In March, I went on the 8th grade Washington D.C. trip with Marvin Ridge Middle School. It was four packed days of museums, monuments, bus rides, early mornings, freezing weather, and trying to take everything in while also keeping up with the schedule.
We visited places like Arlington National Cemetery, Ford's Theatre, the Capitol, the Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the National Zoo, and the African American History Museum. It was a lot, but in the best way.
Early Start, Rain & a Change of Plans
The trip started very early at MRMS. We checked in with our bus leader and chaperone, boarded the buses, and left for D.C. before most people were probably fully awake. The first day was mostly travel, but it still felt exciting because the trip had finally started.
5:15 AM
Arrive at MRMS and check in with bus leader and chaperone
6:00–6:15 AM
Board buses and leave for Washington D.C.
1:15–1:45 PM
Lunch stop at Chick-fil-A in Spotsylvania Towne Centre
Rain and traffic changed the plan for the day, so the Holocaust Museum had to be removed. Instead, we stopped at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. It was not originally what we expected to do that afternoon, but it ended up being a really interesting first stop.
2:40–4:00 PM
National Museum of the Marine Corps
5:00–6:00 PM
Check in and settle at Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport by IHG
6:30–8:30 PM
Uptown Alley for dinner, bowling, and arcade games
9:00 PM
Back at the hotel, then lights out at 10 PM
Arlington, the White House & Monuments at Night
Day two was the earliest morning of the trip. We had a 5:30 AM wake-up, a quick breakfast, and then got on the buses for Arlington National Cemetery. Even though everyone was tired, Arlington made the morning feel quiet and serious right away.
8:30 AM
Arrive at Arlington National Cemetery for a guided walking tour
9:15 AM
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier wreath laying ceremony
The wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was one of the most powerful parts of the whole trip.
11:15 AM
Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, on the way to the White House
11:30 AM
The White House photo stop
12:30–1:30 PM
Group lunch at Hard Rock Cafe
2:00–2:45 PM
Ford's Theatre
3:30–5:00 PM
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
6:30–7:30 PM
Dinner at Union Station
8:15–9:45 PM
Guided night tour of monuments and memorials
10:00 PM
Back at the hotel. Lights out.
The Army Museum, the Capitol & Free Time
Day three started early again with breakfast before we headed to the National Museum of the U.S. Army.
9:00–10:30 AM
National Museum of the U.S. Army
11:15 AM
Enter security at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
11:45 AM
Lunch at Capitol Cafe
12:30–2:30 PM
Guided tour of the U.S. Capitol
That afternoon, each group had free time to choose which museums they wanted to visit. My group went to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which made the afternoon feel very different from the morning.
3:00–5:30 PM
Free time at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
6:00–8:30 PM
Dinner and DJ dance party at Dock 5 in Union Market
9:30 PM
Back at the hotel, then lights out at 10 PM
The Zoo, the African American Museum & the Drive Home
The last day started with packing up, moving luggage, and grabbing breakfast before one final round of stops. By then, everyone was definitely tired, but there was still a full day ahead before the drive back home.
9:00–10:45 AM
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, where most animals were indoors because of the cold weather
11:15 AM–12:45 PM
National Museum of African American History and Culture
1:00–2:00 PM
Lunch at Ronald Reagan Building
6:00–7:00 PM
Dinner on the way home at Chick-fil-A
11:45 PM
Arrive back at MRMS
11:50 PM
Parent pickup and heading home
Four days is a lot of ground to cover in D.C., and by the end I was genuinely exhausted. But looking back, I am really glad we got to experience so much in person. Standing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, walking through the Holocaust Museum, touring the Capitol, and seeing the monuments at night all felt different than just learning about them in class.
Some of my favorite parts were the African American History Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Thank you to the teachers, chaperones, parents, and everyone who helped make this trip possible.