American Trails West: Western Skies Program Overview & Recommendation

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Choice Camps Recommendation of American Trails West: Western Skies

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

American Trails West: Western Skies trip highlights include:

6 Days in the Pacific Northwest
Your teen tour jets to Seattle, then on to Whistler Resort for summer snow skiing and the city excitement of Vancouver.

6 Days in Northern California Splendor
Jet to our deluxe Lake Tahoe beachfront resort. After a great whitewater raft trip, continue on to the world-class city excitement of San Francisco.

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!

5 Days in Sunny Southern California
Enjoy the fun of San Diego, including surfing lessons! Finally, the excitement of Los Angeles and the UCLA campus end our fabulous 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

American Trails West’s fantastic hotels and resorts and their great college dorms are personally selected for their location and facilities. In selecting a hotel or resort location, or in choosing a great college dorm, their primary concern is for the safety and convenience of their travelers. Their preferred choices are those based on central location as well as safe, supervised surroundings. Enjoy the luxury of Marriotts, Sheratons, Crowne Plazas, Embassy Suites and more. Every camper sleeps in an individual bed each night. 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, American Trails West campers enjoy the finest accommodations and facilities.

Complete breakfasts, full lunches and delicious dinners, with a wide and varied menu, are provided daily. 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.