Day 1:
Our vacation begins as we head south to Calgary. Watch for antelope as we exit our familiar part of this beautiful province and head south and east into the equally beautiful Saskatchewan. We’ll spend our first night at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Day 2:
We leave Swift Current bright and early, proceeding through Canada’s prairies and grain belt and into the United States. The night will be spent in Bismarck, North Dakota. Day 3:
We drive across the flat prairies of the Dakotas to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. En route, we’ll visit the Corn Palace at Mitchell, South Dakota, Corn Capitol of the world. Overnight: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Day 4:
Our journey to Kansas City includes stops at the Patee Museum, which houses the original Pony Express Office. You’ll also visit the infamous Jessie James House, located next to the Patee Museum. Overnight: Kansas City Missouri Day 5:
After a visit at the Hallmark Card Visitors Centre, we’ll continue to St Louis Missouri. A visit to the Gateway Arch with a city view 630 feet above ground will conclude the day in St Louis. The Gateway Arch is an architectural wonder, built in recognition of the epic Lewis and Clark exploration journey, commissioned by Thomas Jefferson after the Louisiana Purchase. Overnight: St. Louis Missouri. Day 6:
This morning we will learn about this beautiful city, Saint Louis, by having a guided city tour. This afternoon, we will visit the spectacular Missouri Botanical Gardens in St Louis. Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the country and a National Historic Landmark. The Garden is a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis-79 acres of beautiful horticultural display, including a 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, the Climatron® conservatory, and Garden founder Henry Shaw's original 1850 estate home. Overnight: St. Louis Missouri. Day 7:
We’ll get a jump on or travel to Nashville. We’ll get in early enough for you to introduce yourself to Nashville downtown on Broadway or perhaps a nearby club will catch your fancy. Overnight: Nashville, Tennessee Day 8:
Nashville, ground zero for the origin of country music! After an extensive tour of Nashville, experience the grandeur of the Grand Ole Opry Hotel, shop in Opry Mills, or visit the Grand Ole Opry Museum. Wow! Then to the performance of the Grand Ole Opry! Overnight: Nashville, Tennessee Day 9:
Arriving in Memphis Tennessee, music is just the beginning! En route to Memphis, we will visit Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Casey Jones Village. Later our big adventure will include a visit to Graceland, home of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Overnight: Memphis Tennessee Day 10:
Another day in Memphis, discover the importance of Beale Street, where “Rhythm and Blues” were born. The Blues were born on Beale Street, and it was the home to famous blues musicians such as W.C. Handy who wrote the first blues song here in 1909. Beale Street is one of the most famous streets in Memphis, and it is the soul of old Memphis. Aside from the bustling cotton trade on the cobblestone banks of Front Street along the Mississippi, no other Memphis landmark has held such mystique, intrigue, fame and infamy over the years. In the afternoon, we will cruise down the mighty Mississippi, aboard the Memphis Riverboat Queen. Overnight: Memphis Tennessee Days 11-15:
View Cotton and Rice fields as we make our way into Branson Missouri, settled in the Ozark Highlands of southern Missouri. In Branson, settled in the Ozarks, we will enjoy the entertainment of many well-known entertainers such as The Dutton’s, The Presley’s, The Acrobats of China, Yakov Smirnoff, Hamner Barber and Shoji Tabuchi. We’ll visit Silver Dollar City, “Where America Lives” with an extensive chance to experience the best of American music, tastes and crafts. A wine tour and a shopping spree are also on the agenda. Overnight 5 nights, Branson Missouri Day 16:
Homeward bound, the Ozarks give way to the majestic wheat fields of Kansas on our way to Topeka Kansas. On our way to Topeka, we will make a heart-warming stop at the Precious Moments Chapel Centre. Precious Moments creator Sam Butcher began drawing the endearing teardrop-eye children he called "Precious Moments" as gifts for family and friends. That was more than a quarter century ago, and today, his Precious Moments artwork is among the most recognized art in the world. Overnight: Topeka Kansas. Day 17:
As we leave Kansas, we will enter Colorado. Katherine Lee Bates wrote "America the Beautiful" atop Pikes Peak overlooking Colorado Springs. Colorado has the highest mean altitude of all the states and 75% of the land area of the U.S. with an altitude over 10,000 feet lies within Colorado. The Colorado Rockies are part of the North American Cordillera, which stretches 3,000 miles from Alaska, through western Canada and the United States, into northern Mexico. The centerpieces of this dramatic uplift are the peaks over 14,000 feet, or "Fourteeners", as climbers affectionately call them. There are 52 Fourteeners in Colorado. Our destination will be the mile high city of Denver Colorado. The 13th step of the state capital building in Denver is exactly 1 mile high above sea level. Overnight: Denver Colorado Day 18:
Departing Denver, look for cowboys and cattle herds as we enter ranch country. Watch for a Wyoming license plate, which features a man on a bucking bronco. In the wild and untamed west, ironically, Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote. We’ll bed down in the heart of the old Wild West, Sheridan, Wyoming. Day 19:
Envision and experience the solemn atmosphere of the Little Big Horn Battlefield, site of Custer’s Last Stand. In the spring and summer of 1876 the United States Government launched a military campaign upon a portion of the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians, who refused to live within the boundaries of the Great Sioux Reservation. On June 25th, 1876, after the battle was over, 263 7th Cavalrymen lay dead, including George Custer. Visiting this historic site is a sombre experience. We will proceed near the Crazy Mountains as we continue to Great Falls Montana. Day 20:
With a stop at Duty Free in Sweetgrass Montana, our last chance at a U.S. bargain, we’re homeward bound to Edmonton. |
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