Trips and events are announced in the quarterly newsletter, scheduled mailings and at Travel Shows. The time and location of meetings varies. If you would like to be on the mailing list, contact Gayle Sigurdson, Lifelong Recreation programmer at (785)832-7909 or gsigurdson@lawrenceks.org.
TRAVEL SHOWS
Travel Shows are scheduled twice a year to present travel opportunities from LPRD and our travel partners. There is no fee to attend travel clubs or shows, but RSVPs are appreciated to assist in planning.
Trip prices include admission fees, tickets, gratuities, some meals, LPRD escort and transportation by chartered bus, non-chartered bus or vans. If you need to cancel and request a refund or credit, all non-refundable fees (show tickets, admissions, meals etc.) and administrative costs will be deducted from the refund or credit. These amounts will vary depending on the trip.
A guaranteed share is available for regional trips if registration is received before the early bird deadline. This option locks in the double rate for travelers eligible for and willing to share a hotel room with another single traveler. Wait lists are maintained for all trips. There is no cost to being on a wait list and seats often open up.
You may also subscribe to the City of Lawrence’s information updates by going to our subscriptions page, entering your email at the top of the page and scrolling down to Recreation and Activities, then checking the box by Lifelong Recreation. You will need to confirm your subscription through a confirmation email that will be sent to you.
FALL TRAVEL
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Travel Brochure
LIFELONG TRAVEL
DREAM GIRLS AT NEW THEATRE
Wednesday, Aug. 23. Your soul will sing with this dazzling, six-time Tony Award winning R&B rollercoaster ride through 1960s show business. This spectacular musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called “The Dreams”, who become music superstars – in the turbulent 1960s, a revolutionary time in American music history. With unforgettable, spine-tingling vocals that send audiences wild, DREAMGIRLS explores themes of ambition, hope, friendship and betrayal through gospel, R&B, smooth pop, disco and more, all set in the glamorous and competitive world of the entertainment industry.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
CONCORDIA VIA HWY 36
Thursday-Friday, Sept. 21-22. All the best Concordia has to offer! Before arriving, our stops include a tour of KSDS Assistance Dogs, a training center for service dogs valued at $25,000 and placed with clients at no cost. Then Herrs Memory Lane collection of restored vintage vehicles. Concordia welcomes us at the Whole Wall Mural, largest sculpted brick mural in the country. The evening will be spent at Camp Concordia, a World War II internment camp that housed over 4,000 German POWS. Our second day begins at the historic Brown Grand Theater. Then a tour of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph who arrived in Concordia in 1884, and have been a significant part of the local history. Our last stop will be the National Orphan Train Complex dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement, which relocated up to 200,000 homeless children from 1854-1929.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
OKLAHOMA
Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 3-5. Three full days of known, hidden and emerging Oklahoma history begins with Will Rogers whose life defined Oklahoma culture for early 20th century America. Tulsa’s legacy as a boom town is still evident in its architecture, entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropy. Our early tours include the wealth of art deco architecture downtown and the adventurous Gathering Place along the Arkansas River. The Philbrook Museum of Art is housed in the former home of oil pioneer Waite Phillips. The expansive art collection, beautiful home and formal gardens ensure something for everyone. USA Today’s Best Food Hall in America, the Mother Road Market, will be our lunch stop before an afternoon in Woodward Park. This 45 acres of botanical gardens, arboretum and public park is home to the twin mansions of the Travis brothers, which now house the Tulsa Garden Center and Tulsa Historical Society. Greenwood Rising tells the remarkable story of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. Exhibits explore how Native American, African American, and European American communities often collided, and sometimes connected, in a land that mirrored the race-based policy and practice that dominated the nation. Ponca City will give us another look at the early oil industry and the cultures it impacted with stops at the Marland Grand Home, Marland Mansion and Standing Bear Museum.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
AUTUMN IN THE FLINT HILLS
Tuesday, Oct. 10. Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourselves in the autumn season of the Flint Hills with two stops on the National Register of Historic Places. First a tour of the house, prairie and ranch at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. This 11,000 acre preserve is a nationally significant remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Then a luxurious stop at the Elgin Hotel, fully-renovated 19th century boutique hotel. Our guide will present the history of the hotel before we explore the rooms and public areas on our own.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
FLAVORS OF WESTON
Thursday, Oct. 19. There is such a variety of things to explore in Weston! We will start with a guided tour of the Green Dirt Farm including a glimpse inside the milking parlor and cheese kitchen. After a cheese-tasting and lunch at their café, time on your own in downtown Weston. Enjoy an afternoon of shopping or historic sites including the National Silk Museum. The day ends with another tasting and tour at the Holladay Distillery, home to 160 years of real Missouri Bourbon. Please note: the Green Dirt Farm is a working farm and the tour includes hilly terrain, gravel paths and drives.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
THE KANSAS INFLUENCE
Thursday, Nov. 9. From it’s early role in national politics to individuals who have influenced generations of Americans, Kansas has made a mark in America. The recently opened Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum takes visitors through fourteen interactive, immersive STEM exhibits honoring Earhart’s adventurous life – from growing up in Atchison, Kansas, to the height of her worldwide fame. The centerpiece is Muriel – the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E – an aircraft identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight. A tour of the opulent Evah Cray mansion is included before 0ur last stop in Leavenworth, where Fred Harvey was happiest, where his luck changed to prosperity, and where he thought his new country was at it’s best. The National Fred Harvey Museum introduces this successful entrepreneur whose influence is still evident in American culture and business.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL
