Frequently Asked Questions...FAQ...FAQ...FAQ...FAQ...FAQ...FAQ...FAQ...FAQ.........
Having new experiences is always a part of our programs. This group was rafting the Nantahala River in 2024.
MindStretch Travel Adventures has been offering kid-sized adventures for decades. We know how to combine the best of travel experiences with the comforts of home to offer a trip that just about every boy can enjoy and feel comfortable participating in.
These aren't camping trips, but boys enjoy the great outdoors with plenty of opportunities to hike and explore some of the greatest natural wonders in the United States and beyond. We often base near major national parks and spend our days getting out beyond the crowds to experience some incredible sites. In the evenings we return to our motel (most with pools) to relax and unwind before having a restaurant dinner.
These aren't camping trips, but boys enjoy the great outdoors with plenty of opportunities to hike and explore some of the greatest natural wonders in the United States and beyond. We often base near major national parks and spend our days getting out beyond the crowds to experience some incredible sites. In the evenings we return to our motel (most with pools) to relax and unwind before having a restaurant dinner.
Our 2018 Europe group on the London "Eye." We've been to Europe seven times. There could be another opportunity in a couple of years.
Q. What ages are suitable for these trips?
A. Our trips are generally open to boys ages 10 or older. We can take boys as young as 9 if there are other boys attending that are that age. Occasionally there might be a couple of older boys who have been on several past trips. The older boys go as junior or senior counselors depending on their age. Many boys attend for several years, and we always have new boys on each adventure.
Q. Are these camping trips?
A. No. While we do all kinds of camping kinds of activities like hiking, rafting, horseback riding, geocaching, and more...we stay in motels and eat our dinners in sit-down restaurants. So no matter what the weather during the day, we always know we'll come back to a comfortable motel room and a nice dinner.
Q. Are these rugged wilderness adventures?
A. Nope. We do experience some of the greatest natural areas in the US and abroad but our activities are geared to be safe for anyone. We do not take risks. We do hike a lot to get out of the parking lots and into the backcountry away from the crowds, but we choose hikes that most boys can make without too much effort. Other activities are chosen with safety in mind. Basically, these are family-type "vacations" without the family.
Q. Are these camps or tours?
A. Well, it's kind of a combination. On our domestic trips (which is just about all we do) we combine travel with camp kinds of activities. So during the day we'll hike, bike, raft, tube, explore, etc. We'll also visit small towns and villages, museums, other attractions, and more. After a long day we'll head over to our motel for a swim and then go out to dinner. We usually stay in one place several days and then travel to our next destination. The every-so-often Europe trips are a bit different in that we don't do so many camp kinds of activities. We generally do what most tourists would do on a European trip, but we keep in mind that our "campers" are kids and want to spend time visiting things that will interest them and not necessarily their parents.
Q. How many boys go on each trip?
A. That varies by trip and there's no hard-set minimum or maximum. We've taken trips with as few as five boys and as many as 33. On second thought, I imagine 33 is about the maximum we could take, but generally speaking, 10-12 is a good number.
Q. Will my son fit in?
A. We do our best to see that all boys enjoy this experience and that means working with the group to see that each and every kid feels comfortable and welcomed. We do not allow bullying of any kind and boys learn before the trip begins that their fun never comes at the expense of someone else's. There's a reason that many boys return year after year and feeling good about their place in the group is one of those reasons. Occasionally older boys are partnered up as "big brothers" with the younger boys to make sure that everyone has a buddy right from the start.
Q. Do you have leadership opportunities for older boys?
A. Older boys (meaning 15-17) often want to return for a trip but aren't sure if they want to be around a bunch of younger boys. We do have leadership opportunities for boys who want this kind of experience. Older boys come with a title: usually a junior or senior counselor. These older boys are still “campers” and still pay a fee and never miss out on anything because of their elevated position. It’s mostly an honorary position and they are never placed in a role of direct responsibility of the younger boys (unless there’s some true emergency). They do help with shopping for trail lunches, help choose places to eat, help assign van seating, help with room inspection. They will get a few more privileges such as being able to go to a convenience store without an adult, staying up later (if they wish), choosing their seat in the van, etc.
The negative…we don’t have a need for a large number of junior leaders because once we have more than two or three…they become a gang. And there’s always a chance that we'll only have one boy his age. Most boys don’t want to be the oldest on the trip and others love it. That’s a personal decision.
Q. Does this mean that this trip is for everyone?
A. No it's not. Most boys do just fine and have a blast. But if your son is extremely nervous about being outdoors, or doesn't like even a modest amount of physical exertion, or if he must know ahead of time what's happening every minute of the day, every day of the trip ... then this isn't the right experience for him. But if he enjoys having new experiences every day with no two days being the same...then a MindStretch Travel Adventure could be just the thing he's been waiting for.
If your son has any bullying tendencies, even minor, we are not in a position to have him in the program. Our programs have small enrollment and just one boy can upset the entire balance. Bullying is one of those behaviors we cannot tolerate. As a private program, we have the right to exclude anyone who we feel will take away from the positive experience of the other participants including the leaders.
Q. Does my son have to do all the activities?
A. The short answer is, "no." We choose activities that most boys will enjoy with little or no previous experience necessary. But we also know that some boys just don't like heights, or rapids, or horses, etc? So boys can sit out a particular activity if it's one where we have a spare adult to watch him. Often that leader will provide another activity during the same time frame and some boys can do that.
Q. What kind of boy goes on these trips?
A. For many, it's their first multi-night trip away from home. Some of the boys have never had a desire to go to a traditional residential summer camp for a variety of reasons and choose a MTA trip as a starting place. The thought of combining outdoor adventures with the comforts of home (motels, swimming pools, restaurant meals, etc.) appeals to them more than sharing a cabin with eight boys and eating in a mess hall. Other boys have been to traditional overnight camps for one or more years and want to see a different part of the country or the world. And then there are boys who do both - they'll experience a MTA program for part of the summer and will go back to their old camp for some of the summer. So basically, boys on a MTA program are just like boys everywhere!
Q. What's to eat?
A. Unlike a residential summer camp, your son gets lots of choices. Breakfasts are either continental breakfasts that our motel/hotel might serve or we'll have breakfast in a fast-food restaurant and occasionally a sit-down restaurant. We'll go to a fast-food place for some lunches. If we have a day on the trail where finding a restaurant is out of the question, we'll have a trail lunch. This might include crackers, summer sausage, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, gorp, cookies, etc. Dinners are always in a sit-down restaurant and boys get to choose from the menu with just a few restrictions such as no caffeine after 6 PM for the younger boys. Since boys are normally choosing their own foods at all meals, special diets and requests can usually be accommodated. Leaders can help boys make good food choices if they need it or if a parent requests special attention.
Q. What's the lodging like?
A. We choose comfortable middle-of-the-line motels or hotels. For the purpose of this answer, we use motels & hotels interchangeably as we won't know which we're using until reservations are made. In any case, rooms are reasonably sized, clean, and come with the usual amenities of TV (which we hope the boys won't use), and nice bathrooms (which we hope they will use). We definitely seek out motels with swimming pools and hopefully continental breakfasts. We do not stay in resorts and boys need to know that. If they think of this as camping with a roof over their heads...they'll be happy. Rooms will usually have 2 to 3 boys sharing the space. There are times when you son might need to share a queen bed with a boy his age, but lately all of our rooms have had individual beds for each boy. It would be possible to request a single room with very definitely an additional cost. If boys are uneasy about sharing a bed it is recommended they come with a summer-weight sleeping bag with a stuff sack. They can sleep in the bag either in or on the bed and feel like they have some privacy. And back to the camping with a roof overhead bit...they actually have more space sharing a queen-sized bad than they would in a backpacking type tent.
Q. What do you use for transportation?
A. We've rented 15-passenger vans on our past domestic trips. One year we got spoiled when we chartered a motor coach. That was a one-time luxury. Of course, some trips involve flying commercial airlines to the start of our adventure. During the trips themselves boys participate in a variety of modes of transportation and these vary from trip to trip. Of course walking and hiking top the list, but we've used: trains, subways, trams, boats, canoes, rafts, tubes, kayaks, zip lines, gondolas, scooters, horses, and mountain bikes, etc. Of course in Europe we travel between cities and countries on the train.
Q. Can I bring my electronics?
A. We prefer boys leave electronics at home. We want boys to talk and interact with each other...and to enjoy the scenery. We are, however, willing to discuss a modified electronics policy if most parents want that option, We do allow phones on our trips to Europe.
