Best educational summer destinations: North America
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There’s nothing like summer to get yourself focused and set your goals for the upcoming academic year. But it’s also the perfect time to reset, explore, and see something new. Here are some travel destinations that can help you balance a love of learning and a sense of adventure. In the second part of this series, we’re exploring educational destinations in North America.
Los Angeles, California
Southern California is a haven for education, especially when it comes to culture and art. Museum Row on the Miracle Mile will bring you the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Craft and Folk Art Museum, the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Page Museum, and the La Brea Tar Pits. You could spend a whole weekend exploring each one!
Beyond viewing art, history, and museums, Los Angeles is a great place to learn a creative skill. Musicians flock to the area, where they’re more than willing to teach others the techniques they’ve learned from top-tier schools like UCLA, Berklee, and Juilliard. While you’re in the area, schedule some time to work on your musical skills.
Toronto, Canada
Toronto is one of the most interesting and diverse cities in the world. From the moment you arrive at the airport, you’ll quickly notice how easy it is to fit in, as you see cultures from all over the world come together in one beautiful space.
Of course, one of the first places most travelers want to go is the CN Tower, Toronto’s iconic landmark that was the world’s tallest building until 2007 and its glass floor is an Instagrammable favorite. Toronto is also home to some of Ontario’s best museums including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, and the Ontario Science Center.
Puebla, Mexico
While Mexico City is bigger and Tulum is all the rage on Instagram, Puebla is one of the most iconic locations in Mexico. The gorgeous capital of Puebla state combines the modern with a glimpse into the rich cultural history that’s unique to poblanos (locals of Puebla) and the country as a whole. The best place to start your trip here is the Zocalo or city square, where you can get a feel for local life and enjoy the historic buildings and statues that surround it.
Some of the most historic buildings in the area are the churches. Most notably, Santo Domingo which houses opulent examples of Mexican Baroque, especially in the Capilla del Rosario. If you want to go even further back into the area’s history, you can visit the Amparo Museum, which houses an impressive collection of pre-Hispanic and colonial art. From there, you can take a short bus ride to one of the most fascinating sites in the area and see Tlachihualtepetl, the Great Pyramid of Cholula. It is in fact the largest pyramid in the world, but it’s uniquely hidden underneath a hill.
Route 66
If you’re more of a hands-on learner, there’s nothing more American than a classic road trip. And there’s one iconic route that will show you how different parts of the country live – Route 66. The US highway spans an amazing 3,940 km (2,448 mi). Its path takes you from California to Illinois.
Some of the most famous cities the route will take you through include charming desert cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kingman, Arizona, and Barstow, California. You’ll get a feel for life in the midwest by traveling through Tulsa, Oklahoma, Carthage, Missouri, and Pontiac, Illinois. But the two big cities at the end of each side of the route are the ones most people flock to – Santa Monica, California and Chicago, Illinois.
New York, New York
The Big Apple is at the top of the list for travelers across the US and around the globe. In just one weekend, you can walk through some of the most iconic neighborhoods in Manhattan, visit world-renowned museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and visit some of the most historic and widely-celebrated sites in the country like the Statue of Liberty.
While you’re in New York, you can learn a lot about the history of the country. Take a tour of Ellis Island, the difficult first step into the country that many of the ancestors of modern-day Americans had to take. You can also see where countries unite together with a guided tour of the United Nations Headquarters.
If traveling is your thing, then we think you’d fit in perfectly at EF Academy.