This tour is designed to provide both gamblers and sightseers the best of the South’s many attractions.Itinerary:
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
7:00 AM – Depart Cedar Rapids Sam’s Club on Blairs Ferry Rd behind Burger King
 – Additional pickup locations available en route. Multiple rest stops in route TBD
7:00 PM – Arrive and check in at The Gold Strike Casino.
Dinner on your own.
$15 free play, baggage handling, tax and resort fee, players card, breakfast October 22nd included
Those who enjoy gambling will be in seventh heaven as well as those who simply just want to relax at the Gold Strike MGM Resort and Casino.  The Gold Strike Resort is a world class gaming resort facility conveniently located within walking distance of two other major casinos in Tunica.
 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22
7:00 AM –  luggage ready for pickup inside your room door on hard surface.
8:30 AM – Depart Tunica Ms. For New Orleans La.
3:30 PM –  Meet your step on guide at Basin St. Station / 501 Basin St (I-10 Exit 235-A) for a tour of New Orleans.
Nicknamed the “Big Easy,” it is known for its round-the-clock nightlife, vibrant live music scene and spicy, singular cuisine reflecting its history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures.
5:30 PM – Check into your hotel. Hotel St. Marie Address: 827 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (888) 626-4812
This evening is free to experience New Orleans. (evening activities not included in package)

Enjoy dinner at one of their fine restaurants
Experience New Orleans Jazz at Preservation Hall
Try your luck at Harrah’s New Orleans Casino.

6:30 PM – The motorcoach will depart for Harrah’s New Orleans for those who would like to try their luck at this New Orleans Casino. The motorcoach will not be available to return you to your hotel. It will not be allowed by law into the French Quarter until the next morning. You are approximately a 15 minute walk or a short taxi ride from your hotel. The owner of the hotel will make arrangements for the motorcoach to remain in front of the hotel for an hour. When it departs at 6:30 PM it will be able to drop the group at the casino.
6:30 PM – For those who would prefer to stay in the French Quarter for the evening, an escort will be available to walk with you to The Court of Two Sisters and after dinner to walk through Jackson Square before returning to the hotel. Reservations should be made approximately a week in advance to assure availability at the Court of Two Sisters. Court of Two Sisters recommend that individual reservations be made one week in advance to assure availability.
 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23
Breakfast is included at the hotel.
8:30 AM – Depart for the Honey Island Swamp Tour
9:30 AM – Arrive Honey Island.
Take a bayou tour of the famous Honey Island Swamp. You’ll glide through gator territory on a small, flat-bottomed boat and hear all about the swamp and its natural inhabitants from local, expert captains. Experience an authentic tour of one of America’s most unique ecosystems. Many of the captains have lived on the water for most of their lives and have earned field degrees to give you the best experience possible. See wildlife up close and personal as you explore narrow slews that only Cajun Encounter’s 22- passenger boats are built to navigate. Get the chance to see alligators, raccoons, wild boar, exotic birds, turtles, and many more creatures that call the swamp home. (which wildlife you will see cannot be guaranteed because it is “wild life.”) Hear all about the Louisiana bayou as your captain tells you all about the diverse types of flora and fauna that surround you.
Noon – Depart for lunch.
12:15 PM – Lunch is included in Slidell
1:45 PM – Depart for Biloxi.
3:00 PM – Arrive Biloxi and meet your guide for a tour of Biloxi.
Overlooking the sparkling waters of the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico, Biloxi is one of the most historic cities in America. Learn about this city from its origins to the devastation of Katrina to its rebuilding after the storm.
5:00 PM – Check into the IP Casino Resort and Spa.
 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24
8:00 AM – Depart for Bellingrath Gardens and Home
Those who prefer to gamble and enjoy the resort are free to do so. The tour will be returning to the IP Casino.
9:00 AM – Arrive Bellingrath Gardens and Home
9:30 AM – Tour the Bellingrath Home.
All of the Bellingraths’ original furnishings are on display. Enjoy seeing the “ultra modern” bathrooms of 1935, and the kitchen with its original appliances — German silver countertops and sinks — as well as the Butler’s Pantry overflowing with Mrs. Bellingrath’s collection of silver, crystal and china.
10:00 AM – Following the tour of the home, wander through the gardens.
Sixty-five acres are cultivated with annual blooms and continuous color. The gardens include a bridal garden, a conservatory, a great lawn, the Harrigon/ExxonMobil Bayou Boardwalk, a nature walk, the Asian-American garden, a rose garden, a chapel, the Mermaid Pool, Mirror Lake, an observation tower, and the Delchamps Gallery of Boehm Porcelain
11:00 AM – Lunch is included in the Magnolia Café.
12:30 PM – Depart for Mobile.
1:00 PM – Meet your guide at 1 South Water Street, the convention center, for a riding tour of Historic Mobile.
The tour begins with a ride through the historic Districts and stop at the Richards-DAR Museum Home for a tour and tea. One of Mobile’s finest examples of the Italianate style, it is famous for its cast-iron facade depicting the four seasons. Lavish iron lace decorates the Richards – Daughters of the American Revolution House Museum. This beautiful Town House of the Italianate style tells the story of Mobile during its antebellum period. The house museum is magnificently decorated with carved Carrara marble mantels, double parlors and reception hall with massive brass and bronze chandeliers designed of fanciful mythological figures, holding aloft etched and crenelated glass globes. Panes of ruby Bohemian glass frame the doorway, silver bell pulls for calling servants are in each room and the front gallery floor is made of gray and white marble squares. In the Richards – DAR House Museum hangs one of the largest crystal chandeliers in the city, reflecting in a French mirror over the mantel. Tour the house and have a cup of tea and cookies.

The tour continues past the USS Alabama Memorial Park and concludes at the Carnival Museum. Learn of the ongoing feud between New Orleans & Mobile as Mobile steadfastly claims to be the Birthplace of Mardi Gras.

Immerse yourself in the rich history and traditions of carnival.
See firsthand the intricate designs and artistry of majestic crowns, scepters and robes of Mardi Gras monarchs.
Discover the art of costume design and float construction.
View videos of parades and balls.
Witness the pomp and pageantry of past coronations.
Browse a pictorial gallery of historical photographs dating back to 1886.
Experience a behind the mask view of the street party by climbing aboard a rocking float.

After Tour: Return to the IP Casino and Resort
 
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
9:00 AM – Depart for Tunica Ms.
5:00 PM  – Arrive and check in at the Gold Strike Casino
Dinner on your own.
$15 free play, baggage handling, tax and resort fee , players card, breakfast March 9th included.
 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26
7:00 AM – luggage ready for pickup inside your room door on hard surface.
8:30 AM – Depart Tunica Ms. For Cedar Rapids, Iowa
8:30 PM – Arrive Sam’s Club Cedar Rapids, Iowa
 
 
Included:

5 Nights Lodging
2 Nights at The Gold Strike Casino Tunica Ms.
1 Night at the Hotel St. Marie in the New Orleans’ French Quarter
2 nights at the IP Casino Resort & Spa
7 Meals
5 breakfasts
Lunch in Slidell
Lunch at the Magnolia Café at Bellingrath Gardens
Tour of New Orleans
Permit for New Orleans French Quarter
Overnight Parking for the Motorcoach in New Orleans
Swamp Boat Tour
Tour of Biloxi
Admission to the Home & Bellingrath Gardens
Tour of Mobile, Alabama including:

Tour & Tea at the Richards Home-DAR Museum
Admission to the Carnival Museum

Luggage handling at included hotels.

 
 
Rates:
$1425 per person double occupancy
$1650 Single occupancy
 
Contact us to reserve your seat(s)