Thursday, 4/28/2011 - Arrive Virginia
Optional transfers from home or our departure points this morning will have us at Los Angeles International Airport for our nonstop flight arriving at Dulles International Airport this afternoon. Travel the short distance to our hotel near the Manassas Battlefield in Northern Virginia with an included welcome dinner this evening prior to checking into our hotel.

Friday, 4/29/2011 - Richmond, Hampton Roads
Following an included breakfast we’ll drive south to Richmond, the capital city of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Visit the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens boasting more than 40-acres of spectacular gardens (that should be in full bloom!)on a historic property. We’ll continue east to the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay. Visit the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe. During the Civil War, escaped slaves flocked to the fort for protection and knew it as “Freedom’s Fortress.” After the collapse of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis was confined as a prisoner in a damp cell within the casemate. See an extensive collection of Civil War memorabilia and an exhibit about the historic Battle of the Ironclads. This evening, we’ll enjoy dinner and entertainment as we cruise the Chesapeake aboard the Spirit of Norfolk, a spectacular 187-foot yacht. Fascinating views of Norfolk’s skyline, the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet and landmarks that figured into the Revolutionary War and Civil War.

Saturday, 4/30/2011 - Norfolk
After an included breakfast, we’ll be joined by a local guide to begin an exploration of Norfolk – a city that has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. Visit the Nauticus National Maritime Center, an exciting nature, history and maritime science museum that celebrates the economic, naval, and natural power of the sea. An opportunity to visit the Battleship USS Wisconsin, one of the largest battleships ever built. Later, we’ll take our (reserved) seats to view the International Azalea Festival Parade featuring international floats, marching bands, and more. Visit the MacArthur Memorial which traces the life and military career of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. Highlights include military artifacts, photographs, documents, paintings, memorabilia, the general’s trademark cap, sunglasses and corncob pipe, plus his 1950 Chrysler Crown Imperial limousine. An included dinner this evening at a local favorite overlooking a picturesque inlet.

Sunday, 5/1/2011 - Norfolk, Outer Banks
An included breakfast before joining our local guide for a tour of the Norfolk Naval Station to see training centers, aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers, amphibious assault vessels and sleek submarines. This is homeport to more than 80 ships of the Atlantic Fleet, and the world’s largest naval installation. Later, visit the Norfolk Botanical Gardens with an included tram ride through the gardens. This 155-acre garden has one of the largest collections of azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons on the East Coast. This afternoon we’ll take our (reserved) seats at the International Tattoo. This spectacle of military splendor will overwhelm your senses with its intricate drill displays, regimental bands, drums and pipes, massed bugle ensembles and fireworks! Later in the day we travel to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. An included dinner prior to checking into our Corolla hotel.

Monday, 5/2/2011 - Outer Banks
An included breakfast prior to departing with our local guide for a day touring the Southern Shores of the Outer Banks. Visit the historic Bodie Island Lighthouse and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Tour the Whalehead Club, a beautiful beach mansion with a magnificent display of Tiffany lighting fixtures, and fine furnishings. Originally named “Corolla Island”, the Club was built in the 1920s and has been beautifully restored to its original grandeur. Lunch on your own in Nags Head this afternoon prior to arriving at the Wright Brothers National Memorial this afternoon. Wind, sand, and the dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they achieved the first powered airplane flights on December 17, 1903. The historic flights of that day are remembered at the Memorial – a 60 foot tall granite pylon on top of Kill Devil Hills. An included dinner this evening prior to returning to the hotel.

Tuesday, 5/3/2011 - Outer Banks
After an included breakfast, we’ll depart with our local guide for a stroll through the Elizabethan Gardens. These recreated, 16th-century formal English gardens features an antique statuary, period furniture and rose and herb beds in addition to indigenous flowers, shrubs and trees. Visit Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island and learn about the 400 year-old mystery known as the Lost Colony. Here, in 1587, about 120 men, women and children (including Virginia Dare) established the first English colony in the New World – then vanished without a trace, leaving historians and archaeologists with one of America’s most perplexing mysteries. This afternoon a visit to Roanoke Island Festival Park which blends history, education, and the arts in a lively celebration of Roanoke Island as the birthplace of English America. Explore the island’s unique role in history from the time before England’s first attempt to colonize North America in the late 16th-century to the early 20thcentury.

Wednesday, 5/4/2011 - Outer Banks
An included breakfast this morning before we are joined by our local guide as we travel further south to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a 72-mile stretch of pristine beaches. The waters off these barrier islands, once marauded by Black Beard the Pirate now serve as an outdoor adventure paradise where the fun is powered by the sun, sea, and wind. We’ll first visit the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station, dating back to 1874. We’ll stop for a photo opportunity and tour the outside of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, America’s tallest and most recognizable lighthouse recently picked up and moved 1/3 mile. Visit the Museum of the Sea featuring exhibits on the area’s Civil War history (The Monitor and The Merrimac), WWI and WWII submarine activity, and seaside life and industry. This afternoon we’ll board the Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry for a ride to Ocracoke Island. On the Island we’ll enjoy an included lunch prior to a tour of this picturesque fishing village including British Cemetery and Wahab- Howard Cemetery, Ocracoke Lighthouse, Howard Street, Village Craftsmen Shop, and the United Methodist Church. After returning to Hatteras on the ferry we’ll return to Corolla with the balance of the evening at your leisure.

Thursday, 5/5/2011 - Fredericksburg, Farewell
An included breakfast before we depart and head north for time at leisure in Old Town Fredericksburg. Here you can explore more than 100 boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and studios and enjoy lunch at your leisure. This afternoon, we’ll visit the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center National Air and Space Museum. This extension of the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. tells the story of aviation and space flight. Over 335 air and spacecraft are on display here including the Space Shuttle Enterprise, an SR-71 Blackbird, the B-17 Flying Fortress, an F-4 Phantom fighter, the actual B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. Walk among the exhibits at your leisure and perhaps visit the Observation Tower to view air traffic at Dulles International Airport. This evening we arrive at Dulles Airport for our return flight back to Los Angeles. Those with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective destination. A spectacular journey through Virginia and North Carolina providing for very fond memories.