January 14-23 (Friday-Sunday)

Circle Florida

With a day visit to Key West

Day 1: Welcome Aboard!  Travel in comfort aboard our deluxe motor coach towards sunny Florida.  We overnight in Santee, South Carolina.  Dinner is on your own.  There is a Cracker Barrel restaurant conveniently located within walking distance of the hotel.                    

Day 2: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for Jacksonville, Florida.  Upon our arrival, we will board the Annabelle Lee, a working replica of an authentic paddlewheel riverboat, for a lunch cruise down the beautiful St. Johns River.  After lunch we meet our step-on guide, and depart for a delightful tour of the “River City”.  Through fascinating stories and amusing anecdotes designed to give you a unique perspective on Jacksonville, learn the city’s history.  Discover the story of the area’s first inhabitants, the Timuquan people, the French and Spanish colonization 55 years before the Pilgrims landed in the new world, “Hollywood” Jacksonville, and the Great Fire of 1901.  See the one of a kind Memorial Wall, the Jacksonville Football Stadium and much more of the downtown area.  Following our check in at our Jacksonville hotel for the night, enjoy dinner on your own in the hotel’s restaurant at your leisure.  (B, L)           

Day 3: After a buffet breakfast we depart for the Florida Keys and the Island of Islamorada for a three night stay at the Hampton Inn Islamorada Island.  Our beachfront resort, offers numerous amenities that make your stay a relaxing and enjoyable get-away, and where all rooms have a private balcony.  Some of the hotel’s amenities include a heated swimming pool, whirlpool, an exercise gym, an on-site dive shop, boat rentals, massage therapy, a bar/lounge, and an in-room coffee maker.  Dinner is on your own.  An Outback Restaurant is located near by.  (B) 

Day 4: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for Key West for the day.  Upon our arrival we’ll board our Old Town Trolley for a 90-minute tour through Key West with numerous stops at the most popular sights.  Included are admissions to the Key West Aquarium, Harry S. Truman Little White House and the Shipwreck Museum.  You may hop on and off at convenient stops throughout the day.  The trolley tour is a showcase of all the best of Key West, from Mallory Square and Duval Street to Henry Flagler’s historic Railroad Museum, and everything in between.  Don’t forget your camera!  Before heading back to Islamorada Island, take in the sunset from Mallory Square.  (B)

Day 5: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for the Theatre of the Sea, one of the oldest marine mammal facilities in the world.  This educational and entertaining park, where marine animals live in natural saltwater lagoons, offers performances that are up close and personal.  Several interactive programs like swimming with dolphins, sea lions or sting rays are offered.  Advanced reservations are required, (305-664-2431).  Following the show we return to the Hampton Inn Islamorada Island for a good night’s rest.  (B)

Day 6: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for Sarasota, Florida.  Upon our arrival we will visit the John and Mable Ringling Museum.  Our visit will include a broad overview of the museum, highlighting the Ringling’s private art collection, the couple’s sprawling mansion, Ca d’Zan, located on the museum grounds, and the Ringling Circus Museum, a treasure trove of memorabilia and artifacts documenting the history of Ringling Bros. and “The Greatest Show on Earth.”  We conclude our day with a delicious dinner at Treviso Restaurant located in the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.  We overnight in Sarasota, Florida.  (B, D)     

Day 7: After a deluxe continental breakfast, we depart on a short drive to the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, an old-time Florida attraction comprised of “jungle” pathways and dozens of tropical birds, alligators and other South Florida critters.  Enjoy having the unique experience of getting up close to a free-range flock of flamingos which you can feed by hand.  Later we depart for Clearwater Beach, Florida to enjoy the Sunset Festival on Pier 60.  We overnight in Tampa, Florida.  (B)        

Day 8: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for Ocala, Florida, known as the “Horse Capital of the World” and the home of The New England Shire Center.  The Shire horse is known as the largest breed of horse in the world with its classic markings of a blaze on the face, and black and white stocking.  With an average height of over 17 hands tall, (sometimes reaching over 19 hands tall), a Shire generally weights between 2,000 to 2,500 pounds making it the heaviest of the heavy horses.  This exciting and unique tour will have you talking about it for days to come!  After our tour we depart for our overnight accommodations in Pooler, Georgia.  A delicious buffet dinner is included at the hotel.  (B, D)  

Day 9: After a buffet breakfast we depart for one of the most exciting museums in the southeast, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum.  This museum has it all from vintage aircraft, photographs and artifacts, to a thrilling “Mission Experience” and personal oral histories!  A delicious buffet lunch is included at the museum.  Later we depart for our overnight stay in Lumberton, North Carolina.  Dinner is on your own.  There is a Cracker Barrel restaurant conveniently located within walking distance of the hotel.  (B, L) 

Day 10: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for home with a new appreciation of the beautiful state of Florida, and many rich memories of this unique vacation!  (B)

Included:

?  Basic amenities

?  9 nights hotel accommodations, including:

          - 3 nights at a beachfront resort

?  9 breakfasts

?  2 lunches

?  2 dinners

?  Guided Tours, including:

          - Jacksonville, FL

          - Key West, FL

?  Annabelle Lee Boat Cruise

?  Key West Aquarium

?  Harry S. Truman Little White House

?  Shipwreck Museum

?  Theatre of the Sea

?  John and Mable Ringling Museum

?  Sarasota Jungle Gardens

?  Sunset Festival on Pier 60

?  The New England Shire Center

?  Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

?  Attractions and admissions per itinerary

Price:

$1,399.00 Double/PP    $1,199.00 Triple/PP

$1,099.00 Quad/PP       $2,019.00 Single

Deposit:  $125.00/PP

Balance Due:  December 1, 2010

                             Depart                 Return

Carney                 7:00 AM               3:45 PM

Gunther                7:45 AM               3:00 PM