What an amazing whirlwind week we had at our Nation's Capital and in the Big Apple! After landing in DC on Tuesday, we hit the ground running on Wednesday morning with a visit to Howard University where we completed a scavenger hunt around the campus, and then a visit to the Mexican Cultural Institute where we learned about Mexican history, art, and politics. Our afternoon was spent visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture where we toured the main exhibit and checked out the sports, arts, and culture floors. Although it began to rain in the afternoon, we put on our waterproof gear and saw the FDR Memorial, MLK Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. Our first full day ended with a ghost tour of Old Alexandria where we got caught in a torrential downpour and found shelter where we made the best of the weather circumstances.
Thursday morning we woke up bright and early and had a private tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and spent some time at the African American Civil War Memorial. We then trekked in our bus to Cedar Hill, the home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Then, the moment we had been waiting for, we began our journey to New York City! We arrived in New York in the evening and hit the pavement to visit Times Square, which was packed with tourists! We did a great job of staying together as a group and moved efficiently through the crowds.
The next day we took the subway to Harlem and had a private tour of the cultural birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance and much of Black arts and culture and even had lunch at Sylvia's, a Soul Food institution in the heart of Harlem. We then jumped back on the subway and traveled to Grand Central Terminal, and then walked to the United Nations Headquarters where we ended our day with a private tour of the UN and even got to sit in the Security Council Chambers!
Our last full, action-packed day in New York was especially busy. We woke up early and took the subway to the ferry terminal to board the ferry that would take us to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We couldn't believe how big and how small the Statue of Liberty actually is, and we were even privileged to see the original torch before it was replaced. Ellis Island was incredibly sobering; we actually stood in the main Registry Hall that received all immigrants coming through the port, and we had the opportunity to visit some of the infirmary rooms. In the afternoon, we made our way to the 9-11 Memorial and wrote messages of hope on the Survivor Tree, which stood in the World Trade Center Plaza and was the only thing to survive the tragedy. We then walked to the African Burial Ground, which was a deeply moving experience. After that, we had an exceptional evening touring Chinatown and Little Italy. To end our last day of the trip, we had dinner at Puglia's, a historic Italian restaurant that has been in operation since 1919! When we arrived back at our hotel, we read all your beautiful notes, letters, and cards, and realized that while we had a great time, we missed all of our NLS family very much.
The following morning after we packed our suitcases, we took the Subway to Washington Square Park and had chess lessons from some of the chess masters who set up games for those passing by. It was then a quick walk to our very last stop on the trip, the Stonewall Inn Monument and learned about the LGBTQ+ rights movement and its birthplace in the heart of New York's West Village.
This trip was genuinely one of the best! The class of 2026 made the most of every experience offered, from the unique meals they shared, to the memorials, monuments, and museums they visited, to how they moved around DC and NY (whether they were traveling on foot or by subway rail). By the end of the trip, we had walked a total of 45 MILES! The students soaked in the history and culture and represented NLS with incredible pride, carrying our C.A.R.E. principles 2,000 miles away from home. They made a lifetime's worth of memories, and as chaperones, we did as well. We couldn't have done this city-hopping trip if it weren't for the enthusiasm, tenacity, and kindness of the Class of 2026. So many of them had waited for this experience for nine years, and when we were finally wheels down, they showed us that they're ready to spread their wings and take their NLS values into the wider world.
Thank you to everyone who donated to their cause. They could not have made their dream come true trip a reality without you.