WASHINGTON DC

1st Trip:  October 16-20, 2008

2nd Trip: October 30-November 3, 2008

UPDATES:

-- We have a couple families that need to back out of the trip due to health reasons. If you would like to be added to our group for either trip, please complete a registration form, note which trip you're interested in, and I'll email you if there are any cancellations for that trip.

-- There are 100 travelers registered for our first trip (October 16-20), with families from SC, NC, GA, PA, MI, TN, KY, IL, and OH; and children ages 1.5 to 19.

-- There are 100 travelers registered for our second trip (October 30-November 3), with families from NC, SC, GA, NY, FL, TN, MI, CA, OH, IL, MA, MN, and UT; and children ages 2 to 17.

What we're doing...

We're going back to Washington DC in October and we hope you'll be able to join us! We're planning to tour the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, World War I & II Memorials, Washington Monument, White House, National Archives, Old Post Office Pavilion and Tower, Arlington Cemetery, International Spy Museum, US Capitol, Holocaust Museum, Library of Congress, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Pentagon, and Union Station. We'll also have the opportunity to visit Smithsonian museums such as: National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian, and others of your choice.

Our schedule is flexible, so we may not see every site listed, or we may see more. It depends on crowd levels, the weather, and where our travels take us. Some tours we'll do as a group; others we'll do on our own.

If we are able to get the White House tour, I will need the personal information of everyone scheduled to go on the tour (social security number, date of birth, full name). You may send your social security numbers, and other personal information, via snail mail with your deposit if you feel uncomfortable emailing them. Everyone in the group 15 years of age or older will be required to show photo identification with information exactly matching the name from your registration form that I submit for clearance. If your identification card does not exactly match the name that you submit, you may be denied admittance, so please type or print your information clearly.

If we are able to get the Pentagon tour, I will need first and last names, date of birth, and city/state of birth for everyone scheduled to go on the tour.

I plan to coordinate some informal online courses for registered students so they will learn about the sites we'll be visiting (and develop friendships) before we go. My children always seem to enjoy a trip more, and get more out of it, when they study the history of the area beforehand.

The registration deadline is August 15. Those who register early will have space in our first-choice hotel, which includes a good free breakfast each morning for each member of your party. Our overflow hotel will be nice, but won't include a free breakfast.

We must have a minimum number of travelers to receive group discounts, so this trip may be cancelled if we don't reach our minimum. I'll announce via this website and our Traveling Homeschoolers mailing list when this trip is confirmed.

How we’ll get there...

You'll make your own travel arrangements for this trip (car, train, or plane). If you choose to fly or take the train, there's no need to rent a car once you arrive in DC. Our hotel is easily accessible via the metro (whether you travel by train or land at Reagan International Airport) or via a hotel shuttle (if you land at Reagan International Airport). If you drive, parking at the hotel will be an extra $10 per night.

Please plan to arrive on Thursday, October 16 (or October 30 on the second trip), by 5:00 pm. We'll have a meet and greet later that evening, and I'll distribute admission tickets and information about how to use DC's wonderful public transportation system. We'll spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday touring, and depart for home on the morning of Monday October 20 (or November 3 for the second trip).

Cost and what's included...

I'm estimating the cost for a "typical" family of 4 (depending on ages) will be around $900. (A family of 2, depending on ages, would be around $750, and a family of 3, again depending on ages, would be around $820.) These totals reflect the use of fundraising money for some of our group admission fees (your family will be eligible for the reduced cost on this trip, even if you didn't participate in fundraising). The cost for each family will differ depending on family size and ages of the children. An initial deposit of $450 (or half of your total if you have fewer than four travelers) will be due within 7 days of registration, with the balance due by the registration deadline (August 15).

The final cost will include your registration fee, hotel for four nights, a buffet breakfast on Friday through Monday (if you register early enough for a room in our first-choice hotel), two lunches, all site admissions, and any special online courses I offer for registered students. It also includes Metro and Circulator transportation while we're there. All other meals, a $10 per night parking fee if you drive to DC, and anything you do on your own will be extra.

Our hotel rooms will have two double beds and will be reserved for each family (you won't share a room with people you don't know). Let me know if you'd like to share a room to save money (your party consists of just one parent and a child, for example, and you know another parent/child team you'd like to share a room with, or would like to find one to share with). If you have fewer than four in your party, the cost of your admissions will decrease, but your hotel cost (the bulk of your total) will remain the same.

Refunds...
If you need to back out of the trip after sending your deposit and/or final payment, I'll work with you to get your money back (less your registration fee) by trying to arrange for another family to take your place (from my waiting list of families who register after the deadline). I can't guarantee a refund if I have no families on my waiting list. Last minute drop-outs were a problem with previous trips, nearly forcing us to cancel due to dropping below the level required for group discounts. Please be sure you really want to go before registering and paying your fees - there's no guarantee you'll get your money back if you cancel.

