Plus Fabulous Touring Coming & Going

DAY ONE: A day of travel on one of our deluxe motorcoaches gives time to get-acquainted with our TLC Tours Team and fellow Southwest adventurers!  With rest stops and meal stops planned for your traveling comfort, we make our way across Ohio and Indiana to Effingham, Illinois and include a relaxing dinner at Niemerg’s before turning in. (D)

DAY TWO:  Passing through St. Louis, Missouri, we’ll visit the Gateway Arch National Park. Overlooking the Mississippi River, the Arch rises high, a bold monument to the pioneering spirit.  At 63 stories tall, it is the tallest man-made monument in the United States—taller than the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, and even the Space Needle in Seattle. Enjoy your ride to the top and learn how it was built!  We continue on our journey, spending the night in Springfield, MO with dinner on your own. (B)

DAY THREE:  What a delight will be our stop in Pawhuska, Oklahoma at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile!  Ree (of TV cooking fame) and Ladd Drummond spent years renovating the 100-year-old Osage Mercantile building on Main Street so they could welcome visitors from near & far with a slice of small-town hospitality.  Enjoy perusing all the items & displays Ree has meticulously chosen and then tuck into a delightful lunch in her Cafe – how fun!

*Heading for Oklahoma City, we’ll settle into a local Downtown Hotel for overnight.  You may choose to explore the area for dinner or perhaps prefer to eat at the restaurant in our hotel – up to you!  (B, L)

DAY FOUR:  Crossing into the great state of Texas, we visit the city of Amarillo situated in the Panhandle along famous Rt. 66.  We’ll be ready for lunch at the Big Texan Steak Ranch, a historic Rt. 66 landmark feeding almost half-a-million people each year. It’s been featured in countless TV shows & movies all over the USA and across the ocean!… Now it’s YOUR turn!

*Then we’re off for a Guided Tour at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second-largest canyon in the United States with breathtaking red rock formations and stunning vistas – absolutely magnificent!

*Check into the Amarillo Drury Inn for the night and enjoy the Drury Kickback Reception (which is usually plenty to serve as dinner), or step outside to one of the nearby restaurants. (B, L)

DAY FIVE:  Off we go to New Mexico’s capital, Santa Fe, situated in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. It’s renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture and as a creative arts mecca. Founded as a Spanish colony in 1610, it has at its heart the traditional Plaza, and in the historic district, crooked streets that wind past adobe landmarks including the Palace of the Governors. You’ll love your Guided Walking Tour which includes stories of Santa Fe’s 400-year history, and sights of serene adobe architecture, religious landmarks, and colorful culture. If weather cooperates, you’ll be able to view the Plaza, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and Loretto Chapel with its ‘miraculous staircase’.  Finishing out the day, we arrive in our main destination, Albuquerque!  Unpack for the next 3 nights at our Embassy Suites hotel.

*Tonight, we head to Balloon Fiesta Park for a magical Evening ‘Balloon Glow’!  The sight of balloons lit from within at night like giant holiday ornaments is magnificent as all the balloons fire their burners and light up at the same time – absolutely breathtaking! The evening is capped off with fireworks (weather permitting) and a buffet dinner at the Gondola Club. (B, D)

DAY SIX:  It’ll be an early morning because… IT’S BALLOON FIESTA DAY!!  We’re joined by a local Guide who will make sure all goes well and that we don’t miss a thing!  We arrive at Balloon Fiesta Park for what’s known as the “Mass Ascension”, a launch of all the participating balloons and the most spectacular display of sound & color in all of aviation!  Balloons launch in two waves. Launch directors, also known as zebras because of their black-and-white-striped outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch so balloons leave the field in a safe and orderly manner. Weather permitting, balloons begin to launch at about 7:00 AM, led by a balloon flying the American flag to the strains of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ – absolutely breathtaking! …Cameras, cameras, cameras!!

*When it’s over, we’ll have breakfast and later spend the rest of the morning at the wonderful Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. At the Center, you’ll learn about Pueblo culture from ancient times to the present in this excellent museum.  View many beautiful murals painted by Pueblo artists, shop in the Native Indian store in the courtyard, and even have lunch in the Kitchen centered around indigenous foods – how Fun!

