National Parks

WVIA Travel Club's National Parks Tour:
June 19, 2010 - June 30, 2010 (Revised Dates)
All space is first come first serve and subject to availability
Reservation deadline - February 26, 2010
12 Days - 17 Meals: 10 Breakfasts & 7 Dinners
Starting At Per Person Rates: Double $3,499.00 - *per person, double occupancy. Airfare from Philadelphia Intl. Airport.

If you would like a flyer for this tour e-mail dougcook@wvia.org or call 570-602-1175 or 570-602-1147

Explore the vast treasures of the American west as you journey to five fantastic National Parks on this 12-day journey. Relish overnight stays in a lodge nestled in the heart of Yellowstone and in a National Historic Landmark inside the Grand Canyon. Enjoy a breakfast cruise on Lake Powell. Marvel at the magnitude and color of Zion's cliffs. Enjoy two-night stays in Salt Lake City and Jackson Hole. Drive through the incredible Bighorn Mountains and the Great Sioux Nation Territory before seeing Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument.

Tour highlights by day:

You will be leaving from the WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA. Here you will leave your vehicle in our parking lot and board a charter bus for the ride to the Philadelphia International Airport where you will start your journey.

Day 1: Scottsdale, Arizona - Tour Begins -Join Collette on a tour through five of America’s most splendid national parks. Your tour begins in Arizona, where you will enjoy a stay in the world-famous resort town of Scottsdale. Today dinner will be included.

Day 2: Scottsdale - Sedona - Lake Powell - Begin the day with a visit to the artists' colony of Sedona before stopping at the spectacular Oak Creek Canyon. See the amazing rock formations change hue with each turn in the road. Later today, you arrive at Lake Powell. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 3: Lake Powell - Grand Canyon - This morning you embark on a delightful breakfast cruise* on scenic Lake Powell. Then travel to Carl Hayden Visitors Center and look out over Glen Canyon Dam and see to the end of Lake Powell. Afterwards, travel to Marble Canyon before arriving at the spectacular Grand Canyon, staying at the only in-park hotel. The original Grand Canyon Lodge was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1937 by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Its rustic construction of limestone walls and timbered ceilings complements the North Rim's lush beauty. The Lodge offers peace and comfort to the North Rim visitor and is a National Historic Landmark. Dinner this evening takes place in the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, offering fine dining in a casual atmosphere, with magnificent views overlooking the rim of the Canyon. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 4: Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon, Utah - Zion National Park - Today you travel to Bryce Canyon National Park, truly one of the most spectacular scenic wonders of the world. The formations within Bryce Canyon National Park, called Hoodoos, are the creation of wind and water erosion over eons of time. Iron oxidizing within the rock causes the natural orange and red hues that color these formations. Your final destination for the day is the red and white sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park. In sheer magnitude and color, Zion is very likely one of the most awe-inspiring national parks in the world. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 5: Zion Canyon - Salt Lake City - A drive north takes you to Salt Lake City, the “City of the Saints,” where you will enjoy a two-night stay. Perhaps you will want to explore Temple Square. This beautifully landscaped 10-acre plot of ground in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City is one of Utah's most visited attractions. The centerpiece of the square is the 6-spired granite Salt Lake Temple, and adjacent to this imposing edifice is the domed Tabernacle*, home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir* and the great Tabernacle organ. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 6: Salt Lake City - Enjoy a tour of Salt Lake City, featuring the Great Salt Lake, the state capitol and the residential district. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Today breakfast will be included.

Day 7: Salt Lake City - Jackson Hole, Wyoming - En route to Wyoming you will see the majestic Bear Lake Summit. Later you will arrive in the cowboy town of Jackson Hole. Today breakfast will be included.

Day 8: Jackson Hole - The day is yours to explore Jackson Hole. Some optional activities include shopping, canoeing, hiking and river rafting trips. Tonight, a fun-filled evening of cowboy entertainment and dinner is in store at the Bar J Chuckwagon.*Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 9: Jackson Hole - Grand Tetons - Yellowstone - From Jackson Hole, pass through Grand Teton National Park. Towering more than a mile above the valley of Jackson Hole, the Grand Teton rises to 13,770 feet. Twelve Teton peaks reach above 12,000 feet and support a dozen mountain glaciers. The Teton Range is the youngest range in the Rockies and displays some of North America's oldest rocks. Later, arrive at the amazing Yellowstone National Park where you will enjoy an overnight stay at your lodge nestled in the heart of this wonderful park. One of the many highlights is the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, a fountain of steam that rises more than 60 feet in the air. Today breakfast will be included.

