fe Trail! Here we also learn the secret
of the Loretto Chapel. This afternoon we’ll more or less
follow the Santa Fe Trail through Raton Pass and into
Colorado. Tonight we stay in a suburb of Denver. (B) (L)
Day 15: Sunday, March 14 – Great Platte River Archway
Monument! - Leaving the hustle and bustle of Denver and
traveling into the country, our coach follows the South Platte
River through Nebraska. After passing some huge farms and
stockyards we arrive to the Great Platte River Archway Monument.
This tells the story of the Westward Movement during
the 1800’s. Tonight we stay in York, NE. (B) (L)
Day 16, Monday, March 15 – Homeward Bound! -
This is the last day on the road. You’ll agree that this has been an
adventurous, fun-filled scenic tour. We return to Rustad’s Bus
Garage early this evening. (B)
TOUR COST PER
PERSON
Single $2,900 - Double $2,300
- Triple
$2,200 - Quad $2,100
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