This is a great way to experience and learn about a beautiful part of our country.

Darrell McMahon,the program leader, exhibits a depth of understanding, gratitude, and concern for the participants on the trip and for the quality of life on our planet. He relishes sharing his vast knowledge of geology, plants, birds, critters, the Anasazi, the history of the area and towns we traveled through in a clever and often humorous way. His teaching methods were varied and his patience with answering the same questions repeatedly was exemplary. He shared his personal experiences with the area to give us a taste of what it's like to make Utah "home". He made it come alive for us. Thanks Darrell and Road Scholar for the in depth travel experience of a life time.

I think this program offered a great selection of national parks/monuments since each offered something different. Our group size was 30 participants which at first concerned me but, as we embarked and the week went on, I found there were really no problems with having a group this size. The College Inn and motels were clean, conveniently located, and offered pools and hot tubs which were inviting at the end of the day. Our geologist, Darrell, was very knowledgeable and funny; he used wonderful styrofoam props to explain the formation of the landscapes we saw. Marcia, our leader, did such a wonderful job with the logistics of motels, meals, and transportation that I almost forgot all of the work she did behind the scenes. Participants were mostly couples and I am single. However, there were at least 6 solo travellers (5 single and 1 married). We tended to congregate together although the couples on the trip were friendly. My only suggestion to improve this trip is to either adjust the rating down from 5 to a 3 or 4 OR to increase the length of the hikes. The program was less strenuous than I had expected from the rating. That said, I did enjoy the program and would recommend it to anyone who wants to get a sampling of parks and monuments in the area.