Homes of the Presidents

Day One –

Arrive in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Enjoy a buffet lunch today at historic Michie Tavern where costumed wait-staff serve hearty Colonial period fare, buffet-style, in this 200-year old converted log house.  Visit Monticello the mountain top estate of Thomas Jefferson.  The Visitor Center includes a wonderful film, galleries, gift shop, café, courtyard, and more.  Stop by for a photo opportunity at the University of Virginia, designed by Thomas Jefferson.  He patterned the Rotunda in his original “Academical Village” after the Roman Pantheon, and it is still the focal point of the grounds.  Enjoy dinner this evening at a favorite local restaurant before checking in to your area hotel.    L,D

Day Two –

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before heading out to tour the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Museum.  Among the period antiques and items from Wilson’s political career exhibited here is Wilson’s presidential limousine, a 1919 Pierce-Arrow sedan, on display in the garage.  Watch for several photo opportunities while you drive along Skyline Drive.  It’s not just a road through the park; it is a way to experience it.  Stop along the way to enjoy a box lunch picnic.  Visit and tour Montpelier, the home of James and Dolley Madison. The new Visitor’s Center/Museum galleries at Montpelier displays how Montpelier looked during the ownership of the wealthy DuPont family before restoration began.  Enjoy dinner on own this evening along the pedestrian mall in downtown Charlottesville. B,L

Day Three –

Have breakfast at your hotel this morning before checking out and departing for a tour of Ash Lawn-Highland, the quaint estate of the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe, followed by a tour and tasting at the Thomas Jefferson Winery and Vineyards.  Have lunch on own in the trendy Shockoe Slip before meeting your Guide for a tour of the Virginia State Capitol Building designed by Thomas Jefferson.  Your tour will also include such historic sites as: Tuckahoe Plantation, the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson; Monument Row, a premier example of the Great American Avenue city planning style; and the Virginia War Memorial, honoring Virginians who died during WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm/Desert Shield.  Visit Hanover Plantation before departing for Northern Virginia and checking in to your local Alexandria, VA hotel.  B

Day Four –

Breakfast will be at the hotel this morning prior to departing for Mount Vernon, the beloved estate of George Washington.  Discover the real George Washington with interactive exhibits, an immersive Revolutionary War “snow” experience, more than 1,000 artifacts, and much more. Visitors may also tour the restored Mansion, its outbuildings, and 50 spacious acres of gardens and grounds, which include the tombs of George and Martha Washington, a memorial to the slaves who worked at Mount Vernon, and a four-acre working farm. Lunch on own at Mount Vernon’s Food Court.  Later, you’ll tour both the Grist Mill and Gunston Hall.  Enjoy dinner this evening at local favorite, followed by a walking tour of Colonial Old Town Alexandria.  A beautifully-preserved historic district on the Potomac River, Old Town Alexandria is the heart of the city George Washington called home. Today Old Town’s cobblestone streets and red brick sidewalks hum with an energy that attracts everyone from presidents to pet lovers to some of the city’s best restaurants, arts events, shopping, and historic attractions. B, D

Day Five –

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before checking out.  Visit Christ Church in Old Town Alexandria, a beautiful example of Georgian architecture, and the house of worship for both George Washington and Robert E. Lee.  Tour Gadsby’s Tavern and Museum where, for nearly a century, Gadsby’s Tavern was a center of political, social, and cultural life in Alexandria.  Nearly all the founders of American Independence enjoyed the warm tavern hospitality.  Enjoy an included lunch at Gadsby’s Tavern before departing for home.  B, L