Arrival & Check-in / Registration & Orientation / Greetings, Introductions & Orientation

Afternoon: CHECK-IN: From 3:00pm. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar desk in the lodge meeting room between 4:30-5:15pm to register with program staff.

Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge offers healthy choices and great taste. One to two entree choices daily as well as salad bar. Vegetarian choices always available. Main dishes range from chicken to fish to pork, lasagna, meatballs, pot pie with puff pastry and gravy, and more. Side dishes might be cornbread stuffing, green beans, potatoes (roasted or mashed), roasted vegetables, snap peas, sweet potatoes, etc. There are choices for both young and old.

Evening: ORIENTATION: After greetings and introductions in the lodge meeting room, we’ll have an informative program orientation. We'll review the updated schedule, answer any questions you may have, and cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, and emergency procedures. Then meet all of your fellow participants as you think about all the great activities over the next five days.

You’re about to embark on a fantastic adventure that starts in Prescott, Arizona, where you’ll learn about pioneers and cowboys, enjoy a chance to kayak, and a ropes course. We move on to America’s favorite national park — the one and only Grand Canyon — where you can meet park rangers, walk the rim, discover hidden viewpoints, or descend into the canyon on one of its trails -- either the fabled Bright Angel Trail or the stunning South Kaibab. With lodging not far from the rim, you can enjoy the amazing sunrise/sunset for lasting, shared memories.

Lodging: Chapel Rock Lodge

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge starts off your day on the right foot. You may have a choice of assorted quiches, whole grain pancakes, special egg scramble with biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, or cheese blintzes with strawberry topping. Breakfast meats, fresh fruit, cereal, granola, plain scrambled eggs, juice and coffee/tea available daily. Each day offers one or two hot choices.

Morning: ROPES/CHALLENGE COURSE: This morning we’ll have a series of team-building activities with the conference center's Challenge Course (requires only average strength and coordination). Don’t worry — all activities are designed for the fun of doing things together and no one is pressured to do anything that would make them uncomfortable. The challenge is finding out just what you are capable of and have fun doing it. We’ll begin with on the ground team building activities to engage all generations together. Optional "high ropes" activities such as wall climbing and gliding on a zip line, etc., will be available for those who want to do more and/or challenge their comfort level.

Lunch: Lunch at the lodge offers healthy daily entrees which might include one or more of the following: flatbread pizzas, assorted light Italian salads, chicken fajitas, Spanish rice, Caesar salad with grilled chicken, or cookout hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, etc.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Prescott was Arizona's first territorial capital at a time when the West was really wild, and was often called the "Cowboy Capital of the World"! You’ll see many cowboy and ranching influences as we head into this true western town, just a 5-minute van ride from the Conference Center.

We’ll begin at the Sharlot Hall Museum, named for its founder who was one of the West’s most remarkable women: a poet, activist, politician, and historian who collected important Native American and pioneer artifacts. The museum includes compelling exhibits, beautiful gardens, and historic structures such as Arizona's original governor's "mansion" made of rough-hewn logs, built in 1864. Kids especially will have a great experience as we “time travel” from pre-history to frontier America. Discover real historic characters and handle genuine artifacts from Arizona’s past.

We’ll also walk part of famed Courthouse Square in Prescott and infamous "Whiskey Row”— originally a watering hole for Old West cowboys and gunslingers. It won't be hard to imagine what life was like back then.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge offers healthy choices and great taste. One to two entree choices daily as well as salad bar. Vegetarian choices always available. See Dinner Day 1 for possible entrees.

Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: Immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings of Arizona and learn about the reasons that makes this state so unique. Hear about some of the fascinating plants and animals that call Arizona home and how they live in this environment.

Lodging: Chapel Rock Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kayaking Watson Lake / Nature Walk & Outdoor Activities / Kids Only! / Evening Swim!

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge. Each day offers one or two hot choices. Possible entrees include assorted quiches, whole grain pancakes, special egg scramble with biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, or cheese blintzes with strawberry topping. Breakfast meats, fresh fruit, cereal, granola, plain scrambled eggs, juice and coffee/tea available daily.

Morning: Spend the morning with a kayaking trip to beautiful Watson Lake, approximately ten miles from the Conference Center. Participants will partner with their kin as well as other program participants to learn basic paddling skills on a beautiful lake set amidst stunning granite boulders. When not kayaking there will be an option to hike on the historic Peavine Trail near the Granite Dells. Participants may choose to opt out of any portion of the activity.

Lunch: Lunch at the lodge offers healthy daily entrees which might include one or more of the following: flatbread pizzas, assorted light Italian salads, chicken fajitas, Spanish rice, Caesar salad with grilled chicken, or cookout hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, etc.

Afternoon: AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES: Spend the afternoon at camp participating in activities engaging grandparents and grandkids. Participate in a geocaching game OR learn how find your way when you’re lost in an orienteering exercise. There will also be a 'kids only' activity scheduled into the afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge offers healthy choices and great taste. One to two entree choices daily as well as a full salad bar. Vegetarian choices always available. See Dinner Day 1 for possible entrees.

