Educational Tours | EA Educational Advantage Tours

From all of us here at EA Tours we’d like to take a moment and wish all of our students, teachers, and parents a Happy Labor Day!

As the summer winds down and schools return to session, we hope everyone enjoys the long holiday weekend that serves as the unofficial end to summer.

And as you reflect on these past few months, we’d love for you to share with us in the comments below your favorite memories or places that you travelled to. Maybe you visited our nation’s capital and went museum hopping? Ate all of the gelato and pizza in Italy? Or marveled at the sites in Saint Petersburg, Russia? Whatever they were, we want to hear about them!

Just because summer is coming to a close though, don’t stop traveling. There are always plenty of new cities to explore, streets to discover, and history to uncover on an EA student tour.

Enjoy the day,

Kate.

Greetings educational travelers!

Please excuse the lack of educational travel blog posts these past few weeks. I’ve been out of the office visiting my brother in sunny California.

However, things are about to change.

As the dog days of summer begin to wind down, things here at The Tour Director will be heating up with lots of new and exciting reads all focused around student travel.

With that being said, welcome back travelers! To get started, I’m kicking things off with a fun little glimpse into one of the exhibitions currently running at the FIDM Museum.

FIDM, or the Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising, is one of the premier fashion schools in the nation. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the FIDM Museum and Galleries strive “to be the global resource for the study of fashion – past, present, and future.” One of the current exhibitions is the “Art of Television Costume Design.” With hundreds of various genres of shows on TV nowadays, the world of costume design has grown exponentially.  From fantasy to period and comedy to drama, the world of design is an endless open book to these extremely gifted designers.

Through October 15, students and teachers who visit the “Art of Television Costume Design” will have the opportunity to view a plethora of iconic looks from from the 2015 and 2016 seasons. I hope you’ll join me on a coming Monday where I share in greater detail how amazing this museum is for student tour groups.

Until then…

Have a great weekend,

Kate.

 

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy is looking pretty splendid right about now!

If you’ve traveled to this popular educational attraction on a student tour recently then you’re probably aware that it’s been getting a bit of a makeover and TLC that it’s so direly needed. Five years ago, Diego Della Valle, CEO of the luxury fashion company Tod’s, stepped forward to financially take on one of the most ambitious tasks in the world- restore Rome’s famed Colosseum to all its glory.

Italy has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country, and the Colosseum is one of them. Built between 70-80 A.D., the Colosseum was beginning to show its age. With pieces reportedly falling off and a thick dark coating of pollution, the Colosseum was also showing signs of a more modern time. However, that’s no longer the case as phase one of the multi-million dollar project has been completed.

The facade has been painstakingly and meticulously cleaned by experts, damaged mortar has been replaced in numerous archways, and new gates have replaced the arch enclosure system. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, hailed the tremendous clean-up project as an example for protecting the country’s vast cultural heritage. Diego Della Valle echoed the Prime Minister’s words saying “we have the duty to protect this heritage for everyone.” The project now turns its attention to phase two, repairing the underground vaults, passageways, and building a visitor’s center.

Even though work has already begun on phase two of the restoration process, it’ll be a little while longer before the amphitheater is restored completely to its grandeur of ancient times. Though the process with be rigorous, no detail will be overlooked. Students, teachers, and educational travelers will once again marvel at its architectural glory and wonder of its tales.

You know what they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Until next time,

Kate.

Hello educational travelers and welcome back to the Tour Director blog!

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend. As I’m sure many of you are aware, student tour season is in high gear. Here at EA Tours, we are busy than can be with making sure everything is running smoothly and all of our students, teachers, and parents have a wonderful educational tour.

Just a couple weeks ago, the President of EA Tours and my awesome Dad had the rare privilege of leading one of our educational student tours to the Netherlands, Norway, and Russia with Georgetown Prep out of Washington, D.C.

Sounds like an exciting trip huh?

In between city hopping, the group set out for full days of sightseeing. They soaked up the vastly different cultures through world-renowned museums and landmarks, fabulous food, music and festivals unique to the region, and a little retail therapy. With so much to see and do, the group didn’t want to waste a minute of their precious educational tour. Starting their journey off in Amsterdam, a city that’s filled with exciting things to see and experience, the Georgetown Prep student tour set out to see one of the most famous museums in the world, the Rijksmuseum.

With Amsterdam home to an abundance of world-class museums, students tours will never run out of educational places of interest. There’s a museum to intrigue every educational traveler, often making it hard to choose which ones to visit. However, you do know that you’ll be kept busy, and happy to hear that what makes all of these museums even better is that plenty of them are easily accessible on foot. Score!

We now return to our regularly scheduled look at the Rijksmuseum in greater detail.

A delicious treat for art-lovers, the Rijksmuseum is one of the more visited museums in all the Netherlands. Making it a worthy highlight on any educational student tour. Rijksmuseum is the general Dutch name for a national museum. Located on the Museumplein, or Museum Square, the Rijksmuseum houses the largest and most important collection of classical Dutch art. Originally founded in the Hague in 1800, the Rijksmuseum later moved to Amsterdam in 1808. Having previously been in several other locations throughout the city, the building you see today was designed by famed architect Pierre Cuypers and opened its doors in 1885.

