We got up really early today to get to Pier 33, where we needed to catch a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz is located a mile and a half from the mainland and used to be a prison for some of America's most dangerous criminals until it closed in 1963. The island requests that students travel in groups of no larger than seven, so we had a few additional chaperones join some of the groups for our tour.
On the ferry ride over, many of us took pictures as we approached the island. After our orientation on the island, we started an audio tour through the prison. The audio tour had voices from actual ex-prisoners and officers who used to work at the prison and sound effects to make it feel like you were really there at the prime of the prison's functioning time. Following the audio tour, some students watched a short movie about the history of Alcatraz.
When we were done exploring the island, we took the ferry boat back to Pier 33 and then headed down to Pier 39 for lunch and one last shopping trip. Many of us tried the traditional San Francisco dish, clam chowder and sourdough bread and stocked up on souvenirs! After Pier 39, we drove to the Golden Gate Bridge, the iconic red bridge in San Francisco. We had many opportunities to take photographs and see the beautiful city from a distance as we walked across it. It felt like we had hopped inside of a postcard! Even though we were a little chilly and wind-blown after our walk, we took one last group picture with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
After that, we drove back to our hotel for some time to rest and pack. We met up again for our last meal together as a whole group in one of the ballrooms at the hotel. We shared laughter and memories from the trip and the "superlatives" were revealed. A DJ played music for us after dinner, so we had an awesome dance party! The DJ organized games and contests, including limbo, hula hoop, and the Gangnam style dance. People who won received CDs and glow sticks. When the dance wrapped up, we all hugged and said our good-byes. It was so sad to say farewell to the new friends we have made these past two weeks!
We are so glad to have made friendships for life with students from all over the world on our west coast trip. This trip has opened our eyes to the history and many different cultures that exist in each unique city we visited. It had truly been an experience that we will never forget!
Jenny - Germany, Larissa - Germany & Rebecca - Norway
PICTURES WILL BE POSTED AS SOON ASPOSSIBLE
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
June 17 San Francisco, Cable Car and City Tour
This morning we had the best breakfast ever before we took off on the bus to our first activity of the day - riding a classic cable car around downtown San Francisco! It was so much fun sitting on the cable car and riding up and down the hills of the city and seeing all the scenic shops and homes along the way. After the cable car, we had a few hours of free time to explore the downtown area. Many of us used our time to do some more shopping and get lunch at one of the many options for dining.
Then we went back to the bus for a guided tour of the city. Our tour guide, Yette, led us to many various stops around the city and gave us information about each one. We went to Lombard street - the most crooked road in the city - and walked all the way down. We learned a lot about the different houses found in San Francisco and also stopped at the sister houses where the show "Full House" taped a scene in their opening credits. We drove by the church that was used in the movie "Sister Act" and the church where Marilyn Monroe was "married." We visited the beautiful city hall, and then we drove through Haight-Ashbury - an area famous for its role in the 1960s hippie era. Our final stop was the Twin Peaks, where we had a perfect view of the gorgeous city layout from up high. We made it just in time before the fog started rolling in and blocking our view!
After our guided tour, we drove back to Chinatown and had some free time to check out the unique stores filled with authentic Chinese goods. We all met at a Chinese restaurant and ate a delicious traditional Chinese dinner with many different dishes to try. We were so full afterwards, some of us had trouble walking! After dinner, we went to Treasure Island to take pictures of the sun setting over the bay. It was breathtaking!
On our way home, everyone took turns singing their national anthems on the bus microphone. We ended by all joining in on singing the American national anthem. We had a wonderful day and are excited to have another day in San Francisco with our new friends, even though we are sad it will be the last day of the trip!
Elisa - Italy, Carlotta - Germany
Then we went back to the bus for a guided tour of the city. Our tour guide, Yette, led us to many various stops around the city and gave us information about each one. We went to Lombard street - the most crooked road in the city - and walked all the way down. We learned a lot about the different houses found in San Francisco and also stopped at the sister houses where the show "Full House" taped a scene in their opening credits. We drove by the church that was used in the movie "Sister Act" and the church where Marilyn Monroe was "married." We visited the beautiful city hall, and then we drove through Haight-Ashbury - an area famous for its role in the 1960s hippie era. Our final stop was the Twin Peaks, where we had a perfect view of the gorgeous city layout from up high. We made it just in time before the fog started rolling in and blocking our view!
