This trip, part of Rochester Summer Program’s Adventure Week, was not only exciting but also most authentic. To me, it’s important to be part of a well-organized but not staged event, and be able to enjoy kids’ authentic reactions.

Mother Nature gave us torrential rain right before the trip on Tuesday, July 23. Thanks to our great driver and to counselors offering alternative directions learned via smart phones, we managed to avoid the flooded roads on our way to Howe Caverns.

A record number of forty kids participated to the trip. The group assigned to me as counselor included Sophia (5), Alexa V. (6), Angel (7) and Lucy (8). Holding their little hands during the 90-minute tour of the caverns and also taking pictures proved to be a real challenge – my jacket’s many large pockets and the boat trip helped a lot!

Among the moments I would treasure:

Lucy being in an elevator for the first time, or almost being “hit” by the cane of Mr. Howe (an animated puppet) telling the story of the caverns… Angel’s emotional stories… Sophia proudly proclaiming our group an “all-girl group”… Alexa’s intention to buy the beautiful earrings as a present for her mom, then getting them for herself and starting to wear them right away!

Exploring the gift shop: the kids carefully comparing prices to make the most of their allowance, then getting together after finishing shopping to share and show each other their treasures (most enjoyed buying little stones – as many as they could fit in the little bags).

You should have seen the awe and excitement on kids’ faces, and on counselors’ too!
A truly rewarding experience.

Manuela Michailescu