Day One:
Today we will begin our tour by flying into Philadelphia, PA - America's Birthplace! We arrive in the late afternoon and will head straight to Lancaster, PA the center of Pennsylvania Dutch country and the Amish and Mennonite settlements. We will check into our hotel for the next 4 nights so unpack and relax. Dinner is on our own this evening.
Day Two: (B, L, Ent)
Today we will spend experiencing life in an Amish home, enjoying their foods and culture, their crafts and their daily “plain” life. Take a break from your smart phones and TVs and step back to a simpler time. We will visit Plain and Fancy Farm including the Amish Experience theatre which will give us great insight into their religious beliefs, history in America and their way of life. A traditional Amish Lunch is included today. We will have a tour of the Amish Farm and House. We will also enjoy the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum as part of our Lancaster experience. Finally, we will have a fabulous experience at the Sight and Sound theatre, which will bring to life one of the great stories of the Bible as they have done for many years with Joseph, Moses, Samson, Jonah and Jesus in epic productions that inspire and impress. Tonight Dinner is on our own.
Day Three: (B, D, Ent.)
Today, we will visit the sweetest place on earth – Hershey, PA. We will tour Chocolate World and even have a chocolate tasting as we learn about the entire process from Cocoa bean to tasty bar that Hershey takes to make America’s greatest chocolate bars. Then it is back to Lancaster, where we will have a unique experience - Living the Experience - a creative, spiritual, and interactive historical reenactment of the Underground Railroad as it occurred on-site at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lancaster. You will take home a greater understanding of the role Lancaster played in the Underground Railroad that brought so many slaves safely through the south to safety in the North. This will be followed by an ethnic buffet style dinner. Following dinner we will be entertained with a Ghost Tour as we experience the 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City's thorny past including the Fulton Theater - the Grand Old Lady of Prince Street!
Day Four: (B, L)
This morning we will begin our exploration of historic Gettysburg, site of the famous Civil War battle. We will visit the Gettysburg Visitors Center and the incredible Cyclorama depicting the battle of Gettysburg in the round. We will have a Battlefield tour by motorcoach and relive the battle overlooking both northern and southern strongholds as the field on which they met. Our battlefield guide really brings to life that the Confederacy was hoping for a large victory on Northern soil, but what they got instead was a brutal defeat that wounded over 30,000 and cost the lives of nearly 7,000 soldiers from both sides. We will see such battle landmarks as Cemetery and Seminary Ridges, Little Round Top and Big Round Top. We will enjoy lunch at Dobbins Tavern, an historic tavern from the war era. We will have time to stroll through the National Cemetery of Gettysburg that was established to commemorate the many who gave their lives in the battle. It was here that Lincoln gave his famous “Gettysburg Address” at the dedication of the cemetery.
Day Five: (B, D)
Today we will head to Philadelphia for our final night before flying back to Chicago and home to Iowa. On the way, we will visit Valley Forge. It was in the very cold winter of 1777, when George Washington set up his headquarters in Valley Forge and encamped his continental army of over 10,000 soldiers for 6 months in small log huts with 12 soldiers per hut. His own headquarters could be described as the "pentagon" of his time in just a small two story stone building. This afternoon, upon our arrival into Historic Philadelphia, we will visit the Museum of the American Revolution. This is truly a world class museum sitting just steps from Independence. The 10-year story of when Philadelphia was our nation’s capital from 1790-1800, while the current capital was being constructed in Washington DC is told her along with the story of so many of our founding fathers. It was here that the US Constitution was debated and finally adopted and this museum in a great introduction to all we will be seeing tomorrow. Our hotel is located just one block from the Betsy Ross House where we will visit this small shop and here the story of Birthplace of the American Flag. After checking into our hotel for two nights we will enjoy dinner together.
Day Six: (B, D, Ent.)
Put on your walking shoes today as we enjoy what history buffs call “America’s Most Historic Square Mile!” We are staying in the heart of the historic district of Philadelphia where everything is close by. We will have our motorcoach with us throughout the day to move between spots. Here cobblestone paths, historic brick buildings and colonial clapboard homes are in remarkable condition, and we will be walking through history with a guided Historic walking tour including such sites as Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Carpenters Hall, site of Benjamin Franklin’s house. This evening we will conclude our tour of Pennsylvania with a unique and entertaining experience called Independence After Hours, in which we will "sneak" into Independence Hall after an 18th century inspired dinner and eavesdrop on Jefferson, Adams, and Benjamin Franklin discussing the Declaration of Independence.
Day Seven: (B)
Today we will complete our journey home. As we travel, we are sure to relive moments from our trip east and contemplate all we have seen and learned on our fascinating Pennsylvania – Live The Experience tour!
TOUR INCLUDES:
NOT INCLUDED: