SUNDAY, MAY 6

Tour #1 - Wild Washington!

Today you'll go on safari through Washington and discover a trove of hidden treasures: animals carved in stone and cast in bronze and found in surprising places. Our licensed guides will lead your expedition among the animals, who pop up all over town. You'll stop at the intriguing Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art where a giant hare sits and thinks deep thoughts and a huge spider looms. You'll trek through time at the National Museum of Natural History and encounter jumbo elephants and pre-historic dinosaurs! You'll end your urban expedition at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, where animal sculptures are plentiful, and you will have to view the Zoo's most popular residents, the giant panda family, who has all of Washington "ooh-ing" and "aah-ing."

Opening Reception and "State Dinner"

MONDAY, MAY 7

Spouse Breakfast and 'Best of Washington' Tour (Lunch Included)

Join registered spouses and guests for a hearty breakfast to start your morning off. No formal program is planned so you will have time to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and plan your weeks events! Be sure you wear your comfortable shoes, after breakfast the group will depart for the 'Best of Washington' Tour! After breakfast you'll board our deluxe motor coach to see the very best of the capital's monuments, memorials and world famous landmarks, including the newest monument, the World War II Memorial. You'll stop at the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the inspiring Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. You'll also see: the Washington Monument, the White House, the U.S. Capitol Building, the inaugural parade route, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Lunch will be at a casual restaurant near Union Station. Be sure to bring your camera for many photo opportunities on our stops! RSVPs required for seating.

Tour #2 - Homes of the President's Tour

Prefer to spend the morning at your leisure? We've got an afternoon event planned just for you! Away from the monuments and crowds, you'll see the modest homes and grand mansions in Washington's tree-lined neighborhoods where 20th-century presidents lived before and after the White House. As seen on C-SPAN, Washington's acclaimed specialist tour guide and author, Anthony Pitch, will show you the first home bought by Senator Richard Nixon, the one-room apartment rented by newlyweds Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, and the fashionable building where John F. Kennedy lived during World War II. See where Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower lived frugally, where a budget-conscious Harry Truman rented, and where young Franklin Roosevelt escaped a terrorist explosion. Drive by plush homes and diplomatic residences, once home to Herbert Hoover, Warren Harding, Woodrow Wilson, and William Howard Taft.

Dinner Cruise on the Potomac

TUESDAY, MAY 8

Spouse Breakfast and Program

Tour #3 - Old Town Shopping and Tour (Lunch included)

Today you will see two very different sides of vibrant Virginia. Start the day at beautiful, historic Mount Vernon, the beloved home of George and Martha Washington, from the time of their marriage in 1759 until General Washington's death in 1799. You will tour the Mansion house and see more than a dozen outbuildings including the slave quarters, kitchen, stables, and greenhouse. The Mansion house, which features original furnishings and items owned by the Washington family, is depicted just as it had been in 1799. Among the fascinating items in Mount Vernon's collection is the key to the Bastille, presented to Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette. Lunch is in exciting Old Town Alexandria at historic Gadsby's Tavern, a Virginia landmark that dates to the 1770s. After lunch, you'll fast-forward through the centuries to the Torpedo Factory. A renovated World War I torpedo plant on the docks of the Potomac is today a treasure trove of galleries and artists' studios, including the studio of Margaret Huddy, who painted the state flower collection on display at Credit Union House. Visitors can drop in, watch artists at work and purchase their one-of-a-kind creations. You might also wander the quaint streets of Old Town, which are lined with interesting shops and charming boutiques.

1:00 pm - 4:30 pm (Bus Departs at 1pm)
Cost $60, Limited to 10 people due to Cathedral restrictions and capacities.

Enjoy this leisurely afternoon experience. Today you'll tour Washington's National Cathedral, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the United States. Your docent will show you the Cathedral's intricate carvings, more than 200 breathtaking stained glass windows and even delicate and colorful needlework. The Cathedral, sometimes called a "symphony in stone," has been the location of many significant events, including the funeral services of Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. The pulpit was the last one from which Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke. You'll top off your tour with an ascent to the Pilgrim Observation Gallery, where you can relax over tea and refreshments and glimpse the city from its highest point

Engineering Excellence Awards Gala

This black-tie event brings together business leaders, members of Congress, Cabinet members and the media to celebrate outstanding engineering achievements by ACEC member firms during the past year. Celebrity host, Ross Shafer will serve as the event's Master of Ceremonies. See the EEA Activities page for more details.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9

PAC Sweepstakes Breakfast

Tour #5 - Women in the Arts Tour

Complete your Washington trip in style by visiting The National Museum of Women in the Arts-the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to recognizing contributions of women artists. We'll be taking a private tour of their ground breaking exhibit Italian Women Artists from Renaissance to Baroque, in celebration of the museum's 20th Anniversary. This exhibition brings together paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture by prominent women painters and presents them within a historical context. You'll also get to view some of the other permanent collections, composed of over 3,000 works and the tour wouldn't be complete without a stop in the museum's shop! Visit http://www.nmwa.org/museumShop/ to take a sneak peak at these wonderful items to remember your trip. The group will depart from the Grand Hyatt lobby immediately following the PAC breakfast.