A special evening of group introductions and presentation about the people we will visit tomorrow.

Afternoon: Hotel check in. Complimentary hotel shuttle available from the Des Moines airport. Program begins with important program announcements at 5:00 p.m. in the hotel's restaurant.

Dinner: Dinner and discussion.

Evening: Short presentation with discussion: Introduction to the Old Order Amish.

Lodging: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Des Moines Airport

Meals Included: Dinner

A Road Scholar exclusive and very rare experience! We go into the private home of Old Order Amish and visit personally about their beliefs and lifestyle. We are the only non-Amish group invited inside.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: We travel to Drakesville, Iowa, home of many Old Order Amish families. Our day's activities include a personal visit with an Amish family, learning about their beliefs, their businesses, and their lifestyle.

Lunch: Lunch provided.

Afternoon: Continuation of Amish activities listed above; then a photo stop at the American Gothic House, Grant Wood's setting for his classic American Gothic. We continue to Nauvoo, Illinois, stopping for dinner along the route.

Dinner: Dinner provided at local restaurant enroute to Nauvoo.

Evening: Our coach crosses the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois for hotel check in. Evening free to relax at the hotel or take an evening stroll through restored Nauvoo.

Lodging: Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Narrated horse-drawn wagon tour through restored historic Nauvoo; sip Icarian wine at Illinois' oldest winery; musical evening performance.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: We enjoy the entire day in charming Nauvoo, learning about the Mormons and what lead to the murder of Joseph Smith; and about the Icarian settlement of Nauvoo. Our coach stops briefly at Ilinois's oldest winery, which started with the Icarian commune in 1857, and is still operated by Icarian descendents today. Our morning continues with a horse-drawn wagon tour of the restored Nauvoo settlement.

Lunch: Lunch provided

Afternoon: Free time will permit independent exploration of Nauvoo's historic district with guides in period costumes. Also available are 19th century demonstrations of period skills such as brick making, printing press, tinsmithing.

Dinner: Buffet dinner in local restaurant.

Evening: LDS senior missionaries present a light-hearted musical drama of the history of Nauvoo.

Lodging: Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Another Road Scholar exclusive! We go inside the private school, meditation dome and unique home of Maharishi Transcendental Meditation practitioners. Oprah Winfrey visited this place in 2012, calling it "America's Most Unusual Town".

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: We travel to Fairfield, world headquarters of Maharishi; and to the newly developed area known as Vedic City, capital of the "Global Community of World Peace". Conditions permitting, our day's activities include a visit to the Golden Dome, where meditation and yogic flying are practiced twice each day; the elementary school, where students are taught Sanskrit; the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center to learn about pulse diagnosis and treatments; and Vedic City, which uses its own unusual currency. We'll learn about the purpose of the unique architecture and lifestyle.

Lunch: Organic vegetarian lunch at the Raj Resort in the Ayurveda Health Center, Vedic City.

Afternoon: Our activities continue from above.

Dinner: Dinner at popular Iowa City restaurant.

Evening: Hotel check in with optional evening discussion and social time in our hotel.

Lodging: Coralville Country Inn & Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Amana Colonies (not Amish) were one of the longest-lasting communes in America. We explore the seven charming villages to learn their fascinating history, sample authentic German foods, and laugh with the stories told by a popular local author.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: We travel to the Amana Colonies, settled by Germans in the 1800's as the "Community of True Inspiration", and continuing as one of the longest lasting communal societies in the world. Our day's activities include visits inside restored buildings, which today house museums and handcraft businesses, with working demonstrations.

Lunch: Lunch will be served in one of the original communal kitchens, converted into a charming restaurant today.

Afternoon: Activities continue from above, plus free time to explore the many quaint shops and wineries of Amana on your own.

Dinner: Dinner will be at one of the delightful historic Amana restaurants.

Evening: We meet with popular author and Amana Colony resident, Dr. Peter Hoehnle, for a delightful discussion about the history and unusual practices of the the Amana Colonies.

Lodging: Amana Colonies Lodging

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

What a fun day! We visit Pella's famous tulip festival and have the best seats for the colorful parade, costumed dancing and unique Dutch foods. Free time permits paid entry into the most popular attractions, including America's tallest working windmill.

Breakfast: Breakfast provided.

Morning: Festival Day! We travel to the charming Dutch town of Pella and enjoy a day filled with activities at Pella's annual Tulip Time festival. Your ticket into all of the major attractions includes stadium seating along the parade route.

Lunch: Choose from the many ethnic food stands and home-cooked meals for lunch on your own during the festival. Favorite treats include Dutch letter pastries and poffertjes.

Afternoon: Afternoon activities include your choice of many festival activities. Watch costumed Dutch dancing, street scrubbing, narrated activities and parade. Take an elevator to the top of the tallest working windmill in the U.S. and explore the historical Dutch village with demonstrations by Dutch craftsmen.

Dinner: Farewell dinner provided.

Evening: We share experiences and our program highlights during our final evening together.

Lodging: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Des Moines Airport

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Departures. No sessions are scheduled this morning, permitting early departure.

Depart From: Complimentary airport shuttles (1/2 mile or 5 minutes from the airport) are provided by our hotel 5:00 a.m - 11:00 p.m.