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Echoes of the Past: Reflections on the Civil War from D.C. to Charleston

Program Number: 21075RJ
Start and End Dates:
10/27/2013 - 11/7/2013;
Duration: 11 nights
Location: Virginia/North Carolina/South Carolina/District of Columbia
Price starting at: $5,630.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Adventure Afloat Study Cruise; Small Ship Cruising Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 32; 11 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 11 Dinners    
Meal Options: Gluten Free; Low Salt; Vegetarian; Low Fat    

With America commemorating the sesquicentennial of its Civil War, embark on a voyage to some of the war’s most critical settings: Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Wilmington, Fort Sumter and more. Learn the story of the conflict that, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, gave America “a new birth of freedom.”




Activity Particulars

Standing for up to two hours at a time, up to four hours a day. Mobility is essential, as small boats and tenders are sometimes used for disembarkation and re-embarkation.



Itinerary At-a-Glance

Washington, D.C.(Arlington), 1 night; aboard Yorktown, 10 nights.



Days 1-2: Arrival Washington, D.C. (Arlington) / embark Yorktown:

Explore America’s capital on an excursion led by a Road Scholar expert. Lodging: Comfortable hotel.



Day 3: Alexandria, Va.:

Journey to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s sprawling estate and gardens. Visit the mansion, the grounds and the reconstructed whiskey distillery.



Day 4: Colonial Beach / Fredericksburg:

Delve into the story of the Battle of Fredericksburg, a one-sided Confederate victory, plus other battles that took place nearby.



Day 5: Colonial Williamsburg:

Experience Colonial Williamsburg, the nation’s premiere living history museum, including the Capitol, the Governor’s Palace and Bruton Parish Church.



Day 6: Petersburg or Berkeley & Richmond:

Drive to Petersburg to visit the Siege Museum and the Petersburg National Battlefield, or to historic Berkeley and Westover Plantations. Return to Richmond and explore the Museum and White House of the Confederacy and the old Tredegar Iron Works.



Days 7-8: On the Intracoastal Waterway / New Bern, N.C.:

Sail to historic New Bern, occupied by Union forces throughout most of the war. Discover magnificent Tryon Palace.



Day 9: Morehead City:

Discover this port city that was home to large encampments by both armies. Explore Fort Macon and examine the Civil War exhibit at the History Place.



Day 10: Wilmington:

Delve into the strategic importance of the port of Wilmington, Fort Fisher and the Weldon Railroad during the war. Explore Airlie Gardens, which boasts 67 acres of formal, woodland gardens.



Days 11-12: Charleston, S.C. / disembark / departure:

Complete your voyage in Charleston, the prosperous and cosmopolitan seaport where the war began.



Yorktown

Built and registered in America and staffed by American officers and crew, the Yorktown is the perfect vessel for exploring America’s great coastal waterways. With a draft of only nine feet, it can sail where larger vessels cannot go, and its American registry allows it to operate domestic itineraries unavailable to foreign-flag ships. Passengers enjoy an informal onboard atmosphere and tend to spend much of their time underway enjoying lectures and concerts in the lounge or reading and relaxing on the sun deck.
Meals and Lodgings
   Hyatt Arlington
  Washington, DC 1 night
   Yorktown
  Aboard Yorktown 10 nights
 Hyatt Arlington
Type: Four-Star Hotel
  Description: Just minutes from Washington, DC businesses and attractions and only steps to the Rosslyn Metro, the Hyatt Arlington offers Southern comforts with metropolitan polish. Set within the heart of the Rosslyn business community, this hotel offers a variety of flexible function space, outstanding accommodations, and inventive cuisine.
  Contact info: 1325 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22209 USA
phone: 703-525-1234
web: www.arlington.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels
  Room amenities: Each room features a television with premium television channels, air conditioning, a telephone, coffee and tea making facilities, wake-up calls, bathrobes, hair dryer, clock radio, iron and ironing board, wireless Internet access (for a fee), and an in-room safe.
  Facility amenities: This hotel features Internet access (for a fee), complimentary newspapers in lobby, fitness facilities, restaurant, room service, bar/lounge, safe-deposit box at front desk, dry cleaning/laundry services (for a fee), gift shop, and parking (for a fee).
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: N/A Please contact Road Scholar in Amherst, MA if you would like assistance making hotel reservations for additional non-program nights 413-253-9736.
  Check in time: 3:00 PM

