Day 6 and 7

Whew!

We are sure you have heard of the "New York Minute". We have experienced it first hand. Friday morning found the group having a great breakfast at Perkins in Gettysburg. We then picked up our "Walk On" guides and had a fascinating tour of the battlefields of Gettysburg. It was an amazing experience as you can picture the scene of the battles so many years ago. After a quick lunch, we boarded for the trip to our hotel in New Jersey. Due to traffic we were delayed and had to make a quick turnaround to make dinner and the show. 137 people unloaded, changed clothes and were back on the bus in 35 minutes. Wow! We had dinner at Dallas BBQ. A chicken and rib combo took care of our hunger in no time. We took a short walk to the Majestic Theater and enjoyed a fantastic presentation of "Phantom of the Opera". Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Saturday found us on boats touring Liberty Island and Ellis Island. We then headed to South Street Seaport for lunch and then we met our New York "step on guides". We had the opportunity to tour Central Park and other sites around the city. We finished at "Ground Zero". Dinner was at Applebee's and then after some shopping in Times Square, we gathered for our group picture.

Tomorrow will find us heading home. We have had a fantastic trip and we are looking forward to sharing our experiences in person.

Day 5

The day began with a scrumptious buffet breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and then we were off to the Iwo Jima Memorial honoring the Marines. After a short visit we headed to the Smithsonians. Once there, everyone had a choice of what museum they would like to visit. 96 members of the group headed for the Holocaust Museum for a very moving exhibition. We then loaded up and began our journey through Virginia, Maryland, and into Pennsylvania for one of the best meals (no, the best meal) of our trip at Cozy’s (http://www.cozyvillage.com/) which is near Camp David. After a relaxing time, we went a short distance to All Star Sports Complex where the students (and a few adults) were able to ride go-carts, play video games, basketball, miniature golf, and anything else they can find. They had a blast! Stay tuned for updates tomorrow.

Day 4

We started the day by visiting the National Archives where we viewed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and a copy of the Magna Carta. Next we spent some time on the steps of the Supreme Court building, walked by the Library of Congress and had lunch at the Longworth building where many members of the House of Representatives have their offices. After lunch, we took a group photo at the Capitol and headed off to Arlington National Cemetary. At Arlington we viewed a changing of the guard followed by four of our students presenting a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. We also visited various other monuments at Arlington and we visited the Kennedy grave sites. We finished up at Arlington by view an exhibit called "Faces of the Fallen" honoring those killed in Iraq. We had dinner at Union Station and from there we headed out for an evening monument tour where we toured the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Korean War Memorial, WWII Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. We then returned to our hotel for a much needed rest to prepare for our final day in DC before heading to Gettysburg. Stay tuned......

Day 2 and Day 3

Greetings from the East Coast!

We had a very long but wonderful Monday as we began the day exploring Jamestown. After lunch at the settlement, we headed to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Guided tours were provided through the house and everyone had a chance to roam the gorgeous grounds. We then had an excellent dinner at the Golden Corral in Charlottesville. The drive to D.C. was a long one as we arrived at the hotel at 11:00 PM.

On Tuesday, we began the day with breakfast at the Hard Rock Cafe. We then had the opportunity to visit Ford's Theatre, where President Lincoln was assasinated, and the Peterson House where he died the next morning. Next the group went to the White House and enjoyed a fascinating tour of the East Wing. The picture shows the entire group (except Mr. Meier who took the picture) in front of the South side of the building.

Lunch took place at the Reagan Building (International Trade Center) and then we left for a picturesque drive to Mt. Vernon to the tour the estate of President George Washington. We then enjoyed an evening of shopping and dinner at the Fashion Mall in Pentagon City. Everyone is now sleeping (we hope) as we prepare for tomorrow's adventure in D.C.

Day 1

Three buses departed the St. Paul's parking lot in the pre-dawn hours bound for the East Coast. All three planes arrived safely and on time. After a delicious buffet at the Golden Corral, we were treated to a walking tour of Colonial Williamsburg. The Crowne Plaza Hotel saw 135 people arrive at their doorstep at 10:00 and by 11:00 all was quiet.....pretty much!

Tomorrow begins at 6:15 as we head for Jamestown, Monticello, and Washington, D.C.!

Stay tuned!

DC 2007

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