Washington D.C. has been a center of African American history and culture for decades. Visit the homes of Mary Macleod and Frederick Douglas and, tour the recently opened National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Washington D.C.
This morning, our journey takes us to our nation’s Capitol, Washington, D.C.! In 1862, the Washington D.C. Proclamation Act was passed, and for the first time in the country, enslaved people were free. Our first stop on the tour is Arlington National Cemetery where we will see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There will be stops at the President John F. Kennedy gravesite, U.S. Coast Guard Memorial, U.S. Army Gen. John J. Pershing’s gravesite, and the Arlington House (The Robert E. Lee Memorial) just to name a few memorials we will pass on our tram ride. From here, we check into the Holiday Inn Capitol, for the next two nights, which is located in the heart of the Capitol District. Our hotel is an easy walk to the Smithsonian Museums, restaurants, and shops.
Day 2 - African-American Heritage Trail Tour
A full breakfast is included this morning followed by a guided tour of Washington, D.C.’s African American Heritage Trail that consists of 200 sites. Our guide will show us the African American Civil War Memorial, the Mary MacLeod home, the Lincoln Emancipation Statue, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Howard University and more! By 1900, Washington had the largest percentage of African Americans of any city in the nation. Many came because of job opportunities and educational institutions. Howard University, founded in 1867, was a magnet for professors and students and would become the “capstone of Negro education” by 1930. African Americans also created hundreds of black-owned businesses in numerous business districts and neighborhoods. Dinner this evening will be at Tony & Joe’s Restaurant, located on the Washington Harbor in historic Georgetown with a view of the Potomac River.(B,D)
Day 3 - Depart Washington D.C.
After breakfast, we head to the National Museum of African American History and Culture where we have timed entry tickets. This is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. To date the Museum has collected more than 40,000 artifacts. There will be time for lunch, on own, before heading home. An evening return is planned. (B)