May

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L & M Tours Newsletter #3
May 2015
HOORAY, IT’S MAY! Not only is the daylight longer, but so is the list of trips that L & M offers this month. Celebrate
Mother’s Day and kick off the summer with a Memorial Day weekend on Boston’s sea coast. Our “Memories” column
is chock full of anecdotes about delightful day trips and the recent 9-day extravaganza to the Deep South. We are happy
so many wrote in because this month, we will pick a lucky winner from all who submitted to our newsletter. Stay tuned
for the June issue to find out who that winner is…and start writing now so you can be in the running for the next prize!
MAY . . . at a Glance
(see 2015 catalog for full details)
1 Fri
Fine Arts & Flowers & Coney Island at
Wadsworth Museum
Highlights: Oldest public art museum with
French/American Impressionists, Hudson River,
modern art; Fine Art & Flowers display; exhibit
on “Coney Island: Visions of an American
Dreamland, 1861-2008” (Hartford, CT); lunch at
Cracker Barrel.
2 Sat
Baltimore Crab Festival & Inner Harbor
Highlights: Crab Feast at Phillips Harbor
Restaurant (crabs, chicken, ribs, corn, salads,
dessert, drinks); dozens of shops in Inner
Harbor to explore after on your own.
2 Sat
Mansions in Philadelphia
Highlights: Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion (1859),
only authentically restored Victorian house
museum in Philadelphia; Lemon Hill Mansion in
East Fairmount (1800), a merchant’s summer
retreat in the Federal style; lunch buffet.
3 Sun
Spring in Cape May
Highlights: America’s first seaside resort alive
with spring flowers; shopping at Washington
Street Mall; tour of Emlen Physick Estate
(1879), authentically restored Victorian home;
guided tour of Cape May’s Historic District.
3 Sun
Peddler’s Village Strawberry Festival
Highlights: 75 quality specialty shops and
restaurants on 42 acres; juried artisans;
seasonal strawberry treats, pints of fresh
strawberries, and strawberry pie-eating
contest. Coupon book included.
NOTE: Oheka
Castle
Trip,
NOTE: Oheka
Castle
Trip,
scheduled
next
month
for
scheduled next month for June
June3, 4,
has been changed to June 4.
has been changed to June 3.
T H A N K S
F O R
T H E
MEMORIES
On March 14th, 19 hardy travelers set off on a 3,500-mile
journey from the Big Apple to the Big Easy and back. In the
secure hands of driver Harry, they stopped at Birmingham,
Tuscaloosa, New Orleans, Biloxi, Montgomery, and Charlotte.
In Birmingham, they saw interpretive exhibits at the Civil
Rights Institute. Across the street was the 16th Street Baptist
Church, where the memory of the young girls killed in that
bombing lives on in sidewalk flower arrangements, and one of
the victims’ little purse and Buster Brown shoes are lovingly
preserved at the museum.
The centerpiece of the trip was New Orleans, where the
senses came alive as music bounced off the streets and every
fragrance imaginable wafted on the air. Some passengers tried
gumbo, jambalaya, and muffuletta sandwiches; others caught
great jazz at local clubs; a couple ventured into the Museum of
Voodoo. Amelia Rosene sent in this picture of an event she
was determined to find at a local church. As she wrote: “New
Orleans is home to the largest population of Sicilians outside
of Sicily. For the feast of St. Joseph on March 19, a special altar
3 Sun
Cape May Bird & Wetlands Cruise
DATE CHANGE: from April 12 to May 3
Highlights: Captain Bob and crew sails off with a
tour of the beautiful Wetlands in Cape May, NJ;
open and closed viewing desk; binoculars
available on board; shopping at Washington
Street Mall and lunch on your own.
5 Tues
Divas Forever in Tropicana Casino, NJ
is prepared with donations of food and breads to thank the
saint for answering their prayers and ending a famine during
the Middle Ages. Tradition says if you carry a ‘lucky’ roasted
fava bean, you will never be without coins.” And Amelia did
get her lucky fava bean!
At the Backstreet Cultural Museum, Wanda Simon took
this picture of one of many gorgeous and delicately beaded
and feathered Mardi Gras memorabilia on display. Also on the
Highlights: Outstanding impersonations of
Streisand, Warwick, Franklin, James, Cher,
Garland, Horne, King, and others. Casino bonus
(subject to change), $5 coupon for future day
trip. (24-seat mini-bus)
6 Wed
Discover the Beauty of Sculpture
Highlights: “Grounds for Sculpture” in
Hamilton, NJ, featuring 270 sculptures by
renowned and emerging artists in a parkland;
includes exhibition “Seward Johnson: The
Retrospective” including 26’, 36,000-pound
Marilyn Monroe! Guided tour of NJ State
House; lunch at Cracker Barrel.
8 Fri
Batsto Mansion & Indian King
Museum
Highlights: In Batsto Village, the 19th century
residence of generations of ironmasters in the
Italianate style; King Tavern, premiere 18th
century colonial architecture; museum in
Haddonfield; lunch included.
10 Sun
Warner Theatre—Hello, Dolly!
Highlights: America’s beloved matchmaker
Dolly Levi returns singing classic Broadway
tunes in Torrington, CT; buffet lunch at
Torrington Super Buffet.
10 Sun
Mother’s Day Brunch & Trolley Ride, &
Yale University Art Gallery
Highlights: Short Line Trolley Museum with 100
vintage transit vehicles, and a delightful historic
trolley ride through scenic landscape; Mother’s
Day brunch at Amarante’s Sea Cliff; Yale Art
Gallery, oldest college art museum in U.S. with
185,000 objects, with two new exhibits:
“Whistler in Paris, London, and Venice” and
“The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art, 17601860.”
Moms will receive $5 coupon for
future day trip!
11 Mon
itinerary was a cruise on one of the last paddlewheel boats on
the mighty muddy Mississippi River featuring an authentic
steam calliope and live jazz on deck. There was as well a visit
to the historic Destrehan Plantation (1787), where an expert
demonstrated the undergarments women wore in the 1800s!
And of course, everyone visited the French Quarter by foot,
bus, or even mule-and-buggy ride. Architectural surprises and
ghostly tales were on every corner of this district in one of the
most haunted and curious cities in the United States.
A tour of Biloxi revealed the triumph of rebuilding a city
devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In addition to a stirring
memorial naming the 100+ people who perished and etching
the 8-foot water-level mark in stone, the guide proudly noted
the artworks carved from the remains of oak trees destroyed
in the waters to celebrate the endurance of the human spirit.
“Jersey Nights”—A Tribute to the
Music of the Four Seasons
Highlights: All the greatest hits of the Jersey
Boys sung by four outstanding actor/vocalists;
$15 slot bonus for Tropicana Casino at Atlantic
City, NJ.
So many other delights to share…but so little space. Suffice
it to say, this trip down South touched everyone’s hearts and
senses and will not be forgotten for a long time to come!

