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!

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!

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.

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

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…

Our third and final day in Vermont consisted of zipping from location to location, trying to take in as much of the state as we could before it was time to say goodbye. We first visited the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge. The presidential museum was under construction, but we still got to wander around the little town he was born in. I learned a lot about life on a hillside farm, because all the tools they used for cooking, making maple syrup, farming, and surviving frigid winters were on display in a huge barn. There were also descriptions of the daily activities that Calvin might have helped out with as he grew up. We stopped in the church the Coolidges went to and a cheese store where we bought lots of… maple candy. The huge cheese wheels were a little too intimidating for my grandparents, I guess.

Next stop? The Vermont Country Store! For those of you who have never received the Vermont Country Store catalogue or have never even heard of it, pay close attention: this is the best store on the East Coast. I repeat, it is the best store on the East Coast, and it can only be found in Vermont. If you ever come to Vermont, you have to stop there (there’s one in Weston and another in Rockingham). They sell food, toys, clothes, appliances, and more. It’s all top quality, and a lot of it you can’t find anywhere else. Click here to explore it yourself. I honestly could spend hours in that place.

Finally, we ended up visiting Bennington, where we went to the top of the monument commemorating the Battle of Bennington, then went on a spontaneous self-guided tour of Bennington College. The top of the monument had a gorgeous view of surrounding Vermont, as well as Massachusetts and New York off in the distance. Bennington College was small but quite pretty. The admissions staff was incredibly friendly, and after serving us coffee and hot chocolate, sent us off with a big envelope of information and a map. Bennington seems like a great place for those who want to design their own education and get a lot of attention and support from the professors.

And that, amigos, was my three-day Vermont expedition. I really hope I can go back sometime in the fall– the autumn colors are supposedly stunning.

FOOD

Speaking of which, there is a ton of food to choose from on Epic – more than any other cruise ship. There are 10 eating options which you have to pay a fee for and 11 which are free. If you’re into ethnic cuisine, then you’ll be in heaven. (Teppanyaki Japanese steakhouse is my favorite – great food plus the fun of watching very entertaining and talented chefs cook right in front of you. Make a reservation for this spot as soon as you get on board.)

If you’re not into ethnic food, you’ll still get into all the many choices, even in the buffet. Don’t forget to grab the really good, big, homemade cookies at the buffet at night – chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and more. 

STATEROOMS/BATHROOMS

While this is a matter of personal opinion, I don’t think a lot of teens will like Epic’s staterooms due to the bathroom set up. While the staterooms look really cool and different because there are a lot of curves in them, they really aren’t very functional.

The main area that I think a lot of people won’t like is the lack of privacy in the bathroom. Actually, there isn’t even a typical bathroom in each stateroom. Instead, there’s a toilet stall with a white Lucite sliding door on one side of the entryway to your stateroom and there’s another white Lucite sliding door with a shower stall on the other side of the entryway. (Lucite is a white synthetic material that you can see shadows through.)

The main problem is there’s no private place to get changed before/after you shower other than the entryway. While there’s a curtain that you can pull for privacy so that the rest of the cabin won’t see you as you’re getting changed or dried off in the entry way, it may not be in your comfort zone.

THUMBS UP

Overall, though, I think teens and their families will definitely enjoy Epic. It’s huge…it’s different…it’s memorable….it’s very active….and it’s fun!

There has been a lot of talk for over a year about the groundbreaking Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship Norwegian Epic. It finally sailed over July 4^th and teentraveltalk.com’s founder/editor Luisa Frey sailed aboard the inaugural cruise.

Here is Luisa’s take on the aspects of the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic that people like you will and will not like.

ENTERTAINMENT

Epic is making its mark in regards to cruise ship entertainment. Rather than featuring the typical cruise stage show with dancers in feathers and such, NCL’s Epic has top name entertainers aboard that you’d find in major cities. Here is the evening entertainment you should make sure you see:

Blue Man Group: This show has been featured in NYC’s Greenwich Village for years and now is on Epic. You’ll need to book your show time ahead at the box office desk on Deck 6 near the Spiegel tent or online before your trip.

This show is really quirky but that’s what is cool about it – I can’t really say WHAT the blue men exactly do but it’s all pretty unique and off beat. (As in, rolls and rolls of clean toilet paper are unfurled at one point and the audience has to pass it forwards until it reaches the stage!) Also, during the entire show, not a word is spoken from the blue men.

The Second City: Don’t miss at least one show of this famous comedy troupe – many of the famous comedians from Saturday Night Live got started at The Second City in Chicago. Aboard NCL’s Epic, the comedians do a lot of improv that will make you laugh for sure. Note that you have to book your show ahead of time like Blue Man Group.   

Legends in Concert: Your parents will like this show more than you. But if you’re into Madonna or Elvis, then check this out because the entertainers do a really good job of impersonating their famous look- and sound-alikes. 

Fat Cats: Slam Allen is amazing! He’s the lead singer/electric guitarist at Fat Cats, which is the first blues club at sea. He’s get this low-keyed, talented way of getting everyone into the music that he and his band create, in the style of famed blues pioneer B.B. King.  Even if you’re not into the blues or jazz, you will admire the talent here.

Howl at the Moon: Dueling pianos? I loved it. Howl at the Moon features mostly classic rock ‘n roll that very talented piano players bang out with a ton of energy. If you’re into rock in the least bit, check it out. The two pianists take requests.

Cirque Dreams & Dinner: Tell your parents NOT to waste their money on this! It’s way too long and the side show (the circus announcer and singers) are loud and frankly, annoying. If it were just the cirque-style acrobats featured in the show, it’d be good. But two hours of mostly the circus announcer talking on and on were more than I and many other adults could handle.

There has been a lot of talk for over a year about the groundbreaking Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship Norwegian Epic. It finally sailed over July 4^th and teentraveltalk.com’s founder/editor Luisa Frey sailed aboard the inaugural cruise.

 Here is Luisa’s take on the aspects of the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic that people like you will and will not like.

WATERSLIDES & OTHER ACTIVE PURSUITS

Norwegian Epic’s Aqua Park will not disappoint. With three enclosed slides, Epic’s water park area is pretty impressive for a cruise ship. The best of the slides is the Epic Plunge, which NCL calls the “longest bowl slide at sea”. We call it the “toilet bowl” because you swirl around in your tube in this bowl-like structure until you suddenly plunge down the last part of the enclosed slide. Tip: Try to get on line soon after the slides open up each day to avoid long waits. (Your daily program aboard ship will list the hours.)

 If the toilet bowl is not your choice of active things to do outdoors, then check out the rock climbing wall or the first rappelling wall at sea. The sports deck area also has a basketball court and batting cage.  

Indoors there is a small ice skating rink to keep you cool on a hot Caribbean day. You and your friends or family can have friendly competitions at one of the six indoor bowling lanes or at the huge Wii wall located in one of the public lounges. 

TEEN ROOM

The Epic’s teen room – called Entourage — has by far the best view of any young adult room at sea. Most teen rooms are right by the little kids’ rooms but this one is in a totally different spot, making it private.

What’s best is that three sides of it have floor to ceiling windows with full views of the ocean or port. In the center are Sony PlayStations and couches, Fussball and air hockey. There are even vending machines for when you’re hungry but don’t want to make the trek to the buffet.  

Like on most big cruise ships, there are teen activities throughout the day and night too.

There’s nothing wrong with Ohio…I really like Drew Carrey and I’d love to see the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame” -Bowling for Soup

Well, we really don’t like Drew Carrey, but we did see the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. For all of you rock n’ roll enthusiasts out there, this place is a must-see. Being that we were on a choir trip, we weren’t expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. Contrary to our fellow un-appreciative-21^st-century generation, we loved it! If you are a diehard rock n’ roll fan, this will only further your infatuation with the era. Even if your iPod is filled with Lady Gaga, it will give you a deeper appreciation of music as whole, as you view it from its roots.

There are a plethora of year-round and non-permanent exhibits; currently Bruce Springsteen resides in this spotlight. If The Boss isn’t your style, there are plenty of year-round attractions to occupy yourself. Our favorite part was the basement-level, where one can walk the history of rock n’ roll from its beginnings as blues and jazz to before its decay as boy bands took the scene. You can listen to the 500 greatest rock n’ roll songs of all-time, watch real footage from performances, and hear interviews regarding the impact of rock n’ roll on the youth of America which it affected. Also, a myriad of relics and paraphernalia such as clothes, instruments, hand-written lyrics, cars, and variety of performance video clips and pictures. There is something for everyone; Callie got excited over Kurt Cobain’s guitar while Alex was amazed by the hand-written Beatles lyrics. It strongly makes you appreciate the music and culture of the past decades; we surprisingly enjoyed Etta James and The Jimi Hendrix Experience as much as we enjoyed our personal favorites. In addition, you can watch short clips of all of the Rock n’ Roll inductees by year. It was a wonderful way to get an idea of all of the impactful musicians of the past.

Long story short, it rocked.