After our guided tour, we drove back to Chinatown and had some free time to check out the unique stores filled with authentic Chinese goods. We all met at a Chinese restaurant and ate a delicious traditional Chinese dinner with many different dishes to try. We were so full afterwards, some of us had trouble walking! After dinner, we went to Treasure Island to take pictures of the sun setting over the bay. It was breathtaking!
On our way home, everyone took turns singing their national anthems on the bus microphone. We ended by all joining in on singing the American national anthem. We had a wonderful day and are excited to have another day in San Francisco with our new friends, even though we are sad it will be the last day of the trip!
Elisa - Italy, Carlotta - Germany
Our cable car!
Lombard Street
The beautiful old San Francisco homes with the new city as a backdrop!
Gorgeous view from the Twin Peaks
Beautiful sunset from Treasure Island
Monday, June 17, 2013
June 16 Yosemite to San Franisco
Today we woke up at the hotel in Merced (near Yosemite National Park), and left at 10 o'clock for our last city on the trip, San Francisco, CA! We made one stop along the way to the famous In N Out Burger for delicious burgers, fries, and milkshakes. After lunch, we hopped back in the bus and continued on to San Francisco. We knew we had finally reached the city when we crossed over the beautiful Bay Bridge and looked out on the city skyline.
Our first destination in San Francisco was the deYoung Art Museum, which contained all types of inspiring artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and textiles from all over the world. After the museum, we went to Pier 39, where we had a perfect view of the bay. We went shopping at some of the many shops, watched the sea lions sunbathing on docks, and ate dinner at the restaurant Bubba Gump Shrimp, which was based on the movie Forrest Gump.
At dinner, we celebrated Tam's 17th birthday with a special birthday song and dessert. Once we got back to the hotel, we were excited because we got to choose our own roommates for the last few nights of the trip! We spent the night playing games in the game room, including ping long, pool, and air hockey. We are so excited to see more of San Francisco and learn more about the city's culture on our tour tomorrow!
Mal, Denmark & Sophie, Austria
PICTURES WILL BE POSTED SOON! :)
Our first destination in San Francisco was the deYoung Art Museum, which contained all types of inspiring artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and textiles from all over the world. After the museum, we went to Pier 39, where we had a perfect view of the bay. We went shopping at some of the many shops, watched the sea lions sunbathing on docks, and ate dinner at the restaurant Bubba Gump Shrimp, which was based on the movie Forrest Gump.
At dinner, we celebrated Tam's 17th birthday with a special birthday song and dessert. Once we got back to the hotel, we were excited because we got to choose our own roommates for the last few nights of the trip! We spent the night playing games in the game room, including ping long, pool, and air hockey. We are so excited to see more of San Francisco and learn more about the city's culture on our tour tomorrow!
Mal, Denmark & Sophie, Austria
PICTURES WILL BE POSTED SOON! :)
June 15 Yosemite National Park
We got up early today so we could get on the road to Yosemite National Park located about an hour from our hotel in Merced. There was beautiful scenery along the way, which changed from rocks and fields to mountains and tall trees. We were excited to look out for different types of wildlife at the park, but were a little worried we might encounter a bear!
We arrived at the park, and we noticed the fresh mountain air and beautiful waterfalls surrounding us. We started out on a hike up Vernal Falls, a hilly walk to a huge waterfall. When we got to the waterfall, we spotted rainbows and cooled off in the waterfall mist. We also spotted many squirrels, and some of them were singing and eating!
After the hike, we had a bite to eat for lunch before we went rafting or biking. The rafters paddled down a peaceful river. Some of us splashed each other or swam in the clear water, even though it was very cold! One group was even sprayed by some little boys holding water guns! It was relaxing and refreshing after our morning hike. By the end of the afternoon, we had worked up quite an appetite!
