Our Goal is to provide the best possible educational tour concerning the Founding of America.
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BROCHURE September 4th and 18th 2013
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Founding America Tour DEAR TRAVELER,
This year The Travels team is presenting a unique tour with limited spaces for educational oriented families and homeschooling families. We understand the importance of the learning process for students so we have designed the optimal experiential learning tour, that is not only fun but effective. Applying the living history method of teaching, we place students in the roles of our Founding Fathers and ordinary Americans. Students use primary sources to engage in debates and further discuss the reasons for historic events on the sites where history occurred. To further understand the average American we dive into 18th century culture through song, dance, art, crafts, games, economics, politics, agriculture, gastronomy, morals, the role of children in a family and the life of a citizen soldier. Unique to the “Founding America Tour” is the fact that your professional guide is an actor interpreting each day from a first person historical character’s point of view. This allows students to directly interact with a living history interpreter and more easily understand the motivations behind the actions of our Founding Fathers. This tour has been designed by our experienced team that has been leading student tours for over 20 years and have written curriculum for some of our Nation’s finest post secondary schools.
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Gaining wisdom and confidence through fun experiential learning tours. Join us this fall for a unique adventure that will forever change your believes about the creation of America.
The Founding America tour is a multidimensional living class. Many handson activities and amazing experiences await for you and your family!
We learn our history by experiencing it where it happened. We appreciate our history by feeling the reasons for the actions of our Founding Fathers. We invite you to read through our brochure for details of our tour, rates and educational content. For more detailed information please visit our website www.HomeSchoolTravels.com. Sincerely, Scott MacScott CTM Chief The Travels LLC
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INFORMATION
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS $2,745 - Experience the major sites of the Revolutionary War including Boston, per person for 10 day Saratoga, New Windsor, Valley Forge, Delaware Crossing, Philadelphia, Yorktown, Annapolis and Williamsburg. tour, Enroll Now! - Reenact the Town Hall meeting that precluded the Boston Tea Party at the TheTravels.com Old South Meeting House. - Behind the scenes tour at Old North Church. - Reenact the discussion that led to the Declaration of Independence. - Learn how to drill like a Minuteman and decide whether or not to defend your home on Lexington Green. - Enlist in the Continental army and live like a soldier during an overnight encampment at Washington's New Windsor Cantonment *. - We lend hunting shirts, hats, canteens, cartridge boxes and muskets for the military living history components of our tour. - Learn how to cook and enjoy a colonial supper over an open fire. - Dine in historic taverns, the same ones where our Founding Fathers dined. - Visit Independence Hall, site of the 2nd Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence and our Federal Government from 1790-1800. - Interact with and learn the crafts of 18th century tradesmen at Colonial Independence Hall, Philadelphia Williamsburg. - Visit the homes of America's first 3 presidents. - Each day a historical character will be presenting the area from a 1st person point of view. - Dance a lively colonial reel at the ballroom of a real 18th century Tavern. OUR MEALS - Make your very own colonial haversack. *Available on September 4th departure
DEPARTURE DATES FALL 2013 September 4th, Featuring a real Revolutionary Encampment experience! September 18th, Featuring the biggest reenactment event at Saratoga Battlefield. ENROLLMENT FEES Take advantage of our Early Bird enrollment fee, register by June 30th . FOUNDING AMERICA TOUR
FEE PER PERSON
In double occupancy
$3,495
In triple occupancy
$2,995
In quadruple occupancy
$2,745
Prices reflect discounted early bird rate which requires enrollment by June 30th, 2013. Rates in US Dollars. Single supplement is $1,495. For more information please familiarize yourself with our payment schedule and policies at www.TheTravels.com/terms-conditions-policies, www.HomeSchoolTravels.com
• Union Oyster House, oldest restaurant in continue use in America. • The Green Dragon, meeting place of Boston’s Sons of Liberty. • Salem Cross Inn, a 1700 era farm house built by the White family now considered one of the finest restaurants in New England. • Old 76 House, where Major John André a British accomplice of Benedict Arnold was imprisoned before he was hanged. • City Tavern, home to world famous chef Walter Staib and PBS series “A taste of
History”. • Reynolds Tavern, steps away from Maryland State House where George Washington resigned his commission. • King's Arms Tavern, Shields Tavern, where virginian patriots met and united with the people of Boston in a day of fasting and prayer. • Michie Tavern, Established in 1787 and home to the best fried chicken in the world.
