This log was modified with the new day above the previous day. To get a true
sense of the entire trip start with the bottom entry then work your way up
the page.
Friday June 12, 2009
Its hard to believe that this is our last day. We have seen so much but there
is still so much yet to experience. It is so hard to choose what to include
and how long to spend at each location so we can make the most of our time.
This morning was a busy one since we had to pack our bags, eat breakfast,
double check to make sure we got everything out of our rooms, as well as load
all of our luggage on the bus. Once again John and Tony avoided the traffic
and got us to Anne and Karen to start our day. Fist up is a new stop for our
group, the Newseum. This is a museum dedicated to the News on radio,
television, film, newspaper and magazines. Since we had never been here
before I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In fact, I wasn't sure if the kids
would find it interesting. Boy, was I wrong. We easily could have spent an
entire day in this museum! We start off with awhat they called a 4-D movie.
It was an excellent 3-D film in a theatre where the seats moved and shook,
the items coming at you from the screen wizzed past you with bursts of air
and sprinkles of water. It was quite amazing. From there we took an elevator
up to the sixth floor, fifty of us at once in one glass enclosed car. The
view from the 6th floor balcony of the Capitol was breathtaking. Inside, they
had one wall with the front page of almost every major newspaper from around
the world as well as one from every state....They were all TODAYS paper!
Pretty darn cool. From this floor we worked our way down past exhibits such
as the top section of the World Trade Center Towers, news footage of the
landing on the moon, the shootings of John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald,
oh...the list goes on and on. Virtually every major news event of the past
two hundred plus years had some type of coverage in this museum. As I
mentioned above one could easily spend an entire day in this museum and still
not come close to seeing everything.
Unfortunately we had to leave this museum earlier than we would have liked
because its time for one of the highlights of our trip, the changing of the
guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns and a wreath laying at Arlington National
Cemetary. Luckily it was not too hot today but it was definitely very humid
so the walk up the hill wasn't too bad. We stopped along the way to learned
about a number of honored Americans who are buried here including President
William Howard Taft, boxer Joe Louis, and the most highly decorated American
soldier ever Audie L. Murphy. We also visited the memorials to the astronauts
who lost their lives in the attempts to journey in space as well as the final
resting spaces for the Kennedys. Finally, we had the honor to be a part of
the changing of the guard. What a sight to behold. Our four students really
made Kenilworth proud as the assisted with placing a wreath in front of the
tomb. Many a tear was shed as Taps was played to complete the ceremony.
We had such much packed into the day that John and Tony went and picked up
box lunches for us to eat on the drive. A simple but tasty sandwich, chips,
pasta salad, and cookie to enjoy during the drive to our next new stop, the
Marine Corp Museum. It is a very good thing we ate as we drove because for
really the first time all week we got stuck in heavy, heavy traffic. As a
result our visit to the museum had to be cut short but we did make the most
of the time we had. This muesum traces the history of the Marines by having
the guests walk their way through a series of scenes depicting the various
aspects of Marine life as well as the events and battles where they were
involved. In one section we entered a simulated troop transport ship then
transferred to a landing craft before finally setting foot on Iwo Jima. In
another we found ourselves exiting a helicoptor into a battle in the rice
patties of Vietnam. This was a great new addition to our trip.
Back on the buses, its time for us to split up. Both buses are headed towards
Dulles Airport. One group is headed straight for the flight home while the
other has time for one more museum, the extension of the Air and Space Museum
at Dulles called the Udvar-Hazy Museum. This museum is basically a huge
aircraft hanger filled with various aircraft. Some of the highlights include
the Enola Gay (the plane that dropped the Atomic Bombs on Japan), a
supersonic Concorde, the first mock up of the Space Shuttle, a 707-, two SR-
71's, including one where you can climb into the cockpit, and the original
model of that great big round space ship from the movie Star Wars. Lots to
see here.
For the flights home both groups are on Virgin America this time. What a
great airline. As many of you know, I worked for PSA (Pacific Southwest
Airlines) and USAirways (After they bought PSA) for almost ten years before
becoming a teacher. I have flown more flights than I care to count and I have
to say, the two flights we had on Virgin had the best in-cabin service of any
flight I have had since the early days of my time at PSA. The flight crews
were wonderful and the kids loved the in-seat entertainment, including text
message capabilites from seat to seat.
