Freedom has never been free for the United States of America. Take the Voices of Freedom tour to learn what it has taken for us to get and keep our independence.
Day 1 – Arrivals, Welcome Dinner
Arrive at the Dulles International Airport (IAD). Meet your guides before checking into an area hotel. After check in, get ready for your first meal with your fellow travelers at the Brio Tuscan Grille.
Day 2 – Arlington Cemetery, Capitol Hill, Memorials and Monuments
Go to the Arlington National Cemetery with the group where you will get on a tram for a tour of the cemetery. This tour includes seeing the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. The National World War II Memorial is your last venue of the morning before taking a break for lunch. Lunch will be on your own today on Capitol Hill. After your lunch break, the group will meet again for a tour of the United States Capitol Building, Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court Building. In the evening, you will get to eat dinner at America in the Union Station. When you’ve finished dinner, you go on a tour of Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and Jefferson Memorial before retiring for the night.
Day 3 – American History Museum, National Archives, Kennedy Center
Your day begins with a tour of the Air Force Memorial and a touching journey to the September 11, 2001 Memorial at the Pentagon. You also will be touring the National Museum of American History. You will love the morning’s activities and the feeling of pride in your nation. Today, lunch will be on your own before the afternoon’s activities begin. Visit the National Archives, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Iwo Jima Statue for a look at some of the lives lost in the name of freedom. In addition to the various memorial visits, you will also see the Kennedy Center and a show at the Millennium Stage. For dinner, the group will be eating at the Rock Bottom Brewery.
Day 4 – Ford’s Theatre, Old Town Alexandria, Air and Space Museum
Start out the day with a visit to Ford’s Theater. Ford’s Theater is the legendary theater that Lincoln was assassinated in. After Ford’s Theater, you will take a trip to the US Navy Memorial and the National Air and Space Museum. You are free to explore the museum on your own and find lunch before meeting up with the group for a tour through Alexandria. In Old Town Alexandria, you will have free time to do some sightseeing or shopping. In the evening, enjoy a delicious dinner at the Overwood Wood-fired American Kitchen.
Day 5 – Mount Vernon, Marine Corps Museum
Your day will begin with a hotel check out. Once you have checked out of the hotel, it’s on to Mount Vernon where you will learn fun historical facts and hear some interesting anecdotes. Your visit to Mount Vernon will be followed with a tour of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. You will find lunch on your own at this museum. After the National Museum of the Marine Corps, it is time to travel on to Richmond, VA. In the evening, check into a hotel and have a lovely meal at The Tobacco Company.
Day 6 – Virginia State Capitol, White House of the Confederacy, Civil War Dinner
A day of great American history awaits you today with tours of Monument Avenue, St. John’s Church, the Museum of the Confederacy, and the White House of the Confederacy. The Shockoe Slip area will be where you get to find your own lunch today. After you finish lunch, Virginia’s State Capitol will be the next stop. The capitol will be an interesting visit. In the evening, get ready for dinner and a show with a Civil War theme.
Day 7 – Plantations, Museums
This morning, you will start by checking out of the hotel and taking some tours of Southern plantations. The Shirley Plantation and the Berkley Plantation are fine examples of Southern plantations and will give you an idea of what it was like in the days when plantations flourished. Lunch will in the city of Hampton and is on your own today. When you’ve finished lunch, it is time to meet at the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe. You will tour this museum and the Virginia Air and Space Center. The Waterman’s Surfside Grill will be tonight’s dinner and entertainment venue. Check into an area hotel and retire for the night after dinner.
Day 8 – Norfolk Naval Station, Nauticus, USS Wisconsin, Town Center
Get into the culture of Virginia Beach with the Norfolk Naval Station and Naval Air Station Oceana tours. For lunch, the whole group will eat at the Officer’s Club. Afterwards, learn more about the ties Virginia Beach has with the ocean at Nauticus, the Battleship USS Wisconsin, and the Douglas MacArthur Memorial. When your tours are over, you will get a chance to rest and relax at the Town Center of Virginia Beach. Later, you will get to do some sightseeing, shopping, and dining on your own in the area.
Day 9 – Virginia Beach, Yorktown, Fairfax
Historical fun and facts await you today as soon as you check out of your hotel. Start with a trip to Fort Story, Old Cape Henry Lighthouse and Museum, and the Mariners’ Museum. Then find your lunch. Meet up with the group after lunch for a tour of the Yorktown Victory Center. Following your tour, the group will travel to Fredericksburg for dinner and sightseeing on your own before traveling to Fairfax, VA. Check into an area hotel for the night.
Day 10 – Departures
Start your journey home with fond memories of your experiences.