Day 10: Yellowstone - Cody - Sheridan - A delightful day of sightseeing begins with a trip along Lake Yellowstone and over Sylvan Pass. From the mountains to the prairies, the scenery is simply amazing. As you pass through Cody, a stop will be made at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, a tribute to one of the most colorful figures of the old west, Buffalo Bill Cody. Before turning in for the night in Sheridan, you drive through the incredible Bighorn Mountains and journey through the territory of the Great Sioux Nation. Today breakfast will be included.

Day 11: Sheridan - Custer State Park, South Dakota - See one of the country’s most famous landmarks, Mount Rushmore, before visiting the Crazy Horse Monument, a memorial dedicated to the Native Americans of our great land. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the Native American Cultural Center to learn about their culture and customs. Here, Native Americans discuss the movements of their dances and the significance of wearing different feathers and clothes. Later, you will arrive at Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Join your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner and share your experience at our nation’s wonderful parks. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 12: Custer State Park - Tour Ends - Your tour ends, leaving you with many wonderful memories. You will fly back to the Philadelphia International Airport where a charter bus will return you to the WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA.

Experience It! See History Cast in Stone

In 1925, Gutzon Borglum set out to create a gigantic work of art. Armed with 400 men and $1 million dollars, he began carving a 5,725-foot mountain into a national masterpiece. The mountain's name is Mount Rushmore, and the men whose images are carved into its façade symbolize the first 150 years of United States history. Immortalized in stone ar George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Creating the memorial was a difficult task. The rock on Mount Rushmore was so strong, dynamite was the most practical way to mold the monument. Once the stone was blasted to within inches of Borglum's measurements, the faces were fine-tuned with hammers and chisels. Fourteen years after construction began, Borglum died, leaving the final phases of construction to his son, Lincoln.

All work on Mount Rushmore concluded for good in October of 1941, on the eve of World War II. Interestingly enough, what you see immortalized in the Black Hills of South Dakota is actually an unfinished masterpiece. Borglum's original plans called for the four men to be carved all the way down to their waists.

 

2nd Annual Silversea Cruise

WVIA Travel Club's Second Annual Silversea Cruise:
Discover the allure of ocean travel as you sail to the Mediterranean aboard the ultra luxury Silver Wind, with only 296 international guests

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy to Barcelona, Spain
July 18, 2010 - July 25, 2010.
Vista Suite - $3,758 (per person based on double occupancy & availability) Limited availibility, call for details today.
Book as soon as Possible - Limited Available
Free parking and transportation to/from WVIA Studios in Pittston to the Philadelphia International Airport.

Your all-inclusive fare features complimentary fine wines and spirits served throughout the ship, gourmet cuisine and open-seating dining, in-suite dining and complimentary 24-hour room service, a full spectrum of enrichment and entertainment, and includes all onboard gratuities.

Highlights: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; Porto Vecchio, Corsica, France; Portoferraio (Elba Island), Italy; Livorno, Italy; Carnes, France; St. Topez, France; and Barcelona, Spain.

To book your ocean-view suite and for additional information contact Chuck Tharp at Trans World Travel LTD, 506 Highland Avenue, Clarks Summit, PA 18422, 570 344-9784 or chucktwt@hotmail.com

 

Shades of Ireland

WVIA Travel Club's Shades of Ireland Tour:
October 26, 2010 - November 4, 2010
All space is first come first serve and subject to availability
Reservation deadline - May 27, 2010
10 Days - 13 Meals: 8 Breakfasts & 5 Dinners

Starting At Per Person Rates: Double $2,499.00 - *per person, double occupancy. Included: Round trip airfare from Newark Intl. Airport, air taxes and fees/surcharges of $100 (subject to increase until paid in full), hotel transfers, transportation to and from WVIA Studios to airport.

Shades of Ireland - Slide Show Presentation
Monday, March 15 at 6:30pm
Sordoni Theater at WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA
To reserve seats contact Holly at hollymontagna@wvia.org or 570-602-1121

If you would like a flyer for this tour e-mail Hollymontagna@wvia.org or call 570-602-1121 or 570-602-1181

Highlights: Dublin, Irish Evening, Kilkenny, Waterford Crystal, Blarney Castle, Jaunting Car Ride (weather permitting), Ring of Kerry, Killarney, Farm Visit, Limerick, Cliffs of Moher, Galway and Castle Stay.

Tour highlights by day:

You will be leaving from the WVIA Studios in Pittston, PA. Here you will leave your vehicle in our parking lot and board a charter bus for the ride to the Newark International Airport where you will start your journey.

Day 1 Overnight Flight
The Emerald Isle is a land of green hills, warm people, stately castles and rollicking fun. Visit Dublin, Waterford, Killarney and Limerick as this comprehensive tour introduces Ireland's natural beauty, turbulent history and hospitable culture.

Day 2: Dublin - Tour Begins
Your tour begins in Dublin. Tonight, meet your fellow travelers at a fun-filled Irish House Party where everyone has the opportunity to join in the song and dance. Today dinner will be included.

Day 3: Dublin
Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Dublin, the “Fair City.” Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, O’Connell Street, Grafton Street, Phoenix Park and see the city's trademark - magnificent rows of stately Georgian town homes. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or explore the cultural offerings of delightful Dublin on your own. You may wish to tour Dublin’s fabled Kilmainham Jail or lighten your spirits with a visit to the Guinness Storehouse. Today breakfast will be included.

Day 4: Dublin - Kilkenny - Waterford
This morning you travel to Kilkenny for the chance to explore this medieval city. Later today you will visit the world-famous Waterford Crystal facility. Take a tour to learn how these exquisite treasures are crafted and marvel at the impressive collection of crystal in their glittering showroom. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 5: Waterford - Blarney Stone - Killarney
Today, journey to historic Blarney Castle where you can take the opportunity to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that those who kiss the stone are bestowed with the gift of eloquence. In Killarney you will be treated to a time-honored Irish jaunting car ride (Jaunting car ride is included, weather permitting). A tour of the beautiful Muckross House and Gardens offers a glimpse into the elegant lifestyle of the Victorian gentry. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 6: Killarney - Ring of Kerry - Killarney
Travel along one of the most beautiful coastal routes in the world, the Ring of Kerry. At the Gap of Dunloe, shop for traditional Irish goods handcrafted by local artisans. Enjoy spectacular ocean scenery as you pass through picturesque villages. Continue on through rugged mountain passes into “Ladies View” where you will see breathtaking views of the Lakes of Killarney. Tonight, use your leisure time to sample a true taste of Irish culture. Today breakfast will be included.

Day 7: Killarney - Limerick
Today, experience the customs and daily life of a traditional Irish family during a memorable visit to the Molanna Dairy Farm. Continue to Limerick where you will enjoy a city tour showcasing King John's Castle and the Treaty Stone while learning about the fascinating history of the "city of the violated treaty." Today breakfast will be included.

Day 8: Limerick - Cliffs of Moher - Galway - Limerick
A most interesting day is ahead of you. Journey to the stunning, 700-foot-high Cliffs of Moher for awe-inspiring views of the mighty Atlantic and the Aran Islands. Then, travel through the vast limestone landscape of the Burren, known for its stark beauty and Neolithic tombs. Continue past scenic countryside into Galway, where a brief city tour introduces “The City of Tribes.” Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 9: Limerick - Tullamore - Kingscourt
Today begins with a visit to the fascinating monastic site of Clonmacnoise where you will see ancient cathedral ruins, high crosses and the largest collection of early Christian graveslabs in Western Europe. Next, visit Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre where you will learn how Irish Whiskey is made and enjoy a tasting. Your day is then topped off with an overnight stay on the grounds of a castle and dinner in the castle. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Day 10: Kingscourt - Tour Ends
Your tour ends today in Kingscourt. Today breakfast will be included.

Experience It! Cabra Castle

Cabra Castle stands on 100 acres of gardens and parkland, with delightful views over the Cavan countryside, famous for its beautiful lakes. Formerly known as Cormey Castle, the history of the castle dates back to the pre-Cromwellian times of the 16th century. The property was bought in the early 19th century by Colonel Joseph Pratt who rebuilt it, renaming it as Cabra Castle. Its long legacy lends a mature, cultured air to the castle which can be felt by strolling through the castle’s magnificent hallways and stairwells. Experience this history when you enjoy an overnight stay on the castle grounds. The rooms are outfitted to the highest standards with every comfort and modern facilities. The bar and restaurant offer views of the countryside famous for its lakes and fishing, as well as Dun a Ri Forest Park.