On Friday, August 23, 2024, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) hosted the annual Santa Cruz trip for the seniors. In the morning, all students and faculty participating in the trip arrived outside College of the Sequoias'  (COS) Porter Fieldhouse at 6:30 AM for attendance. At 7:00 AM, two charter buses arrived at the loading zone, picked up the group, and started the four-and-a-half-hour trip.

After being two hours into the journey, the buses stopped at ‘Casa de Fruta’ for snacks, stretching, and a bathroom break. This location had a restaurant, winery, and food market, as well as an amusement aesthetic like a merry-go-round, moving train, pond, and roaming peacocks. At 9:45 AM, the students regrouped at the buses, did a head count, and continued their adventure. 

At 11:00 AM, the charter buses arrived at Santa Cruz, dropping off the seniors where they would need to walk through the boardwalk, towards the beach. Here, this was deemed worthy of setting up for base camp. After dropping everyone’s belongings, the start of the weekend began. While Mrs. Block, Ms. Ceja, and Ms. Araceli stayed to watch the camp, the students split up into multiple, smaller groups, running to do a variety of activities. For example, inside the buildings, there was a vibrant-filled arcade, a pirate-themed, miniature golf course, and a bunch of pool tables which you can rent for thirty minutes for eight dollars. With unlimited ride access at their disposal, the seniors were able to enjoy a large selection of attractions. Rides like Double Shot, Typhoon, Giant Dipper, Shockwave, and Cyclone were top picks for the class while there were more chill appeals such as the walkthrough Fright Walk attraction, Haunted Castle, bumper cars, and the Sky Glider. Not to forget, the ocean was in their grasp. Despite the water being at freezing temperatures, seniors still enjoy the waves, with some jumping around with a football. For the ones who didn’t want to get their feet wet, volleyball nets were set up for short-lived rallies. Caleb Wingert explained how “It was a very fun experience, and I got to know more of the seniors better. It's wonderful to know these types of planned trips bring the class together. The vendors also served wonderful food like burgers, fries, corn dogs, and tater twists. If you enjoy sugary delights, there are also ICEEs, funnel cakes, and deep-fried sweets found all around the boardwalk. The seniors would go on their merry day until their roll call time.

At 5:00 PM, the class of 2025 reunited at the entrance of the boardwalk before heading back into the buses. Before arriving back at school, we had an unplanned pitstop at Casa de Fruta again, so the group was able to stretch once more. Two hours later, the buses returned to the home of the 'Giants' where the exhausted seniors parted ways into the weekend.