Study-Tour of China Includes Two Slow Boats, 6,000 Warriors

A program geared toward mature Californians is planned by Community College Tours Inc. It’s a 23-day study-tour of China (departs Los Angeles July 1), featuring pre-departure lectures on history, art, geography, literature and education. The lectures, to be presented by authorities in China studies, will be continued throughout the trip.

The tour includes a five-day cruise on the Yangtze River aboard a brand-new ship featuring first-class cabins, twin beds and private bath. Public areas include a swimming pool, gym, sauna and observation decks.

Also on the itinerary are Beijing, with side trips to the Great Wall and Ming tombs; Shanghai; Guilin, with a cruise along the Li River, and Guangzhou and Xian, site of the excavations that have revealed more than 6,000 life-sized terra-cotta warriors, horses and chariots. The tour ends with a three-day visit to Hong Kong.

The package includes opera, concerts and acrobatic shows along the way, all meals in China (breakfast only in Hong Kong) and all transportation by air, motor coach, train and ship. Cost is $3,495 per person for 23 days. Get complete information from Community College Tours Inc., P.O. Box 620620, Woodside, Calif. 94062, or call, in California, toll-free (800) 527-3137 weekdays between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.

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One of California’s leading tour operators, Poole Tours, specializing in tours for mature travelers, has published its program for 1988. Four special tours provide seniors with an opportunity to visit various parts of the United States at a moderate pace with ample stopovers and early-evening arrivals, permitting adequate time for relaxation and meals.

The tour prices quoted below are per person, double occupancy. Price includes all transportation that is part of the tour by plane, bus, ship or train, entrance fees to national parks, museums and other attractions, a farewell dinner and luggage handling.

Dixie, Portland and More

The four tours:

April in Dixie: 20 days, departing from Los Angeles (by air) to Atlanta, visiting Southern cities and attractions by comfortable, air-conditioned motor coaches. Stops include Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville, Epcot Center, Bellingrath Gardens, Grand Ole Opry, Cypress Gardens and colonial Williamsburg. There’s also a showboat dinner cruise and jungle cruise. Departure date is April 20. Cost is $1,999 per person.

Portland Rose Festival: 11 days, departing Los Angeles on June 5. Travel is by deluxe Greyhound motor coach, and includes visits to Monterey, San Francisco, the Redwood Empire along the rugged coastline of Northern California and Oregon and on to Portland to witness the 79th annual Portland Rose Festival.

Return trip is via central Oregon through Klamath Falls and Sacramento, where a farewell dinner will be held. There are tours and other activities along the way, including the famous Skunk Train through the scenic forests of Mendocino County, plus Crater Lake and the magnificent Columbia River Highway. Per person price is $759.

Canadian Rockies Adventure: 14 days, departing Los Angeles June 22 and featuring some of America’s most scenic areas. Travel is from Los Angeles to Seattle, with four days in Victoria and Vancouver, Canada, including a boat and train excursion along British Columbia’s beautiful coastline.

Around the West

Then it’s west to Kamloops, Jasper National Park, Banff and Lake Louise and Glacier National Park in northern Montana, with visits to several other areas of southern British Columbia. The final night is at a resort in the Cascade Mountains and includes a farewell dinner before returning to Seattle the next day to fly home. Per person price for this trip is $1,669.

Alaska Extravaganza: 24 days departing Aug. 2, with a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle and stops in British Columbia before venturing into Alaska to see, among other sights, the Yukon Territory, Skagway, Valdez, Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Alaska pipeline, Mt. McKinley, Dawson City and Whitehorse.

Besides the round-trip flight, travel is by rail, ship and motor coach. Per person cost is $2,479.

Brochures on each of these tours outline all features, including sightseeing highlights, destination cities, length of stay at each stop and other special features.

When writing for the free brochures, specify which of the tours you’re interested in. Write to Poole Tours, Dept. KV, P.O. Box 990, Temple City 91780. Phone (818) 285-9775 or (213) 283-3412.