SPRING RAIL CIRCLE: American Frontiers
April 23-May 5, 2003
Tour from $2499.00
Please join us next spring on a new circle tour from Chicago, Illinois which includes visits to many of our forgotten “old” American frontiers before the settling of the far west. Included on this program are five different Amtrak routes: the SOUTHWEST CHIEF, ANN RUTLEDGE, TEXAS EAGLE, SUNSET LIMITED, and CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. Locations visited include Kansas City and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; Tyler, Houston, and Galveston, Texas; and Shreveport, Lafayette and New Orleans, Louisiana. We also ride the steam-powered Texas State Railroad and take a number of boat and ferry trips during the program.
Notable attractions include the unbelievable Arabia Steamboat Museum, the Harry S Truman Museum, and the Union Station Science Center in Kansas City, the American Rose Center gardens, fabulous Bayou Bend, historic San Jacinto Battleground, Moody Gardens, the Colonel paddle-wheeler, the Center for Transportation in Galveston, Shadows on the Teche plantation, and a jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters in New Orleans. Historic hotel stays include the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City (a favorite of President Truman and now the Kansas City Marriott Downtown), the Warwick Hotel in Houston (built as luxury apartments in 1927 and now a hotel), and the spectacular Hotel Galvez, a beautifully restored 1911 hotel where we have ocean-view rooms overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
This tour truly has something for everyone in a wonderful spring getaway! Join popular Rail Travel Center escort Jim Frederickson for this memorable adventure. All aboard!
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Day One, Wednesday, April 23
Ride the SOUTHWEST CHIEF from Chicago to Kansas City; overnight in Kansas City. We board the SOUTHWEST CHIEF in Chicago and travel west to Kansas City, Missouri, arriving late this evening. Our route includes the former Burlington “Zephyr” speedway to Galesburg and then the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line southwest to Kansas City. A fine optional dinner in the diner can be enjoyed as we speed west.
Kansas City (and its environs) was a true frontier town…the “jumping off” point for wagon trains headed west in the first half of the 19th century. Our hotel for two nights is the Kansas City Marriott Downtown in the historic Meuhlebach Hotel wing.
Day 2:
Day Two, Thursday, April 24 (L)
Harry S Truman Museum; Arabia Steamboat Museum; Union Station. Our day begins with a visit to nearby Independence to visit the fine Harry S Truman Library and Museum, which includes a replica of his Oval Office, memorabilia of his life, and the gravesites of President Truman and his beloved Bess. We return to Kansas City in late morning to visit what we consider to be one of the greatest museums in America, the Arabia Steamboat Museum. In 1856, the sternwheeler Arabia sank in the Missouri River with a load of cargo destined for the frontier on board. In 1989, five families in the area began excavating the remarkably well-preserved steamboat, including 200 tons of 19th-century retail goods, miraculously preserved in the mud of the river. Using only their own funds, they have financed the entire project and established a museum to display what they have so carefully restored. You will not believe what they have accomplished!
Following our visit, we enjoy famous Kansas City barbeque for lunch. We end our day at Union Station, which has undergone a $250 million dollar restoration and now houses a science museum (admission included), restaurants, theatres and a planetarium. This Beaux Arts station (built in 1914) is second in size only to Grand Central Station in New York City. Our motorcoach will return to the hotel in late afternoon, but those who wish to stay longer and enjoy a meal or show are welcome to return to our hotel later by local bus or optional taxi (about a two mile trip).
(L)
Day 3:
Day Three, Friday, April 25 (D)
ANN RUTLEDGE to St. Louis; Ste. Genevieve; Fort de Chartres; TEXAS EAGLE. This morning we depart Kansas City on the ANN RUTLEDGE, traveling across Missouri to St. Louis. The route is the former Missouri Pacific “Missouri River Eagle” line. For many miles the tracks closely follow the shores of the Missouri River past historic towns, high bluffs and verdant farms. This is probably the prettiest Amtrak line in the Midwest. There is time for an independent lunch on board before our early afternoon arrival. We travel by motorcoach a short distance down the Mississippi River to the small historic town of Ste. Genevieve (the first established town in Missouri), founded by French trappers in the early 18th century. We have a walking tour of the historic district before (river level permitting) crossing by ferry to Illinois. Here we visit Fort de Chartres, the seat of French government in Illinois in the 18th century and the last possession surrendered to the British at the end of the French and Indian War.