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WHAT IS INCLUDED: Registration/Enrollment fee includes the following services: • All visits and activities described in the itinerary. • Meals as detailed in itinerary, 9 breakfasts, 8 Dinners, 1 lunch, (2 lunches on September 18th departure) at special curated restaurants and taverns. • Admission fees. • Complete kit for making haversack. • Overnight accommodation. • Ground transportation in luxury motor coach. • Complete access to Colonial Williamsburg, including hands on activities for homeschoolers and evening programs. • Educational programs as described in the Itinerary with emphasis in experiential travel and learning history. • September 4th departure includes "New Windsor Experience"; set up, stand guard and spend the night in an authentic revolutionary war encampment, with demonstrations and colonial style dinner. • September 18th departure includes "Saratoga Battlefield Experience" go behind the scenes and witness costumed reenactors reenact the Battle of Saratoga. SERVICES NOT INCLUDED IN OUR FEE: Yorktown encampment • Airfare • Airport transfers • Personal expenses • Lunches (except as stated in itinerary) • Gratuities • Travel Insurance • Sleeping bag and ground pad for overnight encampment for departure September 4th. YOUR GUIDES DURING THE TOUR Get familiar with these characters that will be your guides throughout your tour. Our chief guide, Scott MacScott CTM, impersonates a different historical character everyday. This approach allows students to quickly immerse themselves in the context and information provided, helping to reenforce the learning experience and enhancing this experiential learning tour, please meet our guides: • Sam Adams • Isaiah Thomas • Thomas Jefferson • John Dickinson • Joseph Plumb Martin • Anthony Stewart • Robert Morris • Alexander Hamilton ACCOMMODATION We always chose high quality hotels that are centrally located to the area we are touring.
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Old South Meeting House, Boston
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FOUNDING AMERICA TOUR! 10 DAY - 9 NIGHT ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival to Boston, MA Welcome to the East Coast and the birthplace of America, after a flight from your hometown, check in at the hotel. This evening we gather with your Tour Manager and fellow travelers at the hotel for a welcome and orientation meeting followed by dinner. Overnight in Boston. (D) Day 2: Boston historic trail, MA We start our tour in Boston (founded 1630), the cradle of the revolution by recreating the historic Tea Party debate at the Old South Meeting House. Taking place just steps from the Old State House and the site of the Boston massacre, this is an extraordinary opportunity to experience history where it happened and use critical thinking skills to understand why the Boston Tea Party began and how patriots changed our nation forever. Then free time to browse Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, Boston’s first public market built in 1742, for lunch on own. This was a wholesale market and important meeting point for America’s early citizens like Sam Adams and John Hancock. In the afternoon we will walk into history along the Freedom Trail. Among the 16 official sites of this famous indoor/ outdoor museum that will bring you back in history we will visit Paul Reveres House, Granary Burial Ground, follow by a visit to the Old North Church and get in the “behind the scenes” tour of the events that trigger the American Revolution. Visit to the U.S.S. Constitution. Dine together at America’s oldest restaurant in continue use, the Union Oyster House. Overnight in Boston (B,D). Day 3: Boston - Braintree, Quincy - Lexington - Concord, MA After breakfast we depart to Adams National Historical Park to visit the John Adams and John Quincy Adams’ Birthplace homes followed by a special educational
ranger program "Pen and Parchment" where we will participate and join John and Abigail Adams in founding a just and free nation. You will travel through time to discover the real meaning of independence, get exclusive access to primary sources Lexington Green and learn historical reasoning. Enjoy lunch en route to Lexington Green, site of the "shot heard around the world". In the afternoon we are Minute Men as we recreate the life of citizen soldiers that stood up to the world empire alone the Minute Man trail between Lexington and Concord. We will follow part of the route that Dr. William Prescott and Paul Revere rode when they warned of the British Regulars march into the countryside in search of Patriot Leaders and supplies. Saratoga Battlefield We will reenact the standoff on Lexington Green before gazing off the Old North Bridge in Concord. Then we visit the Minute Man National Historical Park's Museum for an introductory video before considering the roles of colonial men and women in the and the “Rebels, Redcoats and Homespun Heroes” Ranger Program. Using experiential learning, we will evaluate life in revolutionary times as we perform drills, examine artifacts and witness musket firing demonstration. This is a perfect afternoon to learn about what it was like to be a British soldier, colonial militiamen and colonial women committed to a cause. In the afternoon we will drive north to Albany and we will stop at West Brookfield for a traditional New England dinner at the Salem Cross Inn Tavern. Overnight in Albany (B,D)
