Conquering our Fears on the Ropes Course – Californian Extravaganza

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Jul 152011

Each day seems to keep getting better!!! We can’t believe we forgot to mention the incredible time we had white water rafting on the Snake River in Wyoming prior to arriving at our campsite in Utah. The boat that contained mostly girls ran incredibly smoothly and it seemed as if they were all experienced rafters. Jessie put her strong paddling skills on display and motivated the rest of the girls on the raft to paddle hard in order to overcome the rapids. The following day we went to a water park and an amusement park where we had a blast and explored different roller coasters.

After our time in Utah, we hit the open road and headed for Winnemucca, Nevada where we all did our laundry together. Jon learned the ropes extremely quickly and before you could blink an eye, he was helping everyone with their laundry. Before we knew it, it was time to hit the road again and head towards beautiful Lake Tahoe, which borders Nevada and California.

Our first stop was at the ropes course where Julia courageously and confidently conquered the rope and wood panel bridge at a rapid pace. Becca T was also one of the ropes course all-stars, as she impressed everyone with her climbing skills on the climbing tree. After a fun afternoon testing our balance, we arrived at our campsite in Lake Tahoe where we played games and relaxed in preparation for what the following day had in store.

In the morning we headed to the beach at Lake Tahoe (on the California side) where the group had their choice to either water ski, wakeboard, or go tubing. It was Drew’s first time ever going water skiing, and he was able to get up on his first try and stay up for quite a while! Undoubtedly, that is something very challenging for a first-time water skier and he is definitely a natural – good job! Later that afternoon, the group had the opportunity to go on a giant sailboat on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe where we relaxed and soaked up the sun after an adventurous and action-packed day.

At night we had a talent show where Josh S wowed the crowd by singing the night away. The group unanimously agreed that his most popular hit was Bohemian Rhapsody. Also, Sydney O, Julia, and Jessie performed a song that they wrote about the staff which was comical and very creative. The next day, we made our way to San Francisco.  Our first stop after checking into our hotel was AT&T Park to see the San Francisco Giants take on the New York Mets. It was particularly interesting considering we had Mets fans on our trip such as Josh G who was decked out in Mets attire to cheer on his home team.

The following day we went to Alcatraz where the group had the opportunity to learn about and tour the former maximum-security prison. Later that night, on the bus back from dinner in China Town, the trip member of the day awards were handed out to Reid and Josh K. Other award winners who preceded these two includes Josh G, Brooke, and Ryan K. We have one more night in San Francisco before we head south to Ventura, California where we will be camping. You will be hearing from us soon!!

Your Staff,

Stacy, Jill, Brandon, Amanda, Jack, Elise

The Westcoast Blogger

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Fun in the Sun at Niagara Falls – U.S. Explorer

U.S. Explorer 1 Response »
Jul 062011

The US Explorer checks in from Cleveland.

We can’t believe we are already a week into our awesome adventure – it feels like we’ve known each other for years!  After loading the bus and saying goodbye to our parents, we set out nervous and excited.  We played bus “speed dating” to get to know everyone better and by time we stopped for lunch, we had lots of new friends to hang out with.

After a delicious dinner, Cort-Lanes Bowling Alley opened just for us.  Charlie improved his personal score and broke 100!  He and Jordan Fo. taught Ben how to bowl while Alex G. also taught Karen some tips for getting a strike.

The next morning we set out on a challenging and fun day for everyone at the Cornell Ropes Course.  None of us knew what was in store, but we went into it enthusiastically.  In the morning we helped one another problem-solve to achieve different goals such as balancing on a life-size seesaw, scaling a huge wall, and guiding one another across a tight rope blindfolded.  After a delectable lunch, we got to push our limits and face our personal fears on the high ropes course.  Even though she was so scared, Haley S. attempted the cat walk – a balance beam high in the air – with lots of encouragement from her new friends.  We climbed the rock wall alongside a tower leading to the “King Swing” – a swing made from ropes and suspended between the tower and two trees – or to the Zip Line that took you from one side of the ropes course to the other.  David E. was the first person to brave the “King Swing” and said “it was awesome!” Jen G. did some flips on the “King Swing”, showing off her impressive skills.  Jill S. flew like Superwoman down the Zip Line followed by Jason and Daniel Z. showing their moves, flipping in mid-air.  The ropes course was an exciting challenge we tackled, pushing ourselves to new limits and working together to create better friendships.

