Afternoon: Arrive and check in to Grand Canyon Caverns Inn after 3:00 PM. Road Scholar program registration between 4:30-5:15 PM in the Grand Canyon Caverns meeting room, right off the motel lobby.

Dinner: Buffet dinner in the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant. Full salad bar always available. Dinner selections feature home-cooked entrees which appeal to both young and old.

Evening: Introductions and orientation in the motel meeting room following dinner. Get to know your fellow participants and get prepared for the action-packed adventure you are about to embark on.

Lodging: Grand Canyon Caverns Inn

Meals Included: Dinner

Nature Walk/Cave Exploration and Craft Project /Geography, Natural or Human History Presentation

Note: One mile walk, primarily downhill but some uphill, over somewhat rocky terrain. Walk both on and off trail to access sites of interest during nature walk.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant with a wide assortment of hot and cold choices including granola, yogurt, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, toast and bagels.

Morning: Nature walk beginning at restaurant on the Caverns property (740 acres; mixed grassland and pinon juniper woodland, unique desert plants, animals and geology). The trail is rocky so remember to wear good walking shoes, bring water and dress for hot temperatures. A short time for swimming may be available before lunch.

Lunch: Buffet lunch at the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant with selections which appeal to both young and old. May include cold cuts, hot dogs, make your own tacos and always a salad bar.

Afternoon: Walk through the Grand Canyon Caverns (210 feet underground with elevator access), a famous Route 66 landmark, with a guide who will share the Cavern's geology and its lore. Then participate in a craft project. There might be some swim time available before dinner.

Dinner: Buffet dinner in the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant. Full salad bar always available. Dinner selections feature home-cooked entrees which appeal to both young and old.

Evening: Evening program on the patio or indoors (depending on weather) on geography, natural history, Native American culture or star watching/astronomy.

Lodging: Grand Canyon Caverns Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Peach Springs Canyon to the Bottom of Grand Canyon/Riverside Picnic/Diamond Creek/River Trip Orientation & Swim Time/Human History Presentation or Storytelling

Note: Short walks from van to scenic viewpoints. One mile optional walk along road and in creek down to the Colorado River (some slippery rocks). Walk from parking area to picnic and beach site through soft sand in hot temperatures.

Breakfast: Breakfast in the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant.

Morning: Depart after breakfast for a field trip down Peach Springs Canyon on the Diamond Creek Road to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. Stops will be made along the way at various points of interest (running water and wading). This is a true "Journey to the Center of the Earth" as the walls of the Grand Canyon rise higher and higher as you drive towards the Colorado River. Pass through hundreds of millions of years of geologic history culminating in the arrival at the 1.8 billion year old rock of the Granite Gorge. A 3/4-mile walk along Diamond Creek to the river will be offered.

Lunch: Picnic lunch at the Colorado River in the bottom of Grand Canyon.

Afternoon: Field trip continues at the bottom of the Grand Canyon after lunch. View Diamond Creek Rapids, look for desert bighorn sheep, wild burros, hawks and lizards. At the river, look for river runners rafting the Colorado River. We'll have time to play safely in the Colorado River during the hottest part of the day. Interesting human history, facts and management issues regarding the Colorado River will be shared with the group on the beach. Return to Grand Canyon Caverns in the afternoon for river trip orientation.

Dinner: Dinner at the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant.

Evening: Evening program of stories or fun presentation on geology, natural history, Native American culture or star watching/astronomy.

Lodging: Grand Canyon Caverns Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arizona Ranch Visit with Horse Riding & Roping/Hualapai Indian Stories, Songs and Dance/River Trip Orientation/Kids Only Activity /Cowboy Cookout with Campfire, S'mores & Stars

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant with its wide selection of breakfast offerings.

Morning: Depart this morning for a nearby ranch where we’ll meet a real working cowboy and learn about ranching, horses and the importance of cattle in the history of the west. Believe it or not, cattle have many uses today, besides just steak and hamburger! Kids will learn about a horse’s tack, how to properly saddle a horse and how to rope. All kids will have an opportunity to ride a horse at the ranch corral.

