PICTURES

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Jennifer Lanier's Pictures

Cecile Mantecon's Pictures

St. Mary School  ~ Washington, D.C. 4/9-4/14

Plane to Washington is dicey ride

All night Pandas fly with pride!

Hit National Mall first thing

Trumpet/Starbucks/Protest fling

White House photo with flair

Watching for chopper in the air

Arlington wreath and bugle taps

Silent respect, troop death traps

Washington Monument far we see

Natural History bright gem--glee!

World War II photo group op

SJJ1 elevator non-stop

Capitol idea, photo now

See congressman's office, wow!

Bit much with plasma TV

Stick on our 10:20 tickets with glee

Union Station food stuff

Metro stragglers fast and tough

Kennedy Center we revel with our oohs!

Massive open chandelier is new

Chape fully praise

Hey, hey, mon, roof raise

Blessings in bad times

All we lack are organ chimes

Beach Boy serenade

All we needed was a parade

California girls are best

It was a motorcoach hang ten test

Vie de France

Chocolate cake chance

Panda watch 50 lbs. bamboo

All he does is sit and chew

George Washington no pay

General, then president to stay

Father of country, farmer, and general

It took democracy as literal

German tragedy seen up close

A negative, sensory overdose

Feeling imprisoned by prejudice, hate

Allies winning it all, more than great

Memories we see are good

Even with some misunderstood

Friends and countrymen we must vote

Don't just sit and gloat

Portrait gallery closing shock

Somebody speed up the time clock

Awakening sculpture big hit now

Views of mountain sunset...Wow!

~ Trip Jones, Worldstrides, Washington D.C. 4/14/2007

Tuesday's Pictures

Tuesday: What an adventure to fly on the red-eye. We didn't get to sleep much because we were too excited to be on our way! The flight was relatively smooth with lots of cooperation from our passengers. Our tour guides Trip and Adam ushered us into Washington DC. What a site to behold: the Pentagon, the Holocaust Museum, the National Mall, and the Washington Monument. We couldn't wait to begin, but we had to. Exhibits didn't open til 10 AM, so off to Starbucks for some and some picture opportunities by the Capitol's reflecting pond. We had the morning free to explore. So much to choose from: The Smithsonian Museums, the National Museum of Art, the Air and Space Museum, the Native American Museum among others. We had our lunch at the A&S and then off to the White House Visitor's Center and some more picture taking opportunities behind the White House. How exciting it was to see the home of leaders of the free world! With our jet lag, lack of sleep, and overexcitement wearing on our young bodies (and those of our chaperones' not-so-young bodies), we trudge along to the National Archive Museum where we saw the original documents that made this nation great: The Magna Carta, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Suffrage Bill, The Immigration Act, and many other amazing artifacts. After some more waiting, we proceeded to the Pentagon Mall for dinner and some distractions--shopping for some and just plain inaction for others. At about 7 P.M., we proceeded to the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials to honor the amazing human beings who fought for freedom for others, and of course, to see the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument lit up like the beacons of democracy that they are! Exhausted, but excited nonetheless, we finally got to our hotel at about 9:15 and got our room keys. We'll definitely sleep well tonight!

