Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance
Keepers of the Story, Stewards of the Trail SM
Annual Gatherings
Charlottesville, Virginia
56th Annual Gathering
September 22–25, 2024
with optional Pre- and Post-Events
Registration | Venue and Lodging | Schedule | Big Meadows Pre-trip
Registration
- Member (Early Bird): $475
- Member (on or after Aug. 16): $525
- Non-member (includes new membership): $525
- Single days: $175 per day
- Hurry, we are nearly at our limit of 160 attendees!
Venue and Lodging
- Marriott Courtyard, Charlottesville (Virginia)
- $179–$189 USD per night
- Last day for group rate: Friday, August 30, 2024
You may also call the hotel directly at (434) 973-7100 or Marriott Reservations at 1 (888) 236-2427.
Big Meadows Hike, Lunch, and Winery Visit
- Optional pre-meeting trip: Sunday, September 22
- $195
- Limited to 35 people with a minimum of 25
Includes a hike led by Alexandria Searls, Dr. Emily Kate Avakian, and Shannon Kelly comparing Western plants with Eastern plants. Includes lunch provided by Big Meadows Wayside. End the day at the Horton Winery in Orange County. For more information, tour guide bios, and complete schedule, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/big-meadows-hike-lunch-and-winery-visit-tickets-914551727837?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.
Jefferson's Monticello
© Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. Used by permission.
Calling all Lewis and Clark explorers, history buffs, adventurers, and fun lovers to where it all began in 1803! The Foundation's 56th Annual Meeting in Charlottesville, VA, begins on Sunday, September 22, 2024, with registration in the afternoon. The official welcoming reception with hors d’oeuvres, music, and get-acquainted time is scheduled for that evening. September 23 starts with our exploration of the birthplace of William Clark and York in Caroline County, a visit to Kenmore, the Lewis family's ancestral home in Fredericksburg, and then a tour of Montpelier, home of James Madison. We will have a Southern BBQ before returning to the hotel.
After the general session meeting on September 24, we will visit Monticello, home of President Jefferson, and enjoy the Seventh Moulton Lecture before ending the day with a colonial dinner complete with spirits at the 1700s Michie Tavern. September 25 features a visit to the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center, the only Lewis and Clark center in the East, where we will explore Keck's statue of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea and participate in a scholarly discussion about York. We will then proceed on to Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall, York Place, the Lewis Family Graveyard, and other historic Lewis properties. Dinner will conclude the meeting with the results of the silent auction and an invitation to the LCTHF’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Mo.
The LCTHF Board of Directors meeting will be held from 9 AM – Noon on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Schedule
Schedule*
Saturday, Sept. 21
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM LCTHF Board Meeting
- 11:30 AM Locust Hill Graveyard Foundation annual picnic, meeting, and tour. Cost $18. Also includes "Lucy Marks, Herbalist"
Sunday, Sept. 22
- 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM Optional Pre-trip: Big Meadows Hike and Winery Visit
- 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM Registration and hotel check in
- 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM New members meeting
- 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Welcome reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres
Monday Sept. 23
- 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast at hotel
- 9:15 AM Caroline County tour including the Clark Homestead and historic Lewis sites
- 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch at the Colonial Tavern in Fredericksburg
- 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM Kenmore, the Lewis family home, tour
- 3:45 PM Montpelier tour
- 5:15 PM Board buses for dinner in Orange
- 8:00 PM Arrive back at the hotel
Tuesday, Sept. 24
- 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM Breakfast and business meeting
- 9:45 AM Board buses for Monticello
- 12:15 PM Leave for Ashlawn
- 3:30 PM Tour of Highlands, home of James Monroe
- 5:00 PM Board buses for Vineyard
- 5:30 PM Wine tasting at Vineyard
- 6:30 PM Dinner at Michie Tavern
- 8:00 PM Return to hotel
- 9:00 PM Region/Chapter meetings
Wednesday, Sept. 25
- 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Wellness hike on Monticello trail
- 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel
- 9:15 AM Charlottesville historic sites tour including "The Farm" owned by the Lewis Family, the courthouse where Jefferson, Madison and Monroe practiced law, and a stop at York Place with a presentation on York.
- 11:30 AM Leave for tour of the Rotunda, UVA grounds, Locust Hill Cemetery with a short presentation on those interred there.
- 1:00 PM Leave for the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center with picnic lunch, tour, and presentation by Shannon Kelly on Sacagawea, and more.
- 4:00 PM Return to hotel
- 6:00 PM Dinner, silent auction, and welcome to Kansas City
*Subject to changes
Kansas City, Missouri 2025
- 57th Annual Gathering
- September 14–17, 2025