Trip Journal 2015
Explorica Information
Trip ID: Nicholson-4035
Number of students: 72
2015 Scholarship Winners
Left to right:
- Alexis Marie Tappe (3rd place)
- Amanda De Leon (3rd place)
- Lila Avendano (2nd place)
- Andre Hustace (1st place)
- Giselle Garcia (2nd place)
1st place: $1,400 scholarship
2nd place: $700 scholarship
3rd place: $350 scholarship
Day 1: Our Trip Begins (March 28, 2015)
Our trip began Saturday morning. We flew to Washington DC and arrived at Dulles airport to meet our tour directors, Kristin and Jackie, and our bus drivers, Larry and Lisa.
We headed through the rolling countryside to the historic town of Gettysburg. We had free time to explore the Main Street and shops, followed by dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern, a building as old as the United States.
Then we checked into the hotel to rest up for a full week ahead. We can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Tour Director Kristen
Transportation by bus
Exploring the shops
Dinner at Dobbin House Tavern
Day 2: Gettysburg (March 29, 2015)
We toured the Gettysburg Battlefield with guides Jack and Bob. What a great experience! Afterwards, we experienced the Cyclorama oil painting.
After lunch at the Visitors Center, we headed to Washington DC.
Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery. We visited the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial and Netherlands Carrillon, the Women's Military Memorial, President Taft's grave, the Arlington House, the Tomb of the Unknowns, and the Eternal Flame.
We had a buffet dinner at Crystal City Sports Pub. This evening we saw the White House and toured the Vietnam War, Lincoln, and Korean War memorials.
Gettysburg
Iwo Jima Memorial
Arlington National Cemetery
Crystal City Sports Pub
The White House
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Women's Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial
Day 3: The National Mall (March 30, 2015)
Our first stop this morning was the Albert Einstein statue.
Then we explored the fantastic collections at the Smithsonian museums: American History, Natural History, Air and Space, and more!
We had dinner at Ben's Chili Bowl.
We visited more monuments and memorials in the evening: World War II, Washington Monument, Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Jefferson.
Albert Einstein statue
National Gallery of Art
National Air and Space Museum
Cherry blossoms
Ben's Chili Bowl
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
World War II Memorial
FDR Memorial
Day 4: Capitol Hill, Holocaust Museum, Spy Museum (March 31, 2015)
In the morning we visited Capitol Hill: the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the Capitol Building.
After lunch at the Department of Agriculture, we spent the afternoon at the Holocaust Museum and Memorial.
A pizza dinner at Fuel was followed by an evening at the International Spy Museum. What a great day!
At the Capitol
Holocaust Museum and Memorial
Re-fueling at the FUEL pizza restaurant
International Spy Museum
Day 5: Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria (April 1, 2015)
In the morning we took a ferry cruise from Old Town Alexandria to Mount Vernon, George Washington's Estate.
We spent the afternoon touring the mansion and experiencing the plantation.
Dinner at King Street Blues was followed by shopping and free time in Old Town.
Ferry ride
Mount Vernon
King Street Blues
Day 6: Ford's Theater and the National Archives (April 2, 2015)
This morning we saw a performance of the play "One Destiny" at Ford's Theater where President Lincoln was assassinated. Then we toured the Petersen House where he died. This year marks the 150th anniversary of that landmark historical event.
We had lunch at Eat at National Place, then walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the National Archives.
It was a gorgeous day for our last day in DC. At the airport, we were checked in and happy, thinking about the amazing things we did and saw this week.
Still, we're looking forward to being home. Goodbye, DC! Thanks for an excellent trip.
Ford's Theater
Petersen House
At the airport, ready to come home
Comments by Students
"I had so much fun on this trip! I loved the memorial night walk and how each and every day we were doing something different." -- Giselle G.
"I had a blast in DC! I couldn't believe how many beautiful memorials and museums are there. The restaurants we ate at were great too. I highly recommend this trip." -- Adrian D.
"I had a lot of fun and made many new friends on the trip. I loved seeing the White House, the Capitol Building and Supreme Court. My favorite memorial was the WWII memorial. The fountain in the middle was beautiful. I hope I can go back to Washington DC again soon." -- Taniya S.