Trips & tours

GROUP SPECIALS: Travel World of Ironton, Ohio, and Ohio University Southern Campus Travel and Tourism program offer the following trips:

July 20: American Idols Live Tour 2008, includes motorcoach transportation from Ironton, Ohio, with stops in New Boston and Lucasville, ticket to the show which begins at 7 p.m. at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Limited seats. Cost is $120 per person.

Aug. 8-10: "Education on Location," a fine arts study trip to Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. Trip will include a tour of Stan Hywet Hall, palatial residence and gardens of F.W. Seiberling, founder of the Good Year Tire and Rubber company, a theatrical performance of "Mamma Mia!," and more. Trip cost includes round trip motorcoach transportation, two nights lodging, a two day pass to ride Cleveland's above ground transportation system, admission to most venues, breakfast buffet at the Hard Rock Cafe and two additional breakfasts. Cost is $275 per person, double occupancy, with single, triple and quadruple occupancy rates available upon request.

Oct. 10: Southern Ohio's & Eastern Kentucky's Underground Railroad to Freedom, includes round-trip motorcoach transportation from Ironton, Ohio, continental breakfast and lunch buffet, Underground Railroad sites include The Rankin House and The Parker House in Ripley, Ohio, Harriet Beecher Stowe Freedom Museum, Old Washington Kentucky and National Underground Railroad Museum, Maysville, Ky. Cost is $60 per person. Available for credit in Travel and Tourism and American History and/or Graduate Teacher Education.

Jan. 18-20: Inauguration 2009 in Our Nation's Capitol, includes motorcoach transportation from Ironton, Ohio, two night stay at the Hotel Harrington, three breakfasts, two days of Hop-on/Hop-off sightseeing of the National Mall, Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian Museums and more, evening tour of the Monuments and Memorials of Washington, DC, Inauguration information and tickets not yet available (excluded from price). Cost is $379 per person, double occupancy.

Travel gift certificates are available. For more information on the above tours, contact Travel World at 800-210-3350 or 740-533-4630.

GROUP SPECIALS: Travel Doctors offers the following tour:

Aug. 6: Cincinnati Reds Baseball Game at the Great American Ball Part against the Milwaukee Brewers. Package includes motorcoach transportation and infield box sets. Full payment due by June. 30.

Nov. 7-9: A fall trip to Nashville, Tenn. Package includes round trip bus, two night stay at Gaylord Opryland Hotel, taxes, fees, one dinner, one breakfast and more. Call for more details.

For more information, call 304-523-3627.

BUS TRIP: Sue Ann Withers, first lady of Seventh Avenue Baptist Church, offers the following two-day bus trip with Fellowship Tours to the new Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. on Friday-Saturday, June 20-21. Fare includes bus transportation, overnight stay at Courtyard by Marriott-Arrowood, a two-hour tour of the library, which includes a bookstore, and the original Graham family home. Lunch (individual settlement) will follow in the "Graham Brothers Dairy Bar" on the grounds. The group will stop at the Concord Mills Outlet Mall in Concord, N.C. for shopping on the way home. Cost $200 single occupancy, $150 double occupancy, $130 three to a room and $120 four to a room. For more information, call 304-522-2046.

GROUP SPECIALS: The First State Bank Harvest Club offers the following trips:

June 4-7: New York.

For more information or complete brochures, call Sherrie Porter at 304-302-6030 or 304-736-5271.

GROUP SPECIALS: Knipp Tours LLC offers the following trips:

May 18-20: Smoky Mountain Gospel Celebration, two nights lodging, three days, four shows, two dinners, two breakfasts and more.

June 7: Ohio Amish shopping, touring and dinner, $74.

June 15-21: Cape Cod, Plymouth, Mass., 10 meals and six nights lodging and more.

July 26: Newport Aquarium, Ky., day out with your grandchildren, motorcoach transportation and admission, $68.

Aug. 9: Washington, DC, $148.

Sept. 6: Renfro Valley with a barn dance, gospel show and dinner.

Oct. 12-18: Branson, Mo., six nights, 10 meals, seven shows and more, $639.

