Zion - S.T.E.V.E. Chant

M.I.L.K. !!!!!!!!!!!!

Bryce - MILK!!!

A wee chat with Zion

A wee video captured of the Zion Team - on their way down to Flagstaff!

just some wee videos of the trip more will added as and when I make them.....

An overview of the trip - I will work on the 'official' Movie over the next week - if you want to send me over some of your own images to be included - then please send them to my hotmail address :- noreenmckee@hotmail.com

cheers

Another wee video - showing one of the first video montages I made whilst out in Bryce.

The Overview...

I thought I should post a few wee moviettes which sum up some of the essence of the trip - I hope you get an idea of just how 'totally awesome' our trip has been.

There has been everything from climbing mountains, swimming in the Colorado river, crossing over one of modern-day wonders of the world - and shopping in one of 'the' retail capitals of the world!!!

Be prepared for tired bodies and minds returning to you on Sunday - we have tried a lot and accomplished a lot.

We were proud to call them our students during the trip - everyone we encountered told us how well behaved they were and that they were a credit to our school.  we pass on these accolades to you the parents - they have done you proud.

Thank you for looking in while we undertook this life adventure - I hope you have enjoyed it.  Thanks to those who left their daily comments - it really did mean a lot to me and to the recipients of the messages.

So - until the next time - this is Noreen 'Wee McKee' Linforth - signing out....

God Bless xxx

Las Vegas...

Well, we finally made it!!!  This is indeed the final blog posting of the trip.  (Everyone say Aww....!).

I will invite the students to log on and give a few of their highlights and memories from the trip when they return to the green, green grass of home - so more from them later.

The evening walking the 'strip' last night appears to have be

en eventful - when many interesting sights and sounds enjoyed by all.

The morning saw yet ANOTHER buffet breakfast, with foods f

rom all over the world on offer.  Miss Flanagan even had some Cherry Cobbler after her cooked breakfast!!  but then she did have a whole day of shopping ahead of her!!

We caught the 'Deuce' bus to the Las Vegas Retail Outlet - watching the scenes of Las Vegas play out before our very eyes during the trip.  When we arrived the group were set a ne

w challenge...

YOU MUST GO INTO THIS VAST GROUP OF STORES AND BUY, BUY, BUY! - YOU HAVE TWO HOURS TO USE AS YOU WISH - READY, STEADY, GO!!!!

The shops proved to offer a great variety of comparison goods with a lot of volume shopping  experienced by all.  The retail park was located at the periphery of th

e city, with good access routes for both delivery of goods and shoppers to park (that bit was for my Year 11 and Year 8 classes - just in case they thought this trip was all play and no work!).  

There were many bags to be carried when we boarded the bus into the centre of the city again - and we alighted at the famous NEW YORK, NEW YORK casino.  

The plan was to see a few of the fabulous casino/hotels on our way to the next Mall - and this gave a few a quick chance to gamble a little ( $1 to be exact);  Alex played it well, and earned himself a whole 2

5c profit!!!!

The couragous of the group then set off for the New York Rollercoaster.  It was spectacular - and I am sure you will see many of the photos taken during the ride.

With our hearts still racing, we then headed on foot to the 'Fashion Mall',  we passed alongside the Pirates of the Caribbean show and the famous Bellagio - with the fountains dancing along to some majestic music. (now that's a way to mark each half-hour!).  During the walk around

 the casinos, we spotted one of the many 'Wedding Chapels' and Jac thought the opportunity was too good to miss - so as you can see, with Mike officiating, he went down on one knee - see Bethan for the answer she gave??!!##!

After some time in the Abercrombie & Fitch shop -

 we all had a little to show for it!

We then trotted back to the hotel for dinner - and while a few chilled - the others went one last time to check out the famous lights of Vegas.

Tomorrow brings along our last time to see the sights of what is an extraordinary city - with the kind of scale and colour which is rarely seen anywhere else in the world.

Vegas is a city which appears to go against the realm of nature and logic - a city in a desert, watered by a river which runs through the deepest canyon in the continent; with lights of such  electrifying and varying colours, that they make everyone appear to

 be in a movie.  The people are all in a cast of thousands - reading from a script that no one in Hollytwood could ever have the imagination to write.  That is Vegas - incomprehendable and amazing - all in the same breath!

