Event description

Delight in the distinctive landmarks and awesome beauty of northern California with Our State’s California Rail Discovery tour, featuring San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley Wine Train.

July 28-August 3, 2021

Good news — we have created a Virtual Travel Show that describes all the exciting things about this trip. You can access that video here:

Package Includes:

  • • Round-trip airfare — RDU Airport or Charlotte-Douglas International Airport
  • • Six nights accommodations: two in San Francisco, three in Lake Tahoe, and one in Sacramento
  • • Ten meals: six breakfasts, one lunch, three dinners
  • • Our State host and professional tour director
  • • Admissions and sightseeing per itinerary
  • • Hotel transfers and baggage handling

Itinerary Highlights:

  • • Two rail experiences: Napa Valley Wine Train and Sierra Nevada Rail Journey
  • • San Francisco city tour
  • • San Francisco Bay cruise
  • • Winery tour and tasting
  • • Napa Valley Wine Train lunch
  • • Lake Tahoe paddlewheeler cruise
  • • Old Town Sacramento
  • • Virginia City, Nevada
  • • National Automobile Museum, Reno, Nevada

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive San Francisco Bay Area

Today, board your flight bound for the San Francisco Bay Area to begin your California Rail Discovery. Upon arrival meet your Tour Director and transfer to your hotel to begin a two-night stay in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, San Francisco. “The City by the Bay” highlights fascinating museums, world-class cuisine and amazing shopping. Tonight, enjoy a welcome reception and dinner with your fellow Our State travelers.

Meal – (D)
Overnight: San Francisco

Day 2: San Francisco City Tour – San Francisco Bay Cruise

Today, enjoy a San Francisco City Tour to see the Civic Center area, Golden Gate Park, Union Square, Seal Rocks, and Pier 39. Experience a San Francisco Bay Cruise featuring views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the city’s skyline. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to browse the storefronts along Fisherman’s Wharf, sample a chowder-filled sourdough bread bowl, or take a cable car ride. Maybe join an optional excursion to Muir Woods to see some of the oldest and tallest redwood trees in the world.

Meal – (B)
Overnight: San Francisco

Day 3: Napa Valley Wine Train – Winery – Sacramento

This morning cross the Golden Gate Bridge & make a stop for picturesque views & photos looking back at the spectacular San Francisco Skyline. Continue into California’s famous Napa Valley where hundreds of wineries prosper to board the Napa Valley Wine Train for a scenic rail journey and lunch. This memorable dining experience in restored Pullman rail cars evokes the spirit of early 1900’s luxury rail travel. Then board your motor coach and stop for a Winery Tour & Tasting to sample the famous local product while learning about wine making. Later arrive in Sacramento, California’s capital and River City for an overnight stay. Drive through Old Town Sacramento, the commercial hub of the Gold Rush Era filled with shops and restaurants with original storefronts and wooden sidewalks.

Meals – (B,D)
Overnight: Sacramento

Day 4: Sacramento – Sierra Nevada Rail Journey – Lake Tahoe

This morning board an Amtrak Train for a Sierra Nevada Rail Journey through the beautiful snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Lake Tahoe area. Disembark your train in Truckee and board your motor coach to drive to the spectacular year round resort area of Lake Tahoe to spend the next three evenings in the popular and revitalized South Lake Tahoe/Stateline area. This evening enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers in the Lake Tahoe area.

Meals – (B,L)
Overnight: Lake Tahoe

Day 5: Reno – Virginia City

This morning travel through historic Carson City, capital of the Silver State of Nevada enroute to Reno, Nevada and see the iconic ‘The Biggest Little City in the World’ sign. Visit Reno’s famous National Automobile Museum, recognized as one of the top auto museums in the world featuring the original Harrah Auto Collection of gaming pioneer Bill Harrah. Then visit Virginia City, site of the Comstock Lode and once the richest place in the world. The famous Old West town was once the west’s mining metropolis and featured notable residents Mark Twain & Bret Harte. Return to your Lake Tahoe resort for an evening at your own pace.

Meal – (B)
Overnight: Lake Tahoe

Day 6: Lake Tahoe Cruise

Today enjoy a Lake Tahoe Paddle Wheeler Cruise for spectacular views of the picturesque Sierra Nevada Mountains and Emerald Bay which features the 1929 Nordic-style mansion Vikingsholm. Later, enjoy some leisure time in the Lake Tahoe area. Maybe take a stroll down to the lake, do some shopping or experience the amenities of your resort hotel. Tonight’s farewell dinner will be at a popular local restaurant.

Meals – (B,D)
Overnight: Lake Tahoe

Day 7: Lake Tahoe – Sacramento Airport

Today, transfer to the Sacramento airport and return home with wonderful memories of your California Rail Discovery.

Meal – (B)

For more information, please contact Melissa Grant from Premier World Discovery by email at mgrant@premierworlddiscovery.com.

Register

Double Occupancy:
$3,299 per person with a booking discount (double occupancy)
$3,399 per person regular rate (double occupancy)

Single supplement: $995

For reservations or more information, please call Melissa Grant at (877) 953-8687, ext. 238 (Pacific Standard Time), or by email: mgrant@premierworlddiscovery.com

More

What to expect on an Our State trip: 

Traveling with a group of Our State readers is an enriching, enjoyable, and safe way to experience new cultures, people, and places. In addition to the informative narration from the tour director and local guides, an Our State host will be available to assist in making your trip successful.

We usually fly to our destination, then travel by a comfortable motor coach with anywhere from 35 to 50 people who appreciate learning about new regions. Your entire trip will be guided, planned, and arranged for your upmost enjoyment. Many activities are things you can only do because you are traveling with Our State.

You can also choose not to attend an activity if you prefer something different. Please let your tour director know if you are not coming on a scheduled day.

Many meals are included. Where you have meals on your own, suggestions will be provided.

Most of the motor coaches have restrooms but every effort will be made to make regular rest stops.

One of the best parts of traveling with Our State is that you will meet new people, many of whom you will already have much in common with since most travelers read the magazine. Many guests often develop friendships that go on long after the tour is finished. Our State trips are generally filled with dynamic and friendly people.

Physical requirements:

Our tours are physically active but not meant to be strenuous.

Please be aware you will be on your feet, walking and standing for much of the day, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions and terrains. There will also be extended time on the motor coach when we travel from place to place. If there are any mobility issues you will need to have an able-bodied traveling companion to accompany and assist you.

We regret that we’re unable to provide individual assistance to guests with walking difficulties or other personal needs. The responsibility of the Trip Director who accompanies your trip is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest. Guests requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it.

If you have additional questions, please call Our State’s Travel Director Amy Wood Pasquini at 336-286-0600, or email apasquini@ourstate.com.