Q. What's your staff-to-participant ratio?
A. We generally have one adult leader for every three or four boys. Older boys might assist as junior or senior counselors...but they are not considered in that ratio and they are never in charge of your son. The older boys are there to have a great time (most are returning for a second, third, or fourth trip) and their primary role after having fun is to help the adults if requested. Did I say, their real reason for being there is to have fun!
Q. Where do your trips go?
A. Each year we go to a different location. These usually rotate around a three- or four-year cycle. Occasionally we'll go to an entirely new itinerary. Our recent trips have been:
2024 - Maine & the North Carolina Mountains
2023 - Colorado Rockies
2022 - Europe by Eurail
2021 - Wyoming & Montana
2020 - There was no trip in 2020 because of worries over COVID-19. That was the first summer since 1978 we've not had a program.
2019 - North Carolina High Country and New England
2018 - Europe by Eurail and Virginia Highlands
2017 - North Carolina Mountains and the Colorado Rockies
2016 - West Virginia & Tennessee Mountains and Wyoming & Montana
2015 - Europe by Eurail, North Carolina Mountains and Tennessee Mountains (3 trips in 2015)
2014 - Virginia Mountains and New England (New Hampshire, Maine & Vermont)
2013 - West Virginia Mountains and Europe by Eurail
2012 - Wyoming & Montana
2011 - Colorado Rockies
2010 - Alaska & Canada
2009 - Europe by Eurail
2008 - Wyoming & Montana
2007 - Colorado Rockies
2006 - Wyoming & Montana
2005 - New England & Canada
2004 - Europe by Eurail
And our upcoming trip...
2025 will be a return to Maine. We've never gone to a destination back-to-back, but we had all new boys for our Great Smokies trip in 2024 and we knew that many of those would love Maine.
Q. How quickly do your trips fill and how far ahead can you reserve a spot?
A. That varies from trip to trip. Trips usually are officially announced a year before departure and boys start signing up then though many boys will start signing up in the fall or winter of the year before the trip. Europe trips are often filled a year or more in advance. There can always be late spring openings for any trip, so always inquire about enrollment possibilities. If a trip is full when you apply, your son can be added to the waitlist and you'll be notified if and when an opening occurs.
Q. Do you offer more than one trip each summer?
A. It varies from year to year. There has been a summer when we offered three trips, two trips for most summers has been the norm. And we've just taken one trip the past few years.
Q. Do boys ever repeat a trip?
A. Sometimes yes. We rotate destinations around so that we never go on the same adventure two years in a row. We're always looking for new activities to add to repeat destinations just because we love to shake things up. There's never a reason for a boy (or parent) to say, "Been there, done that!" That's not our philosophy at all. Many of the leaders have been to many of our favorite destinations several times and they'll agree it just gets better and better. So of course we love it when a boy repeats a trip he's been on a couple or more years before.
Q. My son lives for baseball and he's afraid he'll miss out on the big game if he goes on your trip. Any words of wisdom?
A. This does come up and and I've found it's hard to convince a boy to give up something he is passionate about even if he plays ball year round. All I can add to the conversation is to compare an average day spent at home waiting for ball practice to start or for a game to begin. Most of the time you're doing not much of anything and even in the game you do a lot of standing around (or sitting around) waiting for something to happen. During the day while he's at home waiting for ball practice, we might have hiked a challenging trail, seen some amazing wildlife, gone rafting down a river, had our own bowling tournament, gone biking on a rails-to-trail adventure, etc. I do recall years ago we had a boy who was torn between staying home so he could be in all-stars or going on our trip. The parents left this up to the boy and we didn't know if he was going to show up or not until he appeared on opening day. And I will say, he never looked back. He went on several other trips after that summer with us including one to Europe.
Q. How does our son get to us if we don't live in the Greenville, SC area?
A. Most trips leave right from Greenville but others involve an airline departure from one of our area airports and that varies depending on fares and convenience. We try to use Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) as our first choice and then Charlotte Douglas International (CLT). If you can't get your son to our chosen airport you have a couple of other options. Your son might be able to travel as an unaccompanied minor to our destination city as long as he arrives after our flight does. Or, you can fly him to our base city (again as an unaccompanied minor) and we can most likely partner him up with another boy for the night before and then he can fly with the group. Of course you can also drive him and deliver him personally to our destination city.