Nov. 22: Oglebay, W.Va., with Christmas lights and dinner.

Dec. 6: A day in New York City.

Dec. 12-14: Smoky Mountain Christmas, two nights and three days at Dollywood, Dixie Stampede dinner and more.

For more information, call 740-532-1549.

GROUP SPECIAL: Father Arthur Bufogle from Saint Patrick Church in Hinton offers the following tour:

Sept. 1-11: A 11-day pilgrimage to Ireland: Itinerary includes one night in Bunratty, two nights in Galway, two nights in Killarney, one night each in Sligo, Donegal and Armagh (Northern Ireland) and three nights in Dublin, $2950 per person. Deposit of $450 each and final payment is due by Sunday, June 1. An early booking discount is available. The package includes air from Dulles, Charleston and Pittsburgh, daily breakfast and dinners, superior tourist class hotels, air conditioned motor coach and an English speaking guide. For more information or a brochures, call John Tagnesi, toll free at 888-544-4461.

TRAIN EXCURSION: The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society and Amtrak offer the following train and motorcoach excursion:

June 1: The Greenbrier Trip, travel by motorcoach to the Greenbrier Hotel at White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., and return by Amtrak traveling through the 65-mile-long New River Gorge during the extended daylight hours. Trip includes a motorcoach from either Huntington or Charleston stations to the Greenbrier Resort, Sunday buffet at the Greenbrier Golf Club, time to shop or walk the grounds, tour of the Bunker, return by Amtrak. Cost is $179 per person. Limited tickets available. To order tickets, call 866-639-7487 or 304-523-0364.

BUS TRIP: June 13-15: A bus trip to Savannah Georgia leaving Friday and arriving early Saturday morning. Spend Saturday night at Comfort Suits in the Historic District, and return Sunday morning. Cost $200 per person. If interested in attending, call Rita Johnson at 304-654-3267 for more information.

BUS TRIP: June 7: American Summer Celebration Longaberger bus trip. Cost is $80, but if payment is received by Tuesday, April 15, the cost will be $75 with an entry into an Early Bird drawing. Price includes a basket (valued from $40 and up), door prizes, drinks and breakfast. Also offering games and prizes for the fun filled day at the Homestead. If interested in going, but do not want a basket, the cost would be $40. Reservations are required, call Lynette Call at 304-733-2773 or 304-544-5926. Approximately 35 seats are available.

BUS TRIP: Members of Town & Country Garden are sponsoring a bus day trip Saturday, June 14, to the 31st Lewisburg, West Virginia Home & Garden Tour. Visit six homes and view table art at the new library. Price is $62 per person and includes transportation, ticket and box lunch. Reservations required by Friday, May 30, call Nicki Osburn at 304-525-5852.

TRIP: Sept. 13-20: A trip to St. Augustine, Fla., two nights, and four nights on the Isle of Palms, S.C., with a tour of Charleston, S.C. Cost. $700. For more information, call Vivian Wakefield at 304-429-1973 or 304-638-1549.

STERNWHEELER TOUR: Sept. 5-7: Rediscover the golden era of majestic river boats as part of a coach tour offered by Old Economy Village to Marietta, Ohio for the American Sternwheel Association's 33rd annual Sternwheeler festival. The tour departs Friday, Sept. 5, and returns Sunday, Sept. 7. Registration includes: escorted narrated trip aboard a deluxe motorcoach, admission fees to museums, taxes and gratuities on included meals and lodging, one lunch and one dinner, two nights lodging, two continental breakfasts and one dinner cruise on a sternwheeler. Early registration discount for those registering by Friday, May 16: Friends of Old Economy Village Members are $425 per person, double occupancy based on maximum 2-4 persons per room, $606 per person, single occupancy; and non-members are $450 per person, double occupancy based on maximum 2-4 persons per room; $631 per person, single occupancy. Regular registration will from Saturday, May 17, through Saturday, July 19: 4475 per person, double occupancy, maximum of 2-4 persons per room; $656 per person, single occupancy. For more information or to register, call 724-266-4500, ext. 101 or visit www.oldeconomyvillage.org.