Amazing Costa Rica! what else can you say. A country the size of  West Virginia with a Caribbean coast, a Pacific coast, a continental divide with a cloud forest and an active volcano. With a range a climates like this you can see why there is such biodiversity in this land.

Collette Tours was our tour company and we were escorted by a fabulous motorcoach driver, Juan Carlos and one of the best, most knowledgeable  guides I’ve traveled with Ricardo Howell.

 We began in San Jose the capital city and home to 1/4 of the population. A few miles outside of town is the lovely family owned Doka Coffee Estate where we enjoyed an informative tour of the fields,production and roasting facilities.

Then on to Tamarindo Beach on the Pacific Coast and the centrally located Diria Resort. Two relaxing days( unless your room was next to the family of Howler monkees!) to enjoy sun,watersports,catamarans and watching the surfers.

 Then up into the cloud forest at Monteverde for the next two days and the stunning views from our rooms at El Establo.  We are located near the quaint town of Santa Elena where we had lunch in the treehouse and did some local souvenir shopping. A full day trip to Selvatura Park for an awesome zip line adventure involving 12 ziplines over the forest and the Tarzan Swing. Then enjoyed the butterfly gardens before heading back in time to go out to dinner at a fun place Tramonti Italian Restaurante- Happy Birthday Ricardo!

Fred dug and Doris planted a tree in the rainforest on behalf of Collette Tours as part of their contribution to green tourism. More will be planted, but this is dry season-little or no rain on the west side of the divide December to June- then look out ’cause here comes rain for the next 6 months.

 A long ride to cover a short distance on really winding narrow roads, with great views though, on way to Arenal Volcano. Stop in Tilaran for a break, Elaine buys more”stuff”. Arrive at Arenal Lake, largest manmade in central America and supplies 50% of country’s power. A Pango Pango boat ride across the lake with incredible view of  the 5,000′ Arenal Volcano looming nearby. Lots of wildlife and sign at dock warns of swimming and crocodiles.

 Checkin to Arenal Springs Resort,WOW! Hot spring fed pools, waterfalls and main pool- with swim up bar of course. Two unit buildings scattered throughout the property with patios to view the ever changing face of Arenal. A few minute drive to La Fortuna to explore souvenir shops, buy special coffee and dinner on the main drag.

 A day trip to the Nicaraguan border for an exciting jungle trip down the Cano Negro River with Mango on our Pango Pango. Egrets,bats,kingfishers,caymans,Jesus Christ lizards, monkees and a 3 toed sloth just to name  some of the many species we encountered. Trip back to Arenal through the heart of the farming region, bananas,pineapples,casava,yuca and tapioca,sugar cane and cattle ranches all along the route.

Head back to San Jose and flight home, but first stop is Sarchi and an ox cart factory established in 1923. Great spot for handmade crafts and our group photo. Trip up the mountain to view Poas volcano, but alas Poas is invisible today-socked in by it’s own clouds- so buy some postcards to see what we missed.

Gotta leave something to come back for. We were here for 8 days and I feel like we only scratched the surface, beautiful country, friendly smiling people and fun traveling companions. PURA VIDA!!

Sewing and Quilt Expo at the Schaumburg Convention Center featuring over 100 booths, 130 hands on classes offered, fashion show and much more! Your ticket cost includes transportation, expo admission, one class of your choice, lapel pin and shopping bag. Donna Whitlow will be your expert guide on this trip.

 Cost is $60.00 and reservation deadline is March 1.

Experience the Amish way of life in Arthur, Il as you attend the 23rd annual quilt show with over 100 quilts on display. Time to explore and shop in the quaint town of Arthur before going to an Amish home for a delicious home cooked meal.

After lunch tour a local farm and country home and explore Rockome Gardens and the Amish Museum before returning home.

 Donna Whitlow is your tour guide and cost is $99.00 for transportation, quilt show, Rockome Gardens and lunch.

Reservation deadline is April 5

What better way to spend a spring day than at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. After a wonderful buffet lunch at the gardens, enjoy a 40 minute narrated tour of the gardens by tram. Time to explore on your own and , of course, visit the gift shop.