This trip may be cancelled if we don't have enough registrations. If I have to cancel the trip, you'll receive a refund of all payments.

Important things to know...

w Your deposit will be due in my mailbox within 7 days of the day I send your confirmation email. Please don't register until you're able to mail your deposit. (This eliminates the need to send repeated payment reminders.) If I don't receive it within one week of my confirmation email, your registration will be deleted and you will lose any early-registration privileges. If you decide to register again, a re-registration fee will be added to your total.

w We'll rely on public transportation while touring DC. It's well worth the experience, but it does require that we have patience if things don't go exactly according to our timetable.

w Please note on your registration any special requests (carpooling, caravanning, room sharing, riding the same train together, etc), and I'll try to connect you with other homeschool families who are looking for the same.

w If we are able to get the White House tour, I will need the personal information of everyone scheduled to go on the tour (social security number, date of birth, full name). Everyone in the group 15 years of age or older will be required to show photo identification with information exactly matching the name from your registration form that I submit for clearance. If your identification card does not exactly match the name that you submit, you may be denied admittance, so please type your information accurately on your registration form.

w If we are able to get the Pentagon tour, I will need first and last names, date of birth, and city/state of birth for everyone scheduled to go on the tour. Please type your information accurately on your registration form or you may be denied admittance on the tour.

w I plan to coordinate some informal online courses for registered students so they will learn about the sites we'll be visiting (and develop friendships) before we go. The courses will be conducted in a private area of our message boards. If your children would like to participate, please help them register for a forum account so they'll be ready to join in.

w You'll walk a lot on this trip. If you have problems that won't allow you to walk for extended periods during the day, please consider postponing your trip until you're more able.

w Start a walking program before the trip if you don't do much walking now. Be sure to walk in the shoes (tennis shoes, walking shoes) you'll be using for the trip - don't buy new shoes without breaking them in thoroughly. Trust me on this.

w If you decide not to take the trip, a refund of your payment is not guaranteed and is unlikely. Please read and understand my refund policy (in the section above) before sending your money!

w This trip may be cancelled if we don't have enough registrations. If I have to cancel this trip, you'll receive a refund of all payments.

w See our Washington DC 2006 report for a description of our previous trip.

w More "things to know" will be posted as we near our departure date, so check back here from time to time for the latest updates.

If you want to go...

To register for this trip, please copy and paste the following form into an email and supply the requested information (you can delete the Second Child & Third Child portion if it's not needed, or add more sections if you have more students to enroll). It's important to type the correct age of each child on the date given so I can take advantage of any age-related discounts.

NOTE: If possible, please send your registration from the email address you'll be using to communicate with me about the trip.

A registration deposit of $450 will be due upon confirmation of your registration. If I don't receive your payment within 7 days from the day I send your confirmation and payment email, your registration will be deleted. If you decide to register again, a re-registration fee will be added to your total. (Note: If you lose track of time or have a problem and know your payment will be a few days late, don't pay high overnight or express fees - just email me and let me know.)

A waiting list will be maintained after our registration deadline. Please read my refund policy carefully before registering and sending payment.

UPDATE: A couple of families need to cancel their reservations for health reasons. We're now accepting registrations for these openings. Be sure to note which dates you're interested in when you email your registration.

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WASHINGTON DC REGISTRATION

[NOTE: If we get approved for the White House and Pentagon tours and you’d like to participate, please also provide each person's birthdate, city/state/country of birth, and Social Security number. You may send social security numbers, and all personal information, via snail mail with your deposit if you feel uncomfortable emailing it.]

Parent Information

Full Name(s) of each participating parent (including middle names):

Email:

Home Address:

Phone Number:

Parents' birthdates, city/state/country of birth, and Social Security number:

First Student

Student's Full Name (including middle):
Student's age on October 16, 2008 (or October 30 if registering for our second trip):

Student's birthdate, city/state/country of birth, and Social Security number:

Second Student

Student's full name (including middle):
Student's age on October 16, 2008 (or October 30 if registering for our second trip):

Student's birthdate, city/state/country of birth, and Social Security number:

Third Student

Student's full name (including middle):
Student's age on October 16, 2008 (or October 30 if registering for our second trip):

Student's birthdate, city/state/country of birth, and Social Security number:

Other Guests

Please list the full names of other guests in your party and their ages.

Total number in your party:

Comments:

[Please note any special requests (carpooling, caravanning, room sharing, etc), and I'll try to connect you with other homeschool families who are looking for the same.]

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Once I receive your registration via email, I will respond with payment information and mailing instructions. Please email me if you have any questions.

Subscribe to our Traveling Homeschoolers mailing list to receive updates via email. To discuss plans for our trips, visit the Traveling Homeschoolers forum on our message boards.

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