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L & M Tours Newsletter #13 718-238-2284 – www.lmtours.net April 2016

With the arrival of Spring (at least the calendar says so, if not the weather!), it is time to look ahead to a full season of new trips and old favorites mixed in. Keep an eye out for all the new long trips scheduled for summer and call in now to reserve a place so that these wonderful adventures can take off! In the meantime, to whet your appetite for the great times that a long trip can provide, read our scoop on last month’s trip to Savannah and Charleston, with a “surprise box” full of photos contributed by our loyal passengers.

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APRIL . . . at a Glance (see 2016 catalog for full details)

T H A N K S F O R T H E

MEMORIES 9 Sat Philadelphia Landmarks

Highlights: Ryerss Mansion (1859) in Burholme Park, Philadelphia, featuring generations of art & heirlooms; tour of Physick House (1786), the only free-standing Federal townhouse in Society Hill. Lunch at Positano Coast.

Nineteen L & M passengers left behind

New York’s unpredictable weather to bask in

the sultry climate of two jewels of the South:

Charleston and Savannah. Jimmy, Neil, and

Garry were especially happy as they had taken

the trip last year when it was non-stop rain,

and this time not a drop was felt. The first

stop was Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the

site of the first battle of the Civil War on

April 12, 1861. Arriving on the first boat of

the morning to the restored fort, L & M

passengers were able to participate in the

stirring ceremony of raising the flag, with the

help of the National Park Ranger. Two other

passengers were so inspired by the historic

grounds that they decided to start collecting

National Park “passport stamps,” and they are

now motivated to visit the more than 400

National Park Service sites around the country

to “get stamped”! Fortunately L & M offers

many bus trips to such sites this year,

especially as it is the NPS’ 100th anniversary.

9 Sat Shady Maple Smorgasbord & More Highlights: Indulge in a 200-foot buffet of delectable PA Dutch buffet, a family tradition; visit the downstairs Gift Shop & nearby Farm Market; also Kitchen Kettle Village.

10 Sun Newark’s Farmers Market & Christiana Mall Highlights: Best quality produce & international groceries at low prices; Christiana Mall in Delaware features 150 shops & foot court—with NO SALES TAX!

13 Wed Man of La Mancha at Westchester Highlights: “Dream the Impossible Dream” again with Don Quixote & Sancho Panzo in this award-winning musical at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, NY. Lunch included. Mini-bus.

15 Fri Brandywine River Museum of Art & More Highlights: Brandywine River Museum is known for the art of three generations of Wyeths—N.C., Andrew, & Jamie—as well as American landscapes & illustration; tour of Newlin Grist Mill (1704), with Miller’s House, Blacksmith Shop demonstrations, & nature walks. Lunch included.

16 Sat Howe Caverns Highlights: Learn about how Howe Caverns was discovered & head down via elevator to the enormous main cavern, immense galleries, grottos, & an underground lake with a 15-minute boat ride. Lunch included.

16 Sat Penn Dutch Amish Tour Highlights: Guided tour in the heart of the Amish farmlands & its schools & windmills; stop at Kitchen Kettle Village. (This is no visit to an Amish home.) Lunch at Good ‘n’ Plenty.

17 Sun Spring Blooms at Longwood Gardens Highlights: 240,000 tulips are in bloom, azaleas are growing in Piece’s Woods, & Meadow Garden is resplendent with flowering trees; 1,050 landscaped acres & 20 indoor gardens; afternoon organ performance. Lunch included.

One passenger snapped this

beautiful blooming tree as she

traipsed around Charleston and

encountered a small museum—

the Old Slave Mart Museum

which chronicled the history of

slavery in the South, with nearly 40% of the

slave trade originating in Charleston. The small

building stood on one of the few remaining

cobblestone streets and is the only known

extant building used as a slave auction gallery.

Inside, she took a picture

of the brick wall opposite a

photo of a female slave,

and felt that “if only walls

could speak,” these would

certainly tell sad stories of

thousands of broken lives.