Wednesday, Nov. 15. The world’s most comprehensive WWI collection recently reopened the lower level following the most significant expansion to the museum since 2006. It features the Bergman Family Gallery and Open Storage Center – approximately 4,000 square feet of storage and a 190-foot “coastline” of window cases that allows the Museum and Memorial to display objects and artifacts otherwise unavailable to visitors. Our day will begin with a guided tour and overview of the museum followed by time for self-paced exploration. Plan for lunch on your own in the Over There Café.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS INDULGENCE
Thursday, Dec. 14 Christmas cards, decorated trees, and ornaments– much of Christmas as we know it started with the Victorians. We will return to two favorite mansions for an immersion in the lavish beauty of the holiday season. The Bingham Waggoner Estate will host the first tour followed by lunch in the Carriage house. Then on to the Vaile Mansion for a second tour.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
WATERFOWL MIGRATION AT LOESS BLUFFS
Wednesdsay, Dec. 6 One of the greatest migration spectacles in the Midwest happens in Missouri. Loess Bluffs is known to teem with waterfowl that block out the sky at peak times. Stand-out visitors include massive quantities of snow geese, a diversity of ducks and birds, trumpeter swans, pelicans, bald eagles, herons, and more. You can also view
resident wildlife, including deer, beavers, muskrats, and turtles. This event will be a feast for the eyes and ears. Our guide from Prairie Park Nature Center will assist with identifying the many species and bring viewing scopes. Prepare for winter weather. The itinerary includes a stop for lunch on your own.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN AT NEW THEATER
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 When Daniel Corbin’s new bride disappears at a chic mountain resort he fears the worst. However, after a priest turns up with a beautiful stranger claiming to be the missing woman, Daniel discovers that the worst is yet to come! Tensions rise as an overworked local detective tries to sort fact from fiction, but with conspiracy
running deep who can be trusted? This hilarious whodunit will keep you guessing and laughing from start to finish.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
LOCAL TRAVEL
WALKING TOUR: EAST LAWRENCE
Thursday, Sept. 28 East Lawrence is filled with readily identifiable examples of the city’s social, economic, political, and cultural history. We will view the unique, historic architecture and listen for voices from the past. This includes the girl who saved a burning house during Quantrill’s Raid, the Germans in their beer garden who were loved then hated, The community organizers who lend their vibe, and Rick Dowdell at the Afro House on July 16, 1970. Note: This tour equires approximately one mile of walking in neighborhoods with uneven and brick sidewalks. The group will meet at the starting point, intersection of 10th and Rhode Island.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
ROTARY ARBORETUM
Thursday, Oct. 7 In this class, we’ll learn about the common native and ornamental trees at the Rotary Arboretum. Emphasis will be on leaf and fruit identification and horticultural value to the homeowner. There will be a walk on a wide sidewalk, and then we’ll sit and study our collections. Jon Standing will be our guide. Walking tour will meet at the Rotary Arboretum. Rain date is October 14.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this fall
RESTING PLACE: OAK HILL CEMETERY AND THE CREATION OF THE CITIZENS MEMORIAL
Saturday, Aug. 19 This tour will explore the origins of Oak Hill Cemetery, the creation of the Citizens Monument, and the transfer and re-burial of Lawrence Massacre victims after the cemetery’s creation. Group will meet at Oak Hill Cemetery. Guide: Brittany Keegan.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this summer
BLACK CIVIL LEADERS IN MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY
Friday, Aug. 18 Join Lawrence historian, Jeanne Klein, for a walking tour of Black civic leaders’ gravesites. Stories will cover civil rights activists, school board members, city councilmen, church leaders, teachers, club founders, constables, police officers, school custodians, and Civil War soldiers. Group will meet at Maple Grove Cemetery, 1710 North 3rd St., Lawrence.
Find out when it’s available and enroll online this summer
2024 EXTENDED TRAVEL
TUSCANY
March 6-14, 2024, 9 days, 10 meals. Discover the rolling hills of Tuscany, home to sprawling vineyards, charming medieval hill towns, and enchanting cities. Savor a 7-night stay in Montecatini Terme, the famous resort and spa town. Visit Pisa, Florence, and San Gimignano in the Italian countryside. Discover the charming town of Lucca, Italy’s best-kept secret. Learn about the heroic deeds of WWII at remains of the Gothic Line and visit the Museum of Liberation. Enjoy free time to explore the cultural treasures of Florence. Partake in a Tuscan cooking class. Sample cheese at the farm where it is made. Enjoy fabulous local wines and the region’s famous cuisine. Steeped in history, culture and legend, this is Tuscany as you always imagined it. DOUBLE: $2,949 pp | SINGLE: $3,249 pp.
For more information, visit https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1149476
CANADIAN ROCKIES & GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Sept. 3-9, 2024, 7 days, 10 meals. Welcome to New Mexico, the “land of enchantment.†Kick off your journey with a guided walking tour through the Santa Fe Plaza, where you’ll stop at some of the city’s landmark sites like the Santa Fe Indian Market, Palace of the Governors, and Loretto Chapel. Try your hand at making tamales at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Uncover the sculpted canyons and cliff dwellings once inhabited by the Pueblo Indians at Bandelier National Monument. Santa Fe art scene, Native American roots and welcoming atmosphere await. DOUBLE: $3,999 pp | SINGLE: $4,999 pp.
For more information, visit https://gateway.gocollette.com/link/1149216
Trips and events are announced in the quarterly newsletter and at Travel Shows. The time and location of meetings vary. If you would like to be on the mailing list, contact Gayle Sigurdson, Lifelong Recreation pro-grammer at (785) 832-7920 or gsigurdson@lawrenceks.org.