San Diego Band Trip - Day 6

Wednesday, December 20 – Day 6

Although the mornings are getting earlier, the students remain upbeat and full of energy.  As we have been going through this trip, I’m reminded of the life skills these students are developing such as:  time management, money management, self-management, dealing with personality conflicts, patience, self-control, navigating unfamiliar places, following directions, and responsibility to others, to name a few.

This morning we went to the San Diego Zoo where we saw lions, tigers, and bears…Oh my!!  They have a fantastic Panda Bear exhibit that was really neat to see.  Some kids hopped on a tour bus that took them all around the park, others set off on foot for their own adventure.  My favorites were the orangutans and the gorillas.  After lunch we had the opportunity to go to the US Marine Corps recruit depot to watch the Marine Corps Band rehearse for the Tournament of Roses Parade.  It was amazing to see and hear such precision.  The students had a lot of great questions to ask afterward.

Then we went back to the hotel to get changed and ready for the dinner and dance at the beautiful and historic La Jolla Women’s Club.  There was enough space for the students to spread out and dance, play cards, color in a coloring book, read, juggle outside, play catch, or just hang out.  As we were leaving, many of the staff at the Women’s Club admitted they were nervous to be hosting such a large group of high school students at first and then shared how impressed they were with our students and their behavior throughout the night. 

Tomorrow is an early morning and a long day as we are travelling to Disney for New Year’s Eve.  We’re going to Disneyland!!

San Diego Band Trip - Day 5

December 29, 2015 – Day 5

“That was awesome!”  I’ve been hearing that a lot on this trip.  Day 5 was another great day full of adventure and fun!  After breakfast we went to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.  They have many exotic marine animals and plants on display including a Nemo and a Dory:)  There is a very interesting Seahorse exhibit where I learned that the male Seahorse carries the babies and gives birth to hundreds at a time by launching them out of his belly!  Talk about weird!  Google it, you’ll see what I’m talking about.  The aquarium sits on top of a bluff in La Jolla and overlooks the La Jolla Shores where we would go swimming later.

 

Next stop, lunch in the Old Town State Historic Park.  Everyone received $15 as they exited the bus and were off on their own adventure as they explored the first Spanish settlement on the U.S. West Coast.  Considered the “birthplace” of California, the many stores and buildings in the area are preserved and the employees dress in period garments allowing you to go back in time.

After Old Town, we went to La Jolla Shores where students had about 2 hours to swim in the Pacific, play on the beach, or just hang out in a beautiful location. Even though we are in Southern California, the temperature has been in the 60s during the day and 40s at night.  The water temperature was somewhere in the middle of that!  Nonetheless, we had many students plunge in and had an absolutely fun time.  Their teeth chattered like castanets when it was time to leave but, YOLO!!  We watched a magnificent sunset and then boarded the buses to go back to the hotel.

Our dinner at Corvettes Diner was super fun!  It was basically an all out party the whole time while we ate some fun food.  The waiters and waitresses were energetic and entertaining but, not as much as our kids!!  They had a DJ cranking out tunes by request while students danced all around the restaurant.  We got home really late all hopped up on ice cream and cotton candy and have an early morning tomorrow…  The students are hanging in there and staying healthy with a few upset stomachs here and there.  They are being outstanding ambassadors to Edina and Minnesota!  We are very proud of them!