If you choose Washington D.C. as the destination for your student travel or bus tours group, you should know in Washington many of the government buildings are accessible to the public without an appointment, however, there are those that do require a reservation.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a fascinating place to visit and is by appointment only. The employees who print the US currency are masters of design and color and as an observer, watching the printing process is very interesting.

Each sheet of money is scrutinized and if there is even a hint of difference in one of the bills the entire sheet is destroyed. Those who are working the presses know they are being watched and for the most part they do their work without interacting with the guests aside from the occasional wave of the hand.

As you walk along watching the process through continuous glass hallways the smell of the ink is distinct. Hopefully by the end of the tour you have adjusted to the smell and there are no ill effects.

If there are no appointments available for the date or time you are touring, your group can arrive early at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and stand in line for timed entry tickets for that day. Each individual can be issued up to eight tickets and the tickets will be stamped with the time the ticket holder can go in for their tour.

You may consider contacting a travel company who specializes in your group type or the destination you are interested in. Appointment dates and times can be difficult to manage and time consuming to coordinate.

At the end of the tour be sure to visit the gift shop. There are many fun things that have been made from the money that is disqualified as currency such as rings and pencils. A great souvenir that you can actually purchase for the hard-to-buy-for person is an uncut sheet of currency. Buying money that is not spendable, how cool is that?

To build a well planned, completely organized trip for yourself or for an entire group, contact a Group Travel Professional and wherever the road leads you, enjoy your travels.

Vickie Dodson