Washington Cherry Blossoms

Day 1

We'll begin the day with an early morning departure from Bellville. Along the way, we'll make brief stops in Napanee, Kingston, and Gananoque to pick up the other passengers travelling with us.

Once everyone is on board, we will begin our journey to Washington, DC! We will be making comfort stops along the way including the duty free.

We will arrive at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center around 5:30pm. After checking in, dinner will be on your own this evening in the National Harbor. There are plenty of dining options right outside of the Gaylord.

The National Harbor is a community unlike any other in the D.C. region, designed to take full advantage of the most historic river in the nation, the Potomac. Rising from its banks, National Harbor is a 350-acre resort destination that includes the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, Tanger Outlets, thousands of hotel rooms, tree-lined promenades with popular shops and over 40 restaurants, a marina, and The Capital Wheel - a 180-foot observation wheel featuring panoramic views of the nation's capital.

The rest of the evening is yours to relax. Have a look at your McCoy Guide for our restaurant recommendations!

Day 2

After enjoying our included breakfast this morning at our hotel, we will meet our local guide and depart on a tour of some famous Washington memorials at 8:30am.

First, we will visit the United States Capitol; the most recognized symbol of democratic government in the world. The ceilings are decorated with historic images, and its halls are lined with statuaries and paintings representing great events and people in the nation's history.

At 11:00am we will head to the United States Library of Congress. Established as an act of Congress in 1800, The Library of Congress is the largest national library in the world with more than 100 million items in three buildings. There are more than 650 miles of bookshelves and more than 138 million objects in 470 different languages.

Lunch will be on our own today on the lower level of the US Capitol Visitor Center's Cafeteria.

Afterward, we will make our way to the White House for a photo opportunity. Then we will visit The National World War 2 Memorial. This memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War 2, more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home.

We will continue our journey as we head to the Lincoln Memorial. Seated proudly at the West end of Washington, DC's National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial is one of the most beloved American monuments.

Our last stop will be to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The Triangular field contains nineteen ground troopers, clad in foul weather ponchos, fully equipped for battle. Those who supported the ground groups are represented in hundreds of faces etched on a polished granite wall.

Now that we have worked up an appetite, we will enjoy our included dinner together at Nick's Riverside Grill.

After our delicious meal, we will embark on our Illuminated Monument Driving Tour. Washington's grand buildings, memorials, and monuments sparkle and are impressive during the day; but in the evenings they are stunning.

Once the tour is over, we will head back to our hotel for the rest of the night.

Day 3

Our breakfast is included this morning at our hotel. At 8:00am we will depart to meet our local guide and head to the Cherry Blossom Parade!

The Cherry Blossom Festival marks the celebration of the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees by the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, DC in 1912. The celebration includes a massive parade, which navigates down Constitution Avenue from 7th Street towards the Tidal Basin where the queen of the festival is crowned.

Once the parade is over, we will have lunch on our own in Penn Quarter. In this neighborhood of Washington, you should expect plenty of foot traffic, elaborately dressed storefronts, and busy restaurants. Or you are more than welcome to have lunch at The Courtyard Café (located at the National Portrait Gallery) - offering baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and desserts.

After exploring this beautiful area of the city, we will board the Odyssey III Cruise Ship at 3:00pm. Travel beneath the historic bridges that span the Potomac while enjoying live entertainment, impeccable cuisine, and unparalleled views of the Capital's greatest monuments. Enjoy your included dinner aboard the Odyssey III Cruise Ship.

At 5:30pm we will disembark the ship and depart on our Pink Stroll. This photo opportunity is among the Japanese cherry trees (blossoms cannot be guaranteed- they are weather dependent) along the Tidal Basin. We will stop at The Jefferson Memorial first. The 19-foot statue of the third president stands beneath a rotunda inscribed with passages from the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson's other famous writings. Looking from the memorial across the Tidal Basin provides an unforgettable view of the city.

Next, we will spend some time at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. The long-awaited memorial utilizes landscape elements to powerfully convey three fundamental and recurring themes of Dr. King's life: justice, democracy, and hope.

We will arrive back at our hotel around 8:00pm; the rest of the evening is yours to relax.

Day 4

Start your morning with an included breakfast at the hotel. At 9:30am we will depart the hotel and begin our day at the Smithsonian Institution; a world-renowned museum and research complex consisting of 17 museums, galleries and a zoo. Visit your choice of museums in the National Mall. Explore, discover and be inspired!

At the National Museum of American History, browse through the state-of-the-art gallery and make sure to check out a spectacular view of the Star- Spangled Banner. The National Museum of Natural History is home to the Hope Diamond, dinosaur fossils, a live insect zoo and more.

You will find an outstanding collection of masterpieces that trace the development of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present at the National Gallery of Art. The original West Building concentrates primarily on European works from the 13th century, while its contemporary counterpart, the East Building, highlights the work of modern artists.

Lunch is on your own today. There are a lot of dining options within the Smithsonian Museums.

Following the Smithsonian, we will enjoy some time at the Arlington National Cemetery from 2:00pm - 5:00pm. No land in America is more sacred than this square mile. This is the final resting place for President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onasses, Audie Murphy, prizefighter Joe Louis, and thousands of soldiers from every major U.S. war. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres in Arlington, VA.

At 5:30pm we will head back to our hotel. Spend your last night recouping from the week or go out on the town on your own! Don't forget to check out your McCoy guide for our restaurant recommendations.

Day 5

After our included breakfast at the hotel, it will be time to say goodbye to the beauty of Washington in Spring and head back home to Ontario. At 9:00am we will begin our journey home; comfort stops including the duty free will be made along the way.

We can't wait to get away with you again soon!

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner