WASHINGTON D.C./FAIRFAX
OVERNIGHT EXCURSION
Saturday/Sunday, April 18 & 19, 2015
A benefit trip for the
Sullivan County Friends of the NRA
On behalf of CD Trips, LLC thank you for letting us take you out to Washington, D.C. We are
proud to be your Common Denominator for organized, hassle free and fun trips while giving back to
the community! A portion of the proceeds from this trip will benefit the Sullivan County Friends of
the NRA. Thanks for your support! FYI… we have a full itinerary of activities scheduled with a late
arrival at the hotel for dinner on your own. We would suggest that you bring light snacks for the
day. CD Trips, LLC will also be providing some snacks to keep you happy and fed. Below is some
information in reference to your visit to Washington, D.C. that we hope is helpful to you. So sit
back, enjoy and have lots of fun!
Itinerary*
Saturday, April 18th
Please be at your pick up location at least 15 minutes before pickup time**
6:30 AM Departure from Liberty-Municipal Parking Lot behind Elks Club
6:50 AM Pickup at Rock Hill (Exit 109 - Farmer's Market Parking Lot)
10:30 AM Snack Stop
12:30 PM Arrive in Washington D.C. - Dropoff at US Capitol
1:30 PM Meet for Tour of US Capitol at fountain in front of Capitol Building
2:10 PM Tour United States Capital
3:30 PM Board Bus - Step on Guided Tour of Monuments and Memorials
7:30 PM Arrive at Marriott Gateway, Arlington, VA
Dinner on your own - List of restaurants will be supplied in packets upon arrival for trip
Explore and enjoy Crystal City Underground
Sunday, April 19th
7-‐9 AM “Rise & Shine” – Breakfast on your own * Optional 7:40 AM Departure for Arlington Cemetery Please bring all luggage with you 8;30-‐9AM Load luggage into bus 9:15 AM Depart Hotel 9:30 AM Pickup at Arlington Cemetery for those who went at 7:40 AM 10:00 AM Self-‐guided tour of Smithsonian Museum of American History 11:30 AM Depart for Fair Oaks Mall-‐Lunch and Shopping on your own 1:00 PM Depart for Self Guided Tour of National Firearms Museum 2:30 PM Depart for home 5:30 PM Snack Stop 8:30 PM Arrive home *Itinerary is subject to change. Arrival times are estimated & dependent on traffic volume
If you need assistance any time the trip please call/text 845 798-‐0783 or 845 798-‐3387 For updated information about all of our upcoming trips go to www.cdtrips.com WASHINGTON D.C. EXCURSION HIGHLIGHTS AND INFORMATION UNITED STATES CAPITOL
The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., is a symbol of the American people and their government, the
meeting place of the nation's legislature. The Capitol also houses an important collection of American art, and
it is an architectural achievement in its own right. It is a working office building as well as a tourist attraction
visited by millions every year.
Construction of the U.S. Capitol began in 1793. In November 1800, the U.S. Congress met in the first
completed portion, the north wing. In the 1850s, major extensions to the North and South ends of the Capitol
were authorized because of the great westward expansion of our nation and the resultant growth of Congress.
Since that time, the U.S. Capitol and its stately dome have become international symbols of our representative
democracy.
The U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is the newest addition to this historic complex. At nearly 580,000 square feet,
the Visitor Center is the largest project in the Capitol's more than two-century history and is approximately
three quarters the size of the Capitol itself. The entire facility is located underground on the east side of the
Capitol so as not to detract from the appearance of the Capitol and the grounds designed by Frederick Law
Olmsted in 1874.
ARLINGTON CEMETERY
The Changing of the Guard
The guard is changed every half hour on the hour An impeccably uniformed relief commander appears on the
plaza to announce the Changing of the Guard. Soon the new sentinel leaves the Quarters and unlocks the bolt
of his or her M-14 rifle to signal to the relief commander to start the ceremony. The relief commander walks
out to the Tomb and salutes, then faces the spectators and asks them to stand and stay silent during the
ceremony.
