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Arrive at the airport, pick-up your rental car and proceed to the hotel. Welcome to the US capital! Washington, DC attracts nearly twenty million tourists each year making tourism the second biggest industry of the area just after the federal government. Surprisingly, admission to most major attractions is free.
Accommodations:
(STD) Quality Inn Mount Vernon or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Omni Shoreham Hotel or similar (2 nights).
Explore the city’s most famous sites which are mostly concentrated along the National Mall. Often called the “Nation’s Front Yard”, it expands from the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac to the Capitol Building and Supreme Court on Capitol Hill. Along the Mall are the majority of the 18 museums that comprise the Smithsonian Institution, the War Memorials, and the Washington Monument which offers rides to the top of the obelisk and lies south of the illustrious White House. Other points of interest are the Arlington National Cemetery, the Library of Congress, the National Cathedral, and the National Zoo. Of course, there is more to Washington than historical site-seeing. Washington has also developed an active nightlife. Besides the world-class restaurants, you can see Broadway shows, Washington-only political satires, and live music of all types.
Leave Washington this morning and journey toward Philadelphia, the most influential city in the process of the American Revolution. Perhaps the most famous attraction is the Liberty Bell Pavilion, which houses the 2,080 lb. bell and is located within the National Historical Park. Just across the street, is Independence Hall which is known for being the place where Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was constructed and adopted on July 4, 1776. Another unique piece of history still reserved in Philadelphia is the Betsy Ross House. She is said to have sewn the first United States flag that was presented to George Washington. Philly is not all historical buildings and artifacts. The Philadelphia Zoo was the first National Zoo in the U.S. and is currently home to over 1,300 animals. The Please Touch Museum is the only one of its kind; it caters to younger audiences and offers a chance to explore hand-on exhibits.
Accommodations:
(STD) Wyndham Historic District Hotel or similar (1 Night).
(SUP) Marriott Philadelphia Downtown or similar (1 Night).
Just about an hour’s drive to Bucks County will transport you to a picturesque town full of historical meaning. Visit the Washington Crossing Historical Park at the edge of the Delaware River. You can experience tubing, kayaking, canoeing, or rafting in America’s most historic river. Continue traveling toward Lancaster County and you will find quaint Amish villages where time stood still. The Amish, also known as “the plain people”, are by far the best farmers of this country. Take an educational guided tour through an authentically furnished 1840s Old Order Amish farmhouse or go on a buggy ride. Enjoy an afternoon of shopping for pottery, hand-made tile works, and arts & crafts objects at Kitchen Kettle Village that are sure to make great souvenirs.
Accommodations:
(STD & SUP) Amish View Inn & Suites or similar (1 night).
If you decide to have breakfast at the hotel this morning make sure to sit by a window so you can witness a true Amish spectacle as the children run across the fields toward the one-room school house in the horizon. Except for holidays, vacation or during harvest time, this is a daily occurrence between the hours of 8:00 and 8:30am. Drive away from Lancaster toward Gettysburg near the Maryland border. Visit the Gettysburg National Military Park which renders homage to the Civil War’s bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties over three days in the summer of 1863 and is the backdrop for President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. The park features the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center, McMillan Woods Youth Campground, a self-guided auto tour, and the Gettysburg Museum of the Civil War. Walk by candlelight into the realms of the unknown at Farnsworth House Candlelight Walks where you will be escorted by a period-dressed guide down the very streets the soldiers walked. After a day of sight-seeing dine in Gettysburg’s oldest, most historic house, Dobbin House Tavern, built in 1776.
Accommodations:
(STD) Marriott Courtyard or similar (1 night).
(SUP) Wyndham Gettysburg or similar (1 night).
Today you are traveling via Baltimore, home of the world-renowned Inner Harbor, on your way to Annapolis. Once there, explore the inside of the World War II submarine Torsk or take an elevator ride to The Top of the World Observation Level for an unforgettable 360-degree panoramic view of the city’s skyline, harbor, and beyond. Tour the inside of the USS Constellation, the last all-sail warship built by the US Navy. Continue your journey toward Annapolis, the state capital of Maryland, a beautiful historical seaport along the Chesapeake Bay. Visit The Maryland State House, the oldest state house still in legislative use. Stroll along the City Doc or take a tour of the US Naval Academy, highlights include the Ship-building museum, Hemdon Monument, Crypt of John Paul Jones, and the Statue of Tecumseh.