Evening: EVENING SWIM: After dinner, we’ll make the short trip to a local pool for an evening of fun in the water. You can swim (after waiting long enough for dinner to settle!) or take part in games for all ages and skill levels.

Upon our return to the lodge, pack up for tomorrow's departure for the Grand Canyon following breakfast. Dream about the next day and, perhaps, your first glimpse of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and one of America's national treasures.

Lodging: Chapel Rock Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge. Each day offers one or two hot choices. Possible entrees include assorted quiches, whole grain pancakes, special egg scramble with biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, or cheese blintzes with strawberry topping. Breakfast meats, fresh fruit, cereal, granola, plain scrambled eggs, juice and coffee/tea available daily.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: We’ll depart after breakfast for a full-day field trip to Grand Canyon National Park and overnight stay. The Grand Canyon is one of America’s most powerful and inspiring landscapes, overwhelming our senses first through its immense size, encompassing 1.2 million acres, 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. We’ll visit Mather Point and Yavapai Point on the South Rim with some of the very best views. Learn about the Canyon's awe-inspiring geology as we walk along the rim. The rocks of the canyon are older than any dinosaurs. Rocks at the Grand Canyon comprise some of the oldest rocks known on earth -- up to 1.8 BILLION years old!

Lunch: Enjoy a sack lunch at a picnic area along the Canyon rim.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Continuing at Grand Canyon National Park, during the afternoon we’ll spend more time along the Canyon's rim and in Grand Canyon Village. We’ll offer short hikes along the rim, make stops at some of the park's most impressive viewpoints and have an opportunity to hike into the Canyon on either the Bright Angel or S. Kaibab Trails either this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

Check-in to a Grand Canyon Lodge around 4:00pm.

Dinner: Dinner is cafeteria style in a Grand Canyon Lodge offering plenty of options for all tastes.

Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: This is an iconic national park experience to share with your loved ones.In an amphitheater under the stars — and maybe even with a campfire! — enjoy a presentation by a Grand Canyon National Park Ranger. Topics might be Grand Canyon geology, wildlife such as California Condors, or John Wesley Powell's epic journey down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon.

Lodging: Grand Canyon South Rim Lodges

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Grand Canyon Explorations with Personal Options / IMAX "Grand Canyon: the Hidden Secrets" / Campfire Circle

Breakfast: Multiple breakfast options to suit any taste in the lodge dining facility/cafeteria.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: After packing the vans, enjoy a full morning exploring the many hiking and historical points of interest that make up the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. As a very special highlight, there are multiple opportunities for grandparents and grandkids to continue exploring together for the experiences of your personal choice. Your program leaders will be happy to offer guidance so you can choose from the variety of Ranger-led options or head out on your own.

If you choose the independent route, you could take the Hermit (Red Line) Shuttle past many viewpoints to Hermit's Rest on the west rim; hike into the Grand Canyon on the famed Bright Angel Trail; hike along the rim to dramatic overlooks; or visit the historic South Rim Village with points of interest including the El Tovar Hotel, the Hopi House, Bright Angel Trail, and the cliff-hanging Kolb Studio. You might even see a rare California Condor soar overhead!

As we conclude these adventures, we'll regroup and head out for lunch.

Lunch: Lunch in Tusayan adjacent to the IMAX Theater. Tusayan is about two miles south of the south entrance to the Grand Canyon.

Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll be wowed by the world-famous IMAX presentation, "Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets." In less than an hour, you’ll discover what would take a lifetime to experience. Follow human habitation from the earliest people who lived in the canyon more than 4,000 years ago to the Anasazi Indians who settled in the canyon more than a 1,000 years ago. Finally, share the thrill of a Grand Canyon white water adventure as Major John Wesley Powell challenges the unexplored Canyon and raging Colorado River in 1869.

We’ll return to Chapel Rock Conference Center in late afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner at the lodge offers healthy choices and great taste. One to two entree choices daily as well as a full salad bar. Vegetarian choices always available. See Dinner Day 1 for possible entrees.

Evening: EVENING ACTIVITIES: Tonight after dinner we’ll all join around a campfire circle for S'mores with loved ones and new friends. Surrounded by towering pines and massive granite boulders, the campfire circle provides the perfect setting to reflect on your week of adventures. What did you enjoy most and what was most memorable for you?

Lodging: Chapel Rock Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the lodge. You may have a choice of assorted quiches, whole grain pancakes, special egg scramble with biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, or cheese blintzes with strawberry topping. Breakfast meats, fresh fruit, cereal, granola, plain scrambled eggs, juice and coffee/tea available daily.

Morning: WRAP-UP AND FAREWELLS: This morning we'll take a trip to Thumb Butte and spend a few hours hiking this iconic symbol of Prescott as we remember our week together and spend the morning with our new friends.

The program concludes by approximately 10:30am. Check-out following program conclusion.

We hope you’ve had a great time together and will join us again for other rewarding Road Scholar programs. May all your journeys together be filled with fun and adventure. We hope you made some grand memories together!

Meals Included: Breakfast