The relief commander conducts a detailed white-glove inspection of the weapon, checking each part of the
rifle once. Then, the relief commander and the relieving sentinel meet the retiring sentinel at the center of the
matted path in front of the Tomb. All three salute the Unknown who have been symbolically given the Medal
of Honor. Then the relief commander orders the relieved sentinel, "Pass on your orders." The current sentinel
commands, "Post and orders, remain as directed." The newly posted sentinel replies, "Orders acknowledged,"
and steps into position on the black mat. When the relief commander passes by, the new sentinel begins
walking at a cadence of 90 steps per minute.
The Tomb Guard marches 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb, turns, faces east for 21 seconds,
turns and faces north for 21 seconds, then takes 21 steps down the mat and repeats the process. After the turn,
the sentinel executes a sharp "shoulder-arms" movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the
visitors to signify that the sentinel stands between the Tomb and any possible threat. Twenty-one was chosen
because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed -- the 21-gun salute.
Duty time when not "walking" is spent in the Tomb Guard Quarters below the Memorial Display Room of the
Memorial Amphitheater where they study cemetery "knowledge," clean their weapons and help the rest of
their relief prepare for the Changing of the Guard. The guards also train on their days off.
The Guards of Honor at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are highly motivated and are proud to honor all
American service members who are "Known But to God."
Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in any weather by Tomb
Guard sentinels. Sentinels, all volunteers, are considered to be the best of the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment
(The Old Guard), headquartered at Fort Myer, Va.
After members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment become ceremonially qualified, they are eligible to
volunteer for duty as sentinels at the Tomb. If accepted, they are assigned to Company E of The Old Guard.
Each soldier must be in superb physical condition, possess an unblemished military record and be between 5
feet, 10 inches and 6 feet, 4 inches tall, with a proportionate weight and build. An interview and a two-week
trial to determine a volunteer's capability to train as a tomb guard is required.
During the trial phase, would-be sentinels memorize seven pages of Arlington National Cemetery history.
This information must be recited verbatim in order to earn a "walk." A walk occurs between guard changes. A
daytime walk is one-half hour in the summer and one hour in the winter. All night walks are one hour.
If a soldier passes the first training phase, "new-soldier" training begins. New sentinels learn the history of
Arlington National Cemetery and the grave locations of nearly 300 veterans. They learn the guard-change
ceremony and the manual of arms that takes place during the inspection portion of the Changing of the Guard.
Sentinels learn to keep their uniforms and weapons in immaculate condition.
The sentinels will be tested to earn the privilege of wearing the silver Tomb Guard Identification Badge after
several months of serving. First, they are tested on their manual of arms, uniform preparation and their walks.
Then, the Badge Test is given. The test is 100 randomly selected questions of the 300 items memorized
during training on the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The
would-be badge holder must get more than 95 percent correct to succeed.
The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is a temporary award until the badge-holding sentinel has honorably
served at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for nine months. At that time, the award can be made a
permanent badge, which may then be worn for the rest of a military career. The silver badge is an upsidedown, laurel-leaf wreath surrounding a depiction of the front face of the Tomb. Peace, Victory and Valor are
portrayed as Greek figures. The words "Honor Guard" are shown below the Tomb on the badge.
There are three reliefs, each having one relief commander and about six sentinels. The three reliefs are
divided by height so that those in each guard change ceremony look similar. The sentinels rotate walks every
hour in the winter and at night, and every half-hour in the day during the summer. The Tomb Guard Quarters
is staffed using a rotating Kelly system. Each relief has the following schedule: first day on, one day off,
second day on, one day off, third day on, four days off. Then, their schedule repeats.
NRA NATIONAL FIREARMS MUSEUM
The NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, consists of 15 galleries comprised of 85 exhibit
cases housing 3,000 firearms in a 15,000 square foot facility. The Museum details and examines the nearly
700-year history of firearms with a special emphasis on firearms, freedom, and the American experience.
