NEW! Ozark Autumn Rail Tour: Rail Travel Center’s Grand Finale! 

October 16-26, 2010

Tour from $2649.00

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Join Rail Travel Center President Wil Doak next autumn for a special in-depth tour of the lovely Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas as the autumn colors peak! This tour is the grand finale for Rail Travel Center! Our Ozark Autumn Rail Tour travels round-trip from St Louis to Kansas City and Branson, Missouri and to Eureka Springs, Fort Smith and Little Rock, Arkansas. Wil is a Missouri native who has led all our Ozarks tours and truly knows the region.

The program includes a host of scenic and unique train travel experiences. We begin with a trip on the new St. Louis Light Rail line, then ride the Amtrak MISSOURI RIVER RUNNER streamliner along the shores of the Missouri River, through the wine country of central Missouri, and across the rolling hills from St Louis to Kansas City. Later we ride the “Ozark Zephyr” domeliner of the Branson Scenic RR on a 40 mile journey through the heart of the Ozark Mountains.

Unique sightseeing in Missouri includes the steam-powered Wabash, Frisco and Pacific (miniature) railway near St. Louis and a visit to the National Museum of Transportation. In Kansas City we see the new National World War One Museum and the incredible one-of-a-kind Steamboat “Arabia” Museum. In Branson we enjoy no less than six shows including the comedy of Yakov Smirnoff, the violin pyrotechnics of Shoji Tabuchi and the musical comedy of Jim Stafford; experience a visit to the unusual College of the Ozarks; take a tram tour in the wildlife and nature reserve of Dogwood Canyon; visit the new Titanic museum; cruise on the “Lake Queen”; and experience Silver Dollar City, including its steam railway, shows and crafts vendors.

In Arkansas we focus on the preserved Victorian resort of Eureka Springs, the wild-west “jumping off” point of Fort Smith, and the historic city of Little Rock. There is free time to explore the Victorian center of Eureka Springs. We also enjoy dinner in the diner riding the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway. From Springdale to Van Buren, we make a breathtaking daylight trip over the crest of the Boston Range of the Ozarks on the Arkansas and Missouri RR, traveling in the First Class Parlor Car. At Fort Smith, we ride a true streetcar at the Trolley Museum, then tour the historic area on a trackless trolley. We also visit Fort Smith National Historic Site and Miss Laura’s, a notorious former “house of ill repute”! We see Little Rock using the new River Runner true streetcar line and have free time to visit the Arkansas State Historical Museum, the President William Jefferson Clinton Library, or other places of interest.

On the return to Missouri we have lunch at Lambert’s Café (home of the “thrown roll”), take a private charter train ride on the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Southern Ry., and end with a superb Farewell Dinner at the Station Grille, located in the magnificent headhouse building (now the Marriott Hotel) of St. Louis Union Station. The tour’s first, second and last nights are at the excellent Drury Inn at St. Louis Union Station, which occupies the renovated and much upgraded former Railroad YMCA Building at the amazing Union Station complex. Complete details follow. All aboard!

Day One, Saturday, October 16 Independent arrivals into St. Louis. Accommodations for the next two nights are included at the Drury Inn St. Louis Union Station. The magnificent Union Station complex has been meticulously restored and developed into a hotel, shopping and dining center. The terminal is directly served by the new St. Louis Light Rail line, which provides direct connections from both the St. Louis Airport and the new downtown Amtrak station.

Day Two, Sunday, October 17 (B,L) Wabash, Frisco and Pacific RR; National Museum of Transportation. We begin with a ride on the newest line of the St. Louis Metrolink Light Rail Line from Union Station to the suburban terminal at Landsdowne. We then board our private motorcoach for the drive to Glencoe. Here we ride a remarkable miniature railroad, the (usually) steam-powered Wabash, Frisco and Pacific. The 12-inch gauge mainline ride is over two miles long, running through lovely forested countryside. After an included lunch in Kirkwood, we spend the afternoon at the National Museum of Transportation. This is not only one of the largest train museums in the country, but also displays important collections of cars, trucks and buses. Highlights here include a preserved New York Central 4-8-2 “Mohawk” steam engine, a huge former Milwaukee Road electric engine, and a 1950s streamlined Aerotrain.

Day Three, Monday, October 18 (B) Amtrak MISSOURI RIVER RUNNER; Steamboat “Arabia” Museum. From 8:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. we have a very scenic Amtrak ride on the former Missouri Pacific route from St. Louis to Kansas City. For many miles the line closely hugs the south bank of the Missouri River. Near Washington we see wineries climbing the slopes above the river and, in the afternoon, the train traverses the rolling hills and rich farmlands of west-central Missouri that lead us to Kansas City Union Station.

This afternoon we have a very special tour of the Steamboat “Arabia” Museum. The paddle-wheeler “Arabia” sank in the Missouri River in 1856. The silt-filled waters rapidly covered the wreck, almost perfectly preserving its contents. Later the river shifted its course, leaving the lost steamer deep under a farm field over a half-mile from the new river channel. A group of families searched for the “Arabia” and, in an epic of marine archaeology, raised her from the field and the muck. The vessel was carrying cargo for up-river points in the Dakotas which made her, in effect, a floating department store. The museum tells the story of her last voyage and rediscovery. The displays show not only the remains of the vessel, including her engines and large parts of her hull, but more importantly the remarkable goods she carried. Here are clothes, canned goods, perfumes, toys and tools preserved as if they were made yesterday, from a cargo that sank in 1856! Our hotel tonight is the fine Q Hotel and Spa in the historic Westport area of Kansas City.

Day Four, Tuesday, October 19 (B,L,D) National World War One Museum; lunch at Kansas City Union Station; arrive Branson; Broadway Celebration Show. We begin the day with a visit to America’s only museum devoted to the saga of the First World War. Kansas City’s new National World War One Museum tells this story with both multi-media exhibits and the Liberty Memorial Tower. American military commander General John Pershing was a Kansas City native, and the young Harry Truman served as an artillery officer in the American Expeditionary Force. Lunch is included at magnificent Kansas City Union Station. This afternoon we drive south through the autumn colored hills to Branson, where our hotel for the next three nights is the Clarion Hotel at the Palace. Dinner this evening is at the Plaza View Restaurant, accompanied by a dinner show with Kenny Parrott. Later our feature event is “Broadway! The Star Spangled Celebration Show”.

Our Branson area program: We have included no less than six Branson shows in this tour, and additional artists perform at Silver Dollar City. Please note the acts listed below could change, as stars come and go, but these are the programs we expect to include. We list anticipated shows, meals and attractions each day. Planned acts include the Kenny Parrott musical dinner show; Broadway! The Star-Spangled Celebration; the comedy of Yakov Smirnoff; the traditional country artists at Silver Dollar City; the magic and tigers of Kirby VanBurch (including a unique back-stage tour); the comedy and music of Jim Stafford; and (for our grand Branson finale) the great violinist Shoji Tabuchi.

Branson area included sightseeing: The Foster Museum of the College of the Ozarks (antiques, furniture, clothing and crafts of the mountains); Silver Dollar City (re-created Ozarks traditional village with a ride on the steam narrow gauge railway and special shows); Titanic: the Legend Continues (original artifacts recovered from the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic and re-created cabins); and a deli lunch cruise on the Branson Landing “Lake Queen”. A rail highlight is the 40-mile round trip through the heart of the Ozarks riding the Branson Scenic Railway’s “Ozark Zephyr” domeliner on the former Missouri Pacific route. This line crosses high trestles, passes beautiful vistas and traverses mountain tunnels as it travels far from the main highways. Regular passenger service on this route ended in the 1950s.

Included meals in Branson: A continental breakfast buffet is included daily at the Clarion Hotel. Included lunches and dinner are at a different restaurant for each meal.

Day Five, Wednesday, October 20 (CB,L,D) Tour College of the Ozarks; deli-lunch and cruise on Branson Landing “Lake Queen” on Lake Taneycomo; free time in downtown Branson; dinner at McFarlain’s; Yakov Smirnoff; and the Kirby Van Burch show (with a back-stage post-show tour).

Day Six, Thursday, October 21 (CB,D) Branson Scenic RY “Ozark Zephyr” ride; Silver Dollar City; Jim Stafford Show; dinner at Rails; Shoji Tabuchi show.

Day Seven, Friday, October 22 (CB,L,D) Titanic Museum; Dogwood Canyon; Eureka Springs; dinner in the diner on the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Ry. The day begins at the new Titanic Museum, which displays recreated cabins and public rooms from the great liner and original artifacts recovered from the wreck. We then drive to a unique natural wonder, Dogwood Canyon, touring the forested floor by tram. The park should be filled with the flaming colors of autumn! The canyon also is a wildlife preserve. We see animals once native to the Ozarks, including buffalo, deer, and elk and enjoy a picnic lunch.

This afternoon there is free time to explore the remarkably preserved Victorian resort town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas before enjoying dinner in the diner as we ride the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Ry. We overnight at the Comfort Inn and Suites in nearby Springdale.

Day Eight, Saturday, October 23 (CB,L) Arkansas and Missouri RR over the Ozarks; tour Fort Smith. We board the Arkansas and Missouri RR this morning, traveling in the First Class Parlor Car. The A&M follows the former Frisco route through the high peaks of the Boston Range of the Ozarks. On our 66-mile trip south to Van Buren, we cross high trestles and view great panoramas of the peaks and valleys of the Ozarks. This is one of the more scenic tourist railway rides in the country.

The afternoon is spent in historic Fort Smith, the 19th century “jumping off” point for many wagon-train pioneers enroute to Texas and the southwest. After an included lunch at the Calico Country Restaurant, we ride the Fort Smith Trolley (a true streetcar line) and visit the Trolley Museum. We also visit Fort Smith National Historic Site, which displays buildings from the 19th century cavalry posts that defended the frontier. Later we tour Miss Laura’s mansion, once a very fancy “house of ill repute”, and take a trackless trolley tour of the historic district before over-nighting at the Holiday Inn Fort Smith.

Day Nine, Sunday, October 24 (Sunday Brunch) Ride the Little Rock River Runner Streetcar line; free time for Arkansas History Museum, President Clinton Library, or other. We have a pretty drive through the Arkansas River Valley this morning to Little Rock, the Arkansas state capital. Our arrival treat is the elegant Sunday Brunch at the newly restored historic landmark Capital Hotel, where we also are staying tonight. The new Little Rock streetcar line, the River Runner, runs directly by our hotel. This true trolley car line uses newly-built copies of 1920s Brill streetcars and takes us on an informal city tour. Later there is free time to visit the fine Arkansas Museum of History or the new President Clinton Library, both of which are served by the River Runner.

Day Ten, Monday, October 25 (L,D) Lunch at Lambert’s Café; charter train ride on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern RR; Rail Travel Center’s true Farewell Dinner at St. Louis Union Station. We head north through the autumn forests back into Missouri and the shores of the Mississippi River at Sikeston. Lunch is included at a remarkable Missouri institution, Lambert’s Café. Here the food is country and the specialty is “thrown rolls”. Your server literally throws your rolls to you! This afternoon we have a chartered round-trip ride on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern RR from Jackson to Gordonsville. Our train is powered by a stylish former Pennsylvania RR streamlined E8 diesel as we roll through the pretty countryside that was once the haunt of outlaws like Jessie James. This evening we enjoy Rail Travel Center’s true “Farewell Dinner” at the Station Grille, located in the magnificent headhouse building (now the Marriott Hotel) at St. Louis Union Station. Our final overnight is back at the Drury Inn St. Louis Union Station. As noted under Day One, the Metrolink Light Rail line directly serves both Amtrak and the airport from Union Station.

Day Eleven, Tuesday, October 26 (B) Tour ends with independent departures from St. Louis today.

TOUR PRICES include all hotels; sightseeing and admissions noted as included above; Branson shows; rail, light rail, streetcar, motorcoach and cruise fares; meals noted as included above; tour manager services; luggage handling; and transfers round-trip beginning/ending at our St. Louis hotel. Not included are connecting travel, other meals not shown as included, and items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages and souvenirs.

$2649.00 per person, double occupancy

$3249.00 single occupancy

Conditions and Booking Information (the fine print)

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Last modified: July 19, 2010