Housing masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer, the Rijksmuseum has made a name for itself as the largest art museum in the country. The astonishing pieces of artistry on display for visitors to admire measure 8,000; however, the museum’s collection contains more than 1 million objects representing the very best in arts, crafts, and history ranging from the Middle Ages to present day (1200-2000). The crown jewel of the museum though are the more than 2,000 paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. The following are some of my unmissable Rijksmuseum highlights that shouldn’t be missed on your educational student tour.

-The building itself.

The architect was criticized for the building being more on the Renaissance and Gothic side and not having enough Dutch qualities. When admiring the building, see if you can spot Cuypers as one of the stone sculptures. Hint: he’s peeking around the corner.

-The passageway.

Known for its magical acoustics, the passageway outside the museum is quite charming.

–The Night Watch. Rembrandt, 1642.

Hailing as his most famous and largest piece of work, Rembrandt became the first artist to paint a group of lively figures in a portrait setting. Though gorgeous to look at, the painting has sadly seen the hand of vandalism twice before. The first was in 1975 with a butter knife, and the second was in 1990 with sprayed acid. Thankfully, the painting was restored under the careful hands of a trained art restorer to its former glory.

–The Milkmaid. Vermeer, 1660.

Known as Vermeer’s most famous work, The Milkmaid portrays someone who is focused solely on the task at hand. The painting is still except for the stream of milk flowing from the jug. Vermeer was so skilled at using color, the he tricked the viewers’ eyes into making the fluids appear full of motion.

Students and teachers can expect much more though beside the incredible works of art. Delftware, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, clothing, Asian art, prints, items from Dutch maritime history, and so many more objects of cultural significance are on display covering a range of 800 years of Dutch history. When you’ve had your fill of art, head outside to the gardens for some rest, relaxation, and a little contemplation of all that you’ve just seen.

As you can see, there’s a lot for a student tour to encounter when visiting Amsterdam’s famed Rijksmuseum. Simply put, an educational tour isn’t complete without an afternoon spent wondering the museum’s impressive halls and admiring the countless works of art on display. I hope you’ll join EA Tours on a trip to Amsterdam in the future to see the Rijksmuseum in all its grandeur. Who knows you may even have my Dad as your tour leader!

Until next time, have a wonderful Monday,

Kate.

 

 

Happy Monday educational travelers!

Jeff is back to start the week off with an intriguing Washington, D.C. museum. Enjoy!

An educational trip to Washington, D.C. is fascinating, fun, and informative. It can also be full of intrigue, danger, and excitement if you include a visit to the International Spy Museum located at 800 F Street NW in downtown Washington. It opened in the summer of 2002, and remains the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage. It is also the only museum in the world to provide a global perspective on an all but unseen profession that has shaped our history and continues to have a major impact on world events. The museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. Many have never been seen publicly before making it a perfect place to stop off at on an educational student tour. These artifacts illuminate the work of famous spies and pivotal espionage actions as well as help bring to life the strategies and techniques used by some of the greatest secret agents in world history.

Students on an educational tour to the International Spy Museum will uncover its mission which is to educate the public about espionage and intelligence all while in an engaging way.  The museum also provides a context that fosters an understanding of its important role in and impact on current and historical events. The museum focuses on human intelligence and the role spies have played throughout history in an apolitical and unbiased manner. You will be amazed at the deceptions that helped keep the D-Day Invasion of Normandy a secret and how the greatest secret of all time, the Atom bomb, was lost to the Soviet Union. As an added bonus on your next student tour to Washington, D.C., the museum is offering an exhibit entitled “Exquisitely Evil- 50 years of James Bond’s Villains” at no additional charge.

Sounds pretty awesome right?!

Well, be sure to hurry and book your next educational tour to Washington, D.C. with EA Tours so you don’t miss this exciting opportunity of adding this wonderful museum to your student tour itinerary.

Until next time,

Jeff.

Hello educational travelers!

Welcome back to another exciting week in the world of student travel blogging. To kick things off this week, Jeff, one of our guest writers, is back with a fun little post on a museum many may not have known existed.

Enjoy!

Nestled within the 1200W wing of the United States Department of the Interior and near its entrance on C Street in downtown Washington, D.C. is a museum dedicated to educating its employees and the public on the important work done by the Department of Interior. An educational trip to Washington, D.C. should include half a day wandering the halls of the US Department of the Interior Museum. At the height of the New Deal in 1935 legendary Interior Secretary Harold Ickes hired Carl Russell from the National Park Service Museum to head a committee charged with developing and designing exhibits. Russell gathered a staff of curators, model makers, sculptors, and others to begin work on the museum. It opened in 1938 with a thousand objects, photographs, maps, watercolor illustrations, and interpretive panels in ninety-five exhibits. Soon three to four thousand people were visiting the museum each month. It remains a worthy stopping off point for every student tour of Washington, D.C.

Educational tours who visit the Department of Interior headquarters will discover the first building in the capital authorized, designed, and built by the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The building reflects the dedication and commitment to government service by Roosevelt and Ickes who believed a “new day” had arrived in which the government would provide for its citizens. The interior building combines elements of both modern and classical architecture, and illustrates the principles of utility and economy characteristic of the “New Deal” style. If visiting the Grand Canyon in person isn’t possible for your classroom, then do the next best thing. Stop by the Department of the Interior Museum and see its majestic murals of national parks on your student trip to Washington, D.C.

Have a great Monday,

Jeff.

Hello educational travelers!

I’m back with another exciting post from my brother about the museums that comprise the Smithsonian Institute. Enjoy!

The Smithsonian family of museums offers unique and interesting educational opportunities for students and teachers visiting Washington, D.C.

All you have to do is settle on what exactly you want to see.

Eager to take to the skies? The National Air & Space Museum has one of the world’s largest collections of aviation and spaceflight artifacts. Amelia Earhart’s plane. Moon rocks (which you can touch!). The Glamorous Glennis (first plane to break the sound barrier). Apollo modules. The collections at the Air and Space Museum both educate and inspire. Get up close and personal with the aircraft and technology that helped humanity reach the stars.

How about stepping back in time? Look no further than the Museum of American History. Explore our nation’s history, the highs and the lows. Come face to face with political touchstones, explore our popular culture, and delve into old timey Americana.

Students looking for some excitement should consider taking a walk on the wild side with a stop at the National Zoo. See Chinese pandas, meet African elephants, hang out with otters and more! The National Zoo has a large and diverse biological spectrum, with creatures from every ecosystem imaginable.

If the outdoors isn’t your thing, consider getting in touch with your artistic side at the National Portrait Gallery. Here you can gaze on historic portraits of American icons such as General Eisenhower, President Kennedy, and George Washington—just to name a few!

These are but a few of the incredible collections and facilities run by the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

Educational tours have plenty of options including the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, The National History Museum, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Postal Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, and so much more that are just waiting to be explored on your educational student tour!

Until next time,

Matthew.

Happy Friday educational travelers!

I hope you haven’t been pranked too much on this April Fool’s Day. For today’s photo, one of our student tours currently overseas was in London and enjoyed a nice ride on the London Eye.

Positioned on the South Bank of the River Thames, the London Eye offers spectacular views of the city below as it rises nearly 450 feet into the air. Opened in 2000, as part of London’s Millennium celebrations, the London Eye is Europe’s biggest ferris wheel. The London Eye has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in all the United Kingdom. Making it a popular activity among students and their teachers on an educational student tour, the trip takes 30 minutes offering ample time to take in all of London and its beauty.

Famed British architect Sir Richard Rogers described the London Eye as the following :

“The Eye has done for London what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris,  which is to give it a symbol and to let people climb above the city and look back down on it. Not just specialists or rich people, but everybody. That’s the beauty of it: it is public and accessible, and it is in a great position at the heart of London.”

So take a break from the museums and visit one of the city’s most recognized landmarks. You won’t regret it!

Have a great weekend,

Kate.

Hello educational travelers!

From all of us here at EA Tours, we’d like to wish you a very Happy  St. Patrick’s Day!

To get in the Irish spirit, how about trying your hand at some homemade Irish soda bread? Get the recipe here.

Have a very lucky day,

The Staff at EA Tours.

 

Hello educational travelers!

Kate here, and I’m excited to be bringing you a fresh new blog post from my brother on a great little city in the south of France. Enjoy!

Nice, France might not be the most obvious of choices for an educational tour, but this maritime city is a gateway to exploring the French coast as well as the beautiful inner countryside of Provence.

A port city, Nice boasts a thriving oceanside community. With beautiful beaches, first-class seafood restaurants, and plenty to see and do, Nice has much to offer to students looking to see a more laid back and glamorous side to France than they might be used to.

With its warm Mediterranean climate and gorgeous views, life around Nice is easy. Walking through the city’s meandering streets, talking with friendly locals and taking in the sights is a fun and enjoyable distraction compared to the hustle and bustle of most other major cities in Europe.

While visiting Nice might feel like a vacation, there’s still much that students and teachers on an educational tour might find illuminating. Pay a visit to the local Observatoire de Nice and learn about the cosmos, or explore one of humanity’s oldest recorded settlements at the archaeological site of Terra Amata. There are many illustrious museums (Naval Museum, Museum of Natural History, the Roman ruins of Musee Matise, and more) as well as other historical sites to experience and uncover.

Teachers can also take their students to the nearby town of Cannes to get a taste of the celebrity life. Famous for its illustrious annual film festival, if you time your visit right who knows what famous faces you might run into! Year around, Cannes is a premiere destination for jetsetters and the celebrity set thanks to its gorgeous views and wide range of luxury shopping and fine dining.

Nice is also a gateway into the French countryside, Provence, and day trips can be made to wineries, farms, castles and more with extreme ease.

So, consider taking a break from Paris and embark upon a comfortable and rewarding exploration to see what the rest of France has to offer.

Until next time,

Matthew.