Wouldn’t we all love to experience more of Christmas time? This three-day tour offered Christmas and so much more. My people kept saying, “That was a good stop,” or “This is a winner.”

There was a child of eight years old traveling with her grandparents. She was adorable and a joy to have along. She entertained us with her outfit changes. She dressed as a flapper girl in a black dress with layers of fringe, in a red and green velvet Christmas outfit, as a pioneer girl, and as a cowgirl. And when we visited the antique cars, which I’ll talk about later, she had so much fun trying on fur coats and fancy hats! She was the cutest model.

DAY 1: There were two motorcoaches on this tour. Our pickup locations were Sharonville, Middletown and Dayton. Once on the road, Mike and I sang “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” and a Happy Ju--ly! Everyone smiled and clapped.

A note on the itinerary said, “All arrangements made by Hardy’s Flying Reindeer Ranch.” I had spoken with Julie Hardy before our trip began and there was something about her that I could tell she would be wonderful to work with. She did not disappoint.

We had arrived at our first destination by noon for a tour of the Jail House Inn in Rockville, Indiana. Two ladies joined us as guides. One was dressed as a Sheriff and the other as a prisoner. Both were wearing fake black mustaches! Treena the Sheriff was very entertaining. We took a drive through the beautiful countryside, learning about the covered bridges and making a stop at Bridgeton Mill. This was a working mill and we were each given a small bag of flour to take home. We had a delicious barbecue lunch at the 36 Saloon. Then we toured the historic 1879 jail-turned-bed and breakfast, where notorious criminal John Dillinger was once held. A group of older bikers had rented rooms there. They were enjoying the day out on the lawn. When they saw that we had a lot of seniors who needed help going up and down stairs, they hopped in to offer an arm. The ladies loved it! Before we left we explored the original dungeon, now a rustic winery called The Drunk Tank for wine tasting!

We drove a while longer to our Holiday Inn in Champagne, Illinois, for a two-night stay. Before we exited the bus, “Miss Lil” hopped on board to greet us. She was dressed to the hilt like a saloon girl from the 1800s. She was actually Julie Hardy, the owner of the reindeer ranch, and she joined us several times in different costumes.

We were greeted inside the hotel conference room with a very nice spread of snacks: cheeses, fruits, drinks, including wine. Shortly after everyone was settled in their rooms, we went to our “mystery dinner” at Silver Creek. There were four people dressed in 1800s costumes. As we were eating dinner, they visited each table and did a skit about “Who was the Klondike Kid?” Each man received a token for “One Free Night in Sassy Sadie’s Klondike Saloon” but you must take a bath first! Each lady received a beautiful red rose. The Klondike Kid turned out to be the mayor.

DAY 2: Our first stop today was at the Japan House Gardens on the campus of the University of Illinois. Julie greeted us again as “Miss Mischievous”, this time dressed in a red velvet dress and red boots. The gardens were beautiful and we spent time at a pond watching lots of turtles.

Our next adventure was a guided tour through the Amish countryside, which included a tour of a furniture store in Arcola, IL (Premier Designs), a tour of an Amish home, a home cooked meal in an Amish home, a shopping stop at Beachy’s Bulk Foods, and lastly a stop at a shoe store that was owned by our guide. At the Amish home, the homeowner lady was so gracious, answering questions and showing us around, including the upstairs bedrooms and the cellar where she kept canned foods. We saw two of her five children, one son was barefoot out by the barn and another son was caring for a half-dozen new puppies. This added to our enjoyment. Everyone loves babies!

Our next stop was Flesor’s Candy Kitchen in Tuscola, IL. What a pleasant adventure we had here! Our host, the descendant of the Greek owner, was hilarious! As we sat in the antique booths, she explained the history behind the business that began in 1901 by her grandfather. We were taken into a processing room that had two marble tables and one granite table. Homemade cashew brittle was on the table, ready for packaging. We received a free ice cream cone, plus candy treats to take home. There was a room with one complete wall of bookshelves filled with books and she told us to help ourselves and take as many as we wanted. She really made this a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

Next came the adventure we had all been looking forward to, a visit to Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch! Julie and her husband have operated the ranch for 30 years. Julie was dressed western style in a jean dress. Early this morning, we were each given a small package of graham crackers without an explanation. We found out that they were treats for the reindeer! So it was time to get up close and personal with a hands-on experience with these big animals with large antlers. Those who were brave fed their graham cracker by mouth to the reindeer! Yup, Mike and I did this and have photos to prove it! It was an amazing experience and we learned so much. We learned that the reindeer and the caribou are the exact same species. The difference simply comes down to geography and domestication. Both male and female have antlers. We had a perfect weather day to spend near the reindeer. Of course, they were behind a fence. But they came to us expecting their graham cracker treats.

We were treated to a wagon ride around the ranch, with Julie’s husband narrating. Next, we had a delicious chuck-wagon style dinner at the Klondike Saloon. We had smoked brisket, cornbread, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, and apple pie, all this food after having the homemade Amish meal for lunch! Don’t think anyone minded one bit! Following our meal, there was entertainment, a one-man show of songs and guitar-playing. This man was very talented and I learned that he had been performing at the ranch for over 25 years. Most all of his songs were based on comedy. Some verses were so hilarious, that people were literally wiping tears away from so much laughing! Everyone got to take home a souvenir red/black bandana with a white reindeer that said “Reindeer Ranch, Rantoul, IL.”

DAY 3: On our last day of this uniquely entertaining and interactive tour, there were still surprises ahead. Our first experience was a visit to Magic Motors. We enjoyed viewing a collection of antique cars, with a special focus on the iconic Packards. Many of the cars were one of a kind and the only ones in existence. We met the owners, Allen and Nancy Strong. Allen was a featured guest on “The Jay Leno Show” and regularly attended prestigious antique car shows alongside the famous talk show host. Nancy hopped on the bus, dressed in a polka dot dress, long white pearl necklace tied in a knot, hat, gloves, purse, the perfect look of the 1940s. She surprised us by saying to all the ladies that there were lots on fancy hats and several fur coats that we were welcome to try on! Great photo ops for those who participated, and there was lots of participation! I had a lady say, “I wasn’t interested in seeing antique cars.” Her smile said, “This was a great stop.”

Our last event was at the William Staerkel Planetarium, where we watched the wonders of the sky, including the filming of the Northern Lights.

Our buffet lunch was at a nice event center called Carmon’s in Champaign, Illinois. They offered an eloquent setting, good food and musical entertainment with a three-piece band.

We were finally on our way home. By now, people were ready to rest. However, for those who wanted to watch a movie, there was “Prancer,” a family drama featuring, what else, a reindeer!

From the Escort Seat of,

Maxine Harris Havey

Christmas In July