Wednesday

The weather started off a little overcast as we made our way to the White House, and we were worried when Mrs. Phillips felt a few drops of rain over at the Jefferson Memorial.  The students were still able to stay focused on Mr. Glanzer's history lesson about Thomas Jefferson, and the only problem any of the students really faced was a broken shoe.  (We're still not exactly sure how the shoe broke, but it will undoubtedly make for a great story later.)

After the Jefferson Memorial, we walked to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, where students took photos of their favorite quotes and took some time to appreciate the eloquence of his writing and the nobleness of his cause.

After MLK, it was FDR.  Mr. Glanzer explained to students the symbolism of the four "rooms" of the memorial, each room representing a term of office.  The groups did a great job getting from place to place on time, so we were able to get to lunch at the Pentagon City Mall right on schedule.

After lunch, we went to the National Zoo.  The students saw the famous pandas, heard a lion roar, and some even saw the elusive "Sand Cat."  It was a great, relaxing walk through the zoo.  The best part was that the sky cleared up, and we had beautiful weather for our time there!

We then went to the Evensong Service at the National Cathedral.  The students loved the exquisite stained glass and towering architecture of the building.  Many noted how beautiful the service itself was.  We were lucky to once again sit with the choir for the service, and hearing those lovely trained voices reverberate throughout the space was a truly unique experience.  (Parents, be sure to ask your children about the peculiar gargoyle that perches on one of the corners of the Cathedral.)

After a drive down Embassy Row, we made our way to Bucca di Beppo for a delicious (almost gluttonous) meal!  Bus 2 became "Party Bus 2014," as our driver, Cynthia played some classic songs, such as "Hakuna Matata," (after which one student said he was living his childhood again--imagine that: nostalgia at age 14), to recent jams like "Happy" by Pharrell Williams.  The kids sang all the way back to the hotel!