We ate dinner together in the lodge cafeteria, where we were able to choose whatever we wanted to eat for dinner. On our way back to our hotel, we made one last stop to get pictures of the Half Dome - one of the massive cliffs in the park. It was a scenic outlook with tons of trees spread across the land with the sun setting across the rocks.
On our way back home, we sung songs and danced on the bus - Carleigh even danced with us! What a perfect day! We are excited to move on to San Francisco but we are sad that this will be the last city in our West Coast adventure!
Lory - Italy, Elisa - Italy, Pearl - Thailand, Nink - Thailand, Jenny - Germany
We arrived at the park, and we noticed the fresh mountain air and beautiful waterfalls surrounding us. We started out on a hike up Vernal Falls, a hilly walk to a huge waterfall. When we got to the waterfall, we spotted rainbows and cooled off in the waterfall mist. We also spotted many squirrels, and some of them were singing and eating!
After the hike, we had a bite to eat for lunch before we went rafting or biking. The rafters paddled down a peaceful river. Some of us splashed each other or swam in the clear water, even though it was very cold! One group was even sprayed by some little boys holding water guns! It was relaxing and refreshing after our morning hike. By the end of the afternoon, we had worked up quite an appetite!
We ate dinner together in the lodge cafeteria, where we were able to choose whatever we wanted to eat for dinner. On our way back to our hotel, we made one last stop to get pictures of the Half Dome - one of the massive cliffs in the park. It was a scenic outlook with tons of trees spread across the land with the sun setting across the rocks.
On our way back home, we sung songs and danced on the bus - Carleigh even danced with us! What a perfect day! We are excited to move on to San Francisco but we are sad that this will be the last city in our West Coast adventure!
Lory - Italy, Elisa - Italy, Pearl - Thailand, Nink - Thailand, Jenny - Germany
The perfect picture of a waterfall!
Good friends, beautiful view!
The whole group, even Grant our bus driver!
Rafting at Yosemite National Park!
The gorgeous view from the rafts
A beautiful sunset in the park
June 14 LA, Beverly Hills to Yosemite
When we boarded the bus in Los Angeles this morning, everybody was still a little sleepy from our busy day at Disneyland yesterday. But our energy level picked up as we drove up a winding, hilly road to the Griffith Observatory, where we could see the famous "Hollywood" sign from a distance. That vantage point also gave us a view of beautiful Los Angeles from up high. Everyone had a chance to take pictures with the sign in the background.
Then we got back on the bus and stopped by the famous Beverly Hills - home of the rich and famous! We took a group picture in front of the Beverly Hills sign,and then we had time to check out the shops and restaurants along Rodeo Drive. We had fun scouting for celebrities and spotting expensive cars! After Beverly Hills, we got back on the road for a long trip to Merced, CA. We listened to music, watched movies, talked with friends, and looked at the California scenery we passed along the way.
Once we got to Merced, we stopped for a delicious pizza dinner, and at the restaurant, we celebrated Betts's 18th birthday! We are turning in early tonight to get a good night's sleep before our day at Yosemite National Park tomorrow!
Then we got back on the bus and stopped by the famous Beverly Hills - home of the rich and famous! We took a group picture in front of the Beverly Hills sign,and then we had time to check out the shops and restaurants along Rodeo Drive. We had fun scouting for celebrities and spotting expensive cars! After Beverly Hills, we got back on the road for a long trip to Merced, CA. We listened to music, watched movies, talked with friends, and looked at the California scenery we passed along the way.
Once we got to Merced, we stopped for a delicious pizza dinner, and at the restaurant, we celebrated Betts's 18th birthday! We are turning in early tonight to get a good night's sleep before our day at Yosemite National Park tomorrow!
Hollywood!
Group shot!
Panoramic
Jumping picture, classic!
Lovely ladies at Beverly Hills
Keeping it classy in Beverly Hills!
