As soon as I heard that our school does an annual trip to Washington DC and New York with the 8th Grade graduating class, I knew I was sending my oldest child on that trip. I am a big believer in travel and independence. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to let them go into the world and figure out some of what I do when we travel on their own. My oldest had a blast and loved the experience. They have written about the experience to share with you so you can see why sending your teen off on a trip with school, and EF Tours is worth the cost.
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that allows me to earn a small commission at no cost to you. I only link to products I would or have used myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. You can read the full disclaimer here.
- Overview
- Flying as a Group
- Washington DC
- New York City
- Heading Home
- Transportation
- Accommodations
- Food
- Tips
- Conclusion
Overview
In early June, my school does its annual 8th grade trip to Washington DC and New York City . This trip was viewed as a rite of passage, a sort of final farewell to the teachers and other classmates leaving for different high school in a few weeks. It was also a trip about learning the wonders of independence; and being away from your parents for the first time.
Over the course of the 6 days we explored the Capitol, various memorials, Lady Liberty herself, and were set loose in Times Square, plus so much more. It was extremely tiring at times, but also incredibly rejuvenating since there was something we hadn’t had, independence.
Flying as a Group
We started out at the San Francisco International Airport, where we said our farewells, went through security (I had to help one of my friends down a bottle of Welch’s apple juice because of the “no drinks through security” rule), got dinner, and boarded. We put our big bags above us and our little bags under the seat in front of us. By the time we did all of that it was about 11 PM and it was time to take off on a red eye to Washington DC.
Washington DC
We were told to sleep as much as we could because we were going to be starting the tour the second we got out of the airport. Thank goodness for that advice because the first day was ROUGH. The school booked through EF Tours and thus got a private bus we took throughout the trip. They stayed with us all the way from our first memorial to the airport. We started out with the Jefferson Memorial before swiftly moving on to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. There we were told to try and find a quote explaining why there were mini waterfalls at the memorial. It actually woke us up a bit and helped us get ready for the next activity. Afterwards, we walked as a group over to the World War II Memorial. However, before we could begin to check this out, we were told about how we would be participating in a parade to honor veterans. We made signs and said “Thank you for your service” to each one of them.
Afterwards, we got to see the memorial proper and it was stunning. Once that was done we walked over to the White House. When I was there, I learned that protests happen almost everyday in front of the White House, which surprised me since I thought that stuff like that would be kept away from where the President made their important decisions. By then we were feeling really tired and yet, we still weren’t finished walking, we walked ALL the way from the White House to Ford’s theater, the site where Lincoln was shot and killed. Finally, it was there that we’d be able to have lunch just across the street.
We got right back into the mix by walking from there to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. There we saw, to name a few: Kermit the Frog, a Prince guitar, a statue of George Washington in the style of a Greek god, and Captain America’s shield. It was a wild ride to say the least. Then just as we were having all our fun it was brought down by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It’s very informative, there is a lot to read as you walk through the winding corridors, learning more and more about the history of Black Americans before you get to the present day, but it was sobering. I was trying to pay attention but was super tired, and eventually just stopped reading altogether. Thankfully there was a relaxing room for when you finished the exhibit. The final place we went to that day was the Vietnam War Memorial. After this it was FINALLY time to rest in the hotel, we split up into our shared rooms and easily drifted off to sleep.
We started off the second day with a hotel breakfast before driving out to Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington is a famous national cemetery where those in the military during infamous wars of the past (WWII, Vietnam, Korea, etc.) were buried. There we saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the graves of John F. Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and visited the memorial to the Astronauts who died during the Challenger tragedy. After that was a lot of driving to a very special place.
After lunch at a random outdoor mall, we drove to Mount Vernon! We started with a walk through the education center which was full of information about George Washington’s life and how he, his wife, and his children lived there. Then we moved on to the actual house which was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! You could tell that a lot of effort went into the conservation work for the place.
Once that was over it was finally time to go, but not back to the hotel. Instead, we took a quick trip over the Potomac into Maryland, where we got to ride the Capital Wheel. The Capital Wheel is a Ferris wheel with a good amount of space inside that fits 4 to 5 students in a car. You get stunning views of the Potomac while also feeling safe and secure enough to take pictures of it. Surrounding it is a Ben & Jerry’s and a beautiful art piece called The Awakening not even a few minutes walk from it.
The next day would turn out to be the best day of the trip, we were going to visit Capitol Hill! And not just that, we were going to be able to actually explore the Capitol building! We started out in the Crypt, then moved our way up to the Rotunda, and finally finished in the Statuary Hall. It was all very grand and beautiful, everything about it screamed perfection. Afterwards, we walked to the United States Supreme Court to lay out ground rules for the New York side of the trip while also taking pictures and giving us history on the Supreme Court building. After that it was time to get on the bus and drive to New York City.
