Mount Vernon & Washington, DC- Friday, March 4, 2016

We started the day at Mount Vernon. When our tour guide said that the snow we were getting would close schools, the kids just laughed. It was a light snow that was coming down, and if there was an inch that had fallen, it was because it was so fluffy. We first went to the film (though I skipped it), saw Washington's tomb, went through the house itself, and out with a quick look at the museum in the visitor's center. I said that it was an appropriate day to visit the general's house because he would give the order to "March Forth!"

We didn't go lunch at the mall that these trips usually go to, but instead we went to L'Enfant Plaza, where we've eaten as a family a few times. (Anna would remember it as the place which the big red fork and the amazing pop machines.). I had a burger from Five Guys.

We then went to a couple of the monuments. We went to the Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Wall. For some reason, Mr. L. doesn't like going to the Wall at night, which is when I think it's best. Either way, our busses chaperones all agree that our guide this time is really good and is doing a great job of establishing the importance of each of the sites for the students.

After the memorials we went to Ford's Theater. The kids breezed through the nice museum and we couldn't get into the theater proper because of upcoming shows. It's a stop we really shouldn't make at all, but we really go there so the kids can go to the souvenir stores across the street. It was amazing to watch the money flow from West Seneca pockets into the D.C. economy. I have to admit, though that a spent some myself in order to bring presents home for Julie and the girls, as well as to get a few things for myself.

Our bus went through Chinatown to get to dinner. There was a Chinese huge entry gate from the city of Beijing, and many of the signs for stores had Chinese characters. I hadn't seen this part of D.C. before. Dinner was at Buca di Beppos. I didn't fit at the chaperons' table, so I had to eat with the students.

After dinner, we stopped for pictures outside the White House. Lights were on in a couple of rooms in the Residence on the second floor. We then had some quick stops for pictures at the Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, and the west front of the Capitol, which is still covered with scaffolding. I'm not taking video this trip, but I've been having fun experimenting with #anna'sselfie stick.

We had one student who was throwing-up sick this morning, so Mr. P. volunteered to stay behind with him today. Another girl was caught smoking in a hotel bathroom. That makes two that have had to leave. The knuckleheads sitting around me at the back of the bus are getting on my nerves. But I'm having an ok time.

Gettysburg, en route to Washington- Thursday, March 3, 2016

I finished packing early this morning in a very grumpy mood (mainly from not getting enough sleep the last two nights).  McDonald's wasn't open yet.  The buses were late getting to school.   Burger King was so slow getting us through that I didn't bother filling my drink because I wasn't going to have time to drink it.  The Wi-fi on the bus isn't working.  But here I am on a bus with 8th graders, headed to Washington again.  yay.  

When we got to Gettysburg, I actually snuck away from the group.  While they went to the movie and the Cyclorama at the Visitor's Center, I went to the gift shop and the museum.  I bought a couple of DVDs there.  I figure I've only gone through the museum here twice (but they were two significant times-- the day it opened and the 150th anniversary of the first day of the battle).  I didn't spend long there because I didn't want to hold up the group when they were ready to go on the bus tour.

I think I heard that this was our battlefield guide's first tour.  He actually knew his stuff well, but he was way to "official" in his delivery.  He seemed to give us the same spiel every group gets, and didn't tailor his presentation to the fact that we were 8th graders or to our Western New York viewpoint.  The guy last year did both and was much better.  We got off the bus at Reynolds's Woods (which actually was a pretty good choice for a "Day 1" stop), the Virginia Memorial, the "Eisenhower Power Tower" and Little Round Top.  Then it was off to General Pickett's for a buffet for dinner.  mostly nachos, mac &cheese, & brownies for me.   They were all good, but I think I appreciated the Diet Pepsi the most. 

The hotel is in Tyson's Corners, Virginia this time.  Wi-Fi costs $12.95 per day, so this isn't getting posted until I can get to a free spot again.  Dave P. is my roommate, and we watched the end of the Republican Debate after we got the kids taped in.