DIXIELAND and RHYTHMS with NEW ORLEANS EXT (82452010)

Guides
Services of a professional Tour Director; Local Guide for sightseeing in New Orleans. Host service in New Orleans, where information is provided for independent exploration and dining.

Hotels


Chicago
Essex Inn (T);

St. Louis
Millenium Hotel (F);

Nashville
Holiday Inn Express (ST);

Memphis
Crowne Plaza (MF);

Lafayette
Comfort Inn (ST);

New Orleans
Holiday Inn French Quarter (MF)

Meals
The option to prepurchase breakfast daily is available on this vacation and will include 3 full and 8 continental breakfasts. Please refer to the Dates & Prices box for pricing details.

Transportation
AMTRAK® City of New Orleans train from Memphis to Hammond; private, deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach while touring.

Day 1:
CHICAGO. Welcome to the “Windy City.” Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.

Day 2:
CHICAGO. Start the day with an included sightseeing tour and see all the landmarks of this exciting city. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. Ride the elevator to the top of Sears Tower, stroll in Grant Park along the waterfront, or take an optional cruise on Lake Michigan. This evening you might enjoy dinner on the Navy Pier with its collection of shops and restaurants.

Day 3:
CHICAGO–ST. LOUIS. Travel across the fertile Illinois farmlands today to St. Louis, the “Gateway to the West.” Cross the Mississippi River to St. Louis. City sightseeing includes a trip to the top of the towering GATEWAY ARCH, which commemorates the city’s key role in westward expansion. Be sure to visit the museum under the arch, celebrating the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark 200 hundred years ago.

Day 4:
ST. LOUIS–NASHVILLE. Start today’s journey by re-crossing the Mississippi River and rolling southeast to Paducah on the Ohio River. Late-afternoon arrival in Nashville.

Day 5:
NASHVILLE. Start the day with a sightseeing tour of Nashville’s famous landmarks and the recording studios of Music Row. We’ll tour historic RCA STUDIO B, the cradle of the “Nashville Sound” in the 1960s. Hitmakers in Studio B include such stars as Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, Willie Nelson, and the Everly Brothers. Afterward, visit the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME with its glittering costumes, rare instruments, and Elvis Presley’s solid-gold Cadillac! Tonight you have reserved seats for a show at the world-famous GRAND OLE OPRY, a mecca for country musicians.

Day 6:
NASHVILLE–MEMPHIS. Cross Tennessee today to Memphis, the “Home of the Blues” and a city with a distinct Southern flavor. Enjoy an orientation tour on arrival. Join the optional excursion that visits famous Sun Studio, where rock ‘n’ roll was first recorded, followed by dinner at a local Memphis restaurant.

Day 7:
MEMPHIS. GRACELAND VISIT. A good portion of the day is devoted to GRACELAND, Elvis Presley’s beautiful estate. Your platinum audio tour focuses on the splendid garden, private plane, and the opulent 15,000-square-foot mansion. Return to Memphis mid-afternoon. Tonight, you may want to visit a blues club on famous Beale Street.

Day 8:
MEMPHIS–AMTRAK CITY OF NEW ORLEANS TRAIN–LAFAYETTE. Providing the locomotion for today’s journey through the state of Mississippi and into the Mississippi River delta is the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, the famous train of story and song. Pass cotton fields and catfish ponds as the train enters Louisiana. In Hammond, leave the train and board a motorcoach for the short drive into the heart of Cajun Country to Lafayette, first settled by French-Acadian farmers expelled from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s.

Day 9:
LAFAYETTE–NEW ORLEANS. On to St. Martinville to see the famous oak tree from Longfellow’s poem, “Evangeline.” Next, board your boat for a CRUISE through the winding, swampy waterways of the Atchafalaya Basin. If you are lucky, you might spot alligators basking on the banks. Then, cross Bayou Country into New Orleans.

Day 10:
NEW ORLEANS. Enjoy a full-morning tour dedicated to the sights and sounds of New Orleans and the French Quarter landmarks of St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. Next, visit one of the city’s unique above-ground cemeteries followed by a drive past the impressive mansions and clanging streetcars of St. Charles Avenue. The rest of your stay is at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest several optional outings as well as the best places to shop and dine.

Day 11:
NEW ORLEANS. Enjoy a full-morning tour dedicated to the sights and sounds of New Orleans and the French Quarter landmarks of St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. Next, visit one of the city’s unique above-ground cemeteries followed by a drive past the impressive mansions and clanging streetcars of St. Charles Avenue. The rest of your stay is at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest several optional outings as well as the best places to shop and dine.

Day 12:
NEW ORLEANS. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Airport transfers are provided to New Orleans International Airport.

YOU CAN BOOK THIS TOUR ONLINE. Click here to check rates and availability online, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Or, to speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
9/20/2010 - 10/1/2010	$1,519
9/27/2010 - 10/8/2010	$1,519
10/25/2010 - 11/5/2010	$1,519
11/8/2010 - 11/19/2010	$1,519
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

City Highlights
In Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, and orientation tour in Memphis; Gateway Arch, Country Music Hall of Fame, RCA Studios, reserved seats at the Grand Ole Opry, Graceland, orientation tour in Memphis, boat cruise through the Atchafalaya Basin. Inside visits as shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.

Scenic Highlights
Mississippi River, Cajun Country, Louisiana Bayou Country.

Price Details US
Breakfast Supplement per person: $114Single Room Supplement: $620Triple Room Reduction per person: $115

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8240|Dixieland & Rhythms

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