Kansas City

Ride the Rails to Kansas City!

Duration

November 27-29, 2021

Tour Includes

Amtrak ONE-WAY from Kirkwood to KC. (Coach transfer to station from parking.)
Dinner at the Golden Ox
Lunch at the Hereford House
Deluxe Accommodations at the Hampton Inn Country Club Plaza
5 Meals (2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 1 Dinner)
Entrance to Airline History Museum
Visit to the National WWI Museum
Private tour of the Bingham-Waggoner Estate and Wagon Ride
A Christmas Carol Performance at the KC Rep
Motorcoach transportation back to STL and during KC
Baggage Handling at the Hotel of one suitcase per person
All gratuities to Tour Guides, Drivers, Servers at Included Meals

All times are subject to change due to Amtrak’s scheduling department.
*All items on this itinerary are also subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.

Itinerary

Saturday, November 27 – Kansas City, Here We Come (via Amtrak!)
Meet Dea and Declan to board the coach to transfer to the Kirkwood Station for our journey by rail to Kansas City. We’ll enjoy a scenic ride across the state in our coach seats. We’ll enjoy a boxed lunch onboard the train provided by the Hermann Wurst Haus. Upon arrival at 1:55pm pm in Kansas City, we will tour the National. Airline Museum. Enjoy a hands-on experience as you learn about Kansas City’s Aviation History.
We then check in to the Hampton Inn at Country Club Plaza, our home for the next two nights. Dinner will be early at the Golden Ox Steakhouse. Then it’s off to a holiday favorite at the KC Rep, A Christmas Carol! For over 40 years, Kansas City’s beloved tradition has created holiday memories for families all around the community. Join Ebenezer Scrooge on his redemptive journey with Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and rediscover the true meaning of the holidays. En route back to the hotel we will drive through Country Club Plaza to enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights on display. (L,D)

Sunday, November 28 –Bingham-Waggoner Estate Tour and Wagon Ride
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning and then venture back to Independence for a private tour of the Bingham-Waggoner Estate. The land where the estate is located became known as a short cut for the road that later became the Santa Fe Trail. A home was established and eventually the 19.5 acre tract of land and estate was occupied by many well-known Missourians. Artist and aspiring politician George Caleb Bingham resided here as well as the Waggoner family, purveyors of the Midwest’s finest baking and cake flours, Queen of the Pantry. During our private guided tour we will learn the long and storied history. And don’t miss the Carriage House Boutique, one of the best stocked upscale gift shops on the western side of the state. And remember, no sales tax as the estate is a museum! Those wishing to experience the entire estate may take a wagon ride that we have arranged to take our tour group around the extensive grounds.

Next enjoy lunch at the long-standing steakhouse, the Hereford House in Independence, MO. Experience another reminder of the famous stockyards of Kansas City.
Next enjoy lunch at the long-standing steakhouse, the Hereford House in Independence, MO. Experience another reminder of the famous stockyards of Kansas City.
Our next stop is the World War I Museum. You will understand the poppy sales by your local VFW when you walk across the glass floor recreating In Flanders Fields. Steeped in history, the National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s only museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it. (B,L)

Monday, November 29 – Union Station with optional Auschwitz Exhibit

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning. Discover the beauty and and restaurants in Kansas City’s Union Station where you can explore and enjoy lunch on your own.
Optional ticket to the exhibit: Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.- $18 per person

This groundbreaking exhibition brings together more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs from over 20 institutions and museums around the world. It is the most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the history of Auschwitz and its role in the Holocaust ever presented in North America, and an unparalleled opportunity to confront the singular face of human evil—one that arose not long ago and not far away.
Early afternoon we board our coach for our return to St. Louis with a stop along the way.
NOTE: We are taking Amtrak to Kansas City as it will be daylight. The return train is in the dark and we have our own private motorcoach transportation to return home. If you would like, you may book your own ticket back and arrange for transportation back to your car or park on south side of tracks in shopping center parking. (B)

Please Note

• Once this tour fills, a wait list will be formed.

• We encourage all travelers to purchase travel protection with payment as it will become non-refundable as soon as we meet our minimum number of passengers. We will contact you by sending out a paid invoice to let you know the tour is running. Include Travel Protection payment with payment, if purchasing. Please remember that certain benefits are time sensitive. Plans help provide coverage for unexpected circumstances and help protect your trip and your investment. If you purchase Travel Protection and need to cancel after the tour has been confirmed, you will be reimbursed via Travel Protection and we will assist you with your claim.