We asked our staff, “What is a favorite field trip memory you have from childhood?” Find out which school outings we loved in this month’s Staff Sound-Off.

In 5th grade, I went with my class to Bush Gardens in Tampa.

— Telisa Rech, Advertising Sales Manager

Carter Caves State Resort Park felt like stepping into another world. I remember our guide turning off the lights for a moment so we could experience total darkness, pretending not to be scared and at the same time squeezing my best friend’s hand for comfort.  For a kid from a small town, it was the first time I realized the landscape I saw every day was only a part of what was out there to explore and discover.

— Ashley DeLucia, Advertising Sales Manager

Going to the Frazier Museum in Louisville and then hitting the Gatti-Land buffet was about as good as it got!

— Brady Wine, Sales Coordinator

A sixth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., was my first foray into the world of group travel. I loved everything about it — being away from home, seeing the nation’s capital and hanging out with my friends. Little did I know that would lead to a lifetime of working in the tourism industry.

— Brian Jewell, CEO & Executive Editor

When I was in elementary school, I loved the field trips we took to Carter Caves. We would do a cave tour, but the most fun came after, when we’d have lunch in a giant, open-mouth cave and get to play in the creek bed looking for salamanders and crawdads.

 — Rachel Crick, Associate Editor & Project Manager

Washington, D.C.

— Sarah Sechrist, Controller

When you grow up in Colorado, Eco Week is a part of your sixth-grade elementary school experience. It was at a campground up in the mountains where you spent the week, taking field notes, hiking, exploring nature and creating crafts and artwork relating to what you observed.

— Donia Simmons, Creative Director

My most memorable field trip was during third grade when I was growing up in Massachusetts. All the third graders in the school — which was only two classes — went to see Plymouth Rock and tour what’s now the Plimoth-Patuxet Museums. They’ve added much more since I was a little girl, so I would love to go back for another visit!

— Ashley Ricks, Print & Digital Publishing Manager