Day 1

Monday morning, 15 Camp Hope students and 6 adults embarked on an adventure to Washington, DC.  Flying was a new experience for most of the group and for all but one, this was their first visit to our nation’s capitol.  The plane took off with only one squeal of half-excitement and half-nervous about her ears popping.  We arrived at Reagan National Airport and took the Metro to our hotel.  So far, the Metro has been our best friend regarding transportation – especially with over 3o mph winds on Monday.  We knew the weather would be cold but the wind made it almost painful.  After lunch at Union Station, we took a trolley tour to the Washington Monument but the weather prevented us to tour the top of the monument.  We escaped the cold back at our hotel and enjoyed pizza delivered to the lobby followed by an illuminated tour of D.C.  – luckily on a heated bus.  Our knowledgeable tour guide led us around the entire city where we saw Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol, WWII memorial, the Marine Corps Memorial, Georgetown and the Christmas tree lit in front of the White House.  The weather caused us to be somewhat flexible with the plans but it was a great first day.

Day 2

Tuesday started with a short ride on the Metro and walk to the U.S. Capitol where we toured and ate lunch.  One student remarked that she has enjoyed seeing her History class come to life here in DC.  We had to quickly walk to the National Archives where we saw the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  One student commented that she is learning more here than she will ever learn at school.  So far, the gift shops have been a hit no matter where we have visited.  After perusing the gift shop at the Archives, the group split – one group visited the Air & Space Museum and the other went to the Natural History Museum.  Both groups saw an IMAX movie at the museum – Dinosaurs 3D and the Hubble 3D.  The group at the Natural History Museum were escorted to the Air & Space Museum by a bike car (or pedi-bike) while the adults walked!  Once reunited, the entire group visited the Botanical Gardens near the Capitol where we saw different displays of gardens from around the world and a room filled with toy train displays.  After a long day of sightseeing, we rode the Metro to Ben’s Chili Bowl – a DC favorite of Bill Cosby’s and the city in general – where we enjoyed chili cheese fries, chili dogs, cheeseburgers, and milkshakes.  The hot tub, pool and finally a comfy bed was the perfect way to end our second day in DC.  More to come tomorrow and Thursday!!