DC & New York Class Trip

This morning we begin our day at the U.S. Capitol. We start out at the Visitor’s Center before touring the historic areas of the building, including the Crypt, the Rotunda, and the National Statuary Hall. We make a photo stop at the Library of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court before exploring the Tidal Basin, a reservoir between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel which each spring serves as the focal point of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. We visit the nearby Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial which commemorates both FDR and the era of American history during which he was president, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial which contains the Stone of Hope, a granite statue of Dr. King, and the Jefferson Memorial. After lunch, we head to Mount Vernon, the Virginia home of George Washington. Here we visit Washington’s mansion (subject to availability), the Museum and Education Center, the Slave Memorial, and Washington’s tomb. We enjoy dinner together and spend the night back in Washington, D.C.

After breakfast we visit Arlington National Cemetery, a military cemetery where the dead from America’s conflicts, beginning with the Civil War, have been buried. We visit the gravesites of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, where an “Eternal Flame” burns. We visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and witness the Changing of the Guard. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a monument dedicated to U.S. service members who died and whose remains have not been identified. The changing of the guard occurs every half hour. We stop for a photo at the Marine Corps War Memorial, which honors members of the United States Marines who have given their lives for their country since 1775. The statue here depicts the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima. From this memorial we enjoy also a panorama of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol Building. Following this we drive to New York City, where upon arrival we visit the Empire State Building and take in beautiful night views of “The City that Never Sleeps.” We have dinner together in New York City.

After breakfast we board a ferry at Battery Park which will take us to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island served as an immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1924 and today is the site of the National Museum of Immigration. European immigrants would have seen the Statue of Liberty – a 151-foot model engineered by Gustav Eiffel of Eiffel Tower Fame – as they made their entrance to the United States. Upon our return to Battery Park we make our way to the Financial District, where we enjoy a walking tour to include sites like Wall Street, Federal Hall, a building which served as the U.S. capitol building prior to the establishment of Washington, D.C. as the capital, St. Paul’s Chapel, a historic place of worship at the site where George Washington prayed after his inauguration in 1789, the New York Stock Exchange, which was at one point the largest indoor space in the United States, and the famous Charging Bull Statue. The statue lies within Bowling Green Park, the oldest public park in New York City and the place where the Dutch are believed to have purchased the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans in 1626. We move on to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum which is located at the World Trade Center. The Memorial and Museum commemorate and seek to educate the public regarding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. We visit Time Square, “the Crossroads of the World,” and have dinner. Tonight there is an opportunity to see a Broadway show or to visit the Brooklyn Bridge.

Today we take a guided tour of Midtown. We visit the United Nations Headquarters where we learn about the work of the UN and see the famous General Assembly Hall (if available) and Grand Central Station, a rail terminal known for its magnificent architecture and interior design. We stop at the Chrysler Building, a 1930 art deco skyscraper which was at one time the world’s tallest building, before heading to Bryant Park which is known as “Manhattan’s Town Square” and which boasts seasonal gardens, free activities, and al fresco dining. We move on to Rockefeller Center, a Great Depression era creation which in large part makes mid-town Manhattan what it is today. Rockefeller Center is a unique synthesis of urban planning, architecture, landscaping and sculpture commissioned by the Rockefeller family and including Radio City Music Hall and the famous skyscraper at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. While here we enjoy a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, a storied entertainment venue known as the “Showplace of the Nation” which is the headquarters for the Rockettes.  We head to Fifth Avenue, where there is an opportunity to explore the street’s world-renowned shopping. We visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. This neo-gothic cathedral was built in the mid to late 19th century and is one of the most well-known symbols of American Catholicism. Finally, we visit Central Park, one of New York City’s most famous landmarks and the most-filmed location in the world, after which we begin our journey home.