*The afternoon will find us climbing aboard the Sandia Peak Tramway for a fabulous opportunity as you ascend one of America’s most stunning urban peaks. Reaching the crest of the Sandia Mountains, an 11,000 square-mile panoramic view awaits you – awesome!!

*Later, our Guide will take us on a tour of Old Town Albuquerque to explore the rich history & fascinating culture abounding here.  Dinner on own. (B)

DAY SEVEN:  Today we have wonderful experiences planned! *If available, there is a possibility that those interested can take an optional Balloon Ride with Rainbow Ryders. Hotel departure would be around 4:00AM. and it’s an additional cost on own – approx. $350 or so (TBD), but an opportunity that can’t be matched. Full info will be available closer to departure which we will send you once we have enough signed up to assure the trip is ‘a go’ – it will include instructions for how to make this reservation on your own. But we need to know if you’re interested by the end of April.

*For those not doing this, we’ll have breakfast at the hotel and then enjoy the morning!

*After lunch at the Sawmill Market, we visit Acoma Pueblo, situated 350 feet above an outstretched valley atop a massive sandstone mesa at 7,000 feet above sea level. It is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States! A Pueblo member will take you on a leisurely guided tour of the village, explaining the culture and history of the tribe – an unforgettable experience!  Dinner on own. (B)

DAY EIGHT:  Checking out of our hotel, we stop near San Miguel at Pecos National Historical Park known for its abandoned Pueblo, a Spanish mission, and more.  On to Dodge City, Kansas where we’ll spend the night and have a relaxing dinner. (B, D)

DAY NINE:  In Hutchinson, you’ll enjoy learning about one of nature’s amazements on our Strataca Underground Salt Mine Tour.  Overnight in Columbia, Missouri at a Drury Inn. (B)

DAYS TEN & ELEVEN:  We relax and let our excellent Tour Team take us further East with an overnight in Dayton, a visit to the wonderful National Museum of the US Air Force, and a Farewell Lunch at Schmidt’s in German Village in Columbus. (2-B, L)

*** You’ll be bringing back Incredible Memories of an Adventure of a Lifetime! ***

INCLUDES:  Deluxe, escorted motorcoach transportation, 10 nights’ lodging, meals & activities as listed, luggage handling, and taxes.

$3,895 per/person double occupancy

$3,675 per/person triple or quad occupancy

$4,985 single occupancy

Please note: The following are TLC's general polices and procedures that cover all of our tours, so some of these may or may not be applicable to this particular tour.

Age Requirements:

All ages are welcome to join a TLC Tour beginning with age 5 years old and up.  Because our goal is to provide a relaxing, enjoyable ride for all when on our coach, we must ask that adults plan appropriate, quiet entertainment for their younger ones in order to not disturb the others aboard.  There may be a reduction in cost for the younger children, but no guarantees, especially on Day Trips.

Seating:

On all overnight tours of 30 or more, we use a daily seat rotation to provide a variety of vantage points for everyone. The first day of a trip, you choose your seat when you board and rotate from there. Each day you move up one seat.  If you are in the front you would move to the back.  We feel this is fair to all. If the coach is not full, a less formal rotation may be used at the Escort’s discretion. Persons traveling single or with uneven amounts in their group may need to sit with other like-travelers. We cannot guarantee that small groups will be seated together. We welcome single travelers, but the single rate does not include two seats on the coach. * We cannot accept doctor’s notes regarding requests to sit in the front seat/s. Please consider boarding at the first pickup location if your seat location is of concern. It is also recommended to see your doctor for motion sickness medication, if this should apply.

Smoking/Drinking:

We make regular stops for restrooms and for the convenience of smokers; however, we have a NO SMOKING (or vaping) policy aboard all coaches. If someone violates the non-smoking policies of places we are staying or visiting while on tour, it is the sole responsibility of that person should there be any penalties and/or fines for not adhering to their rules and regulations. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted at any time on the coach.

