Tuesday, November 21

This very long day started almost exactly at the stroke of midnight Tuesday as the charter busses pulled away from the high school just a few minutes after midnight. The drive to the Atlanta airport was smooth as was the check-in process. The Security checkpoints was the first indication that this trip was going well as the band sailed through that area without any problems at all.

Both Flight Groups had positive experiences in the air with most students marveling at the wonderful views available outside their windows as we flew over the Southwest, the Pacific Ocean and finally sighted the Hawaiian Islands. Mr. Stamey's plane flew directly over Diamond Head and afforded them a fantastic photo opportunity before even landing in Honolulu! Mrs. Wise's plane had the Christenbury's on board where Rebecca Christenbury spent time walking up and down the aisle talking to students and parents.

After landing, the band moved to the baggage claim where they were greeted by our guides Kelly and Lahie who gave every person a lei. The weather was a tad bit humid, but as the sun set it become a wonderful evening with a nice cool breeze. After checking into the hotel, we quickly went back out to catch dinner at a local park that had a gazebo with some folks practicing hula dancing. This relaxing dinner paved the way for a quick end to the day as many, many folks were feeling the effects of jet lag. We're also up early on Wednesday to get out to Diamond Head and possibly fit in some snorkeling!

The first gallery of photos is below...