Schedule
Day 1, Sunday, November 27th, Texas to Mississippi.
Board up in San Antonio, TX at 7:00 AM at Airport Security Parking. Lunch on your own at Luby's in Beaumont, TX.
Continue travel to Hattiesburg, MS. Stretch breaks en route. Fellowship, fun, and refreshments/snacks provided
on the way. Check into the Holiday Inn at Hattiesburg, MS (601-296-0302). Welcome dinner provided.
(D)
Day 2, Monday, November 28th, Mississippi to Chattanooga, TN. After breakfast provided
at the Hotel, depart for Chattanooga, TN. Stretch breaks enroute. Lunch on your own enroute. Check into
the legendary Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn (615-266-5000). One of the South's
most renowned landmarks; relive the glory of the railroad, visit the miniature train display, prowl through several intriguing
shops at the Hotel and enjoy the formal gardens. Enjoy Chattanooga Winter Days & Lights; Downtown comes alive with
excitement. The downtown skyline, 25 of the city's tallest structures, will be decorated with thousands of beautiful
Christmas lights. The Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn's formal gardens will be specially decorated featuring thousands
of white lights and holiday silhouettes. The Choo Choo's historic Grand Dome will house a 60 foot lighted wreath
and Santa's Winter Wonderland. Free time for resting and exploring the Hotel. Depart the hotel and travel
to the Tennessee Aquarium; tour the world's largest freshwater aquarium. In the new Tennessee Aquarium, you will
discover over 4,000 varieties of fish as well as river otters and alligators displayed in 40 stunning exhibits. Just
a short distance to board Chattanooga's Southern Belle for a fabulous dinner cruise on the scenic Tennessee River.
(B, D)
Day 3, Tuesday, November 29th, Chattanooga, TN. After
breakfast provided at the Hotel, depart for Ruby Falls; a fascinating underground experience on Lookout Mountain begins your
day. Take the elevator down to begin your guided tour of Ruby Falls along a paved, level walkway which reveals a beautiful
cavern with unique formations and a spectacular 145 foot waterfall. Prepare for a thrilling ride to Lookout Mountain
on the Incline Railway "America's Most Amazing Mile. The Incline Railway up historic Lookout Mountain is the
world's steepest passenger railway. In operation since 1895, the Incline is a National Historic site and Mechanical Engineering
Landmark. The bus will pick you up and travel the short distance to "The Battles for Chattanooga Museum" on Lookout
Mountain. After touring the museum, travel the short distance and take a tour of Point Park. The bus will pick you up and
travel the short distance to The Battles for Chattanooga Museum on Lookout Mountain: hear and see about Chattanooga's
"Battle Above The Clouds" and "Sherman's assault on Missionary Ridge before his historic "March to
the Sea". Travel the short distance to Point Park; the site of the famous Civil War battle known as the "Battle
Above The Clouds". Enjoy the beautiful homes on Lookout Mountain while traveling to Rock City Gardens. Rock
City will amaze you; it's in our nature. Rock City is 1700 feet above sea level, with a 100-foot waterfall that cascades
down the mountain, and the famous Swing-A-Long Bridge that spans nearly 200 feet. This self-guided tour along the brow of
Lookout Mountain gives visitors a birds eye view from high atop Lookout Mountain. Some of Rock City's other features
include the climbing wall at the legendary Lover's Leap where you can "See Seven States," the birds of prey
shows, Big Rock Grill and the Fairyland Caverns. Enjoy beautiful colorful gardens amid unique gigantic rock formations
which give the geological wonder its' name. Lunch on your own at Rock City Gardens. Return to the Chattanooga
Choo Choo Holiday Inn; free time to explore the Hotel. (B, D)
Day 4, Wednesday, November 30th, Chattanooga
to Pigeon Forge, TN. After breakfast at the Hotel, depart for Pigeon Forge. Stretch breaks enroute.
Arrive in Pigeon Forge and check into the Willow Brook Lodge (865-453-5334). Lunch
on your own at nearby restaurants. The Smoky Mountain Winterfest, a magical celebration, kicks off in mid November and
we will find Pigeon Forge and the immediate area adorned with more than 3 million Christmas lights and numerous lighted displays.
