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Bulldogs and Beyond in Germany
Author: Bryleigh Erickson, BHS School Reporter

Bryleigh Erickson

BHS School Reporter

After our many memories made and time spent in Switzerland, the group loaded the bus to travel from Switzerland to Germany, the last stop of the trip. After an approximate 2-hour bus ride, we took a quick pit stop in Lichtenstein.

Our guide, Sandu, taught us a little bit about Lichtenstein. It is a very tiny country, only about 6 miles wide and 11 miles long. Their government is a Monarchy, and we even got to see the castle where the royal family lives. We stopped in the capital city, Vaduz. Here we explored and bought souvenirs. The locals also had a small shop that could stamp passports, so most of us did that. We learned that, although it is a small country, Liechtenstein is very important to the economy of the surrounding countries. After exploring for around an hour, we loaded the bus for another hour ride.

We stopped in Austria for a quick lunch at a place with a lot of options for food as well as souvenirs. After eating, we boarded the bus to head to Germany. Our first stop in Germany was at the former concentration camp, Dachau. The group explored the history and saw up close how truly terrible the events were. We all have learned about the Holocaust in textbooks, but seeing the camps in person showed the true magnitude of the events. This was a very somber and impactful experience for everyone. After touring the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, the group travelled to Munich in time for dinner and then settled down for the night in our hotel.

Breakfast at this hotel was more than an American breakfast at other hotels, with cereal, fruit, and toast. It had the European elements of pastries, veggies, meats and cheeses. After breakfast, we got on the bus and picked up a different tour guide. He was an expert in the history of Munich and showed us around the Olympic Stadium, the Residenz, and Marienplatz. At the Olympic Stadium, we saw the Olympic pool where the athletes competed in the 1972 Olympics. We also saw the area where the athletes received their medals, which was really cool. At the Residenz, we toured the museum with “whispers” which were headphones that told you about every item in the museum. After touring the Residenz, we had free time in Munich, starting at the city center. Munich was such a beautiful town to explore, and everyone enjoyed having free time in the city. After we regrouped, we travelled together to the most familiar dinner of the trip, where the group enjoyed burgers. It was nice to finally get some food that we were familiar with. After dinner, we travelled back to the hotel. Everyone was exhausted.

The next day was our final day of the trip. In the morning, we traveled to the BMW museum, and we explored that for a few hours. Within walking distance from the museum was Olympia Park, so after touring the museum, many people made their way to the park. After that, we loaded on the bus for the last time to go to the airport. We made our journey home on a flight from Germany to Chicago, and then Chicago to Bozeman. Some of us were picked up by our parents and others rode the bus home.

The Bulldogs Beyond group worked so hard to be able to experience this amazing trip, and every person was very pleased with the adventures, experiences, and memories from the trip. The Bulldogs Beyond program is a two-year program, so there will be a group travelling in 2028 to Spain and Portugal.

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PhotoCredit: Photo provided. Also, Bryleigh Erickson, photographer
Image 1 Caption: Bulldogs in front of the Residenz. Standing row from left: Chaperone Jill Flynn, Marek Easter, Chaperone Andrea Tullos, Patrick Gossard, Keaton, Cavasos, Caleb Swanson, Gavin Green, Keaton Boylan, Tanner Bird, Barrett MacDonald, Logan Barkhurst, Jim Tew, Trace Giomi, Jazel Ragen, Kaitlyn Noyes, Mishayla Lambott, Kenzie Knaub, Aspen Slyker, Haedyn Poe, Harper Wolgram, Hailey Hildreth, Janeth Garcia, Bryleigh Erickson, Chaperone Allie Lampman, Chaperone Megan Bleile, Elaine MacDonald and Arabella McDaniel. Middle Row crouching from left: Ava Tiffany, Kyla Meissner, Addy White, Brynlee Brown, Fiona Nelson, Ana Marie Reinke and Emmalin Fischer. Bottom Row from left: Creighton Wrigt, Luke Tullos, Angel Sentinella, Shalyn Sentinella, Sarah Morgan and Chloe Flynn. Photo Provided
Image 2 Caption: In the Residenz were pictures of people of the monarchy who lived in the castle for centuries. Bryleigh Erickso, Photographer