Where in the world was Matt Lauer? Enjoying a day off on the streets of NYC until he ran into this group of BMS Freedom Tour students. Happy to see you Matt. Thanks for the picture.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Where was Matt
Where in the world was Matt Lauer? Enjoying a day off on the streets of NYC until he ran into this group of BMS Freedom Tour students. Happy to see you Matt. Thanks for the picture.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Reflections on a memorable day
Jane
Today was June 28th 2015. Today we went to the World War II, Martin Luther King Jr., Washington Monument, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Some of the places we went took a large toll on all of us emotionally, where as some places we laughed and were happy. Today I am just going to write about two:
T he World
War II Memorial, was a relaxed environment, but had a solemn atmosphere. There
was a sign that the boys in WW II used to tell that they had previously been
there. His name was Kilroy. He was a cute little dude with a pair of eyes, a
nose and fingers peering over a wall. Though people objected to put it in the
memorial, they carved a little Kilroy inconspicuously in a hidden area. (which
no matter what the others tell you I FOUND HIM FIRST!!) There was also a
veteran there who was delighted to share his story and have photo ops. I gave
him a hug, which almost knocked him over, for which I kinda felt bad.
The Holocaust Memorial was a mixing pot of emotions such as realization, happiness, sadness, and many others. There were many exhibits that were all touching in many personal ways. I bought a book that is a good book so far, called The Liberator, which as far as I can tell is a great story. But the whole thing was a very moving experience that for my life time I will never forget
Today was June 28th 2015. Today we went to the World War II, Martin Luther King Jr., Washington Monument, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Some of the places we went took a large toll on all of us emotionally, where as some places we laughed and were happy. Today I am just going to write about two:
The Holocaust Memorial was a mixing pot of emotions such as realization, happiness, sadness, and many others. There were many exhibits that were all touching in many personal ways. I bought a book that is a good book so far, called The Liberator, which as far as I can tell is a great story. But the whole thing was a very moving experience that for my life time I will never forget
I had a great day today, and I am sure I will have a great
one tomorrow!
Renewed Acquaintance
Start Loving is a man of conviction who has made it his cause to raise the level of social consciousness around peace and democracy throughout the world.
Day 6 Review
Emma
Today was amazing!! We went to The White House! It was
a lot smaller then I had anticipated. It was cool to see the different protests
that were going on. There was one guy there who had everything, a nice car,
food on the table and traveled a lot. He gave that up to protest against the
government and lost everything, he even lives in a homeless shelter. Next, we
went to the Holocaust Museum. It was very emotional. I wish we could have had a
little more time there. The World War II Memorial was awesome! I got to meet a
real veteran who served. That was the highlight of my trip so far. The man
seemed happy that we were asking questions. I can’t wait for tomorrow!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Washington DC in the Rain
Nothing seems to deter this group from having an enjoyable time. Today we woke up to the sound of pitter-patter. We made slight adjustments to the schedule and after a leisurely breakfast, we were off.
Our first stop was the the Lincoln Memorial. Our team leaders and students did a great job getting to spend a few minutes at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial - The Wall. The weather held up just long enough for us all to get a few pictures and view the memorials.
We then hit the Smithsonians! Air & Space, American History, Natural History and many even toured The Castle.
The kids were super excited about everything they had seen. Again, I cannot express how wonderful a group we have and their ability to roll with it!
Now, we leave you to prepare for our evening. We have a show to see . . . 1776!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Gettysburg to Arlington
Sararose
Five
wake up calls into the morning, my group was awake and ready and the other
groups were already packing their stuff onto the curb. Breakfast was served, and proved to be the
best morning meal we had had yet. We
packed ourselves onto the buses, and rode out to Gettysburg. The tour guide was personable, the sights
were amazing, and everything seemed to be overwhelmingly important to our
history. We stood right in the footsteps
of the 15th Alabama infantry and the 20th Maine during
the famous battle of Little Round Top that marked the turning point of the war.
I heard old things, learned new things, and even braved a 97 step tower
overlooking the fields.
Our next
adventure brought us to the incredible Arlington National Cemetery. The graves were so aligned and bright they
looked like teeth. The changing of the
guards was a solemn reminder of the importance of a soldier’s life, and the
eternal flame of our ex-president was amazing.
