The departure location for the tour is the Ohio History Connection at 800 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211.

Please plan to arrive between 7:30 am on Thursday, September 19th. Passengers must be loaded on the bus by 8:00 am. The bus will leave promptly. The goal is to arrive in DC with plenty of time for check-in and rest before the evening reception.

The bus will return to the Ohio History Connection in Columbus close to 5:00 pm on Sunday, September 21st.

If you would like, you can leave your car in the parking of Ohio History Connection free of charge. You must complete the parking release form online or download the PDF below and e-mail it to Toni. The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s headquarters is located in the same lot as the Ohio History Connection. This lot is occasionally monitored. Note: OHC, Heritage Tours, Heritage Projects, its sponsors or affiliates are not responsible for lost or stolen items or damage to vehicles.

It is recommended that you bring casual clothing and comfortable shoes suitable for walking. We encourage you to check the weather for the week and pack accordingly. On a daily basis during our 4 day 3-night tour, you will experience sitting on the bus, walking from venue to venue, and standing. We suggest that you dress in layers as it will be early fall. Remember an umbrella and jacket for rain. You may want to dress slightly fancy on Saturday evening. We have a surprise that you will probably want to be part of! #alittlefancy

There will be coffee, tea and a complimentary hot breakfast included at the hotel each morning. An assortment of snacks, water, and soda will be provided on the bus. Dinner will be provided on Saturday, October 7th. Reminder, you might want to dress a little nicer for this special evening. The location is a surprise!!

For our guests who have dietary restrictions that leave them wanting, or if you simply prefer, we encourage bringing snacks that are pleasing to you. Lunch and dinner, aside from Saturday are on your own. During travel from and to Columbus, the bus will make designated food stops. Anyone who informed us of their dietary restrictions has been duly noted. We are prepared to accommodate you. We want you to be healthy and happy. If you have additional needs or concerns, please notify your Tour Guide, Toni Bell via text at 614.595.0707.

Most venues accept cash and credit card. Few, if any venues accept check. Please bring payment to cover your lunch and dinner for each night.

Since lunch and dinner are not included in the cost of the tour, you will need to cover the cost of lunch and dinner. There are gift shops at every venue we visit. If you would like to purchase souvenirs, t-shirts, etc. to commemorate your visits, please budget accordingly.

It is appropriate for us to tip the bus driver at the end of the trip. The customary amount is $15.00 per person per day. We would greatly appreciate you providing a cash tip per person for the driver at the end of the tour. Our coach driver is wonderful and highly requested. He is a donor to The Heritage Tours and makes it a point to be our driver whenever we travel.

As we travel, relevant movies will be provided. Our docents aboard the bus will provide tips of history and information to prepare you for the upcoming stops along the way. We often engage in reflection throughout the tour. Some of this conversation will occur on the bus. You may consider bringing noise cancelling headphones if you need silent time; or earbuds for listening to cell phone music.

The Tour has requested a bus from Cardinal Transportation that will be equipped with Wi-Fi. Our experience is that the bus Wi-Fi can handle 3-5 connections. For this reason, we encourage you to depend upon your own Wi-Fi connections via cell phone or another source. There are also a few power outlets on the bus.

Storage on the bus is similar to an airplane. You will have a small amount of space under your seat and in an overhead. There is enough room for each person to spread out. So, if you tend to travel with multiple carry-on items such as pillow, blanket, computer, and kitchen sink, we should be able to make room. Of course, suitcases are stored beneath the bus.

We will be staying at the Marriott Courtyard Dunn Loring Fairfax, 2722 Gallows Road Vienna, Virginia, USA, 22180. There is a beautiful complex nearby called the Mosaic District that has approximately 29 retail stores, 37 dining outlets, and a cinema. It’s a short 3-minute drive / 11-minute walk from the hotel. You will have time on Thursday afternoon and evening and a little time on Friday afternoon to enjoy the Mosaic District on your own.