I-10 Part 2: The Wonderful Wild West, Los Angeles to San Antonio

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Continuing along Interstate #10 in 2015 we will travel from the West Coast to San Antonio. We will fly into Los Angeles where our motorcoach will pick us up and our travels will take us from the end of the interstate at the Santa Monica Pier to downtown San Antonio. Along the way we will travel from the large metropolitan area of Los Angeles, through the deserts of California and Arizona, into Phoenix, and on to Tucson. Western history will come alive as we are traveling along the old Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Trail. Giant Saguaro cactus along with ghost towns & ruins from early American history will line the roadways. There will be stories of Wild West heroes and villains as well as modern day reminders of keeping the peace in our world. Since farming plays a big role along the 1-10 corridor, we will enjoy seeing crops, orchards, and groves as we travel. From Las Cruces to El Paso we travel part of the El Camino Real and will visit historical missions along the Rio Grande River. Into Texas we enjoy the western hill country and gaze towards the stars and planets beyond before a visit to Fort Davis from the Civil War and Indian War days. On into San Antonio we travel where we’ll visit the Alamo and rise up high above in the Tower of the America’s to end our tour! The weather will be a wonderful change from a Minnesota winter, plus the scenery and stops along the way will be both entertaining and historical. Whether or not you’ve traveled on the I-10 Part One tour in 2014, you will enjoy this spectacular adventure in March and April of 2015!

Day 1 – Home to Los Angeles, CA

Your I-10 Tour begins as we board our flight to Los Angeles. Once landed, you will have time for lunch before we travel to the most westerly point of I-10, right at the Santa Monica Pier. Here you will have time to enjoy a walk on the pier and watch the surfers enjoying the day. Looking to the east, you’ll see I-10 as it begins its journey eastward through California, Arizona, New Mexico, and our final destination of this tour- Texas! We’ll check into our hotel for the night and rest up for more adventures tomorrow.

Included Meals: Dinner

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 2 – Los Angeles to Palm Springs, CA

After breakfast this morning we will board our luxury motorcoach and travel a few short miles to Warner Brothers Studio. A VIP tour of the studios will show you how and where some of the most memorable moments in TV history were and still are created. Next we will tour some LA area sights like the Hollywood Bowl, downtown Los Angeles and Olvera Street area, where Los Angeles began. Later we travel I-10 east towards Palm Springs. There we will check into the Palm Mountain Resort for a 2 night stay! Dinner tonight is at a wonderful Palm Springs restaurant!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Palm Mountain Resort (2 Nights) 

Day 3 – Palm Springs

This morning we will travel to one of our National Parks, Joshua Tree. This 800,000 acre National Park was named after the trees found here by early Mormon settlers who believed the trees were like Joshua with arms raised, welcoming them to the promised land. We’ll enjoy seeing many of these trees and much of the other geological formations of this park. After lunch we’ll travel to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram for a ride that ascends 6000 ft above Chino Canyon. While aboard the world’s largest rotating tramcar you will have spectacular views! Once you reach the top, take a walk in this pristine wilderness or just sit a moment in the peacefulness of the area. Later today enjoy the downtown Palm Springs area, just a short walk from your resort!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 4 – Palm Springs to Phoenix, AZ

This morning we continue our trek east with our first stop at a Date Garden. You will have time to stroll the 17-acre date farm gardens and sample some of the many varieties of dates. Lunch will be served at the Date Gardens before we continue on towards Phoenix. We’ll travel across the desert until, like an oasis, the city of Phoenix rises in front of us. The next two nights lodging will be in Phoenix! Partake in the managers “Kickback” at the hotel or enjoy dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Drury Inn and Suites (2 nights)

Day 5 – Phoenix

This morning we learn about Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, with our step-on guide. Then we’ll travel the Apache Trail to Canyon Lake for lunch and a cruise on this beautiful lake aboard the Dolly Steamboat – a wonderful afternoon spent with your traveling friends! Tonight enjoy the Arizona Opry, where great food and great music make this a special evening!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 6 – Phoenix to Tucson, AZ

