Early this morning we board our Christian Tours motorcoach and head out across the rolling hills of Kentucky and into Ohio. We overnight outside of Dayton.

We travel to Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit, and discover why this is the city that put the world on wheels. We visit the Henry Ford Museum. More than 12 acres of exhibits & collections found here reflect America’s major developments in agriculture, steam power, communications, lighting and transportation. Dozens of classic and antique cars, trains, and buggies fill the building. Our bus ride takes us to the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. On our self guided tour we walk through a real-life truck plant to viewing the “Living Roof,” and two theater experiences, you’ll enjoy some eye-opening encounters with technology of today while learning about the world-changing past. In the Legacy Theater discover the Rouge’s history of innovation from Henry Ford’s vision to today. The Innovation Theater is a multi sensory film experience as you learn about the production of the Ford F-150. Our overnight is in the Dearborn area.

This morning we travel to and the Gerald Ford Museum & Library. The museum tells Ford’s life story using artifacts, interactive exhibits & a replica of the Oval Office. Also in Grand Rapids we visit Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the world’s most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, and was recently listed in the top 100 most visited museums in the world and the 30 most visited museums in the United States. The Gardens & Park include a tropical conservatory, an 8 acre Japanese garden, major works of modern and con-temporary sculpture on the grounds and indoors, along with a series of outdoor gardens and nature trails. This afternoon we make our way to Holland to experience the worldfamous Holland Tulip Festival and visit the DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory which offers a huge assortment of wooden shoes and Delft art. You can watch artists as they hand paint the designs or watch as they carve out the wooden shoes. Dinner is included this evening. (At this time the entertainment for this evening is not provided by the Tulip Time committee. We will provide updated information for this evening on our website). After the show we travel to Grand Rapids and check into our hotel for a 2 night stay. (D)

This morning our costumed guide takes us through Holland sharing about the founding of Holland, its history, and growth. After lunch we take our seats for the highlight of the week, the Volksparade. The Town Crier declares that the “streets need scrubbing” and the Volksparade kicks off! Everyone joining in this annual spring cleaning must be in Dutch costume and bring buckets and brooms. Enjoy the pageantry of this “People’s Parade,” as dozens of bands from West Michigan middle and high schools showcase their talents amid the community floats and entertaining specialty entries. Bringing up the “tail end” of the parade are the infamous Dutch Dogs! Our next stop is Windmill Island, with its 200-year-old Dutch windmill, “DeZwann,” surrounded by a spectacle of tulips. We travel back to Grand Rapids for another included dinner this evening. (D)

Today we start our way home. The RV/MH Hall of Fame is a 100,000 sq. ft. museum in Elkhart, Indiana that features a variety of historical recreational vehicles from Airstream, Winnebago and other American makers. Lunch is included at Tippecanoe Place and will be a highlight of our tour. Enjoy delicious food in an elegant atmosphere at this historic mansion once owned by the Studebakers. We drive through the beautiful Notre Dame Campus. The University of Notre Dame was founded in 1842 by Edward F. Sorin, a priest of the congregation of Holy Cross, a French missionary order. From its beginning, it has grown to be one of the great Catholic Universities in America achieving notoriety not only in athletics but in academics as well. (L)

Today we must make our way home, reminiscing all the way about the thousands of tulips, the shows, the amazing attractions, and the fun times we’ve had this past week.