Washington D.C. FAM Trip 2012

Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

This past weekend the Scholastica Travel staff and many of our independently contracted tour leaders traveled to Washington D.C. for our annual FAM trip!

Although FAM formally stands for familiarization trip, it very well could denote family reunion. We affectionately refer the collective group of Scholastica staff and independently contracted tour leaders as the Scholastica family! FAM is our official kick start to the spring tour season and we are more excited than ever to travel with students!  Additionally, this trip is an opportunity for the veteran tour leaders to share their techniques and stories with the newer tour leaders. Our tour leaders are a wealth of knowledge. Many have been tour leading for over 15 years, and continue to join the FAM trip to help train the new tour leaders.

What did we see?

• Grave of John F. Kennedy Jr.
• Grave of Robert F. Kennedy
• Grave of the most decorated American WWII combat soldier
• Grave of Joe Louis
• House of Dolly Madison
• Changing of the guard
• Wreath laying ceremony
• The hotel where the term ‘lobbying’ was coined
• Official guest house of the White House
• A nuclear war protester who has been protesting 24 hours a day since 1981
• The 1903 Wright Flyer
• The aft end of the Saturn V
• The Old Supreme Court Chamber
• New Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
• Gun that killed Abraham Lincoln
• The private box where Abraham Lincoln watched  “My American Cousin”
• 37 feet of books written about Abraham Lincoln
• Railcar at the National Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Uniforms of concentration camp prisoners
• Shoes of Holocaust victims
• The original characters of Sam and Friends by Jim Henson
• The Carmen Lúcia Ruby
• Hope diamond
• Dinosaur fossils
• Hat and shoes of the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz
• Gowns worn by the first ladies during the inauguration
• Star-Spangled Banner

It’s sometimes difficult to conceptualize that what you are seeing is the real thing. The real gun that killed Abraham Lincoln, the real Hope diamond, the real star-spangled banner, etc. We are so blessed to see these historical objects even once in our lifetimes, let alone at the frequency that we as tour leaders see them. We are looking forward to sharing our enthusiasm for our history and Washington D.C. with you!

Special thanks to Janet for leading a fantastic trip, to Rocky, Todd, and Dan for being fantastic hosts, and to David for being a wonderful driver!

FAM Trip Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scholasticainc/sets/72157629489250537/

Related posts: Washington D.C. FAM Trip 2012 Preview