by Chloe Leung, 8th grade

What is the Philadelphia trip?

In the middle school, the 7th and 8th graders go on a trip every year near the end of school. On this particular trip, they will be going to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they will be there for 3 days and 2 nights. One reason that they’re going on this trip, as Mrs. McWright states, is because it’s “Partially educational, partially for fun… It shows us a new culture and helps us appreciate our own.” It’s a new culture because they will be visiting, eating, and staying with the Amish for a part of the trip.

The 7th and 8th graders will depart for Philadelphia, Tuesday afternoon (May 5) and arrive around 10 a.m where they will meet their tour guides and get ready to take on the day.

The first place that they will visit, The Franklin Institute, is home to many things such as The Giant Heart, Space Command, and challenges such as the Electricity and Sports Challenge. Next, they’ll go to see the IMAX movie: Forces of Nature, and around noon they will take a break from their busy day and have lunch at The Bourse.

After they fuel up, they’ll visit many historic landmarks such as Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, the Liberty Bell, Christ Church, and Elfreth Alley. At the end of the day, the students will depart for Lancaster, Philadelphia, where they will have dinner at the Old Country Buffet. Then, they’ll let the hotel check-in commence, and once everything is situated, everyone will say goodnight to their long first day in Philadelphia.

On Day 2 of The Philadelphia trip, the wake-up call is at 6:30 and the happy campers will trudge out of their beds to get ready for their breakfast and second day in Philadelphia. The students will leave the hotel around 8:30 to meet their guides at the Bird-in-Hand Farmer’s Market and Pretzel Factory where you can make your own pretzel.

After some exploring they will eat lunch at the Kitchen Kettle Shop. Once everyone is full, they will take the Rolling Tour of Amish Country. The 7th and 8th grades will have some Q&A with the Amish people, then they will visit the Farmlands and Villages of Lancaster County, where they will learn about their Amish apparel, how they earn a living and tour a one-room school house.

After consuming all this new information about the Amish, the students will take a break and go to the Hayloft Petting Zoo and the Candle Factory. Around 6 pm, they will go and have dinner in the home of a real Amish family. Then, they’ll return to the hotel to have some group time, and get some shut-eye.

Getting a little more sleep on the third day, the wake-up call is at 7:15. From there the students will have breakfast at the hotel. Then, they will load up their luggage on the bus and checkout of the hotel. Soon after, they’ll depart the hotel and arrive at Hershey Park, otherwise known as “Chocolate Town USA”. Taking a break from their exciting adventures in Hershey Park, the students will have lunch in the park, and visit Zoo America at Hershey Park.

As they continue on at the Hershey Park, dinner time will come around and they will also have dinner in Hershey Park. Around 6 pm the students will depart for their hometown Nashville, TN.

Anticipating the trip ahead Jett Johnson, 7th grader said, “I feel good because we’re out of school—and I’m excited to sleep and eat.” This will be a fun trip for the students and maybe even the chaperones. This trip will help the students bond and create happy memories that last a lifetime.