 America’s Naval Heritage:
Anchors Aweigh!
April 14–21, 2009
Historian Guide Craig Symonds
From its very founding, the United States has been a maritime
nation. Separated and protected from the wars of Europe by the
vast Atlantic, the U.S. has relied on its navy for protection and
influence overseas. But if the navy has been a constant in American
history, the technology that characterized its warships
has been constantly changing.
On this tour led by naval historian Craig
Symonds, you will visit some of the most
significant and iconic warships in American
history. Traveling with this dynamic man,
who is known not only for the excellent
books he has authored, but also for his
proficiency as a teacher, will give you
unparalleled insight into our naval heritage
from the country’s inception to the
present. First struggling against the
mighty Royal Navy during the American
Revolution, by WWII the United States
had the most powerful navy in the world.
You will visit a variety of warships: from
the Age of Sail, the USS Constellation; a Civil
War ironclad, the USS Monitor; Dewey’s
flagship from the Spanish-American War, the
USS Olympia; a destroyer, the WWII USS Barry;
a submarine from WWII, the USS Torsk; and a
WWII battleship, the USS Wisconsin. This tour combines
these ship visits with outstanding naval and maritime museums
and a boat tour of Hampton Roads, where Craig will
give you on-the-spot details of the famous Civil War naval
battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac.
TOUR INCLUDES
8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS
- Historian Guide: Craig Symonds
- Services of a professional tour director
- Deluxe motorcoach transportation
- All admissions to included features
- Seven nights hotel accommodations
- Seven breakfasts, three lunches, and four dinners
- Welcome briefing
- All taxes, baggage handling, & gratuities on included features
- Suggested reading list
COST:
Per person double occupancy - $3,445
Per person single occupancy - $3,845
Click to request a 2009 printed Travel Guide.
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ITINERARY
Tuesday, April 14
Gathering day in Baltimore, Maryland, at
the Embassy Suites at the Baltimore-Washington International
Airport for a welcome briefing and dinner hosted by Craig
Symonds and HistoryAmerica TOURS.
Wednesday, April 15
In the morning you will
visit the USS Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s flagship
from the Battle of Manila Bay. She helped to
catapult the U.S. to the role of superpower
during the Spanish-American War. In the
afternoon spend time in the Independence
Museum before returning to
Baltimore.
Thursday, April 16
Today you will visit
the Washington Navy Yard Museum and
tour the USS Barry, a WWII destroyer that
earned two battle stars for her service during
the Vietnam conflict. Then it’s on to
Richmond, Virginia, to spend the night.
Friday, April 17
Visit the Museum of the
Confederacy where you will see some of the remains
of the Merrimac, a Civil War ironclad, and the White
House of the Confederacy to hear a talk about the Confederate
Navy. You will spend the next two nights in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Saturday, April 18
Today visit the Mariner’s Museum in
Newport News — “a museum filled to the crow’s nest with prized
artifacts that celebrate the spirit of seafaring adventure.” You will
also see its greatest treasure, the USS Monitor Center. After lunch
you go to Hampton Yards to the Nauticus Museum and the USS
Wisconsin, the largest and last battleship built by the U.S. Navy.
Sunday, April 19
This morning you board a tour boat at Hampton
Yards, the largest natural harbor in the world, to visit the site
and hear the details of the 1862 Civil War Battle of the Ironclads.
In the afternoon you return to Baltimore for your last day of
shipboard touring.
Monday, April 20
In Baltimore harbor, you will tour the USS
Constellation, the last Civil War era vessel still afloat and the last
all-sail warship. At the Baltimore Maritime Museum on the Inner
Harbor, you will tour the submarine, USS Torsk.
Tuesday, April 21
Depart at your leisure following breakfast.
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