Each Spring the 8th Grade Class has the opportunity to travel to our Nation's Capital. This year will visit our nation's capital between May 4th and May 7th.  

DAY 1

After leaving PCS bright and early (we'll be on our way by 5:30 at the latest), we'll begin the official part of our trip again this year with a stop in New Jersey at Liberty State Park and  sail off to the Statue of Liberty. This part of the trip was fabulous last year and we look forward to visiting again this year. Some additional information: Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation Website here. Information on the Statue of Liberty from Great Buildings online. Information on Statue from National Geographic Kids.

Following our visit , it's back on the road for DC - when we visit Washington, we don't actually stay in the District itself. We actually stay in Chevy Chase Maryland at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. This is a great, comfortable place to stay. It offers lots of activities on the grounds and serves as a fine base of operations. See the guestrooms on the virtual tour.

After we check in at the 4-H Center, we should have some time to unwind, explore and stretch the legs after our bus ride. Then it is off to bed for some needed rest - for the busy days ahead.

DAY 2

To start our first full day in Washington, our first stop will be the United States Capitol - US Capitol Visitor Center - Check out the virtual tour - where we plan on meeting with our Congressman - Joe Courtney of the 2nd District - website. We will then tour the Capitol itself. Then it's off to lunch followed by a visit to visit one of the newest museums in DC, the Newseum. The Newseum claims to be the World's Most Interactive Museum and  opened on April 11, 2008. Explore before we visit! We expect that students explore the 9-11 Exhibit, the Pulitzer Prize Photograph Exhibit and the segment of the Berlin Wall which is on display. There are a couple of other current galleries hosting special exhibits which are excellent - including "First Dogs: Presidential Pets in the White House," "Elvis," an exhibit on the FBI "G-Men and Journalists"and "Manhunt," chasing Lincoln's killer. We then plan on possibly experiencing one of the Smithsonian Museums (time permitting) before we head off to the The Pentagon City Mall  for dinner and some "downtime" before we meet our guides for a nighttime tour of the monuments. 

Some of the sites we visit on the night- time tour are:

•     The Lincoln Memorial | Lincoln Memorial Interactive | National Park Service
•     The Jefferson Memorial | Wikipedia
•     The Vietnam Memorial | The Wall - USA | The Virtual Wall | Wikipedia  | Great Buildings
•     The FDR Memorial | FDR Memorial Homepage | Destination: D.C. (Washington Post)
•     The Korean War Memorial | nps website | Army Corps of Engineers website | Korean War Project site | Wikipedia
•     World War II Memorial | National Park Service Feature Presentation | National World War II Memorial | Wikipedia

After a long day of riding we finally arrive back at the 4-H Center for some much needed rest - knowing that in less than 7 hours we'll be up and about again.

DAY 3

On Thursday, we again plan on an early start - our first stop is at Arlington National Cemetery. At the cemetery we visit several significant sites and witness the Changing of the Guard. This year, four of our students will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb to honor the sacrifice of our nation's veterans. This is a moving ceremony and one that will be long-remembered by many. Following our visit and exploration of the cemetary, it's off to ESPN Zone, Washington, D.C. for lunch via the Metro.

Following the fun at ESPN Zone we plan on visiting some key sites of interest - further familiarizing ourselves with the city. We'll most likely take in the National Zoo.  

Then it is back to the 4-H Center for dinner and enjoy a small bit of down time before we venture out for a show at the newly-renovated (closed for over two years) Ford's Theatre for the musical production Little Shop of Horrors. We hope to have a little time to explore the museum and exhibits on display before the performance. After the show (and a long day), it is finally back to the 4-H Center for the night.  

DAY 4

The final day of our excursion is spent with some individual group tours of the Smithsonian Museums and/or other sites along the National Mall. 

As you can see our trip is quite busy. However, that said, it is truly a rewarding learning experience. If you have any questions see Mr. Galligan or Mrs. Mansell.

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