Day 1 – Home to Okoboji, IA
We’re off to the Lakes & Landscapes of Iowa! An included lunch will be enjoyed along the way before we make our way to Iowa’s Great Lakes region. Our first stop will be at the Classic Car Museum, where we’ll step back in time, reliving some nostalgic memories. Then we check into the beautiful 5 star Arrowwood Resort. There is a little time before dinner if you wish to quick enjoy the indoor waterpark or the beautiful grounds that surround the resort. Our welcome dinner will be a great time to meet all our fellow travelers right here at Minerva’s Restaurant located in the resort. Afterwards we will head over to historic and popular Arnold’s Park, located on the shores of West Lake Okoboji. Get ready to tap your toes as we’ll enjoy reserved seats for the live Jazzed Up Big Band at the Roof Garden Ballroom! You are also welcome to take in the other attractions at Arnold’s Park instead: shopping, amusement park rides, and strolling along the lake.
Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Arrowwood Resort
Day 2 – Mason City, IA
Following a hearty breakfast at the resort, we load the coach for a tour around West Lake Okoboji with local tour guide Rebecca. Being a spring-fed lake, it is a beautiful shade of blue and is 136’ deep. Then we depart Okoboji, taking in the landscapes of Iowa as we travel to Mason City where a tasty “pignic” lunch awaits at Rib Crib! Then we’ll learn all about Mason City’s native son, Robert Meredith Willson. Does he sound familiar? He is best remembered for his Broadway Musical, “The Music Man” for which he wrote the script, lyrics, and music! At Music Man Square, we’ll stroll down a replica of the movie’s 1912 streetscape, we’ll explore the life, works and achievements of Meredith Willson from “right here in River City” at the Meredith Willson Museum, we’ll tour Meredith Willson’s boyhood home, and more! Afterwards will check into our hotel and have dinner on our own. This evening will make the short drive west to Clear Lake, IA where we will board the Lady of the Lake, an authentic paddle wheel boat powered by a John Deere diesel engine. We’ll cruise the beautiful spring-fed Clear Lake accompanied by the sun’s evening glow.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
Day 3 – Decorah, IA
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head back to Clear Lake for a tour of the legendary Surf Ballroom. “There are few buildings in existence today that represent a complete shift in our musical history. As the last concert venue for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, the Surf is the bedrock of where the sound and attitude of rock and roll changed forever.” Departing, we’ll have lunch on our own as we make our way to Decorah. We’ll notice that the picturesque landscape and natural beauty of Decorah and its surrounding area is characterized by rolling hills, valleys, limestone bluffs and a mix of open spaces, farmland, and wooded areas. The city is also situated near the Upper Iowa River, which adds to the scenic charm. A stop is planned at Seed Savers Exchange, a heritage farm that is a 173-acre living museum. An interpretive trail winds through vegetable and flower gardens at their peak. Thousands of varieties of rare heirloom vegetables are preserved through growing them out each year in the vast garden beds. A guided tour demonstrates the importance to posterity of keeping these various strains of food crops. Maybe buy a few packets of rare seeds to take home and plant next season. This afternoon we’ll have some free time for shopping in Decorah’s quaint downtown. It’s now time to check into our special accommodations for the night. From the day it opened in 1905, Hotel Winneshiek set a standard for elegance that has yet to be exceeded. As honored guests, we’ll enter through tall mahogany doors set between limestone pillars, passing through a vestibule and arcade before entering the three-story octagonal rotunda canopied by a stained glass ceiling – wow! After settling into our rooms, we’ll gather together for an included dinner in the heart of downtown.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Hotel Winneshiek
Day 4 – Decorah to Home
Breakfast is served before we bid goodbye to our luxurious and elegant surroundings. We have a full morning planned in Decorah to allow us to explore Vesterheim, the National Norwegian- American Museum and Folk Art School. The diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience unfolds before us. This national treasure features a world-class collection of 33,000 artifacts. After lunch on our own downtown, our guide will take us to the museum’s Heritage Park consisting of 12 historic buildings. Then we’ll depart charming Decorah, and the landscapes will once again change around us as we make our way home. What special memories we share of the Lakes & Landscapes of Iowa!
Included Meals: Breakfast
Motorcoach Per Person Pricing Information
Motorcoach Travel Protection Per Person
Travel Bucks
Deposit Due
Passport Needed
Tour Pace
Price Includes
7 Meals, Hotels & Activities as stated in brochure, Luxury Motorcoach
08/13/2024 08/16/2024
Tour Map
Tour Highlights
Classic Car Museum
Reserved Seats for Jazzed Up Big Band Concert at Arnold’s Park
West Okoboji Lake Drive Tour
Music Man Square
Clear Lake Cruise
Surf Ballroom Tour
Seed Savers Heritage Farm Tour
1 Night Stay at Historic Hotel Winneshiek
Vesterheim Museum
