As they walked around Washington, the students were
amazed. They had seen pictures of the nation’s capital.
Being here was completely different. They were really
happy that they decided to make this their class trip.
The bus let them off in a spot near the Washington
Monument. Their teacher gathered them all together
and made them promise not to wander away. Several
parents were there, and they would help to keep the
The first thing they did was take a walk to the Jefferson
Memorial. This memorial honors Thomas Jefferson, one
of our presidents who was also a founder of our nation.
The memorial is located beside the Tidal Basin, a small
body of water connected to the Potomac River.
The walk was beautiful, and so was the memorial. After
spending some time there, the group continued walking
around the Tidal Basin. Because it was spring, they got
a special treat. The Tidal Basin is surrounded by cherry
trees, and they were blooming. Each year, there is a
National Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate the gift of
some of the trees from Japan.
Walking around the Tidal Basin also gave the students
a chance to see some other important sites. One is the
memorial to President Franklin Roosevelt, and the other
is the Martin Luther King Memorial.
From there it was a short walk to the Lincoln Memorial.
This location was spectacular because it is at one end of
the National Mall. This is a beautiful area that features
huge grassy spaces, trees, ponds, and memorials. The
students could see all the way to the Capitol. They knew
this was going to be a wonderful trip.