Another surprising stop was the Charleston

Tea Plantation, 127 acres of lush verdant tea

bushes and the only such plantation in North

America. Everyone explored the grounds with

an informative trolley ride and a visit to the

computerized greenhouse, followed by a

factory tour demonstrating the stages of tea

production: picking, delivering, macerating,

oxidizing, and drying. Also in full glory was one

of the oldest oak

trees in South

Carolina, a “baby” at

400 years, compared

to Angel Oak also in

the state, at a

robust 1,500 years.

Looking good, kid!

The excursion to Savannah, Georgia, was

likewise filled with history and Southern

charm. With a walking tour, it was easy to get

a sense of the 22 squares that grid the city,

each an enclave of trees, flowers, statues,

and fountains

commemorating

historic persons or

events in the city’s

history. Around the

squares, homes and

churches display

their elegant,

uniquely Southern

architecture. As

alluring as the Spanish moss that hangs from

so many trees is, the guides were quick to

17 Sun

The Barnes Foundation Highlights: Founded in 1922, the museum holds 3,000 masterpiece paintings, plus textiles, decorative arts, jewelry, & furniture; new exhibition: “Picasso: The Great War, Experimentation, & Change.” Lunch included.

18 Mon Mansions Along the Delaware Highlights: Tour Glen Foerd (1850) on the Delaware River, built by financier Charles Macalester Jr., & Andalusia (1795), built by Nicholas Biddle, with lush gardens; scrumptious lunch at Pen Ryn Estate.

19 Tues Big Band—Villa Roma Resort Highlights: In Callicoon (NY) resort, the Big Band Era comes alive with 9 musicians & 2 vocalists singing the music of Glen Miller & Tommy Dorsey; lunch with fruit cup, minestrone, roasted chicken, London broil or tilapia, veggies, & dessert.

20 Wed Little Anthony & the Imperials

Highlights: At Caesars in Atlantic City, Little Anthony & the Imperials repeat their 1960s hits “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop,” “Goin’ Outta My Head,” and many others. Lunch at Phillips Seafood & $25 slot bonus.

20-21 Wed-Fri

Foxwoods & Mohegan Sun Casinos

Highlights: Olde Mistick Village for lunch & shopping; Garde Art Theatre for “Country Royalty” Show tribute to Hank Williams & Patsy Cline; Foxwoods Casino for play, dinner, & check-in; Tanger Outlets; visit to Mohegan Sun Casino for more luck. $10 slot (Foxwoods), $15 meal/retail credit & $15 free bet at Mohegan. 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner.

22-24 Fri-Sun

Vermont Maple Festival & More Highlights: Neighborly Farms for cheese-making & samples; Burlington hotel; Danforth Pewter; 50th annual Vermont Maple Festival with exhibits, demos, crafts, antiques, food, Vermont Maple Beverage Tasting (tasting glass included!); St. Albans Historical Museum; Green Mountain Coffee Visitor Center & Case; Quechee Gorge Village with the area’s best shopping. 2 continental breakfasts, 2 dinners.

24 Sun Ford Theatre & Dumbarton House

Highlights: The site of Lincoln’s assassination in April 1965, but the place where his legacy lives on; galleries of historic artifacts & visit to the Peterson House where Lincoln was carried & died; Dumbarton House (1800) features Federal period architecture & furnishings. Dinner included.

24 Sun Stormville Antique Show

Highlights: More than 600 vendors from eight states offer bargains & treasures of arts, crafts, & collectibles in the Hudson Valley; wide variety of food concessions. Mini-bus.

25 Mon Eisenhower National Historic Site

Highlights: Home & farm of General & President Dwight D. Eisenhower & his wife Mamie, located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield; free time at Gettysburg National Military Park & Visitor Center. Lunch included.

26-29 Tues-Fri

Outer Banks, North Carolina

Highlights: Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site; Bodie Island Lighthouse (1872) with exhibits; Outer Banks Mall; Wright Brothers National Memorial; Elizabethan Gardens; Fort Raleigh National Historic Site; North Carolina Aquarium. 3 continental breakfasts, 2 dinners.

dissuade everyone from taking some as a

souvenir. Bugs, nicknamed “chiggers,” love to

nest in the moss and

surprise unwitting

travelers by infesting

their suitcases. The

guide mentioned that

the crew of the movie

Forrest Gump, filmed

in the area, celebrated

the end of the shoot

by draping themselves

in Spanish moss at a party, only to suffer

weeks of painful bites afterwards!