Back in San Francisco, its time for one last bus ride and a group of
extremely tired but happy travelers. I hope everyone had as good of time as I
did. We did and saw a lot but to be honest we barely scratched the surface. I
hope I have instilled enough interest that your student will want to return
again...and maybe next time bring you along as well. I promise you will find
a journey to our nations capitol one of the most inspiring events you will
experience in your life. Thanks again for sending your child!!!!!
Thursday June 11, 2009
An early start today with a 5:15am wakeup call turned out to be a fantastic
idea. We ended up being first to tour through George Washington's home at
Mount Vernon. When we exited the house the line was a good 200 yards long (I
heard later that they expected 60 busloads of school groups this morning.)
The tour was great. The docents on this tour really know their stuff and
there is a different docent for each section of the house as you walk
through. Being first through the house aslo meant there was nobody else in
the way when we toured the museum or watched the films in the visitors
center. The kids really got a kick out of the theater that was an
interactive event with snow falling inside the theater. It was great to have
the place pretty much to ourselves for at least the first half of our visit.
It was also great to see our buses parked near the front of the 60 bus long
line awaiting to pick students up.
On to lunch at Fuddruckers. Once again, the service was fantastic as was the
food. Fabulous burgers with great buns cooked right on the premises. Since
we were done early at Mount Vernon we were also early for lunch which worked
out great since we were joined by another busload shortly after we had sat
down. If you would like to check out Fuddruckers for yourself, there is a
Fuddruckers in Emeryville near IKEA.
After lunch we posed for pictures next to the U.S. Grant statue in back of
the Capitol building. Unfortunately is was a bright overcast so you will
probably see a bunch of us squinting in the pictures. After we finished
posing we hiked up the hill to the new visitors center in the Capitol. LOTS
has changed at the Capitol, especially concerning the tours. There is a new
theater where the show a wonderful show about our government. Then we had
two personal guides to lead us through the building. It was pretty neat that
we got to see the new statue of Ronald Reagan which was just placed in the
rotunda about 10 days ago.
........................ Sorry, but I keep nodding off....its 12:30am with a
5:30am wake up......I'll finish this up on Saturday when I get up back
home...........Thanks for your understanding.
PART TWO - Thursday June 11, 2009
Sorry about last night but I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.
Losing that first night's sleep caught up with me. Anyway, here is the rest
of Thursday's re-cap...
The Capitol continued...
We didn't have the opportutnity to sit in the gallery and observe the
representatives in action but we did have a pretty complete tour of the rest
of the building. Did you know they had saved a spot in the center of the
floor below the rotunda to bury George Washington but the General preferred
to be laid to rest at his home in Mount Vernon?
When the tour was completed we started the walk around the Capitol to where
the buses are allowed to pick us up. As we approached the side driveway to
the Capitol police suddenly appeared from everywhere. Everyone on the
sidewalks was told to turn around and go the other way. After the events of
yesterday everone was a bit edgy. I asked the officer blocking the street if
there was something going on that was going to cause a lot of parent phone
calls and found out that a truck attempting to enter the Capitol grounds had
triggered the sensors that monitor for explosives. He didn't come out and say
it but I got the impression that this was not all that unusual but they were
being cautious. So we walked a few blocks from the Capitol to Union Station
where the bus picked us up.
Next it was on to the National Archives. You may remember this site from the
movie National Treasure (although the movie was NOT filmed here.) In this
building we were able to see originals of the Magna Carta, Declaration of
Independence, Constitution, Emancipation Proclamation, and George Bush's
Report Card among other items. From here it was off to three memorials before
dinner, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the George Mason, and the Thomas
Jefferson. These three memorials are so different. The FDR is a series of
outdoor "rooms" that trace the various events that occurred during his
presidency. Some of the kids stood in a breadline, pretended to listen to the
Fireside Chats and saw the jumbled landscape during World War II. From the
FDR we walked to the George Mason (extra credit if you know why he was
important - look him up, he did some pretty cool stuff.) This a kind of a
laid back memorial. A statue of Mr.Mason relaxing on a bench in front of a
fountain. Very refreshing.
