2017 Trip Itinerary

2017 D.C. Trip Itinerary

Day One – Friday, February 17

8:15 – 8:35 PM   Arrive at Oakview and report to the cafeteria.

8:45 PM                Groups start loading their assigned busses

9:00 PM                Busses leave Oakview

Busses stop roughly every three hours.

Day Two – Saturday, February 18

6:30 AM                Busses will stop at a fast food restaurant for breakfast and student will receive $6 they already contributed. This will be an excellent place for students to prepare for the day. They will not have access to their luggage underneath the bus.

8:30 AM                Arrive in D.C. and go to the National Zoo. As time permits, we will see the panda exhibit.

10:00 AM             Tour of the National Cathedral

12:00 PM              Lunch at the Fish Market – Students will receive $12 of the money they already contributed. There are several lunch options.

1:00 PM                Group photo in front of the Capitol Building – please wear the sweatshirt or t-shirt you purchased or something dark.

2:00 PM                Tour of the Capitol Building

3:30 PM                If the weather permits we will walk to the Archives Museum to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights.

5:00 PM                Visit the National Portrait Gallery.

7:00 PM                Moonlight Cruise on the Potomac River. This cruise included a prepaid dinner and dance.

10:45 PM              Check-in to Holiday Inn Express – College Park, MD.

Students have about 20 minutes to get settled into their rooms. Under no circumstances should student ever leave their floor without an adult coming with him/her. Adults will check in with each room and give a brief rundown of the next day’s activities and what they might need.

Overnight security will be at the hotel each evening.

Day Three – Sunday, February 19

7:30 AM                Breakfast at hotel

8:45 AM                Depart for sightseeing

9:30 AM                Souvenir shopping (here is the best opportunity for spending money.

10:30 AM             National Park Service Ranger’s presentation of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater.

11:30 AM             Arrive at one of the Smithsonian Museums. At this point of the trip each chaperone and his/her group will choose which museums they would like to see. They will likely only have time for two of them and they will need to fit lunch into this time period. Students will be receiving $12 of the money they contributed.

2:30 PM                Meet our tour guide outside the Smithsonian Museums and tour the memorials (eg. World War II, Korean War, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall.)

4:00 PM                Leave for Toby’s Dinner Theater

5:00 PM                Arrive at Toby’s Dinner Theater, Columbia, MD. We will enjoy a buffet dinner and the musical “Show Boat”.

10:45 PM              Arrive back at the hotel. Student will have about 20 minutes to get settled into their rooms. Same expectations from Saturday night apply. Make sure everyone is fully packed to leave the next morning.

Day Four – Monday, February 20

7:45 AM                Breakfast at the hotel

8:30 AM                Make sure every group has all of their belongings and rooms are in proper working order.

8:45 AM                Depart for D.C.

9:30 AM                Photo stop in front of the White House

11:00 AM             Tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

12:45 PM              Depart for Arlington National Cemetery. Students will receive a box lunch from Potbelly’s which includes a sandwich, chips and a drink. If it’s nice outside we’ll find somewhere nice to eat.

1:30 PM                Tour of Arlington National Cemetery

3:00 PM                Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

3:15 PM                Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers

4:00 PM                Iwo Jima (Marine Corps) Memorial

4:45 PM                If we have time we can see the memorial outside the Pentagon in remembrance of the 9/11 attack.

5:30 PM                Dinner at Pentagon City Mall – Students receive a voucher for dinner and can also have a last opportunity for souvenir shopping.

7:00 PM                Depart for home

Day 5 – Tuesday, February 21

7:00 AM                Arrive back at Oakview – If everything goes exactly as planned we could get back in the 6:00 hour so please do not be shocked by an earlier phone call.

In keeping with Brightspark’s commitment to safety and security, all of our itineraries are compliant with Department of Transportation rules and regulations giving drivers at least 9 hours off each night and a maximum of 15 hours on duty during any 24 hour period. Your Brightspark Tour Director and Guides reserve the right to revise your group’s itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances such as traffic, road closures, site closures, and weather. Your Tour Director or Guide will consult with the Group Leader and Bus Driver(s) on any changes.