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Civil War Generals: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Program Number: 19288RJ
Start and End Dates:
5/19/2013 - 5/23/2013;
Duration: 4 nights
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Price starting at: $549.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: History & Culture Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 12; 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners    
Meal Options: Low Fat; Vegetarian; Low Salt    

Virginia was the pivotal state in America’s Civil War, a reluctant addition to the Confederacy yet a point of unrelenting focus by the Union nonetheless. In this state where six of every 10 Civil War battles were fought, recall the actions and analyze the leadership of some of the war’s well-known and more obscure generals.




Highlights

• With a top Civil War historian, deepen your understanding of the reasons for the war, the consequences it wrought and the legacy that survives it.
• Visit battlefields, gravesites, museums and more in the Shenandoah Valley to grasp the war's full meaning for the American identity.
• Learn about Appalachian music as well, and study the long tale of your National Historic Landmark surroundings, legendary Natural Bridge.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to a mile per day and standing during field trips; uneven terrain, stairs, limited barrier-free access. Motorcoach does not have lifts.




Date Specific Information

5-19-2013

Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.



Coordinated by Virginia Commonwealth University.




Natural Bridge

Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, Natural Bridge spans a deep gorge and caverns between the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies. This ancient limestone arch became a path for wildlife, a sacred site for Monacan Indians, a gateway for settlers and a curiosity for Europeans. Thomas Jefferson called it "the most sublime of nature's works."
Accommodations
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, historic hotel complex from the pre-Interstate era; ridge-side setting with trails, buffet breakfast.
Meals and Lodgings
   Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
  Natural Bridge 5 nights
 Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
Type: Hotel
  Description: The Natural Bridge Hotel was built in 1965 and is the fourth hotel to occupy the site since 1834. Its immediate predecessor was luxurious in the "Old South" style, and the present hotel offers food and lodging that retains much of that regional flavor, even though today it leans more toward the economical than to the elegant. Natural Bridge is more than just the hotel and famous Bridge: it is a tourist resort with a number of attractions and a mid-20th century vacation-by-auto feeling. Participants will have a pass for the length of the Road Scholar program to visit Natural Bridge, the Natural Bridge Gorge, the Native American village, Natural Bridge Caverns, the Toy Museum, "Butterflies at the Bridge," and the Wax Museum.
  Contact info: 15 Appledore Lane
(US Route 11 at Va Route 130)
Natural Bridge, VA 24578 USA
phone: 800-533-1410
web: www.naturalbridgeva.com
  Room amenities: TV with satellite connection, iron & ironing board, coffeepot, free wireless internet connection. Refrigerators in some rooms and available upon request.
  Facility amenities: Air-conditioned. Free parking. Dining room, classrooms, and the Red Fox Lounge in hotel. Nearby are the Gift Shop, which contains snack bar, Butterfly Room, and Toy Museum; the Wax Museum; Natural Bridge Caverns; and a hiking trail to Natural Bridge, Cedar Creek Gorge, and the Native American village.
  Smoking allowed: Yes
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Variable by season. Advance registration required and stay is based on availability. Road Scholar rate varies by season.
  Check in time: 3:30 PM
  Additional nights after: Variable by season. Advance registration required and stay is based on availability. Road Scholar rate varies by season.
  Check out time: 12:00 PM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
3:00-5:00 PM in hotel lobby for Road Scholar registration. You will be staying at Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center that night.
  End of Program:
Program ends after early lunch at 11:30 AM. Room checkout is 12:00 noon. You will be staying at Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Required innoculations:
Yes: Those allergic to bees should carry their own bee sting kit as field trip sites are remote and immediate medical assistance may not be available. Nearest hospital is in Lexington, VA, 20-25 minutes by car.
  Parking availability:
Parking at hotel is free for the length of the program.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Natural Bridge
  Nearest city or town:  Lexington is about 15 miles northeast
  Nearest highway: US Route 11, Interstate 81
  Nearest airport:  Roanoke Regional Airport (37 miles away)
  From End of Program
  Location: Natural Bridge
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Roanoke Regional Airport

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
Roanoke Airport Transportation Service
phone: 800-288-1958
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

Sedan for 1-3 is $76 each way; 3 or more by van is $38 each, each way
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hour 
 

Distance:

 

50 miles
   

Natural Bridge is best reached by private car. Car rentals at Roanoke Regional Airport include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National/Alamo. Website for airport is www.roanokeregionalairport.com, choose "Terminal Services."
 
Driving Directions
  From the East on I-64, from Richmond, Norfolk, VA Beach, Williamsburg Take I-64 west to I-81 south (I-64 joins I-81 below Staunton). Follow I-81 south beyond Lexington to Exit 180 for Natural Bridge, a left exit to US Route 11 south. The hotel is about 4 miles on US 11. Billboards announce Natural Bridge as it nears. The hotel will be obvious on your right.
  From the North on I-81, from Maryland, Washington DC Follow I-81 south beyond Lexington to Exit 180 for Natural Bridge, a left exit to US Route 11 south. The hotel is about 4 miles on US 11. Billboards announce Natural Bridge as it nears. The hotel will be obvious on your right. Alternative driving routes from the north include US 11, which parallels I-81 but is slower and prettier; or the National Park roads, Skyline Drive which leads into the Blue Ridge Parkway, which are the prettiest but also the slowest and rather wearying for long distance travel.
  From the South on I-81, from Roanoke Follow I-81 north about 35 miles north of Roanoke to Exit 175 for Natural Bridge. The hotel is about 2 miles on US Route 11 north. Billboards announce Natural Bridge as it nears. The hotel will be obvious on your left. An alternative driving route from the south is the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is pretty but also slow and rather wearying for long distance travel. Exit the Parkway at Va Route 43 west for Buchanan, and take US 11 north to I-81 for the last leg.
  From the West on I-64, from West Virginia, to the Natural Bridge Hotel Follow I-64 east to its junction with I-81 just above Lexington. Follow I-81 south about 11 miles to Exit 180 for Natural Bridge, a left exit to US Route 11 south. The hotel is about 4 miles on US 11. Billboards announce Natural Bridge as it nears. The hotel will be obvious on your right.


