Our Trip to London
In February of 2003, we took a trop
to London to visit Pax Lodge. Our 8 day trip took almost 7 years of planning. Our plan to
visit the London began in 5th grade, when we went to our council to watch a video about the
world centers. After seeing this movie, we begged our leader to take us to one of them.
She said, "Sure, as long as you raise the money." Our troop of 24 girls started to think
of ways to raise the money. The next year we lost most of the girls to sports. There were
now 7 of us left. We still had our trip in mind and we continued to raise money to achieve
our goal. During the next few years we dropped down to 5 girls. After a conflict that
sadly could not be resolved, the troop dropped down to 4 girls the year before we planned
to leave. We spent all of our time raising the money to go. 6 people were scheduled to go-
4 girls and 2 adults. We had to raise about $1200 for each person.
Visting London
Big Ben:
Don't make a special trip to see this famous clock tower, as you will be
able to see it from many different places.
British Library:
We did not actually enter this building, but you will enjoy it if you appreciate large
libraries and modern buildings.
British Museum:
This is a very fun and interesting place, not to mention large with many things to see.
You will most likely want all day to visit although if you're not really interested in
history and museums, this may not be a place for you.
Buckingham Palace:
It is a beautiful walk there and as a visitor you have to see it to get the full London
experience. Unfortunately, you can't get very close to the Palace or the guards, despite
what the movies portray.
Cabinet War Rooms:
This is a surprisingly fun and educational experience about World War II. Even if you are
not into world history very much, you will have a great time. There is a short simulation
that takes you back to war times. It really gives you a feel for what it was like during
the War.
Ceremony of the Keys (at the Tower of London):
This activity is the traditional locking of the Tower of London by night. It is one of the
oldest ceremonies of its kind. It is very interesting, but the actually locking takes about
7 minutes, beginning 7 minutes to 10. After a full day of sightseeing, this can be a
little tiring, not to mention having a long wait for the start of the ceremony.
Diana Princess of Wales Memorial:
It is a nice walk to take on the way to Buckingham Palace, but you may need to search to
find it.
Harrods:
This is the largest department store in London. Living up to expectations, from the food to
the shopping, everything in here is amazing! It also happens to be a little expensive, but
if there are shoppers in the group, this may turn into an all day event.
House of Lords:
The architecture is beautiful as are the historical pieces of art, but the line can get
rather long while waiting and to actually watch the procession is boring.
Jack the Ripper Tour:
Donald Rumbelrow, the tour guide, is the author of the book The Complete Jack the Ripper.
He is known worldwide for his expertise and is very informative. He also tells great
stories to go with the tour. After taking you to all the murder sites, he sells copies of
his book, which he will sign for you-so be sure to bring extra money.
Kensington Palace:
If you like old houses, especially palaces, you would probably be interested in visiting
here. You get a great feel for how people lived in this Palace and there are some stories
to accompany rooms. While we were visiting, there was a royal wedding dress exhibit which
was very pretty.
London Eye:
Do not be intimidated by the height, this is not your ordinary ferris wheel. This is best
to go on around sunset because it is light enough to see things, but the city lights are
beginning to come on. Great to get a bird's eye view of London, which is very beautiful.
Madame Tussauds:
This is a touristy place to visit and has long lines , but really worth the wait, especially
if you do not have a problem with crowds or "organized chaos".
National Gallery:
The Gallery has many beautiful paintings that show London's early history. There are also
modern pieces- either way, there are artists everyone will recognize like Da Vinci and
Michelangelo. This can easily turn into an all day event, particularly if you like art.
The Observatory in Greenwich Village:
Greenwich Village is home to the Prime Meridian. This is a busy place, but is really a lot
of fun. You see many unique things and learn interesting facts while there. The view is
great too!
The Queen's House in Greenwich:
The architecture is very pretty as ar the designs on the ceilings, unfortunately this house
has been turned into a maritime museum, which is not necessarily the most exciting thing to
see.
Sherlock Holmes Museum:
A great place to go if you have read the stories because the museum alludes often to scenes
from the books. This is not very interesting to those who have not been introduced to the
world of Mr. Holmes conversely.
Sir John Soane's Museum:
A very small and cluttered place, not to mention confusing. It has a lot of small,
insignificant knickknacks. Needless to say, we were not particularly impressed.
The Tower of London:
This is definitely an all day activity. There are many places to go and see while here,
so it is a lot of fun, though this also means there is a lot of walking.
Westminster Abbey:
The architecture here is amazing! There are also many burial and memorial sites that are
very pretty. You can also see the place of coronation for almost every British monarch
since 1066. This is an awesome place to go.
Our ratings for these places are out of five stars.
To find out how we raised the money, please check out of Fundraising Page!
Fundraisers
Home