April 29-May 1 (Friday-Sunday)

Norfolk Azalea Festival and the

Virginia International Tattoo

Norfolk, VA

Day 1: Welcome Aboard!  Travel in comfort aboard our deluxe motor coach to the coastal port city of Norfolk, Virginia.  Upon our arrival enjoy a self-guided tour of the Nauticus.  Nauticus is a contemporary museum that uses the natural setting of Norfolk’s harbor to showcase global maritime commerce and the world’s largest Navy.  Berthed at Nauticus is the Battleship Wisconsin, one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy.  Take a self-guided tour on the deck of the Wisconsin and learn about this veteran battleships rich history.  The Wisconsin earned five battle stars during active duty in World War II.  Next we board the Victory Rover for a 2 hour narrated harbor tour of the U.S. Naval base.  Our captain will provide us with entertaining and fascinating commentary as we cruise past Aircraft Carriers, Nuclear Submarines, Guided Missile Cruisers, and all of the other ships that form the World’s most powerful Armada.  A box lunch is included.  Later we check into our oceanfront accommodations at the Best Western Oceanfront Virginia Beach, which has private balconies with stunning views of the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, for the next two nights.  A delicious dinner is included at the hotel.  (L, D)

Day 2: After a buffet breakfast we take our reserved seats for the annual International Azalea Festival “Parade of Nations,” featuring Queen Azalea and her Court, International floats, and marching bands.  Next we depart for the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Enjoy a 20-minute narrated tram tour which highlights the Garden’s 155-acres, followed by a 35-minute narrated boat tour on the waterways of the garden.  Later we return to the hotel where you will have some leisure time to sit, relax and freshen up before going out for a delicious dinner at Freemason Abbey Restaurant & Tavern.  Following dinner, we end the day on a musical note.  This evening we attend the largest Tattoo in the United States at the Scope Arena.  From our reserved seating experience a world of pageantry and patriotism, spirit and spectacle, talent and teamwork, and witness demonstrations of unparalleled precision exercises that you simply have to see to believe.  (B, D)

Day 3: After a buffet breakfast we depart for the Norfolk Naval Station, the world’s largest naval installation.  Upon our arrival at the Norfolk Naval Tour and Information Center, we meet our active duty Navy guide, and depart on a narrated driving tour of the naval base.  Following our tour we depart for home by way of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the 17-mile link on U.S. Rt. 13, which links the Delmarva Peninsula with southwestern Virginia.  We’ll make a photo-stop at the scenic overlook with its breathtaking views of the mighty surge of the Atlantic Ocean, the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay and the soaring grace of an engineering marvel.  (B)

Included:

?  Basic amenities

?  2 nights at Best Western Oceanfront 

?  2 buffet breakfasts

?  1 box lunch

?  2 dinners

?  Nauticus

?  Battleship Wisconsin

?  Victory Rover Naval Base Cruise

?  International Azalea Festival Parade

?  Norfolk Botanical Gardens

?  Virginia International Tattoo

?  Guided Tour of Naval Base

?  Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

?  Attractions and admissions per itinerary

Price:

$449.00 Double/PP       $409.00 Triple/PP

$389.00 Quad/PP                   $569.00 Single

Deposit:  $125.00/PP

Balance Due:  March 16, 2011

                             Depart                 Return

Carney                  6:00 AM                8:45 PM

Gunther                 6:45 AM                8:00 PM