OCTOBER 2013
SUNRAYS | 23
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
OUTINGS
Purchase your tickets for CA Sponsored Outings at
or at the Member Services Oce.
Tickets for activities listed for the first time will be available
Tuesday, October 1, at 8 a.m.
go outside to see the parade if you wish, but no guarantee
the weather will cooperate!) We will be in the Stetson Room,
which boasts four windows for viewing, and we will have
waiters exclusively for us!
On Saturday morning, you may enjoy your accommodations
or go out for a final river stroll. Check out is at noon, and
then we board our bus to return to Sun City Texas. On the
way home, we will make one rest stop where you may pick
up something to eat.
Note: You may purchase two double occupancy tickets,
so you may ask non-Sun City friends to go with you if
you wish. However, no one under age 18 is allowed to
attend with our group.
Ticket cost includes transportation, Thanksgiving meal, river
cruise (including tip), Friday night dinner with parade, and
two nights at the Hilton Palacio del Rio.
Volunteer Trip Leader: Bobbi Heuss
Homestead Village Craft Fair – Waco
Saturday, November 30, $18 pp
Depart SCPL 8:30 a.m.; Return 5 p.m.
Crisp autumn air, the jingling of draft
horse harnesses, the aroma of barbecue and
fresh-baked breads set the stage for the 26th
annual Homestead Village Crafts Fair. This
exposition of fine crafts and heirloom skills is
a fun and educational festival for folks of all ages. The lineup
of activities and demonstrations is extensive. Sheepdog herd-
ing, barn raising, blacksmithing, butter and cheese making,
wood working, gardening, quilting…the list goes on and on.
You can visit the Old Grist Mill, the Pottery Barn, the Wood
Shop, or the Weavers Studio. You can take a horse-drawn hay-
ride, try your hand at basket weaving, or just stroll the grounds
and sample the fresh, homemade assortment of tempting foods
– fresh apple cider, pastries and breads, cheeses, shish-kabobs
to barbecue. Did I mention maple pecan ice cream?
Musical entertainment throughout the day will include gospel,
bluegrass, and toe-tapping country favorites. This traditional
crafts village showcases a community of craftsmen who have
returned, not to the past, but to enduring values of handcrafts-
manship. Create a new Thanksgiving tradition this year and
join us for the Homestead Crafts Fair.
Note: Dress for outdoor weather and walking on un-
even grounds.
Ticket cost includes transportation and fair fees.
Volunteer Trip Leader: Jerilee Prather
The Nutcracker ICE Sculptures at the
Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine - NEW!
Tuesday, December 3, $48 pp
Depart SCPL 12 noon; Return 10 p.m.
Let’s join Clara and her Nut-
cracker Prince for a magical adventure in
more than two million pounds of hand-carved
ice sculptures and scenes from the classical
ballet. Forty ice carvers from China spend a
month of 12-hour shifts inside a 9 degree freezer transforming
the ice into a winter wonderland.
The resort features an indoor garden with 1.5 million twin-
kling lights, 12,000 ornaments and a 52 foot tall rotating
Christmas tree. Last year, due to the sunlight, we could not
experience the true beauty of the lights inside the resort. But
this year, I’ve arranged the trip so we will be able to experience
the thousands of gorgeous lights from dusk until we depart.
Dinner will be on your own. You can choose from Mexican,
BBQ, Italian, steak, or just grab a cup of coffee and sandwich.
You must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. All guests are
provided with a parka to fit over your clothing, but with the
temperature at 9 degrees bring your own gloves, a hat and
a thick scarf to cover your neck – a turtleneck really helps.
There is a lot of walking and some stairs on this trip.
On the way, we will stop at Collin Street Bakery and in Waco
on the return.
Ticket cost includes transportation and entrance to the ICE
Sculptures. Deadline to purchase tickets is November 29.
Volunteer Trip Leader: Ellen Mire
Handel’s Messiah at Rivervend Center with
dinner at Romano’s Macaroni Grill - NEW!
Tuesday, December 3, $92 pp
Depart SCPL 4:45 p.m.; Return 10:30 p.m.
The Austin Symphony pres-
ents its Christmas tradition, Handel’s
Mes-
siah
, accompanied by Chorus Austin. Both a
holiday classic and a city favorite, this night
of musical magic will comfort you through
its familiarity and fill you with the joy of rediscovery. Begin
your winter celebrations with this performance full of rejoic-
ing at the Riverbend Centre, nestled in the picturesque Texas
Hill Country.
Messiah
is one of the greatest musical masterpieces of all time,
and very possibly the greatest work ever written in England.
It is also, in all probability, the most performed work in the
history of classical music. In virtually every city of the free
world,
Messiah
is performed at least once every year.
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