In July, a group of 31 from Pendleton County traveled to Europe to see five countries in 12 days, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and France. The group, led by Liz Rollins with Janice Heavner, Lesley Cook, and Jennifer Cook as chaperones, included 11 present students or recent graduates of Pendleton County High School and 20 adults. The tour was offered through Education First Tours, an organization that has been providing travel opportunities to students for more than 50 years and specifically to students in Pendleton County for at least 30 years.
Sandra Simmons, retired teacher, touring with her mother, Joeann Moyers, said, “The trip to Europe was wonderful! Even though it was geared towards students, it was still very educational for adults in the group as well. As a seasoned traveler, I appreciated how organized all aspects of the journey were.” Simmons journaled the entire trip and made a beautiful photo journal upon return, that she happily shows to others on request.
The tour began in Vienna, Austria, with a highlight Schonbrunn Palace and an evening of classical music. During the next several days the group crisscrossed the Austrian, German, and Swiss borders seeing such highlights as The Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg, Hofbräuhaus and Marienplatz in Munich, and Dachau Concentration Camp.
Moving to the glorious Alps the group visited the famous Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace in Germany and Lake Lucerne, Chapel Bridge, Mount Rigi, and an entertaining Swiss Cultural Performance in Switzerland. Thanks to an ambitious and knowledgeable tour guide, Benedikt, and a beloved driver, Krzysztof, the group had an unplanned stop adding a country to the itinerary. The stop was in the medieval town of Colmar, France, often called the Venice of France due to its picturesque canals. The group completed the tour by way of Germany seeing Heidelberg Castle and wine barrel, a Rhine River cruise in Koblenz, the Haribo gummy bear store in Bonn, a Holocaust Museum, and finally the gothic masterpiece of Cologne Cathedral before flying home from Frankfurt.
Some of the travelers had never flown on a plane before and the trek to Europe was their first major travel experience. One such travel newbie, was Allden Rexrode of Sugar Grove, a 19-year-old recent graduate from PCMHS and now employed by Owens HVAC. He had received the trip as a graduation gift from family. Not knowing what to expect, Rexrode was initially reluctant to go but returned raving about the experience. “My favorite part of the trip was seeing all the castles and how much detail they put into everything. It was a great experience,” said Rexrode, who is clearly bitten by the travel bug and trying to work out joining the planned 2027 tour to Scotland and Ireland.
Those interested in future travel can get more information via the following link, www.eftours.com/2888628PW, or contacting the group leader at el***************@****wv.us.