This morning we continue along I-10 towards Tucson, but first we will veer off the freeway for a stop at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. An interpretive video awaits along with a tour of these fascinating ruins of the Hohokam Culture. The “Great House” stands tall and is a well kept reminder of the people who used to call this desert home. We will travel off of I-10 for a while through the beautiful desert countryside as we make our way to Biosphere 2. Arriving in time for lunch, we then tour this engineering marvel that was created to better understand how natural environments generate conditions appropriate for life. In the early 1990s a group of scientists moved into this structure to live completely isolated from the world. You will hear their story and get to see how they lived and what is being done in this scientific research structure today – truly a fascinating stop! We’ll continue on towards Tucson and our stay for the next two nights at the wonderful Casino Del Sol Resort.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Casino Del Sol Resort (2 nights) 

Day 7 – Tucson

Today’s adventures in the Tucson area are many! We begin with a tour of the San Xavier Mission, introduced to us by the local Docent as the “Dove of the Desert,” which has a rich history and is beautiful to visit. Then it’s on to the Sonora Desert Museum for lunch and an enjoyable time learning about the desert, its plants, and wildlife. This 21 acre museum is filled with 230 animal species and over 1200 types of plants! The Museum is recognized internationally for its conservation leadership and is a model for zoos and botanical gardens around the world. It is one of the most respected natural history institutions in the country. This afternoon we will tour the ASARCO Copper Mine. This working, open-pit copper mine is a wonder in itself. Enjoy the views from high above the mine and marvel at the size of the machinery used to extract the copper. You will learn the process of producing the copper from our knowledgeable guide. Then we head back to the resort, where you are free for the evening or you can join the group for a late afternoon tour of the Titan Missle Museum. This National Historic Landmark is home to one of the decommissioned Titan II Missles. You will walk down inside the Missle Silo and see how the “Cold War” years were played out by our military personnel entrusted with the keeping of these missles in their control center. It’s been a great day of touring and now time for some relaxation at the resort!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 – Tucson to Lordsburg, NM

While our tours are often interesting because of what we see as we travel down the highways of our country, today we will enjoy what lies underneath the surface as we travel to Kartchner Caverns State Park. You will tour a “Living Cave!” This cave, discovered in 1974, is host to a wide variety of unique minerals and formations that have formed over 100,000 years! Your ½ mile underground walk will reveal the role of water in creating the caverns. You’ll see trails from the first people that discovered the caverns, and how about this: 45,000 year old bat guano! What a way to start out the day, but wait, there’s more! On to Tombstone we go, where the wild, wild, west comes to life! That’s right, it was here that the “Shootout at the OK Corral” took place and just maybe we will get to witness a reenactment of this historical event. Is it a Stagecoach ride you are wanting? This is the place! Or maybe it’s just a cool sarsaparilla at the local saloon! Tombstone is filled with memories of days gone by and is a great stop on our journey! As we continue travel along I-10 you will notice orchards of fruits and nuts, so let’s learn a bit about the pecan business with a stop at Lee’s Pecans. Here the owners will share about their pecan business and give you an opportunity to purchase some of these tasty nuts…they make a great snack as we travel down the interstate!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 9 – Lordsburg to Las Cruces, NM

This morning as we travel East across the desert we will cross the Rio Grande River – the river will surprise us! Then just on the east edge of Las Cruces, NM we will stop at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum where you will learn about the ranching and farming practices of the area. Many indoor and outdoor displays will give you an appreciation for the difficulty of farming in the desert. Lunch is included in the historic town of Old Mesilla. This town was at the crossroads of two main trails, the Chihuanhua to Santa Fe and the San Antonio to San Diego, thus it was a regional center for commerce and transportation. It was a town that was claimed by both Mexico and the United States and after the Gadsden Purchase became part of the US. Old Mesilla was a center for fine dining and shopping, so we will enjoy lunch at a historic local restaurant before exploring the historic area’s shops, churches and more. Tonight we check into the Drury Inn & Suites for a two night stay! Enjoy the managers “Kickback” for a light dinner or visit one of the nearby restaurants for dinner!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Drury Inn and Suites, Las Cruces (2 nights)