Don't think that visiting Vegas is a gamble - it is an experience that will enrich and excite.  I am sure that the sights and scale of the buildings will stay with all who came along on this 'journey'.

The Team Challenge is nearly over -with just a few more points available to play for.

The standings at this moment are:-

Hoover Dam & Colorado River Raft Float...

Well this evening's blog is being

 written in rather different circumstances....

APOLOGIES - MY IMAGES ARE NOT UPLOADING AT THE MINUTE - I WILL TRY AGAIN IN THE MORNING - UNTI THEN - HAPPY READING,,,,,

I am used to typing away in a quiet room, having the quietness of the evening to help me find the right words.

Tonight - we are in Vegas - and the neon lights of the 'strip' are reflecting off the window.  We have just had dinner, having walked through an area of hundreds of slot machines.  The culture shock of the Bryce experience to the Vegas experience could not be more marked.

We started the day bright and early with breakfast in Boulder City, with a short drive to the Hoover Dam Visitor Centre.  As Robert drove the coach towards the Dam itself, we were all amazed at the grandeur and scale of the complex. We were shown a short video on the building of the 'Boulder' Dam, which was later renamed 'Hoover' in honour of it's great creator - Herbert Hoover - not the other one!

After descending many metres to the floor of the Dam, we were privy to the workings of the generators and the outstanding engineering which took place to produce of the modern day wonders of the world!

When we had looked at the sights - we then made our way to the Boulder City Hacienda Hotel - where we were to commence our river float trip.

We left Robert and our comfortable coach - and were driven through areas restricted to most, and found ourselves at the foot of the Hoover Dam wall.

When we were all safely 'loaded up', we were then on our way....

Our trusty guide - Dave  - highlighted to us the many types of different geological forms located along our route.   We saw hot springs caused by seismic acticity, non-conforming rocks, fault lines and 'tropical' grottos.

The remnants of the engineering required to create the Hoover Dam in the 1930's was still visible at times. The 'Gauge Men' who had to climb  across some treacherous areas to measure water levels and velocity - always taking their life in their hands to do so - was just one of the 'tit-bits' that Dave shared with us.

We had a few stops to allow the students to cool off - and some took this to the extreme - as you can see below!!!  the temp was about 12 C - so they were indeed brave wee souls (they have been awarded points for their teams to acknowledge their courage).

We eventually got to  our destination and we disembarqued our loyal raft.  We were met by Robert who drove us back to the hotel to pick up our luggage - as coaches are not allowed to cross over the Hoover Dam with luggage!!!

The images below do not do it justice - but I thought they might give you a small glimpse into our day.

And so the scene was set - we were now on our way to Las Vegas !!!  cue the old classic by Elvis.....

We were able to see the 'strip' from about 10 miles away - and as we drew closer - the Zion team were getting louder and louder.  The excitement was almost tangible - with everyone making mental lists of shops to be visited and spectacles to be witnessed.

We pulled up outside our final hotel - 'The Riviera' and the bell-hops took out luggage to our rooms - pretty soon we were in 'Kady's' for dinner - where the steaks ordered were as large as our dinner plates!!!!  - well you know what they say about things in the US!!

Anyway - tomorrow is a day of the artificial type of attraction - rather than the natural we have been spoilt with recently.  We will have a little time to shop tomorrow - which I know a lot of the group have been looking forward to.  Abercrombie & Fitch -here we come!!!!!!!

Some have gone for a walk to see the lights - my trusty apprentice Jade is taking the photos - so you will get the latest update tomorrow evening!!!

Until then - Goodnight x

Grand Canyon Day 2 - Skywalk

Evening all,

Well I hope you had a good day - we have been out and about again, with yet another amazing set of memories and photos to take with us.

Today is/was (according to where you are reading this) my 3rd Wedding Anniversary - and just like that lovely day in Penarth three years ago - I indeed took a 'walk of destiny', and almost took the 'plunge'!

Thanks to the kids who wished me a nice day - I did actually manage to speak to my husband - and I think he enjoyed the day immensly as I was not there to bug him - sad I know - after only 3 years!!! (only joking Martin).

