Our Trip back to Savannah

We had a very long trip in the car. We had to becarful when leaving the house on Tilghman Island. The reason for that is because the roads were very slippery and very slick.

Our Day In Maryland

We got stuck On Tilghman Island for two days because of a snow storm. We had trouble getting through the snow. We had to shovle the snow to get accross the street. We did have fun in the snow having a snow ball fight. Then we had to becarful crossing the street.

We are still on the Eastern shore and really socked in by the snow. Fortunately we have lots of food, although the sodas are starting to run low! We will not be able to dig out in time to leave tomorrow, so our next window of opportunity will be Monday AM.
The guys have been talking, using the computers, playing video games and watching movies. So far, so good.

MP

Safe from the Blizzard

Our second day of sight seeing in Washington was cut short because of the weather. With two feet of snow in the forecast, we decided to leave DC and head for my house on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We stopped at a grocery store for provisions and are settled in, watching the blizzard from in front of the fireplace.

Tonight the gentlemen fixed dinner - spaghetti, salad, and bread. Gail and I relaxed while the guys cooked, set a lovely table, served the meal and cleaned up. Then we all watched "Night at the Museum - Battle of the Smithsonian", picking out things we had seen the day before.

The snow is beautiful, there is probably about a foot already and more falling. Our tentative plan is to head south Sunday, but we can stay longer if necessary. We are having a great time!

Mary Pat

OUR DAY IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Thursday morning we saw the inside of the White House. Then we rode the metro system and went to the Air and Space Museum. We also saw the Natural History Museum, where there are dinosaur bones. Our hotel is in Chinatown, so we went to Tony Chang for dinner.

A, C, J, M, G, MP

Our Second day in PHILADELPHIA

Today we slept in a little, then walked to see the Liberty Bell, which is cracked. Then we went across the street to Independence Hall. We took a tour and saw the room where they signed the Declaration of Independence. They also signed the constitution there and we saw George Washington's chair. Ypstairs was a library and a dining hall. Then we walked to the Old City Tavern for lunch. There were no hamburgers on the menu, so Cory ate duck with french fries. Everyone tried something new. The biscuits were a recipe used by Thomas Jefferson. Then we drove to Washington DC.

C, J, A, M, G, MP

Philly to Washington, DC

It has been a long day as we pulled up camp and headed for the capital city. The check-out, long trip, check-in and luggage hauling has us all bushed. We arrived safely at our hotel near the Chinatown section of Washington, had dinner, and are getting to bed early so as to be bright for our early visit to the White House tomorrow morning. Maybe we will get invited to a Presidential reception...who knows. We will update more tomorrow.

Our day in Philadelphia

Today we went in the city on a tour bus and saw some of the sites in Philadelphia. We saw statues of Benjamin Franklin & George Washington. The statue of George washington used to be of somebody else, but they chopped off his head and put on the head of George Washington. We saw the mint and learned that money with a P was made in Philadelphis. We went up the Rocky steps. John took a picture for some tourists. We also learned that Betsy Ross did not design the American flag. It was very educational. We also took a city bus to Franklin Elementry School. At first we got lost, but then we found the right bus to the school. We actually got to take a tour of school and got to meet Matt Z's cousin Kelly. Students at that school speak twenty different languages! We went to Gigi's and ate Philly steak and chees sandwiches, except for Cory who ate his 15th burger.

We had dinner at the hotel, where Cory had his 16th burger!

Matt was at an appointment all day, but will see Philly tomorrow. More touring and burgers to come.

John, Cory, Matt Z, Alex, Gail and Mary Pat

We Have Arrived in Philly!

Somehow our 12 hour drive became 15 hours, but we are at last here in the City of Brotherly Love! Traveled through seven states and the District of Columbia in one day! More tomorrow - must sleep!!!

Touring Savannah

We went on a tour of Savannah today on a free bus. We also got to take a Farry boat. we also went and saw were Forest Gump was filmed. We also took lots of pictures of use near the some of the famous statues. We also had lunch at a restaurant called One Eyed Lizzies. We also saw a movie on Savannah and walked through a mesume.

From Gail and Mary Pat

Things we overheard on this trip...

"Random acts of kindness kinda creep me out"

"This blind leading the blind don't work too well." (From Alex when he and Matt almost walked into the ladies room.)

"MOMMMMMM" (in an exasperated tone)

"Life is like a box of chocolates." (We have the pictures to prove it.)

"I am not allowed to tell you anything" (from the free shuttle bus driver as he showed us the sights of Savannah.)

Great trip so far!!!!!!

Our Day in Savannah

We went to the information center and went into the museum. We also watched a movie on Savannah. We then got on a free bus and saw some of the sights. Then we went on a ferry boat and saw some more sights. Then we went and had some picture puzzles made. Then we went and had lunch. Then we went and saw were some of Forest Gump Was filmed and we took some pictures of the church and field were he sat.

The drive to Savannah

We had fun riding in the car going to Savannah. We had a very long drive in the car. We have arrived in Savannah very safley. And we had dinner at a restarunt called Huweys.

Note from Mary Pat: For those of you who saw us leaving the school packed to the eyeballs, I wanted to let you know that we went from the school to my house, where we put on a car top carrier. That improved the situation quite a bit and the men were able to breath in the car for the rest of the trip.

New trip to Savannah, Philadelphia, and Washington DC!

The Chautauqua crew is taking a new trip to visit historic Savannah, then ride up the East Coast to Philadelphia, and finally making a stop at our nation's capital in Washington D.C. The students will blog about their experiences each day to chronicle their adventures and report back on their tour of the White House. Stay tuned to catch up on the amazing experiences of these students.

