Maine's 20th Regiment celebrated at Battle of Gettysburg 150th anniversary

Click here to read about the battle at Little Round Top

Senator Angus King's commemoration of the 20th Regiment on the Senate Floor

Last Day - Connor

Well, the Freedom Tour is over. There were some fun parts and some not-so-fun parts. We saw some very famous places. We walked for miles. We saw some historic monuments. We spent at least a total of 24 hours on the bus. We laughed. We cried. We had a dance party in the back of our bus. We went to a pool so chlorinated that being in the area stunk your eyes. We went to an awesome pool. We endured massive heat and humidity. Was it worth it?  Yes. Why? Because it was an amazing trip full of new experiences and feelings.

8:05 - Worchester, MA

Next stop is Kittery.

6:20 PM - Vernon, CT

Traffic is light as is the rain. 

Stopping at Charleton Service Plaza for dinner in 30 minutes. 

We will be making one last stop at the Kittery rest area.

I estimate we will be at the Bath YMCA between 10:30 - 11:00.

Keep checking the blog for arrival updates.

Marybeth

Last Day - Grace

So, last day. This week has flown by so fast it’s not even funny. We got woken up at like, 5 something, and it was bad. After packing and stuff like that, we ate then got on the bus.  We made signs for the Today Show, but we didn’t make it. I was sad. We still went to the top of the Rock, a.k.a the Rockefeller. It was so crazy because I’m terrified of heights. My ears kept popping. After the rock, we just went off with our groups and went shopping. My group went to Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, the M&M store, and Forever 21. I didn’t get much because I was almost out of money, but it was still fun. After shopping we went to the Hard Rock Café, and ate. This was the first restaurant I had gone to that served cookies as a dessert. After full stomachs, we boarded the bus to get home. This trip was so much fun. I feel bad for anyone that didn’t go, because it was great. The adults were nice, the places were cool, and sometimes emotional. The bus I was on had the loud people, but that’s part of the fun. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone, but there’s a LOT of walking. Thanks Bath YMCA for taking me on this trip; it was a lot of fun.

Last Day - Sophia

Our peaceful sleep was interrupted by an early morning wake up call. Not wanting to get out of bed my group and I packed our bags for the last time and headed down to breakfast. With all the traffic in the morning we are unable to make it to the Today Show at the time we pleased. But we still went to the 67^th, 68^th, and 69^th floors of the Rockefeller building. The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking. The groups didn’t spend too much time on the Top of the Rock because after that each group went off and when shopping on 5^th avenue/Times Square. In the two hours given to us my group was able to go into five different stores, F-A-O Schwartz, Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, M&Ms World, and Forever 21. For our last meal in NYC we ate at the Hard Rock Café. When bellies were full and plates were emptied each person loaded the busses anticipating the long ride back home.

Almost There!

George Washington Bridge is Closed

Horrific Traffic ... everyone redirected to Lincoln Tunnel. Hope to be at Today show by 8:30!

Reflections from the Holocaust using Google Voice

Click here to listen to one student's reflections

Day 6 - Connor

Human bodies being bulldozed into a pit.  There were many atrocious pictures at the Holocaust museum, but that is the one that is sticking with me the most.  Human bodies treated like garbage – not animals or plants, but human remains.  Do you know how many of your genes you share with other humans?  99.9%  All humans share 99.9% of their genes.  All of those people killed in the Holocaust were 99.9% the same as you.  Just think about that.

A Magic Moment at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

This is Marybeth and I want to share a moment in time that was surreal.  As the kids were watching the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Phil and I met beyond the ceremony to discuss the options we had to use the empty amphitheater nearby.  After a few minutes of brainstorming, I sat down and wrote the following note on my iPhone:

Headstones in this vast cemetery represent a single person who served In the armed forces. Each person, just like those who marched across the fields during Pickett's charge, was defending, protecting, honoring, and sometimes dying for the rights guaranteed in our constitution. I call these rights freedom.
How do these headstones, these men and woman, represent the freedoms you have now - today?  Equality to vote, non-segregation, to protest the government, to speak your ideals publicly, to practice your religion.
These freedoms continue to be defined and defended each and every day. The freedom to marry?  The freedom to protect or terminate a pregnancy?
As we sit here amongst the the fallen, in reverence, solitude and solidarity, how have your thoughts, feelings or attitudes shifted since this morning when you awoke?