Accommodations:
(STD) Best Western Annapolis or similar (1 night).
(SUP) O’Callaghan Annapolis or similar (1 night).
Enjoy a scenic coastal drive through the Chesapeake Bay area as you leave Annapolis and head toward Virginia Beach, Virginia. Try a narrated lighthouse cruise or Bay tour before continuing to Virginia Beach. Named “the least stressful city in America”, Virginia Beach ranks among the nation’s best markets for healthy air. Warm days, cool evenings, refreshing water, and soft sand are a given in Virginia Beach. Walk or ride a bicycle along the world’s longest pleasure beach with 40 blocks of ocean-front boardwalk while visually searching for dolphins known to swim alongside the coastal waters.
Accommodations:
(STD) Best Western Center Inn or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront or similar (2 nights).
Today consider going kayaking with dolphins, jumping on a jet ski, embarking on a sport fishing adventure, hiking through a wildlife refuge, or simply just laying on a sun-drenched beach all day long. Equally as entertaining is the Ocean Breeze Water Park, the Virginia Aquarium, or biking through the trails of First Landing State Park. On the historical front, the establishment of Virginia Beach began as early as 1607 when the famous pioneer John Smith made his voyage from England to the New World; visit the Heritage by The Sea landmark to learn more.
Leave Virginia Beach behind and continue on to colonial Williamsburg. Step back more than 220 years to the eve of the American Revolution. Colonial Williamsburg is the nation’s largest living history museum with some 500 buildings, homes, stores and taverns reconstructed and restored to their 18th-century appearance. Must-see attractions are the Governor’s Palace, the Capitol, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and Bassett Hall. Of course, a trip to Williamsburg wouldn’t be complete without visiting Jamestown, America’s birth place, and Yorktown, where America’s Independence was born. This regional trio has come to be known as “America’s Historic Triangle”. While in Jamestown, be sure to visit The Jamestown Settlement living-history museum. Equally as important is visiting the Yorktown Victory Center living-history museum.
Accommodations:
(STD) Days Inn Colonial Downtown or similar (1 night).
(SUP) Westgate Historic Williamsburg or similar (1 night).
Today you will travel to Charlottesville, home to Thomas Jefferson and his legacies, located in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson by taking a tour of his retirement home, The Monticello Plantation, and his beloved University of Virginia. Wander through the botanical showpiece that are the gardens of Monticello and see the quarter farms of the plantation that were once home to over 130 workers. Adjacent to the lands of the Monticello is the Jefferson Vineyards, which currently bottles some of the best wine in all of Virginia. Other must-see attractions include Ash Lawn-Highland, home of James Monroe, our 5th president, Historic Court Square, and Michie Tavern, ca 1784. In addition, Charlottesville’s rich cultural and artistic history is evidenced by the first-rate museums, galleries, wineries, shops, and parks.
Accommodations:
(STD) Holiday Inn Monticello or similar (1 night).
(SUP) Omni Charlottesville Hotel or similar (1 night).
Leave Charlottesville and head toward Shenandoah Valley. Get ready to be astonished when exploring the Luray Caverns, the largest caverns on the east coast, with its famed “Giant Hall”, an enormous subterranean chamber where visitors can view an amazing variety of stone formations. Equally as impressive is “Virginia’s crowning glory”, Shenandoah National Park which is comprised of over 197,000 acres of land and is known for its stunning panoramic views along Skyline Drive. Within the park there is a myriad of typical recreational activities to choose from; some of the favorites include hiking and nature walks along the over 500 miles of trails, horseback riding, bicycling, fishing, and canoeing.
Accommodations:
(STD) & (SUP) Skyland Resort or similar (1 night).
Due to the uniqueness of this area, both categories will enjoy thesame accommodations inside Shenandoah National Park.
Depart at your leisure for the airport in Washington, DC. Drop-off Rental Car.
This tour takes you from the hustle of New York City to the quaint charms of Lancaster County; combining the beauty of New York’s Finger Lakes district, Niagara Falls and Chesapeake Bay with the historic cities of New York, Washington and Philadelphia.
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