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Have you noticed there’s no other place for teenagers to talk about travel?
Here you can read about what teenagers have to say and also ask questions of your own about all types of travel – from day trips to vacation spots abroad, shopping, restaurants and amusement park rides.
Teenagers and parents can check out our favorite destinations, videos and polls to help plan a trip you all can agree on. Or you can go to our forums to ask our teen travel bloggers and readers what they suggest.
Faith, Trust, and Hiking Trail Dust
July 23rd, 2010
Despite the constant sulfur odor, Utah is amazing!
Apart from its stereotypes of deserts and red rock, Park City (about a half hour away from Salt Lake City) is mountainous, green, and forested. Therefore, Park City is ideal for, you guessed it! . . . HIKING! With abundant trails and scarce roads, some of the Rocky Mountains of less height are perfect hiking routes. However, be sure to take your shoes off before walking inside your house or hotel; it’s dusty!
Another great way to see the local scenery is via ATV (all terrain vehicle). Guided tours of the mountains and ATV rentals are available, but you must be 16 to drive one; you don’t need a license. Up streams, around winding trails, through ginormous puddles, and adventure around every corner! Just be prepared for a bumpy ride, and LOTS of dust; I would suggest tying a bandana around your face.
If rough road adventures aren’t your thing, maybe balloon adventures are! Have you ever stared at the sky as a little kid, watching the massive ballons drift their ways, wondering what it could possibly be like to float with them? Well, the wondering ends here. Experience a hot air balloon and become that little kid again! Plus, it’s a GREAT way to see the mountains.
Once you’re done hiking, ATVing, and ballooning, you can take a swim in the Jordanelle reservoir. Is the water too cold for you? Try renting a kayak or jet ski instead. Once you’re all tired out, the small, rocky strip of beach is a great place to tan.
After you’ve showered off all the dirt, sweat, and reservoir water, hit the urban part of Park City for dinner. You’ll find lots of great shops and restaurants there, and an overall pleasant atmosphere to walk through.
Well, I hope you enjoyed your Utah adventure!
Parks of New Jersey: Island Beach State Park
July 21st, 2010
Today I visited the amazing Island Beach State Park, which is a ten mile stretch of barrier beach located between the Barnegate Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, with my class at the Governor’s School.
We spent the day at a part of the beach within the park that had no lifeguards, and probably because of this it had no crowd. There were warning signs for rip tides in the area, but we did not get caught up in any. If you prefer swimming under the watchful eyes of trained lifeguards, there is a beach nearer to the entrance gate that has lifeguards, a snack shack, and bathrooms.
If you do not feel like swimming, there is much more to do in the park than just visiting beaches. Before we visited the beach, we stopped by an “interpretive facility”. Basically, it is an information center with various exhibits and brochures. It’s great for kids because it is quite interactive… various types of shells and many objects, including a whale vertebra (!) are out on display and are allowed to be touched. I found everything in the center very interesting, and the man who worked there very helpful and full of cool facts.
In the park, there are also areas designated for picnicking, biking and riding horses, fishing, surfing, and scuba diving. Not to mention, there are various trails that lead all over the island.
Two tips:
1. BRING BUG SPRAY. The mosquito situation, at least when I was there, is horrible. On a day when you feel there are too many mosquitoes, try to avoid the trails and the bay (where there would be a large about of these insects) and go out to the beach for a cool dip (I am told the breeze keeps the mosquitoes away).
2. WATCH OUT FOR POISON IVY. There is a lot of it. “Shiny leaves of three, leave them be”.
If you still aren’t impressed by all that you can do here, just know that this island has had minimal human disturbance (a feat within itself — been preserved very well) and therefore is a beautiful area with amazing plant and wildlife and natural beaches.
You know the natural life is in a good state (minimal human influence) when the sea gulls have had so little exposure to humans that they do not try to scavenge the beaches and steal peoples’ sandwiches.
Enjoy this unique area and in the process appreciate nature at its best!
Vacation Inspiration: National Park Visits à la Presidente
July 21st, 2010
Do you find yourself reclining with a cold soda, hiding in the air-conditioned interior of your house and lethargically watching the summer ease by? Warning: this fabulous season does not last forever! Don’t just sit there, travel!
Travel where? you might ask.
Simple answer: go see a national park!
Visiting a national park is one of my all-time favorite summer activities because:
A) National parks are some of the most gorgeous sites in our country, showcasing the natural beauty of the continent that we live on but don’t frequently get to really explore.
B) You can stay an hour, a day, a weekend, a week, a month… see where I’m going with this? There’s nobody telling you when to check out, and nature doesn’t close at nine o’ clock. You have a lot of freedom in deciding how to spend your time.
