SOLVAY/SKANEATELES -- A group of 80 students, faculty and chaperones from Solvay High School will board a bus early Monday morning to travel to Washington D.C. The main focus of their trip is the inauguration of President Barack Obama. They will also tour several sights in our nation's capital including the Supreme Court, the Holocaust Museum and the Capitol. Before leaving town on Wednesday they will meet with Congressman Dan Maffei.

Government teacher Shawn Mitchell is leading the trip. He says the high level of interest by the students took him by surprise. He initially hoped to fill 50 seats on a chartered bus. The day he announced the trip 70 students lined up ready to go.

Students who are taking the trip are juniors and seniors. They say they are going because they want to witness history. Richard Salvagno is among the students who say they can relate to Barack Obama because he seems more in touch with younger people than President Bush.

The Skaneateles High School Orchestra is also travelling to Washington this weekend. They depart Friday at noon. The orchestra will attend a Heritage Music Festival in the DC area. They will tour Washington, go to the Smithsonian and Arlington Cemetery, perform at George Mason University, attend an inaugural ball and the inauguration.