Our next challenge was putting up tents at our first camp site in Niagara Falls.  We met our wonderful Westcoast Connection campsite manager, Lance, over the border at the Niagara KOA and got a crash course in tent-building.  Although many of us had never done this before, we worked together and set up all our tents in record time!  We then all worked together to cook a scrumptious meal with the help of Lance and Mike, our food director. That night we celebrated Canada Day by heading into downtown Niagara to see the fireworks over the falls.  Talk about beautiful!

The next morning we set up a “make-your-own” pancake bar where Cat and Lance flipped and filled our pancakes for us; they were delicious!  Then we headed to the falls to ride The Maid of the Mist.  We got soaked on the top deck of the boat – good thing we had our attractive blue ponchos to keep our clothes dry.  We didn’t stay dry for long though because after lunch our next stop was Jet Boating!  We changed into our bathing suits, put on our life jackets, and climbed onto the jet boat with our tour guide, Colin.  Grant, Cobi, Jordan Fr.  and Josh A. all sat in the front row of the boat as we went through Class 3 white-water rapids spilling water onto our foreheads, and loving every minute of it!  Cobi even commented, “this is one of my favorite days!”

After a yummy stir-fry dinner cooked by our trip members under the direction of Mike and Lance, Lauren and Catherine led us in a “Crazy Canadian Quest” scavenger hunt.  The items revolved around Canadian food, sports teams, and the like – we even had to find a polar bear!  Our students were extremely creative and the winning team brought back a puppy as their “something with fur” – we were all quite impressed!  Then we hung out by the fire and made s’mores – yum!

The next morning we headed back into the USA to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Two of the popular exhibits were Lady Gaga’s meat dress and The Beatles exhibit.  That night, in honor of visiting one of the most popular rock halls in the nation, we had our own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Ceremony – Westcoast Style!  Justin, our Trip Director, hosted the event and our travelers performed a superb combination of a song and dance for the leaders as judges by the campfire.  Charlie helped his team win with his “Dancing with the Stars”-worthy dance moves!  We headed to bed looking forward to Cedar Point Amusement Park!

After a quick breakfast – we are all so excited to experience the best thrill ride park in the world!  Not only was it a gorgeous day, but many of us pushed to new limits, going on the second fastest roller coaster in the world called Dragster.  At 120mph, it shoots straight up 700ft in the air and straight back down.  It was so much fun!  We also ventured on many others filled with flips, corkscrews, and lots of speed.  Even those who didn’t ride a coaster had a fantastic day.  Jacob L., Josh A., David A., and many others all played carnival games throughout the day and won lots of prizes: 7 stuffed animals, 3 basketballs, and 2 hats to be exact.  Isabella also showed off her salsa skills and danced with the “Johnny Rockets” employees.  Everyone loved it!  At the end of our day, we spread out on the grassy knoll outside the amusement park and celebrated the wonderful country we live in.  The Cedar Point 4th of July fireworks were some of the best we’ve ever seen – Sydney K. said, “the finale was so beautiful!”  Pumped up from a long day of excitement, we went back to camp and tried to unwind in our tents – it was so hard!

The Westcoast Blogger

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The Phrase “Splam-Bammin” – The Adventurer

Adventurer No Responses »
Jul 312009

The latest from the Adventurer.

The Westcoast Blogger

Good Afternoon Adventurer Parents,

Today is day 23 of our adventure and we have just finished a beautiful three days in Lake Tahoe. In only a couple days we will be touring around the hot spots in LA and we are so excited! The gorgeous California weather thus far has allowed for some awesome activities and programs.

Saturday was an eventful day. When we arrived at the campground, we took advantage of the various facilities, such as the swimming pool, basketball courts, and tennis courts, following which we had an amazing evening program called Air-bands. In this program, the tour members got into groups, picked a song, and choreographed a performance to be done in front of the rest of the group. The winner of this event was Daniel W., Daniel R., Josh S., Benji Elbaz., and Sam E. whose performance was not only hilarious but also very tasteful!

