Veteran Tour of Honor

Thursday, Nov. 9

Arrive in DC. Visit National Museum of the Marine Corps. Experience what it means to be a Marine! Enter a recruiting station. Step aboard the bus taking you to boot camp. Stand astride the famed "yellow footprints" and hear the roar of your first dreaded drill instructor issuing commands! See American history through the eyes of a marine. Learn how diversified American youngsters are transformed into self-disciplined, courageous, cohesive comrades-in-arms forever woven into the historic fabric of the Marine Corps. You will leave with an understanding of the Marine Corps motto Always Faithful "Semper Fidelis". Enjoy lunch on your own.

Arrive at Quantico National Cemetery, where you will be greeted by a volunteer from the Missing in America Project who will guide you through the cemetery. You'll see the perfectly aligned rows and learn about the two types of gravestones used. At Section 22, you'll receive an in-depth explanation of the MIAP non-profit organization and their mission to honor veterans who are no longer forgotten heroes. You will have the chance to honor those veterans by placing flags next to their graves, and there will be opportunity to ask questions and take group photos.

Check into Gaylord Resort & Convention Center National Harbor.

After checking into the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center, enjoy a Red, White, and Blue Reception on the Flight Deck at the Capital Wheel. Enjoy a complimentary drink in a souvenir cup and you will also receive a Keepsake Photo. Take in a beautiful view of the Potomac, Old Town Alexandria, and The National Harbor on your ride on the Capital Wheel.
Ride on the Capital Wheel! Soar 180 feet above the Potomac River. Experience incomparable waterfront views of DC, Maryland and Virginia seated in comfortable, climate-controlled gondolas. Enjoy a birds' eye view of National Harbor, the Washington Monument, Masonic Temple of Alexandria, and more. Each gondola seats 6-8 people, and is air-conditioned / heated so you can ride in comfort year-round.

ADA / Wheelchair NOTE: All of the gondolas are accessible to guests using wheelchairs. Guests using wheelchairs and riding in our standard gondolas have the option of either riding with their wheelchair or transferring from their wheelchair onto the seating in the gondolas. The gondola door is 32 inches wide and there is a ramp that allows wheelchairs to roll directly into the gondola. Please note that, due to space limitations, each standard gondola can accommodate a guest (with their wheelchair) and 2-3 additional riders. Guests that wish to ride with more friends or family or that simply do not wish to bring their wheelchairs on board may, of course, transfer from their wheelchair to the regular gondola seating. For guests transferring out of their wheelchairs, The Capital Wheel is happy to safely and securely store your wheelchair on the loading platform, so it is immediately available to you at the conclusion of your ride.

Followed by free time to have dinner on your own and free time to enjoy the National Harbor and Resort.

Friday, Nov. 10

Enjoy an included breakfast at the hotel.
After breakfast depart with guide on a full day of touring to Honor Our Veterans.

Stop at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This privately funded memorial has drawn millions who have come to touch the over 50,000 names, make pencil rubbings and leave flowers, letters, flags, and personal mementos.

Stop at The Lincoln Memorial. Overlooking the Reflecting Pool, this memorial was patterned on a classic Greek temple. Inside, inscriptions from his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address flank the 19-foot marble statue of our 16th President.

Stop at The Korean War Veterans Memorial. The triangular field contains nineteen ground troopers, clad in foul weather ponchos, fully equipped for battle. Representing those who supported the ground troops are hundreds of faces etched on a polished granite wall.

Stop at The National World War II Memorial. This memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world.

Visit The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. This memorial to FDR combines sculpture, water and natural landscape to forge a dramatic setting for recounting the events and terms of office of the nation's 32nd President. The FDR is unique among the memorials of Washington, DC. Its shade trees, waterfalls, statuary and quiet alcoves create the feeling of a secluded garden rather than an imposing structure. The memorial is divided into four outdoor galleries, or rooms, one for each of FDR's terms in office. Water cascades and quiet pools are present throughout.

Visit the NEW Eisenhower Memorial. Designed by the world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the memorial encapsulates Eisenhower's legacy in a four-acre urban park at the base of Capitol Hill. Gehry's unique vision is a grand new civic space in the heart of the nation's capital. The memorial features a one-of-a-kind stainless steel tapestry depicting beaches of D-Day, heroic-sized bronze sculptures, and stone bas reliefs.

Stop at The National World War I Memorial. The National World War I Memorial is a national memorial commemorating the service rendered by members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the World War I Centennial Commission to build the memorial in Pershing Park, located at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. In January 2016, the design commission selected the submission "The Weight of Sacrifice", by a team consisting of Joseph Weishaar, Sabin Howard, Phoebe Lickwar, and GWWO Architects, as the winning design, which is expected to be completed by 2024. On April 16, 2021, the flag was raised at the memorial and President Biden spoke at a virtual ceremony opening it to the public. Sabin Howard is sculpting 38 figures for a bronze relief that is 10% larger than life-size in his studio in New Jersey. Each figure takes 600 hours of work, even with 3D-printed armatures. The design, "A Soldier's Journey", shows the story of a soldier who leaves his family, sees combat and the loss of comrades, and returns to his family after receiving medical care.

Visit the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is a memorial in Washington, D.C., which honors veterans of the armed forces of the United States who were permanently disabled during their national service.

Visit the US Navy Memorial and see their wreath laying ceremony.

Visit Brand New Spirit Park where we will enjoy patriotic entertainment and fireworks! See one of the largest American Flags on the east coast.

Afterwards enjoy free time and dinner on your own.

Saturday, Nov 11

Enjoy an included breakfast at the hotel.

Arrive at Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington. Enjoy lunch on own/included at the Mount Vernon Food Court

Next visit the NEW National Museum of the United States Army (located at Fort Belvoir). The Museum will celebrate over 240 years of Army history and honor our nation's Soldiers - past, present, and future - regular Army, Army Reserves, and the Army National Guard. It will provide the only comprehensive portrayal of Army history and traditions, and will offer educational experiences to illustrate the Army's role in building and defending our nation, as well as humanitarian missions, public contributions, and technological and medical breakthroughs.

Enjoy an included dinner in a local restaurant, pending availability.

Depart and continue on with an Illuminated Monument Driving Tour. Washington's grand buildings, memorials, and monuments sparkle and are impressive during the day; but in the evenings they are illuminated, soft, focusing the solid stones and bronzes; fountains and water features shimmer in reflection; shadows darken highlighting the floodlit detail. Impressive during the day - stunning at night!
Drive by the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima Statue), the Air Force Memorial, the Washington Monument, the National World War II Memorial, other memorials and monuments as time permits.

Walk through the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Explore the Hall of Flags, see the larger-than-life bronze bust of Kennedy himself, see the incredible view of the city from the rooftop terrace, discover the new REACH Expansion, and experience the NEW Art & Ideals: John F. Kennedy Exhibit! Two months after President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, Congress designated the National Cultural Center as a "living memorial" to Kennedy, and authorized $23 million to help build what was now known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Sunday, Nov 12

Enjoy an included breakfast before checking out.

Enjoy a Tram Tour Arlington National Cemetery **All visitors 16 years of age and older, to include bus drivers and Guides, must present a valid photo I.D. upon entering the cemetery.** Visitors of 18 years of age and older must present a valid U.S. State or Federal government-issued photo identification (ie: current Driver's License or Passport). Visitors 16 and 17 years of age who do not have a U.S. State or Federal government-issued photo ID may present an official school-issued photo identification.

Visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is the original Star-Spangled Banner.

Depart for home.
Meals: B

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner