The Rio High School Band and Choir went on an exciting trip to New York City over spring break and the members had a blast! They rode a coach bus through the night and got to New Jersey around eight Saturday morning. The first stop in New York City was Strawberry Fields in Central Park. The weather was beautiful and all the scenery and fountains in Central Park were striking. The only weird thing was that the trees all over New York had this camouflage looking pattern in their bark.

Next they headed to Rockefeller center and Fifth Avenue for some shopping and free time. There were all kinds of top designer stores and lots of art galleries around and everyone felt it was an afternoon well spent. While they were in the area, they went to the top of the rock for a 360°, 850 foot tall view of Manhattan.
Saturday evening they all went to Times Square, where they ate at Planet Hollywood. After dinner, they went shopping in Times Square and then on to the Opera! The band and choir got to see the Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera which is the longest running Broadway show in history. Phantom was a great experience and it was really good but people were so tired from the 17 hour bus ride that some of them actually dozed off during the show! Needless to say, they were very happy to get to sleep in a bed that night.

The next morning they left the hotel an hour earlier than scheduled to get in line to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The weather was cold and windy that day, so no one wanted to go on the deck of the boat and get a better view of the statue. We didn’t have a lot of time on Liberty Island, so a lot of people just went around the front of the island to snap some good photos and get back on the warm boat. Ellis Island was much better since they only went inside. While at Ellis Island the students had a chance to look up their family name and see if any of their family went through Ellis Island.    After they went to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, the students went to Remembrance Park. Next the students went to the South Street Seaport where the band members got to play for the people walking by.
  

Next they all went to St. Paul’s Chapel and Ground Zero to honor those who were lost in the 9-11 attacks. This was a very moving part of the trip for both the students and the parents. Being at the place where it all happened made the events of September 11, more real to everyone.    
 
Next the band and choir students went on an evening harbor cruise around Manhattan. During the cruise there was a guide that pointed out all the important buildings and structures and it was a very enjoyable experience for everyone. After the cruise the students went back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

On Monday the students went to the CBS Early Show in the morning to watch a taping and some of them even got on the show! Next they all went to Grand Central Station in downtown Manhattan. They ate lunch and took a look at all the different shops around the station.
   
Radio City Music Hall was the last guided tour on the trip. The students got to take a look around at all the different rooms and the auditorium in the Hall. It was a one- of-a-kind experience, and each room was designed to have a different effect on the crowds. The cool thing is that the hall still houses all kinds of different performances and concerts. At the end of the tour, the students got to meet one of the famous Rockettes and take pictures with her.

The students ate their last New York dinner at Mars 2112 which is a restaurant designed to make it look like you’ve landed on Mars. It was a fun experience for all the students and the food was good too. After dinner, they got to spend another hour shopping in Times Square. It was the last activity the students got to do while in New York and it was the perfect way to spend a very exciting and memorable trip.

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.