Arrive To: Arrive at the Red Lion Hotel check-in after 2 pm. Orientation is at 5 p.m. in the hotel meeting room.

Dinner: Buffet dinner in Banquet room at hotel

Lodging: Red Lion Inn

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Short and frequent walks through parks and along scenic bluffs overlooking the ocean. None of the walks are more than a mile in length, but they add up throughout the day to a couple of miles total. Participants should be able to negotiate uneven ground, beach sand, and rough paths without assistance.

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet in hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Lively lecture on the dynamic geology of the coast followed by a field trip to Simpson Reef at Cape Arago west of Coos Bay. Simpson Reef is the state's largest sea lion and seal haul-out so we'll look for California and Stellar Sea Lions, Harbor and Elephant Seals. We'll also be on the lookout for Osprey, Herons and Bald Eagles.

Lunch: Lunch at Oregon Institute of Marine Biology featuring their legendary Clam chowder and cheese bread.

Afternoon: Return to Cape Arago and visit Sunset Bay where ancient tree stumps testify to the powerful geologic forces at play on the coast. Later, we'll travel to Shore Acres State Park to explore the dramatic sea cliffs and contorted trees on this battered headland. The park is the former estate of a local timber baron and his elegant formal botanical garden is still there with acres of flowers, exotic plants and a serene Japanese pond.

Dinner: Buffet dinner at the hotel.

Evening: A slideshow will introduce you to the natural history of the southern Oregon coast.

Lodging: Red Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Oregon Dunes dune buggy ride, Florence and the historic Umpqua River Lighthouse.

Note: Dune buggy ride over towering coastal sand dunes with a stop for a short walk atop one of the highest dunes. Opportunity to explore Old Town Florence on foot, (up to 1 mile), and a climb to the top of a historic lighthouse.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Travel north to Florence, stopping in Reedsport, OR Headquarters of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Ride the 400' dunes in fun and safety on a specially built dune vehicle. Lunch at a restaurant in Old Town Florence.

Lunch: Lunch at a restaurant in Old Town Florence.

Afternoon: After some free time to explore the shops, galleries and riverfront of charming Old Town of Florence, we will travel back to Coos Bay stoping to tour the Umpqua lighthouse and a chance to be up close and personal to a fresnel lens, a truly unique experience.

Dinner: Dinner at the Red Lion Hotel

Evening: Free evening to relax.

Lodging: Red Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Check out of Red Lion Hotel; Visit South Slough Estuarine Reserve, Bandon, travel to Gold Beach

Note: We will walk on a maintained trail at the South Slough National Estuarine Reserve and visit the Interpretive Center there. Walk is one mile and elevation approximately 200 feet. We will stop for photo opportunities along the way.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: Travel to the South Slough Estuarine Reserve to learn about the vital habitat there. We'll walk through the forest along the estuary to a boardwalk over the tide flats. We'll watch for Heron, Egret, ducks, geese, and other sea birds.Travel on to Bandon for lunch. The beach at Bandon, south of Coos Bay, is one of the most spectacular anywhere. Massive offshore rock formations are home to thousands of sea birds and countless marine creatures.

Lunch: Lunch at Lord Bennett's in Bandon.

Afternoon: Continue our trip to Gold Beach, where we will check in to the Gold Beach Resort, our oceanfront hotel there.

Dinner: Dinner at a restaurant in Gold Beach

Evening: Before and/or after dinner there will be an opportunity to walk the beach in front of our hotel.

Lodging: Gold Beach Resort

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Jet Boat ride up the Rogue River, the first in the nation to be designated 'Wild and Scenic River' by the US Government

Note: Jet boat ride will feature high speeds, spins and occasional splashes, but it's all done in a very safe manner. Lunch is upriver in tiny Agness, OR.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast in the hotel breakfast room.

Morning: 64-mile jet boat ride up the historic Rogue River from Gold Beach to Agness, OR a tiny settlement on the river where mail is still delivered by boat. We will be looking for wildlife, osprey, bald eagles, deer, possibly elk and black bear.

Lunch: Buffet lunch overlooking the river at Singing Springs Ranch in Agness.

Afternoon: Return to Gold Beach on the jet boat with stops along the way to look at wildlife. The return drive to Coos Bay will have a rest stop at Bandon.

Dinner: Buffet dinner at the hotel

Evening: Wrap up our adventure!!

Lodging: Red Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Individual Departures

Depart From: Check out before 11 a.m.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast