Barry Knight

Monday, October 19^th –  The fun begins today as we board our nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Fayetteville, Arkansas (flights from other cities can be arranged).  Our comfortable accommodations for tonight will be at the Courtyard by Marriott in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Tuesday, October 20^th – Just up the road is a delightful mountain town known as Eureka Springs, Arkansas.   We will enjoy a narrated tram ride along the narrow, windy streets and learn the fascinating history of this picturesque town filled with Victorian architecture and eclectic shops.  The Ozarks are filled with natural beauty and fall colors this time of the year so be sure to have your cameras ready.   Other stops in the area will include Christ of the Ozarks (the largest statue of Jesus in the United States and fourth-largest in the world, standing at sixty-seven feet tall.  We will also visit Thorncrown Chapel which is known for its glass-walled design and serene ambiance.  You’ll be impressed!

After free time for lunch and shopping in Eureka Springs we will make our way to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.  Here we will step aboard comfortable, open-air trams and explore the beauty of Dogwood Canyon.  This adventure includes a narrated tour of the park as you pass by bluffs, waterfalls and other scenic views.  Plus, you’ll cross the Arkansas border and enter the Bison-Elk Country pasture, encountering the largest residents of Dogwood Canyon.  Other amazing stops and viewpoints will be made on our tram ride for magnificent photos to remember your “Autumn in the Ozarks Tour.”

We will enjoy a group dinner at Dogwood Canyon before settling down at our comfortable hotel located in nearby Branson, Missouri.   (breakfast and dinner included today)

Wednesday, October 21^st – After breakfast at the hotel, we will make our way to Silver Dollar City, an entertainment and amusement park that helped put Branson on the map.  Silver Dollar City will be celebrating their Harvest & Craft Festival during the autumn season as the Ozark hills come alive with color.  Delicious aromas will be wafting through the streets and the sounds of adventure will fill the air.  Silver Dollar City expanded its entertainment over the years by adding nearly a dozen live musical pavilions and theaters featuring hundreds of musicians from Blue Grass to Gospel and everything country in between.   Other attractions such as a stage coach ride, a narrow-gauge steam railroad, and various thrill rides are available for your entertainment.  The park is also home to 100 resident craftsmen who can be seen practicing their craft and exhibiting and selling their work to park visitors.  It really is a fun fall day in a festive environment.  

We will wind down our day with a dinner at Landry’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant followed by a live Branson Theater Show at the Clay Cooper’s Country Express Theater.  This show has something for everyone!  You’ll enjoy live music, singing, dancing, hysterical comedy and more!  From George Jones to Hunter Hayes, from the Doobie Brothers to Bruno Mars, Clay and his cast of 24 veteran entertainers will bring you a high energy performance filled with a variety of music.  (breakfast and dinner included today)

Thursday, October 22^nd –  Today we will travel almost an hour northward to Springfield, Missouri.  Our first stop will be at Fantastic Caverns.  Known as “America’s Drive Thru Cave,” where guests get an up-close look at beautiful cave formations, like giant columns stretching from floor to ceiling, delicate soda straws glistening with minerals, and tiny cave pearls hidden in crystal-clear water all viewed from the comfort of a Jeep-drawn tram (yes, driving inside of the cave).   This is a rate treasure, as there are only four of its kind in the entire world, and only one in North America.  You’ll be amazed with the popular Missouri natural wonder.

Late this afternoon we’ll board the authentic Showboat Branson Belle, and cruise the beautiful Table Rock Lake.  It doesn’t get any better than to enjoy the crisp fall air out on the upper deck of the boat as we cruise the along the shoreline enjoying the fall foliage here in the Ozarks.  Dinner will be served in the boat’s grand salon along with fabulous entertainment featuring singing, dancing and good old-fashioned fun. Showboat Branson Belle is considered by many to be one of the highlights of their tour to the area.  (breakfast and dinner included today)

Saturday, October 24^th – Today we will cross the border and travel back to Bentonville, Arkansas.  Our first stop will be at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  This world-class art museum was founded by Alice Walton in 2005, the museum itself is an architectural treasure designed by nationally acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie.  The museum houses more than 3500 artworks showcasing the highest quality works by American artists.  The museum also has relocated a rare Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house to the museum grounds.  After our lunch stop in Bentonville, and before we head to the airport for our return flight, we will make a stop at the Walmart Museum.  The Walmart story unfolds decade by decade.  From its modest beginnings in the 1960s to becoming the world’s largest retailer, the exhibits bring history to life through interactive displays, iconic artifacts and the people-first values that have shaped the company.  Experience the store that started it all. Packed with vintage charm, classic merchandise and fun throwbacks, this humble dime store is a tribute to Sam Walton’s retail roots.  (breakfast included today)

We sincerely hope you’ll join us for this explosion of beautiful fall colors in the Ozarks and enjoy the great entertainment Branson is known for.