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I think I've gotten most of the investigations and logs correctly posted.  There are probably still a few mistakes, so forgive our kids (they're still learning) and me or blame the copmuter for typos! (sic)   I'll likely add a few more posts with journal entries and observations soon, so feel free to check back later.

All the photos from our school photos are up as well.  STUDENTS:  if you have a photo that you'd like to add that isn't already up at piscasa, e-mail it to wpsdwildwest2011 and we'll try our best to get it up there.

THANKS FOR A GREAT TRIP.

Memories

Fun and Funny Tales from the Road

Ask us to tell you the stories!!!

* Principal KM & Nurse N’s nerves as we walked along a very precarious ledge in Bryce Canyon 

* JAM’s invisible video camera and JS’s missing charger

  

 EB and SS’s hair whipping around in the wind 

* The rock boys (MEP, GG &AC)

* ME squishing the salt and pepper rock formation

* KV's encounter with a squirrel

  

* JC's note-taking 

*KM playing the fiddle on the train

* Students dancing to fiddling music  (will try to add video)

* PH and AR looking cool in their matching white frame sunglasses. 

 *AM’s hobo costume (cowboy hat and shirt and ever-present pillow) (anyone have a better photo?) 

* KU’s tiger hat/mittens (a follow up to the panda hat she bought in NYC)
* MAP’s “yeah, I’m cool” photo poses

* DB being a deaf ambassador to a 12 year old girl from Ohio who wanted the chance to try her signing with a native user.  

* MG taking extraordinary photographs

* Competing with several basketball teams for food at the Golden Corral Buffet

* TS helping KV maneuver through crowded food lines

* ZR & TH trying to skip stones in the river

* AD’s singing

* Boys doing laundry in hopes of an extended curfew

* Rain in the canyon while the sun was shining brightly

San Francisco

San Francisco, Cali is a beautiful place. 

The city is full of friendly people. They are odd and different. Let us tell the story about one man in store. He is a clerk. He saw us using sign language and he didn’t speak. He wrote on paper for the price-- that is very nice. Those people know deaf people.  They are very respectful to other people. We saw few Indian women dressed up and colorful. The city has many people and much culture and they show it.

            The city is also different because it is colorful and busy. The homes are different sizes, designs and colors.   There are many stores and they are attractive. The restaurants are good and delicious. The cuisine is often seafood, and many come from China and Japan.  For lunch, Bud gave us tickets so we can choose a meal from the restaurants listed.  If students don’t want to eat at those restaurants then they pay their own money to choose other restaurants. For dinner we ate at the Rain Forrest Café.

  

            It was fun to look at the transportation. First we took a harbor cruse and saw the Golden Gate Bridge, The Oakland Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island (and prison), and a dome left from a world's fair in 1915.   There was a small taxi that look like boat but it is a car.  There was a double deck bus.  There were people on bikes and Segways. 

We saw how they turned the cable cars around and while waiting, we saw about 15 of the active 40 cable cars.   We rode the cable car to see the city and look at different streets. Many people crowded in the cable car. Some of the roads in San Francisco are very steep.  Lombard street is dangerous, curvy, and very famous, but we only got to look over it from the top.  We did have a great view of the wharf as we rode down Hyde street.  

Noon photo: Saturday July 2, 2011

World famous San Francisco Cable Car.

Day 6: Saturday July 2, 2011

Weather:  cool, foggy near the bridge.
Temperature: 61º

Destination: San Francisco
Highlight: Harbor Tour and Cable Car Ride.
Scenery:    Bay, Wharf, Cityscape

Mileage:
      ~ 20 miles driving
    + 2650 miles flying  (SFO to ALT, ALT to PIT)
    + ? Steps walking

Breakfast: at Hotel
Lunch:  Meal of your choice from Voucher on Pier 39
Dinner: Rain Forrest Cafe

Revile: (time to get up!):  7:30
Curfew: PLEASE PLEASE sleep on the plane (the chaperons would like to take turns getting some sleep eye too!)

Noon Photo Day 5: Friday, July 1, 2011

We were all so excited about the aquarium we forgot to take a group photo today.  Oops!

Cannery row and Bubba Gump

On the way to Monterey our Bus Driver Mr. Ross talked about the strawberry fields along the highway. California is responsible for growing a lot of the USA supply. We saw harvesters picking food. California also grows large supplies of garlic and artichokes. They even sell garlic ice cream!

