So hard to believe...

It is so very hard to believe that today is the last day of the trip!  God willing, we will wake up tomorrow morning in sweet home Alabama.  It will be so nice to see our dear ones we have been separated from, but travel...going places and experiencing new things...is a very special gift and opportunity.  I always face the end of a much-anticipated trip with sadness.

Norm gave us the morning briefing in Jessica's absence.  He told us the schedule for today and said  we would take occasional bathroom breaks, but we should send him a text if someone needed a bathroom break in between scheduled stops and we would accommodate them with an additional stop.

Other than the three who left our group yesterday, there were seven adults and one student who planned to fly home and will not be riding back with us.  Most of them had holiday schedules and family conflicts to work around, but those of us who stayed prefer to think that they just wanted to skip out on the 13-hour bus ride!  On the positive side, we now have 25 of us on a 53-passenger bus.  Do the math.  A double seat is definitely a plus for a long ride.  Nevertheless, we are praying that everyone gets home safely, regardless of their timing or schedule.  

As we left the area we had one final view of the New York City skyline in the early morning sunshine.  We rolled on the miles through New Jersey.  Near the Pennsylvania state line Norm received a text from Barbara Jo (in Huntsville, at work) informing him that a certain person on the bus had requested an additional restroom break.  Apparently that individual had both of their contact numbers listed in close proximity in her phone, and apparently she touched the wrong contact number.  So...the request traveled many miles, but accomplished the goal.  We stopped at the Pennsylvania welcome center.

We rode farther west in Pennsylvania.  Gone are any hints of the beautiful remaining fall leaves we saw in New York.  In this area the trees were all bare and ready for winter.  The bare trees gave us much better unobstructed views of the beautiful rolling farmlands of the Pennsylvania Dutch region of the state.

We made a stop at Hershey World about 11:00, and were given meal vouchers to use in the nice food court there.  We took a free tour instructing us on how chocolate was made, smiled at the machine that spit out a piece of chocolate for a smile, ate lunch, and shopped.  Up to this last day of the trip I had made no purchases, but chocolate is my weakness and I wandered around the area considering the infinite ways the Hershey company had discovered how to package chocolate to sell to addicts like  me.

Sara Beth, Emily and John Robert were selected by a Hershey representative and were taken to a back room to taste-test some chocolate and write down their responses.  Payment was (you guessed it) a candy bar.  Tough assignment, but I guess someone had to do it!

This picture is to prove that guys DO like to shop.  It is all a matter of taking them to the right place!

We drove through more pretty farmland on the way to Gettysburg.  

At Gettysburg we had time to wander through the museum and then viewed the cyclorama presentation of the battle that took place there.  After that we drove through the battlefield itself and stopped to take the traditional pictures of the ABS seniors at the Alabama memorial on the battlefield.  Then they crossed the road for a group picture with their bus driver.  While we were stopped there, the students got a brief on-site history lesson.

We drove on around the battlefield and got out at Little Round Top.  By this time the sun was setting, which was a perfect conclusion to our perfect-weather trip.

We had a special dinner at the Dobbins House, which was built in 1776.  We had a dining room to ourselves, complete with fireplaces at each end.  The food was delicious and dinner gave us one last chance to eat together and enjoy each other's company before our long bus ride.

So now it movie time. (Elf is the first feature.). Shortly we will all re-adjust our personal on-bus nests and try to get a little sleep.  So, from a big tour bus heading south from Pennsylvania:  Alabama, here we come!

Lady Liberty, Remembering 9-11, and Phantom

At our morning briefing from Jessica she had us chant, "Pink pajamas...penguins on the bottom" from "The Lion King" to begin the day.  She told us the schedule for the day and reminded us that we could spend all of our money today if we wanted to, since all three of our meals tomorrow are paid for.  After looking at the shopping bags many of the ladies had with them at the end of the day, it looked like most of them took her at her word!

The weather was cool today, even cold when we were in the wind, but the skies were a beautiful blue.  We have been so blessed with beautiful weather!  We began our sightseeing by going to Liberty State Park on the New Jersey side and taking a ferry.  We stopped first at Ellis Island and then went on to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.  No matter how many times you visit the Statue of Liberty, it is always an emotional site when you think of all the immigrants that gazed at Lady Liberty while sailing into our beautiful land.  It was difficult to stop taking pictures at this stop.

At one point we has three of our own Liberty Ladies strike the pose of the original.

We were to eat lunch on the island and catch the 12:05 ferry back to Battery Park.  The view of the  New York skyline with the Freedom Tower gleaming proudly in the sunshine was a treat to see. 

There were a mobs of people boarding the ferry on Liberty Island and there was no way to count us.  We did count once we arrived back in Manhattan and were two short.  Ethan and Tyler had missed the boat, literally.  Thanks to cell phones, we knew they were ok, and would take the next boat back.  Jessica's comment was, "We only list two.  I call that good."  

At this point our head honcho, Jessica, had to leave the group to go to the airport and fly home a day early.  The students posed with her before she left, and then gave her a group hug.

Arrangements were made for Ethan and Tyler, and with Doppler Duke in charge, the rest of us continued on.  We walked from Battery Park past Wall Street and the famous bull statue.

We got our first close-up glimpse of the Freedom Tower before entering the museum.  

The museum itself would take days to do it justice as a visitor, and even at that you would have to be well-rested and in a healthy emotional state.  I took many photos, but photos do not do it justice.  It must be seen to be appreciated.  Inside the museum are several of the metal columns still standing from the original buildings.  

Also, we remember how everyone remarked on the beautiful blue sky that fateful day.  One display consisted of one blue tile to represent each person who perished in the attacks...but each tile is a slightly different shade of blue, just as each person was different.  The Ladder 3 fire truck was on display also.

