Tour #1 - Travel Back In Time

Time 9 am - 8 pm (15 minutes travel one way)
Lunch & Museum fees are NOT included in the tour.

"Travel Back In Time" on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad (GVRR) to the days of the OLD WEST at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, featuring unique museums, shops, and eateries.

We leave the hotel at 9 am for a 15-minute shuttle bus trip to Grapevine. View the Lone Star Hi-Railers' club train layout in the Convention & Visitors Bureau. Two blocks away is a 1950s-era baggage car, in which the Lone Star HiRailers has a second layout running the length of the car.

Next to the baggage car, we have the steam engine 771 & Tender owned by the Grapevine Vintage Railroad (GVRR) in Grapevine, Texas, a historic 2-8-2 MK-5 Class "Mikado" steam locomotive. It was built for the Texas & New Orleans Railroad by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA, in 1913 (#750-#774). They were originally lettered for the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad (GVRR) backshop is next door.

Check-in at Grapevine Depot 11:30 am - 12:20 pm
Board Train - Grapevine Depot 12:20 pm
Train Doors Close 12:35 pm
Depart Grapevine 12:40 pm
Arrive in Stockyards approx. 2:30 pm

We arrive in a covered Food Court. All main attractions, museums and eating establishments are on East Exchange Avenue, within two short blocks of the train loading. The only exception is Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky-tonk, one block from the John Wayne Museum. Billy Bob's patrons can visit the Wall of Fame and see the handprints and autographs of Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and even Ringo Starr, to name a few. Many fans enjoy comparing their hand size to the celebrities. Food is available here. Admission for Billy Bob's Texas is $4.

Allow one hour for the John Wayne Museum, which displays many documents and artifacts that showcase the Duke's iconic career and personal life.

Admission to the John Wayne Museum:
Adults - $22.95
Youth (6-15) - $17.95
Children 5 & under - Free
Military, Student & Senior Discount - $20.95 (offered with ID)

Real Texas cowhands lead a herd of legendary longhorns down East Exchange in the Stockyards everyday at 11:30 am and 4 pm. We will see the 4pm event. It's free for all, and every detail, from the drovers' saddles and chaps to their boots and hats, embodies authentic Texas heritage.

All other attractions in the area are free or $2

Re-board train in the Stockyards 4:35 pm
Depart the Stockyards 4:45 pm
Arrive in Grapevine approx 7:15 pm
Arrive back at the hotel 8 pm

Tour #2 - Gone With the Wind - Cleburne/Granbury, Texas

Time 8 am - 6 pm
1 hour travel one way

America's second favorite book has a first-class museum in Cleburne. Gone With the Wind was released almost 90 years ago but remains popular enough to draw thousands of visitors to the museum. The Gone With the Wind Remembered Museum is a not-for-profit company. It houses one of the most comprehensive and extensive collections of GWTW memorabilia in the world. Vicky Lynn Rogers has been collecting these items for over 30 years. There are many original one-of-a-kind pieces, as well as extremely rare items. One such piece is the mourning bonnet worn by Scarlett O'Hara, the most iconic costume pieces from the movie, . The museum is a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled, specially lighted and spacious facility. As the world-renowned film nears its 90th Anniversary, book and movie fans alike are able to journey back in time and experience the history of a civil war novel published in 43 languages and 53 countries, and a movie that changed film making for all time. Throughout the world, the book and film have influenced peoples' ideas about Southern history. We hope you will reminisce with us and savor what you see.

The next stop is a "drive by" and short photo op at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) Steam Locomotive #3417. "The Spirit of Cleburne" is a Pacific-type (4-6-2) steam locomotive. It was delivered to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company in 1919 and assigned to Cleburne Passenger Service for most of its 35 years and two million miles of active operation. The engine was retired by the AT&SF and donated to the city in 1955.

We will then travel to Granbury, Texas, to see David Kross' 40' x 60' O gauge 1950s-era layout that highlights Union Pacific and ATSF in a ground-level (one step only) 40' x 80' building. The remainder of the building is filled with railroad memorabilia.

Lunch will be at various restaurants in historic Downtown Granbury, Texas. Lunch is not included in the price of the tour.