The whole trip, all I could think about was my great relative Archibald
Downs receiving one of the first medals of Honor ever given, defending
Washington in the 27th Maine.
Even
though it was an overcast day, the heat became almost unbearable. The air-conditioned buses were a relief as we
traveled to the Pentagon Mall. Every group
grabbed a dinner and looked around a bit before leaving to head for what was
probably the most beautiful memorial yet.
The 9/11
Memorial at the Pentagon was perfectly designed, and every little detail was
thought out thoroughly. There was a
representation of some sort for everything that occurred, including ages, whether
they were working or on the plane, and even if the deceased had other family in
the memorial. I sat on the benches,
reading each name first, and simply thought about what it would have been
like. Where the plane would have flown
in, how over a hundred civilians lost their lives on American soil. It’s insane to think that any day, you could
lose your life, and just how lucky we are to live in the free country of
America. Those who perished at 9/11 died
simply for being Americans.
We ended
our historic day at the Iwo Jima Memorial, where the statues came to life in
front of our very eyes. After we were
told a short story, we saw that it was not just 6 bronze heroes, but 6 young
boys, 3 of which died for their country.
The fireflies were flashing all around the grounds, and the statue of
the American flag being raised was lit beautifully. It was a calm and memorable way to end the
night, and we ended the day thinking about those 6 braves, immortalized forever
in that iconic statue.
It was
another long day, full of incredible sights and smells and sounds, and I
enjoyed every minute of it. I think I
learned more today than any other yet, and I can’t wait to explore the rest of
Washington tomorrow.
Random Thoughts on Day Four
Jackson
Lucas
Today we went to Gettysburg and had a tour of some the turning
points and locations of the Civil War. We adventured on Little Round Top and Devils
Den. Our tour guide taught us about the heros of the war for the Union and Confederates
both had very interesting stories. We saw many of the monuments and statues of
battle. After leaving Gettysburg I realized how much different war is then from
now. In the Civil War there were still such a thing as a gentlemen. Today was
by far my favorite day and it was the most interesting that we have done yet.
Today during our
FreedomTour in Pennsylvania and Virginia, we visited Gettysburg, Arlington, The
Pentagon, and the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial. In Gettysburg we learned about
the three different days of battle and how Maine was involved in the fighting.
We walked around Arlington I peeked over some graves and spotted a whitetail deer.
We walked around the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and then to the U.S. Marines Memorial
when it was dark and looked around.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Our Week
Lukas
So far the freedom tour has been a blast. We have tried lots of new things and have
experienced lots of different things while we have been on this trip. We started off our week in New York and
walked through Central Park. On the next day we went to The Statue of Liberty
and we also went to the 9\11 memorial. That leads to today, where we traveled
to Pennsylvania and we got to see the Liberty Bell. We also got to see a movie about the Constitution
today and after that we got to see what it was like to live in the Amish
culture.
Katy,
Today we woke up and right away we traveled to Philadelphia.
We have been doing a lot of traveling but it’s worth it. It has been very
helpful having many people to explain things about the places we have been.
This trip has taught me a lot and it is only the third day. I have even already
got close with people that I wasn’t very close with at school. This trip has
been amazing so far and I am super excited for what is coming up!
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
What A Day!
We started out the day heading out to Ellis Island, and
Liberty Island. Seeing these monuments up close and personal was amazing. After
getting back to the mainland we had some time to kill, and went to see the financial district
and the bull. After the that we went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which was very eye opening. I
could have spent hours in there, but our packed schedule short ended our stay.
After the 9/11 Memorial Museum we went on our walking tour, with our very intelligent tour
guide around Chinatown and Little Italy. One of the best parts of my day was
dancing around in Puglia after dinner! Next stop Philly!
Maddie
Day Two in New York City
Ethan
Today we
visited many places and cultures. We started off the day by going to Liberty
Island we saw many people of different ethnicities after we took a tour of the
island we went to Ellis Island to see the museum. It was an amazing museum and we
had to leave too soon. As we went to the
mainland we walked to the Bull Statue on Wall Street in New York. Then we went
to the 9/11 Museum--it was moving but sad.
