Festivals abound with Road Runners

Vicki Baker

Explore America from top to bottom with these fully planned and escorted vacations offered by Road Runners.

Holland Tulip Festival and Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel:

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Michigan on the Mayflower Tour “Holland Tulip Festival and Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel.” Your adventure includes an overnight stay in Chicago with a guided sightseeing tour of the “Windy City.” Travel to Holland, Michigan steeped in the area’s rich Dutch heritage and attend the annual Tulip Festival. Visit the Veldheer DeKlomp Tulip Gardens ablaze with acres of brilliantly colored tulips in a Dutch setting. Attend the Dutch Musiekparade (Music Parade) featuring local and national marching bands, floats and Dutch Dancers. You may even want to be fitted for a pair of Dutch shoes! Then ferry to Mackinac Island in Lake Huron where no automobiles are ever permitted. Make your home for two nights at the crown jewel of the Island, The Grand Hotel. While on the Island take a horse-drawn carriage ride, bicycle along the coast of Lake Huron, browse the many shops, explore historic Fort Mackinac or stroll the beautiful gardens. Next visit the Bavarian village of Frankenmuth featuring Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the world’s largest Christmas store.

Travel dates: May 11- 7, 2017; Price: $2,049 per person double occupancy; $939 single supplement. Airfare is additional.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta:

Witness the dazzling spectacle of hundreds of hot air balloons filling the sky with color. See these amazing displays on the Mayflower Tour “Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.” Spend three nights in historic Albuquerque, a city rich in Native American heritage. Enjoy the best of the Balloon Fiesta including the opening ceremonies. Be amazed as balloons fire their burners filling them with light at the evening Balloon Glow, followed by a spectacular evening fireworks display. Marvel at the “mass ascension” of balloons and watch the sky above Albuquerque fill with color in a spectacular display of sight and sound. Explore historic Old Town, a maze of cobbled courtyards, hidden patios and numerous galleries and shops on a guided sightseeing tour. Spend two nights in Santa Fe nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the foothills of the Rockies. Visit Pecos National Park, the site of the westernmost battle of the Civil War. Embark on a walking tour of Sante Fe including Governor’s Plaza, Miguel Mission and Loretto Chapel with its Miraculous Staircase.

Travel dates: October 6-13, 2017; Price: $1,419 per person double occupancy; $619 single supplement. Airfare is additional.