C) There’s a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from low-key (museum, gift shop) to hardcore (overnight nature hikes). Practically everybody in your family will find something that interests them– short hikes and picnics are well-suited to all ages and attitudes.
Even the president loves national parks! The Obamas recently took a weekend vacation in Maine’s Acadia National Park. They biked through the woods, hiked up Cadillac Mountain, then took a National Park Service boat ride to a pier, where they ate dinner by the water. The great thing about national parks, too, is that you don’t have to just spend time in the park– the Obamas also toured a light house, played tennis, went swimming, and went out for ice cream. If the first family PLUS their dog spend their getaway in a national park region, why shouldn’t you?
To search for national parks near you (or by other criteria), click here! You won’t regret it.
How to approach the College Visit
July 18th, 2010
As some of you may already know, Alex, Elise and I took a great trip up to New England to continue the college hunt that has taken over our lives. In this light, I’d like to share some tips that could make your college trip easier and less daunting.
Take a deep breath. Keeping a calm attitude is beneficial to everyone involved in the college search, and staying relaxed helps parents and teenagers communicate more effectively.
Plan. Make a chart of what schools you are visiting, the available times for their tours and info-sessions, what kind of transportation to use to get to each school, and anything else they may offer (for example, Boston University had a free lunch for prospective students, so we were sure to hop on that offer in order to save money). It just so happens that my mom is a Microsoft Excel fanatic, so she eagerly made spreadsheets and charts to guide us through our days in New England. Alex’s mom Luisa was the driver/adult chaperone on this action-packed trip and she appreciated having all the necessarydetails at her fingertips as we zipped from Boston College to Boston University and Northeastern University all in ONE exhausting day via the Boston “T”!
Bring a notebook and pen. And a camera. Since you can find most of the academic information online, be sure to note the fun, unique things about each school so that you can remember what sets them apart, and which school seems to be more tailored to student life. For example, Boston University has free tutors and paper-editing, which is not exactly a deciding factor, but is definitely something noteworthy. Take pictures so you remember what each school looks like.
The view over the sports fields at Amherst College
Wear comfortable shoes. Depending on what schools you visit and the size of the campuses, you are going to do a lot of walking, and often at a very awkward pace between normal-walking and speed-walking, so it may be wise to wear the most supportive shoes you have.
Do your homework. I know this is a forbidden word in these precious summer months, but it is important that you research the schools you plan to visit ahead of time, so you know what you’re dealing with. Also, researching in advance allows you to ask specific questions tailored to your own academic interests so you can skip the introductory stuff of the info sessions and learn something that may be relevant to you.
Make friends with your tour guide. Laugh at their awkward, silly jokes. Warn them of the curbs or people or moving cars as they walk backwards. Forgive them when they accidentally curse mid-tour. Ask questions about their academic field and, although their answers may be manipulated to put their school in the best light, remember that no one knows more than the tour guides, who sometimes volunteer to do what they do.
Make friends with strangers. Talk to the students on campus; ask them about the school and why they chose that specific one. The tour guides typically can’t tell you what other schools they applied to, but anyone else can, so take advantage of the opportunity to get names of other schools you may not have heard of that are on the same level as the one you’re visiting. If you’re too shy to approach a student, look at the campus as a whole. Are the students smiling? Do they look like they genuinely enjoy the school they’re at?
Some students in Boston College
Eat out. Explore Ask a student where to find some food, and they’ll typically direct you to a somewhat cheap (!) and delicious restaurant or café teeming with other students. When you go to college you want the whole feel of the campus and the neighborhood, and eating is an important part of that. Also, make sure to check out the city closest to the college, because you’ll probably spend a lot of time there, either interning, working or partying.
It turns out Boston has some great arches to walk through and public places to enjoy
You can also take a lovely walk along the water
Parks of New Jersey: Cape May Point State Park
July 17th, 2010
Hello all! I am continuing my series on the parks of NJ while at the Governor’s School on the Environment. The learning here is totally experiential, so we’ve been traveling all over the Pine Barrens and southern Jersey visiting lots of cool areas that I’ll be sharing with you!
I’ll talk quickly about Cape May Point State Park. As the name suggests, this park is located at the southern-most point of the whole of New Jersey. Pretty cool, right?
There’s a famous historic lighthouse and the view from the top is amazing. It is worth the few bucks to climb up. When I went, at the top of the lighthouse there was a very enthusiastic volunteer who was willing to tell me anything I needed to know about the town (particularly the lighthouse, of course).
Many trails extend through the park that pass through some amazing natural landscapes. In addition, there are numerous picnic sites.
If you like birding, Cape May is the place to visit. It is an important spot for migratory birds, who pass through year-round.
I have to go now!! But I’ll be writing more soon…
