BY: JD CONROY
On April 18th a group of American Classic Travelers returned from a 6-day journey to Washington DC's National Cherry Blossom Festival. I wanted to share some of our experiences with you!
WE ARE DOING THIS TRIP AGAIN NEXT YEAR!
CALL 847-548-3333 OR CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN JOIN OUR Washington DC TRIP IN April 2019!
The New Museum of the Bible
Less than a year old (opened in November 2017), this state-of-the-art museum is home to thousands of historic artifacts, beautiful architecture, and cutting edge technology which tell the history of the Bible and its impact on American History.
scenic drive to see cherry blossoms
Before arriving at our hotel, we took a scenic drive around the tidal basin to see the Cherry Blossoms. The Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom!
the gaylord national resort
We stayed for five nights at the luxurious Gaylord National Resort in Washington DC's National Harbor area. The Gaylord's 19-story glass atrium provided stunning views of the Potomac River.
dinner at mcloone's pier house
national cherry blossom parade
The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade runs for 10 blocks along Constitution Avenue. We saw entertainers, celebrities, marching bands from across America, huge, colorful balloons, and amazing floats march down Washington DC's iconic Constitution Avenue.
free time to explore smithsonians
Our nation's capital is home to some of the world's finest museums. We enjoyed a free day to explore the Smithsonian Museums!
mount vernon
During our visit to Mount Vernon, we learned about George Washington including his military career, his relationship with his wife Martha, his business ventures, and his whiskey distillery.
filomena's ristorante
Group Photo at Filomena's
Filomena's was amazing! Our 3-course meal started with an abundance of gourmet appetizers including: Arancini, Calamari, Sandi Ravioli, Bruschetta, and Shrimp Scampi! For our main course we chose from a variety of Italian dishes. To top it off, we had a choice of delicious cakes for dessert!
Sambuca and Amaretto with dessert!
guided tour of washington dc
Our local guide took us to Washington DC's most iconic monuments and memorials.
The Jefferson Memorial
Statue of Thomas Jefferson inside the Jefferson Memorial
Hall of Nations in the Kennedy Center
Beautiful chandeliers and famous Kennedy sculpture at the Kennedy Center
Free Time for Lunch & Exploration at Union Station
The United States Supreme Court
The Capitol
We visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on our guided tour of Washington DC. Construction of this Memorial was finished in 2011. It honors the life and legacy of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement that he spent his life fighting for.
national museum of African american history & culture
A special feature of this tour was a visit to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. The video above tells the story of this new, state-of-the-art museum.
ford's theater
Our group in Ford's Theater before Ranger talk
We visited Ford's Theatre - the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. We toured the theatre, visited the museum, and listened to a ranger talk recounting the events that led up to the assassination.
nightlight tour of washington dc
World War II Memorial
The Korean War Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
FDR Memorial
JD in Front of the White House
arlington national cemetery
On our last day we visited Arlington National Cemetary. We witnessed the solemn ceremony of the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.