Afternoon: Independent arrivals and transfers to program hotel. Check-in after 4:00 pm. Please note that rooms are not generally available until mid to late afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel followed by introductions, a review of the program and site orientation.

Lodging: Best Western Sands by the Sea

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: The walk to/from and through Stanley Park will be approximately 2 miles or 3.22 km over relatively flat terrain; some standing for interpretation while at the Museum.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Museum of Anthropology (MOA). Learn about the history and culture of the people of the Pacific Northwest at the Museum of Anthropology. The Museum houses some 535,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects, many of which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. The Aboriginal peoples of British Columbia developed a rich and complex culture. Because of the diversity of the Pacific coast - mild to cold climate, seashore to mountains - the tribes that settled in this area developed completely different cultures and languages than found elsewhere.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Stanley Park. Explore the iconic Stanley Park with an expert from the Stanley Park Ecology Society. Discover this breathtaking park which remains unspoiled and a testimony to the giant trees which occupied the site of Vancouver in its former days. Its natural west coast atmosphere offers a back drop of majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees. World famous landmarks in the park will also be discussed including the totem poles and various monuments and sculptures, and the 5.5 mi seawall which encircles the entire park.

Dinner: Dinner at a restaurant in English Bay.

Lodging: Best Western Sands by the Sea

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Explore Vancouver Neighborhoods: Gastown/Chinatown/Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Note: During the historic walk of Vancouver neighborhoods, including Gastown and Chinatown, participants should expect to walk just over 1 mile and stand for short periods of time (10 minutes) for interpretation en route.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Meet one of Vancouver's well-known local historians and author for a presentation on the settlement of Vancouver and the distinct communities and neighborhoods that define this multicultural metropolis. Field trips will take you on a historic walk of Vancouver's well-known neighborhoods. Alongside a local historian, explore two of Vancouver's most fascinating communities, Gastown and Chinatown. Gain a sense of how the city of Vancouver functions by someone who knows the city like few others, gaining fascinating (and occasionally offbeat) insights to the city's history, architecture, and people. Beginning in Gastown, the city's birthplace, walk through this historic neighborhood, with much of its early architecture and character intact, and see how it is evolving into one of the city's newest residential areas. Explore the bustling neighborhood of Chinatown, boasting rich culture and a striking collection of heritage buildings recalling the contributions of early pioneers and leaders.

Lunch: Lunch.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. We travel to historic Chinatown to visit the first authentic Chinese garden to be built outside of China. Like every classical Chinese garden, the design is based on the harmony of four main elements: rock, water, plants, and architecture. Together, these four elements combine to create a breathtaking experience of perfect balance, yin and yang. The garden enhances understanding between Chinese and Western cultures, promotes Chinese culture and was built using the time honored principles and techniques of the original Ming dynasty garden.

Dinner: Dine on your own, with new friends or join your Group Leader and fellow participants to explore more of the city and enjoy dinner at one of many dining options that the city has to offer. Discover why Vancouver is considered to be one of the world's best places to dine.

Lodging: Best Western Sands by the Sea

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: We leave behind the cityscape and journey along the mighty Fraser River towards the Okanagan Valley. Stretching from Osoyoos at the US border north to Kelowna, is laden with orchards and vineyards, making it especially appealing in spring, when the fruit trees are in full bloom. The best time to enjoy some of the valley's bounty is mid-August through early September. British Columbians have long taken inordinate pride in their wines which we will experience while exploring the region.

Lunch: We stop at the lovely Minter Gardens for lunch and guided walk through the exquisite gardens.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Summerhill Pyramid Winery. The Okanagan Valley is well known for its unparalleled variety of climate and landscape from lush orchards to arid desert-like landscape. Visit a local winery for a private tour and wine tasting. Sample a variety of hand-crafted Okanagan wines in this unique and authentic setting, surrounded by the actual vineyards where the fruit is produced on site.

Dinner: Dine at the Summerhill Pyramid Winery's Sunset Organic Bistro boasting unparalleled views of Okanagan Lake. The Bistro offers a wonderful marriage of organic food and wine produce on site.

Lodging: Comfort Suites Kelowna

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: On the morning guided walk to the Pit House Village, the trail is over relatively flat terrain.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Nk'Mip Cultural Centre. Discover the fascinating stories of Canada’s only desert and share in the rich living culture of the Okanagan people on a field trip to the Nk’Mip Cultural Centre. The state-of-the-art interpretive centre is an architectural marvel sensitively constructed into a hillside. Extensive indoor and outdoor exhibit galleries create a fun, interactive learning environment with hands-on displays, education stations and two multi-media theatre experiences. On a guided walk down a 1.5 km trail to the Pit House Village, discuss Okanagan Culture, history, ecology and botany along the way. The centre is renowned for its award-winning Rattlesnake Research project; accordingly, the centre has created “Snakes Alive”, a program that educates about the seven snake species that inhabit the South Okanagan, focusing on the endangered Western Rattlesnake. Storytelling, the oral tradition through which aboriginals have passed on their rich history, tells the legends and Chaptik of the Nk’Mip, and allows for a better understanding of how the Okanagan people relate to us. More hands on programs include a Talking Stick making/decorating session and a drum making program, while a traditional food tasting provides the perfect opportunity to sample a variety of traditional berries, meat, fish, bannock, and prickly pear cactus endemic to the South Okanagan.