Each gallery is evocative of a period of time in American history, from the stockade fort at Jamestown to the
gun factories of New England. Life-sized dioramas include a nineteenth-century riflemaker's shop, a trench
on the Western Front in WWI, and a shelled-out town square in Normandy in WWII. The firearms tell the
stories of how they were used to provide security and sustenance to the early colonists, how they were used to
secure our freedom and independence, and have been used ever since to maintain and preserve those liberties.
Within the galleries are also tales of exploration, manufacturing, competition, hunting, and recreational
shooting
sports.
"The Robert E. Petersen Gallery" opened in 2010. It has been called "the finest single room of guns
anywhere in the world." It features masterpieces of firearms engraving, exquisite British double rifles and
shotguns, and the largest collection of Gatling guns on public display"
Hollywood Guns," located in the William B. Ruger Gallery, features 120 actual guns used in movies and
television over the past 80 years. They range from the first revolver John Wayne used on camera through
guns from recent Academy Award Winners, such as the silenced shotgun from "No Country for Old Men,"
and the Barrett .50 cal. sniper rifle from "Hurt Locker." Other favorites in the exhibit include the Beretta
pistol used both by Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon" and by Bruce Willis in "Die Hard," and the .44 Magnum
Smith & Wesson carried by Clint Eastwood in "Dirty Harry."
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Established in 1846 "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge," is a group of museums and research centers
administered by the United States government. Originally organized as the "United States National Museum,"
that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967. Termed "the nation's attic for its eclectic
holdings of 138 million items ]the Institution's Washington, D.C., nucleus of nineteen museums, nine research
centers, and zoo—many of them historical or architectural landmarks—is the largest such complex in the
world. Additional facilities are located in Arizona, Maryland, New York City, Virginia, Panama and
elsewhere, and 168 other museums are Smithsonian Affiliates. The Institution's thirty million annual visitors]
are admitted without charge; funding comes from the Institution's own endowment, private and corporate
contributions, membership dues, government support, and retail, concession and licensing revenues.[3]
Institution publications include Smithsonian and Air & Space magazines.
SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY Exhibitions LINCOLN’S CARRAIGE: First floor center. A special display of the carriage that transported the President, Mary Todd Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone, and his fiancée Clara Harris to Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865; on loan from the Studebaker National Museum. The open barouche model carriage was built by Wood Brothers in 1864 and was presented to Lincoln by a group of New York merchants shortly before the president’s second inauguration. Clement Studebaker bought the vehicle from F. B. Brewer of New York, who had acquired it from Robert Lincoln, the president’s son, who sold it shortly after his father's assassination. The carriage is on view in conjunction an exhibition at nearby Ford’s Theatre, Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination, displaying a collection of items that were in the theater or carried by Abraham Lincoln the night of his assassination HEAR MY VOICE, ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL: Second Floor East Alexander Graham Bell is best remembered as the inventor of the telephone, but he and his associates were also instrumental in the development of sound recording at his Volta Laboratory in Washington, D.C. In this exhibiton, see documents, recordings, laboratory notes, and apparatus from the Volta Laboratory dating from the 1880s; learn about the early history of sound recording in the United States; and hear some of the earliest sound recordings ever made. The recordings are made audible through a 21st century sound recovery technique developed by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory staff in partnership with the Library of Congress and the Museum. AMERICAN ON THE MOVE: First Floor East The Museum's transportation hall encompasses nearly 26,000 square feet, includes 340 objects, and features 19 historic settings in chronological order. From the coming of the railroad to a California town in 1876 to the role of the streetcar and the automobile in creating suburbs to the global economy of Los Angeles in 1999, America on the Move takes visitors on a fascinating journey. Multimedia technology and environments allows visitors to see historic artifacts as they once were, a vital part of the nation’s transportation system and of the business, social, and cultural history of the country. The exhibition features: • a 1903 Winton, the first car driven across the United States •
