Learning to make lemonade....: Brie's 8th Grade Class Adventure

Brie is home now and was full of excitement and stories from her 8th grade class trip to Charleston, SC and Washington, DC.

Monday and Tuesday
Leaving Tallahassee at 5:30 am Monday morning Brie was happy to make it to Charleston, SC for their first stop on their trip. A few things Brie enjoyed in Charleston was the night time ghost tour in the historic district, eating at Bubba Gumps, a ferry boat ride (well, kind of) with tour of Fort Sumter and a beautiful horse drawn carriage ride through downtown Charleston.

Brie's pics aren't great from her phone (she forgot her Sony camera charger), but they are better than nothing :)

The ferry boat crashed when docking
at Fort Sumter. Brie said it was
crazy scary!

View from the back of the ferry boat.
The bridge in background looks like the
Sunshine Skyway, but it's the
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge over the Cooper River
connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant

Fort Sumter

An original battle flag at Fort Sumter
from the Civil War

House Brie thought I would love
in downtown Charleston

Horse drawn carriage

Brie's favorite house in Charleston

Claire being silly at the Tervis store.
We love our tervis tumblers!!

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
It's hard to believe how many places were squeezed into three days in Washington, DC, but some how they found time to visit almost everything on their schedule.
They toured Fords Theatre and Museum, FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. Also the National Cathedral with guided tour, and Mount Vernon. Brie loved the International Spy Museum. It was one of her favorite things. They also toured the Capitol, had lunch and walked around Union Station, went to the American History Smithsonian and National Archives. At the Holocaust Museum Brie said she was extremely touched and pained by talking with a Holocaust survivor. I was very proud to see the maturity and depth in my daughter listening to her tell me about this experience. They visited Arlington National Cemetery, Kennedy Gravesides, Tomb of the Unknown Solider and Changing of the guard. While at Arlington the kids visited the grave of Robert Allen Wise. Robert was the first solider from Tallahassee killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a graduate of Godby High School and also a classmate of Mr. Wetherington. Robert was an avid soccer player so in his honor, the students placed a signed soccer ball against his headstone. According to Cobb's principle, visiting his grave is something the school has done for the past four years and has been a very powerful and moving experience for the students. This is another experience that was very meaningful to Brie. Lastly the kids went to the Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, the Air & Space Museum, Natural History Museum and American History Museum. Before getting on the bus to make the long trip home the group rode the Metro to shop at the five story Pentagon City Mall.......
I can confidently say I feel like we got our monies worth! Thank you to Papa and Nana Badger, TD, Pop Dana and Gramma Gina, Aunt Becky and Uncle Todd, and Papa Billy and GG for making this trip possible for Brie! I know these are awesome memories she will hold onto forever!

Brie, Madison, and Lauren

Capitol

Brie's text to me read "Obama'scrib"
My reply..."Not for long I hope"

WWII Memorial (My favorite memorial)
with the Washington Monument in background

Memorial Gold Stars
Memorial Freedom Wall includes 4,000 gold stars
Each star represents over 1,000 Americans who made the
ultimate sacrifice to preserve world freedom - over
400,000 Americans in all.