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High Sierras and Gold Country 2013
9 Days · 12 Meals
Travel Type: Air Holiday
Featuring Reno, Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite National Park
Amazing scenery, majestic mountains, and even an Old West ghost town await you on this Mayflower tour through the Sierra Mountains of California and Nevada.
Highlights
- 12 Meals (4 dinners and 8 breakfasts)
- Round trip airport transfers
- Spend 1 night in Reno, the “Biggest Little City in the World” and visit the National Automobile Museum
- Guided tour of historic Virginia City for a taste of the “Old West” at this former mining town
- Spend 2 nights at a resort casino property in South Lake Tahoe
- Enjoy the beautiful 72-mile scenic drive around the crystal-clear emerald waters of Lake Tahoe with an evening dinner cruise
- Visit the town of Bodie, an authentic “ghost town” and stop at Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve
- Spend 2 nights in the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, ride the Mammoth Mountain Gondola and visit Devil’s Postpile National Monument
- Travel the famed Tioga Pass Road into magnificent Yosemite National Park
- Take a narrated open-air tram ride through the Yosemite Valley to see Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America
- Spend 2 nights in California’s Gold Country and visit Columbia State Historic Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Angel’s Camp of Mark Twain fame
- Touring in Sacramento including the State Capitol, Old Sacramento and the California Railroad Museum
- $45 in Mayflower Money
Day-by-Day
1
- Arrive in Nevada
Arrival at Reno’s Cannon International Airport today and transfer to our casino resort hotel nearby. This evening, enjoy a delicious buffet dinner and time to relax or test your chances with “Lady Luck” at the slot machines or gaming tables. Dinner
2
- Reno and Virginia City
Our stay in the “Biggest Little City in the World” concludes with a visit to the outstanding National Automobile Museum, home of the famed Harrah Collection of classic vehicles. Then we’re off to historic Virginia City for an afternoon guided tour of this storied mining town, complete with tales of the “Old West” and rich Comstock Lode. We’ll be guests for the next two nights at a fine casino resort on the south end of Lake Tahoe, recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful lakes. Breakfast
3
- Lake Tahoe
Featured this morning is the 72-mile scenic drive all the way around sky-blue Lake Tahoe, surrounded by towering, snow-capped peaks, traveling via Emerald Bay, Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Incline Village en route. Following free time for relaxation, gaming or individual activities, a delightful evening dinner cruise on the lake aboard the paddlewheeler “Dixie” concludes the day in style. Breakfast and dinner
4
- Bodie “Ghost Town” and Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve
Motoring south, we’ll stop first to explore fascinating Bodie State Historic Site, one of the largest and best preserved authentic “ghost towns” in the American West, once a lawless mining camp that was home to some 8,000 residents. This afternoon we’ll also be visiting Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve to see the strange tufa...large salt (calcium carbonate) formations along the lake’s edge in the shape of spires and knobs. Our home for two nights nearby is the popular resort town of Mammoth Lakes. Breakfast
5
- Mammoth Lakes Touring
A full day of touring in the splendid Mammoth Lakes region will include breathtaking scenic drives through the alpine wilderness and along shorelines of picture-postcard waters; a trip on the Mammoth Mountain Scenic Gondola for panoramic views of the Sierras from the 11,053-foot summit; plus sightseeing at unusual Devil’s Postpile National Monument, home to a wall of vertical basalt columns more than 60 feet high. Dinner tonight is included at the charming Austria Hof Restaurant. Breakfast and dinner
6
- Tioga Pass Road and Yosemite National Park
One of the highlights of our trip is sure to be today’s awe-inspiring trip across the Tioga Pass Road, through the Sierras into magnificent Yosemite National Park and on to the glorious outdoor cathedral that is Yosemite Valley. Here we’ll embark on a guided, open-air tram tour featuring such incredible sights as Half Dome, El Capitan, Cathedral Spires, plus Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America. Late this afternoon we’ll continue on through still more scenic splendor to a two-night stay in Sonora, one of the largest communities in California’s Gold Country. Breakfast
7
- Gold Country and Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Our Gold Country exploration begins with Sonora’s picturesque downtown, and continues on to Columbia State Historic Park, the excellent restoration of that town’s original 1850s business district, containing more than 30 original homes, businesses, hotels and public buildings. Our next stop is quaint Angel’s Camp, where Mark Twain was inspired to write his famous story of “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Concluding this great day is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to stroll through a pristine forest of giant sequoia, the largest trees on earth, at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Breakfast
8
- Sacramento Old Town and Railroad Museum
Today we set our sights on Sacramento, the capital city of the Golden State, where convenient accommodations await. Our tour of the impressive, gold-domed California State Capitol, restored to its appearance of a century ago, includes the rotunda, legislative chambers, state offices and murals showing scenes from the state’s history. Then it’s only a few blocks to Old Sacramento, the city’s downtown of the gold rush era. Here we’ll visit the exceptional California State Railroad Museum, have time to browse through the shops, and savor a delicious farewell dinner at the Fat City Café. Breakfast and dinner
9
- Travel Home
This morning there will be a group transfer from Sacramento to San Francisco International Airport for flights out after 2:00 p.m. Breakfast
Accommodations
Lodging
Day One
Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, Reno, Nevada
Days Two and Three
Montbleu Casino Resort, South Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Days Four and Five
Shilo Inn Suites, Mammoth Lakes, California
Days Six and Seven
Best Western Plus Sonora Oaks Hotel, Sonora, California
Day Eight
Holiday Inn Express-Convention Center, Sacramento, California
Dates & Rates
| 2013 Departure Dates | Per Person Rates |
|---|---|
|
July 21 August 18 September 15 |
Twin $1,699 Single add $679 Triple deduct $16 |
Call for air rates and schedules from your city to Reno and from San Francisco.
STAY ANOTHER NIGHT - Rooms for the night before and after the tour are available. Cost for a room in Reno is $109 ($169 in September), tax included.
Destination Map
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