After the ceremony the kids sat on the steps of the amphitheater in the shade while I used my notes to focus them.  They were silent, engaged, and focused.  Shortly after I began my "speech," Taps began to play from nearby.  We listened in silence - complete and utter silence.  Magical, indeed.

At the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

There Are No Words by Kitty Donohoe

Click here to listen to There Are No Words

Day 5 - Connor

America. That one word fills some hearts with pride, others with nothing. Many of us simply do not feel American, not connected to the country as a whole. Why is that? Because we have no great seat of power to rally around? No King or Queen whose names we shout as we charge into battle? Yet we do. We do have a great power. Greater than any single man, woman, or child. Our rallying point is us. We the people. America isn’t a single ruler, it isn’t a single religion or doctrine. America is you. It is me. It is all 314 million of us. And all of us have power -  the greatest power ever given to any human being on this planet. The power to govern and rule ourselves - free of any absolute authority or dictator. But with this greatest of powers comes the greatest of responsibilities. The responsibility, the duty, to use his power not for personal gain, but to protect and preserve our rights and freedoms. For there are those who would wish to take our freedoms, to see us languish under an iron heel, unable to do, say, or think what we want, unable to express ourselves. But for those who are not free are like a single cog. They spin and spin, as fast and as violently as they can, but they will never accomplish anything for they are one. America is different. We are many, many cogs and gears, all turning ourselves and each other. Some are larger and have greater parts to play. But take away just one, no matter how small and all that we have worked for, all we have strived for, will halt and crumble. However, if we stay together, stay strong as one nation, one people, one America, then we will accomplish wonders that no other country can attain.

Day 5 - Miranda

Imagine walking on the footsteps of ones who lost their lives,  the ones who
dreamed about  marrying someone and having kids and so forth?  Seeing the Pentagon Memorial tonight was just an experience that I never thought I would
be able to have. Seeing all of the monuments there with the peoples names on the
stone and to see their parents that were there with them.  It literally breaks my
heart to even write about this.  I know people took every little word our chaperones
said while they were reading the stories of others. Even though people are all in
different friends' groups, I realized were all feeling the same thing at that moment. I
sat with someone new tonight on the way home. Someone who I never thought that I would be friends with at all and I felt like it was just something that I will never
forget, ever. She’s a very emotional person when it comes to things like this. And
I was there with her and every tear that dropped from her big blue eyes. Just thinking about how the plane slammed right in the Pentagon kills everything inside me.  On our way home everybody stepped on the bus with tears in their eyes, once we got on the bus we listened to a song called There are No Words by Kitty Donahue.  We all sat in our seats and I could hear everyone sniffling.  If you were there you would be sniffling with us feeling the same thing.  When you are done reading this, please take a few minutes to think of what happened on
September 11, 2001.  If not, look up some things about it.  This is our country and while this may have happened, we got through it and have been able to move on with our lives.  God bless the United States of America.

Day 5 - Victoria

    There has been so much to see!  It’s too much to describe in one sitting!
    Today was  day for emotions none of us experienced on this trip.  I’ve never seen so many people cry all in one place - with the exception of a funeral.  I held it together for most of the visit to the memorial.  It was the first place on this trip that brought something deeper than just the visit.  It wasn’t until I saw my friends crying that my first tears came out.  I trust that many other people had the same experience.  And then the song played on the bus.  I have never cried because of a song before.  Until today.  I never knew anyone in 9/11, or have any real connection to it, so I feel like I shouldn’t be crying.  I have no reason to cry unlike so many other people there.  I hate going to memorials without leaving a token.  So I decided to scour through my backpack for something - anything.  I found one penny.  One penny old enough to match a date on the memorial - 1978.  I left it on the bench of a woman named Jamie.  I believe she was lost while in the Pentagon. I left the penny at the end of the bench hoping the people who see it will get the same feeling I do.  The feeling that someone out there cares and misses these people. 

