Washington, DC and Gettysburg

You've asked for springtime in our nation's Capital City, and here it is!

• 5 nights at the Crystal City Marriott Hotel
• Guided DC tour by day and by night
• Visit the US Capitol and Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, WWII, Vietnam, Korea and Iwo Jima Monuments
• Exclusive wreath-laying ceremony and tour at Arlington Cemetery
• Tour George Washington’s Mt. Vernon and Alexandria
• A full day to explore the Smithsonian Institution at your leisure, including the recently reopened Museum of American
  History
• Overnight in Gettysburg
• Tour the new Visitors Center and Cyclorama complex and the battlefield with a certified guide
• 13 meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 5 dinners
• Round trip airfare to Reagan National/from Baltimore
• Door-to-door airport transportation
• Tour Director: Clayton Whitehead
• 2900/3200 Gold Passport Points

• Day 1

  Washington’s Reagan National Airport is your gateway to the Capital of the United States. Your upscale accommodations are adjacent to the Pentagon – an exclusive neighborhood, indeed! A Welcome Dinner at King Street Blues features Southern favorites (how about some barbecue?) with a decidedly New Orleans atmosphere! Crystal City Marriott Hotel – 5 nights (D)

• Day 2

  Joined by our local guide extraordinaire, Sandra Skeskin, embark on a city tour featuring stops at the United States Capitol (complete with new a visitors center), The Library of Congress and the Supreme Court, plus a drive around the National Mall to see the important buildings and monuments lining its boundaries. In the afternoon, a drive up Embassy Row includes stops at the National Cathedral, as well as the 1905 Anderson House, built as the home of a former diplomat, for a taste of what an embassy looks like from the inside. Dinner at Filomena Ristorante in Georgetown is a Sports Leisure tradition. In the evening, “DC by Dark” is your opportunity to see our Nation’s Capital City sparkling in a bath of light, and includes a tour of the Kennedy Center. (B,D)

• Day 3

  A day in northern Virginia begins at Mount Vernon, the palatial home of our first president and lady, George and Martha Washington. Included is time to visit the home, dependencies and 50 acres of gardens, as well as the new Ford Orientation Center and Reynolds Museum and Education Center, between them offering 25 galleries and theatres to enhance your visit. View over 1,000 Washington-era artifacts, many on display for the first time. Lunch is in old town Alexandria, after which you’ll be greeted once again by Sandra who will give you a guided tour of this colonial-era port which both George Washington and Robert E. Lee called home. Back in the neighborhood of the hotel, visit two new monuments, both on the grounds of the Pentagon: The September 11 Memorial, remembering the 184 lives lost there on that fateful day, and the Air Force Memorial, whose 270 foot central spire is the very epitome of flight. But the day’s not over yet! Dinner is served at America in historic Union Station, followed by a production of Little Shop of Horrors in the newly restored Ford’s Theatre. Time is allowed for visiting the new Lincoln/Booth Museum on the lower level. Now on display is Booth’s personal diary, where he records the events leading up to and following his heinous crime in intimate detail. (B,D)

• Day 4

  Sunday comes as your day of rest – after this action-packed itinerary, you’ve earned it! It’s also your day to visit the museums of the Smithsonian Institute at your own pace. Shuttles to and from the Mall will be provided to accommodate. Within the 11 museums, you’ll find countless thematic galleries and an almost infinite number of items on display including Old Glory, inspiration for our National Anthem, and the First Lady’s Dresses (in the newly reopened Museum of American History), the Hope Diamond (Museum of Natural History) and the Wright Brother’s first plane (National Air & Space Museum). Dinner is served tonight at the popular Sequoia Restaurant on the waterfront in Washington Harbor. (B,D)

• Day 5

  Arlington National Cemetery was established during the Civil War on the massive estate of Southern leader Robert E. Lee. It has always been an address of honor. Tour the cemetery by tram, and visit JFK’s eternal flame and Arlington House, the Lee family mansion. You’ll also take part in a moving Sports Leisure exclusive: A wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Sightseeing continues during your midday meal on a Potomac River luncheon cruise aboard the Odyssey III. A visit to the Newseum, our national museum to the First Amendment assurance of freedom of the press, and a Choose-Your-Own-Museum option complete the afternoon. Will you visit the International Spy Museum, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment or the National Portrait Gallery? (B,L)

• Day 6

  Because of limited space on the Mall, the Smithsonian Institute opened the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport to reward the public with a more comprehensive look at their vast collection. There you’ll see such notable aircraft at the Enola Gay, as well as the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Off to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where you’ll visit the brand new National Park Visitors Center and Cyclorama complex, featuring countless artifacts and historical exhibits. You’ll also visit the Wills House, in which President Lincoln was a guest when he came to town to dedicate the National Cemetery, making his legendary speech. Dinner in a historic tavern, complete with a very special guest, brings the evening to a close. Hilton Garden Inn (B,D)

• Day 7

  Your final day begins with a guided drive through the hallowed Gettysburg Battlefield. Lunch is served in Taneytown, Maryland, at Antrim 1844, voted one of the top ten inns in America. Your scenic drive through the Catoctin Mountains ends at Baltimore/Washington International Airport and your return flight to Sacramento. (B,L)