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Gallo Center, Modesto

Bunnies are bouncing, tulips are budding...and we're welcoming the springtide with several new tours!  We are also happy to announce 40 Years of Sports Leisure Travel! Join us for a celebratory lunch. Reservations are limited; details are on the first page.

Skates on the Bay, Berkley

It is with great pride and pleasure that we bring you the latest edition of The Traveler including your invitation to Spring Preview Day.  The date of June 8 just happens to coincide with Sports Leisure’s 45^th anniversary.  We hope you will join us for the celebration!  RSVP required – read about it on page 1.

New Vacations begin on page 11 featuring in-state trips to Mammoth, Mono Lake, Bodie and Hollywood, along with holiday adventures featuring Hearst Castle, Cambria, Solvang, Santa Barbara and The Ritz on Half Moon Bay.  Cruise fans will want to jump aboard the extremely well-priced repositioning cruise on Holland America’s Zaandam.  Our ever-popular Key West trip is also herein, heading out in January 2025.

Looking for holiday season travel a bit farther from home?  Consider our annual journey to Thanksgiving in New York featuring two Broadway shows and the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.  A more homespun holiday experience is yours in the Appalachian Mountains with visits to Asheville, Dollywood and Nashville.

You’ll find pages of new Daycations with a spotlight on live theatre in the region through September.  We’re especially excited about a trip to Richmond focusing on the contribution of women during WWII.  All hail Rosie the Riveter!

Wishing you and yours a happy springtime. We look forward to seeing you on the road, rails and water soon. Your next vacation is only a phone call away!

Dear Sports Leisure Travelers:

Below is the latest edition of our newsletter, The Traveler.  Some readers of this newsletter attended our recent Spring/Holiday Preview Day at KVIE, where many of the new trips were rolled out.  I won't lie to you, some of the tour listed in this newsletter have very limited space left, in some cases only a couple of seats.  A couple sold out and are not listed.  Our office hours are 9am - 3:30pm, M-F, if you want you jump on a tour or tours now.  There are also a couple of new baseball day trips on the schedule, as almost all of the previously announced trips are sold out.  Mariea has also added a host of new day trips.

Don't be afraid to put your name on a wait list if your requested trip is full.  History tells us about 2/3 of the people on a wait list get an opportunity to take the tour at some point.  

There will be an "in between" informal newsletter at the end of July/first part of August.  The 2026 Tour Catalog will roll out at Tour Preview Day on Saturday, September 20th.

Thank you for your support and referrals to friends and relatives.  We are extremely proud to be your hometown tour company, supporting things in the community that are important to all of us.  I was reminded, as the Loaves and Fishes man joyfully placed the donated diapers and pet food into his truck at Preview Day, that small groups of people, working together, can make a difference in the community.  Your, our travelers, have proved that over and over again.  The sales of tours are wonderful, but seeing all of you at events or on the road, watching you rise to support important causes, reminds me this company is a little different than the rest.

Hope to see you on tour or on the radio (Saturdays at 11am) soon.

Mark

It's the most wonderful time of the year for visiting the Big Apple!

Ride the old Skunk Train, enjoy North Coast hospitality

An experience-filled sojourn in this popular Iberian wonderland

For those who love the unusual and seek adventure "From Ancient Ruins to Ocean Views - One Journey, Endless Wonders"

@ Curran Theatre, San Francisco

• Reserved seating for The Carpenters Songbook at the renowned McCallum Theatre
• A ride aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world's largest rotating tramcar, including lunch atop scenic Mount San Jacinto
• Discover the fascinating world of date cultivation with a guided visit to a historic Date Farm
• Explore the wonders of the desert at the renowned Living Desert and Gardens, home to native wildlife, beautiful botanical gardens, and engaging exhibits
• A Celebrity Home Tour - See the desert homes of the stars - Palm Springs was a place they could escape in the 50's and 60's
• Time to explore the popular VillageFest Street Fair, where Palm Canyon Drive comes alive with local artists, crafts and food vendors, and entertainment

Featuring a visit to Filoli House & Garden dressed in her holiday best

Featuring a ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad through the amazing Arizona backcountry

Featuring rides on Oregon's Rogue River and coastal sand dunes

This year's theme, "The Greatest of All Time," is sure to be a crowd-pleaser

Featuring exclusive First-Class glass-domed car on the rails

@ Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco

East Sonora Theatre

Featuring reserved upgraded seating in the Chasers Lounge and Gondola Club

Featuring three days cruising the San Juan Island aboard the Salish Express.

Welcome to something new from Sports Leisure Vacations, the "In Between Newsletter." 

After going "all electronic" with our newsletter last year, we recently realized something. In the change, we left a lot of people behind. Either they didn't see the e-newsletter in their mailbox, or the settings on their computer sent the newsletter to spam, or....who knows. But at the recent Preview Day, comments from those in attendance made us aware of the problem. (Because we MAILED the newsletter announcing Preview Day, everyone got it, which is how we became aware of the challenge.) This publication is being emailed to all on our email list, then mailed by US Postal Service to those who asked (and paid for) hard copies of all newsletters.  

Changes in the Newsletter Going Forward
The next full newsletter will arrive in your e-mailbox AND by regular mail, about January 20th. We will publish quarterly full newsletters and email and regular mail them to all on our list. In Between those full newsletters, we will send out a blast like this one, with important updates and even some new trips. Those will be email only, with the exception of the 300 or so who paid $10 a year to get their newsletter by regular mail. If you have questions, send me a note (Markslt@aol.com) or inquire of our staff.

This will increase our communications from 6 to 8 times a year without a dramatic increase in cost and keep our members better informed. 4 regular printed newsletters (actually 3 and the annual catalog). It isn't perfect, but we think a step in the right direction. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated.  

***
The Travel Guys Radio Show - Saturdays at 11am on KFBK, or by podcast

For the past 17 years, Tom Romano and I have hosted a weekend travel show on the radio, KFBK, 1530AM, 93.1 FM. It can be heard at 11am Saturday mornings. The live show is turned into a podcast and is available to be listened to at your leisure. You can find the podcast at https://www.sportsleisure.com. While it is a general interest program, we occasionally talk about Sports Leisure trips.

Starting Saturday, December 7th, there will be a Sports Leisure update every week, at 11:33am, after the news break at the bottom of the hour. The purpose of the "Sports Leisure Minute" is to give you updates on trips. Perhaps something has been added to a tour, or a news announcement has prompted us to create a new tour. We hope you will tune in live or on the podcast to stay current with your favorite travel company.

***
Thank you for your support. Tour Preview Day overwhelmed us, but in the days since, we have placed over 160 people from wait list to the trip or trips of their choice. The point here is, put your name on the wait list. Sometimes we add an additional date (Wonder Valley/Redwoods/Kings Canyon, Laguna Pageant and San Juan Islands are three examples of tours where a second departure has been added in 2025.)

See you on the road or on the radio on Saturday mornings.

Mark

This little island in the North Atlantic is big on adventure!

@ the Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco