“Somewhere we will never forget.”
Troop 191’s trip to Washington, D.C. in their own words.
July 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Troop 191 went to Washington, D.C. in the peak of summer for a week during this year’s Fourth of July. This was an incredible experience for both the leaders and Girl Scouts that went.
Planning began with troop members researching and ranking their top 20 activities to do within the city. From that list, they then ranked their destinations, and before we knew it, they were coordinating the perfect trip!
The troop went through deciding on their preferred mode of transportation, housing, and food: Hotel, hostel, or camping?; Fly, bus, train, or drive?; Restaurants, food trucks, or cook? They ultimately decided that if they were going to go as far as Washington, D.C., this was going be a longer trip—a whole week in fact!
Seven days in a new city can be a little pricey, so what was the budget for this beast? Using their research and financial skills, Troop 191 came up with three estimated total costs, experimenting with different modes of transportation and housing to determine which option would be most expensive—and which would be the most affordable. After crunching the numbers and making some tough calls, the total budget came out to $6,000.
We collectively voted to drive to the city in a 12-passenger van, camp at Cherry Hill Campground, and cook most of our meals such as breakfast and some lunches, leaving a good bit of flexibility for food trucks and restaurants in the evening. Since ten members had confirmed that they were going, and with the new dollar amount in mind, our troop came in under budget by the end.
“The car ride up was really long but really worth it, seeing cities, sleeping, and talking to my troop mates,” says a Girl Scout from Troop 191.
The first item on our troop trip list was the White House. To foster the Maine connection, we requested a tour through Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s office. The intention was to visit two planned destinations per day, mostly using the metro to get in and out of the city. When it came to museums, the troop made conscious decisions to balance the heavier topics such as the Holocaust, with lighthearted interesting ones like the International Spy Museum and the Air and Space Museum.
The Fourth of July was filled with government knowledge. We visited the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and Union Station. During the following two days, we focused on history, both American and African American, along with a stopover at the Library of Congress.
“The Library of Congress was my favorite because it was beautiful in there and I actually got to go into the research library,” says a Girl Scout from Troop 191.
“The Holocaust Museum was very informative, I learned quite a bit and it’s someplace I will never forget,” says another.
Our final day was special. We drove into the city, visited the famed monuments, and uncovered all kinds of history and meaning about them. Pro-tip: don’t waste your money on a driving tour of these fascinating monuments, you can learn more and get closer without even spending a dime! One of our final stops was Arlington Cemetery where we wandered the sea of white gravestones and paid our respects to the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Lastly, but certainly not least, we went to the National Zoo, where we saw countless monkeys, birds, reptiles, elephants, pandas, lions, and so much more.
“Overall I think this was a really good first trip, even though it was my longest time away from home, there were so many cool things to see and do. I have a better appreciation of how our country works now that I have seen the White House and Capital Buildings and so many monuments and museums,” says a Girl Scout from Troop 191.
Although the Girl Scouts enjoyed every last stop on this trip, some made more of an impact than others. Some troop members chose the White House as their favorite part:
“I thought the White House was very cool with tons of pictures like ones of Girl Scouts, and the chandeliers were really pretty.”
“One of my favorite things was the White House because it was really cool to be able to go in there and now, I can say that I’ve been in the White House!”
While others felt that wandering the city’s many museums left the biggest mark on their journey:
“The Natural History Museum was a favorite, seeing all the crystals was also super cool, especially seeing the one from Maine!”
“The African American History Museum was big; I was glad we started at the bottom and worked our way through history. It made me really sad, but through the floors I built hope.”
Once we had time to reflect on their spectacular trip to Washington, D.C., we all discussed what went well and some advice to pass on to other troops planning out big trips in the future. While some members said it was important to be open to driving long distances in an effort to save money, another thought the biggest tip was planning and preparing for the amount of walking and transportation every day.
Finally, one Girl Scout offered some of her own input for the fearless leaders who accompany their troops on these magical ventures: “I’m so glad we could go and grateful for my leaders for taking time out of their lives to bring us to somewhere we will never forget.”
