| Day 1 |
Vancouver to Seattle & Board Amtrak |
D |
Welcome Aboard! A warm welcome onboard our luxury charter coach this
morning by your professional tour director. Our leisurely travel through the
Canada/U.S. border brings us to the Seattle Amtrak Station in the early afternoon.
Upon arrival to the Seattle Amtrak Station, kindly identify your suitcase and carry
it to the baggage check-in counter inside the station. While your tour director
confirms the group on the train with the group check-in counter, please line up
by yourself with your luggage and check-in for the next 2 nights at the checkin
counter. Please make sure you obtain a baggage check claim to claim your
suitcase in Minneapolis, MN. The train is scheduled to leave Seattle at 4:45 PM.
The Empire Builder features double-decker Superliner equipment. Relax in your
selected private accommodation. All meals onboard the train are included. Enjoy
a full course delicious dinner in the dining car as the Empire Builder climbs and
winds through the Cascade Mountains. Be sure to visit the glass-walled lounge car
to view Washington’s abundant natural beauty, from the extensive trails of Mount
Rainier National Park to the dramatic Mt. St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument
and then into "Big Sky Country" in the state of Montana.
| Day 2 |
Enroute Amtrak Scenic Journey |
B, L, D |
Awake to the aroma of coffee prepared for you by your car porter. Look out at
the panorama of snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks as you prepare for a hearty breakfast in the dining car. Beverages are available for sleeping car occupants
in their car. Settle back in your comfortable seat as our relaxing train journey
continues through North Dakota past the rugged towns of Rugby and Devil’s
Lake and into Minnesota, where we pass several hundred of the state’s 10,000
lakes. The romance of rail travel is alive and well as stunning vistas greet
your every gaze. Life, as a traveler, includes
stylish surroundings, personal service, culinary
pleasures, and a relaxed pace that allows you
time to enjoy every mile.
| Day 3 |
Train to Minneapolis
& Coach to Kansas City |
B |
Early rise and shine as our arrival into Minneapolis
is scheduled for 7:30 AM (subject to change).
Please prepare early to have a hearty breakfast
in the dining car. We get off the train and identify
our checked baggage to transfer to our motorcoach.
We are welcomed onboard our luxury
coach by our professional driver. Sit back, relax
and enjoy the comfort of our modern motorcoach. Of course it is air-conditioned
and washroom equipped for your comfort and enjoyment. We arrive to
Kansas City, MO late afternoon and check-in to our hotel. Enjoy a full service
hotel, as the rest of the evening is free to do as you wish.
| Day 4 |
Kansas City to Branson, MO |
3 Nts,
D |
We welcome onboard our fellow fly/coach passengers joining the tour
in Kansas City, MO. Enjoy the scenery and rolling hills as we travel
south to Carthage, MO to visit the home of Precious Moments. Later
on, our sing-along drive continues to the Mecca of Country Music,
Branson, beautifully nestled in the wooded area of Lake Taneycomo.
Be prepared for an exciting three-day stay as entertainment is the
name of the game in this town! Join your tour director and driver for
a delicious dinner prior to the show this evening. Enjoy the Andy Williams’
musical variety filled with wholesome family entertainment.
| Day 5 |
Branson, MO |
B, L, D |
Wake up to a full American breakfast at the hotel to begin the day. This morning,
we have in store a fascinating narrated tour of this town. The tour includes 76 Music
Country Blvd, Trout Hatchery, Tablerock Dam, Scenic Overlook, College of the Ozarks,
Historic Hollister, downtown Branson and much more. We enjoy an included lunch
and some free time for shopping at the Imax Complex. This afternoon we enjoy the
breathtaking performance of Jim Stafford, voted Branson’s "Best Entertainer" and "Best
Personality". Your appetite will be ready for a delicious buffet dinner prior to arriving to
the Shoji Tabuchi’s show. After being seated in the theatre, take time to visit the most
talked about restrooms and its pool tables. Enjoy extraordinary entertainment by this
Japanese entertainer, known for his untouchable talents with the violin.
| Day 6 |
Branson, MO |
B, L, D |
Everybody's favourite Branson activity is scheduled for this morning after enjoying
a full American breakfast at the hotel. "Ride The Ducks" and see famous Country Music Boulevard, a spectacular scenic view of Ozark
natural beauty and an exciting splashdown and
cruise on Table Rock Lake, all in one amazing vehicle.
The restored World War II amphibious is considered
Branson's "Best Show on Wheels...and Water!" More
excitement is reserved for the afternoon. After an
included lunch, enjoy explosive laughter at the Yakov
Smirnoff show as well as be amazed with the Russian
Dance Ensemble and Boris the Horse. After a delicious
buffet dinner you will finish this most memorable day at
the Mickey Gilley show. Jump right in as Mickey takes
the audience through a musical medley of his string of
Number 1 hits along with his top-rated, award-winning
eight piece band.
