American Trails West: Skyblazer Program Overview & Recommendation

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Choice Camps Recommendation of American Trails West: Skyblazer

Founded in 1965, American Trails West (ATW) has been a perennial leader and innovator in the field of worldwide student travel. Known for premier accommodations, great food, and experienced staff, ATW tours appeal to students throughout the United States and abroad. Each trip offers a unique blend of adventure, sight-seeing, and entertainment. With decades of scheduling experience, each adventure is meticulously paced to give students the opportunity to enjoy every minute of their summer.

Spending a summer with American Trails West gives travelers the opportunity to discover new places while making friends from around the world. Although many teenagers come on their own, few leave without lifelong bonds and connections formed on the road. Complimented by a dedicated and mature staff, American Trails West is one of the safest and most reliable tour operators in the world. To see the world at its best, choose American Trails West.

Trip Description

10 Days in Big Sky Country
Your teen tour jets to Denver, and continues on to the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore, Shoshone River raft trip, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Enjoy Montana's natural beauty before heading north to Canada.

9 Days in the Canadian Rockies
& the Pacific Northwest
Journey to Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise and to the glaciers in Jasper National Park. City excitement of Vancouver leads to snow skiing in Whistler. Seattle welcomes you back to the U.S.

6 Days in The Colorful Southwest
Jet to our Scottsdale luxury resort, then marvel at the awesome Grand Canyon. Take a Pink Jeep trip through red rock country before entering Las Vegas on the colorful neon-lit “strip”.

5 Days in Sunny Southern California
Enjoy the excitement of Los Angeles and the UCLA campus. We’ll go to surfing school before we experience resort luxury in Palm Springs.

4 Days of Pacific Cruising Luxury
Four days of fun at sea! Ocean-view cabins, unlimited meals, the works! Snorkel around CATALINA ISLAND with its awesome white sand beaches. ENSENADA next stop...beautiful Baja Mexico. Great daytime activities and spectacular shows and a fabulous Teen Dance Club at night!

6 Days in Northern California Splendor
Jet to our Lake Tahoe lakefront resort for awesome waterskiing and more. Finally, San Francisco is a fabulous end to your teen tour adventure!

Staff Overview

Each American Trails West trip is supervised by an experienced director returning for another summer of leadership. All trip leaders have worked as a staff member on a previous trip prior to becoming a director. These directors and their specially-selected staff members—all college graduates over the age of 21—offer youthful participation in all facets of the ATW program.

Every staff member takes part in ongoing training sessions at the American Trails West office over the winter months. In the spring, these culminate in a five-day orientation program of workshops, seminars, and hands-on training. AWT boasts a large number of past campers who return as staff members each year.

Setting & Accommodations

ATW itineraries feature a combination of camping, dorm, and hotel stays.

ATW’s “Five-Star Camping” is highlighted by select national park and private campgrounds, custom-designed walk-in cabin tents, comfortable cots with mattresses, three delicious and nutritious meals each day (plus snacks), and meticulous year-round maintenance of all camping equipment. Each trip travels with everything it needs so campers never have to depend on equipment used by the general public.

Whether it’s shooting hoops on a college campus, playing tennis at a popular resort, or working out in the state-of-the-art fitness center at a mountain resort, American Trails West campers enjoy the finest accommodations and facilities. All dorms, hotels, and resorts are chosen for security, comfort, and outstanding facilities. Every camper sleeps in an individual bed each night. Campers eat at popular restaurants with no restrictions on the amount of food they can order.

Safety Standards

The senior staff members of each ATW trip are certified in CPR and first aid. Over the years, American Trails West has developed a wide network of doctors, hospitals, and 24-hour emergency facilities in every part of the country, to whom the staff turns should medical attention be necessary. A sick traveler is accompanied by an ATW staff member at all times, and parents are always contacted when a traveler sees a doctor.

Throughout the summer, ATW also maintains a Trip Communication Center where trips are monitored by the company’s executive staff. The center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to field calls from parents, trip leaders, and travelers.

American Trails West: Skyblazer Session Dates

Session Name	Dates	Ages	Tuition
Session One	7/1/10-8/9/10	15-17	$9,095
Session Two	7/3/10-8/11/10	15-17	$9,095
Session Three	7/6/10-8/14/10	15-17	$9,095

Trip Overview

Program Overview

Theme: Teen Tours
This Trip has Multiple Themes:
- Hiking and Backpacking
- Sailing and SCUBA
Trip Gender: Co-ed
Group Size : 45
Camper-to-Counselor Ratio: 7:1
Religious Affiliation: None