September 8-19 (Thursday-Monday)

September 15-26 (Thursday-Monday)

The Black Hills of South Dakota

Mt. Rushmore, The Badlands & Crazy Horse

(Maximum 38 Passengers)

Day 1: Welcome Aboard!  Today we depart on a journey reminiscent of the adventuresome spirit of pioneering explorers Lewis and Clark, as we travel west to discover the untamed frontier of the “Mount Rushmore State,”  South Dakota.  The major difference is we will travel aboard our deluxe motor coach and stay in comfortable hotels.  We overnight in Maumee, Ohio.  Dinner is on your own.  There is a Bob Evans restaurant located adjacent to the hotel.        

Day 2: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for “The Hawkeye State,” Iowa.  We overnight in Urbandale, Iowa.  Dinner is included at The Machine Shed, a restaurant honoring the American Farmer.  (B, D)      

Day 3: After a deluxe continental breakfast we visit the Living History Farm, adjacent to the hotel.  The nationally recognized historical museum features more than 22 sites including a turn-of-the-century farm, a Native American village, a town with schoolhouse and much more.  Following our tour we will enjoy a delicious family style lunch at Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse.  Next we depart for Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  After checking into our hotel for the night, relax and enjoy a leisurely dinner on your own at the restaurant located adjacent to the hotel.  (B, L) 

Day 4: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for Mitchell, South Dakota and The Corn Palace.  The rich history of this region dates back one thousand years beginning with a tribe of semi-nomadic hunter farmers who first harvested corn in this area.  The story continues with the Homestead Act of 1862 and westward expansion of the railroad, and how these events led to the construction of this unique building.  Later we depart for the Keelboat Visitor Center to climb on board the 55-foot Keelboat that the Corps of Discovery traveled on as they explored the Missouri River.  Don’t worry it does not go on the river, just experience breathtaking views from the stern of the keelboat.  “Re-live” Lewis and Clark’s journey with interpretive panels that explain the Corps adventures traveling through present day South Dakota.  Next we depart for the Town of Wall, home of the famous Wall Drug Store.  The drug store first opened as a small pharmacy during the depression and eventually developed into a large roadside tourist attraction.  A delicious lunch is included at the Wall Drug Café.  After our visit we depart for Keystone, South Dakota for a four night stay at the Holiday Inn Express Mt. Rushmore.  The hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to shops and restaurants, and has an indoor pool, so bring your bathing suit.  (B, L)   

Day 5: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for an exciting day of sightseeing.  Our first stop is at Bear Country U.S.A., the home of the largest collection of privately owned black bears in the world.  Guests are guaranteed to see more than they bargained for from the comfort of our deluxe motor coach, as visitors watch as these clowns of nature frolic in a pool, climb trees and amble across the road in front of our motor coach.  In Babyland, you will see black bear cubs and young wolf pups romp through the grassy enclosures.  (B, D) 

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial our next stop, is known in the Black Hills as the Shrine of Democracy, featuring the huge carved faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt look down from Mt. Rushmore.  You will also have the opportunity to visit the studio of Gutzon Borglum, the monuments sculptor, and visit the gift shop.  In the evening we will return to see Mt. Rushmore at night illuminated by bright lights. 

Later we return to our hotel to relax and freshen up before going out for a fun evening at the Circle B Ranch Chuckwagon Supper & Show.   

Day 6: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for a tour of Custer State Park.  Few truly wild places remain in this country, yet Custer State Park is one of them.  Within the park, you’ll discover a world of adventure!  The park is home to a variety of wildlife and magnificent scenery spanning 71,000 acres.  Nearly 1,500 bison, commonly called buffalo, roam the prairies and hills of Custer State Park, which they share with swift pronghorn, shy elk, sure-footed mountain goats and curious burros.  Following our tour we will enjoy a delicious lunch before returning to our hotel where you can choose to relax, swim or shop in town.  Later this evening, we depart for Crazy Horse Memorial, home of the world’s largest mountain sculpture in progress.  The Memorial’s visitor complex includes the 40,000 square foot Welcome Center and theatres, the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Educational & Cultural Center, the sculptor’s log home studio and workshop, indoor and outdoor galleries, museum gift shop, restaurant and snack bar areas and expansive viewing veranda.  We conclude our evening at the Crazy Horse Memorial watching a laser light show before returning to our hotel.  (B, L)          