Next it was on to Jefferson. Considered by many to be one of
our best presidents he also has one of the most impressive memorials. A large
domed building with a huge statue of the man overlooking a reflecting pool
and the White House beyond.
Dinner tonight was at the Pentagon City Mall, a big four story high shopping
mall with a large food court on the bottom floor. The kids had time to eat,
shop, relax and enjoy each others company before our last stop of the
evening, one of the most impressive sights you will ever see...the Lincoln
Memorial after dark! What an amazing sight. Before heading up the steps we
took the time to recite Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
Anne and Karen passed out sections of the speech to 20 of our students who
took turns reliving that momentous event for us all. Once up the steps, Ms.
Miranda got a park ranger to give us a detailed explanation. What a great way
to end a long but fabulous day in D.C.
Wednesday June 10, 2009
Well, today was a different experience. It started off great. The kids were
up early, everyone was raring to go. We got out of the hotel early, hit
almost no traffic going to pick up Anne and Karen and it was off to the
Korean War Memorial. What an amazing group of sculptures. Designed to look
like a platoon of soldiers working their way across a rice paddy, the faces
of the sixteen soldiers each told its own story. The terrors of war etched
in the faces. Speaking of etchings, be sure to ask your student about the
etched wall that ran the length of the memorial.
From here it was across to the three Vietnam Memorials (The Wall, the Nurses
and the Soldiers). The Wall was quite an impressive sight in the early
morning with only one person in front of it before our group arrived. By the
time we completed the length of the Wall we were joined by a couple hundred
other travelers, all in awe of the number of soldiers who gave their lives
for our country. The students learned a lot today about the state of our
nation in the sixties, things such as the war, the protests, draft cards and
draft dodgers. I hope we stirred their interest to learn more.
From here we went across the street to the Einstein Statue where we had ALL
of the students climb in his lap for story time, er, I mean for a
photograph. Of course this meant we had to get all the adults in his lap for
a photo as well. Obviously he has a pretty big lap. Back on the bus we hit
some heavy traffic but we did have time to visit the Holocaust Museum before
our next appointment. I was very impressed with the caring attitude and the
attention to the details that our students displayed. They were so
respectful and showed great compassion. I was quite impressed with our
group. Mom's and Dad's, you are doing a great job!
Next is a quite jaunt over to Ford's Theater. We were worried about running
late but made it to the line in plenty of time. The Ford's Theater was being
remodeled last summer and boy did they ever do a great job. They tried to
keep a lot of the original decor but they upgraded the seating areas and
created a whole new entryway and gift shop. I just realized as I am typing
this that the museum which used to be in the basement below the theater is
no longer there and the exhibts were no where to be seen. I guess I'll have
to do a little research on that topic. The ranger did a great job of
describing the night Lincoln was shot. We then went across the street to
tour thorugh the Peterson House, the private residence across the street
from the theater where Lincoln spent his last hours.
The next stop was right up the street at our secret shopping destination,
Joe's International. Unfortunately, its not just our secret anymore.
Everybody and their brother was in this shop. The bargains were great though
so most of us did buy stuff however it seemed to take forever. Next stop,
lunch at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center. This is an office
building that is so big they have their own mall style food court on the
ground floor. Lots of good choices but this too was really crowded today. It
was as we were leaving lunch and walking to the American History Museum that
we heard about the shootings at the Holocaust Museum. Everyone was a bit
concerned that we had been so close to the event but we didn't have too many
details concerning the incident. I want to thank the mom who called everyone
(I believe it was Mrs. Nicholson...sorry I didn't hear to well with the
helicoptors circling overhead....Hmmm, I didn't hear to well at Williamsburg
during the thunder yesterday either. Maybe its just I don't hear to well
anymore.) I also walked my wife through the process of sending a Newsflash
because we knew everyone would be concerned at home. Let me assure you all
that we were never in any danger, just concerned was all.
