Postcards from D.C.

2/28/17

Dear Mom and Dad,

I wanted to let you know that we all made it through airport security quickly and that the plane ride went well. We landed at Ronald Reagan Airport, picked up our luggage and went straight to the American History Museum. We ate lunch and then toured the exhibits. We then walked over to the African American History Museum and visited all six floors! When we left the museum, we went to a souvenir shop and had fun looking at all of the things that we wanted to buy. It started to rain, but we really wanted to see the White House up close, so we took a detour and saw it lit up at night. It was beautiful! Our day ended with dinner at Hard Rock Café where we enjoyed wonderful food and service. We are back at the hotel now, and I am looking forward to settling in and getting some rest.

Thanks for letting me come on this trip. I will update you tomorrow.

Your Loving Child

3/1/17

Dear Mom and Dad,

Our wake-up call was at 6:15 a.m. and breakfast was served at 7 a.m. We left the hotel and went straight to the Newseum, which is an interactive museum that promotes free expression. It was cool to see the front page of the newspapers from each state and many different countries with today's news. I enjoyed being a reporter at one of the exhibits, as well as using the virtual reality glasses. From there we went to L'Enfant Plaza and had lunch at their food court. There were so many delicious options to choose from! After lunch, we took a tour of the National Cathedral. Did you know that it is a working church? I even got to sit in the chair that the President sits in when he attends services! The stained glass windows and architecture were epic. After visiting the church, we went to the Holocaust Museum where I got to see the terrible things that the Jewish people experienced. It was very sad. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel where we were able to rest before we went on the dinner-dance cruise. There was another school there from Louisiana that we hung out with. I had a great time dancing, eating and hanging out with my friends. Now I am here at the hotel getting ready for bed. I will send another note tomorrow.

I miss you,

Your Loving Child

3/2/17

Dear Mom and Dad,

We started our day at 6:45 a.m. with breakfast at the hotel, and then we were off to Mt. Vernon. When we arrived at Mt. Vernon, we watched a short video about George Washington. After the video, we toured the estate and hiked through the plantation. It was cold and windy, but with the sun out, it made for an enjoyable walk. Next we went to Arlington National Cemetery and visited the grave site of John F. Kennedy, which has an eternal flame. We also got to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard. The discipline of the guards really impressed me. As we walked back to the bus, I was amazed at how big Arlington is and was reminded of how fortunate I am to live in a country where so many men and women have given their lives for our freedom. Dinner was the best! We had two kinds of pasta, salad, bread, chicken parmesan and a very big cookie for dessert. We ended our night on the ice and it was epic! My friends and I had a great time helping each other learn how to ice skate. Now, we are back at the hotel, winding down, cleaning up our rooms and getting ready for bed. We heard it might snow tomorrow and I am excited about it.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night.

Your Loving Child

3/3/17

Dear Mom and Dad,

This morning we got up and packed up our belongings to leave. We had breakfast at the hotel and then boarded our buses for D.C. We stopped at the U.S. Capitol and went on the Red Coat guided tour, and after the tour, we ate lunch at the Capitol Visitor Center restaurant. After lunch, we shopped at the gift shop and then went outside for a group photo in front of Grant’s statue. Our last stop was a short walk to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum where we walked around and looked at all of the exhibits. We just got back on our buses and are headed to the airport to come home.

See you soon!

Your Loving Child