Anna Barnland will be escorting your tour and the cost is $99.00 for transportation, lunch and tour.

Reservation deadline is April 16th

Our first trip to Wrigley Field and chance to watch your favorite team take on the Tigers.

Depart First Christian Church in Watseka at 8:30am with a stop at the Crescent Community Center at 8:45am to arrive in plenty of time to get a bite to eat, watch the warmups and maybe even get an autograph or two. Game time 1:20pm and we will return home directly after the game. Cost for motorcoach transportation and terrace reserved ticket is $60.00. Reserve your seat now. Full payment due no later than March 1st.

Join us for an exciting game of Cubs baseball at Wrigley Field. Bring your family,friends and co-workers  for a day at the old ballpark!

Depart First Christian Church in Watseka at 8:30am with a stop at the Crescent Community Center at 8:45am to arrive in plenty of time to get a bite to eat, watch the warmups and maybe even get an autograph or two. Game time 1:20pm and we will return home directly after the game. Cost for motorcoach transportation and terrace reserved ticket is $60.00. Reserve your seat now. Full payment due no later than March 1st.

Donna Whitlow, number 1 Cubs Fan, will be leading the group.

The Cubs take on their old rivals the Pirates. Spend a relaxing summer afternoon at the friendly confines.

Depart First Christian Church in Watseka at 8:30am with a stop at the Crescent Community Center at 8:45am to arrive in plenty of time to get a bite to eat, watch the warmups and maybe even get an autograph or two. Game time 1:20pm and we will return home directly after the game. Cost for motorcoach transportation and terrace reserved ticket is $60.00. Reserve your seat now. Full payment due no later than March 1st.

Escorted by Donna Whitlow.

Our last trip of the season to watch the Cubbies.

Depart First Christian Church in Watseka at 8:30am with a stop at the Crescent Community Center at 8:45am to arrive in plenty of time to get a bite to eat, watch the warmups and maybe even get an autograph or two. Game time 1:20pm and we will return home directly after the game. Cost for motorcoach transportation and terrace reserved ticket is $60.00. Reserve your seat now. Full payment due no later than March 1st.

Donna Whitlow will be your tour escort.

Visit the excellent Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield and learn more about our famous 16th President of the United States. Then a visit to the Lincoln home and finally his tomb. Tour admissions and lunch is included in this full day of sightseeing.

Cost is $85.00 and Donna Whitlow will be escorting you on this trip.

Reservation deadline is July 26

Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park, Il. Then lunch on your own as we make a stop at wacky Ed Debevics for hamburgers, shakes and fun! Then on to Robie House on the University of Chicago Campus in Hyde Park. You may easily recognize this house as it is one of the most important buldings in American architecture and built in the Prairie Style.

Transportation and admission to both tours is $89.00. Donna Whitlow is your tour guide.

Reservation deadline is August 15th.

Enjoy the historic version of “The Nutcracker” as you’ve never seen it before- on horseback. Enjoy the narrative as you are amazed by the trick riders, dancing white stallions, fire leaping horses and four horse drills set to music. A magical pre-Christmas show for the whole family. Then time for you to experience downtown Chicago  for shopping, sightseeeing or something to eat before we head home.

Dates and cost of trip after first of year.

Cruising the Seine River from Paris to Normandy in the fall is a wonderful, relaxing way to enjoy history, art and architecture and food and wine.

Aboard Uniworld’s River Baroness the cozy, boutique ship atmosphere allows you to  settle back and let the wonderful staff pamper you with fantastic food, historical lectures,  included shore excursions at every stop and entertainment in the lounge. Emmanuella our cruise director did an outstanding job with daily shore briefings ( gotta make sure everyone knows where to be and when) and just being there to meet the needs and answer questions of the 134 passengers aboard (and to get those sometimes balky VOX boxes to work).  Claudio our chef did a truly amazing job each night with the dinner menu- what selections with entrees like  Filet Mignon, rack of lamb, salmon, perch with lobster sauce,prime rib and desserts- baked Alaska,crepe,chocolate carmel with Grand Marnier. A daily breakfast and lunch buffet was also first class- I don’t know when he had time to sleep!

