BRADBURY WALK
The students in our class were given a writing assignment to write a letter giving an eyewitness account of the Bradbury Walk. The following are examples of some of their letters written in class.
Dear Grandpa,
We went crazy on the Ray Bradbury Walk. First, we hit the old trolley tracks behind our school, which is not the Robert McClory Bike Path. Then we walked down to his house and his grandparent's boarding house. After we saw his house we saw the old German Church where Tom was scared at night. As we walked further down we went to Ray Bradbury Park. Just a few feet back was the ravine where Elizabeth Ramsell was murdered by the Lonely One. As we walked down the stairs my friends, John and Chazz, collected water samples for science class. We crossed a small bridge and came to a steep hill with steps Then as we all prepared we counted the steps 1...2...3...4..........20........30........40.... until we reached the top.
After a short break we walked to the Andrew Carnegie Library. Then we walked down and to the copper fountain and John poured his sample bottle out and got a new sample. A couple of feet in front was the Walk of Stars. These were famous people from Waukegan. Then after that we crossed the street to Wendy's and McDonald's. I went to Wendy's and ordered a #6 with a Frosty. Then we went to the Genesee Theater, the old Central School, which is now Waukegan Public Library. Finally, we walked past city hall, then went back to school.
Sincerely,
Donovan
Dear Linda,
Did you know that Ray Bradbury lived in Waukegan? Our communications teacher, Mrs. Clark, told us he did. On Tuesday our teachers took us on the Ray Bradbury walk.
The first place we went to was the Robert McClory Bike Path. Mrs. Clark told us that this was the site of the North Shore Train Station. She told us that people used the train for many different purposes; some people used the train to go to school, shopping and even to go to work.
After we left the bike path we went to Ray Bradbury's grandparents' house. In the Dandelion Wine book it said that it was a three story house with a cupola at the top of the house. But when we saw the house we noticed that there wasn't a third floor; this meant that there wasn't a cupola. But in the middle of the house it was kind of structured to look like a cupola.
A few minutes later we proceeded to the Latin Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Clark told us that this used to be called the German Baptist Church. Mrs. Clark took a few minutes to read a very small section of the book. After finishing the section of the book Mrs. Clark told us a few of her thoughts.
After going to the church we went to the ravine. The ravine didn't look very nice. The ravine was fenced so we couldn't go inside., We tried to hear life but there was too much traffic. I'm sure that if there wasn't any traffic we could have heard life.
When we left the ravine, we went to the Ray Bradbury Park. The park was very small. I don't think it is good enough to be named after such a big star like Ray Bradbury. I think that Belvidere Park should be the park named Ray Bradbury Park.
Right next to the Ray Bradbury Park was a trail. This trail was called the Dandelion Trail. The name of the trail as you might have guessed is named after the Dandelion Wine book. We all went through the trail. first, we went down the stairs; after that we went over a bridge, and lastly we went up some very steep steps. In the story this was where they found the body of Elizabeth Ramsell. By this time we took a small rest.
After everyone was well rested we kept on going around Waukegan, We went to go see a fountain named the Ladies of the Lake. I don't know why we went to go see this fountain when it didn't have anything to do with Ray Bradbury.
The next place we went to was the Walk of Stars. Here we saw the faces of famous people like Jack Benny. Ray Bradbury's face was included between these faces.
After looking at the star we went for lunch. For lunch some of us went to McDonald's and some to Wendy's. At this time we were able to socialize. We all had a very nice meal.
After lunch we went to the Genesee Theater. Mrs. Clark told us that this wasn't the theater that Lavinia Nebbs went to but it is very similar. She also told us that there was three theaters on this street.
The last place we went to was the Waukegan Public Library. Mrs. Clark told us that this used to be a school. The name of the school was Central Elementary School. Mrs. Clark also told us that this was the school that Ray Bradbury attended.
I really wish you could have been here. it was very fun. I know you would have enjoyed it.
Your friend,
Lissette
Dear Linda,
Did you know that Ray Bradbury lived in Waukegan? Our teacher, Mrs. Clark, told us he did. Ray Bradbury wrote many stories about a town named Green Town which we found out was Waukegan. On Tuesday our teacher took us on the Ray Bradbury Walk.
We found ourselves on the bike path which was the site of the old North Shore Train Station.
Then we walked to Bradbury's grandparent's home. In the story it said that it was a three story house with a cupola at the top of the house, but now there are only two stories and no cupola, maybe they took off the third floor. Next to his grandparents' home is Ray Bradbury's home, the house is now purple, but it was white when he lived there.
After that we went to the German Baptist Church which is now the Latin Pentecostal Church. Next we went down to the West Ravine, that's where Tom and his mother were looking for Douglas. Imagine going to the ravine at midnight, it would be scary. Then we went down to Ray Bradbury Park. The park had more stair steps when he was younger and it was not called Ray Bradbury Park because he wasn't famous.
