Presidential Estates & Virginia Wineries

Travelers should coordinate their arrival to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) by 3:00pm when you will meet your Tour Director and luxury motor coach. 

Check-in to the Courtyard Manassas, a short, 30 mile drive from the heart of our Nation's Capital, Washington, DC.

Enjoy dinner on your own at the adjacent Cracker Barrel at your leisure.

Today is a relaxing arrival day where you can retire to your room for the evening at your leisure.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning.

Embark on a Ranger-Led tour at Manassas Battlefield. On July 21, 1861, two armies clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run. Heavy fighting swept away any notion of a quick war. In August 1862, Union and Confederate armies converged for a second time on the plains of Manassas.  

Explore the Farm Brewery at Broad Run. Flight tasting, corn hole, popcorn, and choice of sandwich is included. Axe-throwing is available at an additional charge on own.    

Discover the Winery at LaGrange.  Housed in a mansion dating from the 18th century, visiting The Winery at La Grange provides the perfect opportunity to escape from the busy city. Its sprawling 20 acres include more than 8 acres of vineyards.  Enjoy a group tasting of its finest reds and whites.  

Afterwards, you'll visit  The Winery at Bull Run.  Opened in 2012, they are a grape to glass farm winery focused on crafting fine Virginia wines while paying tribute to the history and preservation of the land on which they sit. The closest winery to Washington, D.C., they offer you an escape from the hustle and bustle of your daily life to a simpler time—where you can relax in the beautiful Virginia countryside with your family and friends and sip delicious, award-winning Virginia wine. 

Conclude the day with a lovely dinner at a local favorite restaurant before returning to your hotel to rest and relax this evening.

Enjoy breakfast included at the hotel this morning.

This morning, tour Morven Park’s mansion and gardens. Morven Park was home to World War I era Governor Westmoreland Davis and his wife who expanded the house to what it is today and added the formal gardens. Morvern Park has a wonderful Carriage Collection, Museum of Hounds and Hunting, and meeting and event spaces throughout the property.

Tour Dodona Manor. After years of renovations this home is open to the public. This was the home of George C. Marshall, citizen-soldier-statesman and author of the “Marshall Plan.”  Surrounded by gardens, in the historic district of Leesburg, VA, the home offered the Marshall’s a retreat during WWII. Marshall named this home after his wife.   

• The Group will rotate this tour with a relaxing visit to the Loudoun Brewing Company where you can sit and enjoy the scenery with a beer, water, or soda.

Afterwards, you'll  arrive to Zephaniah Farm Vineyard, and take a short winery tour and enjoy wine tasting along with “A Little Bit of Loudoun” specialty food sampler, which includes Devilish Good Eggs - praline bacon, spiced pecans from Ford’s Fish Shack; Smoked Salmon Bruschetta – goat cheese, remoulade, ciabatta from Ford’s Fish Shack; Pulled Pork BBQ Sliders – potato roll, Italian style vinegar slaw, house made blackberry whisky BBQ sauce from Monk’s BBQ; and A Taste Of Loudoun Bar – 64% Manjari dark chocolate, dehydrated strawberries, and freeze dried rose petals from The Conche.

The tasting continue at your next stop, Breaux Vineyards, a Cajun owned and operated winery and vineyard.  Indulge with free time to relax on the beautiful grounds amongst the cherry blossom trees. Additional wine tasting and appetizers are available on your own.   

A special included dinner awaits this evening at one of the area's first restaurant to feature locally raised and sustainable foods.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning.

Depart for Washington, DC, with your first pit stop at the White House for a photo op of one of the most recognizable "homes" in the world. Continue your City Tour with visits to:

• White House Visitor Center.  Explore nearly 100 artifacts, to include President Lincoln’s telegraph key used to communicate with Gen. Grant during Robert E. Lee’s Surrender, an interactive touchscreen tour of the White House and gift shop to find the perfect souvenir! 
• The National World War I Memorial, one of DC's newest memorials, this one  commemorates the service rendered by members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I. 

Arrive for a tour the President Woodrow Wilson House. The Woodrow Wilson House is a national historic landmark and house museum focusing on President Wilson’s “Washington Years”. The museum promotes a greater awareness of Wilson’s public life and ideals for future generations through guided tours, exhibits, and educational programs. 

Stop for lunch on your own in Penn Quarter or the Courtyard Cafe located within the National Portrait Gallery.  Time has been allotted for you to explore the National Portrait Gallery following lunch where you'll be able to discover the many famous, and historical faces located therein, including the exhibit: “America’s Presidents”, the nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, this exhibition lies at the heart of the Portrait Gallery’s mission to tell the American story through the individuals who have shaped it. 

