Cultural Excursions

 Welcome to LLI/NOVA’s Cultural Excursions Program!

West Virginia Train Trip, October 2016
West Virginia Train Trip, October 2016

The mission of the Cultural Excursions Program is to promote and provide access to the educational, cultural, and leisure offerings of this area and the nearby states. Volunteers who plan and often lead these activities strive to provide stimulating, shared experiences for LLI/NOVA members, and their friends and family, at a reasonable cost.

Offerings will include informal Meet-Ups where each participant provides his/her own transportation to and from a location or event that may occupy all or part of a day.  In addition, trips will be offered to locations in the region or to nearby states.  The duration of these trips varies from one to several days and usually includes transportation and overnight lodging.  Most trips are organized and managed by the LLI/NOVA Cultural Excursions Committee. These trips, in addition to longer duration trips provided by commercial tour operators, are contingent upon meeting minimum participation requirements and are thereby subject to cancellation.

Trips will be announced on this page, in the Events calendar, on the Home page, and in the LLI/NOVA Newsletter.  Most activities are open to members and friends and family, but often only an LLI/NOVA member can register someone for a trip.  If an LLI/NOVA member wants to bring a non-LLI/NOVA member, then the LLI/NOVA member may have to fill out the registration both for the member and the non-member.

Each activity has specific registration procedures.  These procedures are included in the activity description and may vary from event to event.  Registration procedures for some trips will require you to fill out and submit an LLI Trip Registration form in order to participate.  A generic version of the form can be found here.  However, frequently a form is tailored for each trip.  See the specific trip announcements below.

Announcements

The Cultural Excursions Program is picking up where the Trips Program left off when the pandemic began in 2020.  We will be bringing LLI/NOVA members, and non-member guests, the opportunity to join us in a wide range of top-quality events, trips, and performances over the coming months, often at discounted group prices.