Visiting the famous Rodeo Drive
Friday, June 14, 2013
June 13 Disneyland
Today, we spent our day at Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks - "the happiest place on Earth!" There were many thrilling rides and attractions all featuring various Disney movie themes as well as many options for dining and shopping. Some of our favorite rides included the California Screamin' roller coster, the Tower of Terror, Soarin' California, Grizzly Peak, Pirates of the Caribbean, the "Cars" land, and Space Mountain!
After lunch, we met for a group picture in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle, and from there, we were able to watch a lively parade on Main Street that featured many famous Disney characters as well as dancers and entertainers. At the end of the day, we watched a spectacular fireworks show set to music over Sleeping Beauty's castle and the "World of Color" show in California Adventure, which incorporates water, fire, and lasers to showcase scenes from various Disney movies. Although we were exhausted after exploring the parks for many hours, we had a magical, fun-filled day!
-Martin, Czech Republic & Nils, Germany
After lunch, we met for a group picture in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle, and from there, we were able to watch a lively parade on Main Street that featured many famous Disney characters as well as dancers and entertainers. At the end of the day, we watched a spectacular fireworks show set to music over Sleeping Beauty's castle and the "World of Color" show in California Adventure, which incorporates water, fire, and lasers to showcase scenes from various Disney movies. Although we were exhausted after exploring the parks for many hours, we had a magical, fun-filled day!
-Martin, Czech Republic & Nils, Germany
Our group picture in front of Snow White's Castle!
Meeting Mickey and sporting matching Minnie Mouse ears!
Rides are fun, and their faces show it!
Beautiful lights on the ferris wheel!
The Wonderful World of Color
(An amazing water, music, lights show!)
June 12 Hollywood Blvd, Huntington Beach
After having an delicious breakfast at the hotel and a "party" on the bus, we went to the Madame Tussaud's Wax museum; we saw a lot of famous people like Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, President Obama and Beyoncé. We took a lot of funny pictures! After we walked on the Walk of Fame, to see the different celebrities and musicians plaques, we did a little bit of shopping. From an over pass in a mall there we could see the famous Hollywood sign. It wasn’t what most of us had expected. With all those tourists and people selling stuff on the street “Hollywood” seemed to have lost most of its glamour.
After checking out the ”must-see place” in LA we headed to Huntington Beach. It is a nice beach city, also known as the “Surf City, USA” because of its nice waves and mild climate. The beach itself turned out to be nice and wide even though we had to wait for sunshine for almost two hours. But finally at about 4 ‘o’ clock, as Carleigh forecast, the sun came out and we enjoyed another two hours in the fairly cold water or playing beach volleyball. Some of us seemed to have underestimated the sun though, especially Nils and Arnie looked more red than white a few hours afterwards. Nevertheless, the beach was one of the highlights until now and it was also a nice compensator to the crowded Hollywood.
From there we drove to an Italian restaurant, officially named “buca di beppo”. Carleigh, Liz and Sarah however, were unable to pronounce such an unusual name, so instead they joked and just renamed it to “Bibidi babidi buuu”. In any way, we had a great time there as well! We enjoyed salad, Italian Pasta and we had delicious cake for dessert.
Back at the hotel we brought the day to a nice close spending the last few hours in the pool and hot tub, talking, and jumping in the pool. And with that the first week of our journey ended, leaving us with another 1.5 days in Los Angelas, then Yosemite National Park, and finally San Francisco.
Andrea Boonin Cadogan, Paraguay
Jacqueline Koch, Germany
Ramon Marques Pastre, Brazil,
Finn Grotheer, Germany
At Madame Tussaud's Wax museum with President Obama!
Beach volleyball!
Huntington Beach, CA
Belo USA Travel West Coast Trip June 6!
YAY!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
June 11 Las Vegas, NV to Los Angeles, CA
We got on the bus early this morning to begin our journey to Los Angeles, CA. On the five hour drive, we passed the time by watching two movies and listening to music. Our first stop in LA was Universal Studios. After taking a group picture in front of the famous Universal Studios globe, we went on the Studio Tour together as a large group. We saw many different movie and television show sets and even experienced some interactive attractions. Our favorite attractions on the Studio Tour were the King Kong 360 3D Experience and the Jaws Shark Attack.
