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2004 Tale of Two Cities Caravan September 26 - October 3, 2004 Kansas City & St. Louis Discover two of the major cities involved in the Pioneer movement west in the 1800’s – Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. |
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Each city is located on one of the major rivers of the United States. Kansas City on the Missouri and St. Louis on the Mississippi, these locations have made each of these cities a major stopping off point in the westward journey. We will start our tour in Kansas City – the “Heart of America”. We will have a tour of Kansas City including such highlights as the Downtown/City Market area, the Crown Center Development Complex, a dream of Joyce C. Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards, Union Station, the largest remaining Renaissance-style station in the United States and the unique Steamboat Arabia Museum where 200 tons of Pioneer treasure from the 1856 sinking of the Steamboat Arabia can be seen. While in the Kansas City area, we will also visit Independence, Missouri, the birthplace of our 33rd President, Harry S. Truman. We will stop at Fort Osage, the second U.S. outpost built in the Louisiana Purchase where Missouri’s first settlers were offered sanctuary on their westward journey. We will visit the National Frontier Trails Museum with exhibits on the three historic trails that originated out of Independence – The Sante Fe Trail, the California Trail and the Oregon Trail. Built in 1855, adjacent to the Sante Fe Trail is the Bingham-Waggoner estate. This stately estate was home to the accomplished and controversial artist, Caleb Bingham. After our tour and lunch at the estate, we will travel on to the Truman Presidential Museum and Library. From humble beginnings in the small town of Independence, Harry S. Truman rose to become the most powerful man in the world. For nearly eight years, he guided the U.S. and the world through perilous times: the ending of World War II including the dropping of the atomic bomb, the formation of the United Nations, NATO and the Marshall Plan. The Truman Presidential Museum & Library invites you to experience the eventful and triumphant life of America’s 33rd President. We will have a free day in Kansas City on Wednesday, September 29th. We will be offering an optional trip this day to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The very name, “Leavenworth”, conjures up thoughts of our nation’s early days. A historic and still growing military fort, tree-lined vistas, antebellum homes, a nationally recognized federal penitentiary, the first city of Kansas…the reasons for Leavenworth’s fame go on and on. Upon arrival in Leavenworth, we will pick up our step on guide for our guided tour of Fort Leavenworth. We will stop by the First City Museum, with its collection of early frontier memorabilia and artifacts including a primitive carousel thought to be the oldest in the United States. After the First City Museum, we will have “Harvey Girls” serve our luncheon at the Riverfront Community Center. After lunch, we will have a city tour with guide – touring the “First City of Kansas”, established in 1854. Our last stop will be the Carroll Mansion, this 1867 Victorian house features elaborate handcrafted woodwork throughout the house, beautiful stained glass windows and elegant antiques from the Victorian age era to the early 20th century. This optional tour is available to all participants for $60 per person. Our fifth day of the tour, Thursday, September 30th, will be our travel day to St. Louis. 272 miles due east from Kansas City, St. Louis is one of America’s greatest gateways. Nearly 200 years ago, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition westward to find and map a transcontinental water route to the Pacific Ocean. St. Louis became the last stop for mountain men and trappers heading to the newly opened frontier. We will rendezvous at the Casino Queen Campground in East St. Louis, Illinois…right across the mighty Mississippi from the famous Gateway Arch. This evening will be free to enjoy on your own. Friday, October 1st, is our first day of touring the St. Louis area. We will have a garden tour at the Missouri Botanical Garden in the morning, a driving tour of St. Louis neighborhoods on our way to Union Station and lunch on your own. After lunch we will depart for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which includes the Gateway Arch, completed in 1965, the Arch is the largest national monument in the nation. The Museum of Westward Expansion, located under the Arch, tells the story of the many groups who roamed and settled the American West. Our last day together, we will celebrate the Busch legacy in St. Louis. We will travel to Grant’s Farm in the morning. Grant’s Farm is preserved as a living symbol of the Busch family’s love for animals and Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to wildlife conservation and preservation. Purchased by August A. Busch, Sr. in 1903, this piece of Missouri farmland was once owned by Ulysses S. Grant. We will stop for lunch on your own on our way to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery is the largest brewery in the world. It covers 70 city blocks. There are 18 sets of railroad tracks to serve the brewery. The malthouse was built in 1898. They were the first to bottle beer so it could be shipped. This is a walking tour through three stories of the brewery, so wear your walking shoes!! Our “Tale of Two Cities” tour ends here with our farewell continental breakfast on Sunday morning, October 3rd. We hope you’ll enjoy this trip to two of the most important cities in the western expansion movement. Package Cost Includes: Package Price: Two adults one unit: $795.00 One adult one unit: $575.00 Add Adult: $250.00 Add Child (3-17): $150.00 Children 2 and under are free. Package Requirements: Deposit required: $100.00 per unit Reservation deadline: July 26, 2004 Rendezvous point: Basswood Country RV Resort, KC-Platte City, MO Rally Limit: 22 units 
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