"American Democracy" - Student Tour
Destinations:
America's Historic Triangle, Washington, DC and Mount Vernon
Five Days/Four Nights
Call us today at 800.378.1571 or request information.
Day 1 - Jamestown
2:00pm
Arrive in Williamsburg and meet your Colonial Connections Tour Manager
2:30pm-5:00pm
Tour Jamestown Settlement
Connect with the experiences of the 17th-century colonists as you explore Jamestown Settlement, the recreation of the first permanent English settlement in America. Tour indoor galleries, talk with costumed interpreters, and visit the re-created James Fort and Powhatan Indian village. Board full-size replicas of the Susan Constant, Discovery and Godspeed - the three ships that brought settlers to Virginia in 1607.
5:00pm-6:00pm
Buffet dinner provided
6:30pm
Check-in to your Williamsburg hotel
All properties used by Colonial Connections have an indoor pool and interior corridors for added security.
7:00pm-8:00pm
Early American Medical Practices (an indoor program at your hotel)
This program focuses on the practices of medicine in the 18th century when the treatment was oftentimes worse than the illness or injury! Examine and compare the contents of a practicing physician's bag and participate in a mock amputation and dental extraction.
10:00pm-4:00am
Private hotel security provided. Colonial Connections Tour Manager departs.
Day 2 - Williamsburg, Yorktown
7:30am
Deluxe Continental breakfast provided at hotel. Colonial Connections Tour Manager rejoins group.
8:30am
Depart for full day of touring Colonial Williamsburg
9:00am-1:00pm
Tour Colonial Williamsburg, the Revolutionary City
Explore the nation's largest living history museum. From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political and cultural center of Britain's largest colony in the New World. In the shops, taverns, government buildings, homes and streets George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Mason and other Virginia Patriots debated the ideas - liberty, independence, and personal freedoms - that led to the founding of American democracy and inspired generations of Americans and others from around the world.
1:00pm-2:30pm
Lunch provided at a Colonial Tavern
Taverns were not only an integral part of colonial life in America, but were also a necessity. The modes of travel and transportation of the day mandated the location of a tavern every few miles on the main thoroughfares, where tired and hungry travelers could find food and drink and a bed or floor upon which to sleep.
2:30pm
Transfer to Yorktown via the scenic Colonial Parkway
3:00pm-5:00pm
Tour the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Gain a new appreciation and understanding of our nation's beginnings at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown where America's evolution from Colonial status to nationhood is chronicled. Outdoor living history areas include a re-created Continental Army encampment and 1780s farm.
5:30pm-6:30pm
Buffet dinner provided
7:00pm-8:00pm
Colonial Hauntings Tour (candlelight walking tour)
When darkness falls another side of Williamsburg emerges … it’s a different place after sunset, full of mystery and intrigue. Journey by candlelight through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, listening to eerie tales of Williamsburg's only witch trial, Black Beard and his crew, the questionable Lady Skipwith, Lucy of Ludwell and ghostly parties at the Raleigh Tavern. Some stories last more than a lifetime!
8:30pm
Return to the hotel
10:00pm-4:00am
Private hotel security provided. Colonial Connections Tour Manager departs.
Day 3 - Washington, D.C.
6:30am
Deluxe Continental breakfast provided at hotel. Colonial Connections Tour Manager rejoins group.
7:00am
Check-out of hotel and load luggage on motorcoach
7:30am
Depart for Washington, DC.
10:30pm
Arrive in Washington, DC and make a photo stop at the Iwo Jima Memorial
11:00am
Tour Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington Mansion and 200 acres of ground immediately surrounding it were designated officially as a military cemetery June 15, 1864, by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. More than 260,000 people are buried at Arlington Cemetery. Veterans from the American Revolution through the Persian Gulf War and Somalia are buried here.
