MILTON HIGH SCHOOL BAND TRIP 2015
Atlanta & the Great Smoky Mountains
Greetings from the MHS Bandroom! This packet includes important information regarding this year’s Spring Band Trip
to Atlanta, GA and the Great Smoky Mountains. Remember that these trips are optional…they are simply a “play hard”
portion of our band year. All fair-share fees must be paid in full in order for a member to be able to participate on the
Spring Trip. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thanks.
Gray Weaver
Milton HS Director of Bands
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TRIP DATES – Saturday, May 30 through Wednesday, June 3 --- With all of the state mandated testing dates, we are
unable to miss school days for this type of trip. We are trying something new this year. We will be departing on the
morning after our last day of school! All testing & performances will be behind us, and all of the fun will be ahead of us.
This will allow our students more time to raise the funds in order to attend the trip.
CHARTER BUSES & HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS – We are currently working to secure contracts with companies for our
Spring Trip. The current plan is for us to be transported by Gulf Coast Tours charter buses (all buses are 2009 or newer)
and our hotel accommodations will be the Fairfield Inn & Suites for one night in Atlanta and the Inn on the River for
three nights in Pigeon Forge, TN. Students will stay four per room and adults usually stay two per room.
ATTRACTIONS & MEALS – I’m excited at the list of attractions that we are providing for our members during this trip.
The hotels will provide a hot breakfast each morning of the trip. All of these attractions & meals are included in the cost
of the trip:
Six Flags Over Georgia Theme Park (+ Meal); Dillard House Restaurant (+ Meal); Bus Tour of Great Smoky
Mountain National Park; Comedy Barn Family Show; Hatfield McCoy Dinner Show (+ Meal); Aerial Tram to
OberGatlinburg; Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies; Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not Museum or Ripley’s Haunted
Adventure; Lumberjack Feud Dinner Show (+ Meal); Dixie Stampede Dinner Show (+ Meal).
On our last full day in the Smokies, we are planning to let our members choose an excursion. These options are still
pending school board approval and will incur extra costs:
 White-water rafting on upper Pigeon River (5-mile trip featuring 12 Class III & 3 Class IV rapids) - $35 + lunch box
 Hiking to Laurel Falls & Other Points of Interest in the Smoky Mtn National Park– Cost of lunch box
 Fun on the Pigeon Forge Parkway – small group excursions along the Parkway utilizing the trolley system - $3 +
attractions, lunch, & shopping money
Other meals & expenses include: 1 possible meal at Six Flags, lunch in Gatlinburg, lunch on excursion day, lunch at mall
food court en route back to Milton, attraction money for OberGatlinburg (ice skating - $9/alpine slide - $7), souvenir money.
PRICING & PAYMENT PLAN – Total cost for the trip is $475 per person. Again, this includes transportation, hotel
accommodations, nine attractions, and nine meals during the 5 travel days. I believe that we have worked to produce a
trip that is very cost efficient…it would be very difficult to visit Atlanta and the Smoky Mountains for this amount per
person on your own. The payment plan is as follows:
January 16
$75 non-refundable deposit + trip information form
February 13
$100 payment
March 13
$100 payment
April 17
$100 payment
May 15
Remaining Balance Due
REMINDER – All band fees must be paid in full in order for a member to be allowed to participate on the Spring Trip.
Also, we are still awaiting School Board approval on the trip before the itinerary is definite. Thanks.
BAND TRIP ITINERARY 2015 – ATLANTA & SMOKY MTS
Saturday, May 30
5:00 am – Meet at Bandroom / Load
5:30 am – Depart for Six Flags
12:00 pm - Arrive @ Six Flags
3:00 pm - AUCE Buffet in Park-2 hours (meal included)
9:00 pm - Park Closes. Travel to & check-In at hotel
Sunday, May 31
7:30 am - Wake-Up / Load Buses (hotel breakfast available…early lunch)
8:45 am - Depart for Dillard, GA (2 hrs / 128 miles)
11:00 am - Lunch at the Dillard House– Family-Style AUCE Country Cooking! (meal included)
12:30 pm - Depart for Pigeon Forge, TN (2 ½ hrs / 90 miles)
1:30 pm - Sightsee Smoky Mountains
4:00 pm - Arrive at Hotel (The Inn on the River)
8:15 pm - Hatfield McCoy Dinner Show (meal included)
Monday, June 1
7:30 am - Wake-Up / Hot Breakfast Buffet @ Hotel (meal included)
9:00 am - Depart for day in Gatlinburg
9:30 am - Arrive at OberGatlinburg Aerial Tram – take Aerial Tram up to Ski Mountain
10:00 am - OberGatlinburg Amusement Park (ice skating, alpine slide, go karts, scenic chair lift, mini-golf, maze, etc)
12:00ish - Return in small groups / free time sightseeing Gatlinburg / Lunch on your own in Gatlinburg
5:00 pm - Meet @ Aquarium of the Smokies / Tour Aquarium
8:00 pm – Lumberjack Feud Dinner Show (meal included)
10:00 pm - Return to hotel
Tuesday, June 2
8:00 am – Wake-Up / Hot Breakfast Buffet @ Hotel (meal included)
9:00 am – Group Excursions Day (Whitewater Rafting / Hiking / Fun on the Parkway)
12:00 pm – Lunch on their own
4:00 pm – Everyone back at hotel / Depart for Comedy Barn
5:00 pm - Comedy Barn Family Show
6:30 pm – Depart for Dixie Stampede Dinner Show (meal included)
8:15 pm – Dixie Stampede Dinner Show begins
10:00 pm – Return to Hotel
Wednesday, June 3
7:30 am - Wake-Up / Hot Breakfast Buffet @ Hotel (meal included)
9:00 am - Load luggage / Check out of Hotel / Depart for Milton
1:00 pm - Lunch stop at Galleria Mall Food Court in Birmingham
2:30 pm - Continue to Milton
6:30 pm - Arrive back at Milton HS