American Horizons Trip 26
The Group
The Dakota Ducks (the tent)
Members of DAKOTA
[left to right, Top Row: Jake, Justin Zucker, Brad, Cormack.
Bottom Row:
Steven, Brett S., Jared
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK QUACK, GO DUCKS
The Story
The Prelude
It all started on June 30th. 44 kids and 8 adults traveled down into the lovely city of Hershey Pennsylvania, starting a 45 day adventure, whereas by August 13th, the last day, the group with an extra member (to make it 53) had formed a family, and
that's the way they all became the Brady Bunch. No, just kidding, but this group did form a family. And at the end, well let's just say, the group didn't want to leave.
The Story:
1st Chapter: Hershey- June 30th- July 2nd
It was a sunny day in New York on the morning of June 30th. Around 8'O Clock the Lakefront bus departed from Christopher Morley Park in Great Neck, embarking on a journey that will be remembered for probably, the rest of their lives. The bus stopped at Hershey Campground, maybe 10 minutes away from Hershey Park, the next day's journey. At the campground, it's where everyone met each other, the
counselors for the trip, and last but least, how to put up a tent. It took an hour to get those tents up and down, up and down and finally up to stay. The dinner they had was good
I guess (it was so long ago) and that night they really got to learn about one another. That night was
substantially their worst sleep of their lives, the thin air mattresses and loose bunk bed cots, could drive anyone insane, but by the end of the trip, they got used to it. The next day, the bus dropped us off at a cavern. Interesting, yet boring in its own little way. We then made our way over to ATW's favorite store Wal-Mart. Exciting stuff there :). Up next was Hershey Park. Now, while this park has some nice rollercoasters, the place stunk :). Here, the term "rollersoaker, rollersoaker" was created. As common throughout the rest of the summer, we spent too much time at the amusement park. The next morning, we took down our tents in unfashionable time and went on the bus to Columbus Ohio.
2nd Chapter: Columbus Ohio July 2nd- July 4th
See, being as this was our first "long" bus ride of the summer, it was seen that kids were getting restless. ATW's famous "quiet hours" basically made kids go to sleep, or get in trouble. Or perhaps eating off the bus
irritated kids a little, I don't know, but when we did pull into the Columbus campground, the kids were in
dismay. After the tents were put up nicely, we were shocked to find out that the water we had been drinking was a nice yellowish color. Yeah, quite disgusting isn't it. That night, it was off to the Columbus Clippers game. The Yankees minor league team was off playing the Phillies farm team (they sucked so
they'll be remained nameless). There, one of the kids won a singing contest about a Kit-Kat bar (whatever), and the first of our set of bobblehead dolls was introduced to the bus: The Columbus Clipper. That night we were able to meet the wonderful hicks (no offence to them) and hear their country music stylin's. But it's all good. In the actual city of Columbus the next day, we got to enjoy our first science museum in COSI "Welcome To COSI". There we had to sit through 2
extremely boring movies. After that we were off to the Mall (one of many on our trip). From there we were off to the Spaghetti Factory. Now from my memories this was probably the only time (besides sporting events) where there was actually a line in the GUYS bathroom, the food was pretty gross. It was either back to the bus from there or go walk the town. For the lucky few (or should
I say unlucky) who stayed on the bus, they got to enjoy the horrible acting of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson. After the full group rejoined again, we got to watch the
Butabis in Night At the Roxbury (also another bad movie, now that you actually think about it). Then there was the first "July 3rd celebration." The fireworks were amazing, see here I guess Columbus wanted to be different then everyone else and have their ceremony on the 3rd instead. Oh well, who cares anyway. Anyway, the bus ride back was extremely exciting. People were up dancing in the aisles while the townspeople were
looking in the bus, wondering how much we probably drank that night (no one drank,
I think), we were that off the wall. Also, that night was the first hookup of the summer
(I'm gonna leave this nameless, but, I know for a fact that everyone knows it was Sam Q. and Schweitzer (YOU FREAKIN HAPPY NOW, SAGET:)).
Chapter 3: St. Louis July 4th- July 6th
Well, this bus ride was probably as bad as the last one, as we had to drive through 2 states on this drive. All the kids were antsy for lunch, but when we stopped, it was more groaning because we ate off the bus. The guys played football, the girls sat in the shade, waiting for lunch to start. As we walked back on the bus, we found out we would have to change our clocks for the first time soon. It was really the first time that we knew; we
wouldn't see our homes for a long time (ed. note: but as this trip grew on, no one actually wanted to go home). The bus ride would go on for a little longer, but finally we got to St. Louis, and we pulled up into Washington University (hey
isn't that in Washington). To our surprise, the dorms were amazing. 4 singles rooms (quad, junior dorm)
joined together by a main room, with a private bathroom. The rooms were amazing. But of course, there was still complaining. But, hey who am
I to complain about that. A nice shower was in order for everyone. Dinner was next on the itinerary. It was at the mess hall. It was there where we found out that a man shot 3 people in the LA airport, and that a plane crashed outside of Germany, but heck it was July 4th (later it was found out, that these events were not directed towards US, the pilots of the plane were drunk, and the man who killed 3 people was crazy). That night we saw our first of many movies: Mr. Deeds. It was there that Jared's famous "Holy Shit, that's small" line in the bathroom, (he was talking bout the urinal, honestly). The movie was good, nothing special. That night, everyone went back to their rooms, and (I'm going by my judgment, it's what my room did) talked for hours into the night. My room talked about everything, but hey it doesn't matter now, does it? Up the next morning, and off for the St. Louis Zoo. Now, who else thought that it was a waste of time? No one else? Oh well, who cares. After, that we drove over to the Gateway Arch. Here's a picture. 
Now being it was a "hot spot" we were warned numerous times not to mention anything about a bomb, but honestly, who is that stupid anyway? Well, first we saw a movie about the Oregon Trail. Boring wasn't it? After we caught up on some sleep, we finally made our ways up to the top of the arch. Honestly its a
beautiful site. Being up 630 feet, shows a new angle on the city, one that you normally see from ground level. Very nice view, up there. After that, we got to walk inside of St. Louis's famous mall Union Square (again). Now for dinner we were able to walk the food court, or go to Hooters. This was where we obtained our 2nd bobblehead of the summer, the Hooters girl (her head broke by the end of the trip). For the night, we were off to a go karting place. It was here where one of the girls lost her bag on the karts and it ended up shredded. But one of the main attractions that night was the trampoline basketball. It was pretty cool. That night, we got our first lick at a room time (not long, but it was better than nothing). After a breakfast off the truck, we were off on our way for Manhattan. Manhattan, Kansas (where the hell is that).
Chapter 4: Manhattan Kansas July 6th-July 7th
Now, we all knew that this was just a stop over, because what the hell is there to actually do in Kansas? Beats me. On with the story. Well, as usual the bus ride was long. Also, driving through Kansas isn't that exciting, due to the lack of, well, anything in the area. But we still managed to get there without any problems. We got to the Holiday Inn, and then we went off to the mall (wow, another mall, what a surprise, that's 3 in 3 days, nothing else for us to go too I guess). After the brief stop, we went off to a Mexican Restaurant (anyone know the name? I don't). Weird thing was, no one could actually tell we were at a Mexican place, basically every kid got chicken fingers (we should have ate at McDonalds instead :)). Afterwards we took a drive over to Kansas State University. We were supposed to use their sports
equipment. Notice the words supposed to. Of course, when we got there, there was no one there to let us in, so we got shut out of this activity (happened to a few others, as well). So, instead of KSU, we drove back to the hotel for a "pool party" (how many people actually went in the pool anyway?). Of course everyone was hanging around the pool and ping pong tables. Nothing much to talk about there, really, it was a pretty boring night. There were a lot of good movies on that night though :) (Speed being one of them). Next morning we went to a nearby pancake restaurant, had our breakfast, and drove off to Denver, Colorado, to start a week of camping, and add one more
counselor to the trip.