Required innoculations:

Yes: Those allergic to bees should carry their own bee sting kit as field trip sites are remote and immediate medical assistance may not be available. Nearest hospital is in Lexington, VA, 20-25 minutes by car.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Arrival/Registration/Social hour/Orientation
(Sunday, May 19)
   
 Afternoon: Welcome to Natural Bridge! Register for your room after 3:30 PM at the desk in the hotel lobby. Register for your Road Scholar and get your program folder between 3-5:00 PM. Enjoy a Social Hour from 5-6 pm with fellow Road Scholar participants. Cash bar and soft drinks available.
 Dinner: Dinner in the hotel
 Evening: Orientation in the classroom.
   
Accommodations: Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Classes about the Origin of Natural Bridge and about Civil War Generals
(Monday, May 20)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel
 Morning: Virginia was the pivotal state in America’s Civil War. It was a reluctant addition to the Confederate States of America, yet the Union concentration on Virginia never ceased. More than 60% of battles in the War were fought on Virginia terrain. This program examines the actions and leadership of some of the well-known and not-so-well-known generals in the War Between the States, and increases our awareness of the reasons, consequences, and legacies of the War. Field trips to battlefields, museums and other important locations in the Shenandoah Valley highlight our understanding of the Civil War's meaning for our American identity. Begin on a light note this morning, as we examine the origin and history of Natural Bridge. The two wonders of the New World that Europeans visited most in earlier eras were Natural Bridge and Niagara Falls. The Bridge has been designated a National Historic Landmark and a Virginia Historic Landmark, and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was sacred to the Monacan Indians, surveyed by George Washington, and purchased by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote, "It is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here....The rapture of the spectator is really indescribable."
 Lunch: Lunch in the hotel
 Afternoon: Class: Civil War Generals, taught by one of Virginia's and the East Coast's top Civil War historians.
 Dinner: Dinner in the hotel
 Evening: Class: Civil War Generals
   
Accommodations: Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Morning and Afternoon Field Trips to Harrisonburg, Port Republic, New Market, the Museum of Valor, Lee Chapel, Washington and Lee Campus, Stonewall Jackson's Grave
(Tuesday, May 21)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel
 Morning: Field trip with your instructors to battlefield sites at Harrisonburg, Port Republic, and New Market and to the Museum of Valor and Bushong Farm.
 Lunch: Picnic lunch at the Museum of Valor
 Afternoon: This afternoon we'll visit the grounds of Washington and Lee University, and Lee Chapel and Museum where Robert E Lee is buried. We'll also stop at the cemetery in Lexington to see Stonewall Jackson's gravesite.
 Dinner: Dinner in the hotel
 Evening: This evening is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the laser light and music "Drama" after dusk at the Bridge.
   
Accommodations: Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Morning Field Trip to Natural Bridge/Afternoon Class on Civil War Generals/Evening Performance of Civil War Music
(Wednesday, May 22)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel
 Morning: Start the day with an enjoyable walking field trip to Natural Bridge with our naturalist, who will help you examine flora, fauna, geology and history on the trail. We'll walk at a leisurely pace under the Natural Bridge to the saltpeter cave that was mined during the Civil War, then to the Monacan Indian Village, and finally arrive at Lace Falls at the end of the trail. You'll be able to return to the hotel at any point, without getting lost along the Lost River.
 Lunch: Lunch in the hotel
 Afternoon: Class: Civil War Generals
 Dinner: Farewell dinner in the hotel
 Evening: Our final evening is a program of Civil War and Appalachian music, history and entertainment, performed by The McKenzies on authentic period instruments.
   
Accommodations: Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Morning Class, Lunch and Program Departure
(Thursday, May 23)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel
 Morning: Enjoy a summary/wrap-up class on Civil War Generals.
 Lunch: Lunch in the hotel. The program ends after lunch, and check-out for your room is 12:00pm. However, just in case you're staying over...your ticket for the Bridge and the Natural Bridge attractions is good through Friday.
   
Accommodations: Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


Battle Cry of Freedom


Author: James McPherson


Description: A one volume overview of the Civil War that is one of the best



Lee and his generals in war and memory


Author: Gary Gallagher


Description: Gallagher teaches at the University of Virginia



The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862


Author: Gary Gallagher, editor


Description: When Confederate forces prevailed: a collection of essays on the first major Valley campaign



The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864


Author: Gary Gallagher, editor


Description: When Union forces prevailed: a collection of essays on the second major Valley campaign





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