Q. How do parents know where we are and what we're doing?
A. Parents will have our lodging itinerary ahead of the trip. We try to post a blog late each evening after the boys have gone to bed. On this I'll recap our day and include a photo or two. I'll include a link to a complete photo gallery of the day's activities. Parents can also reach Mark by cell phone and/or email. You can see some photos from our last couple of trips with this link.
Q. How do your fees compare to other camps?
A. Our trips are on the expensive side, but compare favorably with most of the well-known and popular North Carolina private summer camps. And when you keep in mind that enrollment is generally 8-12 or so boys instead of 300, we stay in hotels instead of cabins, we eat in restaurants instead of a mess hall, and we use seasoned professional educators and parents instead of 19-20 year old college students as counselors - it all makes sense. We also have to pay outfitters for just about every activity we enjoy. So think of it as an investment and a bargain.
Q. What's your refund policy?
A. When a program is small, each participant's fee is important. A large residential camp with hundreds of campers a session can afford to have a few campers drop out. It's much harder for us to absorb the loss of even a single fee since so much of our program is planned well in advance and we'll have already paid deposits to guarantee our motel rooms, rental vans, and outfitting services in some of the most sought-after destinations both domestically and internationally. Our application states the full details, but basically that is that the original deposit is non-refundable. We do encourage parents to research trip insurance which can be purchased that can protect you in case your son has to cancel or even if he just changes his mind. Please note that in 2020 the world experienced a pandemic like we have not seen in 100 years. We canceled that trip and refunded all fees including deposits. In the future, should we have to cancel a trip for any reason out of our control, we will retain the rights to keep any funds that the program cannot get returned from various vendors. The application and the "extra notes" pages on the website for a particular trip will explain refunds in more detail.
Q. Do you offer "camperships" or any kind of financial assistance?
A. I (that's Mark, the director) do not rely on these trips as my living, but now that I'm "kind of" retired from a day-to-day job, I can't afford to lose money. I take these trips as a way of getting to see some really wonderful places. And what that means is that yes, some assistance is available to parents if they couldn't otherwise afford to send their sons. The amount of assistance will vary with the trip and depends on how many other boys need the help and how many total boys are on the trip. It also matters how late in the season you apply. (Earlier is better.) Please don't think you can't afford a MTA experience for your son. Just ask.
Q. Who serves as staff?
A. Most of the leaders are professional educators and parents. Some have been on several MTA adventures and there are usually some going for their first trip. One thing all these helpers have in common is maturity. These aren't 18-19 year old camp counselors that most camps employ. Our leaders have the life experiences and common sense that comes with maturity to make the right decisions to make sure your son has a safe and enjoyable time. Leaders are volunteers and are not paid employees and are often paying some or all of their own expenses.
Q. What's your safety record?
A. In one word, enviable! Certainly accidents can and do happen. But with seasoned adults picking and choosing the activities and accompanying each activity - these are minimized. The number of times we've had to take a boy to a doctor or hospital in over 40 years of trips is under ten. We've taken two boys to see a doctor (two separate incidents) after having a bicycle accident back when we rode bikes on roads. We were being cautious with one boy in case he had a concussion (he didn't) and the other boy had a cut that did take some stitches. We no longer do road biking and any biking we do is usually on packed trails (rails-to-trails) on mountain bikes. We've taken one boy in for a stitch in the back of his head where he got hit by a rock thrown by a camper (the camper didn't mean to hit the boy, of course)...and those are our "major" injuries. In Europe in 1981 we had a boy twist his ankle and we took him to see a doctor. It was just a sprain and an Ace bandage was the cure. More recently, we've taken a couple of boys in to see a doctor when they've complained of aches and pains. One boy checked out okay (it was mostly homesickness) and the other had a touch of constipation and the doctor sent him on with a prescription. And that's it. The director has had Red Cross first aid training including basic and advanced and wilderness first aid training. As with all first aid courses, the first thing we would do in a real emergency is call 911. Please keep in mind that we aren't camping in the wilderness. We're in towns and cities and all have medical facilities nearby and in most cases our cell phones will have a signal.
