Day 1: Today enjoy getting acquainted with your fellow travelers. Relax as we make our way across Kansas and Missouri and stay east of St. Louis for our first night.

Day 2: Continuing east, we cross Indiana and into Ohio, as we start seeing some hardwoods with the fall brilliance on the hillsides. This evening we visit the Heritage Farm Museum & Village for a guided tour. The historic site includes more than 25,000 square feet of Appalachian artifacts in 7 museums and 30 structures. The facility is a recreated 19th-century Appalachian village. Experience life for the region’s settlers from the 1850s onward It is also the first Smithsonian Affiliate in West Virginia. Following the tour, enjoy dinner with some good ‘ole West Virginia folk and bluegrass music. (B, D)

Day 3: We visit Blennerhassett Island, Ohio River’s most famous island. Historically, this Island was occupied by Native Americans. Nemacolin, chief of the Delaware Nation, made it his last home, dying in 1767. The only way to experience the enchantment of the island is via a sternwheeler ride just as they did in a bygone era. Enjoy a wagon ride tour of the island and a tour of Blennerhassett’s Mansion. This incredible home gained a reputation for being the West’s most beautiful home. Then it’s on to Elkins WV for the next two nights. (B, L, D)

Day 4: Today we visit the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope at the Green Bank Observatory. Radio astronomers are probing the furthest reaches of the universe, to discover answers to our most astounding astronomical questions. Next, we head to Cass, WV to ride the Cass Scenic Railroad! The Cass features a powerful 1900s steam locomotive. Our ride takes us to the most remote and mountainous region in the state, hoping to find brilliant fall colors. Box lunches are served aboard this historic train. (B, L)

Day 5: Our first stop is at the New River Gorge Bridge National Park Visitor Center. We get a great view of the second-highest bridge in the US, standing 876 feet above the New River. This bridge is a massive steel arch bridge that’s been described as beautiful, breathtaking, and a work of structural art. Upon arrival at our next hotel, we take an exhilarating jet boat ride on the New River with a spectacular view of the New River Gorge Bridge from another view. For the next 2 nights, we are at Hawks Nest State Park Lodge, in Ansted, WV. It offers stunning views of the New River Gorge. After dinner at the lodge, enjoy a local storyteller in period time dress, recounting her memories of the Coal Camp. (B, L, D)

Day 6: We start the day at the lush, 11,000-acre estate, The Greenbrier, to tour this de-classified Bunker. The Greenbrier used to be a top-secret US Government relocation facility for Congress. In 1958, Congress instructed The Greenbrier to build the West Virginia Wing to conceal the construction of an emergency Cold War fallout shelter and relocation facility for Congress. Our Greenbrier lunch overlooks their beautifully groomed grounds. This afternoon we visit the Coal Exhibition Mine and museum which includes a ride on a “man trip” with a retired coal miner. Here we experience authentic views of low seam coal mining from its earliest manual stages to modern mechanized operation. Tonight we will enjoy dinner together and be entertained with 3 ladies who will steal your hearts with their stories and musical abilities mixed in with humor. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Today begins at the Pikeville Cut-Through Overlook where a step on guide will lead us through the rest of the day. The overlook sits atop a majestic mountain surrounded by beautiful scenery. After lunch, the guide will take us near this Cut-Through Project, which has been coined an engineering marvel, and inform us of why and how. It is time to take in a little history of the Hatfield & McCoy feud at the county courthouse. We will wrap up the evening with an Elk Tour. Visitors will be transported by bus to the original release site where they will view the herd that is the result of Virginia’s restoration effort. An outdoor picnic-style dinner is provided. (B, L, D)

Day 8: It’s time to see where it all started for Loretta Lynn. Her homeplace is a one-room log cabin where Loretta was born and raised with her sisters Patsy and Crystal Gayle. Next, we take in the Van Lear Historical Coal Miners Museum. After all of this coal mining, doesn’t it only seem appropriate to have lunch served in a bucket? With our bellies full, we head on down the road to our hotel. (B, L)

Day 9: Today it’s homeward bound, with wonderful memories of the Appalachian culture and colors. (B)