Summer Camp's Over... Now What? Great
Road Trips!
by: Gregory Hudson
Well, there is a name for it and it's called post-summer camp gap year
travel!
A mouthful to digest, but an easy decision to make! And as an after
taste you'll have plenty of time to let it all sink in on your explorations
of America.
Once your summer camp duties have been fulfilled and you've squeezed
every ounce of fun and satisfaction out of your time there, the last
thing you'll want to do is go home. So, what else is there to do in
America? And what are you going to spend that hard-earned summer camp
cash on anyway?
America is a land of infinite possibilities. Since the US has a staggering
12,000 available summer camps scattered throughout the country, you'll
have to consider which camp the launching pad for your adventures is
going to be.
A good idea is to plan your route before deciding on the camp you're
going to be working at. Remember, with your J1 visa, you'll have up
to ten whole weeks of travel time in the United States. Spend that time
wisely.
Summer camp is a great place to meet the people who actually live in
America. They know the country well so get their advice on interesting
places to visit, especially the ones that are off the usual touristy
trails. Since there are 12,000 summer camps to choose from and thousands
of possible places to visit, here are a few options to help give you
some ideas on your camp choice.
Let’s start at Route 66
Route 66 is the Great American Road Trip. “In addition
to (working at) Camp America, I got to travel from coast to coast”
says Bojan from Serbia. Many who leave camp start road trips in Chicago
and end them on the sunny beaches of the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles,
California.
Travel through a series of eight American states and the landscapes
that made the West famous. You'll literally find thousands of things
to see and do. It is highly recommended that you take your own transport.
That way you'll be able to stop in the various towns for as long as
you like. If you're familiar with motorcycles, this is the iconic bikers
dream route; there is no other.
America: Land of Theme parks
The most awe-inspiring park has got to be Six Flags Magic Mountain
in Los Angeles, California. From a New Yorker’s perspective, Gordon
Teoh says “It’s all going on, all the time”.
This is not a theme park so much as it's an extreme park, and it's
home to one jaw dropping rollercoaster – The Viper, otherwise
known as the largest looping rollercoaster in the world. But wait, the
Viper is set to lose this title to an even taller and faster opponent
with the planned unveiling of The KingDa Ka. Towering at 456 feet and
launching you screaming at over 127 MPH, America's theme parks just
keep getting bigger, faster and meaner....almost out of control. So
make sure your camp is based around the Los Angeles area if you decide
to take the plunge.
The Grand Canyon
Few people have not heard of the Grand Canyon, but not many
have seen it. This is an American classic for film locations of every
kind and for those who know, this was Airwolf's lair in the famous TV
series by the same name. The Grand Canyon is an exceptionally deep,
steep-walled canyon in the northwestern Arizona area.
“It is amazing - just like in the movies!” comments Helen
Anderson who worked at Camp Canonicus. River rafting in the Colorado
River, hiking and of course good old photography are things to do at
the Canyon. The Grand Canyon cannot be missed; it's big, it's wild and
it's absolutely amazing.
These destinations represent only a small fraction of the possibilities
of post-summer camp gap year travel. The summer camp you work at could
be anywhere in the USA, so do some research or contact one of the camp
organizers for things to do after camp. Ten weeks of America's infinite
possibilities await, so waste no time!
About The Author: Camp America (http://www.campamerica.co.uk/)
is the largest and most respected provider of staff to summer camps
in the USA. They work closely with summer camps around America and have
affiliations with a number of travel companies that can be used to plan
gap year travels in America.
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