Freedom Trace

Day 1

Travel to the near south to learn more about the Underground Railroad. This network of secret routes and safe houses were used primarily by enslaved African Americans to escape into free states. Many northern cities were a part of this secret network. A local guide joins us to enlighten us on this and more history at our first overnight destination of Indianapolis, IN. Then have a good night's sleep at the nearby Hampton Inn in downtown which is connected to the church used as a stop on the Underground RR.

Day 2

Today we travel to the very southern tip of Ohio. In Cincinnati we tour the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Once the residence of influential antislavery author Harriet Beecher Stowe, she is best known as the author of the 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. After lunch on your own at the centrally located Findley Market tour the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. This museum illuminates the history of the original Underground Railroad but also pays tribute to all efforts to abolish human enslavement worldwide and secure freedom for all people. After checking into the Holiday Inn Express in nearby Covington, KY, board the BB Riverboat for a cruise and dinner.

Day 3

Traveling a little further south takes us into Mammoth Cave National Park for a tour. The cave system, the longest in the world, has a long and storied history beginning with the native people of North America. But what many people don't know is that several of the Cave's most important guides and explorers of the 19th and early 20th centuries were African American. Continuing our travels, we check in at the centrally located Comfort Inn in downtown Memphis, TN. With time to freshen up, the group enjoys dinner at the famous Rendezvous BBQ.

Day 4

We start early to see all Memphis has to offer. The National Civil Rights Museum offers 260 artifacts, more than 40 films, oral histories, interactive media and external listening posts that guide visitors through five centuries of history. From the beginning of the resistance during slavery, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, and the seminal events of the late 20th century these events have inspired people around the world to stand up for equality. Connected to this remarkable museum is the Lorraine Motel. See this landmark preserved in the moment when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. At Slave Haven, descend the stairs into the dark, damp cellar and peer through the trapdoors and hidden passages where the fugitives were harbored, to get a glimpse of those turbulent times. After enjoying an included luncheon of southern favorites, we continue to the Cotton Museum. Cotton was king in the 19th century and when you visit this museum, you're treading on the legendary floor of the Memphis Cotton Exchange. It was here where cotton traders once stood at the center of the global cotton economy at the height of the industrial revolution. Before returning to our hotel, enjoy a local driving tour of Memphis to learn important history.

Day 5

Time to depart Memphis enroute to Missouri. Enjoy lunch as we round Cape Girardeau, MO and finally into St. Louis later this afternoon. The Old Courthouse is the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case held in 1847 and 1850. You may tour this historic structure and visit the restored courtrooms to learn more about the 19th century judicial system. Later visit the Griot Museum, home to an unusual black wax exhibit among others. Our final overnight will be at the Drury Plaza at the Arch in the heart of St. Louis.

Day 6

The final day of our tour is here, but we still have a great attraction in store. The renowned Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. president, and the course of the American Civil War. A finale luncheon will be enjoyed following. We hope you enjoyed this legendary tour documenting one of the most important moments in U.S. history

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D =Dinner