Washington DC – Civil War to Civil Rights

Van Horn Vacations invites you to join us this February as we travel to Washington DC for a three day exploration of African Americans history from the American Civil War through to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960′s

Washington DC delights and inspires like no other place. DC’s inspiring museums and collection of hip and historic neighborhoods engage visitors with quaint boutiques and trendy restaurants. Travel with us as we plug into a city that makes history everyday. All tours will include a night-life event, dinner, lunch and breakfast as indicated. Your tour will include transportation and luxury hotel accommodations. You will return excited, delighted and informed!

Relax and enjoy, as your trip will include:

• Pickup at your Indianapolis home
• 3 nights accommodation in the heart of DC
• 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners.
• Round trip transportation and transfers
• Luggage handling – one large suitcase
• Guided tour of DC – as highlighted in itinerary
• 1 evening of night life entertainment, dinner theater, cabaret, Potomac cruise or similar
• All taxes and gratuities (driver, and tour guides)
• VHVLLC tour escort

Itinerary

Day One

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Begin your day with breakfast at the Willard InterContinental, where Lincoln stayed prior to his inauguration, and where Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “I Have a Dream” speech. Freedom Plaza, located opposite the hotel, honor’s King’s legacy. Walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to the National Archives. Scan records of Civil War soldiers and learn more about the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau. It’s here that Alex Haley conducted the research that led to his landmark work, “Roots.” From there, it’s a short walk to Ford’s Theatre. Tour the museum that tells the story behind Lincoln’s fateful visit in 1865 and listen in on a ranger-led interpretive program. Follow John Wilkes Booth’s escape route near 9th and F Streets. Have dinner at a DC classic like The Occidental or Old Ebbitt Grill then hop a cab to the Kennedy Center, which memorializes the former president by celebrating his passion for the arts. End your day with a moonlight visit to the Lincoln Memorial.

Day Two

Detail from the African American Civil War Memorial on U Street

Start with a morning visit to Arlington National Cemetery. View the graves of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, John F. Kennedy, along with thousands of notable soldiers and statesmen. A memorial to Robert E. Lee is located inside his hilltop family home, Arlington House. The cemetery’s southern section was once known as Freedmen’s Village and served as a home for freed and fugitive slaves during and following the war. Make your next stop the National Museum of American History. Among its fascinating treasures: Lincoln’s top hat, the Greensboro lunch counter made famous by sit-ins and the chairs that Lee and Grant sat in during the surrender at Appomattox. Head to the National Portrait Gallery & Smithsonian American Art Museum for a light lunch in the courtyard café. It’s here the Lincoln hosted his second inaugural ball, and where the last photograph taken of him is on display. Take Metro to U Street. Near the station, you’ll discover the African-American Civil War Memorial, honoring the members of the U.S. Colored Troops that fought for freedom. Duck in to Ben’s Chili Bowl for a chili half-smoke and join the diverse crowds to take in the nightlife on DC’s historic “Black Broadway.”

Day Three

Georgetown University

Pay a visit to Cedar Hill, the historic home of abolitionist, statesman and Lincoln confidante Frederick Douglass, and enjoy the stunning views of the DC skyline. The nearby Anacostia Community Museum tells the story of this fascinating neighborhood. Spend the afternoon at President Lincoln’s Cottage, the peaceful retreat where Lincoln spent the summers of 1862, 1863 and 1864, and where he penned pieces of the Emancipation Proclamation. Take an evening stroll through Georgetown. DC’s oldest neighborhood, Georgetown was home to both Union and Confederate sympathizers during the war. Stop for a bite to eat at a sidewalk café or on the scenic waterfront.

Rates and Information

Travel by ground – Starting at $525.00
Travel by air – Starting at $1225.00

This all inclusive tour is priced to please and payment plans are available.

In order to help make your experience both relaxing and highly enjoyable, this small group tour will be limited to twelve people. Worry not! Due to high demand, the Washington DC – Civil War to Civil Rights Tour will be departing monthly from February to November 2012.