12 Tues
Val-Kill & Beatrix Farrand Garden
Highlights: The only National Historic site
dedicated to a first lady, the home of Eleanor
Roosevelt in Hyde Park, NJ; then Beatrix
Farrand Garden at Bellefield, a defining
influence on American gardens in the early
20th century; lunch at Coppola.
13 Wed
Karen’s Cabaret Duo
Highlights: Madison Beach Hotel, CT’s finest
shoreline resort, brings together “Big John”
Hartman and cabaret singer Karen Wagner;
award-winning lunch of clam chowder, chicken,
sole, vegetables, desserts, and drinks. (24-seat
mini-bus)
13-14
WedThurs
Boston Pops Plays the Beatles & More
15 Fri
Shady Maple & the Green Dragon
Highlights: Tour of Gibson House (1860);
evening performance at Boston Symphony Hall
of the world-renown Boston Pops; visit to
Museum of Fine Arts with 450,000; lunch and
shopping at Quincy Market. (1 dinner,
1 continental breakfast)
Highlights: Lancaster County’s largest
smorgasbord with 200 feet of authentic Penn
Dutch cooking; the shopping at Green Dragon,
7 large market buildings and smaller shops.
16 Sat
Franklin Institute—Genghis Khan
Highlights: New exhibit at Philadelphia’s
Franklin Institute on Genghis Khan, great leader
of 13th century Mongol Empire, with hundreds
of artifacts; explore other exhibits at the
Institute such as “Your Brain”; lunch included.
17 Sun
On their return from NOLA, Edward and Brenda Hanna
commented on how much they loved the trip and that the
people on board were very nice and enjoyed themselves. The
Hannas were even happier because they paid for the trip in
full before a certain date and now they are going to enjoy a
FREE day trip up to $100! They are truly pleased.

Barbara Herrmann sent in her reminiscence of a two-day
trip in late 2014 to the town of Skaneateles, NY where they
were holding a Dickens festival. She wrote:
“It was very cold and we were served very delicious
eggnog (no alcohol). While walking through the town, I
met a couple in Dickens attire and I asked who they were.
They said they were Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig. I quoted the
line from A Christmas Carol: "Was there ever a kinder
man?" Later I saw a man who looked like Ebenezer
Scrooge. I told him not to ask for bread as they would
charge him extra and he said he wouldn't. I enjoyed this
and still get pleasure out of the memory. I made two new
friends on the trip as well.”

