The Great Southwest

July 22 - August 4, 2009

On this 14 day travel adventure we will begin with a visit to Nashville and then on to our overnight in Jackson, Tennessee. Then -“Westward Ho”, your coach crosses the Mighty Mississippi River and in to the state of Arkansas. In a short time we will be in Oklahoma City, OK for a stop in downtown at the Murray Office building sight. Then it is on to Clinton, OK for our overnight and the Route 66 Museum. Day three we continue west as we cross into Texas. We will have a rest stop at “The Cross” before we have lunch in Amarillo, TX. We will spend the next two nights in Albuquerque, NM. After we freshen up a bit, we board the bus for dinner in “Old Town”. You will have time to eat and do some shopping before retiring for the night.

Our fourth day touring we will pick up our local guide for an interesting and educating tour of this historic part of the west. Dinner will be at a local favorite restaurant that appears to be some ones “Ranch Home”. Your tour will last all day with many destinations and stops.

On day 5 after an early breakfast your coach continues west to our next overnight in Flagstaff, AZ. Any Southwestern visit is not complete without a stop at the “Four Corners Monument”. You will have plenty of time to shop at the local Native American crafters and photo opportunities of the only location where four US States meet! Then continue thru the high desert with a visit to the Navaho Indian’s Monument Valley. Your driver will take the bus thru the valley floor with a Native American guide to inform you of the natural and Indian history of this most sacred land! On our sixth day of our adventure our first stop will be Williams, AZ to board the Grand Canyon Railway! This early steam train will take you to the rim of the canyon. Lunch will be on your own to enjoy while viewing the Steepest gorge in North America at your feet! The next two nights will be at the MGM Grand Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. On morning seven we board our coach for a few visits that are unique to Las Vegas.

First stop is “Ethel M’s” chocolate factory, .where we will have a factory tour and a taste test. Next on our list is the “Ocean Spray” factory where you will have the opportunity to view the processing of cranberry juice. We now head for our lunch stop at “Sam’s Town” hotel and Casino. Free time this evening will be back at the MGM Grand.

Day eight we are headed south to Tucson AZ with sightseeing and shopping all along the way. The Hoover Dam will be our first stop. This is among the seven engineering marvels of the world! After our visit here, we are heading to the spiritual town of Sedona, AZ traveling thru the Oak Creek Canyon and ending up surrounded by the red rocks of Sedona, lunch on your own. This afternoon we continue south to Phoenix and then onto Tucson for the next two nights. Our ninth day touring we will visit the “Old Tucson Studios”. If you ever watched a western movie, you will recognize this location right away. Next we arrive at the Pima Air Museum. You will have the opportunity to tour a I C B M missile silo and participate in a defense countdown that kept the US Air Force at the ready to protect our freedom. This evening you will enjoy a cowboy dinner. Day ten we head east and make a stop in Las Cruses, NM for lunch and shopping. Tonight we over night in El Paso. You may want to go south of the boarder for shopping or entertainment in Mexico. Day eleven we leave El Paso early, and make a stop at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. You will join a Park Ranger guided tour of this hidden American Treasure. After your visit, we will head for San Antonio for the next two nights. On day twelve our first stop will be the Alamo with free time to explore the River Walk. Tonight you will dine on the San Antonio River. On the thirteenth day of our touring we head for our last over night on the road, Slidell, LA. We make stops along the way with the western sunset behind us now. Tonight Travel Lynx will host your farewell dinner, held in your honor. We can all share the wonderful sights that we, as a group, have just experienced. It will be hard to believe that you have just traveled across country and have memories of a life time to share with all your family and friends.