Feb 16 2009/ March 09 2009

Day 2: This morning we will tour Historic Baltimore and learn about the Uniqueness of this City. You will learn about Ft. Machinery where the Star Spangled banner was written, the revival of the Inner Harbor, the market places and so much more. After lunch we will head south and overnight just outside Raleigh NC. Breakfast and Dinner.

Day 4: Today we will begin our tour of Savannah with a Horse Drawn Carriage Ride through the historic district. At lunch time you will have time to explore the historic City Market Place where surprises can be found around every corner. In the afternoon we will tour the Savannah area via Riverboat and will relax in an era long gone by. Tonight we will feature dinner at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House. Breakfast and Dinner included 

Day 5: Today we continue south and will be joined by a local guide for a tour of the Golden Isles an area once the playground for an winter retreat for some of America's wealthiest families. Their exclusive Jekyll Island Club, a collection of "cottages" and a variety of support structures are now a National Historic Landmark. This area is also rich in history as a place where the Spanish pirates once in habited. We arrive in St. Augustine in the late afternoon. Breakfast and Dinner included.

Day 6: This morning we will tour St. Augustine the oldest city continually occupied city in Florida.  On your tour you will learn about the native people, the Spanish Empire, the pirates history and so much more. Breakfast and Dinner included. 

Day 7: On our way through Florida we will stop at the Kennedy Space Center where you will see learn about the space program see where the rockets are launched and how they are assembled. In the afternoon we will arrive in Marathon Florida your home for the next three nights. Your hotel will be situated on the water so if you choose not to go sightseeing you can relax, fish and enjoy the warm weather. Breakfast and Dinner included. 

Day 8:  We continue on to Key West where you will be given a sightseeing pass where you can visit the sites that interest you. You might want to spend time in Mallory Square and watch the jugglers, mimes and street performers, or you might want to visit Mel Fisher’s and see the treasure recovered from the many expeditions. Perhaps you will want to visit the Truman Whitehouse, or the Southern most point in Florida.  Some may choose to wander from Bar to bar sampling the best frozen drinks. Key West is a destination unique in itself.  We will remain in Key West until the sun sets before returning to Marathon. Breakfast included 

Day 9: Our day will be spent visiting the Dolphin Research Center where there is a different show taking place every half hour. For those that want to stay at the hotel, you will find lots going on around the hotel or your can just unwind in the pool. Tonight we will return to the hotel in time to watch the sun set over the Keys. Breakfast and Dinner included. 

Day 10: We leave the keys today for Everglade National Park. We will journey into the park via airboat with the hope of seeing alligators and the bird life of the park. Tonight we will overnight in the Fort Myers Area. Breakfast and Dinner included. 

Day 11: Today we will spend time on Sanibel Island known not only for its beaches but as one of the best places to collect seashells in North America.  Breakfast and Dinner include. 

Day 12: We travel up the west coast of Florida where we will overnight in St Petersburg. Dinner and entertainment included tonight. Breakfast and Dinner.

Day 14:We travel north through Georgia to the town of Franklin North Carolina. Franklin is situated in the western part of the state and known as the gem capital of America. Breakfast and Dinner included.

Day 15: Today we will visit the ruby mines where you will have the opportunity to look for rubies. No one ever knows the quantity or the quality of then stones you will find but it is certainly fun to look. We will teach you how to search for gemstones and you never know who will find a ruby. If you don’t find a stone yourself there is a verity of stones you can purchase in the gift store. This town has been featured on numerous cable TV shows because of the quantity of stones found in the area. In the afternoon we will travel on to Raleigh where we will overnight.  Breakfast and Dinner included.

Day 17: We are homeward bound filled with memories of our winter escape from New England. Breakfast 

Round trip motor coach transportation

1 night First Class Hotels Baltimore with Seafood Feast

1 night Raleigh

2 Nights Savannah

Horse Drawn Carriage Tour

SavannahRiver Cruise Savannah

3 nights first class hotel St Augustine

Tour of Kennedy Space Center

2 nights first class hotel Marathon  (center of the Florida Keys)

Day trip to Key West

Day trip to Dolphin Research Center

Air boat ride through the Everglades

Wildlife show in the Everglades

2 nights first class hotel Ft Myers

Day trip to Sanibel Island

2 nights first class hotel St. Petersburg with dinner and entertainment

1 night first class hotel Franklin NC

Chance to mine for either Rubies or emeralds

1 night First Class Hotel DC area

15 Breakfast and 14 Dinners

All taxes

Baggage handling

Professional Tour director throughout

OPTIONAL TOURS TAMPA

A trip to Tampa isn't complete without exploring the one Bay Area attraction that opens a window to the side of Florida that few ever get to see. The Florida Aquarium offers a dramatic and unique look at all that swims. craws, prays and live in the Florida water and beyond. Follow the journey of a drop of water from its source in freshwater springs, to the open ocean. Have a hands-on experience with live sharks and rays in a 5,000 gallon touch pool. Enjoy live animal encounters, behind the scenes tours and dive shows daily at no additional fee.  $15

 Big Cat Preserve Meet 100+ exotic cats representing 16 species of wild cat. This is a walking tour, but is accessible by scooter or you can be provided with golf cart transport at no extra charge. All Cat-a-tats (enclosures) are 1200 square feet to 3 acres of lush tropical landscaping for each of the cats. The tour path winds through 45 acres of these enclosures so that you can stand 3 feet from leopards, lions, and other cats. Every tour is different than the one before because of the vast number of big cats and all of the things they find to do to amuse themselves. The volunteers spend a lot of time creating enrichment for the cats so that they have something new to play with and you get to watch as they check out a new scent toy or frolic around chasing ice balls. Look up into the trees and see cats sleeping or into the dens and see eyes loking back at you. 

Your guide will tell you about each specie in the wild and the threats and challenges they face for survival. Most of the cats rescued were formerly pets because of the poor laws and lack of information available that would prevent people from making such a big mistake. Find out why it never works out for the person or the cat when you see for yourself that they all spray. Your guide will tell you when you are in a spray zone and when to run! $25 

Busch Garden TampaCombining thrill rides with wonderful animal attractions, a day at Busch Gardens will delight everyone in the family. Also known as "The Dark Continent," the theme park is divided into nine different areas fashioned after locations in Africa. Morocco, at the park entrance, features shops, eateries and three theaters presenting great live shows. The Great Ape Domain, a three-acre habitat of Lowland Gorillas and chimpanzees, can be found in Nairobi. The largest collection of the park's animals can be found on the Serengeti Plain, where over 800 animals roam in a natural habitat setting. The highlight of Egypt, the newest section of Busch Gardens, is Montu, the southeast's longest and tallest inverted roller coaster. Timbuktu offers roller coasters and other midway rides, and Congo is host to Kumba, the southeast's fastest steel roller coaster. Stanleyville features two rides guaranteed to cool you off on a hot day; the Stanley Falls Log Flume and the Tanganyika Tidal Wave. The Bird Gardens and Land of the Dragons, an adventure play area for children, complete a tour of Busch Gardens.  $68

Rainbow SpringsFlorida's third largest spring, Rainbow Springs pump 600 million gallons of water daily and serves as the headwater to the pristine Rainbow River. Operated for four decades as an attraction, the property was acquired by the State Park Service in 1990 and is slowly being allowed to revert to its natural state. Beautiful floral gardens surround the spring, and the area is immensely popular in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom. The state also acquired Rainbow Springs State Campground, located nearby, which was formerly privately owned. From the campground, you can tube or canoe the crystalline waters of Rainbow River, or fish for largemouth bass and other frsh water species.

Boat ride through the gardens included  $30