What Did We Think of Montana?

Posted by 2012 Kids Expedition Team in Hands-On Explorer on July 15, 2012
hoec-montana-group-kids

Today we are all flying to our homes across the country. As we travel, we would like to share some thoughts about our experiences in Montana.

Amelia: Montana is great. But this is all I can say: Go to it!

Arabella: If it was up to me, I would stay right up until school started. I liked the water rafting the best!

Ben: It was really fun meeting everybody, and it was just amazing seeing everything and being with people that love exploring as much as I do.

Caitlin: Going on this Montana expedition was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My favorite part of the expedition was discovering dinosaur bones and seeing mountain goats.

Dillian: It was so beautiful words can’t describe it.

Edward: It was so awesome to come here and see the animals that I could not see where I live.

Ellie: Montana could very well be the most beautiful place on Earth. From the exotic wildlife to the dramatic landscapes, it gives me a good reason to see America first.

Emily: Throughout this trip, I’ve experienced many things, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I never want to leave.

Hannah: The trip was really amazing. We all got along so well because we all enjoyed every aspect of the trip.

Jackson: I really liked learning about the different edible plants that you can find in the wilderness.

Jordan: It was amazing. I learned so much about wildlife and different things I thought I would never learn about.

Lena: It was awesome! My favorite part was seeing the two different kinds of bears. I will miss everyone, but I’m looking forward to the D.C. reunion!

Katherine: Majestic mountains and powerful rivers made this a trip of a lifetime. I’ve loved every minute of it! Thanks, NG Kids!

Mariah: I’m gonna miss everybody!

Michael:The trip was amazing. It was the journey of a lifetime.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories: Montana

Comments

  1. geckoexplorer
    July 15, 2012, 11:55 am

    I’m still dissapointed the trip is over. At the same time I’m excited for the next expedition! Everybody, please stay on this blog, especialy runnerexplore and thejunglegirl, because I will need all the help I can get on my next essay. :P

  2. the.jungle.girl
    July 16, 2012, 11:03 pm

    It’s so cool to hear what the kids thought of their experiences. It sounds as though they all had tons of great adventures in Montana! What a great expedition! I can’t wait to see who wins the next HOEC. Good luck to everyone who is planning to enter!

    - Kobie
    2011 HOEC (Cayman Islands)

  3. ozzie1148
    July 16, 2012, 11:31 pm

    I Love Montana! I go every year! All my family lives there!

  4. runnerexplore27
    July 17, 2012, 10:26 am

    I cannot believe the trip is over already! That is so crazy. It was so much fun following your trip daily. Hold on to your memories, pictures, and journal very tightly! It does go by quickly, but I hope you all remember that, yes this was an amazing adventure, but it is just the beginning of an entire life of exploration. With what you have learned and a sense of curiosity, nothing is too far, too high, too challenging, or too impossible for you. Just explore. I am so glad you all had an amazing time, and I look forward to meeting many of you at the Symposium next year. Congrats again.
    *Michael
    2011 HOEC Cayman Islands

  5. geckoexplorer
    July 17, 2012, 11:40 am

    I hope HOEC ’13 is to one of these places:

    - Madigascar
    - Bahamas
    - New Mexico/Arizona/Utah (My favorite States)
    - Brazil
    - New Zealand
    - any Oceania island
    - Vietnam
    - Indoneasia
    - Sweeden
    - Alaska
    - Nother Canada (Yukon territory)

    I would say Isreal, but there is a war there so it isn’t safe. There has been a trip to every continent exept Asia and Ocania, so it will probably be to one of those places. :) Where do you guys hope it will be?

    Also, I wonder where all the old bloggers went… The only four people who were following the trip the whole time were me, Little Dragonfire, Runnerexplore27, and the.jungle.girl… I asked luckstomper why he left on Myshot, and he hasn’t answered me yet. By the way, the weird comment on an earlier post by “Luckstomper” wasn’t him, the real luckstomper doesn’t have a capital “L”.

    ~Gecko~

  6. Little Dragonfire
    July 19, 2012, 5:39 pm

    @gecko explorer
    That’s a lot of places. Have you ever been to one of those places or are those just places you’ve never been?

  7. Little Dragonfire
    July 19, 2012, 5:40 pm

    Seems like you guys had a lot of fun! :P

  8. Stellaluna98
    July 20, 2012, 10:10 pm

    Gecko, the trip to Montana was such an amazing experience for me. I’m sure wherever the next HOEC takes the kids will be just as awe inspiring as any (and, to tell you the truth, Montana is so different from the east coast, it was pactically like being in a different country!).

    *Stellaluna*

  9. GodGirl5
    July 22, 2012, 7:01 pm

    I have never been in montana.
    Is montana realy that cool?

  10. geckoexplorer
    July 24, 2012, 1:12 pm

    Exactly one week until the new NG Kids Magazine comes out, with an article about the Montana adventure! I found out about HOEC from that article about the Cayman Islands, meaning I’ve know about HOEC for almost a year!

    ~Gecko~

  11. Little Dragonfire
    July 26, 2012, 1:16 pm

    @ Gecko
    You’re excited aren’t you? But isn’t following them on the blog more descriptive.

  12. Little Dragonfire
    July 26, 2012, 1:17 pm

    WHo has my shot and what is your screen name on my shot?

  13. geckoexplorer
    July 26, 2012, 6:22 pm

    @Little Dragonfire
    Yes, I am very excited for everything about HOEC! And I think I just though up a perfect winning essay! But I do follow this blog, I’m just saying there will be an article about HOEC in the next NGK issue.

    Guess what? The next HOEC is going to start way sooner than I thought! Meaning within 1 or 2 months probably! I am sooo ready. I’m even saving money to go to Utah with my mom to get “inspired”. :P If I go, I will visit Arches, Zion, and Bryce National Parks! Can’t wait to see past winners next January at the Symposium!

