D.C., WILLIAMSBURG, and Charlottesville - 6 Days
Day 1 - Arrive late afternoon.
Arrive Richmond, Norfolk, or DC and proceed to Williamsburg. Dinner en route.
Evening:
Evening programs in Colonial WB: trade shops, legends of the past, or ghost tour.
Check into hotel, 2 nights.
Day 2 - Focus: From Colonization to Independence
Morning:
Jamestown Settlement – Museum, Powhatan Village, Ships, Fort.
Afternoon:
Jamestown Settlement – Museum, Powhatan Village, Ships, Fort.
Evening:
Colonial Williamsburg evening program.
Day 3 - Focus: Initiators of Independence
Morning:
Yorktown Battlefield and Victory Center – Museum, Army encampment, 18th Century Farm. Proceed to Charlottesville.
Afternoon:
Lunch at historic Michie Tavern, tour of Monticello – home of Thomas Jefferson.
Evening:
Proceed to Washington DC. (2 ½ hours) Dinner en route. Orientation to National Mall. Iwo Jima Memorial, Kennedy Center, Canadian Embassy.
Check into DC Hotel, 3 nights.
Day 4 - Focus: Branches of Government and Balance of Powers
Morning:
Capitol Hill Area - Capitol Building, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, House of Representatives / Senate Chambers and Offices*. Eat lunch in Capitol Hill area.
Afternoon:
Finish Capitol Hill. White House* area – Lafayette Park, Ellipse and Visitor’s Center. Washington Monument.
Evening:
Presidential Memorials - FDR, Jefferson, National Archives.
Day 5 - Focus: “Freedom is not Free”
Morning:
Arlington Cemetery – JFK / RFK gravesite, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier changing of the guard, Space Shuttle Memorials, Lee Mansion. Metro Ride.
Afternoon:
Smithsonian Museums: Air & Space, American Indian (new), American History, Natural History.
Evening:
War Memorials: WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Lincoln Memorial, Einstein statue.
Day 6 - Focus: Role of the Citizen
Morning:
Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington, Lunch in Old Town Alexandria.
Afternoon:
Ford’s Theater, Peterson House and gift shops, Holocaust Museum – Daniel’s Story.
Alternative Sites: (to do these would require sacrificing some of the above or adding an extra day) National Cathedral and Embassy Row, Udvar Hazy Air & Space Museum (new), More Smithsonian time, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, National Zoo (Panda stop), Georgetown – C&O Canal, Pentagon.
Evening:
Return home.
*Internal tours of the White House and Meetings with Congressmen may be arranged by writing your Congressperson’s office well in advance.