Gatlinburg Smoky Mountain Lights also kicks off in mid November; over 2 million Christmas lights and over 40-lighted displays
make this attraction the South's Number One festival. Dinner provided at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. Enjoy
a delicious, down home meal at Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. Surrounded by apple orchards, everything you taste at Applewood
Farmhouse Restaurant is touched by the magic of apples. Start with a generous portion of their famous apple fritters with
apple butter and a glass of apple julep. For your entree, choose from Southern Fried Chicken, Country Fried Steak, Beef Liver
& Onions, Homemade Meatloaf, Grilled Chicken, Chicken & Dumplings, or Pork Loin. All meals are served with homemade
vegetable soup, salad, turnip greens, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner roll, apple cobbler, and coffee or tea. After dinner,
depart for the Country Tonite Theater. There's no place like the Smoky Mountains for the holidays and there's no Christmas
show in the Smokies like Country Tonite! Country Tonite's Smoky Mountain Christmas creates an inspirational holiday experience
for folks of all ages! The holiday magic abounds when the stage opens to a winter wonderland. The show features the sights,
sounds and the seasons most cherished carols along with everyone's favorite Christmas selections like "Jingle Bells",
"Silver Bells" and "Winter Wonderland," mixed with novelty songs, and dances and the whimsical characters
of "Rudolph the Redneck Ranger" and "Santa Claus is back in Town." (B, D)
Day
5, Thursday, December 1st, Pigeon Forge and Ashville. Enjoy continental breakfast at the hotel. Board the
coach and depart for Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. Spend some time exploring the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore House is
America's largest private residence. This beautiful mansion was a home for the Vanderbilt family; the largest single family
dwelling in the country, and the Biltmore House covers more than 125,000 square feet. This regal French chateau, tucked in
the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, is a national historic landmark. Designed by renowned architect, Richard
Morris Hunt, Biltmore house has 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms, and 3 kitchens, in 4 acres of interior floor space,
and is filled with the immense collection of art and furnishings of its original owner, George Vanderbilt. The beauty of this
grand home extends out-of-doors to its gardens and managed woodland designed by America's father of landscape architecture,
Frederick Law Olmstead. In all, Biltmore Estate encompasses 8,000 acres of land. Escape the ordinary and discover extraordinary
wonders of the Biltmore Estate! You will also enjoy a tour of the Biltmore Winery. Begin your winery experience by taking
a stroll through our historic cellars to our impressive tasting room where gracious wine hosts are happy to guide you through
a complimentary wine tasting of our robust reds, refreshing roses, and crisp whites. Even grape juice is available so everyone
can enjoy the jovial experience. Board the coach to return to Pigeon Forge. Enjoy a little r & r at the hotel
before dinner. Board the coach and depart for Dixie Stampede. Enjoy reserved seats to Dixie Stampede, the most
fun place to eat in the Smokies! Dixie Stampede gets into the spirit of the season with a special Christmas show. It's
the North Pole versus the South Pole. You'll be enchanted as elves serve your Yuletide feast and Santa arrives by sleigh.
Watch toys come to life right before your eyes! Holiday music, a live Nativity scene, and even wise men on camels all say
"Merry Christmas"-Dixie Stampede style! (Preshow starts at 5: 15pm) Show ends. Your local guide will take you on
a tour through the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Winterlights. You will see over 5 million lights and many sparkling displays
that salute winter and help get you into the Christmas spirit! (CB, D)
Day 6, Friday, December
2nd, Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. Enjoy continental breakfast at the hotel. Board the coach and depart
for Christ in the Smokies Museum and Gardens. In the center of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at Christ
in the Smokies Museum & Gardens (located on the former Christus Gardens property) you will have the remarkable experience
of walking through a Biblical world of 2000 years ago, seeing life-size, life-like representations of important scenes from
the life of Jesus Christ. Christ in the Smokies Museum and Gardens is one of the nation's foremost inspirational
attractions. We feature incredibly lifelike scenes telling the Story of Christ, utilizing life size figures, dramatic lighting,
music and special effects. Enjoy free time for shopping and lunch on your own in the area. Depart for Dollywood. See the Smokies'
most spectacular light display and a lineup of live Christmas shows that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas all at Dollywood.
