Trip of lifetime
"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore."
Members of the Butler County 4-H Travel Club may be saying that now, but the memories they made last month in the Sunflower State will last a lifetime.
Last year, the Butler club hosted a 4-H club from Franklin County, Kan., and showed its members what it's like living in the hills of Western Pennsylvania.
This year, the Kansas club returned the favor by inviting the Butler club for a visit. About 15 people went on the trip.
Clubs take turns hosting and traveling. Although members must be at least 13 years old to travel, they can host a family when they are 12. They can keep on traveling up until they are 19 years old.
In its 13-year existence, the club's destinations have included places like Washington, Texas and Missouri.
Club members work hard to earn travel money. They hold fundraisers — like flower sales, Tupperware parties and boxed lunch sales — to pay for travel or hosting expenses.
While in Kansas June 13 through 19, the Butler group got to visit a buffalo farm, a dairy, the Steamboat Arabia museum, Kansas City and the Wizard of Oz museum.
They also did plenty of shopping and filled up on Sonic burgers.
But most importantly, the club members cemented friendships with the Kansas 4-Hers who hosted them.
The travel club 4-Hers kept journals of their voyage. Here is what they had to say:
<I>We waited in the lobby (at the airport) for the others. Eventually, we all got our boarding passes and had our luggage taken care of. ... Since many of us didn't eat breakfast we all went to go eat. So most of us went to McDonald's. A few minutes later, Pam Cox got a call from one of our leaders.Barb Rader told us to get back to the gate or else we would not be going to Kansas. The sad thing was that I was next in line.The McDonald's slogan is, 'I'm lovin' it.' As the morning progressed, I was not lovin' it. ... I, with an empty stomach, still processed onward.Braeden Bash,ButlerThe interesting things about Kansas are they don't have Sheetz, but they do have Sonics, which are very neat. Ithink they should build one in Butler.Their roads are straight as a ruler and only the major ones are paved. The rest are gravel and cause a lot of dust.Christie Geary,Sarver</I>
<I>We went to Stinson's Meat Processing Plant where they kill and pack animals. After that we ate at Guy and Mae's for lunch.We left there and went to Beauchamp's Buffalo Ranch. They raise organic buffalo.After that we went to Sundstorm's Dairy. They milk 207 cows.They have a circle milker. The cows get on and it goes in a circle. The milker can hold 40 cows when it's full.Ben Patton,Prospect</I>
<I>We got up kind of early and got ready to meet at (the Kansas club's) tiny fairgrounds to head to Kansas City.Was I ever excited. We jumped in Lori's huge Ford Powerstroke and off we go. ... First stop was Steamboat Arabia. It was a museum of things that were found when a group of men dug up a steamboat. ... It was so cool to see how it froze things in time.After that we made our way around the market place to see the cool shops, then from there we were off to the Plaza.The Plaza had tons of expensive stores. We went from shop to shop pretending we could afford the stuff. ... Then the best part: Tavlo Jewelry, where Brandy, our sponsor in Kansas, tried on a diamond ring worth $130,000. Wow!Amanda Tyson,Slippery Rock </I>
<I>Today, we are going to the Oz museum. It was 'Somewhere over the Rainbow!' It was wonderful.Next, we went to the Alma Creamery. We learned to make cheese. Did you know that it takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese?After, we were waiting for the girls. ... Emily got stung by a wasp! It didn't help that she is allergic.Her face swelled up like a balloon. I felt so bad!Braeden Bash,ButlerI'm wired. I just drank Mountain Dew, and it's past midnight.Tomorrow will be exciting. Chels and me stayed up past 2 a.m. And talked. We have become very close this past week.Elaina Rader,Connoquenessing</I>
<I>We got up at 5:20 a.m. so that we could go cater a tractor cruise.The Power of the Past group have a tractor cruise. There were 60 tractors that traveled from Ottawa to Williamsburg only on paved roads. That sounds funny, but there were not many paved roads.We got to ride along. Saturday in Williamsburg was Jayhawkers Day. There were rides and food everywhere. It was pretty neat.Amanda Tyson,Slippery Rock</i></I>An experience like this is something that is unforgettable and is so much different from a family vacation.We're learning about someone else's lives and culture. It's also amazing at how well we have all adapted.Elaina Rader,Connoquenessing
<I>We got to sleep in because it was another free day. We went to Pome on the Range, which is like a fruit stand.Then we went to Sonic for lunch. Sonic is officially my favorite place in Kansas.Then we went to Brooke's grandpa's to go swimming ... and watched fireworks that they put off just for us.Well, not really. They actually put them off for Father's Day, but we like to think they were for us.Christie Geary,Sarver</i>
<I>Today is our last day here. Brandy already had me crying this morning.It is going to be a hard day for everyone. This exchange was one of the best exchanges we did.I became really close with Brandy. She became one of my best friends. It felt like we have known each other forever. ... Brandy has made me cry about 10 times already. I am really going to miss her.Kayla Protzman,ButlerWe made a sad trip to the airport, crying our goodbyes, got on the plane, and that's where I am now."I loved my trip and my family. This has been the best exchange ever.Rebecca Tyson,Slippery RockSadly, we had to leave for the airport. When we got there, everyone was crying. It was a sad time.I'm so glad I got to go on a trip my first year in Travel Club. It's something I'll never forget.Amy Metrick,Butler</I>
<I>In all my 13 years of being involved with this travel club, I've never seen so much connection made between two states.Last year (when we hosted Kansas) we went through the same thing, only this year the bond between these kids became much stronger.We had great fellowship and there wasn't five minutes that could go by without a funny or humorous comment by someone, and everyone was laughing all over again.This was absolutely wonderful to witness such fantastic relationships of 4-Hers between two states — Kansas and Pennsylvania!"Barbara Rader, club leader,Connoquenessing</I>
