HISTORIC AMERICA

Every year our group returns and can not believe how much they got to see and do! This interesting and educational tour is probably the most strenuous tour we offer as we have packed in as much as possible to make your tour time worthwhile. In the D.C. area, as always, we will have to be flexible with the itinerary. We will do our best to visit all the sites listed, but at times, official visits and events will prohibit us from certain areas. Read through the itinerary and join us for a special history tour with so many experiences included.

Day 1: As we leave Yoder it’s exciting to think about the interesting and educational things that we will be experiencing. The 16 days ahead, promise to be filled with interesting history and the making of memories as we travel to the historic east. After a fun day of getting acquainted we will arrive east of St. Louis for our first night out.

Day 2: Today will be another day of driving as we head east, crossing the southern edge of Illinois and Indiana and on into Kentucky. You’ll enjoy the neatly manicured horse farms along with the tobacco drying sheds, among the beautiful rolling hills of Kentucky. We may even see the harvesting of the tobacco in the fields along the way this time of year. By evening, we will be in West Virginia where we will spend the night in Huntington. 

Day 3: There is more beautiful scenery in store for us today as we cross the hills of West Virginia, where we see evidence of the coal mining. Driving into Virginia we’ll soon be in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. By mid-afternoon, we will visit Monticello, close to Charlottesville, VA the architecturally correct home of our nation’s third President, Thomas Jefferson, where we start our history of the east. On our tour, we will learn more about President Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and about the countryside which he loved so much. Our motel for the next two nights will be in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

Day 4: A most interesting day is in store for us today as we visit the Jamestown Settlement, founded in 1607, thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth and nearly a century before Williamsburg became the capital of Colonial Virginia. It was England’s first permanent colony in the New World. Even now as we visit, we’ll be surrounded by sights, sounds, and scents of the 1600’s. Moving on to Colonial Williamsburg, history comes alive as we walk the same streets that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson walked and see where Patrick Henry made his impassioned plea for independence. Hear the echo of musket fire, the ring of the blacksmith’s hammer, and the high, pure strains of a fife, as you step back in time into this magnificent era of American History. After a full day of history, it’s back to the same motel for the night. 

Day 5: This morning we will experience a different type of highway scenery as we cross the lower part of Chesapeake Bay by both bridge and also the under-water tunnel, crossing this 23 mile project. This has been designated as one of the seven modern wonders of the world. Then it’s on to the Island of Chincoteague, made famous by the children’s book “Misty of Chincoteague.” It is home to the sale of the wild ponies which still roam the area. We will make a stop on the island for lunch and some time with a step-on local guide to show and tell about this interesting place. We may see some of these tough little horses that are rounded up each summer and made to swim across the bay for auction. By evening, we will be in the Washington D.C. area where we will be at home for the next four nights. For our days in D.C., we will need to be flexible as things are always changing in this busy working town. We will try to get you to all the sites listed. 

Day 6: What an experience is in store for us this morning, as we cruise down the historic Potomac River. This narrated cruise will take us through the very areas that George Washington cruised as he made his way from the Nation’s Capital to his home, Mt. Vernon. This is not only America’s most popular historic home; it is also one of our country’s oldest ongoing preservation projects. Upon arrival, we will enjoy a tour of the mansion, which has been restored to its appearance in the last years of President Washington’s life. We’ll have some free time to visit the grave and to explore the grounds on your own. After driving back into D.C., we’ll visit Washington National Cathedral, the sixth largest cathedral in the world, taking 83 years to complete. Then a local step-on guide will join us for an informative tour of the city. We will have our evening meal at the Union Station after which we will continue an evening tour with our guide, of the illuminated memorials, monuments, and buildings in the Capitol area. Back to the same motel. 

