Central States Rotary Youth Exchange Tour
CALIFORNIA 3
June 12th - 26th, 2010
Tour Director ~ Patricia Grevenstuck
Bus Driver ~ Gary Gilliam
Marvin Enterprises, LLC
Saturday ~ June 12th, Day One: Arrive no earlier than 4:00PM CST but no later than 5:30PM for registration at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glen Ellyn, IL to meet your Tour Director & Chaperones. Orientation, Group Photo’s and Dinner will be at the Hotel.
Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn
1250 Roosevelt Road
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
630-629-6000
Sunday ~ June 13th, Day Two: We will start our tour off with sightseeing around Chicago, IL. Which is the city home to many attractions such as the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) where we will go to the top for a spectacular view of the Windy City. From there we will take a water taxi to Navy Pier to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon. We will be spending the night in Oakbrook, IL.
Monday ~ June 14th, Day Three: Rotary International Headquarters, Evanston, IL, will be our host this morning as they show us around their facilities. Then it’s off to the airport as we start our travel west today! Flight Information-Depart:Chicago, IL at 4:05pm (CST), and arrive into San Francisco at 6:45pm (PDT). We will spending the night just outside of San Francisco.
Tuesday ~ June 15th, Day Four: Our touring today, will take us around some of the
San Fran neighborhoods with a stop at Lombard Street to see the famous “Crooked Street”, and Chinatown where you will get to see how they make Fortune Cookies by hand. All aboard! The Blue and Gold Bay Cruise Company will take us out on the bay this afternoon for a cruise around Alcatraz Island and the infamous Federal Penitentiary. There will be time to walk a bit on the Golden Gate Bridge that overlooks the city below and the expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
We will overnight in Modesto, CA.
Wednesday ~ June 16th, Day Five: Today is a FEAST FOR YOUR EYES! We will see some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the world! You are in Yosemite National Park. www.nps.gov/yose/ The views will astound you. The highest waterfall in the world is here…it cascades over 900 meters! We will be taking a 2-hour tour through the heart of Yosemite in an open-air tram. Our day isn’t over yet! Tonight we will enjoy an all American Baseball game. The Fresno Grizzlies will battle it out against The Portland Beavers. Which team will you be rooting for? We will spend tonight in Fresno.
Thursday ~ June 17th, Day Six: Say Good-Bye to The City by the Bay as it is time we take off for another interesting destination…Los Angeles. The Sunshine City will be our host for the next four days/nights. L.A. is renowned for its sun, surf and celebrities. It is also filled with one of a kind buildings. This afternoon we will be visiting the famous Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and visit some of the other famous sights around the LA Hollywood area, such as The Griffith Park Observatory and The Farmers Market. Keep your eyes open, you never know when you might see a celebrity!
Friday ~ June 18th, Day Seven: Today we will have time to tour around Santa Monica Pier and pick up those “last-minute, must-have” souvenirs. Since California is known for their beaches, we will be able to spend most of our day taking a dip in the Pacific Ocean or just soaking up some rays.
Saturday ~ June 19th, Day Eight: Wow… We have already been traveling for a week and there is much more to see. M-I-C-K-E-Y… M-O-U-S-E! We will be spending our entire day at DISNEYLAND!!! There are many rides, shows, and attractions to see today. The “Founding Disney Park” and dream of Walt Disney is going to keep you going. There are more than thirty exciting, screaming, plummeting, soarin, and giggling attractions for you to explore. A word of advice if you are wanting to see a parade on “ Main Street” make sure you get their early to get a good seat.
Sunday ~ June 20th, Day Nine: Today a Step on Tour Guide will enrich our minds with the history of LA along with being taken by the HOT spots of the LA area. This tour will take us to Santa Monica Pier, West LA historical site, Sunset Strip, Hollywood, and La Brea Tar Pitts. This tour will take us past some celebrity homes and show us some of the celebrity hangouts. This afternoon we will get a chance to go into the famous Fashion District.
Monday ~ June 21st, Day Ten: As we leave the lights of Hollywood behind us, we will start our journey back East this morning. We will be making a stop along our way today at Calico Ghost Town www.calicotown.com where you can walk the streets and see the way miners lived. This afternoon will be a relaxing time of traveling. Our trail today will take us to Williams, AZ.
Tuesday ~ June 22nd, Day Eleven: The Grand Canyon is what many say is the most AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL site on earth! This is a spectacular place with outlooks and views like you have never seen before. Here deep canyon walls, wide expanses of deep gorges and Mountain Views many kilometers away will astound you! www.nps.gov/grca. Tonight will be spent in Gallup, New Mexico.
Wednesday ~ June 23rd, Day Twelve: We will spend the morning traveling, and then get a chance to stop at the River Breaks Ranch this afternoon. This will give you a taste of the real cowboy lifestyle. You will ride through a canyon on covered wagons while watching a stampede storm past you. Then we will join the working cowboys for a real ranch dinner. The fun does not end there, at the campsite we will be entertained by horse races and authentic cowboys roping steers. For those of you who are up for just relaxing ya'll are welcome to warm up by the fire, if that Panhandle breeze gets to you. We will spend tonight in Shamrock, Texas
Thursday ~ June 24th, Day Thirteen: Dress comfortable, as today will be a long day of travel, travel and more travel! To help time go by, we may play some games, or watch a movie or two on the bus. We will be making stops along the way so you can stretch your legs and get some fresh air. You will also enjoy some “free time” at our lunch break. Tonight we will be staying in Rolla, MO.
Friday ~ June 25th, Day Fourteen: Today will be our last full day together…. On our way back to Chicago, we will be making a stop in St. Louis, MO. St. Louis’ nickname, the "Gateway City," came about from the city's history as a stopping point for settlers heading west during the 19th century. Today, the city is filled with its own unique sights reflecting its long history. The towering 630 foot Gateway Arch offers incredible views of the Mississippi River. We will be able to take in these views as we take a tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. After our breathtaking views of the Mississippi River we must continue our travels. www.gatewayarch.com/Arch/info/arch.fact.aspx We will end the tour by staying in Bolingbrook, IL.
Saturday ~ June 26th, Day Fifteen: Today will be our last full day together…. Farewell to Illinois. We will return to the Crown Plaza ~ Glen Ellyn parking lot to meet up with the other tour groups to say our farewells to all. You MUST be picked up no later than 10:00am. The buses will be leaving for both Michigan and Wisconsin drop-off routes at 10:00am SHARP!! The sunsets, the laughter, the sound of the surf, the site of palm trees swaying in the wind, and the gentle breezes off the Pacific are a small part of the memories that you will have taken from this adventure. Hopefully the memories of all this and of the new friends you have made will remain with you for many years to come.
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