Columbus Zoo & All Things Wild 26

Day 1

Welcome Aboard! Settle back, relax and enjoy a leisurely drive to the "The Buckeye State," Ohio for a fun-filled summer "New Tour" get-away! Our first destination is the Farm at Walnut Creek in Sugarcreek, Ohio. We meet our Amish driver/guide and climb aboard a horse drawn wagon ride for a tour through the farm. Along the way, you will get to learn about the exotic species and farm animals you are seeing from your knowledgeable Amish wagon driver as you wind through the scenic hills and pastures of the farm. Your wagon ride will include a bucket of feed for each person. Have fun feeding the animals of all sizes, shapes, and colors when they approach your wagon. This will be an experience you will not forget! Do not forget your camera! After our wagon ride, enjoy a stroll through two authentic farmhouses for an opportunity to see how families live in traditional Amish homes. Next, we travel to Berlin, Ohio, and check into the Comfort Inn & Suites, for the night. Our hotel is surrounded by the beauty of the rolling hills of Ohio's Holmes County Amish Country, which is the home to the world's largest Amish community. Tonight, we are treated to a delicious dinner at an Amish family farm, prepared by the family!

Day 2

After breakfast we depart for The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio. Upon our arrival, we will board an Open-Air Safari driving tour of The Wilds, affiliated with the Columbus Zoo. The Wilds spans nearly 10,000 acres and is one of the largest and most innovative conservation centers in the world. It is home to rare and endangered animals from around the globe along with hundreds of indigenous species including rhinos, giraffes, and antelopes just to name a few. We will learn about these amazing species living in the open-range habitat on our driving tour. You never know what might wander up to the Safari bus and clean your windshield. Bring your camera! Following our safari tour, a delicious lunch is included at the Overlook Café, with its breathtaking views of the Wilds' landscape. Later we travel to Grove City, Ohio, and check into the Drury Inn & Suites, for the next two nights. After checking into our hotel, you will have time to sit, relax, and enjoy a Manager's Reception with free hot food & cold beverages for guests, including beer, wine, and mixed drinks.

Day 3

After breakfast we depart for Ohio's State Capital - Columbus, Ohio. Upon our arrival, we meet our step-on guide and depart for a tour of Columbus. Our tour will include a stop at Topiary Park. Columbus Topiary Park is a 9.2-acre public park and garden located on the grounds of the Old Deaf School Park. The park's topiary garden is designed to depict figures from Georges Seurat's 1884 painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte". Enjoy leisurely walking around this seven-acre tranquil sanctuary and taking pictures. If you like post-impressionist painting, landscape, architecture, gardening, horticulture, or just things that look like other things, then you will love Topiary Park. Next, we head to the highlight of our tour, the Columbus Zoo, Named the #1 Favorite Zoo in America by USA Travel Guide. For more than 95 years, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium have evolved to become a cornerstone of the community and a destination inspiring the appreciation and conservation of many of the earth's most amazing animals. Hike to visit the Heart of Africa (places to eat as well) and the animals that call it home such as lions, gazelles, camels, cheetahs and so much more. Spanning across 43 acres, Heart of Africa is a vibrant showcase of mixed species savanna that raises the bar on habitat design and guest immersion. As you walk through the portal, you will be transported by the sights and sounds of the Mudiwa Village which includes places to eat. The animals that call Heart of Africa home include lions, gazelles, camels, cheetahs and so much more. Experience an unforgettable interaction with a giraffe or view majestic lions' eye-to-eye in their habitat. Next, head to Asia Quest, which includes places to eat as well, and enjoy the rhinos, elephants, sloth bears, Red Panda, aviary and more. Also, be sure to visit North America Trek for the less exotic and the Polar Frontier for Polar Bears and Brown Bears and Artic Fox. Places to eat are available at Polar Frontier too. Australia and the Islands offers Kangaroo and Koala, and the Shores and Aquarium offer alligators, reptiles, a 4-D theatre, and places to eat. Do not forget the Manatee! Congo Expedition is a favorite at the zoo and offers the gorillas (which Columbus is known for their breeding) as well as monkeys and more. Following our exciting zoo adventure, join your fellow travelers at a local farm for a memorable dinner before we return to our hotel for a good night's sleep. Tour the farm and then sit down to enjoy a sustainably grown farm-to-fork dinner designed and prepared for our group.

Day 4

After breakfast we depart for Dickinson Cattle Company, a working Texas Longhorn Cattle Ranch located in the beautiful Appalachian Foothills of Barnesville, Ohio. Upon our arrival, be sure to have your camera ready when you climb aboard a ranch bus for a tour of the ranch. The rugged ranch bus will make its way across rough Appalachian foothill pastures and go where the cattle roam. The tour includes close up encounters with Texas Longhorn, BueLingo and African Watusi cattle herds. There may even be the opportunity for you to hand feed the cattle "cow candy" as they approach the ranch bus. Following our tour, we are treated to a luncheon. Do not forget to visit the Longhorn Head to Tail Store to shop and pick up a souvenir. Later we depart for home having enjoyed the fellowship of friends old and new and taking with us many wonderful zoorrific memories of an "All Things Wild Get-Away".

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D =Dinner