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St. Patrick’s – Taking you places

USA – September 2015 Like it or not, the United States exercises enormous influence in the world and few places have had

as big an influence on the formation of American national identity as the American West and the

American Civil War. Even if you have no interest or any knowledge of the American West or US

history, I give you my word that this tour will change that – and change you! Many people have

been to the US, but the US I will show you will, in so many ways, be a completely different place. We

will see large portions by road, areas that as recently as 1985 were not even accessible by tarred

roads. They are that wild. Students will see and hear things that will widen their horizons, develop

hitherto unknown interests, change perspectives and create new opportunities. It will be awe-

inspiring, incredibly exciting and the consummate educational experience.

The beauty of the American West is nothing short of legendary but intermingled with that beauty is

a tragic tale. The clash of American -Indian, Spanish Catholic and Anglo-Protestant culture, and

interests, on the high plains, created a compelling but haunting story of greed, indifference,

dislocation, dispossession and triumphalism.

2015 constitutes the 150th anniversary of the US’s bloodiest conflict to date – the American Civil

War. In those years of war, Americans faced their most lethal enemy – themselves. More American

soldiers died in those four years than the combined American losses of every war in which the US

has ever been involved, this includes World War 1, World War 2, Korea , Vietnam, Afghanistan and

Iraq. The Civil War was a pivotal event in American history (and world history). At the Battle of

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Gettysburg, which lasted 3 days, 50 000 Americans were killed or injured. There is agreement that it

helped unify the nation and led to the institution of slavery being abolished, but there is a great

deal more to be said about its legacy. Even now, the War continues to cast a long shadow, which

affects lives in diverse and occasionally surprising ways. There is so much more to the US than many

realise.

The purpose of the tour is to allow students to develop a deep understanding of the most powerful

and influential country in the world in the context of the grandeur of the American West and the

sophistication of the East Coast. These are the parts of the US which reveal its soul. From the

deserts and canyons of the West, to the Rockies of Colorado and on to the East coast, New York, the

battlefields of Pennsylvania and the Virginian countryside, to the incredible museums and sights of

Washington DC, this tour has it all! Forget about wasting your money at Schoolies! This, boys and

girls, is the way to end a year – with a trip of a lifetime.

Please join me.

Sean Geoghegan History Teacher and Assistant Principal (Student Welfare) HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The cost of the tour is $6,550* on a twin share basis.

(* Flights in the USA as well as hotel accommodation are costed in US dollars. Fluctuations in the exchange rates will occur. This cost is based on a current exchange rate of 1 Australian dollar buying 75 American cents.)

HOW DO I SECURE A PLACE FOR MYSELF?

As we expect this tour to be popular, we ask that a deposit of $500 be paid to the College bursar in order to secure your place, preferably before school closes on December 5. We will continue to accept deposits when the College reopens in January 2015, but only if places are still available.

All Cheques and payments are to be made to St. Patrick’s College, and handed to the bursar, Mrs Deanna Hurley. Final payments are to be made on or before 1 July 2015. (Please note that departure taxes are subject to change until paid in full.

NB. This deposit is non-refundable.*

*Please do not commit funds unless secure in the knowledge that the expense is manageable and that either you or your son/daughter is desirous of the experience. Requests for refunds of the deposit cannot and will not be entertained either by St. Patrick’s College, the tour operator, or the travel agent.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

All accommodation on a BED AND BREAKFAST basis.

14 nights’ accommodation

All flights.

Departure Taxes (which are subject to change until paid in full)

All transport services using air-conditioned coaches.

Tipping for tour director, local guides and driver.

One day Disneyland pass.

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WHAT ISN’T INCLUDED?

LUNCH, DINNERS drinks, portage, phone calls, laundry and other expenses of a personal nature.

Travel insurance.

WHO CAN GO AND HOW MANY PLACES ARE AVAILABLE?

The tour is open to all current St. Pat’s students. The tour is costed on a 35 paying persons. The tour can accommodate a maximum of 45 persons.

WHO WILL LEAD AND ESCORT THE TOUR?

It will be under the joint leadership of Mr Geoghegan and Mrs Agius. (* Please note : flights and accommodation for Mr Geoghegan and Mrs Agius are included

in the overall cost of the tour. )

WILL WE HAVE FREE TIME OR TIME TO OURSELVES?

Yes, sometimes the best parts of a tour are the times when you make your own personal discoveries and there is so much to see (and buy) in the US. However, I do want your discoveries to be memorable and pleasant. Therefore, I am mindful of the safety and well-being of my students, so there will be clear guidelines laid down about where to go, with whom, and when to return. Most accidents, injuries and mishaps are avoidable, and they usually occur because someone is not abiding by instructions. Refusal by a student to abide by the reasonable rules will earn them an immediate flight home, with NO refund. This is to ensure the smooth functioning of the tour and the enjoyment of all concerned. While we may believe that Hollywood has given us an understanding of the US, this is not the case. The US is different in ways we may not anticipate -not respecting that difference is highly irresponsible.

