Go West, Girl Scouts!
Loudon Troop 60180 takes trip to New Mexico paid for by cookie sales
May 15, 2025
LOUDON, NH – Travel provides incredible opportunities for learning vital adult skills and opening one’s eyes to the wider world. Seven Girl Scouts in Loudon Girl Scout Troop 60180 have experienced that first hand, taking a trip to New Mexico in March.
The Girl Scout Cadettes in the troop – those in grades 6 and 7 – planned the trip themselves with help from their leaders and funded it from the proceeds of their Girl Scout Cookie sales.
“Even during the trip, if we needed to make a decision it was us that talked about what to do and voted,” the Girl Scouts said. “For example, we thought Carlsbad was closer to where we were staying. … We talked it over and decided to stick to the original plan and we were so happy we did.”
The troop voted on where to go, where to stay, eating, packing, and picking out a car.
“We discovered a new part of the country that we hadn’t been to before and got to enjoy and learn about New Mexico,” they said. “We learned about life there from locals at the horseback riding place. We learned about the land from the White Sands park ranger and learned so many scientific things from exploring and reading the signs walking through Carlsbad Caverns. We also met female college students that were volunteering at the caverns to clean lint that builds up from visitors and they taught us about what they did. We developed our skills by talking to a lot of people and asking a lot of questions. We did a lot of research before we left and we planned the entire trip ourselves.”
Girl Scout Dalia said “The trip was completely worth the cold long cookie booths!”
Starting as early as kindergarten, Girl Scouts are encouraged to build the skills to become global citizens, starting with local field trips, overnights, short and then extended trips, culminating in domestic and international trips. Each troop or individual chooses when and how to travel with help from experienced adults.
To find out more about Girl Scout travel, see https://www.girlscoutsgwm.org/en/activities/travel.html.
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.