a Chicago Transit Authority “L” car •
a 199-‐ton, 92-‐foot-‐long Southern Railway locomotive, the 1401 •
a 40-‐foot stretch of the famed Route 66 THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY: A GLORIUS BURDEN, Third Floor East This exhibition explores the personal, public, ceremonial and executive actions of the 43 men who have had a huge impact on the course of history in the past 200 years. More than 900 objects, including national treasures from the Smithsonian’s vast presidential collections, bring to life the role of the presidency in American culture AMERICAN STORIES, Second Floor East Take a journey through time and discover both well-‐known and less-‐familiar stories about the American experience in the Museum’s newest signature exhibition: American Stories. In 5,300 square feet, American Stories features an engaging mix of artifacts from the Museum’s vast holdings to tell stories about the country’s history. Through more than 100 objects, visitors can follow a chronology that spans the Pilgrims’ 1620 arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts, through the 2008 presidential election. American Stories highlights the ways in which objects and stories can reinforce and challenge our understanding of history and help define our personal and national identities. The exhibition examines the manner in which culture, politics, economics, science, technology, and the peopling of the United States have shaped the country over the decades. Dedicated spaces throughout will regularly feature new acquisitions to give a more inclusive representation of the experiences of all Americans. Highlights include the following objects: a fragment of Plymouth Rock •
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a section of the first transatlantic telegraph cable a sunstone capital from the Latter-‐day Saints temple at Nauvoo, Illinois the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz signed baseball from the 1937 All-‐Star Game clothing and textile artifacts •
Apolo Ohno’s speed skates from the 2002 Winter Olympics ARTIFACT WALLS, CELIA CRUZ Celia Cruz was a Latina American singer known as the “Queen of Salsa.” The five-‐time Grammy Award winner was famous for her vibrant stage personality. This special case examines the colorful aspects that made up part of Cruz’s illustrious career, including wigs, shoes from her collection, one of her five Grammys, and more. The case also features artist Robert Weingarten’s interpretation of Cruz’s life. Weingarten's "visual biography" was created after a public vote on which of five historical figures should be the subject of the new portrait. After Celia Cruz was chosen, the public had further input into the artist's process by telling the Musuem why she was significant. About the artifact walls, Second Floor Center Artifact walls, consisting of 275 linear feet of glass-‐fronted cases lining the first and second floor center core, highlight the depth and breadth of the collections and convey that the Museum collects, studies and exhibits objects from our nation's rich and diverse history. The display is part of the special cases within the museum’s Artifact Walls that highlight anniversaries, new acquisitions to the collections and research findings. CONTINUITY AND CHANGE, FIFTY YEARS OF MUSEUM HISTORY, Lower Level Corridor Modern digital photographic prints of key National Museum of American History (formerly the National Museum of History and Technology) exhibitions and activities demonstrate the transformation of the Museum from one of history and technology into a museum devoted to American history. The photos highlight the exhibitions and new collecting initiatives that contributed to the evolution of the Museum throughout its 50 years. THE DOLLS HOUSE, Second Floor, East This miniature house was designed, decorated, and furnished by Faith Bradford. It is five stories tall with 23 rooms and is built on a scale of one inch to one foot. There are 1,354 miniature specimens in the model. The house contains furniture, linens, toys and other household items. Calling this small house home are Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doll, their 10 children, two visiting grandparents, five servants and 20 pets. THE FIRST LADIES, Second Floor, East The First Ladies explores the unofficial but important position of first lady and