Chapter 5: Denver Colorado July 7th-July 9th
On our way to Denver, we found out that the counselors we had couldn't handle all of us, and that we were getting a new
counselor. I for one thought it was a bunch of BS but, when we got to the campground we knew that we would have to let a new member into our family (2nd family). Our new
counselor's name was Lora, and right away she fit in with the rest of us. After we put up the tents, and everyone introduced each other to Lora, the group split up. The girls were by the tents, and the guys went off to the basketball court (
I mean basketball square) and play a little bit of 2 on 2 action. Dinnertime, and then it was an incamp activity (honestly,
I really don't know, so if anyone does know please let me know). That night, 3 girls (Caryn, Hailey and Jessica Rein) took a side trip to the hospital with Nanette
(counselor) for reasons no one knows. Next morning, comes and we are off to the Rocky Mountains.
Nice place isn't it. Now, we didn't do an actual hike, but we did take a little walk up the mountain. Well, some of us took a walk up the mountain. Others just stayed behind at the gift shop, and shopped a little. It was a nice little hike. A few pics of the hiking group include
(top of counselors, bottom a mini group shot [thank you Jake for the counselor
photo]).
After the Rocky Mountains we had our first laundry experience. Well, first of all, we get to pay for our own laundry, but they gave us detergent so let's just say that we
didn't have to spend even more money on detergent. Well, after the 2-3 hrs we spent there, we traveled back to the campgrounds for dinner. After that, we
traveled an hour ways to Six Flags in Colorado. Besides getting there late, the idiots working there lost our tickets so we
couldn't even get into the park. Feeling bad for us, the counselors decided to try to get us into Dave and Busters (an arcade, we went to many of those this summer), but after 10 no one under 18 could go in (besides Zucker, most of us look like we are 18 [just kidding Zuc]). After that they take us to Perkins (a restaurant) The place is supposed to have amazing desserts. It just about seemed that everything we ordered, they were out of. Even then, by the end of the night, we managed to wreck the place. But, it didn't matter. We were off to the campgrounds to have a nice sleep. Next morning we took our tents down, and we were off to Moab Utah. (ed. note,
I forgot to mention how nice the view of the campground really was, didn't know where to put it, so
I put it here, hope no one cares.)
Chapter 6: Moab Utah July 9th-July 11th
Now this was one of the "infamous" bus rides (well in my mind at least, the other one you'll see later). Now, after we packed our tents, we were off to Vail, Colorado, just to hang out for a bit. Now, of course it really
wasn't worth it, because the only thing Vail is good for is skiing, and well, there isn't any snow in July. But it was all fun anyway. Then on our way to Moab, we stop at a rest stop. The name of the place was: 
(thanks again Jake)
Yes, Gay Johnson's was the name of the rest stop. Now one of our counselors, Christian, well his last name was Johnson, so some of the guys (Kolansky, Brett Gross, and Lamont) called him Gay-J for the rest of the summer. Well, we got to the campgrounds with no problem, but putting up the tent was a major problem. See, Moab is part of the Red Mountains in Utah, and well, the campgrounds were sort of part of them (thanks ATW). Well, so, the girls had nice ground to build on, the boys on the other hand had to slave to get these tents up. Now
I know what your thinking, eh there boys, they can do it. Well, you try hammering your stakes into freakin rocks. It can't be done. But finally, after digging with our hands, the guys were able to finish the tents. After dinner, we saw a movie. Men In Black 2. Now, in my mind, that was the worst movie
I ever saw, by far (don't know about your reactions, nor do I give a damm). Well, that night was my first experience with Christian's night terrors (Jared told me a story about something that happened in Kansas, I didn't believe him). Well, I had the single on the other side of the tent, and all of a sudden a light turns on. Christian is holding his flashlight, and he just shines it in my eyes for a good 2-3 minutes. It was pretty freaky, but that's Christian for ya (just a joke). Next morning we had to split into two groups. One group got to wake up at 7 in the morning, one got to wake up later. The first group had an 8 O' Clock bike ride through the desert. 4 miles mountain biking. Wasn't that
difficult, I heard (I was in the later group). Schlacter wants me to write that he and the leader lady finished long before everyone else (like anyone gives a damm). The 2nd group went out, and it was a good time for everyone, well except for
Meredith and Ashleigh (heat sickness, fall respectively). After biking the group went rafting on the Colorado River (at 2 different times). Now
I must say, we didn't go rafting on the river. We basically floated, cause there was no rapids there. It was good exercise though. After rapids we had dinner, and then went off to the Arches. Now our director Chris said that this hike would be a "nice one mile walk, no steep things or anything." Thanks for the advice. Now this hike was a hike. It felt like hell, as we were doing this hike without any water. But it was worth it. The sites we saw were
beautiful. Here are some pictures of the arches, and just some shots of people I
have (want to make this site pretty big)
1st picture is Brett S. ,Tracey, Caryn, Jillian. 2nd picture is Matt, Lake, Arielle, Steven, 3rd picture is of the arches, and the 4th picture is of the
counselors: Liz, Jason, Jo, Nanette, Brad.
We finished our way back down and then went off to Hogi Yogi. Got our stuff, went back to the campground, and off to bed. We woke up the next morning and then we went off to Utah.
Chapter 7: Utah: Bryce and Grand Canyon July 11th-July 14th
Well, this bus ride had a few firsts. It was our first taste of rain (heavy rain), and it was our first time that we were able to eat lunch at fast food, even though we were camping (after the lunch that some of us had [Arby's] people wish we ate off the bus).
Unfortunately, this wasn't our first non-boring bus ride. The scenery might have been gorgeous, but, it was still freakin boring. Oh well, we get to the campground, a KOA, and we hurry with our tents (looked like more rain). Actually, we tried to hurry, but since the other ATW group was going to be there 2 days later (AH 27, they sucked) we had to have everything even; we had to be the perfect ones. That night was a doosy. First, Christian, our bad luck
counselor, tried to he was doing something with a stake. According to him, he busted his face with a stake (how so?) right below the
eye (heavens that it was below the eye). That was the end of Christian for the night. After that we had the Fear Factor: Mysterious Food Contest, and Talent Show.
In top picture we have {left to right] Cormack, Justin K., Arielle, Caryn, Marley, Stacey. In bottom picture, old guy playing bagpipes
Well, the winner of the mysterious food was Justin who was able to eat meat in a can (otherwise a generic form of Spam) (eewwwww!). And the winner of the talent show was Jackie Gold. But the events of the show was the
Irish jig people, the bagpiper, and the baby, who picked up a pen doing something backwards
(I don't know what she did, nor do I care, it happened that's why it's on the site). Oh well, the next morning we were off to Bryce Canyon. Its a very very nice place. It was where the photo that
I used of the group is from. The hike was just a beautiful hike.
