Roll Call: The Best Places to Homeschool This Fall
Hiking at Ladder Creek Ranch, Truth or Consequences, NM.
It’s hard to argue that travel isn’t educational. As parents across the country face a fall working triple time balancing day jobs, responsibilities as parents, and now homeschool teachers, some are opting to make the most of the time to take a “semester abroad.”
From adventures in National Parks and immersive language experiences, to history lessons where no textbook is required, take advantage of e-learning with enriching opportunities to discover new places, meet the people that live there, and benefit from hands-on, living classrooms.
Some of our favorite destinations are stepping up in creative ways to make homeschooling a bit easier for parents—many offering dedicated “Homeschool Coordinators” to manage students’ throughout the week. Check out the opportunities below and contact us to start planning!
Ladder Ranch
Truth or Consequences, NM
Family Offer:
Learn about conservation, land management, and ecology with Ladder Ranch’s on-property biologists.
From trekking through an abandoned mining town to scouting for diverse wildlife, Ladder has an activity for everyone. Create your own journey and discover the depths of Ladder’s natural environment. Wandering creek canyons and endless mountain ranges await or take an unparalleled walk through history. Inhabited by humans dating back to prehistoric times, Ladder features ancient cultural heritage sites. Visit abandoned adobe ruins, pit houses, charcoal kilns and other encampments surrounded by beautiful scenery and diverse wildlife. Or if you're an active adventurer, explore the ranch hiking, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, or on a bison roundup.
Hiking at Ladder Ranch.
Villas at Hotel Esencia
Xpu-Hua, Tulum, Mexico
Family Offer:
Book 7-nights in one of the 2 or 3 bedroom villas with Leslie Swanson Travel and receive a dedicated Home School Coordinator up to 6 hours per day and a $500 spa credit!
Hotel Esencia, once the beachside villa of an Italian duchess, is set on a secluded, 50-acre estate of lush gardens on pristine Xpu-ha Beach. This delightful Mayan Riviera refuge has five rooms, three villas, 37 suites, an organic spa, and three simple yet sophisticated restaurants that draw from Mexico’s eclectic regional cuisines. Suites feature high ceilings and generous views of tropical gardens or the sea; several have plunge pools and a terrace or balcony, and the duplex villas provide an extra level of privacy. Master Suites and the main house’s salon feature midcentury collectibles from Le Corbusier, Perriand, and Picasso.
Ginger Bread Cottage
Shelter Island, New York
Family Offer:
Monthly stays including private chef, full-service housekeeping, and dedicated coordinator “buddy” to help kids with online learning…and how best to experience the region.
An impeccably restored and charming Victorian summer cottage originally built in 1876 and located in the heart of historic Shelter Island Heights, Gingerbread Cottage is a five bedroom, four bathroom home that is fully furnished and beautifully appointed. With over 3,300 square feet of living space to spread out, this is the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. The property features a wrap around porch with outdoor living and dining areas in a private setting behind a mature hedge. Perfectly situated amidst the best of Shelter Island, you can walk or bike to beaches, shops, the public golf course and Mashomack Preserve.
When the mood strikes and you are ready to venture out, you are only a few minutes walk from the conveniently located Heights shops, restaurants, hardware stores, yoga, pilates, and nearby golf course. The Shelter Island Heights Association tennis courts are directly across the street, and the beach club is a three minute walk away.
Sopris House
Crested Butte, Colorado
Family Offer:
Monthly stays including private chef, full-service housekeeping, and dedicated coordinator “buddy” to help kids with online learning…and how best to experience the region.
Sopris House is full of history and character, just like the town of Crested Butte. The original 1882 building infamously became the Spritzer Bar, a saloon bought by Martin Spritzer in 1924 and operated by Slovenian immigrants. The intimate, four-bedroom home still has its original tin ceiling and mountain town touches like a massive buffalo head in the dining room and a private saloon. If you need an outdoor fix, Crested Butte is the place to get it. Considered a mountain biking mecca, the area boasts the largest single track system in the U.S. Hike or bike through alpine meadows carpeted in technicolor blooms or forested trails canopied in autumnal gold. There’s no itinerary. Choose your own adventure, from float trips where you’ll angle for rainbow trout, to afternoons rock climbing the high granite cliffs of the Taylor Canyon.
Caldera House
Jackson Hole, WY
Family Offer:
25% off stays of 7 nights or more.
Located in the heart of Teton Village with Jackson Hole’s peaks as backdrop, this boutique retreat features just eight two- and four-bedroom suites with their own chef’s kitchen and dining room – although you’ll likely fill up on Italian comfort food at Old Yellowstone Garage. The terrace’s infinity-edge pool and hot tub call after a day on the slopes; spa therapists use cutting-edge technology to keep skin nourished in the alpine air. Crafted experiences range from heli-hiking in Grand Teton National Park to horse whispering at a nearby ranch.
Evenings by the lake.
Fishing at Prairie Oaks.
Prairie Oaks Ranch
Bowie, TX
Family Offer:
Go fossil hunting through the ranch’s deep ravines with the experts. Through hands-on learning and guidance, discover the stories of the prehistoric critters and dinosaurs that once roamed the region.
Historic Prairie Oaks Ranch was once home to Sauropod Dinosaurs, American Bison rangeland, Comanche hunting parties, and even a way station along the famed Chisolm Trail.
Today, Blackjack Oak forests, wild plum, blackberry thickets and native grasses continue to thrive through extensive conservation efforts. White tail deer, bobcats, coyotes, beavers and bald eagles, among many other species of birds, fish and game now make their home at Prairie Oaks Ranch.
Activities range from golf on the property’s private 9-hole course, to enjoying over 50 acres of lakes, hiking, jogging, archery, biking, riflery, shooting, bird watching, and fossil hunting!