Oh No! Summer Camp's Over. . . So Now What? 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!

Author:
Gregory Hudson

About the Author:
Camp America (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.