Three Must-Dos on History Class Trips to Colonial Philadelphia
The City of Brotherly Love (which is Philadelphia‘s literal translation from its Greek origins) is proud of its deep history. Home to the busiest port of the original thirteen colonies, it also served as the nation‘s capital while Washington D.C. was under construction. Take a step back in time along Philly’s cobbled streets and check out three must-dos on a trip to Colonial Philadelphia.
1. No tour of Philadelphia would be complete without a visit to Independence Hall. Now a World Heritage site, back in the day it served as the Founding Fathers’ meeting place where they debated the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. History buffs can view the bell tower that housed the original Liberty Bell, rung when the Declaration of Independence was read in 1776.
2. Make a b-line to the Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall and join the 1.5 million people who visit this international icon of freedom annually. This (mostly) copper and tin icon (whose strike sounds an e-flat) got its name in 1839. That’s when William Lloyd Garrison, a prominent social reformer, first referred to it in The Liberator which promoted the anti-slave movement in the United States.
3. Make your third stop at the National Constitution Center, dedicated to the history of the Constitution and the meaning that it plays in American lives. Thanks to artifacts, photographs, texts, sculpture and even a theater, the National Constitution Center is one of the more fun, interactive ways to get educated on U.S. history.
And one must-do that’s a no brainer (but we’ll mention it anyway, just in case your brain is overloaded with history), pick up a Philly Cheesesteak on the way. (Honored by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania– it’s one serious sandwich.)
Get to Know: Student Tours to Kruger National Park
Our ‘Get to Know’ blog series gives readers an in-depth look at the people, places and activities that make educational tours amazing. Today’s post features a destination available on our popular South Africa tour.
Spanning over 7,500 square miles, with more than 147 mammals to spy, Kruger National Park is one of the largest safari parks in Africa. It’s also one of the largest homes for rhinos in the continent (if not the world) with some 350 black rhinos and 7,000 white rhinos grazing on the park‘s grasslands. But sadly, the African rhino is fast becoming an endangered species because of poachers. Their horn collects a mean price on the black market. It’s considered more valuable than gold. On this tour, if you’re lucky enough to spot the once extinct black rhino, that in itself is a luxury few people can claim.
Rhino horn has been a popular commodity in Asia for over 2,000 years. According to ancient lore, it contains medicinal properties that alleviate fever, cure bone disease and can soothe skin diseases. It’s also used to treat breast cancer and as an aphrodisiac. However, scientists have found no evidence that rhino horn is effective in any of these uses. Still, these beliefs drive poachers to hunt these Big Five Game animals (named for being one of the most difficult to hunt on foot, along with the lion, leopard, African elephant and Cape buffalo) and threaten their existence all over again.
Kruger National Park is working to prevent the illegal slaughter of its rhinos through ongoing conservation efforts. One tal than tranquilize it to remove its horn. Other measures include enhancing the park‘s security as well as improving veterinary care to injured animals. How does your visit help? Visitors to the park are invaluable for the protection of rhinos. Tourist revenue is used to train locals as community wardens and to educate communities about the importance of a healthy rhino population. Know that your entrance fee is going to this worthy cause, while you enjoy a rare view of these spectacular creatures.
Education Travel Tip Tuesday: Talk is cheap. (Sometimes)
Technology helps us share our travel experiences with friends and family back home—the instant they happen. But sometimes this can come at a price, like less pocket change for presents. (Which makes the old-fashioned postcard all the more charming.) With Explorica’s handy hints for staying connected to home on the cheap, maybe you can have the best of both worlds.
New Explorica Educational Tour: Munich
This week Explorica introduces three new tours to our already stellar lineup. All three of these new tours were created due to customer feedback from our avid educational travelers!
Easy on the budget but still grand in its offering, Explorica offers a new single-city tour to the European capital of Germany.
Experience fun-loving Munich through the wide boulevards, scenic squares and popular parks of the Bavarian city. As you pass by Marienplatz, mechanical knights joust and coopers dance to the folk chimes of Neues Rathaus’s Glockenspiel.
Resist the food market temptations and head to Olympiapark, a new suburb built for the 1972 Olympic Games. Then, during your visit in Dachau, get an all-too-real glimpse of Nazi Germany. Walk through a gas chamber and crematorium that now stands as a memorial for the 206,000 prisoners. From its heavy history to its present-day culture, Munich is a must-do European tour.
Check out the entire itinerary
New Explorica Educational Tour: Northern Italy
This week Explorica introduces three new tours to our already stellar lineup. All three of these new tours were created due to customer feedback from our avid educational travelers!
Travel to a different side of the boot-shaped country as Explorica takes you on a new tour from Rome and Florence to the lakes and castles of Northern Italy.
You’ll wander idyllic villages and medieval towers along Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. As if that isn’t breathtaking enough, feel the love in Verona, the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Re-enact the famous balcony scene during your visit to the famous site of the star-crossed lovers.
Also, experience an architectural evolution at Villa Valmarana ai Nani, one of Vicenza’s urban villas. Here, learn the legend of the dwarf princess and the punishment some say lead to the stone statues. And, find intrigue behind the geometrics of La Rotonda, a square structure crowned with a dome.