Outside are the north and south towers' memorial pools, with names of the lost engraved in the marble surrounding the pool.

The group I was with took the subway to the Times Square area, eventually joining several others at John's Pizza in an old church building on 44th Street right across the street from the Majestic Theater where we saw "Phanton of the Opera" this evening.  

I had seen Phantom when I came on Barbara Jo's senior trip in 1991.  It was special then, and is still special today.  However, after last night, I think "Lion King" is going to move to the top of my list.

So, tomorrow we begin the trip home...but we have several more stops on our way.  Even now there are more adventures ahead of us.  Each day in this wonderful world is an adventure, and we appreciate each one.

Hakuna Matada...don't worry!

Don't worry.  I left my camera in the bus overnight so I did not have pictures to complete my post until this morning, but this is actually Sunday's post...sent Monday morning.  My apologies.

Mercifully, my TV interview was not aired in our area, or at least at a time when we could see it.  However, I know it was shown elsewhere because my phone started ringing slightly after eight this morning.  Bonny tells me that my part was about 6 seconds.  Talk about people having their 15 minutes of fame! I had six seconds, so we can put this issue away now.

Doppler Duke told us that there would be no need for the umbrellas today, although the sky was mostly cloudy all day,  However, it did not rain.  Again Doppler Duke was right on the money.

We worshipped at the West Manhattan Church of Christ this morning.  They meet in a local hostel, and this morning they met in what appeared to be some type of ballroom, and there were plenty of people there.  

They have one service on Sunday's, and it was after one o'clock when the service was over.  After allowing time to change clothes for some of our group, traveling across town to Grand Central Station, and time to eat lunch, it was three o'clock before we started our afternoon activities.

We split up in many groups, but most of us walked from Grand Central to Macy's.  The theme of the  holiday display windows this year is "Charlie Brown".  

We spent some time inside the store,  remembering that on Thursday of this week we will be at home watching the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  (It is hard to believe the trip is rapidly coming to an end and we will be home on Wednesday...but let's not think about that quite yet.)

From Macy's we had a pretty good view of the Empire State Building.

When it was time to leave we walked to Times Square (Always a sensory overload.) close to the 

Minskoff Theater.  Some of us had chosen "Lion King" as our optional play.  Others chose a performance by "Blue Man Group".  I did not see Blue Man, but even unseen I can not imagine it could hold a candle to Lion King, which was absolutely unbelievable.  I would see the play again tonight, if I had the opportunity.  If you have never seen it, make sure it goes on your "bucket list".

We are back at the hotel tonight, but tomorrow is another busy day.  Until then...Hakuna Matada!  Don't worry!

Our "dogs" are barking tonight.

We started our day at the Museum of Natural History.   Of course the most popular stop was at the statue of Dum-Dum from the movie "Night at the Museum", and then on to the T-Rex.

After spending time at the museum, I decided to go out on my own.  I had several things I wanted to do with the free time we had today, but I could not convince anyone to go with me.  (Lack of confidence?). Anyway, I began my day with a walk in Central Park.  It was such an absolutely beautiful day that I got caught up in the colorful leaves and enjoyable walk that I wasn't paying attention where I was going, and somehow I headed in the wrong direction.  

I was enjoying the day so much that when I realized what a mistake I had made, I was at 103rd Street, when I wanted to be somewhere in the vicinity of 59th street...some 55 blocks in the wrong direction!  I was frustrated with myself, but it was a lovely walk through the park.  So...I turned in the opposite direction and started walking....and walking...and walking.

Once I was back on my plan for the day (except for being almost two hours later than I had planned), I walked by Trump Tower, Times Square, the Chrysler Building, and the New York Library.

I walked back toward Rockefeller Center, passing Bryant Park, and FOX News headquarters.  

I stopped to take a photo of Radio City Music Hall, and while I was doing that (obviously a tourist!), a nice young lady came up to me with a cameraman and asked if she could interview me.  I asked her what the topic was, and she said the topic was "terrorism", so I agreed.  She asked me some fairly simple questions...lucky for me.  When she finished the interview, I asked her what station she was from.  It wasn't until then that I learned that she and the cameraman were not from a local station, but from NBC News, and the interview was scheduled to be on the Weekend Today show tomorrow morning!  I thought she was for some local station and the interview would not be seen by anyone I know.  However, the Today show is nation-wide and if they choose to run the interview, I could embarrass myself in front of friends!  After the interview, I told the interviewer and the cameraman that since they had taken my picture it was only fair for me to take theirs, so they posed for me.

I tried to take a tour of NBC studios, but I was told that all of the tours were filled.  I thought about telling them that I was a Today Show "star" but decided against it.  I wandered around Rockefeller Center, looked at the Christmas decorations, and watched the ice skaters.

Then I went to look at the windows of Sak's and walked inside St. Patrick's Cathedral.  While in there I ran into Norm, Barbara Jo, Emily, Katelyn and Gina.  We walked back to Rockefeller Center together and went to the NBC gift shop where the girls posed as Today Show hostesses.

At 7:00 we met the group for a trip to Top of the Rock for a beautiful nighttime view of the city.

From the Top of the Rock we all walked to Times Square where we took another group photo of the class and took in all of the lights.  It was sensory overload!

We are back at our hotel in Secaucus, but it is rumored that some of the students have convinced an adult to go out shopping with them...this time to a Wal-Mart within walking distance.  They would not choose to go to the Wal-Mart in Athens, but for some reason they want to go to the one in Secaucus.  Go figure.

So, most of us are putting weary bones and tired feet to bed tonight.  We are looking forward to worshipping in the morning, and then having more time on own tomorrow before seeing "Phantom of the Opera" tomorrow night.  Such a great time we are having!