Oh well, after the hike we rented out space at Ruby's Campground, so we could cook dinner, and shower and stuff. While we were there, we met the people from the campsite. For dinner that night we had kabobs. Now that dinner was amazing. Well that night we went to a hoedown. Yes a hoedown. Before we went in we stopped at a little western town. Here are a few pictures
Top Photo (by Jake): Brett, Jake, Jeremy. Bottom Photo: Steven, Brett
Now anyway, the leading into the hoedown was so cheesy. We rode in a Covered Wagon (it did smell really bad) and we sung songs and rode through an empty field. (jeez) A two second ride took nearly 30 minutes, but
I guess we enjoyed it. The hoedown was actually enjoyable. Everyone danced, and danced and it was a good night. The Indian Chiefs were the best (except that Brett kicked me [the idiot]). The next morning we went over to Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon happened to be in Arizona, so we had an nice ride on our hands. When we got there, we learned that we
couldn't even hike the mountain, we just had 3-4 hours to run around. But it was nice. A few pictures:
Top Photo: [left to right] Steven, Justin K. Brett, Andrew, Jeremy
(I feel left out, the only one without a hat)
Well, we got back to the campground, and we only waited around until AH 27 came around. They were nothing like our group, and thank heavens we only had to see them twice more on the trip. And that night we realized we actually had some good
counselors (well we knew that before hand, but that night we knew we had the BEST
counselors). The activity for the night was the mummy wrapping contest (it stunk). We went to bed and then we were off for Zion Canyon in the morning. Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack: GO DUCKS. Oh yea, that started in Bryce also. We were off for a 2 1/2 week adventure without camping.
Chapter 8: Las Vegas July 14th- July 16th
Now, this morning we woke up extra early (5:30) just so we could get to Zion in the early morning (they are a bunch of psychos
I tell ya, psychos). Anyway, it was about an hour drive to Zion, and then another hour until we got to the tram. We drove up to the Weeping Rock. Our tram driver's name was Bent, and according to him he's been "bent all his life." Anyway here is some shots from the "Weeping Rock (yes it was weeping,
I got soakin wet, didn't get any pictures of the water just the rock)
Now anyway, after this "hike" we drove back down to the Zion Lodge where we had a little snack and shopping time. We had lunch down and the bottom of the canyon. This is where Jeremy, Brett G. and Lamont bought there Osama Bin Laden T-shirts (freaky that it cost $ 9.11). We drove the rest of the way, while watching Oceans 11 (to
commemorate Vegas). Anyway, we got to the hotel, The Excalibur, while listening to Viva Las Vegas. Once there we got to roam around the hotel for a bit. The pool, the Krispy Kreme Donut Stand,
McDonalds was just some of the hot spots on the journey. For dinner we went to Circus Circus. A nice hotel with an all you can eat buffet. To bad it
wasn't worth eating all you can eat. That night we stopped off at the Fredmont Street Experience. There, some of the girls really had an experience. (NOTE: I've BEEN ASKING FOR A PICTURE WITH MORE GIRLS, THIS IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE)
Caryn (middle) enjoyed the Fredmont Street Experience
Afterwards we drove over to the Bellagio to see a water show. Here is the picture of the
water show.
Afterwards we got to enjoy a nice walk to:
Now the rollercoaster was a lot of fun. After the rollercoaster we walked back to the hotel. The next morning we had to be on the bus at 1130. Meaning we could sleep as late as we wanted (a
first) basically. We went to Wet and Wild for the day. While it is a nice park, it just looked like it was going to rain all day. We spent a few hours there, and then we were back at the hotel. That night we were going to go to Planet Hollywood. Very nice place. Afterwards we went to Gameworks. For two hours we had an
unlimited card, to any game we wanted, it was a very nice day. After that we walked back to the hotel, and went to bed, as the next day we were off for Palm Springs.
Chapter 9: Palm Springs July 16th- July 18th
It took 17 days, but at last we were in sunny California. We got across the state border early, but it was still a nice distance to the hotel. We stopped around San Bernardo, but when we got off the bus it was like torture. It was so damm hot out, hotter than before (kind of like NY weather all summer). We started watching Jay and Silent Bob, but after our lunch break, our director Chris, said we
couldn't watch it anymore, too much bad language. Well for god's sake, we watched nudity, and more cursing than that movie (that was only the first time she denied us of watching the movie). Well, mid-afternoon we get to the hotel, and by golly it was amazing. Only bad thing was that there was a coke convention (coke a cola, not cocaine) and there was so many coke stuff in rooms all over the place. It was the same rooms as Vegas so it
wasn't much variation. We were able to walk around the hotel for a little bit, but we had to meet for dinner. Dinner was at Red Robin, and let me tell ya, it was a pretty interesting meal. Well for me, and my table. We spilled 2 drinks (yea,
I'm a klutz). Our food came cold and we got it as some kids were leaving for the bus, heck Jake
didn't even get his food. It was an interesting dinner. Well afterwards, we were to either go bowling or have a pool party. The bus voted for a pool party. So we were off to the pool. Very nice, very big pool. People played with the volleyball, or threw a mini football. At the pool we met Thomas. Thomas was from Canada and he was a bit of a
nut job (explain more later). Well, roomtime came and we were back in the rooms. Next day, we had another late wakeup if we chose. 11 guys and Christian and
Dave (excluding Brett S. and Jake) went down to the rec center to shoot some hoops. The guy there was really nice and let us in for free. We played a few games of b-ball. On the last play of the game, I got tangled with Jared, and
I went backwards (he went forward). I got lucky and I landed ass first on to the bleacher, but Jared
wasn't so lucky. His chest went into the bleacher, then his head followed suit. It left a nice gash in the middle of his forehead. Irony about it, is 2 minutes before hand we signed an injury waiver. What's the chance of that happening. Well, Jared and Christian rode off in an
ambulance while I felt extremely bad (I know it wasn't my fault, I got over it a little later). We had a little free time until we had to meet again, so we went back to our rooms, showered and were ready in time. We went to the Palm Springs mall. Very nice place. This is where kids bought the Counting Crows CD
(I'm still addicted to it). And just to mention, this is another mall that we stopped by on the trip, to think this is like ATM (American Trails Malls, spending money, at an ATM). Well anyway, we got back to the hotel, and went swimming, here's our 2nd encounter with Thomas. Ay, the boy's from Canada
(I pity him already) and he ug, well you know the story anyway probably. Anyway, after free time we went to Macaroni Grill. The service was actually good, it was like we just finished ordering our food was there. Well that night we went to Karaoke Jo's. Now it was fun, kids singing, and Lora and Jake shining in the
spotlight. It was an enjoyable event, here's a picture.
Left to Right: Jessica Rein, Brett S. and Jake singing Summer Lovin
That's basically the whole night, went back to the hotel, and to bed. Off to LA in the morning.
