Trips & Tours Catalog: April - June 2024

Trips & Tours Policies

ABOUT TRIPS & TOURS

Trips and Tours are open to everyone 18 and older. Individuals requiring special assistance must provide their own caregiver. Due to vehicle limitations, we are unable to accommodate wheelchairs on our trips at this time. If you use a manual mobility device, such as a walker, please notify the Trips & Tours office when you register for a trip. Some trips are not appropriate for mobility devices. See the Activity Level Guide on page 4 of this catalog to learn more about our trip ratings.

DEPOSITS

Your non-refundable deposit reserves your space and constitutes acceptance of the Trips & Tours Program terms and policies. $20 for day trips and $50 for overnight trips.

MEMBER DISCOUNT

Member discounts per trip: $20 off for day trips and $50 off for overnight trips.

NON-REFUNDABLE

Late cancellations and gift certificates are non-refundable. If a trip is canceled by Trips & Tours, a full refund will be issued within four weeks.

PAYMENTS

Final payments are due two weeks prior to day trips, and four weeks prior to overnight trips. You can pay with a credit card online at www.southsoundseniors.org or by phone. You can also pay with cash or check. Make checks payable to Senior Services for South Sound or SSSS and mail or deliver to:

Olympia Senior Center: 222 Columbia Street NW, Olympia. Lacey Community Center: 6729 Pacific Ave SE, Lacey – turn right at the roundabout and bear right into the parking lot. The Senior Services bus will pick you up near the bathrooms, not in front of the Virgil Clarkson Lacey Senior Center. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to trip departure time. All trips depart on time, drivers will not wait for latecomers.

RESERVATIONS & POLICIES

The Trips & Tours staff act only as agents for trips and shall not be held responsible for any accidents, loss, or injuries that may occur. All passengers are covered by common carrier insurance. Trips & Tours does not accept liability for any carrier’s cancellation penalties.

Senior Services reserves the right to refuse any person as a tour participant and expel anyone whose conduct is incompatible with the interest of the group.

Trips & Tours is a fragrance free business. We appreciate your cooperation.

Senior Services reserves the right to change the schedule without notice.

All trip participants must have an emergency contact form on file prior to trip departure. Trip guides will have forms available at points of departure.

CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS

• Overnight trip cancellations require 30 days notice.

• Day trips cancellations require 14 days notice to receive a refund.

• A $20 fee will be charged for all day trip cancellations and a $50 fee will apply to overnight trip cancellations.

WINTER/SUMMER CANCELLATIONS

On rare occasions, impassable roads due to snow, ice or poor air conditions may cause cancellation of a trip. The safety of our clients is our priority.

Welcome to Trips & Tours!

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I write to you today as the new Trips & Tours Program Manager. Stepping into this role fills me with honor and responsibility. I am excited to lead our amazing Trips & Tours team in continuing to craft and design trips that delight, educate and ignite your passion for exploration.

Welcome to our Spring catalog! Packed with fun destinations and carefully curated experiences, our spring lineup has something for everyone.

Join us as we set out to visit favorite locales, explore new destinations and forge lasting memories together. I am eager to embark on this journey with each and every one of you.

Happy travels!

Wendy Churchman, Trips & Tours Manager

ACTIVITY LEVEL GUIDE

Contact T&T Office with questions about activity levels.

Easy:

Minimal walking, primarily flat surfaces, some steps and stairs, walkers okay (only with approval).

Moderate:

Walking short distances and shorter group walks, extended standing, uneven and unpaved surfaces. Multiple steps and possibly 1-2 flights of stairs. Resting areas may vary. Typically not appropriate for walkers.

More Difficult:

Walking tours. Hikes up to two miles. Uneven surfaces, one or more sets of stairs possible. No walkers can be accommodated.

Take a chance and find out why our Mystery Trips are so popular. Embrace the mystery! Embrace the beauty of spring! Let us take you on a springtime adventure.

This mystery trip includes beautiful outdoor places that are bursting with vibrant blooms, good food, quirky, local shopping… and maybe even a windmill in the background. After immersing yourself in the beauty of nature, indulge in a lunch experience that perfectly complements the day’s adventures.

Leave the planning to us and join us on the Spring Colors Mystery Trip. This fun trip is a long day which includes a long bus ride as well as several times on and off the bus. We will also spend a lot of time outdoors, so be sure to dress for a PNW Spring day! Rain or shine! Bring your boots!

$139 Members; $159 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, lunch and snacks.

Bus leaves Olympia at 8:00 am; Lacey at 8:30 am

Approximate return: 7:00 pm

Join us as we head down to Woodland Washington to enjoy Lilac Days at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens. This annual tradition celebrates the beauty of lilacs in bloom.

We’ll escape into a fragrant paradise at the enchanting Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, strolling through the meticulously maintained gardens, and admiring over 100 varieties of lilacs in full bloom. We’ll have plenty of time to wander the grounds and learn about the history of the gardens and the woman behind them, Hulda Klager, whose passion and dedication turned her backyard hobby into a renowned botanical wonder.

Along with the wonderful gardens, you’ll have an opportunity to visit the 1880s historic farmhouse, the newly opened Barn Museum, and the lovely gift shop, showcasing local and flower-themed art and gifts.

We’ll finish our outing with a late lunch on the way back home.

$109 Members; $129 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, lunch and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 9:00 am; Lacey at 8:30 am

Approximate return: 4:00 pm

Dunlins, Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, Red Knots, Peregrine Falcon… and more!

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed along the Washington Coast and in the Grays Harbor estuary during their migration northward. The annual Shorebird Festival brings people together for this incredible natural phenomenon.

