Chattanooga Choo Choo & Great Smoky Mountains 25

Day 1

Welcome Aboard! Travel in comfort aboard our deluxe motor coach as we make our way through the southern countryside of the Blue Ridge Mountains towards the "Scenic Center of the South," Chattanooga, Tennessee. Before checking into our hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee for the night, enjoy a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2

After breakfast we depart for Chattanooga, Tennessee for a day of sightseeing. We begin at Ruby Falls, America's deepest commercial cave, which features the highest, most-visited underground waterfall in the United States. Enjoy a guided tour through this fascinating attraction with its 145-foot waterfall, and extraordinary natural geological formations. At the tour's conclusion enjoy the panoramic view from the Lookout Mountain Tower and visit the newly renovated gift shops. Our next stop will be a visit to Rock City. Located atop Lookout Mountain in Georgia, Rock City showcases soaring rock formations, a 100-foot waterfall that cascades down the mountain, the famous Swing-A-Long Bridge that spans nearly 200-feet, and the world-famous lover's leap and lush gardens. Enjoy a self-guided tour along the brow of Lookout Mountain, which offers you a sweeping bird's eye view of the surrounding area. We enjoy an unhurried lunch in Rock City today. Next, we take a ride on "America's Most Amazing Mile," the Incline Railroad. Sit back and relax as trolley-style railcars slowly carry you up historic Lookout Mountain, and Chattanooga's surrounding peaks and valleys come alive through the clouds. The railway achieves an incline of 72.7% at one point along the way, making the Incline Railway one of the steepest railways in the world, and it is also designated as a National Historic Site and a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. After our train ride, we continue on to our hotel, the Drury Plaza Hotel where we will spend the next two nights. Following our hotel check-in, you will have time to freshen up before enjoying the Manager's Reception with free hot food & cold beverages, including beer, wine, and mixed drinks before retiring to your room for a good night's sleep.

Day 3

After breakfast we depart for an exciting day filled with fun and adventure which includes a train ride, an aquarium visit and a sunset boat cruise! We begin with a train ride on board the Tennessee Valley Railroad. From the comfort of a vintage train car settle into the clickety-clack of the rails as you enjoy riding on one of Chattanooga's original railroad lines. Highlights of your excursion include crossing four bridges and passing through the pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge Tunnel, which was completed in 1858. The train stops at East Chattanooga, where you will be able to view the locomotive rotating on a turntable and tour the railroad restoration shop before we re-board the train for our return to Chattanooga. Next, we will visit the Tennessee Aquarium for an included lunch and a self-guided tour. Dive into two worlds of wonder and excitement at the top-rated aquarium in America. Begin with the freshwater exhibits in the River Journey building. The adventure continues with the Ocean Journey building. Experience two aquariums in one great city. You'll see cuddly penguins and otters, alligators and sturgeon, along the way, and hundreds of fluttering butterflies in the rooftop garden. Also included, prepare to meet some of the ocean's strangest and most spectacular creatures in the new IMAX film Secrets of the Sea! Secrets of the Sea takes you face-to-face with an astonishing array of marine critters, showing the fascinating ways they interact with each other and their environment. To wrap up our day in Chattanooga, we are served a savory dinner before we climb aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat for a sunset cruise on the Tennessee River. Enjoy a unique view of Chattanooga while relaxing at the end of the day cruising along the beautiful Tennessee River and listening to live music, before returning to our hotel for a good night's sleep.

Day 4

After breakfast we depart for the historic mountain town of Bryson City, North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. We will embark on a 4-½ hour, 44-mile round trip train ride along the Tuckasegee River, over the impressive Fontana Lake Trestle and into the Nantahala River Gorge. Listen to Bluegrass music and hear Appalachian stories while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers. The excursion features a one-hour stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center where you will find three restaurants and a pub, a fully stocked Outfitter's Store, the Wesser General Store and Fly Shop, and the Nantahala Welcome Center. Enjoy relaxing by the river or sightsee on your own before we re-board the train for our return to Bryson City. A box lunch will be included during your excursion. Following our train excursion, we board our deluxe motor coach and depart for our overnight accommodations in Asheville, North Carolina at the Hampton Inn & Suites. After checking into our hotel for the night, unwind and freshen up before going out for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 5

After breakfast we depart for home taking with us fond memories of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the "Scenic Center of the South" and its traditional southern charm, and the scenic wonders and spectacular adventures experienced in the magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains! Today's buffet lunch is included at Michie Tavern, an authentic 1784 pub in Charlottesville, Virginia. Enjoy a delicious lunch in a rustic tavern setting served to you by servers dressed in period attire.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D =Dinner