Chapter 10: Los Angeles July 18th-July 22nd
Well, we had an early start this morning. We went over to the nearby Denny's for breakfast, and then, we were off for LA. We stopped at the San Diego Zoo for a little while, see
here's a tiger. This was where Kirzner had to use a credit card for a 2 dollar soda. See, he spilled mine all over me, I really didn't care but Christian was nearby and he started yelling that he had to clean it up and then buy me a new soda. Course he had no cash :). Anyway, we got to LA and we stayed at Dykstra Hall in UCLA. We found out there that there was a convention there, a cheerleading convention. Of course, we
didn't see them much. One of the girls' room had Miss. September attached to one of the beds, and a mess all over the floor. That night we went to the Improv. After we enjoyed a great dinner (eh...) we got to see a hilarious show. First our host was the Taco Bell Dog voice. Then to top it off we saw famous people throughout the show, including the gay guy who called Brett, Schlacing Brett. And he wanted Jason's hat. But Damon Wayans (how many of them are there?). Well, Damon first made fun of Zucker (who
didn't on this trip anyway) calling him a Special Ed Child, and making sure he's glad he's able to be out so late (there's more,
I just don't remember). Later that night, Jake did a little rap and Caryn sang Calendar
Girls. What a night, we got back on the bus and made our way back to the hotel. The next morning was an early wake up. First, we went to the cafeteria for breakfast, but they
weren't open so we had to eat breakfast at the Catalina Island Boat Depot. We were due to be on a 8:30
am (or 9:30) boat to Catalina Island, at the town of Avalon. The boat ride was very shaky. Naps were in order for us, as we got little sleep the night before. On Catalina Island, we were able to roam the town, shoot some hoops, kayaking, mountain biking, and some of us even got haircuts. Well, Jeremy and I did. Here's a picture
(I didn't take that many in LA) Left to Right: Steven, Francyne,
Meredith, and Jeremy
(ED Note: This picture is a little big because
I forgot to resize it. This process is difficult because I work on the site from my laptop, but the scanner is from a different computer, sorry.)
Anyway, Catalina was a little extra special for me because I saw one of my old camp friends that
I haven't seen in a while, (but really does anyone care). We took a boat back to LA, and then we were off to the Dodger game. Now, timing really
isn't a strong point of ATW that even with ATW time we still were 3 innings late. It was the Dodgers vs. the Giants. And one mistake
I made that night was eating a Dodger dog, it felt like eating McDonalds, it wasn't real meat. Anyway, a lot of kids didn't even bother watching the game. They stayed on the outskirts of the stadium, until we had to leave in the 7th inning (wow,
I feel like a true LA person, go in the 3rd leave in the 7th just to say I was there) anyway, we missed a great game as the Giants won in he 13th 3-2. The next day was full of excitement. First, we stopped at the UCLA store. We got to shop and we also got to go online at the union. Next, was our 2nd laundry stop of the summer. That was a lot of fun, plus mix that in with Panda Express for lunch and it was too much fun. Anyway, next stop was Rodeo Drive. Now, the Nasty 9 had the thrill of their life as they saw Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. As any true fan they shouted stuff but couldn't actually talk to them. Hailey, who is actually
obsessed with them stood their speechless. Wow. Next stop, Universal Studios. Now, this being an amusement park stop, yup you guessed it, we spent WAY to much time there. Considering, the lines
weren't that long and there are only like 5 rides in the whole freakin park, boredom occurs really quickly. Oh well, we stayed
till 10. Now this is where Brett G. and Lamont bought their huge LA necklaces. Next day, we're off the Hollywood. We stopped at Chinese Mann's theater, and the Walk of Fame. Also, the Country Bears were having their premiere that day.
The Simpsons are for you Brad
Anyway a bunch of us got bears at the Build-A-Bear. Next we were off to the 3rd St. Promenade. The promenade was basically outlets with other stores on a closed block. It was a lot of fun. Next off to Disneyland. This
didn't follow suit with all the other amusement parks, as we actually spent enough time here. I remember Jeremy and I calling Jenny Jones from the big phone in Innovations, very cool. Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, it was a blast. We got to see the Fireworks, and then we went back to the dorms. Went to bed, the next day we were off for San Fran.
Chapter 11: San Francisco July 22nd-July 25th
Well, La was the furthest west point on the trip, so now we were going up north to sunny San Francisco. Now, it was a long trip as we watched a few movies, including The Rock, about Alcatraz, our evening activity for the night. Anyway, we got to our hotel, The Radisson on the Marina. The background was amazing, we had the water. We quickly deposited our stuff in our rooms and we were off for Pier 39 (one of many times). Our group ate at a nice little Italian Restaurant. Some of us hit the internet cafe and checked email while others just walked down the pier. Anyway that led to Alcatraz. As we waited I took this picture of the "Philets" Brett and Lamont. Lamont is wearing his Illadelphia shirt while they are both wearing their LA necklaces.
Anyway, we got on the boat to Alcatraz, and we got to enjoy a self guided audio tour. It was boring and it was extremely cold. hehe. Here are some pictures.
First one is me on a prison toilet, don't worry its boarded
Well, that night, after Alcatraz, we drove over to Ghiradelli Square. Now besides Rice-A-Roni, San Fran is also famous for its Ghiradelli Chocolate. And boy was that ice cream dessert good. Anyway, we drove back to the hotel, and we were off to bed. Next morning we get up and we were off for the city of Berkley. Walked around for a bit, while Kolansky and Adler bought the same exact sneakers and Foot Locker. Dan bought his first Heh. Anyway we then traveled back to Pier 39 for a midafternoon activity. Heh, it wasn't much fun as we were already there the night before. It was
definitely here just to kill time. Anyway next we were off for Lombard St. Now Lombard was the steepest road in the US and the most curviest. Now it would suck to sleepwalk on the steep side, it would hurt. Here are some pictures of our Lombard Adventure
- 1st- Sign, 2nd- Steepness, 3rd- View, 4th- Curviness We were then off to the Trolley Cars. It was amazing how we all got off at the same stop because that car was so packed,
I feel bad for the people who were on it. Anyway, we went to Chinatown. The counselors
thought it would be a good idea to split us into groups (randomly picked). Now this would have been a great idea, if it only happened when no one knew each other. By then everyone had found their own little group. But timing ain't ATW's thing. Oh well, that night we shopped around, picking up smoke bombs, stress balls, stink bombs among other things. And of course we had Chinese Food for dinner. After Chinatown we went back to the hotel to have a pool party, except no one swam :). So we were able to get a banquet room in the hotel and hang out. We played a music game and then another group came and we played Singled Out, that was fun :). Anyway, our last day in San Fran, we went over to Stanford and enjoyed another college. Afterwards we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. This is also a terror warning place, so it was a little scary. Here are some pictures
2nd Pic Left to Right: Arielle, Jackie, Kelly, Tiara, Genna, Francyne, Meredith
Anyway we took some pictures and then we were off to Sausalito. A small little town in San Fran, we were able to run around. But it was a scavenger hunt with little objectives to find along the way. I forgot who won, but it
didn't matter. Carlos Santana was dining in Sausalito, so some people got to see him. Next off was the Hard Rock Cafe. I don't know, but it seemed as if not many people ate. Oh well, we all got ready for the dance club afterwards. Everyone had to look nice and pretty. Well, anyway we get to the club, and there is two other groups there as well as us. Dancing, and sitting and
talking outside was what most people did. But some certain people also was able to hookup that night as well. After the club, the
counselors of the 3 groups got everyone back in the banquet room, and tried playing another stupid game. But we went back to the rooms and the next day we were off for Lake Tahoe, our first of our journey back east.