the ways that different women have shaped the role to make their own contributions to the presidential administrations and the nation. The exhibition features more than two dozen gowns from the Smithsonian’s almost 100-‐year old First Ladies Collection, including those worn by Frances Cleveland, Lou Hoover, Jacqueline Kennedy, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. A section titled “Changing Times, Changing First Ladies” highlights the roles played by Dolley Madison, Mary Lincoln, Edith Roosevelt, and Lady Bird Johnson and their contributions to their husband’s administrations. The First Ladies encourages visitors to consider the changing role played by the first lady and American women over the past 200 years. FOOD-‐TRANSFORMING THE AMERICAN TABLE 1950-‐2000, First Floor East Julia Child’s home kitchen, with its hundreds of tools, appliances, and furnishings, serves as the opening story of the Museum’s first major exhibition on food history. From the impact of innovations and new technologies, to the influence of social and cultural shifts, the exhibition considers how these factors helped transform food and its production, preparation, and consumption in post-‐WWII America, as well as what we know (or think we know) about what’s good for us. The public will be invited to take a seat at a large, communal table in the center of the exhibition to share their own thoughts and experiences about food and change in America GUNBOAT PHILADELPHIA Third Floor East The Gunboat Philadelphia exhibition has been reinterpreted and updated to include its recovery in 1935, a history of its display at Lake Champlain as well as early preservation and acquisition by the museum. This exhibition includes historical video footage of the raising of the Philadelphia from Lake Champlain accompanied by an interpretive cart that provides hands-‐on experience with preservation needs. Painted scrims provide the visitor with a simulated visual sense of the “underwater” space of the Philadelphia. New cases will display artifacts that were recovered with the gunboat as well as the crew payroll. About the Gunboat In October 1776, American troops in a ragtag collection of newly built boats faced an advancing line of British ships on Lake Champlain in New York. The Americans, under the command of Benedict Arnold, were forced to retreat, but not before they fought the British to a standstill. One of the American vessels, the Philadelphia, sank during the battle and rested on the bottom of the lake until 1935. It was recovered that year with much of its equipment intact and came to the Museum in 1964, complete with the 24-‐pound ball that sent the gunboat to the bottom. Join CD Trips, LLC on any of the following 2015 fun trips! Your Common Denominator for Organized, Hassle Free & Fun Trips!
April 25 SUBWAY SERIES SATURDAY – YANKEES VS METS Benefits Companion Animal Foundation $119 per person Adult 4 Pack -‐ $380 Family 4 pack (2 Adults/2 Youth under 16) $320 May 16 KINKY BOOTS ON BROADWAY -‐ Starting at $125 pp – Select your benefit organization! Starting at $125 per person Bus Only Option -‐ $40 per person June 7 NEW YORK YANKEES VS ANAHEIM ANGELS AT YANKEE STADIUM A benefit trip for the Robert Van Etten Jr. Scholarship Fund Doorbuster Price -‐ $99 pp for adults $90 pp youths 17 and under June 13/14 HISTORIC GETTYSBURG – 2 Days/1 Night Trip -‐ Trip is filling up fast! A benefit trip for the Corporal Russell Sprague American Legion Post #109 $285 PP DBL OCC June 20 3rd ANNUAL BARRY FOSTER MEMORIAL OLD TIMER’S DAY TRIP Benefits Barry Foster Memorial Fund $99 per person until May 1st – Add $20 after May 1st August 14-‐16 12TH ANNUAL CD TRIPS, LLC BASEBALL TRIP -‐ TORONTO, CANADA Select your benefit organization $438 pp dbl occ Earlybird Price – Add $65 pp after 6/1/15) August 23 VETERAN’S NYC TRIP TO 9/11 MEMORIAL MUSEUM Benefits SC Veteran’s Coalition VETERANS (Active & Retired) $55 pp. Adults $74pp Seniors $69pp Youth $66pp TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THESE GREAT TRIPS! METS VS RED SOX AT CITI FIELD August 29 METS VS RED SOX SATURDAY BASEBALL TRIP TO CITI FIELD August 30 METS VS RED SOX SUNDAY BASEBALL TRIP TO CITI FIELD METS VS YANKEES AT CITI FIELD September 19 SUBWAY SERIES SATURDAY – YANKEES VS METS AT CITI FIELD September 20 SUBWAY SERIES SUNDAY – YANKEES VS METS AT CITI FIELD Three (3) Seating Levels on Sunday games starting at $110 Early bird price. Two (s) Seating Levels on Saturday games starting at $110 Early bird price. Add $10 after 5/1/2015 October 4 NASCAR Trip to Dover 400 Sprint Cup Series Race Active and Retired Veterans -‐ $118 pp Non-‐veterans -‐ $138 pp For More Information/Reservations Visit our website at www.cdtrips.com or call 845-‐798-‐2188