Transportation:

All of our tours use beautiful modern, deluxe wide-body motorcoaches from Campbell Bus Lines. Campbell has received the highest possible rating with the Dept. of Transportation. The motorcoaches are equipped with air-conditioning, reclining seats, public address system, DVD player, outlets for each passenger, and emergency restrooms.  We do not have WI-FI on our coaches. Our intent is for all overnight tours to be professionally escorted. Upon occasion, in order to avoid canceling a trip with a low passenger count, our Driver may serve both positions of Driver and Escort, and all are professionally trained to do so. ~ Also, on air trips with low passenger counts, we will not be able to provide an Escort from our company. However, once you arrive at your destination, a guide from our connecting company will be with you throughout the entire tour.

Lodging and Meals:

Your lodging is included on all overnight tours. All hotels are AAA rated. We never use second rate hotels, restaurants, or activities on any tour, to the best of our ability to make that determination. If you need two beds in your room, please state this when making your reservation. *Special note regarding accessible (handicapped) rooms:  While we can request an accessible room if you ask us to, every hotel has their own definition of exactly what “accessible” fully entails at their property.  We cannot be responsible if something is not exactly as you hoped when you arrive.  Nor will any hotel guarantee they will be able to fulfill a handicapped room request, especially if the hotel should be full and all such rooms are already taken. ~~ Regarding meals:  Generally, some meals are included on overnight trips (see individual tour inclusions); however, we cannot guarantee any special dietary requirements.  Most restaurants are now requiring us to order from a pre-set Group Menu, often ahead of departure.  We cannot accommodate individual entrée requests other than the ones given to us by the restaurant.

Border Crossings:

As of June 2009, a Passport or Passport Card is required for border crossings. Either of these travel documents may be obtained through your local courthouse. The Passport Card is limited but is sufficient for Canadian border crossings and is good for 10 years – it is also very easy to apply for. Your Driver and/or Escort will be asking to see one of these documents before boarding the coach for trips with this requirement. We cannot be responsible if you are unable to travel due to failure on your part to obtain the proper documentation. Please begin the process early enough to ensure that you will have it in time for your tour’s departure. Click here for for more information.

Luggage:

One suitcase per person is included in the price of your tour. We ask that you are respectful of the weight.  Our Drivers handle up to 54 pieces of luggage multiple times throughout a tour, and if it’s too heavy for you to lift comfortably, it is too heavy for them.  You are also permitted a carry-on, which is your responsibility.  Additional luggage may be transported at the cost of $10.00 per bag, per day – you must clear this with the Office ahead of time.  It is wise to travel light.  Luggage tags are provided and required for hotel identification and are sent with the final letter and phone numbers of your hotels.

Medical Devices: 

Medical devices must be handled by you, the passenger.  They are either to be stored under your seat (not protruding out into the person’s space behind or in front of you), or if too large for that accommodation, they must be placed under the coach by you, and taken off at each place it’s needed by you.  It is not safe for a medical device to ride in an overhead compartment for multiple reasons, nor are our Drivers or hotel personnel allowed to handle it for safety and liability reasons.  If it needs to ride under the coach, please have it in a quality container (as small as possible) to assure it rides safely.

Taxes and Gratuities:

All taxes and gratuities for included meals and activities are included, unless otherwise mentioned by the Escort. Driver and Escort gratuities are not included in the price of your tour. The suggested rate for a “job well done” is a minimum of $4.50-$5.00 per person/ per day for the Tour Escort, and a minimum of $4.50-$5.00 per person/per day for the Driver. We request that you express this on an individual basis and let the quality of service received be your guide.

TLC Reward Cards:

TLC Cards are non-transferable and non-replaceable.  Please take care to keep it in a safe place you will remember.  If you decline your TLC Card punch while on tour, you cannot get it later.

Payment:

All prices are per/person rates.  On one-day tours, full payment must be made with the reservation. For overnight tours, see “How To Make A Reservation”.  Balance of an overnight tour is due 60 days prior to departure (unless otherwise stated/notified).  Confirmation will be sent after we receive your deposit. Please call a soon as possible if you should decide not to go.

FYI:  About a week before your overnight trip departs, you will receive from our office a letter packet with updated itinerary, passenger list, departure and return times, luggage tags, hotel phone numbers, and other pertinent information.