We spent the day at the aquarium.  First we walked around and later we had a behind the scenes tour.   We learned about the food they feed the fish:  krill, squid shrimp, and clam tongue.  Our tour guide talked about the 120,000 gallon shark tank. The fishes do not eat each other because they eat well everyday.  The sharks have never bit any person there. We were surprised when Traci told us how much time the workers spend time cleaning the tanks.  We also  got to see the sea otter family.  We were told the baby was found when he was one day old and was adopted by another adult otter.  She thinks it was her baby and is raising it.   The Monterey Bay aquarium has conservation programs with other zoos and aquariums.

After that, we walked along historic cannery row where they used to can fruits, vegetables and fish.  We ate at Bubba Gump, a restaurant in the movie Forrest Gump.

  

DID YOU KNOW?

Husbandry means work and help with animals.

Octopus can figure it out how an open a jar by itself. Octopus is very smart.

They put 200 pounds of seafood in storage a day.

Some fishes eat 11pounds a day.

Part of the outside aquarium have no roof they just have direct sun, some fishes can live up to 26 years.

Kelp can grow 12 feet per day!

Sheephead fish that start out as a female fish and then change into a male fish!

John Steinbeck wrote a novel called Cannery row about life in the town and its characters.

Monterey Bay is one of the most bio-diverse places in the world!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Today we went to Monterey Bay Aquarium. We saw a cute little baby otter pup that was 9 week old! Then we went to the Deep Reef and we saw a lot of random fish from Pacific Ocean.

While we waited for our interpreter, Sabine and tour guide, Traci, Michael saw a young guy who looks like Glenn Allen Guerin.  We went to meet the doppelganger and we have a picture to prove it.

            We met our tour guide and interpreter then we went to the feed room and learned about the food the feed aquarium animals: krill, anchovies, clam tongue, and shrimp. Traci dumped the krill in the tank and we ran to the other room. We watched a lot of fish eat the krill in the tank.

Traci guided us to the cleaning room and she told us how they clean the pipes that carry water. They use a special cleaning tool called the pig to clean the pipe from the tank to the main tank.  The pig looks like a bullet and is made of foam.  They clean the pipe every 6 months. Traci talked about the scuba diving and why they have to clean the tank.  She explained they used a special vacuum to clean the tank.  She said the water was very frigid like an ice water. When they finish clean the tank they can go to the hot tub!

  Traci showed us how they delivered the fish into the aquarium and there is a huge door, a large elevator, and also there a strong iron bar and stretcher that will carry a large fish into the tank. 

            We loved the aquarium! It was so beautiful, inspiring, and also we learned a lot of new things.

            We went shopping in along cannery row in Monterrey. We went into different stores so some student bought t-shirts, and other random things. Then some students went to the beach and we took quick pictures, and it was really frigid!  However we got out the water and there was sand all over our feet and legs.   It was fun to touch the ocean and learn about the organisms found in the bay.

Day 5: Friday July 1, 2011

Weather:  Sunny
Temperature: 63º

Destination: Monterey Bay
Highlight:  Aquarium
Scenery:  Ocean

Mileage:
               = 120miles driving
              + ? steps walking

Breakfast: at hotel
Lunch: healthy choices at the aquarium
Dinner: Bubba Gump

Revile: (time to get up!): 7:15
Curfew: (GO to BED!!!): 10:00

Las Vegas

We got into San Francisco late last night and still need to write the investigation.  You can check the photos while you are waiting.  Don't worry-- we didn't go into any of the casinos or other notorious Vegas places =) Just drove around to see all the lights, gaudy architecture and appreciate the incredible tackiness of it all!  Plus we had a delicious meal at Planet Hollywood.

UPDATE:

During our trip, we got to drive through the famous Sin City, Las Vegas. While driving through, we saw some pretty interesting things. Some of which were encouragements for us to go to Sin City when we become 21. One interesting thing we saw was a hotel that had a roller coaster going through it. Another one that I found interesting is that Hooters has a hotel too! We counted more than a dozen wedding chapels and lost count of the casinos. There were many things to see in Vegas but we only had a limited time. 

