Sometimes the last place you want to go is to the beach with what seems like everyone else on the planet. Sometimes the big city is exactly what you want to escape from. Theme parks are crowded and expensive, where half your visit is spent standing in line waiting. What if you crave somewhere to marvel at the world again? Adventure Student Travel has the perfect solution for your perfect getaway: Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding territory. Free from trends, claustrophobia, and social interaction, this exciting Tennessee retreat is top grade for student groups on the prowl for quality of life.
Once you arrive, you’re immediately met with the sense that you’ve been missing out your entire life. The Smokies are notorious for gem mining, and nothing becomes more addicting than pulling unblemished rubies and sapphires from the earth. Other treasures could be amethysts, gold, topaz, citrine, emeralds and more! If your team would prefer more of a guaranteed activity, get a taste of mountain farming life at Noah “Bud” Ogle’s Cabin. This homestead is the epitome of Appalachian culture prior to 1910, and showcases a four-pen barn built from hewn logs, the tub mill nearby LeConte Creek, and the cabin itself, which was constructed by the first Euro-American settlers in the area. For views of the countryside without the chance of a bear encounter, board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, which departs from Bryson City. When you’re ready to navigate for yourselves, choose to venture by horseback riding, bike riding, snow skiing, rafting, rock climbing, kayaking, boating or canoeing! This is the perfect opportunity for a waterside picnic with your travel mates! Submerge yourselves in the culture of the mountains by taking in a re-created Oconaluftee Indian Village; harvest your own vegetables, berries, and flowers, or participate in antique shopping for folk-art and crafts. With more than 15 waterfalls to discover, 13 hiking trails and chow from around America, these spectacular mountains earn our vote as “Top Student Retreat”!