New York City
On the way to New York we got lunch at another mall, this time indoors. The rest of the day was spent in New York City. We first walked over to Penn Station to see the famous Whispering Gallery, a place where you can whisper things into one corner of the room and hear it on the opposite corner, it was very weird.
Once that was done we moved on to another very well known location in NYC, the Empire State Building. Inside, we saw pictures of many famous people who visited, including Hailee Steinfeld, Tom Holland, Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, King Kong, and many, many others. Obviously, as we were going to the Empire State building, we couldn’t stay at the bottom. We went all the way to the top! The views were stunning with an amazing birds-eye view of the world below, in between the bottom and the top, we also got more views and picture opportunities. We drove to the new hotel with full hearts and tired brains.
In the morning we hopped on the bus and started off towards a ferry. Why a ferry? Because we were going to visit the epitome of American inclusivity, the Statue of Liberty! Once we were safely on the island, we were let wild and told to be back at the meeting point by a certain time. I made a beeline for the museum where there was a ton of cool history and photo props. I spent a bit too much time there and by the time I realized that I needed to get lunch it was 30 mins till I had to go. I rushed over to the lunch area, and got a quick bite before returning to the rendezvous point on time. We all boarded the boat headed back to the mainland.
Once we got back, we headed towards the nearest subway station and got on a train towards Central Park for a little relaxing trip. After we got there, we got a little history about the park and how there were little playgrounds all over the place. We were once again let loose but this time on a playground complete with slides and swings. We then walked to Times Square. Once we were there we were let loose a third time for some shopping! I got gifts for my family at Forever 21, and the Disney store.
Once that was done it was time for the true highlight of the day and even the trip, we got to go to… a BROADWAY SHOW! And not just any Broadway show, we got to see The Outsiders! We’d done an assignment in Social Studies class based off the book before the trip so it was a great add on. The show was spectacular! The actors played their parts with such emotion, the songs were all bangers, it was incredible and one of the best musicals I’d ever seen. After that it was time for bed so we hopped back on the bus and went back to sleep at the hotel one last night.
Not much was planned for the final day since we were heading back home. We hopped on the bus and left the hotel for the final time, making sure to pack all of our stuff in the storage compartment under the bus. After that we were off to the hardest part of the trip, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Once there we were sent off to explore and learn about the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001. There we saw: a piece of one of the antennas, some support beams for the buildings, and even met some of the people who’d been in the building when it started coming down. Me and a few friends of mine also decided to watch a short film about how the US government found and killed Osama Bin Laden. After that it was a short walk past the two waterfalls where the buildings had once stood and into the bus headed to LaGuardia Airport.
Heading Home
Once there we got out our luggage, thanked the bus driver and tour guide who’d stayed with us the entire trip and moved along to get our boarding passes and check our bags. After that was done we moved through security which was much easier than the first time thanks to everyone knowing a little bit more about the whole process. We moved into a giant rotunda filled with little shops and restaurants, speed walking our way to our gate. By the time we got to the gate it was nearly time to board so we made a mad dash over to a water bottle filling station and waited a few minutes before it was time to board.
On the plane we were able to watch movies, chat about our favorite moments of the trip, watch more movies, etc. It was great. We had a layover in Denver where I inspired my science teacher to get a Nova Lox bagel and she liked it (thank you Einstein Bros. Bagels). On the second flight I immediately fell asleep from the moment the plane started flying to the moment it landed. The plane landed at around midnight PST which SUCKED since that meant that my internal clock was running as if it was 3:00 AM. We slogged over to baggage claim where my family was there waiting for me, my luggage in hand. I gave each of them a big hug, told my friends I’d see them later, and finally went home with the memories circling around in my mind as I peacefully fell asleep that night.
Transportation
During the trip our school used a private tour company called EF Tours which brought us around to different sites using a private bus. The bus had below-seat storage and overhead storage which meant there were plenty of places to put our bags. We also had exclusive usage of the bus for five days with our private driver and tour guide getting hotel rooms in the same hotels we were staying in.
For heading to Washington DC, Denver, and San Francisco we flew on planes. On the planes, we were put near the back so that our noise could be kept away from most other passengers, not that we were too particularly noisy, they just had experience with other kids and these seats were also cheaper. On the way over, we each had to stick to one carry-on suitcase and one personal item. On the way back, since we had a layover and were on Southwest (Southwest has free checked baggage), they required us to check our carry-on suitcases. I loved that I didn’t have to worry about getting my luggage down from the overhead compartments, and that it would just be waiting for me down at baggage claim.
