Wendinger Band & Travel, Inc.
Itinerary for Autumn Time in
September 26 – October 8, 2011
Day By Day Itinerary
Monday, September 26 South Bend, IN
This morning we board our deluxe air-conditioned motor coach as we begin our travel through the scenic farming area of Minnesota and Wisconsin. We’ll stop for lunch and have rest stops en route, while skirting the Chicago area until we reach our overnight stop in South Bend, Indiana.
Tuesday, September 27 Clearfield, PA
Our first stop will be at the University of Notre Dame for a tour of the 1,250 acre main campus which was founded in 1842 on a site of an early mission. We will be having a campus tour by a student historian. This afternoon we will be traveling through Ohio skirting the big cities of Toledo and Cleveland while we enjoy the entertainment aboard the motor coach. Our evening stay is at the Holiday Inn Express in Clearfield, PA.
Wednesday, September 298 New York, NY
Today we will enjoy the rolling hills of Pennsylvania as we head toward the city of New York. After we check into our hotel, the Hampton Inn, in Secaucus, New Jersey, we will then be off to Manhattan Island where a step-on guide will join us for a tour of New York City. Some of the attractions we’ll be seeing are the United Nations, Chinatown, Theatre District, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Central Park and more. Our next stop will be the Empire State Building. This is one of the world’s tallest office buildings. We will take the elevators to the 102nd floor, where we can see approximately 50 miles from behind a circular glass enclosure. This evening, from the top of the Empire State Building, you will enjoy the city twinkling at night.
Thursday, September 29 New York, NY
After a continental breakfast, we will have a chance to view the Statue of Liberty from the New Jersey side and the opportunity to visit Ellis Island, the nation’s main point of entry for millions of immigrants between 1892 and 1954. Spend as much time as you wish on Ellis Island or take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty for a photo opportunity. The ferry will then take you to Battery Park on Manhattan Island where we will once again meet our motor coach. The balance of the afternoon will be spent on a three-hour Circle Line Cruise of the Manhattan area. This 35-mile cruise will show us the New York docks and skyline of the city. From the boat we will get a close-up view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the destruction area of the World Trade Center, the United Nations building and cruise past the shores of Harlem.
Friday, September 30 Mansfield, MA
After breakfast, we will leave the “Big Apple” traveling northward through the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island into Massachusetts. Our afternoon stop will be in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. You will have a photo opportunity as you view the world famous rock! We will also be able to board the Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that carried the Pilgrims to the New World. Our night stay will be at the Holiday Inn in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Saturday, October 1 York Beach, MA
Today we will be picking up a step-on guide for our city tour of Boston, where we’ll see Harvard Yard, Navy Yard (Old Ironsides), Old North Church and viewing Boston sights, both old and new. Our lunch will be held in the famous Quincy Market. We will continue the afternoon following the ride of Paul Revere to Lexington and Concord. In Lexington, we’ll see the site of the first conflict of the Revolutionary War. In Concord we’ll see the Minute Man Statue and Old North Bridge. This evening you will be treated to a lobster dinner or another entree. Our evening stay will be along the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.
Sunday, October 2 White River Junction, VT
After breakfast we will stop at one of America’s famous lighthouses, on Cape Neddick, Nubble Lighthouse. The next stop will be at Kennebunkport where we’ll enjoy a brief drive-through tour, catching a glimpse of former President George Bush’s summer home on Walker’s Point. We will continue north into New Hampshire to the city of North Conway. The colors of autumn painting its way across New England will be with us the next few days. Traveling across New Hampshire and through the White Mountain National Forest on the Kancamagus Highway, will present us with an abundance of photo opportunities. Before we leave New Hampshire, the Lost River comes into view, winding its way through glacially formed boulder caves and potholes, frequently disappearing altogether but emerging at the foot of the gorge to form Paradise Falls. We will have a picture stop at the Bath-Swiftwater Covered Bridge. The Hampton Inn at White River Junction, Vermont is our home for the next two evenings.
Monday, October 3 White River Junction, VT
Today we depart the motel for a short journey to the Rock of Ages Quarry. At nearly 600 feet deep, this 50 acre, tour active granite quarry is the world's largest in dimension. Late this morning we will enjoy a narrated tour at Vermont’s gold domed State Capitol Building in Montpelier. This afternoon we will tour the Maple Grove Farm Factory and Museum before heading to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill where we will learn of the cider making process and have a chance to purchase Vermont made cheeses, maple products and handicrafts. We will also make a stop at Ben & Jerry’s world famous ice cream plant for a tour.
Tuesday, October 4 Glenn Falls, NY
Our fall foliage continues this morning with a picture stop at Quechee Gorge, Vermont’s little Grand Canyon. The scenery continues as we go cross across the state of Vermont back into upper New York to the lake regions of Lake George. This afternoon we will be taking a two-hour adventurous steamboat ride of Lake George. Our evening stay will be at the Country Inn & Suites in Glenn Falls, NY.
Wednesday, October 5 Niagara Falls, Ontario
Today our coach will travel south through the Finger Lakes of New York, before we once again enter the turnpike arriving in Niagara Falls in Canada early this afternoon. Passports or passcards will be required to enter into Canada. We will take a historical ride aboard the world famous “Maid of the Mist”, which will cruise right to the base of the Falls where you will hear the water thunder on the rocks and feel a cool mist on your face. On your visit to Niagara, you will be amazed at the artistic creation of the Niagara Falls Floral Clock. This beautiful clock was built in 1950 and since then became one of the largest clocks in the world. The clock is 40 feet in diameter and has a planted area of 38 feet in diameter consisting of more than 24,000 colorful carpet plants. The face of this floral clock is changed twice a season and is surrounded by a 10-ft wide by 85 ft diameter water garden. This evening accommodations will be at the Howard Johnson Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Thursday, October 6 Frankenmuth, MI
As we leave the Niagara Falls area, we will be traveling through Ontario’s countryside crossing back into the United Sates at Port Huron, Michigan. We will arrive in the beautiful German community of Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Little Bavaria. A step-on guide joins our group this afternoon, familiarizing us with this quaint village taking pride in its lush greenery and blooming well tended flowers. We’ll experience the most authentic Bavarian architecture to be found anywhere in the United States, hear the sounds of the Glockenspiel, and stroll across the largest wooden bridge built in the last century. Our afternoon will also include a stop at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the worlds largest Christmas store. Tonight the Bavarian Inn will prepare a delicious ethnic meal. Our evening stay will be in Frankenmuth at the Spring Hill Suites.
Friday, October 7 Wisconsin Dells, WI Leaving the “City of Tradition, Charm & Pride” we will travel through the Fruit and Grain Belt of Michigan, the home of numerous wineries. We will skirt the windy city of Chicago as we enter the Badger state of Wisconsin with a luncheon stop along the way. Experience a Wisconsin luxury hotel with the gaming excitement of a Vegas vacation! In the heart of scenic Wisconsin Dells-Baraboo, Ho-Chunk offers a full-service casino that lets you enjoy 24-hour slot machines, bingo, blackjack and other games. You’ll experience the best in Wisconsin casinos at Ho-Chunk, our evening stay.
Saturday, October 8 Home
Autumn’s crisp chill with vibrant colorations, a multitude of attractions, and a Bavarian Christmas Wonderland, provided a perfect backdrop for gathering memories to take back home.
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