Day Two: We were sad to be leaving Cross Lanes, WV - just when we were making new friends and discovering new fun (greyhound and dachshund racing!). Marin and Preet recounted the chatter from the breakfast table, where they joined their hosts, the Nesbitts, and Walt and Peggy. The adults were discussing how they had first met, and the Nesbitts confided their first encounter was a game of Spin the Bottle in 7th grade. Walt, being Walt, wanted to incorporate the girls into the conversation and asked if they had ever played Spin the Bottle or another favorite of his generation, Post Office. As he went on to describe how the games were played, the girls squirmed with discomfort and, well, disgust of the images now embedded in their brains. As Marin put it, “Thanks, Walt for the totally awkward memories!”
Following gourmet breakfasts (egg casserole, fresh fruit, Belgian waffles, homemade cinnamon rolls, breads and muffins), we boarded the buses and wound our way through the mountains. Mile after mile of untouched natural beauty, under a cloudless blue sky. After an hour of enjoying the scenery, most opted for a snooze. Some snoozed through the rest of West Virginia, our short breeze through Virginia and on through the eastern tip of Tennessee (the Volunteer State). Those awake (thankfully including the drivers) noted signs for Hatfield and McCoy, Thoroughbred Steakhouse, and Damascus, Tennessee. Peggy Edmonds saw a custom motorcycle, with a beer keg on the gas cap and a kitchen chair for the drivers’ seat. You gotta love it! Soon enough we were pulling in to Wetlands Water Park in Jonesborough, TN. As the temperatures soared well into the 90’s there were only two places to be - the shade or the pool. Fortunately they had both. We enjoyed burgers on the shaded deck then cooled off in the fountains, pools and water slide. Just the ticket to relax and revive for a couple hours.
We then made the short drive to Johnson City, Tennessee where once again we were met with overwhelming graciousness and kindness. This is the home church of Linda Motter’s sister, Pam. It is a large, elegant church with stunning stained glass, high ceilings and intricate moulding. After a bit of rehearsal, we enjoyed what Rachel Wilson described as the most fabulous meal ever on tour. Table after table of delicious entrees, side dishes and desserts. Do the Methodists know how to throw a pot luck dinner or what? Especially in the South! Some on tour have family connections in these here hills. Of course, the Motters’ extended family lives here. Ken Koeritzer was joined by his sister’s family, who were delighted to hear Lauren’s solo performance of Mozart’s Laudate Dominum. And Rebecca and Shannon’s father, Sid Perry, grew up here, so their cousins gave them the grand tour of the holler where his misspent youth occurred - the quaint town of Elizabethton, the Doe River and beautiful Wassauga Lake. The sight of these glorious mountains and scenic views gives thrills and chills!
What a joy it was to perform in this lovely church, with its tremendous acoustics. Day two and they are already sounding quite polished. Again, we were so pleased to sing and play to a full house. They enjoyed the orchestra, the puppets and of course the soulful, heartfelt anthems. We went our separate ways for the night, excited to be making new friends and new memories.
Click here for Pictures of Day Two
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tour 2010 - Day 1 - West Virginia
Day One: So, the day began with the usual organized chaos of assembling 75 adults and kids, 3 vans full of instruments, music, luggage, food, water, music stands, concert clothes, and - oh, yes - puppets and stage props! Label the instruments, number the music books, tag the luggage with red/blue and silver/gold ribbons, find out if you are in the green, yellow, red or blue group and if you are in Section 1 - 20. Make sure you check in with your section leader, get with the right color group and on the right bus. As parents waved goodbye from the church parking lot (smiling the kind of smile that says “boy I’m glad I’m not on that bus”), the youth and “tall friends” quickly settled into excited chatter. From the buzz of conversations, it sounds like we averaged 4.5 hours sleep last night. Which sounds about right for the next 10 days!
A scenic drive through western Maryland and W. VA on a delightful, sunny day got us off to a good start. First lesson learned: middle-aged, coffee laden bladders are not equipped to travel four hours without relief. So, it was with great relief that we arrived at our lunch spot in Clarksburg, W.Va. It is always a logistical challenge to maneuver the buses in these quaint towns. Like where do we park the buses? Paul, the driver of the Silver Bus, dropped us off and thought he’d found a great place to wait. Come to find out it was a bit of a tight squeeze. Too tight, in fact. When he tried to pull out, he had Cameron rearrange the poles in the parking lot that were blocking his egress. Apparently not cool with the local police, who were quickly approaching on their official Police Segways. Paul deftly maneuvered a slalom through the poles, and as the authorities closed in, he quickly accelerated, opened the door and yelled “Cameron, quick, jump in!” And with that, they made their daring escape. As they pulled off, Suzy Renauer chimed in, “Now is the time I suggest you flip the switch that changes your license plate.”
