Educational Travel Blog | From Sea to Shining Sea

Wonders of the world

Did you know that the Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving “wonder” of the ancient world? Many centuries ago, people were making “Best of the best” lists – the seven wonders were catalogued way back around 300 BCE by two Egyptian intellectuals. Later lists from the Middle Ages included the Roman Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Great Wall of China, which are still standing today.

Modern-day lists include breathtaking manmade structures like the Taj Mahal, as well as the awe-inspiring beauty of natural attractions such as the Grand Canyon. In 2003 a book cataloguing the top seven industrial structures of the world was written, which included the Brooklyn Bridge and Hoover Dam. There’s even an index of underwater marvels, written by a group of marine scientists.

Visiting all the wonders of the world would take some time, but you’d have the time of your life along the way! You can get started with one of our Grand Canyon tours or a New York City tour that include stops at national wonders.

 

Winter activities

When the weather outside gets frightful, it’s natural to want to burrow inside where it’s warm. But the snow won’t last forever, so you might as well make the best of it! Here are a few winter activities that’ll have you singing “Let it Snow.”

Snowmen
To build a snowman, start with a large ball of snow as the “legs,” a smaller ball on top as the midsection and an even smaller ball for the face. You can make arms out of twigs or coat hangers, and give your snowman facial features using a carrot or clementine for a nose. Gumdrops and raisins are good materials for eyes and a mouth!

Sledding
Sledding is a great way to spend the day outside. Pick out a slope (public parks usually have nice hills) and start climbing! You can use almost anything to sled on, from the tops of plastic garbage cans to inflatable inner tubes to wooden toboggans. Before you launch yourself, always make sure you’ll land in a safe place.

Snow forts
Throwing snowballs is more fun if you have a spot ready to strategically retreat to! Build a wall of snow between you and your opponent – if you want to get creative, you can add more walls for “rooms” or turn your fort into a snow maze.

Whether you’re ice skating, skiing, making snow angels or simply walking in a winter wonderland, make sure to bundle up! It gets cold out there.

 
Rockefeller Center ice skating rink (AP Photo/Ed Bailey)

Using ChipIn for fundraising

With the holidays upon us, it’s a great time to tell family and friends about your fundraising efforts for your educational tour.  There are many different online tools to collect donations through, including ChipIn.  ChipIn allows both groups and individuals to collect money in one place, and it makes the process quick and easy for both the fundraiser and the donor.   

There is also a ChipIn widget, which you can post to a blog, website, Facebook or other social media places.  The widget helps promote your fundraising efforts, provides up-to-date information on the percentage to fundraising goal reached and the total number of donors, and leads to your ChipIn event page where you can receive donations.

Have you ever used ChipIn to help with your fundraising efforts?

 

The USS Constitution’s tree lighting

Across America cities are beginning to host tree lighting ceremonies, and this is no different in Charlestown, Mass.  With Santa and his elf Buddy on hand, the USS Constitution’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony took place last Sunday, December 5. 

The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat.  Completed in 1797, the USS Constitution fought in the War of 1812, where she defeated four English warships.  In fact, she has never lost a battle! 

Ever heard of Old Ironsides?  The USS Constitution earned her nickname of Old Ironsides when she was in combat with the English warship HMS Guirrere.  Fighting at close range, a sailor yelled out, “Huzzah, her sides are made of iron!”  And thus, her nickname was born.

Would you like to visit Old Ironsides?  Take a look at our Boston tours.

 
Photo credit: Dina Rudick/Globe Staff

 
Photo credit: Dina Rudick/Globe Staff

Hanukkah

This Thursday, December 9, marks the end of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over King Antiochus Epiphanes and the miracle of oil.  What was feared to only be enough oil left to keep the Temple’s lamp burning for one day, ended up lasting for eight full days.

To find out more about the story of Hanukkah, you can watch “Candelight” from the Maccabeats, an a cappella group from Yeshiva University.  A remake of Taio Cruz's song “Dynamite,” the video has been an instant success on YouTube with over 2 million views this week.  Happy Hanukkah!


    

GINGERTOWN

It’s now the time of year when graham cracker, frosting and candy sales dramatically increase- it’s time to build gingerbread houses!  In Washington, D.C., in 2006 David M. Schwarz Architects founded GINGERTOWN.  This initiative brings together architects, designers and building enthusiasts to create a gingerbread town, complete with an edible city hall, library, green spaces and a toy store!

This past Monday marked the 2010 GINGERTOWN build event where the theme was the North Pole.  The event is free for teams, as all of the building materials are donated by the event sponsors.  Participating teams are assigned town plots with free reign to be creative as they build structures decorated with sprinkles, jelly beans, candy canes and Twizzlers.  After the event, the individual plots are donated to local hospitals, health care facilities and community support organizations where they are then displayed for the holiday season.  In addition, donations are collected during the build, which are then received by that year’s recipient charities.  What better way to spend an evening than by creating gingerbread houses for a good cause?

 
Washington, D.C.'s 2010 GINGERTOWN