ESCAPE UPSTATE
WITH THRILLIST
We heard #VanLife was trending, so we whipped up one helluva (CDC-approved) long weekend away in an RV for you and your chosen ones. And, since it’s been so long since you planned a trip, we did it all for you! Thrillist arranged everything from transportation and lodging (lmao it’s the same) to a once-in-a-lifetime experience that, let’s be real, you never would have thought to book yourself.
Thursdays-Sundays in June/July/August
Starts at $1,795 per person for four days and three nights, all inclusive (see what's included)
Meet your crew at the Road Bear depot in South Amboy, New Jersey, and get the keys to the kingdom (it’s a really bougie RV).
Stretch your legs at Six Circles Farm, an organic garlic farm.
Pull up to the Castel Grisch Winery, where you’ll pair local wines with organic cheeses made at a creamery just down the road.
After dinner, sit back and swap campfire stories with your Caravan and a local singer-songwriter. No need to worry about drinking and driving; you’re already home!
Get an early start and beat the crowds to an otherworldly hike past 19 waterfalls at Watkins Glen State Park.
Check out the Corning Museum of Glass then play with fire and make your own little piece of Corning history at a private workshop.
Make a new friend at the Mud Creek Bison Ranch, home to more than 200 free-range bison.
Round out the day with sunset goat yoga and barbecue dinner under the stars.
Enjoy a floating lunch down at Cayuga Lake where you’ll get a lesson in bird watching on the side.
There's no better place to flex your newfound avian knowledge than at the wine tasting to follow.
Join author of ‘Feast by Firelight’ and Food Network’s own Emma Frisch for a crash course in *elevated* campfire cooking. You’ll meet at Ithaca's famous farmers market to pick out ingredients then head back to the campground for a private cooking lesson. No baked beans here!
Learn to stargaze like a pro alongside a local astronomer.
Before you return the keys to your land yacht, lap up the wild beauty of the Rim and Gorge Trail.
Cap off your Caravan with a dip in the largest natural swimming hole in the Finger Lakes.
Mosey down the Rim and Gorge Trail, cool off in a Finger Lakes swimming hole then enjoy one final cheers from the Ithaca Beer Co.
WHEN:
COST:
CONTACT INFO:
PHONE: 866.264.5152 EMAIL: reservations@academic-travel.com
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Grab anywhere between one and five friends from your trusted "pod" and confirm your booking. You will share an RV (designate one driver) and follow the Caravan of anywhere between four to seven other RVs or map to each destination for four days of packed adventure.
BOOK NOW
THE DETAILS
HIT THE ROAD
Check In, Caravan Drive • Tour of Six Circles Organic Farm • Wine Tasting • Bonfire-side Concert
DAY 1
THURSDAY
DAY 1
THURSDAY
Hiking Watkins Glen State Park • Glass Blowing Class • Goat Yoga • Bison Ranch Overnight
HOME ON THE RANGE
DAY 2
FRIDAY
Floating Lunch • Bird Watching • Farmers Market •
Cooking Lesson • Stargazing
THE SIMPLE LIFE
DAY 3
SATURDAY
DAY 3
SATURDAY
DAY 2
FRIDAY
Trail Hiking • Swimming Holes
CHASING WATERFALLS
DAY 4
SUNDAY
DAY 4
SUNDAY
Transfers to/from the Road Bear rental site
Parking at the Road Bear Middletown, NJ rental site during the program
Travel and trip cancellation insurance (optional)
The lunch on Day 2 in Corning is "at your leisure" (not included). Any additional food/snacks/beverages you might want not specified in the itinerary
Other personal items or services such as telephone, internet charges, and laundry not specified as included
Gas to be used during the tour; vehicles to be returned with a full tank of gas
Gratuities for non-group services
Expenses incurred in making individual travel arrangements in conjunction with the tour
Optional zero-deductible insurance policy upgrade ($75 per RV)
Three-night's RV accommodations
Kitchenware, bedding, pillows, and towels for all travelers
Groceries for breakfast, snacks, and some wine and beer to be enjoyed throughout the Caravan
All tastings and meals (2L, 3D) as specified in the itinerary
All sightseeing, experiences, and entrance fees as specified in the itinerary (to include, e.g., campfire with live music, glass workshop, market tour, and campfire cooking class)
Educational program with professional on-site guides and experts
Gratuities to guides, drivers, and wait staff in restaurants during group meals
Secondary comprehensive and collision coverage and supplemental liability insurance with a deductible of $1,000 USD per incident. Insurance details provided on the Road Bear website.