 Yorktown
Type: Cruise Ship
  Description: The Yorktown is the perfect vessel for relaxed and convivial exploration of America’s great coastal waterways. Built in Florida in 1988 specifically for coastal cruising and certified by the U. S. Coast Guard, the Yorktown flies the American flag and is staffed by friendly and experienced American officers and crew. With a draft of only 9 feet, the Yorktown is able to maneuver in secluded waterways and visit small ports that are inaccessible to larger vessels. And Yorktown’s American registry makes it possible to operate domestic itineraries unavailable to foreign-flag ships. The ship’s cuisine, served in a dining room large enough to accommodate all guests at once, emphasizes American regional culinary traditions. Accommodating only 130 guests in 65 exterior cabins, the Yorktown enjoys an atmosphere of warm and relaxed informality that endears it to repeat and new guests alike.
  Ship Information: Length: 257 feet Beam: 43 feet Draft: 8 feet Cabins: 69 Flag: American
  Contact info: Travel Dynamics International
132 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021 USA
phone: 800-257-5767
web: www.traveldynamicsinternational.com
  Room amenities: Most cabins have large picture windows, and each is furnished with comfortable beds, a writing desk, ample storage, a clock/radio/CD player, and has a private bathroom. Your cabin is the perfect place for peace and quiet and for private rest and reflection.
  Facility amenities: The ship offers a dining room, spacious observation lounge, large sun deck, library, and swimming platform. Both the lounge and dining room are surrounded by large picture windows that afford unobstructed views of the passing scenery. The water aboard ship is safe to drink, and bottled water will be provided on group excursions. Cash (USD) and credit cards are the preferred forms of payment aboard ship. For telephone communication onboard, you may use the ship's Maritime service satellite system which will be charged to a credit card. Email access on board: Internet-ready laptop computers will be available for use on board from which personal emails can be received and sent by accessing your own web-based email account. A fee will be charged for each 30 minutes of use. There is also wireless Internet access available for a fee.
  Smoking allowed: No


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
Washington, DC (Arlington). Welcome Orientation at 5:00 PM in the hotel. You will be staying at Hyatt Arlington that night.
  End of Program:
Charleston, South Carolina. After breakfast on the last day. You will be staying at Yorktown the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. TDI Traveler Information Form is required. All participants are required to have a driver's license or a passport in order to embark the Yorktown.
  Parking availability:
N/A
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Washington, DC
  From End of Program
  Location:  Departure
Travel Details
 

From the Ronald Reagan National Airport to the Hyatt Arlington

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$1.85
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

20 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

5 Miles
   

At the National Airport Metro Station, take the Blue Subway towards Largo Town Center. Get off at the Rosslyn Metro Station and walk to the hotel at 1325 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA.
 

From the Ronald Reagan National Airport to the Hyatt Arlington

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

Approximately $20
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

12 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

5 miles
 

From the dock in Charleston to the Charleston International Airport

 

To Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

approximately $33
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

approximately 20 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

approximately 13 miles
 
Driving Directions
  From the North to the Hyatt Arlington Heading South on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, take the I-66 E/US-50 exit toward Roosevelt Bridge / Washington / Rosslyn. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for US-50 W / Rossiyn and merge onto US-50 W / Arlington Blvd. Take the exit toward Rosslyn / Key Bridge. Turn right onto Lynn Street, turn left onto Wilson Boulevard, and the hotel will be on the right.
  From the South to the Hyatt Arlington Head North on I-95. Merge onto I-395 North via Exit 170A-B toward Washington / I-495. Merge onto Washington Boulevard / VA-27 North via Exit 8B toward Pentagon / Arlington Cemetery / Rosslyn. Take the ramp toward Pentagon North Parking Entrance. Merge onto VA-110 North / Jefferson Davis Highway. Turn slight left to take the Wilson Boulevard ramp toward Rosslyn. Turn slight left onto Wilson Boulevard. Turn right onto Nash Street. The hotel will be immediately on the right.
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: Welcome Orientation
(Sunday, October 27)
   
 Afternoon: Independent arrivals in Washington, DC. Welcome Orientation at the hotel in Arlington, VA (approximately 5 miles from Washington DC)
 Dinner: Welcome dinner.
   
