Itinerary

 

Itinerary

Note: Since we’ve been going in February, we are not held to the same time constraints we would be in other months. As a result, we will more than likely see more than what is on this itinerary.

Day One – Friday, February 18

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 19

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, the panda exhibit will be our first priority.

10:30 AM            Group photo in front of the Capitol Building – please wear the sweatshirt or t-shirt you purchased or something black…please no yellow or red as they really stand out.

12:00 PM            Lunch at the Ronald Reagan Building. Students will receive a voucher for the food court. After lunch, we will stop by the White House photo stop.

2:00 PM              ComedySportz Comedy Show at the DC Improv Comedy Club (this show is designed to be more ‘family friendly’. It was a big hit two years ago)

5:00 PM              Dinner at Crystal City Sports Pub across the river in Arlington, Virginia

7:00 PM              Illuminated tour of some of the monuments and memorials

10:15 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. 

There will be no swimming in the hotel pool.

Overnight security will be at the hotel each evening.

Day Three – Sunday, February 20 

7:30 AM              Breakfast at hotel

8:45 AM              Depart for sightseeing

9:30 AM              Tour as many of the memorials as we can as time permits (eg. World War II, Korean War, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall.)

12:00 PM            Choice 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.

4:30 PM              Depart for Baltimore

5:30 PM              Begin boarding the Spirit of Baltimore in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

6:00 PM              Spirit of Baltimore Dinner and DJ Cruise

8:30 PM              Cruise end, disembark, board coaches and depart for the hotel.

9:45 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 21

7:00 AM              Breakfast at the hotel

8:00 AM              Make sure every group has all of their belongings and rooms are in proper working order.

8:15 AM              Depart for D.C.

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

10:30 AM            Ford’s Theater – Ranger talk about the evening of Lincoln’s assassination.

12:30 PM            Lunch at the Fish Market at the Wharf https://www.wharfdc.com/fish-market/ (weather permitting). Fear not, there are other options beside seafood. Students will receive $12 of the money they contributed.  

2:00 PM              Tour of Arlington National Cemetery

3:15 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 – We need three more volunteers to lay the wreath. All interested should e-mail Mr. Maxfield three good reasons why he/she is a good candidate.

4:45 PM              Iwo Jima (Marine Corps) Memorial

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 22

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.