Adolescent Odyssey 2017 (by Courtney, 8th grade student)

Every year the Adolescent class goes on an Odyssey trip in the beginning of the year. The purpose of an Odyssey trip is so that we can bond as a class as the year begins and share time exploring sites and living together for a few days. This year our first day was rainy so we altered our plans and adjusted to the weather by spending it at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.  Many students have family members who served with the Marines at various times.The museum was incredibly informative and all had fun and learned a lot.

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The following day we went camping at the Low Water Bridge Campground on the Shenandoah River in Bentonville, Virginia.  The camping part of our trip was two days and one night. On the way to our camp site we stopped at Harpers Ferry.  While we were in Harpers Ferry we went to all kinds of museums and stores. This is our class walking around Harpers Ferry.

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We spent all day at Harper’s Ferry and once we were done seeing everything we drove up to the Shenandoah River to our campground.  The first thing we did was set up our tents and make a campfire and cook dinner.

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Then we went down to the river and explored for a while.  
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We had dinner, played music and told crazy stories around the campfire. In the morning, we packed up, had breakfast and headed back to school via Skyline Drive.  We drove through the Shenandoah National Park.  We got out a few times to see the views and found a trail to go on a little hike. This is a rock that we climbed on our hike.

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Here are some highlights from the Odyssey trip that the students had: Many students enjoyed the stories around the campground and got a lot out of Harpers Ferry and the historical town, shops, and stores.  A favorite store was the Old Time Candy Shop where everyone got to buy old fashioned candy and learn about its history.  Some people enjoyed wallowing in the river, exploring Skyline Drive, and looking at the views.  

We had a great time on the trip and now everyone feels that we are closer as a class and grateful for being able to go on the Odyssey trip as many people do not have this opportunity.