Day 7: If White House tours are available at this time, we will start the day there. Following the White House, we’ll go to the Supreme Court for an informative tour. In the afternoon you can visit any of the Smithsonian Museums that you wish. The Smithsonian Institute has buildings of various interests, making it the largest and highest attended museum in the country. You will want to visit the ones that interest you the most. 25 

Day 8: To start our day off this morning we will visit Capitol Hill for a tour of the Capitol. In the afternoon we will have time to visit the Smithsonian Museums that we may have missed yesterday. Late afternoon will find us at Arlington National Cemetery in time for the changing of the guards. Back to the motel for our last night in the D.C. area. 

Day 9: Leaving the Washington D.C. area this morning we will head north to Baltimore for a visit to Ft. McHenry where the British in 1814 tried to take the city of Baltimore. This is also where Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner.” We will have an introductory film before visiting the grounds of the Fort. After lunch, we’ll depart for Newark, New Jersey, which is across the Hudson River from New York City’s Manhattan Island for our two nights at the same motel in Newark. 

Day 10:We have a long and interesting day in store for us today, as we meet our local step-on guide who will show us New York City. Points of interest will include Lincoln Center, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, Chinatown, Wall Street, Ground Zero and the list goes on with so much to see in the Big Apple. If tours are permitted, we will visit the U.N. Building and if time and weather permits, go up in the Empire State Building for a view of the area. Our lunch will be at the South Street Seaport, along the waterfront overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. A busy day in a busy town will end late. Back to the same motel. 

Day 11: To the thrill of those of you who have ancestors that arrived on Ellis Island, today we will visit the exact spot where many people who arrived in the states, first landed on this island. The ferry will also take us to Liberty Island for a visit to the Statue of Liberty. You can have your lunch on either island. Late afternoon, it’s south and west into downtown Philadelphia for the night. 

Day 12: No historic tour to the east would be complete without a visit to Independence National Historical Park. Today will find us enjoying the history that was made in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation. These attractions include Carpenter’s Hall, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Pavilion, Franklin Court, and Betsy Ross’s Home, and many more. We will start at the visitor’s center with a film and some maps and then go out from there. Mid afternoon, we will depart Philadelphia and drive into Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We will enjoy a ride around the countryside with a local step-on guide pointing out places of interest, with stops at a quilt shop, bakery, and a general store. Our included evening meal will be in a peaceful Amish farm setting, featuring a delicious family style meal. Our motel tonight is in the Lancaster area. 

Day 13: Our visit this morning is to the town of Hershey. It seems the air is filled with that wonderful chocolate aroma. The town of Hershey, PA has certainly maintained the flavor of its tradition. Even the streetlights are Hershey Kisses. We have an interesting animated tour scheduled with some purchasing and tasting privileges, before we board a trolley for a city tour learning about the life of Mr. Hershey. Our next stop will be Gettysburg, where we will have lunch, and view exhibits at the visitor’s center. Then it’s back on the coach for a tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield with a licensed guide, who will give us interesting information about the area, including the spot where the famous Gettysburg Address was given by President Lincoln. Monuments and historical points are scattered throughout the park. The night will be in Bedford, PA. 

Day 14:Today the past comes to life as we will learn about the canal transportation systems in our country as we step back to the early 1800’s. Following an included lunch at the village, we will take the peaceful ride on the Ohio/Erie Canal, pulled by a fine team of draft horses at Roscoe Village. Continuing on west the night will find us close to Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Day 15: Shortly after lunch today, there is one more National Historic Site for this tour. Springfield, Illinois is where President Lincoln first set up his practice, and from where he was elected to the presidency. The library and museum are an excellent display of his life. It depicts the life and struggles of the Lincolns. This is also where the former President and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, and three of their four children are buried. We will enjoy a visit to the Lincoln home and the visitor’s center to discover more about the life of a man that had so much to do with the history of our nation. Our last night out will be in the St. Louis area. 

Day 16: Today we will be driving most of the day, as we enjoy sharing our memories of the past two weeks in the Historic East. We feel a real gratitude for the early settlers and for the people who had the vision and determination to build this great nation. Thanks for helping to make our tour to the east an enjoyable time for all.