Country Travel Discoveries 2022
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1409126
Discoveries Experience ____________________ 5 Days • 8 Meals Sep 12-16, 2022 Price Per Person: Double $1,197; Single $1,425 Pre-/Post Hotel: $128/night Depart/Return: Springfield, IL Highlights & Inclusions ____________________ • Learn about the life of Honest Abe Lincoln • Get our Kicks at Eight Historic Route 66 Stops • Take in Breathtaking Views of the Great River Road • Visit Fourth Generation owned Kruta Bakery • Discover the largest prehistoric Native Civilization • Wander the cobblestone streets of St. Charles, MO and the hidden riverfront gem of Elsah, IL • Explore Pere Marquette State Park and enjoy a delicious lunch at the Lodge • Free airport shuttle or hotel parking • Bag handling (1 per person) at hotels • Fees/tips for included attractions/meals • Welcome reception, 24-hour emergency call service, free bottled water on coach Quality Accommodations ____________________ Nights 1-2: President Abraham Lincoln Springfield - a DoubleTree by Hilton, Springfield, IL Night 3: Drury Inn & Suites, Collinsville, IL Night 4: Best Western Premier, Alton, IL CountryTravelDiscoveries.com/ILL neighborhood of mail order homes from Sears and Roebuck, ordered & completed in 1918 for the influx of Coal workers. Lunch is hosted at one of the oldest continual running cafes along Route 66, and we get our kicks across the street at the Route 66 Museum. We'll hear a stirring story at the Union Cemetery, and stop for a mouth-watering ice cream cone at Route 66's Twistee Treat. B, L DAY 4—VINTAGE RIVER COLLECTIONS Frank Kruta Sr. founded his family bakery in 1919—we'll start this morning with a visit to Kruta's Bakery — run by the fourth generation of this family. Locals line up for blocks on Christmas Eve for their old-world recipes…the Kruta's will share their story and a mouth- watering pastry. The most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico is preserved at Cahokia Mounds—around AD 1250 this was the largest city in North America, complete with suburbs and markets. We'll walk above the tallest mound—on a clear day the St. Louis Arch can be seen. We cross the Mississippi for a visit to the quaint, cobblestone streets of St. Charles, Missouri, once a thriving Missouri riverfront trading center. We'll have free time here for shopping and lunch. Next, it's a scenic stop at the Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Our day is capped off at the site of the final Lincoln/Douglas Debate, and a statue dedicated to the tallest man in the world. B, D DAY 5—GREAT RIVER ROAD A spectacular view of the Mississippi's largest lock and dam sits eight stories high atop the Melvin Price Locks & Dam. As one of the largest locks on the Mississippi River, Dam No. 26 is central to river traffic for soybeans, corn, grain, asphalt and other commodities that are transported via the river…we'll take a close look. We then call on a hidden gem in the Village of Elsah. Its beautifully preserved buildings nestled between the limestone bluffs alongside the Great River Road are a unique treasure. Spectacular views of the Illinois River from atop bluffs are the pride of Pere Marquette State Park, where we'll have lunch inside its lodge (built by the Civilian Conservation Corps). The mammoth stone fireplace in the lobby soars to a roof height of 50 feet, and is said to weigh 700 tons. We'll then make our way back to Springfield, enriched by President Lincoln, Route 66, the Great River Road, and more! B, L x Sample delicious baked goods at Kruta Bakery Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau Kruta Bakery 855-744-TRIP (8747) | 53 US — MIDWEST | VINTAGE ILLINOIS