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FOUNDING AMERICA TOUR! Day 4: Albany - Saratoga - New Windsor, NY There are two versions of Day 4 so please read the detailed description here for September 4th and September 18th. On both days we will ride along the Saratoga Battlefield and spot the Schuyler House; Saratoga Monument (an obelisk that commemorates the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga) and Victory Woods which marks the final encampment site for the British Army. We will have a hands on colonial cooking demonstration where we leave nothing to waste. Traveling south in the afternoon, we make stops along the Hudson River Valley including the New Windsor Cantonment Historic Site. This site features reconstruction buildings of the final encampment of the Continental Army. Between June 1782 and October 1783, 7,000 troops were boarded here in 600 log huts over 1600 acres. This day we present one of our tour highlights, a 12 hour "Living History Experience"* will begin tonight at New Windsor Cantonment Historic Site, where we will set up an authentic colonial camp and enjoy a colonial style dinner on site. Overnight at encampment (B,D). *Living History Experience is only available for certain departure dates. Regular tour includes dinner at a restaurant and overnight accommodation in a hotel. Day 5: New Windsor, NY Washington Crossing - Valley Forge Philadelphia, PA Departure to Washington Crossing in the Pennsylvania side, were we will see where General George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776 and then marched to Trenton. Here, after losing every major battle since the Declaration of Independence and with a volunteer army about to released from their year of service, Washington orchestrated an epic plan to defeat the British hired Hessian forces
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without losing a single American soldier. We continue our way to King of Prussia, were Valley Forge is located, enjoy lunch on own before visiting Valley Forge, site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army. We continue our way to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love which was created by William Pen as the center of his utopia for religious freedom for America. Dinner at the award winning City Tavern, home to famous Chef Walter Staib, creator of the PBS series "A Taste of History". Overnight in Albany (B,D). Day 6: Philadelphia Annapolis, MD The exploration in Philadelphia starts with a visit to the famous Independence Hall, where courageous delegates from the thirteen Valley Forge colonies put their lives on the line by signing the Declaration of Independence; where George Washington was named commander-in-chief of the Continental Army; where Betsy Ross' design for the first flag was approved; and where the American Constitution was drafted - that's a whole lot of history in just one building! Next door we will explore Congress Hall home of the House of Representatives and Senate from 1790 to 1800 and most importantly, were the first peaceful transfer of power occurred between President George Washington and President John Adams. We continue our adventure with a visit to the new home of America's symbol of freedom , the Liberty Bell, and learn all about the "blueprint" of American democracy at the National Constitution Hall, where you'll see Freedom Rising, a multimedia production that tells the story of this extraordinary document. We continue our stroll around to visit Philadelphia’s most important sites like Q u a k e r M e e t i n g H o u s e, B e n j a m i n Franklin’s Post Office, Carpenters Hall which is the site of the First Continental www.HomeSchoolTravels.com
Philadelphia
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FOUNDING AMERICA TOUR! Convention where the 13 Colonies first met to unite into one Country. At Christ Church history is not a far off idea. Since 1695 through today, the Building is still being used just the way it was when Ben Franklin, George Washington, Betsy Ross and William Penn attended services there. We continue to visit the site of Benjamin Franklin’s house sit and learn how Benjamin’s legacy continues to influence us today. After this busy morning we will have free time to enjoy lunch at the reading Terminal Market. Lunch on own. In the afternoon drive to Annapolis, Maryland, where we will visit the State House, completed in 1779 it is America's First Peacetime Capitol and the oldest state house still in legislative use. It was the site of nationally important events during the American Revolution, including George Washington's resignation as commander in chief of the Continental Army from the army, and the ratification of the Treaty of Paris. After this short visit, enjoy free time to stroll Annapolis picturesque Main Street. Dinner in the Reynolds Tavern. Overnight in Annapolis (B,D). Day 7: Annapolis - Mount Vernon - Williamsburg, VA After breakfast we cross the Chesapeake Bay and follow General Washington’s route as a civilian to his home, Mount Vernon, Virginia. This is the estate that Washington called home for more than 40 years. He with his wife Martha Washington lived in the now most popular historic estate in America and the last reminder of the life and legacy of the Father of Our Country. Visit more than a dozen original structures, Washington's Tomb, 50 acres of plantation, working blacksmith shop, slave cabin and Washington's own invention of a 16 sided threshing barn among other interesting f e a t u r e s o f h i s h o m e. G e t i n s i d e Washington’s private life as we study colonial morals and visit the galleries that display original artifacts like the General's dentures which were made from many
