Where do you suppose a school goes for its eighth grade educational tour if the school’s already located in Washington D.C.? I mean, those kids have probably seen the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial a few million times, right?

At least I hope so. The nation’s Capital is so full of treasures for student travel that I’d like to think the students who live there take advantage of them. I have to wonder, though, if they feel that same surge of pride and inspiration that the rest of us feel when we visit for the first time. If you grow up there, I wonder if you take these beautiful attractions for granted like the rest of us take for granted our local department stores and parks. Surely not.

After all, what local attraction of our own can compare to the government buildings in D.C., the White House, the National Mall, and the amazing wealth of museums in Washington D.C. for just about every interest you can imagine? None of them really.

Maybe those born and raised in the Capital expand their historical tours to cities nearby. Washington D.C. and New York City are actually close enough to combine into one great educational tour. Throw Philadelphia student tours into the mix, and you’ve got one of our favorite three-city combos for student travel.

Philadelphia actually offers an attraction that has been the number one visited tourist attraction in the United States on the Forbes list. It’s the Independence National Historical Park and includes Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and the famous Liberty Bell, which students and other groups have enjoyed visiting for years. Whether or not the bell was used for some of the most important events attributed to it through legend, it still represents our country’s greatest principles of liberty, equality, and freedom.

So maybe the students who live in Washington D.C. have paid homage at Lincoln’s statue since they were very young and perhaps they’ve seen the view from Washington Monument enough to have it memorized. But they can’t have seen it all. And if they do need to spread their touring wings, there are many great historical and educational sites in Philadelphia to add to the itinerary.

Photo by MCS@flickr.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

I wonder which generation was the first to complain that our government was out of touch? Has it been in my lifetime? Or did it begin at least in some corners when George Washington himself took office? It’s an unfortunate dilemma that the officials meant to represent us seem to live and work in such a different world than our own.

One President seems to have convinced his fellow Americans that if he wasn’t exactly like them, at least he was in touch. They respected him so much he was elected to four consecutive terms as President – a feat not even allowed today. His name was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and when I think of his Fireside Chats each week and the two difficult eras through which he led our nation – The Great Depression and World War II – I have to assume there was something in his words and in his voice that comforted his listeners and left them feeling that the speaker understood their needs.

Itineraries for Washington D.C. educational tours are usually filled with US Presidents. So many of the beautiful monuments and memorials are dedicated to those who’ve held that prestigious office. The memorial for FDR is just one of many – and certainly not the most familiar or most commonly reproduced on film or television. But it spans more years than any other as it celebrates the man who held the office for the longest amount of time.

Each room of the FDR memorial is dedicated to one of his four terms in office. Each holds a statue of the President in a different pose from the others. Each displays his words. Each provides a serene, refreshing atmosphere with running waterfalls.

Outside the memorial you’ll find a replica of a 1930s breadline, a common sight during the Great Depression when President Roosevelt’s fireside chats began. Many of the President’s famous words are displayed in his memorial as well, including one of his most popular topics: The Four Freedoms. Roosevelt declared these to be the four basic freedoms every human should enjoy: freedom of Speech, freedom of Religion, freedom from Want, and freedom from Fear.

The Great Depression certainly threatened the third freedom listed, and World War II undoubtedly threatened the fourth. How comforting Roosevelt’s words must have been that we could expect and should hope for and work toward a day when every human could enjoy each of the freedoms he declared. The FDR memorial is a cool retreat on a hot day with its flowing water, and it’s a reminder of a man who brought refreshing words in troubling times. It’s just one of the many great presidential memorials on the National Mall, but it’s certainly one worth visiting.

Photo by by matt.h.wade on Flickr.

Walkway to Cocoa Beach

I entered Cocoa Beach by a walkway very much like this one (by hyku on Flickr). In fact, this could be the wooden steps I took toward my favorite day in Florida.

Now, you have to know a couple things about me. First, I’m a Disney girl. I see very little reason to be in the Orlando area without being on a Disney resort spending as much time as possible either in one of the major theme parks or on the monorail between them. I heart Disney. Also, I’m not a fan of hanging out in my swimming suit. Being raised in conservative, land-locked Missouri, it’s just not how I roll. These things combined to equal a sort of “meh” attitude towards discovering what all the fuss was about when it came to Cocoa Beach.

I had a new baby at the time. He was only a few weeks old (obviously, I wasn’t there for spring break), and I quickly thanked heaven he was able to experience the ocean at such a young age.

It’s not like I hadn’t experienced it before, but this time was different. I’d just been through a tumultuous year, having been pregnant and diagnosed with cancer. I’d just finished by final treatment, and the world really seemed brand new. The ocean felt like heaven.

