Civil War Memories

Your tour begins with an included transfer from Washington Reagan National Airport and a welcome dinner at 6:00 p.m. hosted by your Tour Manager. Meal: D

Sightseeing in the nation’s capital today includes Arlington National Cemetery and the John F. Kennedy Memorial. See the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then, visit Mount Vernon, the expansive estate of George and Martha Washington. See the Ford Orientation Center, the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and explore the mansion filled with 18th century treasures. Also, stroll the gardens of this 45-acre estate and take in the views of the Potomac River from the mansion’s piazza. In DC’s mall area see the FDR, Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials along with the National WWII Memorial bathed in light. Meals: B, D

Depart DC this morning and venture into the beautiful Penn Dutch countryside. Be on the lookout for horse-drawn buggies and “Old Order” Amish homesteads while en route to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Your reserved tables await at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, which features award-winning food, exceptional service and top-quality live productions.
Meals: B, L

Begin the day at The Hershey Story – The Museum on Chocolate Avenue. Experience the legacy of Milton S. Hershey as the museum takes you on a journey through his life, his chocolate company and his generous philanthropic history. In Harrisburg, you will learn the history of the “Battle Between the States” at the National Civil War Museum. One of the largest museums in the world dedicated solely to the American Civil War, it presents the historic years-long war equally from both sides. Later, continue to Gettysburg. Meals: B, D

At the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center you begin with the Morgan Freeman-narrated feature film A New Birth of Freedom, which will orient you with the Battle of Gettysburg and the American Civil War. Then, see the restored Cyclorama painting, the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest painting in the county. You are literally surrounded by the fury of “Pickett’s Charge” in this one-of-a-kind panoramic experience. Lunch is at the Dobbin House Tavern, the oldest building in Gettysburg, which features historic furnishings and costumed wait staff. There is nothing quite like standing on the actual battlefield at Gettysburg. A licensed Gettysburg guide conducts an in-depth look at this historic three-day battle. Learn about the “Peach Orchard” and “Roundtop” while passing through the hallowed ground of what became the major turning point of the war. Meals: B, L

Travel south today to Manassas, Virginia. It was here the first major battle of the Civil War took place at the Battle of Bull Run. Then, travel to Fredericksburg and stop at historic Chatham Manor. This large manor home of James Horace Lacy served as the headquarters for the Union army, as well as a field hospital for hundreds of wounded soldiers. It is also just one of three houses visited by both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Later, stop at the boyhood home of George Washington, Ferry Farm where the family moved to in 1738. Meals: B, L

This morning we visit the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, the nation’s first museum to interpret the Civil War. Here you will learn about the Civil War – its causes, its course and its legacies. It is here that the people who decided America’s future, whether Union, Confederate or African American, are gathered to tell their stories. You will also visit the Richmond National Battlefield Visitor Center and see Tredegar’s industrial and transportation past. Later, visit the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. Designated a National Historic Landmark, The White House of the Confederacy is an architectural treasure. The official residence of President Jefferson Davis, the mansion has been restored to the splendor of its mid-19th-century glory. Meals: B, D

This morning, travel to Washington, DC on a group transfer to Washington Reagan National Airport for flights out after 12:00 p.m. Meal: B