Day 5 - Julia

Tonight, after a long but enjoyable day of museums and the Arlington Cemetery, we went to the Pentagon Memorial.  When we first stepped into the memorial, I was shocked at how many benches there were.  There was also a wide range of ages of people who died that day - from 3 years old to 71 years old.  Underneath the benches that were dedicated to the people who had lost their lives, was flowing water.  It seemed too peaceful to hear the flow of water where there once had been a tragic ending to many people’s lives.  I can’t believe that people would kill innocent people.  There is no excuse for that and I can’t understand it.  When we left the memorial and got on the bus Marybeth played a song written for the tradegy.  It’s called There Are No Words.  Even the kids who hadn’t been crying before were crying so hard.  We were thinking of the lives lost at the Pentagon, Twin Towers, and the field in Pennsylvania.  We were also thinking of our families and the loved ones that we’ve lost while trying to comprehend what it would be like if we lost our own family. There really are no words to describe the feeling of loss and sorrow during 9/11.

Day 5 - Bini and Allie

On day 5, we visited the Pentagon Memorial that honors those who died during 9/11.  Each person who died during the attacks was given a bench/wing which displays the name and year of birth.  Some people had personal connections with this attack.  Some had friends/relatives who either came close, experienced, or witnessed these attacks.  When you walk into this memorial it is very quiet, yet very powerful.  After departing from the memorial, we listened to a song called There are No Words.  This was written about the attacks and when listening to it, it stirred many emotions.  There was hardly a person who didn’t shed a tear.  The attacks didn’t destroy this country but reaffirmed who we are as Americans.

Day 5 - Treven, Christian, and Lincoln

It hits deep. It hits deep to know what happened on the day of September 11, 2001.
Today our Freedom Tour group visited the Pentagon Memorial Site. It not only hurts to see all 184 innocent names carved into the benches but it hits close to home to actually be there - physically - with those people by sitting on those very benches. As we arrived at the memorial it didn't seem as though this memorial was going to be any different than the others we have seen. As soon as we started to walk around and see the names and feel the benches it started to sink in. The tears began to flow down our faces. Even though many of  us didn't know anyone personally who died in the disaster, they knew what happened and how it effected innocent people. People began to put themselves into the places of those killed in the crash. This effected us  emotionally. Overall it was a powerful and emotional day but we got through it together.  This will be a memory that will never fade.

Day 5 - Olivia

Today we went to the Pentagon Memorial. There were so many benches representing everyone that had died that day. It was a lot to take in. Each bench had a name on it. It was very emotional to see all of the damage that had been done on that day and in our lifetime. So many people were crying. It is hard to believe what happened that day actually happened. And the fact that we were standing where the plane had landed made it even worse. There was a person there that was our age that had died in the plane. I think that it is good for us to grieve, but we have to live for the ones that weren’t able to and tell the story of the brave people that died on that plane and in that building that day. Their bodies may have died but their memory and their story stays alive. And they did NOT die in vain.

Day 5 - Anna

We were in Washington DC for the day and it was very hot.  Thankfully all the museums have air conditioning so we had a break from the heat.  The first museum my group went to was the Hirshhorn Museum.  While we were looking at the room with the giant words, Diane, our group leader,called the nine of us over and told the security guard was checking something.  None of us knew what he was checking and were were kind of nervous.  When he came back ,he led us down a hallway to a doorway covered by some rolling dividers.  He moved aside one of the dividers and we all took turns peaking into the room.  Inside it was oversized replica of a Great Dane.  It was lying on the floor with its head up, like it was looking forward.  Its ears were about level with my head that’s how oversized it was!  It looked almost real, too.
That exhibit is not open to the public yet and I’m not really sure why the security guard decided to show it to us.  I’m so thankful he did, though, because it was so neat to see.  It was special because no one else that we know of has seen it.