Accommodations: Hyatt Arlington
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Washington, DC (Arlington) / Embarkation
(Monday, October 28)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.
 Morning: Explore our nation's capital on a guided excursion.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.
 Afternoon: Transfer to the port of Alexandria to embark the Yorktown.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Mount Vernon / Alexandria, Virginia
(Tuesday, October 29)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: From Alexandria drive to Mount Vernon, Washington’s massive estate and gardens. Spend the day exploring the sweeping grounds including the mansion, museum, slaves’ quarters, and the gardens. Also visit the recently opened distillery, a reconstruction of Washington’s original whiskey distillery.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Colonial Beach / Fredericksburg, Virginia
(Wednesday, October 30)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Arrive in Colonial Beach, set beautifully on the Potomac River, for an excursion to Fredericksburg. The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought here in 1862 as it is midway between Washington, D.C. and Richmond. The battle, a Confederate victory, is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles in the Civil War, with many more Union casualties than Confederate. The Fredericksburg Historical District contains over 350 buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: Enjoy free time to explore on your own.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
 Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture as the ship makes it way to Yorktown.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Colonial Williamsburg / Yorktown, Virginia
(Thursday, October 31)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: From the port of Yorktown, our excursion leads to historic Colonial Williamsburg. The capital of the Virginia colony from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg is the nation’s premier living museum, offering visitors a glimpse of life as it was in the 17th and 18th centuries. A guided excursion leads along the Duke of Gloucester Street, past the Capitol, the courthouse, the Governor’s Palace and the historic Bruton Parish Church, which has held Episcopal services since 1715. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the museums and side streets, which are filled with taverns, bakeries and the restored houses of wheelwrights, coopers, apothecaries, and other tradesmen.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Petersburg / Richmond, Virginia
(Friday, November 1)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Sailing in the James River, we disembark at Richmond, the affluent city that became the Confederate capital on May 29, 1861. Richmond witnessed two major war campaigns, the first in 1862, the other in 1864. This morning, drive to nearby Petersburg, the site of the last major battle of the Civil War (April 1865), a 10-month siege that is still the longest siege in American history. Visit the Siege Museum, housed in the elegant Exchange Building (ca. 1839), and the Petersburg National Battlefield, which preserves and protects Petersburg’s Civil War legacy. Alternatively, you may explore the Berkeley and Westover Plantations.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: In the afternoon, explore the city’s major sites, including the Museum and White House of the Confederacy, and the old Tredegar Ironworks, which houses the visitor’s center for the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Reboard the ship in Richmond and spend the night aboard docked in Richmond along the James River.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
 Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Cruising the Atlantic Ocean
(Saturday, November 2)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Spend the day aboard Yorktown enjoying lectures and stunning views. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: New Bern, North Carolina
(Sunday, November 3)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Visit historic New Bern (settled in 1710), which was captured early in the Civil War by Union forces. Despite repeated Confederate attempts to retake the city, New Bern remained in Union hands until the end of the war. The jewel among New Bern’s sites is Tryon Palace and its elegant gardens, which we will visit. We will also visit the elegant Attmore-Oliver House, built in 1790, now housing the New Bern Historical Society, with its exhibits relating to New Bern’s role during the Civil War.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: Continue to explore New Bern.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
 Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Morehead City, North Carolina
(Monday, November 4)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Built in the mid-19th century as the terminus of the North Carolina Railroad, Morehead City was home to large encampments by both armies during the Civil War. Explore the History Place, with its exhibits relating to the Civil War, as well as Fort Macon, a Confederate garrison during the Civil War.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: Enjoy some free time this afternoon to relax or explore.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
 Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Wilmington, North Carolina / Fort Fisher
(Tuesday, November 5)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Founded in 1739 in a strategic situation, Wilmington flourished on maritime trade, made possible by its deep water port. By 1860, Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city. During the Civil War, the 161-mile Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, at that time the longest railroad in the world, and the city port, were of vital importance to the South, and Wilmington’s fall to the Union in January 1865, was a severe blow to the Confederacy. In the morning, study Wilmington’s historic district, a veritable open air museum of 19th-century architecture.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: In the afternoon, drive to Fort Fisher, a Confederate stronghold that fell to the Union in January 13 - 15, 1865, after a massive assault by a force of 9,000 men and 56 ships. Alternatively you may wish to explore the beautiful Airlie Gardens, which boasts 67 acres of formal, woodland gardens.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: Charleston, South Carolina
(Wednesday, November 6)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Arrive today in Charleston, one of the East Coast’s loveliest cities. A prosperous, cosmopolitan seaport from colonial times, it was here in Charleston’s harbor that Confederate troops first fired upon Fort Sumter, thus starting the Civil War. Explore Charleston’s extensive historic district, including the Heyward-Washington House, an 18th-century structure which features a separate kitchen house and enchanting formal garden.
 Lunch: Lunch onboard.
 Afternoon: In the afternoon, drive to Middleton Place Plantation, a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that is a National Historic Landmark. Situated on the Ashley River, the property includes the House Museum, built in 1755 as the gentlemen’s guest quarters, and 65 acres of magnificent gardens, or take the ferry to Fort Sumter, site of the 1861 beginning of the Civil War.
 Dinner: Dinner onboard.
   