The afternoon was spent touring the major Smithsonian Museums, including the
American History Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Air and Space
Museum and some of use even whent into the original Smithsonian Castle.
Everybody loved these museums for many different reasons. Some of the
highlights I heard kids mentioning the most were: an original flying Dumbo
for the Disney ride which opened in 1955, the original Kermit the Frog, the
flag which was flown over Fort McHenry and became the inspiration for the
national anthem, the Hope Diamond, the space toilets and the Wright Brothers
flyer. Quite a lot to see in an afternoon.
Next it was on to Phillips for dinner. A nice buffet with chicken, shrimp,
and trout. While we were at dinner the sky began to darken, and not because
it was getting late. Big storm clouds were moving through the area. We went
to Fort McNair, walked all the way out to the parade grounds, got seats and
all situaited, heard the announcement that the show was about to begin and
then a new announcement, due to the approcahing weather the show was
cancelled. What a bummer...but its too early to call it a day so we head off
to the Iwo Jima Memorial. I lost count of the number of adults who commented
about how big the statue was! Quite an impressive spot. From here we went
for ice cream and a bit more shopping. This time at the ESPN Zone, the Hard
Rock Cafe, and a couple of other shops......well, I keep nodding off....its
12:03am and wake up calls are at 5:15am...........yak at cha tomorrow.
Tuesday June 9, 2009
It is amazing how quickly everyone went to sleep last night. Not too many
taildraggers this morning but a number of complaints that "I didn't get a
wake up call." Seems I didn't explain a wake up call was just a ring with no
one talking to you and that it didn't have a snooze alarm. Oh well, we still
made it out of the hotel to arrive at Jamestown's Glassblowing as they were
opening the gates. It was a beautiful, although humid, morning along the
James River. The kids got a great demonstration of glass blowing. On the
short ride around the corner to the Recreation of the Jamestown settlement
we played a few more trivia games and gave out some fun prizes. (Be sure to
ask about the patriotic ducks and flamingos.)
At the settlement we split into three groups to tour the indian village, the
three replica ships (the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery) the
rebuit fort/settlement as well as the museum. This was quite a nice tour
that really illustrated just how difficult life was in Jamestown. They have
a number of people portraying the roles of the people who would actually
have lived in the village. A couple students even got to try their hand at
scrapping the fur off the deer skin and more than a few got quesy to learn
that the hides were tanned with the cooked brains of the animal (sort of the
consistency of a strawberry milk shake...are you grossed out yet?)
Next up was lunch at the school cafeteria of the College of William and
Mary. Actually we had a bit of a scre before lunch because when the buses
pulled up to the place the drivers had dropped kids before we found the
doors locked and restaurant (like a food court) was closed and dark. Turns
out we were just at the wrong location on campus and the lunch was on the
other side of the football field. Once we found the right place, the lunch
was quite good. Everyone who had been to college in our group commented that
the food wasn't this good where they went to college. It was also a good
experience for the kids to see the college campus. Overall it was a pretty
good lunch.
Next it was on to a tour of Colonial Willamsburg by daylight, a much
different experience that last nights ghost tour. This town is set up like
it is 1775 and we had not declared our independence yet. First stop was the
Capitol building, which was basically the courthouse. One of the parents was
put on trial for horse theivery. Alas, she was found guilty by a jury of her
peers (the kids) and she was sentenced to a branding on her hand. I think
she got off light. Last time I was put on trial for the same offense and I
was sent to the gallows to be hung. While we were in the trial, the weather
took a turn for the worse outside. Most of the rest of our day at
Williamsburg was in the rain. For the most part we were inside buildings
during the thunder and lightening but we definitely got wet. Nothing like
last year's drenching but it was a pretty good rain. Some of the places we
explored were the Blacksmith, the Book Bindery and the Cabinet Maker. Some
of use even toured inside Mr. Randolph's haunted home we had checked out in
the dark from out front last night. After the tour we had a little time to
explore on our own before hitting the bus and heading for dinner.
