SMCES DC & NYC Trip

Going Home

2011-06-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's Friday, June 17th, and our last day in NYC. After having great weather the first four days, today started out rainy, but that did not stop us. We had lots of things to do and see. When we walked out of the hotel it had stopped raining. We had lucked out! Made our way down the street for breakfast. After breakfast we headed for the subway to Manhattan and the ferry for the cruise to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

We headed back to Manhattan for lunch in the financial district.

From there it was to Ground Zero.

Wow What A Thursday!

2011-06-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Started the day early, as usual. Headed to Manhattan for breakfast and the NBC studio tour. We saw Studio 3B, home of Saturday Night Live, and the studio of the Dr. Oz show. Tyler and Katherine volunteered to be anchorman and weather person and read from the teleprompter - harder then it looks.
We stood outside in the plaza where the Today Show is. Saw Matt Lauer and Ann Curry doing a cooking segment, then move over to where we were.

From Rockerfeller Center it was on to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

After our visit to the cathedral, we had some free time to eat lunch and shop the most famous avenue in the world - Fifth Avenue!

Did a little shopping, had a little lunch. Ended up walking in Central Park.

After Central Park, it was dinner time at a place called Havana Central near Times Square. Times Square and Broadway are so full of energy, one had to close your eyes just to have some relief from it.

We saw Memphis the musical at the Shubert Theater. It was set in the 50's South, at the time when rock and roll was just beginning. It was great!

Goodby DC - Hello NYC

2011-06-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

Another early morning!
Met for breakfast at the hotel, grabbed our luggage and headed out for our last morning in DC. We spent the morning at Mount Vernon, the estate of our first president, George Washington.

What a beautiful place! We started out in the visitors center, then onto the tour of the mansion and the grounds.
We were there all morning. Lunchtime! We headed down the road.
Then it was time to say goodby to Adam Langley, our tour leader.

We headed off to the Big Apple - New York City!
We stopped for dinner, and then it was time for the Top of the Rock!
From the 67th floor, we were able to see the Empire State building, Central Park, and everywhere else.
That ended our very long day. Tomorrow, NBC, Fifth Avenue, and Central Park, and the Broadway Play.

Day 2 Washington DC

2011-06-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Second Day in Washington, DC
After a great night's sleep we hit the road.
First - breakfast at the hotel. We join our traveling companions, Gold River Discovery Center, a group of 7th and 8th graders from NoCal. We are going to the Capital today.

We arrived very early, and who do you think we saw getting out of another bus, Mrs. Henderson. She's traveling with her 8th grade students.
We were able to take up close pictures, and then headed down to the visitor's center. We saw a short film on the history of the Capital. It was all very interesting. We were able to get into the Congressional Gallery, but Congress had just broken for Lunch, so we didn't see any action.
We did however see Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House. She was coming up the stairs, while we were going down the stairs at the Library of Congress.
From the Capital it was on to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing - where the money is made.
We took the tour, they were printing the $100 note today. Our guide told us they print on average $9 million daily.

Picture above was taken in the gift shop.

Next stop was Reagan Int'l Trade Center for lunch.

Smithsonian Complex was our next stop. Everyone got into groups and went to check out the museums. Some went to the Air and Space, some to Natural History, and some to American History. We stayed for 3 hours.

Dinner Time! After dinner it was Memorials at Night under a full moon. We visited the Lincoln, Viet Nam, Korean, World War II, and the Marines Memorials, all at night. Beautiful and breath taking.

We are now back at the hotel. It's our last night in DC, tomorrow it's George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, then onto the BIG APPLE!

BTW - Arlington Laying of the Wreath video is on St. Monica Catholic Elementary School FaceBook page. Check it out!

This is it!

2011-06-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived. We leave from Long Beach airport at 9:30pm. Have to meet the kids and Ms. Sessarego at 7:30pm.
We arrive a Dulles International Airport at 5:11 A.M. Hope everyone gets some sleep.
4:50 AM Monday June 13, 2011. NOBODY SLEPT!
We started our day in Washington, DC at, lets say, 5 AM. An uneventful flight except for the fact that nobody slept on the plane. So here it is, 10:40 PM and we are exhausted. It was a full day starting with breakfast at the hotel, then we were off and running. We started at the White House, while we were looking at it, we saw the Veep arriving at the White House in a motorcade. We then saw the President Obama arriving by Marine One on the South Lawn. It was exciting and we all wave. Next it was onto the United States Holocaust Museum. How very emotional and moving as we walked through history.
Next, it was lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe Washington, DC. Right around the corner from the Hard Rock was Ford's Theater where President Lincoln was shot.
There was a presentation from a park ranger explaining everything to us. We were all so tired that we all fell asleep, including Ms. Sessarego, and Mrs. Tuverson. I think Caitlin has a picture.
Onto Arlington National Cemetery and the changing of the guard and a wreath laying by former SMCES students, Neal Conners, Katherine Young, Janelle Flores, and Tyler Garcia. The video of the Laying of the Wreath will be on the blog tomorrow. I'm tired, so I'm going to bed.