Chapter 12: Lake Tahoe July 25th-July 27th
Well, back east we were coming, It seemed that the trip was nearly over already. I mean we were 27 days in with only 18 more to go. It seemed like a long time back then, but now I look back, and realize how quick these days really felt. I mean, right here, was where
I really started thinking about the trip in general. A few people knew, but Tahoe was probably the worst part of the trip for me in general. I really felt like a wreck during these two days, but thanks to my
roommates, Christian and Francyne I was able to be back to my normal self. Well anyway here's Tahoe for ya. We arrive by around 2, after an amazing drive through the mountains. We go to Safeway and we buy groceries for our condo. But there was no room to put 'em so we had to hold them. Hehe. Anyway we got to our condos, showered, and got ready for dinner. During this time it was my first time I felt the way I did. Well we went to an Irish place for dinner. We had a buffet, good food. Next we went to an arcade, and we spent the night there. The
counselors wasted some time by trying to watch the sunset somewhere on the bus, but the sun had already set. Back to the condos we went. We were gonna watch Jay and Silent Bob, but we got shut down again. It was really getting annoying. Anyway the next day we went tubing and water skiing. Getting out on the water was a lot of fun. Tubing hurt a little, especially when you fall off the tube. We dug a hole, played some
Frisbee and we also played a bit of volleyball on the beach. It was a fun day. Now for dinner we cooked. I forgot to mention that the reason we bought groceries was because we had to cook our own food. Eh, it wasn't that bad it was actually fun. Our group, Me, Jared, Andrew, Jason and Dave, well we had some steak, pork chops, spaghetti and other goodies. It came out quite good, but next time we
shouldn't have bought 6, 10 oz. sirloin steaks. We aren't that good shoppers but we'll learn. Anyway we went mini
golfing that night. Yea that was fun. I threatened to kill Zucker with a golf club, eh it happens sometimes,
I was rattled during that time anyway, sorry Zuc. Well also that night we had a bonfire, well a fire in a
barbecue where we roasted marshmallows. Put that out and we chilled in the condos for a bit. I was still out of it, but
I felt better by the end of the night. Anyway, we went to bed, and we were off for Elko, Nevada.
Chapter 13 (unlucky): Elko July 27th- July 28th
Well anyway, on our journey east, we get to Elko. On our way over, we pass through Carson City, who's claim to fame is the "smallest capital in the US, wow, whoop dee doo." It still seemed
weird to be traveling east again. Well, we get to Elko, and we settle into our rooms. Lake, and Jackie Gold enjoyed a nice visit to the hospital, while the rest of us went to Mattie's. Mattie's had some 5 star cooking. Yea that place was really good. Eh, no. It sucked, it was probably the worst place we ate at all
summer, it was horrible. It was here where Schlacter tried to convince Jessica Rein that he was from Paramus NJ (now
Brett, the mall is Paramus is the Bergen Mall) Next up was Wal-Mart, the world's greatest store. Next up was supposed to be the Municipal pool (a.k.a PISSPOOL), but since we had cool
counselors we got to see Austin Powers 3: Goldmember. Now that theater was pretty packed :). Movie overall was funny, but they ruined the whole freakin series by making Evil and Powers brothers, but overall it was good. Anyway, roomtime was immediate when we got back, and the next day we were off for SLC, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Chapter 14: Salt Lake City: July 28th- July 30th
29 days in and we reach our 14th destination on the summer, SLC. It was only a few days since we last saw muggy weather. Once we got off the bus at the University of Utah dorms, we were greeted by a new form of keys. The ones with the little chains on them. Yea, those things were so addicting, once you started the fun
didn't stop. Well, we get to the dorms, and to our surprise (well no surprise) the dorm was a shithole. But it had what we needed. Anyway, the guys went to the girls floor to hang out until dinner. Dinner was at the Mess hall. Eh, for a college dorm the food wasn't that bad (Ed note: I basically like any type of food possible, so for me to be bashing food places is quite amazing, considering
I normally like everything). Well anyway, we went to evening activity. Well, we tried. It seemed like every five seconds we kept making a u-turn here and a u-turn there. In fact there was one highway in particular we drove on that
I knew. (Bangerter Highway is named after the uncle of someone I know, his uncle was
governor and proposed to get the road named for him, for anyone who cared). Well anyway, we finally got there, and it looked like we were going to see ANOTHER movie (OH NO!!!!!). But in fact we went to an indoor amusement park. They had laser tag, mini golf, a rollercoaster, and bumper cars, that seemed like a motorized wheelchair. Anyway, Jake doubled the highest score ever at the laser tag here. It wasn't a great night but it was still good. Anyway, we got back no problems, and we were able to get some time just to hang. Also it was the return of the hospital kids, and yes this was the last time at the hospital this summer. And most of the guys were on the girls floor again. Night time, next morning comes. Frankly,
I forgot where we had breakfast, probably off the truck. Went bike riding in Park City. Now for those who went on the hard easy bike we did 12 miles Woo HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, that was a lot of fun. Next up, laundry.
McDonalds was the contentious choice of lunch that day (Fast Food stop #40). Laundry done, and it's back to Park City. There we were able to walk the town. Next time Schlacter,
don't take a freakin hour to pick out a shirt. Next up it was dinner at the New York something or other
(I give up). Italian was good. Alpine Sliding was next, and now that was a fun night. Jo the speed demon beat Brad down the slides. A few people fell out but it was still a fun evening. After slides, we had room time again, and like the night before it was a good evening. Also this was the night where the Nasty 9 created their songs, honestly
I cant describe them :). Next morning, we had breakfast off the truck and then our 2 1/2 week hotel and dorm stop was over. Our trip had 2 weeks left.
Chapter 15: Jackson Hole July 30th- August 1st
Well, we still trekking east along the interstate to get to Jackson Hole. On this trip,
I saw the best movie ever, The Usual Suspects. It was just a great movie :). Anyway we were stopped on our trip for a good 1/2 hour due to construction and boy it
wasn't the last time it happened either. Anyway, we got to the campground. It was a nice campground. It took a little longer to put the tents up because we
haven't done it in such a long time but we lived. Also, Jared and I went to the pool tables to shoot a few rounds before dinner. Dinner that night was the "chicken dinner." See, that night we had chicken fajitas and well to decided who went first they had to do an act about something with chicken, and of course, the Dakota Ducks won. After dinner we were off to town. The town of Jackson Hole looked like a old fashioned town. Here is a
Pic (my Pic didn't have everyone look but I need to make the website larger, you guys know who is in the picture :))
Well, we all roamed around town, some of us tried to find the CD store to buy the new
Linkin Park Cd, but they came out empty handed. That night we had tent time a little later after we got back. Mostly everyone chatted. This was my first swing dancing lesson :). Liz was my teacher,
I learned a little by the end of the summer. Washed up, went to bed. Next morning we woke up and made a trail lunch for our hike. After the making of the lunch we went off to the mountain. Ashleigh and Nikki Kaplan stayed back with Chris (Ed. note: did she do any hikes this summer?? I know she
didn't do the "easy brisk walk" at the Arches). Anyway we trekked up to Great Falls and then up to Inspiration Point at 7200 ft. Great view. Here are a few pictures of the trip. Yeah,
I know bad scanning placement but oh well.
The first two pictures are self explanatory, me at the elevation sign and the mountain. Well the third picture has a little story about it (if you
don't care, don't read). Well, Dan, Jeremy, Zucker and myself were in the back of the group on the way back down, and we enabled ourselves to fall way behind the rest of the group. After we saw Jessica Rein fall from far above, we just stayed far behind everyone. Well, that's where Lora came in. See, she became our "leader" because she stayed with the 4 of us on the hike back down. We took a 20 minute break where this picture was taken chucking rocks across the water, hitting sticks and hitting the rock and just relaxing over there. It was a really enjoyable time. Of course, we made the group wait just a little bit, but it was a fun hike. Anyway we get back on the bus and on our way back to the campgrounds we get stuck in some more traffic. And since we were listening to the new Dave Matthews
Cod, the whole bus was basically asleep (now I'm not bashing Dave, but all his songs are so mellow and boring, also the first 4 songs resemble every other song on his new cd, it
wasn't a great cd). Finally, after about an hour we finally get to drive some further back to the campground. After a night of Spaghetti and Meatballs and an Italian feast cooked by Ashleigh, Nikki, and Chris we had one of the greatest nights at ATW. Well, first most of Dakota was sick that night (eh rather not explain that one). Anyway, that night was the Miss ATW contest. Boys as girls in a beauty
pageant. We had Jared portray some weird French chick who only shaved one armpit area. We had Lamont as Loretta (looked very similar to a young Rupaul) Jake as whispering wind, and Andrew. Andrew
I will not describe because I'm still in therapy due to his actions that night (no, not really). Well the judges that
night were the counselors, Nikki Kaplan, Ali P., and myself. I wish I was able to get some pictures of that but to no avail
I was not. Anyway, Andrew didn't come close as he came in last, Lamont after his freaky pole dance, and screwed up answer came in 3rd but close. One shaved arm Jared came in 2nd, and Jake's Whispering Wind and rain dance came in 1st (Jake, if your parents had expectations of you winning Miss ATW, ug (head down in shame :)). The rest of the night was cool. The next morning we were up early and off for Cody, Wyoming.
