Ballet in the Pacific Northwest
Seattle - Vancouver - Banff - Portland - San FranciscoThis tour features a wonderful combination of travel experiences, magnificent scenery and four of North America’s leading ballet companies: Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle); Ballet British Columbia (Vancouver); Oregon Ballet (Portland) and the San Francisco Ballet.
The scenic highlights include the beautiful cities of Seattle, Vancouver and San Francisco, historic Victoria and the Butchart Gardens, the Rocky Mountaineer rail trip, Banff and Lake Louise, and the redwoods of northern California.
Enjoy five wonderful nights at the ballet, including 'Swan Lake' (Seattle), 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (Vancouver), 'Left Unsaid' (Portland), 'Jewels' and a programme of 21st-century works (San Francisco).
Swan Lake - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle
ITINERARY:
Tuesday 14 April 2009: Australia - Seattle
Depart Australia on Qantas flights and travel via Los Angeles to Seattle. Transfer to your hotel located in downtown Seattle. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. Tonight join Elizabeth Zimmer and fellow ballet lovers for a welcome dinner. (D)
Wednesday 15 April: Seattle
Start your visit to Seattle with a City Tour. Discover the many facets of the Emerald City as you tour the downtown business and shopping district, historic Pioneer Square, and the vibrant Chinatown-International District. Drive along the shores of Lake Washington and through the 200-acre University of Washington Arboretum. Visit the Hiram M. Chittenden Government Locks and fish ladder, which connect our many freshwater lakes to the saltwater Puget Sound and allow salmon to migrate upstream. Return to downtown Seattle via Magnolia and Queen Anne, two areas that offer spectacular views of Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains.
Free time for lunch at Pike Place Market, a nine-acre National Historic District and home to more than 100 farmers, 150 craftspeople and 50 street performers.
In the afternoon take a cruise on Lake Union and Lake Washington on a 2-hour live narrated cruise on history and facts of the area. See the historic houseboat community including the “Sleepless in Seattle” houseboat, Mt. Rainier and homes of Seattle’s rich and famous. (B)
Thursday 16 April: Seattle
Day at leisure.
Take the monorail or a leisurely walk to the Space Needle for glorious views of Seattle. Continue to the nearby Marion Oliver MacCaw Hall for an early dinner followed the performance of Kent Stowell’s 'Swan Lake' by the Pacific Northwest Ballet. At the conclusion of the ballet, return to the hotel under own arrangements. (B, D)
Friday 17 April: Seattle – Victoria
Depart Seattle this morning on board a high speed catamaran for a two to three hour cruise through Puget Sound and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca on your way to Victoria, Vancouver Island . Transfer to the hotel.
Victoria remembers its colourful history with First Nations totem poles, heritage architecture and afternoon tea, and bustles with the energy of a university town.
The harbour is alive with the romance of an era when tall ships moored alongside the wharf and evenings glitter as lights twinkle and cast their magic from atop the landmark British Columbia Legislative Buildings.
Afternoon visit to Butchart Gardens, Tucked into a serene 130 acre country estate on the southeast corner of BC's Vancouver Island, the Butchard Gardens is a garden of earthly delights in every season. The evening is at leisure (B,L)
Saturday 18 April: Victoria - Vancouver
The morning is at leisure to explore Victoria on your own. Early afternoon transfer by coach and ferry to Vancouver.
Transfer to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for tonight’s performance of John Alleyne’s acclaimed 'A Streetcar named Desire' by the Ballet British Columbia. Based on the 1947 Tennessee Williams Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, A Streetcar named Desire is a highly dramatic contemporary ballet. This full-length work includes Alleyne’s unique signature choreography as well as innovative lighting, set and costume design, and an original jazz score. (B)
Sunday 19 April: Vancouver
The highlights of the morning city-tour include Gastown, the historic area of early Vancouver, Chinatown, Robson Street, the high fashion shopping area, Stanley Park with one thousand acres of forest in the heart of the city, English Bay beaches and Vancouver Harbour.
Finish the morning with a visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Located in a magnificent heritage building. A focal point of downtown Vancouver, the Gallery presents major Canadian and international exhibitions ranging from groundbreaking contemporary artists to historical masters. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. (B,L)
Monday 20 April: Vancouver
Day at leisure to further explore Vancouver. (B)
Tuesday 21 April: Vancouver – Rocky Mountaineer
Depart Vancouver on board the Rocky Mountaineer on a two day trip to Banff. Travel on the Kicking Horse route, named for the pass over which it crosses the Canadian Rockies, this route traces the historic transcontinental rail line that united Canada's East and West and includes, amongst other highlights, the legendary Spiral Tunnels.