Our first stop outside Paris was Les Andelys, a quaint village that is at the base of a fortress built in 1197 by Richard the Lion Heart. A trek up the slope to this fortress, showed us why this spot with its commanding views of the river was so important. Richard got around the continent, ’cause I remember touring a fortress in Durnstein, Austria where he had been imprisoned for a while.

After this guided tour we had free time to walk along the river or head 2 blocks to downtown. We chose to borrow a couple of the bicycles on board and cruise the streets of Les Andelys, I even have a photo of “biker girl”.

Next stop Rouen (only Rex knows how to say it!) where we were transported by motorcoach, through some pretty dense coastal fog, to the beaches of Normandy. Our tour guide on board gave us an overview of what we would see and how this area came to be the invasion site. Operation Overlord was just such an incredible undertaking and to see what the allies were up against from the German defenses still visible to the nasty weather on June 6, 1944 was amazing. We walked on Omaha Beach, viewed the artificial harbor still mostly visible that had to be created to get supplies on shore at Arromanches and visited Bayeux the first town liberated. Last stop was American Cemetery at Colleville the final resting place of over 10,000 servicemen that died in this campaign with the average age being only 22. It truly was an emotional day for everyone.

Next day we are still at Rouen where we get a guided walking tour which includes the local Notre Dame cathedral of the 11th century and its famous spires. And the church also contains the tomb of Richard the Lion Heart- now if I run across his birthplace someday, the journey will be complete.

We arrive in Caudebec, the farthest point the ship will sail on the Siene, and a tour by motorcoach to Honfleur, an artist colony on the coast.

River cruise itineraries have to be flexible sometimes and tomorrow would be no exception. At our daily briefing we were informed that the French transportation workers were on strike ( not the French!) and we were stuck on the wrong side of the locks. So— back to Rouen (along with dozens and dozens of ships) and we will wait til the locks open the next day. Arrangements were made so that were taken by motorcoach the next morning to our tour of Versailles Palace. Then if all goes as planned the ship would meet us in Vernon on our return. It worked and Versailles was stunning as always, even with a little rain.

We then toured Giverny , home of Claude Monet with a very informative local guide. Just walking through the gardens, seeing the water lillies in the pond, the bridge across and the flowers blooming all around and even a nonartist can get inspired!

Early a.m. dock in Paris again and a midmorning city tour is included. Several optional tours available for purchase for afternoon or evening, but we just chose to walk the streets of Paris- and walk and walk and walk. Great fun stumbling across local outdoor markets, pastry shops, pushy vendors and students protesting something on the left bank. Even thought of looking for Jim Morrison’s, you know The Doors, gravesite, but ran out of daylight.

A wonderful farewell dinner is served that evening and the whole crew showed up. We felt like we’d known them for a lot longer than 7 days!

I’m glad there are a lot of major European rivers, because this was our third river cruise and we’ve  thoroughly enjoyed them all and would hate to run out of rivers to explore!

John and Joan

Who would have thought when we planned this river cruise over a year in advance that we would get such a great response for both the cruise and the passion play at Oberammergau. And boy, did we have fun!

We arrived in Amsterdam a day in advance of the cruise and as luck would have it the Netherlands had made it to the World Cup soccer finals (vs Spain) with the game being played during our stay. The NH Amsterdam Hotel was in fact only about 2 short blocks from the outdoor event site where the game could be seen on giant screen tv’s in a typical Amsterdam party atmosphere. The city was up for grabs that evening and we blended in well in our orange colors in support of the home team.

We sailed the next day aboard the Avalon Felicity, a beautiful 122 passenger ship just built this year.  This was our second European river cruise and we are convinced this is the best way to see many of Europe’s great cities and regions. No packing and unpacking, an included tour of the highlights of each city visited along the way and great food and companionship. There were Brits, Aussies, a Kiwi and Soni even met a guy from Ohio on board.

Each evening before dinner we’d meet in the lounge for a port briefing from our Cruise Director Jean-Loup to go over the next day’s schedule and tours. Attendance was high, could it be the nightly 2 for 1 Happy Hour, no garnish please? We also received a printed schedule along with maps and some historical information in our cabins each night- along with a chocolate treat.

