An incredible 5 day tour to Washington DC for L6th Form Politics pupils

April 16th 2024

An incredible 5 day tour to Washington DC for L6^th Form Politics pupils...

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Fifteen of the L6^th Form A Level Politics pupils had an incredible tour around Washington DC for five days at the start of the Easter Holiday!

We departed Heathrow on Saturday 23^rd March at 4.30pm and eventually checked into our lovely Hyatt Hotel in the early hours of the 24^th. Sunday saw us jump on the metro and head to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. It was incredible to visit the home and estate of the first President of the USA. An added bonus came about in meeting up with Sophie Liddell-Grainger, a former member of King’s staff now living in DC. After Mount Vernon we headed into Alexandria, a beautiful old colonial town, where we had some free time for lunch. Following that we hopped on a ferry and cruised up the Potomac River right back into central DC. Thousands of cherry blossom trees were flowering so it was a stunning sight to behold! We then met Judy, our rather eccentric and funny guide who gave us a fantastic four-hour guided tour around the main monuments: the Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, MLK Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, WWII Memorial, and Washington Monument! It was amazing to end the tour in the evening light as the sun set. We also enjoyed a delicious meal in Chinatown!

Monday saw us visit all sorts of impressive places: Union Station, Congress (where we had a guided tour and even managed to enter the Senate), the Supreme Court and the Native American Museum. Lunch was at a classic US Diner (many Philly cheese steak sandwiches were enjoyed!) where many congressmen go for food each day! Throughout the day, it was breathtaking to stand in the places where landmark judicial decisions have been declared and where presidents have been sworn in. That evening we held a quiz in the hotel foyer before heading to the Union Food Market to enjoy southern style food: grits and shrimp with iced tea!

Tuesday saw us head to the White House where we experienced a world-class visitor’s centre, met some interesting protestors campaigning about all sorts of issues/conspiracies, and explored other local monuments. We were then extremely lucky to have a tour of the IMF where Ms Wilson Brown's sister works. It was fascinating to learn about the IMF’s work and the development they enable around the world. Lunch was lobster rolls and Chipotle wraps at the Western Market! Following this, we headed to the National Archives where we saw, with our very own eyes, the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights - perhaps the world’s three most-famous documents. Moreover, we saw one of the original copies of Magna Carta. After a break for yet more ice creams and milkshakes, we visited the Smithsonian Museum of American History which had two excellent exhibitions on the Constitution and the US Presidency. Supper that evening saw us head to a cool local pizza bar where the portions were huge, and the bar games were lots of fun.

Wednesday was our first day of drizzle after three days of solid sunshine - but that did not deter our spirits. We experienced a fab guided tour of Arlington National Cemetery, seeing the guards on duty, exploring Robert E Lee’s former plantation home, and of course seeing many famous politician’s graves - including President JFK. After another ace lunch at the Western Market, half the group headed to the Kennedy Centre whilst the others went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. Both destinations proved to be wonderful.

These five days in DC truly were amazing. We all learnt masses and above all we had stacks of fun. Yes, the sites play a huge part in making the trip such a success, but I must also commend the pupils for being such brilliant company: engaged, good-humoured, and full of enthusiasm. They and Ms Wilson-Brown made the tour such a joyous experience.

Rev’d George Beverly - Head of Politics