Vietnam Wall

Smart Phones on the battlefields of Gettysburg!

Technology on the Freedom Tour took on another first this morning on the Battlefield at Gettysburg. We set up a Google Voice account with a prompt for the kids to react to or reflect on their experience's. On the very same field that Robert E Lee ordered the final Confederate charge on the Union, our guides talked to us about the leadership qualities of the Generals who commanded their troops. 

The reflection question? 

'Whether a teacher, parent, coach, friend or even within yourself, an effective leader motivates and inspires. When you lead, how do you motivate and / or inspire others? Their responses were then called  to a Google Voice account.  Many of these will be available through our Freedom Tour Blog for you to listen to. It was a great exercise and we plan to use this again during our visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

                                               Using our smart phones on Google Voice 
                                                                to reflect at Gettysburg

And now, a quick story from a Group Leader.

While we were in Philly, our group decided to walk over to Elfreth's Alley.  It is a narrow old street lined with little brick houses with colorful trim built in the 1700s.  We were turning to leave when a car inched through the alley and stopped in our midst. A lady got out, recognized that we were a tour group, and asked where we were from.  We got to talking with her and she told us that she lived in the house behind us.  

We asked her what it was like to live in such an old house, in a place where tourists streamed by your windows day and night.  She said that she had lived there for almost forty years, spoke with us for a couple of minutes, then asked if we would be interested to come inside and see what the house looked like from the inside.  Wow!

She showed us some of the original features of her home - a knob in the dining room ceiling that piped in gas for lighting before electricity, a small circular staircase, an old Victorian era cupboard, and old maps that showed how close the Delaware River flowed to the alley in the old days.

What a gift that she invited us, complete strangers, into her home!  And a lot of it had to do with where we were from.  As she took us into her kitchen, she said "I'm not sure that I would have invited you in if you hadn't been from Maine."  

She made our day.

Day 4 - Michael

Gettysburg is one of things that I have been learning about in my sizzling Social Studies class. Now that I have learned about it, it’s incredible to see the real thing. The feeling that many Americans died here for what they believed in is intense. I would like to take the time to thank Mr. Pierson, my 8th grade Social Studies Teacher, who I know is most likely reading this. He has taught us so much about the Civil War and Slavery. I have seen the Fredrick Douglas Blvd. Before this year I didn’t even know the guy and now I see his name everywhere. So it goes to show you that Mr. Pierson did teach me something that I now know and will carry on with me forever. Thanks again, Mr.  Pierson!

Gettysburg

Pickett's Charge

Day 3 - Connor

The most exciting event of the day was seeing the evacuation of Liberty Bell.  Someone had left a white bag by the building and the police had to move everyone out of the building and on the park outside the building.  They brought in a police dog.  We went into a gift shop and waited for the Liberty Bell to open again. When we got out of the gift shop there was a long line at Liberty Bell.  The worst part was that I was the next person in line to enter the building when the evacuation started and then the line was long again.  The evacuation was probably more exciting then the Liberty Bell, though.

Watch a video of Erin singing at the Apollo!

Click here to view video

Day 3

--> Today one of the groups got the lucky chance of being invited into one of the oldest houses in Philadelphia and getting a little tour. It was a beautiful house from the 1700's that sits close to the Delaware River. We were invited in because the owner of the house, Sue, has a connection with Maine and invited us in to show us around. It was really interesting going inside one of these houses because they are a part of history and it shows a glimpse of how people lived a few centuries before us. The house was very narrow and tall, but it had a lot of original furniture and historical pictures and maps. The family had been living there for over 35 years and they raised a family in this little part of United States history.  Sue told us about the changes that they had to put in because of the age and also the changes in the area that had happened since the house was built. It was really a wonderful and it was, without a doubt, a lucky experience.

