Civil War Tour
7 Days
April 19-25, 2010
Join us for an exciting trip to the cradle of the American Civil War. This history buff's holiday, created especially for Queensway Tours, will visit several of the most important battlefields and historic sites of the Civil War. The land between Washington DC and Richmond Virginia is the most fought over in the North American continent. We will give you more than just a drive around a battlefield. While travelling, you will be offered entertaining in- depth lessons on the day's subject matter. Your guide is a Civil War enthusiast who has studied the Civil War for over 30 years and is continuing his research, aimed specifically at creating tour opportunities.
Day 1
Travel to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Enroute, you will be given some informal lectures on the Civil War, and its connections to Canada.
Day 2
We start the day at Gettysburg. Known as the high watermark of the Confederacy, or the beginning of the end, this battlefield is a place of pilgrimage for all serious and casual civil war buffs. A licensed Gettysburg National Military Park guide will board our bus to give us a comprehensive tour of Gettysburg. From Gettysburg, we go through the town of Frederick on our way to Washington. Although there were no battles fought in Washington, the city has a rich Civil War history. We will stop at Ford's Theatre, and then go to Arlington, Virginia to see the home of General Robert E. Lee.
Day 3
This very full day starts with a guided tour of Manassas, or Bull Run. This town saw two very important battles. A local guide will give us the complete tour. Then we continue on to Brandy Station, scene of the largest cavalry battle ever fought, only three weeks before the battle of Gettysburg.
We then go to Fredericksburg, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. These three sites are located close enough to each other to allow the local guide to give us the complete tour.
Day 4
Our bus then takes us to Richmond, where we will stay for two nights. The capital of the Confederacy is so rich in Civil War history that we need a full day to take it in, and allow some free time for you to enjoy other attractions on your own. In this time, we will also visit nearby Petersburg, which was besieged longer than any other place during the war.
Day 5
Our first stop will be Appomattox Court House where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. Then we continue on to Lexington, home of the Virginia Military Institute. We will see the tomb of General Lee and the home of Stonewall Jackson. We end our day in Winchester, at the head of the famed Shenandoah Valley. Winchester was overrun more than 70 times by armies going north and south, more than any other place in the course of the war. Because of the complexities of this fascinating venue, we will have the services of a local guide.
Day 6
After an overnight stay in Winchester, we visit Harper's Ferry. Many people consider this to the site of the start of the Civil War because it's where abolitionist John Brown made his famous raid in a bid to start a slave uprising. The repercussions of the raid were a major cause of the Civil War. In 1862, General Lee and Stonewall Jackson led the Confederates to a decisive victory at the battle of Harper's Ferry. We spend the rest of the day at Antietam, scene of the bloodiest one day battle of the entire Civil War. From here we return to Carlisle.
Day 7
Return to Canada, we will make a short shopping stop in Syracuse and a visit to duty free. Arrival back in Ottawa late this afternoon.
Your Tour Package Includes:
- Transportation Aboard a Deluxe Motorcoach
- 6 Nights Hotel Accommodation
- 6 Continental Breakfasts
- Admission to all parks and museums
- Services of local guides at key sites
- Services of a Queensway Tours specialized Civil War guide
- All Taxes and Service Charges
