American Heritage & Chesapeake Charm

Day 1 – Welcome to Alexandria, Virginia

Optional transfers from our departure points will have us at LAX for a morning flight arriving at Dulles International Airport this evening. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule (subject to change) to coordinate a flight arrival time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the hotel. Upon arrival, we’ll board a deluxe motorcoach and continue to Alexandria, Virginia, once a thriving seaport for a young American nation, today it is a charming historic city with a small-town feel. We’ll begin a five-night stay at an upscale, all-suites hotel with the balance of the evening at leisure to enjoy a complimentary, nightly reception in the hotel lobby and a variety of eateries within walking distance of the hotel.

Day 2 – Baltimore, Maryland

After an included, daily, made-to-order breakfast, we’ll travel to Baltimore, Maryland and visit Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, birthplace of our national anthem. Prepare to feel warm patriotic vibes as we explore this strategic fort that overlooks Baltimore Harbor and played a role in many of our nation’s historic stories – from the Civil War to WWII. But no story is more famous than what came of the 25-hour British bombardment on September 13-14, 1814 during the War of 1812. Watching the American flag gallantly streaming over the fort during our nation’s valiant defense of the fort, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the words of the “The Star-Spangled Banner.” We’ll continue to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House – the National Historic Landmark where inspiration was literally sewn. This historic 1793 house museum is where Mary Young Pickersgill, a 19th century female entrepreneur and craftswoman lived and sewed the 30 x 42-foot garrison flag which flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. Enjoy an included lunch at Miss Shirley’s – featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and voted “Maryland’s Favorite Restaurant,” it features eclectic Southern inspired food with a Maryland twist. We’ll visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum where George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born on February 6, 1895. Located just a long fly ball from Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the museum is not only a national shrine to “The Great Bambino” but also the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas. This afternoon we’ll enjoy a narrated Baltimore Harbor Cruise through Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and learn about the renaissance of Baltimore’s waterfront and incredible history while viewing the USS Constitution, Fells Point and the remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. We return to the hotel with the balance of the evening at leisure. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 3 – Annapolis, John Wilkes Booth Escape Route

This morning we’ll travel to Annapolis, Maryland’s charming capital city. We’ll visit the United States Naval Academy, the quintessential heartbeat of Annapolis as it exemplifies the town's energy and nautical history. Established in 1845, this historical institution turns young men and women into brave officers serving our country. Enjoy time at leisure exploring the Visitor Center featuring intriguing historical exhibits and a gift shop. On a docent-guided, historical walking tour (approximately 1 mile in length) of “the Yard” we’ll get the inside scoop on admissions and the midshipmen experience while exploring the stunning campus where the best and brightest live and train. The campus is a National Historic Landmark featuring several historically significant buildings with beautiful Beaux Arts architecture and numerous monuments dedicated to important leaders and events in naval history. Enjoy time at leisure for exploration and lunch on your own at Annapolis City Dock, the historic heart of Annapolis and where it connects with the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Both the Maryland State House and the William Paca House & Gardens are within walking distance. This afternoon we’ll travel along southern Maryland’s scenic backroads as we follow the escape route of John Wilkes Booth. We’ll stand where history happened as we tour the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum. This two-story, early Victorian farmhouse furnished with original family furnishings and pieces from the 1860s is where Dr. Mudd treated John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg the morning after the crime. We’ll continue to the Surratt House Museum, built in 1852 as the middle-class country home for John and Mary Surratt. The house would later serve as a tavern, public dining room and hotel for traveling gentlemen. With the advent of the Civil War, the house became a clandestine Confederate safe house and during John Wilkes Booth's flight out of Washington, the assassin stopped at the Surratt tavern to retrieve weapons and supplies which had been hidden there. Mary Surratt was tried and convicted of conspiracy to assassinate the President and on July 7, 1865 she became the first woman to be executed by the U.S. government. This evening we’ll enjoy a candlelit dinner in a Colonial dining room at Gadsby’s Tavern, the Old Town Alexandria restaurant that has offered fine dining since 1770. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and James Madison enjoyed the warm hospitality of Gadsby’s Tavern and for nearly a century this tavern was a center of political, social and cultural life in this important colonial seaport. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 4 – Northern Virginia's Potomac River Area & D.C.

