DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
February 28 - March 6, 2025

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Day 1 
Today, we will travel through the states of Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas and finally arrive in Dallas, Texas, our destination for the next two days. We check into our hotel for the next three nights, the Drury Inn Plaza, Richardson, Texas. Dinner tonight is included. (D)

Day 2  
After breakfast this morning, we are joined by a local guide for a Dallas tour, including a JFK tour, Dealy Plaza, Book Depository and Grassy Knoll.  Lunch will be on your own at the Farmers Market. Next, we begin a Fort Worth Tour, including Sundance Square Plaza, Hell’s Half Acre, The Wild Bunch, John F. Kennedy Tribute Memorial and Water Gardens. Then, it is time to visit the Fort Worth Stockyards for the Cattle Drive—Yeehaw!!!  This evening, we attend the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. This includes big fun and delicious food!!! (B, D)

Day 3  
This morning, we meet our local guide for a tour of Fort Worth, followed by an included lunch. We then depart for our next destination—San Antonio, Texas, famous for the Spanish missions, the Battle of the Alamo, the Riverwalk and for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team. Upon arrival, we enjoy a delicious dinner and amazing view of San Antonio from The Tower of the Americas, a 750-foot observation tower-restaurant located in the Hemisfair district of Downtown San Antonio. This tower was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World’s Fair, HemisFair ’68. We then check into the beautiful Drury Plaza Hotel on the Riverwalk. (B, L, D)

Day 4  
Following breakfast, we are greeted by our local guide for a tour of Mission San Jose, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Known as the “Queen of the Missions,” this is the largest of the missions and was almost fully restored to its original design in the 1930s by the WPA (Works Projects Administration). Spanish missions were not churches, but communities with the church as the focus. Mission San José captures a transitional moment in history, frozen in time. We then visit The Buckhorn Saloon for lunch and a tour, including the Texas Ranger Museum. The Buckhorn Saloon is where it all began—where history was made and legend lives. It is where Teddy Roosevelt recruited Rough Riders and Pancho Villa is rumored to have planned the Mexican Revolution. Many of the original furnishings still grace today’s Buckhorn Saloon, including the back-bar which is hand-crafted of marble and cherry wood. In 2006 the Former Texas Rangers Association partnered with the Buckhorn Museum to open the Texas Ranger Museum. This world-class Texas Ranger exhibit offers the public the chance to see priceless historic artifacts that span more than a century of Ranger history. Next, we visit the SAS Shoe Factory for a little shopping time before returning to the hotel for a little R&R before a delicious dinner at County Line BBQ Riverwalk. (B, L, D)

Day 5
We begin another day with a private guided tour of THE ALAMO, the site of the 1836 battle between Texas revolutionary forces and the Mexican army. It played an important role in the events that led up to that infamous battle and the later course of Texas history. The Alamo was originally established by Catholic missionaries in 1718. We will be joined by a local guide for a tour of San Fernando Cathedral, which was founded in 1731 and is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas. Lunch is included at Mi Tierra, a landmark Mexican cafe & bakery offering a huge selection of classic “Tex-Mex” dishes, as well as strolling Mariachi musicians in festive digs. Enjoy some shopping time at Market Square, offering an array of shops with a wide variety of products celebrating the cultural, artistic and ethnic influences of the Southwest and Mexico, from clothing to wood carvings to tasty local treats and candies! Next, we will visit the Japanese Tea Garden, home of the Jingu family and repurposed abandoned rock quarry. Dinner tonight is at Lone Star Café Terrace, followed by Go-Rio Cruise and narrated tour of the famous San Antonio Riverwalk. We return to the hotel to walk to the San Fernando Cathedral, for THE SAGA, a 24-minute light and sound show, projected onto the cathedral, that highlights the history of San Antonio. (B, L, D) 

Day 6
This morning, we depart San Antonio, heading northward and stopping at Waco’s Magnolia Market for lunch on your own at the many food trucks. 

We will also visit one of the famous Texas-headquartered Buc-ees.  We overnight in Texarkana, with dinner on your own tonight. (B)

Day 7
We continue our journey homeward today, stopping at Edgemont House, a beautiful historic Spanish Colonial Revival style home. This home has been lovingly restored by the new owner, Chris Olsen, nationally recognized home and garden guru, designer, author, TV personality and public speaker. We will enjoy a delicious included lunch and self-guided tour of this beautiful home and gardens. We then continue our drive home, with wonderful memories of Texas. (B, L)

INCLUDES:

• 6 nights’ accommodations/luggage handling
• 15 meals: 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 dinners
• Dallas Tour
• Fort Worth Tour
• Fort Worth Stockyards Championship Rodeo
• Mission San Jose Tour
• Buckhorn Saloon Tour
• Texas Ranger Museum
• The Alamo
• Japanese Tea Garden
• Go-Rio Cruise
• Edgemont House
• The Saga Light and Sound Show at San Fernando Cathedral
• Deluxe motorcoach transportation/driver’s gratuity
• Fully escorted by Jane’s Journeys