DAY ONE: Today we will arrive at the airport where our professional Tour Guide and deluxe motorcoach will meet us. We will check into our Washington, DC area accommodations for a six-night stay. After a welcome dinner, we will be treated to an illumination tour of the city. We will see many of the capital’s famous monuments highlighted with spotlights that accentuate their beauty. (D)

DAY TWO: A day of exploration awaits in our nation’s capital. Washington, DC has a dizzying array of attractions, including museums, tours of federal buildings, shops and restaurants. During our city tour, we will view many of the major monuments including the towering Washington Monument, the contemplative Lincoln Monument and the scenic Jefferson Memorial. Of course, we will also view some of the new war memorials constructed to honor those who fought in conflicts abroad for the cause of freedom. We will have an opportunity to pause at the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. During our tour, we will travel through the DuPont Circle area. DuPont Circle became a fashionable residential address during the late 19th century. Many of these historic homes and buildings now house a number of foreign embassies. Massachusetts Avenue is home to so many foreign embassies it known as Embassy Row. Our guide will point out several of these embassies and provide us with some historical and architectural background. Union Station was opened in 1907 as an elegant gateway for trains to arrive into our nation’s capital. Although it continues to function as a train station and metro station, Union Station also houses a large number of chic retail shops, restaurants and cafes. We will venture into the heart of the nation’s government where we will see the White House, the Capitol Building and the Smithsonian. We will enjoy a Lunch Cruise along the Potomac taking in the sights of our nation’s capital. The afternoon is set aside for exploration of The Mall. Extending from the US Capitol to the Washington Monument is a huge park lined with world class museums, (many a part of the Smithsonian Institution reserved for another day). You may walk from one to the other on well-tended park paths paying tribute in your own time. (B, L)

DAY THREE: We awake to another wonderful day and travel to Annapolis, Md., once the nation’s capital. Annapolis is over 350 years old and maintains many of the same buildings as were standing in the 1770’s. The old brick sidewalks hearken back to a time long past. We will enjoy a tour of the United States Naval Academy. The academy was originally located here to keep the midshipman from "the temptations and distractions that necessarily connect with a large and populous city." The primary purpose of this institution is to prepare students for naval careers. Then we will walk the cobblestone streets of Historic Annapolis on the waterfront. There are several restaurants and taverns that will offer you a wonderful respite for lunch. After our lunch we will depart for Washington where we will tour Ford’s Theatre, which earned notoriety on April 14, 1865 when at 10:15pm President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth during a performance. In the basement is the Museum of Lincolniana which includes the clothes he wore that fateful night along with the pistol that ended his life and the flag that draped his coffin. After dinner at a wonderful restaurant we will enjoy a production at the Ford’s Theatre. (B, D&E)

DAY FOUR: This morning we will travel to nearby Virginia at the site of the Robert E. Lee estate to visit Arlington National Cemetery, which contains the graves of more than 250,000 U.S. soldiers. Arlington Cemetery has become synonymous with the honor and reverence of those who have served their country in the armed forces. Here you will visit the Maine Memorial, the Kennedy Gravesites and the Tomb of the Unknowns featuring the Changing of the Guard. Next we will visit Old Alexandria with its tree-lined, cobblestone streets and architecture that span the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This afternoon we will be treated to a special lunch at Gadsby’s Tavern. The atmosphere of early America is found in this 18th-century hotel; which was the setting for brilliant society balls in the 1700's, meetings of patriots, and receptions of several presidents of the United States. We will visit Mount Vernon, the estate of George and Martha Washington which sits majestically on the banks of the Potomac. We will tour the meticulously restored house as well as the grounds. We will return to our hotel and enjoy the evening on our own (B, L)

DAY FIVE: We will begin the day with a hearty breakfast at the hotel and then on to Charlottesville, VA where our tour will include views of the campus of the University of Virginia. We will visit Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, the country’s third President. Thomas Jefferson was not only President, he was also an architect, a botanist and a philosopher! His many interests and talents contribute to the fabulous architecture and lush grounds found here at his home. While touring Monticello, we will learn more about each fascinating aspect of the life of one of this country’s most revered founding fathers. After our visit to Monticello, we will enjoy an included lunch at the historic Michie Tavern. Michie Tavern has been welcoming travelers for more than 200 years – today they will welcome us. We will dine on homemade southern fare and enjoy socializing with our fellow travelers, just as we would have two centuries ago. We may make a stop at the Michie Tavern General Store before departing. Here we can find souvenirs and a wide variety of gifts and merchandise. Tonight we will enjoy dinner at one of Washington’s best known restaurants on the river, Phillips Seafood! (B, L & D)