Thursday, May 3 (Day 01)

Our tour commences this afternoon when we assemble at the United Airlines check-in lobby #8 at the airport for our direct flight to Chicago, Illinois. Our escort will be there to assist you with baggage check-in procedures.

  

Friday, May 4 (Day 02)

On arrival at Chicago O’Hare International Airport early this morning, we’ll board our chartered motor coach and embark on a brief sightseeing tour of the city of Chicago - also known as the Windy City. Discover one of the most memorable ways to see all of Chicago’s fabulous lakefront sights on a Shoreline Boat Cruise on Lake Michigan! Learn about Chicago’s colorful history and famous landmarks and enjoy the panorama of the city’s famous lakefront, covering the entire downtown city skyline from north past Navy Pier to the Hancock Building, east out to the lighthouse, and south towards the Sears Tower and Museum Campus. We will spend two exciting nights in Chicago.

 

Saturday, May 5 (Day 03)

This morning, we’ll have an insider’s look at more than 90 years of history on a tour of the legendary ballpark - Wrigley Field - home of the Chicago Cubs. Our tour will include a visit to the press box, clubhouse, dugouts, as well as a chance to step on the field (subject to availability due to scheduled baseball games). Enjoy a stroll through The Magnificent Mile - noted as ‘One of the Great Avenues of the World’. This afternoon, we’ll visit The Field Museum, a world-class institution that’s known worldwide for its collections of natural sciences. Take a moment to learn more about its famous resident - Sue - the T-Rex, the largest, most complete and best preserved 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered.

 

Sunday, May 6 (Day 04)

As we travel alongside Lake Michigan, we’ll cross the Indiana border and proceed to spend two nights in the town of Holland, Michigan - home of the annual Tulip Time Festival.  Enjoy the Dutch atmosphere of this small town featuring its windmills, spectacular displays of tulips (weather permitting) and delicious Dutch cuisine.  We’ll overnight for two nights in Holland. 

 

Monday, May 7 (Day 05)

Enjoy the festivities at the Holland Tulip Time Festival - named the “Best Small Town Festival in America”. This event is a celebration of Dutch heritage and culture featuring parades, dance performances & concerts, Dutch attractions, Dutch cuisine, and trolley tours through Tulip Lane. Stroll through the Dutch Marktplaats  to shop for Dutch products and souvenirs, experience authentic Dutch foods and music, and more. You’ll have the whole day to enjoy the events at your own pace.

  

Tuesday, May 8 (Day 06)

Our journey will continue north to Traverse City, rated as the #1 ‘Foodie City’ in America. Enjoy a self-guided foodie tour of one of the shops whose talented artisans create delicious foods you can sample, purchase, and enjoy - whether it’s a fresh-baked loaf of bread, a warm cherry pie, a glass of hard apple cider, or a string of smoked sausages. At the Music House Museum, displays of an extensive one-of-a-kind collection of rare antique musical instruments and music-making machines dating back from 1870 through 1930 are featured. A stroll through this museum is like taking a ‘walk back in time’. Enjoy this musical tour that explains and demonstrates the unique instruments - including the Belgian dance organ, nickelodeons, music boxes, pipe organs, the Wurlitzer Theater Organ and a Weber reproducing piano. We’ll spend the evening in Traverse City. 

 

Wednesday, May 9 (Day 07)

We’ll travel on to Petoskey, a famous resort and health center located on Little Traverse Bay. On the bottom of the bay is a life-size figure of Christ that serves as the Skin Divers’ Shrine. Rock hounds crowd the lakeshore in the springtime, sorting through the winter’s debris for Petoskey ‘stones’. These stones are the remains of an extinct coral that inhabited the shallow seas several million years ago and has been designated as Michigan’s state stone. We’ll continue on to Mackinaw City to board a ferry to Mackinac Island - a resort island famous for its colonial to Victorian era character, situated in the Straits of Mackinac - connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Step back in time to a place where transportation is limited to horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, or by foot - no motorized vehicles are permitted on the island except for emergency vehicles. We will spend two extraordinary nights on the island. A fabulous dinner will be provided for you this evening.

 

Thursday, May 10 (Day 08)

The Mackinac experience would not be complete without a Mackinac Island Carriage Tour, the official tour of Mackinac State Park. Enjoy a narrated tour on a horse-drawn carriage through downtown, covering scenic and historic points of interest. A stop will be made to enjoy visiting the Surrey Hills Carriage Museum featuring historic and antique carriages. Located adjacent to the museum, you can also visit the new “Wings of Mackinac” butterfly conservatory. A brief stop will be made at Arch Rock - a geologic formation on the island. It is a natural limestone arch and stands on the Lake Huron shoreline. Our tour commences with a fabulous lunch at the glorious Grand Hotel, a special experience of Mackinac Island. The afternoon will be free to explore more of this quaint little island at your leisure. 

 

Friday, May 11 (Day 09)

This morning we’ll depart the island by ferry back to Mackinaw City and re-board our chartered motor coach. We’ll continue our drive south to Frankenmuth, Michigan’s ‘Little Bavaria’ - a place of horse-drawn carriages and covered bridges, of riverboat cruises and world-famous chicken dinners. The old world atmosphere is still evident with some of the architecture in the town. Downtown in the center of the business district is School Haus Square - originally known as the St. Lorenz Lutheran School. Now housing many specialty shops, it’s corridors display wall murals depicting education in the late 1800’s. This afternoon, we’ll transform into German bakers as we enjoy a pretzel rolling experience - making your very own soft pretzel. We’ll spend the night in Frankenmuth. A fabulous dinner will be provided for you this evening

 

Saturday, May 12 (Day 10)

In the morning, we’ll have some free time to stroll through the town of Frankenmuth before departing the city. Take a walk on a replica of the 19th-century ‘Holz Brucke’ (wooden covered bridge) to the Frankenmuth River Place - a European themed village with many shops and attractions. We’ll continue on to the city of Dearborn to visit the Henry Ford Museum, a remarkable showcase of artifacts, inventions and mementos of American social history. Featured is a replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, serving as the entrance to the front galleries and the main exhibition hall. A visit to The Automobile in American Life exhibition illustrates the impact of the automobile on 20th-century America. Rediscover America as we stroll through the historic districts at Greenfield Village featuring demonstrations of various crafts and trades, including pottery making, glass blowing, printing and weaving. We’ll spend our last evening in Dearborn. 

 

Sunday, May 13 (Day 11)

This morning, we’ll transfer to the Detroit International Airport for our flight home with a short layover in Chicago, arriving Honolulu in the mid-afternoon..