Educational Travel Blog | From Sea to Shining Sea

Take me out to the ballpark...for Opening Day!

Take me out to the ballgame
Take me out to the crowd…

Elise Amendola, AP

No doubt those beloved lyrics will be filling stadiums across America today as teams face off on Opening Day.

Since the beginning of an organized, professional baseball league, Opening Day has meant excitement and fanfare. The Cincinnati Reds were honored with hosting the first game of the season from the earlier 1870s though 1989. The Reds received this distinction because they were the first professional baseball organization. The Cincinnati Reds fans take Opening Day very seriously. In fact, a father and son duo in Cinci are trying to make Opening Day an official holiday!

And while baseball is America’s pastime and fans will be celebrating from coast to coast, we, at the Smithsonian Student Travel offices in Boston, would like to give a shout-out to Fenway. As you may recall, Fenway was named one of the 15 places kids should see before they turn 15.

Here are some other great baseball parks, according to ABC News. And enuoy a few fun facts about Opening Day from History.com.

And even though it may be chilly (or snowing!) at some of the Opening Day games, the first day of baseball means spring and summer are on the way!

Cherry Blossoms in Bloom!

Ron Edmonds/AP

Around the country—and around the world—delicate pink blossoms are bursting among the often still-bare landscapes. And if the pink petals aren’t in full bloom yet, pale green buds allude to the coming cascades of flowers.

Yes, it’s the beginning of cherry blossom season and people are celebrating.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., kicked off this past weekend and festivities will continue through April 10. More than one million people visit the capital during the bloom, and festival attendees can enjoy numerous hands-on activities and exhibits for all ages; the blossom parade on April 9; a performance stage featuring classical and contemporary music and dance; fireworks and more.

The festival commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo to the District of Columbia on March 27, 1912. The first festival took place in 1935 and expanded into a two-week celebration in 1994. See historic photos of the festival in this Washington Post slideshow.

More than just a symbol of spring, the blossoms signify the friendship between the United States and Japan. (Listen to an NPR story about the significance of cherry blossoms in Japanese culture.)

While the 2011 festival officially began with opening ceremonies on Saturday, a special walk through the Tidal Basin took place on Thursday, March 24. Washington, D.C., citizens and visitors marched along the cherry tree-lined Basin as a show of solidarity and tribute to the victims of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake.

Earlier in the month, the National Parks Service sent 144 clippings from 15 of the remaining original trees as a gesture of friendship to Japan.

If you can’t make it to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the blossoming of the cherry trees, you can keep an eye on the blooms with the National Parks Service cherry blossom webcam. This year’s peak bloom is expected between March 29 and April 1.

And the capital is not the only U.S. city celebrating the cherry blossoms! Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Macon, Georgia, are all host notable blossom festivals as well.

American Landmarks Every Kid Should See Before 15

 

Following the red brick Freedom Trail through Boston is a must-see.

“Heated debate, weeks of research, and years of experience,” have produced the 15 American sites young people should see before their 15^th birthdays, CNN reports.

The sites were chosen because they are fun, educational and “especially magical through the eyes of a child,” according to Nicole Frehsee of Budget Travel.

See the slideshow.

At Smithsonian Student Travel, we were thrilled to see some of our favorites on the list! We knew you couldn’t leave out national treasures like the Grand Canyon, National Mall, Independence Hall or Ellis Island. We were glad these gems like Fenway Park, Alcatraz and the San Diego Zoo got their due as well!

Of course, being travel-lovers, we have some favorites that might not be on this list, but we think they are more than worth the trip!

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
See lava flow from the active volcano of Kilauea—one of the most active volcanoes on earth—and marvel at the 13,000-foot-high volcano of Mauna Loa. The park features many different terrains—rainforests, craters and scalded deserts—making it the ideal setting for a hike. This extraordinary natural diversity was recognized in 1980 when the park was named a World Biosphere site by UNESCO and in 1987 when the park was again honored as a World Heritage site.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
As “America’s gateway to space,” the Kennedy Space Center has launched the first Americans into space and those who were the first humans on the moon. Today, the Center supports International Space Station operations and launches satellites and robot missions that explore the universe as well as deepen the understanding of our own planet.

Martin Luther King, Jr., birthplace and Ebenezer Baptist Church
The birthplace and childhood home of the acclaimed Civil Rights leader is next door to the church in which he grew up and was later ordained. It was from the Ebenezer Baptist Church pulpit that King preached nonviolence, including his A Christmas Sermon For Peace. The church and its community served as a center for the Civil Rights Movement. 