Then we went down to the Ravine where they found Elizabeth Ramsell's body. After that we walked to the Carnegie Library, where he used to go all the time to read or do his homework.
When the teacher finished telling us about the library we walked down and we found ourselves in front of a fountain called Ladies of the Lakes. Next to the fountain is the Walk of Stars. On the Walk of Stars I saw the faces of Jack Benny, Ray Bradbury, and three other important people of Waukegan.
We walked across the street and went for lunch, some of us went to McDonald's and others to Wendy's.
After having lunch we went to the Genesee Theater. Mrs. Clark told us that this theater is similar to the one where Ray Bradbury went as a child, and where Lavinia Nebbs went to see the function in the story.
Then we went to the Waukegan Public Library. Mrs. Clark told us that the public library was a school named Central School to which Ray Bradbury went to as a child.
Then we walked to the school and went home.
Your friend,
Yasenia
Dear Grandmother,
On October Seventeen of the year of 2000 we went on a field trip of a famous writer called Ray Bradbury. He writes about Waukegan and tells about the wonderful things here. I wish you could have come with us. We had so much fun and did so many things.
The first thing we did was go to the bike trail next to my school. The old train tracks are buried under the path. Second, we passed by Ray Bradbury's house and his grandpa's, they have only changed a little. Third, we visited the Pentecostal Church where Ray used to go. Next was the Ray Bradbury Park named after the famous writer himself. Right next to it was the ravine. A couple yards down my class and me went to the stream. I went under the bridge with my friend Chazz to get water sample to look at under the microscopes. My friend Chazz got a little animal in his,. When going back up the other side we had to climb the old steep stairs made out of old crumbling flat rocks. at the top we found the Police Station., then we walked by the Carnegie Library named after Andrew Carnegie, a very rich man that donated many other libraries in many other places. we also passed by the Waukegan Public Library. Ray's old school used to be there. Then, we walked over to a fountain. I dumped my water sample from the ravine and got a sample from the fountain. The water looked blue. Next, we walked over a few years to the Walk of Stars. In the Walk of Stars there are five stars with pictures of famous people from Waukegan, one is Ray Bradbury. the last stop we did before going back to school was at a fast food restaurant. Half the class went to Wendy's and the other half went to McDonald's, they are across the street from each other. On our way back we saw an old bell statue and the Genesee Theater where Ray used to spend time.
These are all the great, fun things we did. Any one can take this walk and read the Dandelion Wine book by Ray Bradbury on the way. This will make it more interesting and exciting. I hope we can get together some time to take the famous walk.
Sincerely,
John
Dear Angela,
The event that we are writing to you about is the Ray Bradbury walk with Mrs. Leggett and Mrs. Clark's team. The place we most enjoyed on the walk was the Ray Bradbury Park, but that was not its original name. It really didn't have name, so they called it The Park. We walked through the park to get to the ravine. At first we thought it was going to be scary, but it wasn't. It was fun.
The first flight of stairs that we walked down were remade into wooded steps with a handrail. We walked across a bridge and it also was made of wood. We were trying to figure out where Elizabeth Ramsell's body was found in the story. After we crossed the bridge there were the original stairs made out of stone. There is no longer the original count of 113 steps. We only counted 60 steps. That means they probably took some off, now the stairs are much steeper.
When we got to the top of the stairs, we sat down and talked about how Lavinia Nebbs must have felt when she walked through the ravine all by herself in the dark. This is our eyewitness account that we would have liked you to join us on, but you could not be there.
Sincerely your friends,
Lisa and Tiffany
Dear Jessica,
I am going to tell you about a walk my team made,. We were planning to do the walk because we were reading a book called Dandelion Wine. the book was about a boy's life in the summer of 1920. The boy's name was Doug.
On the walk we first went to where now is a bike path. In 1920 it was a train track. In the story the train track is mentioned when Doug's friend, John Huff, goes to another place. After the bike path we went to Doug's grandparents' house, which in the story was a boarding house.
Later on we went to the German Baptist Church. Now it is named differently. In the story it is mentioned when Doug's mom and brother are trying to find him because it was too late and dark. After that we went to the Ray Bradbury Park. That is the name of the writer of the book (Ray Bradbury). The park is where the kids used to play. Then we went to the Carnegie Library which is were Doug used to spend most of his time. Later on we went to the "stair walk" which is where a woman named Lavinia walked to get home. After that we went to the "Historic Genesee Theater". In the old days there was one like that and in the story. Then we went to the Waukegan Public Library because close to the library was a sculpture of a book written by Ray Bradbury. Last we went to a ravine. The ravine is another place where Lavinia passed to get to her house. Oh! Did I mention that Ray Bradbury was the boy in the story? What I mean is that the book was kind of a biography of the writer. Well that is all.
Truly your cousin,
Guadalupe