MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2002
Walking Tour of Olde
Towne Portsmouth
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The best way to approach Olde Towne Portsmouth is the historic
way, by water. A guide will meet the participants at the Marriott
and walk with them two blocks to nearby Waterside in Norfolk,
site of the Elizabeth River Ferry, which offers a panoramic harbor
view. Participants will arrive at the High Street Landing in
the heart of Olde Towne.
Olde Towne Portsmouth contains one of the largest concentrations
of antique homes between Alexandria, Virginia and Charleston,
South Carolina. Encounter beautifully preserved Georgian, Gothic,
Victorian, Greek Revival, and Colonial structures at every turn.
This walking tour includes numerous historic sites within an
approximate 1 mile radius. Participants will pass by Trinity
Episcopal Church, which still contains original hand-hewn pews
built by slaves. Participants will also see the Commodore Theatre,
a luxuriously restored 1945 Art Deco style theatre.
Note: Participants in this tour will be walking approximately
2 miles with little elevation change.
After the tour, participants will be free to peruse the numerous
antiques, art and specialty shops located along historic High
Street. The group will then gather for a delicious lunch at the
artsy Fusion 440 Bistro in Olde Towne. Participants may choose
among a selection of gourmet sandwiches and wraps, such as:
- Applewood Smoked Turkey Wrap
- Cajun Corn Meal Oyster Wrap
- Jamaican Jerk Pork Loin Sandwich
All sandwiches come with choice of one side item: Mushroom
Caps, Fresh Seasonal Fruit, Yukon Gold Potato Salad, or Mediterranean
Pasta Salad. Soda or tea also included.
Tour Package includes the following:
- Historically trained guide
- Ferry Ticket to and from Portsmouth
- Lunch at Fusion 440 Bistro
- Virginia Escape, Ltd. On-Site Staff Coordination
- All applicable taxes and gratuities
Fee per person: $35
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2002
Jamestown Settlement
Tour and Yorktown Tour
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
After boarding the motorcoach, participants will enjoy an
interesting introduction to the area by their historically trained
tour guide. The first stop on the tour will be Jamestown Settlement.
Jamestown Settlement commemorates America's first permanent
English colony with exhibition galleries and outdoor living history
programs. An original engraving of Captain John Smith's map of
Virginia and a stoneware jug believed to have been given to Pocahontas
by the King and Queen of England are among many 17th-century
artifacts on display in the indoor galleries. In the outdoor
living history areas, costumed interpreters demonstrate 17th-century
activities in the Powhatan Indian Village, palisaded James Fort,
and on board three full-size replicas of the ships that arrived
here in 1607.
After the Jamestown tour, participants will board the motorcoach,
on which they will be served an excellent box lunch and cold
beverage, and proceed on to historic Yorktown.
Box lunch includes choice of:
- Baked ham on Kaiser Roll
- Smoked Turkey with Swiss on Marble Rye Bread
- Garden Sub with Mixed Cheeses and Sprouts
All Served with: Chips and Pickle, Small Deli Salad, Cookie,
Choice of Soft Drinks
In Yorktown, participants will venture back in time to experience
the famous battlefields and Surrender Field of Yorktown -- where
the last battle of the Revolutionary War was fought. Travel through
the fields that served to greatly influence the history of the
United States as we know it today. Visit Moore House, a farmhouse
where Washington and Cornwallis fought the verbal war of negotiations
for the Battle of Yorktown surrender.
At the home of Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the Declaration
of Independence, you'll see a fine example of Georgian architecture.
Its walls still bear the scars of cannonballs fired upon by Allied
troops. See the Grace Church and the Victory Monument, which
was commissioned in 1781 and not completed until 1884. Enjoy
some time browsing the narrow streets of the historic village
which remains much as it was during the waning days of the Revolution,
but is now occupied by unique gift shops, antique shops, and
art galleries.
Tour Package includes the following:
- Admission to Jamestown Settlement
- Box Lunch and Cold Beverage
- Transportation by Mini-coach & Driver Gratuity
- Admission to Yorktown Battlefield and Sites
- Historically Trained Interpreter
- Virginia Escape, Ltd. On-Site Staff Coordination
- All applicable taxes and gratuities
Fee per person: $65
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2002
Colonial Williamsburg
Tour
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Participants will enjoy a walk through history as they visit
Colonial Williamsburg, a living museum that has been faithfully
preserved and restored to its 18th-century appearance. A historically-trained
guide will describe the lifestyle of the colonists, including
such leading citizens as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson
and Patrick Henry. America's largest living history museum offers
an unparalleled view of daily colonial life at a time when Williamsburg
was a powerful center of politics, commerce, and culture.
The first colony to speak for American independence did it
with the unanimous voices of the gentlemen who gathered May 15,
1776, in the tall brick building that dominated the east end
of Williamsburg, the Capitol. From a hall in the Capitol of what
had been England's original New World possession, Virginia instructed
its delegation at Philadelphia's Continental Congress to raise
the question of freedom. Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence
records the Continental Congress's answer. Every day, visitors
of all ages tour the Capitol to learn more about government in
Colonial Virginia and the colony's contribution to the American
Revolution. One of the highlights of your tour will be the Governor's
Palace. Built in 1722 to house the King's governors, the palace
symbolized the prestige and power of British rule. The most popular
exhibition building with Colonial Williamsburg visitors, the
Palace's luxurious furnishings are based on an inventory taken
when Royal Governor Botetourt died in October 1770.
