Holiday At The Ark Encounter With Wheeling, WV

DAY 1

Celebrate the Holidays with a heartwarming and en"light"ening experience at the Ark Encounter and ChristmasTime, Creation Museum with ChristmasTown and Planetarium Show and drive through lights display at Oglebay Resort. What more could you ask for to welcome the Holiday Season. Your journey begins with meal and rest stops at your expense enroute to Florence, KY where you will stay overnight at the Hampton Inn Cincinnati/Airport South (859-283-1600) for three nights. Guest rooms feature a mini refrigerator, coffeemaker, hairdryer and iron/ironing board. Hotel Amenities include an outdoor seasonal pool, fitness center and business center with complimentary Wi-Fi. The remainder of the night is yours to relax and unwind.

DAY 2

Breakfast is included at the hotel before you board the motorcoach and depart for a guided tour at Rookwood Pottery Factory. Since the first pieces were pulled from the kiln on Thanksgiving Day in 1880, their artists have continued Rookwood's 140-year tradition of transforming earthen material into works of art. Take a behind-the-scenes-tour and experience the magic behind Rookwood, their rich history, and the evolution of style that is Rookwood today. Next, climb aboard one of BB Riverboats vessels for a two-hour cruise featuring games, entertainment and a delicious lunch. While cruising down the mighty Ohio River, enjoy the breathtaking, panoramic views of Cincinnati and the Ohio River. Upon arrival back at the dock, you will travel to Petersburg, KY where admission is included for a self-guided experience of the Creation Museum and Christmastown, as well as admission for the Stargazer Planetarium Christmas Star Show. The Creation Museum brings the pages of the Bible to life featuring over 140 state-of-the-art exhibits divided into uniquely configured spaces that allow for personal interaction. On your walk-through biblical history, marvel at the realistic Garden of Eden, animatronic Noah, Dr. Crawley's Insectorium, Flood Dioramas, stunning video displays and Ebenezer the stunning full-size Allosaurus. Learn about the 7 C's of history including Creation, Corruption and Catastrophe and explore the Creation Museum's newest Exhibit - Borderland: Israel in the Time of Jesus. It greatly aids in putting the entire New Testament in context for guests and makes them excited to return home and re-read it. Experience Christmastown, tour the dazzling lights, reflect on the true meaning of the season at the live nativity, do some unique gift shopping and more. Also, admission is included in the Stargazer Planetarium for the Christmas Star Show. What was the mysterious "star in the east" that heralded the birth of Jesus and guided the wise men? Discover the truth about this special star in museum's first 4K planetarium show with stunning 3D scenes. Dinner is included at the museum before you return to the hotel to retire for the night.

DAY 3

Breakfast is once again included at the hotel. Afterwards, you board the coach and travel to Cincinnati Museum Center, a one-of-a-kind, multi-museum complex housed in Union Terminal which is an Art Deco train station and National Historic Landmark. You will have time to explore the various museums that feature permanent and temporary displays complimented by a collection of more than 1.8 million artifacts, art works and archives. One particular display that draws families year after year is the Duke Energy Holiday Train Display. Since 1946, families have gathered to watch as miniature locomotives and railcars zip around snowbanks and crowded streets. Track-level views reveal intricate details of the display, where over 300 rail cars and 60 locomotives steam past anxious passengers waiting to board while cars sit with snow stuck to their hubcaps and the perfect trees strapped to their roof. This holiday train exhibit is one of the largest portable model train layouts, and you have to see it to believe it.
Lunch is on your own today before you depart for Wheeling, West Virginia where upon arrival you check in to the Oglebay Resort Wilson Lodge (877-436-1797) for a one-night stay. The Lodge offers an indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, fitness center, business center with complimentary Wi-Fi internet, on-site restaurants and lounge, and game room. Guest room amenities include a Keurig coffee maker, LCD television, hairdryer and high-speed internet. After a brief time to freshen up, you will have a holiday inspired dinner and show. The lively and heartwarming Holiday Show features a celebration filled with the joy and magic of the season intertwining festive songs and stories that will put you in the holiday spirit. Following the show, you will board the motorcoach for an event listed as one of the 10 Best Christmas Light Displays in the US according to AOL Travel, the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Park. Since 1985, this annual event covers more than 300 acres over a six-mile drive and boasts more than one million energy-efficient LED lights, making it one of the nation's largest drive-through displays. Ninety larger-than-life displays are now a part of this glowing show with new displays added each year like the 70-foot-tall Welcome Tree added in 2021 that features thousands of dancing high-resolution lights with the infinite ability to combine color, music, light and animated imagery. You return to the Lodge to turn in for the night after the drive though the Festival of Lights.

DAY 4

Wake to a hearty breakfast buffet included at the Lodge. Mid-morning you check out and tour the elegant Mansion Museum. Once the estate of Earl W. Oglebay, he purchased the mansion and surrounding acres to use as a summer home. The mansion features 13 period rooms focusing on Wheeling's earliest settlement through the opulent Edwardian era and contains an impressive collection of American furniture, china, silver, glass pewter, toys and textiles. The Mansion Museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Your last stop at Oglebay before departing is at the Glass Museum which is located in the lower level of Carriage House Glass. The museum features more than 3,000 examples of Wheeling glass made from 1829-1939. One of the highlights of the museum is the largest piece of cut lead crystal ever made, The Sweeney Punch Bowl. Standing five-feet tall and weighing 225 pounds, this crystal treasure is world renowned - a remarkable piece of Victorian artistry. At the conclusion of your visit, you will board the motorcoach for home with meal and rest stops along the way.

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ALL WOLF TOURS - TIMES AND ITINERARY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ***

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner