Located just 15 miles outside Washington, the Great Falls of the Potomac is the most magnificent natural landmark in the metropolitan area. Rise early on an fall morning, avoid the crowds, and enjoy a small-group hiking experience with naturalist Keith Tomlinson. Examine the natural history of the area’s forest, observe a variety of birds, and learn about the effect of local land-use patterns on conservation efforts along the Potomac.
Fleeing Ford’s Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth traveled through Maryland into Virginia, where, a few days later, he was found and fatally shot. Historian Michael Kauffman takes you along Booth’s escape route and reveals the personalities and intrigues surrounding the Lincoln assassination.
During the late 1800s, Washington’s movers and shakers strolled the streets of Dupont Circle, where Massachusetts Avenue was the city’s premier residential address. However, during and after the Great Depression, many of the neighborhood’s magnificent mansions were sold and converted into embassies, social clubs, and offices. Join local historian and guide Carolyn Muraskin on a walk through Dupont Circle for views of grand homes such as the Walsh-McLean House (now the Indonesian embassy), Townsend House (now the Cosmos Club), and Woodrow Wilson House (now a museum).
The Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to medieval art, houses priceless objects such as the renowned illuminated book of hours, Belles Heures, of Jean, Duke of Berry; exquisite stained glass chapel windows; stone sculptures; painted icons; and a carved ivory cross. Tour the galleries and the three medieval-style gardens with art historian Ursula Wolfman. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
One of America's most innovative architects, Frank Lloyd Wright experimented with new ways to design homes and integrate them into nature. Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, and the houses at Polymath Park offer prime examples of his organic architecture. Visit all three locations during an overnight tour to Pennsylvania’s scenic Laurel Highlands. Tour leader Bill Keene, a writer and lecturer on architecture, urban history, and city planning, has a special interest in Wright.
The neighborhoods along 16th Street, like Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, and Adams Morgan, have long been recognized for their rich history and cultural diversity. Join Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, for a walk through some of Washington’s most vibrant communities and hear stories of movers and shakers, protests, disasters, and social scandals.
Over the course of the more than three decades he lived or visited there, the Badlands of North Dakota transformed Theodore Roosevelt into not only the kind of vigorous outdoorsman that he’d idealized as a youth but also a passionate conservationist. During a 5-day study tour led by naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley, explore the area, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and gain insights into Roosevelt’s pivotal years in the Badlands.
Spend a day on a journey into the enchanting embrace of autumn at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, a 1,700-acre preserve along the Patuxent River. Learn about the unique ecology of the area with Liana Vitali, naturalist and educator at Jug Bay. A wine tasting featuring selections from a local vineyard is included.
Virginia’s fabled Skyline Drive weaves through the length of Shenandoah National Park, one of the region’s top draws for hikers. In a two-day active getaway designed for outdoor lovers, explore the Blue Ridge trails at the height of their fall beauty with naturalist Keith Tomlinson and stay at an historic lodge on Skyline Drive that offers magnificent panoramic views of the mountain landscapes.
Established in 1637, St. Mary’s County, Maryland, became the first permanent settlement in the state and home to the first state capital. Join Chesapeake historian Hayden Mathews and Peter Friesen, education director for St. Mary’s City ‘s historic commission, for a day in St. Mary’s County exploring its storied history.
Join naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley for an autumn nature hike in the scenic Potomac Gorge at Carderock, Maryland. The walk along the Billy Goat Trail offers dramatic river vistas and passes through a mature forest of oaks, hickories, maples, beeches, black walnuts, and sycamores.
Led by inexperienced commanders and fought by unseasoned troops, the First Battle of Manassas quickly demonstrated that the road to Richmond would be long and hard. Career U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Marc Thompson leads a visit to the site of this epic Civil War battle.
Get a crystal-clear view of the history, art, and science of making glass at the Corning Museum of Glass. A four-day trip led by Bill Keene offers participants a true insider’s experience and includes a live demonstration of glassmaking, curator-conducted sessions and tours (even going behind the scenes), and the opportunity to try your hand at glassmaking.
Congressional Cemetery is home to the remains of more than 65,000 people, including famous Americans such as John Phillip Sousa and J. Edgar Hoover. But many lesser-known figures who are buried there—from former slaves to one of the first gay veterans to challenge military policy—left behind powerful stories. Author and journalist Chuck Raasch explores some of those intriguing legacies and lessons during a walk through the cemetery.
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on Delaware Bay is noted for attracting an incredible array of migratory birds, especially shorebirds, as well as a wide variety of other species. Grab your binoculars and spotting scope and spend a day here with naturalist Matt Felperin, perfectly timed for great fall viewing, to seek out this fascinating array of avian wildlife.
Ever wondered who’s behind the productions you’ve enjoyed in Washington-area theaters? Join local guide Lynn O’Connell for a unique exploration of the vibrant local theater scene as you spend a day with leaders at five notable companies. Along the way, learn about the companies’ creative profiles and upcoming seasons, step onto a set, sit in on a rehearsal, and discover how directors shape the productions mounted on local stages.
Explore the highlights and secrets of Georgetown, home to palatial mansions, elegant cemeteries, stately churches, and a world-class university. Join Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, for a walk through the neighborhood.
After Pennsylvania passed America’s first gradual abolition act in 1780, the City of Brotherly Love became a city of hope for free Black people, attracting many Black migrants. Join historian Richard Bell to trace the struggles for equality African Americans faced in post-revolutionary Philadelphia.
Arts journalist Richard Selden offers a delightful exploration of the largest of New York’s outer boroughs. The itinerary includes Flushing Meadows Corona Park, site of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs; the Museum of the Moving Image; the Noguchi Museum; the Louis Armstrong House Museum; and meals that highlight the borough’s international cuisine. Accommodations spotlight the newest jewel: The TWA Hotel, Eero Saarinen’s landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport, now reimagined as a hotel that celebrates the Jet Age glamour of the 1960s.
There’s no more iconic holiday performance in New York than Radio City Music Hall’s famed Christmas Spectacular. And there’s no better way to see the precision dancing of the Rockettes than from prime orchestra seats in the fabulous Art Deco theater where the show has been a tradition since 1933. Before the theatrical magic begins at a matinee performance, get a special behind-the-scenes VIP tour of the Music Hall, covering the stunning 1930s interiors and art, the Great Stage, and Mighty Wurlitzer Organ—with an opportunity to meet a Rockette along the way.
For over 200 years, Cape May, New Jersey, has welcomed travelers to its beachfront. But Cape May isn’t just a summer destination: During the winter season, this shore town transforms into a storybook holiday town. A two-day tour offers the opportunity to experience historic Cape May during a magical time of year.