Unknown author

Evacuation at Independance Hall

A suspicious package was reported to be seen at Independence Hall. Fortunately it was not bright green or a bomb.  All visitors were evacuated for a brief time.  All is well.

Fun Times!

Day 3 - Anna

Today we started off our day by driving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  When we got
there, we split off into our different groups and went to the monuments and places that we would enjoy most.  First, my group went to the Liberty Bell and learned about its history and took pictures with it.  Then, we caught a horse and buggy and took a historic tour around Philadelphia.  Our guide taught us a lot, and it was so cool to see the city from a different point of view.  I actually thought it was kind of scary on the buggy, because horses can be unpredictable, but I shouldnʼt have worried because the tour guide had everything under control. It was really cool to talk to the guy, because he had so much knowledge about the city and its history.  He also made the tour fun and interesting and connected the history to our lives. He had a genuine interest in history, he made learning more interesting.  When our tour ended, we walked to the mall to get Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.  I had never had one, but they tasted so good! We then walked to Betsy Rossʼ house to see the statue outside her old house and learn about her life and how she was connected to the Revolutionary War.  We had some time left so we went to see the Mint.  There is a machine there that gives you four brand new quarters for every dollar.  We walked through and saw how all of the coins were made.  I had no idea how many steps there were to produce coins.  I thought it was a really interesting experience to see how they were all made.  We finished off our time in Philadelphia at the Constitution center.  We saw a presentation called Freedom Rising.  It was a multi-media presentation about the constitution and how America was evolved.  After that we looked around the museum and posed with the statues of the men that signed the Declaration of Independence.  Now we are now headed to the Amish Country to have a full Amish dinner and learn about the culture.  We finish off our night in the cement pond, it should be a fun night!

Day 3 - Erin

Today we started off our day by driving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  When we got there, we split off into our different groups and went to the monuments and places that we would enjoy most.  First, my group went to the Liberty Bell and learned about its history and took pictures with it.  Then, we caught a horse and buggy and took a historic tour around Philadelphia.  Our guide taught us a lot, and it was so cool to see the city from a different point of view.  I actually thought it was kind of scary on the buggy, because horses can be unpredictable, but I shouldn’t have worried because the tour guide had everything under control. It was really cool to talk to the guy because he had so much knowledge about the city and its history.  He also made the tour fun and interesting and connected the history to our lives. He had a genuine interest in history so he made learning more interesting.  When our tour ended, we walked to the mall to get Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.  I had never had one, but they tasted so good! We then walked to Betsy Ross’ house to see the statue outside her old house and learn about her life and how she was connected to the Revolutionary War.  We had some time left so we went to see the Mint.  There is a machine there that gives you four brand new quarters for every dollar.  We walked through and saw how all of the coins were made.  I had no idea how many steps there were to produce coins.  I thought it was a really interesting experience to see how they were all made.  We finished off our time in Philadelphia at the Constitution center.  We saw a presentation called Freedom Rising.  It was a multi-media presentation about the constitution and how America was evolved.  After that we looked around the museum and posed with the statues of the men that signed the Declaration of Independence.  Now we are now headed to the Amish Country to have a full Amish dinner and learn about the culture.  We finish off our night in the cement pond. It should be a fun night!

Chillin' with the signers of the Constitution

This says it all!

I have also gotten to know and start to like a person who has been mean to me in that past. I feel that this is a great trip to get to know some people I have known for a long time. That what makes Day 2 a topper on the cake! 