Lunch: Lunch provided by Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant.

Afternoon: After lunch, a "Kids Only" activity is scheduled. Later this afternoon enjoy a program on Hualapai culture and dancing presented by members of the Hualapai tribe. Your coordinators will have a river trip/helicopter prep session so you'll know what to take and what to expect for the exciting Colorado River whitewater adventure.

Dinner: Enjoy a cowboy cookout for our final dinner at Grand Canyon Caverns.

Evening: Campfire and marshmallow roasting or s'mores under the stars as well as some group activities. Look up from the smoke of the fire to star-studded western skies and see the Milky Way as you spend this evening with new friends, both young and young at heart, from across the country.

Lodging: Grand Canyon Caverns Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

River Trip through Grand Canyon/ Waterfall Hike/Helicopter Trip from River to Canyon Rim/Trip through Mojave Desert to Hualapai Lodge for Dinner

Note: Climbing in and out of rafts requires some upper body strength and agility. Cold, but invigorating, drenching during rapids. Short hike -- less than 1/4 mile -- to waterfall over sometimes slippery rocks and through sand. Optional climb using ropes and ladders to another hidden waterfall.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant.

Morning: Depart after breakfast for Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs (12 miles) to meet Hualapai River Runner transportation to Colorado River. Safety orientation and life vest fitting on the beach, then embark on river trip. The "Diamond Creek Down" Colorado River trip is about 37 miles in length. The first 16 miles you will encounter about 10 whitewater rapids. Some of these are large (5, 6 and 7 's on a 1 to 10 scale) so participants will get splashed and wet with cold water. The air temperature in summer at the bottom of the canyon will likely be around 100 degrees so the splashing is a welcome relief and keeps passengers cool. The rafts pull over at a couple of attractions (including the beautiful Travertine Falls) and at a lunch spot. After 16 miles the rapids flatten out, but the scenery remains "Grand" in all regards. Hualapai tribal members will operate rafts and, along with our staff, provide information about the canyon along the way.

Lunch: Lunch along the river (provided by river company).

Afternoon: Continue down river after lunch to Quartermaster Landing (37 miles downstream from starting point at Diamond Creek). Have your camera ready for the flight! Helicopter out of the canyon on a quick, but spectacular, flight to Quartermaster Point where Hualapai River Runner transportation returns the group to the Hualapai Lodge through a landscape of Joshua Trees and creosote bush through the beautiful basin and range landscape of the Mohave Desert. WIND AND SAFETY ADVISORY: PLEASE NOTE THE ABILITY TO FLY HELICOPTERS FROM THE COLORADO RIVER AT THE END OF THE RAFT TRIP IS DEPENDENT ON WIND AND/OR HEAT CONDITIONS ON THE RIM AND IN THE CANYON. ON EXTREMELY WINDY OR HOT DAYS, DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, HELICOPTERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO FLY. ALTHOUGH THIS IS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY, IT HAPPENS VERY INFREQUENTLY. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE RAFT TRIP IS EXTENDED ON THE RIVER TO A LOCATION WHERE BUSSES ARE ABLE TO REACH THE PARTICIPANTS FOR TRANSPORT BACK TO THE HOTEL.

Dinner: Enjoy a hearty dinner in the Hualapai Lodge dining room.

Evening: Return to Caverns Inn after a late dinner. No evening activites planned as everyone will be tired after a long day on the river.

Lodging: Grand Canyon Caverns Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Grand Canyon Caverns restaurant.

Morning: Enjoy a program wrap up and presentations. Then bid farewell to your new friends, both young and young at heart! Van Go shuttle passengers will depart for Phoenix airport immediately following morning activities. Van Go to depart by 10:30 am and reach Phoenix by 2:30 pm.

Meals Included: Breakfast