A new trip on April 9 proved to be a big hit. Donna Horak
shared her enthusiasm: “I just got back from the PEZ factory
and Peabody Museum of Natural History tour. It was really
enjoyable and would be great for kids on summer vacation!”
The PEZ factory gives a cool hands-on demo of how the
famous PEZ candy is made and has a museum of historic PEZ
dispensers, some of which are worth a few thousand dollars.
Donna also shared a photo of one of the marvels on display at
the Peabody on the Yale University campus:
Brimfield Antique & Collectibles Show
Highlights: Largest outdoor antiques show in
the country in the foothills of the Berkshires in
MA; food courts and rest facilities.
17 Sun
Train Ride & Railway Hobby Show
Highlights: Board the Whippany (NJ) Railway
Museum Excursion Train for a 10-mile along
historic routes; museum of vintage cabooses;
Railway Hobby Show celebrating trains and
their collectors; vendors and railcar displays;
lunch at Royal Buffet; shopping at Walmart.
18 Mon
“The Fox on the Fairway”
Highlights: Zany cast of characters in a riotous
romantic comedy of a neurotic young golf
phenomenon and rival country clubs trying to
outfox each other in an annual tournament, at
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse (Hampton, NJ); lunch
included. (24-seat mini-bus)
19 Tues
The Flamingos at Mt. Airy Casino
Highlights: The “Ambassadors for Romance”
back with their flawless Dop Wop arrangements
of their top hits including “I Only Have Eyes for
You” at Mount Airy Casino (Mount Pocono, PA);
$20 slot bonus, lunch buffet included.
The PEZ trip will be replaying on September 9, so don’t miss
another chance to trip down Nostalgia Lane. And check out
the incredible ant farm in the Discovery Room of the Peabody
that will boggle the minds of young and old alike! Also be sure
and check out Yale’s wonderful Art Museum on Mother’s Day,
May 10.

L & M Tours loves to have families on board, especially
when trips bring families together. Angelita Bowman wrote
about her trip to Myrtle Beach at New Year’s 2014 that helped
her spend time with her grandchildren who live in North
Carolina: “Traveling with L & M Tours gave us a great memory
of connecting with my grandchildren and creating with them
the fantastic experience of traveling in a big bus. I recommend
all grandmas do this and see with their grandkids how great it
is to know the U.S. Thanks, L & M Tours, for this experience.”

20 Wed
Culinary Institute & FDR Home
Highlights: A guided tour of the world’s premier
culinary college and a delicious lunch at the
American Bounty restaurant (appetizer, entrée,
dessert); tour of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s
lifelong home Springwood and gardens.
21 Thurs
“Let’s Hang On”—Foxwoods Casino
Highlights: Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four
Seasons in a full-blown stage show at the Fox
Theater, featuring some of their greatest hits:
“Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a
Man,” and many others. $10 slot play at
Foxwoods Casino and lunch buffet included.
22 Fri
Another new trip that drew a good crowd was held on
Easter Sunday, April 5, to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington,
D.C. Marta Lebreton submitted a lovely photo of the Basilica,
courtesy of fellow passenger Desi Creary, and wrote:
“We hoped that we would make it for the Solemn Mass
and our drivers Harry and William made every effort
possible and succeeded. There was so much traffic as we
neared the Basilica but we were able to enter the
beautiful church and hear the Mass. It was very moving
and it renewed our spirits.
Devon Horse Show & Country Fair
Highlights: Oldest and largest outdoor multibreed horse show in the U.S. in Devon (PA);
enjoy competitions, exhibitions, and fun at the
Country Fair; shopping at King of Prussia Mall.
23-25
Sat-Mon
23 Sat
North of Boston’s Sea Coast
Highlights: Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial
(1925); Maritime Gloucester exhibits and free
time in town; Cushing House Museum and
Garden (1808); Custom House Maritime
Museum (1835); Newburyport Spring Festival
with crafts, music, and local foods; Castle Hill
(1927) and Ipswich Riverwalk. (2 continental
breakfasts,2 dinners)
Penn Dutch Amish Tour
Highlights: Guided tour of Amish farmlands in
Lancaster County; stop at Kitchen Kettle Village
or Bird-in-Hand Farmer’s Market; lunch at Good
‘N’ Plenty restaurant.
24 Sun
Nordic Lodge Lobster Feast
Highlights: Famous lobster buffet on 28 acres
overlooking Lake Pasquiset (RI), includes filet
mignon, ribs, shrimp, scallops, and chicken, plus
dessert buffet; shopping coupons included.
25 Mon
“I had hoped we could have had a bit more time to
admire the architecture and the beauty of such a
wonderful place. That is for another trip. We also headed
to the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America.
It is a tranquil, peaceful place where you can just sit in the
garden or the church and reflect. This Easter Sunday was
special as I shared it with my Mom and many L & M
friends that I have travelled with before on other trips.”
Also at the Franciscan Monastery, Gabriella Oldham
encountered a special visitor, making Easter Sunday extra
special:
Train Rides & Coal Mines
Highlights: Visit the Anthracite Region of PA, via
the Pioneer Tunnel and tour of a real coal mine,
followed by trip on a steam locomotive from
the 1920s for a ¾-mile trip around Mahanoy
Mountain to see strip mining; lunch included.
27 Wed
Farmers & Flea Markets
Highlights: Leesport Farmers and Flea Markets
in PA, featuring meats, cheeses, vegetables,
baked goods and candies, furniture, antiques,
collectibles, clothing, books, gardening items—
even a barber shop! Lunch included.
28 Thurs
Philadelphia Historic Landmarks
Highlights: The James Logan Home also known
as Stenton, one of the best preserved homes
from the early 1700s; Cliveden, also known as
the Benjamin Chew House (1767), one of the
best documented colonial houses in the
National Historic Landmarks; lunch included.
Well, Pope Francis was cardboard, but looked amazingly real
and his eyes still emanated his loving humanity. He probably
would have had a great time meeting all from the L & M Tours
bus.