Q. Is MTA associated with a school, church, or other organization?
A. MindStretch Travel Adventures, LLC is completely independent and is not associated with any organization.There is no official or unofficial association with any school or other organization. Boys generally come from several schools and often from a couple of states or more.
Q. Why no girls?
A. Well, it's just easier having all boys or all girls. It's fun for "boys to be boys" every so often and not have to worry about impressing the girls. A former colleague runs an excellent program for girls that I recommend: Compass Rose - Travel & Adventure for Girls. Check them out.
Click to check the "How a Day Unfolds" page for more info on how a day might look.
Got more questions? Email Mark at c[email protected] or go to the contact page on this website.
A. Our trips are generally open to boys ages 10 or older. We can take boys as young as 9 if there are other boys attending that are that age. Occasionally there might be a couple of older boys who have been on several past trips. The older boys go as junior or senior counselors depending on their age. Many boys attend for several years, and we always have new boys on each adventure.
Q. Are these camping trips?
A. No. While we do all kinds of camping kinds of activities like hiking, rafting, horseback riding, geocaching, and more...we stay in motels and eat our dinners in sit-down restaurants. So no matter what the weather during the day, we always know we'll come back to a comfortable motel room and a nice dinner.
Q. Are these rugged wilderness adventures?
A. Nope. We do experience some of the greatest natural areas in the US and abroad but our activities are geared to be safe for anyone. We do not take risks. We do hike a lot to get out of the parking lots and into the backcountry away from the crowds, but we choose hikes that most boys can make without too much effort. Other activities are chosen with safety in mind. Basically, these are family-type "vacations" without the family.
Q. Are these camps or tours?
A. Well, it's kind of a combination. On our domestic trips (which is just about all we do) we combine travel with camp kinds of activities. So during the day we'll hike, bike, raft, tube, explore, etc. We'll also visit small towns and villages, museums, other attractions, and more. After a long day we'll head over to our motel for a swim and then go out to dinner. We usually stay in one place several days and then travel to our next destination. The every-so-often Europe trips are a bit different in that we don't do so many camp kinds of activities. We generally do what most tourists would do on a European trip, but we keep in mind that our "campers" are kids and want to spend time visiting things that will interest them and not necessarily their parents.
Q. How many boys go on each trip?
A. That varies by trip and there's no hard-set minimum or maximum. We've taken trips with as few as five boys and as many as 33. On second thought, I imagine 33 is about the maximum we could take, but generally speaking, 10-12 is a good number.
Q. Will my son fit in?
A. We do our best to see that all boys enjoy this experience and that means working with the group to see that each and every kid feels comfortable and welcomed. We do not allow bullying of any kind and boys learn before the trip begins that their fun never comes at the expense of someone else's. There's a reason that many boys return year after year and feeling good about their place in the group is one of those reasons. Occasionally older boys are partnered up as "big brothers" with the younger boys to make sure that everyone has a buddy right from the start.
Q. Do you have leadership opportunities for older boys?
A. Older boys (meaning 15-17) often want to return for a trip but aren't sure if they want to be around a bunch of younger boys. We do have leadership opportunities for boys who want this kind of experience. Older boys come with a title: usually a junior or senior counselor. These older boys are still “campers” and still pay a fee and never miss out on anything because of their elevated position. It’s mostly an honorary position and they are never placed in a role of direct responsibility of the younger boys (unless there’s some true emergency). They do help with shopping for trail lunches, help choose places to eat, help assign van seating, help with room inspection. They will get a few more privileges such as being able to go to a convenience store without an adult, staying up later (if they wish), choosing their seat in the van, etc.
The negative…we don’t have a need for a large number of junior leaders because once we have more than two or three…they become a gang. And there’s always a chance that we'll only have one boy his age. Most boys don’t want to be the oldest on the trip and others love it. That’s a personal decision.
Q. Does this mean that this trip is for everyone?
A. No it's not. Most boys do just fine and have a blast. But if your son is extremely nervous about being outdoors, or doesn't like even a modest amount of physical exertion, or if he must know ahead of time what's happening every minute of the day, every day of the trip ... then this isn't the right experience for him. But if he enjoys having new experiences every day with no two days being the same...then a MindStretch Travel Adventure could be just the thing he's been waiting for.