Wednesday's Pictures

Wednesday: An emotionally packed day! We started the day at the World War II Memorial which is only 2 years old! Etched in the stone columns were the states and U.S. territories that fought in the various battles of this very significant war. The battles were also emblazoned on the granite reminding us all of the victories and the lives affected by this war both in the Atlantic and the Pacific. We then walked to the Washington Memorial commemorating our first President. We got to ride up the elevator to the very top where we got a bird's eye view of the city from all points. We even got to see the inside of the obelisk. Ask your child what they saw. By the way, did you know that the top of the structure is made of aluminum, considered a rare metal when the monument was being erected? After that, we walked to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where we got to explore dinosaurs, elephants, orchids. Oh my! We even got to see the Hope Diamond and some amazing nature photography. Mrs. McDermott snuck the “Hope” Diamond out and wore it around her neck. Make sure you ask her to show it to you when we return. We thank James Smithson for leaving us his estate to found “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” With rain looming in the horizon, we proceeded to Arlington National Cemetery for our wreath laying appointment at 2:45. Our able and well-dressed representatives (Bailey Fiorio, Chris Nojadera, Chelsea Girvin, and Joseph Chizanskos) were prepared and trained to lay the ceremonial wreath in the tomb of the Unknowns with the help of military honor guards while a bugler played taps. There weren't many dry eyes in the crowd! We even witnessed the changing of the guards and observed the significance of the number 21 in the guards' movements. There were many questions from the kids including what happens if the rifle is found to be unacceptable during the inspection and Louis' “What will happen if I jumped the barricade and run to the other side?” Thankfully, we never had to find out. Our official photographer and videographer, Mrs. Chizanskos and Mr. Girvin have captured this memorable event for posterity. At Arlington , we also paid our respects at the graves of President John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. It was an awesome sight to behold. Ask your child if they can tell you the history behind Arlington House. After dinner, we got to ride on the Metro! We learned how to put our tickets in, read the map to learn what our stop will be, and we also got to ride that very long and very steep escalator on the way out. Our evening stops were the Iwo Jima Memorial where we saw the depiction of the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by Joe Rosenthal of the Marines raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi; the FDR Memorial where we learned about this great president's legacy and his dedication to social justice; and then to the Jefferson Memorial and saw the inscriptions of many of his famous quotes. He was truly one of the greatest men that ever lived. Done for the day, we settled into our coach ably driven by our bus driver, Ray. We arrived at our hotels safely, and definitely not as exhausted as last night, but still grateful to be “home.” What will tomorrow bring? Stay tuned…

Thursday Pictures

Thursday: Another awesome day!

We started the day with yet another group picture at the Grant Memorial with the Capitol dome in the background. One student commented that the parents looked like vultures hovering over a carcass to get a picture of the group. It's quite amusing to watch. Bleary-eyed junior high students being commanded by thirty adults to smile, take their hoods and hats off, and to “look here” at 8:45 in the morning was indeed a sight to behold! The next task at hand is to get to the congressional offices to see if we can meet a congressman. No such luck came our way, but we got to meet Representative Ken Calvert's intern Scott who is only 20 years old! We even got to walk through his office! Since our appointment at the Capitol for a tour was at 10 A.M., we had to high tail it across the street to the visitor's check in and go through security again. We are getting used to the routine of crossing the Washington , D.C. streets “quickly” with 83 people and making sure that any metals and electronics go in our backpacks or purses. We are becoming expert in “walking through” to be checked. The Capitol was definitely very impressive with all its symbols and statues. A parent commented that it was awesome to think that we were in the same room where bills were passed and ratified by the fathers of our country. Even if the wait was long to get in to the Library of Congress, it was worth seeing the Mainz Bible and the Guttenberg Bible. John Riffle said his favorite part was the architecture and the ornate ornamentations in the building. It is awesome to think that this building houses over 130 million items making it the largest library in the world. Next, we were off to Union Station for lunch. Moms and girls were excited that there was shopping and tons and tons of different food stalls in the food court. Of course, we can't forget about the religious tone of the art depicted in the building and the scripture verses inscribed on its walls. It's amazing to think that this is the hub for the MARC train, Amtrak, and DC's metro. To say that it is a bustling place is an understatement. After lunch, we proceeded to the Kennedy Center for a guided tour of this living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Artists from all over the world perform at the many stages in this building. We got to see the Presidential box where we found out that the White House has jurisdiction over its use. In other words, the President and First Lady could lend the use of the box to whomever they please. Inside the Opera House, we saw the most magnificent chandelier made from Austrian crystals. We also found out that Placido Domingo is the Director of the Washington National Opera. Our guide told us that Washington is a huge Opera town. We also got to tour different lounges where artists or donors can enjoy intermissions or pre-show refreshments. There were many questions from the crowd, especially when it came to the business of the performing arts. She commented that she's never had as many money-related questions from students before. Perhaps one of your children will be the next big Broadway producer! During our tour, there was a heavy down pour complete with thunder and lightning. That quickly passed and we were back on the bus again to get to our Holocaust Museum appointment at 5 P.M. We were briefed before proceeding to the exhibits. Each of us got a “passport” identifying us as a victim of the Holocaust. Our task was to discover our fate as we progressed through the exhibit. It was a powerful testament to the atrocities of this infamous time in our history. May it never, ever happen again. By this time, it was 7 P.M. and we proceeded to a park where we played amongst the sculptures called “The Awakening.” Ask your child what it felt like to run up a giant steel leg. After dinner, we finally were headed back to our hotel, but not before some Beach Boys fun in the 7 th grade bus where our driver, Surfin' Cindy Lou, treated us to some “bus surfing,” Virginia-style. The 8 th grade bus had their own version of Jeopardy going on. The competition was fierce and in the end, Allison emerged victorious with a squeeze astronaut. But the battle is not over. There are many pandas hoping to win back the coveted prize…and the saga continues…

Friday: The Seat of our Government

We experienced DC traffic at its worse today as we drove in from Dulles , VA through the capitol to get to the National Zoo. But it was all worth it when we saw the pandas and their endearing antics. They truly are amazing creatures. We were then off to the National Cathedral where we learned about this magnificent structure which took 83 years to build. Each stone was cut for a specific place in the cathedral. The first stone was laid in 1907 and the last one in 1990. Run by the Episcopal Church and fully funded by private donations, this cathedral is a fully working cathedral with over 20 services a week. The stained glass seemed more vibrant and more detailed than the cathedrals in Europe . One student who has traveled extensively in Europe commented that he liked this cathedral better because its stained glass depicted events in the modern era. This cathedral is also the burial site for Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, and President Woodrow Wilson. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his last Sunday sermon before his assassination at the National Cathedral. It was also the site for Al and Tipper Gore's wedding and the memorial services for Presidents Reagan and Ford. Ask your child if they remember what makes a cathedral a cathedral. A brief “to-go” stop at McDonald's sent us on our way to Alexandria , Virginia and to a quick stint at the Mt. Vernon Ice Skating Rink. Even the parents got into the spirit—thank goodness Tanya Harding wasn't around! Our next stop was George Washington's beloved home, Mt. Vernon . We paid homage to the father of our country at his grave site, toured the house where battles were planned, and hopes and dreams of a farmer, a general, a president were realized. To top it off, we got to see Mt. Vernon as the setting for the filming of the sequel to the Nicholas Cage movie, “National Treasure.” The back lawn was laid out for an event that happens in the movie, complete with lights, booms, cherry pickers. The drive through old town Alexandria taught us about the history of this once sleepy town which gained its fame during the Revolutionary War. A quick dinner at Union Station and then we were off to our hotel to pack and get ready for our trip back home...

Saturday: Quick detours and last minute discoveries

Today was the parade to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival, so our bus drivers and tour guides had to device a route to avoid barricades and crowds. Our last day in DC happened to be the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln assassination at Ford's Theatre, April 14! Guess where we were 142 years later? We watched in awe as “individuals from Lincoln 's era” recalled what happened on that fateful day. The different perspectives gave us an idea of the turmoil in those days as John Wilkes Booth shouted, “Sic Semper Tyrannis” (Thus always to tyrants) in what he believed to be an act of loyalty to the south. We walked across the street to go through the Petersen House where we saw the bed where President Lincoln expired. We were back on our trek again towards Chinatown where we saw the gate/arch, a gift from the People's Republic of China . Another trip on the Metro took us to the Naval Ship Yard to visit the Naval Museum and a tour of a battleship. The girls especially liked our young ensign who conducted the tour. Ahoy! Back on the bus and headed for lunch and the airport. Some of us had to go straight to the airport while others, picked up another “to go” lunch at the Pentagon City Mall. After we were checked in and said our goodbyes to Trip Jones and Adam Langley and to Ray and Cindy, our bus drivers, we proceeded to our gates hoping for an uneventful flight. But no . . . the adventure can't possibly be over! Our Northwest travelers were “treated” to some panic during some turbulence when a flight attendance announces over the PA system, “Stay in your seats unless it is a life or death situation.” Of course, most passengers only heard the life or death situation part. Over on the Delta flight, during our Salt Lake City lay over, we found out that our 50-seater plane was overbooked so that 4 of our 49 passengers did not have seats. After some creative maneuverings, Mrs. Bonesio and Mrs. Nojadera volunteered to stay over night with their sons and take the early flight to Reno the next day. After which, they were picked up by a private jet and taken to San Martin Airport . It's nice to have friends with private jets! Our travelers arrived around midnight to be greeted by family who missed them a whole lot. All in all, it was an experience we won't all soon forget. Ask me in a couple of years if I want to chaperone again… Until then, keep the memories close! ~ Cecile Mantecon, April 2007