Chapter 16: Cody August 1st - August 3rd
Well, before we knew it, we crossed through the long state of
Wyoming. But first, we stopped at Yosemite Park (or Yellowstone, I don't
know, nor care). We stopped at Old Faithful, and I guess we
participated in some sort of documentary for something and large groups, I don't
know. Anyway, we stopped at some place for lunch, and then we took a
little hike down to the mini Grand Canyon, (I think that was what it was called)
Again, Chris didn't hike with us. Why is that? Anyway, after
spending hours to get out of the park, we finally get to Cody. The
campground was right by some teepees, where we all wished we could stay the
night. But the best part about it was that it was right next to a Dairy
Queen (I love food, so of course that was the best part of the
campground). Anyway, the owner lady dude warned us to be careful of the
bikers (for all those that didn't know, Sturgis was going on about this time and
bikers stayed in campgrounds across the northwest. Dinner that night was
"Make your own pizza night." Most of the pizzas came out burnt
but it was still a fun experience making them. It was honestly pretty
cool. After the pizza brigade we made our way over to "One of the
hippest spots in Cody," the Roller Skating rink. The kids with big
feet were in trouble that night cause they didn't have roller blades for the
bigger people. I, for one, had to roller skate for the first time in like
ages, and everyone knew that I was pretty bad :). Pretty bad is nice for
me. Jake and myself became "The fall brothers" because we
couldn't on our feet, we left with bumps bruises but we pulled through.
There was speed skating races, with one of the races reminded me of the speed
skating races at the Olympics, with people falling over one another. The
limbo contest was won by Zuc I think, not sure. Figures though, that one
of the smallest won. Anyway, after skating, we were able to go to the
Dairy Queen to pick up a little dessert. That night was a lot of
fun. Next morning, we rose, and went white water rafting. Of course,
timing for this was horrible. It was cold and windy that day, but that
didn't stop us from having a good time. We split into four groups, and
funny thing was, no counselor wanted to be with the "Nasty Nine," but
Brad decided to take the challenge. There were 3 counselors in my
boat. Our director (leader person) was very nice, but her one mistake was
not having a water scooper thing, so when Christians boat attacked us, we
couldn't fight back. Christian we were going to get you back for that, it
was quite disgusting what we were gonna do; be happy we had a change of
heart. While all of this was going on, the Nasty Nine finished first, a
surprising ending to a fun rafting trip. Everyone was soaked, but it didn't
matter. When we got back we were able to shower and stuff. We
figured out that Brett was the slowest shower taker ever. Lunch was soup
and some other stuff. But some of us traveled over to Dairy Queen to have
some burgers and stuff, but the camp food was better :). We later walked
through the town of Cody, nothing much to say except that their was an internet
place that was 3.00 for a half an hour, getting to talk to friends was pretty
cool. Basically, Jeremy, Dan, Zuc and myself played some Presidents and
Assholes in the middle of town. Also we came back with like 11 Linkin Park
Cd's. Afterwards, we went to a little park to play some sports. We
wanted to play soccer, but we left that ball on the truck, so we played some
football. It was a lot of fun. After that we went back to town to
see the Wild West show, except we couldn't actually see it. One of the
best lines of the summer came from one of the actors. To a group of deaf
people people he said "Let's give a hand for them,". Could they hear
it? No. :). Went back to camp, where we had chicken for
dinner, very good meal. That night we went to the rodeo. It was so
cruel to those animals. Dave and I got into a little argument about it
(and Dave, I have eaten meat since). When we got back to the campgrounds we
noticed that some of our tents were in bad shape, with Nevada's tent completely
down. Dakota fixed their tent but a little later we noticed that our tent
was looking good, so we all came out, some clothed and some just wearing boxers,
it was a little show for everyone else. Early the next morning, a few
people went over to the park to watch the hot air balloons take off. I heard
that it was an amazing show. Oh well. We went to the Buffalo Bill
Museum afterwards, and it was very boring. We went back into town, and to
the park for lunch. After lunch we packed up, and we were off for a wild
adventure.
Chapter 17: Gillette, Wyoming and South Dakota Aug 3rd- Aug
5th
Now we left Cody around midday expecting to get the campground
at a reasonable time, except it didn't end up that way. Around 3ish after
we spent like 45 minutes going up a hill, our Lakefront Bus hit its first
problem. Something with the Transmission. We had a bathroom stop in
the middle of the woods, and then we tried to travel a little more. That
didn't work so we pulled over for good, the last time we drove on that
bus. Jason drove a long way to town to pick up some to help us, but that
didn't work so much. We watched a couple of movies, and then we were ready
to call for a new bus. Then it seemed like some tensions started to
flair. The Jackie in the front and Brett S. started getting into an argument
and for those who were actually able to hear it, it was quite hysterical.
For those who didn't hear it, here's a little recap. Brett and myself were
wondering whether or not we'd be able to stay in a hotel for the night, and
whether we had enough money for stuff, (we know that they had a wad of cash and
the ATW credit card), and it just escalated into some big thing, but it was
settled soon enough. We all got into a Coach USA bus, and we left Dave and
the Lakefront with a tow truck. It was a very sad moment for some, while
most figured we would see him soon. The new drivers name was Johnny.
That night, we stopped at a Pizza Hut, and that's where we found out our accommodations
for the night. We'd be sleeping in a church for the night. The
people in Gillette was very helpful for us. It was actually quite
funny. The next morning we were off for Mt. Rushmore. It wasn't a
pretty day, but it was nice. Seeing the statue of the four dead presidents
up close was pretty cool. After Rushmore, we went to stop for lunch.
As it was our last camping lunch the counselors brought out the good
stuff. We had make your own subs. While we were waiting, some of the
guys took a big stick and played homerun derby by hitting pine cones into the
street, we never did really finish. Anyway, we ate, and then we were off
to some famous drugstore, I forgot the name. It took a very long time to
get down there. On the way over, we watched Animal House. TOGA TOGA
TOGA TOGA. Finally we got there. While we were there we bought some
cap guns, and other stuff. Then we drove over to the campgrounds.
After putting the tent up for the final time, showered, and ate our last camp
dinner. We had to prepare for skit night. The skits performed that
night were funny (with ours being the funniest :)). The nasty nine made
fun of themselves, Nevada made fun of Brett S., Some tent did some ER thing, and
then another tent did a Real World thing. But we were the best. That
was our last camping night. In the morning we had some breakfast, took
down the tents, separated everything, and then drove down to Fairmont,
Minnesota.
