Travel Learning
Each year, Lipscomb offers several custom-designed, U.S.-based and/or global travel learning trips primarily for alumni and friends.
The Alumni and Friends Travel program offers unforgettable journeys designed to foster connection, discovery and lifelong learning. Open to alumni, their families and friends, this program blends enriching cultural experiences with the camaraderie of shared university pride. Whether exploring iconic landmarks, hidden gems or engaging with local communities, each trip is carefully curated for comfort, insight and adventure.
These trips typically include activities not generally available to the public, such as when a noted artist Lipscomb alumnus led a trip to the Northeast and opened doors to artists’ private studios and homes for our participants.
Oak Ridge: “The Secret City” Bus Tour
September 19-20, 2025
Registration and payment due: September 10, 2025.
Discover the secrets of Oak Ridge, Tennessee—America’s “Secret City”—on an unforgettable overnight bus tour designed for curious adult learners! Journey into the heart of history as you explore the mysterious, pivotal role Oak Ridge played in the Manhattan Project.
Oak Ridge historian Ray Smith provides a personal tour of sites and museums while sharing stories that bring this former “hush-hush” period to life. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to uncover hidden history, connect with fellow explorers and experience Oak Ridge like never before. Reserve your seat today and unlock the mysteries of the “Secret City.”
Trip Price:
- $425 per person, double occupancy
- $530 per person for single room
- Registration and Trip Payment Deadline: September 10, 2025.
- Download the trip itinerary.
Price includes:
- Bus transportation
- Overnight stay in Oak Ridge
- Four meals: one breakfast, two lunches and one dinner
- Personal tour guide: Ray Smith, Oak Ridge historian. Download bio.
- All taxes and gratuities.
New England “Leaves & Literature”
October 4-10, 2025 - TRIP IS SOLD OUT
Step into the pages of American literary history in October 2025 with a scenic, six-day tour through some of New England’s most iconic sites. Perfect for adults 50 and up, this journey blends the beauty of peak autumn foliage with visits to the homes and haunts of beloved authors like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Other location visits include the Old Manse House, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Old North Church, Freedom Trail, USS Constitution, the Paul Revere House, the House of Seven Gables and museum stops at the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Emily Dickinson Museum and the Herman Melville Arrowhead Museum.
Dr. Willie Steele (’95), a professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lipscomb University, serves as the tour’s faculty host. Steele, who teaches writing and literary studies, is an engaging storyteller who is well-known for sharing his passion about literature and history. He’s a frequent speaker on subjects that include baseball, Mark Twain, the Civil War and the Holocaust.
Travel Accommodations:
The adventure begins and ends in Boston, Massachusetts. You’ll travel in a luxury, air-conditioned coach. Price includes six nights of hotel stay; hotel tips, restaurant tips for included meals and local taxes; and gratuities for travel director, coach drivers and local experts.
Trip Price:
- $4,594 per person, double-occupancy. Single supplement: $1,180. Price does not include flights to/from Boston. Group airline tickets are available.
- Trip Deposit: $300 per person, due May 31, 2025. Non-refundable after May 31, 2025. Guests will receive additional information from Amy Hamar with an invoice and instructions to pay the remaining balances of their trip fees. Trip fees must be paid in full by July 1, 2025.
- Trip Balance Due: July 1, 2025.
- Download the trip itinerary.
Stroll charming colonial towns, enjoy crisp fall air and connect with fellow travelers who share your passion for history, literature and stunning seasonal landscapes. Don’t miss this vibrant and enriching escape sponsored by the Lipscomb Office of Alumni Engagement—your storybook adventure awaits!