Gettysburg
During the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, 170,000 soldiers fought and 51,000 died at Gettysburg in July 1863. Four months later, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. Calling the battle a “flat failure,” Lincoln urged Americans to remember the principles of the Constitution in the name of the slain soldiers.

What site would you add to the list? Visit our Facebook wall and tell us!

And if you are looking for ways to explore these amazing sites (and many others), check out our tour itineraries.

Luck of the Irish

Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

Though many are filled with Irish pride on St. Patrick’s Day, you certainly don’t have to have ancestors from the Emerald Isle to enjoy the many parades and festivities that are celebrated throughout the world.

Many American cities take pride in their own special St. Patrick’s Day parades or traditions. In fact, National Geographic posits that Americans have helped boost the holiday’s popularity (and the article throws in some fun St. Patty’s Day facts, too)!

Some of Smithsonian Student Travel’s favorite destinations have fun St. Patty’s Day traditions and, according to CBS News, several are on the list of top St. Patrick's Day Parades in the U.S.!

Chicago famously dyes the Chicago River green, holds an annual parade downtown and even has a Parade Queen!

New York City boasts to have the oldest, biggest and best St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year the parade is celebrating 250 years! 

Philadelphia’s  parade has a strong history, too. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade there was in 1771! Check out photos from the 2011 parade.

San Francisco does the West Coast proud with the parade presented by the Irish Societies of San Francisco.

And Bostonians, New Englanders and many others who love a great St. Patty’s Day Parade head to South Boston. Southie's parade is legendary. The South Boston Senator also hosts an impressive number of guests for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast at the Boston Convention Center.

Learn more about these fun cities and see tour itineraries featuring these destinations!

James Madison and the Freedom of Information

 
James Madison. Waist length, seated. Copy of painting by Gilbert Stuart., 1935 – 1939, National Archives

Today is the anniversary James Madison's birthday. You may recall, Madison was the fourth president of the U.S., a significant contributor to the writing and ratification of the Constitution and instrumental in the formation of the Bill of Rights.

Because of Madison’s contributions to the First Amendment, his birthday has become a day to recognize the freedoms that the First Amendment guarantees. It was in the 1970s when March 16 became a day to recognize the role access to information plays in a democracy. So Madison's birthday is now also National Freedom of Information (FOI) Day.

Today the Newseum is hosting the 13^th Annual National FOI Day Conference. At the conference, the American Library Association presented the James Madison Award to “an individual or group that has brought awareness to these issues at the national level.” Members will also be inducted into the FOI Hall of Fame of which Madison is a member. (At the time of the posting a press release about the winners and inductees was not available. Check back for an update!)

The Newseum is a favorite stop of Smithsonian Student Travel groups to Washington, D.C. Groups also see the originial Constitution and Bill of Rights at the National Archives. Learn more about trips to Washington, D.C.

Bonus: Get in the spirit of Freedom of Information Day and play the "Ray of Sunshine" game. (Laws that help give citizens access to records and other information are often called Sunshine laws.)

Last American WWI veteran laid to rest today at Arlington

The last American World War I veteran will be laid to rest today at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Frank Buckles Collection (AFC/2001/001/1070), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Frank W. Buckles swore to Army recruiters that he was old enough to enlist in 1917 though he had no proof to confirm his claim. He was actually only 16. (Navy and Marine recruiters had dismissed him on earlier attempts to enlist due to his young age.) As one of the more than 5 million American who served in WWI, Army Cprl. Buckles served in Britain and France as an ambulance driver.

In a Washington Post article, Buckles was quoted as saying, “I knew there’d only be one [WWI veteran] someday. I didn’t think it would be me.”

He passed away on his farm in West Virginia on February 27 at the age of 110.

Buckles will lie in honor at Arlington’s Memorial Amphitheater from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. He will be buried with full military honors at 4 p.m. The Pentagon Channel will carry the service.

Take a look through Buckles’ file in the Veteran’s History Project, or learn more about his life and service at his website. And hear from Buckles during a 2008 NBC interview.

Buckles will be laid to rest at Arlington with the more than 300,000 men and women who have served the United States. Most are service men and women, but other honored citizens and some non-Americans are buried in this revered site as well.