| Day 7 |
Branson to Graceland & Memphis, TN |
B |
Early rise and shine as we have to leave early for Memphis, TN. As we travel,
beautiful landscapes of rich green forests and misty valleys roll by as we journey
south through Missouri and Arkansas to the home of the Blues, Memphis, the
birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll. We arrive to Graceland by mid afternoon depending
on highway/city traffic. We visit Graceland, the colonial mansion of Elvis Presley
and enjoy the Graceland Mansion Walking Tour. The interior of the home
remains the same as when Elvis lived there, and many of the mementos
and costumes from his amazing career are on display including the
trophy room, which stores Elvis' many gold records, jewellery,
many awards and his personal mementos. Our home tonight in
downtown Memphis is at the Holiday Inn Select.
| Day 8 |
Memphis to Nashville, TN |
2
Nts, B |
This morning we are treated to a locally guided deluxe city tour
of Memphis. Our tour includes the Peabody Hotel where we
witness the famous Duck March (Subject to availability). After
a scattered lunch in Memphis, we travel
northeast to the "Music Capital of the
World", Nashville. Unpack your bags for
2 nights in Nashville, home of the legendary
Grand Ole Opry. This evening, we have reserved seating
for the Grand Ole Opry performance, the ultimate in
the world of country music.
Our morning is scheduled for a locally guided three
hour sightseeing tour of the “Music City”, U.S.A. We
tour historic downtown Nashville, Music Row and
its recording studios, and stop at the Old Ryman
auditorium. We also drive by the homes of Country
Music Stars and hear anecdotes of the entertainers
we’ve grown to love. At 11:00 AM, we admit
and spend two hours leisurely at the Country
Music Hall of Fame to educate ourselves on the history of Country Legends. This afternoon, we go to Opry Mills, a stateof-
the-art shopping, dining and entertainment center for a scattered lunch and
shopping for our loved ones. This evening join your Tour Director for a visit to the
Opryland Hotel to enjoy its laser show and dancing waters of the Cascades (subject
to show performance).
| Day 10 |
Nashville to Pigeon Forge, TN |
B |
Early rise and shine as we enjoy an included breakfast at the hotel. Our
Easternly drive this morning brings us to Knoxville, TN. Our scenic
drive through a landscape covered in such lush growth, that it
makes you wonder how the early explorers such as Davey Crockett
managed to traverse this region. Our destination is Pigeon
Forge. It’s nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
We spend the whole afternoon exploring and enjoying the 118
acres of Dollywood Theme Park. Enjoy a variety of thrilling
rides, spectacular shows, acres of attractions, many crafts, and
even the Dolly Museum. This evening is at your leisure.
| Day 11 |
Pigeon Forge to Indianapolis, IN |
B |
After an included breakfast,
we say goodbye to
Pigeon Forge and travel
into the Bluegrass Sate of Kentucky,
which is world renowned
for majestic horse farms and million dollar
horses. We travel through Kentucky to
Lexington and Cincinnati. We arrive to
Indianapolis, Indiana late this afternoon
where we check into our downtown hotel
for our overnight stay.

| Day 12 |
Indianapolis to Chicago & Board Amtrak |
B, D |
This morning after an included full American
breakfast, we visit the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway for one hour. We enjoy a 30-minute
track tour and a 30-minute visit to the Hall of
Fame Museum. At 10:00 AM, our leisurely journey
takes us from Indianapolis to Windy City Chicago.
We say goodbye to our Fly/Coach passengers
and driver as we are dropped off at the Chicago
Amtrak Union Station for an early check-in to
our train for return home. This afternoon, we
board Amtrak and depart at 2:15 PM for our return
journey to Seattle, WA. Once again, stretch out and
relax, take a nap, read a book, play a game, enjoy
a leisurely meal, or just watch the views glide by
and daydream. Enjoy the same accommodations
and amenities you experienced on the eastbound
trip, including a signature item of regional cuisine each night of our journey,
with skilled attendants on hand to see to your comfort. Enjoy the freedom to
go at your own pace and move about as you wish.
| Day 13 |
Enroute Amtrak Scenic Journey |
B, L, D |
The glass walled lounge and dining car are an excellent vantage point
as stunning vistas greet our every gaze. We trace the paths of
pioneers and intrepid explorers amidst Midwestern prairies,
the vast plains of North Dakota and Montana and Idaho’s
crystalline lakes. Relive explorations of 200 years ago
as we follow portions of the Lewis & Clark expedition
trail through North Dakota and Montana. Find alpine
meadows, lakes and over a million acres of forests in
spectacular Glacier National Park, Montana. The sights
you see when traveling by train are unmatched by
any other mode of transportation. Tracks were laid in
the wilderness, along rivers and streams, up and down
and through mountains.
| Day 14 |
Return to Seattle, WA |
B |
This morning enjoy a final dining car breakfast. We thank
Amtrak dining car staff and room porters for their warm hospitality.
We take the opportunity this morning to say a fond
farewell to our fellow passengers as our Cross Country Train Tour
comes to an end in Seattle, WA. We cross the Cascade Range by way of
the seven-mile Cascade Tunnel, through forests of fir trees, and alongside the
Puget Sound before arriving in Seattle, WA at 10:20 AM. Our journey on the Empire
Builder comes to an end. We disembark Amtrak in Seattle, WA and board
our exclusive northbound charter coach to return to Vancouver, BC. Welcome
to Canada! Thank you for traveling with Pacific Gold Tours!
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