9D8N The Bold & the Brewtiful: Mid-Atlantic America By Design (F8C)

Welcome to Washington DC! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions for a welcome drink.

WASHINGTON DC: Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Vietnam, Lincoln, and Korean War Veterans Memorials, as well as photo stops at the White House and Capitol Hill. Free time this afternoon.
SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK: Scenic drive through Shenandoah National Park, traversing the northern section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Free time this evening.

YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

TREK: Oh, Shenandoah!
Join a local Park Naturalist for a leisurely half-day guided hike to witness the beauty of Shenandoah’s cascading waterfalls. Hear the ancient stories of this stunning national park. Enjoy a box lunch during your excursion.

GAZE: Spelunking & Sweet Rides
Visit the Shenandoah Valley town of Luray, including an excursion with a Local Guide to explore the largest caverns in the eastern United States. Walk along a well-lighted, paved walkway through cathedral-sized rooms with ceilings soaring 10-stories high. marvel at the towering stone formations and natural wonders at every turn. Spend free time exploring the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum and see a rare 1897 Mercedes-Benz, one of the oldest operating cars in the country. Lunch at a local café is also included.

DELVE: Hoover’s Hideaway
Take a Ranger-guided tour of Rapidan Camp, the former summer retreat of President Herbert Hoover and First Lady, Lou Henry Hoover. Your tour begins with a shuttle ride from Byrd Visitor centre to Rapidan Camp, including free time inside both The Brown House and The Prime Minister cabin. Enjoy time exploring the grounds and gardens of this historic landmark, nestled among the hemlocks on the eastern slope of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Box lunch is included with this historical adventure.

Free time this evening.

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK: Scenic drive through the Appalachian Mountains into West Virginia en route to White Sulphur Springs for a 2-night stay at the elegant and historic Greenbrier Resort.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS: Free time this afternoon and evening.

Free day. Consider joining a guided tour of “The Bunker,” carved deep into the mountainside below the Greenbrier resort or explore the resort on your own to enjoy its history and luxurious amenities.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS: Scenic drive into North Carolina en-route to Mount Airy.

MOUNT AIRY: Enjoy free time before a guided walking tour of the “friendly city” of Mount Airy, real-life hometown of actor Andy Griffith and the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry, featured in The Andy Griffith Show. You can almost picture Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee strolling along these charming streets!

WINSTON-SALEM: YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

TASTE: Crafty Brews
Drink in the history of the Winston-Salem craft beer scene on a guided walking tour visiting two breweries, including Foothills Brewing—the area’s oldest craft brewery.

GAZE: Galleries of Great American Masters
Enjoy a docent-led tour to of Reynolda House Museum of American Art. Discover the masterpieces by American artists as you explore the 1917 mansion and restored former home of Katherine and R.J. Reynolds (founder of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company). Today, the Reynolda House is home to the works of American masters, Georgia O’Keeffe, Albert Bierstadt, Grant Wood, and Jacob Lawrence, to name a few.

DELVE: Old Salem’s Younger Days
Explore the rich, authentic, and diverse cultural history of the early South with a visit to Old Salem Museums & Gardens—home to one of America’s most comprehensive historical collections. –Learn about Winston-Salem's early settlers with a look at the Moravians of North Carolina, as well as the enslaved and free African Americans, and the Native peoples of the Southern Woodland. Peruse fascinating artifacts that bring to life the culture and architecture of Old Salem’s earliest days. Your adventure begins at the Old Salem Visitor centre with an overview of Moravian history before time to explore the village. Interact with costumed actors who demonstrate Old Salem’s early days of tinsmiths, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, bakers, and carpenters practicing their trades. You’ll also visit the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), showcasing the finest architecture, furniture, ceramics, metalwork, needlework, painting, prints, and other decorative arts made and used by the early settlers of the American South.

Free time this evening.

NORFOLK: Orientation tour and free time.
VIRGINIA BEACH: Free time this evening.

YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

FLOAT: Where the Wild Things Are
Paddle a kayak along the calm waters and tributaries of Back Bay. Explore the natural beauty and serenity of this National Wildlife Refuge with a Naturalist Guide. Glide through the pristine protected marshland to discover local flora and fauna, including marine mammals, bald eagles, and ospreys.

RIDE: True Beauty on False Cape
Explore Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park on a tram-ride tour, including access to False Cape to watch for an array of wildlife that call the refuge home—from swans to sea turtles. Your tram driver provides fascinating facts about the ecosystem here, and its history. Consider an optional 1-mile hike (roundtrip) to the historic Wash Woods cemetery site--the final resting place of 16th-century wayward shipwrecked sailors.

PEDAL: A Wild Ride
Let your adventurous spirit roll with a leisurely bike tour of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. Pedal along the semi-paved interior trail, and coast through high dunes and low-lying valleys to experience this diverse ecosystem. Keep an eye out for wildlife, including deer, foxes, wild pigs, and hundreds of bird species. This is a moderately paced bike ride requiring moderate exertion. Prior cycling experience recommended.

Free time this afternoon, followed by a farewell dinner at a local restaurant this evening.

This morning, return to Washington for stops at Dulles International Airport, Washington National Airport, and the Capitol Hilton Washington DC hotel. Please schedule departing flights after 4pm.