The assistance of an ATA Adventure Director
The assistance of an ATA professional travel team to address pre-trip questions and travel arrangements, including flights, extra vehicle nights, and other services
Comprehensive pre-departure materials with information about the destination and what to expect on tour
Fully vetted program that meets COVID-19 health and safety protocols
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
WHAT YOU GET
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING
FAQs
Your RV will have many of the comforts of home like a stove, hot shower, and a stocked fridge, plus the option to dine inside or al fresco beneath a retractable awning. Both the standard and large vehicles have two double beds (one in the rear of the vehicle and a second above the driving cab with limited head space).
In both options, the dinette can be converted into a single bed, and in the larger RV, the sofa doubles as a sleeping space for a bonus weary traveler. Your home-on-wheels comes with linens, tableware and cookware, and of course—a coffee-maker.
Your fridge and pantry will be stocked with staples for breakfast (milk, juice, eggs, cereal, whole-wheat bread, bananas, avocados, and coffee), some snacks for the road (chips, granola bars), and a sampling of local beer and wine to enjoy in the evenings around the campfire (or whenever, you’re on vacation).
Be sure to let us know of any food allergies or dietary restrictions before we hit the road and we’ll do our best to accommodate your needs.
WHAT'S IN MY FRIDGE?
YOUR ITiNERARY
HOME SWEET HOME
ACCOMMODATIONS
Your RV will have many of the comforts of home like a stove, hot shower and a stocked fridge, plus the option to dine inside or al fresco beneath a retractable awning. Both the standard and large vehicles have one small queen-size bed at the rear of the RV and a (long) full-size sleeping space over the cab. In both options, the dinette can be converted into a single bed, and in the larger RV, the sofa doubles as a sleeping space for a bonus weary traveler. Your home-on-wheels comes with linens, tableware and cookware, and of course -- a coffee-maker.
Our number one priority is our travelers’ health and safety, and many boxes will have been checked before a trip is cleared to depart. Hospital capacity, infection trajectories, and the status of local commerce will be key factors in our decision-making process. During our trips, we’ll follow the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Protocols for Tour Operators. These protocols ensure that we will only stop at restaurants and attractions that demonstrate a strong commitment to the safety of their customers.
On our trips, we follow all state and local health requirements. As of now, travelers from outside New York (from non-contiguous states) must quarantine for three days upon arrival and then get a negative test. We will monitor this requirement as our departures approach. Even when not required by law, we’ll ask travelers to wear face masks in public places both indoors and outdoors when social distancing cannot be maintained. If any traveler shows symptoms of COVID infection while on the trip, they will be asked to separate themselves from the group until they can receive a negative test. We may also require all travelers to present a negative test at the start of the trip.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP YOU SAFE?
A NOTE ON COVID
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SELECT YOUR
WEEKEND AND
book now!
LET'S DO THIS
SEE OUR FAQS HERE
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All travel operations are provided by Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. ("ATA"), an educational group travel provider operating tours in the US and abroad for over 70 years
check out your
road map
DAY 1 THURSDAY
DAY 2 FRIDAY
DAY 3 SATURDAY
WHATS INCLUDED?
WHATS NOT INCLUDED?
BOOK NOW
BOOK NOW
Road Bear RV is the premier luxury RV rental and sales company in the USA. With seven locations across the country, and 40 years' experience, Road Bear specializes in providing quality motorhomes for both round-trip and one-way bookings.
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Road Bear RV is the premier luxury RV rental and sales company in the USA. With seven locations across the country, and 40 years' experience, Road Bear specializes in providing quality motorhomes for both round-trip and one-way bookings.
Your four-day, three-night extRaVaganza™ will take place in the Finger Lakes in Ithaca, New York, where you’ll eat and drink your way through vineyards and organic farms, and for the cherry on top (wait for it…) make your own glass souvenir at Hands-on Glass. All you have to do is fire up the group chat and wrangle your tier 1s; and an upstate escape awaits.
All travel operations are provided by Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. ("ATA"), an educational group travel provider operating tours in the US and abroad for over 70 years
Got a group? We can accommodate private parties for a full weekend. Please contact reservations@academic-travel.com for details.