2018 Terryville High School Virginia Beach Trip
Over Spring Break in April of 2018, members of the Terryville High School marching band and chorus, along with Music Director Timothy Keane, traveled to Virginia Beach to perform at Busch Gardens.
Faced with a long drive to the Virginia shore, students were up bright and early at 6:45 AM, packed and ready to board their bus. During the ride, some students had brought speakers, transforming the bus into a theatrical performance as the students all sang along to music favorites.
After entering Virginia, everyone was in awe as they traveled on the famous Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel: the second longest tunnel in the country with a whopping total of twenty miles in length, connecting the Eastern shore region with the Western shore of Virginia. The bridge tunnel passes under the bay, which left everyone in shock.
The following day, the band and choir traveled to famous amusement park Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia where they would perform several musical pieces before spending the rest of the day exploring the park. Much like Disney’s Epcot, Busch Gardens is split up into different countries, each having restaurants and rides reflecting that location. For example, in Germany, you’ll find a roller coaster by the name of “Verbolten” where you travel underground and experience a ninety foot straight drop where the coaster switches tracks.
The following day, students were up bright and early to experience a dolphin cruise on the Atlantic Ocean. Within the first ten minutes, a small pod of dolphins were immediately spotted and students piled up on the bow of the ship. Towards the end of the cruise, dolphins followed alongside the boat and they popped their heads out of the water to greet the onlookers. Later that day, the students were dropped off at the Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium. This was by far the most enjoyable part of the trip as students reached new heights, climbing above the treetops and facing their fears. On the bus ride back to the hotel, many students called their parents to boast about their accomplishments, and it left students buzzing with excitement until the end of the day.
The grand finale of the trip was when the students gathered together on the beach late at night, shoes off, wind blowing in their hair. As they ran back and forth playing a game of frisbee, a live band was playing popular music in the background. Some people along the boardwalk even stopped to watch the THS students. Although the wind made it difficult to catch the disc, everyone was screaming and laughing. This game continued all the way until the 11:00 PM curfew.
Finally, everyone packed their back as they departed Virginia, heading the twelve hour home back to Connecticut. Even though the purpose of the trip was to perform a musical showcase at Busch Gardens, it is certain that this school trip left the students and staff brimming with good memories.
By Caraline Lundie