The Tomb of the Unknowns is one of the more visited sites at Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb was completed and opened to the public April 9, 1932. There are three unknown servicemen buried at the Tomb of the Unknowns. (NOTE: Should your school like to include a wreath laying ceremony, please contact the National Cemetery directly to set up)
1:00pm
Lunch at Pentagon City Mall (lunch on own)
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, located just minutes from the nation's capital boasts over 170 fascinating stores and restaurants. The food court features international specialties from the familiar to the exotic.
2:00pm-3:00pm
Visit The National Archives
Of all the documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, those that are important for legal or historical reasons are kept and stored at the National Archives. Its holdings date from the 18th century to the present and include the famous Charters of Freedom - the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
3:30pm
Visit the Washington Monument
Dedicated in 1885, the Washington Monument offers a great view of the National Mall at a height of over 555 feet.
4:00pm-5:30pm
Walk by the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall and get an up close and personal view of the WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln and Korean Memorials
6:00pm-7:00pm
Dinner provided at Union Station
Completed in 1908, this magnificent structure is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture. Architect, Daniel Burnham designed the building to be monumental in every respect and to serve as a gateway to Washington, DC. A food court, dine-in restaurants and numerous shops are located throughout the complex.
8:00pm
Check-in to your Washington, DC area hotel
All properties used by Colonial Connections have an indoor pool and interior corridors for added security.
10:00pm-4:00am
Private hotel security provided. Colonial Connections Tour Manager goes off duty.
Day 4 - Washington, D.C.
7:00am
Deluxe Continental breakfast provided at hotel. Colonial Connections Tour Manager rejoins group.
8:00am
Depart for a full day of touring our Nation’s Capital
8:30am-10:30am
Today’s touring starts with a photo stop and walk to our country’s three branches of government: The White House (executive), US Capitol Building (legislative), and Supreme Court (judicial).
(Private tours of any of the branches of government must be arranged directly through your congressman or senator.)
10:30pm-1:00pm
Return to the National Mall and visit any of the Smithsonian Museums of interest - American History, Natural History, Air and Space or the American Indian Museum.
1:15pm
Lunch Provided at the Ronald Reagan Building Food Court
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center facility brings together federal, state and regional trade resources, international trade related businesses and services to convey the United States' recognition of the importance of trade in linking countries and communities.
2:30pm-4:00pm
Tour the Holocaust Museum
This museum presents a comprehensive history of the Holocaust through artifacts, photographs, films, oral histories, and filmed eyewitness testimonies. The group will visit one of the museum’s main attractions: Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story.
4:00pm-5:30pm
Drive around the Tidal Basin, stopping to see and walk around both the Jefferson and FDR Memorials
6:00pm-7:00pm
Dinner provided at Magill’s Famous Pizza and Buffet Restaurant
7:00pm-8:00pm
After dinner as darkness descends, the group will be taken on a “windshield tour” of Washington, DC to view the lighted monuments and buildings one final time
8:30pm
Return to the hotel
10:00pm-4:00am
Private hotel security provided. Colonial Connections Tour Manager goes off duty.
Day 5 - Mount Vernon
7:00am
Deluxe Continental breakfast provided at hotel. Colonial Connections Tour Manager rejoins group.
8:00am
Check-out of hotel and load luggage on motorcoach
9:00am-12:00pm
Tour Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George and Martha Washington from the time of their marriage in 1759 until General Washington's death in 1799. A spectacular view of the Potomac River from the Mansion's piazza transports visitors back in time. Stroll through the gardens, tour the Mansion house and more than a dozen outbuildings including the slave quarters, kitchen and stables. The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center features 23 gallery and theater experiences – many of them with interactive technology – that illuminate the detailed story of Washington’s life, including his military and presidential careers. More than 500 original artifacts, eleven History Channel videos, and immersion theater experiences illuminate the remarkable story of the first American hero.
12:00pm
Group departs for return home with lunch and/or dinner stops en route on their own. Colonial Connections Tour Manager departs.
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