Days 1 & 2

Washington DC: The Obamas’ Back Yard

Follow in the footsteps of President and First Lady Obama. Visit the historic Hay-Adams Hotel, the site of Michelle Obama’s Vogue cover shoot; B Smith’s, the Southern restaurant in historic Union Station, where the First Lady lunched with a DC Congresswoman; Madame Tussauds Washington, DC, where you’ll see lifelike figures of the First Couple; the Verizon Center where President Obama cheered on the Washington Wizards basketball team; or Equinox, the restaurant where Barack took Michelle for her birthday.
With world-famous museums such as the Smithsonian Institution and the intriguing International Spy Museum, combined with hip new restaurants, vibrant nightlife, eclectic neighbourhoods and terrific shopping - get your Capital Region holiday off to a fantastic start in Washington, DC.

Days 3 & 4

Boomtown Baltimore

Head for the Inner Harbor, where the top of the World Trade Center offers a great view over the entire city. Make tracks to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum or take in a dolphin show at the National Aquarium.

Tempt your taste buds at Fells Point bars and restaurants, set in restored period buildings. In the evening, enjoy the Inner Harbor’s relaxed, happy atmosphere enlivened by musicians and street performers.
 
You must see Fort McHenry where the ‘upstart’ Americans fiercely resisted a British fleet during the War of 1812. ‘By dawn’s early light’ the American flag still flew defiantly over the fort, giving inspiration for America’s national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

Days 5 & 6

Head for the Shenandoah Valley

Follow the Historic National Road west to Frederick, a crossroads for American history with an intimate, small-town feel. Take a walking tour and learn about battlefield surgery in the National Museum of Civil War Medicine before heading south for Antietam, scene of the bloodiest single-day’s fighting in the Civil War.
 
Next stop is Winchester, Virginia. Visit the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley; it tells the story of the great valley after which it is named and is surrounded by six acres of spectacular gardens.

Visit awesome Luray Caverns and then drive the spectacular Skyline Drive in the 200,000-acre Shenandoah National Park. Hike along more than 500 miles of trails and enjoy the lush forests, streams, waterfalls and wildflowers; or take a guided ranger tour or horseback ride.

Heading south, Skyline Drive becomes the Blue Ridge Parkway, ‘America’s favourite drive’, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2010.

Continue to Roanoke, the largest city on the Parkway. Discover its railroad heritage and wealth of outdoor recreation in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Days 6 & 7

Charlottesville: Red, White, and Brew!

Charlottesville is a college town with a youthful, sophisticated vibe. The surrounding area is famous for wineries, but you can also opt for the ‘Red, White and Brew’ ale-and-beer trail that meanders through the Blue Ridge foothills.

Not to be missed is Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent mountaintop legacy made up of Jefferson’s restored house, flower and vegetable gardens, orchards and vineyards, a new visitors center and awe-inspiring views.

Historic Richmond

En route to Williamsburg, take in a tour of historic Richmond. Step into the newly-renovated state Capitol building designed by Thomas Jefferson, see the statuary of Southern Civil War heroes along gracious Monument Avenue, cruise along the downtown canal built by George Washington, or check out the dozen themed gardens at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Days 8 & 9

Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle

Experience the beginning, middle and end of Colonial America in a single day via Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. All three connect via the 23-mile Colonial Parkway.

Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World, dates from 1607. In Colonial Williamsburg you’ll be transported 300 years back in time. Shop in the colonial shops, eat at the taverns and visit the homes and gardens. British colonial rule ended in America at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, when Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington’s besieging army.
 
Voted the world’s ‘Most Beautiful Theme Park’ 19 consecutive years, Busch Gardens Williamsburg will set your adrenaline racing with 50 thrilling rides and attractions. Splash out on 30 slides and water rides at Water Country USA, the mid-Atlantic’s largest water park, great fun for all the family.

Days 10 & 11

Virginia Beach – Get Back to Nature

Drive southeast to Virginia Beach, the world’s longest pleasure beach. Stroll the 40 blocks of boardwalk. When the sun drops the beachfront comes alive.
Next morning get back to nature with a hike through False Cape State Park – no cars, you can enter only by foot, bike, tram or boat. Why not hire a kayak and go dolphin-spotting?

Days 12 & 13

Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Turn north and cross the awesome Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. See the world’s largest collection of decorative bird carvings at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury. In the port town of Cambridge, visit the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, an important nesting and feeding area for bald eagles, ospreys and waterfowl.

In the War of 1812 St. Michaels was dubbed the ‘Town that fooled the British’ when locals hung lanterns in the trees, tricking the Royal Navy into overshooting the houses. Today it’s a romantic spot for boutiquing, strolling the historic streets or feasting on crab cakes while overlooking the harbour. Easton is a top-10 honouree in the book 100 Best Small Towns in America. Tiny Oxford, featured in James Michener’s novel Chesapeake, is reached by the longest cable-free ferry in the USA.

Day 14

Annapolis, Sailing Capital of the USA

Leave Maryland’s Eastern Shore via the soaring Chesapeake Bay Bridge for Annapolis, with its host of splendid colonial buildings clustered around the 18th-century Maryland State House. Enjoy lively cafes and bars along the waterfront, or go shopping in the Market House. Take a scenic harbour cruise and a guided tour of the US Naval Academy, home to 4,000 midshipmen.
 

Day 15

Washington, DC/Baltimore, MD

Take a last lingering look at the scenery of the Capital Region USA en route to Washington or Baltimore to drop off your car and catch your flight home.