At a buffet at a Savannah restaurant, “The

Frog and the Peach,” passengers wondered at

the significance of the name. Everyone knew

the peach was Georgia’s

state fruit, but, in fact,

the state’s amphibian is

the “American green tree

frog.” Who says traveling

isn’t educational!

The biggest surprise was the final stop to

Beaufort, second oldest city in South Carolina

after Charleston, filled with antebellum

architecture and rich history. Our local tour

guide not only told delightful stories but sang

a few Civil War songs. Garry Blum beautifully

summed up the hospitality of the town:

Everyone at the visitors’ center told me

I could go to the second floor and look

thru their archives of old pictures and

newspaper articles. Wish I had more time.

I much appreciated their gesture.

Sounds like this

isn’t the last these

Southern cities will

see of their friends

from New York!

26 Tues Legacy of Miracles—Mt. Airy Casino

Highlights: Formerly known as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, this rhythm & blues group sang such hits as “I Second That Emotion,” Tears of a Clown,” “Love Machine,” “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” & many others. Lunch buffet included, $20 slot bonus.

27 Wed Together Again—Foxwoods Casino Highlights: This show recreates the magic of Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers in a tribute performance of their greatest hits over five decades. Lunch buffet, $10 slot bonus.

27 Wed Foxwoods Casino & Tanger Outlets Highlights: Slot & shop with over 380 gaming tables& 4,700 slot machines, as well as 80 shops & restaurants at Foxwoods. Lunch buffet, $10 slot.

28 Thurs

Lost Egypt & National Parks Adventure Highlights: The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia presents stories & artifacts of “Lost Egypt,” including lots about mummies! Giant-screen film “National Parks Adventure” is a sweeping overview of the national parks’ history & the meaning of the American wilderness. Lunch included.

29 Fri Shady Maple & The Green Dragon Highlights: 200 feet of Penn Dutch cooking await hungry shoppers who then have their fill at Green Dragon Farmer’s Market with 7 large buildings & small shops—everything from “soup to nuts.” Lunch included.

30 Sat Spring in Cape May Highlights: Enjoy spring in beautiful Victorian streets, shops at Washington Street Mall, & beach walks; tour of Emlen Physick Estate (1879) & guided trolley tour of Cape May’s Historic District, including crafts & collectibles show.

30 Sat President & Poet Highlights: Tour newly restored Sagamore Hill, Teddy Roosevelt’s “Summer White House” in Oyster Bay & Museum; Walt Whitman’s home with 19th-century furniture & artifacts about the poet. Lunch included. Mini-bus

Thanks to Marian Spatz who said: “Great Newsletter. Thanks for sending. Enjoyed reading of offerings and reminding me to select a few!”

CONGRATULATIONS TO

RAYMOND L&M’s latest newsletter winner!

Please send your photos and written reflections on your trips to

info@lmtours.net

All who submit will be eligible for a drawing every 3 months for L & M prizes!

Please write, call, and send photos!

We all at L & M Tours

Wish you

All the beauty

of SPRING

&

HAPPY PASSOVER

SURPRISE BOX Journey to Charleston and Savannah

Step behind the lenses of three passengers to experience the history and beauty of old Charleston, Savannah, and Beaufort. Thanks to Garry Blum (GB), Annie Loo (AL), and Gabriella Oldham (GO) for sending in these photos.

Fort Sumter, Charleston, SC

(GO)

Flag raising (GO)

Fort Sumter Monument (AL)

View of Charleston Harbor Bridge (AL)

(GO)

Historic fort ruins (AL)

Churches of Charleston and Savannah

(GO) (GO) (AL)

Historic River Street, Savannah, GA

(GB)

(AL)

(GB)

(AL)

(GB)

(GB)

Charleston Tea Plantation

(AL)

(AL)

Tea Flowers (GO)

Tea Greenhouse (GO)

Historic Beaufort Savannah

(GB)

(GB)

Veterans Cemetery

(GB)

One of Savannah’s many lovely

squares (AL)