Our annual Minnesota Coffee Party was held  recently at the Mower County Senior Center.

It is always the highlight of our year when friends come together to make travel plans for the year. We all agreed its been a cold winter and we are ready to come out of hibernation and get ready for the warm, sunny days ahead.

A calendar of events and tours is now available. We also have some extended travel opportunities for this season.

Our tours are planned with you in mind and are available to all ages. You don’t have to be a Senior Center member, but it is a plus to have the travel news each month in the center’s newsletter. Stop by the center’s  main desk for more information.

Gene Lewison, Lani Dalgado and Vernon Ginder  were drawn for travel gift certificates.

 Upcoming trips

•April 4: Bachman’s Flowers on Lyndale Avenue where we will see the first signs of spring flowers in bloom. The next  stop will be downtown Minneapolis where we’ll visit Macy’s annual Spring Flower Show, “Tower of Flowers.” The entire eighth floor will be furnished with flowers and landscaping. The rest of the day will be spent on your own.

•April 25: State School Orphanage Museum in Owatonna. This is a return trip to Owatonna because of the interest we have received. The tour will be  lead by a former ward of the state who lived there as a child. Harvey Ronglien has quite a story to tell about life there. We will have a video.  Also included on the day will be the Winton Guesthouse and the First National Farmers Bank, which is  recognized  as one of  the most famous pieces of prairie school architecture in America. Lunch is included at Famous Dave’s .

•May 3: The 78th annual Tulip Festival in Pella, Iowa. We will take a tour of the beautiful gardens and get reserved seating for the afternoon’s Grand Parade. Costumed street scrubbers will prepare the way as they begin with royalty. A huge parade follows with many of the Pella’s families in costumes and  wooden shoes.  There will be a chance to visit the Verneer Windmill, a quilt show, tour historic homes and even purchase tulip bulbs from Holland.

•May 15: Old Log Theater in Excelsior, Minn., presenting “Mahaliia.” This production was written by the  theater owner and resident actor Tom Stoltz.

Beloved gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson started her career  with humble beginnings and  moves on to entertain presidents and royalty.  See a powerful hand-clapping, foot-stomping musical based on her life as the legendary queen of gospel. We will choose from a selection of five items for our entrée with lunch on the patio.

•June 13: Orpheum Theater presents “War Horse.” This is one of the biggest productions of the year. “War Horse” takes you from the English countryside to the battlefields of World War I.  You will not believe the astonishing life-size puppets created that bring life-breathing and galloping horses strong enough for men to ride.

A touching and emotional story of a boy and his horse. Some seats still remain available, but sign up is going quickly.

•Oct. 13-19: Fall trip to Nashville, Tenn., is open.

•Nov. 13-17: Kansas City and Branson, Mo., Christmas Trip.

All of this information is available in our message box near the south entrance. Regular office hours — Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays — will resume soon. Other times can be made to the travel number at 507-438-3946.