The senior trip is one of the last events to take place before
students graduate from high school. It may be the last time
many classmates share time together before leaving for college,
military, or employment. For some classmates, it is the first
time being away from home except for visiting relatives. Senior
trips may have started at RHS in the late 1940s. Earlier senior
classes may have taken short one day trips to places like Cisco
Lake. Ranch Day at RHS was an event in the early 1950s which may
have influenced senior trips going to dude ranches. It was a day
hosted by Ranger Junior College of western fun and frolic with
contests like tobacco-spitting, hog-calling, ugliest-man, and
prettiest-girl. The day ended with a Bar-B-Q dinner.
During the 1950s, a favorite spot for senior trips was Prade
Ranch. It was located on the West Frio River & Farm Road 336,
north of Leakey in north central Real County. The site was
converted to a resort ranch in 1935 and included 10,000 acres
in the Frio Canyon with 100 miles of scenic trails in the Hill
Country. The guest ranch provided horseback riding, swimming,
recreation hall with juke-box, organized games, and a cook-out
by the river. The swimming pool was spring-fed. The ranch is
now a private residence and the guest ranch closed many years
ago.
It appears that the tradition of the senior trip was discontinued
at RHS after 1985. Trips now could be short tours of nearby
colleges. Listed below are places that RHS classes went on their
senior trip.
Class Senior Trip
1949 Galveston, beach, Coronado Courts
1950 Galveston, beach
1951 Galveston, beach
1953 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1954 Ranch Day, Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1955 Ranch Day, Flying L Ranch, Bandera, TX
1956 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1957 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1958 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1959 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1960 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1961 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1962 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1963 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1964 Prade Ranch, Leakey, TX
1965 Heart of the Hills Inn
1966 Flying L Ranch, Bandera, TX
1967 Flying L Ranch, Bandera, TX
1968 Hemis Fair, San Antonio, TX
1969 Bar K Ranch
1970 Dude ranch
1971 Dude ranch
1972 Not listed in yearbook
1973 Not listed in yearbook
1974 Not listed in yearbook
1976 Not listed in yearbook
1977 Landa Resort, New Braunfels, TX
1978 Six Flags, tour of Dallas, Forum 303, & Texas Ranger baseball
game
1979 Galveston, Houston, NASA, Astroworld, Astrodome, deep sea-
fishing, Uncle Sam's disco
1980 New Orleans, Inn on Bourbon St., Jackson Square, Cafe de
Monde, cruise on Natchez, & Pontchartrain Beach
1981 San Antonio, San Jose Mission, Riverwalk, Lone Star Brewery,
Buckhorn Hall of Horns,
Melodrama Theater, Magic Time Machine, Institute of Texas
Cultures, Lone Star Wax Museum, Brackenridge Park, Sunken
Gardens, Tower of Americas, Mexican Market, & Mi Tierra
1982 Skiing at Angel Fire, NM
1983 Puerto Vallarta
1985 Not listed in yearbook, deep sea fishing
1986 Not listed in yearbook
1987 Not listed in yearbook
1988 Not listed in yearbook
1989 Not listed in yearbook
1990 Not listed in yearbook
1991 Not listed in yearbook
1992 Not listed in yearbook
1994 Not listed in yearbook, no trip
1956 - Prade Ranch 1965 - Heart of the Hills Inn
1966 - Flying L Ranch 1980 - New Orleans
1981 - San Antonio 1982 - Skiing in New Mexico
Comments about 1953: Dude Ranch. Prade Ranch in Kerrville, Tx for 4 days.
Everyone had a wonderful time. The Charter Bus was full. Bettye Cross
Comments about 1951: THE CLASS OF 51 WENT TO GALVESTON FOR THEIR SENIOR
TRIP. WE TOOK A BUS, HAD A FEW PROBLEMS THAT COACH AILS, OUR CHAPERON,
CORRECTED ,I.E. BEER BEING CONSUMED. WE STAYED IN A HOTEL ON THE BEACH.
AT THAT TIME IN GALVESTON, THEY HAD GAMBLING ON A PEER , I DON'T THINK
ANY ONE WAS PERMITTED IN THE CASINO. WE HAD FUN ON THE BEACH, ETC. MY
MEMORY HAS GONE SOUTH, CAN'T REMEMBER MUCH MORE. THANKS. JACK HUMMEL
RHS-1949_Senior Trip
RHS-1959_Senior Trip