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materials but never wood. The Educational Center showcases the painstaking research that culminated in the three most accurate likenesses of George Washington throughout his life as well as a realistic movie depicting the main battles of the General featuring chairs that rumble from canon fire and snow that fell during the d a r i n g c ro s s i n g o f t h e Delaware River. Enjoy free time for lunch at Mount Vernon’s Food court or try the Revolutionary War Reenactment New York peanut soup at the Colonial Inn. Afterwards we continue in the footsteps of Washington to Colonial Williamsburg where the General started his political career as a member of the House of Burgesses. History is alive as we walk down the same streets, dine in the same famous taverns and frequent the same shops as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Payton Randolph to name a few. Who knows, we may even meet some of them as we enjoy our evening tavern meal and living history Williamsburg drill night program. Overnight in Williamsburg (B,D). Day 8: Williamsburg, VA Experience life in the 18th century at America’s largest outdoor history museum. Colonial Williamsburg was the center of government education and culture in Colonial Virginia for most of the 18th century. The city exhibits dozens of authentic or re-created colonial houses and relating to American Revolutionary War. The main buildings include Raleigh Tavern, the Capitol, the Governor’s Palace among others. On the far side of Duke of Gloucester Street from the Capitol is America's second oldest college, the College of William & Mary. Chartered in 1697 by King William and Queen Mary, W+M has educated US Presidents like Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as 16 signers of the Declaration of independence and countless indian youth in www.HomeSchoolTravels.com
Colonial Williamsburg
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FOUNDING AMERICA TOUR! attempts to enlighten our wild young democracy. This is a rare opportunity to experience history within a city that remains virtually unchanged from the time history occurred. We will take advantage of programs that have been specially designed by Colonial Williamsburg's education department for HomeSchoolers. To make the most of your time at Colonial Wi l l i a m s b u r g y o u w i l l a l w a y s b e accompanied by a costumed Licensed Guide of Williamsburg to inspire you through language, games, anecdotes and knowledge of where to find the best colonial chocolate. Dinner in a Taver n. Over night in Williamsburg. (B,D). Day 9: Williamsburg - Yorktown M o n t i c e l l o - M i c h i e Ta v e r n Alexandria, VA The first stop this morning is Yorktown, VA. In 1781 this strategic place and battlefield was the stage were a British army commanded by General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington’s Army and French forces led by Comte de Rochambeau. This was the last major land battle and the victory that secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history. Since we are nearing the end of the tour and at the end of the war, we pay homage to the brave patriots at the Yorktown Battlefield Surrender Field before we head west to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and third President of the Unite States. Visit the house that Jefferson designed as we discuss colonial architecture and the live of slaves in colonial Virginia. Jefferson was a student of the enlightenment and could not live without books. We will pay our respects at his grave before visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site of the University of Virginia. At Monticello, Jefferson accommodated travelers with food, drink and lodging more than 200 years ago,
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so as we shall dine at the base of Jefferson's "little mountain". For lunch, we will be welcomed at Michie Tavern and will be oriented through its history by taking a brief tour of the tavern followed by a dance class at the Ballroom where students will dance a lively colonial reel. Michie Ta r v e r n i s a h i s t o r i c landmark and recreates 18th century tavern life and lets us experience a taste of the 18th century. We will enjoy a delicious lunch offering the best country fried chicken you ever had in your life, accompanied with mashed potatoes with gravy, beats, green beans, stewed tomatoes, cole slow, black eyed peas, corn bread, muffins, peach cobbler for dessert and to drink fresh apple cider or soft drinks. After this delicious meal and experience we drive north to Alexandria. Dinner on own. Overnight in Alexandria (B,L). Day 10: Alexandria, VA End of tour and services. Flight home. (B). Start of extension tour.
The Travels, Gaining wisdom and confidence through fun experiential learning tours. Join us this fall for a unique adventure that will forever change your believes about the creation of America.
www.HomeSchoolTravels.com
Notes: The Travels LLC reserves the right change the order of places to visit during the tour.
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Highlights of the tour BY STATES MASSACHUSETTS STATE BOSTON, MA
• BRAINTREE, JOHN ADAM’S HOUSE • PAUL REVERE HOUSE • MINUTE MAN NATIONAL PARK • USS CONSTITUTION • OLD NORTH CHURCH • GRANARY BURIAL GROUND • OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE • LEXINGTON • CONCORD • QUINCY MARKET • OLD STATE HOUSE NEW YORK STATE
• SARATOGA NATIONAL PARK • NEW WINDSOR CANTONMENT
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
• D E L AWA R E WA S H I N G TO N CROSSING • VALLEY FORGE
ANNAPOLIS, MD
• HISTORIC ANNAPOLIS DOWNTOWN • STATE HOUSE
PHILADELPHIA, PA
• INDEPENDENCE HALL • LIBERTY BELL • NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER • QUAKER MEETING HOUSE • BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S POST OFFICE • CARPENTERS HALL • CHRIST CHURCH • ELFRETH’S ALLEY • READING MARKET •FORMER HOUSE OF R E P R E S E N TA T I V E S A N D SENATE • BETSY ROSS HOUSE
VIRGINIA STATE
• • • • • •
MOUNT VERNON COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG YORKTOWN MONTICELLO ALEXANDRIA HISTORIC ANNAPOLIS
MARYLAND STATE
Monticello, VA
Colonial Williamsburg
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