Day 1: As we entered the busses outside of the airport, we were told to sit quietly and be patient for our visit to the Smithsonian was an air and space museum containing many planes and scientific evidence of a space shuttle such as Sputnik and the v-2 Rocket. Then, we were to go back in our bus and prepare ourselves to the minimal walkthrough the Holocaust Museum. This was going to be a valuable learning experience that was going to teach us about the holocaust and prevent our generation from repeating the same mistake. Afterwards, we would go to Ford’s Theatre where Abraham Lincoln.
Then, we would go back to the us and we were going to visit four memorials. These memorials were Lincoln memorial, Korean memorial, World War 2 memorial, and Iwo Jima memorial. These memorials were meant to honor the soldiers who had sacrificed themselves for our freedom and all they did for us. Our first stop was at the Smithsonian to learn about aircraft and space. My knowledge expanded throughout the museum where I learned about the Sputnik and other breakthroughs in space exploration and air travel. Afterwards our bus dropped us off at the Holocaust museum.
There I learned that the annihilation of the jews were rimarily through gas chambers which was the easiest way to kill large quantities of people. Another way of killing the jews was by using ovens and burning people in a horrific way to die. Then, we explored Ford’s Theatre and I learned that Abraham lincoln did not die in the theatre, he died in a house next door. John Wilkes booth also jumped off the balcony and the fall broke his leg. At the vietnam memorial I learned about how the architectural structure was significant to the symbolism.
On the trip that day we learned about 2 museum and 4 memorials. During our walk through the museum and memorials I was motionally impacted by the pain and suffering these people and their families had to face. This helped me better comprehend the slogan “never again” through a first time experience in the Holocaust museum. Although I am not American I was deeply affected and put in a state of appreciation for the valor of the soldiers. The soldiers had to face extreme states of horror and without them our country would not be the same as it is now.
At the vietnam memorial the reflection of my face on the wall made me feel like i belonged on that wall alongside the other names. The Korean memorial especially showed the the mental challenges those en had to face making split seconds decisions. All in all this was successful first day. Day 2: Getting onto the bus our first stop was the capitol building. It was built in the 1800 and served as a place where government would meet and discuss matters. The United States Capitol is among the most symbolically important and actually impressive in the nation.
It is located on capitol hill and house three house chambers. Afterwards we were going to visit the Air and Space which was a place where they host over hundreds of planes and rockets used in the past. These rockets and planes include the Apollo 11 and the Lockheed SR-71 blackbird. Then we visited the FDR memorial which was created to honor the Franklin Delnor Roosevelt who had been a president for four years. At night we were going to visit Iwo Jima, Jefferson, and the World War 2. These memorials were built after the Thomas Jefferson, the North Korean war, and World War 2.
Our first stop was at the Capitol building where we visited many conference room and saw some senators presenting ideas to be voted on. Then we saw a movie which showed us the purpose of the building and many of the daily activities. I learned there that there was a rave arranged for George Washington to be buried there but he was buried on Mount Vernon where rightfully should have been. We jumped onto the bus afterwards and arrived at the Air and Space museum to watch a movie and explore the artifacts left there. The fast plane during the Vietnam war that could dodge bullets and radar’s rays would bounce of it.
During the movie we learned about space exp ration unit that was going to mars and beyond. We left there to go to the FDR memorial walk through. The walkthrough was very inspirational with quotes and many symbols such as missing rocks from the wall ndicating Franklin Delenor Roosevelt’s life falling apart. After eating our night tours started with Jefferson’s memorial. Then we visited the World War II memorial, which was composed of two sides that were labeled pacific and atlantic for the two different sides of the.
During our visit to the capitol building, I was impressed by the way the American government work and familiarized myself with how laws are put in place. I was especially impressed by the organization and way laws were put in place. The FDR memorial helped me understand Franklin Delenor Roosevelt determination and the reason behind his uccessful sixteen years of presidency. It taught me to persevere and nothing can stop you from what you want to do except if that thing has more determination than you. The World War II memorial was very impressive in the sense it showed the two sides of the war and how the world was affected by this.
