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SUMMER TRAIN TO SWANNANOA
July 16, 2022
Join us on Saturday, July 16, 2022, as we travel by train from Roanoke to Charlottesville, VA. Our chartered bus will pick us up at the various locations and take us to the Amtrak boarding platform in Roanoke. We ride the train from Roanoke to Charlottesville. The bus picks up at the Amtrak station in Charlottesville to take us to our lunch and tour of Swannanoa on Afton Mountain. After our time in Afton and the Shenandoah Valley, the bus brings you back to Roanoke.
Swannanoa is a 1912 Italianate marble villa that sits high atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in Afton, VA. Major James Dooley, an executive with the C&O Railroad, built this 52-room marble palace as a token of love for his wife. More than 300 artisans were hired to create the palace as a replica of the Villa de Medici in Rome. You will see things such as the 4,000 piece Tiffany stained-glass window and a domed ceiling. Mr. Dooley also owned the Maymont Estate in Richmond. You will be served a boxed lunch on the grounds of Swannanoa.
The Cladius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel was constructed between 1850-1858. It is a historic railroad tunnel that is now part of a recreational trail system.
As we begin our journey home, we will make other stops of interest as time allows.
PRICE PER PERSON: $129. Full amount is due when reservation is made.
PRICE INCLUDES: Amtrak train ticket from Roanoke to Charlottesville, motor coach transfers in Roanoke, motor coach transportation from Charlottesville to Swannanoa and other sites, a tour of the interior and the grounds of Swannanoa, a boxed lunch at Swannanoa, a visit to the Cladius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel, and a tour host.
DEPARTURE TIMES AND LOCATIONS: The bus will depart at 7:00 a.m. from the Food Lion, exit 137, Salem; at 7:25 a.m. from the Bonsack Walmart, Hwy 460, Roanoke; and at 7:50 a.m. from the Clearbrook Walmart, Hwy 220, Roanoke, VA. The bus will take you to the Amtrak boarding platform in downtown Roanoke. Return time is around 8:00 p.m. or earlier.
CANCELLATION POLICY: The trip is based on a minimum amount of paid participants by June 1, 2022. If we cancel the trip, a full refund will be given. If you cancel before June 1, a refund less $39 will be given. After June 1, there will be no refunds.
RESERVATIONS: Send the completed registration form below along with a check for $129 per person made payable to Roanoke Tours, Inc. to: Roanoke Tours, Inc., 3531 Peters Creek Road, # 507, Roanoke, VA 24019. For further information, call (540) 366-2888.