We’ll get an early start, stopping for a hearty breakfast before heading out to the festival grounds in Hoquiam. On our 1-mile-long hike on the Sandpiper Trail, our knowledgeable guide will be on hand to share information about the wide variety of birds and wildlife that we encounter.

After our tour, we’ll return back to the Festival center for some free time to peruse the nature and bird-themed arts and crafts vendors.

$119 Members; $139 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, breakfast and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 7:15 am; Lacey at 6:45 am

Approximate return: 4:00 pm

Embark on a journey through automotive history with our day trip to the renowned LeMay Car Collection at Marymount. This private tour promises an unforgettable experience for car enthusiasts and casual visitors alike. The historic Marymount campus, home to one of the largest and most diverse collections of vintage automobiles in the world is an experience like no other.

Our private docent-led tour will take us through exhibit halls filled with meticulously restored vehicles, ranging from early 20th-century classics to sleek sports cars and everything in between. This 2.5-hour extended tour also includes an exclusive visit to The White Building Garage, the working garage for the LeMay Collection.

After an informative and fun tour, we’ll cruise over to a beloved restaurant and pub for lunch.

$99 Members; $119 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, lunch and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 9:00 am; Lacey at 9:30 am

Approximate return: 3:00 pm

First opened in 1928, The Paramount Theater was given a 20 million dollar restoration in 1995, bringing it back to its original splendor. Join us on a private tour throughout this beautiful Seattle landmark. On our tour, we’ll learn about the technical workings of the stage, backstage operations, the history of the lobby, and of the historic theater building itself. This is your chance to see behind the scenes!

After our tour, we’ll visit the Frye Museum, a beautiful museum in the heart of the First Hill neighborhood. We’ll have an opportunity to wander the well-curated collection of 19th and 20th-century art as well as art from contemporary global artists.

We’ll start our adventure with an early lunch at the iconic Cheesecake Factory. $119 Members; $139 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, lunch and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 8:30 am; Lacey at 9:00 am

Approximate return: 5:30 pm

Do you love baseball, but hate battling I-5 traffic and Seattle parking? Let us take the hassle out of enjoying a springtime baseball game at T-Mobile Park.

Join us to see the Seattle Mariners face off against the Houston Astros. We have great seats, located in the 200 level, near restrooms and food vendors.

We’ll have a snack for you on the way up. Lunch and beverages are on your own at the ballpark.

$109 Members;

$129 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 10:30 am; Lacey at 11:00 am

Approximate return: 7:00 pm

Immerse yourself in the serene beauty of nature at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens. Located in Portland, Oregon, this unique 9.5-acre garden botanical garden offers a delightful garden retreat. Crystal Springs contains an outstanding collection of rare species and hybrid rhododendrons, azaleas, and many other companion plants and trees. There are also 90 species of birds that call the gardens home. Truly a nature lover’s paradise!

We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant and make one more stop at the Portland Nursery, a local favorite for indoor and outdoor plants as well as garden-themed gifts and trinkets.

$139 Members; $159 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, lunch and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 9:00 am; Lacey at 8:30 am

Approximate return: 6:30 pm

Are you ready for a day filled with creativity? Join us on a fun-filled afternoon as we enjoy a resin art class! Our experienced instructor will lead us in step-by-step instructions to create our very own resin art pieces. Each student will be able to choose from a wide variety of art pieces to create.

After the class, we will have lunch together at Talking Cedar, a brewpub with a PNW-inspired menu.

$129 Members;

$149 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, lunch and resin art making class. All materials are provided. Bus leaves Olympia at 9:30 am; Lacey at 9:00 am

Approximate return: 2:30 pm

Girl From The North Country is a Tony Award-winning new musical that features orchestrations of 20 legendary Bob Dylan songs, reimagined as they’ve never been heard before.

Set in 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota, we meet a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope.

Experience this ‘profoundly beautiful’ production (The New York Times) brought to vivid life by an extraordinary company of actors and musicians.

Before the show, we’ll dine in style with a sumptuous brunch.

$209 Members; $229 Non-Members

Includes transportation, all ticket admissions and fees, brunch and snack.

Bus leaves Olympia at 9:00 am; Lacey at 9:30 am

Approximate return: 6:00 pm

DISCOVER THE ISLANDS OF NEW ENGLAND

May 9 - 16, 2025

The Atlantic coast is calling. Explore New England’s majestic seaboards, from Rhode Island to Cape Cod. Visit Providence and the Gilded Age mansions of Newport. Experience the beautiful islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Complete your local experience as you indulge in a traditional seafood and lobster feast. Explore the local charms, walk along historic cobblestone streets, and feel like a true New Englander.

$3499 double occupancy; $4299, single Includes round-trip air, transfers, baggage handling, 7 nights lodging, 10 meals, sightseeing, boat cruise, tours, and more!

SPOTLIGHT ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA

September 4 - 12, 2025

Uncover the chic resorts, sun-soaked beaches and elegant allure that attracts the rich and famous to the exquisite French Riviera. Unpack for a leisurely multi-night stay, embracing the luxury and breathtaking beauty of the French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur. Spend time in the fairytale principality of Monaco. Discover the opulence of Villa Ephrussi v Rothschild and Gardens. Get a glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous in Cannes. Watch artisans create fragrant perfumes. Enjoy leisure time to explore on your own. It’s time you lived a little bit of the good life.

$4,999 double occupancy; $6599 single Includes round-trip air, transfers, baggage handling, 8 nights lodging, 12 meals, sightseeing, tastings, tours, and more!

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