Dinner tonight was at Pizza UNO. I can't think of a time where I have
received better service in a restaurant, especially with the large group we
have. They were soooooooo nice and they even got every waiter in the place
to since happy birthday to Rachel (Boy was she ever surprised!). Oh, and the
pizza and salad were pretty good too!
Back on the bus for the drive back to Washington D.C. Its about a 3 hour
drive and of course, with all that soda from dinner we needed to make a pit
stop at a rest area. Wouldn't you know it. Right when we stopped, the skies
opened up. No thunder and lighting but boy, did those running to the
bathroom ever get wet. Pretty closed to the downpour of last year but at
least they were only out in it for a couple of minutes.
That about does it for today. Tomorrow its off to Ford's Theater, the
Smithsonians and hopefully the Twilight Tattoo. The weather is looking iffy
but we are praying for good weather. Well, its approaching 12:15am and the
wake up calls are at 5:30am so until tomorrow, Good night. Mike Eklund
Sunday/Monday June 7/8, 2009
What a day, what a day, what a day!
So far, so good. Its s been a great start. Absolutely no traffic to the
airport left us plenty of time to play on the moving sidewalks prior to
departure. Both flights were relatively smooth with arrivals pretty close to
on-time considering the late start since SFO was down a runway or two.
In Dulles we were meet by Tony and John (Alas, James has moved on to another
company). It was great to see Tony again and John turned out to be a pretty
good sport as well. First stop was Phillips Restaurant. Known for their
seafood, neither driver had ever taken a group here for breakfast. Turns out
the breakfast buffet was pretty good. As we were getting up to leave, in
walks Anne! She looked great and the kids welcomed her with open arms. From
here it was off to the White House and meeting up with our other tour guide,
Karen. We got some great photos of the White House, the Treasury building
and
the Victory garden but I guess I have already taken a whole lot of pictures
because my battery went dead before we could snap some shots of the
protestors.
Next it was on to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for one group and the
World War II Memorial for the other. The BEP was really neat. We saw
millions
and millions and millions of dollars. One of the workers on the plant floor
held up a sign saying the tour guides were giving out free samples today but
she said it was the other tour guide. Bummer. In the gift shop we were able
to buy some money. Sounds funny doesn't it but actually some of us bought
large uncot sheets of 16 or 32 bills. This is gonna look real cool once I
spend some more money to frame this money that I already spent money on....I
think. After the first group toured the BEP they groups switched and went to
the World War II Memorial. Unfortunately the 2nd group to go through the BEP
had a problem with their bus but, and this is why I use Worldstrides, they
had a replacement bus in place by the time they came out of the BEP, with
the
bags already transfered. I never made it over to the WWII but it is a
beautiful, circular monument located between the Washington monument and the
Lincoln Memorial. The two halves of the circle represent the two theatres of
combat, the Atlantic and the Pacific. It truly is a moving memorial with
lots
and lots of detail. Be sure to ask your student about it when the come home.
Next it was on to another new place for luncg which was an upstairs food
court. I never did see what was below it but for a crowded noontime place
the
service was pretty good, a decent selection and at the least the Chinese
food
was pretty good. Back on the bus its was over to the Washington Monument.
Even with reservations it still took us over an hour to get everyone up and
through the tour at the top. It was great fun helping each group figure out
what they were looking at from 500 feet up. Be sure to check their website
to
see the complete state blocks that are located on the inside of the
monument.
Already its time to say goodbye to Anne and Karen to start our drive to
Williamsburg. Traffice was very heavy but they have these incredible car
pool
lanes that make for a real smooth trip. We stop for dinner at the Golden
Corral (I'm not a big buffet person but this one is really good!) and then
on
to Williamsburg. We stop at our hotel long enough to have a bathroom break
and pick up our guides for the ghost tour. Unfortunately its not dark yet at
the start of our tour but as it gets darker the stories get spookier and
scarier, We had three great guides this year and for a really tired group I
was impressed with their attentiveness. Finally, back to the hotel room
check in bed check and it is now 11:45pm....I'm beat but what a great day.
Wake up call for the kids is 6:00am. Another great day is coming up in the
morning. Yak at cha tomorrow. Thanks Mike Eklund
This is not a school sponsored event.
