Meals Included:  None

Your “Exploring the Musical Heartland Tour” begins, as you are welcomed aboard your deluxe coach in St. Albert. 

Travel south through Red Deer and Calgary, then west through Medicine Hat, before crossing the Alberta/Saskatchewan border and arriving in Swift Current for the evening with a stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  Enjoy meeting your traveling companions en route.

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning, you board your coach and continue west through Moose Jaw, then turn south and head through Weyburn and Estevan before entering the U.S. Border. You will cross at Portal into North Dakota, then continue south before arriving in Minot for the evening.  We will enjoy lunch and coffee stops along the way before retiring for the evening at the Sleep Inn and suites attached to the Dakota Square Mall. 

Meals Included:  Breakfast

We will cross through 2 more states today as we make our way further south.  We will pass Jamestown and then cross into South Dakota.  We will end our day in Sioux Falls at the Best Western Ramkota

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast this morning, we continue our journey south leaving the state of Iowa behind as we head towards the state of Missouri and our overnight accommodation the Drury Inn & Suites in St. Joseph MO.

Upon our arrival in St. Joseph, we will have a guided tour of the Pony Express Museum, a one-room schoolhouse, and will enjoy an included catered lunch. We will also have a surprise performance from a special guest.  Your guide will give a personalized tour of exhibits covering the creation, running, and demise of the Pony Express.

After our tour, we will head over to the Patee House Museum and Jesse James House. The World Hotel was the headquarters for the Pony Express in 1860 and the finest hotel west of the Mississippi.  Today it offers a “hands-on” look at St. Joe’s colorful history.  Stroll down Old Main Street, climb aboard a steam engine, and visit the little house where Jesse James was shot and killed by fellow gang member Bob Ford to collect a $10,000 reward.

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy an included breakfast and a little later departure today as our first stop will be the Walter Cronkite Memorial. The self-guided tour of this Memorial is dedicated to the life of one of St. Joseph’s greatest native sons.  The permanent memorial is a collection of items designed to honor the legendary CBS News anchor, born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on November 4, 1916.  Tour a replica of the CBS newsroom where he reported the nightly world news.  You can actually sit in his chair and experience what it was like to report to millions across America.

After our visit, we will make our way to Branson where we will take in our first show at the Sight and Sound Theatre “Queen Esther”

Set in the opulent yet perilous Persian Empire, QUEEN ESTHER is a captivating tale of beauty and bravery. Esther’s ordinary life changed forever when she was taken through the palace doors, entering a new world of royalty and risk. With a crown on her head and a secret in her heart, can she find the courage to trust in God’s plan and believe that she was made for such a time as this? 

Experience one of the most riveting Bible stories of the Old Testament as it comes to life with magnificent sets, special effects, and live animals in this original stage production!

We then check into our hotel and freshen up before an included plated dinner at Black Oak Grill

Meals Included:  Breakfast

This morning, after breakfast, you will have a free morning to do as you please in Branson.  After lunch we will take you to Branson Landing for some outlet shopping and lunch on your own. This evening we will take in another show Clay Cooper’s Country Express which features an incredible cast of dancers, singers and musicians that will capture audiences attention of all ages. This show, features music of all styles including country, rock n roll, gospel, and even patriotic!  From the opening curtain to the final act you won’t want to miss a moment of this show.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

After your included breakfast we will take a short drive out to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. Here we will enjoy a guided Wildlife Tram tour and Chuckwagon Pavillion Creekside Lunch. You will also receive a $10 Conservation Gift card for shopping or snacks in the gift shop. After our tour, you will have time to relax at the hotel or do some more shopping before we take in the this evenings show Million Dollar Quartet.The fan-favorite Rock ’n‘ Roll show, Million Dollar Quartet, is back in Branson, MO in the Playhouse Dinner Theater, located at Shepherd of the Hills. This smash broadway hit, based on the Tony award-winning production, takes you back to 1956 in the Sun Records Studios when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis actually came together for the greatest jam session in music history.We’re serving up a delicious dinner while enjoying an unforgettable night of Rock’n’Roll!

