Note: We will enjoy a casual, 30 minute walking tour of the Center grounds. Participants should be able to walk up a short, relatively steep walkway or they may desire to opt out of this portion of the tour.

Arrive To: Participants are welcome to arrive at the Center any time after 1 PM; however, formal registration begins at 3 PM and extends until 5 PM. At 5 PM we'll gather together in the Conference Center to begin a voluntary, casual walking tour of the Center grounds.

Dinner: Your first meal with us will be dinner served in Smith Hall - the Center's administrative and dining facility. All meals are served in an "all you can eat" buffet style which has people coming back for oftentimes more than seconds - including dessert! We can accommodate low fat, low salt, vegetarian and Atkins diet devotees.

Evening: Your Road Scholar Coordinator will begin the Orientation/Get Acquainted portion of the program promptly at 7 PM. We will also view a 10 minute film which provides a good overview of Smith Mountain Lake itself. After a 10 minute break we'll gather together again for the get acquainted part of the evening. Given past experience we should be through by 8:30 PM allowing you ample opportunity to rest up for the next day's activities.

Lodging: Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Conference Center

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast/Thomas Jefferson/Lunch/Field Trip to Poplar Forest - Thomas Jefferson's Retreat/Dinner/Thomas Jefferson

Note: We will utilize a van to travel to Poplar Forest. Once we arrive it will be necessary for participants to walk a short distance and stand for approximately one hour.

Breakfast: Our first breakfast at the Center will begin at 7:30 AM - the buffet line will remain open until 8:15; however, as is usually the case most participants will arrive early to begin sampling the fare.

Morning: The morning period of instruction will begin at 8:45 providing ample time to freshen up after breakfast but you won't want to be late since your instructor has a great deal to tell you about Thomas Jefferson. There are many facets to Jefferson's life and in the time available we'll discuss most of them. Areas of particular interest will be Jefferson's early life, his marriage and family, early political involvement, Monticello, architecture, agriculture, his time spent as Secretary of State, the rise of political parties, his role in creating the Declaration of Independence, his time spent in France, relationships with Washington, Hamilton, Franklin and Adams, his finances, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the University of Virginia, his time as President, the creation of Poplar Forest (his personal retreat) and we certainly can't (and won't) omit discussion of the Sally Hemmings controversy. You'll leave the classroom with a much greater appreciation and understanding of this extraordinary, but all too human, man. Refreshments are always available throughout the morning just in case breakfast was not quite filling enough!

Lunch: Our first lunch together will introduce you to the many and varied delicacies prepared in our kitchen under the guidance of our own "Aunt Mandy".

Afternoon: We'll begin by boarding our motor coach at 1 PM after fortifying ourselves at Aunt Mandy's luncheon buffet. The trip to Poplar Forest is a relaxing hour's drive away and since your instructor has more to tell us about Thomas Jefferson, we'll engage in a lively question and answer session on the coach. Upon our arrival at Poplar Forest we'll have an opportunity to to view the grounds of Jefferson's home as well as the interior. Both venues provide ample evidence of Jefferson's brilliance and foresight in horticulture and architecture. Since Poplar Forest is still undergoing restoration and renovation you'll have a unique chance to inspect the daily archaeological work taking place on site. At the completion of our visit you'll exit through (where else) the gift shop where Jeffersonian memories can be purchased. We'll return to the Center just in time for Dinner at 5:30.

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30.

Evening: As a complement to the discussions about Jefferson and your own personal experience this afternoon, our instructor will engage you in a spirited discussion of Jefferson and his legacy.

Lodging: Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast/Booker T. Washington/Lunch/Field Trip to Booker T. Washington's Birthplace and National Monument/Boat Trip on Smith Mountain Lake/Dinner/Movie - "What About Bob?"

Note: Our drive to Booker T. Washington's Birthplace and National Monument will take only 15 minutes. Once there participants should be able to walk a short distance and stand for approximately one hour.

Breakfast: Breakfast at 7:30.

Morning: We'll travel to Booker T Washington Monument and National Park and you'll be enthralled and uplifted by one of the nation's most stirring stories of an individual who rose from slavery and abject poverty to become a respected educator and early African American civil rights leader. Booker T. Washington was born on the nearby Burroughs "plantation" in 1856 and through his own intelligence and ambition became the founder of Tuskegee Institute and eventually an advisor to President Theodore Roosevelt. Through discussion and a visit to the Booker T. Washington Birthplace and National Monument we'll trace the life of this remarkable American. On our tour of the site you'll be startled to view the size of the plantation "big house" and its close proximity to the cabin where Washington, his mother and siblings, lived and worked.

Lunch: Lunch at Noon at the Booker T Washington Birthplace

Afternoon: We'll spend part of the afternoon at the Booker T. Washington National Monument for a more in depth look at life on the Burroughs "Plantation" where Washington was born and spent his formative years. On our tour of the site we'll have an opportunity to view an introductory film on Washington's life and tour the reconstructed cabin where he lived and worked with his mother and siblings. We'll then leave for a short drive to our boat on which we'll enjoy a leisurely tour of Smith Mountain Lake - the "Jewel of the Blue Ridge"

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30.

Evening: The movie - "What About Bob?" - starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss - was actually shot at Smith Mountain Lake. As a result, locations and sites in the movie will be pointed out as we travel to our "field trip" destination - your chance to see a little of what goes into selecting scenes and locations for movies.

