After many months of planning and anticipation, the time finally arrived for the Tusc Trip! We left camp on the morning of Thursday, July 29th. After a five hour drive, we arrived at our campsite, just outside of Philadelphia. We pitched tents, organized our things, and hopped right back on the bus. That evening, we saw the Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in an exciting, extra inning baseball game.
The next morning we drove out to the Jersey Shore, where we spent a few house on a private beach. Everyone swam, walked along the boardwalk, and enjoyed each other’s company. This was a great day that was far from over. All of the Tuscarorans were shocked when we arrived at a Train and John Mayer concert! Everyone stood together, danced and sang for a full three straight hours! It was incredible.
Day number three was equally as exciting as the preceding days of the trip. We went to Six Flags in Cream Ridge, NJ. Tusc split up into smaller groups of six or seven campers with one staff member. The groups were split based on “roller coaster excellence.” Team Extreme, Team Not So Extreme, and so on! Regardless of how thrill seeking or mellow each person was, there was no shortage of smiles among the Tuscarorans. We got back to our campsite at 8:30pm and spent the rest of the night making quesadillas, eating, and hanging out around the fire.
The following day we visited Independence Hall which was interesting and enlightening for everyone. Afterwards, we went up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also known as the “Rocky Steps.” As a group, we all charged up the stairs and it was a great time! Later that Day, the group went to “Pump it Up” and inflatable party zone. We all jumped around this huge inflatable jungle gym and held competitions through the obstacle courses. We were surprised when the lights turned off and the staff gave us glowsticks. Using black lights as our guides, we played in the darkness! It was a real blast! Later that evening, back at the campsite, we brought 60 Chipoltle burritos back to the camp site in order to properly teach everyone how to eat Tusc Unit Head Sam Wechsler’s favorite food on earth! We ended the night with a nice campfire, a perfect way to close a perfect Tusc Trip. Now we are back at camp and cannot wait to begin this session together.