Well we were up bright and early again, a good breakfast and on the road by 8.30 AM.  You may be surprised by the early starts they are making during the trip, they may find it difficult when they get back - call it jet-lag, it should only last a few days - so if they are still trying it as an excuse in June - get them to see a doctor!

We drove towards the area of the Skywalk - which was about an hour away from Kingman.

The comfortable coach which has

 served us well over the week had to be abandoned, as we were now in the hands of the Skywalk system.

Our new driver - Sylvia took on a rather bumpy 14 mile trip to the West Rim of the Canyon - with no tarmac to help cushion the ride.

The site is situated on the Indian Reservation of the Hualapai Tribe. 120 miles East of Vegas and 72 miles north of Kingman.

The breath-taking scenery was just too much of a charm to us, so we set about taking more shots of the dramatic sheer slopes beside us. 

There were a few more brave souls trying for the daring shot - but there was always a teacher or employee of the centre close at hand to tell us when we were just a wee bit too close to the edge!!

The day proved an amazing experience - with the whole group making it onto the glass bridge, which sits 70ft out from the rock-face, 4,000 ft above the floor of the canyon!!!!   yes - you read that right!

The students all purchased a photo momento of the event - I have added the staff one below - just to show our Head of Department that we are really brave!!

A message to Millie & Grace - their Dad says 'Hi'.  Stop stressing - Dad's weight didn't break it!  Missing you loads girls - see you for Easter eggs on Sunday!!  xx

The local indigenous people also offer some cultural  entertainment for the visitors to the centre - so all in all it was a great day.

As inspiration on the way to our next stop-over, we gave the students the challenge of thinking of their 'indigenous' name - and we had to try and match up the name with the character.

The most creative names were given 2 points for their team.  Some of the lucky people were:-

Matt Jones  - He who dances with badgers.

Josh Thomas - he who has had a ball on this trip.

Sarah - She who stands wide, smiles and conquers her fears.

Tan - He who enters the country last.

We apologise that they may not be totally clear to you the reader as to why they won, but be assured - they had the popular vote.

When we arrived in Boulder City - we were quickly at our dinner venue - with lots of food on offer as well as a special cake - made for the occasion.

Tomorrow we head towards Hoover Dam and then a raft float down the Colorado for a few hours.  It is hard to believe that the trip is nearing Las Vegas - and so to the end of the trip which we waited so long for!!  

Tonight there were a few chilling in the pool and hot-tub, while others thought I might be feeling a wee bit doen, and so as my husband couldn't buy me flowers on my anniversary - they did so instead!!!  Thank you Jade and Bethan - I couldn't have wished for better 'daughters'. xxxx

We also thought it too good an opportunity to miss - when we spotted a massive number of Joshua Trees - so Mrs CJ took a picture with our own famous Josh - hope his parents like the pic !

Grand Canyon Day 1

The day started REALLY early - with the breakfast buffet opening at 6.30 AM - and we were it's first customers!!!

We were all packed up and ready to go by 7.30 - despite aiming for 7 - but only 30 minutes late getting started is

 good for us!  We said goodbye to our luxurious hotel and headed south....

We set off for the IMAX Cinema - around not far from our next stop at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon....

The Visitor Centre allowed us a sneek view of what was ahead - and we were all suitably impressed with the amazing IMAX movie.

After a quick lunch buying stop, we were nearly there....

We parked at 'Mathers Point' and walked slowly towards the edge of the carpark....

As we got nearer - we told them to close their eyes and hold hands.....

Some fell over - Bethan Carr!!!  - but we made our way closer and closer to the edge...

THEN, we said OPEN!

And this is what they saw.....

We took many of the obligatory photos - and we wound our way around the South Rim of the canyon, stopping for lunch, taking more photos, stopping for a drink, then more photos.

Some were braver than others - but we made sure that no really major risks were being taken.

The scenery was truly breathtaking, with vista across the canyon with cliffs and valleys in every direction.

The weather was glorious for us - (I had had a wee word with the Big Man Upstairs - and had placed a request!) - this certainly added to the majesty of the day - with the glorious azure coloured sky setting off the rocks beautifully.

The students seemed keen to explore further around the edge of the canyon - some even saying they could see the Sky Walk!