Lunch: Lunch at Passa Tempo.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: See Ya Later Ranch and Mission Hill Winery. Over the last two decades the Okanagan Valley has become known as an extremely unique, breathtakingly beautiful, premium wine growing region. The diversity of vines that thrive here provides winemakers with a multitude of options to express their creative talents and technical experience. The region has attracted winemakers from around the world and is now home to vintners from France, Australia, California, New Zealand and South Africa. Visit See Ya Later Ranch, a one-hour winery tour will a focus on viticulture and tell the quirky history of the ranch. The winery produces premium varietals that include Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Meritage, Semillon,Icewine, and a classical method Brut. The tour begins in our working vineyard and concludes in the historic Major Fraser Room with wine tasting. Next we visit the Mission Hill Winery which was awarded Winery of the Year - 2011 Intervin International Wine Awards. The estate winery is situated in the heart of British Columbia's breathtaking Okanagan Valley wine country, one of the Pacific Northwest's undiscovered gems. Hear about the history, winemaking philosophy and, most importantly, the wines. Experience the nature and art of winemaking by walking through lush on-site vineyards and visiting the underground cellars.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Comfort Suites Kelowna

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: After a hearty breakfast we journey north along the Trans Canada Highway, where the road winds its way into the Monashee Mountains and past Craigellachie, the site of the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. As we continue on to Revelstoke, and up through Kicking Horse Pass we stop at the legendary Spiral Tunnels, a highlight of this routes and historic rail line that united Canada's east and west. Spiral Tunnels is an engineering marvel that loops into Mount Stephen - considered the most difficult railway track on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Lunch: We stop for lunch en route.

Afternoon: Continue along Roger’s Pass to the summit of Glacier National Park and finally enter Banff National Park, Canada's first national park and the world's third. Spanning 2,564 square miles of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world's premier destination spots. In the fall of 1883, three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta's Rocky Mountains. The Park was born from that humble beginning.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant in Banff.

Lodging: The Banff Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Banff: Cave and Basin National Historic Site/Lake Louise/Victoria Glacier

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada commemorating the birthplace of Canada's National Park system, which began here in 1885. Learn about the growth and development of Canada's national parks system and its influence on Canada's future. Explore the naturally occurring, warm mineral springs which can be found inside the cave and outside in an emerald coloured basin.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Travel along the Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise and explore the biodiversity and outstanding geological features of this area with a local naturalist. In Lake Louise, walk along the shoreline of this brilliantly colored lake and witness first hand the spectacular view of Victoria Glacier. Hear about the history of Chateau Lake Louise as you explore the grounds of this heritage property.

Dinner: Return to Banff for dinner on your own.

Lodging: The Banff Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: There are stairs leading up to the entrance of the Columbia Icefields Interpretive Centre, but there is a higher parking lot with a ramp for easier access. The remainder of the field trip is completed by coach, which is wheelchair accessible.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Columbia Icefields. Today we travel a portion of the Icefields Parkway and experience one of Canada's national treasures boasting a unique and irreplaceable landscape rich in history and natural beauty second to none. Stretching 144 miles through the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, this incredible area profiles a vast wilderness of pristine mountain lakes, ancient glaciers and broad sweeping valleys. Learn about the Columbia Icefield a surviving remnant of the thick ice mass that once mantled most of Western Canada's mountains. Lying on a wide, elevated plateau, it is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. The Athabasca is the most-visited glacier on the North American continent. Experience the Athabasca in the comfort of a massive snow coach, specially designed for glacial travel. Travel out onto the surface of the glacier with our local guide where we can safely step out and stand on this powerful ancient ice while learning about the . Because of a warming climate, the Athabasca Glacier has been receding or melting for the last 125 years. Losing half its volume and retreating more than 1.5 kms, the shrinking glacier has left a moonscape of rocky moraines in its wake. Learn about the retreat of the glacier, its surrounding habitat and how plants and wildlife survive in such conditions, as well as a brief look at the human history in the area.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Field trip to Columbia Icefields continues. Return to Banff.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Lodging: The Banff Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Whyte Museum. Explore the Whyte Museum, one of Banff's most culturally significant museums, and learn of the remarkable history of some of the locals and their cultural past. The Whyte Museum is the gateway for experiencing and enjoying the art, culture and history of the Canadian Rockies.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: FREE TIME: Enjoy a free afternoon to explore Banff - visit the hot springs, discover the town site or take the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain for a fantastic 360 degree view.

Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: The Banff Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Final breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Independent departures from the hotel in Banff. There is a shuttle service between Banff and Calgary (downtown and airport).

Meals Included: Breakfast