The memorial itself deepen my understanding of brutality but on the country the fountained showed the recovery of the war. The noise of the water made me feel relaxed in a place which was supposed to be treated as tense and mournful. The visit of day two was an excellent continuation of yesterday’s Holocaust useum. Day 3: After the breakfast at the reagan food court, we departed for Arlington National. Arlington National cemetery was built in 1802, it was built to honor all the service men from wars and was the grave site of John F. Kennedy along with his family.
Over 400,000 people have been buried there. Afterwards we went to smithsonian where we visited three museums. These Museums were American History, Natural History, and National Gallery of Art. The American History museum was built in 1964 was houses some of the most famous artworks and important documents in the history of America. The national gallery of art houses hundreds of painting and significant art in from history. Natural history from the smithsonian was built to help people discover how everything evolved in nature in 1910 when it first opened.
Our first stop was at the Arlington where we had an exclusive tour of the grave sites. We visited John F. Kennedy’s grave site and the grave site of the rest of his family. I learned there that William taft was also buried there. Then we departed to the Smithsonian where we visited the National Gallery of Art. There I saw many pieces of art that had a deeper meaning. Then t the Natural History museum we discovered many interesting artifacts, such as one of the biggest diamonds in the world that cost two hundred and fifty million dollars.
I also learned about the evolution of man. American History museum I saw the original muhammad Ali boxing gloves signed by her. I learned more information about kermit the frog and discovered a american flag made out of legos. the museum also contained the gold skates from Apolo Ohno. Truly this was a first view of Recent American history. On day three we visited a cemetery and a 3 museums. Although I had already visited Arlington National Cemetery I was xcited to go see it again for nature and the feeling the century brought to you mixed well together.
I was disappointed not to be able to place the reef, but I was honored to have witnessed the changing of the reef and the guard. The changing of the guard opened up my mind to how symbolic this was to the American people and value of the guards in the eyes of the American people. I very much enjoyed the gallery of Art because it allowed me to relate paintings and sculptures to works of literature and the different ways one painting or sculpture can be interpreted. This changed my perspective on Art and the way I think about the author’s message.
When I first stepped into the Natural history museum I was astonished by the buildings size and how well it explained the history of the world. It made me realize that so much what we don’t know about the world is all around us. The third day lead me to thinking outside the box and that anything can be interpreted anyway. Day 4: On our last day at Washington our first stop was at Mount Vernon where George Washington and his family live in for most of their life. It served as a modern day white house. It was built in 1757 and the house expanded from there.
The house is made out of wood which was cheap material back then, but has been changed to make it look like stone. The house mainly occupied the George Washington’s family and he only stayed in the house for about 20 days a year. The mansion was also an active plantation run by slaves. In building the house George wanted it to be perfectly symmetric, it turned out to be so. Afterwards we headed out to old town alexandria which is significant for its location in the war for it was the home George Washington were his planning was done. Our first stop at Mount Vernon where we got an exclusive tour of the house.
This was used a home for rge Washington but it also served as a place where people could meet him. The dove at the top of the house represents hope and peace for the house was place that exemplifies this perfectly. I learned there that the mansion is ten time bigger than the average house in Virginia. Surprisingly the house is named after a british navy officer. In the house I was impressed by the grandeur of the rooms but how modest George washington was about his decisions. It also astonished me that George Washington opposed the idea of slavery, but owned a plantation.
Afterwards we jumped into the bus and went to old town alexandria. I loved the town for it reminded me of what life is without technology and how people lived back then. For example people would read newspapers instead of going on their phones and people were friendly to one another. Although we were leaving that day i reminded myself of this quote by Doctor Seuss “Don’t be frown because it ended smile because it happened”. The trip expanded my imagination and the way people lived in different parts of the world. Mount Vernon helped me understand how George Washington and his family lived during war.
The idea of a plantation explained to me what George Washington’s wife did during the war and that she put her mind and house to good use. The river behind the mansion reflected very well the spirit of the house which was tranquility or peace and hope. In my opinion the symmetry of the house was to symbolize the structure of the family and and the United States which is even all around. In old town Alexandria the musical streets made me feel welcome and sparked a warm feeling inside me. All in all I leave Washington with memories that will last a lifetime.