Michael

Day 2 - Leila

I think my most favorite part of today was going to Central Park. I can’t believe how gorgeous and preserved the nature is there! There were just SO many trees, and there were little tunnels that looked like they were straight out of a fairytale. It was so magical, I felt so at ease when we were walking through there. All of the children playing and laughing and running on the numerous playgrounds scattered around the park. It REALLY was just like from the movies, only SOOOO much better! We went and saw “The Mayor” And the “Imagine” circle of peace. There were a lot of flowers and photos of John Lennon on the circle too, and “The Mayor” told us a little bit of history on the construction of Strawberry Fields (a section of the park). I’m kind of sad though that we will be leaving New York tomorrow though, but I’m just reminding myself that we will be RETURNING to New York on Wednesday! More to come later!

Day 2 - Connor

One thing that was very different for me was seeing Chinatown. It really was a little bit of China in the middle of NYC. All of the signs were in Chinese, and not all of them had an English translation. Almost everybody I heard was speaking Chinese, not English. For all I know, some of them might not even be able to speak English. In the market stalls, there were fruits I had never seen or heard of before. I tried one of them, although I'm not sure what it was called. It looked sort of like a sea urchin, but inside was a white, moist edible part that tasted like peach around a hard seed.  In the end, it is amazing that a place like Chinatown, which is almost like a country in itself, could form in a completely different country from where its culture and people originated.

Day 2 - Grace

I didn't think this trip could be more fun. After a hotel breakfast, we started the day by going on a walking tour of Lower East Manhattan. I'm not used to a lot of walking myself so that wasn't that fun. We went from the tour to Saint Paul's Cathedral. We took a break there and listened to something (Unbeknowst to us at 12:30 every day there is a peace service for all who are in the chapel - even for those of us who sat down waiting out the long restroom lines - Marybeth).  After that, we walked to the 9/11 memorial, which ended up being a 45 minute wait so we didn't go today. I'm not sure if we're going back, but I hope so. We went to the Apollo, which was great. I was one of the people who performed on the stage. It was a bit nerve wracking, but it was great. Then we went into a different room and heard some people in there. Mr. Apollo was so great. He was hilarious. After the Apollo, we went to Strawberry Fields. There was a guy who was on drugs and was asking if we wanted to buy souls, which was weird. The mayor seemed like a nice guy. The memorial was really well put together. There were pictures and flowers and everything like that. After the memorial we went to Chinatown or Little Italy. My group went to Little Italy and the restaurant was great. After dinner we were allotted 15-20 minutes to shop. Now we're on the bus ride back to the hotel.

Day 2 - Sophia

Once our bellies were full from a delicious hotel breakfast we started the day head on. First we had a walking tour of Lower East Side Manhattan where we saw many different places and learned about the different areas. Did you know that each culture, such as Irish, Jewish, German, etc., had a different region each lived in? I didn't,  but I learned a lot about it during the tour.

Sadly, we were unable to visit the 9/11 Memorial because it would have taken to long to get everyone through security. Hopefully we will be privileged to visit it an another day.

My highlight of the day was visiting the Apollo Theater. Each of us was given the chance to preform on stage. Not many took that chance. But all of us can say, in honest truth, that we walked across the stage and rubbed the stump. The interesting story of the stump was one that I believe intrigued us all. Street performers would take off a piece of the bark as a symbol of hope to get discovered that day. Some were privileged to be discovered and the tree was known as the Hope Tree. The tree was torn down but the owner of Apollo was able to salvage a small portion of the stump and before going on stage each act would rub the stump in hope to not be booed off. We finished off the day with dinner at Little Italy. Some of us got to eat at a place called Puglia. This was not any old restaurant, I'll tell you that! While waiting for our food two people started singing songs that everyone sang along with. When we ate dinner there were people from New York, of course, Australia, and us being from Maine. The best part of dinner was at the end when the entertainers sang the best song I ever heard. Was it catchy? Yes, after dinner we were all singing it. Does it play on the radio? No. The whole time they kept singing "get up, get up, get up and shake your napkin." At the end of the sing the whole restaurant was standing in their chairs waving their paper napkins. It was by far the best and most interesting dinner I've ever had. I can't wait to see what we have planned for tomorrow!

Stephen with New York's finest!