Hoover Dam

Today we visited the Hoover Dam.  We stood on an overlook to see its outside and took an elevator to see the inside of the Dam.  The dam controls water flow and produces power

The dam has an interesting history. Before the dam could be built, the Colorado River needed to be moved.  Two diversion tunnels were built and the Colorado River flowed around the dam site.    People began building the dam in 1933 when the first concrete was poured.   President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the dam in 1935.  The dam was finished 26 months earlier than scheduled!!  When the dam was done, the water filled up behind it.  This water was Lake Mead.    Cars can drive over the dam.  96 people officially died building the dam. Frank Crowne is the person who engineered Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam was named after by U.S. president Herbert Hoover.  The dam is important for stopping floods and giving water to California.  The dam makes electricity for California and Arizona.  

Noon Photo Day 4: Thursday, June 30, 2011

Day 4: Thursday, June 30, 2011

Weather:  Sunny, a little cooler
Temperature:

Destination: Hoover Dam
Highlight: Turbines and pipes and LOTS of WATER
Scenery:  Oasis in the Desert

Mileage:  odometer start:   end:
= miles driving
+ miles flying
+ steps walking


Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel (with an automatic pancake machine!!!)
Lunch:  At the Hoover Dam  
Dinner: Planet Hollywood

Revile: (time to get up!): 7:00 am
Curfew: (GO to BED!!!) 11:00 pm

Noon Photo Day 3: Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Sorry you can't see the cool Hoodoos behind us.  Check out our other pictures for images of the interesting rock formations we saw at Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park

Zion National Park

We went to Zion National Park. It is really so beautiful.  There were many interesting plants and rocks. We saw few animals:  beaver, squirrel, lizard, and crane. They came close to us. Of course, we don’t touch them because they can bite us. We went to a waterfall called “weeping rock” and it is beautiful and wet. Some students touch ledge because there had algae, and it feel smooth and silky. That was a special habitat. We went the Temple of Sinawava. We walked in the river and it feel cold. We had fun to play in the river. Some students throw rocks trying to skip stones.  We hiked and were amazed at the scenery!

Bryce Canyon

            Today we are at Bryce Canyon in Utah. Bryce Canyon is full of bright color and has interesting rocks.  The Hoodoos are geologic formations.  Some people believe Hoodoos have a feeling spirit.  We hiked about 2 miles on a ledge and looked at the scenery.  Bryce Canyon is different on the left and right sides of the trail because left is forest and ground and right is orange and tan colored rocks.  There are around 400 the different kinds of plants.  One kind of plant is a Bristlecone Pine that can be 1,600 years old!! Another tree is called a Ponderosa Pine-- it smells like caramel! We didn’t see many animals, but there are mountain lions, fox, deer, and condors there.

Day 3: Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Weather:  sunny, warm, a little bit hot
Temperature: 66º

Destination: Bryce Canyon & Zion National Park
Highlight:  Interesting Rock formations
Scenery:  grass, trees, rocks

Mileage:  odometer start:  18130 end: forgot to check!
               = _________ miles driving
               + 7387 steps walking


Breakfast: Ruby's Inn Buffet
Lunch:    Subway
Dinner:  Golden Corral

Revile: (time to get up!):  7:30
Curfew: (GO to BED!!!) 10:30

Grand Canyon

Today we took a train ride to get to the Grand Canyon. While on the train we learned something cool about the California Condor. The wing span can be 9 feet long! We are hoping we will see one at the Canyon.  We arrived at the Grand Canyon and walked around seeing all the beautiful sites. We learned that the canyon is 4000 feet deep. It has many different colored rocks. We saw an area called the bright angel. The canyon is home to some animals: elk, lizards, squirrels, bobcats and coyotes. We did not see the condor! We walked 11714 steps at the canyon. It was hot and windy today when we were walking. After the canyon walk some of us went down to see the Indian paintings on a wall. That was so cool!  When we were done went on the bus. We thought the whole day was great!

Noon photo:: Day 2: Monday, June 28, 2011

Grand Canyon Railway

Today we traveled on the Grand Canyon Rail Road. When we got into the train, the man give a lecture for 10 minutes. The man told us the story about the history in Williams town in 1800’s. The people during that time they travel by stagecoach pulled by horses to the Grand Canyon. Their ride was about 8 hours then after that they invented a steam train on September 17, 1901. The train ride was 3 hour it was much better for the people who can travel to the Grand Canyon.

