Tunica Casinos & Graceland
April 21 – 24, 2020
We haven’t visited Tunica, Mississippi and Graceland for a few years and I thought it was time to list it again. (Not to mention that I’ve had people asking for it.) There have been a few changes made down there – Resorts is permanently closed and Bally’s is now 1st Jackpot Casino. Our overnight accommodations will be at Gold Strike Casino & Hotel, which is just a few steps away from 2 other casinos. Throughout our stay, we will visit 1st Jackpot Casino, Hollywood Casino, and Fitzgerald’s. We will receive either $5.00 or $10.00 in slot play at each of the casinos we visit, as well as a buffet meal.
On April 23, we will make the short trip to Memphis and tour Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. This is a walking audio tour through the main level of the house, as well as the basement area where they held recording sessions. There are out-buildings which hold Elvis's father's office, another building with Elvis's performing costumes, Gold records, and Elvis and Priscilla's personal clothing.
Elvis's resting place, along with various family members, are outside before exi
Walk Rate = 2
$439.00 per person/double occupancy
$549.00 single occupancy
Includes: 3 nights accommodations, 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners, visits
to 3 casinos listed above, admission to Graceland house, motor coach transportation, and driver tip.
Deposit: $100.00 per person
Final Payment Due: March 11, 2020
Petoskey
& Charlevoix, Michigan Day
1, June 22, 2020 This morning we enjoy a hot breakfast buffet at the
hotel prior to a day of natural beauty and small town charm as we visit
Charlevoix, Michigan. We start our day in the harbor town of Charlevoix where
we will pick up our step-on guide for a tour of the “Hobbit Houses”, which
are sometimes called “Mushroom Homes or Gnome Homes”.
The homes and architecture, designed by Earl A. Young, are constructed of
ice age boulders and topped with wavy roofs, giving them a whimsical and
enchanted look. His work has made a
lasting impression on Charlevoix and is well known throughout the world.
Day 3, June
24, 2020 After a hot breakfast, we check out of the hotel and
depart with our step-ion guide as we enjoy the natural beauty of the scenery and
learn about the history of Petoskey at the turn of the century, along with
Ernest Hemingway’s experiences and connections here that inspired his first
novel, The Torrents of Spring, and other writings.
During our tour we will make several stops as we travel north to Harbor
Springs which holds the reigning title as one of the Midwest’s most exclusive
resort areas, justly named the “Naples of the North”.
Situated on Little Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan, we will
take time to enjoy lunch on our own. Choose
to dine overlooking the harbor, take a picnic lunch on a park bench, or visit a
local favorite complete with an old fashioned soda fountain.
There is time allowed for shopping in the unique apparel stores, local
specialty shops, and fine art galleries. Of
special note are the “Michigan Made” shops including Tom’s Mom’s
Cookies, Bay Lavender Trading Company with soaps and lotions.
American Spoon offers specialty items made from locally grown fruits, and
the Boyer Glassworks Studio and Gallery. We have a rest stop on the way home at Friske Orchards
Farm Market and Country Haus where cherry lovers from all over the world visit
while in the area. Enjoy a piece of
fruit pie (cherry or apple) and a beverage and step back in time in the General
Store. Deposit:
$100.00 per person Boston,
Massachusetts Tour Day 2, Aug. 7:
Breakfast at the hotel before departing for Boston.
Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. JFK Library and Museum:
The museum at the Kennedy Library captures the powerful story of the
Kennedy years, giving visitors of all ages an uplifting “first-hand”
experience of President Kennedy’s life, leadership, and legacy. Tavern Night Dinner at the Boston Tea Party Ships
Tavern: “The Boston Tea Party
Ships and Museum invites you to a night of colonial merrymaking!
Leave your 21st century troubles and cares behind, grab a mug
of ale, and join the Sons and Daughters of Liberty for the best hospitality in
all of 18th century Boston! Revel
with Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Dorothy Quincy, Paul Revere, and other
prominent Bostonians as they lift their glasses in celebration, raise their
voices in song, and determine the fate of Colonial America!
Enjoy a savory colonial dinner, play authentic games, learn boisterous
songs and cheerful dance in a spirited colonial tavern atmosphere.