Day 7: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for the town of Deadwood, South Dakota.  The entire city is a national historic landmark.  You will board a tour bus, owned by movie star Kevin Costner, for a tour of Deadwood, including Mount Moriah Cemetery where Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Cody is buried.  After our tour we will enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant owned by Kevin Costner.  Following lunch you will have some free time to explore the town before we return to the hotel.  (B, L)   

Day 8: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for Badlands National Park, South Dakota to tour The Badlands National Park.  The Lakota gave this land its name, “mako sica,” meaning “land bad.”  This land of sharp ridges, steep walled canyons, gullies, pyramids and knobs has been so ruthlessly ravaged by wind and water that it has become picturesque.  The Badlands are a wonderland of bizarre colorful spires and pinnacles, massive buttes and deep gorges.  Erosion of the Badlands reveals sedimentary layers of different colors; purple and yellow (shale), tan and gray (sand and gravel), red and orange (iron oxides) and white (volcanic ash).  After our tour we depart for our overnight stay in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  A delicious dinner is included at the restaurant located adjacent to the hotel.  (B, D)     

Day 9: After a deluxe continental breakfast settle back, relax and enjoy the scenery on our drive to Bettendorf, Iowa.  After checking into our accommodations at The Lodge for the next two nights, we are treated to a delicious buffet dinner.  (B, D)     

Day 10: After a buffet breakfast we depart for a day of sightseeing.  Our first stop is The Rock Island Arsenal Museum, the second oldest Army Museum in the United States for a guided tour.  Next we depart for a short ride to the Lavender Crest Winery where you will be treated to a guided tour of the winery, followed by a tasting of selected Lavender Crest wines.  A delicious lunch is included at the winery.  The next stop is the John Deere Pavilion.  Here you can learn about agriculture, farming, and feeding the world.  Enjoy interactive computer kiosks and hop in the driver’s seat of a combine towering 2-stories tall.  Later we return to our hotel to rest, relax and freshen up before we depart for our Mississippi River dinner cruise.  While we gently cruise up the Mississippi River, we will enjoy a delicious meal, great entertainment and experience the magic of the Mississippi.  (B, L, D)    

Day 11: After a buffet breakfast we depart for South Bend, Indiana.  We visit the University of Notre Dame, an independent Catholic university.  The narrated walking tour will feature major campus highlights, and offer a historical and social overview of life on campus.  Late afternoon we depart for Maumee, Ohio where we check into our hotel for the night.  Dinner is on your own.  There is a Bob Evans restaurant located adjacent to the hotel.  (B)  

Day 12: After a deluxe continental breakfast we depart for home ending our mid-western adventures, and taking with us great memories, pictures, souvenirs and friendships old and new.  (B)

Included:

?  Basic amenities

?  11 nights hotel accommodations

?  11 breakfasts

?  5 lunches

?  5 dinners

?  Attractions and admissions per itinerary, including:

          - Living History Farm

          - The Corn Palace

          - Keelboat Visitor Center

          - Town of Wall

          - Bear Country U.S.A.

          - Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

          - Circle B Ranch Chuckwagon Supper & Show

          - Custer State Park

          - Crazy Horse Memorial

          - Indian Museum of North America

          - Educational & Cultural Center

          - Crazy Horse Memorial Laser Light Show

          - Deadwood, South Dakota

          - Mount Moriah Cemetery

          - The Badlands National Park

          - The Rock Island Arsenal Museum

          - Lavender Crest Winery

          - John Deere Pavilion

          - Mississippi River Dinner & Cruise

          - University of Notre Dame

Price:

$1,599.00 Double/PP    $1,449.00 Triple/PP

$2,149.00 Single

Deposit:  $125.00/PP

Balance Due:  July 26, 2011 - 9/8/11 Tour

Balance Due:  August 2, 2011 - 9/15/11 Tour 

                             Depart                 Return

Gunther                 7:00 AM                5:45 PM

Carney                  7:45 AM                5:00 PM

Woodbine             8:45 AM                4:00 PM