Emerald Coast Getaway
8 Days · 9 Meals
Travel Type: Motorcoach Tour
Steeped with beauty and history, this gem on the Emerald Coast of Florida is where nature and the wonderful residents will welcome you! What a perfect eight day getaway to a warm, sunny destination with those white sandy beaches where the dolphins and seabirds make their home. Value Tour 2012.
Highlights
- Free home or local pickup and return
- 9 Meals (4 dinners, 5 breakfasts)
- Spend 3 fabulous nights in Destin on Florida's amazing Emerald Coast featuring white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters
- Enjoy dinner in the "Land Between the Lakes" at Patti's 1800s Settlement
- Visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
- Experience true made-from-scratch Southern cooking and genuine Southern hospitality at Mary Mac's Tea Room
- Stop in the National Historic Site of Plains, Georgia, home town of Jimmy Carter
- Visit the Destin History and Fishing Museum to learn about the history of "The Luckiest Fishing Village in the World"
- Tour the Air Force Armament Museum with its extensive collection of weaponry and see the fastest plane ever built, the SR-71 Blackbird
- Taste Fort Walton Beach's finest cuisine at the Magnolia Grill, a restaurant and museum of local history
- Cast off on a Dolphin Watching Cruise aboard the glass-bottomed M/V Southern Star
- Free time at Opryland Hotel with included Delta Flatboat cruise through four and a half acres of lush gardens
- Dinner and entertainment at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre featuring sumptuous cuisine and a "Theater-in-the-Round" show on a descending magic stage
- $40 in Mayflower Money
Itinerary
1
- Our Adventure Begins!
Our Emerald Coast adventure begins with a stop in the "Land Between the Lakes" region of Western Kentucky for dinner at Patti's 1880s Settlement. Opened in 1977 as a hamburger and ice cream parlor, Patti's has grown into a local institution serving a variety of great food, and is known for their award winning one-inch pork chop, which is charbroiled to perfection. Later, we continue to our hotel in Clarksville, Tennessee. Dinner
2
- Jimmy Carter and Mary Mac
Arriving in Atlanta we visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Here, you’ll see the extensive collection of photographs and historical memorabilia from the Carter presidency (1977 – 1981) as well as an exact replica of the Oval Office from the White House. You will also see the many gifts the Carters have received along with a display focusing on the Carter's humanitarian work. Tonight we are treated to true Southern made-from-scratch fare served with genuine Southern hospitality at Mary Mac's Tea Room. Since opening her doors in 1945 Mary McKenzie's is the last of the 16 Tea Rooms that once dotted intown Atlanta in the 1940s. Mary Mac's great tradition of Southern cuisine and warm hospitality has remained the same. Breakfast and dinner
3
- Plains,Georgia National Historic Site
Traveling south from Atlanta we make a stop in Plains, Georgia, a National Historic Site and home of former president Jimmy Carter. We’ll visit the Plains High School which serves as the park museum and visitor center. Here, you will find restored and furnished classroom, principal's office and auditorium. Later, we travel through Alabama before arriving on Florida's Emerald Coast, our home for the next three nights. Breakfast
4
- Touring on the Emerald Coast
We begin our touring today at the Destin History & Fishing Museum. Here, we learn the history of the region through the many displays and exhibits, the museum features an extensive example of the fish caught in the area and a large collection of antique fishing rods and reels including a split bamboo rod with Penn Reel which belonged to Ernest Hemingway. You’ll also see the oldest seine fishing boat in existence, The Primrose, which was built in 1925 and learn why Destin is considered the "Luckiest Fishing Village in the World." At the Air Force Armament Museum you’ll experience aviation warfare armament from the early days of World War I right through to today's high tech planes and bombs. Inside, you’ll find an extensive collection of weaponry and interactive displays that will amaze and intrigue. Outside displays are highlighted by the fastest plane ever built, the SR-71 Blackbird. Tonight, dinner is at the Magnolia Grill of Fort Walton Beach. Located downtown Fort Walton Beach, Magnolia Grill is as much a dining room as it is a museum. The walls of this 1910 "catalog" house are covered with pieces of local history including pictures of the people and places that tell the many stories of the area. The owners Tom and Peggy Rice have hand-picked the menu which includes selections from land or sea and features a cup of Tom's gumbo whose raves have been heard all the way back to Louisiana. Breakfast and dinner
5
- Free Time and Dolphin Watching Cruise
This morning has been left free for you to enjoy. Relax by the pool, do some shopping in Destin Commons or walk across to Henderson Beach State Park where you can stroll the beautiful, powdery white sand beach and dip your toes in the crystal-clear waters. No trip to the Emerald Coast would be complete without a chance to get out on those beautiful emerald waters for which the region is named. We’ll climb aboard the M/V Southern Star, an 80-foot glass bottom boat specially designed for wildlife viewing and go in search of the coastal bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat. Experience the grace and beauty of these incredible marine mammals, enjoy scenic views of the Emerald Coast shoreline and relax on a leisurely two-hour cruise. Tonight, your Tour Manager can offer suggestions for your on own dinner. Breakfast
6
- Travel to Nashville
After breakfast we depart Florida's beautiful Emerald Coast and begin the journey north. We travel through the "Yellowhammer State" of Alabama, a name dating back to the Civil War that was applied to a group of Confederate soldiers. Later today we arrive at our hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, home for the next two nights. Breakfast
7
- Opryland Resort Visit and Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Today is a great day to spend some time in the newly restored Gaylord Opryland Resort. One way to see the property is by an included boat ride in the Delta Atrium. That's right, be sure to step aboard a Mississippi-style Delta Flatboat and gently wind your way through the lush four-and-a-half acre indoor garden while your guide offers unique facts about the Delta's plants and fish. You’ll learn about the hotel's Delta Island that features an 85-foot fountain, three waterfalls and the many shops and stores. Tonight we are treated to an evening of great food and fun at Nashville's first professional theatre, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre. Originally opened in 1967, Chaffin's has been serving up their sumptuous country-style buffet dinners while offering Broadway-style shows produced "In-the-Round" on their own special descending magic stage. Along with such popular favorites as Annie and Arsenic and Old Lace, Chaffin's is also known for producing original works. Over the years, the "Barn" has won numerous awards and continues to be one of Nashville's top live theatres. Dinner
8
- Our Journey Home
We travel home today after our days spent on Florida's beautiful Emerald Coast with warm memories that will last a lifetime.
Accommodations
Day One
Country Inn & Suites, Clarksville,TN
Day Two
La Quinta Inn, Atlanta, GA
Days Three through Five
Comfort Inn,Destin, FL
Days Six and Seven
Radisson Hotel at Opryland,Nashville,TN
Dates & Rates
| 2012 Departure Dates | Per Person Twin | Single Room Add | Triple Room Deduct |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 11 | $1,099 | $549 | $14 |
| October 12 | $1,139 | $569 | $14 |
| October 19 | $1,139 | $569 | $14 |
| 2013 Departure Dates | Per Person Twin | Single Room Add | Triple Room Deduct |
| February 16 | $1,198 | $579 | $14 |
| March 16 | $1,198 | $579 | $14 |
| April 6 | $1,198 | $579 | $14 |
Destination Map
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