Highlights

U S Tours Flexible Pricing:

• Customizable Comps
• Commissionable or Net Rates
• Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals
• Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tours Managers are available

Whatever you want, U S Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs.  Just let us know!

Itinerary

Day 1 – Des Moines, IA Area – Today, you travel to the Des Moines, Iowa area where you check into your local hotel for a three night stay. Tonight, dinner is included at a local restaurant. (D)

Day 2 – Iowa Balloon Classic Dawn Ascension – Iowa State Capitol Tour – State of Iowa Historical Museum 

Today starts at the National Balloon Classic in Indianola. This annual hot-air balloon festival hosts competition and races for over 100 balloon pilots and more than 75,000 spectators.

Very early this morning, you will witness the Dawn Ascension (this is a 6:00am event.) Prepare to be awestruck as dark skies come alive with a mystical glow during Dawn Patrol. Bring your flashlight and watch in wonder as Dawn Patrol pilots launch prior to sunrise and fly until it is light enough to land. Secured with specially approved lighting systems, balloons flying in the dark are a rare phenomenon in ballooning.

Enjoy several hours of free time on the festival grounds this morning to enjoy the festivities to include: competitions, balloon rides, food vendors, and live music shows.

Then head to Des Moines, IA and enjoy a tour of the Iowa State Capitol Building. The Iowa State Capitol and its golden dome have stood as a shining symbol of Iowa government and politics since its completion in 1886. Your local guide will lead you through the legislative chambers, visit the beautiful law library and and the chance to walk on the balcony of the dome.

While in Des Moines, visit the State of Iowa Historical Museum. At the museum, you’ll discover Iowa’s rich heritage through a variety of exhibitions, collections, tours, and more. Learn about life in Iowa before it became a state and the many changes that took place when settlers arrived. Explore Iowa’s rich natural resources and the balance between using and preserving them. Discover what inspired more than 76,000 Iowans to fight for the Union during the Civil War and the role they played in the bloodiest chapter of U.S. history.

Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 3 – Bridges of Madison County – John Wayne Birthplace – Iowa Quilt Museum – Nite Glow & Fireworks

This morning, you will enjoy local sightseeing with a Bridges of Madison County Tour. Madison County is the Covered Bridge Capital of Iowa, with the largest group of covered bridges that exists in one area in the western half of the Mississippi Valley. Your tour will cover the construction and history of the bridges, the movie production of “the Bridges of Madison County” starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep and a variety of local historical information.

This day of Cinema excitement doesn’t end there however, as you also see John Wayne’s Birthplace and Museum. John Wayne’s modest four-room birthplace home has been lovingly restored to reflect its appearance at the time of his birth. Adjacent to the home, the brand-new John Wayne Birthplace Museum offers an astounding collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the film legend’s career. The only museum in the world dedicated to John Wayne, it features a movie theater and contains the largest diversified collection of John Wayne artifacts in existence, including movie posters, film wardrobe, original scripts, contracts, letters, artwork and sculpture — even one of his custom-built cars!

The afternoon also includes a stop at the Iowa Quilt Museum which welcomes quilters, quilt lovers, history buffs, and all appreciators of American art and culture. Their mission is to promote appreciation of the American quilt and the art of quilting through displays of quilts and information about quilt history. The museum changes its exhibit every few months, so there is always something new to view at the museum.

Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant.  Return to the National Balloon Classic tonight where the highlight is the Nite Glow of Balloons, plus a concert or fireworks depending on the days you attend. (Final schedule of events available in the Spring).   Cheer on as the pilots fire the burners and balloons dazzle with their gorgeous glow. The excitement builds during Nite Glow Extravaganza when guests are invited onto the launch field for an up close, one-of-a-kind view. (B)

Day 4 – Depart for Home – After breakfast, depart for home. (B)

Tour Map