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To make your experience as safe as possible, we require all participants to be fully vaccinated. See our Safety Roadmap
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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:30-5:15 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the conference room by the pool to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, COVID-19 protocols, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Field trips will be led by our Group Leader, a seasoned and experienced naturalist, unless specified otherwise. We will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner: In our hotel conference room, we’ll have a buffet meal with choice of entrée, the chef's dessert of the day, and a choice of coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase. UPDATE: Due to the fluid nature of Covid restrictions, dinner details are subject to change. Once it is determined if meals will be plated, buffet, etc., we will update this site accordingly. Thank you for your understanding.
Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Getting on/off a trolley; riding about 15 miles, approximately 2 hours. Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day; mostly flat terrain, flight of stairs.
Breakfast: In a private conference room, we will have a buffet featuring a variety of choices including eggs, breakfast meats, French toast, hot and cold cereals, and fresh fruit, plus coffee, tea, assorted fruit juices, water.
Morning: We will be joined by a local historian for a presentation on Sedona history. We’ll also hear from an expert on archaeology and the prehistoric peoples who inhabited the Sedona and Verde Valley region.
Lunch: At the hotel.
Afternoon: We will board a trolley with our Group Leader and set out for a riding exploration to see some of the town’s most beloved sites including a stop at the famous Chapel of the Holy Cross. During our exploration, we will learn about the history, geology, climate, flora, and fauna of the area. As we explore, we will have photo opportunities at some scenic vistas.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: In a conference room at the hotel, we’ll enjoy a program led by an educator focused on desert critters such as spiders, live snakes, and scorpions. We’ll have the opportunity to see, touch and have our pictures taken with our desert friends and learn about the ways they adapt and thrive in this harsh environment.
Activity note: Activity Notes Getting on/off a vehicle with several steps up/down; driving about 70 miles throughout the day; approximately 1 hour total riding time. Walking about 1 mile throughout the day; flat, paved trails. Getting on/off railroad cars; riding about 40 miles, approximately 4 hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll board our transport with our Group Leader for a field trip to Montezuma Castle National Monument. This 5-story, 20-room cliff dwelling is nestled in a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley. It is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, constructed approximately 600 years ago by the Sinagua Indians. While here, we’ll observe the ruins from below and take note of Wet Beaver Creek’s unique ecosystem as we walk along the paved loop trail.
Lunch: Our first-class train tickets include lunch with charcuterie items such as cured meats, gourmet cheese, fruit, fruit dip, crackers, brownies, and bottled water. It also incudes a champagne or sparkling cider toast upon boarding!
Afternoon: We’ll settle into Verde Canyon Railroad first-class cars for a scenic, leisurely ride. As we follow a 40-mile route along the Verde River, we’ll ride in comfort in renovated passenger and open air cars, journeying at a slow pace mostly near the canyon bottom. We’ll pass red rock pinnacles, cross bridges, see Native American ruins, and ride through a 680-foot tunnel. Keep eyes out for native plants and wildlife that may be present such as more than 30 eagles that winter in this scenic area. Our Group Leader will supplement expert commentary by a railroad expert.
Dinner: At a local Mexican restaurant.
Evening: Returning to the hotel in Sedona, the remainder of the evening will be at leisure.
Activity note: Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will be joined by an expert on geology for a presentation on the geologic story of Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and the surrounding area. This will help make sense of how the stunning beauty of this area came to be and prepare us for our upcoming full day at the Grand Canyon.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon: Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. Sedona has choices from fascinating art galleries, hiking the thrilling red rock trails, or taking a “Pink Jeep” out to explore Sedona’s back country and archaeological sites.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: We will be treated to a performance of western ballads and tales by musicians who are frequent guests at Southwest cowboy poet festivals, and who have been delighting Road Scholar participants for more than two decades.
Activity note: Getting on/off a vehicle with several steps up/down; driving about 230 miles throughout the day, approximately 5 hours total riding time. Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day; mostly flat, paved, or dirt paths. Elective longer hikes available.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board our transport and set out on a full-day field trip to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Upon arrival, we will start on a walk and learn as we explore about the Grand Canyon’s unique geological, biological, and historical features. We’ll also see Grand Canyon Village where many of the most impressive structures in the historic village were designed by Mary Jane Colter, a renowned architect and designer for the Fred Harvey Company and Santa Fe Railroad. With luck, we might even see an endangered California condor soaring overhead as we gaze into the Canyon’s depths below.
Lunch: Along the Grand Canyon’s rim, we’ll have sack lunches.
Afternoon: We will have some time for independent exploration in the historic village. Be sure to take a look across to the Canyon’s North Rim, 10 miles away as the raven flies. We’ll then begin our return ride to Sedona, settling into our seats, we’ll recap the 1.8 billion year layer cake of earth’s history we’ve just seen in person.
Dinner: At the halfway point on our ride back to Sedona, we will stop for dinner in Flagstaff. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: We expect to get back to the hotel by approximately 8:00 p.m. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast: At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
JOOOB