Upcoming Excursions

  • Monday, July 15 – Tour National Inventors Hall of Fame – Alexandria, VA
    • Experience the past, present, and future of American ingenuity as you are introduced to more than 600 world-changing inductees and are immersed in stories of passion, perseverance, and progress. The guided tour will last approximately 30 minutes.
    • Following the tour, lunch (credit cards only) may be purchased at the Patent and Trademark Office cafeteria.
    • This event will take place at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 600 Dulany St., Alexandria. The building is fully accessible, and there are benches throughout the museum.
    • Registration: This event is open to members and guests. Please register on the LLI website so that we know how many members will be attending.
    • Transportation: This is a meet-up at the museum. Consider carpooling.
      • Public – The USPTO is a short walk from both the King St. Metro station (yellow and blue lines) and the Eisenhower Ave. Metro station (yellow line).
      • Parking – There is parking in the East Garage at 551 John Carlyle St. ($3 per hour; daily maximum of $10).
    • Date/Time: Monday, July 15, 2024 – 11:00 a.m.
    • Location: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA.
    • Limit: Min – 6; Max – 30
    • LLI Coordinator: Ellen Wallace – 703-960-2324 or ephelan80@hotmail.com
  • Friday, July 26 – Opportunity to Witness Open-Heart Surgery at Inova Fairfax
    • The Dome Experience at Inova Schar Heart & Vascular Institute is a unique educational offering that invites community members to witness open-heart surgeries firsthand.
    • For most of us, the cardiac operating room of a hospital is a foreign world.  We are not familiar with the specialized technology, the highly developed skills, and the intricate procedures.  We know very little about how a surgical team repairs a heart damaged by years of smoking, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise. To help counter this, Inova opened the Observation Dome, a special observation deck built above one of the operating rooms in Inova Fairfax Hospital.
    • Registration: This event is open to members and guests. Please register on the LLI website by July 24 so that we know how many will be attending. Click HERE to register.
    • Transportation: This is a meet-up at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Parking – There is pay parking in the Grey Garage, see location below.
    • Date/Time: Friday, July 26, 2024 – 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    • Location: Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, 3300 Gallows Rd., Falls Church
      • The Dome is located inside the Inova Schar Heart & Vascular Institute (ISHVI) building on Inova Fairfax Medical Campus.  Enter the campus from Gallows Road or Woodburn Road and follow signs to the Grey Garage.
      • Enter the hospital from the ground floor.  All participants must have a visitor sticker on (tell the security personnel you are there to attend the Dome Experience).  An Inova chaperone will meet us in the ISHVI Atrium at 7:30 a.m.  No accommodations are available for late arrivals.
    • Limit: Min – 5; Max – 18
    • LLI Coordinator: Loren Brandman
    • Additional Details:
      • The group will be escorted to the Dome conference room where we will sign HIPPA forms.
      • Eat breakfast before arriving!  There is absolutely NO eating/drinking in the observation room.  Individuals can keep a snack/water bottle in the conference room and are free to go between the two rooms during their stay.
      • All personal items (phones, purses, bags, etc.) must be left in the conference room.
      • Photos/Videos are not allowed in the observation room. We also ask that participants refrain from posting on social media about watching a heart surgery.
      • The Dome Day Experience is from 7:30am-12:30pm. There are times where the procedure is completed before this end time, and there are also times that the procedure is longer than this time, but the hard stop for the Dome Experience is 12:30pm. Participants are free to leave prior to 12:30 if desired.
      • Note: We currently do not have a community educator to walk the groups through the procedures. We do our best to have a staff member out of a room in order to facilitate in the Dome, but we cannot guarantee this as our department needs change daily. Your group will be given some handouts with information about the CVOR staff roles and procedure overview.
      • If Fairfax County Public Schools are closed or delayed for any reason, the Dome program is cancelled.
  • Thursday, August 13 – Afternoon Tea at Mazadar Restaurant – Fairfax, VA
    • You are invited to register for Afternoon Tea at the Mazadar Restaurant in Fairfax. It will be held on Thursday, August 15, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.  The address is 11725 Lee Highway, Fairfax, in the Lee Plaza shopping center.  The cost is $57 per person, which includes 6% tax and 20% gratuity.
    • This is not your typical “Afternoon Tea,” as we will enjoy a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean tea that will include sandwiches, wraps, fruit, vegetables, cheese, nuts, dips, and sweets.  And tea, of course.  Restaurant web site, click HERE.  
    • While the cost is a bit higher than some, please keep in mind this can be both lunch and dinner that day.  There is free and convenient parking and no steps.
    • Cost – Members & non-member Guests – The cost is $57 per person, payable to Bonnie Hopler by check or cash, by August 8. Cancelations will be accepted until August 8 with a refund of payment.  If you cancel on or after August 8, your payment will not be refunded.
    • Registration: This event is open to members and guests. Please register on the LLI event calendar. Your payment by check or cash to Bonnie Hopler by August 8, however, will be your guaranteed reservation.
    • Transportation: This is a meet-up at the restaurant. Plenty of free parking.
    • Date/Time: Thursday, August 15, 2024 – 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
    • Location: Mazadar Restaurant (Lee Plaza Shopping Center), 11725 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030
    • Limit: Min – 10; Max – 40
    • LLI Coordinator: Bonnie Hopler – bdhopler@gmail.com or 703-978-9381.  
  • Monday, August 19 – American Cryptologic History Tour – Annapolis Junction, MD
    • The Cryptologic Museum provides entertaining, fact-filled tours of the museum presented by current and former National Security Agency (NSA) personal. The American Cryptologic History Tour presents the role, people, and machines of America’s cryptologic history through unique artifacts and stories. The tour lasts from 60 to 90 minutes.
    • The event will take place at the Cryptologic Museum, 8290 Colony Seven Road, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. The building is fully accessible and there are benches throughout the museum.
    • We will meet at the museum at 10:30 am
    • Registration: This event is open to members and guests. Please register on the LLI website so that we know how many members will be attending. Members may also register member spouses. Guests/non-members can register for themselves and one companion. Members can register for up to two guests.
    • Transportation: Independent/carpool. This is a meet up at the museum.
    • Date/Time: Monday, August 19 – 10:30 a.m. to Noon
    • Location: Cryptologic Museum, 8290 Colony Seven Road, Annapolis Junction, MD, 20701 (Near the intersection of MD 295 & MD 32)
    • Limit: Min – 6; Max – 30
    • LLI Coordinator: Ellen Wallace – 703-785-3824 (cell) or ephelan80@hotmail.com.
  • Friday, September 20 – Explore the O St Mansion Museum & More – Washington, DC
    • O Street Mansion is a hands-on, immersive museum/hotel/showpiece with a focus on history and music legends. Discover the reason the Smithsonian rated it in the “Top 5 places to explore – in the world!” and Bookings.com listed it as “The coolest place in DC!” Embark on an exciting self-guided adventure through secret doors and hidden passages. No maps or hints — just your sleuthing skills!
    • Each visit promises access to at least 60 legendary rooms and 32 concealed passages. Which rooms and which secret doors change daily. It’s your challenge to find and conquer! Learn more about this unique site at omuseum.org.
    • Most everything from the fashions to marvelous hats (one of Audrey Hepburn’s hat from My Fair Lady), books, records, anything you can think of, is for sale. Option to join members for lunch in Dupont Circle.
    • Registration and Payment:
      • Registration – This event is open to members and guests. Participants must go to the O Street Museum website shown above and purchase a ticket to the Secret Door Tour for September 20 at 10:30 a.m. for $30. Please also register on the LLI website so that we know how many members will be attending.
      • Payment – The tour fee is $30. Tickets may also be purchased on site on the day of the tour.
    • Transportation: This is a meet-up at the O Street Mansion
      • Public – Conveniently located less than a block from embassy row and the Dupont Circle Metro Red Line – South Exit – we recommend you go green and use public transportation when you visit.
      • Parking – On-street parking near The Mansion is limited. We recommend booking convenient and affordable parking in advance through the parking reservation app, SpotHero.
    • Date/Time: Friday, September 20, 2024 – 10:30 a.m. to Noon
    • Location: O Street Mansion, 2020 O St. NW Washington DC 20026 (202-496-2070)
    • ADA Compliant: Site is equipped with elevators and ramps for wheelchairs and strollers.
    • Limit: Min – 3; Max – 25
    • LLI Coordinator: Suzanne Holland

General Information

More details on each of the above excursions will be provided over the coming weeks and will be included here and in the class and event calendar.  Information will also often be published in the Class Catalog and the Newsletter.

  • Most reservations will be made using the LLI/NOVA class and event registration calendar for members and for non-members/guests when they are included on the excursion.
  • Payment will be accepted online by credit card only.
  • The ticket price will often not include transportation, parking, or food/snacks/drinks (i.e., meet ups).  We will encourage and facilitate carpooling or ridesharing.
  • Cancellation policies and refunds will vary from excursion to excursion and will be explicitly stated for each excursion.  LLI/NOVA will often need to meet minimum group ticket purchase requirements for each event.  If the minimum is not met prior to the registration cut-off for each event, we will have to cancel our participation in that performance.  Once event tickets have been purchased by LLI/NOVA from the venue, the tickets will be non-refundable.  

Tentative Schedule for 2024

  • August: National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico
  • September: Library of Congress and Supreme Court, D.C.
  • October: Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, D.C.
  • November: Planet Word, D.C.
  • TBD: National Museum of Women in the Arts, D.C.

No Current Overnight Trips

Current Day Trips – See list above

 Past Trips

Overnight Trips

  • Spring Trip to Staunton, VA – Two days/1 night.  A visit to one of the 20 Best Small Towns in America.  Stops included Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, a stay at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, a play at the famous American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriar’s Playhouse, and English High Tea at the thatched cottage of Anne Hathaway.
  • West Virginia Train Ride – Three days / two nights. Two exciting train rides: Durbin Rocket Train along Greenbrier River and Cheat Mountain Salamander Train, motor coach transportation and two shows at American Mountain Theater.
  • Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous – Four days / three nights touring the Hamptons and Long Island.
  • Hudson Valley – Four days / three nights. Tour Culinary Institute of America, FDR’s home, Val-Kill, Vanderbilt Mansion, West Point, Sunnyside.
  • Charleston, SC – Five days / four nights. Boat to Fort Sumter, tour of two plantations, city tour, tour of houses on King Street.
  • Norfolk, VA – Three days / two nights. Tour of Naval Station, boat ride, Nauticus Lights at Gardens, Chrysler Museum, and two historic houses.
  • Battles, Belles, Heroes & Rogues (Richmond, VA) – Two days / one night. Pamplin Historic Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, St. John’s Church and the White House of Confederacy.
  • Princeton and Trenton, NJ – Three days / two nights. Tour Princeton campus and town, the Governor’s Mansion, Princeton Battle Ground, the Sculpture Garden in Trenton and the NJ Capitol Building.
  • Brandywine Valley, DE – Three days / two nights. Including holiday illuminations at Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, Hagley Museum, Brandywine Battlefield and Brandywine River Museum.

