Last year I organized a very successful Spring History trip to the Washington, DC area, and intend to do so again this year. We're getting a much earlier start in planning this year and here is a best guess as to some of the details.
The trip will last for 5 days and 5 nights over the weekend of April 30-May 1. Friday is a School holiday, so the students will miss two days of classes, but those will be counted as 'school business'..
The 5 days includes travel time, 3 days in Washington DC, Mt. Vernon and Manassas, and one day in Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, VA. In Washington, we will visit the monuments (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam War, Korean War), the government buildings (White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, National Archives), the museums (Air and Space, American History, Natural History, Mount Vernon), Arlington cemetery and Ford�s Theater. A proposed itinerary is below. The itinerary and order of events will change if we are not able to arrange Congressionally-sponsored White House and Capitol tours. If these are not available, the itinerary will change.
Our tour company is EF Explore America, a chartered tour company out of Cambridge, MA. They have been doing school trips for 40 years, and did an exceptional job for us last year. EF provides liability protection for the school as well as consumer protection, medical and accident coverage; 24-hour emergency services; a 24-hour on-site tour director and licensed tour guides; one free chaperone for every 10 students; and business-class hotels and restaurants.
The tour price will likely be about $625 per student, assuming we have 35-40 paying members. The tour price includes the above-mentioned services, round-trip and all tour transportation, lodging (3-4 students to a room), entrance fees to all attractions, 3 breakfasts and 3 dinners, in-hotel security at night (in the hallways), required gratuities, and lifetime EF membership. It also includes certain giveaways - backpack, luggage tags and travel journals, and a Create-a-Video program. The price does not include two breakfasts and one dinner while on the motor coach traveling to and from Washington, nor does it include the five lunches. It obviously doesn�t include shopping and souvenirs.
The first step is to get approval from the County to do the trip. I'll let you know when that happens and we'll have a meeting for parents and students to go over the information.
Possible Itinerary -
Thursday
4:30 pm Depart Farnell via motorcoach (drive straight through � stop for meals en route). Students will not go home after school, so they need to bring their luggage to school. We will store it at school.
Dinner on own enroute
Friday
Breakfast on own enroute
1100 � Arrive DC. Meet tour director
1130 � Arlington Cemetery - Kennedy Gravesite, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Changing of the Guard
1430 � Lunch on own at food court of Reagan International Trade Center
1530 � Supreme Court
1700 � National Archives
1830 � Pentagon City Mall � shopping and dinner coupon provided
2030 � Hotel check-in
Saturday
0600 � Breakfast provided at hotel
0730 � White House tour and South Lawn photo op
1030 � Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorial
1300 � Old Post Office Pavilion � lunch on own
1400 � Smithsonian American History Museum
1600 � Smithsonian Natural History Museum
1830 � Dinner coupon provided for Union Station
1930 � Evening tour of monuments and memorials, including USMC, Jefferson and FDR Memorials
Sunday
0630 � Deluxe continental breakfast provided at hotel
0800 � Washington Monument, including trip to top
1000 � Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
1300 � Drive to Mt Vernon
1400 � tour Mt Vernon
1500 � Drive to Manassas
1600 � tour Manassas Battlefield
1700 � return to hotel
1830 � Haunted walking tour of Old Town Alexandria with dinner provided
Monday
0800 � Breakfast provided at hotel. Check out of hotel
0900 � US Capitol Building tour and Senate gallery?
1130 � depart for Williamsburg
1430 � walking tour of Williamsburg, including Governor�s Palace
1830 � free time in Colonial area w/dinner coupon
2100 � depart for Tampa
Tuesday
Breakfast and lunch on own enroute
11am � arrive Farnell MS, Tampa