Day 10 – Las Cruces

We’ll travel to areas around Las Cruces. Our first stop is at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. Here you will learn about everything from archaeoastronomy to the future of space exploration. It will be a great morning of information gathering and entertainment. After lunch we will make a stop at the Heart of the Desert Pistachio Farm for a tour and wine tasting. Learn all about the raising and production of pistachios, pick some up for a treat on the road and enjoy some of the local wines! Our afternoon continues with a stop at White Sands National Monument where white sand mounds stretch as far as the eye can see. We will learn about how this area came to be and then get a chance to enjoy the sand! Back at the hotel tonight, enjoy the managers “Kickback” or have dinner at a close by restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 11 – Las Cruces to Van Horn, TX

This morning we’ll travel through the west Texas town of El-Paso and on our way we will learn about the missions that are along the road they call the “Camino Real.” These beautiful missions with such rich history will be our focus this morning. Some time spent in El Paso will give us a feel for the history of this town, on the border with Mexico, before we travel down I-10 for our night’s stop in Van Horn, TX. Dinner tonight is included at a local restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hampton Inn

Day 12 – Van Horn to Ft. Stockton, TX

We’ll leave I-10 again this morning and travel high up into the Davis Mountain range for a visit to the McDonald Observatory. Our tour here will give us insight into the workings of this world reknown scientific research facility. There will be a chance to see some of the research telescopes and more interesting equipment. After lunch we will travel down the mountains to Ft Davis National Historic Site. This post was a key in the defense system of west Texas. From 1854 until 1891, troops stationed at the post protected emigrants, freighters, mail coaches and travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road. You will enjoy a tour of the Fort and the many buildings still standing, getting a glimpse into the military life of the west! We continue down the trail and stop for the night in Ft Stockton, TX. Settle in for dinner at a nearby restaurant and then a restful evening!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 13 – Ft Stockton to San Antonio, TX

This morning we will saddle up, or should we say board our luxury motorcoach, and continue our travels east along I-10 towards Kerrville. There we will eat lunch at the historic Y.O. Ranch Hotel before we head to the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” Bandera, TX. You will enjoy some free time to explore the shops and local establishments of this Texas town. A visit to the Bandera Museum will give you insights into the life of this unique small Texas town. A special stop this afternoon at the Apple Store in Medina for pie and ice cream will “hit the spot” before we drive into San Antonio for another two night stay at the historic Drury Plaza Hotel Riverwalk. Enjoy the managers “Kickback” for a light dinner or enjoy one of the many restaurants long the riverwalk.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Drury Inn Riverwalk (2 nights) 

Day 14 – San Antonio

We’ll begin our day with a tour of The Alamo. First we’ll view a very informative movie that shares the history of the Alamo and the Battle that took place there in 1836, followed by time to walk about the Alamo and experience the history that makes this place special. Our farewell lunch will be over 700 feet up at the Chart House Restaurant in the Tower of Americas! Enjoy lunch together with your traveling friends and then spend some time experiencing the view from high above San Antonio! Later a relaxing boat ride on the riverwalk will be a delightful group experience! The rest of the day is for you to enjoy at your leisure! Enjoy the managers “Kickback” at the hotel and then an evening walk along the riverwalk to enjoy the sights and sounds of San Antonio as we bring our I-10 Tour to a close!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 15 – San Antonio to Home

After breakfast we will board our coach for a short drive to the airport where our group boards a flight for home! You will have time aboard your flight to remember the vast array of sights, sounds, and experiences along I-10 as you traveled from Los Angeles to San Antonio!

Included Meals: Breakfast