4 million lights drape the park in holiday splendor, casting a warm glow that sets the scene for a winter wonderland like
no other. Dollywood offers many sensational shows, including the triumphant return of perennial favorite Christmas in the
Smokies. Don't miss Santa's Workshop, where larger-than-life-sized toys and an 18-foot-tall Christmas tree fill
guests of all ages with wide-eyed wonder as they discover a giant wagon, sailboat, doll house and more amid the hustle and
bustle as Santa and his helpers ready for their big night! While you are here, be sure to check out the many shops.
Dinner voucher provided so you can enjoy dinner at Dollywood at your leisure. Don't forget to stop by the Bakery
for a tasty Christmas treat! Board the coach and depart for the Smoky Mountain Opry. Enjoy reserved seats to Pigeon
Forge's newest show "Christmas at the Smoky Mountain Opry". (CB, D)
Day 7, Saturday, December
3rd, Pigeon Forge to Nashville. After continental breakfast provided at the hotel, depart for Nashville.
Arrive in Nashville at the Hermitage. Visit the Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson. When you arrive at the Hermitage
mansion costumed historical interpreters greet you and prepare you for your tour. Inside historical interpreters stationed
throughout the house tell you about Jackson, his family, and his home and answer any questions you have. You will also tour
the areas surrounding the mansion including the Hermitage garden and Andrew Jackson's tomb. Tour ends. Board the coach
and depart for the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel. Arrive and check into the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel (615-889-1000).
Enjoy the Christmas decorations and lights at the Opryland Hotel; the sight of 20,000 poinsettias and miles upon miles of
holiday garland will take your breath away. The spectacular display of outdoor lights-over 2 million sparkle in the
night, from the brightly colored ginger bread house to the towering 141 foot Christmas spectacular called: Southern Lights",
the lights alone are a sight to behold. Board the coach and depart for the Santa Fe Cattle Company. Enjoy dinner at
Santa Fe Cattle Company. You will experience delicious, made from scratch food in a comfortable, fun atmosphere. Dinner ends.
Depart for the Ryman Auditorium. Enjoy reserved seats to the Grand Ole Opry in its original home, the Ryman Auditorium otherwise
known as the "Mother Church of Country Music". What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 is today a live-entertainment
phenomenon. Dedicated to honoring country music's rich history and dynamic present, the Grand Ole Opry showcases a mix
of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. The Opry, an American icon and
Nashville, Tennessee's number-one attraction, is world-famous for creating one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences for
audiences of all ages. (CB, D)
Day 8, Sunday, December 4th, Nashville.
Enjoy a full breakfast at the hotel. Visit Gaylord Opryland Hotel's Treasures for the Holidays. Always a favorite, this
craft show features a variety of hand-made and novelty gifts, ranging from candles and jewelry to clothing, artwork and food
from more than 80 vendors from the United States, Canada and the Ukraine. Visit Gaylord Opryland Hotel's Hall of Trees.
Hall of Trees is a display of spectacularly decorated Christmas trees that are sponsored, decorated and filled with exciting
prizes by a business, celebrity or organization. Each tree is tied to a designated charity. Visitors can donate dollars to
vote on their favorite trees while touring the hall and, throughout the season, the trees and their prizes are posted in an
online auction for bidding. Enjoy a special Christmas lunch cruise & show aboard the General Jackson Showboat, the world's
largest showboat that is over 300 feet long with 4 massive decks. The boat is adorned with fabulous Christmas decorations
and your special holiday meal is served right at your tables. The cruise is sure to be a highlight to all! Cruise ends. Depart
for ICE. Gaylord Opryland's popular ICE! event returns this year with an all-new attraction.
