Michigan European Getaway

April 27, 2026

This morning, we’ll board the coach and begin our journey northwest to Detroit, Michigan. Today will be a travel day. Rest stops and a lunch stop will be made along the way "on your own". We will arrive and check-in at our hotel, where we will spend the next two evenings. Dinner is included this evening.

April 28, 2026

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning. We’ll start the morning off boarding the coach with our local guide. Hear stories of how the French influenced Detroit as we make our way to the Edsel Ford House. Here we will take a guided tour of the property where Edsel and Eleanor Ford filled their home with English and French antiques and an impressive collection of fine and decorative art. You’ll unlock the secrets of this storied estate by engaging with our guide, unraveling tales of automotive legacy, architectural marvels, and the Ford family’s cultural impact. Delight in private access to stunning gardens, opulent interiors, and panoramic lakefront views. We’ll finish off our time here by having lunch with a fantastic view of Lake St. Clair. Next, we’ll get back on board the bus with our local guide who will continue her tales of French heritage on our way to the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit, the second oldest continuously operating parish in the United States. Here, she will show you around as the basilica boasts soaring neo-Gothic architecture and the oldest stained-glass windows in the city of Detroit. Afterwards, we’ll continue our tour of Detroit as our guide takes us on a historical adventure with viewings of Michigan Central Train Station, Hotel Fort Pontchartrain (the original site of Cadillac’s fort), Cadillac’s 1701 Founding Convoy plaque, and see the statues of the "Fab Four"
French Founders. Tonight dinner will be included at a local French restaurant.

April 29, 2026

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before checking out and making our way to Holland, Michigan. Travel to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI to view striking gardens with fine art. Emphasized are horticultural displays showcasing a beautiful array of plants appropriate for the Midwest and specialized plants from regions around the world. Presentations range from planned and manicured to natural and native, changing colors and views with the seasons. Enjoy lunch at the Gardens "on your own" before continuing to Holland. Upon arrival in Holland we will meet a local guide who will give the Dutch history of the city. They’ll join us as we head to Windmill Island Gardens, home of the last working windmill allowed to leave the Netherlands and an abundance of tulip fields! The windmill 'de Zwaan' stands amongst 36 acres of exhibits & gardens. The mill still turns and grinds grain into flour and a tour up 5 floors is the highlight of any visit to the park. We will say goodbye to our guide as we head to Bowerman’s Blueberry Farm, where we will enjoy a talk from the farmers, a delicious dinner, and time to browse and shop their wonderful market full of everything blueberry! Check into our hotel this evening for a 2 night stay.

April 30, 2026

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before enjoying the day in Holland. This morning, step back into the Netherlands of over 100 years ago at Nelis’ Dutch Village, on a day when a festival came to town. Within this happy village, you can experience many entertainment choices including Dutch dancing, wooden shoe carving, rides, games, friendly farm animals, photo ops, food, drink and shopping. You will have time for lunch on your own here. Next, tour the Holland Bowl Mill, a fourth-generation manufacturer of hand-turned wooden bowls and other useful wood products and kitchenware. The Holland Bowl Mill is the best and largest solid wood bowl production facility in the world, making beautiful solid hardwood bowls of the highest quality, the same way they were made over 150 years ago. You’ll have time to relax at the hotel, or explore the quaint main street of Holland this after noon before a local dinner is included this evening.

May 1, 2026

After having breakfast at the hotel this morning, we’ll check out and head north to Mackinac Island! Rest stops will be made along the way, including a lunch stop "on your own". The Colonial history is booming as we arrive in Mackinaw City. Here we’ll visit Michilimackinac, an 18th-century reconstructed fort and fur trading village. As you walk through Colonial Michilimackinac, you are stepping back in time to 1775, as the American Revolution began. Here, you will see and hear how the growing conflict affected this thriving fur trading community. Afterwards, we’ll board the ferry to Mackinac Island -a place where the horse is king and the streets have been car-free for over 100 years. We’ll check into The Grand Hotel, rich in history and offering exceptional accommodations, with each guest room uniquely decorated and meals that are an event! Named the Best Historic Hotel by USA Today, sit in a rocking chair on the world's longest porch and experience the excellence of today. As evening falls, The Grand Hotel transforms into a place of timeless sophistication, where every night is a special occasion. After 6:30 PM, we honor this 139-year tradition by requiring guests to dress with elevated evening attire in all main areas of the hotel. Dinner will be included this evening overlooking the Straits of Mackinac in the Main Dining Room.

May 2, 2026

Begin your day with an included breakfast in The Grand Hotel’s Main Dining Room. Later this morning we will take a horse drawn carriage ride on a tour around Mackinac Island to learn about the history of the Island. The tour will end back at The Grand Hotel where we’ll enjoy their signature Grand Luncheon Experience, a lavish bountiful display of food and beverage and a fusion of tradition and innovation uniting yesterday and tomorrow. Enjoy this afternoon and evening at your leisure either enjoying the grounds of the resort, or take a 10-15 minute stroll into town and explore the many gift shops, grab some fudge, or just grab a bench and enjoy the views!

May 3, 2026

After breakfast this morning, we’ll check out and depart for the ferry back to the mainland. We’ll begin our journey to the German influenced Frankenmuth, Michigan. We will make a lunch stop "on your own" along the way. Once we arrive, tap into Frankenmuth’s cultural roots by becoming a German baker for a day. The pretzel-rolling experience at The Bavarian Inn Bakery will offer a hands-on experience to make your own soft pretzel. While our pretzels are in the oven, we’ll enjoy a city tour to learn about the city of Frankenmuth. We’ll pick up our pretzels and enjoy the deliciousness before checking into our hotel for the night. After a quick freshening up, we’ll head to Bavarian Inn Restaurant to have a German wine tasting before experiencing the Glockenspiel Tower, a magnificent 35-bell carillon with a beautiful figurine movement and an illuminated clock, all imported from Germany. We’ll end the night with their world famous chicken dinner, including many German meats.

May 4, 2026

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out and starting the day at the world’s largest Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. You’ll have time to look around and shop before grabbing a bite to eat "on your own" here for lunch. From here we’ll make our journey to Sugarcreek, Ohio which will make you feel like you’re in a Swiss Village! We’ll visit the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock before heading to our hotel for the night. There will be an Amish Market and Shop next to the hotel that you can browse, or relax until it’s time for our included dinner tonight at the Dutch Valley Restaurant.

May 5, 2026

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before checking out and beginning our journey home. The fun’s not over yet, though! We’ll make a stop at the Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens. Warther was born in 1885 to Swiss parents and became a World’s Master Carver. He began carving at age 5, focusing on the evolution of the steam-engine. The current museum is built around the original location of Ernest and his wife's home, his original workshop, and the first museum which opened on May 10th, 1936 in their backyard. Explore the Warther family residence, Swiss-styled gardens, historic Calico Ditch, 3 acre park, and Frieda Warther’s collection of over 73,000 buttons. We will make a stop along the way for an included Italian lunch, and then continue home with memories of your state-side European adventure!

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner