In Search of Monarchs

6 Days/5 Nights • Land only from $1889 per person, double occupancy

February 24-March 1, 2011

Older than the history of Mexico itself is the story of the powerful Aztec civilization and the habitual migration of monarch butterflies across North America. Millions of monarchs choose to make Mexico their winter home, where the forests and hillsides of butterfly sanctuaries are transformed into seas of vibrant orange and black. To ensure that these sanctuaries remain undisturbed by the harshness of modern life, we will make our way to areas of high butterfly density on foot or on horseback, taking in beautiful scenery the likes of mountains and volcanoes, waterfalls and lakes along the way. As we travel we will also enjoy the hospitality of Mexican villages and the fast-paced city life in the nation’s capital. A trip to Mexico would not be complete without marveling at what remains of the Aztec civilization dating back to 1325. The Zócalo, Teotihuacán, and Museum of Anthropology do not disappoint!

Nature, Beauty and Fun in Costa Rica

10 Days/9 Nights • Land only from $1549 per person, double occupancy

March 2-11, 2011

Experience Costa Rica from top to bottom as we explore ecosystems at altitudes ranging from high in the mountains to the beaches of the Pacific. The various layers of vibrant rainforest life will come alive as we float down a river, hike along trails and suspension bridges, and fly across a zip line high above the treetops. As we are immersed in the ac- tivity of the rainforest we will encounter a wide variety of exotic species including snakes, monkeys, birds, turtles, iguanas, lizards, butterflies, and crocodiles. Not to be outdone, we will meet the wonderful Costa Rican people whose cities and towns are bustling with activity from coffee tasting to woodworking and topiary creation to palm oil production. Become im- mersed in the energy and beauty that embodies Costa Rica, the Garden of the Americas.

History and Math in Ancient Egypt

12 Days/10 Nights • Land only from $1959 per person, double occupancy

March 9-20, 2011

Located at the crossroads of the ancient world, the history of Egyptian culture and thought is foundational to the world in which we live today. Gain a firsthand understanding of the innovation and development that characterized this society through the hieroglyphs of ancient tombs, the Old and New Libraries, the Great Pyramids at Giza and the Egyptian Museum. Develop a greater appreciation for Egypt as a sacred place for each of the world’s major religions by visiting temples and synagogues, mosques and monasteries, and speaking with spiritual leaders from a diverse collection of faiths. Experience the diversity of present- day Egypt from Bedouin camps in the Red Sea Mountains to snorkeling in the Red Sea at the Giftun Islands.

The Promised Land—Israel

12 Days/10 Nights • Land only from $2429 per person, double occupancy

March 19-30, 2011

Walk in Jesus’ footsteps throughout Israel and Jordan as we see and touch centuries-old sacred sights and marvel at the natural beauty of God’s creation. From his birth to death and resurrection, stand in the places where Jesus grew, baptized, healed, preached, and performed miracles. Explore areas as diverse as the beginning and end times, from Moses’s Mt. Nebo to Megiddo (Armageddon). Understand the daily struggles facing Jews, Christians, and Muslims today as they seek peaceful co-existence on some of the world’s most hotly contested land. Prepare to embark on a journey that will transform your life of faith.

Washington D.C.

7 Days/6 Nights • Land only from $2059 per person, double occupancy

April 7-13, 2011

Where better to study American history than in our nation’s capital? With a historically significant site nearly everywhere you look, Washington, DC and the surrounding area offers points of interest for everyone. At the heart of the city itself, the National Mall, visit must-see attractions such as the Smithsonian museums, the World War II, Korea, and Vietnam Veterans Memorials, and the Lincoln Memorial. At the end of the Mall lies the U.S. Capitol with a newly completed visitor center, as well as the Supreme Court building. Just off of the mall we will walk through countless other historically significant attractions such as the FDR and Jefferson Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Statue, the Kennedy Center, the Pentagon area, the Library of Congress, the Newseum and Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. Traveling beyond the city itself into surrounding Maryland and Virginia our trip will also include tours of Mount Vernon, Annapolis, and Baltimore.

American Revolutionary War

9 Days/8 Nights • Land only from $2399 per person, double occupancy

May 9-17, 2011

From forts to fortresses, churches to cemeteries, and battlefields to bell towers, walk the same streets that America’s earliest colonists, generals, and founding fathers walked nearly 300 years ago. American history and literature come alive through reen- actments and demonstrations in city squares and battlefields, while the historic areas themselves preserve artifacts unchanged since the colonial era. The important history of Protestantism in America is evident in the first churches established by the colonists themselves. With attractions as diverse as Paul Revere’s house, Sleepy Hollow Ceme- tery, Bennington Monument and Colonial Williamsburg to explore, this firsthand en- counter will forever change the way you read and understand American History.

J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare and More

10 Days/8 Nights • Land only from $2189 per person double occupancy

May 9-18, 2011

Crucial to a better understanding of the English language is a firsthand encounter with its rich liter- ary tradition. As we travel through historic English cities and towns we will meet characters the likes of G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Wycliffe, T.S. Eliot, C.S. Lewis, William Shakespeare, and Geoffrey Chaucer. Witnessing the context in which these great authors wrote will enable us to understand their best works at a much deeper level. In addition to shadowing writers, scholars, and debaters, we will be empowered by encounters with the pioneers of Protestantism in the English language such as William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley. Through their stories of sacrifice in the name of the Reformation our eyes will be opened and our faith strengthened.

150th Anniversary of the American Civil War and Emancipation

9 Days/8 Nights • Land only from $2599 per person double occupancy

July 22-30, 2011

From the fallen Confederate soldier to the President of the Union, see the Civil War through the eyes of those who gave their lives for it. We begin in Washington DC, home of the White House and center of Northern power, and nearby Richmond, Virginia, seat of Confederate power at the Confederate White House. Next we study the field as a general might have at Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters in Winchester, Virginia and Grant’s headquarters at the Appomattox Plantation. Finally we shudder with Union and Confederate soldiers alike at the terrible sounds of battle. Highlights include the 2-day reenactment at the Sesquicentennial of the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run, Fredericksburg and its four surrounding battlefields, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. We stop to explore Gettysburg with its Christian Battlefield Experience, Cyclorama Center, and National Cemetery. Our journey comes to a fitting conclusion with the reenactment of the Gettysburg address and thoughts from Manassas on the lives of former slaves after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Oregon Trail

8 Days/7 Nights • Land only from $2499 per person double occupancy

July 31-August 7, 2011

Discover the vastness of the untamed American West as greater than we could have ever imagined by exploring the Oregon Trail through monuments, national parks, and historic sites. Stand in awe as the pioneers did of the beauty of God’s creation from the Rocky Mountains to Thermopolis Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake to its Grand Canyon, and Grand Teton’s Hidden Falls to Idaho’s Bear Lake. Encounter some of the harsh realities the pioneers had to contend with at Chimney Rock, Oregon Trail Ruts National Historic Landmark, Fort Laramie, and Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Have a few adventures of our own exploring national parks, relaxing at the Star Plunge Water Park, witnessing Cody Nite Rodeo, and floating thirteen miles down the scenic Snake River. Embrace your inner pioneer and explorer by joining us on this Oregon Trail adventure!

Rome to the Reformation

14 Days/12 Nights • Land only from $2879 per person double occupancy

September 11-24, 2011

In less than two weeks of exploring cathedrals, towers and museums, we will come to appreciate the ways in which culture, religion, technology, and ethnography are intertwined in nearly two thousand years of European history. Religion will be our primary focus as we experience firsthand the transformative impact of the Reformation. As we travel through Switzerland to the homes of Calvin, Knox, and Zwingli on our way to the many famous Luther sites in Germany we will gain an appreciation for the Reformation as a continent-wide phenomenon. At the Vatican and in Florence, the “cradle of the Renaissance,” we will see other examples of religious and cultural change over the course of modern European history, made possible by the vast technological advancement between Ancient Rome and the Gutenberg museum. Finally, we will examine the profound effects of such rapid change on the European people as we visit the Waldensian area and the Buchenwald memorial.

Germany and Austria Music Tour

13 Days/11 Nights • Land only from $2639 per person double occupancy

In churches, concert halls and family homes, the history of Western music unfolds before us. Our first stop is Bonn, the City of Beethoven. Then on to Eisenach, the birth place of Bach and several prominent Luther sites in the surrounding area. Our next stop is Leipzig where Wagner was born, Mendelssohn founded the first German conservatory and Schiller wrote his immortal "Ode to Joy," later the principal theme of Beethoven’s 9th. We continue on to Prague where Mozart wrote Don Giovanni at Villa Bertramka. Later we visit Vienna, mighty Hapsburg capital of commerce and culture with ties to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Brahms, and Strauss. Then the hills come alive with the Von Trapp family story as we depart for Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the film site of the "Sound of Music." Our final destination is Munich, Bavaria’s fun-loving capital, where Mozart, Mahler, Strauss and Orff all premiered.

Sherman’s March

8 Days/7 Nights • Land only from $2129 per person double occupancy

March with Sherman from Chattanooga to Savannah as the Union Army burned its way to the heart of the South. Become immersed in antebellum southern living that pro- duced generals, authors and presidents the likes of Robert E. Lee, Margaret Mitchell and Jefferson Davis. Dine with the troops, veterans, authors and gentlemen in some of the south’s oldest restaurants and forts. Walk battlefields from Chattanooga to Atlanta and Macon to Savannah where thousands of American soldiers lost their lives in the fight against one another. Reflect on monuments and commemorative sites dedicated to their memory, including the locomotive called "The General" and Stone Mountain etched with the faces of Confederate leaders. Return home with an enriched under- standing of the Civil War from diverse perspectives.