Cherokee, NC & New Orleans! Judy's Journey

Departure Points:

Yankee Trails, Rensselaer - 6:30am
Catskill, Exit 21 Park & Ride - 7:15am
Kingston Plaza, Kingston - 7:45am

Wednesday, July 23:

This morning we will depart on our first travel day to Harrisonburg, VA and our overnight accommodations at the Comfort Inn (540-534-0060). Dinner is included this evening at the Wood Fire Grill Buffet in Harrisonburg, a dining delight! *We request travelers use overnight bags for our stay at the Comfort Inn as the hotel will not be handling luggage.

Thursday, July 24:

A hot breakfast is included before our departure for historic Cherokee, North Carolina and our accommodations for the next two nights at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino (828-497-7777). Set amid the sweeping mountain landscape of Western North Carolina, Harrah’s Cherokee delivers a luxury resort and casino experience. Soak in stunning views, play the best video and table casino games, and dine at delicious celebrity restaurants. Following check-in your evening is free to relax and enjoy the casino. Dinner will be on your own at one of 14 restaurants on property!

Friday, July 25:

Everyone will receive a players card on arrival with meal vouchers you can use for breakfast each morning. Our exploration today begins with time to explore the Oconaluftee Visitor Center & Museum. Today’s experience includes a presentation of Cherokee life in a village setting demonstrating day by day life experiences. You will have free time to explore and observe authentic demonstrations of daily Indian life. Dinner is included before we step into the enchanting ambiance of the Mountainside Theatre, where the captivating drama of “Unto These Hills” unfolds beneath the starlit sky. This outdoor drama tells the triumphant story of the formation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from first contact with Europeans through the years following the infamous Trail of Tears.

Saturday, July 26:

Use your breakfast voucher this morning and then we are off for Atlanta, Georgia. On the way we will visit Stone Mountain, home of Confederate Memorial, the largest carving in the world honoring three Confederate leaders, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Civil War stories and mountain face carvings give tribute to these southern generals, as well as provide a setting for entertainment, spectacular views and historical venues. Check-in at the Hampton Inn Atlanta - Perimeter Center (404-303-0014) precedes our departure for the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant for an included dinner at an Atlanta favorite for 40 years with an impressive collection of WWII memorabilia.

Sunday, July 27:

A lobby breakfast is included before our departure for New Orleans and our hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter (504-524-7611) located directly on Bourbon Street. Experience the charm of New Orleans from our hotel where history meets comfort—this is the site of the first opera house in the U.S. Dinner is included this evening at an iconic New Orleans restaurant, The Court of Two Sisters, famous for their luscious Creole and Cajun cuisine. After dinner we will return to our hotel.

Monday, July 28:

Breakfast is included this morning at the hotel. Today, a step-on tour guide will regale us with New Orleans facts and stories on a 3-hour guided tour. At the conclusion of the tour, we will be dropped off at Jackson Square for perhaps a bite of lunch at Café Du Monde, famous for their beignets and coffee… or just roaming. Our hotel is only 2-3 blocks away. This evening, we will set sail on the Steamboat Natchez for a dinner cruise on the Mississippi River. Experience a spirit of adventure aboard the newest vessel to the French Quarter riverfront, the Steamboat Natchez as she takes you on a journey down the mighty Mississippi. See captivating views of the French Quarter fade into the distance as the joyful tunes of traditional jazz carries you down the river. Stroll the multiple decks, explore the beautiful refinished interiors and savor the leisurely two-hour cruise that will give you panoramic views of the Mississippi River and the many unique sites along the way, with live narration. The dinner features a buffet of New Orleans classics in a relaxing atmosphere for enjoying a memorable evening on the Mississippi River.

Tuesday, July 29:

Breakfast is included at the hotel this morning. Today is a free day for your own individual choices of what to visit, see or do in this magnificent city. Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Wednesday, July 30:

Breakfast is included at the hotel before our departure for Birmingham, Alabama. Our first stop will be at the Vulcan Park, home of the largest cast iron statue in the world and the symbol of the City of Birmingham. You will hear the story of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire & forge and visit his namesake museum. We leave Vulcan Park and make our way to another Birmingham treasure, Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens where we will tour the home and gardens, learning the history and story of this beautiful home that survived General Sherman’s burning of Atlanta in the Civil War. We will enjoy an excellent dinner included here this evening. Following dinner, we will make our way to tonight’s overnight accommodation at the Comfort Inn & Suites - Crossplex Village (205-235-1738).

Thursday, July 31:

Following a hot breakfast buffet (included) this morning we continue north to Louisville, Kentucky with a tour & tasting at Heaven Hill Bourbon Distillery and a stop at the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum… it is baseball season, right?? The sweet smell of fresh cut wood making baseball bats is intoxicating! Our hotel this evening is the Drury Inn & Suites Louisville East (502-326-4170) in which the Drury Kickback will be our dinner.

Friday, August 1:

A Drury hot breakfast is available this morning before our departure for Erie, Pennsylvania where we will make our last tour stop at the Lake Erie Maritime Museum. Learn of the story of Commander Oliver Perry and the brig the SS Niagara which are preserved from the War of 1812. Dinner is included this evening at the rooftop dining room overlooking Lake Erie and also our hotel tonight the Hampton Inn & Suite Erie Bayfront (814-920-9640).

Saturday, August 2:

A hotel breakfast is included this morning as we depart for home with wonderful memories of the places and things we have seen and experienced and the people we have met who shared in this tour. Our arrival in the Capital District will be approximately 5:00pm.