Sunday consisted of a relaxing day on the beach, some waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and a wicked boat cruise. Nolan and Shawna both managed to successfully complete a 180 jump wakeboarding, while Ryan Golt. and Erin made it up on one ski on their first tries! Our boat cruise ended up exceeding our expectations and it served as a great, luxurious way to finish off a lovely day in the sun.

Because we returned to the campsite around dinnertime, we had another evening program on Saturday night. In this program, tour members separated into groups and were given the phrase “splam-bammin”. With this phrase, they were to invent a product and create a skit to advertise it. On top of this, they also made up songs and slogans for their product. Because the performances were so well done, the staff decided to give out individual awards instead of group ones. The winners were Fabiana and Daniel R. for best voice, and Tyler for best individual performance! Describing this evening as “entertaining” would definitely be an understatement…

Yesterday morning was our sleep-in morning, of which everyone took advantage. By lunchtime however, we were already on our way to a high ropes course located at Squaw Valley Ski Resort (beautiful scenery)! Here, many tour members had the opportunity to show off their strength, endurance, and determination. Nicole and Sydney B. walked across the “Test of Friendship” course like it was nothing and Kyle M. roughed it across the “Bridge” without a complaint! Meanwhile, Jill S. successfully completed the “Leap of Faith” and Daniel M. climbed up a 100-foot pole in record speed. Also worthy of mention, Kyle T. was incredibly quick at climbing up the “Cargo Net” and Steph S. tried every single challenge over the course of the day!

Once again, we returned to the campsite for dinner and had time for another awesome evening program. This one was called “Quest”: Tour members split up into groups and tried to be the first to complete whatever instructions were given. For example in one round, one person from each group had to run up to the front of the group and yell out the alphabet backwards. The person who finished first gained one point for their team. After around twenty rounds like this, the program finished off with a tie between two groups! The winners of the program were Erin, Zack, Sydney B., Vero, Ryan Golt, Dylan K., Jill S., Greg, Tyler, Kyle T., Benji Elbaz, Sam E., Steph F., Matt, Josh L., Lindsey, Corey, Jordan S., Miriam, and Dylan S. One honourable mention went out to Ryan H., who won the rounds in which tour members were required to do their best imitations of staff members. These were very funny, by the way.

This is the end of my summary of the past three days. I did, however, miss something very important in my previous message. Last week when we were in San Francisco, we received a very generous and surprising gift from Morrie Baker, who provided the entire group with free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream at Fisherman’s Wharf! Thank you so much Mr. Baker (and Zack) – it was delicious!

You will all be hearing from us very soon with more descriptions of our wild, amazing adventures!

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Ice Skating in Hawaii – Hawaii Community Service

Hawaii Community Service No Responses »
Jul 122009

A couple of pictures from Hawaii Community Service!

The Westcoast Blogger

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Cha Cha Sliding in San Francsico – Californian Extravaganza

Californian Extravaganza No Responses »
Jul 122009

Another update from Californian Extravaganza!

The Westcoast Blogger

Hello Californian Extravaganza Parents!!!

We are now just a day away from LA and cannot wait. Let me update you on the happenings since we last wrote on our way to Tahoe via a stopover in Winnemucca where we experienced our first laundry stop……. Things went well and many of us did our own laundry for the first time and it was a great success! “This was my first time doing laundry by myself. It was a lot of fun. It was cool doing laundry with my friends” said Morgan K. After washing our whites and darks, we were ready to cross the California state line and begin our 14 day stretch in the “Golden” state.

Our first stop in California was Lake Tahoe. We broke up our drive with a stop in Squaw Valley to attempt their ropes course. “I was the first person to climb the 100 foot tree. It was a good experience because I’ve never climbed anything that high before. When I got to the top it was such a beautiful view” describe Jamie F. about her climbing experience. We made our way around the windy roads of the lake to Tahoe Valley Campground, where we would stay for the next two nights. After cooking a delicious fajita dinner, some tour members played a pop culture trivia game with Andy and Ryan, while others played basketball with Liz and Justin. We enjoyed a wonderful snack of ‘smores’ and banana boats and then went to bed, resting up for an active day ahead of us.