Nearly 4 million people visit Arlington National Cemetery each year. It is a solemn place to remember individuals and their personal contributions and sacrifice. It is also a place for a nation to remember generations of men and women who served our country with honor and dignity. Soldiers from every war involving the United States are buried at Arlington, from the Revolutionary War to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Smithsonian Student Travel's Golden Boarding Pass

Last season at Smithsonian Student Travel we held our second Golden Boarding Pass contest and Jared Schweitzer, a history teacher from California, was our grand prize winner.  The grand prize for the Golden Boarding Pass is a free trip for the teacher and ten students.  Jared is taking his ten students to see Washington, D.C. this March!

Jared has been teaching intermediate school history for five years now.  He says that the best part about teaching for him is when he is able to make connections with his students, which in turn makes his classroom feel more like a family.  He enjoys seeing the looks on his student’s faces when they accomplish something that they did not think they would be able to do on their own.

Jared was so excited to learn that he was our grand prize winner.  He held an essay contest to decide which ten students would get to go on the trip.  He gave all of his students one class period to write the essay anyway they could express themselves as to why they should be selected to go on the trip.  They were able to answer in the form of a traditional essay, bullet points, or through graphic organizers.  Jared narrowed the essays down to the top 50 out of 200, and then with assistance from his wife, who is also a teacher, they were able to choose the top ten essays.  Jared is looking forward to his trip, and had this to say about when he told his students they were going:

“Seeing the looks on their faces as I told them they were going to Washington, D.C., for free is something that I can only hope to ever experience again!”

Want a chance to win? It’s not too late to enter this season’s Golden Boarding Pass contest for your chance to win a free tour for ten and many other great prizes!

Jared and his essay contest winners

Celebrating Women—Our History is Our Strength

Sewing stars on suffrage flag  Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Today is the 100^th Anniversary of International Women’s Day! Celebrated in over 70 countries around the world, the day is a time to remember and promote the social, political and economic progress of women across nations and foster the end of gender discrimination.

In the United States, the entire month of March is dedicated to celebrating women’s history. In 1980, President Carter issued a presidential proclamation for the celebration of the first women’s history week. By 1986, 14 states had made March Women’s History Month, actions that influenced Congress to declare a National Women’s History Month in 1987.

The 2011 theme for the month is Our History is Our Strength.

We’ve complied some of our favorite links about women’s history and hope you’ll find them useful in celebrating American women and women around the globe!

Test your knowledge of Women’s History.

View the Women of Our Times exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery.

HerStory chronicles of the last four years of the campaign for women’s suffrage in the United States.

Read President Obama's Women's History Month proclamation.

Online exhibits from the National Women’s History Museum include information about women in the film industry, Chinese American women’s history, women spies, girls who changed history and much more.

Check out New York Times headlines recording historic events in women’s history.

Find a number of fun, informative videos from history.com, like this one on women in science.

How are you celebrating Women's History Month?

Revamp for good, ol’ Uncle Beazley

He’s a capital favorite—that life-sized, fiberglass triceratops that has called the National Zoo, the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and the National Museum of Natural History home. Most recently he’s been tranquilly nestled amid the foliage of the “dinosaur garden” near Lemur Island at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. But on February 16, Uncle Beazley took a little road trip.

photo credit: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian Institution

Uncle Beazley will spend the next few weeks at the Smithsonian’s Office of Exhibits Central to get a few touch-ups. The cracks and holes will be patched and he’ll get a new coat of UV and weather resistant paint.

Uncle Beazley first came to the National Zoo in 1967. He was named and modeled after the dinosaur in the children’s book The Enormous Egg. The Oliver Butterworth book was published in 1956 and a film version was produced in 1967. The Enormous Egg tells the story of a boy who finds a larger-than-normal egg in the hen house. To everyone’s surprise, a dinosaur hatches and they name him Uncle Beazley. When he becomes too big for life on the farm, the boy takes Uncle Beazley to live at the “National Museum.”

Uncle Beazley is expected back at the National Zoo in mid-March.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! (and Happy Read Across America Day!)

 
March 2 is the anniversary of Dr. Seuss's birthday. In honor of the beloved children's author, the day has also become a celebration of reading since the National Education Association held the first Read Across America Day in 1998. Today is the 14th Read Across America Day and the 107th anniversary of the birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

Learn more about the day and find activities you can do to celebrate. And check out Seussville's games and more to commemorate this special day.

This morning First Lady Michelle Obama read Green Eggs and Ham at the Library of Congress to kick-off activities in an event hosted by the National Education Assocaition. She was joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Librarian of Congress James Billington, Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray, actress Jessica Alba and many others who read their favorite Dr. Seuss books to nearly 300 elementary school students.

What are you reading today?