We return to Ste. Genevieve for an included dinner at an historic restaurant, then travel to St. Louis and board the TEXAS EAGLE Superliner. We overnight on the train.
(D)
Day 4:
Day Four, Saturday, April 26 (B for sleeping car passengers; L for all)
Shreveport LA; American Rose Center; Norton Art Gallery; Tyler TX. Morning finds us in the rolling hills and piney forests of southern Arkansas and East Texas. Our route follows the former Missouri Pacific “Texas Eagle/Sunshine Special” line. We arrive at the newly restored landmark Marshall, Texas depot after breakfast and transfer to our chartered motorcoach for a short drive to Shreveport, Louisiana. Shreveport has two attractions of exceptional note: the Norton Art Gallery and the American Rose Center. We visit the Rose Center first, a 118-acre garden of roses which is the research facility of the American Rose Society. Roses should be blooming at the time of our visit.
Following an included luncheon, we next visit the Norton Art Gallery. Of particular note here are the exhibits of western art by Remington and Russell; Hudson River school paintings; and collections of firearms, antique dolls and Steuben glass. We then motor to Tyler, Texas to spend two nights at the Tyler Sheraton Hotel.
(L)
Day 5:
Day Five, Sunday, April 27 (L)
Texas State Railroad; Tyler Rose Garden Center; Harrold’s Model Train Museum. This morning we make a short drive to Rusk and board the Texas State Railroad, running behind steam through the piney woods and over long trestles to Palestine. Upon arrival in Palestine, we enjoy an included luncheon before returning to Tyler by motorcoach. In Tyler we visit the Rose Garden Center, a fourteen-acre garden which is home to the Texas Rose Festival in the fall. The day ends with a visit to Harrold’s Model Train Museum, which features over 1600 pieces of rolling stock in five gauges as well as vintage models.
(L)
Day 6:
Day Six, Monday, April 28 (L)
Houston; The Heritage Society; Hermann Park. We drive to Houston this morning and have an included lunch downtown before visiting Sam Houston Park, where the Heritage Society maintains a group of historically significant homes. Later, we visit Hermann Park, which includes a Japanese garden, miniature train, butterfly center, zoo and museum, before checking into our lodging for this evening at the landmark Warwick Hotel.
(L)
Day 7:
Day Seven, Tuesday, April 29 (L)
Bayou Bend; San Jacinto Battleground; battleship Texas; Galveston. In mid-morning we visit Bayou Bend, the former home of philanthropist Ima Hogg, who collected the historic American furnishings displayed in 28 rooms of the house. This is considered to be one of the finest collections of its type in America. The home is surrounded by beautiful gardens. A short drive takes us to San Jacinto Battleground, where a “Texican” (American) victory against General Santa Anna’s Mexican army in 1836 led to Texas independence. Lunch is included before we visit San Jacinto and the battleship Texas berthed nearby.
Later this afternoon we travel by motorcoach south to Galveston to enjoy a three-night stay at the beautifully restored Hotel Galvez, with rooms overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. This lovely property includes a walled garden with swimming pool. Galveston itself is a treasure trove of Victorian buildings.
(L)
Day 8:
Day Eight, Wednesday, April 30 (D)
Galveston Flyer; Moody Gardens; cruise on the Colonel; Pier 21 Theater; dinner at Tremont House. Included during our stay at the hotel are tickets on the Galveston Flyer, a streetcar railway system operating around the town to many of Galveston’s attractions. This is extremely useful during our free time. We begin our program in mid-morning with a visit to famed Moody Gardens, which includes a rainforest with exotic plants and fish, an IMAX and aquarium. In mid-afternoon we take a narrated cruise on the paddlewheeler Colonel to Offats Bayou.
Following our cruise, we return to downtown Galveston with admission included to the Pier 21 Theatre. Two films are shown here. One tells of the terrible hurricane of 1900 (described in the recent best-seller Isaac’s Storm) in which 6000 people in Galveston lost their lives and the city was in large part destroyed. The second film tells of the pirate Jean Lafitte, no stranger to the Galveston area! There is additional free time on the waterfront before an included dinner at the wonderful Tremont House, a sister hotel to the Hotel Galvez. Our motorcoach returns us to our hotel after dinner.
