California is the best state to visit in America! The Golden State has it all: beautiful national parks, scenic coastal drives, dynamic cultural metropolises, charming small towns, romantic vineyards, quiet countryside ranches, white sandy beaches, colorful deserts, massive mountain ranges, towering Redwood trees and more!

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a video of Caroline Kennedy and her children remembering President John F. Kennedy on the anniversary of what would have been his 100th birthday. I enjoyed watching this video, and I wanted to share it with all of you - our American Classic Community.

It was 1895 as Mark Twain stepped off the steamboat that carried him to Mackinac Island. Twain was visiting this budding tourist hub to give a lecture at the new Grand Hotel Casino. Hundreds of rich vacationers from Detroit, Chicago, and Montreal paid a hefty $1 admission fee to attend Twain's lecture. Twain was drawn to the elegance of America's new summer Palace. Following Twain's lead, thousands of "rich & famous" visited the Grand Hotel in the 20th century.

If you were to guess what America's oldest state capital is, what answers would first come to mind? Boston, MA? Richmond, VA? Columbia, SC? The correct answer is not an old, east-coast colonial city; it is Santa Fe New Mexico! Santa Fe was founded by the Spanish in 1610, making it 20 years older than the city of Boston. 

Mary Pelc is a Trip Specialist and Tour Director with American Classic Tours. Last year she led a group of American Classic Travelers to New Orleans for 5 Days in April. In anticipation of American Classic's Trip to New Orleans in 2017, Mary wanted to share why she is dying to go back to New Orleans!

In 2017 the Virginia International Tattoo will be home to over 1500 performers including military bands, bagpipers, celtic dancers, drill teams, choirs, and drummers from countries across the world. This one-of-a-kind event music, military, and the arts to create an absolutely unforgettable event. The Virginia International Tattoo will take place from April 27th to April 30th of 2017. 

Shorten your winter by getting away to a piece of paradise! Fly off to the beautiful Florida Keys & Miami for some fun in the sun! The lush tropical climate combined with interesting attractions, fine cuisine and beautiful Floridian hotel properties are just the cure for cabin fever. 

Sail across Lake Michigan, eat freshly picked berries, wade down the Mississippi River, discover some of the Midwest's most stunning lighthouses, snap photos of breath-taking sand dunes, and visit a group of hidden, Midwestern Islands. Join American Classic Tours as we travel off the beaten path on three short getaways in 2017.

Scenery abounds here in the Uplands of Wisconsin – this driftless area of valleys and hills was not leveled by the last glacier. Highlights include: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin near Spring Green, House on the Rock, Wisconsin Dells Boat Cruise, The Fireside Dinner Theater featuring “Back to the 50’s”, the unspoiled beauty of the scenic Wisconsin River of southwest Wisconsin and so much more! Relax and refresh at the House on the Rock Resort located on a course featuring 27 holes of championship golf.

The so-called "secret spot" has always occupied a place in America's consciousness. The fantasy of escaping our busy, crowded world to another place - a beautiful place - which is completely undeveloped, uninhabited, and most importantly, unknown is a dream shared by many.

Do these uncovered hidden gems actually exist? 

When you stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, you will only have one concern: getting lost. That's right, this wonderfully, enormous hotel is so big it is easy to get lost in if you do not know where you are going. 

Located on the island of Oahu, Honolulu is the most populous city in Hawaii and the most remote "big city" in the world. Honolulu is an important hub of international business and military defense. It is home to a rich history and a vibrant culture.

The folks who run the Greenbrier like to refer to their opulent resort as America's Resort. For a country as expansive as America--home to 300 million people and tens of thousands of resorts--calling yourself the America's Resort is quite a bold claim.

Honolulu is the state capital of Hawaii and the most populous city in the entire Pacific. Honolulu is the most remote "big city" in the world. With a population of almost 350,000 people, Honolulu acts as the financial & cultural epicenter of all the Pacific Islands.

Every fall American Classic Tours travels to the North Shore of Lake Superior, driving along one of the most beautiful routes in all of North America. This scenic drive is a paved line between rugged boreal forests aglow with brilliant fall foliage and the rocky lake shoreline. Northern Minnesota is home to some of America's most unspoiled lands. Filled with dramatic coastal cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and the Superior National Forests, the North Shore of Lake Superior makes for an awesome 5-6 day trip. 

I invite you to join us on what I consider one of the most spectacular trips we offer  -  California Coast. This trip itinerary was specifically designed to take in as much of the Pacific Coastline as is possible. From Santa Monica to Malibu to Santa Barbara and then from Morro Bay to San Simeon to Big Sur to Monterey, you will be treated to an unforgettable, endless panorama of Pacific Coastline scenes all from the comfortable seats and large windows of a premier motorcoach.

So you’re an experienced traveler. You have visited the Statue of Liberty, the White House, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the rest of America’s top attractions. You have seen the beauty of Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, the Grand Canyon, and the rest of America’s National Parks.  You have stepped foot in, what seems like, almost every state. But, have you gone on vacation to North Dakota?