Arborland's 8th-grade DC Trip 2022

By: Lauren Jacobsen

Day 1: Sunday

First of many long days this week. Our flight to DC flew out around 8 o'clock in the morning. We had to be at school at 5:15 just to get to the airport on time. We got into DC at around 4 o'clock and went straight into the hotel to settle in. Then we went for a walk to see the White House and the World War l Memorial. We saw a little duck family trying to get out of the water. We had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, and it was my first time! It was the coldest it will be all week, but the weather has been really nice.

My favorite part: Getting a peek at many important buildings.
Funniest part: Watching weird music videos at Hard Rock Cafe.
Fun Fact of the Day: There are 24/7 snipers on top of the White House and the street outside of it gets shut down when the President is in the White House.

Day 2: Monday

23,800 steps today.

First, we went downstairs for breakfast. Their bacon was surprisingly good. Second, we went to the National Zoo where we got to see pandas, cheetahs, elephants, and so much more! Then, we went to the Natural History Museum which had a lot of really fascinating information about evolution and the history of life. Then, we went to the National Archives where we saw pretty much every single important American document you can think of. We had dinner at a pizza place and went to the Pentagon Memorial. A really interesting fact I learned there was that the youngest person to die that was buried at the memorial was three years old.

Day 3: Tuesday

Lots and lots of walking today. We had breakfast and headed straight over to Arlington National Cemetary early in the morning where we met our tour guide, Mike, for the first time. He was very nice and really engaged us in the places we were visiting. It was really cool to see all these people's resting places and how beautiful the scenery was. After that, we had lunch and visited the Library of Congress. Then, we were supposed to visit the Supreme Court building, but it was closed. We ended up resting back at the hotel for that time. Then, out on adventure again, we looked around the American History Gallery for a while before heading to dinner. After dinner, we met with Mike once more for a monuments tour at night. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, World War ll Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial.

Day 4: Wednesday

Today was a much shorter day than yesterday. Our feet appreciated the rest. First thing in the morning, we were given a tour of Mount Vernon. We saw many historical places and gravesites there. The view out on the water was also very beautiful. Then, we had lunch and headed to the African American History and Culture Museum, where we spent most of our afternoon.

I really enjoyed this museum and learning about the history of African American culture. After that, we went to a long sit-down dinner, which was really fun. We were supposed to go on a ghost tour after dinner, but we decided not to because dinner ran long and it was all places we had been to already. We then headed back to the hotel for a restful night.

Day 5: Thursday

Last full day! This week has gone by so fast. This morning, we went to the International Spy Museum, which I have to say is the COOLEST museum of ALL TIME. We did the undercover mission game to save and retrieve stolen artifacts from terrorists trying to fund their mission.

I really wish we had more time in this museum, but we had to go to the Capitol building to meet Young Kim. We did not end up meeting with her, but we still got a really nice group photo at the Capitol. Then, we went to dinner and souvenir shopping.

Day 6: Friday

I can't believe it's over. I'm pretty sure I could live here someday. We got up early and went to the airport. We got on the plane back to LAX. It was, mostly, a smooth ride. Apart from having to switch seats with some children so all seven of them could sit together. Claire and I ended up sitting next to an FBI agent who was in DC for business. He was very nice to sit next to. Chloe had to sit with the two little kids, whom she said were very loud. I'm excited to go home, but I also don't want to leave.

What I Have Learned

Arborland's first annual 8th grade DC trip was a blast! We learned so much about our founding fathers and the history of our nation's capital. We also learned about the overall history of our nation and applied what we have learned in class to the real world. Mike, our tour guide, helped us learn a lot of information we had never learned before. This trip was a bonding experience that we will never forget.