By: Nevaeh Baker Harris
Last month, fifty Blue Devils got to witness history in the making as they visited Washington D.C. to view the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States.
These students didn’t just go to D.C. The first part of the trip was a two day excursion in New York where they saw multiple sights of the Big Apple. Students first enjoyed a walk around Central Park, seeing sights such as the Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain, and the statue of Alice in Wonderland. For lunch on the first day students went to the Rockefeller Plaza and were able to explore midtown while they ate, seeing some of Midtown’s most famous sights like the Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At the end of the first day students were able to enjoy Time’s Square at night and enjoy views of the city from The Edge skyscraper.
For their second day in New York students enjoyed boat tour of New York Harbor. While on this tour, they learned about New York's naval history as well as being able to see famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island up close. For lunch that day, students were able to choose between eating in Manhattan’s Chinatown or Little Italy. After lunch, the students went to see the 9/11 memorial, reflecting on the national tragedy and the nations’ efforts to rebuild afterwards. Later that day students took a walk down Wall Street and ended the night with dinner at a Cuban restaurant and a viewing of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, students were not able to attend the inauguration outdoors. However, to make up for this the tour took a pit stop in Philadelphia before continuing on to D.C. Student’s got to see much of early American history while in D.C, including the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, and even a guided tour of Independence Hall. Students also got to eat lunch in the Reading Terminal Market, a spacious venue filled with vendors of all types. After arriving in D.C. that night students were able to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the statue of Martin Luther King Jr.
The next day students were able to see many different museums, starting with the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Smithsonian Museum in Fairfax County, Virginia. For lunch students were able to choose from an assortment of food places in the Pentagon Mall. After lunch is where the true fun began as students were able to choose from seven Smithsonian Museums: the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of American History, National Holocaust Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Dinner for the night was a blend of Middle Eastern and Indian dishes, and before going to the hotel students, were allowed to pick up souvenirs at a shop catering to D.C. goods.
On the day of the Inauguration itself students were unable to go due to the cold weather. Instead, students were taken to see the Air Force Memorial and Marine Corps Memorial. After students were taken to a hotel to view the Inauguration from indoors with other students on different tours. Once the viewing was done, students were taken to Arlington National Cemetery to view the graves of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy as well as the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Students ended the night at a special ball put on by EF tours, complete with music and a buffet.
On the final day of the trip students made a hike up to the United States Capitol Visitors Center and were able to tour the area that was available to the public. This included the room that the Inauguration itself happened in the previous day as well as the Library of Congress and the Capitol Rotunda. Before leaving D.C. students were able to put on their best James Bond impression as they visited the International Spy Museum and tested their skills to see if they have what it takes to become a spy.
Students who are interested in future tours should learn about opportunities from teacher around the school.
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