Wed, Mar 18: Depart Indianapolis via motorcoach. Stop at the John & Annie Glenn Museum, Astronaut and Senator John Glenn’s boyhood home, which has been moved back to Main Street in New Concord, Ohio. Learn about life during the Great Depression and the Home Front during WWII through a captivating living history presentation. Check into your hotel near Cumberland, Maryland for a one-night stay. 

Thu, Mar 19: Depart for Washington, D.C., arriving in time for lunch on your own. Meet your local guide for a tour around the National Mall, visiting the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans, WWII and Korean War Veterans Memorials. If time permits, stop outside the White House for photos before checking in to your hotel for four nights. Enjoy dazzling views of the Potomac River during your stay at the Hyatt House at The Wharf, with easy access to a wide range of shopping and restaurants, ideally located less than a mile from the National Mall. Dinner and the remainder of the evening are at your leisure. (Meals: Breakfast)

Fri, Mar 20: After breakfast included at the hotel, rejoin your local guide to tour the Tidal Basin Monuments, visiting Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. Lunch is at your leisure followed by free time allowing you to venture into one of the 11 Smithsonian museums and galleries on the National Mall, the halls of which contain some of the world’s rarest collections of artifacts. This evening take a seat at the historical Ford’s Theatre, the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, and watch the live performance of 1776. This award-winning musical brings our country’s beginnings and founding fathers blazing to life, perfectly fitting for the United States Semiquincentennial! (B)

Sat, Mar 21: This morning visit the iconic home of the legislative branch of the federal government, the United States Capitol building on Capitol Hill. Afterwards, enjoy a tour at the impressive Library of Congress, home to over 170 million items, including the largest rare book collection in North America and the personal collection of Thomas Jefferson. The afternoon is yours for diving deeper into the history and culture of our Nation and the Peoples who helped shape it. Perhaps explore another Smithsonian Museum or visit one of the many other institutions unique to D.C., such as the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of the Bible, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Return to the hotel for a restful evening. (B,L) 

Sun, Mar 22: Today, take a delightful cherry blossom brunch cruise along the Potomac River admiring a unique perspective of the beautiful trees along the rivers edge and Washington D.C. landmarks before transferring to sprawling Arlington National Cemetery. A narrated tram tour takes you through the Cemetery to notable sites including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and President John F. Kennedy gravesite. Admire the same blooming Japanese Cherry Trees along with magnolia and other variety of trees throughout the cemetery creating a stunning visual display. Tonight, dinner is included at Gadsby’s Tavern in Old Town Alexandria, a historic landmark dating back to the 18th century. The tavern was frequented by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe. (B,L,D) 

Mon, Mar 23: Depart Washington D.C. for Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Step back in history at the Eisenhower National Historic Site before heading to Gettysburg Museum & Visitor’s Center to see the film A New Birth of Freedom and Cyclorama painting, an 1880s canvas that measures 377 feet in circumference and 42 feet high with a three-dimensional diorama foreground that depicts the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Take a Battlefield Tour of the historic landscape that looks very much like it did in 1863. Have dinner at the historic Farnsworth House Inn in Gettysburg before continuing to Bedford, Pennsylvania to check into your hotel for one night. (B,D) 

Tue, Mar 24: Check out of the hotel and head to Indianapolis. Stop in western Pennsylvania at the Flight 93 National Memorial, which serves as a permanent memorial to the 40 heroes on United Flight 93 who courageously gave their lives thwarting a planned attack on the nation’s capital on September 11, 2001. Arrive home early evening. (B)