2011-05-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day 2011.
We are 2 weeks and counting. All the students are excited about the trip. Right now everyone is focus on graduation.

New Class = New Trip

2011-04-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

New Class = New Trip! The Class of 2011 embarks on their school trip on Sunday, June 12, 2011.
Stay Tune!

We're Home!

2010-06-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

Day 5: Our Last Day Together
Our day started at 6:30 a.m. We met in the hotel lobby, after packing our suitcases one last time. We would be heading home after spending the day in the Big Apple.
We headed toward the subway for the trip to Manhattan, where we would be exploring Rockerfeller Plaza and NBC Studios. The kids were on their own to eat breakfast and explore the plaza area before we gather for the NBC Studio Tour. The tour was fun and very informative. We were able to see the working sound studios of Saturday Night Live, The Dr. Oz Show, and my personal favorite, Football Night in America. Two of the kids even got to read a teleprompter as a news anchor(watch out Brian Williams), give a weather report, while being taped. All of us in the audience were laughing because it's much harder then it looks.
After Rockerfeller Plaza we walked around the block to 51st and 5th Avenues in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral. We were given two hours to walk the avenue. grab a bite of lunch, and SHOP the most wonderful street in America, 5TH AVENUE! The students went off on their own after a visit to St. Patrick's.
The NBA Store was packed with L.A. tourists(including Ms. Sessarego and I)buying the Lakers Championship stuff( OFFICAL locker room T-shirt, hat, and towel). Then off to explore Tiffany & Co, Henri Bendel, the Nike Store, and F.A.O. Schwartz. After eating lunch, we all met up at the Apple Store cube, to start our walk through Central Park. What a wonderful day, weather wise for exploring Central Park. We started at the world famous Plaza Hotel( 5th Avenue & Central Park West), and into the park we headed. We walked through the Central Park Zoo, stopping along the way to listen to Lawrence give us the history of the park. We made our way to the fountain next to the lake and the Central Park Boat House. The students took the opportunity to wade in the fountain. We all had a fun time.
From there it was the hike to Strawberry Fields, going over the bridge, stopping to take pictures of the famous view of the lake and skyline. Strawberry Fields was our last stop before exiting the park for our bus to JFK Airport.
Strawberry Fields is dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, who was assassinated in 1980 while exiting his car outside the Dakota where he lived.
We loaded onto the bus for our trip to the airport. Our terminal was first. We said goodby to our new friends from the Hill School. Got through security and to the gate to wait for our flight home.

This was a most amazing trip! Thank you Ms. Sessarego for asking me to come along.

Having been to both DC and NYC, I found myself seeing both cities through new eyes, the eyes of your children. Thank you parents for entrusting them to our care. You have wonderful kids.

We Take Manhattan!

2010-06-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - Brooklyn and Manhattan
We get to sleep in!!!!! Breakfast at 6:45 this morning at a Brooklyn diner a 2 min walk from our hotel. After breakfast we head for the subway station for the ride to Manhattan.
We exit in the financial district and head for Ground Zero and St Paul's chapel, the oldest building in Manhattan. A lot has changed at Ground Zero now that construction has begun. We headed towards Wall Street to see the NYSC. Then it was down to Battery Park to catch the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We had lunch on Ellis Island, then took the ferry back to Manhattan for a little shopping around Battery Park.Took the subway back to Brooklyn(by now the kids are experienced subway riders).
Had some time for some hotel pool time before we had to get ready for dinner and Broadway. Had dinner at Gossip Restaurant on Ninth Ave then to the Palace Theater for the revival of West Side Story. After the theater we went across the street to Time Square for a group photo.
We had a wonderful day, topping off with the Lakers winning the national championship. It's now 12:35 a.m. the kids are in their rooms getting ready for the NBC Studio Tour, and the Today Show.

Goodby Washington DC, Hello New York City!