HOW MUCH SPENDING MONEY WILL I NEED?

The variety of food available is staggering and is comparatively much cheaper than Australia. You do have to buy lunch and dinner as well as refreshments for yourself. $30 a day would ensure that you would never have to eat fast food or sandwiches. If you are willing to occasionally eat Subway or MacDonald’s, one can get away with a lot less.

Overview Day 0 Saturday 19 September Depart Mackay overnight in Brisbane Day 1 Sunday 20 September Arrive in LA Day 2 Monday 21 Anaheim/Disney Day 3 Tuesday 22 Anaheim, CA - Death Valley, Day 4 Wednesday 23 Death Valley, CA - Zion NP, UT Day 5 Thursday 24 Zion NP, UT - Moab, UT

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Day 6 Friday 25 Moab, UT

Day 7 Saturday 26 Moab, UT - Denver, CO/Louisville Day 8 Sunday 27 Denver, CO - New York, NY Day 9 Monday 28 New York, NY Day 10 Tuesday 29 New York, NY Day 11 Wednesday 30 New York, NY - Washington DC Day 12 Thursday 1 Washington DC Day 13 Friday 2 Washington DC Day 14 Saturday 3 Washington DC to LA, LA to Brisbane Day 15 Monday 5 Brisbane/Mackay

The map above provides a basic outline of the areas that will be explored. The areas marked in black are the road trip. The areas marked in blue constitute the internal flights. To give an idea of scale, the distance from LA to Denver, the area in black on the left, is roughly 2,000km, in other words from Mackay to Sydney.

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Itinerary

Day 01 ( 20 Sept 2015)

Arrive in Los Angeles, on arrival transfer to hotel. – (overnight x 2) at around 0700 hours.

On arrival the Group will drive a short distance of about 45 minutes from Los Angeles airport to

Anaheim, as Disneyland is located in the Anaheim area.

Day 02 ( 21 Sept 2015)

Visit Disneyland in Anaheim. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 : ( 22 Sept 2015)

Travel for around 5 hours from Los Angeles to the Death Valley for an overnight stay.

Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California’s Mojave Desert, the lowest, driest, and

hottest area in North America. Death Valley’s Badwater Basin is the point of the lowest elevation in

North America at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. Death Valley’s Furnace Creek holds the record for

the highest reliably reported air temperature in the world, 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913.

Day 04 : ( 23 Sept 2015)

Death Valley – Zion National Park (overnight x 1)

A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km2) Zion National Park is Zion Canyon, which is

15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored

Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft (1,117 m) at

Coalpits Wash and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft (2,660 m) at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at

the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park’s unique

geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant

species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), and 32 reptiles

inhabit the parks four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park

includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.

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Day 05 : ( 24 Sept 2015)

Zion NP – Moab (overnight x 1)

UTAH took nearly four decades to build all 122 miles of its Highway 12. Sporadically from the 1940's

to the 1980's, construction crews blasted, cut and paved their way through rugged hills and cliffs.

Initially, the road was built to move cattle, supplies and mail for the people in five small towns in the

southern part of the state -- even now, their total population is less than 2,000. But when the last

stretch, over the massive and heavily forested Boulder Mountain, was finally paved in 1985, it didn't

take travellers (and tourism promoters) long to discover that this two-lane farm-to-market road was

also the best tour of Utah's red-rock desert that can be taken in a short trip, a weekend or even a

single day.

It's a path through some of the most diverse and stunning scenery on the Colorado Plateau, linking

Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks, and many who take it aren't making their first visit. On

each trip, there's something new to discover -- a side road or trail leading to an overlook or a waterfall,

the colours and smells of a new season, a new place to eat. The road is passable year-round, and the

gold leaves of aspen trees on Boulder Mountain were added last week to the palette of greens, reds,

browns and tans in the rocks and vegetation along the route.

Day 06 : ( 25 Sept 2015)

Moab – Whole day in Moab, visiting Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point.

Moab attracts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and

Canyonlands National Parks. The town is a popular base for mountain bikers who ride the extensive

network of trails including Slickrock Trail, and off-roaders who come for the annual Moab Jeep Safari.

Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park of Utah in the United States, featuring a dramatic

overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The park is so named because of its

use as a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century. The park covers 5,362 acres (2,170 ha) of

high desert at an altitude of 5,900 feet (1,800 m).

Day 07 : ( 26 Sept 2015)

Moab – Denver (overnight x 1 ). Today we travel to Denver via Route UT 128. State Route 128

begins just north of Moab, where it is commonly known as "the river road". The highway follows the

southern bank of the Colorado River through a narrow, steep gorge, described as spectacular

by National Geographic. The sheer sandstone walls of the gorge along Route 128 are recommended

for their beauty on vacation guides from as far away as France and Germany. This journey takes

approx 8 hours. This spectacular route along the Colorado River gorge begins at the Colorado River

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Bridge on the north end of Moab. For the first 20 km it parallels the Colorado River within a narrow

section of the gorge, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding red sandstone cliffs. Popular

attractions along this portion of the route include viewpoints of the river, public camping areas, and

Negro Bill Canyon, which contains a delightful hiking trail to Morning Glory Natural Bridge. At 20 km

the gorge widens as the highway proceeds past Castle and Professor Valleys, which have been the

shooting locations for many western films including Wagon Master and Rio Grande, along with

numerous television commercials. After 40 km the highway passes a viewpoint for one of the

grandest views in the west, the red rock spires of the Fisher Towers set against the often snow

covered peaks of the La Sal Mountains.

Day 08 : ( 27 Sept 2015) Day 09 ( 28 Sept 2015) and Day 10 ( 29 September 2015) (3 nights )

Denver to New York - In New York: Without question the most exciting city in the world. Visiting

Times Square at night is like having a finger on the pulse of humanity! As for the museums, nobody

does interactive better than the Americans. In this incredible city we will visit the recently opened

9/11 memorial Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, experience a ride to the top of the

Empire State Building, the National Museum of the American Indian as well as the Statue of Liberty.

Day 11 ( 30 Sept 2015)

Travel by coach from New York to Washington DC – (Overnight x 3) En route visit Gettysburg

Museum in Pennsylvania which borders the Gettysburg National Military Park battlefield, The Battle of

Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,

by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle was bloody and brutal. It

ended three days after it started, on July 3, 1863, leaving almost 50,000 casualties strewn across the

Pennsylvania fields. The northern advance of the Confederate Army, led by General Lee, had come

to a halt due to miscalculations and was now in retreat thanks to the military skill of Union General

Meade. President Abraham Lincoln would visit the battlefield five months later to give his famed

Gettysburg Address and to dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery

Day 12 and Day 13 ( 01 Oct and 02 Oct 2015)

Sight-seeing in Washington DC includes a visit to US National Archives, to see the original

Declaration of Independence, the magnificent Library of Congress, the US Holocaust Memorial

Museum, and the various Smithsonian museums. The Holocaust memorial museum is probably one

of the finest in the world, as good, if not better than the exhibits at Auschwitz- Birkenau in Poland. The

National Mall with time to see the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. At the Udvar

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Hazy Museum students will have opportunity to see amongst so many other incredible exhibits, the

reconstructed Enola Gay which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. We also visit Arlington

Cemetery to be in time to see the changing of the Guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A

visit to Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is also a part of the sightseeing tour.

Day 14 : ( 03 October 2015)

Washington DC departure transfer to airport for your flight to Los Angeles

Depart LA late in the evening for your journey back home.

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ST. PATRICKS COLLEGE USA 2015 BOOKING FORM

Please complete one booking form per passenger and supply with deposit payment

and passport copy to St Patrick’s office.

TRAVELLERS DETAILS

Title:

Full Name (Exactly as per passport): This means ALL your names. (If you don’t yet

have a passport, your name as it appears on your birth certificate)

Postal Address:

City: State: Postcode:

Home Phone: Bus Phone: Mobile:

Email:

PASSPORT DETAILS

Issuing

Country: Authority: Issued At:

Document No: Issue Date: Expiry Date:

Dietary Needs: Allergy to Nuts Diary Free Gluten Free

No Seafood Vegetarian Other

EMERGENCY CONTACT

Full Name: Relationship:

Address:

City: State: Postcode:

Home Phone: Bus Phone: Mobile:

PASSENGER DECLARATION

I agree that my/all bookings and travel are subject to the International Booking Conditions outlined by The Travel & Cruise Company and Nationwide Travel as per the conditions on the St Patricks College USA 2015 brochure. Where I make a booking for others, I warrant that I have their authority to do so. If under 18 years at the time of booking, parent’s or guardian’s signature.

Signature: Date:

We respect your privacy. All personal information you provide to us in this booking form will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy. In order to facilitate your holiday, certain information may be required by and disclosed to certain organizations (e.g. customs and immigration authorities or airline carriers if a transfer is required) but only as necessary. You can request access to the personal information we have collected about you and obtain a copy of our privacy policy. We will not be able to properly facilitate the booking and administration of your holiday if you do not provide us with all the information requested on the form.