Chapter 18: Fairmont Aug 5th- Aug 6th
Well, camping was done, now it was time for our last one night
stop. Fairmont, Minnesota was a small town. We stopped at a Holiday
Inn. That night there happened to be a K-9 convention, so there were many
rooms with police officers and Dogs. We got their, showered and got ready
for dinner, and Godfather's Pizza. That night was Jessica Rein's birthday
so she made little goody bags for us (Thank you). Afterwards we drove to
our favorite store Wal-Mart for the final time. The workers there were
following us cause we were such a big group. Jeremy drove in the truck
with Jason that night , and they made the truck look like the Austin Powers car
as it was bouncing. Anyway we went back to the hotel room. Dan and I
watched the football game for a little while, and then went upstairs to the
girls floor. It was there where we had probably the best night of the
summer. I don't remember everyone who was involved but we got into a huge
pillow fight. It was going on for a long time, it was a great night.
It didn't end until we had to go in for room time. After room time our
joined room of Zuc, Schlacter, Brett G. and Lame-o (Lamont) made phone calls
around. Went to bed, got up, and went to Perkins for breakfast. Then
we were off for Chi-Town (Chicago).
Chapter 19: Chicago Aug 6th - Aug 8th
Well, as we ventured back into the eastern time zone, we knew
that our trip was almost over, and that we would be leaving one another very
soon. But we were still here, and we were off on our trip to
Chicago. On our nice little trip over we made a quick stop over in
Wisconsin University. Nice and quaint. Now, Chicago was a very big
town, so even though we got there pretty early, we spent a long time getting
through to the campus. Now when we got there, we had to rush in order to
get to dinner before the tour of Chicago by boat. We ate at the culinary
school's restaurant, and they were really good, they'll all make some good chefs
someday. They had a little of everything, and I like that, then again I
like anything that's edible. Well, before we left for the boat we got a
new bus. We sent Johnny back to Wyoming, and we got Frosty. Frosty
was as wide as a freakin snowman. He didn't like us, but hell that bus we
got on was nice:). It was a fancy bus, and this action led to the return
of Dave a little later. Anyway, we went for the boat. We got on a
little boat, and it was cold, boy was it cold. We saw sights like the
Sears Tower (I think), well basically we saw nothing. This was more of a
hangout thing than anything else. It honestly was a waste of time, it was
dark, and we boated through the industrial area of Chi-Town. Well, anyway
we got back on the bus, and some people were missing stuff, cause some other
people were on the OUR bus. Why the hell was that? Oh well,
we got back to the dorm room, like most of the other dorm rooms this place was a
shit hole. Most of the guys and girls were talking to each other outside
the windows. Oh yea, I forgot, some of the college people were in some of
the rooms that we're assigned to us. The next morning 4 kids signed up for
breakfast however, only me and Jo showed up. They missed a pretty good
breakfast. We first stopped at Northwestern's Bookstore. Nice little
place. That morning we went off to the Science Museum. It was pretty
cool, nothing spectacular, although there was some free video games.
Schlacter took a picture of his ass on that face manipulator thing a
majingy. Next we were off for Michigan Ave. It was just an extremely
rich road, nothing special. Although we tried to get to UNO's pizzeria,
because it was Chicago pizza, we had to settle for California Pizza Kitchen, it
was pretty good. Then Dan, Jeremy and myself headed over to ESPNZONE for a
little bit, it was cool. We were then off to Nike Town. It was
basically the same as all the other ones in the world. We were then off to
some Philadelphia Pizza place, WE WERE IN CHICAGO, GIVE US CHICAGOAN PIZZA, NOT
PHILADELPHIAN. We were then off to the Navy Pier. It was a waste of
an activity, and this was probably the worst activity we had that summer.
We were able to get room time, and that was the night that two couples hooked up
for the first time. Also Sam Q. twisted her ankle, so myself and I think
Brett S. got ice for her. Brad was teaching a lesson on disgusting shit in
his dorm room, it was a pretty good night even with the bad activity. We
packed our bags that night and we traveled to Michigan.
Chapter 20: Michigan Aug 8th-Aug 10th
Well, we only had 5 more days together. It wasn't much
longer until we'd be back in our own beds, and missing the company of each
other. However, we were still together, and we were still on our way
eastward. Going to Michigan wasn't a very far journey. It only took
a few hours, and we got there. We stayed at the Best Western in a nice
place. For dinner we went to T.G.I. Fridays, for those who don't know what
it is, I'd consider you a moron. It's like a Houlihans. Anyway,
dinner was good, I guess, it's just Fridays. But the group rolled
onwards. We were then off to Ann Arbor, around the campus. I don't
know what the street is called, but I guess it worked for us. We didn't
have much time, but most of the group spent their time in the cheap Michigan
clothing store. The town wasn't really much to look at. But I guess
it was nice. Anyway, after the street walking, we got to go to another
movie. We saw Signs with Mel Gibson. Now, this movie was one that
you either love, or you hate it. I happened to enjoy it. If you
really got it, you really liked it, it wasn't really scary, but I got to enjoy
the movie with some girls kicking the back of my seat because they were scared,
IT WASN'T THAT BAD. Well, after the movie we had some room time, like
always, the guys were in the girls rooms (heck when its 13-31 its natural
:)). The next day was the last day of laundry. I'm glad that was
over, I spent like 15 dollars on that. But, the lady who worked at the
Laundromat was dead, but no one told her. She was really really scary
looking, looked like a dead person from Six Feet Under. Anyway, after
Laundry, we went back to that road that we were their the day before. It
was our lunch time stop, and boy did they have some good NY bagels. I
really missed that while we were away. Anyway, after the
"street" we were off for the mall. It was the first time in a
while that we've been in a mall, but it was ok. We were some special VIP
people, but it didn't give us anything special. I was by Electronics
Boutique for awhile playing some video games with Jeremy and Jared, walked
around with Dan, and got trounced by Jeremy in chess, I want a rematch.
Anyway, for dinner we ate at a Chinese food place. After Zuc spilled the
soy sauce all over the place, oh well just forget about it. Afterwards we
had some ice cream from Ben And Jerry's. And then we were off to
Whirlyball. For those who still don't know what it is, think of Trackball,
Lacrosse, and Bumper Cars put together. It was a lot of fun. The
team of Brett S., Brett G., Lamont, Dan and Myself were very good
together. We won most of our games and tied one of them. I had the
scoring touch that night, but it's a team game. After Whirlyball we were
back at the hotel, where then again we had some roomtime. After roomtime I
found out that the Counting Crows were playing on Letterman (thanks Jay) so the
Counting Crows fans were watching them sing. The next morning we woke up,
had some breakfast at a Bob Evans, I think. The service there was great,
our table got our food like right away. And then we were off for the 51st
state of the US, Canada.