1- Please Note – We’re truly sorry if we’ve canceled a trip that you wanted to go on.  Sometimes excellent trips with super itineraries are canceled when people wait ‘til the last minute to put in their reservation.  OUR monies are usually due at least 60 days ahead on regular trips, and sometimes 90 on certain ones.  If we don’t have enough signed up at that time, we have no choice but to cancel it.  Then when you call later, it’s already too late… and disappointing for us all!  Please help us and CALL EARLY – Thank you so much.

2- The information about trips on this website (funwithtlc.com) is complete.  It contains the same information that a paper flyer has.  However, if you prefer a paper flyer you can call for Fully Detailed Flyers for Most Trips of 3 Days or More. We’ll gladly send extras for you to pass along to your friends!  We will also happily send a Tour Book to anyone you feel would enjoy receiving one.

Refunds:

Prior to 60 days before departure date, a full refund will be made.  * Tours that include tickets generally have earlier non-refundable dates – ask upon booking.  There are no refunds for cancellations made within 60 days prior to your departure date.  However, we will do our best to recover as much as we can but cannot guarantee anything including prepaid reservations and other costs that are non-refundable to us. There will be a $75.00 per/person charge for this service for overnight tours and $25.00 for day trips. There will be no refund, for any reason, for a “no-show” on the day of the tour.

~ Please Note:  Refunds will be made by the same method you paid us; e.g., if you paid by credit card, the refund will be put back on that credit card.  No exceptions.

TLC Tours offers a “Refund Protection Plan”  for overnight tours that is available at our office at a minimal cost.  It needs to be purchased when you book your trip. This insures you a full refund for two situations. In case of A.) a death in your immediate family (requires a copy of death notice), or B.) personal illness (requires a doctor’s written note confirming you were too ill to travel).  Exceptions would be made if an immediate family member’s serious illness necessitates you staying home but would still need confirmation by a doctor’s note. *Immediate family, in these situations, includes spouse, parents, siblings, or children only.  Call our office for full details about TLC’s RPP.  We encourage you to take advantage of the protection plan, or secure comprehensive travel insurance on your own if you prefer “cancel for any reason” coverage (these companies are easily found via a Google search).  Our Refund Protection Plan is not available for Day Trips, nor are there any refunds for Day Trips, with a few exceptions.

Illness:

Should someone become ill during or after their tour, we assume no responsibility or liability. We cannot control every minute of everyone’s day, nor can we control how people handle themselves when off the coach. Our coaches are cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis, and we have done our very best to secure accommodations and venues that state the highest sanitation protocols to the best of their ability.  We ask that you take your own temperature before leaving home on the morning of Day One, and if you show any fever at all, please stay home.  If you have additional/other symptoms that suggest illness, we ask that you please stay home.  We trust that our upstanding TLC customers will “do the right thing” and not put anyone else at risk for contracting an illness on a TLC tour, to the best of their ability.  If you do need to cancel at the last minute because of concerning symptoms, our normal cancellation policies apply, just as they would to any other last-minute illness that prevents you from going on a tour.  See ‘Refunds’ in the section above. ~ If on tour you should become ill, you would be responsible to quarantine yourself and arrange for transportation home when appropriate. — By traveling with us, you are agreeing that TLC Tours, LLC will not be held responsible for contracting viruses or other such illnesses, nor liable for any expenses involved in any way.

Cancellations:

TLC Tours reserves the right to cancel any tour that has not reached a minimum number of reservations. We always avoid changes and cancellations, if at all possible, as we realize the inconvenience to you, our valued customer. We reserve the right to cancel or refuse service to anyone, in our sole discretion. Any person may be dismissed from a tour at any time by the Tour Escort or Driver should their conduct be problematic in any way. No refund will be made, nor will any further responsibility be assumed by TLC Tours or anyone in their employment.

Responsibility:

TLC Tours, LLC is insured. Campbell Bus Lines is registered and insured with the ICC. TLC Tours acts only as an agent. We are not responsible to any person for any loss of time or money due to a change or delay beyond our control. Nor are we responsible for non-performance by those we have contracted with. We reserve the right to change tour prices, inclusions, and itinerary, if so, dictated by circumstances beyond our control. We are not responsible for pricing, typographical, or other errors. Any claims against TLC Tours must be made, in writing within 30 days of the trip.