For lunch (1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.), participants are not only
in for a taste of excellent cuisine, but also a taste of real
history. At the restored King's Arms Tavern of Colonial Williamsburg,
participants can dine in the same settings that George Washington
enjoyed in the 18th century. Participants will be served by waiters
in Colonial attire.
Lunch menu includes the following:
- Garden Green Salad
- Chicken Pottage Pie or Vegetable Pie
- Fresh Baked Tavern Bread Selection
- Vanilla Ice Cream with Macaroon
- Choice of Fountain Beverage
After the tour, participants may explore on their own and
discover the quaint shops in Merchant's Square.
Tour Package includes the following:
- Colonial Williamsburg Passes
- Motorcoach Transportation and Driver Gratuity
- Lunch at King's Arms Tavern
- Historically Trained Interpreter
- Virginia Escape, Ltd. On-site Staff Coordination
- All applicable taxes and gratuities
Fee per person: $85
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2002
The Hermitage Museum and Chrysler
Museum Tour
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Participants will begin the day at the Hermitage Museum, which
was originally built as the summer retreat of William and Florence
Sloane in 1908 and later became their year-round residence. It
has since become the permanent location of the Hermitage Foundation
Museum. The Foundation was established in 1937 by the Sloanes
to increase public awareness and appreciation of the arts and
to offer encouragement and support to creative endeavors.
Although the home now serves as a museum, it is a work of
art in its own right! The expert carving and attention to detail
of two master craftsmen, C.J. Woodsend and M.F. McCarthy, resulted
in a home of unparalleled craftsmanship and an appropriate showcase
for the Sloanes' numerous collections of treasured artworks from
around the world. The home is truly a celebration of the arts!
Some of the works featured include Italian and French textiles
and laces, English and European ceramics and paintings, handpainted
glass from Germany, ivory carvings, Persian rugs, and ritual
bronzes and ceramic tomb figures from China.
Participants then will go to the Chrysler Museum, where they
will enjoy delicious bag lunches. Lunches include choice of:
Grilled Chicken on sourdough with lettuce and tomato
or
Vegetarian Sandwich with avocado, mushrooms, tomato, creamy
house dressing, Swiss cheese, and sprouts on honey wheat bread
Both lunches come with chips and a cookie as well as soft drinks.
Following lunch, participants will visit the Chrysler Museum,
which has been ranked by the Wall Street Journal among the top
20 museums in the country. The collection includes over 30,000
pieces, which span the ages, from 2700 B.C. to the present. Areas
of particular strength are French and Italian painting and the
internationally famous glass collection. The Chrysler also houses
the only museum gallery in Virginia devoted solely to photography.
Tour Package includes the following:
- Admissions to Chrysler Museum and Hermitage Museum
- Box Lunches and Soft Drinks
- Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
- Virginia Escape, Ltd. On-Site Staff Coordination
Fee per person: $40
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2002
Norfolk Historic Homes and Virginia
Beach Homes Tour
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This
morning participants will begin their Norfolk Historic Homes
tour by visiting the Hunter House Victorian Museum. This Romanesque
Revival home was designed by Boston architect W.D. Wentworth.
Its doorway consists of a massive round arch with coursed brown
ashlar. The house remained in the Hunter family until 1965, and
currently serves as a Victorian museum.
Next,
participants will visit the Moses Myers House, which is amidst
the bustle of downtown Norfolk. This home is from the Federal
period and its original furnishings recall the hopes and determination
of a newly independent nation. Today, it is the only historic
house in the United States interpreting the traditions of early
Jewish immigrants.
The
next home on the tour is the nearby Willoughby-Baylor House which
offers a gracious view of a middle-class family's lifestyle in
18th-century Hampton Roads. A visit to this Georgian-style house
is enhanced by a stroll through its delightful garden.
After
the home tour, the group will take a break for a delicious boxed
lunch. Menu includes choice of:
Veggie
Pita Wrap with Pasta Salad and Cookie
or
Roast Beef or Tuna Salad with Provolone on French Bread with
House Dressing with Chips and Cookie
The
group will then proceed to Virginia Beach, where participants
will visit Lynnhaven House, circa 1725. Lynnhaven House is one
of America's best preserved 18th century middle-class dwellings.
From there, participants will go to Old Cape Henry Lighthouse,
perched on sand dunes at the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. Authorized
and funded by America's first Congress, the lighthouse was built
in 1791. Participants will then visit The First Landing Cross,
which marks the area where America's first permanent English
settlers, the Jamestown colonists, first touched the shores of
the New World on April 26, 1607 -- 13 years before the Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth Rock. Both the Lighthouse and the Cross are
registered National Historic Landmarks. (Please note: Participants
must have photo ID with them to tour the lighthouse.)
Tour
Package includes the following:
Admission
to all attractions
Motorcoach
Transportation and Driver Gratuity
Historically
Trained Guide
Virginia
Escape, Ltd. On-Site Staff Coordination
Boxed
Lunch
All
Applicable Taxes
Fee
per person: $55
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