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Palm Springs - Where the Desert Blooms
January 27 - February 7, 2011
12-day tour
Days 1 to 3 - Thursday to Friday, January 27 to 28, 2011 - The Adventure Begins!
We'll begin our Desert Oasis Adventure! Traveling west our overnights will be in Missouri (at the
La Quinta Inn in Springfield), Texas (at the Days Inn East in Amarillo), and Arizona (at the Best
Western Arizonian Inn in Holbrook). This will lead us to California on the fourth day and the
riches Palm Springs has to offer. Two dinners and two breakfasts will be included on the first
three days.
Day 4 - Sunday, January 30, 2011 - Welcome to California's Desert Oasis
Breakfast is included at the hotel. On this day we'll arrive in the Golden State of California,
appropriately nicknamed based on the discovery of gold in 1848, and each spring's blanket of
golden poppies. Nestled at the base of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains,
Palm Springs has been called the
ultimate desert playground for outdoor adventure, arts, culture and entertainment. It's true that
Palm Springs is year-round "Fun in the Sun". We'll check into our hotel, the Holiday Inn Resort in
Palm Springs, our home for the next four nights.
Day 5 - Monday, January 31, 2011 - Palm Springs Celebrity Homes and the Palm Springs Air
Museum
Breakfast is included at the hotel. A local guide will join us for a guided tour of Palm Springs.
With its rich Native American heritage, beautiful palm tree-lined streets, and fabulous desert
scenery, Palm Springs is also quickly becoming the center of mid-century modern architecture
called "Desert Modernism" with wonderful examples for us to see. Since the 1920s, Palm Springs has
been sprinkled with Hollywood stardust and has served as the film industry's desert playground for
celebrities to escape the hustle and bustle of showbiz. This put Palm Springs on the map as
celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Marilyn Monroe purchased
hideaway homes here. We'll drive through the same neighborhoods where at one time it was common to
see Kirk Douglas watering his lawn. We'll see the homes and hear the stories that go along with
them.
Later we'll visit the Palm Springs Air Museum,
one of the nation's largest collections of World War II flyer aircraft. We'll enjoy a docent-led
tour through hangars to view the collection of the most significant aircraft which were
instrumental in winning World War II. In the Buddy Rodgers Theater, documentaries about aviation
in the military with an emphasis on World War II are shown. The museum is host to a library of
6300 volumes primarily related to aviation and American military history. In the evening, dinner
(included) will be at Billy Reed's
Restaurant Bakery. A Palm Springs institution since 1975, Billy Reed's features
award-winning recipes and "real American" baking, served in a warm, rich atmosphere.
Day 6 - Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - The Living Desert Museum and the Fabulous Palm Springs
Follies
Breakfast is included at the hotel. In the morning we'll explore the desert portion of Palm
Springs, which lies in the Colorado Desert, a subdivision of the Sonoran Desert, and extends into
Arizona and Mexico. The Living Desert Museum strives
to preserve the Colorado Desert in its natural state and practices conservation through
preservation, education, and appreciation. A zoo and botanical garden, The Living Desert
specializes in the plants and animals found throughout the deserts of the world. Stroll through
the North American desert where golden eagles, mountain lions and bobcat flourish. In the African
desert, see the camels, giraffes, cheetahs, and more which roam here.
In the evening we'll be treated to the finest entertainment this Desert Oasis has to offer, as we
see the fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the historic
Plaza Theatre, once home to the national radio program broadcasts of both Jack Benny and Bob Hope.
Rescued from certain demolition in 1992, the Plaza Theatre is now home to the Fabulous Palm
Springs Follies whose cast members are all between the ages of 56 and 86. At the Follies, variety
is certainly the spice of life in a stage show which has featured everything from vaudeville to
Cirque de Soleil combined with the song and dance of lavish production numbers. Be prepared to be
wowed!
Day 7 - Wednesday, February 2, 2011 - Free Day in Palm Springs or Optional Palm Springs Aerial
Tramway
Breakfast is included at the hotel. This day has been set aside to enjoy Palm Springs on your own.
The village atmosphere of Palm Springs has been preserved and embellished over the years. The
streets, lined with palm trees, invite you to explore the boutique shops, art galleries, museums
and even Palm Springs' own "Walk of Fame", while soaking up the sunshine or dining outdoors among
stunning desert scenery. Some may wish to join an optional excursion on the
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the top of Mount San
Jacinto. Imagine beginning at the Valley Station and traveling to an elevation of 8,516 feet
aboard the world's largest rotating Tram cars, offering unparalleled views of the pristine
wilderness of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Your Tram adventure continues at the Mountain Station
which offers a natural history museum and theater showing two documentary style films on the
Tramway and the State Park. There is also a restaurant, a café and a lounge located at the
Mountain Station. In the evening, dinner is at the Old Creek House (included), featuring delicious
food in a wonderful Spanish Colonial atmosphere.
Days 8 and 9 - Thursday and Friday, February 3 and 4, 2011 - The Painted Desert
Breakfast is included at the hotel both days. We'll begin the journey home across states that have
made this country famous. In Arizona, we'll stop at the
Painted Desert Visitor Center
to see the exhibits and view the orientation film. The
Painted Desert Inn National Historic
Landmark is a Pueblo Revival-style structure which replaced the original lodge built there and
features skylights painted by the Civilian Conservation Corps and a mural by Hopi artist Fred
Kabotie. When you first see the Painted Desert, you'll be fascinated by the multitude of colors
ranging from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant colors of red, orange, and pink. Our hotels
will be at the La Quinta Inn or Holiday Inn Express in Flagstaff, AZ, on the first night and the
Hawthorn Suites in Albuquerque, NM, on the second night. A dinner will also be included on one of
the nights.
Days 10 to 12 - Saturday to Sunday, February 5 to 6, 2011 - - The Journey Home
Breakfast is included at the hotel each day. Continuing the journey home, our tour manger will
host a farewell dinner with the opportunity to share memories of our trip to Palm Springs - where
the desert blooms. Our hotels will be the Comfort Inn in Elk City, OK, on the first night and the
La Quinta Inn in Springfield, MO, on the second night. A dinner will also be included on one of
the nights.
Includes:
| Price per person: |
$1,399.00 Double |
| $1,377.00 Triple |
| $1,978.00
Single |
This is a Mayflower Tour.
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