After the Studio Tour, we broke off into small groups to check out some of the other rides and attractions, including The Mummy ride, the Transformers 3D Experiences, the Simpsons ride, and the Water World Stunt Show. All of the rides and attractions captured the essence of the movie or television show that was being featured.
Exhausted from a day at the park, we all headed over to the City Walk shopping and dining center and had our first celebrity spotting - Jay Leno, late night talk show host on NBC! Many students were able to take pictures of him. We gathered together at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and looked at all of the different rock 'n roll memorabilia. On the bus ride home, we shared funny stories from our experiences in the USA so far. We are looking forward to seeing the Walk of Fame up close tomorrow and spending our afternoon at the beach!
Pier, Italy & Laura, Spain
After the Studio Tour, we broke off into small groups to check out some of the other rides and attractions, including The Mummy ride, the Transformers 3D Experiences, the Simpsons ride, and the Water World Stunt Show. All of the rides and attractions captured the essence of the movie or television show that was being featured.
Exhausted from a day at the park, we all headed over to the City Walk shopping and dining center and had our first celebrity spotting - Jay Leno, late night talk show host on NBC! Many students were able to take pictures of him. We gathered together at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and looked at all of the different rock 'n roll memorabilia. On the bus ride home, we shared funny stories from our experiences in the USA so far. We are looking forward to seeing the Walk of Fame up close tomorrow and spending our afternoon at the beach!
Pier, Italy & Laura, Spain
Universal Studios Hollywood!
The Simpson's Ride
The massive guitar at Hard Rock Cafe
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
June 10 Las Vegas, NV
Day 5 - Viva Las Vegas!
Today we slept in till 8.30 and were on the move at around 9.30 after a great breakfast with classic American waffles. We made a quick pitstop to Hard Rock Hotel and then we were off to the famous Strip, where we got free time to explore.
We, "Los Dales", consisting of Dominik, Guix, Miguel, and Will, started off exploring the Bellagio, followed by the great Caesar's Palace. All the amazing sculptures and Caesar's Forum Shop's imaginary blue sky astonished us to the fullest.
After wandering around fabulous Vegas Boulevard we were starving to death. In the Aria Hotel's mall we found a cool little spot, a Spanish restaurant (best new restaurant in LV in 2010) with delicious Tapas foods. High on our delightful Tapas lunch Miguel of course decided to leave his fortune behind, aka his beloved credit card at the restaurant Juliano Serrano. We met up with the rest of the foreign crew and headed back to the hotel for relaxation by the pool.
At 4 we all went to The Stratosphere, where two of Los Dales (Guix and Miguel) and other students dared themselves to experience the second highest roller coaster in the world, XScream. An exhilarating feeling of being dropped down from 350 meters was successful for everyone, even Miguel. DALE! During our free time inside The Stratosphere Tower we stumbled upon an awesome magician, Dennis, who fooled all of us with several breathtaking tricks (although Guix figured out most of them).
We ate dinner at the Stratosphere’s buffet and afterwards drove back to The Strip to continue our encounter of amazing Las Vegas. At the Venetian Hotel we saw the famous Venice gondola canals and the fake skies. It all might be fake, but it still feels like you actually are in Venice because of its authentic atmosphere. On our tour down the Vegas Blvd. we felt obligated to stop and take a closer look at the Mirage's fantastic fire show, wow (though this does not top the Bellagio's water fountain show). Many of our fellow students walked down to the New York New York Hotel, the Luxor, Hooters, Hard Rock Cafe etc. and also had tons of fun.
Everybody had an overwhelmingly awesome time here in Sin City and we are without a doubt ready for The Golden State, California. Tomorrow we are going to Universal studios - everyone is hyped!
Uno, dos, tres, LOS DALES!
- Dominik Hayden- Austria, Guillaume Rey- Switzerland, Miguel Gonzales - Dominican Republic, and William Bjerager- Denmark.
