Travelogue: Bryce Valley Elementary’s 6th Grade DC Trip

After saving and fundraising all year, the Bryce Valley Elementary 6th grade was finally able to go on their Washington, DC, trip on December 7-12.

Each person had different activities that were special to them. But Miranda helped me compile everything the group did.

Wednesday, December 7

The trip started with a long plane ride. This was significant for the 6th graders because “most people in my class had never flown before,” Miranda said.

Upon arrival in DC, they took a night tour of the Iwo Jima Monument. Mr. Peterson read a story about each of the men who lifted the flag. Miranda said the monument was cool at night, and the stories were very inspiring. “I thought it was a really good start to the trip.”

Thursday, December 8

On Thursday the group went bright and early to the Arlington Cemetery. Then they met with Mike Lee, visited Robert E. Lee’s mansion, toured the Holocaust museum, and saw “A Christmas Carol” at Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was shot.

Miranda said of the Arlington cemetery, “You just saw white tombs everywhere. It looked really beautiful, but it was also very sad.”

One of the biggest reasons for the 6th grade DC trip was to lay the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was a special experience the class had prepared a lot for, and many of the students surprised the group with their reverence.

“Everyone was quiet,” Miranda said. “Even the kids that are normally not respectful — don’t really care about things — they cared.”

But Miranda’s favorite part was the Holocaust museum. “It was very humbling — very sad,” she said. At first, she “didn’t really want to be there, but I was glad I could learn more.”

She talked about some of the tales of bravery and the things she learned from remembering the holocaust. “Even though it was sad, it now became one of my favorite parts,” she concluded.

Friday, December 9

Friday was dedicated to White House and Capitol tours, including the White House, the Capitol building, the Smithsonian botanical gardens and museums, and the Jefferson, Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials.

Miranda remembered the fancy, intricate details in both the White House and the Capitol building. In the Capitol rotunda, there’s a painting made to look like a carving that took over 60 years to complete. “I didn’t even know that it wasn’t a carving until the lady said it wasn’t,” Miranda giggled.

She was also impressed with the Jefferson, Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials, which they toured that night. She loved learning that “from the beginning of our country, there were people that were ready for all equal rights,” including ending slavery.

The kids went back to the hotel for foosball tournaments and hardly slept that night. The 6th grade DC trip “was just a party the whole time,” Miranda said.

Saturday, December 10

On Saturday the 6th graders visited the Washington Monument, the WWII, Vietnam, Lincoln, Korea, and Washington mall tours, the natural history museum, the national archives, and the LDS Washington DC Temple.

Miranda said, “The monument was really cool after a few days of already being in DC” because you could see all the places you had already been.

The national archives were also fun. It was “cool to see the original foundation of our country,” even if the Declaration of Independence was really faded.

The Washington DC Temple had “different nativity sets from all the different countries, and some of them were really funky.” But the temple was “a nice time to relax after the crazy days we had.”

Sunday, December 11

The last few activities on Sunday were Mt. Vernon and the flag raising, and the National Museum of American History.

Mt. Vernon was a favorite for its peaceful landscapes. It reminded Miranda of movies she’d seen about old England. “Washington had never been to England, but they said he did it as beautiful as they did.” She also said, “It seemed like Washington very much wanted this to stay natural, to stay the way that it is. He loved nature.”

But if the Iwo Jima Monument was the perfect beginning, the Museum of American History was the perfect ending.

“It seemed like everyone thought it was really cool because since it was American History, it was about everybody,” said Miranda. “For example, I found Lindsay Sterling’s violin she was using in her first music video.”

The next morning the 6th graders packed and came home to Bryce Valley, but they took with them all the experiences they had in DC. It was a trip they likely wouldn’t forget.

– by Abbie Call and Miranda B.

More Pictures

Feature image caption: The BVE 6th grade class in front of the U.S. capitol. Courtesy BVE Facebook.