(Travel in RedLeaf class, upgrade to GoldLeaf class $730 p.p.) Overnight stay in Kamloops, at the junction of the mighty Fraser and the Thompson River. (B, L)
Wednesday 22 April: Rocky Mountaineer - Banff
Continue your journey eastwards to the mighty Canadian Rockies. See a spectacular range of scenery as you travel across farmland, along rocky lakeshores, over high mountain passes and through the remarkable tunnels that form part of the rich rail history of the Canadian Rockies. Today’s highlights include Craigellachie where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven, the climb over Rogers Pass, the Kicking Horse Canyon, the Spiral Tunnels, and of course the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Your rail journey ends in the resort town of Banff. (B,L,D)
Thursday 23 April: Banff
Morning exploration of the resort town of Banff, set amongst the towering mountains of Rundle, Tunnel, Cascade and Norquay. Learn about the natural attractions of the wind-shaped hoodoos that tower majestically over the valley. A gentle ride on the Banff Gondola takes you to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for a 360 degree panorama of the Bow Valley.
After a break for lunch travel to Lake Louise. Drive past Vermilion Lakes and Castle Mountain for unique photo opportunities and includes a stop at Johnston Canyon for a short hike to view the spectacular lower falls. At Lake Louise you will have time to walk the lakeshore trails or explore the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The last stop of the day will be at Moraine Lake before returning to Banff. (B)
Friday 24 April: Banff - Portland
Mid-morning transfer to Calgary for your flight to Portland, Oregon. Known as "the City of Roses", Portland is situated in a magnificent setting between the sparkling waters of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. (B,D)
Saturday 25 April: Portland
Discover Portland on a walking tour. Hear about early and modern Portland as your guide shows you an enlightened city rich with artwork, parks, bridges, downtown trains, fountains, and 30+ brewpubs.
Short walk from the hotel to the Newmark Theatre for the matinee performance by the Oregon Ballet Theatre of 'Left Unsaid'.
The program comprises an OBT premiere of Left Unsaid by choreographer Nicolo Fonte, plus the whirlwind force of William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Balanchine’s flirtatiously energetic Tarantella. The program’s exclamation point is a major world premiere by James Kudelka. (B)
Sunday 26 April Portland – San Francisco
Morning flight from Portland to San Francisco. Your hotel is located in the heart of San Francisco's theatre, dining and shopping districts as well as Union Square.
Tonight, after an early dinner, transfer to the Civic Centre to see the San Francisco Ballet performing 'Jewels'.
George Balanchine’s plotless, full-length ballet depicts the unique brilliance of “Emeralds,” “Rubies”, and “Diamonds,” with each section inspired by the music and mood of the ballet’s three different composers. (B,D)
Monday 27 April San Francisco
This morning’s tour will introduce you to the highlights of San Francisco including the Civic Centre, Union Square, Nob Hill, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf to name a few. Then cruise the bay on a one-hour cruise with views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39 and the sea lions. Remainder of the day at leisure. (B)
Tuesday 28 April San Francisco
Today experience San Francisco from a unique perspective of the historic buildings of the Financial District on a two hour walking tour. You will get an introduction to some of San Francisco's most famous downtown buildings but, you will also discover hard to find rooftop gardens, unique open spaces and historical landmarks.
Join Elizabeth Zimmer and fellow group members for a farewell lunch. Afternoon at leisure.
Tonight enjoy a program of 21st-century choreographers by the San Francisco Ballet. Yuri Possokhov investigates the classical and traditional styles of movement in 'Fusion'. Next, the San Francisco Ballet premiere of 'Russian Seasons', created by one of today’s most talked-about choreographers, Alexei Ratmansky. Rounding out this program is Jorma Elo’s colorful juxtaposition of classical and contemporary ballet, 'Double Evil'. (B,L)
Wednesday 29 April Depart San Francisco
Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast. (B)
YOUR HOTELS****:
Seattle – Roosevelt Hotel
Victoria – The Hotel Grand Pacific
Vancouver – Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
Kamloops – t.b.a.
Banff – Fairmont Banff Springs
Portland – Heathman Hotel
San Francisco – Galleria Park Hotel
N.B. Hotel of a similar standard may be substituted
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