If your son has any bullying tendencies, even minor, we are not in a position to have him in the program. Our programs have small enrollment and just one boy can upset the entire balance. Bullying is one of those behaviors we cannot tolerate. As a private program, we have the right to exclude anyone who we feel will take away from the positive experience of the other participants including the leaders.
Q. Does my son have to do all the activities?
A. The short answer is, "no." We choose activities that most boys will enjoy with little or no previous experience necessary. But we also know that some boys just don't like heights, or rapids, or horses, etc? So boys can sit out a particular activity if it's one where we have a spare adult to watch him. Often that leader will provide another activity during the same time frame and some boys can do that.
Q. What kind of boy goes on these trips?
A. For many, it's their first multi-night trip away from home. Some of the boys have never had a desire to go to a traditional residential summer camp for a variety of reasons and choose a MTA trip as a starting place. The thought of combining outdoor adventures with the comforts of home (motels, swimming pools, restaurant meals, etc.) appeals to them more than sharing a cabin with eight boys and eating in a mess hall. Other boys have been to traditional overnight camps for one or more years and want to see a different part of the country or the world. And then there are boys who do both - they'll experience a MTA program for part of the summer and will go back to their old camp for some of the summer. So basically, boys on a MTA program are just like boys everywhere!
Q. What's to eat?
A. Unlike a residential summer camp, your son gets lots of choices. Breakfasts are either continental breakfasts that our motel/hotel might serve or we'll have breakfast in a fast-food restaurant and occasionally a sit-down restaurant. We'll go to a fast-food place for some lunches. If we have a day on the trail where finding a restaurant is out of the question, we'll have a trail lunch. This might include crackers, summer sausage, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, gorp, cookies, etc. Dinners are always in a sit-down restaurant and boys get to choose from the menu with just a few restrictions such as no caffeine after 6 PM for the younger boys. Since boys are normally choosing their own foods at all meals, special diets and requests can usually be accommodated. Leaders can help boys make good food choices if they need it or if a parent requests special attention.
Q. What's the lodging like?
A. We choose comfortable middle-of-the-line motels or hotels. For the purpose of this answer, we use motels & hotels interchangeably as we won't know which we're using until reservations are made. In any case, rooms are reasonably sized, clean, and come with the usual amenities of TV (which we hope the boys won't use), and nice bathrooms (which we hope they will use). We definitely seek out motels with swimming pools and hopefully continental breakfasts. We do not stay in resorts and boys need to know that. If they think of this as camping with a roof over their heads...they'll be happy. Rooms will usually have 2 to 3 boys sharing the space. There are times when you son might need to share a queen bed with a boy his age, but lately all of our rooms have had individual beds for each boy. It would be possible to request a single room with very definitely an additional cost. If boys are uneasy about sharing a bed it is recommended they come with a summer-weight sleeping bag with a stuff sack. They can sleep in the bag either in or on the bed and feel like they have some privacy. And back to the camping with a roof overhead bit...they actually have more space sharing a queen-sized bad than they would in a backpacking type tent.
Q. What do you use for transportation?
A. We've rented 15-passenger vans on our past domestic trips. One year we got spoiled when we chartered a motor coach. That was a one-time luxury. Of course, some trips involve flying commercial airlines to the start of our adventure. During the trips themselves boys participate in a variety of modes of transportation and these vary from trip to trip. Of course walking and hiking top the list, but we've used: trains, subways, trams, boats, canoes, rafts, tubes, kayaks, zip lines, gondolas, scooters, horses, and mountain bikes, etc. Of course in Europe we travel between cities and countries on the train.
Q. Can I bring my electronics?
A. We prefer boys leave electronics at home. We want boys to talk and interact with each other...and to enjoy the scenery. We are, however, willing to discuss a modified electronics policy if most parents want that option, We do allow phones on our trips to Europe.
Q. What's your staff-to-participant ratio?
A. We generally have one adult leader for every three or four boys. Older boys might assist as junior or senior counselors...but they are not considered in that ratio and they are never in charge of your son. The older boys are there to have a great time (most are returning for a second, third, or fourth trip) and their primary role after having fun is to help the adults if requested. Did I say, their real reason for being there is to have fun!
Q. Where do your trips go?
A. Each year we go to a different location. These usually rotate around a three- or four-year cycle. Occasionally we'll go to an entirely new itinerary. Our recent trips have been:
2024 - Maine & the North Carolina Mountains
2023 - Colorado Rockies
2022 - Europe by Eurail
2021 - Wyoming & Montana
2020 - There was no trip in 2020 because of worries over COVID-19. That was the first summer since 1978 we've not had a program.