Our first port of call was Cologne and we docked on the river a few short blocks from the famous Gothic cathedral that dominates the skyline.  Our included shore excursions were in groups of about 25 with local tour guides and we all had personal headsets to hear the narrative in I-pod fashion.

After the tour there was free time to explore the city on your own or just walk back to the ship and relax. The weather was warm and sunny, so the top deck was a great place to hang out and watch the river traffic go by.

The four course dinners at night were superb! Choices of several salads and soups, main entrees like Duck a la orange,beef tenderloin with bernnaise sauce,halibut with scampi,rack of lamb,butterfish and scrumptious deserts (think chocolate mousse,crepe suzette,tiramisu)- small portions but plenty filling and you don’t come away stuffed. Had to save room for the local wines and beer included with dinner.

Lunch and breakfast were buffet style with plenty of choices and delicious local cheeses and tasty ice cream flavors to choose from.

A short visit to Koblenz was followed by an afternoon on deck viewing the most scenic part of the the river the Rhine Gorge. A lovely warm sunny afternoon was in store as we floated by castles, vineyards and small German villages as Jean-Loup narrated stories of the building of these ancient castles, battles and historical points along the way, including the Lorelei Rock.

A late afternoon port call at Rudisheim and a stop to sample the famous Rudisheim Kaffee(what was in that anyway!) Siegfrieds Mechanical Music Museum just up the street and offered some real antique gems not found anywhere else in the world.

Our first optional tour of the week  found the bulk of our group back down the street for a Bavarian dinner with local wine. The rains came in the middle of dinner ( too bad we were on the patio) and brought some much needed relief with cooler temps. About this time Mary magically appeared dressed in typical Bavarian garb flitting from table to table with pitcher in hand and the place was up for grabs! Somehow we all found our way back to the waiting tourist train for the short trip back to our  ship.

Next day brought us to a port stop at Mannheim and a motorcoach excursion to the old university town of Heidleberg. Our local tour guide showed us the old castle (aren’t they all) and the great views overlooking the city. Then, free time to explore on our own-or shop!

That afternoon we set sail for Speyer and an interesting visit and tour of the cathedral. A hilarious show was put on for us after dinner that evening by the crew. Lots of laughs!

Strasbourg,France was a real surprise! Beautiful city, which we got to see up close on a canal tour.. Of course, what would a trip to the Alsace region be without a wine tasting stop?

Back on the German side of the river was Breisach, our hopping off point for the Black Forest excursion. We traveled deep into this southern Bavarian region, among the rolling hills and small towns even spotting a stork nest on the chimney of a local church.

The cuckoo clock stop was pretty amazing from simply designed clocks to elaborately designed time pieces with lots of moving parts. Even Deb walked out with a cuckoo, not Tom! On top of that, above the shop they were serving Black Forest Cake and coffee to our group-yummy!

The shop’s owner and master woodcarver, who had given a wood carving demonstration the night before aboard ship, came on the bus as we were about to leave to thank us- we must have shopped well!

Our last night aboard the Felicity we enjoyed the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. Then many of us retreated to the lounge to hear Nasco play his tunes on the piano one last time and to keep Fari busy behind the bar.

Basel, Switzerland was as far as we went and the buses were ready to transport us the hour or so trip to the Zurich Airport for our flight home. Joan took the rest of our group by rail to Innnsbruck and then on to the passion play held once every ten years at Oberammergau,Germany.

I was not looking forward to that British Air flight and that crazy round about transfer at the new international terminal at Heathrow- who dreamed that up anyway! It took every bit of our 90 minute connection time to navigate this maze, but we didn’t loose any of our, by now, seasoned travelers!

What a memorable trip with a wonderful group! Looking forward to our next adventure.  John and Joan 2010

As our travel agency is affiliated with MAST, we were able to achieve the top ranking of all-star member for the first time this year. This special group of top agencies is invited on an annual trip and this fall the destination was Orlando and the beautiful Disney Wonder.

We arrived at the Grand Floridian for the first night ( no castle stay for us this time) and while we had toured the property before this was our first stay here. A great property with immaculate grounds located on the monorail just outside the Magic Kingdom. The room at the Floridian was slightly larger than an average hotel room with a balcony and a large bathroom, as well as a minifridge and coffeemaker in the room.

