Day 1: Indianapolis/ Harlingen
Travel from Indianapolis by air Harlingen, Texas. Shuttle provided to your overnight accommodations.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Mission (or similar) - Harlingen, TX

Day 2: Harlingen / Montemorelos / Matehuala, San Luis Potosi
Your adventure begins as your chartered motor coach travels west over a recently completed four lane highway, then through ranch and farmland to Montemorelos, a citrus center. After lunch traverse the picturesque Santa Rosa Canyon where we stop to admire the awe inspiring vista. Then on to the high plains of Mexico for our first overnight. Las Palmas Midway Inn - Matehuala, San Luis Potosi (CB, L)

Day 3: Matehuala / San Miguel de Allende
Set on a steep hillside overlooking the Río Laja and dominated by red rooftops and domed churches, San Miguel de Allende, known as the Mexican Hill Town, is considered a retiree's mecca, a photographer's delight, a shopper's paradise and a history buff's dream. A series of artist colonies were founded in San Miguel in the 1950s, including the famous Instituto Allende, and many G.I.s moved their families here following World War II either to attend one of these colonies or to escape the Polio scares raging through many U.S. cities. Put on your walking shoes as you explore the cobble stoned streets of this colonial town.
The Posada San Francisco - San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato (B)

Day 4: San Miguel de Allende / Angangueo
Today we travel into a cobblestoned mining town, the village of Angangueo in the beautiful state of Michoacan. where we spend the night in a small colonial hotel. Explore the village before dinner. Be sure to wear your long handles, your flannel night gown or be prepared to cuddle up as there is no central heat. Hotel Don Bruno - Angangueo (D)

Day 5: Angangueo / Patzcuaro / Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve
Today is "the day". Vans carry us up the mountain side to a nearby Indian village where with special permission we enter into the most famous Rosario Monarch Preserve. Those not able to walk at this altitude need only wait in the peaceful solitude of the meadows for as the sun warms, the Monarchs descend to you by the thousands. It is indeed a euphoric experience to walk into a forest of Monarchs, their gentle fluttering surrounding you and soothing your spirit. The floor of the forest looks like an exotic Zapotec rug of constant moving colors, and yet the sound is as soft as winter's first gentle snow. You're almost afraid breathing too loud will disturb the peace and tranquility. Just then, as the clouds cover the sun, a whirl of activity will startle you as clouds of butterflies rush past leaving you breathless at the spectacle. A tail gate picnic lunch provides more time for you to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of this preserve. Then sit back and relax as your charter coach takes you to Patzcuaro where you spend the next two nights. Posada Don Vasco - Patzcuaro (B, PL)

Day 6: Patzcuaro / Santa Clara del Cobre
Take a boat ride on beautiful nearby Lake Patzcuaro, you will visit the Isla de Janitzio, the main island of Lake Patzcuaro. A 131 foot statue of Jose Maria Morelos, a great hero of Mexican independence stands out on the highest point of the island. Janitizio island is almost 100 percent Purepecha "Tarascan" indian and is the site of one of Mexico's most famous Day of the Dead festivals. You should see some Tarascan Indians using their famous butterfly nets to seine for the famous local cuisine "pescado blanco." Watching the fishermen go out in groups is a bewitching spectacle, particularly during the early ours of the morning, with the mist and the calming stillness of the lake. The people of Janitzio have conserved this form of fishing, as well as other millenarian customs and traditions that are part of the enchantment of this island. Return to the mainland to shop in the local market or the Casa de Los Once Patios (house of eleven patios) where each room is filled with a different regional craft from this state.

Visit nearby Santa Clara del Cobre to observe the artisans practicing the centuries old trade of hand-hammering copper. The work requires not only skill, but great strength and endurance, as it may take hundreds of thousands of hammer blows in order to complete one large piece. Although the local copper mines are no longer active, artisans still make everything from napkin rings to cooking vessels using recycled copper. At the Museum del Cobre you can watch while the ore is heated, pounded into ingots, and finally hammered into desired shapes with one of three finishes: high shine, fire bloom, or unpolished. Entertainment tonight is the dance presentation of "Los Viejitos" (the little old men), Brandishing canes, spryly cavorting, and flirting with the young girls, the dancers wear colorful masks designed to mimic wrinkled ancients. Posada Don Vasco - Patzcuaro (BB, D)

Day 7: Patzcuaro / San Luis Potosi
Today our first stop will be Morelia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Morelia's over 1000 historic pink stone buildings reflect a electic blend of Renaissance & Baroque architecture. A fine example of the Baroque style can be found in the Morelia Cathedral which houses a German organ boasting 4,600 pipes, the star of the annual International Organ Festival. Then on to Queretaro another UNESCO World Heritage site. Here you’ll see the impressive Arcos aqueduct that stretches 6 miles into the mountains, one of Mexico’s most important water delivery systems built during the colonial era. The impressive aqueduct, and beautifully preserved colonial architecture in houses and palaces, as well as amazing food, arts and theatre, make Queretaro a favorite destination. Tonight we have a wonderful musical surprise by the Estudiantina Guadalupana scheduled for 8:00pm. Hotel Panorama - San Luis Potosi (BB)

Day 8: San Luis Potosi / Harlingen
Our adventure comes to an end today as we return to the magic Rio Grande Valley of Texas. We should arrive at the border around 6:30pm. La Quinta Inn & Suites Mission (or similar) - Harlingen, TX

Day 9: Harlingen / Indianapolis
Breakfast at your hotel before transfer to Harlingen airport and your flight home. (CB)

Note: This tour involves high altitudes. It is advisable to check with your doctor if you are affected by high altitude.

Commercial Air: Book Now to ensure your place on this trip because this trip operates on commercial air. Space is limited and may not be available less than 90 days before departure.