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Select Index: Date | Type | Destination |
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Out of this World
Grandparents Trip Departure: Thursday, June 18, 2009 Other Multi-Day Tour - 4 Days / 3 Nights June 18 - 21, 2009 |
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Day #1 - Thursday, June 18th: 6:00 AM - Depart Peoria headed southeast to our destination - Huntsville, Alabama. We'll make rest and meal stops en route to Alabama. Relax and enjoy the ride! 5:00 PM - We arrive at our home for the next 3 nights - the Country Inn & Suites* where you'll have time to freshen up before we get together for dinner. 6:00 PM - We gather in a room here at the hotel where you'll enjoy a Pizza Party* complete with chips and soda. Following our pizza party, you have time to swim or just relax after our long travel day. Day #2 - Friday, June 19th: Continental Breakfast* is served here at the hotel. 7:30 AM - This morning we're going "Challenging Experiences ..... Experiencing Challenges"! Use those two words in any order and you're talking about Rope Courses*. We'll enjoy challenging experiences to help you communicate, bond, problem solve, laugh & learn. The program is designed to teach leadership, followship and fellowship. The concept is quite simple......you work, think, play and laugh through a series of exercises (initiative games, low elements & high elements) and the whole time you're playing - you're learning. Your experiences and activities take place outside but your discoveries are on the inside. We'll provide a Box Lunch* today while here. Note: This activity is restricted to customers 12 years & older! (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM) 1:00 PM - We depart for our next attraction - the Museum of Art for "A Lesson in Art"*. The nationally accredited Museum fills its seven galleries with a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, including prestigious traveling exhibits and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists. The Museum's own 2,522-piece permanent collection also forms the basis for several exhibitions each year. While here we've scheduled you into an Art Class*. (1:30 - 3:30 PM) 3:30 PM - It's time to depart for Three Caves. 3:45 PM - Look....Cave Pearls and Flowstones here at Three Caves. Historic Three Caves is a former limestone quarry fast developing into a natural cave. Explore through the caves on a 45-minute walking tour that is "so cool" - as in 55 degrees year 'round. (3:45 - 5:15 PM) 5:15 PM - Finally we load the coach and depart for our final attraction this evening - the Early Works Complex. 5:30 PM - Arriving at the Early Works Complex we have a great evening planned for you learning more about the Underground Railroad* and how it impacted this area of the south. We've arranged some "finger foods"* while here. (5:30 - 9:00 PM) 9:30 PM - Approximate return time to the hotel. Day #3 - Saturday, June 20th: Continental Breakfast* is served. 8:30 AM - We depart for our first stop at Burritt on the Mountain. 9:00 AM - This morning we enjoy Burritt & his "Green" Home*. Established as Huntsville's first museum in 1955, Burritt on the Mountain's original building was the home of Dr. William Henry Burritt, a noted local homeopathic physician and farmer. Dr. Burritt was ahead of his time! His home displays many features that were unique to his day. The straw bale insulation he used is recommended for "Green Buildings" today. Even the shape of the house is unique, but built for function. What about the myths of snakes in the walls and dragons in the dining room? Dr. Burritt's home features eclectic architecture, from Gothic columns to Art Deco lighting. We'll also visit Cumberland Castles for a tour* of the cabins and the mansion. (9 - 10:45 AM) 10:45 AM - Our next stop will be at the historic Huntsville Depot. 11:00 AM - Arriving at the Historic Huntsville Depot, we'll enjoy a delicious box lunch*. The Union Army occupied the Depot built in 1860, during the Civil War. Hear tales of the medical personnel who cared for the soldiers during the war and hear real stories of widow's left behind as their brave husbands died for their country as soldiers during the Civil War. Experience history that comes alive as you tour* the Depot & grounds. (11:00 AM - 1:30 PM) 1:30 PM - This afternoon we're off to the Botanical Gardens to enjoy "Butterflies & Bugs". 1:45 PM - From caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, you'll thrill at investigating the life cycle of the butterfly in the beautiful new 9,000 square foot Nature Center featuring the nation's largest open-air seasonal butterfly house! You'll be immersed in a total body experience as they come face-to-face with thousands of native butterflies, tadpoles, frogs, tree frogs, turtles, button quail and other critters living in the waterfall, ponds, streams and lush vegetation of the Nature Center. Maybe a butterfly will even land on your hand! Located right outside the Nature Center is the two-acre Children's Garden, which is actually eight gardens in one. Enter the ancient world of dinosaurs where you can walk through a rib cage and dig for fossils; see a real "Space Station" node donated by Marshall Space Flight Center containing an aquaponic display and explore the world of rainbows through bubbles and prisms and much, much more at the Botanical Garden*. (1:45 - 3:15 PM) 3:15 PM - We're off for Sci-Quest! 3:30 PM - At Sci-Quest we'll have "Cosmic Connections". More than 150 exciting interactive exhibits await the young & young-at-heart at Sci-Quest, North Alabama's premiere hands-on science center. Explore the universe like never before! Be present at the birth of a star, enter a black hole, and journey through the planets in this amazing interactive theater. You too can experience the exciting journey that awaits you at Sci-Quest. (3:30 - 5:00 PM) 5:00 PM - Evening finds us at Southern Adventures* where you'll have some fun! Southern Adventures is a family-oriented water & amusement park offering two adventure golf courses, carnival rides, batting cages, go-kart track, bumper cars, a water park, a roller coaster simulator, children's soft play, "The Rock" climbing wall and Amazon CafÈ. Dinner* is included while here. (5:15 PM - Close) Day #4 - Saturday, June 21st: Continental Breakfast* is served before we check out and visit our final attraction before continuing on home. 9:00 AM - We arrive at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum* for 4-1/2 hours of fun activities. Blast Off in 3, 2, 1........you'll enjoy a guided tour* of the museum, an interactive presentation & demonstration about life on the International Space Station, An IMAX movie and hands-on group experiments. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is the only place in the world where you can stand under a "full stack" - the Space Shuttle orbiter, external tank and two solid rock boosters. Also enjoy the thrill of three times the force of gravity as you spin in the "G-Force Accelerator" and the powerful G forces of launch aboard the "Space Shot". We've included Lunch* here today. (9:00 AM - 1:30 PM) 1:30 PM - It's time to say "Goodbye" to Huntsville and reflect back on our "Out of this World" trip as we journey home. We'll make rest & meal stops along the way as needed. 11:00 PM - Approximate arrival time back in Peoria. Tour Includes: Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation, Professional Escorts, Hotel Accommodations, Luggage Handling, All Attractions and meals in bold print and marked with an asterisk* If you feel the Driver & Escort have done a good job, it is appropriate to tip them. We suggest $2 per person on a one-day trip and $3 per person per day on multi-day trips. Hotel -- Country Inn & Suites 4880 University Drive Huntsville, AL 35816 (256) 837-4070 Cost Per Person: Single: $745.00 Double: $615.00 Triple: $560.00 Quad: $535.00 Please click Tour Policy |
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