Luggage is transported by Disney from your room to the ship- but bags had to be ready to go at 8am! Our Disney Cruise motorcoach left at 11am for the 90 minute ride to Port Canaveral. The design and color scheme of the Disney ships make them stand out against the Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships in port that day-very distinctive.

As everyone had checked in on line prior to arrival ( make sure you do this), a quick trip through the security scanners brought us to the checkin counters. After verifying out passports we received our welcome packets and were directed to the photo counter where our pictures were taken and imbedded into our room key cards. Then Welcome Aboard! we gave our names to the hostess and were introduced to all those within earshot of the main atrium. But first things first it was on to the top deck buffet. Very good selection of food and eager bartenders to serve.

After the usual lifeboat drill, section O for us, it was time to sail away. I really enjoy this part as you slide out to sea with bystanders lining the shore and waving or honking goodbye-and the unique musical blasts from the Disney horn!

The cabins on board are great for couples or families. Our balcony cabin had a queen bed with a pullout sofa and above that a bed would pull out.This area could be separated by a privacy curtain. The bathroom was actually split in two with a shower and sink in one room and a sink and toilet in the other. Very handy if sleeping four in the room. See photos below-

We got to eat in the one  specialty restaurant, Palo, that evening which is for adults only and requires reservations and an upcharge of $15.00 each. Having not tried this before on other cruise lines- hey the food is included why pay more, but after experiencing Palo it’s- why wouldn’t I want a nice relaxing atmosphere with great views by the window and a superb food and wine menu to choose from- excellent sea bass and rack of lamb,decadent desserts.

The dining onboard is a unique cruising experience as you get to enjoy each restaurant  on board a different night. You rotate between each and your waitstaff goes with you from Parrot Cay to Tritons to Animators Palate.

Lots of choices to make after dinner, see a movie in the theater, or go topside to the pool deck and see what is playing on the giant outdoor screen, several lounges for adults with comedy,karaoke,newlywed type games and family entertainment. We chose to see the musical Toy Story brought to life onstage, long time since I saw Woody, Andy and Buzz Lightyear,  great show!

Kids have loads of fun in there own program areas operated at 4 different age levels from age 3 to 17.  We toured them all, met the enthusiastic crewmembers and looked at several of the projects being worked on in the labs. Of course, it would not be Disney without visits from various onboard characters including Mickey and Minnie who arrive in the atrium for photographs the last evening. Lots of little Princess’s that night.

You can’t miss Pirate Night as lots of make believe-maybe even some real pirates come out to celebrate on the pool deck beneath the big screen with Capt Hook and Mr Smee leading the singing and dancing- the whole deck is almost rocking until finally the fireworks begin – yes real fireworks at sea launched from the smokestack over the dark Atlantic Sea-what a sight, hope we didn’t wake any fish!

And then there is the awesome port of call at Disney’s own Bahamian Island Castaway Cay. The ship slips into its own dock early in the morning and you can either walk the 7 minute hike to the beach or take a tram. The tram services both the nearby large family beach or continues on to the other side of the island to the relaxing and quiet adults only beach. We tried both!

A great island meal is included- ribs,chicken, fish-load up! Sun, blue waters, good food and drink and friends- We’re on vacation now!

Sadly, we head for home late in the afternoon to arrive at Port Canaveral at 6:00am. Any checked bags have to be out of the room by 11pm the night before as they get to go through customs first. After a last breakfast on deck, or in the dining room if you prefer, the announcement came at 7:30am that we have cleared customs and we were now free to disembark. Very smooth.

We had the good fortune, at our annual meeting of MAST travel agencies, to win a one night stay in Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando.  This stay was good for up to four people and while we didn’t think our adult boys would be interested in this,  they both  jumped at the chance. They’re certainly glad they did.

We stayed a few days at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, did both water parks and as much of Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom that we could.