(D)
Day 9:
Day Nine, Thursday, May 1
Center for Transportation; unstructured time. In mid-morning we take the Galveston Flyer downtown to the Center for Transportation in the renovated depot. The museum features restored rail cars and a sound and light show depicting the history of Galveston. The balance of the day is unstructured to allow us to enjoy other Galveston attractions of interest either by foot or using the Flyer. The waterfront has a number of possibilities, including the 1877 sailing vessel Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum, the Ocean Star Oil Rig and Museum on Pier 19, the 1894 Opera House, the Strand Theater, and a wonderful ice cream parlor a few blocks from the Transportation Museum. Shopping, of course, abounds. There also are a number of historic homes, including the Bishop’s Palace and Ashton Villa. Visiting the beach or lounging poolside is another pleasant option.
Day 10:
Day Ten, Friday, May 2
SUNSET LIMITED to Lafayette, Louisiana. We depart Galveston by motorcoach this morning, driving to Houston to board the SUNSET LIMITED Superliner eastbound. Our route takes us from the forests of east Texas into the bayous of Louisiana on the legendary former Southern Pacific “Sunset” route. This train has the distinction of being the oldest route in the United States still running under its original train name. The service has operated for 101 years. A fine luncheon in the diner can be purchased as we roll east. We arrive in Lafayette, Louisiana in the heart of Cajun country in mid-afternoon. Our motorcoach transfers us to our hotel for two nights, the Best Western Acadiana.
Day 11:
Day Eleven, Saturday, May 3 (L)
Jungle Gardens; McIlhenny Tabasco factory; Shadows on the Teche; swamp tour. A short drive south brings us to Avery Island and our visit to Jungle Gardens, a 200-acre tropical paradise of flowers, live oak trees, sunken gardens, pools, herons and snowy egrets. This also is the island where Tabasco sauce is made, and we tour the factory before making the short drive to New Iberia for an included luncheon.
This afternoon we visit Shadows-on-the-Teche, a National Trust Historic Site. This plantation house on the bayou was lived in by four generations of one family, who left exceptional documentation of their lives in this home. Our company has toured many plantation houses, and this is truly one of the best! Our final activity today is a swamp tour by boat from Breaux Bridge, just west of Lafayette. By day’s end, we should have a good understanding of Cajun history and culture which developed from the initial Acadian settlement in the 18th century.
(L)
Day 12:
Day Twelve, Sunday, May 4 (Brunch for all; D for sleeping car passengers)
Court of Two Sisters; depart on CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. This morning we drive east to New Orleans for a farewell meal at the famous Court of Two Sisters in the French Quarter. The meal is a feast…a jazz brunch in the courtyard (weather permitting) with an outstanding array of food. Following our brunch, we transfer to the Amtrak station and depart on the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS heading north. This is the legendary train of Arlo Guthrie’s lovely folk-song. The route follows the Illinois Central line, now part of the vast Canadian National Railway network. We cross a long trestle over Lake Pontchartrain, then traverse the rolling forests of central Mississippi. Tonight is spent on the train as we cross from Memphis, TN into the vast cornfields of southern Illinois.
(B)
Day 13:
Day Thirteen, Monday, May 5 (B for sleeping car passengers)
Arrive Chicago. Dawn finds us speeding north on the IC tracks into Chicago. Our arrival is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., at which time our wonderful spring tour ends.
TOUR PRICES include coach rail fares on the Amtrak routes used in the tour; hotel rooms; meals and attractions noted as included above; motorcoach, boat and ferry rides noted as included; luggage transfers during the tour; and the services of a full-time escort round-trip from Chicago. Connecting travel to Chicago, other meals, optional attractions or items of a personal nature are not included in the price.
$2499.00 per person, double occupancy
$2999.00 single occupancy
PULLMAN SLEEPER SUPPLEMENT (total for Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans)
Superliner Economy/Standard Bedrooms have shared toilet and shower facilities in the car. Deluxe Bedrooms offer private toilets and in-room showers. These supplements also include choice of the menu dining car meals on these two trains.
$ 142.50 per person, double occupancy using an Economy/Standard bedroom
$ 285.00 single occupancy using an Economy/Standard bedroom
$ 305.50 per person, double occupancy using a Deluxe bedroom
$ 611.00 single occupancy using a Deluxe bedroom
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
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North America
USA
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