Canucked

The hallways were up late only to have their hopes of a memorable Marriott night dashed in the closing seconds of the Bruins game. We are hoping them and the B's will rebound... A big day of touring awaits including a hike to the top of the Arlington Cemetary. Hopefully the zzz's being picked up by Devin and Perry below will pick them up later today!

Mrs. Caiazza's Day with the Orangutans

Tuning In to our Nation's Capitol

Kate, Allie, and the Meghans prepare themselves for the Capitol guided tour. The guides moved quickly but it was exciting to see the business of the Capitol being run right alongside our tour! We completed our tour inside the chamber of the House of Representatives, where we have the great fortune of witnessing Kathy Hochul of New York being sworn-in as the newest member of the house by Speaker, John Boehner.

Willy and Drew's Zoo Review

Dinner Impossible

The Hamlet restaurant lost our dinner reservation (despite their ironically posted large group guarantee) but we still managed to get fed and return back to the hotel to catch the rest of the Bruins game. Day 2 is in the books. Goodnight from D.C.!

The Sky Opens Up @ The Jefferson Memorial

Poor Thomas Jefferson... Upstaged by a wind-driven, warm, summer rainstorm. A little bit of thunder, a little bit of hail, and a whole lot of fun.

Jefferson Memorial

Entering the Holocaust Museum

When I asked Matt F. what the engraving at the entrance of the museum meant, he replied with the following:

"When (Eisenhower) visited the camps he was so disgusted with what he saw he wanted to make sure we kept evidence of it forever so no one would forget."

The Capital Rotunda

The boys take pictures of the inside of the dome while listening to our tour guide explain the architecture and artwork that decorates it. Did you know the Statue of Liberty could fit inside? Neither did we. Jack describes the experience of being in the same room that Abraham Lincoln was memorialized in as "breathtaking."

On Tour @ The U.S. Capitol

Learning about the acousitc trick that John Quincy Adams used to overhear his political opponents across the room in the first meeting room in the House of Representatives.

Capital Theater

U.S. Capital Visitors Center tour begins with a film titled "E Pluribus Unum," which explains the history and importance of Congress. Dan and Harry led our group into the theater with enthusiasm equal to our patriotism.

Storming the Capitol

"No statue in Washington DC is taller than the statue of Freedom." -Devin

Washington Monument

The mall offers great views of the Washington Monument!

Old Friends

While waiting in line for the Reagan Food Court, Harry spotted an old Parker friend with the Bedford Middle School, Constantine Georgeopolous!

The National Zoo

Not all of the aminals were out this morning, but a few, like the elephants, gorillas, and the cheetahs, were cooperative. Here Katie and Julia enjoy the orangutans eating some breakfast.

Fighting the Heat

When you aren't adapted for the environment, staying active can be tough! An excellent case in point:

Rhea or Tim: Which is "Greater?"

"The Greater Rhea puffs up its feathers when it is hungry." -Tim

Posing with Pandas... Almost.

The heat and sun is a bit much for the pandas. They are in their exhibit but staying out of the range for quality photographs. Aaron, Leonard, and Drew settled on this bronze statue.

On Our Way!

Day two can safely be considered action-packed by anyone's standards. We are starting our morning at the National Zoo, then heading to the Capitol before our Holocaust Museum experience. Our students should be pretty tired by the time the sun goes down... but we all expect many of them to stay up to watch the Bruins!

Good Morning to Day 2

Yesterday was hot - no doubt about it. Add in the humidity, and it felt like it was up over 100. And, today may yet prove to be the hottest day of the week. Perhaps the thunderstorms sheduled for sometime this afternoon will cool us off.

Checking in to our hotel in Bethesda was a little hectic, but everyone got settled fairly quickly. Some students were able to score some roll-away beds to solve some sleeping issues, and most "retired" to their rooms before 9:00pm. The evening was uneventful.

Bright and early students were woken up and escorted down to a private buffet breakfast in one of the conference rooms. Soon, we'll be heading back into the city for another busy day.