Disneyland 2009

Our trip west was to the great state of California!! We headed to Anaheim to visit Mickey Mouse at his original home along with all of his friends. Our first day of travel included an awesome flight and then some relaxation at our hotel while everyone enjoyed a pizza party in the lobby. The second day included a trip to California Adventures Park where we were able to see SO many exciting things. There were thrill rides for those who love to live on the edge as well as some very cute shows everyone could enjoy. Day 3 was spent on a tour around Los Angeles where we were able to see the Staples Center, Old Los Angeles, the Kodak Theatre, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Hollywood sign. There was so much to see!! We were also able to go to Universal Studios where we did so many awesome things! The group did a back lot tour where we were able to check out some old movie sets. There were lots of exciting things going on during that tour. On our final day in CA we headed back to Disneyland and checked out what it had to offer. There was something for everyone at this park! We took a ride on the "It's a Small World" ride, The Haunted Mansion, Thunder Canyon, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and the "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" show. Before heading back to our hotel we hit up Downtown Disney to do a little shopping. Everyone found a memorable souvenir so we were on our way back to the hotel. After a nice night of relaxing and packing we were ready to head home the next morning. We were sad to leave California because it was so much fun and we can't wait to go again next year!

Stillwater/Taylors Falls 2009

LEEP traveled to Stillwater and Taylors Falls this past week, and got to see and go on many scenic adventures! We started our journey in Stillwater at a restaurant called the "Water Street Inn" located right on the St. Croix River. It was delicious! We spent the afternoon in the gift shops, watching the boats on the river, and checking out Tremblay's candy store, with lots of old fashioned candy and fudge in it! The second day we spent touring historic Stillwater. We started on a tour of Stillwater by a narrated trolley car, where we got to see many historic mansions and other various buildings. We ate lunch at the Freighthouse restaurant, and even got to see the lift bridge in action while we were eating! We hit the courthouse next for a guided tour of the oldest courthouse/jail in Minnesota. There was still old graffiti in the cells from inmates long ago. We spent the evening watching the Twins and playing cards while enjoying dinner from Applebees and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Our third day we traveled to Taylors Falls, MN. We walked along the river walks and thought the views of the cliffs were absolutely beautiful! The highlight of the whole trip was the riverboat ride. We were able to go on an 80-minute paddleboat ride looking at all the beautiful cliffs, islands, and wildlife! After our ride, we ate at a pizza and malt parlor for a late lunch. Although our trip has come to an end, everyone had a great experience and the views and historic sites we got to see made for a lifetime of memories!

Minneapolis '09

The trip to Minneapolis was a great one to be on! We went to three of the major attractions in Minneapolis and had a great time at each one! The first of the three was to the Como Zoo. We spent time watching Sparky the sea lion's show, as well as wandering around the park looking at the lions, tigers, and monkeys, just to name a few. We then had a pizza party and movie night in the hotel to get ready for another fun day! The next day of our trip we went to watch a Minnesota Twins game while they played Cleveland. We were in luck because not only did the Twins win, but they hit four home runs as well!!! We were cheering loudly for our team from start to finish! Our final day in Minneapolis was spent at the Mall of America, the largest mall in the United States! Not only did we do tons of shopping and find many deals, but we also got a behind the scenes tour of Underwater World. We were able to see the kitchen where they made and stored all the fish food, and we got to see the doctor room as well. After our tour we walked through the Underwater World on our own, and got to meet Sharky the mascot. Although this was a short trip, we got to do lots of different things and had a blast!!

Washington D.C. '09

Our trip to Washington DC was sure filled with amazing sites to see! Washington DC was jam-packed with information and history to learn, beautiful monuments, and delicious food to eat!
We visited the United States Capital where we got our very own guided tour. We took our first ride on the Metro Train System over to Interpol which is an agency that works on International Crime and has MANY connections all over the world. We were told that our group was the only civilian group that has ever been given a tour of Interpol; usually only FBI and law enforcement officers are allowed in! Before we headed to the hotel we headed to the White House to see where President Obama lives.

The next day we visited the Washington Monument and then caught a bus tour around Washington. We visited Arlington Cemetery, the Vietnam Memorial wall, the Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson's Memorial, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. After the tour we headed to the Spy Museum, and then headed over to the Pentagon Memorial. What a great end to the day!

The final day we got to go into the Holocaust Museum where we saw and learned many things about the Holocaust, including "Daniel's Story," a walk through that taught us about the Holocaust from a child's point of view. Later on we went to see the Smithsonian Castle and to the Natural Museum of American History. At this museum we saw Dorothy's red ruby slippers from the movie The Wizard of Oz, and also saw the American flag that inspired the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. This trip was filled with fun and we learned so much about the history of our Nation in the process!! We can't wait to be able to go on this trip again!