Celebrate the Christmas season with an interactive world of colorful ice sculptures. You can even take a ride down one of
the ice slides! All hand-carved in 2 million pounds of ice! It's the ONLY attraction like it in the USA and only at Gaylord
Opryland! Return to the hotel for a little R & R. Dinner on your own. Depart for the Opry House.
Tonight you will have reserved seats to the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Fill your heart with Christmas as
the world-famous Radio City Rockettes bring- their legendary eye-high kicks and a cast and crew of over 100 to town in America's
#1 Holiday Show, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! Seen by 70 million people over 77 years, the Spectacular wonderfully
appeals to folks of all ages. You will be amazed by the flawless precision of the Rockettes in numbers such as the legendary
"Parade of the Wooden Soldiers." And everyone is genuinely moved at the stunning reenactment of the very first Christmas
in the "Living Nativity." Show ends. Return to the hotel for the evening. (B, L)
Day 9, Monday, December 5th, Nashville.
Enjoy a full breakfast at the hotel. Board your coach where your local guide will escort you on a Sightseeing tour of
Nashville. Nashville is the home of country music, the Athens of the South, has a large presence in insurance and printing
industries, and features landmarks like the Ryman Auditorium, the Parthenon, State Capitol of Tennessee, and Bicentennial
Park. You will see some or all of these and more on your city tour, and your local guide will tell you all about them. Take
a tour of the Ryman Auditorium, "The Mother Church of Country Music. Built in 1892, the Ryman Auditorium is a National
Historic Landmark and a must see for anyone visiting Nashville. Most famous as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974,
the Ryman is the very epicenter of Music City. Three new exhibits just opened: Opry 1940s & 1950s, Opry 1960s & 1970s
and Johnny & June at the Ryman. See genuine artifacts from those early Opry years like the dress Dolly Parton wore the
night she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, photos from the Johnny Cash show of Cash with Bob Dylan and Louis Armstrong,
and have your picture taken on the stage graced by legends from Houdini and Hank Williams to Bob Hope and Bruce Springsteen.
Tour ends. Enjoy free time for shopping and lunch on your own in downtown Nashville. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the
Country Music Hall of Fame. See hundreds of artifacts, photographs, original recordings, and archival films tracing country
music's history from Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. Held over by popular demand,
don't miss Tradition-The Williams Family Legacy, a superb display of artifacts from Hank Williams Sr. and Jr. Return to
the hotel for a little r & r. Enjoy reserved seats to Louise Mandrell's 'The Gift' Christmas Dinner
& Show. The Gift features all-new songs from the country music artist who has been winning over hearts of fans for 3 decades.
This exciting show will showcase the multi-talented Louise and her band bringing a combination of lively Christmas music,
Choreography and comedy to the stage as they celebrate the Reason for the season. And no one will leave hungry, that's
for sure! Opryland Hotel's chefs are diligently working to prepare a fresh menu of Christmas favorites with an innovative
spin. Louise Mandrell's show will certainly be one that is not soon forgotten. Hosted by Barbara Mandrell's son, Matthew
Dudney. Show ends. Enjoy the remainder of the evening on your own. (B, D)
Day 10, Tuesday, December 6th, Nashville
to Texarkana, AR. After a full breakfast provided at the hotel, depart Nashville and travel to Texarkana,
AR via IH 40 to Little Rock, AR and IH 30 to Texarkana, AR. Fellowship, fun, refreshments and snacks provided
on the way. Lunch on your own at a restaurant enroute to Texarkana. Check into the La Crosse Hotel (870-774-3521),
formerly Holiday Inn, Texarkana, AR. Indoor Pool, Hot Tub, etc. Farewell dinner provided at the hotel. (B, D)
Day 11, Wednesday, December 7th, Texarkana to San Antonio, TX. Homeward bound after
breakfast at the hotel, continue travel to San Antonio. Stretch breaks en route. Fellowship, fun, and refreshments/snacks
provided on the way. Lunch on your own enroute. Take time to recall the many musical and Christmas memories
and other great experiences we have enjoyed and shared with our friends (old and new) on the tour. Back home by 4:30
PM. (B)