As we head back to the hotel, we will stop off at James Barnett's 18' x 16' O gauge layout set on Labor Day 1960. It has two connected main lines, featuring overhead catenary, on the lower level with one main line on the upper level. It is located in his basement with easy steps to navigate. Not ADA Compliant. (45 minute bus ride to the hotel)

Tour #3 - The Museum of the American Railroad / Southfork Ranch - Frisco/Plano, Texas

Time 8 am - 6 pm

The Museum of the American Railroad contains more than 70 pieces of steam, diesel, passenger, and freight railroad equipment. Formerly known as the Age of Steam Railroad Museum, the museum is located in Frisco, Texas and sits on 15 acres, making it one of the largest historic rail collections in the U.S.

The indoor museum, called TrainTopia, houses a G-scale & O-scale model train layout in the Frisco Discovery Center. This layout is next to the museum's outdoor static display site that includes the Union Pacific #4018 Big Boy 4-8-8-4, plus at least six other notable steam engines along with UP diesel engine #6913, an EMD DDA40X built in 1969 ( the "Centennial"), EMD F7 built in 1952 (formerly Canadian National #9167, repainted into Santa Fe Red Warbonnet colors), and a Pennsylvania Railroad class GG1 #4903. You will also see many other diesel engines, passenger cars, box and tank cars.

Note: Uneven walkways at parts of the display.

Thirty minutes away, we will go to Southfork Ranch, famously home to the Ewing family from the popular television series Dallas, for a guided tour of the iconic Ewing Mansion and historic ranch grounds. Lunch on your own in various restaurants nearby.

Plano Station, Texas Electric Railway, now known as the Interurban Railway Museum, is a historic train station in Plano, Texas. It is still served by the Downtown Plano station of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail, which reutilized interurban's right-of-way.

We will then go to Bob Carter's 19' x 19' two elevation O gauge layout constructed and installed by TW TrainWorx of Dallas. This layout is on the second floor. This is not ADA compliant. The last stop for the day is Rick Elliot's O gauge 7' x 10' train layout with two main lines. The layout was constructed and installed by TW TrainWorx. This is also not ADA compliant.

Tour #4 - A Day in Fort Worth, Texas

Time 8 am - 6 pm
1/2 hour travel one way

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth is one of only two locations in the U.S. that print paper money, producing over half of the nation's currency. Tour the printing process from an elevated walkway, explore interactive exhibits, watch a film, and buy souvenirs at the Moneyfactory Gift Shop. The facility opened in 1990 to serve western states and act as a backup to the Washington D.C. plant. No cameras, cell phones, or pets are allowed on the tour.

The DFW Car and Toy Museum has 200 rare collectible cars and 3,000 rare antique toys in a 150,000-square-foot facility, designed with museum-quality climate control.

There are various restaurants to chose from for lunch. Lunch is not included.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (also known as the Carter) permanent collection features paintings, photography, sculpture, and works on paper by leading artists working in the United States and its North American territories in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The greatest concentration of works falls into the period from the 1820s through the 1940s including photographs, prints, and other works. The collection was built around portrayals of the Old West including more than 300 works of art by Fredric Remington and Charles M. Russell. It was assembled by Fort Worth newspaper publisher and philanthropist Amon G. Carter Sr. (1879-1955). The Georgia O'Keefe exhibit brings together the Museum's holdings of paintings and works on paper by one of America's most influential modern artists.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History engages our diverse community through creative, vibrant programs and exhibits interpreting science and the stories of Texas and the Southwest. It is 166,000 sq. ft. of engaging gallery space. The Museum holds DinoLabs and DinoDig, Innovation Studios, the Children's Museum, Energy Blast, and the Cattle Raiser's Museum.

On the way back to the hotel we will stop by the seven-story Texas & Pacific Railway Passenger Depot and their corporate offices for a quick photo opportunity. It was built in 1931 and served as a passenger terminal and later undergoing conversion into luxury condominiums in 1999.

45 minute bus ride to the hotel

Welcome Party - Wednesday June 24th

Cocktail Hour 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Dinner 7:30 pm - 10 pm
Buffet Style Dinner, Cash Bar, Silent Auction

Annual Banquet - Saturday June 27th

Cocktail Hour 6 pm - 7 pm
Dinner 7 pm - 10 pm
Silent & Live Auction

Annual Banquet - Kid's Meal

Children ages 2-11