Accommodations
EF Tours arranged for the hotel rooms. All the hotels had most of the usual amenities: soap, a minifridge, a TV, etc. EF Tours also provided nighttime security so that no couples could sneak out and no bad people could break in, as my mom put it. Our trip had a rule keeping 4 people to one hotel room, however I lucked out and ended up with just one roommate, one of my best friends. This meant we each got a bed for ourselves.
During our visit to Washington DC, we stayed at the SpringHill Suites in Fair Oaks Fairfax, VA. My roommate and I spent the first night watching movies before I finally decided to go to sleep. This hotel included free breakfast, spacious rooms, a pool, a gym, and more. Speaking of which, the pool was so great! The one time we were allowed to use the pool we used it as much as we could. It was so much fun, with all my classmates jumping in at least once, some people did sumo wrestling while being held up top by others, there were handstand competitions, it was a blast! A solid 5 out of 5 stars, “Would stay again.” The same cannot be said about the next hotel.
In New York, we stayed at the Doubletree Newark Airport Hotel. On the outside it looked BEAUTIFUL! Stunning glasswork, an open and spacious lobby, it was great! However, when we got to the hotel rooms, let’s just say I found something unpleasant and after reporting it to the teachers, they made sure to get us moved to another room. The hotel’s included breakfast also wasn’t as adequate. Their pool was closed due to undisclosed reasons, which was a little sad but we weren’t going to be able to go in there anyway. In the end, this hotel wasn’t my favorite but good for an affordable stay close to the city.
Food
How EF Tours handles food is generally with food allowances. All students are provided a Till Card. Right before each meal, the card is loaded with a set amount of money. Usually, we were in a food court and people could choose what they wanted to eat. For us this Till Card was filled with $20 every lunchtime so that we would be able to buy and eat something. It definitely got a lot more food than you might think. But the Till card works anywhere a credit or debit card is accepted. Parents can also load money on it. It can be used for anything. I used it to buy a souvenir on the final day. All in all, a Till Card is a good idea if you want your child to start getting into the habit of being responsible with money.
Tips
Now, if you’re a kid like me, all of this might sound like heaven on Earth! You get to visit new places with friends from school, see stuff you’ve only heard about in books and movies, and even get to spend some time without your overbearing parents. However, if you’re a parent I know that you’d probably feel incredibly scared about your child being without you for such a long period of time. “What if the plane crashes,” “What if my child gets lost,” “What if there isn’t enough for my child to eat”, What if, what if, what if. My mom had those exact same thoughts but she knew that this was time I needed for myself, she knew I had to have this opportunity to be able to grow as a person and become more independent for when I eventually went off to college. She knew me and knew that it would be a net positive for me to go.
With ALL of that said, here are a few helpful tips for getting your child on this trip:
- Make sure they know all the questions that the screening officers at security might ask them, “What’s your name?” “How old are you?” Stuff like that.
- Make sure the know the rules about going through TSA (No liquids, they have to take off their shoes, etc.)
- Make sure that they’ve packed correctly: a few tops, a few bottoms, socks, underwear, maybe even a swimsuit if the teachers will allow a pool party. (Check out our blog post on Teaching Kids How to Pack)
- Make sure that your child has a way to contact you or a teacher if they end up lost and separated from the group. This can be done in the form of getting them a full-on smartphone, a smart watch, or just a simple flip-phone! If they already have one of those, that’s even better!
- You might need to learn to get used to time differences. The places I went were three hours ahead of California time which was a hard switch for me, when I was heading to bed at 9 or 10, my family was chilling at 6 or 7 in the afternoon, or when I woke up and felt like I needed to talk to someone, it might’ve been 3 AM for them, so way before actual talking hours.
- From Robin (Mom): I actually put my child as an authorized user on my credit card, and sent it with them. It wasn’t to use for anything, but just in case of emergency and they needed to access to more than their food and souvenir money.
With these tips you should be able to go forth and let your child have the time of their lives with their friends.
Conclusion
When I went on this trip it felt truly magical and I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend a fellow student do a similar type of trip where they’re away from their parents for a couple of days. Parents, don’t let your own insecurities about flying or letting your child explore by themself keep your child from having a great time in a once in a lifetime experience. It builds character, can bring friends closer together, and is all around exciting for kids to do for the first time. I know it might seem scary to both kids and adults but it will be a good time all around and you’ll come back with more smiles than frowns.
*Photos from the students and teachers that attended the trip
Written, Captioned and Edited by SKS
Leave a Reply