Teen Travel Blog

Traveling up country from Paia, I turned left on a street that looked like any other street. A hundred yards in was a small inconspicuous sign that read The Maui Farm.

The Maui Farm is a hidden sanctuary in all meanings of the word. The Maui Farm is As residential farm based program for families needing a new start, the Maui Farm practices sustainable horticulture while promoting healing. The programs at the Farm are based on the “Ohana” or family model where everyone takes and dynamic part in daily life on the farm. As an active farm, the property raises pigs, goats, chickens and vegetables. In addition to offering residential services for abused women and their families, the Farm offers job training, life skill courses and counseling. The Farm also provides the community with excess food that the residents cannot use.

This was ARCC’s first time visiting the Maui Farm and hopefully in the future students on our Hawaii Service trips can visit, give back and be part of the Ohana.

Thanks to California Service 1B for this great video clip!

From CAS 1B

While we always love to recommend our teen Adventures for parents to send their teens off to make a difference in the world, sometimes mom and dad could use a break too!  A family vacation benefits everyone – mom and dad have a chance for some R&R, and the kids get to be, well, kids.

Oh, the choices!  Family cruises, tropical retreats, camping adventures in the wilderness or sightseeing in old-world destinations.  The options are limitless, and with more and more resorts and destinations catering to families, you can rest assured that EVERYONE will have a great time.

If you think you just don’t have the budget for a family vacation this year, you might be surprised at some of the deals out there.  Airfare is usually the biggest cost for families taking a vacation.  As you dread typing in your airline’s URL, STOP!  Booking through a discount airfare site can save you serious dollars!   Taking a trip to the South Pacific?  Here is a great site for discounted airfare from Australia: http://cheapflightstolondon.net.au/. They specialize in flights from Australia, but there are other deals definitely worth taking a look at!  Thinking about a trip to the Caribbean?  Try http://www.cheapcaribbean.com/.  Most of their deals are packages, but you can book airfare alone.  There are the usual sites, like Travelocity and Expedia, and you will frequently see the same deals across the board with these.

Don’t always assume that ‘packages’ are the way to go.  Sometimes, a hotel will give you a great deal when you actually call them instead of booking online.  This is when you can work deals on room upgrades and extras like water activities and tours.  We know how convenient booking online is, but do yourself a favor and call, just in case!  Villas are also a great option for families on a budget, because you aren’t eating out every meal, you can often have large groups mitigating the cost, and you have lots and lots of privacy!

Just remember to do your homework!  It may take more time than just clicking the first deal on a popular site, but you can save lots of money in the end.  And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!  Include your teens in the process of choosing your destination – heck, even have them do some of that research for you!  They need something to do anyway, right?