2019 - North Carolina High Country and New England
2018 - Europe by Eurail and Virginia Highlands
2017 - North Carolina Mountains and the Colorado Rockies
2016 - West Virginia & Tennessee Mountains and Wyoming & Montana
2015 - Europe by Eurail, North Carolina Mountains and Tennessee Mountains (3 trips in 2015)
2014 - Virginia Mountains and New England (New Hampshire, Maine & Vermont)
2013 - West Virginia Mountains and Europe by Eurail
2012 - Wyoming & Montana
2011 - Colorado Rockies
2010 - Alaska & Canada
2009 - Europe by Eurail
2008 - Wyoming & Montana
2007 - Colorado Rockies
2006 - Wyoming & Montana
2005 - New England & Canada
2004 - Europe by Eurail
And our upcoming trip...
2025 will be a return to Maine. We've never gone to a destination back-to-back, but we had all new boys for our Great Smokies trip in 2024 and we knew that many of those would love Maine.
Q. How quickly do your trips fill and how far ahead can you reserve a spot?
A. That varies from trip to trip. Trips usually are officially announced a year before departure and boys start signing up then though many boys will start signing up in the fall or winter of the year before the trip. Europe trips are often filled a year or more in advance. There can always be late spring openings for any trip, so always inquire about enrollment possibilities. If a trip is full when you apply, your son can be added to the waitlist and you'll be notified if and when an opening occurs.
Q. Do you offer more than one trip each summer?
A. It varies from year to year. There has been a summer when we offered three trips, two trips for most summers has been the norm. And we've just taken one trip the past few years.
Q. Do boys ever repeat a trip?
A. Sometimes yes. We rotate destinations around so that we never go on the same adventure two years in a row. We're always looking for new activities to add to repeat destinations just because we love to shake things up. There's never a reason for a boy (or parent) to say, "Been there, done that!" That's not our philosophy at all. Many of the leaders have been to many of our favorite destinations several times and they'll agree it just gets better and better. So of course we love it when a boy repeats a trip he's been on a couple or more years before.
Q. My son lives for baseball and he's afraid he'll miss out on the big game if he goes on your trip. Any words of wisdom?
A. This does come up and and I've found it's hard to convince a boy to give up something he is passionate about even if he plays ball year round. All I can add to the conversation is to compare an average day spent at home waiting for ball practice to start or for a game to begin. Most of the time you're doing not much of anything and even in the game you do a lot of standing around (or sitting around) waiting for something to happen. During the day while he's at home waiting for ball practice, we might have hiked a challenging trail, seen some amazing wildlife, gone rafting down a river, had our own bowling tournament, gone biking on a rails-to-trail adventure, etc. I do recall years ago we had a boy who was torn between staying home so he could be in all-stars or going on our trip. The parents left this up to the boy and we didn't know if he was going to show up or not until he appeared on opening day. And I will say, he never looked back. He went on several other trips after that summer with us including one to Europe.
Q. How does our son get to us if we don't live in the Greenville, SC area?
A. Most trips leave right from Greenville but others involve an airline departure from one of our area airports and that varies depending on fares and convenience. We try to use Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) as our first choice and then Charlotte Douglas International (CLT). If you can't get your son to our chosen airport you have a couple of other options. Your son might be able to travel as an unaccompanied minor to our destination city as long as he arrives after our flight does. Or, you can fly him to our base city (again as an unaccompanied minor) and we can most likely partner him up with another boy for the night before and then he can fly with the group. Of course you can also drive him and deliver him personally to our destination city.
Q. How do parents know where we are and what we're doing?
A. Parents will have our lodging itinerary ahead of the trip. We try to post a blog late each evening after the boys have gone to bed. On this I'll recap our day and include a photo or two. I'll include a link to a complete photo gallery of the day's activities. Parents can also reach Mark by cell phone and/or email. You can see some photos from our last couple of trips with this link.
