It was the experience of a lifetime for 260 American Fork High School students as members of the Marching Band participated in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City.

"IT WAS EVERYTHING I hoped it would be," said saxophone player Tim Baker. "It was a once in a lifetime experience. I can't really put it into words."

The group marched the two and a half miles of the parade route, then performed a brief number in front of Macy's store.

The day started much earlier than the beginning of the parade, however.

Color guard member Tiffany Harris said she woke up slightly before midnight, prior to Thanksgiving morning.

"We were supposed to leave at 1 a.m.," she said. "It was tiring that day. We didn't get much sleep. We slept on the bus whenever we could."

AFHS Director of Bands John Miller explained the day's routine.

"We got in uniform and got on the buses," he said. "At 2 a.m. we were in front of Macy's. We got to do our show three times for the camera crew."

After they left to make room for a rehearsal of the next group, the members got back on the buses and slept until they went to breakfast, then slept more on the buses before it was time to line up for the parade. After the parade, they had until 5 p.m. to shop in New York and see sights. They went to the Liberty House in New Jersey, near the Statue of Liberty, and had a Thanksgiving dinner.

"It was a long day," Miller said.

Despite the demands, the trip was worth it, according to Miller and the band members.

"It was amazing," he said. "It was the most amazing experience I have had in a long, long time, if ever. The kids were wonderful, well-behaved. We got praises all over -- how they looked, acted and performed."

Trumpet player Mike Morris agreed.

"We worked hard," he said. "We played hard and we had fun representing Utah."

"It was a great experience to be able to work hard and we were thankful for the opportunity to represent the school, city and state," said also saxophone player Parker Robinson.

Miller said the experiences would last a lifetime.

"I told them for the rest of their lives Thanksgiving morning, when they got up and with their families turned on the TV, they will never think of the parade in the same way," he said.

Miller said he has had lots of response from others.

"I have had e-mails from alumni all over the country," he said.

The students were surprised by some of the things they experienced.

"It was not as busy as I thought it would be," said Tiffany Harris. "It was a lot dirtier than it looks in the movies. It is a fun place, but it is not a place I would want to live. They were a lot friendlier than I thought they would be, but the drivers are crazy.

"New York is a city of different smells," she said. "Like the sewer, cigarette smoke or polluted air."

Ruth Baker and her husband Marc were chaperones for the trip and said they enjoyed every minute.

"We were able to walk in the parade with the kids," Ruth Baker said. "It was just amazing. I just can't describe walking down that street. Everyone was cheering and applauding the band and Utah in general. They were so friendly. It was just incredible. The crowd was so responsible to our kids, to the band, saying 'We love Utah. Your band is great.'

"It was just like a dream almost. It was just fun. Every day was a highlight. I saw things I had only read about. To actually be on a ferryboat, looking at the Statue of Liberty while it was lit up at night was wonderful."

The students thought the sights were great and others commented the students were great.

"On the plane, the flight attendant came to us and said she had never been thanked so much in her whole life. 'Who are these kids?' she asked," Baker said. "The clerk at the hotel desk told me they were the best-behaved kids they had ever had and it was a pleasure to have them in the hotel."

Baker summed up the experience.

"It was an honor and a privilege to say I was with the American Fork band," she said. "They just did us all proud."