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Winter Retreat

Travelling 
Raleigh and Blowing Rock:
  • Leaving from Highland on Friday at 12:00. Bring youth fed with lunch already.
  • Sunday morning at 8:30 we will head home and get lunch on the way back to Highland. Expect us home around 1:00-1:30 (plus or minus 30). We will tell youth to start texting when we are thirty minutes out.
COVID-19 Precautions and Expectations
With continued concerns around COVID-19, all youth and adult chaperones will need to test for COVID-19 a day or two before our trip with enough time for results to come in. There are no exceptions to this rule. Please take a picture, email. text, or show me the negative result for COVID-19 from February 15-16. To not have me frantically texting or calling about COVID-19 test, please go ahead and schedule these tests in advance. Keep me updated on any results so I can check them off.
To be on the safe side, we will have rapid tests for COVID-19 with us on the trip.
Continuing to be on the safe side, we will have two buses with everyone masked and someone driving separately in case symptoms and positive test comes up to be driven home if necessary. If you have N95 masks, pack them for your youth as well.
Highland Youth and Adult Chaperones will all follow COVID-19 Guidelines that are in our Consent Form 2021-2022. If you have not filled out these Consent and Covenant forms, please follow the link below. https://www.highlandumc.org/youth/youthforms/
Things to bring:
-Warm clothes
-snow boots
-hat or toboggan
-GLOVES
-toiletries (any and all needed)
-clothes to relax in
-extra set of clothes for emergency
-Winter coat
-Snow bibs if you have them
-MONEY for food (Friday dinner and Monday lunch)
-MONEY for shopping (gift shops)
-MONEY for emergency
-Bible
-Masks
IMPORTANT- Any medications your youth takes, please pack them and if they need to be administered please let me or Christine know!
 
Where we will be
Holiday Inn Express Blowing Rock, an IHG Hotel
8412 Valley Blvd, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605
What will we be doing?
Friday– We will arrive between 3:00-4:00. We will unpack with some downtime and then a group will head out to Sugar Mountain.Youth have the option to ski, snowboard, ice skate, and tube Friday night at Sugar Mountain. Another group will see a movie and grab dinner.
Saturday –We will wake up for breakfast at the hotel and then head out in our groups. We will have a group going to ski/snowboard at App Ski and another group going tubing and then another activity in the early afternoon.
We will all meet back at the hotel at 5:00 for dinner and nightly worship. We will give the option to go back on the slopes at App Ski for night skiing or snowboarding (this is included in App Ski 9:00-close pass and no extra money needed for this).
Meals:
Friday evening the youth are responsible for their meals. We will be five to ten minutes away from a dozen fast food restaurants and there is food at the ski resorts.
Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday will be held at the Hotel. Lunch on both days will be up to the youth. If your youth is skiing and snowboarding,  App Ski also offers plenty of types of food.
Saturday Dinner. We will provide dinner for the youth. Most likely pizza and food of that sort.
Sunday Lunch. We will stop where there are options for fast food for everyone.
Money!
This is money needed broken down by the day.
 
Friday evening ski/snowboard/tube/ice skating. If your youth is skiing or snowboarding, they need to pack an extra $65-85. This will cover Friday’s dinner as well! You can give this money to me in an envelope with the designation for use if you are uneasy packing money with your youth.
Friday night Tubing- $50-$60. This will cover food and tickets.
Friday night movie- $25-$35
Saturday– Lunch-$9-$12
Sunday- Lunch- $9-12
Pack extra money for your youth for snacks, extra meals, or gift shop items. All of the estimates above are on the high side since food is in play. 
Please come to me if money is an issue and we will make sure everything is taken care of with no issues.