NYC Here We Come!

Created with PhotoShake

Lunch!

Good Morning!

Day 1 by Anna

 

One of the activities we did today was take a ferry out on the Hudson River. We went past Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Despite the fact that we could not hear the recording on the boat telling us about what we were seeing, the hour long trip was a neat experience for our group. There were two cranes on the island near the Statue of Liberty, and a few workers repairing the island. Although we could not go on the island, we had a good view of the statue from the boat. The boat was heeling noticeably as people lined up against the railing to get a closer view of the statue. Once past the statue, we made our way under the Brooklyn Bridge, then turned around and went back the way we came. As we docked, it was hard to get off the ferry because every time the boat hit a big enough wave it would knock against the dock and throw everybody off balance. A couple of us  managed to get off right as a big wave came up onto the dock as a result of the ferry, and our feet got soaked. Walking around Lower Manhattan helped to dry them off after as we got pictures of the Bronze Bull and the statue of George Washington. Later, we ate at Katz’s Deli, which was a very different experience. There was a big crowd of us all trying to order, since there are no lines. After we got our food, we sat down and ate while looking at all of the pictures on the wall of the famous people who had eaten there. The group picture at the end was a disaster waiting to happen (which it thankfully never did) as people stood up on chairs and crowded close together to get in the picture. It was a very satisfying day after the hours of driving in the bus.

Day 1 by Connor

 

Today was the first day of the Freedom Tour. The places that stood out the most for me were the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. We’re so used to seeing them everywhere; they’ve pretty much been ingrained into what we think about when we think about New York and America. It was definitely a very different experience seeing them in person, from different angles besides the most photogenic and iconic ones. For example, I can’t remember seeing very many pictures of Lady Liberty from the back. It was also really interesting to see the famous Times Square digital billboards. It was… odd, seeing advertisements everywhere you look, since they don’t appear quite as frequently in Maine as they do here. I’ll also admit that it’s really quite odd to be excited about seeing advertisements. I guess I’m just not used to seeing commercials outside of TV, but still. Advertisements shouldn’t be something you’re excited about seeing. On the other hand, though, they’re really cool!

Busy Day on Friday!

Check in with us tomorrow as we explore the Lower East Side's History Project. We will be taking a guided walking tour of Chinatown, Little Italy and the old Jewish neighborhoods.  We will be visiting 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero.  We switch gears and head to Harlem to the Apollo Theater then back to the Lower East Side for dinner in Little Italy and Chinatown. 

The weather was absolutely fantastic!  It was exactly thirty degrees cooler today than this time last year! 

Day 1 by Leila

 

Today we went to New York City, which was a really fun experience for me even though I had been to the city multiple times before. At first I wasn’t very amazed by anything that I was seeing, because like I said I had seen most of it before. And I honestly thought that there was nothing else to see. But oh was I WRONG. There is SO much to see in Manhattan, and I don’t think you can truly ever see EVERYTHING in the huge city! I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many different types of people in one place. There were people of all shapes and sizes; people in CRAZY exotic clothes with bright colors, to people in business suits. My senses were WAY overwhelmed with all of the sights, sounds and smells that I was experiencing. Anyways later in the day for dinner we went to Katz Deli. Now THAT was crazy! We got a ticket when we got inside, and then there were tons of menus with a whole lot of different foods on it. You would just shout out your order and then they would yell “TICKET!” and you would hand him your ticket. He would then scribble something down on the ticket and give it back to you, then you would move on to the next part of your meal (in other words your side dishes or drinks). When we all sat down and started eating at the big long tables together, I got just a glimpse of a family like bond starting to form in between all of us that I have never seen before. I thought to myself, knowing about all of the crazy cliques and cliché junior high rivalries between everyone that I witness all year, that there was no way this could be. I would soon be mistaken. On the way back to our hotel that night, the bus driver decided to play some music over the speakers.  We were all singing together loud and proud, and I got that glimpse again- that glimpse of family. I really think that by the end of the week we MIGHT truly become closer as a group, and get more of that family like quality that I’ve always craved in the junior high- coming from a small elementary school that always really felt like a family. I don’t know if it will happen, but I really hope so!