Not to be outdone, Johanna - driver of the Gold Bus - managed to pick us up directly in front of the pavilion. It was too late when we discovered the mud moat separating us from the bus. Ken Koeritzer gallantly helped passengers aboard, but those of us with short legs could not quite make the stretch. Just ask Peggy Edmonds, who bravely fought the mighty forces of the dreaded quicksand, which violently laid claim to her shoe. Not prepared to concede defeat, Sir Kenneth valiantly retrieved the shoe and like a scene out of Cinderella returned it to its rightful owner.
Whew! With all the drama and excitement, it will come as no surprise that we found ourselves slightly behind schedule. But with only minor delays, we reached the destination of our first venue - Cross Lanes United Methodist Church. Just in time to unload the 3 vans of instruments, music, luggage, water, concert clothes, music stands, puppets and stage props; rehearse; eat the fine Mexican dinner provided by our gracious hosts; and do our quick change from grungy teens to sophisticated performers.
Just a word about Cross Lanes UMC and the wonderful network of support we at DUMC enjoy. Our host coordinator here was Linda Nesbitt, who is the mother of DUMC’s own Kelly Shiflett. Curt and Kelly Shiflett, soon to be parents of twins, were married at Cross Lanes UMC, and Walt traveled here to officiate that ceremony. Cross Lanes will be remembered by us for their tremendous hospitality, their fabulous food and one of the largest (nearly 200) and most appreciative audiences we have ever had. We could not have asked for a more wonderful start to our Tour.
Click Here for Photos from Day 1
A scenic drive through western Maryland and W. VA on a delightful, sunny day got us off to a good start. First lesson learned: middle-aged, coffee laden bladders are not equipped to travel four hours without relief. So, it was with great relief that we arrived at our lunch spot in Clarksburg, W.Va. It is always a logistical challenge to maneuver the buses in these quaint towns. Like where do we park the buses? Paul, the driver of the Silver Bus, dropped us off and thought he’d found a great place to wait. Come to find out it was a bit of a tight squeeze. Too tight, in fact. When he tried to pull out, he had Cameron rearrange the poles in the parking lot that were blocking his egress. Apparently not cool with the local police, who were quickly approaching on their official Police Segways. Paul deftly maneuvered a slalom through the poles, and as the authorities closed in, he quickly accelerated, opened the door and yelled “Cameron, quick, jump in!” And with that, they made their daring escape. As they pulled off, Suzy Renauer chimed in, “Now is the time I suggest you flip the switch that changes your license plate.”
Not to be outdone, Johanna - driver of the Gold Bus - managed to pick us up directly in front of the pavilion. It was too late when we discovered the mud moat separating us from the bus. Ken Koeritzer gallantly helped passengers aboard, but those of us with short legs could not quite make the stretch. Just ask Peggy Edmonds, who bravely fought the mighty forces of the dreaded quicksand, which violently laid claim to her shoe. Not prepared to concede defeat, Sir Kenneth valiantly retrieved the shoe and like a scene out of Cinderella returned it to its rightful owner.
Whew! With all the drama and excitement, it will come as no surprise that we found ourselves slightly behind schedule. But with only minor delays, we reached the destination of our first venue - Cross Lanes United Methodist Church. Just in time to unload the 3 vans of instruments, music, luggage, water, concert clothes, music stands, puppets and stage props; rehearse; eat the fine Mexican dinner provided by our gracious hosts; and do our quick change from grungy teens to sophisticated performers.
Just a word about Cross Lanes UMC and the wonderful network of support we at DUMC enjoy. Our host coordinator here was Linda Nesbitt, who is the mother of DUMC’s own Kelly Shiflett. Curt and Kelly Shiflett, soon to be parents of twins, were married at Cross Lanes UMC, and Walt traveled here to officiate that ceremony. Cross Lanes will be remembered by us for their tremendous hospitality, their fabulous food and one of the largest (nearly 200) and most appreciative audiences we have ever had. We could not have asked for a more wonderful start to our Tour.
Click Here for Photos from Day 1
Tour 2010 - The Departure
The youth tour kicked off this morning with everyone gathering at the church early. The buses and vans were loaded, the kids and "tall friends" were pumped and after a great prayer by Pastor Frances, they left for 10 days on the road.
Blogging duties will be turned over to Jackie Perry and her support group to post the daily summary and maybe some photos. I've already seen some "on-bus" video from a couple of cell phones. Everybody seems to be in high spirits.
Their first concert is just about now in West Virginia.
Doug T.
Blogging duties will be turned over to Jackie Perry and her support group to post the daily summary and maybe some photos. I've already seen some "on-bus" video from a couple of cell phones. Everybody seems to be in high spirits.
Their first concert is just about now in West Virginia.
Doug T.
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