Some of the group went for the group setting - and others for the dramatic!

There was one thing for sure - no matter what the choice - the landscape was always going to upstage us.....

We eventually made our way back to the coach and started on our onward journey to Kingman.

The group are starting to realise that to see the things we planned to see - quite a few miles need to be covered.  The journey was quite a quiet affair - the sun and the early morning having taken their toll on all.

We arrived in Kingman right on schedule, and settled into JB's for our dinner.  With some requiring ice for sunburn, they settled into their rooms for a well -earned rest.

Tomorrow we venture towards the famous Sky Walk - my photos will be a limited version, as they do not allow the users to take their own shots of the amazing experience; but I will see what I can do.

No quiz today - just a few bonuses picked up for cleaning the coach of the litter at the end of the journey.  Hoover picked up a few badly needed points - but with big plans for quizzes tomorrow on the way to Boulder City - I am sure the leader board will change over a few times.

Until tomorrow - I will leave you with a small moviette to be inspired for the day ahead....

Trip to Flagstaff...

DAY 3 - TRIP TO FLAGSTAFF - ARIZONA

Hello again, we hope you are enjoying the peek into the ongoings over here.  

The day was started with yet another scrumptious breakfast - fresh fruit followed by a full cooked breakfast.  We were still recovering from the hike from yesterday, so a day chilling in the coach on our way to Flagstaff was quite welcome.

We waved goodbye to our new friends from Cirencester - whom we had met again at dinner the previous night.  They were very impressed that Whitchurch students were given at a chance at coming away on such a trip of a lifetime.

Miss Flanagan and myself had made some plans for the entertainment on the longer coach journeys, whilst doing the bag-packing in Tesco.  So we started to put our little plans into action as soon as we left Ruby's Inn....

The theme for the day was 'music', so we set the teams a 'name that tune' challenge - with the aid of the coach microphone and my laptop!  Despite the poor quality of sound - they were able to name a few.  We then set them a 'drill sergent' challenge (american spelling for the context of the blog!) - with a few interesting renditions of  'I don't know, but it's been said....' from the groups later in the afternoon. 

We stopped off a few times to admire yet more stunning scenery - and it seemed perhaps a bit blase to concentrate on things inside the coach, when we were being driven through the most amazing of terrain.

We lunched in Page - home of the Glen Canyon Dam, for which we visited the Visitor Centre.  The teams were seen to be taking in all the details just in case they were needed for the next trip quiz. It is true since beginning the quiz, the teams are much more interested in dates and names than ever before!!

We also had a brief stop for fuel, in which we had to disembarque - so the nearby gift-shop was frequented.  It was also a chance for 'dress-up', as can be seen from Will's costume above.

The final sing-a-long was the most musically challenging - with one and all taking part in the intense competition.  Will Claydon certainly came out as a fantastic X-Factor 'one to watch', with other groups doing their 'parents' proud!!

The Team standings after the bonuses had been added up are as below - with Bryce having the lead at lunch and Zion lagging at the back; but by our arrival in Flagstaff, it was all-change!

The results so far are as follows:-

When we pulled up at the 'Little America' Hotel, we were greeted with a special welcome for us emblazoned on their hotel billing!

The entrance was resplendent, with the tour to the rooms showing great promise - we quickly puts names to rooms - with a shreik of delight from

 some in the Zion camp - soon to be turned to despair when the female staff realised that they had mistakenly given their room away, so had to reclaim it.  As I type - I believe their is a small doll having pins inserted by a small group of rather angry young girls!!! (the images below may tell you why!)

Anyway - we are dolling ourselves up for dinner later in the rather gorgeous dining area - with a few drying off from their spree in the hot-tub.  To say we are staying in luxury is an understatement - sorry Rhiannon!

We have an early start in the morning as we head for the IMAX cinema outside Tusayan (outside the Grand Canyon National Park), then onto the South Rim of the outstanding Grand Canyon itself, followed by a trip to our next stop-over in Kingman.

It is hard to believe that this trip is already nearing the middle, considering the staggering things we have already seen and done.  With still a lot more to be accomplished, we look forward to seeing what the group will say when they take those last few steps towards the rim of the canyon - many find the whole experience quite humbling - I will fill you in with the details tomorrow.