Chapter 21 Toronto Aug 10th-Aug 12th
Now, for the first 42 days we had the US as our backdrop, but
being in Toronto is no different; it's basically the same thing as the US,
that's why it's the 51st state :). Well, we stopped at some mall in Canada
to get some food. Of course most of us got ripped off due to the money
conversion, but there was nothing we could do about it. On the way over to
the hotel, we saw one of the worst movies ever. Lord of the Rings, it was
so long and so boring that I was able to fall asleep, and I don't fall asleep
for anything in a moving vehicle, Anyway we get to the hotel, and what a
nice hotel it actually was. The rooms were quaint and it was nice. I
was able to watch the Mets for the first time on TV since we left, and I wish I
didn't. You know they really suck, but I'm still a fan. Anyway, that
night we ate at the Spaghetti Factory. It was the second time we ate at
one of those. The service there was horrible, it took a while to get
drinks, and food. But we got out of there, and we were off for the
Playdium. The Playdium was one giant arcade, with batting cages and
concerts. We got an unlimited play card, and it was really a lot of
fun. There was ATV rides, a rollercoaster simulation and some other
stuff. The batting cages were cool, and I heard that the concerts suck,
but hell it's Canadian Music, besides Barenaked Ladies and Nickelback it all
sucks :). Anyway, that night we had roomtime again, and like always guys
were in the girls room. We were extremely loud though. The security
guard knocked on the door a few times. Next day we were off for yet
another Science Museum. They must really want us to learn something on
this trip. Well, it didn't work. Their was an online thing
downstairs and half the kids were there. After the museum, we went over to
some place with shops and stuff. Roots was about 12 blocks down, and while
the guys walked it, a few of the girls took cabs up there. Cabs,
ugh. Bought some stuff, and then some wandered over to the mall, where
there was a pet shop. The animals were so cute there. Then we were
off for Canada's Wonderland. An amusement park that didn't amuse. It
was a modest park, but all the rides are the same as ones at any other park, it
sort of gets boring. Which led to Dan and I falling asleep at the meeting
spot. That wasn't so smart since we got bit very bad. Anyway a 1/2
hour before we had to leave, the park closed due to lightning. It was very
interesting day. We didn't have that much room time but we had
excitement. All of the keys wouldn't work, and well everyone had to get
new keys, except that Brett G. Lamont and my room's key didn't work. We
went back 5 times until a bellman opened it. Then after we left it open,
someone closed it, and we went back into it. We woke up the next morning
and after breakfast, traveled over to Niagara Falls. We rode on the Maid
of the Mist ride, a few of us decided not to wear the ponchos. and I'm still regretting
that decision. I got soaked. After we got on the bus, we pulled over
in a parking lot, and we saw a mysterious figure walking toward the bus with a
cowboy hat. It was the return of Dave. After a week without him we
got him back finally. Frosty drove back to OH, and we got out guy
back. We traveled off to Syracuse from there.
Chapter 22: The Last Stop: Syracuse and Home Aug 12th-Aug 13th
Well, Dave was back and we were rolling over to Syracuse.
The first task was to get back into the USA. After getting checked by
customs we were back in the USA, playing American Music, and feeling good
again. We were still a ways away from Syracuse so we continued
driving. Few hours later we stopped for lunch. Either Tacos, McDonalds
or a Sub place. Must say that sub place was amazing. Never
have had something that was that good. Anyway we drove to the Holiday Inn
for our last hotel stop. We had to bring everything to our rooms so we
could repack the bus so everyone could get off much easier the next
morning. We go to our rooms so we could get ready for dinner. For
dinner that night we ate at some pub. Highlights:
"Hey dildo" referring to the waiter
"The individual pizza is very small" the waiter, it
ended up being huge
Brett S. smacking his head on the light
"Who's playing, the Lighting" referring to the Bucs, Lighting
is hockey.
Girls singing at the table
Brad bringing his friend along
Lamont shoving me out of the seat
"What are you doing here in Syracuse"-waiter,
"We're leaving tomorrow"-Jared
It was a fun last dinner. Afterwards we went back to the
rooms to hang out for a bit. At 11 we had to meet at a ballroom to give
out awards and stuff. It was a lot of fun, during this time people had to
repack the bus. Well, we were off to the awards. The awards were
well giving. The best campers voted by counselors were Emily and
myself. After the awards there was a skit night by the counselors, doing
the What IF someone was something different. It was very funny. Well
most of them were funny. Some of them were also extremely stupid, but hell
it's the counselors. Afterwards we went back to the rooms to hang out some
more. One room bought a movie, Van Wilder, it sucked. Another room
just had a bunch of people in it. And then there were other rooms that had
a few people. Halfway through the night there was a pile of people in the
hallway. It was still a great night. In the morning we went to
Syracuse U. for Breakfast and then we were on the tough journey home.
Midday we stopped at Sloatsburg Rest Stop. It was a treat for me as I saw
some kids from school up there. We kept on going on our journey
home. We stopped at a restaurant so we could say goodbye to the NJ
people. It was really sad. Everyone was emotional. We dropped
the kids off in NJ, and then we were off to NY with a lesser bus. The ride
was very sad. We stopped at a deli because we were early, and then we came
back to Christopher Morley Park. 45 days later we were back home.
Said our goodbyes and we were gone. Never to be as a group for a long
time. Our trip was over.
Conclusion:
Well, it took 45 days but we were home at last. Although
everyone had a great trip, and I hope everyone had a great trip, I found some
problems with it. It always seemed like everyone was talking about other
people behind their backs, I admit I was guilty of doing it too, but some were
just downright nasty with it. I couldn't believe some of the stuff I
heard, but the summer trudged on. Ever since the trip was over, I've
spoken to people, but I admit I'm upset with myself for not talking with more
people. But hell, it's something I can regulate. Now although I haven't
seen many people, I did see a couple. I saw some Dan, Teryn, Jared, Andrew, Brett G, Holly, Sam S. and Lamont at Holly's Sweet 16, and i hope to see more. Well, the web site is completed finally. I hope all of you guys enjoyed it.
I sure enjoyed writing it. Hope to speak to all of you soon. Sign
the Guestbook. Thanks.
More Adventures:
During Columbus Weekend there was another little get to gether. Some of us met in the city, and it was a lot of fun. It was Meredith, Ashleigh, Dan, Brett, Lamont, Stacey, and myself, and we later caught up with Hillz. Although we didnt have much time together it was still enjoyable seeing each other again. The next day, Dan, Brett, Lamont and myself caught up with Hailey and Caryn at Hooters in NY (they picked it out ;) That too was enjoyable. Riding the train back and forth from Dan's house was really annoying but oh well. I fell on the bus when we were getting to the subway station; the trip was a lot of fun.
A few weeks later, I met up with Dan Brett and Lamont in Philly. Dan came in a day earlier as i had to miss it because i had to cover a soccer game for the school paper (being an editor has its faults) I missed Christian and Jackass because of it (i saw it twice back home). After walking a good 3 miles from the Train Station to see Hillary, we spent another long walk speakin to Ashleigh from Dan's Cell Phone, where we stopped at the Gallery. Later that night, after Lamont left, we headed over to Brett's school Woodlynde to go to his homecoming dance. Another ATW member, Ali P. was there, and it was an enjoyable night. Bad thing was the train ride home. Dan and I had to endure about 2 1/2 hours on NJ transit when it really should have only took about 1 1/2 hours. Oh well.
A little Blabbing by Me:
It's been over 3 months since we last saw each other, and well, i miss ya guys. We were supposedly so close on the trip which we were, however once we got back, everyday life kicked in and well, we werent close no more. Although i knew this would happen from day 1, i wished our group would be different, but i guess i was wrong. But anyway, as i keep on blabbing, i wanna thank ya guys for the greatest summer that i could have ever imagined. Coming into the trip last year i figured that I'd be done with camp and just take my car and drive around all summer (lol, it would be a lot of wasting gas ;)) however I've decided to take another trip with ATW next year (Fire and Ice). Never been to Alaska, is it nice? Anyway as I'm going back to listening to Lifehouse's new CD, Stanley Climbfall, i'd just like to say, that i wish we could see each other soon, i honestly wish we do. We were such a great group, and its been really upsetting that we broke apart the way we did. But, its too late to change the past, live for the present and future to come. Later
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Email: Stevengoo@aol.com
