Southern Charm

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Springtime in beautiful Georgia and South Carolina brings a profusion of color to the gardens of Charleston, Savannah, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoy great entertainment in Myrtle Beach which some say is the “Branson-by-the-sea!” Tour many beautiful plantations and gardens graced with more colors than the rainbow!

1. Home to Bloomington

Today we begin our journey to Georgia and South Carolina. Noon lunch will be at the Norske Nook, a Scandinavian restaurant. We will enjoy the lush scenery as we make our way to Bloomington, IL and check into our hotel.

Included Meals: Lunch

Hotel: Hampton Inn

2. Bloomington to Bowling Green

After a satisfying breakfast we make our way through the Kentucky rolling hills dotted with thoroughbreds. We’ll stop for a tour of Churchill Downs before we motor through the Blue Grass Drive with miles and miles of beautiful horse farms and flowering dogwoods.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Drury Inn

3. Bowling Green to Atlanta

Arrive in Atlanta, Georgia (The Fly group joins us this afternoon). Dinner this evening is a wonderful experience as R & J Tours has arranged for you to dine in one of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Drury Inn

4. Atlanta

A local guide helps us explore Atlanta with sights such as Peachtree Street, the Governor’s Mansion, and the North Side Buckhead

Area featuring beautiful homes. Enjoy a tour of the interesting CNN Studio and more. Our tour ends at the Underground, where you will experience it all on the original streets of Atlanta. Over six blocks of shopping, dining, history, and entertainment.

Included Meals: Breakfast

5. Atlanta to Savannah

Visit Macon, Georgia, a graceful city with azaleas, dogwoods, and more than 200,000 Yoshino cherry trees. Visit the Hay House before continuing on to Savannah, one of the South’s oldest and most graceful cities. Savannah features an entire restored area registered as a National Historic Landmark. It is with this in mind that we have given you two relaxing nights in the historic district. Dinner this evening is at the Pirates House, a unique, historic tavern dating back to 1753. After dinner, we’ll board horse drawn carriages for an intimate guided tour of the charming Savannah historic district; 260 years of Georgia history will unfold before you.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Historic District

6. Savannah

Today is a day of leisure to enjoy the charming historic district, the River Street, and the Riverfront Plaza.

Included Meals: Breakfast

7. Savannah to Charleston

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for Hilton Head Island with miles of sandy beaches. Lunch today is overlooking the Hilton Head Harbor with lovely views and great food. Later stop in the charming and unique village of Beaufort. You may choose to browse this lovely town by carriage (optional). We’ll make our way to Charleston, literally a living museum which features 789 acres of historical beauty reflecting its 300 year old history. We’ll check into the beautiful historic Hampton Inn perfectly set in the Historic District of Charleston. You are within walking distance to many charming shops and restaurants.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Hampton Inn Historic District

8. Charleston

A local step-on guide leads us through Charleston and its historic district. Lunch today is at one of Charleston’s oldest award winning restaurants featuring Low Country and Southern Cuisine. Enjoy some leisure time here in the historic district or a stroll to the nearby old city market. Tonight you are guests aboard the ‘Spirit of Carolina’ for a dinner cruise out on the Charleston Harbor.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

9. Charleston to Myrtle Beach

Enjoy a full breakfast and depart for colorful Magnolia Plantation where you will walk through a wonderland of winding paths among one of the largest and oldest collections of camellias and azaleas in America. Later, tour Middleton Place, a national historic landmark, birthplace of a signer of the Declaration of Independance and home of America’s oldest landscaped gardens. Travel along the Atlantic Coast to Myrtle Beach. Check into your oceanfront hotel set on Myrtle Beach.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Oceanfront

10. Myrtle Beach

Enjoy breakfast and a free morning exploring Myrtle Beach. Later, you may choose to take an optional excursion to Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach’s newest shopping and entertainment complex. Dinner this evening is at Original Benjamin’s Calabash, a one-of-a-kind restaurant with seafood and continental buffet featuring over 144 items. After dinner, attend one of the hottest shows in Myrtle Beach, the Carolina Opry.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

11. Myrtle Beach to Atlanta

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for Atlanta with a lunch stop in Augusta, before continuing on to Atlanta.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Drury Inn

12. Atlanta to Nashville

The fly group departs today. Our journey continues on into another great city, Nashville, Tennessee – “Music City, USA!” This evening we’ll visit the beautiful Opryland Hotel for some leisure time.Included Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Drury Inn

13. Nashville to Bloomington

Our journey continues across Tennessee and on to Bloomington, Illinois with coffee stops and lunch along the way. We’ll check into our hotel and freshen up for dinner. Join us this evening for a farewell dinner at Central Station Restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Hampton Inn

14. Bloomington to Home

As we make our way on the final stretch, we will reminisce about the many memories of a great trip to beautiful South Carolina and Georgia in the Springtime.

Included Meals: Breakfast