"Los Dales"
Never a dull moment with our group!
The X-Scream at the Stratosphere!!!
Best friends on top of the Stratosphere.
THE X-SCREAM! AH!
Everyone's favorite character from "The Hangover", Alan.
June 9 Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
We started our day out by leaving the cute little hotel we enjoyed for a couple nights. We were all in a good mood because the sun was shining and we were on our way to Las Vegas. On our way we stopped at Seligman, AZ. It is a small town with some awesome unique gift shops. There were some really old cars and weird things all around this little old town. It is located on Route 66, an old American "past time" highway.
When we finally made it to Las Vegas IT WAS SO HOT! It was over 40c. The temperature was shown in our bus and we watched it increase the whole trip and then we knew we made it to Vegas when it was over 40! We stopped at an Outlet Center to have lunch and to do some shopping. There was a variety of things to eat!
After lunch we made it to the hotel! We immediately went to the pool to swim and cool off. The water felt so good! After some time relaxing we started to get ready for our night out on the town in VEGAS! We went out to eat at a typical Vegas buffet. There was so much international food for everyone to enjoy. It was our first taste of the Vegas atmosphere. After filling up on so much food we got picked up in Hummer limos to explore the city.
We all started our night by getting into the limos with sass and class. After 3 hours of dancing in our limos, taking pictures at the best spots, we were exhausted. We went to Fremont street to see a Bon Jovi light show and check out the famous tourist spot. Then we went to the Bellagio! The hotel is so big and beautiful. The hotel is best known for it's water fountain show out front. The fountains spray water out of spouts set to music. It is a very beautiful thing to watch. There were so many tourists waiting and watching each show! Our last stop was the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. We all got to take pictures with the sign behind us. The sign welcomes tourists, gamblers and locals to the beginning of The Strip!
It was such an amazing night! It is hard to tell which spot will be our favorite. So far there is no comparison, they have all been great! We have loved taking pictures of all these awesome places on our West Coast Trip!
When we finally made it to Las Vegas IT WAS SO HOT! It was over 40c. The temperature was shown in our bus and we watched it increase the whole trip and then we knew we made it to Vegas when it was over 40! We stopped at an Outlet Center to have lunch and to do some shopping. There was a variety of things to eat!
After lunch we made it to the hotel! We immediately went to the pool to swim and cool off. The water felt so good! After some time relaxing we started to get ready for our night out on the town in VEGAS! We went out to eat at a typical Vegas buffet. There was so much international food for everyone to enjoy. It was our first taste of the Vegas atmosphere. After filling up on so much food we got picked up in Hummer limos to explore the city.
We all started our night by getting into the limos with sass and class. After 3 hours of dancing in our limos, taking pictures at the best spots, we were exhausted. We went to Fremont street to see a Bon Jovi light show and check out the famous tourist spot. Then we went to the Bellagio! The hotel is so big and beautiful. The hotel is best known for it's water fountain show out front. The fountains spray water out of spouts set to music. It is a very beautiful thing to watch. There were so many tourists waiting and watching each show! Our last stop was the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. We all got to take pictures with the sign behind us. The sign welcomes tourists, gamblers and locals to the beginning of The Strip!
It was such an amazing night! It is hard to tell which spot will be our favorite. So far there is no comparison, they have all been great! We have loved taking pictures of all these awesome places on our West Coast Trip!
Some of our girls ready for the night in Vegas!
WE LOVE LAS VEGAS!
So much fun, music and dancing in the Hummer limos!
A beautiful shot of part of The Strip.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
June 8 Grand Canyon, AZ
At breakfast, everyone was pumped for our visit to the Grand Canyon. After a scenic drive, we arrived at Grand Canyon National Park. We piled out of the bus and climbed the stairs to catch our first glimpse of the canyon. It's beauty and vast size left us speechless. Everyone's first instinct was to take out their cameras to capture the wonder of the canyon - it was almost as if the Grand Canyon was a celebrity and we were the paparazzi photographing it from every possible angle.
