American Heritage Tour

Day 1

Depart your home city for Washington, D.C., where your Joshua Expeditions guide will meet you. Your first stop in the district will be the Smithsonian Museum, where you will have the opportunity to visit any of the museums open this day. Following dinner in the city, your group will set out on a walking tour of the presidential memorials, including those for Lincoln, Jefferson and FDR. After checking into the hotel for the night, the group will take some time for devotions and reflection on this first day's experience.

Day 2

The group will head downtown this morning for an exterior visit to the White House, where there will be time for photos and shopping among the local street vendors. You will enjoy lunch in the downtown area then take an exterior tour of the Capitol Building before heading over to the Supreme Court. (You may have a chance to tour inside the court if it is not in session). The afternoon will conclude with a visit to view the great architecture at the Library of Congress. You will again enjoy dinner in the city before setting out on a walking tour of the war memorials commemorating World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The day will close with a time of devotions at the hotel. (Optional interior tours of the White House and the Capitol Building may be scheduled through your local member of Congress.)

Day 3

Your day begins with a breakfast served at the hotel, followed by the first activity of the day — a visit to Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You will witness the awesome ceremony of the changing of the guard, as well as tour the grounds and visit the John F. Kennedy memorial and Arlington House. Before leaving Arlington, the group will drive by the Iwo Jima memorial, which commemorates one of the most costly victories of World War II. Following lunch, your group will head out to the USO Community Center at Fort Myer where you will be able to drop off your donations for the troops and learn about this organization and its dedication to our armed forces worldwide. The group will then transfer to George Washington’s home of Mt. Vernon. With over 500 acres to explore, you will need the remainder of the afternoon to tour the site. Upon returning to Washington, your group will have dinner in the city and then close the evening with devotions at the hotel.

Day 4

This day will begin with a visit to the National Archives where you will be able to view important documents that established the freedoms enjoyed by Americans. In the afternoon the group will head over to the Holocaust Memorial Museum to remember the millions who lost their lives during the Nazis’ “final solution”. Following dinner in the city, the day will close with devotions back at the hotel.

Day 5

Following breakfast and hotel check-out, the group will head out to the Washington Navy Yard where you will visit the USS Barry. Later, you will have some time to find lunch on your own before the group heads to the airport for the departure home.

Your group may want to include these optional activities:

• Ford’s Theatre and Petersen House
• International Spy Museum
• Sporting event for Washington Capitals, Nationals, Wizards or D.C. United
• Tour of Nationals Park baseball stadium
• Interior tour of the National Cathedral
• President Lincoln’s Cottage
• Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia
• Interior tour of the Washington Monument