Cocoa Beach is indeed a popular place for spring break trips. But don’t rule it out for families as well. There’s plenty of space for all kinds of vacationers on these miles of Florida coastline. Apparently the waters here are some of the best for surfers on Florida’s east coast. Yet the waves lapping at the shoreline are perfect for children as well. The beach offers several volleyball nets for a favorite sand sport as well as, again, plenty of room for sunbathing, lounging with friends and family, and sandcastles for the kids and kids at heart.

One of my favorite parts of our day at Cocoa Beach was the pier. We browsed souvenir shops and ate at Marlins Good Times Bar & Grill where we could see dolphins out the window as we ate. The Cocoa Beach Pier stretches over 800 feet over the ocean. At least two bars can be found beyond Marlins. They offer live entertainment and a great view of the Florida sunset. Several venues around the Cocoa Beach area fit into the exciting nightlife category, but what could be more exciting than drinks on the Pier?

Cocoa Beach is one of America’s classic seaside destinations. It’s great for families, romantic getaways, and college breaks. You can’t miss with this popular beach and its entertaining pier.

The most I used to know about Bath came from Jane Austen novels. And I have to say, the author didn’t seem all that impressed with the city. Now I know a bit more. The city features in some of our sample itineraries, and it’s a great addition to Europe student travel tours.

Getting There

Bath is about one hundred miles west of London and a perfect day trip if you’re staying in the jolly capital. Day tours to Bath sometimes include a stop at Windsor Castle first and a visit to Stonehenge. Even without a guided tour though, with the price of fuel in the UK you’ll probably find that bus or motor coach is the best way to travel – especially in groups.

The Bath Experience

Bath is built over England’s only natural hot spring. The Romans built their famous bathhouses at the springs, and today’s Bath still embodies the great architecture and ancient luxury of Rome. When visiting the Roman Baths you’ll walk in the same luxurious halls the Romans once frequented for relaxation (all of them but the Christians and philosophers – apparently Bath wasn’t so popular for them). In the Pump Room you can actually sample the spring water. This is a luxurious room with seating for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea.

The ancient rooms and treasures don’t end with the famous pools. You’ll find remnants of what used to be some of the most luxurious surroundings the Romans knew, filled with colonnades, vaulted ceilings, marble, and mosaics. Of course, even though Bath is a World Heritage Site for its long and famous history, you can also enjoy it with all the modern luxury of the twenty-first century.

Thermae Bath Spa makes use of the same natural hot spring the ancient Romans used but now in modern style, including a warm, roof-top pool. The visitor’s center here is free, though you can pay for various spa experiences as well – including aroma steam rooms, waterfall showers, and the open-air pool on the roof.

Bath is an amazing natural wonder with a history of man-made pomp and circumstance as well. It’s a great day trip for London tours and can be combined with any number of popular landmarks in the UK.

(Also: Consider Bath for literature tours in Europe. The city featured often in the novels by Jane Austen.)

Photo by Meygun on Flickr.

The upside to the size of our country is how many seaside escapes it has to offer. You can pretty much choose your climate, nightlife, and texture of sand and find the perfect beach destination somewhere in the country. The downside? It would cost some major travel bucks to visit all of them, and it’s almost impossible to even know how many wonderful beaches exist.

If what you’re looking for in a seaside destination is charm, lots of natural beauty, historical sites nearby, and an authentic wooden boardwalk, Ocean City may be just the place.

It’s located along Maryland’s coast and its authentic wooden walkway flanked by games, activities, and classic boardwalk attractions is perfect for spring break trips, family getaways, and group travel of any kind.

Any time you choose a lesser-known beach location, you choose some obvious upfront benefits. The trip is likely to be more cost-effective than destinations with a higher tourist density, and that lower density is something many people consider its own benefit.

A beach in Maryland may not be where you’ll choose for getaways in the dead of winter. But for late spring and summer, Ocean City is the perfect choice. Besides the ten-mile beachfront in the area, the three-mile boardwalk in Ocean City, and tons of old churches, schools, and museums highlighting American history and black history within it, the area also has nature trails, forests, and a nearby island where you may spot actual wild ponies from one of the two herds known to graze there.

It’s a great place to return to the simple life and to travel green as you can spend almost all your time hiking on foot or biking on over one hundred miles of bike trails. This pretty east coast area has definitely rolled out the – well- wooden carpet for all its guests. After just one visit, you’ll certainly add Ocean City to your list of beaches worth escaping to.

Photo by surrfred on Flickr.