Thursday, 4/8/2010 - Arrive Washingtong D.C.
Welcome as you embark on a journey to our nation’s capital during the time of year when the weather is usually very nice and the cherry blossoms are usually in full bloom. The journey begins with optional transfers from home or our departure points this morning to Los Angeles International Airport for a nonstop flight to Baltimore, Maryland. Upon our arrival this afternoon, a deluxe motorcoach will transport us the short distance to Washington, D.C. This evening join your fellow travelers for an included welcome dinner at a D.C. restaurant. Tonight we check into our hotel conveniently located in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac from D.C.

Friday, 4/9/2010 - Washington D.C.
Following an included breakfast at our hotel, we will join a local guide for a full day of sightseeing in Washington, D.C. Many memorable visits and picture opportunities will be made today (entrance to any site is subject to availability and security). We begin with a visit the recently opened Capitol Visitor’s Center, welcoming visitors to the seat of American government. Visit the Library of Congress, with perhaps the most striking interior of any building in Washington and the largest national library in the world with more than 100 million items. Some of the treasured items in the library are drafts of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, and a Gutenberg Bible. Tour the Supreme Court Building and see where the highest court laws down the law. Drive along Embassy Row to see the large mansions originally built by the socially elite after the Civil War. Visit the National Cathedral situated on a hill looking down upon the city. In a city of impressive monuments, memorials, and historic sites, the National Cathedral is unique. Standing higher than the Washington Monument, it is the sixth largest church in the world. This 14th-Century-style Gothic wonder is situated on 57 acres and took 83 years to build. Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson, the only President buried within Washington, D.C., are interred here. Pay your respects at the newest memorial on the Washington Mall, the National World War II Memorial – honoring the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during the war, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Also a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial –all very different in their design yet strikingly similar in their ability to emotionally move you. An included dinner this evening at popular Washington, D.C. restaurant in the historic Union Station – a classic Beaux-Arts design of monumental proportions. Following, see the White House lit up in all its glory followed by a walk through the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – beautifully illuminated at night for a spectacular view of the city lights from the rooftop terrace.

Saturday, 4/10/2010 - Parade, Arlington, Alexandria
Following an included breakfast at our hotel we’ll take in the highlight of every Washington, D.C. Spring, the Cherry Blossom Parade – with premium reserved grandstand seats! The Parade is just one part of the Cherry Blossom Festival which marks the celebration of the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees by the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, D.C. in 1912. The parade combines some of the festival’s best entertainment into one spectacular show. This afternoon after time for lunch on your own we are joined by our local guide as the touring continues across the Potomac with a tour of Arlington National Cemetery, America’s shrine to valor and sacrifice. This is the final resting place for President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Audie Murphy, astronauts and thousands of soldiers from every major U.S. war. We will see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a symbol of a nation’s debt to the many whose ultimate sacrifice helped make a nation free. After visiting the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima), we’ll pay our respects at the recently unveiled September 11 Memorial at the Pentagon and the Air Force Memorial built on a hillside overlooking the Pentagon. Following, a guided driving tour through Old Town Alexandria, once a thriving seaport for the young American nation and today a charming historic city with a small-town feel. Dinner at your leisure this evening in Old Town Alexandria.

Sunday, 4/11/2010 - Washington D.C.
After an included breakfast this morning at the hotel, we’ll visit Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House, restored as it was the night John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln. Then we’ll make a visit to the Newseum, the only interactive museum of news. Experience the news of today as it happens on a 126-foot long, 10-½ foot-high Video News Wall displaying today’s news from around the world. Relive the great new stories of the past, from the spoken stories of ancient times to today’s worldwide information explosion. Today there will provided transportation and ample free time to visit the Smithsonian Institution museums along the National Mall at your leisure. The National Air & Space Museum allows you to experience the history of flight, from the plane flown by the Wright brothers to the Apollo 11 command module. The National Museum of Natural History contains the Hope Diamond among other amazing natural treasures. The National Archives contains our nation’s most precious documents including the original Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights. The is a living plant museum. The National Museum of American History has such an exhaustive collection of Americana, it has to be seen to be believed. Other museums that may be of interest to you (some requiring a fee) include the The National Portrait Gallery, U.S. Botanic Garden, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Postal Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of the American Indian, The National Museum of African Art, the International Spy Museum, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening at one of the many nearby restaurants.

Monday, 4/12/2010 - Mount Vernon, Quantico
This morning after an included breakfast we’ll follow the Potomac to Mount Vernon, the estate of George and Martha Washington. Here, Washington escaped the rigors of public office and enjoyed the life of a successful Virginia planter. America’s most visited historic house, Mount Vernon sits on a grassy, shaded slope overlooking the Potomac River. Enjoy an included lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn and then discover the real George Washington on a tour of his mansion, its outbuildings, and 50 acres of gardens and grounds, which include the tombs of George and Martha Washington. A highlight is the gorgeous view of the Potomac River from the mansion. As we continue our journey south to Williamsburg, we will stop and visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico and experience what it means to be a Marine! In the late afternoon, we’ll check into our Williamsburg hotel –our home for the next two nights. Enjoy dinner on your own at one of the many nearby restaurants.

Tuesday, 4/13/2010 - Colonial Williamsburg
Following an included breakfast at our hotel this morning, we’ll meet our Colonial Guide for a tour of Colonial Williamsburg including the Capitol and Governor’s Palace. The Capitol is where Virginia patriots developed principles of self-government, individual liberty and responsible leadership. The Governor’s Palace reflects the period of Lord Dunmore’s residence, the last English governor of the Virginia Colony. Williamsburg showcases a variety of restored and reconstructed homes, public buildings, museums, craft shops and special colonial entertainment. This afternoon, take a guided tour of Yorktown Victory Center which recaptures the drama of the American Revolution. Costumed interpreters demonstrate 18th century military and domestic life on a re-created 1780’s farm site and in a re-created Continental Army encampment. This evening, a special farewell dinner in a Colonial Tavern – fine dining in the heart of historic Colonial Williamsburg.

Wednesday, 4/14/2010 - Jamestown, Journey Home
Following an included breakfast, a guided tour of the Jamestown Settlement, commemorating the first permanent English settlement of the New World. Jamestown features full-size replicas of the three ships that arrived in 1607 so visitors can comprehend the hardships that these hardy settlers had to face. This afternoon we return to Baltimore for our nonstop flight to Los Angeles with countless fond memories of the spectacular Cherry Blossoms and our nation’s Capital to share with friends and family.