We ended our stay at Chinatown had dinner. The day was fun but it had to
come to an end but it was fun while it lasted.
We
started our day out with a good breakfast at the hotel then boarded the bus to
New York. Once there we took a ferry to Liberty Island. The ferry ride was a
new experience but nothing compared to seeing the Statue of Liberty. After that
we took another ferry to Ellis Island where we strolled through a museum, which
was pretty cool too. Next we were on the mainland and went through Wall Street and
saw the bull statue. After that we went to the 9/11 Museum, it was absolutely
amazing and also heartbreaking. We ending our day with a delish dinner followed
by taking a ride through Times Square. All in all this has been an amazing
experience so far and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Reflections on Day One
Day One, Freedom Tour 2015
It was dark, a bit dreary, and the
tensions were running high with both students and adults alike. You could tell that even though everyone was
drowsy, and could maybe use a few more cups of coffee, we were all pumped for
the week ahead. Students bid parents
goodbye and after a quick introductory talk from Joel and Francie, we boarded
the buses. Immediately, everyone made
themselves comfortable, and the chatter and uproarious laughter began. Within the first ten minutes, we already had
kids complaining left and right, and even a few pioneers test out the
on-bus-bathrooms. After a few hours of
smooth riding, we made our first sop in Kennebunk. The tourist traps at the rest stop were
unbelievable, and it seemed that people were wasting money left and right, but
I suppose they were happier for it.
After a nice stretch of the legs we reloaded the buses. On the way to New York, a few more stops were
made, and every state line crossed was met with enthusiasm and cheering. There was singing, yelling, laughing, maybe
even some crying, and then suddenly we were there. New York.
That’s where the fun really began.
Passing
through all the sections of the Big Apple was fascinating to the eye of an
unexperienced traveler. Everywhere we
went we learned more and more. Graffiti seemed to be a popular subject
throughout the masses as we passed abandoned buildings and large sections of
city. The bus started to settle down
again for a bit, and then we stopped to explore the Apollo Theater. What many students didn’t realize was how
truly jaw dropping that iconic building would be. Inside, we were greeted by the incredible
Billy Mitchell. He inspired us all with
talks of his childhood, and eventually gave five lucky and some semi-reluctant
acts the chance to perform. I, being one
of them, can say that it was almost tear jerking to stand there on that stage
and sing, in the very place were history was made time and time again.
After
exploring the building a bit more, we departed one again, making our way down 5th
Avenue. We walked around for a bit,
getting the chance to view John Lennon’s mosaic in Strawberry Fields. Just as a thunderstorm began to hit we made
our way onto the buses yet again, many of us humming phrases from one of John
Lennon’s most famous works, Imagine.
The last
leg of this first day’s adventure brought us food and a nice bed to sleep
in. Katz’s Deli was one of the biggest
most bustling highlights of the day as everyone tried new things and ordered
huge helpings of food. I myself tried
tongue for the first time, splitting it with another student and thoroughly
enjoying it. Other students enjoyed
simpler, homey meals such as grilled cheese or just burgers. After that, another hour long bus ride brought
the YMCA Freedom Tour Group of 2015 to where I am sitting now, a lovely hotel
just inside the border of New Jersey.
It was
an amazing day, and already up there on my list of some of the best days of my
life. I can’t WAIT to see what the rest
of the trip brings for us. The
excitement from every student and chaperone is almost tangible, even as we
settle into our rooms for the night.
Sararose
Day one – freedom tour
After
the long drive we finally got N.Y.C. As we headed into Bronx, with forty kids
crowded on one bus we looked up in awe at the buildings and immediately saw
some big differences from our little “city” of bath. As we entered different
areas they seemed as themselves cites.
New York
was wonderful and amazing, but at the same time crowded and busy. New York in
many ways was what I always expected it to be but yet nothing like what I had
pictured it. There was the beautiful skyline and the busy people with the can
do attitude. Though central park is loaded with hills, trees, rocks and swing
sets. There are millionaires in penthouses just down the street and a block
over, there are people barely having the small one bed room apartment. Even
with all of that there is still something magical about driving through time
square and N.Y.C. in general.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
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