Five Tour Destinations Fit for Veterans Day

To all veterans of the United States armed forces – thank you for your service!

To celebrate Veterans Day 2017, we’ve put together a short list of some of our favorite armed forces-inspired travel destinations. Our guests, many of whom are veterans themselves, love visiting memorials and related sites while on tour. We are thrilled to be able to provide all of our guests the opportunity to remember, reflect, and honor those who have served our country.

5. The National WWII Museum – New Orleans, LA

An unexpected surprise in the Big Easy is the extraordinary bounty of innovative exhibits in its World War II Museum. Set the tone with the 4D film “Beyond All Boundaries” presented and directed by actor Tom Hanks. The film is a good primer to the rest of the museum, revealing the perspectives of the nations on the global stage before and during the war. The show is so interactive the seats shake when tanks roll by and fake snow flies in the winter scenes. In the “Road to Berlin” permanent exhibit, enjoy the spectacularly immersive multimedia galleries that recreate the environments of European battles and villages as newsreels and kiosks connect artifacts to their moment in history. Altogether fascinating and moving, The National WWII Museum is a powerful reminder of the humanity and challenges the world faced throughout the world’s largest military conflict.

Visit the National WWII Museum on our San Antonio & New Orleans tour.

4. Arlington National Cemetery – Arlington, VA

Just across the Potomac River from Washington DC’s National Mall lies the final resting place of more than 400,000 men and women from the US and other countries for more than 150 years. Arlington is also home to The Tomb of the Unknowns, which contained the remains of unidentified American soldiers from World War I to the Vietnam War. Visitors look forward to seeing the Changing of the Guard ritual, where members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment exchange their patrolling duty before the white marble sarcophagus. Arlington Cemetery is also home to the Marine Corps War Memorial, in which recreates the iconic 1945 photograph of six Marines mounting the United States flag during World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima, and the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame.

Visit the Arlington National Cemetery on our Washington, DC: Our Nation’s Capital tour.

3. D-Day Beaches, France

When we get to the French leg of our tour of Normandy, London & Paris we visit one of the most hallowed World War II memorial sites in all of Europe. Allied forces invaded the European mainland on five heavily-defended beaches on the Normandy coast. Joined by a knowledgeable World War II guide, visit two of those five beaches – Omaha and Utah. Along the beach’s bluffs, pay respects for the soldiers who gave their lives at the American Cemetery, learn how Americans seized German artillery at Pointe-du-Hoc Ranger Monument, and learn how paratroopers liberated the nearby village St. Mère Église. It is as inspiring as it is humbling to follow the steps of the game-changing battle where Allied forces established a critically important foothold in France.

Visit the D-Day beaches on our tour of Normandy, London & Paris.

2. National Mall – Washington DC

Washington DC is easily home to the largest collection of national memorials in the country, and most of those are in the National Mall. Spend time with the black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial where we remember our Vietnam veterans. Nearby is the Korean War Veterans Memorial, with its own wall of murals and iconic stainless-steel soldier statues walking through juniper bushes. There is so much more we could say about the many memorials, museums, and other historic sites in the National Mall and surrounding areas – you have to get out there and see it all for yourself!

Visit the National Mall on our Washington, DC: Our Nation’s Capital and Historic America tours.

1. USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, HA

It’s no surprise that the USS Arizona Memorial is one of Hawaii’s most popular attractions. The memorial straddles the sunken USS Arizona battleship, the most powerful reminder of the attack on Pearl Harbor and one of the most pivotal moments in US history. Guests explore the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center and then explore the 75-year-old wreck from the floating memorial. In sunny Honolulu a visit to the memorial can be very beautiful, but it is also a very moving experience and an honor to pay tribute to this profound example of American heroism, courage, and sacrifice.

Visit the USS Arizona Memorial on any tour of Hawaii.