Fall Splendor along Historic ROUTE 66
5-Day Motorcoach Tour
October 21-25, 2008
Activity Level: Level Three

An awful lot has been written, sung, and said about Route 66. It is very possibly the most famous highway on Earth and has become synonymous with freedom and romance throughout the world. To try to put things into perspective it’s probably helpful to be at the center, to stand in the midway, so as to be able to see the view in both directions: forward and back—depending which way you came and which way you are headed. Route 66 is now more of a detour than a direct route, but along it there is still much to learn and enjoy about how we got here and where we are going. So, rescued from destruction, and now being lovingly restored, Route 66 continues to offer kicks.

Day 1 Enjoy a Brown Bag Breakfast as we pick up along I-80, starting at Kearney, NE.
Our destination today is Hannibal, MO., home of Mark Twain, one of the world’s most beloved authors. After checking into our hotel, which will be our home for the next 2 nights, we enjoy dinner and entertainment on a nostalgic riverboat cruise, the Mark Twain Mississippi Riverboat.. As we roll along on the mighty Mississippi, we’ll learn of the river history, legends and sights of this old river community.
*Breakfast & dinner included
*Quality Inn & Suites, Hannibal, MO

Day 2 Today we travel across the fertile Illinois farmlands to Springfield where the road is dotted with truck stops, diners, and quirky favorite stops for travelers. Memorable stories and Historic sites of the famous “Mother Road”, where parts of the road are still visible, will be shared as we tour this area. Also the former home of President Abraham Lincoln, no place captures the essence and being of Lincoln better than Springfield, where you can see for yourself the streets where he walked, worked, lived and eternally rests.
*Breakfast & dinner included
*Quality Inn & Suites, Hannibal, MO

Day 3 We’ll discover Historic Nauvoo today, located in Western Illinois and bordered on three sides by a bend of the mighty Mississippi River. The restored homes, mercantile establishments and community buildings maintain the charm of what once was a beautiful, industrious city. Today, Nauvoo provides an opportunity to experience the people and times of the past..

Nauvoo rose from the swamplands of the Mississippi River to become a thriving settlement that once rivaled Chicago in size. After 1839, Nauvoo provided a refuge for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which eventually became the religious, governmental and cultural center for the Church. In 1846 difficulties increased and members left their homes behind and began the monumental westward trek to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.

We will explore authentically restored historic homes and businesses of early members and the landscaped grounds of the reconstructed Nauvoo Temple, after which we will travel to St. Louis where we will overnight the next two nights.
*Breakfast & lunch included
*Drury Inn, St. Louis, MO

Day 4 Old Route 66 and the history of the Mother Road will reveal itself around every bend in the road. Starting at St. Louis on the Mississippi River and winding its way through the hills of the beautiful Ozarks. Missouri has a lot of history that predates Route 66 and has a proud legacy in Missouri..
One of the most famous Native Sons of Missouri is perhaps Jesse James. He rode the trails and byways of Missouri long before the celebrated highway, Route 66, came to intersect the very heart of this beautiful country. Even today the stories of the notorious outlaw persist. Tales of buried loot and outlaw hideouts seem to haunt the forgotten glens and hollows of the Ozarks. One such place is the famous Route 66 attraction of Meramec Caverns; purported to be one of old Jesse’s hideouts.
This evening we will enjoy the sites around St. Louis where we overnight.
*Breakfast & dinner included
*Drury Inn, St. Louis, MO

Day 5 Today we begin our journey back home, with many memories of the famous Route 66, the Mother Road, one of the most famous highways on earth.
*Breakfast and lunch included

For more information write to: tconcepts@hamilton.net or call 402-694-5731 or 800-759-1006.

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