Twelve members of the Macks Creek Class of 2024 visited central Florida this week for the annual senior trip. The group began planning the trip this time last year and would like thank everyone who frequented the concession stand during basketball games and supported their other fundraising efforts. The seniors would look like to thank both of their sponsors for leaving their families for a week and ensuring they all had a fun, safe and memorable trip!
Here are the highlights:
This year the seniors selected Allegiant Airlines to fly from Springfield to Orlando via Dallas/Ft. Worth. They rented a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban and a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer.
The group spent the week at a VRBO at Storey Lake in Orlando. They enjoyed the amenities at the VRBO resort which included a lazy river and pool. The resort was also a great place for early morning running which included numerous alligator, limpkin and flamingo sitings!
They visited the famous Cocoa Beach. The more daring seniors became adept at boogie boarding and surfing while everyone relaxed and enjoyed lots of fun in the sun! The trip to the beach also included a stop at Ron John's Surf shop to gather gear and souvenirs before making the most of their time at the beach.
The group enjoyed a guided manatee tour on the Indian River. The Indian empties into the Atlantic near Cocoa Beach. In addition to paddling over a mother manatee and her calf, our seniors went shelling and had fun interacting with numerous horseshoe crabs and other marine life. The kayaking tour, provided by Calypso Kayaking spanned a little over two hours. It began in Manatee Cove and progressed through the Indian River Lagoon. The seniors had a blast exploring an unnamed island filled with pines and mangroves. It was in the shallows surrounding the island where they found shells, horseshoe crabs, skates, jellyfish and variety of fish. After leaving the island the group paddled to a sunken sailboat before following the shoreline back to Manatee Cove.
The seniors decided to invest in park hopper passes and packed as much fun and excitement into a day as possible at Universal Studios and Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Seniors enjoyed rides such as the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, the Hollywood "Ripride Rockit", the Marvel Island Incredible Hulk Coaster, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringots, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the Fast and Furious Super Charged ride, the Revenge of the Mummy ride, the ET Adventure, the Jurassic Park River Adventure, and the Skull Island Reign of Kong ride. The group also rode the Hogwarts Express and had fun exploring Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. They spent the day moving between rides and checking out numerous movie props and visiting the various Islands of Adventure while enjoying delicious food.
Throughout the week the group became familiar with Orlando. They shopped at Disney Springs (where some students invested in some very unique lego sets) and an outlet mall. The class dined at an authentic Italian restaurant called Becca Di Beppo, Joe’s Crab Shack, Cracker's Island Grill, and La Catrina. The seniors had a blast riding a 400' tall Ferris Wheel called the Orlando Eye. They also enjoyed an evening eating pizza and playing card games together at the VRBO.
The seniors returned home today and will enjoy a few more weeks as students before graduating on May 9th. We are glad you all had so much fun and were able to celebrate all of your hard work and accomplishments together!
Here are various photos from the trip:
#MCPirates