Q. How do your fees compare to other camps?
A. Our trips are on the expensive side, but compare favorably with most of the well-known and popular North Carolina private summer camps. And when you keep in mind that enrollment is generally 8-12 or so boys instead of 300, we stay in hotels instead of cabins, we eat in restaurants instead of a mess hall, and we use seasoned professional educators and parents instead of 19-20 year old college students as counselors - it all makes sense. We also have to pay outfitters for just about every activity we enjoy. So think of it as an investment and a bargain.
Q. What's your refund policy?
A. When a program is small, each participant's fee is important. A large residential camp with hundreds of campers a session can afford to have a few campers drop out. It's much harder for us to absorb the loss of even a single fee since so much of our program is planned well in advance and we'll have already paid deposits to guarantee our motel rooms, rental vans, and outfitting services in some of the most sought-after destinations both domestically and internationally. Our application states the full details, but basically that is that the original deposit is non-refundable. We do encourage parents to research trip insurance which can be purchased that can protect you in case your son has to cancel or even if he just changes his mind. Please note that in 2020 the world experienced a pandemic like we have not seen in 100 years. We canceled that trip and refunded all fees including deposits. In the future, should we have to cancel a trip for any reason out of our control, we will retain the rights to keep any funds that the program cannot get returned from various vendors. The application and the "extra notes" pages on the website for a particular trip will explain refunds in more detail.
Q. Do you offer "camperships" or any kind of financial assistance?
A. I (that's Mark, the director) do not rely on these trips as my living, but now that I'm "kind of" retired from a day-to-day job, I can't afford to lose money. I take these trips as a way of getting to see some really wonderful places. And what that means is that yes, some assistance is available to parents if they couldn't otherwise afford to send their sons. The amount of assistance will vary with the trip and depends on how many other boys need the help and how many total boys are on the trip. It also matters how late in the season you apply. (Earlier is better.) Please don't think you can't afford a MTA experience for your son. Just ask.
Q. Who serves as staff?
A. Most of the leaders are professional educators and parents. Some have been on several MTA adventures and there are usually some going for their first trip. One thing all these helpers have in common is maturity. These aren't 18-19 year old camp counselors that most camps employ. Our leaders have the life experiences and common sense that comes with maturity to make the right decisions to make sure your son has a safe and enjoyable time. Leaders are volunteers and are not paid employees and are often paying some or all of their own expenses.
Q. What's your safety record?
A. In one word, enviable! Certainly accidents can and do happen. But with seasoned adults picking and choosing the activities and accompanying each activity - these are minimized. The number of times we've had to take a boy to a doctor or hospital in over 40 years of trips is under ten. We've taken two boys to see a doctor (two separate incidents) after having a bicycle accident back when we rode bikes on roads. We were being cautious with one boy in case he had a concussion (he didn't) and the other boy had a cut that did take some stitches. We no longer do road biking and any biking we do is usually on packed trails (rails-to-trails) on mountain bikes. We've taken one boy in for a stitch in the back of his head where he got hit by a rock thrown by a camper (the camper didn't mean to hit the boy, of course)...and those are our "major" injuries. In Europe in 1981 we had a boy twist his ankle and we took him to see a doctor. It was just a sprain and an Ace bandage was the cure. More recently, we've taken a couple of boys in to see a doctor when they've complained of aches and pains. One boy checked out okay (it was mostly homesickness) and the other had a touch of constipation and the doctor sent him on with a prescription. And that's it. The director has had Red Cross first aid training including basic and advanced and wilderness first aid training. As with all first aid courses, the first thing we would do in a real emergency is call 911. Please keep in mind that we aren't camping in the wilderness. We're in towns and cities and all have medical facilities nearby and in most cases our cell phones will have a signal.
Q. Is MTA associated with a school, church, or other organization?
A. MindStretch Travel Adventures, LLC is completely independent and is not associated with any organization.There is no official or unofficial association with any school or other organization. Boys generally come from several schools and often from a couple of states or more.
Q. Why no girls?
A. Well, it's just easier having all boys or all girls. It's fun for "boys to be boys" every so often and not have to worry about impressing the girls. A former colleague runs an excellent program for girls that I recommend: Compass Rose - Travel & Adventure for Girls. Check them out.
Click to check the "How a Day Unfolds" page for more info on how a day might look.
Got more questions? Email Mark at c[email protected] or go to the contact page on this website.
Boys cheer on some of their friends as they zip through the summer bobsled event in Innsbruck, Austria in 2022.