By Bart Moss – For the FCT

Several Phil Campbell and Tharptown seniors closed out their high school experience in “the Big Apple,” New York City, last week. The week blended fun, education, culture and food.

Klaudia Harris and Jessica Wilson, seniors at Tharptown, said they will definitely pursue future opportunities to visit NYC. “It was so fun. We had a great time and didn’t want to leave,” Harris said.

“In everyone’s life they get chances to experience culture and friendship on a whole new level,” said Phil Campbell senior Jacob Litteral. “For us, this New York trip was ours.”

Most fitness trackers the groups were using said most everyone logged more than 40 miles of walking. That was not lost on the students.

“Our legs might have been tired, but we sure did have a good time,” said Phil Campbell senior Haley Scott. “It was an experience we’ll remember for a lifetime.”

Some of the highlights of the trip included dinner at America’s oldest pizzeria, Lombardi’s Pizza, in Little Italy.  Afterward, the group strolled the streets of Little Italy, where mobsters like John Gotti roamed and where scenes of The Godfather were filmed.

The group visited the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The students were able to view such classics as the Egyptian Temple of Dendur that dates back to 15 B.C., the original painting of George Washington Crossing the Delaware, Roman and Greek sculptures, medieval European art, King Henry VIII’s original armor, and the most valuable item in the museum, Madonna and Child, a small 8 ½ by 11 painting, valued at $45 million, all capped off with a spectacular view of Central Park from the museum’s rooftop garden.

After attending the museum, the group took a long walk through Central Park, viewing many of the iconic spots seen in movies and television shows, such as Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge and literary sculptures on the park’s Mall. Exiting Central Park, the group strolled the northern tip of Fifth Avenue, visiting the Plaza Hotel from Home Alone 2 fame, Trump Tower and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

The students also visited historical downtown New York in the Financial District, starting off the day with a trip to the Statue of Liberty for the ultimate American selfie. The group had lunch at Stone Street, the oldest street in Manhattan that dates back to the days of the Dutch settlement in the 1600s. After lunch, the group visited Fraunces Tavern, which served as George Washington’s New York headquarters during the Revolutionary War and Federal Hall the site of Washington’s first inauguration. Trinity Church and the burial site of Alexander Hamilton, America’s first Secretary of the Treasury, Father of American Government and the inspiration for the hit Broadway show Hamilton: An American Musical were also on the sightseeing list, along with the September 11 Memorial and Museum, the top of the new World Trade Center and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The trip was topped off with a tour of the NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center. The tour included a visit to NBC Nightly News studio, the Saturday Night Live studio and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon studio.

The group also saw the new hit Broadway musical “Anastasia.”