Popular Teen Adventure 'Grand Western Tour' Doubles Its Capacity for Summer 2025
The San Diego Zoo is one of the many stops along the tour.
Iconic Cross-Country Teen Tour Continues to Shape Young Lives After Six Decades
For more than 60 years, teenagers have been boarding our buses as strangers and disembarking as lifelong friends.”
GREENSBORO, NC, UNITED STATES, August 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A time-honored tradition is gaining new relevance in an era where genuine connections are increasingly rare. The Grand Western Tour, a 33-day cross-country adventure for high schoolers aged 14-16, has announced the addition of a second summer session in 2025. This legendary teen tour has been a rite of passage for over six decades, fostering personal growth, independence, and lifelong friendships among generations of students.— Mary Hale
"For more than 60 years, teenagers have been boarding our buses as strangers and disembarking as lifelong friends," said Mary Hale, owner and 1981 alumna of Grand Western Tour. "In a world dominated by screens and social media, more parents are seeking experiences that offer their teens real-world connections. Adding a second session allows us to meet this growing need while maintaining the intimate, transformative experience that has been our hallmark since 1964."
The Grand Western Tour takes high school students on the adventure of a lifetime as they traverse 10,000 miles across America in a deluxe motor coach, exploring national parks, iconic cities, and historical landmarks over a 5-week period. Teens are given the chance to navigate new situations, manage their own schedules and budgets, and solve real-world problems, all under the guidance of experienced mentors.
"We sent our daughter on the tour hoping she'd make some friends and see a bit of the country," shares Alexa Pack, whose daughter, Mary Soutter, just went on the 2024 tour. "She came back with so much more: a newfound sense of confidence, a deep appreciation for America's diversity, and friendships that I know will last a lifetime. It was a transformative experience for her."
Adding a second tour session doubles the opportunity for teens to participate in this life-changing experience, increasing capacity from 50 to 100 students each summer. However, the tour maintains its commitment to small group dynamics, ensuring each participant receives individual attention and the opportunity to form close bonds with fellow travelers.
As the Grand Western Tour celebrates its 60th anniversary, its expansion reflects not only its enduring popularity but a growing recognition among parents and educators of the vital role experiential learning and real-world connections play in preparing teenagers for the challenges of adulthood.
Enrollment is now open for 2025 session 2, June 22 - July 25, 2025. New enrollees must be 14-16 years old on the date the trip departs. The cost of the tour is $10,550 per person. For more information on the Grand Western Tour, visit our website.
About Grand Western Tour:
Established in 1964, The Grand Western Tour is the original and longest-running teen travel tour in America. Based in Greensboro, NC, the tour is owned and operated by 1981 alum Mary Barnett Hale and her husband Scott and has earned the reputation as one of the most popular summer teen tours in the southeast. This exhilarating 33-day road trip traverses 18 states, 22+ cities, and 8 iconic national parks across the U.S., opening the eyes and hearts of high schoolers to breathtaking landscapes and a rich tapestry of cultures. The tour's carefully structured independence allows teens to build self-reliance and confidence, key attributes for success in college and beyond. Moreover, the intimate group setting cultivates deep friendships that last a lifetime, creating a supportive network of fellow adventurers.
Mary Hale
The Grand Western Tour
+1 336-317-7793
mary@grandwesterntour.com
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America's most loved summer teen tour!
