Day One:

We will board our deluxe motorcoach this morning and we will head south to the “Sunshine State” of Florida. Later in the afternoon we will arrive in the beautiful Dayton Beach, Florida – our home for tonight.

 

Day Two:

Continuing south this morning via Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach, we will arrive in Fort Lauderdale. With more than 300 miles of navigable waterways and 23 miles of Atlantic beaches and a myriad of rivers, inlets and man made canals, Fort Lauderdale easily lives up to its nickname, the Venice of the America’s! The waterways provide a port to over 40,000 vessels (it’s the second largest passenger cruise port in the world). This afternoon we will board the Jungle Queen for a relaxing three hour cruise to see the port area and all the famous multi-million dollar homes. Late this afternoon we will continue south to stay overnight in the exciting city of Miami.

 

Day Three:

Today one of our stops will be Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (70 room Italian Renaissance style villa with 10 acre classical Italian gardens) home of James Deering, who was the International Harvester industrialist in the early 20th Century. This afternoon we will depart Miami and continue south across the Florida Keys, by the way of Key Largo and Marathon, to spectacular Key West our home for the next two nights.

 

Day Four:

Now the day we have been waiting for, an exciting one of fun sight seeing in Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States! This morning we’ll board the famous Conch Train at Mallory Square Depot. This narrated tour of the city includes over 100 sites. Our guide will tell us of the days of early Indian battles, sea captains, pirates and developers. We’ll see the 19th Century Gingerbread houses, Sloppy Joe’s Bar and much more. Following our tour, we’ll visit the Harry S. Truman Little White House (vacation home of the 22nd President. He spent many working vacations here between 1946 and 1952). Lunch is included at Kelly’s Caribbean Grill, one of the best and most famous restaurants in the Keys. This afternoon we’ll tour the Ernest Hemingway House & Gardens, where he wrote two of his most famous works For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Snows of Kilimanjaro. This evening is free to shop, have dinner and enjoy the sunset at Mallory Pier.

 

Day Five:

This morning takes us north through the Keys to the mainland and into the Everglades National Park. We’ll arrive at Gator Park, take an airboat ride through the Everglades and visit the gator display. Then enjoy some lunch! Continuing across “Alligator Alley” takes us over to the west coast and on to Sarasota for overnight.

 

Day Six:

When we think of grand showmen, we automatically think of John Ringling. The famous Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus had entertained millions. We’ll tour the 66 acre estate that was left to the people of Florida at Ringling’s death in 1936. The tour includes the 32 room Venetian Gothic Mansion, featuring a 400 pipe organ, Venetian glass windows, marble floors, hand wrought iron work, tapestries and furnishings from the world. We’ll also tour the Art and Circus Galleries. Continuing north this afternoon takes us into the Tampa-St. Petersburg area for a chance to visit the historic waterfront district – famous for its specialty shops and restaurants. Banana and shrimp boats unload every day, and you can see the Cuban and Spanish influence everywhere. Late this afternoon we’ll travel to Gainsville for an overnight.

 

Day Seven:

We’ll bid the “Sunshine State” goodbye traveling north through the beautiful horse farm country off northern Florida and on through Georgia and South Carolina, arriving home this evening with lots of new friends, memories (and pictures) of another great tour.

 

Price per person:

Double                     Triple                Quad              Single

$1,685.00               $1,485.00            $1,385.00          $2,085.00

 

Kids 12 and under $629.00 when rooming with (2) full paying adults.

 

A $200.00 deposit is required when you sign up and final payment is due 45 days prior to departure. No refunds or cancellations after January 5, 2024.

 

Pick-ups: Hickory-Lincolnton-Gastonia