Lodging: Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast/Appalachian Trail/Lunch/Field Trip to Peaks of Otter - Blue Ridge Parkway - Appalachian Trail/Dinner/Multi-Media Presentation - Appalachian Trail

Note: A busy day! Our trip to the Appalachian Trail will take us to the Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The hike on the Trail is only 6/10 of a mile, but the terrain is rocky; consequently, those not desiring to walk the Trail may stay at the beautiful Peaks of Otter Lodge and enjoy the lakeside scenery.

Breakfast: Breakfast at 7:30.

Morning: The morning period of instruction will begin at 8:45 providing ample time to freshen up after breakfast. Until Noon we'll learn about the many facets of the Appalachian Trail including the history of the Trail interspersed with stories and anecdotes told by a Trail veteran. You'll also learn what to take with you as a day or "through" hiker including how to ensure you pack as much gear weighing as little as possible. Refreshments are always available in the unlikely event breakfast was not filling enough.

Lunch: Lunch at Noon.

Afternoon: You're in for a real treat as we travel by van to the Peaks of Otter located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the way a number of interesting and historical sites will be pointed out and described. Once we arrive at our destination those desiring to participate will take a short (.6 mile) hike on the Appalachian Trail over somewhat uneven terrain to a Trail shelter and review the Trail journal which will be there waiting for us. Those electing not to participate may stay at the Peaks of Otter Lodge overlooking beautiful Abbott Lake. Along the way our instructor will point out interesting plant and animal life we're sure to come across. After our return to the van we'll take a short drive to an overlook which will afford us a spectacular view of Arnold Valley. Then it's on to the Peaks of Otter Lodge for the ubiquitous gift shop break and a view of Abbott Lake. We'll arrive back at the Center in time for dinner at 5:30.

Dinner: Dinner again at 5:30.

Evening: As a complement to the discussions about the Trail and your own personal experiences this afternoon our instructor will treat you to a media session devoted to depicting in vivid color the many diverse wonders the Trail has to offer its visitors. From his five complete traversings of the Trail our instructor has taken hundreds of photographs of wildflowers native to the area the Trail covers throughout the Eastern United States and the best of them will be displayed tonight together with appropriate music and stories. A perfect and tranquil finish to a delightful day spent among nature's beauty.

Lodging: Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast/D-Day Discussion/Film/Lunch/Field Trip to National D-Day Memorial/Dinner/Entertainment

Note: The National D-Day Memorial will inspire and touch you emotionally as well. Participants should be able to walk a short distance and stand for approximately one hour. Golf cart tours are available for those not able/desiring to walk/stand.

Breakfast: Breakfast at 7:30.

Morning: Class begins again at 8:45. We're fortunate to have with us during the morning class session a staff member from the National D-Day Memorial located in Bedford, Virginia. During the discussion of the events that unfolded on and before June 6, 1944 we'll have an opportunity to learn not only the military, economic and social impact the invasion had on world history, but also the effect it had on the little town of Bedford, Virginia. In 1944 Bedford was a small farming community in rural Southwestern Virginia with a population of around 3,200. On D-Day this little town lost 23 young men in the invasion effort. The effects of this tragic loss are still felt in and around the town since, as is common in small communities across the country, everyone knew everyone else. Proportionally, Bedford suffered the severest D-Day losses of any locality in the country; consequently, Congress rightly decided the National D-Day Memorial should be located in Bedford - as a living, perpetual memorial to the thousands of Allied forces who made the supreme sacrifice in history's largest and most significant combined military effort. As part of the D-Day story we'll also view a video about the day and the town of Bedford produced by a French television company - an interesting opportunity to view the event from the French perspective.

Lunch: Lunch at Noon.

Afternoon: We'll board the van at 1 PM for the 45 minute ride to Bedford and the National D-Day Memorial. We'll have an opportunity to view some of the scenes in person we viewed in the "What About Bob"? movie. Upon our arrival at the Memorial those who desire to ride a golf cart around the site will be given an opportunity to board one. The tour will take approximately an hour and will culminate in - naturally - a visit to the gift shop. You may want to purchase a copy of the tape you viewed earlier in the day and/or other interesting material pertinent to D-Day. A number of prior participants have told us they wanted to be sure to take something home with them to give to grandchildren, children, etc. in order to ensure that generations that come after them do not forget the sacrifices and importance of the D-Day story. As always we'll arrive back at the Center in time for dinner at 5:30.

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30.

Evening: The entertainment will leave you pleasantly surprised and finally mesmerized by the talent on display. Since you all have a long trip home tomorrow the "show" will conclude by 10 PM.

Lodging: Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast/Great Feuds of the Southern Appalachian Mountains/Lunch/Departure

Note: The morning will be spent in class.

Breakfast: Breakfast at 7:30.

Morning: Class begins at 8:45 after room checkout. Learn the details and little known facts of some of the famous feuds of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Guided by a descendant of the famed Baldwin-Felts Agency - the "detectives" that hunted down the Hillsville Massacre fugitives and the "police" who enforced "law and order" in the Coal Field Wars - you will inspect the specific motives behind well-known mountain feuds like the Hatfields and McCoys and explore sensational showdowns like the Matewan Massacre. Also investigate lesser known conflicts involved in the Carroll County Courtroom Shootout, the Baker-White Feud and the Rowan County Wars. Is there a central theme that connects all these incidents? Were there really Appalachian Romeos and Juliets? Were there even feuds at all, or were they just part of a political hoax? Who is innocent, who is guilty? Come and find out for yourself!

Lunch: Lunch at Noon.

Afternoon: Departure after Lunch. Have a safe trip home and come back to see us soon!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch