Day three was full of various sightseeing opportunities. At 7:45am, we left our hotels to take photos by the White House.
Our next stop was the Newseum, an impressive multimedia attraction, celebrating journalism of past and present. Students were treated to a “4-D” movie presentation (the fourth dimension being special effects such as wind and moving seats). The fourteen-minute film opened with a scene portraying the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which of course resulted in a big cheer from our group! We also learned the story of Nellie Bly, the first investigative journalist, who feigned mental illness to report on oppressive conditions in a New York asylum.
Another highlight at the Newseum was the September 11th exhibit, from a journalistic perspective. Brave reporters on the scene at ground zero recounted their fascinating stories on a video presentation, while a lofty wall display showcased hundreds of newspapers from around the world. It was interesting to compare headlines from city to city and country to country.
Speaking of headlines, even the restrooms in the Newseum were entertaining! As part of the exhibit, headlines “gone wrong” were scattered across the bathroom walls. Among our favorites that were actually published included: “Panda lectures at zoo next week,” and “Actor jailed for not finishing sentence.”
Afterwards, we headed to the National Mall, where student groups had time to explore several museums. Some favorites of the afternoon include the flight simulator at the Air and Space Museum, the Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum, and “Thanks for the Memories,” an exhibit on American pop culture, including Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. In the American History Museum, “Flag Hall” displayed the flag that was the inspiration for the “Star Spangled Banner.”
For supper, the students were treated to a pizza, pasta, and salad buffet at Magill’s restaurant in Virginia. To finish the meal, many students could not resist the “make your own” ice cream sundaes. Some even took advantage of the game room and t-shirt stand!
Our final stop for the evening included a ghost tour of “Old Town” Alexandria, Virginia. Accompanied by tour guides dressed in authentic attire, the students walked the quaint neighborhood, hearing haunted history tales.
Tomorrow we plan to check out, do some sightseeing, and make our way back to home sweet Lexington! Thanks for following us along on this adventure! We look forward to seeing you all back at Clarke tomorrow night.
Signing out,
The D.C. chaperones J
