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New England Tour

On a beautiful Saturday night, twenty-five juniors loaded the academy bus with a week’s worth of clothes and hopped on board. The anticipation of seeing many of the nation’s most cherished sites could be felt by all. Excitement dwindled during the night on the road, but quickly returned when the bus arrived at the Gettysburg battlefield in the morning.

 
At Gettysburg, the adventure truly began. Beautiful weather made the tour of the battlefield and city a true joy. At noon, the group boarded the bus for Washington, D.C. The following day and a half was a whirlwind that included viewing the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials at sunset, supper in Union Station, and a spectacular panorama of the nation’s capital from the top of the Washington Monument. After a good night’s sleep, students were ready for a day of history in Philadelphia and New York. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell provided the morning lesson, while the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, and Wall Street rounded out the day.
 
A steady supply of light showers did not damper our experience in Boston. The day began in Concord, famous for its influence on many notable American authors. The Old Manse, the Wayside House, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery provided a chance to see famous literary landmarks. In the afternoon, students walked Boston’s Freedom Trail taking in “Old Ironsides,” the Old North Church, and Paul Revere’s home. The highlight for some became lunch at Quincy Market where food of any variety was available and shops encircled the eateries. For others the night’s hotel, with its view of crashing ocean waves, was an experience second to none. The final morning of the trip became an experience in living history. At Plymouth Plantation seventeenth century settlers and Native Americans demonstrated what life was like for those who settled on the Atlantic Coast four hundred years ago.
 
The adventure was over. Exhausted, students climbed aboard the bus one more time and rested their weary legs as the bus began its long journey home.