Panhandle Weather Enthusiasts Tour
Moore Than a Tour is excited to partner with Chris Smith and Dan Nyman to offer a one-of- a-kind Weather Enthusiast Tour. You will have the chance to travel with others who share a strong interest in weather and weather-related sites. We will visit the National Storm Prediction Center and Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma; the newly opened WX Experience and National Weather Center Interactive Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Joplin, Missouri History Museum and Memorial; the National Weather Center Office in Memphis, Tennessee; and the Enterprise, Alabama, High School Tornado Memorial. As we travel through seven states on our luxury motorcoach, we will learn about weather from the Panhandle Weather App team and special guests who will join us in Norman, Oklahoma; Joplin, Missouri; and Tupelo, Mississippi. While passing through Branson, Missouri, we will also see a show at Sight and Sound Theater. If you are a weather enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this 6-day, 5-night tour.
Tentative Itinerary
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Day 1 – Monday, April 12 Panama City Beach, FL / Forrest City, AR
We will depart Panama City Beach on our luxury motorcoach as we begin our fun and educational tour. We will travel through Alabama with a rest stop at Sweet Creek Farms and then on to lunch along the way. Continuing north, we will head toward Memphis and the west toward a great dinner at The Ole Sawmill, in Forrest City, Ar. After dinner we will head to our nearby hotel for the evening.
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Day 2 – Tuesday, April 13 Forrest City, AR / Norman, OK
After breakfast at the hotel, we will load the bus and continue our journey to Norman, OK. We will pass trough Little Rock, AR and have rest stops and lunch along the way. When we arrive in Norman, we will check into our hotel and prepare for dinner. At dinner we will be joined by a special guest from the National Weather Center who will share amazing information with us about the science of weather prediction. We will return to our hotel for the evening.
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Day 3 – Wednesday, April 14 Norman, OK / Tulsa, OK / Joplin, MO
Today begins with breakfast at the hotel and then it’s on to the National Weather Center located on the campus of Oklahoma State University. Once we arrive, we will go through security and prepare for our guided tour of the facility which is home to the Storm Prediction Center and so much more. After we complete our tour, we will have lunch waiting for us as we load the bus and head to the brand-new National Weather Museum & Science Center – WX Experience, in Tulsa, OK. This 2,500 square-foot immersive destination is sure to excite weather enthusiast of any age. From the hurricane wind chamber to the nation’s premier collection of weather artifacts, including a rebuilt T-28 aircraft we will be amazed. Once we finish our tour, we will continue to Joplin, MO, where the historic EF5, multiple-vortex tornado struck on May 22, 2011, with wind speeds in excess of 225 miles per hour. We will check into our hotel and then go to dinner where we will be joined by a very special guest that will speak to us. Then it’s back to the hotel for some rest.
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Day 4 – Thursday, April 15 Joplin, MO / Branson, MO/ West Plains, MO
A good breakfast will start us off for a great day of seeing sights around Joplin. We will visit the Outdoor Memorial Walk – Cunningham Park, Schifferdecker Park and the Joplin History & Mineral Museum. We will depart for Branson, MO and have lunch along the way. After lunch we will arrive at Sight and Sound Theater where we will have the amazing experience of seeing the live theatrical production of “Daniel!” After the show we will have a great dinner before we head to West Plains, Mo where we will check into our hotel for the evening.
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Day 5 – Friday, April 16 West Plains, MO / Memphis, TN / Tupelo, MS
As we begin our day, we will have breakfast at the hotel and then head south toward Memphis, TN. We will have rest stops and lunch along the way. Once in Memphis we will tour the NWC Memphis Forecast Office which is the home to the nationwide weather alert system. Then it is on to Tupelo, MS for dinner and another opportunity to be joined by a special guest who will share some amazing weather insights with us. We will the retire for the evening.
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Day 6 – Saturday, April 17 Tupelo, MS / Enterprise, AL / Panama City Beach , FL
On our final day we will load the bus after breakfast and head toward home. We will have rest stops and lunch along the way. There will be plenty of time to remember all the unforgettable experiences we have had on our journey and to share a little more time with the friends we have made. One final stop the memorial at Enterprise High School in Enterprise AL, where an EF-4 tornado struck the school on March 1, 2007, claiming 9 lives. From there we will complete or tour as we return to Panama City Beach, arriving around 5:00.
This itinerary is subject to change based on weather and other factors.
All-inclusive price includes
- Motorcoach Transportation
- 5 Nights Hotel Accommodations
- Entrance Fees to all Attractions
- 5 Breakfasts
- 1 Lunch
- 5 Dinners
- Gratuities for included Meals
- Gratuities for included Activities
Your only additional costs
- 5 lunches (if you choose)
- Tips for our Bus Drivers ($5 per day recommended)
- Tip for Tour Host (totally optional)
- Any personal items and souvenirs you may wish to buy
All-inclusive cost per person
- $150.00 nonrefundable deposit at the time of registration will reserve your space.
- Affordable trip insurance may be purchased at the time of online registration.