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch

We will continue our journey today to Memphis, located on the Mississippi River in southwest Tennessee.  Famous for the influential strains of blues, soul, and rock n’ roll that originated there, as well as Elvis Presley’s Graceland. On our way, we will stop for an included lunch at Johnson’s Fish House where you can try some fried catfish or if you are not a fish fan they have other options as well. We then continue to Memphis for the next two evenings where we will stay at the Comfort Inn Memphis Downtown by the river.

Meals Included:  Breakfast

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning before we take a short drive to Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Walk in the footsteps of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll as you experience the Superstar’s estate including the Elvis Experience + Airplanes at Graceland. Explore Elvis Presley’s home to learn more about the personal side of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Experience museums and exhibits tracing Elvis’s roots, his influences, and his artistry, as well as his two custom airplanes. Savor delicious Memphis cuisine at themed restaurants, pick up a few souvenirs at the gift shops, and enjoy your day in an unforgettable destination. Later in the afternoon, we will enjoy a locally guided city tour of Memphis before settling back into our hotel for the evening.

Meals Included:  Breakfast

This morning, it’s time to depart Memphis and head to Nashville, “Music City USA”.  Enroute, we will have a coffee stop in Jackson TN and then carry on to Nashville. We will enjoy a Nashville welcome at the Visitor Center and then enjoy time on your own for lunch and browsing on Broadway. This afternoon will check into your home for the next three nights at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, situated in the heart of Nashville with an impressive lineup of amenities.

Meals Included:  Breakfast

This morning, after breakfast, you will board your coach for a 3-hour sightseeing tour of Music City with a local step-on guide. An enlightening & entertaining narrative will include the downtown area with some of its colorful history and beautiful architecture, a visit to Music Row where you’ll learn about the recording industry, as well as a drive-through of Bicentennial Mall Park and viewing of the Parthenon, and much much more.  This afternoon you will have time for lunch on your own, some more shopping and time to visit more downtown Nashville Attractions on your own or choose to go back to the Gaylord Opryland where you can take a ride on the Delta River Flatboat, explore the resort, walk or take the shuttle for anyone wanting a little retail therapy, head over to the Opry Mills Mall with your Savings Passport. 

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch

Today is the driver’s day off so you can enjoy a leisurely morning and all that the Opryland hotel has to offer.  Then take the shuttle from the resort to one of America’s most entertaining cruises – The General Jackson Showboat. While rolling down the river, you’ll enjoy stunning views, a delicious meal and toe-tapping entertainment in a two-story Victorian Theater in the center of the boat. Your cruise lets you experience the Nashville skyline, as it can best be seen from the beautiful Cumberland River.

Later this afternoon we will have a guided backstage tour of the Opry house and this evening enjoy tickets to the Grand Ole Opry. 

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning it’s time to say goodbye to Nashville and the musical heartland, as you board your coach and start making your way back home. We have a quick photo stop in St. Louis at the Gateway Arch, commonly referred to as “The Gateway to the West”. It is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere and Missouri’s tallest accessible building. It stands at 630 feet and is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River. From here we will make our way to Columbia MO where we will check in to our hotel the Hampton Inn

Meals Included:  Breakfast

After your included breakfast, we will continue your journey north through Kansas City, Sioux City and Sioux Falls making our way to Brookings SD settling in at our hotel the Country Inn and Suites

Meals Included:  Breakfast

We will travel further north today after an included breakfast.  Following I-29 north through Watertown and Fargo.  We will then jog west to Jamestown before heading both north to end our day at the Sleep Inn in Minot, ND.

Meals Included:  Breakfast

This morning, after breakfast, it’s time to continue your journey as you retrace your steps and head north stopping at the Duty-Free before crossing the border back into Canada. You will travel through Estevan, Weyburn, and Moose Jaw before arriving in Swift Current back at the Holiday Inn Express.

Meals Included: Breakfast

With fond memories and new friends, you will enjoy your last leg of the journey today, as we drop passengers off at their pickup locations. You will arrive at your final destination this evening, after having had an amazing experience and memories to cherish for years to come!