Tales from Iceland

For our activities yesterday we mainly spent the day napping, being lazy, and avoiding cleaning the cabins. We planned to stay up to watch the Northern Lights, but as you know, things change and the lights didn’t show up. So, disappointed we headed back to our cabins to pack, clean, and try to steal some hours of sleep. In the early hours of the morning we woke up to pack the cars and transport ourselves to the Guest House, Sunna in Reykjavik. The car carrying all our luggage was a little late in meeting up with the group...hard to believe since they were given very clear directions that consisted of "meet you in Reykjavik." Why give directions to the motel when its much easier to aimlessly drive the streets of a foreign city in the hope that no directions/street names/or any other information will naturally lead one to the front door of the small Guesthouse we had booked. To make up for the slow day yesterday we decided to explore the town, shops, and restaurants. To add to the days excitement we went to the spa/pool house in the almost freezing weather. Everyone went straight to the hot tubs to melt all the ice collecting on our faces and hair. Soon the hot tubs temperature was a little too intense for some and they abandoned the hot tub for the tall, curvy, beautiful, epic SLIDE! After that we played in the warm pool, sat around and relaxed. We left for some more food; our group split up into two groups: pizza or sushi. Tomorrow we are leaving for Boston and we will all be home by Wednesday, so cheers to a five hour long plane ride. –Marley and August

1....2...Geyser

The Geyser/Waterfall Trip

Today for our adventure we explored the natural landmarks of Iceland. We witnessed the geysers and the waterfall. Both amazing to observe. The term geyser comes from the town of Geysir,Iceland. The geyser,the only one we saw errupt was pretty explosive with its unpredictable timing. The park brilliantly roped off the areas of the splash zone and the hot water areas, some were recklessly irresponsible and put their fingers in hot water (August). Hundred pictures and frozen fingers later we ventured back to car to head over to the waterfall. To reach the waterfall we walked along a path ,down stairs, along another path to reach as close as we could get to the waterfall. Soon after watching the rapid waters of the waterfall our growing hunger conquered our determination to take photos. We came to the souvenier/cafe to have a nice hot bowl of soup. Bellies full we climbed into our cars and returned to home base to rest up from our exhausting excursion and plan for the next day. by: August and Marley

Outsider observations

As an outsider joining the Chautauqua group on their epic journey, I have the unique opportunity to take a glimpse into the world of this amazing group as they shatter pre-conceived notions and have life changing adventures.

My role in the group is primarily as an observer and representative of Global Explorers…

First the Global Explorers (http://globalexplorers.org) part:
Global Explorers is a nonprofit organization driven by our passion for sharing the most educational and life-changing travel experiences available. As a nonprofit, our programs offer a comprehensive, responsible travel experience designed to genuinely enhance the lives of our participants in the most meaningful way possible. Through the Global Explorers Leading The Way program, embark on more than just a cool trip. Each Leading the Way expedition involves preparatory curriculum prior to travel and a service leadership project after travel. By making necessary accommodations and focusing on what students can do, the program challenges and prepares students to act on the passions they discover. Students set new goals and recognize the value of teamwork. Through their unique stories, each team helps to spread messages of hope and inspiration while breaking down barriers that society has placed between those with and without disabilities.
The more time that I spend with the Chautauqua group, the more I realize what a perfect fit the school is for a Global Explorers experience. I am confident that both Global Explorers and Chautauqua would benefit immensely from the experience.

Now for my first impressions:
Chautauqua students are clearly independent thinkers proving to the world as a concrete example that anything is possible for people of all abilities! While they dance and sing as they ride public transit from Florida to Iceland and back; powered by a little hot chocolate and some Michael Jackson, Chautauqua students are taking the world by storm!

The visit to solihemar

After getting over an exhausting 2 days of traveling, jetlagg and some R&R we went to visit the self sustained eco-village, Solihemar (meaning House of the Sun, please correct if wrong). But first we had to get 19 people over to the village, using only 2 small 5 seating cars in two trips. When we arrived to the little village we fell out of the cars and walked up to the auditorium building to learn some background information on the history of Solihemar. We toured the village and saw all of the activities the residents could do: a herbal work shop, a wood work shop, candle making, weaving, ceramics and artwork. Solihemar is a symbol of harmonious living; it is an ideal comunity to be a part of, with its sod roofs for insulation, its environmental awareness, not to mention its disabled and undisabled integrated comunity. The residents can live in appartments, rented houses, nursing home for the elderly only, or for people whose needs are greater in a house dedicated to them. The school Chautauqua can take back some of the activities Solihemar has while providing an eco-friendly lifestyle. Solihemar highlights the strengths of the disabled by their jobs and making them feel important to the community.

Iceland bound

This blog started in response to our Icelandic adventure that begins in Panama City, Florida and ends in Solheimer, Iceland.
It begins on the journey there. As strong advocates of public transportation, this journey took longer than most. A broke-down Greyhound bus, missed flight, several plane delays, and a 6 hour bus-stop rest later...we made it.
But first there was a night spent in Boston. Here the students and staff of Chautauqua had the privelage of meeting with Dr. Peter Levine at Tufts University, a premier liberal arts university in Boston Massachuetes. Dr. Levine specializes in youth participation and grassroots activity on the political level. His speech to the group inspired us to the possibilities of our generation's political possibilities. The current problems of today's political process will soon be in our hands, to shape and mold as we wish. Policies made today will only be felt by future generations, so political action among today's youth is vital. Historically, such youth voter turnout numbers have been disproportionately low, but the historic 2008 election gives hope for the future. Youth and first time voters came out in record numbers, and this is a trend Dr. Levine hopes to study and apply to future elections.
However...this blog is dedicated, at least intitially, to our trip to Iceland. I hope to start an everyday blog in response to the everyday going ons at Chautauqua Charter School, what would undoubtably be a must read on your "favorites" list...but now let us turn to Iceland!