Then Saturday morning a car from the Royal Castle arrived to pick us up and wisk us away to the back side of the Magic Kingdom. There we were met by Steve, our personal tour guide for the rest of our stay. Right away he escorted us to the Haunted Mansion and with his special entry card, we went through secret passages to arrive deep inside the mansion and right onto the ride. Then over to Thunder Mountain for a wild roller coaster thrill and again the “Extreme Steve Pass” got us  thru some dark passageways to the front of the line- ride the last 2 cars for the best ride he rightfully advised. After 2 more rides it was over to the castle to check out the only guest room in the castle.

Another secret door through the main passage in the castle led us to a small room with an elevator and with the swipe of a card the door opened and we were transported to the third floor. The foyer had inlayed tile of the pumpkin coach, wood and glass case containing THE MAGIC SLIPPER and paintings on the stone walls. Notice all clocks in paintings are stopped a few minutes before midnight- you know why! Inside was a beautiful suite with 2 canopied beds, real antique  furniture, stained glass windows , fireplace, a separate bedroom with pullout sofa sleeper, and flat screen tv’s that looked like a mirror when turned off. The large bathroom contained a separate shower and full size jacuzzi tub with multicolored lighting and a ceiling that changed to twinkling stars at the press of a button.

We were then taken back downstairs to meet the Princess and have our pictures taken before dining at the Royal Table. After a great meal, Steve took us on a few more front of the line rides and then to VIP seating in time for the night parade. Fireworks followed over ” our castle” and then it was suggested maybe we should try the Buzz Lightyear ride. It was like being in a giant video game and points were scored by hitting the targets from your laser gun. Of course, Steve knew where to shoot for the most points and by the third time around the ride our oldest had mastered the game, scoring to the max 999,999- he was quite proud of himself!

After the park closed we got a chance to see underground Disney. Our personal guide took us down  a couple levels where the underground network of tunnels connected points throughout the park. The Magic Kingdom is actually raised about 45 feet above sea level and these tunnels go down to the original ground level- quite fascinating!

We then walked around the now closed and deserted park and the ever knowledgeable Steve regaled us with stories about Walt and Roy Disney, the building of the park  and showed us various points of interest and humorous touches added by the imagineers.

By now we had run out of steam and it was time to turn in to our suite. A turndown service had been provided including a pumpkin coach pulled by horses made from white chocolate  containing chocolate covered strawberries. A quick photo was all I got before 2 hungry boys attacked the treat.

A deluxe continental breakfast was delivered to our room the next morning before we said goodbye and and left the magic behind. This was truly a once in a lifetime family experience!

John, Joan, Matthew and Bryan

After a long SAS flight from Chicago we arrived in Bergen,Norway and while it is the 2nd largest city in the country, the area around the harbor felt like a small town.  The Unesco recognized old wooden storefronts along Bryggen St. really gave this city character. On the recommendations of our taxi driver we tried the local fish specialty, Steinbrit, and I can say  it was truly delicious along with a Rignes beer.

 The Augustin Hotel was our base for the next two days and it’s central location, friendly staff and included excellent buffet breakfasts made for a wonderful starting point. I don’t know how I’ll survive without 5 kinds of herring to choose from each morning—

 The local fish and shopping market set up each morning at harbor’s edge and what a selection they had, flowers, handmade items , furs and lots of fresh fish. Just browse and you are offered samples from caviar to whale and invited to purchase a sandwich made from your choice of fresh fish. While we were there a motorcade whizzed by and we got a glimpse of Queen Sonja of Norway.

 The Floibanen funicular from city center up Mt Floyen is a must see for the incredible views of the city and harbor area.  On a really clear day you can see the oil platforms in the North Sea from here ( we didn’t). If you choose to walk down it’s worth the trip on an easy path that takes about an hour at a leisurely pace. What better way to end the day than with a pint of Guiness at Scruffy Murphy’s Pub at waters edge (we’re not that far from Ireland!).

 An early start on the Fjord 1 ferry to Balestrand – on this high speed ferry we made several stops along the way at quaint villages, some only accessible by boat. About 4 hours later we arrived in beautiful Balestrand and the incredible Kiviknes Hotel. This hotel has been in the family for over 100 years and is ideally set on the waterfront. Our room, as did most, had a small balcony and fantastic views of the fjord. 