This morning we’ll explore Northern Virginia and visit charming and historic sights along the Potomac River. We’ll tour Woodlawn Manor House, built on land that George Washington gifted to his nephew and stepgranddaughter, as a wedding gift. The Federal-Georgian-style house was designed in 1805 by architect Dr. William Thornton, who also designed the U.S. Capitol Building. Once a plantation home, Woodlawn was later purchased by a group of Quakers on the eve of the Civil War and converted it into a free-labor operating estate. We’ll also tour the Pope-Leighey House, a “Usonian” style house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1941. We’ll continue to Gunston Hall, the 555-acre former plantation home of George Mason, one of our Founding Fathers. Mason wrote the Virginia Constitution and the Virginia Declaration of Rights on which the U.S. Bill of Rights was based. A docent-guided tour will showcase this 18th century plantation home that features Georgian architecture and elaborate interior carvings. Stroll along the same garden paths Mason walked, "wrapped in meditation," as he considered how to create democratic governments for Virginia and the new nation. The boxwood gardens, believed to have been planted during Mason’s residence, lead from the house to a hillside overlooking the Potomac River. Enjoy time at leisure for browsing and lunch on your own in Occoquan, Virginia a charming 18th century town which sits along its namesake river. All of the shops here are independently owned and feature a wide variety of items from home decor to antiques and pottery. This afternoon we’ll visit The National Museum of the United States Army. Opened in 2023, the building's architecture and intricate details are fascinating. The museum features various galleries, cutting edge simulations and virtual reality experiences that will immerse you in 245 years of American soldiers’ experiences and shine a light on the U.S. Army's fascinating history. This evening we'll join a local guide for a Washington, D.C. Illumination Tour. (Breakfast)

Day 5 – Alexandria, Mount Vernon

This morning we’ll visit Christ Church, the English country-style church built in 1773 and where both George Washington and Robert E. Lee known to have worshipped. We’ll join a local guide for a tour of Old Town Alexandria and walk along the brick-lined streets past elegant Federal homes and cobblestone alleyways. We’ll see Robert E. Lee’s boyhood home, the Carlyle House and the Spite House – the skinniest house in America at 7 feet wide! We’ll enjoy an included lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant and savor the flavors of early America in a colonial setting. This afternoon we’ll visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the southern plantation that sits on a grassy, shaded slope overlooking the Potomac River. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the grounds and 50 acres of gardens that include the tombs of George and Martha Washington and a Revolutionary War encampment. Walk through Washington’s mansion where he escaped the rigors of public office and enjoyed the life of a successful Virginia planter. The expansive museum here features sculptures, paintings, portraits, models, photos, films, documents and diverse artifacts related to the life, times and accomplishments of our nation’s first president and “Father of Our Country.” Enjoy time at leisure for dinner on your own this evening in Old Town Alexandria, Alexandria’s beloved downtown and nationally designated historic district on the Potomac River waterfront. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 6 – Washington, D.C., Journey Home

This morning we’ll travel again into Washington, D.C. and visit President Lincoln’s Cottage, the summer home where Lincoln and his family lived for over a quarter of his presidency. While living at the Cottage, Lincoln led the country through a grave national crisis, visited with wounded soldiers, spent time with self-emancipated men, women and children, and developed some of his greatest ideas including the Emancipation Proclamation. After an included lunch at a locals’ favorite, we’ll step back in time when we visit Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, home to the historic theatre that appears as it did the night of April 14, 1865 when President Lincoln was assassinated. The museum features exhibits about Abraham Lincoln – from the beginning of his presidency to the moments leading up to his assassination – as well exhibits about John Wilkes Booth including the Deringer pistol he used that night. We’ll continue across the street to the Petersen House to see the three rooms furnished in 1865 period pieces including the bed where Lincoln died and learn about the people who gathered around him that fateful night. The Aftermath Exhibits follow Lincoln’s funeral train back to his hometown in Springfield, Illinois as well as the 12-day manhunt for Booth and the trial and fate of Booth’s co-conspirators. Late this afternoon we’ll arrive at Dulles Airport for a scheduled nonstop flight arriving in Los Angeles this evening. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule (subject to change) to coordinate a flight departure time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the airport. Back in Los Angeles, those guests with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective destinations. (Breakfast, Lunch)

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.