Join MLC Alumni and fellow WELS members for an eight-day, seven-night guided tour
Guided Tours of St. Louis & Kansas City, WW1 Museum, Gateway Arch, Forest Park, Cart tours of Fantastic Caverns & Lost Canyon, Sight & Sound’s Miracle of Christmas + 2 other shows
Nov. 2-9, 2019
$1250 double
$1600 singleIncludes motor coach service from New Ulm (or fly on your own into STL & out of MCI),
attraction admissions, guide fees, seven hotel nights, and much more.
W/ELS members are invited to join the MLC Alumni Association for an affordable, enjoyable, and educational tour that will “show us” highlights from the Show Me State of Missouri. We’ll spend two nights in the St. Louis area, three nights in Branson, and two nights in Kansas City. Tour manager Steve Balza will do his best to keep us comfortable, safe, and on schedule. MLC Professor Emeritus Mark Lenz will lead daily devotions using the sacred Scriptures to show us our sins and show us our Savior.
Our journey will definitely be a variety show that includes high-quality theater performances, man- made marvels, and the beauty of God’s creation as it shows off its autumn splendor. History lovers will not be left out as we’ll be showing historical films on the bus and visiting museums dedicated to preserving the past.
Seasons will converge as fall color combines with Christmas decor and stage shows that celebrate the Savior’s coming. Lord willing, we’ll enjoy the peak foliage that typically occurs in Missouri at that time with average highs in the low 60s.
Single occupancy (one person/room) cost is $1600 and double occupancy (two persons/room) will be $1250/person. If you are traveling alone but would prefer having a same-gender roommate to split costs, please note that on your registration form, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Discounts: $20 discounts are available for previous travelers, seniors 62+, those flying to/from Missouri, those who make full payment upon registration, and early birds who register online by December 31 and accept electronic only communication.
Gratuities: Tips for our bus drivers, step-on guides, attraction guides, and group meal servers are included in your cost. Tips for hotel room housekeepers, non-included meal servers, etc., are your responsibility.
Payments: Confirmed passengers must submit a $250 payment by January 8. A second payment of $500 is due on April 30. The remaining balance is due July 31. All payments are fully refundable until July 31. Cancellations between August 1-31 will incur a $250 penalty. Cancellations between September 1-30 will incur a $500 penalty. Cancellations after September 30 will incur a $1000 penalty. In each case, the penalty will be cut in half if a replacement traveler is found.
Twelve meals are included – seven hotel breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners. Remaining meals (about 12) will be on your own. You will be provided with complimentary water and occasional bus snacks throughout the tour.
Those departing on the bus from New Ulm may wish to come in a night early, enjoy a buffet dinner in the MLC cafeteria ($5), and take in MLC Forum’s production of the new Broadway musical, Big Fish ($10). You can also take advantage of an opportunity to stay at the Best Western Plus/New Ulm for $100/room on either Friday, November 1, or Saturday, November 9. These special rates are not available from the cafeteria, MLC, or hotel directly. You must select these options on the registration form and pay as part of the tour fee.
Based on past tours, we believe the approximately 50 available spots may sell out quickly. Registration will open at 8am on December 15. If necessary, a lottery system will be used to determine who is a confirmed passenger with remaining registrants going on a wait list. In the past, wait list members who can keep their schedule clear have frequently made it on board. Wait listed registrants do not need to send any deposit or payments until they are confirmed passengers.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a high level of mobility required, we rate this tour as a 4. All passengers will need to get in and out of the bus (about four stairs) on a regular basis. All passengers will also be required to transport their bag between the bus and hotel rooms. Guided tours and museum visits will require a fair amount of walking. As always, we encourage travelers to know their own limitations.
Trip insurance is not offered for this tour. If desired, individuals may purchase a policy through a provider of their choice.
Contact tour manager Steve Balza (alumni@mlc-wels.edu or 507-217-1731).
Once a center of Native American Mississippian culture and later home to the 1904 World’s Fair, today St. Louis is a bustling city with a population of over 300,000 in a metropolitan area of nearly 3,000,000. The city is famous for its 630-foot Gateway Arch, the world’s tallest arch and the centerpiece of its namesake national park. Our Sunday will include WELS worship at nearby 
Christ Alone, followed by a guided bus tour of the town, and your choice of an ascent of the arch or an Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour. On our way out Monday morning, we’ll take time to tour the LCMS Concordia Seminary and make a photo op stop at the Cathedral Basilica (home to a 41.5 million-piece mosaic installation). Next, it’s a picnic lunch in beautiful Forest Park before we take the show on the road to Branson.
You may be surprised to learn that New Ulm’s roughly 13,000 residents outnumber the approximately 11,500 folks in the tourist mecca, Branson. Don’t let the city’s population fool you, as it is home to over 17,000 hotel rooms and hosts more than 7 million guests each year. Why Branson? You’ll find out on our 
guided tour of the region. The city’s setting amidst the scenic Ozark Mountains should provide for many photo ops of the fall foliage. Plans include a stop at College of the Ozarks, affectionately known as Hard Work U. It’s a unique model: all students work to pay their tuition and graduate debt free. Another attraction we’ll visit is the Titanic Museum, a half-scale model/museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the ship’s survivors and its victims. 
Just outside the city, we’ll take time for a golf cart ride at the Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail. Then of course, there are the shows, the highlight of which may be the Miracle of Christmas at the sensational Sight and Sound Theatre. Our three nights will be spent at the Comfort Inn on Gretna Road. A drive-through tour of Fantastic Caverns in Springfield will break up our drive to Kansas City.
TownePlace Suites will serve as our final hotel as we spend some time in the City of Fountains. Our guide will show us that, indeed, “everything’s up to date in Kansas City.” We’ll start at the restored Union Station, which serves as a transportation hub and also houses several great restaurants, including some famous Kansas City-style barbeque. Having seen the city aboard the bus on 
Thursday, you’ll have some free time to further explore one of several neighborhoods on Friday morning. Learn the story of the Arabia Steamboat at River Market. Visit the College Basketball Experience in the Power and Light District. Check out the Jazz scene on 18th and Vine, or tour Hallmark at Crown Center. We’ll reconvene after lunch and together explore the Great War, now a century behind us. The primarily subterranean World War 1 museum has won many awards and will teach us why “the war to end all wars” fell short. Our last evening together will be spent in the fashionable shopping, art, and dining district known as Country Club Plaza. Having explored Kansas City, we’ll have “gone about as fer as we can go.”
You have the option of starting with us in New Ulm (departing MLC at 6 am on Saturday, November 2, and returning around 6 pm on Saturday, November 9) or making your own flight arrangement to meet us in St. Louis. Those leaving from New Ulm may wish to take in MLC Forum’s production of Big Fish on Friday night, November 1, before we depart. An optional $100 hotel room is available at Best Western Plus for November 1 and/or 9 if you book and pay for it when you register.