Tuesday morning we woke up anticipating a great beach day. We lathered on the sunscreen and prepared for a fun filled day of waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and a boat cruise on the lake. “The boat cruise was a great experience to be able to see the amazing view of Lake Tahoe. It was fun to relax with all of my friends and play cards on the boat” illustrated Rachel D. We made our way back to the campsite to prepare the evening’s meal. Our snack was chocolate fondue. We were able to dip bananas, strawberries, and marshmallows in creamy Hershey’s chocolate.

The next morning we awoke eager to reach the day’s destination – The Westin Hotel – San Francisco. To get ready for our next day’s visit to Alcatraz Prison we watched the movie “The Rock” on the way to San Francisco. As soon as the movie finished we were able to see the island of Alcatraz off to the right of the bus and in the distance the Golden Gate Bridge. We arrived at the Westin happy to settle in for the next three days. We had some time to shower and relax before we were off to our dinner destination “Mel’s Diner”. The original Mel’s was featured in the show “American Graffiti”. With full bellies, we took a short walk to City Nights Teen Dance Club. We strutted our stuff on the dance floor while we requested some of our favorite songs. “The dance club was so much fun because we got to dance to the “Cha Cha Slide” and the “Macarena” with our tour director, Andy” said Emily Mallon. When the evening came to a close, everyone was delighted to plop into the amazingly comfortable beds that the Westin had to offer.

Thursday morning we made our way to Alcatraz Prison – former home of some of the worst prisoners in the history of the United States. “It was really cool because I got to speak to an actual prisoner who experienced four years of their life on Alcatraz. I was able to stand in an actual jail cell. I surprised myself that I was able to stand in the cell” Casey E. said of “The Rock”.  After our interesting tour throughout Alcatraz we made our way to Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. We were pleased to find out that the Ghirardelli Factory was handing out free samples of chocolate. Our day might sound busy, but we weren’t done there. We made a brief stop back at the Westin to recharge our batteries and put on some warm clothes. We were off to AT&T Park – Home of the San Francisco Giants. We ate burgers and garlic French fries and sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. Julie made a valiant effort towards starting the “wave” – a ballgame favorite. We must have been a good luck charm for the Giants because they beat the San Diego Padres. What a great day!

We woke up Friday morning excited for another fun and busy day in San Francisco. We had omelets and pancakes at Lori’s Diner for breakfast. We were greeted by a real live Groucho Marx at the front door. The 50’s themed diner was a great place to fuel our bodies up for the day ahead. We made our way towards the village of Sausalito, stopping at the Golden Gate Bridge along the way. “The Golden Gate Bridge was a very beautiful view. Although, I thought it had been destroyed in the 3rd X-Men movie” exclaimed Brian P. We left the bridge and had some free time in the quaint town to explore and purchase a few trinkets. “Sausalito was really cute and I would love to stay there on a vacation for a few days. It reminded me of Greece because the town was built into a mountain” Olivia T. described. We ate lunch at the Metreon and once lunch was done, we hopped on our bus to visit the most famous crooked street in the world – Lombard Street. “E and I were really proud of ourselves for walking all the way up and down Lombard St. without falling. The view was surprisingly really pretty” exclaimed Lindsay S. Arriving back at the Westin we were given some time to relax before taking a cable car ride to Chinatown. We dined at Brandy Ho’s Hunan Restaurant. There were a variety of dishes including sesame chicken and beef and broccoli. Upon arriving at the Westin some people relaxed for the evening while others participated in an exercise program called Zumba. “Zumba was a really great workout and fun at the same time. It was a great bonding experience with some of my fellow campers.” Cailey G. expressed. At the end of Zumba, as we were walking to the elevator to go back to our rooms, we were surprised to be in the midst of a reality TV show celebrity. Bob from “The Biggest Loser” was staying at our hotel. We were immediately star struck.

We are now in Ventura Beach, California to camp for two days and looking forward to a well deserved sleep in.

We’ll talk to you soon!

The Californian Extravaganza Staff

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