 Several hiking trails begin here and we chose one of the easier ones ( for a Norwegian!) to get a good view from above.  So we climbed and climbed and every time we asked someone coming down about how far to the lookout point it was always “20 minutes” so we climbed some more. Finally, a light rain begin and we almost turned back until Bryan went ahead a little further and yelled back he found it. What a stunning view - it was worth every step. I just wish we could have gone on to the glacier but that would have taken another “’20 minutes”.  A lavish dinner buffet was included that evening and we savored the meal as well as the table at the window overlooking the fjords and snowcapped mountains in the ever changing evening light. At the same latitude as Anchorage nightime here in May comes between 11 pm and 3 am!

 Our short journey through Norway continued the next day up Sognefjord- 2nd longest in the world to Flam. The fairytale views just got better with every turn and I would have enjoyed staying aboard the whole day, but Flam was in site and we had a train to catch.

 The famous Flam Railroad was completed in 1940 after 20 years of labor. It climbs from sea level to almost 3,000 ft in 12 miles through 20 tunnels in about an hour with a stop at Kjosfossen waterfall where you are able to get off and feel the power of the surging water- beware the siren song!

 Myrdal station is the end of the line and the connection point for the train that runs between Bergen and Oslo. A 6 hour ride over the top of the mountains and down to Oslo brings us to the end of our journey.

 We’d love to come back again and bring the hiking boots and backpacks and do some real hiking along the fjords, which honestly offer some of the most incredible views you’ll find anywhere in the world!

John, Joan and Bryan

Join Anna Barnlund on another exciting New York City adventure.  Highlights include: tour of 9/11 Memorial, shopping on 5th Ave & Times Square, outdoor viewing of  “Today Show” and a one day metro card.

Optional tours include: Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry ticket, 48 hours three loop double decker tour, Broadway Shows, admission to Top of the Rock or Empire State Building. 

Accommodations at the classic Warwick New York Hotel located near Central Park, Broadway & 5th Ave.

Join us for this exciting weekend, call us today as space is limited to 25 seats

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         Join John and Joan as we cruise the beautiful Danube River from Nuremberg to Budapest, including 2 nights in fascinating Prague, Czech Republic.

From the splendor of Prague to the Gypsy violins of Budapest, you’ll treasure every moment of this memorable Danube River cruise. Enjoy guided sightseeing in Prague, Nuremberg, medieval Regensburg, Passau, Vienna, and Budapest. Sail through the fascinating Main Danube Canal, attend a beer tasting in Regensburg, tour Melk’s splendid Benedictine Abbey, and experience the music, art, culture, and historical sites in romantic Vienna-a memorable vacation! 

This cruise is almost sold out, contact us if you are interested in joining our fabulous cruise down the Danube!

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                                                Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals              

                            Don’t miss out on this exciting weekend of baseball!!!

Our travels will take us to St. Louis, MO to see the Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals for an afternoon game.   Hotel accommodations at theCrowne Plaza, not far from Busch stadium.  Hotel accommodations will also include 1 buffet breakfast per person.  Over 13 restaurants are within walking distance of the hotel including: J Bucks & Mike Shannon’s steakhouse.

Your trip will also include a tour of Busch Brewery.  Along the tour you will see the famous Budweiser “Clydesdales”, the Beachwood Lager Cellars, historic Brew House and Bevo Packaging facility.  After the tour we will go back to the hospitality room where everyone “over 21″ will be able to sample 2 types of beer of their choice.  Soft drinks & snacks will also be served.

Seats are selling fast…..Call us today to reserve your seat. 

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Join Anna Barnlund on an exciting and informative trip to downtown Chicago. Travel by motorcoach from Watseka to Chicago and spend 2 nights at the Doubletree Hotel Magnificent Mile. Then enjoy an Architechtural tour by boat on the river. Time for shopping the most famous mile in Chicago and use the included 3 day hop on/ hop off  pass on the trolley or double decker busses. Stops include the Willis Tower,John Hancock Bldg.,Millenium Park,Theater District,Art Institute,Field Museum,Navy Pier, Water Tower and more.

 Optional tours available to theaters,dinner at Topo Gigio and Second City. Only 25 seats to be sold on this exclusive trip.

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