Later this afternoon, tour President Lincoln's Cottage.  Located on a picturesque hilltop in Washington, DC, President Lincoln's Cottage is the most significant historic site directly associated with Lincoln's presidency aside from the White House. During the Civil War, President Lincoln and his family resided here from June to November of 1862, 1863, and 1864.  All in all, Lincoln lived here for a quarter of his presidency. 

Embark on a Monuments & Memorials Tour with stops at such famous and iconic locations as:

• 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. 
• The Lincoln Memorial, overlooking the Reflecting Pool and 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. 
• The Korean War Veterans Memorial, a triangular field containing nineteen ground troopers, clad in foul weather ponchos, fully equipped for battle.    
• The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, combining 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. 
• The Jefferson Memorial.  The 19-foot statue of the third president stands beneath a rotunda inscribed with passages from the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson’s other famous writings. Looking from the memorial across the Tidal Basin provides an unforgettable view of the city.  
• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, a quiet and receptive space, yet at the same time, powerful and emotionally evocative, reflecting the spirit of the message Dr. King delivered and the role he played in society. 
• Drive by the Washington Monument, one of the tallest masonry structures in the world, this majestic obelisk was dedicated in 1885 to the memory of our first President.  

Relax with an included dinner at a favorite fine-dining restaurant in Georgetown, overlooking the Potomac River. 

On your way back to the hotel, make one last stop to walk through the John F. 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.   

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.

This morning, you'll depart for a visit to explore the magnificent grounds of Monticello, the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson. The house is a remarkable integration of classical architecture and modern innovation designed by Jefferson and built on the mountain top where he played as a boy. Mr. Jefferson named his home Monticello, meaning, "Little Mountain" and always used the Italian pronunciation of Monticello (mon-ti-chel-oh).  There are many sites to discover and things to see during your visit.

A very delicious lunch is included today at one of the oldest homesteads remaining in Virginia. The Tavern offers a glimpse of 18th-century life through the exhibit of handcrafted furnishings and artifacts. Hearty, Typical colonial fare is served buffet-style.

Afterwards, you're off to visit James Monroe's Highland (formerly known as Ash Lawn Highland) where you'll explore the property and even meet Mr. Monroe, himself!

After a long day, you should be hungry and ready for a dinner included at a massive buffet well-loved in the area.

Return to your hotel to rest and relax.

Enjoy breakfast at your leisure this morning.

Depart the hotel for Arlington National Cemetery.  On your way, drive by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, a huge tribute to Eisenhower's legacy, and another new addition to the DC landscape.

Upon arrival to Arlington National Cemetery, the group will receive tram tickets to utilize to cover as much ground as possible at America's most sacred square mile. It is America’s shrine to valor and sacrifice. This is the final resting place for President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Robert F. Kennedy, Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy, Audie Murphy, prizefighter Joe Louis, and thousands of soldiers from every major U.S. war.   Be sure to arrive early to grab a seat and witness the Changing of the Guard, an elaborate military ritual in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Early afternoon, visit Mount Vernon, the sprawling estate of George Washington including a tour of the mansion onsite.  Here, George Washington escaped the rigors of public office and enjoyed the life of a successful Virginia planter.  America’s most visited historic house, Mount Vernon sits on a grassy, shaded slope overlooking the Potomac River.  Many of the furnishings are original pieces acquired by Washington himself.  Mount Vernon is both George Washington’s home and final resting-place.  This Southern plantation standing on the banks of the Potomac River details the life of the “Father of Our Country” while providing fascinating insights into colonial times.     

• Enjoy lunch on own at either the Cafe or the sit-down restaurant located on the property.

This evening, enjoy some free time to stroll the streets of historic Old Town Alexandria, a  beautifully preserved historic district on the Potomac River and 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 best Old Town Alexandria restaurants, arts, events, shopping, and historic attractions such as Christ Church, Robert E. Lee's Boyhood Home, and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

Return to the hotel to rest and relax after an included dinner while visiting Old Town Alexandria.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning prior to checking out.

The motor coach will make a stop at Washington Dulles International Airport for any early departures, the remaining group will spend time today exploring the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center National Air & Space Museum.  Udvar-Hazy Center provides space for the objects that tell the history of aviation and space flight. Over 335 air and spacecraft are on display. The displays include the Space Shuttle Enterprise, an SR-71 Blackbird, Dash 80 prototype of the Boeing 707, the B-17 Flying Fortress, an F-4 Phantom fighter, the B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay”, and the de Havilland Chipmunk.  

Motor coach will take the group back to Washington Dulles International (IAD) beginning in the early afternoon.  On your flight home, reminisce as you go through your photos of all the impressive, historical, and delicious adventures you had on your journey.  Salut!