Civil War Salute

Preferred Lodging: Embassy Suites by Hilton, Crystal City.

Our tour begins at 10:00 AM as we depart from the Dulles Int’l Airport and enjoy an on board food prepared by staff while making our way towards Washington D.C. Our first stop will be the Smithsonian Museum located on the Mall. Our primary focus will be on the American History Museum, but there are also many other attractions & museums that are only a few steps away. We’ll regroup in the late afternoon for a driving tour of Monuments and Memorials along the Mall, and the Arlington Cemetery. Our day will come to a relaxing ending as we dine and settle into our accommodations in Crystal City.

Preferred Lodging: Hampton Inn, Fredericksburg

After breakfast at our accommodations in Crystal City, we’ll gather aboard the Adventure Coach and navigate along the Potomac River on the George Washington Parkway to Mt Vernon. There, we will tour George Washington’s residence and museum. After re-living the history of Mt. Vernon, we’ll enjoy a personalized lunch crafted by our onboard staff as we head south to Fredericksburg Battlefield. At the Fredericksburg Visitor Center will will meet with an expert guide who will walk us through the battle that unfolded in December 1862, as the Union’s Army of the Potomac tried to force their way over the Rappahanock River and through the town, only to be brutally stopped by Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.

Preferred Lodging: Big Meadows Lodge, VA

We will board the bus and visit Chancellorsville and Wilderness battlefields in morning. We will meet our expert guide at the Chancellorsville Visitor Center and he will explain the significance of both battles. The Chancellorsville battle was fought in early 1863. It was one of the most impressive victories of Lee’s Army. Unfortunately, Lee lost his best general in that battle, Stonewall Jackson. This would plague Lee for the remainder of the war. Wilderness was fought in 1864. Between Generals Lee and Grant. For the first time in the war, Lee met his match in terms of aggressiveness and determination. While the battle was considered a tactical draw, Lee’s was unable to stop Grant’s continuation of the campaign toward Spotsylvania and ultimately Richmond. After being guided through the battlefields, we will board the Adventure Coach and drive to Big Meadows on the Skyline Drive. Lunch will be be served on the way to the Park.

Preferred Lodging: Sharpsburg, MD

In the morning after breakfast at the Lodge, we will board the Adventure Bus and drive north on the Skyline Drive to Front Royal. This is one of the most beautiful mountain drives in the East. Every turn provides a new and wonderful look at the pastoral valleys below. Along the Skyline Drive October is a tme when the Fall colors will provide a heightened level of beauty of the forested mountains. There will be ample opportunities to stop for photos and to take in the scenery along the drive. From the Skyline Drive, we will travel to Graves Lodge to have lunch and to take a walk into White Oak Canyon, to take in the mountain views and waterfalls. After the hike we will board the Adventure Coach and drive to Sharpsburg, MD.

Preferred Lodging: Gettysburg Hotel or Best Western in Gettysburg

After breakfast we will board the Adventure Coach and drive the the Antietam Battlefield. There we will meet our expert guide and he will walk us through this battlefield. Antietam has the distinction of being the bloodiest day of the Civil War. Even though this battle was tactically considered a draw, it stopped Lee’s first invasion into the 1862, and it was a strategic victory for the North, providing President Lincoln with the opportunity to put into place the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. After the tour of Antietam, we will drive an hour to Gettysburg. Gettysburg was the largest battle waged in the Civil War and was the War’s turning point. At the Visitor’s Center, we will tour the museum and the Cyclorama, a 360 degree painting of Picketts Charge in the 3rd Day. After lunch, our guide take us through the north side of the battlefield and describe how both the Northern and Southern Armies converged on this small crossroads town in southern Pennsylvania. We will see how the Confederates were able to converge and force the Union Army through the town. Ultimately, the Union Army was able to stop the Confederates and form a strong defensive position south of town.

Preferred Lodging: Hyatt Regency, Dulles

After breakfast, we will board the Adventure Bus and take a driving tour through the complex tactical movements of the 2nd and 3rd Days of the battle. We will visit Little Round Top, Devil’s Den and the Wheatfield where the Confederates attempted to turn the Union flank. We will visit Seminary Ridge where on the 3rd day of the battle, Pickett began his famous charge. We’ll also drive along Cemetery Ridge where Union Army turned that charge into a Confederate defeat. After the 3rd day of battle, Lee’s Army retreated back over the Potomac and never attempted another invasion of the North. After a morning of reliving these last days of the battle, we will visit the Gettysburg Cemetery where Lincoln gave his historic address.

After breakfast at our accommodations, we will make a visit to the Eisenhower farm, on our way back to Dulles. The farm, a National Historic Site, contains memorabilia of Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe during WW2 and our 34th President. Our accommodations provide a free shuttle to the Dulles airport.