    And Dragonfire, my Myshot user is gecko. I was one of the first members, but I haven’t uploaded many pictures… yet. :)

    ~Gecko~

  14. El Tigre
    July 30, 2012, 10:38 am

    what?

  15. geckoexplorer
    July 30, 2012, 1:36 pm

    I meant next Jun. e.e

  16. El Tigre
    July 31, 2012, 8:19 am

    oh so whats next june?

  17. El Tigre
    July 31, 2012, 8:19 am

    oh so whats next june?

  18. Little Dragonfire
    July 31, 2012, 2:38 pm

    @Gecko
    Lucky you. I’m still working on my essay. Upload your pics. from Utah if you go. Zion Cayon is really inspirational. It’s really worth the trip if you go there. My MyShot user is Dragonfire.
    ~DRagonfire~

  19. Little Dragonfire
    July 31, 2012, 2:39 pm

    By the ways are you guys watching the Olympics? it is exciting

  20. geckoexplorer
    July 31, 2012, 5:06 pm

    @El Tigre

    The National Geographic Explorers Symposium in DC.

    ~Gecko~

  21. Ecochika
    August 3, 2012, 6:11 am

    godgirl5…..montana isnt just cool its amazing. there are so many things there that you wouldnt get to see any where else. go thete one day if you get the chance!

  22. Skimp27
    August 10, 2012, 7:14 pm

    Hey everybody! Geckoexplorer, I realize that I wasn’t following the trip. The truth is that I totally forgot about the blog. This summer has been, without a doubt, the busiest of my life. It wasn’t untill I got the latest NG Kids magazine and read the article about Casey Anderson and Brutus that I remembered. I felt sad that I will never get a chance to go on an HOEC expedition, and then I jumped up remembering the blog and thought, “the trip is probably over by now!” I was right, of course. You’ve known about the HOEC since the Australia trip. Unfortunately I was ineligible to enter because I was living in England because my dad is in the US Air Force. That was when I was nine. The Montana trip was my last year of eligibility, so in 5 years, I’ve been able to enter 3 times. I feel kind of cheated, especially because all of the stress I went through writing those essays. Just yesterday I found a topic that would pretty much garuntee me a spot on the team, and the whole essay just wrote itself in my head. Unfortunately it won’t end up a reality, but I will enter next year just because.
    Dragonfire, I have a myshot account. Skimp27 is my username, and I have some pretty good pics.
    Ecochika, Montana is definitely on my bucket list. It has been for several years now.

  23. Little Dragonfire
    August 14, 2012, 5:07 pm

    Your pictures are nice. Where do you get all those ideas?

  24. geckoexplorer
    August 24, 2012, 4:06 pm

    Sorry I haven’t been commenting enough lately!

    First of all, the next HOEC SHOULD come out next week, with the October 2012 NGKM! I’m sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo exited! I guarantee you I want to win more than anyone else in the world.

    Other than that, I’ve spent the past summer hiking through lot’s of trails. I found two cool big trails within 10 minutes from my house, so I’ve gone there a lot. Other than that, I’ve gone camping/hiking multiple times in the mountains of western Maryland and Massachusetts. My two favorite hikes so far was a 2 mile hike from my campsite to a roaring waterfall at Cunningham Falls SP. The other was a 2 mile hike to a huge dam in Gunpowder Falls SP. While I was there I put on my waders and went fly fishing for trout there. So over all a good summer. :)

    I am still planning to go to Maine in early September to my Grandfathers log cabin. Behind his log cabin is a huge river with mountains in the background. I’ve seen moose there too. I plan to go hiking and maybe camping in Baxter SP while I’m there, maybe with my grandfather since he used to be a wildlife/hunting guide and he knows lots of places in Maine.

    ~Gecko~

  25. geckoexplorer
    August 29, 2012, 3:51 pm

    Just got back from the National Zoo in Washington D.C.! I saw an awesome 4 inch caterpillar in a bush and I took some pictures for MyShot. I’ll upload them soon. :) On the way home, I passed the National Geographic Museum.

    I hope they start publishing my comments, because the new contest should start soon. o.o I hope more people will start commenting here!

    ~Gecko~

  26. Little Dragonfire
    September 3, 2012, 10:46 pm

    They publish the comments?

  27. Little Dragonfire
    September 3, 2012, 11:52 pm

    The next HOEC contest is this November right? I can’t wait!

  28. 270902
    September 5, 2012, 3:50 am

    @littledragonfire and @geckoexplorer

    which country you live?
    (sorry just want to ask not for disturbing you)

    i’m from indonesia but i live in USA for 2 years

    270902~shiba~

    i’m new in here

  29. 270902
    September 5, 2012, 3:56 am

    what is HOEC contest?

    i’m new in here i’m from Indonesia but i live in USA for 2 years

    ~270902~shiba~

  30. Little Dragonfire
    September 5, 2012, 6:21 pm

    the USA same as you

  31. geckoexplorer
    September 8, 2012, 12:05 pm

    @270902
    I live in the USA near Washington D.C.

    @Little Dragonfire
    Actually, most of the past contests started in September. *hint hint*

    And yes they moderate the comments before the publish them. For some reason most of my comments weren’t published. e.e Basically what I said was I went to Maine to my grandfathers log cabin. I went kayaking on the river behind his house, looking for moose. I still have yet to meet my first moose! In the winter when I go snowmobiling there, he says the moose will stand in the middle of the road and won’t move.

    Anyway, since it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to go to Utah, my essay may be about hiking a mountain in Maine.

    I’m hoping Michael or Kobie start commenting again, I have a question about the essays.

    ~Gecko~

You must be logged in to post a comment.