2010-06-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Day 3
As usual the day started very early, 6:15 to be exact! Breakfast at the hotel then on the bus, for the last time in DC.
It was the Memorials day. We saw the Korean, Viet Nam, Iwo Jima, and the Jefferson Memorials. We went to Ford's Theater, the site of the assassination of President Lincoln, then accross the street to the Peterson House, where the President died. After saying thank you and goodby to our tour guide, Adam Langley, we headed north of the Mason-Dixon Line to the Big Apple, Manhattan.
We settled in for the four hour trip having picked up box lunches, and setting up the DVD player for a couple of movies. Some of the kids got some much needed sleep.
All were awake when we first caught sight of the skyline of Manhattan. There was so much excitment that we were finally here. We met our tour guide, Lawrence near Chinatown, and Little Italy. We had an hour to shop before we left for dinner and the Empire State Building, our last stop of the night.
It's now 11:07, all tucked in bed, ready for a big day in the Big Apple.
P.S. I'm having problems with uploading the videos, so here are some stills for the time being.

Day 2 Washington DC

2010-06-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

Another Amazing Day!
Day 2 in Washington DC. 6:15 breakfast at our hotel, on the bus by 7 AM.
First stop Mount Vernon, home of our First President, George Washington.
We were there by 8 AM so we wouldn't have to wait in a long line. That's one of the good things about having a tour guide, they know what time to get where you want to be so you don't have to stand in a long line. The last time I was at Mount Vernon, I was 18. Boy has it changed. The kids enjoyed themselves very much, even though it was early in the morning(they're still on Cali time). After spending the morning at Mount Vernon, it was time for lunch at Roy Rodgers, where we celebrated the birthday of a student from the Hill School. In the afternoon we hit the National Archives where we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. From there it was on to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I can't begin to tell you how emotional it was to be there, almost like a witness to all that happened. Each of us was given a identification card of an actual person. As we moved through the museum, we would read about our person. At the end we would find out if our person was murdered in the camps, or if they were able to escape the Holocaust.
Off to the Washington Monument. All I can say is watch the video because the kids had a great time. Then it was on to the World War II Memorial. Then Dinner at ESPN Zone. We were lucky to be there. It was the last day the "Zone" was open. To end our day it was the Lincoln Memorial at sunset and night time. Tomorrow it's the morning in DC, then off to the Big Apple.

First Day - Washington, D.C.

2010-06-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

WOW!!!
What a day. Our day started when we landed at Dulles International Airport at 5:11 A.M., yes you read me right, 5:11 A.M. The flight from Long Beach was very uneventful. Everyone got some sleep, some more then others. We got off the plane ready to go.
First stop was to our hotel for some breakfast. We also met the kids from the Hill School. They will be our traveling companions. After breakfast we all climbed into the bus for a full day of sight seeing. First stop was the White House for a picture shot. We then walk around to see the South Lawn. We were surprised to see people gathering on the South Lawn. It seems the President was leaving for the Gulf, and it was our good fortune to see Marine One landing on the lawn. When Marine One lifted off with the President, we all waved. On to the Capitol and the Visitor's Center, where we saw a wonderful presentation on the history of the Capitol. We took a tour of the Capitol Rotunda. It is very beautiful, and so historical. Next it was time for lunch at Union Station. Union Station has a food court, so we all got to choose what we wanted to eat. After lunch it was on to the Smithsonian Complex. We went to the Museum of American History where we saw Julia Child's kitchen. Then it was the Natural History Museum, where Ms. Sessarego and I headed for the Hope Diamond, and the kids, headed off to see the dinosaurs. Last stop at the Smithsonian Complex was the Air and Space Museum. We saw the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 capsule, and all things flight related. Last stop of the day, and the most emotional, was Arlington National Cemetery. We visited the JFK Gravesites, the Challenger Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknowns. It was at the Tomb of the Unknowns that the Hill School laid a wreath at the tomb. We also saw the Changing of the Guard.
That was it for sight seeing. We went to dinner at Phillips on the Chesapeake Bay.
We arrived back to the hotel around 8:45 p.m. everyone very tired but still wanting to go swimming in the hotel pool. It is now 10:15, soon to be lights out. I can hear Ms. Sessarego giving last minute instructions about tomorrow. We start the day off at 6:15 A.M.
Good Night!

At the airport

2010-06-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well we made through security, and to the gate, where we sit waiting to board our JetBlue Flight #300.
We leave Long Beach at 9:30,and arrive at Dulles International at around 5:11 A.M.
Hopefully everyone will get some sleep, but I don't think so. On the same flight is a Utah high school group. The plane is going to be full of kids!

Getting ready

2010-06-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Five days before the BIG trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City. Everyone is getting packed and ready to go. From reading our itinerary, we are on the move the minute we get off the plane at Dulles, which is at 5:11 A.M. Monday, June 14th, we don't stop until we arrive home at 9:30 P.M. on Friday, June 18th.
So, if you'd like to follow our trip, check out our video blog everyday. Be a part of the sites and sounds of Washington, D.C. and New York City as the former St. Monica Catholic Elementary School 8th Graders take DC and NYC by storm!