First day in Arizona!

We started the day off by leaving our hotel at 9am for a city tour of Phoenix! We spent an hour there, some looking around the building and others taking pictures with cactuses, since we are in the Home of the Cactus! Then we got back on the bus, touring Phoenix, seeing the University of Arizona, saw the Gammage Auditorium designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and then we drove to Papago Park and hiked up to a view of Phoenix and the rest of the park. 

City Hall in Phoenix 

The Music Building at the University of Arizona (we thought it was cool looking!)

After that, we drove to a gigantic mall in Scottsdale where we had a chance to buy the last necessities before we are headed to the Grand Canyon tomorrow!

After lunch and shopping at the mall, we drove for about one and half hours to Sedona where we had an hour to look around the small shops, eat some ice cream and enjoy the amazing view!

Jumping pic in Sedona! (me, Esra and Clara) 

Group picture in Sedona!

Now, after 2 more hours in the bus, we are at a resort in Williams (about an hour drive from the Grand Canyon). We have had a good dinner and then played a name game to try to learn all of the 50 students names before we continue our trip. We are right now sitting by the pool under the stars, all very excited to hike down the Grand Canyon tomorrow!

Personally, we think the short stop in Sedona was the best part about our first day, we loved all the little gift shops and the view was breathtaking!

It was surely a great way to start our West Coast Trip!

--Karoline Gronert, Denmark and Esra Otto, Germany