         The ride was fun.  We saw lots of cows, random trees, plants, and few houses out the window.  A man played the violin and we all danced in the aisle of the train. The man let Kayla M. play the violin for short time. She did a wonderful job playing the violin. Miss Julie Ann Mountain taught us how to dance the waltz.   While the man played the song called “The Tennessee Waltz” on the violin, we danced!!! Then some groups of students went walking though the cars for get the snacks. It was awkward feeling when we walked between the cars because it was wobbling. Too many people were in our way when we walked through the isles. It took us 5 minutes to finally get to the snack bar.  Students ordered one snack and one drink.  We then walked the 8 cars back to our seat--  it was a long way to go and there was a strange sliding door between each car and if a person didn’t hold the door they would be slammed against the wall.  Soon we saw the grand canyon from our windows and when we arrived we were ready to get out for more adventure!

Day 2: Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Date: June 28,2011

Weather: Sunny, humid, and wind

Temperature: 108º

Destination:        Grand Canyon, Arizona

Highlight:               Rocks, mountains and geologic formations

Scenery:               Desert

Mileage:  ???? miles driving

       +  0     miles flying

+11,653 steps walking

Breakfast: Grand Canyon Hotel Restaurant

Lunch: snack

Dinner: Subway/ Burger King

Revile: (time to get up!) 7:00am

Curfew: (GO to BED!!!)  10:30pm

Shoot-out

A marshall named John B. Goodmore got into a gun battle with bandits from the Cataract Creek Gang near the Grand Canyon Railroad Depot this morning.  The bandits woke up hungry and wanted their mother to cook.  The problem was their mother was in jail.  Since they couldn’t cook, the bandits came up with a plan to steal horses and take money from innocent bystanders so they could buy food.  Marshall Goodmore put a stop to their crimes by shooting the bandits of the Cataract Creek Gang dead. 

    

  

Noon Photo:: Day 1: Monday, June 27, 2011

WE LOVE AIR CONDITIONED VANS!!!!

It was 116º outside-- a RECORD Heat Wave!!!

Day 1: Monday, June 27, 2011

Weather:  hot, dry and windy
Temperature: 115º (in Phoenix, Arizona!)

Destination: Williams, Arizona (Grand Canyon)
Highlight: The highlight of the day was walking along the streets of Williams, Arizona and seeing the location of old Route 66.
Scenery: Desert  

Miles Driving:
WPSD to Pittsburgh International Airport - 27 miles,
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to the Grand Canyon Resort in Williams, Arizona - 163 miles.

Miles Flying:
Pittsburgh International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport - 1,829 miles.

Steps Walking:

Breakfast: Muffins, Fruit
Lunch:    Fast Food at Jack in the Box Restaurant
Dinner:  Buffet dinner at Grand Canyon Railway Hotel Restaurant (Pasta, Mexican Food, Salad Bar)

Revielle: 4:30 wake up
Curfew: 10:30 in Rooms; 11:00 Lights out

Packing and Flight

Day O, June 26, 2011
The Class of 2012 students were still staying in Pittsburgh and the weather was warm. It was 79 degrees. We ate dinner and it was sandwiches. We checked the packing list to make sure that we had what we needed to bring on our west wild trip and to check the weight. The weight limit was 50 lbs. All of our bags were under of 50 lbs-- We did good job!!! We went the bed on 10:30pm.

Day 1, June 27, 2011
We woke up at 4:30am to take showers, change clothes, and clean up rooms. We ate breakfast of blueberry, banana, or chocolate chip muffins, apples and bananas. The bus picked us up to drop off us at the Pittsburgh airport and the odometer showed we drive 27 miles (started at 345, ended at 372). We left school about 6:15am. We arrived at the Pittsburgh airport about 7am. We walked around the Pittsburgh airport till 8:30am. At 8:45am we enter the gate and we left Pittsburgh about 9:35am and arrive Phoenix, AZ 4 ½ hours later at 2:05pm Eastern Time, but In the Western time zone we traveled from 5:45am to 11:05am. The Airport mileage was 1,800. We taste the water here in the West; it tasted different than water of east. We notice many different trees, plants, and cactus. It was so fun. It fascinated us. We at lunch at Jack in the Box.

Introduction

Follow our blog as the class of 2012 travels west!!!
Click on the top to see our different team tasks; click on the right to see our posts for the day.