Friday, 5/27/2011 - Arrive Chicago
Optional transfers from home or our departure points this morning will have us at Los Angeles International Airport for our nonstop flight arriving in Chicago this afternoon. Upon arrival we will board our deluxe motorcoach and travel the short distance to our deluxe hotel, the Palmer House Hotel. Enjoy a four-night leisure stay at Chicago’s iconic Palmer House Hilton Hotel, offering modern conveniences while maintaining it’s historical elegance and central location in “The Loop” – the historical center of downtown Chicago. Located between State St. & Wabash amongst the downtown shopping district, the hotel is also near many fine restaurants. An included welcome dinner this evening in the heart of Chicago’s vibrant North Loop neighborhood.

Saturday, 5/28/2011 - Chicago
This morning following an included breakfast we’ll learn about Chicago’s history, architecture, and culture as you are awed by its beauty during a fully-narrated tour of the city. See the striking skyline, the exquisite lakefront, the Magnificent Mile, the historic Loop and outdoor sculptures. Be dazzled by the view from the Hancock Observatory. You will travel 1,000 feet above the Magnificent Mile to the top of the John Hancock Center to see Chicago’s best views, spanning up to 80 miles, four states, and 360 degrees. At Campus Point, we’ll visit the Field Museum of Natural History, housing the biological & anthropological collections for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Here you will discover Sue, the largest and most complete T. Rex ever found. You can descend into an Egyptian Tomb, watch a glowing lava flow, come nose-to-nose with the man-eating lions of Tsavo, and learn about our world’s cultures and environments. Enjoy an included lunch at a neighborhood deli where the police and firemen eat. Discover some of the ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago and for dinner this evening enjoy an ethnic dine-around with appetizers in Chinatown, entrée in Greektown and dessert in Little Italy.

Sunday, 5/29/2011 - Chicago
This morning, following an included breakfast, we’ll explore the Museum of Science & Industry, featuring 800 interactive exhibits including the Henry Crown Space Center, Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle – an exquisite miniature marvel, the Great Train Story – an enormous model railroad,and the Apollo 8 command module. Go into the real and newly re-furbished U505 German submarine – the only German submarine in the United States and is now a national memorial to the 55,000 sailors who gave their lives on the high seas during WWI and WWII. With our guide we’ll take a driving tour of the historic south side neighborhood of Hyde Park, home to President Barack Obama and his family and the prestigious University of Chicago. Here you’ll find Gothic buildings, such as the magnificent Rockefeller Chapel, the site of the 1st nuclear reaction. See the prairie-style Robie House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. See some of the sites mentioned in the book Devil and the White City. This afternoon has been set aside for you to shop, people watch or just relax on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The avenue is lined with boutiques and glittering department stores like Marshall Fields and Bloomingdales and the must-see Water Tower vertical shopping mall.

Monday, 5/30/2011 - Chicago,Oak Park
Following an included breakfast this morning, we’ll depart with our local guide for the historical and charming town of Oak Park, Illinois to visit the turn-of-the-century home and studio of America’s most renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. A docent-guided tour of the Wright Home and Studio will showcase it’s dramatic soaring spaces, colorful art glass and bold geometric forms. Following, sit back and relax during a driving tour of the surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District. Returning to Chicago, we’ll visit the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the greatest art museums in the world. See the famous miniature Thorne Rooms, the renowned La Grande Jatte, American Gothic and the Modern Wing – the newest addition to this historic building. This afternoon, a walking tour of Millennium Park, Chicago’s front yard, and a cruise down the Chicago River for the most unique views of the city’s architecture. Learn about such landmarks as the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, & Merchandise Mart. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan during an included dinner at a restaurant on Navy Pier.

Tuesday, 5/31/2011 - Chicago, Springfield
This morning, an included breakfast prior to departing for Springfield, Illinois to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, dedicated to the life and legacy of our 16th President. Tour the only home owned by Abraham and Mary Lincoln, now a National Historic Site. It is considered one of the most significant structures associated with Lincoln and has been restored to the time period of the 1860’s. Tour Springfield’s Old State Capitol, where Lincoln tried cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, borrowed books from the state library, and swapped stories with other lawyers and politicians. Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant and an included dinner this evening at Maldaner’s, Springfield’s landmark fine dining restaurant since 1884.

Wednesday, 6/1/2011 - Springfield, Farewell
After an included breakfast, we’ll see the beautiful Tiffany windows and the Lincoln family pew at the First Presbyterian Church and visit Lincoln’s Tomb, the monument that marks the final resting place of Abraham, Mary Todd, Tad, Eddie and Willie Lincoln. The Oak Ridge Cemetery monument was completed in 1874. This afternoon we arrive at the Chicago Airport for our non-stop return flight back to Los Angeles. Those with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective destination. A spectacular journey to Chicago and Springfield providing for very fond memories.