Teens seeking independence to get around Thurston County and parents tired of playing chauffeur rejoice – Intercity Transit’s Summer Youth Pass returns this summer. The pass will make it a breeze for teens to get to many destinations on their own, making summer a blast. They are encouraged to share a photo and short description of their summer adventures to be entered into a drawing to win movie tickets or one of 10 one-hour passes to Playlive Nation in the Capitol Mall! Entering is easy. All they need to do is share their adventures by tagging Intercity Transit in their post and use #ITSummerAdventures by August 9.
Jaena, a local high school student and Intercity Transit rider, used her Summer Youth Pass to visit Long Lake, downtown Olympia, Capitol Lakefair and Tumwater Falls. “It’s convenient and there is air conditioning on the bus,” she says, “The OneBusAway app is great!” She plans to use her pass to go hiking around The Evergreen State College and adventure to Point Defiance (fare on Pierce Transit not included in Summer Youth Pass) and beyond. Jaena also says she’s glad that she doesn’t have to wait for her parents to take her places.
Ally McPherson of Intercity Transit shares a few more options below for teens to have some summer fun, all just a bus ride away.
Capital Mall and Century Theaters in Olympia
With four routes to the Capital Mall, the bus takes teens to a great place to hang out in air conditioned comfort all summer long, says McPherson. Watch a movie at Century Theaters. Hang out and play games at Playlive Nation. Enjoy a bubble tea from Braganza Tea or an Italian Soda from Miss Moffett’s Comfort Kitchen with friends. The mall has stores for everyone: clothing retailers, sporting goods, video games, gifts and novelties.
Intercity Routes: 45, 47, 48, 68
Bonus: The mall is just a short walk across the street from the skate park at Yauger Park, or take route 45 or 48 to get there.
BoomShaka in Tumwater
With an open jump area, obstacle course, trapeze, foam diving pits and more, Boomshaka is the perfect summer destination in Tumwater. “It’s such a fun place for kids to go,” McPherson says. Bounce around for an hour or two, practice tricks or challenge your friends to extreme dodgeball. Boomshaka recommends making flight reservations online ahead of time, and parents need to sign a waiver for new jumpers. Boomshaka is less than a 15-minute walk from the bus stop.
Intercity Routes: 12, 13
Bonus: Check out the driving range and batting cages right next door.
Cirque Climbing in Lacey
Cirque Climbing Gym in Lacey is a great place for teens looking to challenge themselves this summer. Offering walk-in climbing, auto-belay systems and bouldering climbing options are available to new climbers. Cirque Climbing also offers classes, as well as tope-rope climbing for more experienced climbers. Parents will need to sign a waiver before teens start climbing. Cirque Climbing Gym is just a 7-minute walk from the bus stop.
Intercity Route: 62A
Skate Park in Yelm
Across the street from Yelm City Park, the skatepark offers handrails, ramps, stair sets and other obstacles for inline-skaters, skateboarders, or BMX riders. There are benches for hanging out, and the park is only a four-minute walk from the bus stop. “All Intercity busses are equipped with bike racks, so teens can take their bikes with them wherever they plan to go this summer,” says McPherson.
Intercity Route: 94
Get Your Pass Now
With Intercity Transit’s Summer Youth Passes, a variety of fun places are within reach of teens, keeping them occupied all summer long. The pass is effective from Memorial Day to Labor Day and only costs $20, which represents a huge savings from the already affordably priced monthly youth pass. The pass is available for purchase at the Olympia Transit Center on Saturday, May 25and will be available for purchase at several locations in late May, including Timberland Regional Libraries throughout Thurston County. As a bonus, the pass is also valid on four Olympic-region transit systems including Mason Transit, Grays Harbor Transit, Jefferson Transit, and Clallam Transit.
Check out Intercity Transit’s website for a full list of locations for teens that are just steps from an Intercity Transit bus stop. From bowling, arcades and laser tag to pizza parlors and ice cream or frozen yogurt, there are plenty of destinations to keep kids occupied throughout the summer. “The website has a trip planner that will help teens plan their route and find the closest stop to start their summer adventures” says McPherson. “We also have a free program, Travel Training, that will teach kids everything they need to know to ride the bus.”
Not only are there a lot of fun destinations to keep teens busy over the summer, but the Summer Youth Pass provides teens independence, making it easy to get to sports or music lessons, summer camps or a friend’s house without having to bug mom or dad for a ride. Don’t get stuck at home all summer with nothing to do, get out and about to some great destinations this summer.
Intercity Transit Customer Service
222 State Avenue, Olympia 360-786-1881
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