29-31
Fri-Sun
30 Sat
30 Sat
31 Sun
Lest anyone forget, L & M Tours offers more than bus rides:
there
are air/land packages as well as cruises (book one and
Highlights: National Museum of Civil War
get
a
free
day trip under $100). Robert Cohn took a Collette
Museum; Roger Brooke Taney House, home of
former Supreme Court Chief Justice; Gettysburg Tour with L & M Tours to Israel, where even though Jerusalem
National Military Park Museum and Visitors
experienced snow the week before, he enjoyed delightful 80°
Center; Gettysburg “Cyclorama”; private bus
weather instead. Collette was wonderful to all the passengers,
tour of the battlefield; Shriver House Museum;
the food was excellent, and all but one hotel were five stars.
Schifferstadt Architectural Museum; Ellicott
He was very impressed with the Wailing Wall, and rode a
City Station, the oldest railroad station in the
donkey in Petra while other passengers rode camels and
U.S.; shopping at Inner Harbor in Baltimore.
horses. Cathy DeMeglio, who books trips in the office, shared
(2 continental breakfasts, 2 dinners)
that “L & M Tours recently organized 17 family and friends on
a cruise in China. They flew from JFK to Dubai for two days,
Lake George Lunch Cruise & Village
DATE CHANGE: from May 9 to May 30 flew to Singapore, then took a 7-day cruise around China,
stopping in Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Shanghai before flying
Highlights: Board the Lac du Saint Sacrement
home. The passengers said this was a trip in a lifetime;
on the “Queens of American Lakes” in the
everyone enjoyed the countries and loved the cruise.”
Adirondacks; lunch in the elegant dining room;
Speaking of cruises, Wanda Simon wanted to send in her
free time in the village of Lake George.
favorite picture from the Myrtle Beach trip, of “Captain Qua”
Cider Mill & Chester Craft Show
on board the U.S.S. North Carolina in Wilmington.
Highlights: Visit to Ralston Cider Mill, one of the
All “on board” this
last remaining cider mills in Mendham (NJ);
newsletter and sharing our
Spring Chester Craft Show, with unique gifts
stories and photos are
and furnishings.
grateful to Qua and his staff
West Point & Lunch at Hotel Thayer
for making these trips
Highlights: Combination walking/bus tour of the
possible. Perhaps a motto
world-famous military academy in Highland
for L & M Tours could be “If
Falls (NY), including Main Cadet Chapel and
it’s out there, we will get
Trophy Point on the Hudson; Visitor Center and
there.” See you soon on
West Point Museum; lunch at Hotel Thayer.
another trip, wherever it’s
Bring valid photo ID.
going!
History of Gettysburg & Frederick
We all at
L & M Tours
remember you on
Mother’s Day and
Memorial Day!
SURPRISE BOX
QUA-isms
Anyone who has taken a trip with Qua knows some
of his famous sayings. In fact, they have become
such an endearing expectation that passengers say
them before he does! Fill in the blanks with the
missing words of some of these famous “Qua-isms.”
1. “Honey, I’m _ _ _ _ !”
2. “We have a great bus driver. He just got his
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ last week.”
3. “Thank God we _ _ _ _ _ it!”
4. “My name is Qua. It’s an _ _ _ _ _ _ _ name. Veni
Qua!”
CALLING ALL MEMORIES!
Please send photos and short written reflections
on your trips to [email protected]
All who submit will be eligible for a drawing
every three months for valuable L&M prizes!
Submissions may be edited for space limitations.
A lucky winner
who submitted news for Connections
will be announced in our next issue.
Answers to QUA-isms: 1. “Honey, I’m HOME!” 2. “We have a great bus driver. He just got his LICENSE last week.” 3. “Thank God we FOUND it!”
4. “My name is Qua. It’s an ITALIAN name. Veni Qua!”