Accommodations: Yorktown
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Charleston, South Carolina / Disembark / Departures
(Thursday, November 7)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast onboard.
 Morning: Disembark Yorktown in Charleston, South Carolina. Independent departures.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
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


"Bayonet! Forward" My Civil War Reminiscences


Author: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain


Description: A collection of professor and Civil War general Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's most noted writings, covering his experiences in Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg and Appomattox.



A Short History of Charleston


Author: Robert Rosen


Description: A third-generation Charlestonian, Rosen traces the history of Good King Charles's City from its founding to the present with flair.



Abraham Lincoln


Author: Thomas Keneally


Description: An elegant, brief biography of the Kentucky-born political hero.



Battle Cry of Freedom, The Civil War Era


Author: James McPherson


Description: A comprehensive, vivid history of the Civil War, its genesis, battles, politics and personalities from the war with Mexico to Appomattox. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the book may be 900 pages long but it reads like a good novel.



Civil War Petersburg, Confederate City in the Crucible of War


Author: A. Wilson Greene


Description: The noted Civil War historian Wil Greene's expertly researched, eloquently written history of the Virginia city that was second only to Richmond in size and strategic significance during the Civil War.



Fodor's Washington D.C.'s 25 Best


Author: Fodors


Description: A shirt-pocket guide with an excellent pull-out map and essential information on museums, sightseeing, restaurants, shopping, hotels and nightlife.



Lincoln on War


Author: Harold Holzer


Description: Holzer turns to Lincoln's own writings and speeches for this illuminating collection of the great president' thoughts on war.



Literary Charleston, A Lowcountry Reader


Author: Curtis Worthington (Editor), Louis D. Rubin, Jr. (Introduction)


Description: A lovingly edited anthology of writing about Charleston, arranged chronologically and including heavyweights such as Henry James and Edgar Allen Poe, as well as less known writers.



Moon Handbook Virginia, Including Washington D.C


Author: Julian Smith


Description: This compact guidebook covers Virginia and the Capital region. It combines text on history, culture and nature with practical information for travelers, and it features plenty of photographs, maps and illustrations.



Personal Memoirs, Ulysses S. Grant


Author: Ulysses S. Grant


Description: A remarkable (and big) account of a rich life, from a poor boy on the frontier to a great general and president, written by Grant on his deathbed -- and originally edited by none other than Mark Twain.



Richmond Burning, The Last Days of the Confederate Capital


Author: Nelson D. Lankford


Description: A narrative account of the fall of Richmond, which signaled the end of the Confederacy. Citing a variety of primary documents, Lankford creates a vivid portrait of events and personalities at the dusk of the Civil War.



Starving the South, How the North Won the Civil War


Author: Andrew F. Smith


Description: Smith chronicles the role food -- and the relative lack thereof by the confederates -- in determining the outcome of the Civil War.



Team of Rivals


Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin


Description: Goodwin explores how Lincoln transformed three former political opponents into essential members of his cabinet.



The Civil War, An Illustrated History


Author: Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns


Description: An illustrated, comprehensive social history of the Civil War by the now-famous team of Ward and Burns. With 500 photographs and maps, extensive text and original essays by contributing experts.



The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln


Author: Stephen L. Carter


Description: A professor of law at Yale, novelist Carter projects an alternate history, where Lincoln survives the assassination attempt at Ford's Theater, in this thrilling, provocative novel.



The March


Author: E. L. Doctorow


Description: In this powerful historical novel, Doctorow captures the drama and import of General William Tecumseh Sherman's devastating march through Georgia and the Carolinas during the final years of the Civil War.



This Republic of Suffering, Death and the American Civil War


Author: Drew Gilpin Faust


Description: Dr. Faust, President of Harvard University, explores in fascinating detail how the Civil War's unprecedented bloodshed changed America's cultural, political and spiritual attitudes towards death.



U.S. Grant, The Making of a General, 1861-1863


Author: Michael B. Ballard


Description: Ballard traces the evolution of Grant's strategic and tactical concepts from the outset of the Civil War to to overall commander.



United States Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Map


Author: Hallwag


Description: A map of the eastern United States from the northern half of Georgia to the southern part of New York, at a scale of 1,200,000.



Very Charleston, A Celebration of History, Culture, and Lowcountry Charm


Author: Diana Hollingsworth Gessler


Description: A quirky overview of the city and its attractions, this guide provides an original, entertaining and colorful paean to one of America's most historic and popular destinations.



Washington, D.C.


Author: Gore Vidal


Description: The sixth installation in Gore Vidal's "Narratives of Empire" historical novel series. This tale of corruption follows the lives of a conservative senator and a newspaper publisher in Washington D.C.



Washington, DC Map


Author: Berndtson & Berndtson


Description: A laminated, folded map of the capital at a scale of 1:15,000.





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