Day 1 by Michael

 

Today was off to a bit of a rough start, but totally worth it. I was tired and didn’t want to get up this morning, especially since it was only one week into summer. But once I met up with my friends the fun bus ride started. I could chat and watch movies on my portable DVD Player. It was amazing to see this incredible city that has always been described by friends and family, but that was nothing compared to the real thing. The people, the lights and tall buildings. I don’t get how so much can be in one spot. It shows that even after an incredible day like there is still so much to come, I am glad to share it with my friends.

Michael

Day 1 by Julia

 
            Today was a fun day! At first it felt long, and I didn’t think I could stay in the bus for that long, but found out that there were frequent rest stops and I could also stand up every so often. When we got to New York City, we went on a cruise tour. The boat wasn’t much of a “cruise” but we got a nice view of the city from the water. We saw the Statue of Liberty and it was neat watching as it got bigger and bigger the closer we got to it. We also went under the Brooklyn Bridge, which I have to say, looks better at night. It was a lot of fun getting off of the boat because it was rocking a lot and a lot of people were freaking out. I almost fell over a couple of times and it kind of reminded me of a ride at an amusement park. I’m looking forward to the next six days, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store. 

Julia

Day 1 by Marissa

 
Today was a long day of travel, food, and suspicious smells from the bathrooms. I don’t have much to say about what happened today because I slept in the bus, which is mostly all we did. As we got closer to New York we learned about the different kinds of graffiti:

Tag~ which is a one color 2D word or words. 

Throw up~ typically a 3D blast of multiple colors. 

Piece~ (Short for masterpiece) A piece of detailed artwork.

When we got into New York we walked to a boat that took us near the Statue of Liberty. We couldn’t go into it or onto the island because it was still under construction from the most recent hurricane that hit New York. 
For supper we went to Katz Deli

Marissa

Day 1 by Shanute

 

Today was the first day on our trip and we headed from Bath to New York. With about four stops we finally got to New York after several long hours. We headed to Harlem and the Bronx. In the Bronx we saw beautiful buildings and a wall under bridges with Graffiti which is controversially either art or vandalism. Then we saw Central Park then took a cruise,and saw the  Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and many other great photo opportunities. Then we walked down Wall Street and saw Stock Brokers and other official looking people. To top it all off for dinner we went to Katz Deli which had an amazing selection variety of foods. I recommend the Steak and Cheese or Cheese Burger. We saw Times Square before returning to our hotel for a well-deserved night’s sleep.

Shaunte

Day 1 by Grace

 

Today was a good start to an already fun trip. The bus trip at the beginning seemed like it would last for a lifetime, but it didn't last that long. It took about 9 hours to get to New York, and about an hour to get to the city. There were so many people! It was like 3 or more Brunswick's combined! Some of the things surprised me, like the amount of people in Harlem that were not white. The culture was so extremely different from Brunswick. Marybeth was saying that walking outside and stepping on grass was rare, unlike in Brunswick. After driving through Central Park and Harlem, we went on a ferry ride on the Hudson River. We saw Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. From the ferry we saw the Brooklyn Bridge. After the ride we went to Katz's Deli and the food there was amazing. There were so many celebrities on the wall. It was so crazy. After Katz's Deli we went to New Jersey to the hotel. Today took a lot of self control because we were sitting for most of it.

Grace

Freedom Tower

Crosstown Traffic

Passing Newtown

When we drove past this sign, everyone realized what this was and we all thought about the day and the bus got silent for a couple of minutes. - Stephan

Red Bus Hello!

Almost Ready

Join Us!

Be sure to come back June 21 and follow our journey. In the meantime, check out our Slide Show and learn all about the YMCA Freedom Tour!