California Trip - April 11, 2006

Adventure Ed students woke early knowing that they had a full day of exploring awaiting them in Carmel by the Sea (http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/). Students ate breakfast, worked on their journals, packed their bags and headed out the door of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Students walked to the Monterey Transit Plaza and caught the MST route number five to Carmel by the Sea.

The bus dropped the Adventure Ed group off in downtown Carmel. After arriving, the group made a beeline for the ocean beach. On the way to the beach, students and chaperones walked through some of the most expensive neighborhoods on the planet. The custom craftsmanship and the price tags were enough to drop even the most tightly set jaw. When the students arrived at the public beach, a football was pulled out of a backpack. The next forty-five minutes were spent playing “Tackle-the-man-with-the-ball.” No major injuries were sustained. After the game, players threw themselves on the sand, took a quick drink and prepared to push further down the beach.

The group decided to head south to the Carmel River State Beach (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=567). Because the Carmel River had to be crossed, the Adventure Ed class hiked inland and walked across the bridge. The group then cut west into a neighborhood and found a trail leading to the beach. On the way down the trail, students and chaperones spotted some large rock formations on the ocean shore. The group hiked to the rocks and started climbing them. Once on top, students pointed their noses to the wind and took in the view. Later, students made their way out to a rock that was being pounded by the surf. Students stayed on the rock long enough to get wet. Several students were witnessed raising their closed fists in the direction of the open ocean. Students and chaperones looking on from the safe refuge of the beach swore they heard the question “Is that all you’ve got?!” uttered from someone taking waves on the rock. This statement cannot be confirmed because the wind was blowing hard and the surf was pounding the shoreline to the extent that hearing was minimal at best.

After spending several hours at the beach, students walked north along the shore. The plan was to ford the Carmel River if possible. The river was too swift at the mouth, so the group traveled inland up the bank. The group found a spot where the river flattened out. With teacher approval, Lainey and Jason were the first to ford the river. The remaining chaperones and students quickly tied their shoelaces together, slung them over their shoulders and struck out across the river. After reaching the north bank, students put on their shoes and continued their trek back into the Carmel neighborhoods.

After entering the Carmel neighborhoods, the group found a transit stop and waited for the next available bus to Monterey. The bus was able to drop the group off near St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Once inside, students enjoyed dinner and a movie.