Let joy be unfettered and laughter unchained with the Sons of Liberty and
Daughters f Freedom!” Excerpt from Boston Tea Party Ships
(This is the same room we have lunch in today, but is a totally different
menu and experience). Sample Rustic
Fare, Revel with Prominent Bostonians, and the Best Hospitality in all of 18th
Century Boston. Walk Rate = 4
June 22 – 24, 2020
We
travel to the beautiful harbor towns of Petoskey and Charlevoix, Michigan with
our first stop being at the Music House Museum to take a step back into history
and explore the wonders of an extensive collection of the finest and rarest
automatic musical instruments. The
highlight is sure to be the 97-key Mortier dance organ, with the beauty of its
30-foot wide hand carved façade.
Late
afternoon, we arrive in the historic downtown Gaslight District at the historic
Stafford’s Perry Hotel, where we will stay for the next 2 nights.
With beautiful views of Little Traverse Bay and easy access to quaint
shops, this Petoskey Landmark since 1899 will make for a memorable experience.
With a little time to relax and freshen up, we are off to enjoy a
delightful dinner at Stafford’s Bay View Inn, where the ambiance is always
unforgettable. This grand Victorian
country inn on the shore of Little Traverse Bay will grace us with the charm of
a bygone era and is the perfect ending to a grand day.
Next
we’re off to experience the majesty of a Renaissance Castle at Castle Farms.
We start with a guided tour rich in history with its original
construction in 1918 to the present. Our
tour also includes Old-World European charm in the English gardens and
cobblestone courtyards. While at
Castle Farms, we have a light lunch buffet of sandwiches and salads as we dine
and feel like royalty in one of the designated gardens.
Before
returning to the hotel, we stop at Kilwin’s Chocolate Kitchen for a tour of
their facility. Who doesn’t like
chocolate??? There is so much to
choose from to satisfy the chocolate lover in all of us!
$799.00 single
Includes: 2
nights hotel accommodations, 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners, Music House
Museum, Gnome Homes, Castle Farms, Kilwin’s Chocolate Kitchen Tour, Young
Americans Dinner Theatre, Petoskey and Harbor Springs guided tour, Friske
Orchards, baggage handling, motor coach transportation, and driver tip
Final Payment Due:
May 12, 2020
August 6 – 11, 2020
Day
1, Aug. 6: We board our motor
coach to head east, overnighting at the Buffalo Grand Hotel in Buffalo, New
York. We will hop over to the
American side of Niagara Falls to view the falls from that perspective before
having dinner at Hard Rock Café before checking in to our hotel.
We
enjoy free time for lunch and shopping at historic Quincy Market and Faneuil
Hall. There will be time for a photo
stop at Cheers. 
Paul
Revere House Tour: “On the night
of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere left his small wooden home in
Boston’s North End and set out on a journey that would ultimately make him a
legend. Today that home is still
standing at 19 North Square and has become a national historic landmark.
It is downtown Boston’s oldest building and one of the few remaining 17th-century
dwellings in a large urban area in the United States.”
Quote excerpted from internet site.
Lunch
on your own at Quincy Market. For
over 250 years, the marketplace has played an integral role
in the life of
Boston’s residents. You will feel
the cobblestones beneath your feet, see roaming performers, and be able to taste
the wonderfully diverse ethnic foods available to you.
There are 100
shops, carts, and artisans to offer treasures for you to take home with you.
You will have time to visit Faneuil Hall, which has served as a meeting
hall and a place where merchants can market their wares since 1742.
Today the first floor is still a marketplace and the second floor is
where you can see many a lively Boston debate! 
Day
4, Aug. 9: Breakfast at
the hotel this morning before visiting the Charlestown Navy Yard run the by
National Parks Service where you will see the USS Constitution Old Ironsides.
“Located I the Charlestown Navy Yard, the USS Constitution was launched
in Boston on October 21st, 1797 and is the oldest commissioned
warship afloat in the world. Today,
she is manned by an active U. S. Navy Crew.
We will have time to visit the Constitution Visitor’s Center with
memorabilia and gifts, and the USS Constitution Museum, a private, non=profit
museum which includes a theatre, over 3,000 historical artifacts, interactive
exhibits and a gift shop. Self-guided
tours are available of the USS Cassin Young, a World War II Navy destroyer.
$2,475.00 single
Final Payment Due:
June 26, 2020
Overnight room for 5 nights
5 breakfasts
1 lunch
5 dinners
JFK Library and Museum
Historic Boston Tour and Photo Stop at Cheers
Old North Church
Paul Revere House
Quincy Market
Faneuil Hall
Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
Charlestown Navy Yard with USS Constitution Tour
Whale Watch
Fenway Park Tour
Baggage handling
Motor Coach Transportation
Driver tip