December 8 – 14, 2009 7 Days $866.00pp
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Louisville – 2 nights at Galt House – Carl Hurley & Jeanne Robertson
Spirit of Jefferson -Derby Dinner Playhouse
Kentucky Derby Museum including breakfast at Churchill Downs
• Berea – Folk Art and Craft Capital of Kentucky
Berea College Tour, Included lunch at Historic Boone Tavern
• Renfro Valley – Music Capital of Kentucky
Mountain Gospel Jubilee, Christmas in the Valley
• Lexington – Horse Farm Tour – Keeneland Race Course Tour
• St. Louis – Lady of the Snow Christmas Dinner/Lights
Day 1: Today we head east in anticipation of the wonderful holiday activities,
lights and music that we have yet to enjoy. Overnight will be in Fairview
Heights,
IL.
Day 2: By lunch time we will arrive in Louisville and board the Spirit of
Jefferson Riverboat for a cruise down the majestic Ohio River. An included
lunch and the captain’s narration will be the start of our festivities. We will
then
go to the Galt House Hotel which will be home for 2 nights. The Galt House
is situated in the middle of downtown, on the waterfront just a finger away from
the pulse of the city. Tonight we will enjoy an included Christmas dinner at the
hotel and then get ready to laugh with the always funny Carl Hurley and
Jeanne Robertson, in person! If you have traveled on one of our motor coaches,
you have surely enjoyed Jeanne’s & Carl’s tapes.
Day 3: This morning we are out to the track to enjoy an included breakfast
at Churchill Downs. We will then have some time to spend at the Kentucky
Derby Museum learning about the history of the sport and track. We will then
return to the hotel where you will have a free afternoon to enjoy the wonderful
downtown area or take a short walk to one of the museums. (Slugger Museum,
Muhammad Ali Museum or the Frazier History Museum). This evening we are
out to the Derby Dinner Playhouse. Always a wonderful dinner prior to an
outstanding theater performance.
Day 4: This morning we will go to Berea. We will start with a tour of the
Berea College which has a rich and fascinating history, beginning as the first
interracial and coeducational college in the South in 1855. No tuition is
charged
but the students work in some facet in the community. We will then indulge
ourselves in an included lunch at the Boone Tavern. The tavern and inn was
built to house the college visitors. We will get a taste of some famous
Appalachian favorites in this elegant, southern hospitality. You will then have
some free time to look around at the more than 50 local artisans working in
their galleries. Late afternoon we will make the short drive to Renfro Valley.
We will enjoy an included Boarding House Dinner with all the fixings before
we sit back and enjoy the wonderful bluegrass, gospel and country music at the
Christmas in the Valley. Overnight at Renfro Valley.
Day 5: Again this morning you will have some free time to look around at the
Renfro Village all within walking distance of our motel. Following lunch we
will enjoy another performance at Renfro Valley, the Mountain Gospel Jubilee.
Sit back, relax and let the toes tap and we listen to the good old gospel
singing.
Before we retire for the night we will head north to Lexington for the night.
Day 6: No tour to this area would be complete without a tour of one of the
wonderful horse farms. Here we will step out at a stallion barn and see their
champions. We will have a walking tour of Keeneland Race Course and drive
through some of the most lovely horse farms in the bluegrass area. We will head
towards home this afternoon arriving in St. Charles, MO for our last night out.
First we will have one last Christmas feast at the Lady of the Snows also
enjoying the elaborate lighting displays.
Day 7: We will reminisce about the festive time we had and be eager to make
final preparations for our celebrations with family and friends.