Day Trips

  • Tour Ivy Hill Cemetery, Alexandria, VA – April 19, 2024
  • Spring Wildflower Walk at the Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area – April 6, 2024
  • 61st Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show, Alexandria, VA – March 13, 2024
  • Frederick Douglass Home & Portrait Gallery – Anacostia, DC – February 20, 2024
  • Hike along the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal – October 14, 2023
  • Ben Lomond Historic Site – Prince William County, VA – October 12, 2023
  • Afternoon Tea at Cafe Renaissance – Vienna, VA – September 28, 2023
  • Hike and Wine Tasting in Fauquier County – September 27, 2023. We did a naturalist (Mary Alexander) led hike at Sky Meadows State Park followed by a visit to nearby Delaplane Cellars, for wine tasting and lunch.
  • National Museum of the Marine Corps – Triangle, VA – August 24, 2023
  • Afternoon Tea at Mazadar Renaissance – August 16, 2023
  • Gari Melchers Home & Studio, Falmouth, VA – June 29, 2023
  • Tudor Place and Dumbarton Oaks – May 31, 2023
  • Afternoon Tea at Cafe Renaissance – April 29, 2023
  • Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Tour – April 19, 2023
  • Hillwood Museum Tour – December 13, 2022
  • George Washington Masonic Memorial Tour – October 7, 2022
  • Afternoon Tea with Mrs. B – September 15, 2022
  • US Army Museum. On August 30, 2022, we visited the National Museum of the US Army, near Fort Belvoir, to walk-through history from the founding of our nation’s militia through major wars and battles, to today’s Army.
  • Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. On July 15, 2022, we visited Kenilworth National Park, and had a ranger-led tour of the gardens. We learned the park’s history, about the wildlife found along the Anacostia River, and the flowers blooming.
  • Cruise on the Potomac & Occoquan – We had a delightful day cruising the rivers on the “Miss Rivershore” with Captain Mark Perry.  Capt. Perry was a wealth of information from current news to old historical stories.
  • Spy Tour of Washington – Led by Gary Powers, Jr., the tour visited locations in the Washington area that have been the scenes of international intrigue, espionage, and intelligence activities, and The Cold War Museum in Vint Hill, Virginia. 
  • Fredericksburg Garden Week Tour, including visits to six homes/gardens and lunch at a local restaurant.
  • National Gallery of Art “meet up” to see “Glimpses of the 17th Century” and a special exhibit on “Power and Pathos.”
  • Tour of the Evergreen Museum and Library in Baltimore and the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion for a buffet lunch and a tour of the home.
  • Tours of Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, homes in Southwestern PA designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and lunch at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
  • Library of Congress “meet up” which included a behind the scenes tour of the Geography and Map Division.
  • Annual LLI/NOVA trip to a Washington Nationals baseball game.
  • Tour of the Brandywine River Valley Museum and the studio of artist Andrew Wyeth in Chadds Ford, PA, followed by a Longwood Gardens tour and lunch at the Gardens.
  • State Department Diplomatic Reception Rooms meet up tour.

Volunteers Are Needed

Putting together a winning trip depends on having a willing band of volunteers to plan trips, research sites and facilities, and potentially, become a Trip Assistant or Trip Leader. We’ve generally worked in teams, with more experienced members working with new members and providing support throughout the trip planning process. Remember, “more experienced trip planners” were once new too!

If you’re an LLI/NOVA member and believe you would enjoy working with others to plan and/or lead trips to fascinating and stimulating destinations, please email the LLI/NOVA Cultural Excursions Committee Chairperson, Carol Fagnani. Don’t forget to include your full name, any special qualifications and your contact information (telephone number and/or email address).

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