After the initial photo shoot of the canyon, we gathered together to stretch for our hike down into the canyon. We hiked 1.5 miles down dusty trails with pit stops along the way to admire the changing surroundings. We noticed that the color of the rocks changed from white to pink and then red by the time we arrived at our final stop, the location of our group photograph. However, as we climbed back up through the red, pink, and, at last, white trail, we became sweaty and exhausted. When we finally got back up to the top, we felt like we had accomplished a great feat. Many of us were thinking, "So where is the food?"
After eating lunch at the canyon lodge, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the various scenic panoramic views of the park. We ended our visit to the Grand Canyon by eating a nourishing dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and salad. On the bus ride back home, we felt surprisingly energized and completely at peace - the sun was setting over the mountains and lighting our faces with a soft glow.
There was one last surprise waiting for us when we arrived back at the hotel. Nils's 17th birthday was celebrated with a special birthday treat. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him. We are excited to continue our journey through the stark desert landscape of the Southwest as we head towards Las Vegas tomorrow!
Martin, Czech Republic
After the initial photo shoot of the canyon, we gathered together to stretch for our hike down into the canyon. We hiked 1.5 miles down dusty trails with pit stops along the way to admire the changing surroundings. We noticed that the color of the rocks changed from white to pink and then red by the time we arrived at our final stop, the location of our group photograph. However, as we climbed back up through the red, pink, and, at last, white trail, we became sweaty and exhausted. When we finally got back up to the top, we felt like we had accomplished a great feat. Many of us were thinking, "So where is the food?"
After eating lunch at the canyon lodge, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the various scenic panoramic views of the park. We ended our visit to the Grand Canyon by eating a nourishing dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and salad. On the bus ride back home, we felt surprisingly energized and completely at peace - the sun was setting over the mountains and lighting our faces with a soft glow.
There was one last surprise waiting for us when we arrived back at the hotel. Nils's 17th birthday was celebrated with a special birthday treat. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him. We are excited to continue our journey through the stark desert landscape of the Southwest as we head towards Las Vegas tomorrow!
Martin, Czech Republic
A beautiful shot of the Grand Canyon, edited by Tim from Germany!
Down in the beautiful Grand Canyon after 1.5 miles of hiking!
Lots of pictures with friends.
We have so many Germans in our group!
A fun view through a "fish eye" lens!
One more group picture, in front of Bright Angel Lodge.
Another fun edit of the canyon!
Happy 17th Birthday Nils!
Friday, June 7, 2013
June 7 Phoenix, AZ to Grand Canyon, AZ
We started our day with a ride through Phoenix. We went to see the capital of Arizona; a beautiful building full of history and interesting artifacts. After driving through the The University of Arizona (ASU) we went on a short hike up a picturesque hill to discover the "Hole in the Rock" - a small opening in the side of the cliff overlooking a beautiful desert oasis. On top, we took a picture in front of the hole! We cooled off at the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall and had some time for lunch and shopping.
We contiued along our journey and stopped to take photos of the beautiful rock formations and desert landscapes in Sedona, AZ. We also had some time to browse in the small shops around Sedona. When we finally arrived in Williams, AZ, where our hotel is located, we settled in and had fun playing soccer, basketball, and tennis in the outdoor courtyard. We finished the day eating a classic American dinner outside our hotel, watching the sunset over the unique landscape. What a fantastic start to our adventure!
Ameile from Germany
We contiued along our journey and stopped to take photos of the beautiful rock formations and desert landscapes in Sedona, AZ. We also had some time to browse in the small shops around Sedona. When we finally arrived in Williams, AZ, where our hotel is located, we settled in and had fun playing soccer, basketball, and tennis in the outdoor courtyard. We finished the day eating a classic American dinner outside our hotel, watching the sunset over the unique landscape. What a fantastic start to our adventure!
Ameile from Germany
View from the Hole in the Rock
All of the students!
The hole looks so small from the ground!
Three new friends, bros.
Group picture in Sedona, AZ
Such a beautiful and unique area!
So excited to be on our trip!
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