Ohio Departure Points:

Our departure points are as follows:

• Akron:  Home Depot, 2811 S. Arlington St, Akron – just up north from the Walmart – park in the front corner behind Golden Corral
• Canton:  Target parking lot behind Panda Express, 5584 Dressler Rd. NW – near Belden Village (you park in the row of the buggy corral)

• Alliance:  The back parking area of Lowe’s, 2595 W. State St. (turn into Lowes and drive straight back to the third from last row)

• Salem:  Burger King on E. State St. (rear parking area back by fence)

• Columbiana:   Our TLC Office at 44139 St. Rt. 14.
• *We have a special TLC Tours rate at a nearby hotel in both Columbiana and Slippery Rock if you have an early pickup and would like to come stay the night before. Call for more info.

Other departure points may be established for groups of 10 or more if the itinerary and direction of travel permits. We reserve the right to change departures. Departures are arranged in the direction of travel, with last departure being the closest to the destination, for the convenience of all passengers.

Pennsylvania Departure Points;

*We may use smaller shuttle buses to make these pickups and will join the tour enroute at a logical transfer point.

For both Overnight and Day Trips –choose from 2 locations:

• Slippery Rock:  Campbell Bus Lines, 258 Grove City Rd
• Butler:  Ollie’s, 602 Moraine Pointe Plaza

For TLC DAY TRIPS:

For day trips, we do not have any insurance or Refund Protection Plan available.  Payment must be made in full when booking a day trip, and if you cancel your reservation up to 45 days prior to the trip’s date, you will receive a full refund.  *Occasionally a day trip may have a different cancellation date other than 45 days out – it is good to inquire when making your reservation.  — If TLC should need to cancel the entire day trip, you will receive a refund.

For TLC OVERNIGHT MOTORCOACH TOURS:

For most overnight tours, a full refund will be made up to 45 days prior to departure date. However, some of our tours, especially the longer ones, may have a 60-day cancellation date.  The specific date will be listed on your confirmation which you will receive in the mail once you make your reservation. Tours including tickets may have earlier non-refundable dates – please inquire when making a reservation for a tour that includes tickets. There are no refunds for cancellations made within the 45 (or 60) days prior to your departure date. However, we will do our best to recover as much as we can, but cannot guarantee anything including prepaid reservations and other costs that are non-refundable to us. There will be a $25.00 per/person charge for this service. There will be no refund, for any reason, for a “no-show” on the day of the tour.

** Please Note: Refunds will be made by the same method you paid us; e.g., if you paid by credit card, the refund will be put back on that credit card. No exceptions.

TLC’s REFUND PROTECTION PLAN for Overnight Motorcoach Tours:

 TLC has an in-house “Refund Protection Plan” which we offer for overnight motorcoach tours through our office at a minimal cost. It needs to be purchased when you book your trip. This insures you a full refund in case of:

• ) A death in your immediate family (requires a copy of death notice)
• ) Personal illness (requires a doctor’s written note confirming you were too ill to travel)
• ) Exceptions would be made if an immediate family member’s serious illness necessitates you staying home, but would still need confirmed by a doctor’s note. *Immediate family, in these situations, includes spouse, parents or children only.

The RPP covers you up to the morning of departure; however, you must call your Escort (number will be provided) that morning before your pick-up time in order for the RPP to be valid.  She will need to call all the places the tour is going to change the passenger counts.  Failure to call the Escort that morning cancels your RPP coverage.

Feel free to call our office for full details about TLC’s RPP. We encourage you to take advantage of the protection plan, or secure more comprehensive insurance on your own, if desired.

TLC “FLY TRIPS”:

For any of our tours that involve flying, the connecting companies we use for our air tours offer their own insurance plans and instructions.  You will find that information listed on each tour’s page and/or flyer near the respective pricing and other pertinent details.  It is up to you, of course, whether or not you choose to take insurance out, but it is highly recommended.